sign in sign up
<<
Home , Uparati

Pathways to Enlightenment Address by Dr. Narendranath Reddy, Chairman, Sathya Sai International Organisation Poornima - 5 July 2020

With love and gratitude, I offer my prayerful meaning – that is the beauty of the Lord. Brah- pranams at the divine lotus feet of our dearest, ma is really the Guru, is really the Guru sweetest, loving, and omnipresent Lord, Bhaga- and is really the Guru and Sakshat Param- wan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Dear brothers and – Supreme Parabrahman is the Guru. sisters, loving Sairam to all of you. I wish all of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba with love, peace, and bliss. as Lord you a happy and holy Guru Poornima filled We can relate this beautifully to Swami’s life Homage to Our Guru and God story. This unique episode happened on Ma- This is the day we pay homage to our Guru and hashivarathri on Thursday, March 7th, 1978. I God, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and offer was fortunate to hear this story directly from our heartfelt gratitude. As the beautiful song Uncle Colonel Joga Rao and Aunty Mrs. Ratanlal said, we shower the rose petals at His divine who were part of this particular divine Leela. Swami as some of you may know, was bringing heart at His divine lotus feet. Swami, one time, out the during Mahashivarathri till beautifullylotus feet and said offer in Telugu, the lotus then flower I will of translate: our pure 1977. Then in 1977, there were such huge crowds and stampede, Swami stopped the Poovulu enne thechi poojalu chesinaa mechu- public celebration of Mahashivarathri. So, in konadu thanu putsukonadu, hrudaya kamala 1978, Swami went away from Prasanthi meya saadayudai grahienchu Sathya Sai Nilayam, and on the day of Mahashivarathri, on Shanthi Premadayi. Thursday March 7th, 1978, He was going from Swami was telling about Himself. You may bring Ooty to Brindavan. On the way, He stopped in a place, Mudumalai Forest, in a guest house. And will not be pleased, I will not be excited, but if after breakfast, Swami was out in the lawn, and any number of flowers, garlands, everything. I as people would enjoy it, Swami had a photo I will be very pleased and happily accept it. So, session with the people. He invited everybody you offer the flower of your heart which is pure, to have a photograph with Him. Those days the day. As Swami was talking about it today, all the Polaroid was new in the market. Not the digital spiritualthat is the seekers flower say: we ‘Gurur can offer on this – Guru special is age like now. So, you take your photograph and Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheswara, right away it is available. The students and the Gurur Sakshaat Parabrahma, Tasmai Sri Guruve guests were excited. Each one had a photo Namaha’. But Swami gave a beautiful inner taken with Swami and Swami gave it back to

