Sri Sathya Sai Tag

Students should Practise what they Study

Bereft of truth, righteousness, peace and love,
the value of all your education is zero;
Bereft of truth, righteousness, peace and love,
the benefit of all your acts of charity and kindness is zero;
Bereft of truth, righteousness, peace and love,
the utility of all your positions of power is zero;
Bereft of truth, righteousness, peace and love
the result of all your good deeds is zero.
Truth, righteousness, peace and love are the very foundation of human life.
What else is there to be conveyed to this assembly of noble souls?

In spite of his education and intelligence, a foolish man will not know his true Self and a mean-minded person will not give up his evil qualities.
(Telugu Poem)

God manifests in the heart filled with Love
Education and intelligence of so-called educated people of today enables them to develop only their power of argumentation in all matters. In spite of acquiring high degrees like B.A. and M.A., they do not know the essence of education. The education they acquire is only worldly, physical, ephemeral and unreal.

Education should Foster Values in Students
There are crores of students and educated persons with high degrees in this world. After acquiring many high degrees, what are they doing for the welfare of the world? Are they giving even a little help to the poor and suffering masses? There are others who have amassed crores of rupees, but they do not give even a penny in charity. Even after earning so much money, they have no satisfaction; they keep on thinking of acquiring more and more money. One who exercises control over his desires can accomplish any higher goal in life. Na Karmana Na Prajaya Dhanena Thyagenaike Amrutatthwamanasu (immortality is not attained through action, progeny or wealth; it is attained only by sacrifice). But nobody is making efforts to attain immortality. Wherever you see, you find people indulging in selfishness. What use are such people making of education? No doubt, one should acquire worldly education but what for? This education only helps you to meet your worldly requirements like food, clothing and shelter. All this you do only for your sake and not to help others. This type of education breeds only selfishness. Educated people today crave for worldly pleasures which develop in them evil qualities like Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya (desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy). All their efforts are only to attain external happiness. They do not make any effort to attain inner bliss which can be experienced only by developing the five human values, viz., Sathya (truth), Dharma (righteousness), Santhi (peace), Prema (love) and Ahimsa (non-violence). One who develops these five human values will always be in a state of bliss. Man’s senses can give him only outer happiness. But if he wants inner bliss, he has to put these values into practice in his life.

Education gives only external happiness whereas educare confers inner bliss. There is a lot of difference between education and educare. Education is limited to reading books written by different authors and listening to speeches delivered by others. But educare requires no books! It fosters the qualities like Sathya and Dharma in man. What is the form of Sathya and Dharma? They have no form. Sathyam Vada, Dharmam Chara (speak truth, practise righteousness). Truth and righteousness have to be practised; they should not be limited only to speech. But people today limit truth and righteousness only to their speech; these are not reflected in their actions. But what is required is that people should demonstrate them in their actions rather than in their words.

God has endowed man with qualities like Sathya, Dharma, etc. But love is present equally in all beings. Even ants, mosquitoes and insects love their offspring. The love that is present in all beings is verily God. God manifests in the heart filled with love. It is only love that protects you in the face of all difficulties and dangers. In fact, if you have love, you will not have any difficulties. Instead of developing such universal love, you restrict your love to your family and friends which are only temporary relations. Love is God. Live in Love. Whatever else you may have, but if you have no love, then your life has no meaning. Worldly love confers only ephemeral happiness which undergoes change in a short time. True love emerges from your heart. This is the type of love that you must develop. You should always preserve love in your heart wherever you go and whatever you do. One who has such love will be protected always wherever he is, be he in a forest, in the sky, in a city, in a village, in the deep sea or on the top of a mountain. Man should develop this love which will protect him everywhere at all times. This love is always one and the same; it neither changes nor diminishes. It is one without a second. That is why the Vedas declare, Ekameva Adviteeyam Brahma (God is one without a second).

God is one. Names like Rama, Krishna, Govinda attributed to God are merely our imagination. That which has neither birth nor death, neither a beginning nor an end is only love. That is Brahman. If someone were to ask God, “What is Your name?”, He will say, Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman). Other than Brahman, you do not find anything true and eternal in this world. Therefore, do not waste your time in pursuit of all that is unreal. What is the use of acquiring all that is transient?

You may pursue worldly education but you must always have the feeling in your heart that it is all temporary. Only God is permanent. He is like digit 1 and Samsara (world) is like zero. Samsara can have value only when it is associated with God. If you place one zero after the digit 1, it becomes ten. If you place two or three zeros, it becomes hundred or thousand. In this manner, the value of zeros goes on increasing only when they are associated with 1. But today you are accumulating only zeros, forgetting the One. You think it is God who has given you the evil qualities of desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy. But this is not correct. God does not observe any differences. It is only you who are responsible for these evil qualities. When your desires are fulfilled, you extol God. When your actions do not give you the desired fruit, you blame God. God is the eternal witness. He does not indulge in the business of giving and receiving. Even if you have to undergo some punishment, it is only for your own good. You yourself are responsible for all your difficulties.

Man suffers from many types of Bhrama (delusion) whereas his process of inhalation and exhalation itself manifests Brahma. Mind is a bundle of thoughts. Wherefrom does speech emerge? It emerges from the mind. So, mind is the source of speech and breath is the source of mind. Therefore, man’s breath symbolises Brahma, his mind symbolises Vishnu and his speech, Maheswara. Hence, man need not go in search of Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara elsewhere. They are within him. You yourself are God; there is no need to search for Him anywhere. Mind is the cause of both happiness and sorrow. Speech is divine. You derive wisdom from speech. That is why it is described as Vangmayi (embodiment of celestial sound). You think wisdom has to be acquired from somewhere outside. But it does not come from anywhere else; it comes only from within. In fact, everything comes from within you. All that you experience comes only from the mind. Therefore, when you strengthen your faith, “I am God”, then you will become God yourself and will attain the eternal or changeless state. On the other hand, if you think, “I am so and so”, you will be deluded by diversity.

Put your Learning into Practice
Do not have too many desires. Less luggage, more comfort makes travel a pleasure. Therefore, reduce your desires. Desires are natural. But today man has lost the discrimination to distinguish between good desires and bad desires. Mind is the source of all desires and evil qualities. When you get married, you love your wife dearly in the beginning. But if she acts against your wishes, you develop hatred towards her. Your anger and hatred create distance between you and your wife. When such differences arise, you will be enmeshed in great difficulties. On the other hand, if both husband and wife make themselves free from expectation and anger and live in unity, they will derive great happiness. The same applies even to students. Many students have too many desires. They study many subjects and secure high degrees. They also pursue professional courses like M.B.B.S. and Engineering in the hope that they will derive happiness out of them. But the more the number of degrees they acquire, the more restless they become. They will have no happiness. Whatever education you acquire is good enough if you are able to put it into practice. If you go on acquiring degrees without putting anything into practice, you will not gain anything. Therefore, whatever you learn, put it into practice. Without practice, all that you have learnt is just a waste.

You enact many dramas. But, how long do you practise before the performance of a drama? It is only by practice that you attain perfection in acting and dialogue delivery. If you do anything without practice, then it is of no use. Therefore, practice is essential for everything. Everybody wants peace. But where is peace? It is within you. It is sheer foolishness to go in search of peace elsewhere. The peace you aspire to attain is very much within you. Self-enquiry is essential to know this truth. Wherefrom have you acquired your secular education? You have acquired it from books and teachers. You study today and forget tomorrow. But if you practise what you have studied, then it will stay with you forever. Without practice, what is the use of reading books or learning lessons from teachers? Without practice, your Mastaka (head) becomes another Pustaka (book). That’s all. Whatever you learn from your teachers, you should assimilate.

You might have seen how clean is distilled water. It is used in making many medicines because it is free from impurities. If you collect water directly in a vessel when it is raining, you will get pure water. If you drink such water, you will have no ailment. When the same rain water is mixed with other substances, it becomes polluted. Similarly, man’s mind is pure. But when it is associated with desires, it becomes polluted. Therefore, you should not pollute your mind; keep it as pure as possible. Whenever a desire arises in your mind, you should brush it aside, saying, “Fie on this, it will spoil my mind.” What you have to learn today is that apart from studying books, you should get rid of delusion and keep your mind free from pollution.

Try to Win God’s Love
You may or may not worship God but you should worship your parents because it is they who brought you in this world. First of all, you should respect and honour your mother and give her happiness. Your mother’s heart is full of love. Her love is ever pure and cannot be polluted. If you earn the love of your mother, it amounts to acquiring all degrees. That is why mother, father, preceptor and God are worthy of your respect in that order. Mother is your first God. Next comes father who helps you in many ways. It is your preceptor who gives you knowledge, because of which you are able to attain God. Mother is the foundation, father represents walls, preceptor stands for roof and God is the life. Therefore, those who want to attain God should first of all love and respect their mother. If you make your mother happy, you will attain all types of happiness. When your mother becomes old, you should not send her to old age home. Under any circumstances, do not forsake your mother. Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava, Acharya Devo Bhava, Atithi Devo Bhava (revere your mother, father, preceptor and guest as God). One who forsakes his mother is not a human being at all. She might have become old now. But you should always remember that it is she who has given you birth and brought you to this level. Therefore, when she falls sick, you should serve her with full dedication. Whatever she says, you should consider it as good for you. Even if she scolds you, you should not become upset with her; even her scolding is for your own good.

Kuchela was a poor Brahmin whereas Krishna was a king. When Kuchela went to Krishna, he was afraid whether he would be allowed to meet Krishna or not. But God does not forsake anyone. Krishna received him with all honour and asked, “Kuchela! What do you want?” Kuchela replied, “Swami, I do not want anything except Your love. Your love is everything for me.” On his return to his village, Kuchela could not locate his house because there stood a big mansion at that place. His wife and children were moving around wearing costly dresses and ornaments. All that he got was due to the love of God. Therefore, if you win God’s love, you can attain everything. Without that love, nothing will remain with you. Therefore, strengthen your faith in God.

Fill your Heart with Love and Prayer for God
You may have a lot of money. But if you do not give up your bad qualities like hatred and anger, you will lose everything. Money is not important, human values are important. Therefore, develop human values. How can you call yourself a human being if you lack human qualities? When you have human qualities, then God will be always with you, in you, around you, above you, below you, guiding you and guarding you. Therefore, do not crave for money. Try to imbibe values. Some people keep on shifting from one job to another for earning higher salaries. Do not crave for high salaries. Money comes and goes, but morality comes and grows. Develop morality. You will have morality when you develop love for God. All demonic qualities in you will vanish when you develop love for God. When you get rid of your demonic qualities, then society will also become good. You will earn a good name and people will say, “He is a good person, we need him.” To earn such a good name, you should immerse yourself in prayer and contemplate on God. Fill your heart with love and prayer for God. You will become a good person when you have Daiva Priti, Papa Bhiti and Sangha Niti (love for God, fear of sin and morality in society). Then you will earn a good reputation and everyone will call you good boy, good boy! Therefore, do good work, fill your mind with good thoughts and earn a good name. Do not allow any bad thoughts to enter your mind. Bad thoughts do come at young age but this is the effect of your age. You should drive them away.

Now you are a young boy. After some years, you will become a man and then a grandfather. When you grow old, where does your boyhood go? Child, boy, man, grandfather, all are one. Name and form undergo change but the individual remains the same. In the same manner, God is one though people attribute many names and forms to Him. Have total faith in this divine principle. Spend all your time in the contemplation of God. Then everything will become good for you. All of you should develop virtues, good behaviour, good thoughts and good feelings. Very happy. All our students are good. In other institutions, the students go to cinema every day. They spend so much money on buying cinema tickets but they do not derive anything good from it. Instead, if they come and see the cultural programmes presented by our students, they will get real happiness.

Do not Make Improper Use of Cell Phones
Due to the effect of cinema, TV and tape recorders, human values have now totally declined. Today cell phones have become very common and students receive calls even from strangers. Such calls from strangers can put them in great trouble. If you have a cell phone, make proper use of it and never give your phone number to anyone because this may land you in trouble. Better you do not have cell phone at all. Even if you have one, do not give your number to anyone. Some people always keep their cell phone on their ear and talk continuously. This is a great mistake. Not only that, it may lead to great sin. If you give your number to strangers, they will call you back. In the beginning, you will be happy that they called you. But you will start receiving calls from them repeatedly. You may consider them as your friends but they may lead you astray and ruin your life. On the first day, they may say, “I am your friend.” Gradually, this friendship will lead to relationship and you may be trapped in a difficult situation. Therefore, do not make such unnecessary contacts. Always contemplate on the name of God. When you have time, read good books.

Today is the 28th Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai University. It may bring about a great change in your life. Have only good contacts and earn a good name. Samuel Sandweiss spoke to you about his experiences which are all divine. The good counsel you receive from such elders should be imprinted on your heart. Whosoever speaks good words to you, you should treasure them in your heart. As it is not possible for Me to speak to each one of you individually, I have given this Discourse. Compared to the students of other colleges, our students are very good. They should maintain their good name. I want all of you to sing a song together (In a spontaneous response, the students sang the song Humko Tumse Pyar Kitna … to the delight of the entire gathering). Your song has satiated My hunger. Very happy.

All are Embodiments of the Atma

Bharat is the motherland of many noble souls who earned great name and fame in all the continents of the world. This is the land of valorous people who vanquished the foreign rulers in the battlefield and attained independence. This is the land which excelled in music, literature and other fine arts. Having been born in this great land of Bharat, oh boys and girls, it is your sacred duty to protect its rich cultural heritage.

Forbearance is the real beauty in this sacred land of Bharat. Of all the rituals, adherence to truth is the greatest penance. The nectarous feeling in this country is the feeling of love towards one’s mother. Character is valued far higher than life itself.
(Telugu Poem)

Follow Swami’s ideal and Love everyone
Bharat is the land of high reputation and great bounty. Many countries have faced great dangers, but Bharat is free from these. This land of Bharat has given birth to many famous women of great chastity like Savitri who brought her dead husband back to life, and Sita who proved her chastity by coming out of blazing fire unscathed. Is there any other place in this world where we can find such women of nobility and chastity? But the Bharatiyas today are cowed down even by small difficulties. Their vision, hearing and behaviour have all become polluted. What a pity, the Bharatiyas have come to such a sorry state! Just as a mighty elephant is not aware of its strength, today the Bharatiyas have forgotten their rich cultural heritage.

Lack of Unity is the Cause of All Problems of India
An elephant is so powerful that with a mere swish of its tail, it can throw a man away. But since it is not aware of its strength, it obeys the command of an ordinary mahout; it sits when he orders it to sit and stands when he commands it to do so. The same is the condition of the Bharatiyas today. Just as an elephant submits to the commands of the mahout, the Bharatiyas, in spite of their great strength of purity and sacredness of heart, are following the dictates of others and behaving like slaves. Truly speaking, there is none in the world who can vanquish the Bharatiyas. Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa are the natural qualities of the Bharatiyas. They are endowed with the great wealth of Sathya and Dharma. The scriptures teach man to follow the great principle: Sathyam Vada, Dharmam Chara (speak truth, practise righteousness). But this great principle is being distorted by people today as Sathyam Vadha, Dharmam Chera (kill truth and imprison righteousness).

