Have Sincere Faith in God and His Words- Swami's Discourse

If you have steady devotion for God, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. God Himself would come running forward to help you. Numerous such incidents occurred during the incarnation of God as Krishna.

Here is another example of Krishna’s limitless compassion. On the ninth day of the Kurukshetra war, Bhishma took a terrible vow to exterminate all the Pandavas before sunset the next day.

Draupadi came to know of this and became highly perturbed. She said to Krishna, “O Lord, this must not happen. You have to do something. I don’t know how, but You must make sure that I do not become a widow.” Krishna smiled and was non-committal. He just said, “Wait and see what happens.” God may appear non-committal but when you appeal to Him with deep sincerity, He will certainly respond.

Why I would not like to be an Atheist

 

Prakash Srinivasan

I have always been surprised as to how atheists lead their life. It is not that they are not successful and they do not have a prosperous life (finally it depends on destiny) but I would like to focus more on the emotional aspect of it. I feel that atheists are missing a lot of things by not believing in God. It is not that they are bad people, there are so many honest and committed people who I have read are atheists but this is the one last thing that I feel anybody must not do!

I would like to confess at the start that I am not a very religious person but at the same time I have a lot of faith in the concept of God. One motto which I am trying to practice is that I must just not pray when I am in trouble but pray and thank God daily and as frequently as possible. To be selfish towards God is one of the worst things I could do and hence this thought.

Sraddha and Saburi (Faith and Patience)

KVRK Bhargav





It was time for evening darshan. All the students, rushed to take strategic locations to get a look, a smile, a pat, padanamaskar or if lucky enough few words of exchange from our beloved Lord. I was lucky enough to sit in first line without going through all this hassle as I got a special opportunity to get the sacred threads blessed by Him.
It was the year 2000, Swami performed our Upanayanam ceremony, in February. All the vatus as they are addressed came in a procession accompanied by their parents, to the Sai Kulwant Hall clad in yellow dhoti and angavastram and carrying a small piece of yellow cloth tied to a staff known as the deeksha danda, the staff of determination. We all were provided a copper vessel and spoon, a beautiful photo of Swami were made to go through the ceremony very scrupulously. Bhagawan went around the hall blessed all, posed for photographs with a lucky few and spoke to few students. In one such conversations, he made a profound declaration that if all the students who are getting initiation into the sacred Gayatri mantra sincerely do Sandhya worship, there won't be any problems in the world. The students decided to perform Sandhya regularly.

Swami's Discourse-Anything in Life can be Achieved with Firm Faith

Embodiments of Love!

IT is lack of love that is responsible for all the differences, arguments and conflicts in the world, especially in the present times. Many people say that the world is afflicted today with sorrow, losses and difficulties. I do not subscribe to this view. I tell you, they are all our illusion only. In fact, there is no unrest or sorrow in this world. I just see peace, peace and peace only everywhere. When there is peace in our heart, we will be able to witness peace all round. Unrest, sorrow, anger, etc., are the reaction, reflection and resound of the state of our inner being. Sorrows and difficulties, anger and unrest are of our own making and creation. They are not natural phenomena in the world.

First and foremost, develop faith. There can be no life without faith. Sometimes faith is also termed ‘Self’. Without Self, you cannot help others. Only when there is faith can you achieve anything in life.

Faith in the Goal- Divine Discourse Oct 3rd 1981

This Kali Yuga is praised in the scriptures as incomparably conducive to the salvation of man, for he can now attain the Highest through the mere thought of God and remembering His name.

So, of all the Yugas, this Yuga is described as the most holy, the most beneficent. Dhyaana (meditation) was prescribed as the means of liberation for men in the Kritha Yuga, thapas (penance) as the means during the Tretha Yuga and archana (ritual worship) for the Dhwaapara Yuga. But, for people of this Yuga, the simple remedy prescribed is just Naamasmarana, the constant awareness of the Name. In spite of this, it is a pity that men do not care for this path and so render their lives barren wastes.

