Sathya Sai Service Organisation
Scotland Thought For The
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TEACHINGS "There is only one Caste, the Caste of Humanity; Sathya Sai Baba teaches that man's basic nature is
divine and that the purpose of life is the realisation of this divinity. This
will occur, he says, by leading a moral life, by rendering selfless service
to those in need, by engaging in devotional practices, and by developing
love, respect, and compassion for all life. As one strives to transform the
worldly life of self-centred desires and attachments into a higher spiritual
life of selflessness and devotion, the foundation is built for receiving
God's Grace. It is this Grace that will reveal our true nature to each of us. He reminds us that mankind is unique among all of God's
Creation; human beings are capable of recognising that they emanate from God.
We have the capacity to commune with God by turning inward. Ultimately, it is
our destiny to merge with God. Sathya Sai Baba teaches that all religions are
expressions of these same universal principles. 5 Values Sathya Sai Baba does not recommend that we become
ascetics and retreat from the world. Instead, He teaches us that the world is
our school, that the five human values (Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love,
and Non-Violence) are our curriculum, and that the realisation of the unity
of Godliness in the diversity of Creation is our ultimate lesson. TRUTH “Bear in
mind this basic and permanent truth. All relationships are incidental and
temporary; but between you and God, there can be no separation at any time.” Truth is
more fundamental than the atom. Every atom and star manifests the Truth to
those who have the eye of wisdom. What is the special feature of Man? If he
too lives and dies as any animal, how can his supremacy be justified? His
supremacy lies in his capacity to become aware of the Truth. Truth does
not mean merely telling the facts as one sees or knows them. Truth is that
which does not change with time. It must be spoken with complete purity of
mind, speech and body. RIGHT CONDUCT Right Conduct
is called "Dharma" in Sanskrit. Is the foundation for the welfare
of humanity; it is the Truth that is stable for all time. God is the
embodiment of Dharma; His Grace is won by Dharma; He is ever fostering
Dharma; He is ever establishing Dharma. He is Dharma itself. Dharma
means certain obligations and duties and regulations over actions, words and
behaviour. For example, elders have certain obligations towards younger
people and vice versa; neighbours have mutual duties and rights. The task
of everyone is to do the duty that has come upon him, with a full sense of
responsibility to the utmost of his capacity. There should be complete
coordination between what one feels, says and does. Then work becomes
worship. How are
you to decide in any particular case what is Dharma and what is not? That
which does not inflict pain on you and others - that is Dharma. This follows
from the recognition that same God resides in everyone and if you injure
another, you are hurting the same God who is in you. Dharma enables you to
come to the recognition that anything that is bad for another is also bad for
you. So act in such a way that you get joy and others too get joy. Or take
another standard for your actions: Make the mind, the speech and body agree
in harmony. Act as you speak, speak as you feel, do not play false to your
conscience. That is the Dharmic way of life. Dharma is
not a matter of time and space to be modified and adjusted to the needs and
pressures of the moment. It means a number of fundamental principles that
should guide mankind in its progress towards inner harmony and outer peace.
When man stays away from Dharma, he meets with greater harm than even
physical slavery. These principles are called Sanathana because their origins
are not dated, their author is not identifiable; they are the revelations
made in the clarified intellects of impartial sages. They are basic and
eternal. LOVE “Start the
Day with Love; Spend the Day with Love; Fill the Day with Love; End the Day with
Love; This is the way to God.” Love is
the basic nature that sustains human being and strengthens his resolve to
march ahead. Without love man is blind; the world for him will be a dark and
fearsome jungle. Love is the light that guides the feet of man in the
wilderness. Love in
speech is truth. Love in action is righteousness. Love in thought is peace.
Love in understanding is non-violence. The five human values therefore do not
exist separately. They are all essentially dependent on Love. PEACE I - Want -
Peace Peace
(Shanti) denotes the capacity to bear success and failure, joy and misery
with perfect equanimity. It is there deep down as the very core of our being.
Only thoughts of God and intense love for Him bring peace. As worldly
thoughts diminish, thoughts of God increase. Normally, the mind desires these
worldly things all the time. As the desires are cut out, the peace becomes
stronger. The
foundation for real peace is, according to the Vedas, the quality of
Maithree. Maithree means amicability, friendship, compassion, and kindness.
It can also be taken to mean, "My Three" that is to say, my word,
deed and thought shall be in accordance with words, thought and deed; that is
to say; we shall speak, think and act together, without friction or faction,
in an atmosphere of love and understanding. That is what is wanted in the
world today: My three. NON-VIOLENCE “The sandalwood
tree imparts its fragrance even to the axe that fells it.” It is
called "Ahimsa" in Sanskrit. The meaning of Ahimsa is that either
in thought, word or deed, you should not cause harm to anybody. What does
Ahimsa signify? It is not merely refraining from causing harm or injury to
others. It implies also refraining from causing harm to one’s self. One who
harms one’s self cannot avoid harming others. How is this to be ensured? By
constantly examining whether his conduct is right or wrong. For instance, in
the matter of speech, one must examine whether the words are causing pain to
others. One must see that the way one looks at a person is not tainted by
evil intentions or thoughts. One should not listen to evil talk. Hence
everyone should see that they give no room for bad looks, bad hearing, bad
speech, bad thoughts and actions. You should
also be careful with regard to your food. Excessive eating does violence to
the body. Moderation is conducive to happiness. Ahimsa is thus what confers
happiness on you. When you realise that God is in everyone, you will practice
non-violence. Ahimsa is
the most meritorious deed. Non-violence is an alternate name for Truth and
Love. By following non-violence, one achieves Love. To follow the path of
non-violence, it is necessary to change the mental attitude. Mind, body or
speech should harm nobody. By purity of thought, word and deed, one should
serve even one's enemies. Overwhelm the bad and jealous by your goodness.
Humility is the main quality of those who want to don the mantle of
non-violence. |
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