Everybody should ask himself, “Who am I?” He should remind himself, “I am a human being, not an animal or a beast. Since I am a human being, I should have human qualities.” What are the qualities of a human being? The first and foremost quality is truth. Sathyannasti Paro Dharma (There is no Dharma greater than adherence to truth). Dharma originates from Sathya. Where there are truth and righteousness, there you find the manifestation of peace and love. Where there is peace, love would manifest there automatically. Where there is love, jealously and hatred are conspicuous by their absence there. But, unfortunately, man today is devoid of love. Even birds and animals have love but there is no love among human beings. Today there is lack of unity in India. This is the main cause of the sorry state of affairs in our country. Where there is unity, there is purity. Where there is purity, there is divinity. Therefore, it is by unity that we can attain divinity, which is the goal of our life.

Man should Develop Faith in Atma
Today scientists are making many inventions. They have made even double decker airplanes to fly in the sky. But how many people are losing their lives! In ancient times, life was not that full of dangers. Today man is full of fear. But, where has this fear come from? The real cause is man’s lack of faith in the Atma. Na Ayamatma Balaheenena Labhyah (a weak-minded person cannot realise the Atma). Lack of Self-confidence has made man weak today. He is reposing his faith in everything else except the Atma. First of all, he should have Self-confidence. When he develops Self-confidence, he will have Self-satisfaction. Only then can he develop the spirit of Self-sacrifice which will lead him to Self-realisation. Therefore, if we want to attain Self-realisation, we should first develop Self-confidence. In fact, Self-confidence is the foundation of the mansion of our life, in which Self-satisfaction are the walls and self-sacrifice is the roof. When the foundation is strong, the walls and the roof will also be strong and safe. But, today, the foundation itself is weak. Then, how can the walls and roof stand on it? Self-confidence, self-satisfaction and self-sacrifice are the essential steps to Self-realisation.

Bharat is the land of humanness. That is why this country is safe from various dangers and calamities which are occurring in other parts of the world. The Bharatiyas are leading a comparatively happy and peaceful life although peace has been disturbed in many parts of the world. Today pollution is widespread everywhere. Food, water, air – all have become polluted due to the misuse of science and technology. To a large extent, India is still safe from this all-pervading pollution. It is therefore necessary that we do not put science to indiscriminate use. On the other hand, we should promote humanness which will give us great strength. There is no power greater than the power of humanness. In fact, man is potentially divine. If somebody questions, “Where is God?”, the simple answer is, “Man himself is verily God.” The Vedas declare, Chandrama Manaso Jataha, Chaksho Suryo Ajayata (the moon was born out of the mind and the sun out of the eyes of the Supreme Being). Our Atma is our strength. There is no strength superior to it.

Education should Give Knowledge of the Self
Man should acquire education which gives the knowledge of the Atma.

In spite of his education and intelligence, a foolish man will not know his true Self and a mean minded person will not give up his evil qualities.
(Telugu Poem)

Modern education leads only to argumentation, not to total wisdom. What is the use of acquiring education which cannot lead you to immortality? Acquire the knowledge that will make you immortal.
(Telugu Poem)

Modern education does not provide true knowledge. It helps you to earn money and meet the needs of your family. People today are spending lakhs of rupees and sending their young children to overseas countries for studies. But all this money is wasted and children also get spoiled. Here is a small incident to illustrate this.

Once the parents of a student took him to a temple before his departure to a foreign country for higher studies. They advised him, “Dear son, this deity is the Divine Mother to one and all. She is the mother of the universe. You should never forget her. Constantly contemplate on her, wherever you are.” They, in fact, extracted a promise from him to that effect. As soon as the boy set his foot in the foreign country, he totally forgot about the Divine Mother, fully immersed as he became in the new environment. After a lapse of three years, he returned to his native place, fully accustomed to the foreign way of life. The parents took him to the same temple straight from the airport for the Darshan of the Divine Mother. As soon as he entered the temple, the boy, instead of offering salutations to the deity, greeted her in English, “How are you, Madam?” The parents then chided the boy and asked, “Is it what you have learnt there? We sent you abroad spending so much money. But you have forgotten even God!”

Many students who go abroad acquire bad thoughts, bad habits and bad qualities. In fact, there is no necessity for anybody to go to foreign countries for anything. The bounty that you find in Bharat cannot be found anywhere else. Having been born in this blessed land and calling yourself Bharatiyas, what is the use if you forget your culture and moral values? Nobody can describe the greatness of Bharat. The Bharatiyas should first of all develop self-confidence and adhere to ethical, moral and spiritual values. But, unfortunately, people today lack morality. That is why life today has become an endless trouble. Many overseas devotees are inviting Me to their countries. They are prepared to bring even special planes. But I do not want any planes or comforts. I want only devotion.

All love Me and I love all. I don’t have any enemy. But some people do not understand My love and take to wrong ways even after receiving My sacred love. Some of them even start opposing Me if their wishes are not fulfilled. Will they derive any benefit if their wishes are fulfilled? No. They will actually come to harm. In our college also, we put a certain limit on the students and give them proper training. Look at the students of our college! They do not have even a trace of hatred. All of them gather around Me, lovingly calling Me, “Swami, Swami, Swami”. They shed tears when they take leave of Me.

When you see outside colleges, can you call them colleges at all? The students there do not show respect even to their own parents. Parents should be considered as sacred. Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava (revere your mother and father as God) is the injunction of our scriptures. Mother is God, father is God, friend is God. In fact, all are the very forms of God. Unable to understand this truth, we say, “such and such a person is my opponent and my enemy who would put me to trouble.” In this way, we fill our mind with hatred towards others. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavathi (as are the feelings, so is the result). Whatever type of feelings we have, we get the same type of result. We develop hatred towards even those who come to us with love. There is nothing great in doing good to those who help us. But Sai does good even to those who try to harm Him. You should also follow this principle and do good even to those who harm you. This is the quality of a true human being. You should develop this quality, considering everybody as divine. Daivam Manusha Rupena (God is in the form of a human being). God incarnates on earth in the form of a human being. See any picture of a divine incarnation. He is portrayed as a human being. See the picture of Rama and Sita. They are all in human form.

See Oneness of Atma in All
All human beings are the embodiments of the Atma. Physical forms and names may be different but the Atma in everyone is the same. Ekatma Sarva Bhutantaratma (one Atma dwells in all beings). This feeling of oneness should be developed in children from an early age. This principle of equality of mankind should be inculcated in students in their young age. You may think that it is difficult to observe this principle of oneness, but it is not so. There is nothing more blissful than this. Even when your opponent comes before you, you should offer salutations to him and greet him, “How are you, brother?” Then, he will also respond, “How are you, brother?” He will not be angry with you. Why? When you call him brother, he will also consider you as a brother. People will develop feelings of opposition or trust towards you, depending upon the type of language you use. Visualise the oneness of the Atma in everyone, though the body, mind, intellect and Chitta (mind-stuff) are different.

When you see oneness of the Atma in everyone, then you will experience that you yourself are also the embodiment of the same Atma. You will realise, “I am the Atma and all are my images.” When you look into the mirror, you see your own reflection in it. All the bodies are like the mirror. You should see your own image in all of them. Only then will you attain supreme peace. It cannot be attained merely by the performance of Japa, Tapa, (recitation and penance) Yoga and Yajna. People search for peace everywhere but they cannot find it anywhere. They see only pieces outside! If you want peace, you should look within. There only can you find peace. Everybody is endowed with peace. You can be called a true human being only when you develop inner vision. Animals and beasts do not have this inner vision. You are not an animal or a beast. You are a human being. Therefore, you should lead the life of a human being. If you lead your life like an animal, then how can you call yourself a human being? Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya (desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy) are all animal qualities. A human being should not have all these bad qualities.

Do not hate anybody. I do not have even a trace of anger or hatred towards anybody. That is why everybody loves Me. There is only love in Me. Even if I go to a dense forest, all the people will follow Me there also. It is My love that attracts everybody towards Me. There are however some people who bear hatred even towards Me. But it is none of My fault. It is all their own imagination. I don’t have anger towards anyone. People wonder, how Swami is always peaceful although He meets so many people during the day! Peace is natural to Me. I am always cheerful. I never put on a ‘castor oil’ (melancholy) face. I always have a smiling face. I exhort all of you also to be cheerful always. Your happiness is My great joy. You should see the reflection of My happiness in you. It is not My fault if you develop hatred. What is the reason that I am the recipient of love of so many of you? Did I send any invitation to you to come? It is your love for Me that has brought you here. My love itself is the invitation. Even if you send invitation, will so many people come to you? Even when I pass through a locality, people come out of their shops and houses on their own. What is the reason for that? It is love only. Love is God, Live in Love. This is what you are supposed to learn. On this sacred day, I exhort you to develop love.

Unity of the World is Imminent
Very soon, the entire world will be united and Bharat will have a great name and fame. After 28 years from now, the entire world will become one. Everybody will feel proud to call himself a Bharatiya. Nobody will say, “I am from Karnataka”, “I am from Tamil Nadu”, “I am from Kerala”, etc. Wherever you go, you should say, “I have come from Bharat.” Karnataka and all other States are parts of Bharat. Without Bharat, how can there be Tamil Nadu or Karnataka? Limits have been created by politics and political parties. We do not belong to any party. We have only one party and that is love, love, love! (loud applause). Therefore, you should develop love. Then you will be respected wherever you may go. People will then give you whatever help you need and treat you like their brother or sister.

Love is always selfless. There should not be even an iota of selfishness in man. But sometimes he develops selfishness, anger, hatred, etc., on his own. They are not given by God. God has given only love to everyone in equal measure. Man may lack anything but love in him is eternal. Therefore, develop love. There is no power, courage or valour greater than love. When Sita was in confinement in Lanka, her love for Rama was her only strength. She was surrounded by demonesses with swords in their hands. But she was totally unperturbed because she constantly chanted ‘Rama, Rama’. Since she had the strength of Rama’s love due to her constant chanting, none could touch her even though she was there for ten months. Such unwavering love gives you everything. Therefore, you should develop such unflinching love. This is what we should propagate in the world. All should become embodiments of love. Pray for the welfare of all the worlds. Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu (May all the beings of all the worlds be happy!) Everybody should attain peace and happiness. This should be our only desire. I love all of you. I don’t have any ill-will against anybody. Sometimes, I may use strong words to correct some people, but there is nothing in My mind against anybody. Your life will be sanctified and blessed when you follow Swami’s ideal and love everyone. When you do so, your parents, brothers, sisters, friends, relatives, all will be happy.

Realisation of Oneness is the Hallmark of True Education

Dear Students! Boys and Girls!

Man struggles hard day and night just to earn money. Why should he waste all his time in such futile pursuits?
(Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Love!
It is not proper for man to neglect what he is supposed to do and engage himself in unnecessary pursuits, and thereby waste his time and effort. Time is sacred and eternal. Time waste is life waste. You are students. You have to become leaders of others.

Human Values Signify Man’s True Nature
Every human being has desires. It is the duty of students to control their desires. Control of desires is the hallmark of a student. Desires come one after the other in an unending stream. The control of these desires should be the aim of a student. ‘Vidya’ comes from the root ‘Vid’, which connotes the light of knowledge. Hence, Vidya is that which gives us the light of knowledge and shows us the path where there is darkness of ignorance. Therefore, students! You should become ideal for all. We look after our students with great love so that they grow up to be ideal persons. Enormous amount of money is charged by outside institutions for providing education to students. We do not collect even a naya paisa from our students. Not only do we provide free education, we provide water and healthcare also totally free of cost to millions of people. In fact, we give something to our students instead of taking anything from them, and help all needy students in every possible way. When you understand this truth and conduct yourself accordingly, only then can you become a true student. We treat our students like our children (loud applause). Education is your property. Do not consider education as a means of your livelihood and sustenance in this world. Education is not meant only to help you to lead a worldly life. Even illiterate people can lead a worldly life in some way or the other. What is the use of your degrees like M.A., M.B.A., M.Sc., and all your education if you use your education to lead a worldly life like illiterate people? Modern education may be of some help to man to lead an outer worldly life. But there is nothing in it that supports man’s inner life. That which supports man’s inner life is adherence to truth, righteousness, peace, love and non-violence. These five values signify the true nature of a human being. Truth is basic to all these values.

The creation emerges from truth and merges into truth,
Is there a place in the cosmos where truth does not exist?
Visualise this pure and unsullied truth.
(Telugu Poem)

God is the creator of all living beings of the world right from an ant to an elephant. Nothing can happen without the Will of God. Even the small ants that you see are born out of the Will of God. Therefore, Thyagaraja said, “Cheemalo Brahmalo Siva Kesavaadulalo Prema Meera Velasi Unde Birudhu Vahinchina Rama Nannu Brovara” (Oh Rama! In Your pure and unsullied form of love, You indwell all beings from an ant to Brahma as also in Siva and Kesava. Please be my protector too).

Do not Forget Fundamental Principle of Creation
You are aware of the truth of this song. But when an ant comes and bites you, you kill it at once. On the other hand, when Brahma manifests before you, you offer your salutations to him with folded hands. You should understand that the same Atma is present in all the creatures although they are of different forms. Those who have faith in the oneness of the Atma do not face any troubles anywhere, at any time. Everything becomes available to a person who has self-confidence. All the desires of man serve only his little self. He wants everything for himself. “This is my body, this is my head, this is my mind.” Then who is this ‘my’? When you say ‘my body’, it is your body only today and tomorrow. Day after tomorrow, where is your body? You have so much trust in and attachment to this body which does not belong to you! The body is the gift of God. In fact, everything is the gift of God. (Bhagavan showing His handkerchief) This is a handkerchief. Where has it come from? Has it come from the sky? No, no. It has come from cotton. From cotton thread is made and from thread comes the cloth. Hence, there can be no thread without cotton and no cloth without thread. Therefore, if we want a handkerchief, we require both cotton and thread. Just as cotton is the basis of cloth, there is a fundamental basis for everything. We should not forget this fundamental principle of creation. We become the victim of all problems and difficulties when we forget this fundamental principle.

We repeat the name of God. But where do you think He really is? God is with you, in you, around you and behind you. You are God. You should develop firm faith in this truth. God does not leave you and go somewhere else. He is present in the form of Atma in all the crores of people. We see different names and forms. But the principle of the Atma is the same in all in spite of the diversity of names and forms. Ekam Sath Viprah Bahudha Vadanti (truth is one, but the wise refer to it by various names). Jewels are many but gold is one. You may have all types of ornaments but if you melt them, all will change into gold only. Therefore, embodiments of Divine Atma! Try to know the fundamental principle.

