The Year named Aanandha

Discourse of Sathya Sai Baba, Brindavan, 24 Mar 1973
Published by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust
Web posted at Apr 25, 2002

In every country today, men have become power-mad and they resort without any compunction to self-praise, and dry declamation. They develop hatred against others, foster envy and feed their fatal egos. They plunge the society to which they belong in fear, anxiety and disorder. They do not know that if elevating ideals are adhered to and practised, they could gain eternal fame; they are content with cheap applause and short-lived publicity.

You have gathered here today, since this is Yugaadhi festival day, the day reckoned by you as the day that ushers in a new year with a new name. This day is New Year day only because you have decided to call it so; it is not astronomically or climatically or meteorologically different from yesterday or tomorrow. Even as New Year day, many hundreds of thousands of such days have happened on this globe and many thousands have been celebrated as festival days too. So too, this day has come and this too will be gone. If the New Year day is used by any one to begin a new way of life, a new step towards self-realisation or self-enlargement through service, then the celebration has a meaning and significance. Otherwise, it is devoid of value. The red letter on the calendar, which indicated this day as separate from others is a warning and a reminder of this duty that you owe to yourselves.

Do not anticipate anything, leave it to Him

The name of the New Year that begins today is inspiring and auspicious. It is called Aanandha - spiritual bliss, inner joy, unshakeable calm. That name is a clarion call, which must ring in your ears all the 365 days of the New Year - earn Aanandha, be Aanandha, become Aanandha. Cleanse your instruments of consciousness, devote yourselves to service so that you might weaken the forces of ego and strengthen the forces of social unity and cultivate Japa and Dhyaana (repetition of Lord's name and meditation) so that you might rise towards Godhood - these are the steps by which you can earn and establish yourselves in Aanandha.

Engage yourselves in your duties as intelligently and as devotedly as you can; but, carry out your duties as if they are acts of worship offered to God, leaving the fruit of those acts to His will, His grace, His compassion. Do not be affected when the results you anticipate are not produced; do not anticipate at all, but, leave it to Him. He gave you the time, the space, the cause, the material, the idea, the skill, the chance, the fortune, and you did but little of your own. So, why should you feel as if you are the doer? Do your duty, as a sincere Saadhana. Aanandha is the name of the year and you are happy it is so. But, what is in a name except what you put into it or extract from it. A man named Raama must be inspired by that name to manifest in himself the qualities that led Raama into the immortality which his name attained. If a person carries about with him the name Dharmaputhra (son of righteousness), it is only a shameful burden unless he justifies the burden by being as righteous as Dharmaputhra of Mahaabhaaratha was. Or at least, by endeavouring his best to manifest Dharma (virtue) in his life.

Man has to earn just enough for his Upkeep

Man cannot reap the full fruits of his life here below if he only gathers riches, or collects popular votes, or loads his head with tons of tomes. He has to cultivate and practise virtues too. He has to adhere to Dharma. The Shruthis (sacred texts) direct that man has to earn just enough for his upkeep by honest means and use the rest of his time and skill for the general good, Dharma-Artha. Earn Artha (wealth) through Dharma (right conduct). Then, he will certainly have plenty of divine grace. Dhritharaashtra, the father of the 100 Kuru brothers who fought against the five Paandava cousins - legitimate claimants to a share of the ancestral patrimony - had neither of these two, through he had abundant riches, superior armies and greater military skill and strategy. So, Dhritharaashtra had to witness the total extinction of his dynasty and kingdom. Most men like Dhritharaashtra pursue falsehoods and ignore truth; they amass the trivial and ignore the crucial.

They do not realise that death is stalking silently behind them; they do not notice the quick paces of time; they do not know how precious is the chance that the human body, the human intellect, the human society and the heritage that it has accumulated for him has brought him, here and now. They are unaware that the same spark of divinity that illumines every thought, word and deed in them is activating every other being too, in the universe. They do not sense the brotherhood, they are not thrilled by the feeling of universal kinship.

Man has to be above Brutes and Beasts

They are sprawling in the slime of self-praise! They are slaves of their egos. And, consequently, they are never free from fear or anxiety. They also spread scandal about others, and so, they bog themselves in sin. Though they claim the respect of others, they are objects of ridicule and hatred. They seek faults in others and so, their eyes revel only in faults. They cannot see good in any; so they are consumed by envy and greed. Do not try to master others; master your own self, your own senses, your own mind. That is the real victory; they are the real enemies.

