Strive To Sanctify Your Lives

4 October 1957, Hospital day, General Hospital, Prasanthi Nilayam, AP

Published English.

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Body is a pile of five elements; It has to perish someday; The Indweller has no illness, and He has no birth or death. Truly, there are no traces of illusion in Him; Know that the Indweller is God, verily!!

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The anniversary of our General Hospital, which we are celebrating at our today, may come as a surprise to some people. Health is the most important aspect for pursuing , , , and (seeking of Righteousness, Wealth, Family comforts, and Liberation). Happiness is derived from good health, indeed. It is possible to realize the Indweller only through a happy disposition. It is in this context that the pre-eminence of good health is being stressed upon today.

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Limitation Of Diet Is Good For Health When we ponder about the ways our ancestors followed regarding health-related aspects, and in the light of , we find that our contemporary ways are altogether different. It is said,"." He who consumes one meal a day is considered a renunciant (), he who consumes two meals a day is called luxuriant (), and who consumes three meals a day is regarded as a patient ().

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Then there is the so-called tea time, which is virtually pampered as the second lunch by some people. Then dinner follows. This type of eating results in sleeplessness and rolling on the bed incessantly from one side to the other. Health is thus spoiled due to this kind of food abuse. Therefore, everyone should endeavor to control the intake of food. Excessive eating is also leading to a deficiency in the availability of food stocks. There is a saying in Telugu,"ati tinoi mati hani; mita tinoi ati hayi," meaning, ‘excessive eating is detrimental to the mind, whereas regulated eating gives abundant happiness’. So if one wishes to lead a joyful life, one should eat less and do more work, which enhances abilities. When such an attitude prevails, the country of will certainly assume the form of Annapurna (the Goddess of Food), bestowing all-pervading happiness. But alas, due to utter lack of proper will, the country is clamoring and saying " - give food Oh Lord !’ In fact, there is no dearth of God’s Grace; the defect lies in our efforts. Proper efforts, coupled with sincere prayers to God, will certainly bring abundant happiness. Everyone should properly observe these subtleties to this end.

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There Can Be No Dearth Of God’s Grace Man cannot live even a second without God’s Grace. Our scriptures have therefore prescribed Prayer to God twice a day. During the wakeful stage, we are to some extent capable of protecting ourselves against the vagaries of the five elements. But during sleep, as all the five elements get merged, our bodies are hundred percent dependent on God’s protection. God remains gladly attentive all along our sleep mode, in order to protect us from calamities. In view of this, our scriptures have exhorted people to pray to God before going to bed. During the (early morning before sunrise), people are required to pray, saying, ", You have carefully protected my body all along my sleep, and hence I pray to You in gratitude."

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Even A Small Victory Is Due To God’s Grace Don’t we say thanks to someone who offers us a little food or some water! We must admit that we have a higher responsibility to thank God, who is protecting our lives all along. We must pray and thank God especially during the . Because of our gross ingratitude towards this great compassionate protector, we humans are turning into cruel beasts and committing atrocities around the world. So it is essential for man to behave like a man. Even a small endeavor or achievement is due to God’s Grace, but not due to human strength. Lack of this type of understanding is the reason behind all these troubles in the world.

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This anniversary celebration pertains to Health. It is important to give proper thought to the aspects of physical health. Many people who were adepts in (Meditation), , and (penance) have considered the body as a chariot. So it is our responsibility to protect this chariot against all types of vagaries and obstacles, without any slackness. You must develop a strong belief that is the right path to reach God. But proper meditation is not possible without good health. When one is ill, some parts of the body will cause trouble, hindering the process of Meditation. Thus, we lose concentration on the goal. To keep the body alert, we need to avoid certain types of food which cause (dullness).

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Fasting Is Helpful To The Body In and all over the world, many industries are providing weekly holidays. What is the need for a holiday on a Sunday? By providing some rest to the body and mind, we are indeed protecting their energy. So is the case with machines. Even a mechanical device needs some rest or break. Having said that, are we taking appropriate steps to provide the right kind of rest to our body? The answer is an emphatic ‘no’. With the practice of (Fasting), we will be benefiting ourselves as also the country. It is like rendering service to the self and the society at the same time.

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A Day’s Fasting Rejuvenates the Body Regarding our attitude towards fasting, there is a saying in Kannada, "." It is not proper to eat on the day of fasting. On a fasting day, in lieu of a regular meal, people consume half a kilo Upma, two liters of milk, and six banana fruits. How can you call it fasting? During fasting, you should not eat anything. Instead, you should drink water so that all the accumulated bad stuff gets drained off, whereby your health gets improved. On the contrary, if you go on adding fuel to the accumulations, ill health shoots up gradually. Therefore, regulation of food is necessary for good health.

