Put Ceiling On Your Desires

14 March 1999, Mumbai

Published English.

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Forbearance is the real beauty in this sacred land of . Of all the sacred virtues, adherence to truth is true penance. The nectarine feeling in this country is the feeling toward ones mother. Character is valued far more superior to the very life itself. People have forgotten the basic principles of the culture of And are following and adopting Western culture today. are not aware of the greatness of their own cultural heritage Just as the mighty elephant is not aware of its own strength. [Telugu Poem]

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Today man has taken to many paths to acquire wisdom. All the knowledge that he has acquired is not true knowledge in the strict sense of the term. Knowledge of the spirit, Atmic knowledge, is the true knowledge. That is . , , and are synonyms. On this basis, the declare: ( is truth, wisdom and eternity).

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Work, worship, wisdom Since ancient times, the culture of has laid emphasis on these three aspects: work, worship, and wisdom.

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Work, worship, and wisdom all begin with service. No matter what service it is, if it is done with love and divine feelings, it becomes (worship).

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What is wisdom? All that is related to our senses, the fleeting objects of the material world, and our actions, speak of our ignorance. Wisdom dawns the moment the mind is withdrawn. The thoughtless state between two consecutive thoughts is (Atmic, spiritual wisdom). Man is not able to experience this thoughtless state of and is carried away by fleeting, ephemeral, and momentary things. True wisdom dawns when all thoughts are decimated. 's philosophy speaks of the unity of work, worship, and wisdom.

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The culture of believes in unity in diversity, which is true wisdom. Many intellectuals observe multiplicity or plurality in unity, but there are very few men of wisdom who observe unity in diversity. Since ancient days, the inhabitants of this holy land have been practicing these principles and have been sharing them with the rest of the world. This country has always prayed for the advancement and welfare of the whole world. That is the meaning of the Vedic dictum, (May the whole world be happy!) Our prayer is not limited to only. We pray for the welfare of the whole world. But the modern (Indians) are not able to know the culture of , which is endowed with noble virtues of broadmindedness.

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Embodiments of Love! You have to understand the sanctity of the culture of . You may go through any number of books, you may visit noble souls, you may listen to sacred teachings, but the reality is one. People read hundreds of books, but very few translate them into action. It is enough if you put into practice at least one principle.

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Independence without unity is meaningless The Prime Minister, Ministers, Chief Justice of India, and other high officers assembled in the capital, . All of them mentioned that we underwent tremendous sufferings and hardships, and lost many lives to achieve independence. But we have not achieved unity in this country.

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is a sacred land. Noble souls were born here. was ruled by Himself. This is the land of the song celestial, the . This is the birthplace of the first composer, . This is the birthplace of , who classified the . This is the land traversed by Lord . This is a land of merit and sacrifice. This is the birthplace of spiritual aspirants, seers and sages.

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But, the modern man does not have even an iota of sacrifice. “ (immortality can be attained only through sacrifice; neither wealth nor progeny nor good deeds can confer it).” So, cultivate the spirit of sacrifice. It is possible only when you develop love within.

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It is the mind that causes misery. It is the mind that is full of desires. It is the mind that makes heaven or hell. (this world is the creation of the mind). Since you are caught up with the whims and vagaries of the mind, you have forgotten the eternal path.

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Embodiments of Love! Love everybody, but do not trust anybody. You have to repose your trust only in God. What is the reason? Why should you not trust man? Man is not permanent. The says the world is transitory, fleeting, and impermanent.

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Love is within you People go by this body and forget the divinity within. Have strong faith in God. Do not have faith in this body, which is temporary. Body is like a water bubble, mind is like a mad monkey. Don’t follow the body, don’t follow the mind. Follow the conscience. That is the principle of the . You will experience divinity only when you follow your conscience.

