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Swami teaches....Part 5
Link to Swami
Teaches....Part 4 Sai Ram Preface
Swami indicates the significant role of His Teaching to the
students - seekers of truth and to all others who are
interested in their spiritual development. Let His words be as
a preface to the subsequent Swami's lesson for devotees and
followers "Swami teaches...". All
of you have great love and adore Swami but that love and
adoration are of no use if you ignore the teachings of Swami.
Even if you do not adore, if you believe in the truth of the
word and enforce it in your daily life, Swami's grace will
always be with you in your life. It is no use if you simply
utter the name of the Lord and do not follow the good things
that go with the Lord. It is just like uttering the name of
penicillin when you are running a high temperature. Only when
you take in the penicillin will the temperature come down.
When you are hungry, the hunger cannot be satisfied by
uttering words like potato and Chapati. If you eat them, it
will be satisfied. It is no use if you only read or listen.
You must try to remember the teachings, put them into practice
and judge for yourself how far you have acted according to the
word.
Swami teaches... (27 January 2005)
Standing on the seashore, one
can see only the waves on the surface and not the
pearls lying deep below. Only the brave one who can
dive deep into the ocean will be able to gather the
pearls and not others. Likewise spiritual knowledge is
not easy to get. The Vedas are the guidelines for
spiritual seekers.
The Vedas are the recordings
of sages to whom the mantras were revealed. They
proclaim the transcendental Truth which is not changed
by time or place.They indicate the means to prosperity
and security for the denizens of the three worlds.
The Vedas have been declared
to be infinite and hence beyond the comprehension of
common people. In the beginning there was only one Veda.
To study it considerable time and effort were needed.
Vyasa divided it into different parts to enable people
to study as well as practise the teachings of the Veda.
Out of the countless number of hymns, Vyasa gathered
some Rks (hymns) and compiled them in the Rg
(Rig) Veda, collected some yajus to form the Yajur Veda
and some Samans to make up the Sama Veda.
The Rg Veda is mainly devoted
to hymns in praise of various deities. The Rks of the
Rig Veda are ecstatic effusions from the spirit of man
extolling the delight derived while contemplating the
orderliness and beauty of Nature outside them.
The Yajur Veda consists of
mantras for worshipping the deities. It consists of two
divisions - Krishna Yajur Veda and Sukla Yajur Veda -
which are based on two traditional distinctions.
Adherents of the Sukla Yajur Veda are largely confined
to North India, while Krishna Yajur Veda has its
adherents mainly in South India. The mantras of the
Yajur Veda are used in the performance of yagas and
yajnas and in doing acts of charity.
The Sama Veda is the precious
verbal treasure which enables to praise the Creator and
His Creation in song.
Each Veda has three sections:
Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads.
The Vedic mantras were utilised
in yagas and yajnas (ritual sacrifices) for promoting
the wellbeing of society and the world. The mantras
which form part of the Karma Kanda (the path of
rituals), were regarded as conducive to the promotion of
general well-being and happiness.
The great sages who listened
to these mantras as revelations from the Divine found
the key to them in eight basic letters. All the Vedic
mantras with their musical rendering were remembered by
reflecting on the eight letters: "A, Ka, Cha, Ta, Tha,
Pa, Ya, Sa." The great seers fostered the Vedas by the
use of these letters.
The Vedas developed under nine
heads: Sruti, Anuswara,Trayee, Aamnaayam, Samaamnayam,
Chandas, Swaadhyayam, Gama and Aagama.
1. Sruti refers to the process
of learning, the Vedas from a preceptor by practising
the precise manner of chanting the mantras and thereby
acquiring proficiency in the recitation of the Vedas.
The sounds have to be reproduced
exactly as taught by the preceptor by listening to him
with intense earnestness. The Vedic mantras are thus
learnt entirely by listening.
2. Anuswara refers to the
practice of repeating the mantras learnt from the
preceptor, contemplating on them and preserving them in
their purity by constant recitation.
3. Trayee. Originally only
three Vedas-Rg, Yajur and Sama Vedas were considered
Apourusheya, without a human origin (that is, emanating
from the Divine). Because of their Divine origin, the
first three Vedas were called "Trayee" (the Triad).
4, 5. Aamnaaya refers to
constant contemplation of the root syllable "Na."
Acquiring knowledge of the Vedas by this practice has
been described as Aamnaaya and Samaamnaaya.