sathyasai.org Pathways to Enightenment them. Uncle Colonel Joga Rao had this question experienced. When he said that to Swami, in his mind, “Who is Swami, who really He is?” Swami said “Your name is Abhedananda – that We know Swami is all-knowing, He knows even means you don’t see any differences. Why do what goes through our thoughts. So, Swami you want to change the name?” So, Swami is told a student to take His photo by Himself, Sakshat Parabrahman. We may have a ques- without anybody else. When that boy was tion, does God have a form? Yes, He has a form. about to click the photograph, Swami’s robe at God has no form? Yes, He has no form. Does the bottom was folded. So, people wanted to God have a name? Yes, He has name. Does God make it look good. Mrs. Ratanlal, who is a have no name? Yes, He has no name. Does God wonderful devotee and used to cook for Swami, have attributes? Yes, He has attributes. Does rushed to correct the fold of Swami’s robe. God have no attributes? Yes, He has no attri- Swami is so sweet and gentle in His talk. That butes. So, God is everything. All in all, and also day, He yelled at her. He shouted “Stop, don’t beyond all. That is why the Taitreya Upanishad come!” So, she was all scared and she retreated says, “Yato Vacho Nivartante, Aprapya Manasa back. Then the boy, the student clicked the pho- Saha” – something which cannot be compre- tograph, and the photograph came out. Swami hended by the mind and expressed in words. gave it to Colonel Joga Rao to see because he That is what the supreme reality is. That is why was thinking who Swami was. As it developed, Swami repeatedly was telling we ourselves are it becomes Dattatreya, the trinity- Brahma, Brahman, supreme Brahman, but we need to Vishnu, and Maheshwara together with the realise that. So, in His previous , which is accompanying four dogs which represent the Shirdi Baba, a lot of Shirdi Baba devotees four . Then Swami gave it to him and the considered Him as the incarnation of Dat- next day, Swami told the students in Brindavan, tatreya – what I was talking about, Datta Ava- “That is my true form”. So, He is Brahma, Vish- tar. nu, and Maheshwara together. And Swami told the students also, another interesting thing. If Three ways to Enlightenment So, in that Avatar, Swami gave a beautiful signif- Mrs. Ratanlal, that time, was not stopped and icance of a particular shloka from Bhagavad had touched Me, she would not have survived. Gita, chapter 4, shloka 34. I will just touch Because so much power is in Swami, she would have been almost electrocuted. So, this shows, Swami is our Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara. brieflytad viddhi about praṇipātenait. The shloka paripraśhnena goes like this: Swami is Sakshat Parabrahman sevayā, upadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas We also said Swami is Sakshat Parabrahman. -darśhinaḥ There is one great Saint by the name Swami So, this scholar, Nanasaheb Chandork- Abhedananda. He went to Prasanthi Nilayam ar, who was a great devotee of Shirdi Baba, was for spiritual guidance from Swami. Swami reading the shloka. Baba asked him what is the called him, so he had divine interaction and meaning, word by word. Not the total meaning when he came out, he was blissed out and he of the shloka. He tries to tell, and then Baba happened to meet Professor Kasturi, who was an exemplary devotee and biographer of Swa- you go to a realised soul, man of knowledge of mi’s life, ‘Sathyam Shivam Sundaram’ and did a Brahman,gave him the he willinner give significance. you jnana. There That isit whatsays if lot of wonderful work. So, he told Professor all the commentators write, when they de- Kasturi, “Swami – He is “Sakshat Parabrah- scribe the shloka. If you go to a realised person, man.” He is that indivisible supreme reality because of their grace, they will give you jnana. from which everything comes including all Ava- But Baba said that is not correct. Saints show tars. He had that experience because he was of what is Ajnana, Guru will show you Ajnana. He the Advaitic tradition. Swami Abhedananda said, “No Swami, all the great commentators even wanted to change his name to Sai including says jnana”. Baba said, Krupananda because of Swami’s grace he had

2 Pathways to Enightenment

“It doesn’t matter, read it again, upadekṣhyanti ing to Vaishnavaites –in the Gita. It is in the eigh- te ajnanam”. And then that made sense because teenth chapter: even our Swami says (who is the same incarna- Sarva dharmaan parityajya maam ekam tion), we are already embodiments of jnana. Something which comes, always goes. Some- sharaṇam vraja, tva sarva paapebhyo thing which does not come and go is jnana. We mokṣhayiṣhyaami maa shuchaḥ are already jnana. What all the Guru has to do Lord says, “giving up all your obliga- is remove the ajnana, the ignorance. You can tions, just surrender to me alone, maam ekam” take the example of the Sun, covered by the – not divided , but one-pointed bhakti. So, clouds. When the clouds go away, automatically if you do that, what does He do? He will remove the Sun shines. Similarly, God, the Guru comes all our grief, destroy all our sins, and give the to remind us – “Remind me my Lord” – that we highest – that is liberation itself. For that the are the Supreme Brahman, we are the embodi- ment of knowledge. surrender to Him alone, depend on Him alone, qualification, the first thing, we need to do is to Then how do you get that knowledge? In that then He will remove our grief, and destroy our same shloka there are three ways; Tad viddhi sins, and give liberation. That is the thing about praṇipātena; that means the path of bhakti. That means you do the sashtang namaskar to thePath path of of Selfless bhakti – praṇipātena.Service your Guru and worship Him. And sevaya, by Sevaya – that means service. Swami was telling service and paripraśhnena that is, by the path that massaging guru’s feet is not service. of enquiry. So, all the three are covered. Swami says the whole creation is the manifes- Thus, you serve the Lord: by the path of devo- tation of guru. There is a beautiful episode in tion, by the path of service and the path of the Shirdi Avatar. One of the devotees feeds a self-enquiry. dog in her house a puri, a chapati. The next day, Path of Devotion and Surrender Baba says; “Oh, you have fed Me well. I am very praṇipātena – that happy.” She says, “Swami, when did I feed You?” means you serve the Lord with bhakti. How do Baba says, “whatever service you do to any- youJust dobriefly that? I willThat touch is also on, very simply common body you are doing the service to Me.” That is sense. We all can do that. Lord Krishna says in the message. That is the important aspect of Gita: service. Whatever we do to anyone, it is Narayana Seva. ‘Manava Seva is Madhava Seva’. yad karosi yad aśnāsi yad juhosi dadāsi yad, Swami, whatever we do, we are doing it for the yad tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva madar- Lord. That is the attitude with which if we do panam service, then the seva helps us purify our hearts. Because when we do seva, the major “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatev- obstacles are two things: Kartrutva and Bhok- er you drink, whatever charities you do, trutvaa, I am doing, I am enjoying. This is very whatever penance you do (, dhyana), much a pitfall for all of us. We think we con- everything offer to me, that is bhakti.” quered ego. But, it is not easy to get rid of that doership and enjoyership. Then, we are pleasing the Lord. That simple act becomes devotion. As we practice that, we ulti- Even the Gods were subject to that. I can tell mately develop surrender – we are one with you a brief story Swami mentioned in the Him. Swami says the ultimate surrender is we Upanishad Vahini. In , one time do not see God and us as separate. “I and You are there was a big war between the demons and One”, that is what we realise. That is why the ul- demigods. After thousands of years of war, the timate in surrender, is Charama shloka accord- Gods won the war. They were very happy. They were celebrating; “We won! We won!” Then meanwhile because the ego went up that; “We

