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Embodiments
of Love!
Hunger, thirst, pleasure and pain, are quite natural to man. One
follows the other. Food is essential for man. But filling the belly
is not the be all - and end - all of human existence. Man is born
not for the sake of ahara (food) but to experience ananda (bliss).
One who is oblivious to ananda and spends his time and energy in
the pursuit of ahara will ultimately fritter away his life. The
purpose of celebrating festivals is to experience bliss and not
merely to partake of delicious food. No doubt the body requires
food, but life is not meant for food alone. Unmindful of this truth,
man is treading the path of unrighteousness for the sake of food
and physical pleasures. The body is made up of five elements and
is transitory. The Mind is a mere bundle of thoughts and desires.
We should not be unduly attached to the body and the mind. We should
strive to experience bliss.
Embodiments
of Love!
Human body has emerged out of love. Hence, we should lead a life
for divine love and not for food. But man has not understood this
truth. He struggles hard from dawn to dusk for the sake of filling
his belly. He is not utilising the gift of the body for the purpose
it is assigned to. This body is a den of dirt, and prone to diseases;
it is subject to change from time to time; how foolish it is to
develop attachment to such an impermanent body and strive for its
pleasures?
Embodiments
of Love!
We should lead our lives in such a manner to redeem ourselves. We
should love God and aspire only for Him. Your love should be directed
only towards God, not for the body. Our speech, actions and the
life-breath itself are meant to experience the Atma. Sometimes the
body may be afflicted with ailments, but they are like passing clouds.
Man is born to attain the eternal truth of the Atma. Life is meant
for Atmaanveshana (quest for the Atma) and not for Annaanveshana
(quest for food). Annaanveshana gives cause to physical ailments.
They come and go like passing clouds. How foolish it is to be depressed
about such 'passing clouds'? We should never forget the truth that
we are born to experience the eternal bliss of Atma.
Embodiments
of Love!
You have come here all the way from Kerala to celebrate the holy
festival of Onam and experience joy and bliss in the divine presence
of Swami. We should not allow trivial matters to dampen the spirit
of enthusiasm. We should march forward with courage and conviction,
unmindful of any hurdles and inconveniences in the way. A few minutes
ago, when all of you were blissfully immersed in the celebration,
all of a sudden My nose started bleeding. I went inside, wiped the
blood and came out cheerfully as if nothing had happened. How can
we discontinue the celebration of a sacred festival of this kind
on account of such trivial matters? We should not lose our self-confidence
on such minor physical discomforts. They are transient in nature;
you should not get distracted by them. Ailment and suffering are
but natural to the physical body. Sometimes even the sun is covered
by clouds. But can the clouds ever diminish the effulgence of the
sun? No. Just as the sun is not affected by the clouds, you too
should remain unaffected by ailment and suffering. When you develop
such courage, conviction and determination, you will not be depressed
or dejected by any suffering.
Embodiments
of Love!
We should sanctify our time by performing sacred actions. This is
the spiritual lesson we have to learn today. We can experience transcendental
bliss only when we overcome the difficulties and suffering that
come in our way. Never be afraid of difficulties; face them with
courage. Only then humanness will blossom in you. Once you experience
the bliss of the Atma, difficulties and suffering will no longer
bother you.
Embodiments
of Love!
Amidst the joyous celebration of the festival, My slight physical
discomfiture has caused anxiety to you. You should never give scope
for anxiety or worry. In order to allay your fears and anxiety and
to give you joy I came back immediately. In this world, many difficulties
come in our way. Truly speaking, they merely cause anxiety in you;
they cannot harm you.
Onam
is the most sacred festival of Kerala. You have to understand the
significance and message of this festival and put it into practice.
Onam is an occasion to share our joy with others. You cannot experience
happiness without undergoing difficulties. Na Sukhat Labhate Sukham
(one cannot derive happiness out of happiness). Happiness gains
value in the face of difficulties. Even insurmountable difficulties
will vanish like thin mist when you face them with courage and self-confidence.
The problems may appear to be mountainous in nature, but you should
not give scope for fear or anxiety in your mind. Mind is like a
mad monkey. It easily gets swayed by difficulties. Hence, you should
brush aside the difficulties that come in your way. Never allow
them to get the upper hand. Mind is the veil of Maya (illusion)
that stands as an obstacle in your path to spirituality. You should
not become a slave of the mind; you should conquer the mind. Only
then can you attain Divinity. But you are carried away by the vagaries
of the mind which is nothing but Maya. You should ignore the dictates
of the mind. We consider the mind to be the most important aspect
of humankind. However, it can lead you to dangers and difficulties
if you are carried away by its whims and fancies. Hence, do not
submit yourself to the mind.
Embodiments of Love!
One who has control over the mind is a true Manishi (human). One
who lacks control over the mind is no human at all. How can you
call yourself a human being if you are fickle-minded and depressed
over trivial problems? You should make efforts to overcome problems
posed by the mind without being unduly worried about them. In this
world, there is nothing greater than God's love. Hence, we should
transcend the mind that stands as an obstacle in the Godward path.
