Study Circle

Of Him, to Him, by Him

Study Circle: 09/03/18
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 6, Chp 22: Of Him, to Him, by Him
This day is dedicated to the worship of the Naraakaara (the Divine in human form) which the Niraakaara (the formless) assumed, in order to save man from the marshy terrain into which he had been drawn by the delusion which blinded his vision. Yama (God of death) can be countermanded by samyama; that is, death can be conquered by control of the senses, and of the desire that prod them on. When man forgets this fact and starts living as a slave of the senses, God out of His infinite mercy comes among men and guides him along the heavenly path into Himself. Man has not evolved into the finely equipped animal that he is, so that he might eat, revel and sleep; he has to retrieve the meaning out of the meaningless, to attain liberation while in chains, to raise the aathma with the leverage of the aathma itself — Uddhareth aathmaanaathmaanam. How much land and how many bungalows can fill man’s maw to satiety? Some clay or other, sooner or later, he will have to give up the accumulation and leave. Some one had a hundred acres in the south; but he had an itching for more, at least a thousand. So he went in all directions seeking regions where he could get vast areas of uncultivated but cultivable land. At last, he came to a Himaalayan kingdom and the King gladly offered to give him all the land he hungered for; the only limit he placed was- his endurance. He said the man should start with the sunrise and start walking without tarrying; he should return to the starting point before the sun sets; all the land enclosed by his route, traced by his steps from start to finish, would be his. That was the generous offer the King made. The greedy migrant waited anxiously for the first rays of the rising sun and he started off on the circumference of a very wide circle, running in fact, until evening fell; he was so exhausted when he neared the starting point that within three yards of the starting spot, he dropped dead! His heart stopped beating. He had over-worked it in his mad race to appropriate as many acres as he possibly could before sunset.

 

Question:
  1. Swami gave an example of a greedy person in the reading above.  Reflect a little, what are some qualities
    that are associated with greed?
  2. What are some best practices to deal with greed?

 

Mental peace alone can generate health

Many people spend their years piling and piling, and then, are dragged away by death, ere they could preen themselves on the size of the pile. Money can purchase drugs but mental peace and content alone can guarantee health. Medical experts can be hired but life cannot be secured on lease. God incarnates to foster saadhus, it is said. By saadhus, they do not mean the dwellers in Himaalayan retreats; they mean the virtuous person who forms the inner reality of everyone of you, the outer appearance being but a mask which is worn to delude yourself into esteem. Everyone is a saadhu, for he is prema swaruupa, shaanthi swaruupa, amruutha swaruupa (embodiment of bliss, peace and immortality). But, by allowing the crust of ego to grow thick and fast, the real nature is tarnished. By the action of sath sang (the company of God-minded persons), by systematic attention to self-control and self-improvement, man can overcome the delusion that makes him identify himself with the body and its needs and cravings. When you feed the cow with fermented gruel so that it may yield more milk, the milk emits an unpleasant smell. When man engrosses himself too much with the trifles of the world, his conduct and character become unpleasant. It is indeed tragic to witness the downfall of the child of immortality, struggling in despair and distress. If only every one examines these: What are my qualifications? What is my position? They can soon realise their downfall. Will a tiger, however hungry, eat popcorn or monkey nuts? Aim at the goal which your lineage entitles you; how can the parrot taste the sweetness of the mango if it pecks at the fruit of the cotton-tree? Let your effort be in keeping with the dignity of the goal. Never slacken effort, whatever the obstacle, however long the journey .

Question:
  1. Swami mentions that one of the factors that can overcome the delusion that makes a man identify himself with the body and its needs and cravings is the company of God-minded persons. Why do you think this is so?
  2. Swami says that when man engrosses himself too much with the trifles of the world, his conduct and character become unpleasant.

    What do you understand by this statement?

Affirmation: I control my senses.

 

Life Application skill: Please come up with one based on today’s reading.