Date: 18 Aug 2006 | Occasion: Athi Rudra Maha Yagna | Place: Prasanthi Nilayam |
What is the use of all your learning,
when it does not help you to change your destiny?
When bad thoughts enter your mind,
all your education and intelligence become futile
and meaningless.
(Telugu poem)
You may study a number of subjects and learn many skills. But the value of all that learning is zero if you do not develop devotion to God. Unable to realise this truth, people become proud of their learning. Of what use is all that learning? What should I say in this august assembly about the end result of all such education?
The Vedic
dharmas have all declined.
Speaking one's mother tongue has become a sin.
People are diffident to observe morality in society.
Oh! Devotees! It is your duty to protect dharma in Bharat.
(Telugu poem)
Embodiments of Love!
Today, everything is moving very fast, unmindful of the fleeting
time. Seconds, minutes, and hours are rolling by, within no time. Sixty
seconds make one minute and sixty minutes make one hour. Thus, even
hours are rolling fast within no time. What could be the reason for
this fast life? It is only man's nature.
Man's mind is changing by the seconds. It is said, Manah eva manushyanam karanam bandhamokshayo (mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation of man). What is mind? It is a bundle of desires. You have to control these desires to some extent. Man today is able to control everything, but not himself. Of what use it is to control everything, when he himself is moving about without any control?
Embodiments of Love!
First and foremost, our mind has to be dedicated to God. The mind is a gift of God. What has been given by God has to be offered to Him again. Only when you follow this principle will experience total bliss.
When one emerges from the womb of the
mother,
one does not find any garland around one's neck.
There are no jewels made of pearls,
nor are there glittering gold ornaments.
There are no chains studded with precious stones
like emeralds and diamonds.
But there is one garland around the neck.
Brahma strings together the consequences of one's past deeds
into a heavy garland and puts it around the neck at
the time of birth.
(Telugu poem)
Lord Krishna declared, Mamaivamsho jivaloke jivabhuta sanathana (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). All this creation is a gift of God. We have, therefore, to preserve that gift carefully.
Embodiments of Love!
Man has three qualities: sathwa
(purity, serenity), rajas
(passion, excitedness), and thamas
(indolence, inertia). We have to preserve the sathwic quality. A person of
evil thoughts will see evil everywhere. A person of good thoughts will
see good everywhere. However, a person with no thoughts at all will
become a full man. That person is eternal and peaceful.
A cloth is made of threads woven into warp and woof. From where did the thread called karmaphala (the fruit of one's actions) come? It has come from the cotton of janmanthara samskaras (the vasanas or tendencies acquired from several previous births). A thread is made out of cotton and woven into a cloth. And that cloth is worn by us. The cloth called the human body that we are wearing is a gift of God.
Ubhayabharathi was the wife of Mandana Misra, a great scholar in Vedanta. She was a realised soul. She always used to obey the commands of her husband and perform the duties ordained on her, as a truthful wife.
One day, Ubhayabharathi was going along with her disciples to the
river Ganga to take bath. On the way, she observed a sanyasi (renunciant), who was
relaxing with a dried bottle gourd under his head. He was using this as
a container for storing drinking water, so he was mindful of it.
Ubhayabharathi saw this sanyasi's
attachment to the bottle gourd and said to her disciples, "Look! This
man calls himself a sanyasi,
but he is attached to a bottle gourd that he is keeping under his head
as a pillow."
The sanyasi heard this
comment but did not utter anything then. While Ubhayabharathi 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, Ubhayabharathi remarked, Ò"I thought
there was only one defect in him, namely, abhimana (attachment). Now I
realise that he has another defect also, ahamkara (ego). How can one
with abhimana and ahamkara become a jnani and sanyasi?"
Her comment was an eye-opener to the sanyasi. He expressed gratitude to Ubhayabharati for imparting true knowledge of renunciation to him. Ubhayabharathi then explained to him further, "The whole world is illusory. Several objects in this world are attracting man. But they are not outside. They are all the reflection of one's inner thoughts. They are created by man himself. You develop attachment to the physical body. Later on, you yourself will discard the body. You are the one who develops attachment to the body, and you are again the one who will discard the body. Developing attachment to the body or discarding it —both are the result of your delusion. You are developing dehabhranthi (body delusion). Instead, discard dehabhranthi. and develop Daivabhimana (attachment to Divinity). The body is a temple of God. Consider the Indweller in the body as Devadeva (the supreme Lord)."
The body is made up of five elements and
is bound to perish sooner or later,
But the indweller has neither birth nor death.
The indweller has no attachment whatsoever and
is the eternal witness.
Truly speaking, the indweller, who is in the form
of the Atma, is verily God Himself.
(Telugu poem)
All worldly feelings are born out of ajnana (ignorance). They are not true and permanent. As long as there is life, one loves the other. As long as there is life in him, the husband loves his wife, and vice versa. This love relates to the physical body. The two bodies did not come at the same time, nor do they leave at the same time.
Punarapi
jananam punarapi maranam,
Punarapi janani jathare sayanam,
Iha samsare bahu dustare,
Kripayapare pahi Murare.
Oh Lord! I am caught up in this cycle of
birth and death;
Time and again, I experience the agony of
staying in the mother's womb.
It is very difficult to cross this ocean of worldly life.
Please take me across this ocean and grant me liberation.
Bhaja
Govindam, bhaja Govindam,
Govindam bhaja moodha mathe,
Samprapthe sannihithe kale,
Nahi nahi rakshati dukrun karane.
Oh foolish man, chant the name of Govinda;
The rules of grammar will not come
to your rescue when the end approaches.
One may be hale and healthy and happy today. But no one knows what will happen to tomorrow. The body is like a car. The mind is its steering. When the mind itself is not in his control, how can the physical body be under his control?
Embodiments of Love!
Each one of these ritwiks
(priests) who have gathered here and are conducting this yajna for the last ten days is
great. Irrespective of their mental make up, their minds are steadily
fixed up on this divine assignment. There are several youths also in
this group. The country needs such youths. I feel very happy in the
midst of youths. I will give whatever they want. I will talk to them
after the Purnahuthi and
fulfil their desires. I will spend some time with them happily.
There are several people who tried to develop vairagya bhava (sense of
detachment), but they are unable to give up their attachments. I will
teach them a method by which they can easily give up this attachment.
Our chief priest can guide you all in this regard. He can lead you by
his own example. He is a person who puts into practice, all that he
teaches to others. When you follow such an acharya (teacher), you can
overcome any hurdle and reach your destination.
It is very easy for a human being to attain Divinity. In fact, God
belongs to you; you belong to Him. The relationship between you and Me
is that of a father and son. Hence, lead a life of happiness, courage,
and bliss. I am also feeling bad that you are leaving tomorrow. I will
come along with you. We cannot live without one another. You should
consider this sacred relationship between us as true and eternal and
strive to maintain it. I will come tomorrow early in the morning and
see you all again. I will give you a lot of happiness and bliss.