In plain words
Everything is passing. When we recognise this truth, they give no room at all to grief. Our devotion and faith must become that deeply secure. We must keep an unwavering mind and an undeluded vision. You must not shift your vision in the least. We must not make our heart impure in the least. It must stay steady.
Do not forget God; do not find fault with Him
Though there are so many young people in this world, how fortunate you are that only these few young people have reached Prasanthi Nilayam. Do not waste this good fortune that has come to you. Wherever you go, I am with you. Whatever troubles come to you, I will see to them. Develop the feeling of God with courage and take part in service. Even if there are losses, bear them and do not give up service. They come and they go. Gain and loss, pleasure and pain come and go. We must not fear this. We must stay with the thought of God. Tyāgarāja was a great devotee. But many troubles came to him. Even Tyāgarāja, who could bear so much, could not bear separation from Rāma, and in his pain he went on reproaching Rāma. Not only did he reproach Him; a kind of hatred arose. What did he say in this hatred? ‘Rāma! When I suffer so many troubles, can You not put an end to them? Have You no power to put an end to these troubles, or have I no devotion to melt You? No, no, I have devotion. You have no power,’ he said. At once he came to his senses. ‘Chī! Chī! Has God no power? As He goes about with us playing and singing joyfully, we take Him for a human form! The strength and powers of God are very great,’ he reflected. Again he closed his eyes. He folded his hands. Rāma!
Would a monkey cross the ocean? Would a fair woman bind Him to a mortar? Would Lakṣmī Devī love Him? Would Lakṣmaṇa serve Him? Would Bharata of subtle mind look and look again and bow to Him? Ah, how great is Rāma's power!
Rāma! Your power is not this much or that much; it is great beyond measure. Because my understanding grew small, I scolded You. The fault is mine, mine alone. In the same way, when such a situation arises in you, do not blame God. Do not forget God. Enquire into yourselves. Examine yourselves critically. See the faults in yourselves. Only then will you improve. So today it is not a matter of swaggering because you have acquired learning. Nor of swaggering because we hold high positions. We must rejoice that we have won God's Prema. That Prema alone is the root and foundation of everything. Whatever sādhanas you do, you must do them with Prema alone as their basis. There are nine kinds of Bhakti.
Hearing, singing of Viṣṇu, remembering Him, serving His feet, worship, salutation, service, friendship, and the offering of the self.
In these nine paths you must achieve it through Prema alone. Prema alone is the root and foundation of everything. Prema is an inner stream. If we let that stream grow, we can easily overcome any trouble.
The learning to be learnt? Spiritual learning alone
Students! Young men! Young women!
The learning you have acquired is not great. The learning to be learnt is the learning of God alone. If we learn this learning, all learning comes under our control. Having stayed these four days in Prasanthi Nilayam and lived the life here, go on reflecting on it constantly, and through that go on making your devotion and surrender and your service grow, and make your life worthwhile. There is no use in showing devotion and surrender only while you are here. Wherever you go, this devotion and surrender must stay right with you like your shadow. Just as your shadow does not leave you and go away, so your Ātmānanda must not leave you. Go on reflecting on it now and then. ‘Oh! We came to Prasanthi Nilayam. Swami said this. We heard it’: go on talking among yourselves like this. If you keep reflecting, there will be any amount of growth. Cattle see green grass and gobble it up.