5 Ds USING OUR INNER INSTRUMENTS

EDUCARE THREE

Divinity will be manifested when there is Unity in Thought, Word and Deed; this Unity is possible when there is Purity of Mind. Purity of Mind can be accomplished by undertaking Spiritual Exercises (Sadhana); these are the 5 inner instruments of the body – the 5 Ds.

DISCRIMINATION DISCIPLINE DEVOTION DUTY DETERMINATION

Purity of Mind

UNITY

DIVINITY

THE 5 Ds

DISCRIMINATION the watchman of the conscious mind

“The wrong desire is God, overshadowed by Maya; Discrimination is God not overshadowed by Maya” Sai Baba

This is our conscience that tells us what is right and what is wrong. It is associated with the value of Truth. Discrimination makes us different from animals. It makes us decide whether a thing is good or bad, whether it is right or wrong. Animals can’t discriminate; humans can discriminate.

The divine force in animals is 15%. In the human, the divine force is 80%.

An animal can never be free from its natural state. A human, can rise himself to union with God. Amongst all species, human life is rare.

Jealousy, hatred, ego, cruelty and anger are animal qualities. Sacrifice, love, compassion and forbearance are human qualities.

WATCH has an important message to convey. It means watch your Words, Action, Thoughts, Character, Heart.

DISCIPLINE control of the mind

“Duty, Discipline and Devotion are all absolutely essential for every one. You may have Devotion and you may be discharging the Duty entrusted to you. But unless you are saturated in Discipline, the other two are useless” Sai Baba

Discipline is exercise in self control. Lead a life of Discipline. Without Discipline, the mind of man is turned into a wild elephant in rut. Discipline is particularly necessary for the spiritual progress of an individual. Without discipline a person is likely to become nothing but an animal; it is the basic foundation for successful living. Lack of discipline is the root cause of disorder and discord.

Discipline has to be exercised within limits. There is even a need to regulate your discipline if you are to enjoy life. You see that for everything there is a limit and a boundary. Have specific timings for food, sleep and any other activity.

DEVOTION treating the world as God’s form

“Start the day with Love, Fill the day with Love, Spend the day with Love, End the way to Love, This is the way to God” Sai Baba

Everything in this world is Divine. Develop spirit of surrender. Perform all deeds with a spirit of devotion to God and as an offering to Him. Then every action will become Divine. Everything can be acquired by Love alone. Love is God, live in Love.

A true devotee accepts everything for his own good. Devotion is wilful and happy submission to the Divine Will i.e. Surrender. End of Devotion is Surrender.

In all spiritual practices that man performs, there is a trace of selfishness somewhere. Offer your love to God devoid of selfishness or desire. This is true Devotion.

Prayer is the expression of man's gratitude to God. It is also the means of awakening an awareness of the eternal Divine within him. Prayer is essential for developing love for God.

Devotion is equated with performing poojas, observing rituals, going on pilgrimages, etc. But these are not the true insignia of devotion. The true mark of devotion is pure love of God. Without this pure love, bhajans, worship and the like are artificial exercises and are valueless. They may appear to be devotional acts, but they do not contain the essential sweetness of devotion. They resemble plastic flowers and fruits. A life without love is like a barren wasteland. True devotion knows no differences. It sees unity in diversity.

Without firm faith in the omnipresence of the Divine, devotion has no meaning. By developing faith, devotion is nourished and devotion enables one to face all the vicissitudes of life with fortitude and serenity, regarding them as dispensations of Providence. Finally one-pointed devotion for God leads to union with the Divine. Today devotion begins with the morning ritual of yoga (a form of worship), progresses towards bhoga (enjoyment) at mid-day and ends with roga (sickness) at night.

THE 9 PATHWAYS TO DEVOTION (BHAKTI)

Shravanam > Listening to Sacred Texts Kirtanam > Singing the glory of the Lord Namasmaranam > Contemplating the name of the Lord Padasevanam > Serving at His Lotus Feet Dasyam > Servitude

Vandanam > Salutation Archanam > Worship Sneham > Friendship Atmanivedanam > Self Surrender

DUTY the Human Body

“Work is Worship Duty is God

Duty Without Love is Deplorable, Duty with Love is Desirable, Love without Duty is Divine

The secret of Happiness lies in not doing what one likes but in liking what one has to do” Sai Baba

DETERMINATION Activation of Will Power

“I have a vow, to lead all those who strayed from the straight path back to goodness. I will not rest until I have transformed mankind. This is My mission, this is My determination, and I know I will carry it out” Sai Baba expressing His determination in a letter to his brother

Determination is defined as willpower or resoluteness to accomplish a goal. If we have dedication, determination comes on its own. Determination will earn Divine Grace. Whatever work is undertaken, one must have a great determination and a firm resolve. Without this you cannot achieve even the smallest thing.

With Determination, one requires Patience. Patience and Determination are twins; one cannot exist without the other. Without Determination, Patience cannot establish itself, and without Patience, Determination will degenerate.

THE 5 Ds AND HUMAN VALUES

The 5 Ds can be related correspondingly to the 5 Human Values

Sathya	Truth	Discrimination
Dharma	Right Conduct	Discipline
Shanthi	Peace	Devotion
Prema	Love	Duty
Ahimsa	Non-Violence	Determination