Do not waste time in unprofitable talk. Do not change your beliefs in accordance with changing loyalties, and changing surroundings. While accusing others of time-serving, be careful that you do not fall into the same evil. God is inherent in everything, in every being. You can find Him in and through all that you see or do. In the golden chalice of your heart, He is the wisdom that fulfils. Closing your eyes to this fact, you are spreading your hands outwards to snatch it. You may be compassionate, but, that emotion must be regulated and pure. A compassionate man once brought home a fish he found struggling on the bank of a river in full flood; he placed it between the folds of a warm blanket and poured hot coffee down its throat. He thought it was suffering from a fit of cold. The hot coffee killed the poor thing. He could have saved it by throwing it back into the floods. He lacked the intelligence which would tell him what to do.

Many leaders at the present time have compassion, but, possess no intelligence. They do not know how to solve the distress that they see and sympathise with. They talk of the need to establish peace at home and prosperity abroad; but, their acts betray their ignorance of the means by which they could succeed. How can they succeed, if they promote hatred and dishonesty? Any success won by adopting wrong means will only be trivial and temporary. Peaceful means alone, means that are wrought out of love alone can ensure lasting benefits and real peace. Fear not; frighten not. That is the message of God to man. Brutes fear; beasts frighten. Man has to be above both the weaknesses. Have faith in truth and be fixed in morality. You need not fear any one, for God will be on your side. You will not frighten, for all will be seen by you as divine.

"I am the Witness of Activity, not a Participant"

Talking of names, let me mention this too. Some persons who do not care for truth or righteousness might adopt the name Sathya Sai, raise institutions in that name; they crave only the outer shell of fame and fortune; but you must know that they are unconnected with Me and are engaged in acts which I have not authorised. In fact, I am the witness of activity, not a participant. I am like the electric fan; switch it on, it gives cool breeze. Switch it off, it allows you to swelter in the heat. I have no likes or dislikes. Those who talk ill of Me are also remembering My name and deriving joy therefrom and perhaps earning a few Paise thereby. They are happy when they write falsehood; you are happy singing the truth. I am unconcerned with either. I have come on a task which I imposed on Myself. That task will go on, from victory to victory, irrespective of praise or blame. It can neither be halted or hindered.

Truth knows no Defeat, nor Fear

No trace of fear can tarnish the purity of the heart that is shining in the splendour of truth. I am Sathya Sai. Sathya Sai means - (like the name Sesha Sai meaning, He who is based on, who reclines on the massive coils of the poisonous snake Sesha or the massive coils of objective desires) - He who is based on truth, who reclines on truth, which the massive coils of objective desires cannot entangle. Truth knows no defeat, Truth knows no fear. It marches on heedless of acclamation or declamation.

Do not attach yourselves too much with the world, for, it is ever changing fast and furiously. Be ever ready to fall into the hands of death, gladly and gracefully, with gratitude for the chances afforded while alive. Never grieve, for God is resident in you as your truth. Later, in the last stages of your life, when you look back upon your failures and successes, you will have to say, as Purandharadhaasa said, "Alas, we do not find joy in this life as man." Do not spend your days in such manner. Be warned now itself. Use the days allotted to journey towards love, joy and peace.

The New Year day is called in this part of the country, Yugaadhi - the inaugural day of the age, as if a new big epoch is opening today. This is an opportunity to contemplate on the vastness of time, of its speed, of the short span of time which we share, in this life of yours, and which has to be put to the best use. Contemplate on the beginning of things, of nature, of life, of man, of the heart - all emanating from God and journeying towards God. Dwell on the grandeur of this procession from birth to liberation, through life after life. Become aware that you, nature and all that is, was and will be, are God.

To attain this awareness, love is the surest means. Do not inflict pain on any one, through word and deed. Control your passions, emotions and impulses, especially, anger, envy and greed. They thrive on the ego and make it a dangerous weapon. When you are enslaved by your passions, how can you stand forth and claim respect? Only cowards yield to their senses or passions. Brave men face up to them and win. The hero is he who overrules his mind and curbs his impulses; the zero is he who is overruled by them. Stand fast, like a rock, when the waves beat. Have faith in your ideals, in God. Do not allow faith to falter when failure comes into your door. Meet it as a new challenge, and triumph. Your Vishwaas (faith) must not be like Swaas (breath); for Swaas comes in and goes out, it is now in and now out. Let your Vishwaas be firm, with no alternations of entrances and exits. If faith is one full continuous stream, grace too will be showered on you in one full continuous stream.