Restore The Glory of Bharat

An extract from a divine discourse by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on Nov 23, 1990.

Embodiments of the Divine Atma! Esteeming love as the essence of divinity, you have to engage yourselves in loving service to society. You have to restore the glory of Bharat. Bharat has been in the past the preceptor for all nations. All other people are coming to acquire peace and enlightenment. In this situation, it is a great misfortune that Bharatiyas themselves are not conscious of their greatness. Bharatiya history reflects the achievements of Bharat in the realms of the physical, the mental, the spiritual and all other aspects of life. We have to fill our hearts with this heritage.

Today we are dedicating our lives to material and worldly comforts. Of what avail are all these appurtenances? We have to realise the Atmic principle which is the source of enduring bliss. All the knowledge that is acquired, all the positions one may get are of no use if there is no love in the heart. The acquisition of good qualities is more essential than the pursuit of knowledge.

The magnet of Divine love

Why is it that so many lakhs of people have gathered here today? There must be some compelling reason for it. You must be seeking something which you have not found in your native place. There would be no need for you to incur all this expenditure if you could find what

 you wanted in your own place. Here there is Divine Love. It is this powerful magnet of Divine

Love, which has been attracting all the iron filings in the form of human beings. Not a single invitation was sent to anyone. No one was asked to come. What has drawn all people here is the power of Divine Love, the bonds uniting hearts. At the root of all this is purity. Where there is purity, there love grows. When purity and love come together, there is Ananda (bliss). Whatever work we do, whatever sacrifices we perform, they are not of much use in the absence of love.

In yoga practice, some types of breath control are adopted. The Kundalini yoga is also practised. All this is a form of business. In the breathing exercises, inhalation is described as Purakam, exhalation as Rechakam and holding the breath as Kumbhakam. These do not constitute the means to achieve yogic power. To breathe in all that is good is Purakam. To give up all that is bad is Rechakam. To retain in the heart what is good is Kumbhakam. Everyone is qualified to practise this kind of yoga. This divine type of yoga should be practised by every human being. This is the primary goal of every Bharatiya.

This Puttaparthi is a small hamlet. How has this village attained this eminent state? Each one can find the answer for himself. This should not be considered as a yoga or a great piece of good fortune or a lucky accident. It is due to the power of thought. Every sacred thought has the power to find fulfilment. This is why Vedanta declared: "Yadbhaavam tadbhavati" (As one thinks, that he becomes). Hence, every man should develop good thoughts. Thereby he gets entitled to the right of fruits.

Adjusting to difficulties is a form of penance

Embodiments of Divine Love! Although in this Prashaanthi Nilayam adequate facilities and conveniences are not available, and many of you who are used to various amenities have gathered here, you have submitted yourselves to a kind of yoga by which you have adjusted yourselves to all the inconveniences. You should regard this experience as sadhana (spiritual exercise). Enjoying all comforts cannot constitute sadhana. It is through difficulties that you experience happiness. Happiness cannot be realised without going through trouble. Such difficulties must be regarded as a form of penance. Easy life cannot become a penance. The fact that so many lakhs of people have gathered here, putting up with many difficulties and inconvenience, is striking testimony to their sense of unity. Human effort is needed for achieving anything. In the improvement of accommodation and various amenities at Prashaanthi Nilayam over the past twenty years, what has been accomplished is the work of Joga Rao. As a member of the Central Trust for twenty years, he has laboured hard day and night ceaselessly to bring about these improvements in Prashaanthi

Nilayam. He is a Karma Yogi. He takes delight in work. Moreover, what he has been doing tirelessly night and day during the past twelve months is known only to Me and none else. He is not Col. Joga Rao. They call him Colonel Jogi, but he is indeed a Karma Yogi. For the past one month he has not had a moment's sleep. He is 82 years old. It is because even at this age he has laboured to provide as many amenities as possible, the devotees have been able to overcome their difficulties. To mark their appreciation of Joga Rao's services, the members of the Central Trust decided to honour him suitably. I do not regard Joga Rao as an outsider. But duty demands that a certain thing should be done. In honouring Joga Rao the Central Trust is discharging a duty. (Bhagavan then put a kadiyams in gold round the wrists of Col. Joga Rao. The entire gathering cheered as Col. Joga Rao came to receive the kadiyams from the Divine hands.

Bhagavan told Col. Joga Rao sotto voce that he should carry on the good work with the same

energy). There should be many more karma jivis and karma yogis like Joga Rao in Bharat in the coming years. Everyone should become a karma yogi. That Karma gets transformed into Dharma. That Karma will sanctify human life.

Bharat is not a poor country

It is the duty of everyone to cultivate faith in the Divine, get immersed in Karmayoga and divinise his life. No Bharatiya should forget the sacredness of Bharat. Bharat is not at all a poor country. It is because this fact is not realised that the country is riddled with strife and disorder.

Failing to distinguish between what is transient and what is permanent, people are ruining their lives in the pursuit of fleeting pleasures. For the sake of trivial and momentary benefits, people are sacrificing what is of lasting value.