My Words, Actions and Life itself is for your Welfare
You may think that you, your mother and your father are different. In fact, all three of you are one. Therefore, you should never think that you are different from each other. A man with a dual mind is half blind. Hence, do not have a dual mind. The education that you are acquiring today is not merely for your benefit; it is for the benefit of your fellow human beings and even animals, birds and other creatures. You should help each and every living being. Only then can you call yourselves truly educated. Even if you come across someone who bears enmity against you, you should greet him with love, saying “hello, hello”. Love everyone. Do not hate anyone. Nobody bears any hatred towards Swami. You may ask if there is anyone whom Swami does not like. All are recipients of My love. My love is present in all. I neither bear any hatred against anyone nor do I cause any harm to anyone. I do not betray anyone either. Since the feeling of oneness is firm in Me, everybody loves Me. In fact, the entire mankind loves Me and I love the entire mankind. It is only those who lack faith think that Swami may have the feelings of hatred. It is merely their delusion; there is no truth in it. All My words, all My actions and My life itself is for your welfare (loud applause). You should understand this principle and develop faith in it. When you develop faith, love will manifest there on its own. When you have both love and faith, all your aspirations will be fulfilled. Therefore, love and faith are most important in the life of man. All other things which come in between are like passing clouds which come and go. You should not pay attention to them. You should carefully preserve love and faith. Faith is the image of love. Love is the very form of God. Love is God. Live in Love. Truth is truth and it never changes. Hence, truth is God. Never think God is separate from you. God is not separate from the world because the entire world is His form. You should constantly remember this principle of oneness.

Understand the Oneness of the Principle of Atma
Dear Students!
You read many types of books. All these books contain the letters of the same alphabet. Voluminous books can be written using only 26 letters. You would have seen lawyers carrying big books. The same alphabet is the basis of all of them. Similarly, the basis of everything is God, whether it is health, happiness, comforts or conveniences. Only God is the basis of even good and bad. Truly speaking, nothing bad is seen in this world. Wherever you see, it is good only. Since you do not understand the meaning of goodness properly, you see bad in it. The bad that you see is only due to the difference of time. The good food you eat today becomes waste matter tomorrow morning. What is Phala (fruit) today becomes Mala (excreta) tomorrow. If you understand this relationship, you will understand the unity of good and bad. And unity is divinity. God is present in everything. There is no place where God does not exist. Nobody has the right to say that God is here and not there. Only one thing exists and that is Divinity. We imagine many forms of one Divinity and thereby create confusion in the world. The reason for this confusion is that we consider all individuals separate from each other. We should give up these individual differences to some extent. All the education that we acquire is meant only to help us to do away with these individual differences. When you see the unity in this relationship, then everything will become one.

Religions are many but goal is one.
Clothes are many but yarn is one.
Beings are many but breath is one.
(Telugu Poem)

So many people are sitting here. They are not separate individuals. Only bodies are separate, but the divinity present in all the bodies is one only. Therefore, whomsoever you see, you should consider him as divine. Love everyone considering him as the embodiment of divinity. Due to the illusion caused by the body attachment, you see individual differences. All your troubles are caused by this delusion only. Therefore, you yourself are the cause of your troubles. Both good and bad originate only from your mind. Mind is only one but it plays all types of tricks on you. All your education and all your degrees are meant only to understand that the principle of the Atma is one. Ekameva Adviteeyam Brahma (God is one without a second). You should carefully preserve this truth in your heart. You may think that some people have enmity towards you. It is due to your own feelings that you see change in others. Otherwise, there is no change in them. Everything in this world is only reaction, reflection and resound but the reality is only one. If we have such a feeling, we will be filled with immense bliss. You may wonder as to how Swami is always smiling blissfully. I always keep smiling because I consider everyone as one. Your bliss is My food. You should also attain this bliss. The other day, our children performed a drama. I was filled with bliss on seeing it.

All are one. We say, ‘I and we’. Where does ‘we’ come from? It comes only from ‘I’. Without ‘I’, there can be no ‘we’. Hence, ‘I’ is only one. When you cut it in the middle, it becomes a cross. What is meant by cross? It means breaking of the individual ‘I’. Therefore, we should consider everyone as one. We should cultivate the feelings of oneness and consider all as our brothers and sisters. There is no one other than brothers and sisters anywhere. Moreover, brothers and sisters are not separate; both are one. If you think on these lines, you will see total unity in this world. You may think, there is diversity in the world. But there is nothing like diversity. It is only unity. When we install the principle of oneness in our heart firmly, we will find unity everywhere. Suppose, you love a girl. But who is this girl? She is not separate from you. It amounts to loving your own self. When you consider her separate from you, you call her your wife. But if you think in terms of unity, both of you are one. You should clearly understand this principle of oneness. In spite of the diversity of forms, there is the underlying principle of unity.

A Truly Educated Person Recognises the Unity of All

Embodiments of Love! Students!
You should all become ideal. If you become ideal, others will also become ideal. Therefore, do not observe any differences of mine and thine. All are one. Be alike to everyone. You should always remember this. Only then can you be called a true student. Otherwise, you can be merely called a literate person but not really an educated one. There is a lot of difference between an educated person and a literate one. What is the meaning of an educated person? A truly educated person is one who recognises the unity of all. Modern education gives only bookish knowledge. It is Vidya (light of knowledge) which makes us understand the principle of unity and illumines our path. In the absence of Vidya, we will have to live in the darkness of ignorance.

Embodiments of Love!
Develop love for God. If you divert your love towards worldly things, it will keep changing from time to time. Love is only one. Focus it on the principle of oneness and experience bliss. Consider all your brothers and sisters whomsoever you come across. Someone addressed a public gathering, saying ‘Brothers and Sisters except one.’ When someone asked him, he told that the one referred to his wife. It is because you tied Mangal Sutra (sacred thread worn by married women), she became your wife. If there is no Mangal Sutra, there is no husband and no wife. Therefore, all are one. Live in unity without observing any differences. Whatever little you have, share it with your fellow beings.

Arjuna won the hand of Draupadi in a Swayamvara (ceremony to select a groom by the bride). When the five Pandava brothers returned home along with Draupadi, they told mother Kunti that they had brought a wonderful fruit. Kunti did not see anyone and said from inside the house, “My dear ones! Share the fruit among five of you equally.” That is how Draupadi became the wife of all the five Pandavas. It is for this reason that Krishna publicly declared:

Draupadi dutifully obeyed the command of her husbands. She would never say to any one of them that she had no time to serve him. She was satisfied with whatever she got in life. She was the supreme example of chastity and none could match her in this respect. (Telugu Poem)

The relationship between Draupadi and the Pandavas was so intimate as if she was in them and they were in her. That is how she faithfully served all five of them. All the five brothers observed proper discipline. They could live happily because they observed discipline. You should follow the principle of oneness in order to lead a happy life. When you observe this principle of oneness, there will neither be any differences nor any anger or mistakes.

Everything is fine with Me; not only My body, but everything. My mind does not waver hither and thither. Body may undergo changes but I always remain changeless. Some people ask, “Swami! How is it that You are always smiling? Don’t You have any sorrow?” No sorrow can ever touch Me. Whatever has to happen will happen at its own time. If you unnecessarily worry about it, can you escape from it? If you start worrying, your worries will become manifold. Therefore, do not allow the worries to come near you. Once you allow a worry to enter your mind, it will not leave you. When your examinations come near, you start worrying, “How am I going to write my examinations?” Why all this? Whatever you know, you will write. Then why should you have fear? When you stop worrying, you will be able to write your examinations well. Do not have any fear even if someone comes with a gun to shoot you. He can shoot only your body, but can he shoot your mind, intellect or Atma? None can touch the Atma. How far is the Atma? The sky is far away. Nobody can tell how far away it is. That is why it is said ‘sky is blue’. How deep is the sea? None can estimate. So, they say ‘ocean is blue’. Since nobody can tell the height, width and depth of the sky and the ocean, both are described in the same manner. Similarly, none can describe the form of divinity. Hence, blue colour is ascribed to God. But in reality, God is not blue in colour. If really God were to manifest in blue colour, you would put Him in an exhibition. None can bring about any change in divinity. There may be change in you but not in your Atma. Nirgunam, Niranjanam, Sanathana Niketanam, Nitya, Shuddha, Buddha, Mukta, Nirmala Swarupinam (It is attributeless, unsullied, final abode, eternal, pure, enlightened, free and embodiment of sacredness). That is why it is said, Buddhi Grahyamatheendriyam (the Atma is beyond the ken of the senses and can be understood only by the intellect). Do not make futile efforts to change the principle of Atma.

Students should Bring a Good Name to their Parents and Institution
Earn a good name and bring a good name to your parents and society. Society can be good only when the students are good. From all quarters, I hear that our students have a good name wherever they go. You should live up to this good reputation and maintain it. This is the only desire I have. Whatever you require, I will give. In fact, I have given Myself to you. Be always happy. Do not fight and abuse each other. Live like brothers. Education is meant to foster this equality in you. You can be called truly educated only when you have this equality. What is the use of all this education if ultimately one is going to die? A mean minded person will not give up his wicked qualities in spite of all his education. You should always remain a good student. First and foremost, make your parents happy. If you cannot make your parents happy, how can you make Me happy? When you live happily with your parents in your house, I am also happy. When people say, these students are from Sri Sathya Sai College, then our institution gets a good name and you also earn a good reputation. When you go to Delhi and enquire, you will find that Sathya Sai School and Sathya Sai College are held in high esteem by the government. The recognition that our university has received is not attained by any other institution. There are many colleges which have been functioning for a number of years. But they have not been recognised. On the other hand, our college had hardly completed two years when Madhuri Shah (the then chairperson of U.G.C.) came from Delhi and said that it should be made a university. Many people opposed her, “How can we give recognition to an institution which has not completed even two years?” they argued. At that time Bhagavantham, who used to translate My Discourses, was by My side. He was a scientist. He also whispered into My ears, “Swami! This is impossible.” But I declared emphatically, “It is possible.” During the second year, the committee came and saw everything. They said that it was the topmost college and it should be given the status of a university. Madhuri Shah again came here and inaugurated it. Then she said in public, “Bhagavantham, you said it is impossible. But how has it now become possible?” In fact, this is not possible for others.

All our students are highly virtuous, learned and intelligent. You may not be aware how great name our university has in America. There are 180 students of our university in America. All of them came here some time ago. They wanted to spend their entire vacation here only and did not want to go anywhere else. Goldstein, who is the President of the Sai Organisation in America for the last 20 years, is here with us today. (Bhagawan then called Dr. Goldstein to the dais and asked him to speak).

Dr. Goldstein said, “It has been my experience with many students who have come to America that they have brought light to the Sai Organisation not only in America but all over the world. The light of Swami’s love has conveyed the divine essence to his devotees in almost 200 countries all over the world. These students have brought Swami’s message, Swami’s love and inspired the devotees to rise and aspire to achieve the realisation of their own divinity. You must realise how fortunate you are to be here at the Divine Lotus Feet, to have studied in this university and to be the ambassadors of divine love and inspiration to the world. Should it be necessary for me to live another life, I pray to Swami that He would let me come and be a student at this university.”

Long ago, when Bhagwati was at Ahmedabad, I told him, “Very soon, you will be going to Delhi.” I asked him to pack up his luggage. Bhagwati was doubtful. He said, “My name is not there in the panel. How can I go to Delhi?” Very soon, he received the orders. He was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court. Right from that day, he has never forgotten Bhagawan any moment of his life all these years. He is dear to Me.

Justice Bhagwati (former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India) said, “Today words fail me to express what I am feeling within myself. Swami has been so kind and so affectionate all these years that I can never forget. He has shaped and moulded my life. Whatever I am today is entirely because of His divine grace. My prayer to Him is that He may continue to be my Divine Master so long as I am alive. Not only in this life but in all the lives to come, I may always continue to serve Him.”

Put Human Values into Practice

Embodiments of Love!
Man today feels proud that he has mastered many branches of knowledge and studied a number of texts. But he does not try to understand the essence of education. Nowadays, learning is limited only to physical and worldly aspects; moral, ethical and spiritual aspects are left out.

A Test of Intelligence
Today the parents make strenuous efforts to provide education to their children. But nobody is trying to know the real meaning of education. People think that those who can speak eloquently and have studied a number of books are highly educated. But the fact is that it shows just the knowledge of the alphabet and nothing else. Mere knowledge of the alphabet cannot be called education. Besides knowing the letters, one has to know the meaning of the words and the sentences constituted by them. Having realised this truth, King Krishnadevaraya convened a big assembly. He posed a question to all the assembled poets and scholars. Also present in this assembly were eight renowned poets of his court known as Ashta Diggajas (eight eminent scholars). They were: Allasani Peddana, Nandi Thimmana, Madayyagari Mallana, Dhurjati, Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu, Pingali Surana, Ramarajabhushanudu and Tenali Ramakrishna. Krishnadevaraya wanted to know who among them was the best. He wanted them to frame a meaningful sentence consisting of five words, each word having the same meaning in five different languages. “Whoever comes out with an answer to this question by tomorrow morning will be suitably rewarded”, he declared.

Since his house was far away, Tenali Ramakrishna decided to spend the night in his brother-in-law’s house. When he was provided with a comfortable bed for the night, Ramakrishna refused to sleep on it. He said, “I have to think of an answer to a question put by the king by tomorrow morning. A bed like this is sure to put me to sleep in no time. So, provide a cot for me in the cowshed.” As he was lying on the cot, at one o’clock in the night, one of the cows in the shed gave birth to a calf. Ramakrishna called out to inform his brother-in-law about this. His brother-in-law wanted to know which cow it was since he had given different names to his cows like Lakshmi, Saraswati, Radha, etc. He asked Ramakrishna, “Ye Aav Ra Bava” (Oh brother-in-law! Which cow is that?). When Ramakrishna heard this, his joy knew no bounds since he had found an answer to the king’s question. So, he repeated the phrase again and again. His brother-in-law thought that Ramakrishna was behaving in this strange manner due to lack of sleep.

Next morning, Ramakrishna went to the royal court and found that no one else had the answer to the question. All others were convinced that it was not possible to frame such a sentence. “Ye Aav Ra Ba Va. This is the answer”, he said. Everyone was intrigued. Then he explained, ‘Ye’ in Marathi, ‘Aav’ in Hindi, ‘Ra’ in Telugu, ‘Ba’ in Kannada and ‘Va’ in Tamil convey the same meaning, i.e., ‘come’. All the five languages were represented in this sentence.

In this manner, one should know the meaning of every letter. People today read many books without knowing the real meaning of the words. But in ancient times, people knew the meaning of every letter that they studied. Pleased with the answer of Tenali Ramakrishna, Krishnadevaraya presented a bundle of gold coins and precious diamonds to him. Ramakrishna was happy to receive the precious gift from the king, but he was worried how he should safeguard it. Therefore, he requested the king to provide him with two bodyguards to enable him to carry the bundle safely to his house. Accompanied by the bodyguards, he carried the bundle safely to his house. On reaching there, the thought of keeping the bundle safe in the house caused him a lot of worry since he did not have any iron safe. His wife came near him and saw the bundle. At that time, Tenali Ramakrishna noticed two thieves who had followed him all the way and were now hiding in the backyard of his house. Then he told his wife that he was going to drop the bundle of gold coins and precious gems into the well in the backyard of his house for its safety. He spoke loudly so that the thieves could overhear him. Instead of putting the bundle of precious gems in the well, he actually put a bag of stones in it. All through the night, the thieves kept on drawing water out of the well in expectation of getting the bundle of gold coins and precious gems. All their attempts proved futile. They left the place at daybreak. Tenali Ramakrishna was happy that he could save the precious bundle from the clutches of thieves and in the process his garden was adequately irrigated.

