Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

The first thing man does soon after he is born, is to try and understand his mother and father. In the wider context of the community in which we live, after understanding one’s parents, one should make an attempt to understand the full significance and meaning of one’s mother country and mother civilisation. The history of our country and the history of our traditions and culture are our true parents. Although more than twenty-five years have lapsed since we have attained the independence of our country, it is a great misfortune that in our entire period of independence, we have not been able to produce one single text or scripture which is typical of the culture of our country. Although, we, in this country, have been listening to real history in many ways, yet we are truly not able to recognise the essence of our civilisation. Such permanent truth, which does not alter with time, such permanent truth which is not affected or altered by revolutions, is the only truth which is the essence and true form of our culture. The inner meaning and significance of such truth represents the history of our country. Forgetting this sacred history of ours, we are taking two alternatives which are temporary, transient, and artificial. Because of this change, no student has been able to assert and say what the true picture of our country is.

Unfortunately, today every student makes all attempts to pass an examination. They do not make any attempt to understand the wisdom that lies behind true education. The students of today are spending their lives in trying to acquire some cheap texts or notes and somehow or other, by hook or by crook, and by copying from such cheap texts or even by terrorising the teachers, they just want to pass the examination. From the time he wakes up from sleep till the time he goes back to bed, man spends all his time in such a trivial manner.

Today, man’s way of living is such that he becomes dependent on others. Man is always in a hurry, he is simply spending his time in running from one thing to another. He runs for a seat in a bus, he runs for a seat in a cinema hall, he runs for a seat in a college, he runs all his life for acquiring one thing or another. Even while undertaking to do things in such a hurry and running for everything, they have the misfortune of having to wait for everything. Our life appears like the life of a bird or of an insect dependent on others for everything. We spend all the time today in reading useless stories. One does not find time to read useful history and useful aspects of one’s culture. Not only this, man also wants to take a short cut for everything that he wants to achieve. Man does not want to make an effort in growing crops. He wants to go and steal the harvest prepared by someone else. He does not want to take the trouble for anything. He wants to earn his money by picking the pocket of someone else and such are the shortcuts that he wants to adopt for everything. How is the breadth of vision of a man going to enlarge if he wants to lead a life like that? A man whose Atma has not blossomed and a man whose spiritual background has not blossomed will never understand the whole purpose of his life. Today people think that acquaintance with a large number of books is education. Acquaintance with books can never be called education.

For this enormous creation that we see in this universe, that there is an invaluable strength behind it all, is a truth that we should recognise. Although man’s birth and death look to us as common things, yet to understand the secret of birth and of death is a very difficult matter. No one is making an attempt to understand the reason for human life and for human birth and death. No one is trying to understand the basis for this. Man is not making an attempt to understand the duties and responsibilities of himself as a human being. Why is there so much anarchy and confusion in the world today? Why is there no peace? Is it because there are no educated people, and is it because there are no educational institutions? No, there are plenty of them, but the educated people do not have the necessary culture and breadth of vision along with their education. Our country has been known as the spiritual treasure house. Yet today we are forgetting the spiritual treasure and the real strength of our country.

Children are not understanding even the meaning of education. For the root word “Vid” if you add “Ya” then you get Vidya. Here “Vid” stands for illumination and “Ya” stands for that. Therefore, that which gives illumination and light is Vidya. That which gives you light and sheds your ignorance and that which gives you wisdom and superior knowledge can alone be called Vidya. What promotes ignorance and darkness cannot be called Vidya. From time immemorial, our country had been the leader of all the countries in the world. It had enjoyed the position of leadership in this world, and that is the kind of sacredness that we have enjoyed in the past. Because there are no leaders today who can set an example of such ideal life and who can hand on such ideals to other countries, we have fallen on bad times. The main reason for this is that in the people, there is no co-ordination between the words that they utter and the acts that they do. You are all the future citizens of Bharath. You are the citizens who will bring up the welfare of Bharath. The entire prosperity and welfare of the country rests on your shoulders. Your lives and your hearts are pure and sacred. They are unwavering. I am hoping that you will not allow the confusion and anarchy prevailing in the country to confuse your pure, unwavering, and sacred minds; and I am hoping that you will develop into ideal citizens of this country.