3 Pathways to Enightenment won the war. We succeeded”, God, the Brah- Path of Self Inquiry man, wanted to teach them a lesson. He comes The third important aspect is now paripraśhne- down in the form of a big pillar of light, Yaksha, na. He says you should enquire to know the and appears before them. They were wonder- Brahman. What is that pariprasna everyone ing, “Who is this?” Then , the head of the should have? Koham Koham (Who am I? Who Soham Soham (I am that, I am that). That is the realisation we “WhoGods, Kingare you?” of the He Gods, says, tells “Who , are the you?” fire Agni God, shouldam I?) And have. finally, That isyou what realise, is in the Vedas. God“Go andgets find insulted, out who “Don’t he is”.you He know goes who and Iasks, am? I Swami often quotes these four Mahavakyas. Prajnanam ashes, I can burn, even the green forests.” everything, consciousness is Brahman. Then Yakshaam the powerfulsays, “Oh?” fire. So Ithen can burnhe puts anything a blade into of the teacher Brahma,tells, “Yes, first Tat statement Tvam Asi. isYou all are things, grass in front of him. “Ok, burn this.” “Ah, it is so that. You are that. You are the Brahman.” Then easy.” But he tries and tries, but he cannot burn the student, like all of us seekers, practises the it. Then he gets humbled and he recognises his . And then what do we realise? Aham folly. He goes back and tells Indra, “This is Brahmasmi. Yes, I am that Supreme Brahman. some power. I don’t know what it is.” Then And also, Ayam Atma Brahma. I am the Atma Indra sends God that is the wind God, and Brahman. So this is constant practice and “Go.” He goes and encounters the same power not just by saying “I am Brahman, I am Brah- who says: “Who are you?” Vayu says, “I am the man”, which even a parrot and a tape recorder air, the wind which can blow like tornadoes, I can say. But it should be our experience, so it can blow out the towns, hills, hillocks, I can does not come easily. I would recommend that destroy.” Yaksha says, “Oh so, look at that blade people read the Vahini which Swami of grass. Try to move it.” He tries, but he could Himself has written. not. Then he recognises his folly and goes back to Indra and says, “We don’t know who this is. Requirements for Brahma Jnana First, there He says Athato Brahma Jijnasa. goes and meanwhile that pillar of light disap- Thereafter, you have knowledge of the Brah- pearsYou, yourself, and, in itsnow place, should appears go and the find Mother, out.” He man. Hymavathi (Uma). She appears and blesses Thereafter means what? After we get creden- them and then Indra asks; “Mother, who was - that?” She says, “That is Brahman. He wanted edge of the Brahman, we need to have certain to teach you a lesson because your ego was credentials.tials, qualifications. One is If we ,want that isto discrimination have knowl going up, that you are the one who is doing. to see between the real and unreal. Second, Because pride goes before a fall, in His love, He , that means detachment, renunciation wanted to teach you a lesson so that you come from the unreal and attachment to God. Third to your senses and you know you are just an is Shad Sampathi - six virtues to develop. I have instrument. God is the one who is doing, and no time to go into that, which are Dama, Sama, He happens to use you. So do not get bloated Uparati, Shraddha, Samadhana and . up that you are the doer and you are the enjoy- These are the six virtues we need to develop. er. That is the way we should do seva, with the Mumuk- attitude of doing service to God and second shutva thing is, always have that feeling that God is weAnd will finally, realise the wefourth are Brahman.qualification Otherwise, is just working through us. . So if we have these qualifications, then nowhere. Swami gives this lesson - how we can attainsaying Brahman. without those We need qualifications, to have that we intensity will go - cations: use either the path of service, path of devotion,to persevere path in of this self-enquiry. path to have So, these in this qualifi beau-