One who knows the meaning of every letter, every word and every sentence is a true poet. Tenali Ramakrishna was one such great poet.

KavimPuranamanushasitaram Anoraniyansamanusmaredya,
Sarvasya Dhataramachintyarupam Adityavarnam Tamasa Parastat.
(He who contemplates on the all-wise, ageless Being, the ruler of all, subtler than the subtle, the universal sustainer, possessing a form beyond human conception, refulgent like the sun and far beyond the darkness of ignorance, he reaches verily that supreme divine Purusha (God).

Acquire the Knowledge that Makes one Immortal
Today people try to know the meaning of sentences without trying to know the meaning of letters and words that constitute the sentences. Even the preceptors today give only the worldly meaning of the sentences, but none gives the moral, ethical and spiritual import of the sentences. It is the responsibility of teachers to disseminate the knowledge pertaining to moral, ethical and spiritual principles. That is true education. Today the students pursue their studies, but if you ask them what they are doing, they reply, “Chaduvu Kontunnamu”, which also means, “We are buying education”. That is no education at all. We have to know the meaning of every letter, every word and every sentence and act accordingly. Despite acquiring all this worldly knowledge, one has to meet one’s end which is inevitable. One should acquire that knowledge which makes one immortal. It is the knowledge of five human values, namely, Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa.

The first one is Sathya (truth). Truth is deathless. Truth is one, not two. Dharma (righteousness) is eternal. Santhi (peace) is the source of bliss. Next is Prema (love). Right from a child to an old person at the verge of death, everyone is endowed with love. But love has no death. The last, but not the least, is Ahimsa (non-violence). Where is the death for Ahimsa? Buddha propagated this principle. He declared: Ahimsa Paramo Dharma (non-violence is the highest Dharma). Knowledge and practice of these five principles is real education. Speak truth, follow the path of righteousness and experience peace. Share your love happily with all and lead your life with non-violence. This is the essence of education. These are the five main human values which should be propagated in the world. They are eternal and immortal. Today we run after all that is perishable, ignoring that which is immortal. The President of India has told you many important things. You can achieve great heights if you put his teachings into practice. Every human being is endowed with these five human values. If we promote these five human values, we become God. The Vedas declare: Tat Twam Asi (That Thou Art). This profound statement of the Vedas contains the essence of all knowledge. Therefore, these five human values have to be inculcated in everyone right from childhood.

When you rely on truth, you can achieve anything in life. Daivam Manusha Rupena (God is in human form). God is not separate from man. All are the embodiments of divinity. The same principle of the Atma is present in all. But it assumes many names. Develop self-confidence. Face all difficulties with self-confidence. Whomsoever you see, consider him as your own reflection. God is beyond all attributes and actions. Develop the spirit of sacrifice. Na Karmana Na Prajaya Dhanena Thyagenaike Amrutatthwamanasu (immortality is not attained through action, progeny or wealth; it is attained only by sacrifice). You should be prepared to make any sacrifice. Have the firm conviction that you are God and God is not separate from you. Wherever you see, God is there. There is nothing else except God. Names and forms may be different, but the same principle of the Atma is present in all.

Practice of Human Values Promotes Unity and Harmony
All that man experiences is the result of his actions. It is already very late now. I do not want to cause inconvenience to you by speaking at length. It is enough if you know these five principles and put them into practice in your daily life. It is only by practising these five principles that you can know them, not merely by reading or writing about them. Any knowledge that is not put into practice is no knowledge at all. Put into practice at least one or two principles in your life out of all that you have learnt. Then only will your life be redeemed and you will acquire merit. Then you would have followed the right path. You have heard many things from Me and Kalam. What is the use of all your listening if you do not put anything into practice? It is your rare fortune that you have got the opportunity of listening to such sacred talks. Make the best use of the opportunity and attain the goal of your life.

Lord Krishna declared in the Bhagavad Gita, Mamaivamsho Jivaloke Jivabhuta Sanathana (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). You are all sparks of divinity. You are not mere mortals. You are not separate from Me. Being an aspect of My Divinity, you should conduct yourself accordingly. Do not waste your time in vain gossip. These five values have originated from God. Wherever you see, there is the principle of unity. You and I are one. Many people ask Me about My true identity. I tell them, “You and I are one. You are not separate from Me.” Consider all your fellowmen as your brothers and sisters and strengthen the bond of love with them. You should all stand united. Never give room for evil qualities like anger, hatred and jealousy. These qualities will create only differences. We should develop the five human values which will promote harmony and unity in the world. We should develop those qualities which will bring us closer to each other and not the ones which will distance us from each other. Leave the burden of all your responsibilities to God. This is My message to you today.

Truth and Righteousness are the Foundation of True Education

Students – Boys and Girls!
There is nothing much to be said about education. But education has a goal. That is truth. If it does not give the knowledge of truth, then it is not true education. There are crores (hundreds of millions) of so called educated people in the world today. But, what is it that they are doing? They have no spirit of Paropakara (doing good to others) in them.

Modern Education Develops Selfishness
Nevertheless, students are engaged in acquiring education. The education that they acquire is only secular education and not spiritual education. In fact, only spiritual education is true education. One should acquire spiritual education since it gives the knowledge of God. Secular education merely enables a person to eke out a living and thereby maintain himself and his family. The end of education is character. Devoid of character, everything else is useless. Unfortunately, today we have distanced ourselves from this sacred goal of education. Of what use is it to acquire such an education which does not help one to attain its goal? Modern education enables one to acquire merely worldly gains. But fulfilling one’s physical requirements is not the be all and end-all of education. Besides catering to one’s worldly progress, it should help one to attain inner growth. Education should enable one to cultivate good qualities, character and devotion. There should be balance between worldly progress and inner growth. There should be unity between one’s thoughts and actions. Only when there is unity can one realise divinity.

Modern education develops selfishness and selfishness alone. True education is that which fosters selflessness. True education does not limit one to serve only one’s selfish ends; it elevates one to serve others. Paropakara Punyaya, Papaya Parapeedanam (one attains merit by serving others and commits sin by harming them). Wherever you see today, you find only selfishness. The foremost concern of man is self-interest. But he forgets his real Self. That is the Atma which is present in everyone. It is Chaitanya Shakti (power of consciousness). This Chaitanya Shakti is present in every being. That is why, the Vedas declare: Easwara Sarva Bhutanam (God is the indweller of all beings). One should give up one’s self-interest and strive to realise the Atma Tattwa (principle of the Self). Modern education is steeped in utter selfishness. It is only when man transcends his self-interest can he acquire true education and purity of heart. Only man can practise selflessness and realise the Atma Tattwa; birds, beasts and animals cannot do so. One who helps others selflessly, develops a spirit of sacrifice and realises the Self can be called a human being in the true sense of the term; not merely by acquiring secular education.

Acquire Education which Develops Character
Man has value only when he is endowed with character. One without character cannot be called a human being. Hence, acquire that education which develops character. Education is not meant to fill our pockets with money. After all, what can money do? In what way can it help us? It may perhaps help us to acquire name and fame and build palatial buildings. But without character, all this amounts to zero. Unfortunately, such people are flourishing in the world today. In fact, a person without character is unfit to be called a human being. He is verily an animal. Even an animal is better than such a person, for it has a reason and a season. But man today has no reason and no season! He moves about everywhere as an epitome of selfishness.

Once selfishness enters man’s life, his degeneration starts immediately. Character is most important in the life of man. Truth and righteousness are the foundation of character. Sathyannasti Paro Dharma (There is no Dharma greater than adherence to truth). The mansion of righteousness rests on the foundation of truth. If the very foundation of truth collapses, there can be no righteousness. Hence, truth and righteousness are the two most important limbs of a human being. Where there are truth and righteousness, there love manifests. Without truth, righteousness and love, there can be no peace. And there is little use of your positions of power and authority if you are without truth, righteousness, love and peace.

Many people complain, “I have everything in life, but I have no peace of mind”. A person without peace of mind is confronted with troubles from all sides. If only he has peace of mind, he can be happy in the world. He will have no difficulties at all! In fact, man has great accumulated merits. It is because of these merits earned by him in his previous lives through the observance of truth and righteousness that he gets human birth. Without truth and righteousness, man loses his humanness. He degenerates himself to the level of a demon or an animal. The word ‘Manava’ (man) consists of three letters: ‘ma’, ‘na’, ‘va’. ‘Ma’ means attachment, ‘na’ means without and ‘va’ means to conduct oneself. One who conducts himself in the world without attachment is Manava. Only such a person can be called a real human being. How does man develop attachment? He marries, begets children, develops a family; all these relationships become the cause of his attachment. He loses peace on account of attachment.

Man today has everything – good food to eat, various means of enjoyment, facility of comfortable travel, but he has no peace. Man should attain freedom from the bondage of attachment to have peace of mind. Develop Ekatma Bhava (feeling of oneness with God). If man develops Ekatma Bhava, he can move about freely in the world without any attachment whatsoever. He loses his freedom and becomes bound when he develops desires, lust, etc. Where there is lust, love cannot exist there. Man should spread the fragrance of love and goodness like a rose flower which spreads fragrance. When man develops good thoughts and good behaviour, he will become a symbol of goodness. Without love and goodness, man develops attachment. Happiness lies in detachment. Detachment however does not mean that you become indifferent to the difficulties of others. Help everybody; be compassionate towards the poor. If you have love and compassion, you are a true human being.

What is True Renunciation?
During his debating tour of north India, Adi Sankara met a great scholar named Mandana Mishra. He had a wife by name Ubhayabharati. She was selected to be the arbitrator and judge to decide the winner in the debate between Sankara and Mandana Mishra. In fact, Sankara himself suggested her name as he considered her most truthful and impartial despite being the wife of his competitor, Mandana Mishra. She considered truth as God and was therefore eminently suited for the assignment. The debate between Sankara and Mandana Mishra commenced in the presence of Ubhayabharati. She listened to the arguments and counter arguments with rapt attention. Finally, Sankara defeated Mandana Mishra in the debate and he was declared the winner by Ubhayabharati. As per the conditions of the debate, Mandana Mishra had to take to Sannyas (renunciation), and he did accordingly. As a dutiful wife, Ubhayabharati followed suit and she also became a renunciant. A question may arise here as to what is Sannyas in the real sense of the term. It is renouncing of all desires. As long as a person entertains desires, he will only be a Samsari (worldly person). He will develop worldly relationships. He will desire to have a son in the first instance. Thereafter, the whole retinue of daughter-in-law, grandsons, granddaughters, etc., will follow.

One day, Ubhayabharati was going along with her disciples to the river Ganga for taking bath in the river. On the way, she observed a Sannyasi who was relaxing, keeping a dried bottle gourd under his head. He was using this for storing drinking water, and hence he was preserving it carefully. Ubhayabharati saw this Sannyasi’s attachment to the bottle gourd and said to her disciples, “Look! This man calls himself a Sannyasi, but he is attached to a bottle gourd which he is keeping under his head as a pillow.” The Sannyasi heard this comment, but did not utter anything then. While Ubhayabharati and her disciples were returning from the river, he threw away the bottle gourd in front of them in order to demonstrate that he was not attached to it. Observing his action, Ubhayabharati aptly remarked, “I thought there was only one defect in him Abhimana (attachment). Now I realise that he has another defect also Ahamkara (ego). How can one with Abhimana and Ahamkara become a Jnani and Sannyasi?” Her comment was an eye opener for the Sannyasi. He expressed gratitude to Ubhayabharati for imparting true knowledge of renunciation to him.

Your Company Influences your Thoughts and Conduct
People today put up a show as though they have renounced everything. In fact, it is they who crave for worldly possessions. Students should have only one desire. That is Brahmacharya (celibacy, purity). That is real renunciation. When you come here, you pray, “Swami! We don’t want anything. We have no desires like marriage, setting up a family or building a house, etc. Please lead us on the path of devotion and liberation.” But the moment you cross the boundary of the Institute, umpteen number of desires swarm around you like honey bees.

Man’s behaviour is influenced by many factors, like Sthanabala (power of place), Bhujabala (power of physical body), Dhanabala (power of wealth) and Daivabala (power of divinity). The Ramayana illustrates how Sthanabala influences the thinking of man. While going in the forest, Rama and Lakshmana sat under a tree. Immediately afterwards, Lakshmana told Rama that he was tired of living in the forest and would like to go back to Ayodhya as quickly as possible to have a more comfortable living. Rama smiled at him and said, “Let us proceed further, I shall explain everything later.” How did Lakshmana who previously had declared that Rama was everything to him and that he would not live without Rama even for a moment suddenly develop this attitude? How did this concern for bodily comfort arise in him suddenly? After they walked some distance, Lakshmana felt the pangs of repentance for his impertinent behaviour. He realised his mistake, caught hold of Rama’s feet and said, “Rama! Forgive me for what I had said. I cannot understand how these evil thoughts entered me. What could be the reason?” Rama explained, “Lakshmana! The region through which we passed just now was the haunt of a demoness. She used to rest under that tree. Hence, the place is infected with all her devilish qualities. The vibrations of those evil qualities aroused bad thoughts in you. The moment you came out of that place, you became your normal self again. Your inherent good nature asserted itself.” Thus, one’s association with a particular place also has its effect on one’s behaviour. Thereafter, Rama was cautious about the place of their stay in the forest.

Similarly, the type of people you associate with also influence your thoughts and behaviour. Youngsters often move in bad company and cultivate bad qualities. This is not correct. They should always make friendship with good people and emulate their qualities. Never have anything to do with a person of evil qualities. Keep yourself at a distance from such people. The great epic Ramayana is replete with examples how association with good people results in developing noble qualities. Adi Sankara in “Bhaja Govindam” very graphically describes how Satsanga (good company) can ultimately lead one to liberation:

Satsangatwe Nissangatwam,
Nissangatwe Nirmohatwam,
Nirmohatwe Nischalatattwam,
Nischalatattwe Jivanmukti.
(Sanskrit Sloka)
(Good company leads to detachment; detachment makes one free from delusion; freedom from delusion leads to steadiness of mind; steadiness of mind confers liberation.)

Today, people move about in bad company and ultimately ruin themselves. This is the effect of Kali Yuga, which is often referred to as the Kalaha Yuga (the Age of conflict). Man by nature is divine; but turns evil on account of Dussanga (evil company). That is the reason why sages and seers in ancient times constantly strove to cultivate noble qualities by Satsanga.

Today, bad books are found everywhere. Wherever you see, you will find people, especially youngsters, reading bad books that pollute their minds. You might have observed youngsters visiting libraries invariably on Sundays and holidays. You often find them engaged in deep study. What sort of books do they read? They read bad books camouflaged in a good cover. Once you remove the cover and look into the book, everything is trash including the pictures. You will have to be very strict with such students. No one can be taken for granted. They speak sweet words outwardly as though they are very innocent. But they surreptitiously engage themselves in bad activities. They search for bad books and read them with absorbing interest. Those bad books are very exciting to the young minds. People who write bad books and tempt youngsters to read them do not think about the bad effect they will have on their minds. Thus, youngsters spoil themselves on account of bad books. No force on earth can change such boys; not even God.