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Intense Care Is Needed With Regard To Food Intake It is not proper to say that spiritual progress entirely depends on physical health. Mental health is also important. While mind depends on three qualities known as , , and (Pious, aggressive, and dull attitudes); the body depends on three aspects known as , , and (gas, heat, and cold). Habits pertaining to food, exercise, etc., have a direct impact on bodily aspects of , , and . Purification of thoughts pertains to mental health. Atmic joy (joy of the Inner Self) can be experienced when these two aspects are taken care of in a balanced manner. Just as current is received when negative and positive are joined, the combination of physical and mental purity enhances happiness. Therefore, one should be very careful with regard to food intake. It is better to stick to the habit of eating food two times a day, avoiding frequent grubs.

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But these days we find the prevalence of a careless attitude towards food and other habits (, ). This is why we notice ten-year-old children wearing spectacles, dental clips, and having premature grey hair. Many parents nowadays resort to overfeeding them with things like apples and tonics to tone up the child’s health. This is not a proper remedy to the prevalent malice. There is no need to make a fuss about physical health. Moderation is what is required. When the temperature is 98.8, it means the condition of the body is good. In case the temperature rises to 99, it implies illness. Reduction to 95 is also an indication of illness. So optimum temperature is always sought after. Similarly, with regard to breathing, 2,16,000 per day is the number considered as optimum. Either less or more of it is an indication of illness.

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Is The Essence Of God’s Grace Whenever and whatever you eat, it should be first offered to God. In the old days, there was a practice of offering food to God before starting to eat anything, prevalent especially among , , and . As a means of offering, a little water is sprinkled over the food (). Some people may deride this practice saying, “You are only showing food to God perfunctorily but actually enjoying it yourself”. But really what you have offered is not mere food. It is sanctified food. Once it is sanctified, the food turns into what is known as (God’s gift). Such food becomes pure and sacred. Therefore, it is the essence of God’s Grace. The heat or fire of digestion in our stomach is called Jatharangi, who is none other than God. He who is the essence of five basic elements is residing in our elemental body in the form of Jatharangi. So then, is it not an offering to God? You don’t know who you are. You are distancing yourself from God by deluding about your body.

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Pave A Flowery Path Into Your Future preached in Kannada. People not knowing Kannada may not be able to appreciate the beauty of his words and his beautiful teachings. He passed on his thoughts to posterity wholeheartedly. The reason for all the agitations in the mind is lack of faith in Self rather than in a food-dependent body. People are reposing faith in all sorts of things but are not having faith in God. More than the impact of foreign culture, the attitude of parents is the reason behind this malady. Only when parents practice, is there scope for children to follow. You should therefore make it your lifelong mission to talk about God and Divinity with all people you come across. Some people may mistake it, but soon they will realize its purity and validity. In fact, there is nothing better than this type of campaign. On the face of it, people may feel hurt; but know that this paves a flowery path for the future and for earning God’s Grace.

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Cross the River Before the Boat Develops Holes Just as a river flows between two banks; the life with all the turmoils is flowing between two banks, one side of which is known as (this mundane world) and the other side known as (Supreme place or Salvation). Having got stuck on this bank of the mundane world, somehow we acquired this boat called the body by spending our accumulated wealth in the form of meritorious deeds, with a wish to cross over to the bank of . We can reach the bank of (liberation) safely, only when we make use of (devotion) and (renunciation) as the two oars of this boat in the struggle to cross the turbulent river of life. On the contrary, if you ignore the dire necessity and postpone efforts to cross over until old age, can you ever reach the bank of with a decrepit and useless boat (body)? You will not know whether you will reach the bank or drown into the river’s mud. Therefore, he is a real man who sincerely strives to cross over this river before the boat develops holes.

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Uniqueness Of Human Life At the time when the throat is assaulted by phlegm, relatives lose hope and hasten to remove the body, ’s soldiers start dragging the body with nooses, and while wife and children start weeping aloud, Is it possible to utter ’s Name?

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Is it possible to utter God’s name during the dreadful last moments of life? People will not permit a death inside the house, whether it is the place of birth or it is built by you. If someone dies while on a cot, the cot will be discarded. Therefore, it is not right to attach importance to this kind of body and this kind of life. As long as you are traveling in the car, it is necessary that all parts of the car function properly. But you should not identify yourself with the car. In the same manner, the (individual Self) who is riding the chariot of the body should not feel oneness with the body. With over intensity of attachment or delusion towards the body (), people are losing sight of Self (). Treating the body as a chariot, you must strive to merge the Self into the Divine principle. This is the uniqueness of human life.