Unless you give up, you cannot acquire---that is the rule of life. Even trivial things cannot be won without parting with something. One has to pay to secure the most precious of all gifts, the gift of the awareness of the Aathma! To earn this, one has to give up sensual pleasures, but is this too big a price? In fact, what is renounced is not pleasure at all. It is fraught with pain too. Can you not give up grief to earn joy, evil to earn good, diversity to earn unity, many to earn one?

One must strive for victory in the struggle against the whims and wiles of the senses. One must focus all one's physical and mental resources to earn success; one must fill oneself with Divine Grace by offering his strength and skill for Divine purposes.

Purpose gives taste to living

Every activity has a goal, an end in view. Proceeding to the market, going to school---each has a purpose. When such momentary and short-lived activities are motivated by goals, how can one pass 60 or 70 years of life on earth with no purpose guiding him and leading him on? Purpose gives taste to living. When the pappu (boiled lentles) on your plate lacks uppu (salt), you push it aside! But, you wade through years and years leading tasteless, insipid lives without uppu (God) added to pappu (Life).

When praised, man gets inflated, when blamed, he gets deflated. But for one who trusts in God, for the Bhaktha, these reactions are signs of weakness. Man must withstand both praise and blame, success and failure, pleasure and pain, like the Meru mountain peak. He must strive to be steadfast and unmoved. Once you collect desires, you become their slave; you will find no end to them. When they are attained, others assail you and still leave you discontended. Be aware of your innate Divinity and show these recurring desires their due place. The Aathma in you is unaffected by desire or defeat or victory. They are passing clouds. The Sun is not concerned with their comings and goings.

No one is unfamiliar with the Raamaayana. It describes the Dhandhaka forest, heavy with thick darkness and terrible with the resounding roar of wild beasts. It was infested with frightful gangs of raakshasas (demons). Suurpanakha was a demoness who roamed therein. Khara was a demon of the same nature. On some open patches of this jungle, rishees (sages) who were leading pure unselfish God-centred lives had their hermitages. And, into this forest came, as exiles, Prince Raama,  Lakshmana, his brother, and Seetha, Raama's consort. They spent some days with great sages like Agasthya and Sharabhanga. They found the ascetic Shabari also in her retreat. As a result, Raama destroyed the demons and restored peace in the region for the sages to perform their spiritual practices and rituals undisturbed.

Faith and surrender can ensure peace and joy

This is what the epic says. But, where exactly is the Dhandhaka forest? You need not look for it on any map or turn over the pages of history. It is the heart of every man. The evil feelings are the raakshasas; the good thoughts are the rishis. Raama is the personification of viveka, the discriminating faculty of the intellect. Seetha and Lakshmana are the higher levels of consciousness---sujnaana and prajnaana. Raama puts an end to evil feelings and promotes good thoughts. Raama is the Emperor of Ayodhya. That name means "Impregnable," "with no enemy," that is to say, no injurious or demeaning feeling or thought, can invade the heart when Raama is installed therein. Thyaagaraaja sang,  "Thelisi Raama chinthana cheyave manasa" (Oh! Mind! Meditate on Raama with the full knowledge of what He represents).

When I speak, you hear the speech via the microphone through the loud speakers. You listen to the instrument, the loudspeaker, but I am the speaker. So, too, when your tongue utters the words, it is the Aathma that prompts and shapes the words. The owner sits in the car and travels.

The car, your body, has four wheels on the ground (dharma, artha, kaama, moksha---the four human goals virtue, prosperity, desire fulfilment and liberation) and they are filled with air. Faith is the air which makes your travel smooth. It has to be uniform in all the four wheels. The steering-wheel inside the car directs the outer wheels. The wheel is the 'mind'. The food and drink you take is the petrol for the car and its 'horn' is the tongue. You are journeying along the

road of ups and downs (Samsaara) in this car. Recongnise that God is the person at the wheel.