6. One meaning of Chandas is
that it is knowledge which should be guarded in secret
and propagated with care. The Vedas are also described
as Chandas. The entire Sama Veda consists of Chandas.
7. Swaadhyaayam refers to the
process by which the Vedas have come down from
generation to generation, through father to son, in
genealogical succession. Acquisition of Vedic knowledge
was not through books. It was transmitted from preceptor
to disciple over the years.
8, 9. Gama and Aagama are the
names given to the inhaling and exhaling of the Lord's
breath which were the origin of the Vedas. All in all,
the Vedas represent the emanations from the breath of
the Lord.
Each of the Vedas had several
saakhas (branches) and upasaakhas (sub-branches). Out of
the 20 branches and 21 sub-branches of the Rg Veda, only
three have survived today. Likewise out of
What is meant by Veda?
1. Eruka (awareness),
2. Thelivi (intelligence) and
3. Viveka (discrimination).
Ones who wish to develop
discrimination should be deeply interested in the Vedas.
The Vedas have emphasised
that a human being will be truly human only when he/she
lives upto human values and practises the life according
to the eternal human values.
The Vedas have a universal
outlook, embracing all that is noble and sacred. They
have taught the principle of samatwa (equality) in
respect of everything. They have proclaimed the concept
of oneness. They taught to face joy and sorrow with
equal serenity. The quintessence of the Vedas is the
glorification of sacrifice as the supreme virtue.
(Sacrifice means something more than giving up of
wealth, gold and material objects. Evil qualities like
hatred, jealousy, wrath and malice which have become
ingrained in person over many life-times should be
discarded). The highest knowledge is understanding the
value of sacrifice. It is the greatest means to realise
the Divine.
The Vedas have been mainly
concerned with the Pravritti Marga (the Path of Action).
All the different branches of knowledge - physics,
chemistry, botany, economics, music, etc. are covered by
the Vedas. These are concerned with the external world.
Hence the Vedas have been considered dualistic.
The Upanishads have taught the
Nirvritti Marga (the Path of Knowledge) by going within
oneself. This means that, Upanishads have been
concidered non-dualistic.
The Upanishads declared that
the nature of the Supreme can be grasped only by the
Path of Knowledge. Knowledge is of two categories:
1. Para Vidya (the Higher, the
Supreme Knowledge). Only Knowledge relating to Moksha
(Liberation) constitutes to this category.That knowledge
is found in Vedanta. The Upanishads come at the end of
the Vedas.
2. Apara Vidya (the Lower
Knowledge). All that is learnt by the educational
process today falls in this category. Knowledge relating
to Dharma, Artha and Kama comes too in this category.
It is only when you understand
the essence of the Vedas as expounded in the Upanishads
and put into practice the message of the Vedanta, you
will realise the true meaning of Advaita (Nondualism). (Reet's
compilation from: Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 22. "Message
of the Vedas," Chapter 29 and "Karma, Upasana and Jnana,"
Chapter 30. Sathya Sai Baba. Vidya Vahini Chapter I, p.
2). Related
contributions: Swami
teaches... Principal Positions of Vedas (4 January
2005). Swami
teaches... Vedas and Vedanta - Sacred Light for Jnanis (20
january 2005). Swami
teaches... (26 January
2005)
The three primal qualities - Asti,
Bhaati, Priyam (existence, expression, and utility) - are
qualities to all things, while names and forms are varied.
When names and forms are ignored,
one can perceive the divine nature of everything. "Meditate
on the divine essence of everything", advised the gum.
Following his advice, the person meditated on "Sat-Chit-Ananda"
and in due course merged in the Divine. There is no point in
dwelling on the past and gloating or grieving over what is
dead and gone. It is futile to think about past successes or
failures, pleasures or pains. The past should not become an
incubus on the present. As regards the present, one should
act on the principle that he should conduct himself towards
others in the manner he would like them to behave towards
him. You cannot expect courtesy or regard from others if you
don't show courtesy or regard to others.
Persons with a narrow, self-centred
outlook are prone to express doubts about the powers of the
Divine. To correct such tendencies one should listen to
sacred sayings, ruminate over them and lead a righteous and
godly life. To be concerned only about one's own happiness
or comfort and be indiffernt to the happiness and needs of
others is a form of selfishness which creates bondages in
the present.
Bondages for the future are
created by your actions in the present. When you entertain
bad thoughts and indulge in wrong actions, they lead to bad
consequences in the future. Peace of mind is lost and one is
caught up in perpetual worry. The way out of this vicious
circle is to turn the mind towards God and refrain from
causing harm to others.