Embodiments
of Love!
You are born out of love and sustained by love. You should sanctify
your life by leading a life suffused with love. Treat love as the
very basis of your life. You are not fit to be called a human being
if you submit yourself to trivial problems. Even tiny ants are able
to overcome obstacles that stand in their way. Problems are not
limited to human beings alone; even birds, beasts and insects have
problems.
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Saint
Thyagaraja sang, "Oh Rama, You pervade everything right from
a Cheema (ant) to Brahma. You are in Siva and also in Kesava.
Please take care of Me." (Telugu poem)
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The same divinity that is present in an ant is also present in man.
Likewise, difficulties are also common for all. The suffering that
an ant undergoes is similar to that of man. When such a tiny creature
like an ant is able to withstand suffering, why is it that man is
not able to do the same? He is influenced by his food and habits
and thus has become a slave to his mind. That is the reason he is
unable to withstand suffering. We should face the challenges of
life with fortitude and brush aside the difficulties. Never be cowed
down by difficulties. You can attain God only when you face difficulties
with courage and overcome them.
Embodiments of Love!
You should not seek anything other than divine love. There is nothing
superior to love in this world. You consider gold, silver, diamond,
etc. as most valuable. In fact, all these so called valuable things
are meant to delude man. We should not care for such worldly possessions.
Instead, we should focus our mind on God. Perform your daily activities
keeping God as your goal. Only then will your human birth find fulfilment.
We should strive to attain the grace of God and not be deterred
by difficulties and losses. When you have God on your side, you
can achieve anything. All your difficulties and suffering will vanish
in a trice. When such omnipotent Divinity is within us, why should
we be worried about trivial matters? Love is the divine power that
bestows on us the courage to overcome difficulties. Anything can
be achieved with the power of love. We should be afraid of sin,
and not difficulties. We have to develop Daiva Preeti, Papa Bheeti
and Sangha Neeti (fear of sin, love of God and morality in society).
Instead of developing fear of sin, we are enslaved by sin. Instead
of seeking refuge in God, we are submitting ourselves to difficulties.
Morality in society will lead to love of God which will in turn
lead to fear of sin. Hence, we should uphold morality in society
and dedicate ourselves to God.
Thyagaraja
once prayed, "Oh! Lord, I am deeply concerned about the fear of
sin. I am unable to surrender to your love. Please grant me the
strength of conviction to bow down before your divine love. Please
give me the strength to overcome the fear of difficulties." What
did we achieve in our life? What is the purpose of constant contemplation
of God? One who is constantly contemplating on God should be able
to keep himself away from sinful acts and develop love for God.
There can be no greater fortune than having love for God. One must
strive to achieve that great treasure. One should not be deterred
by sorrows and difficulties in that Sadhana.
Embodiments
of Love!
You have all gathered here to attain that great fortune of love
for God. One should never be subdued by sorrows and difficulties.
Sorrow and sin are obstacles in the path of spirituality. They are
like the waves. When one gets into the water and attempts to swim,
the surging waves must be pushed aside, so that one may move forward.
Similarly, in the stream of life, if one wants to move forward,
one has to push aside the surging waves of sorrow and sin. From
a child to the adult, everyone has to strive to attain the love
of God. This struggle for God's love, moulds the personality of
a human being. What is meant by personality? Does it mean height,
weight and a strong body? No, it is a mistake to think so. Undeterred
by the sorrows and difficulties, one has to march forward with courage
and adventure to attain God's love. That is the real meaning of
personality. In fact, God has already granted such personality to
every human being. Unfortunately, we fail to realise this truth.
The word 'Person' implies a great Divine force that is granted by
God to Man. Our ancestors called this Divine force as 'Persona'.
This is a great gift of God, granted to every individual. We are
unable to safeguard this great treasure. These sorrows and difficulties
are like passing clouds that come and go. Why should we be afraid
of them? We have the eternal Divine principle immanent in our personality.
Therefore, there is no need at all to be afraid of anything as long
as we are constantly aware of our latent divinity. March forward
with courage and conviction and achieve your life's goal. It is
only to instill this feeling of courage in you and reinforce your
faith in God that you are subjected to face certain anxious moments.
Embodiments
of Love!
I am aware that you are very anxious about the physical discomfort
that Swami underwent, a few moments ago. You are very worried about
this physical body. Understand and be convinced by the fact that
a body is after all physical in nature. It is like a water bubble;
the mind is like a mad monkey. You need not be afraid of this mad
monkey. You should not worry about these passing clouds. They are
like visitors who come and go. We have to be firmly established
in the Atma Tattwa, which is nothing but Divinity. Develop full
faith in the Atma Tattwa. That alone will protect you in every way.
Embodiments
of Love!
God can do anything by His Divine will. Why should you fear when
such all powerful God is always with you, in you, and around you?