We keep on talking about discipline. Simply to keep on talking about discipline and not have the strength and faith to accept discipline is not going to do any good. To discipline and duty we should also add devotion. It is only when these three D’s - Discipline, Devotion, and Duty - are together and firmly implanted in your heart, that your heart will be able to develop into a sacred one. Today, unfortunately, even persons who claim to be, and boast of being highly educated, appear as weaklings in practical life. Such people do not understand the value of true education. As one student has just mentioned, the entire education has turned into one begging bowl.

Students, after having a degree in their hands, should undertake to be of some service to the community. If, on the other hand, you search for a job or beg for a job, it is not correct. For the chariot of this body, the axle, namely the Atma, has become very distant. It is for rectifying this defect - namely to remove the distance between the body and the axle, we will have to undertake Yoga. Yoga does not mean that one should give up his family and his house. It does not mean going to a forest and sitting in meditation. Today man faces many problems in the community that he lives in. To be able to face those problems courageously, and to meet and solve them, is the true meaning of Yoga. Every man aspires for happiness and a peaceful life. Every man wants a respectable position in the society in which he lives, and every man wants good health; but to be able to deserve this happiness, this health, and this peaceful life is a part of Yoga. To be able to enjoy this peace and happiness, we will have to adopt a path, and the path that we have to adopt for this will constitute the Yoga of which we are talking.

In the Bhagavad Gita the Yoga that was taught to Arjuna was to give him the strength by which he does not turn his back on the problems that he was facing. The lesson that was given to Arjuna was that he should face the problem and find a solution for the problem. This kind of Yoga, which the students should undertake in their lives, should enable them to face the country and community and the problems thereof. You find the solutions to the problems, and by God’s grace, these problems will be solved. One should regard the country’s problems as one’s own problems. Put away the selfishness and ego in you and regard the problems of the society as your own problems, and you must solve them. It is necessary that students take the lead in solving such problems. I hope that those of you who are students will be able to imbibe the messages given by the older people in sacred congregations like this, and that you will shape your lives in such a manner that you will become useful citizens of the country. I hope that this will be possible for you.

Of all the animals that are born in this world, to be born as a human being is the most difficult and fortunate thing. Having been born as human and having acquired that special gift of intellect, you must sanctify your human birth and human existence. You must be prepared to put into practice one out of the ten things that you preach in preference to just saying ten good things. You must be prepared to serve as servants for all your lives. Never think of being a leader. Without becoming a servant you cannot become a leader. You must first learn to follow before becoming a leader. We find the world in an unfortunate state because, today, people become leaders without knowing how to become good followers. In that context you must be prepared to spend all your lives in the service of humanity. In the first instance, you must serve your own home, then you must serve your village, then your state, and then the country. Without acquiring the ability to serve in your own home and produce results in your home, how can you serve your country and hope to produce results?

In the first instance you must give satisfaction to your father and mother. According to our traditions, mother and father who have gifted us this human body are to be treated like gods; and if we cannot show them gratitude, our lives are meaningless. Many great saints have sacrificed everything else in order to satisfy their mother and father. Saints like Chaitanya and Pundarika have sacrificed everything to be of service to their parents. In the first instance, you should show gratefulness and provide satisfaction to your mother and father. Then you can make an effort to serve the country. You should be sure that the kind of work that you undertake does not cause waste of time. Everything is time for us, in fact, time is the very basis of all that we see in this creation. If we waste time, we will be wasting our entire life and body. The significance of our commencing the summer classes today is that we recognise the spiritual strength in us. We should take such steps as would promote this spiritual strength and let it blossom out and become useful to others. In the world there are many organisations which are devoted to the service of the community; but our organisation, the Sathya Sai Organisation - should have something specific and distinctive - showing an ideal to other organisations. We are commencing our summer classes today and many experienced and elderly people will come, and they will give you their messages. I am hoping that you will imprint their messages in your heart. Not only imprint them in your heart, but also try and put them into practice. I bless you all and bring this discourse to a close.