1.Wherever you may be, in whatever country, do not give scope for religious differences. Do not give up your religion; adhere to your faith and tradition. When differences between religions are given up, love will develop in you. When love grows, you can have a direct vision of God. Without love, mere verbal prayers are of no avail. Realise that the Love that is present in everyone is the same. It is that common bond of Love of God that binds everyone.
2.There is a close and mutual relationship between the body, and the attitudes and feelings of the mind. That is why inner feelings become evident in our physical gestures. The posture and the appearance of the body help us to discover others feelings. For example, with the sleeves of the shirt rolled up, and the palms rounded into fists, is it possible to exhibit love or devotion? Or while seated cross-legged on the ground with eyes half-closed, and hands held up over the head with palms joined together, is it possible to show one’s anger or hatred or cruelty? That is why the ancient rishis (sages) advised spiritual aspirants to adopt an appropriate bodily pose during prayer and meditation. They saw that through gentle body postures it is possible to control the waywardness of the mind.
3.Everyone should firmly believe that they are the Atma, the Embodiment of Divine Self. They must be aware that the Atma cannot be cut in twain by the sword, that fire cannot burn It, that water cannot wet It, and that the wind cannot dry It. The Atma has no bounds. Its centre is in the body, but its circumference is unbounded. Death means the Atma has shifted from one body to another. This is the belief that you must firmly have in mind. The Atma is not subject to material or worldly limitations or laws. By its very nature, it is free. It is unbounded. It is purity. It is holiness. It is fullness.
4.Once you have learnt to ride a motorcycle, you can ride on any road and under all conditions. But when you are just learning to ride, for your own safety as well as for the safety of those around you, you have to select an open ground and must follow certain principles of balance; this is essential. So too, those who engage in the practice of meditation and sadhana (spiritual exercises) have to follow a certain course of training. No change should be made in this routine. Until the goal of meditation or your spiritual practice is achieved, the well-established discipline of sitting postures (asanas) or the practices you follow must be adhered to. After attainment of the goal, that is, after the mind (manas) and the intellect (buddhi) have been conquered and brought under control you can be immersed in meditation wherever you find yourself - in a chair, on a rock, or in a car!
Bagavan Sri Sri sri Sathya Sai Baba
No comments:
Post a Comment