Develop such courage and conviction and march on. There cannot be
a more powerful force than faith in God in this world.
Embodiments
of Love!
All these children have gathered here to spend some sacred moments
in the Divine presence of God. They are really fortunate. Their
good fortune is the result of the merit acquired by their parents.
Here is a small girl (pointing towards a girl). She participated
in a group dance programme a short while ago. While doing so, she
was constantly observing the steps made by other girls in the group.
She developed so much concentration in this activity that she was
constantly maintaining her steps in tune with the steps of other
girls. (Swami created a gold chain and put it round her neck.)
Embodiments
of Love!
I will be very happy, if all of you can become children once again.
A child will never have the bad qualities of anger, passion, jealousy,
conceit and ego. Jesus Christ was always appreciative of the quality
of innocence in children. Once, he lifted a small child from the
lap of her mother in the crowd and said "I like this small child
very much; she has all the qualities of Divinity. She is pure, selfless
and is in perfect bliss". Children in general are Divine in nature.
As they grow up they develop bad qualities like excessive desires,
attachments, anger, jealousy, etc. Along with advancing in age,
sorrows and difficulties will also increase. Therefore, one should
strive for attaining control over one's desires. That is ceiling
on desires. If you can develop this control, you will come under
the influence of Divine power. Otherwise, you will be deluded by
the power of desires and get into that vortex from which you can
never come out. A child like simplicity, purity and innocence, is
the road to Divinity.
Embodiments
of Love!
I wish you should become children at least for one minute a day.
You should emulate those noble qualities, which are characteristic
of children. Supposing you are troubled with desires, chase them
away as unbecoming of your noble personality. Only then can you
hold your head high. A few minutes ago, my nose was bleeding profusely.
If I were to submit myself helplessly to this bodily ailment, it
would have aggravated further. Therefore, I decided to defy this
bodily discomfiture and stand erect with firmness, unmindful of
what is going to happen to the body. I washed my face and came back
to give My Discourse. After all, this body and the blood circulating
therein are nourished and nurtured only by the food we supply. If
we cannot control our own body, what is the purpose of our living?
Wherever we are, we must keep the body in our control. Only then
we become real human beings and can move closer to Divinity. The
more you control your body and mind, the nearer you move to God.
In
fact, love is the only quality that takes you nearer to God. There
is nothing greater than love. It is a Divine attribute. Love is
God. Live in Love. When you cultivate this noble quality, you deserve
to be called a human being. This divine love is like the blood that
circulates in every human being, nay, every living being. If we
can cultivate this universal love, you can love not only every human
being, but all living beings. Love is God and God is Love. Therefore,
take every individual lovingly to your heart. Do not ever show anger
or hatred towards anybody.
Embodiments
of Love!
The quality of love that permeates every human being is one and
the same. There are no differences whatsoever in this regard. When
you cultivate such universal love, it becomes your very life-breath,
which is dearer to God. Therefore, cultivate such pure, unsullied
and selfless love. Love your neighbour's child as your own child.
All are embodiments of love. The message of this sacred festival
Onam is love. This festival is observed to spread this message of
love among all human beings. In fact, we are born to cultivate this
sacred love and share it with others. If we fail in this endeavour,
our whole life becomes a waste.
When
my nose was bleeding a few minutes ago, some doctors advised me
that I should take complete rest and not to go out to give a discourse.
I asked them why? The doctors explained that if I go on talking,
the bleeding may reoccur. Then I replied, "Ok! Let me see!" Thus
I faced the problem squarely with courage and confidence. Thus,
when we encounter a difficult situation, we should not feel sorry
and dejected. We must face it with courage. Only then can we overcome
the situation.
Embodiments
of Love!
Whenever you encounter suffering either bodily or mentally, do not
lose your cool. Do not get dejected. Instead, face the problem squarely
and undertake activities that will instill a sense of courage and
confidence in you. No doubt, situations do arise in life when we
have to undergo sorrows and difficulties. When our loving parents
depart from this world, we are in deep sorrow. Instead of losing
our poise in such difficult situations, it is advisable to face
the ordeal with courage, expressing gratitude to our parents for
granting us the gift of this body.
Embodiments
of Love! I hope I am not causing inconvenience to you by speaking
at length. It is only to instill courage in you that I am giving
this long discourse. When I was suffering with a bleeding nose,
all our children were anxiously waiting in the adjacent room in
an anxious mood. I told them, "Do not feel worried. I will go out
and administer a strong dose for this ailment. Such is My courage
and confidence in facing difficult situations. In fact, this courage
is My real strength. Come! Let us go!" The children collected all
the blood-soaked towels and felt very distressed on seeing them.
If those clothes are washed, the blood stains will vanish in no
time. Likewise, only God's love can wash our sorrows off! Therefore,
cultivate such divine love. All your sorrows and difficulties will
be removed.
Bhagawan
concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, "Prema Mudhita Manase Kaho
…"
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