He will take you happily to the destination. Have faith in Him and be free from fear, anxiety and agitation. Surrender to Him. His grace can save you, His wisdom can enlighten you, His power can overcome all your obstacles. Faith and surrender are the manifestations of bhakthi (devotion). They can ensure peace and joy for you and all mankind.

Rendezvous With The Divine

By Mangala Shankar

Mangala Shankar has completed her Masters in Chemistry from the Madras University in 1997 and moved to United States since 1998. She has worked in an International Organization in Quality Control for several years. Mangala Shankar has keen interest in Music and Vedam and she plays veena.  She is also a lead Bhajan singer and teaches kids with bhajans and is also an SSE Teacher.

My first darshan of Swami

This incident proves how Swami‘s omniscience and how He selects His future devotees. In May 1989, when I was in 14 years old, to spend our summer holiday we had been to Kodaikanal for a very short vacation along with my parents and my younger brother. During the course of our visit we stayed at Kodai International Hotel. We went for sight seeing the following morning. When we passed through the lake, the boatman suggested that we can have Dharshan of Swami who is visiting Kodaikanal. We thought it was good idea and then entered Sai Sruthi which is Swami’s abode at Kodai. Huge gathering of about 7000 people were then seated at Sai Sruthi to have dharshan of Swami. I was one among the audience in the crowd. I waited with much anticipation for first time, to have first glimpse of Swami. Then Swami while giving dharshan walked through the audience in the line and then Swami came near me and my mom. He was throwing chocolates all around us. In my mind, I was thinking that I should be getting the chocolate. But the chocolate fell down on the lady next to me. I felt disappointed as I did not get one. However to my surprise, the lady prompted by Swami’s will, offered her chocolate. She did not even have a bite and gave the whole chocolate to me and asked me to share with my family. This was very special incident in my life. I was blessed to receive prasadam from Divine Hands from the first visit and first darshan of Swami and Swami reading my mind. At that time I was not a Swami’s Devotee and Swami was preparing me for coming into His Fold. After 8 years of this incident, I was chosen to marry Swami’s student by Swami Himself. Swami created Vibuthi and showered His Grace and blessed my marriage. It completely transformed me to be His ardent Devotee.

 Always Being Aware of Swami’s Omniscience

Swami’s presence is not to be felt only at Parthi. I found how Swami acts remotely to show his presence. Once on our way to vacation in Durango, Colorado, we stopped at a restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, US. To our surprise, we saw Swami's picture on the wall and we felt Swami welcoming us in an unknown place it was as if He was saying, “I am here.”  We later found out that the owners were great devotees. Then we proceeded to Durango without giving much thought to Swami’s picture.

After local sight-seeing at Durango, we took a rental car and drove to Mesa Verdi, a famous archeological site. It was very scenic, high in the mountains, and a difficult terrain. We got our admission tickets and off we drove to the first site. We parked the car and my husband tried to remove the keys from the car. The ignition would not turn off. We were so tense because there were no mechanic or car shops for the next thirty miles, and we had to drive down the mountain. The panic showed on our faces.  When we sought help from the tourists, they tried in vain to help, and told us to call the rental car company.  However, there was no phone service in the mountains. We then sought help from a nearby State trooper.  He was also not able to help, but seeing that our car could move, he recommended us to drive slowly down the mountain and then seek help. With Swami’s name on our lips, we drove all the way down the mountain and then went to the rental company, but they refused to take the car because it was rented in the main airport. Finally, one tech-support person told us to drive to the hotel where he instructed us on how to remove a computer chip to turn off the car.  The car-rental company sent a replacement car from Denver the next morning.

Lesson Learnt

Well the lesson here was Swami’s word that He will take care of his devotees and will show us the path once we trust and have faith in Him. Now we remembered the picture of Swami welcoming us in that restaurant and realized that it was He who guided and protected us all the way through this ordeal and just saved our lives from the impending disaster. Swami protects us and guides us all through our life in each and every incident.