Human Values and Service

16 October 1999, Dasara, Prasanthi Nilayam

Published English.

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O Man, why do you go hither and thither in search of God, when He is present in your itself? Serve all and be a recipient of His love. There is no greater than this, No greater bliss than this. [Telugu Poem]

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Embodiments of Love! Human life is the most sacred in the entire creation of God. (God incarnates in the form of human being). Humanness is pure, unsullied, and beyond attributes. Such a sacred human life is being polluted with evil desires and thus birth itself is polluted. (human birth is the rarest and the noblest). It was God who created everything in the universe, right from the microcosm to macrocosm. In that case, why is it that He has attached utmost importance to human birth alone? Only man has the capacity to accomplish things that no other living being can.

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Why has God created man? One should delve into the inner significance of this. Man's life will find fulfillment only when he understands the purpose of human birth. Human body is given to serve God, not to meet selfish needs. (the purpose of human body is to practice ). God has gifted human body to serve fellow men, but man has forgotten his primary duty of service to others.

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Today, human values have become extinct. Man should continue to be as pure as he was at the time of birth. (At this juncture materialised a gold coin) It was minted in the year 1899. Exactly 100 years have passed since then. Just as gold has lost its purity over a period of time, man too has lost his human values. Excessive desires are responsible for the decline in human values.

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Having been born as a human being, you should foster human values. This morning, the Chief Minister of met . He too was of the opinion that the country is facing hardships due to the absence of human values. Therefore, he vowed that he would propagate the Human Values in society. Each and everyone, be it a student, a devotee, or a spiritual aspirant, should practice human values and lead an ideal life.

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The reveals that the universe, which can be compared to a gigantic tree, has its origin in the seed of divinity. Different nations are like different branches of a tree. All the living creatures are like fruits borne by the tree. In every species and every creature, there is the seed of divinity. In this context, Lord said, (I am the seed in all the living beings). Nations may vary names and forms may be different, but the life principle remains the same.

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Lord declared: “ (all are the sparks of My Divinity).” But man is not prepared to believe this truth. Today man believes reports of events occurring in distant lands like America and Japan, though he does not see them, but he does not believe in the Vedic declaration that God comes down in human form. This is predominantly due to the fact that he is not treading along the path of truth. God will be pleased only when man finds fulfillment in life by practicing human values.

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It is the duty of each and every individual to participate in social service activities, be it in the village or city. The epic has stressed the need for service at the individual, family, and society levels. Do not be satisfied by merely serving your parents. Your life will be sanctified only when you serve society also. When you obey the divine command and serve Him, not only your life but also those of your parents and relations will be redeemed. Before your birth, where is the child-parent relationship; before marriage, where is the question of wife and husband relationship? All the worldly relations are like passing clouds, only God is with you always. You will be wasting your life, if you do not dedicate yourselves to the service of mankind. Body is gifted to serve the creator and the creation. Service to man is service to God. Render service to society with the feeling that God is present in one and all.

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Service is the life breath of the Organization. Remember the truth that you are born to serve society. Make no distinction whatsoever in rendering service. Serve your parents, brothers, friends, and even beggars alike. Divine grace will flow in abundance only when you serve with the spirit of humility and equality.

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Understand the pristine purity of (India). The Himalayan mountains form the boundary in the northern part. is that which is pure; is that which is steady. So, stands for purity and steadiness. The three rivers , , and symbolise the paths of work, worship, and wisdom, respectively. The sacred scriptures like the and the make the hearts of (Indians) blossom forth with their teachings. means light and effulgence. So is the country that radiates light to the rest of the world.

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No country is more sacred than . Words are inadequate to describe the glory of and the fortune of those who are born in this sacred land. Having been born as , there can be no greater misfortune than to lament that you are poor, weak, and helpless. You need not feel sorry if you have not acquired education or money. Be proud that you are born in this sacred land. To be called a Bharatiya is in itself a great qualification. The country is your mother; the culture, your father. You will become orphans if you forsake your motherland and its culture. He is a living corpse who does not have love for his motherland and its culture. declared, (there is no heaven greater than one’s own mother and motherland).

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What is the use of acquiring various degrees like BA and MBA if you lead the life of a black sheep? You are ; that is your greatest qualification. Live up to it. Who is a ''? H stands for Humility, I for Individuality, N for Nationality, D for Divinity and U for Unity. He is a true who is endowed with these five sacred qualities. It is rather surprising to Me that people, having been born in this sacred land, crave to go abroad in search of greener pastures. One should serve one’s own motherland.

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Do no forget the sacred Indian culture Once there was a Vedic scholar who was hesitant to send his son abroad, fearing that he might forsake Indian culture and take to Western culture. On the insistence of his son, he reluctantly agreed to send him abroad only on the condition that he would not give up the study of the . He extracted a promise from his son that he would continue the study of the and would contemplate on God always. But the son failed to keep up his word. Once he reached abroad, he forgot all the he studied and got absorbed in western culture. He would always lie to his father whenever called, saying that he was thinking of God and studying the . Four years passed, but he was in no mood to return home. On several occasions, the father asked him to come back, but the son did not pay heed. The father, as a last resort, sent a telegram that his mother was seriously ill. Immediately, the son rushed home and was received at the airport by his father, who took him to the temple of the Goddess en route home, to offer their obeisance. The father told the son to offer salutations to the Goddess, but the son did not know what it meant as he had forgotten Indian culture altogether. As they entered the temple, the son greeted the Goddess, “Hello madam, how are you?” The father became furious with his son and asked him to get out.

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For the past 60 years, the overseas devotees have been requesting to come to their respective countries. On many occasions, they brought special planes. Even now they have chalked out a program for to make a world tour. But I have no such desires. That which is not present in is not present anywhere else.

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Embodiments of Divine Love! Students Participate in service activities and give joy to your fellowmen. This is the essence of Indian culture. Keeping this sacred culture in view, serve your motherland. Do not give scope for mean desires. If you lead the sacred life of a true Bharatiya, you can redeem not only your life but also the lives of your kith and kin. Fill your heart with pure feelings and try to experience the ultimate bliss, . Tomorrow I shall teach you more about .