When a person is ill, the
physician prescribes not only medicine for the disease but
also a dietary regimen to be observed strictly. Likewise,
for the diseases arising from mundane attachments, in
addition to the prescribed drugs - the Karma, Jnana, Bhakti
and Yoga margas (paths of selfless action, meta physical
wisdom, devotion and inner communion) - qualities such as
forbearance, calmness, fortitude, love and compassion have
to be cultivated as dietary regimen. Without these
qualities, the spiritual practices alone will be of little
avail. When the two are combined, like the positive and
negative ends in an electric cell, the disease gets cured.
Today such a spirit of magnanimity
is lacking. It is not realised that without largeness of
heart and generosity of spirit, all scholarship and
spiritual efforts are of no use. That is why the Upanishads
declare: “Immortality can be attained only by renunciation
and sacrifice and not by
The power of devotion and faith
has no frontiers. Here is an indirect example for inner
contemplation about power of faith and devotion.
There was a woman devotee, who was
a worshipper of Krishna. Every morning she used to clean the
Krishna shrine in her house with cowdung and throw the
remnants of the cowdung outside saying "Krishnarpanam Asthu"
("Let this be an offering to Krishna"). The priest of the
local Krishna temple noticed that every morning, after he
had washed and decorated the idol of
In one street a scout found a
woman throwing cowdung outside her house, uttering the
words,"Krishnarpanam." It was found that at the same time
she was throwing cowdung, the apparent desecration of the
idol by cowdung was taking place in the temple. The Lord is
not concerned as to what is offered to Him. He accepts
whatever is offered to Him with a pure heart. In His eyes
there is nothing good or bad in itself. When the woman
devotee offered the cowdung as Krishnaarpanam (offering to
Krishna), it reached the Krishna idol. The village elders
went to the lady and reproached her for her unbecoming
conduct in offering cowdung to Krishna. They did not
consider how the cowdung thrown outside her house reached
the temple. The woman pleaded before elders and relations:
"I am incapable of hurling cowdung on the face of my
Krishna. I am ready to lay down my life for Krishna." The
elders told her to throw the cowdung and not to utter the
words "Krishnaarpanam Asthu."
But from that day onwards, the
doors in the Krishna temple would not open however much the
priest and others tried to open them. The village elders
realised that they had done a grievous wrong to a great
devotee and pleaded for pardon from her. That moment the
temple doors opened.
When one offers everything to God,
the Lord submits Himself to the devotee. The old woman who
did everything as an offering to Krishna was such a devotee.
The words "Krishnarpanam" were on
her lips all the time. But they were said with deep and
genuine devotion. Merely mechanical repetition of "Krishnarpanam"
will have no significance. Engaging priests in temples to
perform worship by offering money is totally wrong. Such
worship is a mercenary exercise and does no good to the
persons who get it done. The proper thing is for devotees to
offer worship wholeheartedly in their own homes.
Very often people who experience
troubles in life complain: "Why is the Lord subjecting me
to trials like these?" The truth is, the Lord neither
punishes nor rewards anyone. The devotee has only to do
his duty and leave the results to God. If the actions are
good, the fruits will also be good. If the actions are
bad, the results will be equally bad. Hence without
examining the nature of one's actions, there is no meaning
in blaming God for what one experiences.
You feel happy when someone
gives you something. But you don't feel equally happy in
giving to others. Humans desire the fruits of good
actions, but will not do good actions. They wish to be
saved from the consequences of evil deeds, but will not
refrain from bad actions. As you sow, so shall you reap,
is a relentless law. (Reet's compilation from: Sathya
Sai Baba. Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 20, "Samanvaya and
Samarasa," Chapter 8 and "The Lord and the Devotee,"
Chapter 9). PS: I have
received the requests to compile a small articles 'Swami
teaches...' on different topics. However, I cannot it do
by order. As you have noticed, they are far not extracts
from Swami's texts but as separate contributions by
Swami's Teaching. They are as inner contemplation,
dialogue with Swami's texts. I am writing them
spontaneously, by some inner request, usually in late
evening after work. I do not know, why I feel such strong
inner request to write these compilations. Previously I
even do not know the topics, Swami's sources for these
representations. I am writing as by intuition and there
was no scientific explanation to it.
Namaste - Reet to be continued |