Unless one introspects into one’s behaviour and strives for transformation, one continues to move about in bad company. One is a true devotee if one recognises one’s faults. One’s character and conduct are of paramount importance. If they are taken care of, one is sure of treading the right path. There is no use acquiring high academic degrees with a view to earn high salary and position. How long will they last? On the other hand, it is possible that they may land one in trouble. Money earned by bad means will be spent for bad purposes. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati (as is the feeling, so is the result). So, one should cultivate noble thoughts and feelings.

Students should Inculcate Good Qualities
One has to read good books that transform the heart and uplift the soul. Unlike the students in the Gurukula system of ancient times, modern students indulge in bad behaviour. In spite of great efforts on the part of teachers to bring about a transformation in them, they continue with their bad qualities. It is not surprising to see students assaulting their teachers in educational institutions today. There are students who even betray those who actually provide for their living. There are also students who do not hesitate to harm those who help them. Such are the qualities of the present day students. They do not appreciate the role played by their teachers in their uplift.

What are the qualities expected of a student? A student should have good intellect, good character, adherence to truth, devotion, discipline and duty. Only those students who cultivate such qualities are eligible to be called students in the real sense. One who acts against these principles is not a student, but a stupid. You should not associate with such a person nor should you call him a stupid. Do not have any relationship with such persons. You should hold on to your own good qualities which can earn you appreciation in the world.

Love all. In fact, Love is the most important aspect of education. One who teaches the method by which man can cultivate selfless love is the real Guru. There are, of course, many such teachers. I have established Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions only with a view to inculcate love and good qualities in students. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is not a single bad book in our library. Our students are very good. They do not at all move in bad company. Even when they go home during vacation, they do not like to stay there for long. Sometimes, their mothers may say, “My dear! You stayed for one full year in Brindavan or Puttaparthi. You never had an opportunity to eat tasty and spicy food. I shall now prepare such food that you will relish.” Our students will then reply, “Mother! You should also not eat such Rajasic food. It is not good for health.” As is the food, so is the head (thoughts). Wrong food and bad thoughts make people forget God. Hence, do not change your food habits. Continue to stick to Sattwic diet. Take plenty of green leafy vegetables. It is only when you maintain good habits with regard to food and head will you become good.

You are aware that people outside have high expectations of the students studying in Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions. They will reprimand you if they see you acting in a perverted manner, saying, “You are a student of Sri Sathya Sai institution. How can you behave in this bad manner?” Therefore, our students should never give such an opportunity to others. Rather, they should teach others by setting an ideal to them. Some students, show good behaviour and devotion as long as they remain in our hostels. Once they go out of the portals of the institution, they turn bad. This should not happen. Wherever you are, whether in the hostel here or when you go out, you must continue to have good behaviour. Of course, I have no doubt at all about the behaviour of our students. The students in our hostel and college are very good. With the hope that our students will continue to be good and become worthy of emulation by others, I conclude My Discourse with blessings to all.

Experience Divinity within in total Silence

Embodiments of Love!
You are very well aware of the present condition of the world. There is no scope for talking about God. Today Dhanam (money) is considered as Daivam (God). In such a situation, how can Dharma (righteousness) prevail in the world?

Principle of Love is Changeless
Embodiments of Love!
There is no other path except that of love to attain God. Love is God, God is love. But people do not understand what love is. They consider attachment to all that is worldly and material as love. Out of their selfishness, they love worldly objects and materials. So, man’s love today is tainted with selfishness. There is selfish motive behind whatever he does. How can then man have the vision of God who is the very embodiment of selfless love? Love is present in all beings, right from a Pamara (ignorant person) to a Paramahamsa (realised person). How can one describe such a principle of love?

Ego and pomp have become rampant today. Desires have become limitless. Man’s heart is filled with selfishness, and compassion has no place in it. That is the reason why he is unable to have the vision of the Atma and experience bliss. I always speak about the principle of love. I do not know anything other than love (loud applause). When divinity is uniformly present in all, how can you share your love with some and deny it to others? How can anyone say, “Love this and not that”? God has no specific form. But if you firmly resolve to see God and make sincere efforts, God will assume a form and manifest before you.

There is love in every one of you. What is the form of love? What is the nature of love? When we analyse carefully, we will realise that love is not limited to human beings alone but is present in all living beings. Every being is endowed with the quality of supreme divine love. One has to give up enmity and cultivate unity and purity in order to understand this truth. Love cannot be explained in words. How can you describe it? It can only be experienced and enjoyed. The experience of love confers bliss on us. Hence, we can say that bliss is the form of love.

Embodiments of Love!
Everything in this world is bound to change except the principle of love. Love is the only true and eternal path which will lead you to divinity. Divinity pervades each and every limb of the human body. It can be visualised only when we understand the principle of oneness. People attribute various names and forms to God. In fact, God should not be confined to a particular name and form. God is beyond all attributes and transcends all names and forms. Divinity is present in all in the form of love but each one experiences it in his own way. People imagine a particular form of divinity. They think divinity is limited to a specific name and form. That is why they are unable to experience it.

One whose heart is filled with love will see the manifestation of divinity everywhere. It is a mistake to think that Nature is different from God. People give various names to divinity based on their own experience. Jewels are many but gold is one. Likewise, names and forms are different but divinity is one. Where does gold come from? It comes from the earth. Similarly, God manifests in human body. Daivam Manusha Rupena (God incarnates in the form of a human being). Hence, consider everyone as divine. Sahasra Seersha Purusha Sahasraksha Sahasra Pad (The Cosmic Being has thousands of heads, eyes and feet). All heads, all eyes and all feet are His. Such transcendental divinity can be experienced only in absolute silence and in solitude. There lies hidden sacred divine power in the depth of total silence. The tongue is given to you not to indulge in vain gossip. That is why the ancient sages and seers practised Mounam (silence). It is possible to experience God only in the depth of silence. However, we should understand the true meaning of silence. Silence does not mean merely refraining from speech. It is much higher than that and includes the mind also. The transcendental nature of divinity cannot be described in words. It is beyond the grasp of the mind.

Focus your Mind only on God
Whatever you see in this world is the manifestation of truth. When divinity is all-pervasive, how can there be untruth? But you are unable to realise all pervasiveness of divinity. Turn your vision inward and observe absolute silence. Only then can you realise all-pervasive divinity. Mere intellectual exercise will not help you in this regard. Whatever you see, hear and experience is the manifestation of divinity. Only God exists everywhere. Such being the case, is it possible to attribute a particular name and form to Him? He is present in all forms. When we experience the principle of oneness, we will be immersed in bliss. Hence, we can say that bliss is His form.

Nityanandam, Parama Sukhadam, Kevalam Jnanamurtim, Dwandwateetam, Gagana Sadrisham, Tattwamasyadi Lakshyam, Ekam, Nityam, Vimalam, Achalam, Sarvadhee Sakshibhutam (God is the embodiment of eternal bliss; He is wisdom absolute, beyond the pair of opposites, expansive and pervasive like the sky, the goal indicated by the Mahavakya Tattwamasi, the one eternal, pure, unchanging, the witness of all functions of the intellect).

Embodiments of Love!
When God is all pervasive, where is the need to go in search of Him? You should make efforts to experience your innate divinity by observing total silence and turning your vision inward. You can experience divine bliss only in absolute silence. That is why it is said, “Silence is golden”.

God is present in all forms. All names and forms are His. The Vedas state the same principle when they declare: “Sahasra Seersha Purusha…” Various types of jewels are made out of gold. Likewise, God has assumed all the names and forms that we find in the world. Hence, you should develop faith in the existence of God. If you make sincere efforts, you can certainly realise Him. Many spiritual aspirants in the past could have the divine vision by their intense Sadhana and by going into total silence. One has to annihilate the mind in order to have the vision of God. You cannot experience divinity until and unless you transcend the mind.

Today people conduct enquiry and research into various aspects of the world. But divinity cannot be experienced with such enquiry and research. Select a divine form of your choice and contemplate on it. When you focus your mind on the divine form, your mind gets transformed completely and becomes one with divinity. Today man’s mind keeps wavering from moment to moment. Do not rely on such a wavering mind. Instead, rely on divinity which is steady and changeless. Once you fix your mind on a divine form of your choice, never change it. Close your eyes and contemplate on it. Only then can you experience divinity.

Understand the Principle of Unity
People use the word “divinity” without really knowing its meaning. The Vedas declare, Ekameva Adviteeyam Brahma (God is one without a second), Ekatma Brahma (Atma is Brahman). You may call Him by any name. He has thousands of heads, hands and eyes. Wherever you see, there is God only and no one else. The same primordial principle pervades everything. Contemplate on Him with single minded devotion.
Nirgunam, Niranjanam, Sanathana Niketanam, Nitya, Shuddha, Buddha, Mukta, Nirmala Swarupinam (God is attributeless, pure, final abode, eternal, unsullied, enlightened, free and embodiment of sacredness). Divinity is present within you. Unable to realise your innate divinity, you waste your time searching for God outside. Whatever you see and experience in the world is only the reaction, reflection and resound of your feelings. Do not get deluded by the reaction, reflection and resound. Turn your mind inward and contemplate on the reality within you. You will certainly be able to experience divinity. You should have divinity as your goal and nothing else. Divinity is one without a second, and is all-pervasive.

Understand the principle of oneness and install God in your heart. Without the principle of unity, there can be no multiplicity. If you do not understand unity, you cannot understand the multiplicity of Nature. Nature is the best preacher. Follow the ideals demonstrated by this preacher with Priti (love). The more you develop love, the sooner you can see God. Body attachment is the cause of all differences. You will understand and experience unity in diversity only when you give up body attachment. Once you are free from body attachment, you can experience God in a moment. Whatever you see is the manifestation of God. The principle of unity in diversity is divinity. But you are unable to understand and appreciate this truth. In order to understand this truth, there should be total transformation in your feelings. As is the colour of the glass, so is the colour of the scene outside. Remove the colour glasses of body attachment and see the reality.

Make your Mind Steady
Embodiments of Love!
Hold on to the principle of love firmly and you can achieve anything. When you fill your heart with love, you will be protected wherever you go. Love is the reality and everything else is only reaction, reflection and resound. In order to experience the reality, you have to cultivate steadiness of mind in the first instance. How can you make your mind steady? You have to contemplate on one name and one form. Be firm in your chosen path. Do not get deluded by what appears to the physical eyes. Open the eye of wisdom and see the reality.

Embodiments of Love!
Consider everyone as the embodiment of divinity. God is the mother and father of all. That is why, we pray: Twameva Mathascha Pitha Twameva,Twameva Bandhuscha Sakha Twameva, Twameva Vidya Dravinam Twameva (Oh God! You alone are our father and mother, friend and relation, wisdom and wealth). Have firm faith that God is your everything. Do not entertain any doubts in this regard. It is because of doubts that man’s mind is in a confused state. Many people ask Me about the proper way of meditation. I always tell only one thing, “Meditation does not mean merely closing your eyes and imagining anything and everything. Choose one form, install it in your heart and see that it is steady. Have total faith in one name and one form and contemplate on it incessantly. That is true meditation. If you follow this practice earnestly, you can experience divinity.”

Embodiments of Love!
There is no greater Sadhana than following the path of love. Your love should flow only in one direction, and not in many directions. Your love should constantly flow towards God. Only then can you have the vision of God, who is the very personification of love. If you are unable to visualise God, it only means that you have not directed your love towards Him.

Make your mind steady and fix it on God. Mind is the cause of everything in this world. Mind by itself does not go anywhere. It is we who direct it and divert it in different ways according to our whims and fancies. We are responsible for its unsteadiness. When you keep your mind steady and focus it on God, you will find the brilliant and blissful form of God wherever you see. You are unable to see and experience God because you doubt His existence. First of all, develop unwavering faith in God. Your faith alone will protect you. Do not follow the vagaries of the mind. You should be the master of your mind and not its slave.

Embodiments of Love!
People talk about meditation. Meditation is very simple. Meditation is not mere concentration. Concentration can never be equated with meditation. With unflinching faith and unwavering mind, you should let your love flow towards God. If there is unsteadiness in your mind, it is reflected outside. All unsteadiness comes from within you. I am rather surprised to note that man’s mind is wavering every moment. Why should the mind waver? It has no such power. Manas (mind) and Manishi (man) should be one. When you achieve this oneness, you can experience the principle of unity.

Embodiments of Love!
You must firmly resolve to hold on to the principle of unity and divinity. What is the purpose of human birth? Is it to spend your time in eating and drinking? No, no. You should make efforts to understand the underlying principle of unity of five elements, five senses of action, five senses of cognition and five life sheaths. If you make sincere efforts, you will certainly be able to experience the principle of unity. Among all the living beings, only man is endowed with the ability to understand and experience unity and divinity. In fact, the very purpose of human birth is to experience unity in diversity. Hence, make every effort to experience unity and sanctify your lives. It is possible only by following the path of love. There is nothing superior to love in this world. (Bhagawan sang the Bhajan, “Prema Muditha Manase Kaho…” and continued His Discourse.)

Today I have awarded the gold medal for all round excellence to a girl student from Anantapur Campus. She has been a diabetic right from her childhood. Her parents and doctors have been trying their best to control her diabetes but all in vain. However, she has unflinching faith in Swami. That is why she had no problem at all in spite of her blood sugar level being very high. She is not worried at all. In fact, when her parents get worried, she infuses courage in them, saying, “Don’t worry. God is with me.” In this manner, she has spent sixteen years. She has studied in Puttaparthi school and Anantapur college. Sometimes, her blood sugar level is very high. No medicine can control it. Her father becomes anxious. But she is protected by her steady faith. Swami told her firmly, “This disease cannot harm you. Have total faith in God. Do not pay heed to what others say.” She forgets her Badha (suffering) remembering Swami’s Bodha (teaching). She has followed Swami’s words implicitly and has remained steady in her faith. That is why she has come up in life.

She devotes all her time to studies. She will pursue higher studies. She has absolutely no worry even if her blood sugar level shoots up. She says, “It comes and goes. I have nothing to do with it.” She has faced her health problem with fortitude. In this manner, one should never be afraid of problems. This body is a storehouse of dirt and a den of diseases. One should never rely on such an ephemeral body. The body may have to undergo suffering on account of some diseases. But whatever may be the problem, one should not worry about it.

Her father is teaching in Puttaparthi college. Sometimes, he gets phone calls from his daughter’s teachers in Anantapur Campus, telling him, “Your daughter’s blood sugar is very high today. She is unable to attend the classes. What should we do?” He comes to Me for guidance and I tell him not to worry. I infuse courage in him, saying she would be all right. Because of her devotion and steadfast faith, she is maintaining her health and carrying on her studies without any hindrance.