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Know your true identity Embodiments of Love! Human life is full of love. What is the purpose of life? It is love and love alone. Love is God. Live in love. Divinity manifests only when you develop love. There is no need to search for Him anywhere. The Bible said so. Today, man is in search of God. Why should you search for God when He is everywhere? You are God. All (spiritual practice) will go in vain if you do not know your true identity. Instead of asking others, “who are you, who are you,” better ask yourself, “who am I, who am I.” This is my book. This is my tumbler. Then who am I? This feeling of “my”, is (illusion). First know who you are.

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People are heroes in doing experiments in the laboratory, but zeros in experience. You should be heroes in the practical field. It is useless to be a hero in reading books or in giving lectures. There is only one hero, and He is God. is the teaching of the . God is the only truth. All the rest is falsehood. Everything becomes truth in the company of God.

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Easy way to know God Science has progressed to a great extent in . Man has undertaken space travel also. But what is the use? Man wants to know what is there in space. He wants to know what is there at the moon. He wants to reach even the sun. First recognize the divinity within yourself. Open the doors of your heart. Develop love more and more. Understand the truth. Experience God. There lies the bliss. It is very easy to know God, but man does not understand this.

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You have to make every effort to understand the immanent divinity. The divinity within is covered by ego and anger. Therefore, it is said, “ (real knowledge dawns when attachment is destroyed).” Where does this attachment come from? Excessive desires lead to attachment.

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Embodiments of Love! All are embodiments of God. “ (God has thousands of heads, eyes and feet).” You will experience it once you enquire deep within.

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You may attain peace by undertaking (repetition of the name), (meditation), and . But this peace is not permanent; it is temporary. To attain permanent peace, develop love within. Love can turn earth into sky and sky into earth. This sacred love is within you. But, you direct it in the wrong direction and thereby it gets perverted. You are responsible for the loss and suffering. You are responsible for the wicked actions and agitations outside.

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The previous speaker spoke about diseases and their cure. Why do diseases arise? The number of doctors is increasing day by day. Today, we have a doctor for every family. Each house has at least two patients. Most of the diseases are psychological. You are bound to be sick if you go on feeling you are sick. Never think you are sick. Always have the feeling that you are happy and healthy. Develop sacred love and experience your innate divinity. This is the culture of . - means effulgence. Effulgence is God, means “to love”. One who has love for God is a true Bharatiya (Indian).

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Man faces problems in life because he lacks unity Embodiments of Love! Repeated teachings do not help you to understand Divinity. You are not able to understand Divinity due to the consequences of your actions in many past lives. Today, human values are on the decline. Man originated of years ago. But, till this day, he has not understood human values. It is said, “Proper study of mankind is man.” What is this proper study of mankind? It is the unity of thought, word, and deed. Man faces problems in life because he lacks unity.

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I have been coming to for many years. What have you achieved during this period? What spiritual practices have you undertaken? What truths have you known? Today, people crave bookish knowledge, superficial knowledge, and general knowledge, but they do not have practical knowledge. The one who has practical knowledge will have understanding of the divinity. But, today, people are heroes at platform and zeros in practice. You should be heroes in practice. Put into practice at least one sacred principle. At least speak the truth or develop love. That is enough. There is no greater (spiritual discipline) than this. (there is no greater than adhering to Truth). What is ? True lies in developing love. It is love that unifies all. This love will help you to experience unity in diversity.

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Bhajan singing makes the heart sacred Embodiments of Divine ! Whatever spiritual path you tread, it should help you to uproot ignorance. What is ignorance? It is the belief in all that is outside, the external scenario. You have to discriminate whether it is right or wrong, good or bad. You should have (right vision). Then you will attain deservedness.

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are highly sacred. Bhajan singing makes the heart sacred. What is important is that it should come out from the heart. Bhajan is not just rhythm, tune and beat. You should sing God's name with love. You will see the manifestation of Divinity with your physical eyes when you sing His glory with all love.

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Many noble souls merged in God through love. Don't you know , who attained liberation by chanting 's name? was bitten by serpents, trampled upon by elephants, and given poison. Yet, chanted God's name and attained liberation. He considered everything divine. (as is the feeling, so is the experience). So, you should think of God with love.