At the time of attaining freedom, only 13 percent of the population was considered backward. This percentage has gone on increasing over the years and today it is 80 percent! In five or six years, it may become cent percent! This is not proper at all.

Bharat is not made up of backward classes. For the sake of some petty concessions such classifications are being made. Foreign countries are regarding Bharat as a poverty-stricken country. Embodiments of Divine Love! Remember Bharat is a land of plenty. No country is so well endowed with resources as Bharat. Why, then, should we call ourselves a poor nation? Nor is that all. In the fields of education and medicine, we have to develop the spirit of sacrifice.

Make education available free for all

You all know how many students lost their lives (by self-immolation) a month ago. What is the reason? It was a protest against the system of reservation on a communal basis. We must seek to promote a system which will make education available freely to all. Education must be for the

sake of learning. When that happens, these problems will not arise among students. Here we have today the President of India, the Chief Minister and the Governor of Andhra Pradesh and other eminent persons. In the sphere of education, if we do not create new classifications like 'backward' and 'forward' and establish a system of free education for all, without distinctions of rich or poor, the nation will make striking progress. We are wasting crores of rupees. If we ensure the right kind of future for our children, the nation will benefit

immensely. Every spiritual organization should also provide free education.

It is well known that the Tirupati Devasthanam has plenty of funds. Why should not the authorities there offer free education? How many crores are being wasted? It is because education is not free, not one of the students in the Devasthanam educational institutions cares to visit the temple. How can devotion grow? In the name of the Lord free education and medical relief should be provided.

The aim of 100-crore hospital project

With this object in view, we decided yesterday to establish a big hospital here. Many persons appealed to me to set up the hospital in an urban centre. There are many medical institutions run as a business in several cities. When any educational or medical institution is established, the sole aim is to make a business of it. There are few who are ready to set up such institutions to provide free facilities for the poor. Therefore, from the start we decided to set up a hundred-crore hospital near Prashaanthi Nilayam itself. Even as higher education is free here, "Higher medicine" also will be free. People spend some lakhs to get heart surgery done in the U.S. What is the plight of the poor? Who looks after them? If they go to the cities, they will not get even coloured water (mixtures). Recognising this fact, we have launched this big hospital project.

Whether it is heart bypass operation, or a kidney transplant, or a lung operation or brain surgery, everything will be done free. This has been decided upon from the very starting of the project.

The hospital will be opened on November 22, 1991. No one can understand Sai Sankalpa (workings of the mind). Thought and action are simultaneous like the light and sound that come

out when a gun is fired. Hence it is not easy for everyone to understand Sai's resolve.

The Sathya Sai saga

Embodiments of Divine Love! Do not regard what I am going to say as an exaggeration. There is not a trace of self-interest in Me. Whatever I do is only for the sake of others. I do not regard you as others. All of you are My own people. Such an all-encompassing feeling cannot be found anywhere in the world. Have you seen anywhere else an organization which has grown so stupendously in fifty years?

In the case of earlier avatars, their fame grew only long after their passing. In the case of the present avatar, in His own life-time, a university, a big hospital, an aerodrome and  many other things have been established for the benefit of the villagers and many more will follow in the years ahead. Many persons have doubts as to how all these are being accomplished. The advent (of this avatar) took place 64 years ago. All these years, this hand has not been stretched at any time to seek anything from anyone. I have not asked anyone. I will never ask anyone and there will never be an occasion for it. How then are these things happening? For any good work, there is no impediment in Bharat. When you want to do any good work wholeheartedly, money flows in torrents. The narrow-minded who undertake any work will never be satisfied. They cannot understand the actions of those who are large-hearted and broad-minded.

Embodiments of Divine Love! I do not expect anything from you. Only, develop love within you. Regard all mankind with fraternal feelings. Recognize all as the children of God. Bear no ill-will or hatred towards anyone. Do not hurt anyone's feelings. Only such a large-hearted attitude will confer on you limitless bliss. If you are celebrating Swami's birthday, this is all that I desire from you. Have unity among yourselves. Strive to revive and promote the glory of Bharat.

"I am always filled with infinite joy"

As I was coming here, some people greeted Me with the words: “Happy birthday! Happy birthday!" I am always happy. I need no "Happy" greetings. Convey your greetings of "Happy birthday" to those who are not happy. I am filled with infinite joy. I have never had any worry at any time or place. What is the reason? All things are transient like passing clouds. Why worry about them? We should not be elated or depressed by births or deaths. We came naked into the world. When we leave, we cannot leave our address with "our" kith and kin. How can they be "our kinsfolk?" All these are worldly phenomena. As long as we live, we should spend our lives in harmony and fellow-feeling. All our difficulties can be overcome by contemplation on God.

Forgetting God and immersing yourself in worldly concerns, what do you achieve? Have firm faith in God. Don't give room for differences of caste, creed and nationality. All names and forms belong to the Divine. All that you see is a manifestation of the Cosmic Form of the Lord. With firm faith in the Divine, chanting the Lord's name, redeem your lives.