Having resolved, what ought to be resolved, hold on to it till you have succeeded. Having desired what ought to be desired, hold on to it till your desire is fulfilled. Having asked what ought to be asked, do not leave the hold till you get it. Having thought what ought to be thought, hold on to it till you have succeeded. With heart mellowed, the Lord must yield to your wishes or forgetting yourself, you should ask Him with all your heart. Persevere, be tenacious, and never give up, for it is the quality of a devotee never to retreat, abandoning his resolve.
(Telugu Poem)

She is leading her life with such unflinching faith and determination. Sometimes, she becomes very weak because of anaemia. Even in such a condition, she continues to do her work. That is true devotion. She is leading her life with total faith in Swami. She has stood first in her studies and has also achieved excellence in co-curricular activities. That is why she has been given the gold medal for all-round excellence.

Sathya and Dharma form the Foundation of Bharatiya Culture

This land of Bharat is the motherland of many great people whose name and fame spread to different continents. This sacred land was the battlefield wherefrom the foreign rulers were driven out and freedom from foreign rule attained. This land of Bharat acquired great name and fame for erudite scholarship.
(Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Love!
Bharat has earned great reputation in all fields of human endeavour, be it material, spiritual, moral or ethical. It should be a matter of great pride for anyone to declare, “I am a Bharatiya.” Truly speaking, to be called a Bharatiya is in itself a great honour. Having earned this appellation, the citizens of this country should become role models for the rest of the world. It is really unfortunate that some people do not feel proud to be called Bharatiyas in spite of the fact that they are born in this sacred land of Bharat and have enjoyed its wealth, water and food. Many people born in this sacred land earned great name and fame. But, unfortunately, the Bharatiyas today are falling back instead of marching ahead with courage and determination. The culture of Bharat is renowned worldwide for its sacredness. It has demonstrated great ideals to the world in moral, religious and spiritual fields. Having taken birth in such a sacred land, how noble and upright a Bharatiya should be!

Glory and Greatness of Bharatiya Culture
Embodiments of Love!
The noble tenets of the culture of Bharat are widespread in every nook and corner of the country. These should be passed on from one generation to another. Every son of Bharat should live true to his name and bring glory to the motherland. He should uphold the prestige and honour of this country. But instead some are bringing bad name to the country. Even if you do not make any special efforts to bring good name to the country, its glory will keep on increasing day by day; it is enough if you lead your life in an ideal manner like a true Bharatiya.

Embodiments of Love!
Bharat is the crest jewel of all the nations of the world. Love is the very foundation of Bharat. It has demonstrated great ideals in all fields of life. One who forgets such a sacred land will surely bring himself to disrepute. Wherever you go, you should feel proud to proclaim that you are a Bharatiya. People with such spirit of patriotism and nationalism are very rare these days. Instead of bringing glory to the motherland, people are tempted to go to other countries. Forgetting their own motherland, they sing praises of others. You can very well imagine the fate of a person who forgets his mother. Mother and motherland are worthy of worship by one and all. Bharat is the land of the Vedas. The glory of Bharatiya culture cannot be described in words. You should make efforts to uphold this sacred culture and earn a good name for yourself. You should strain every nerve to uphold the culture of Bharat. But the Bharatiyas who are supposed to demonstrate ideals to others are failing in this regard. Since ancient times, Bharat has been demonstrating great ideals to all nations. The name and fame that Bharat earned has no parallels. Bharat is the centre of righteousness. It lays great emphasis on the principles: Sathyam Vada, Dharmam Chara (speak truth, practise righteousness). These great principles lend support and strength to this country as well as to others. Dharayati Iti Dharma (that which supports is Dharma). The culture of Bharat comprising such great principles is the sheet anchor of the entire world. It is unfortunate that the Bharatiyas themselves are disregarding these great principles today.

Bharatiya Culture Rests on Sathya and Dharma
Embodiments of Love!
Ancient Bharatiyas never craved for name and fame. They attained glory on account of their nobility. The culture of Bharat lays great emphasis on the spirit of sacrifice. Our ancients placed interest of the country above self-interest. They had no trace of selfishness in them. That is why their glory has not diminished a bit with the passage of time. They took refuge in righteousness. They considered truth as their life breath. Are we making any efforts to uphold the pristine glory of Bharat today? Days are rolling by but Bharatiyas are not striving for the uplift of the nation. Instead they are forgetting their own culture. He is a true Bharatiya who is prepared to sacrifice even his life for Dharma.

Bharat is the motherland of many great people who acquired name and fame in all the continents of the world. Bharat Matha (Mother India) was adorned with the garland of such righteous people. This garland is fading today. But the culture of Bharat will never fade with the passage of time. It is eternal and immortal. Ancient Bharatiyas adhered to Sathya and Dharma even in small matters. Sathya and Dharma were their guiding principles. That is why their lives continue to inspire people even after many generations and aeons. But today the Bharatiyas are running after money. How long will the money last? Money comes and goes, morality comes and grows. You can be called a Bharatiya only when you develop morality. Only those who adhere strictly to morality are fit to be the leaders of Bharat.

True Education Inculcates Selflessness
Students – Boys and Girls!
Remember always that your education is not merely to amass wealth or to eke out a livelihood. Money cannot confer true happiness on you. Do not deviate from Dharma for the sake of Dhana (money). Dharma is your life, truth is your breath, good reputation is your wealth. You should not crave for worldly name and fame. Once you practise Dharma, you will naturally attain good reputation. Dharma is related to the heart. Practice of Dharma is termed as Ritam which will make you immortal. But today we do not find anybody adhering to Ritam. Bharat has given birth to many great scholars, poets and men of sacrifice who demonstrated great ideals. We should always remember those who sacrificed their life for a noble cause and try to emulate them. It is the spirit of sacrifice that has protected and sustained this country for many ages and generations. Sacrifice is the Dharma of the Bharatiyas. You should be ready to sacrifice your life for the protection of Dharma and not for Dhana. Bharat is the birthplace of many noble persons who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Dharma. Thyagaraja said, Endaro Mahanubhavulu, Andariki Vandanamulu (there are many great souls; I offer my salutations to all of them). They never craved for name and fame. They led a life of Thyaga (sacrifice). Thyaga is true Yoga. You should practise this Yoga and become deserving of Divine grace.

Embodiments of Love!
Love is the eternal principle that is present in all. There is no human being without love. But man today uses his love for selfish purposes. Eschew selfishness and self-interest, develop the spirit of sacrifice and inculcate the qualities of courage and valour. How can you become courageous? It is possible only when you practise Dharma. Recognise this basic truth that education is not meant to earn money. It should develop the understanding of Manas (mind). Today wherever you see, money is given prime importance. Even music has become a business enterprise to earn money. The divine quality of music enraptures the heart. M.S. Subbulakshmi is a renowned musician of India. She never used music for earning money. She dedicated her music to uphold the glory of Bharat. Everyone should strive for the honour of the country. No doubt, there are many talented people today in the fields of music, literature and fine arts but they are using their talent to earn money. Modern man has become business minded. Music and other arts lose their true quality if they are used for business purposes. Instead of developing business acumen, man should develop the spirit of sacrifice through self-enquiry. Only then can there be a transformation of the heart. First of all, man should develop self-confidence. Where there is Self-confidence, there is Self-satisfaction. Where there is Self-satisfaction, there is Self-sacrifice. And, through Self-sacrifice comes Self-realisation. So long as you do not give up selfishness, you cannot achieve anything worthwhile in life. Fish is better than one who is selfish. Fish cleans the water in which it lives, while a selfish man pollutes the very society which nourishes him. Leave selfishness and cultivate selflessness. Only then can you earn a good name in society. Students today acquire the knowledge of many subjects. But all their education is useless if they do not give up selfishness.

In spite of his education and intelligence, a foolish man will not know his true Self and a mean minded person will not give up his evil qualities. Modern education leads only to argumentation, not to total wisdom. What is the use of acquiring worldly education if it cannot lead you to immortality? Acquire the knowledge that will make you immortal. (Telugu Poem)

Acquire the knowledge of the Self. Consider it as your very life. This knowledge is your true energy. But man is wasting his energy due to his selfishness and self-interest. Give up selfishness and self-interest. Only then can you be truly called the children of Bharat.

Aspire for Divine Love
Students – Boys and Girls!
Never become selfish in your life. Develop the spirit of sacrifice. Be prepared to sacrifice even your life for the sake of Sathya and Dharma. Today people are afraid to speak truth. Why should one be afraid of speaking truth? In fact, one should be afraid to utter falsehood. One who adheres to truth is always fearless. You become fear stricken when you do not follow the path of truth.

Embodiments of Love!
Consider love as your very life and truth as your breath. There is an intimate and inseparable relationship between love and truth. Today people talk of love without understanding its meaning. They use the term love for their attachment at mundane level. They are under the mistaken notion that worldly and physical attachment is love. True love is completely free from selfishness. It blossoms when man develops the spirit of sacrifice. Love is God, God is love. God is the embodiment of love. Love is the very form of Brahman. Connect your love with divine love. Intensify your love for God and sanctify your life. What man craves for is worldly love which is lifeless. He should aspire for divine love which is his very life.

Today there are many highly educated people in the world. But what is the help they are rendering to society? Practically nothing. They are acquiring high degrees just for their selfish ends and for earning money. Bereft as they are of any spirit of sacrifice, they do nothing to serve society. They even lack love for their country.

Embodiments of Love!
Students today are taking to wrong path in the name of love. They do not understand what true love is. Love is the eternal gift of God to every man. It should be utilised for the service of society and community. What is community? Unity is the basis of community. Where there is unity, there is community. This unity is possible when people share their love with others and serve the community selflessly.

Only Love for God is True Love
Embodiment of Love!
Love may appear to be a small word but it is pregnant with profound meaning. However, people use it in a cheap worldly sense. They keep saying, “I love you, I love you …” in a mechanical way without understanding its true meaning. True love presupposes that you are prepared to sacrifice all that is dear to you. Love for God is true love. Love is God, live in love. Try to understand the true nature of love. Do not misinterpret love in the worldly sense. You should be prepared to sacrifice your life for love. But today nobody is prepared to sacrifice his life for love. Rather people are ready to take others’ life to meet their selfish ends.

Students!
You might have acquired high educational qualifications. But all these will prove futile if you do not earn the love of God. Only God’s love is true and eternal. Worldly love is transient. It attracts you like a twinkling star for a moment and vanishes. Acquire divine love which is the fundamental principle of your life.

Students!
You should love all. All of you should live like brothers and sisters. All are the children of God. When you realise this truth, you will experience true love. You are born to different parents but the life principle in each of you is one and the same. Consider love as your life. Only then the knowledge acquired by you will be meaningful. If you forget love, your life itself will become meaningless. Live for the sake of love. Share your love with your fellowmen and become deserving of divine love. What you have to share with others is not worldly love. Worldly love is not true love. True love is related to the heart. Share divine love with one and all. What is this divine love? Divine love has no trace of selfishness in it. People talk of divine love but get intoxicated by the deep wine of worldly love. Love everybody without selfishness. You can attain the Divine only when you develop divine love. Lead your life spreading the message of love. Love is the goal of your life. Once you become the recipient of God’s love, you will be loved by the whole world. Such is the power of God’s love. Hence, always pray for His love.

Embodiments of Love!
Love God wholeheartedly. Love God, live in God. Only then can one be called a true student. Otherwise one is not a student but stupid. Do not harbour cheap worldly love. True love is heart to heart and love to love. Do not have love for money. Money comes and goes. Love is not related to material things either. It is related to the heart. Fill your heart with true love. The heart bereft of love becomes dry and barren. Keep your heart always pure and fresh with love. I am prepared to do anything for you if you develop true love. I am ready to sacrifice even My life for you. Therefore, develop true love more and more.

Students!
What is Vidya (education)? It is not merely the study of matter. True education provides the learners the experience of effulgent love. No other light can match the effulgence of love. Hence, develop love, Bangaru! Only then will your education be fruitful. Knowledge is God’s gift. It should be shared with others.

Embodiments of Love!
Love is your life. Love is your goal. The Bhagavad Gita also lays great emphasis on the principle of love. Having studied here for a long time, you should fill your life with love. You have immense love for Me. It cannot be described in words. Love others as you love Swami. Give Me your love. Take My love in turn. There is no trace of body attachment in Me. Doctors said they would perform surgery on Me. I told them, “You can do whatever you want. I am not the body. This body is yours.” Your love becomes worldly in nature when you have body consciousness. You should develop such love which transcends body consciousness. Only then can you understand the eternal truth. When you truly experience divine love, you will not lead a worldly life. Your love will then flow incessantly towards God.

The best way to love God is to Love All and Serve All

Those who could teach the essence of Vedanta to even the ancient Rishis,
Those who could make the inert stones dance by their sculptural skills,
Those who could make the heads of the enemies roll
like rubber balls with their sharp swords,
Those who could rule the entire world with their sovereign authority
Are there in the land of Bharat.
Of what use it is?
Not one of them is prepared to listen to the
Heart rending cries of the common people.
(Telugu Poem)

Dear students!
What is meant by ‘education?’ What kind of education we must pursue? What should be the educational standards? What type of education contributes to the human development? What benefits do we derive from the present system of education? A real student is one who contemplates on these five issues and understands them thoroughly. Vijnana (higher knowledge) and Prajnana (supreme wisdom) are not merely products of education. Man can acquire these sacred powers only by culture and refinement gained through education. What is culture? Culture is the conscious effort put in by a man to achieve a transformation in his daily life from untruth to truth; from non-conformance to conformance to scriptural authority and from evanescence to eternity. It is a spiritual journey towards divinity. Where is such divinity? It is in every human being as the embodiment of truth. What you have to protect today is not your country; but Sathya (Truth) and Dharma (Righteousness), they, in turn, will protect the country. Only then, the whole world will enjoy peace and prosperity. The entire universe is based upon Sathya and Dharma.

The creation emerges from truth and merges into truth,
Is there a place where truth does not exist?
Visualise such pure and unsullied truth.
(Telugu Poem)

The life of every human being is based upon Truth. Truth and Right Conduct alone are protecting the universe. But, unfortunately, man is unable to recognise this fact and is leading a miserable life.

Embodiments of Love!
Education is not an exercise. Neither is it meant to make a living. It is for the purpose of achieving the goal of life. Dear Students! You are born, brought up and living in this country of Bharat. But, you are unable to recognise the underlying philosophy for which this sacred country stands for. The land of Bharat is a Karma Bhumi (field of activity) in which you perform the sacred duty enjoined upon you. It is a land of virtue where you accumulate punya (merit) by the diligent performance of your Kartavya (duty). What is the intimate relationship between this sacred land and God? This is hand; this is leg; this is head; this is stomach – all these are parts of the body. There is humanness in the body. That humanness is a part of society. That society is a part of nature. The nature, in turn, is associated with the Paramatma (Supreme Being). Thus, Prakriti (nature) is an Anga (part) of the Paramatma (Supreme Being). It is only when man recognises the nature of these parts and sub parts (Anganga) and conducts himself accordingly, he will be able to understand Divinity.

Embodiments of Love!
If you seriously contemplate, you will understand that Divinity keeps humanity going. Without Divinity, man cannot live for even a moment. Man thinks, out of his ego, that he can live by himself. But, this is not true. Merely by spending some time, life is not fulfilled. When you enquire into the matter whether duty comes first or right comes first, several people insist upon right getting priority. Where did the right come from? When you perform your duty, its fruit in the shape of right accrues to you. How can a child exist without the mother? Therefore, right is not the first priority. In fact, man has no right at all. When he performs his duty, the result of that action comes as right. When you enquire into the fact, whether rain comes first or the flow of water, it becomes clear that flow of rain water follows rain. Without rain, there cannot be a flow. Here, flow can be compared to the right and rain to the duty.

