Author: SSSIHL

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.