CHOOSE BETWEEN GOD AND NATURE

Once Garuda (the celestial bird of Lord Vishnu and sworn enemy of snakes) went to Kailasa i.e., Abode of Lord Shiva. He saw the snakes that Shiva wore round his neck, his arms, his waist and feet. The snakes were safe now and they hissed with their puffed hoods at the celestial bird which could not do any harm since they were in divine company. Finally, Garuda said, "Well! Glide down from that Body and I shall kill every one of you!" This is the value of being in Good company. Holy company is valuable for those who had reached success also because it is like keeping a pot of water inside a tank of water. There will be not be any loss through evaporation. The chances of yoga (union with God) evaporating into bhoga (enjoyment) are very great for those who live among worldly men.

Man is tossed about on the waves of joy and grief, he is buffeted by fortune, good or bad; he is the target of brickbats or bouquets; the evil around him affects his peace; anxiety robs him of sleep and quiet. It is as if one attempted to sleep on a bug-infested cot. Therefore, Man tries to escape from all this into somewhere but he is not sure, Where!!!. Only the  spiritual master (Guru) can guide you where to go and which place to seek. The Guru asks you to search between the leaves of the book of your heart for the treasure which is already there to render you rich beyond compare. This is called Praaptha Praapthi i.e., you become aware of a thing that you had with you but imagined that you did not have.

Do not be one of the cattle that run towards a mirage to slake their thirst. You ought to be wiser and detach yourselves consciously from pursuits which you discover as deleterious. Sit quietly and ponder over the fate of those who run towards the mirage -

      - Are they happy?

      - Do they have strength to bear distress and distinction with equanimity?

      - Do they experience glimpse of the Beauty of the God?

      - Do they have vision of themselves as the centre of the universe?

The See-er should not attach himself to the Seen. This is only way to get free. The contact of the senses with the object arouses desire and attachment. This leads to either elation or despair; fear of loss or grief at failure. All the windows are to be closed (senses) so that lamp in the mind burn steadily unaffected by the dual demands of the world outside. Sharanagathi i.e., complete surrender to God is only way of closing the windows and doors. Complete surrender makes you draw upon the Grace of the Lord for meeting all the crises and prepare you better for the battle by making you heroic and more stalwart.

The aspiring disciple cannot master the secret of success in spiritual path unless he have an sincere yearning for the Truth. Do not blame the sun (God) that he does not illumine your room (heart). Open the doors (heart) to allow the sun (God) to flood your room with light(grace). You must use your intelligence to deserve the Grace of God. That is the purpose of human effort.

One has to develop the primary skill to overcome the temptations of the senses so that the inward journey into the region of the impulses is done to give them a higher purpose. There is no use in cleansing and polishing the exterior of a drinking cup. Instead, cleanse the interior. Remembrance of the Lord's name is the best detergent for cleansing the inner self. The name is the raft that will take you across the sea of samsara. The name will remove the veil of illusion that hides the Universal from the Individual. When veil fades out, Man finds himself before himself.

The fruit won't drop if you mumble manthras (sacred formulae) under the mango tree. One has to take a heavy stick and throw it at the bunch. Similarly, Use the stick of intelligence and throw it at the problem of "You and the World" to get the fruit.

Remove the roots of egoism from the field of your heart. That is enough ....

SATHYA SAI

Omsai Srisai Jaijaisai