Dear Students!
You are putting a lot of effort in your study to acquire high academic qualifications. In spite of all this effort, you are not having peace of mind. It is said, “Secular education is for happiness in the mundane world and spiritual education is for happiness in the other world.” In order to acquire spiritual education, one must spend some time in enquiry. Spiritual knowledge cannot be acquired with secular education. It is said, Adhyatma Vidya Vidyanam (among various branches of knowledge, spiritual knowledge is the best) and “Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye” (true education is that which liberates mankind). Therefore, students must first begin to enquire “Who am I”? They must also realise the fact that right carries responsibility also with it. Your parents have a right. When you protect their rights, they in turn will discharge their responsibility towards you. In Indian culture, first place has been given to the mother and father by proclaiming Matrudevo bhava (revere your mother as God) and Pitrudevo bhava (revere your father as God).

Today, scientific knowledge is considered to be great. How did science acquire this greatness? Science deals with the physical aspect of the universe. It strives to explore the secrets of the universe, and not beyond. But, there is a knowledge beyond this which forms the basis for its creation, existence and dissolution. That is spirituality. Without that spiritual basis, science has no effect. Churchill, the late Prime Minister of England once said, “Man has conquered all, but, he has not conquered himself.” Man today is making efforts to explore everything in the world, but he is unable to realise his own nature. What is the use of such knowledge? Therefore, man must begin enquiry into himself as to who he is, what is his nature, what latent powers he has, etc. In the olden days when the convocations were being held, the teachers used to teach the students such noble principles as Mathrudevo bhava, Pitrudevo bhava, Acharyadevo bhava, Atithidevo bhava (revere your mother, father, preceptor and guest as God). First, it is mother, who gave you birth. Then, she shows you the father. The father takes you to the Guru and finally the Guru leads you to God. Unfortunately, today, there are very few Gurus who lead you to God. That is a different matter. First and foremost, the mother who is responsible for your very birth in this world is forgotten today. Similarly, the motherland where you are born is also neglected.

Dear Students!
Today, you take degrees from this Institute of Higher Learning and set your foot in the wide world. There are about two hundred universities in India. Several thousand colleges are functioning under those universities. Every year, these universities award degrees to several thousand students and send them into the wide world. But, what these students are doing in the outside world? How do these highly educated people make their living? Students are taught education in these universities to make a living. It is not possible for all these degree holders to get jobs. Therefore, these educated people migrate to foreign countries. Having gone there, not all these people are able to make a decent living. They, therefore, undertake some menial jobs to supplement their income. The question is, why not they do the same service in their own country, Bharat. Today, the educated people are not serving their motherland. They do not serve their country, but are prepared to undertake any type of job in a foreign country. No, no. This is not proper. This is not the purpose for which you acquired education. You should serve your own country with all your energy. Your entire life must be devoted to serve the country in which you are born and brought up. Being educated, you must face the battle of life with courage and valour and ultimately emerge victorious.

Today’s students are not prepared to do hard work with patience and perseverance. Work is important. To pursue education and obtain degrees is not important. It is more than fifty years since India attained independence. Several thousands and lakhs of students have acquired higher qualification, during these fifty years and odd. But, what are they doing? They are not undertaking service to society. They do not live up to the glory of this country. First and foremost, one must realise the sacredness of this great country, i.e., Bharat. How can one who cannot protect his own home, protect another’s?

Dear Students!
Give up the idea of going to foreign countries for higher education or job. Even if you are not able to get any employment in your country, remain here and serve the country. You serve the society. Bring honour and glory to your motherland, Bharat. Attain the glory that “this student is a hero in action and sadhana.” You all know about Abdul Kalam, President of India, and the chief guest of today’s function. I may tell you that he has not gone to a foreign country, in search of a job or money. He is a great scientist. All the scientific knowledge he has acquired was from the Indian Universities only. What is there in other countries, that which is already not here? It is said, Yanna Bharate, Thanna Bharata, meaning that which is not here in Bharat is not there in other countries. All the power and the glory is in India only. What can you do in a foreign land that is dry, leaving such a great country like India, which is basking in glory, honour and prestige in the world? You are making use of all your education and energies for the development of a foreign country. Why don’t you, instead make use of them for the development of your own country? Why don’t you serve the people of your own country? You will attain glory only when you make use of your education for protecting your motherland? You must, in the first instance work hard. You must become heroes in action. It does not behove of you to spend your time in idle talk, without involving yourself in some solid work for the benefit of the nation. Bend your body and work hard to attain glory. A seed that is sown in the soil loses its shape to ultimately become a gigantic tree. That tree yields sweet fruits. On the same analogy, it is only when you destroy your ego and lose your identity, real fruit of your actions comes out. Therefore, remove your dehabhimana (attachment to your body) and develop deshabhimana (attachment to the country). Today, you will not find deshabhimana, anywhere. Several students, today, are not aware of the national anthem and how to sing it. But, surprisingly, they are fully aware of the cinema songs in great number. Why don’t you learn to sing the National Anthem and try to understand the glory and characteristics of Bharat embedded in that song?

Dear Students!
You must protect the honour of this great country. You must develop self-respect. One who has lost self-respect cannot attain glory. Self-respect comes only out of spiritual sadhana. Today, students wish to achieve wealth, physical strength and friends’ circle. What about character? Of what use is it to have the above three, without character? Whenever they come across somebody, they wish him “hello” and try to make friendship. This is only a “hello, hello” friendship, but inside, everything is hollow. Therefore, you must give first preference to character. When you respect others, others will respect you. You complain that others are not respecting you. But, did you enquire into yourself whether you are respecting others? You serve others; others will then serve you. What you expect from others, you extend it to others first. Only then there will be reaction, reflection and resound. You respect your neighbours and enquire into their welfare. You may have wealth; you may be great; you may be leading a comfortable life. But, all these things will not be of any value if you do not have character.

Dear Students!
You must cultivate the human values of Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Right Conduct), Santhi (Peace), Prema (Love) and Ahimsa (Non-violence). How can you call yourself a human being, without cultivating human values? It is only because of the human values, you are considered to be a human being. You do not have the human quality of respecting others; then how can you expect others to respect you? The human values are divine qualities. Anything can be achieved with these qualities.

Embodiments of Love!
“Love” is a quality permeating every living being. Truth is verily the embodiment of Divinity. It is in you, with you, around you, everywhere protecting you always. You need not search for God in some distant place. Truth is the very embodiment of God. Do not ever move away from Truth, even in times of danger to your life. Hold on to Truth steadfastly at all times.

Embodiments of Love!
One may be a big person and another a beggar. But, the Truth that is underlying in both these persons is the same. If you realise that truth, all will become one. That type of unity must be achieved. When you realise the principle of unity in all human beings, you can realise true divinity. You observe the principle of unity in diversity expressing itself in the universe. For example, there are several types of bulbs here in this Sai Kulwant Hall. But, the electric current flowing in all these bulbs is the same. Indian culture has proclaimed one ideal “Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma” (verily all these one Brahman). That is the Truth. When you realise that truth, all comforts and happiness will accrue to you. You need not have to struggle for them. Learn to speak good words. Never hurt anybody with harsh words. Speak softly and sweetly to make all people happy.

Embodiments of Love!
Good words bring good actions. You cannot always oblige; you can always speak obligingly. When you thus speak obligingly, how much your status grows! The society will respect you. I have often quoted the example of Abraham Lincoln, the late President of America. In his childhood days, Lincoln did not have enough money to prosecute his studies. He was so poor that he used to sit under the streetlight in the bazaar and read. He used to borrow books from his classmates and read them during night times and return them the next morning. One day, his friends made fun of him saying how could this beggar pursue his education. Lincoln felt very sad and humiliated. He came home, crying. His mother tried to comfort him with soothing words. She enquired: “My dear son! Why are you crying? What is the reason?” He replied: “Mother! I don’t have any money even to drink a cup of tea. I realise the situation in our house. I am aware that you and father cannot afford spending money on my education.” Thus, Lincoln struggled hard in his childhood days and studied well, with self-confidence and self-respect, with the moral support extended by his mother. He did not hesitate to supplement the family income by doing some painting work and boot polishing. Nevertheless, throughout his educational career, he sustained his self-respect. By doing so, he earned a good name in society. In the meanwhile, he could secure a small job. With the meagre income from that job, he used to support his father and mother. The good name he earned in the society commanded their respect and love for him. In due course, elections came. His well-wishers and supporters advised him to contest in the elections. They assured him of their support and votes.

On their advice, he contested in the elections and got himself elected to the position of the President of America. How could a poor carpenter’s son with no money even to pursue primary education, become the President of the United States of America? It is only because of the self-respect and Self-confidence, he assiduously cultivated right from his childhood. Therefore, Dear Students! Do not ever give up self-respect, wherever you are and whichever circumstances you are placed in. Always assure yourself, “I am man, I am not animal.” Man today is playing with the fire of sensual pleasures. But, how long you can continue like this? There is absolutely no purpose in indulging in this game. All your wealth and pleasures will disappear in a trice. It is only self-respect, which continues to be your companion throughout your life. Therefore, cultivate self-respect, which is a divine quality. Only then can you achieve the highest honour of the country.

This evening, our students will present a drama. It is really a presentation based upon the story of the life of Abraham Lincoln. In this drama a student wished to study medicine. He wanted to become a doctor. He worked hard, studied under streetlights even and got admission into a reputed medical college. He had to pay 5 lakh rupees as fees which he could not afford. As he was feeling depressed and dejected, his father consoled him saying, “My dear son! Do not worry. God is there to fulfill your wish. He protects all people at all times.” These words of wisdom made an indelible mark on his heart. Next day he sat in the college garden and started writing a letter to God explaining his desire and his inability to fulfill his desire. “Oh God! People say you are omnipresent; my father also told me the same thing. I have full faith in the words of my father. If You are really omnipresent, why don’t You manifest before me and fulfill my desire?” Thus, while he was writing this letter, the bell rang and he hurriedly got up to leave for his classroom. In the process, the letter slipped from his books. He did not notice it. A rich person who came to the garden after some time noticed the letter. He picked it up and read it. He was very much moved by the determination of the boy to pursue medical education and his inability to do so due to financial constraint. He, therefore, went straight to the Principal of the Medical College, showed him the letter written by the boy addressed to God and paid the entire fees for all the five years in one lump sum. He requested the Principal not to reveal his identity to the boy till he completed his studies. The Principal called the boy and told him, “My dear son! Don’t worry about paying fees. Somebody has already paid your fees. You have absolute faith in God. You are sure to complete the course and come out in flying colours with God’s grace.” When he completed his medical education and became a doctor, his friends congratulated him, saying, “You will become a great doctor and earn a lot of money.” Then the boy said, “I am not interested in earning money. The purpose of my pursuing medical education is for serving the people. My life is dedicated to the service of society. Just as I studied this course paying no fees, similarly I wish to serve the people without taking any fees from them.” Do you find such boys nowadays? Very rarely. You cannot admit your child in any school without paying fees. Even advance reservation is made in a school, for a newly born child. You book a seat by paying Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000/-. But, faith can work wonders. For a person who has self-confidence and absolute faith in God, anything is possible. Faith is the key. Without faith, how can one live in this world?

“People have lost their eyes of faith.
They have become blind in this world.”
(Telugu Poem)

There is no use of opening your Charma Chakshu (physical eyes). Open your Jnana Chakshu (inner eye). Only then, you will achieve the desired result.

Embodiments of Love!
You studied in Swami’s institution for a long time. Did you ever spend any money for your education here? Tell me honestly. I am always worried whether you had to spend money on any occasion during your stay in this Institution. I am revealing a small incident that has happened sometime back. Normally, I will not reveal such things. Usually, during examination time, students study the whole night, keeping the lights on. One day, the warden advised the students to limit the period of their study during night, since the charges for electricity are gradually on the increase. The students did not pay heed to the advice and continued to study for long hours in the night. Consequently, the electricity bill came to a huge amount. Meanwhile, exactly two months before the examinations, the Electricity Department disconnected power supply to the hostel due to non-payment of the bill. They cannot be blamed, for, it is their duty. There were no lights in the hostel rooms. Students were feeling a lot of inconvenience. The warden came to Me and explained their plight. I enquired him, Why did he not bring it to my notice earlier. The warden replied, “Swami! You are spending so much amount on the education of the students. You are taking so much responsibility. How can I add some more burden? With that intention, I did not bring it to your notice.” I enquired from him the amount of the bill. He replied that it came to Rs. 70,000/-. Thereupon I advised him, “Go immediately and pay the entire amount. Ask the Department people to restore the power supply immediately. Do not reveal to the students anything of what transpired between you and Me.” Thus, I take so much trouble to look to the convenience and welfare of the students.

Today, I have given a cheque for sixty lakh rupees to Paramahamsa, to be deposited in the names of the sixty children adopted under the scheme of “Sri Sathya Sai Deenajanoddharana Pathakamu”. Some time ago, I happened to read a report about a mother who committed suicide after giving poison to her three children. She resorted to such a gruesome act as there was nobody to look after them after her husband’s death. I felt very sorry reading this news. Our country, Bharat has earned the appellation Annapurna (Goddess of food). In such a sacred land, how can we remain a mute witness to people dying of hunger and poverty? Hence, I decided to undertake a project under which poor children who lost their father, in some cases both parents, are adopted and provided the basic necessities of food, raiment and shelter. Their education is also taken care of. These children are selected from Bukkapatnam, Kotthacheruvu and Puttaparthi Mandals. They belong to very poor families who are finding it hard to feed themselves. We told the children, “We will give you food, shelter and also education. We will make you self-reliant. You need not worry.”

Within a short period of one month, I got houses constructed for them. One lakh rupees are deposited in the name of each child. By the time they complete their education, this money will get multiplied into three to four lakhs. They can lead a comfortable life. When this was told in the beginning, people could not believe it. How can they believe? They are carried away by untruth. When truth is conveyed to them, they are not prepared to believe it.

The children are being looked after very well. Paramahamsa is taking care of them with all love. Every day, the children are brought here in a bus for Swami’s Darshan. They are extremely happy. All of them are learning the Vedic Mantras even. Whenever I ask them, “Are you happy?” they say, “Yes Swami. When You are looking after us like a wish fulfilling tree, how can we be otherwise?” They are so happy because they are being looked after with love. Money cannot give such happiness. In this manner, we are performing many sacred activities. I am not interested in publicising them. Some people may not believe this, but I am not bothered. I will not give up My resolve. We should serve the poor and needy. We should strive for their uplift. After all, they are also human beings and we should treat them as our own.

Students!
Having completed your education, it is time for you to go back to your respective places, take up suitable jobs and serve your parents. Once in a while, you can come here to recharge your batteries. Otherwise, you may forget whatever you have learnt here. Your stay here becomes meaningful only when you practise what you have learnt here.