4 Pathways to Enightenment tiful shloka with explanation, Baba has given preme that is self-realisation in this very lifetime. As Swami says, the goal of life is to scriptures. realise and manifest our innate divinity and the inner significance of these particular experience that same divinity in everything, I pray to Swami to bless all of us with devotion, everywhere, ever. dedication, determination, discrimination, and detachment, so that we realise the goal Su- Jai Sai Ram.

Concluding Remarks

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Loving Sai Ram but rising above desires. Renunciation is the again to all of you. First, I would like to offer power of battling against evil forces and our love and heartfelt gratitude to Bhagawan holding the mind in check. for His presence, His blessings, and guidance for this inspirational and beautiful pro- With love and blessings, gramme. I appreciate the hard work and Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba dedication of the members and Chairs of the IT Committee very much, as well as the Media Five-Letter Committee, and Events Committee. I also want Now, I want to conclude with a message to thank everyone who are participating Swami gave on July 21, 1986. Swami gave a online, for their valuable time. Also, I appreci- ate the valuable contribution of the members powerful mantra. In Telegu, He said: “Devudu unnaadu”five-letter De-vu-mantra. du-na-du Swami says this is the most- and enthusiastic and energetic Young Adults glish, it is “God is”. G-O-D-I-S -” God is”. Swami forand this officers beautiful of the programme. SSIO and all the children says this mantra is more powerful - five. And than in Enthe attributed to the name of any deities Swami’s Message we know of. And Swami said we should make Now I would like to read at this concluding this mantra a constant companion. Swami time a letter with a profound message written said, “this is the message of Guru Poornima, by Bhagawan on 30 August 1975. Please pay and this mantra is My message for Guru attention. Every word is so profound. Poornima”. On that occasion, He said we After long searches here and there, in tem- should chant this mantra in all circumstances, ples and in churches, in earths and in heav- in all situations and wherever we are, with complete conviction and strength. Then we ens, at last you come back. Completing the circle from where you started to your own will become a paradise and we will be able to soul and find that He for whom you have will derive the benefit, and this whole earth been seeking all over the world, for whom Swami says when we make this a constant you have been weeping and praying in companionovercome any of ourschallenges and propagate and difficulties. it all over, churches and temples, on whom you are then we will promote love for God and fear of looking as the mystery of all mysteries, sin among people. Swami proclaimed and shrouded in the clouds, in nearest of the near, encouraged us to make this mantra our con- He is your own self, the reality of your life, stant companion. body, and soul. That is your own nature. I pray to Swami to bless all of us so that we can Assert it. Manifest it. It is truth and truth move forward with steadfastness, uncondi- alone that is one’s real friend and relative. tional love, and absolute faith till we reach the Abide by this truth, tread the path of righ- goal. teousness and not a hair of your body will ever be injured. Meditation is nothing else Jai Sai Ram

5 Pathways to Enightenment

Letter from Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, 30 August 1975

6