Start Sathsangha

Discourse of Sathya Sai Baba, Triloknath Hall, Lucknow, 30 April 1961
Published by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust
Web posted at Sep 1, 2001

This gathering makes Me very happy, as people from Andhra, Mysore, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have joined together to arrange this meeting. It is rather hard for all of you to join in one place for one function. But remember that you have in all Panchapraanaas, (five vital breaths), and you here represent only four. The fifth 'vital breath' is Uttar Pradesh and unless the Sangha (association) representing it also joins you, you are not complete, fully alive! All of you are here to serve this land and its people and so you should not feel separate from them.

What has the Aandhra Association, the Thamil Sangham, the Kerala Association and the Mysore Association been doing all these years? Each group has some festival which it celebrates once a year and probably honours any distinguished person from the region to which it belongs, when he comes to Lucknow. Perhaps, you thought I was an Aandhra or a South Indian! The whole world is My mansion; it has many rooms, each state being just one room in that mansion of Mine. I came here to tell you this truth about Me.

The Language that really matters

And also to tell you that you should not attach so much importance to the language you speak. It is the meaning that is important, the feelings you express, the behaviour you adopt. The language of the heart is expressed through sympathy, kindness, service, love, brotherliness. That is the language that really matters; that language can be understood by every one; the language of anger, hatred, love, trust - it is patent and clear, though the speaker is dumb and the listener deaf! That Aathmabhaasha (language of the heart) comes from Aathmasambandha (relationship of the hearts) only.

The duty of associations like yours is not to lay stress on the distinction between one language and another and start quarrelling over or boasting about the superior excellence of your language, but to overcome the handicap of many languages by learning and using the common, easily spoken, easily understood language of the heart. Religions are many but the road is the same; flowers are many but worship is the same; professions are many, but living is the same.

Therefore, you must all live in concord and brotherliness, helping each other and loving each other. The basic needs of man are those mentioned in the prayer of the ancients:

Asatho maa sath gamaya,
Thamaso maa jyothir gamaya,
mrithyor maa amritham gamaya

(Lead me from unreal to real,
from darkness to light,
from death to immortality).

Man wants the truth, he gets disgusted with falsehood; he wants light, he gets defeated by darkness; he wants no death, he gets torn by birth and death. This prayer rises from every man, whether he is an Aandhra or a Malayaali or a Mysorean. This yearning has no connection with the land of your birth or the language spoken or the form of divinity revered. It is the cry of humanity everywhere, at all times.

Make the best use of the Time you have

These three can be got only by spiritual Saadhana, by following the path of love and truth. Discovering that path and describing it has been the distinct contribution of Bhaarathavarsha (Indian nation), and it is a disgrace if you, who are all children of Bhaarathavarsha, whatever the name of the state from which you come may be, do not adhere to that path and show by your way of life that the Indian way is the way to real joy.

Hence, I want to ask you this - why can you not meet every day or on some days a week for meditation on the Lord, for listening to the description of His glory, for studying the techniques of Japam and Dhyaanam from the Shaasthras (scriptures)? Consider that the allotted span of life is being spent away every moment. In fact, life is an oblation poured in the fire of time. The sun when it rises and sets is stealing fractions of your life day by day, relentlessly, steadily, uninterruptedly. So make the best use of the time you have. The Lord is Kaalaswaruupa (embodiment of time), remember. If even the minutest fraction of time is wasted or misused, it is treason to God. Make every moment holy, do pious deeds, think good thoughts, and keep the Lord's name and form ever in your mind.

All of you join in a Sathsangha - a Sangha of all people who are sincere, simple and pious. Meet every day at about 5 p.m. and carry on Shravanam or Keerthanam or Dhyaanam or Japam (listening to or singing Lord's names or meditation or repetition of Lord's names), until about eight. That will give you so much of Shaanthi (peace) and promote mutual love and brotherliness. Let the various streams of Thelugu, Malayaalam, Kannada, Thamil and Hindi merge in the ocean of Aanandha (bliss). That is the real Aanandha. Today, you taste the first glimpse of that joy; make this a frequent feature.

Cultivate the broadest Love towards all

Every country is a limb in the body of God; He is conscious of the slightest pain or sensation in the most distant part of creation, for that too is His body. He is Lokesha (Lord of the universe). He is the secret spring within all activity. Have faith in this and cultivate Samarasa (broadest love), towards all. See that you do not give up love, or deviate from Dharma (virtue). Earn Artha (prosperity) adhering to Dharma and have always only one wish: to get liberated; that is the way to realise the four Purushaarthas (goals of life). Let Dharma dominate Artha and Moksha (liberation) dominate Kaama (carnal desire); then, your life will be a success. I have told this so often but just as one has to take food every day, this too has to be spoken again and again. You wash your face again and again, is it not? So too, this advice has to be given again and again. The Vedhas too repeat the essential teachings often so that they may sink into the minds of men.

By means of Bhukthi (eating), the body is maintained in a good condition; this helps the cultivation of Yukthi (skill), for sharpening the Buddhi (intellect) into an instrument for Viveka and Vichakshana (wisdom and discrimination); then Bhukthi develops in wholesome things and attitudes; this type of attachment to edifying things and feelings induces gradually the Virakthi (spirit of renunciation). The next step is Bhakthi (devotion), the overpowering desire to see the Lord and serve Him; Bhakthi brings about the Jnaana (spiritual wisdom) that there is nothing besides the Lord and that one is oneself, Brahman, and so, one is liberated i.e., gets Mukthi.

Every step in this chain is important and so I will not ask you to give up even Bhukthi. I always speak of Brahmamaargam and Dharmamaargam (path of divine reality and path of righteousness); they are the two wheels of the bicycle that you have to ride. Living was not so hard in the past ages; but now, since it is riding a two-wheeled vehicle, skill and vigilance are needed to keep the balance and avoid falling.

Knowing how to get inner Peace is good Fortune

The Governor, in his introductory speech, spoke of India's Dharidhrya (poverty) and deplored this plight. But why deplore the plight of a land where the Lord Himself is moving as an Avathaar? In what way are you deficient? This land is fully equipped with all the resources needed for a happy life. People can get all the light they want by just switching 'on'! But they do not know how to do it or where the switch is, that is all. Nature is bountiful; the Lord is showering His grace. What more is necessary? I feel hurt when any one calls this land deficient or poor. It may be that some do not know the methods of getting rich or may not care to adopt them. But they all know the means of getting inner peace. This is great good fortune, indeed.

India has the treasure that will make her the Guru of all humanity. People born here are indeed luckier than the rest but their responsibility is also greater. They should not be downcast and depressed at their poverty or 'low' standard of living. They should demonstrate by their lives that spiritual discipline makes man happier and more courageous to fight the battle of life.

The world is suffering today from too much knowledge; virtue has not increased in proportion to the advance of knowledge. That is the root cause of the misery in human society. Of the two tyres of the vehicle that man is riding, the tyre of the Brahman wheel is flat; it has to be filled by pumping the Lord's name into it. You cannot go far on a flat tyre.

Therefore, start a Sathsangha (holy association), cultivate Sathpravarthana (good activities); and derive joy therefrom. That is My suggestion to you today.