(Swami asked Mr. Raghupathy Rao to get up.) He lost his father when he was very young. He came here with his mother. I gave her a job in the Anantapur Hostel. After some time, she also passed away. Then I brought this boy here and educated him. He has completed his MBA and is presently working as a lecturer in our Brindavan Campus. He pursued his education with Shraddha (sincerity). I have been looking after many such students. This is My duty, because all are Mine. I belong to them and they belong to Me. As they are being looked after with such love, they are shaping into ideal citizens. Here is the best example. He is a very good boy. He would never talk back to elders and would never ask anything from others. In the beginning I told him, “If you need anything, do not ask others. Come to Me straight and I shall give you.”

The reason why I am telling you all this, is you should also undertake such sacred work. Service to society is very important. The best way to love God is to love all and serve all. Let others think whatever they like, you should hold on to this sacred path. Serve your parents. Never hurt their feelings. This is the essence of education.

Education confers humility which in turn bestows deservedness. Deservedness confers all types of wealth through which man can attain happiness here and hereafter.
(Telugu Poem)

Humility is the hallmark of education. Give up ego and serve society with Self-confidence. Students who did not have even a naya paisa with them are now earning thousands of rupees every month. They are good boys. So, they will not have any problem. I will take care of their future. I told this boy that he could go out and take up a job, if he wished so. But he did not want to go anywhere. So, I gave him a job here with good salary. Whoever it is, I do not want anybody to work here without taking salaries. Outside people may not be aware of this. I do not take even a naya paisa from them. I undertake good work and hence, whatever I require will come to Me of its own accord. Lakhs of devotees are coming here. Did I ask anybody for anything? Never. There are many devotees who are coming here for more than forty years. But, I have not asked them for any favour. I shall never ask. I shall not give up My resolve and shall continue the good work with firm resolve. My Mission is bound to succeed. It will never fail.

Children should be looked after well. Young men and women should be moulded into ideal citizens. For Me, there is no greater happiness than this. Children are My property. I am happy if they come up in life and earn a good name for themselves. I do not expect anything else.

Students!
Today you are receiving your degrees. The university gives you a degree in education whereas I give you a degree in Educare. The degree I confer on you is related to Atmananda. That is Educare. Discharge your duty sincerely and I shall take care of your requirements. Do not give room to laziness. Laziness is rust and dust. Realisation is best and rest. Be prepared to proceed along the path of Self-realisation.

I am very happy that our President Abdul Kalam has come here and participated in the Convocation as the Chief Guest. He has immense love for the nation. He is a Muslim by birth. But, he does not have any differences whatsoever. He loves all and treats all equally. He learnt all his knowledge being in India itself. He is a scientist par excellence. There are many scientists in the country. But what is the use? As the poem goes, “Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are?”, they are attracted by foreign lands. But Abdul Kalam is not such a person. He does not have even a trace of Ahamkara (ego). His pure heart is his most beautiful Alankara (ornament). He is a paragon of virtues. That is why he could become the President of this country. I have every hope that he will bring back the pristine glory of Bharat during his tenure.

Humility and Character are Hallmark of True Education

He alone is truly educated who works for the welfare of all beings; who is the master of all forms of knowledge, and who is the paragon of all virtues.
(Sanskrit Sloka)

Embodiments of Love!
If education is not used for the welfare of society, it is no education at all. Man can be called truly educated only when his education benefits people at large and he becomes recipient of their love. It is not enough if one merely acquires bookish knowledge, one should cultivate all virtues and attain supreme wisdom. True education is that which bestows on man the wealth of morality, spirituality and character. The purpose of education is not merely to sustain the body; it should broaden the mind and make the human being an ideal and a virtuous one.

Character – need of the hour
If one enquires deeply, one will be confused with the problems that are afflicting the field of education today. Under these circumstances, students should make efforts to understand the purpose of education and act accordingly. Man today has made a great progress in the field of science and technology, but that should not make him egoistic. Science and technology is related to worldly education. What man needs is good character. Worldly education cannot foster virtues in man. The one who sets an ideal to society by his virtues and conduct alone is truly educated. The modern student is trying to master various forms of knowledge, but he is unable to understand the nature of his body and the mind. The same was said by Winston Churchill once, “Man has conquered all, but has not conquered himself.” The modern man knows everything, excepting himself. To know one’s own self is positive and to know about the world is negative; together they confer peace and prosperity. It is unbecoming of an educated one to use his degrees as means to acquire jobs. One should share one’s knowledge with his fellow beings and lead an exemplary life.

One may master various forms of knowledge and win laurels in the royal court;
One may be highly valourous and vanquish the enemy in the battlefield;
One may become king of kings and rule over a vast empire;
One may give away gold and land in charity;
One may count the number of stars in the sky;
One may repeat the names of living beings on earth, but man is not able to control the body,
mind and senses, turn inward and attain the state of equanimity.
(Telugu Poem)

Education is meant for the well-being of the society
Man has travelled lakhs of miles into space and reached the moon, but is yet to find the path to travel even half an inch inward. Everyone should investigate into one’s own true nature. Ravana was in no way inferior to Rama in terms of knowledge, but Sage Valmiki, composer of the epic Ramayana, described Ravana as a fool and extolled Rama as one of wisdom. The reason is that Rama put his knowledge into practice for the welfare of the people and led an exemplary life. On the other hand, Ravana did not practise the knowledge he acquired, but became a slave to his senses and thus ruined himself and his entire clan. Education is meant not to satisfy the senses, but to make one transcend the senses and set an ideal to society. This is most essential for modern students. Only when the students put their senses to proper use, can the country attain its pristine glory. But alas! the students today do not think on these lines.

“All the ancient and eternal teachings are being misinterpreted. Sacred qualities are fast disappearing among people. Righteousness and compassion are no longer practised.
The sacred teachings of the Vedas are forgotten and wickedness is on the rise.”
(Telugu Poem)

Eschew selfishness and serve society
This is the appalling state of affairs today. All the remedial measures that are being undertaken are only making matters worse. True education is that which destroys narrow mindedness, develops equality and ultimately leads to world peace. Students should acquire such education and serve the country. People say that they are serving the country, but most of them are craving for their own selfish gains. Today man is immersed in selfishness from top to toe. One desires a handkerchief not for the sake of handkerchief but for one’s own use. Likewise, there is some selfish motive in whatever man desires. He has become a slave to his senses. He can be called truly educated only when he controls his senses. Modern students behave and act as they please. What are the qualities that are expected of a student?

“Students should pursue such education which confers on them the sacred qualities like good character, adherence to truth, devotion, discipline and duty.
(Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Love!
You are all noble hearted and intelligent. Make proper use of your intellect. Do not allow any qualities other than love and compassion enter your heart. That which is filled with Daya (compassion) is Hridaya (heart). However, today love and compassion find no place in human heart. Consequently, wicked qualities are finding their way into it. Whatever you experience outside is nothing but the reflection, reaction and resound of what is in your heart. If your heart is filled with negative feelings, you will see only negative.

Knowledge of Atom and Atma
A deep enquiry into the principles of science and spirituality will reveal that atom is the fundamental basis of both. What is the inner significance of this? Everything in the world, the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, etc., are pervaded by atoms. You should make efforts to know the principle that is subtler than even atoms. It is from that Fundamental Principle everything has originated. Instead of trying to know the fundamental principle, man is getting carried away by the subsidiaries.

“Subtler than the atom, vaster than the cosmos, Divinity is present all over as the Eternal Witness.”
(Telugu Poem)

Here is a flower, it is but a combination of atoms. There is nothing in the world that is not made up of atoms. Birth, death and life on earth, everything is based on the principle of atoms. You should try to experience the principle of Atma, which transcends all these. In order to experience the Atma, you should pursue spiritual education along with secular education. Worldly education imparts only bookish knowledge which is but superficial knowledge. What we require today is practical knowledge. Can you know the taste of sweets like Laddu, Jilebi, etc., by merely reading their names in the books? Only when you put them on your tongue will you experience their sweetness. Likewise, you can experience bliss only by practising what you have learnt. That is practical knowledge. Today we do not find anybody truly educated as the modern system of education is based on only bookish knowledge. There are many so called educated people in our country. What is the help that they are rendering to the country? Are they involving themselves in any activity that would benefit society and make people happy? No. They are leading such a useless life that neither are they happy nor do they make others happy. Then, of what use is such education?

“In spite of his education and intelligence, a foolish man does not know his true Self and a mean-minded person can not give up his wicked qualities. Modern education leads only to argumentation, not to total wisdom. What is the use of acquiring worldly education if it does not lead you to immortality? Acquire the knowledge which is immortal.”
(Telugu Poem)

You should pursue such education which will benefit you and also society at large. There are many in society who are suffering. Enquire whether you are making any effort to alleviate the suffering of at least one of them. Your education becomes meaningless if it does not confer happiness either on you or your fellow beings.

Educated should serve society
Today students are acquiring various degrees like M.Sc., M.B.A, Ph.D., etc. But are they using them for the welfare of society? They merely fill their heads with bookish knowledge, go to the examination hall and empty their heads. No one is making any effort to know the purpose of education and its inner significance. One should know the qualities, the features and the benefits of good education. No doubt, students are intelligent and noble hearted. But they are taking to wrong ways on account of lack of proper guidance. It is the duty of parents as well as the teachers to show them the correct path. Some parents may not be educated so as to guide the students on the right path. What about the teachers in the colleges? They are bothered about their own status and do not make any effort to foster purity among students. One should understand the essence of education, put into practice and experience the bliss therein.

Education should foster humility
In the state of West Bengal, there lived a great scholar by name Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar. True to his name, he was an ocean of knowledge. He was born in a poor family. During his student days at night, he used to sit under streetlights to study, as there was no electricity at home. His mother used to shed tears seeing her son’s ordeals. He would console her saying, “Mother, Na Sukhat Labhyate Sukham (you cannot get happiness out of happiness). It is only out of difficulties can one derive happiness.” He worked hard and completed his higher studies. He also made a deep study of our ancient history and Indian glory. He was reputed for his oratorical skills. People would gather in large numbers to listen to his speeches.

Once he was invited to deliver a speech in a college in the neighbouring town. He boarded a train, in the same compartment there was an I.C.S officer who was going to the same town to listen to Vidyasagar’s speech. However, he did not recognise Vidyasagar as he had not seen him before. After they got down from the train, the officer started looking for coolie to carry his suitcase. Seeing this, Vidyasagar volunteered to carry it. Seeing the simple attire of Vidyasagar, the officer mistook him for a coolie and handed over his suitcase to Vidyasagar. He was happy that he got an opportunity to serve. He asked the officer, “Sir, where should we go?” The officer replied, “Take me to the place where Vidyasagar is going to address a meeting today. I have come all the way to listen to him.” Hearing this, Vidyasagar smiled to himself and took him to the meeting place. The officer offered him some money as coolie. Vidyasagar politely refused saying, “Sir, I have carried your suitcase only to help you, not for money.”

The meeting was about to commence. Everybody was eagerly awaiting Vidyasagar’s arrival. This officer was also among them. When Vidyasagar arrived, he was garlanded and given a grand welcome. The I.C.S instantly recognised Vidyasagar as the one who had carried his suitcase earlier in the day. The officer thought to himself, “Though Vidyasagar is highly educated, how simple and humble he is!”
One who has ego will not be respected even by his own wife and children. Vidyasagar had no trace of ego in him. He held the audience spell-bound with his speech. Time and again they applauded and expressed their appreciation. He did not exhibit his scholarship. He spoke from the depths of his heart that made a lasting impression on the people. Vidyasagar’s speech was based on his experiences in daily life and not on bookish knowledge. Even today there are many such noble personalities in Bharat. Bharat is a very sacred land, but unfortunately today, Bharatiyas themselves are not able to understand and appreciate the greatness of Bharat.

“Owing to the absence of fear of sin and love for God, humanness has declined in human beings. This is detrimental to world peace.”
(Telugu Poem)

Realise the glory of Bharat
“Forbearance is the real beauty in this sacred land of Bharat. The nectarions feeling in this country is the feeling towards one’s mother. Character is valued far higher than the very life itself. People have forgotten the basic principles of this great culture and are imitating Western culture today. The Bharatiyas are not aware of the greatness of their own cultural heritage just as a mighty elephant is not aware of its own strength.”
(Telugu Poem)

What a sacred and an ideal country our Bharat is! But alas, it is facing hardships today as Bharatiyas themselves have not understood their culture and are unable to adhere to it.

Students! Boys and Girls!
Remind yourselves of the glorious history of Bharat and its rich cultural heritage. You may not be in a position to help everybody, but alleviate the suffering of at least a few and experience the bliss derived therefrom.

After the Rangoon war, a mother and her ten-year-old son, having lost their kith and kin, somehow managed to reach Chennai. Every day the mother would go for begging alms from house to house, give most of it to her son and partake of whatever little was left. When she would not get enough, she would give the entire food to her son, and would herself go without food. As a result, her health gradually deteriorated. One day the son told her, “Mother, you have been taking care of me all along. Now it is my duty to take care of you. From today you take rest, I will bring food for both of us.” But the mother would not agree. How can a mother see her son begging? However, she had to agree on the loving insistence of her son. From then onwards everyday he would go for begging, give most of it to his mother and tell her a lie that he had already eaten. Consequently, he too became very weak.

One day he stood in front of the house of an officer and cried, “Oh sir, I am hungry, I am hungry.” The officer was relaxing in an easy chair and was going through the daily newspaper. Hearing the pitiable cries of the boy, he went inside, brought food in a leaf and told him to sit and eat. But the boy said that he would take it home. The officer said, “You seem to be lying. If you are really hungry, why don’t you sit here and eat?” The boy was too weak, felt giddy and collapsed on the ground. He was trying to say something, but could not say it loud enough as he was very weak. The officer went close to the boy and tried to hear what he was saying. The boy was saying, “First to my mother, to my mother…” With these words, he breathed his last. His love and concern for his mother were so intense that she was uppermost in his mind till his last moment. He sacrificed his very life for her sake. Even today there is no dearth of such noble sons.

Embodiments of Love!
Fill your hearts with compassion. Spare no effort to alleviate the suffering of your fellow beings. If you have ten rupees in your pocket, give at least one rupee to the needy. The culture of Bharat teaches:

Na Karmana Na Prajaya Dhanena Thyagenaike Amrutatthwamanasuhu
(Immortality is not attained through action, progeny or wealth; it is attained only by sacrifice)
Help everyone to the extent possible.
Hastasya Bhushanam Danam,
Sathyam Kanthasya Bhushanam,.
(charity is the ornament for the hand, Truth is the necklace).

These are the true ornaments that one should aspire to possess.

Students! Boys and Girls!
Develop compassion and spirit of sacrifice as would befit your education and earn a good name in society. Drive away evil tendencies like anger, hatred and jealousy. Any act of charity or service that you may undertake will prove futile if you do not give up bad qualities. Develop love, share it with others and make them happy. Only then will your education become meaningful. This is the service that you are expected to render to your motherland. You don’t need to undertake gigantic service projects or construct big schools. Serve society as per your capacity. Whatever activity you undertake, let it be suffused with love. There is no wealth greater than love.