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Do Not Misuse Divine Power God has bestowed (sacred knowledge) in various forms only upon human beings. Out of the 84 of living species, none else has received this special privilege. Any amount of training you may give to a lion or an elephant; they will not abandon their original instincts, though they can be trained to stand on a stool. You may feed a tiger with milk right from its birth. It will not eat (oil-fried dish made of wheat flour) with any amount of coaxing. The moment it sees blood, the tiger pounces upon it. That is the tiger’s nature. Any amount of training cannot turn it into a herbivorous. This is not so with a human being. With intense practice of good pursuits, (man) becomes (God), (man) becomes (God), and (man) becomes (God). Therefore, know that this kind of Divine Power is bestowed upon mankind only. We should make proper use of it. No living being has greater capabilities than man in this world (Telugu word).

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Some Aspects Of Drinking Water Water is most essential for all living beings. Therefore, it is necessary to explain ways of using it for good health. Water can be taken half an hour before eating food. Water is also present in the solid food we eat. Excess of fruit juice reduces moisture content of the muscles, leading to fatigue. knows these deeper aspects of health more than the doctors.

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It is not good to drink hot water. It is alright to take some warm water during a cold or fever. However, you can drink water that is boiled and cooled. By boiling water, the harmful bacteria in it get destroyed. But remember that is not asking people to pamper the body too much. Why should we maintain the body () in good health? It is for the sake of realising the (Indweller Self). How can you concentrate on God, when all your attention is focused on body’s health and its pursuits?

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“”. Mind is akin to moon and (intellect) is akin to the sun. These two are providing us with inner purity. The external moon and sun are providing external purity to our physical bodies. You should know that these two internal and external aspects are like an object and its reflection. In reality, they are not different from each other.

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Regulations For Attaining Atmic Bliss All those who seek happiness through the spiritual path will have to maintain good health but should not evince excessive concern on anything. Extravagance leads to sorrow. Therefore, in order to enjoy Atmic bliss (joy of inner Self), strive to spend all your time in spiritual pursuits such as meditation, , and (singing of hymns and devotional lyrics), at the same time endeavoring to maintain the body weight lightly by regulated eating and hard work. You will succeed in spiritual pursuit by following this type of regulated routine. Eat well, sleep well, and get up early in the morning for doing (chanting Om). Many people want to practice meditation, but they won’t get up until 7 or 8 in the morning, even though the alarm clock keeps on chiming. They even put it off in anger and continue to sleep. What is the reason? It is because laziness has overtaken the body. As you eat in abundance, the stomach turns into an abode of . Once he enters, he will not get up until six months. So in such a case you wish to dissuade , you need to limit your intake of food. Purify your stomach by fasting once a week. Therefore, take a resolve to follow strictly the regulations of food and other habits, and to spend all the time in spiritual pursuits so as to derive Atmic bliss.

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Do Not Neglect The Ordained Duties Especially in our contemporary , we are witnessing the prevalence of food shortages, widespread diseases, and other types of hardships. Some may tend to attribute these maladies to lack of God’s Grace. But God’s Grace is not a thing that comes sometimes and goes at other times. God’s Grace is permanent or everlasting. Know that the principle of , the core inner Divinity, is all-pervading and everlasting. We should conduct ourselves with extreme care in discharging our ordained duties, without casting aspersions on the pure and ever-sacred Divinity. Persevering strongly on these lines, we can certainly serve the body () as well as our country (). And this is the proper way to establish Divinity in society and to set an ideal on the spiritual essence to the world.

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Use Your Discriminative Power On this occasion, spoke in English on the aspect of health. Some of you might not have understood the speech in English. Why the hospital is built when is present in this place? That is the question. Some people ask such questions derisively because of a lack of discriminative power. They are asking why the hospital is built, but they are not asking why the mess or canteen is built! And they insist upon enhancing canteen facilities. This type of argument comes only from loose thinking.

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Your Own Deeds Are Giving Happiness Or Sorrow Some people argue that is there to take care of everything. In fact, is neither setting right nor destroying anything. You should ponder well on this. God is granting neither happiness nor sorrow. Your own deeds are reflecting as providence, causing happiness or sorrow. Your belch is in accordance with what you eat. You cannot ask for a chapati, when there is only rice flour in the kitchen. Do you expect a cucumber belch after eating mango? Therefore, our sorrow or happiness is in accordance with our own deeds. God is a witness to everything, without any doership attached to Him. He is neither getting angry nor pleased with you. You should try to ponder this aspect deeply.

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Psychology And Health To mitigate an ailment, some people suggest the use of , while others may prefer to use a pill. You will find many people having faith in pills and other medicines rather than . It is not unnatural or a wrong attitude. But when a person who is suffering from a headache is bent on using medicine, and if you thrust on him, surely will not have any effect on him. He gets relief from headache after he goes to a doctor and gets a pill of saridon from him. Thus, treatment and cure are related to the human psyche, and man’s mental attitude plays a prominent role in a large number of cases of ill health. This is Psychology. One small example. I hope the doctors present here would not get offended. A patient does not like it when an experienced person tries to offer the right medicine that is available at home. But he gets cured when the doctor at the hospital gives an injection. Therefore, mental attitude has a great role in the aspect of health.

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It Is Your Duty To Avoid Inconvenience To Others We have established this hospital, keeping in view the mental attitudes of people and with the aim of relieving people from diseases, and spreading happiness. Just now said that people here are getting cured because of ’s Divine Power, rather than doctor’s treatments. He spoke only about the people who were cured, but he did not mention the deaths occurring! Does it mean that people cured have ’s Grace and those who died had no Grace from Him? This is not true. It is not a question of Grace on someone and lack of it on others.

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Bodies depart just as they came. Has come in order to save bodies from death? No, no. No one can save the body from its death. The body follows its nature and leaves after discharging its duty that was imposed on it. However, it is our duty that we do not cause inconvenience to others at any time.

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This frail body, made of five elements, Its departure cannot be predicted. Even though its limit is said to be hundred years, It should not be taken for granted. Either during boyhood, prime youth, Middle age, old age, or ripe old age Either in township, forest, or deep water, Where from it departs, is not known. Death is certain for man. Before the body reaches the end, One should use intelligence To know one’s ownself is the principle of . ’s word Is the path of Truth!!

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It is not possible for the body to exist permanently. Many (saints) have renounced the world, carried out strict penances, allowed their bodies to decay, and reached the Goal. Have these people undertaken all these penances for the sake of comforts or riches? Not at all!

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Be Uniform In Your Thoughts And Deeds Look at this huge gathering of people in thousands. Ask any one of them why they gathered here. Everyone says, “I came seeking ; I want to reach the abode of God; I want to have God’s Grace’. But their real intentions are altogether different. Suppose I ask people, “Who among you want ?", everyone will raise hands. But when I put another question, “Should I grant you right now?", all of them will backtrack. Look at their sincerity about . They start running away, saying, “I prefer to have after ten years since I have some family problems." Is this the right kind of desire for ? People are ruining themselves due to lack of uniformity between their wishes and efforts.

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And Satvika Food Are Very Important In Life The time that was past will not return. What is in store in the future is not known. The present time is fleeting. Then why are we craving for a long life? You must strive hard to do good deeds and aspire to enjoy happiness within the span of life available to you. (company of good people) and (pure non-irritating vegetarian food) are said to be very important aspects of spiritual life. There is no scope for bad traits in a . Spending time together in an atmosphere of pious exchanges of thoughts, words, and deeds is known as .

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Life Becomes Relevant When You Sanctify Time Do not call it simply because ten people have gathered and are singing songs. Do not call it when people are engaged in mundane thoughts, even while walking and singing along with the group. This type of and will not enter into ’s ears. ’s hair, covering the ears, acts like a sound filter. This hair will not allow unpleasant sounds into the ears. I will not permit any bad sounds to enter My ears. Only the relevant sounds and thoughts are accepted.

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You will derive great joy when you get up early in the morning and repose thoughts on God with a pure heart. Always strive to sanctify the time by driving out bad thoughts and words. Only then life becomes relevant. Make the best use of these ten days, and preserve these diamonds in your hearts. Adorn your lives with these precious recollections as often and as much as you can. I hope that henceforth you will not commit any mistakes, and that all of you bring fulfillment to your lives, as well as the country of .

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Make Good Use of Your Life I have told this many times. We make necessary arrangements in advance, for each and every occasion. We take a pair of clothes in a bag while leaving for a marriage. Before going to a cinema, we dress up and carry some amount. While leaving for an evening walk, we ensure that we take a walking stick in hand. But what about the preparations with regard to our final journey? You can cancel your journey to attend a marriage, you can postpone going to a cinema; but it is impossible to cancel or postpone your final journey (death). This journey is a reality. Therefore, prior preparations are imperative to this last journey. What are these preparations like? Practice on entertaining good thoughts as a continuous process in life. Nothing more is needed. Always fill the heart with noble feelings, engage hands in good deeds, and spend time in . By spending life in this manner, we will not be perturbed by whatever difficulties we come across. “.” There is no scope for rebirth at all. If, on the contrary, we keep on thinking all sorts of things at the time of death, we will come back (take another birth) in order to enjoy or suffer on account of those wishes. “.” Birth and death; again and again. Then what is the use of this birth? While ending My speech, I bless and hope that all of you make good use of this opportunity and make your lives fulfilled.