Let life be fruitful and meaningful

17 October 1999, Dasara, Prasanthi Nilayam

Published English.

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Brahmanandam Paramasukhadam Kevalam Jnanarnurthim Dvandvatheetham Gaganasadrusam Tathwamasyadhi Lakshyam Ekam Nithyam Vimalam Achalam Sarvadhee Sakshibhutam Bhavatheetham Trigunarahitham Sadgurum

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Man should cultivate noble qualities in order to understand the secrets and the inner meanings of the . The terms used in the transcend the barriers of time and space.

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Consider the word . It means eternal bliss. Such a word cannot be understood by comparison with the joy derived from materialistic pleasures (). is derived from the root word , meaning vastness. is that which is immutable. It is the true and infinite bliss. It can also be termed as , meaning the bliss that results from the experience of oneness. It can also be described as and (bliss that transcends form and attributes).

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means supreme happiness. It has nothing to do with the worldly happiness and sensual pleasures. It is identical with the experience of the eternal bliss.

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means that which transcends the limitations of time, space, and circumstances.

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means one of wisdom. Here, refers to experience of oneness. It transcends body, mind, and intellect.

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(experience of non-duality is true wisdom)

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How can man comprehend this incomparable wisdom? The contain many such words suffused with sacred inner meaning. Only Divinity, which is attributeless, ancient, eternal, ever new, pure, and unsullied, can explain the inner meanings of the Vedic principles.

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refers to that which transcends all dualities such as happiness and sorrow, good and bad, merit and sin, etc.

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refers to that which transcends the three attributes: (serenity, purity), (passion), and (dullness, lethargy). Attributes are associated with form. So, the formless One has no attributes.

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The contain four : (knowledge is ), (This is ), (That Thou Art) and (I am ). The attributeless principle transcends even these four declarations.

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refers to that which is eternal and without a second. The proclaim

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(Divinity is one without a second)

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(the single syllable is )

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refers to that which is pure and steady. In this universe, the celestial bodies such as the sun, the moon, and the planets are constantly on the move. Modern students are aware of this - the cinema reel moves rapidly at the rate of 16 films per second, but the rate at which mind moves cannot be estimated. Such a wavering mind cannot comprehend Divinity, which is steady, changeless, and attributeless, is the embodiment of supreme bliss and happiness. That is the reason the ancient sages and seers used to pray, “Salutations to the One who is the embodiment of supreme happiness.” The happiness related to the body and mind is no happiness at all. Inward () happiness is true happiness.

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Worldly happiness is momentary. In this context, said,

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Ma kuru dhana jana yauvana garyam, harathi nimeshath kalah sarvam (do not be proud of youth, money, and progeny. They are but momentary).

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Worldly happiness is delusive and is related to the five elements and five senses. It corresponds to the outward () path.

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Human body is made up of five sheaths: , , , , and . This body is (food sheath). It is the (life sheath) that makes the body move. Beyond the , there exists (mind sheath).

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Man is able to investigate only these three sheaths; he is not able to comprehend (wisdom sheath) and (bliss sheath), the reason being that man is bound by the senses.

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the senses cannot understand the ultimate Truth.

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How drove away the diseases When this body was seven years old, dreadful and contagious diseases like cholera and plague were rampant in this tiny hamlet of . Fear-stricken, the parents would not allow their children to go out of the house. But the children, out of their love for Me, would come to Me without even telling their parents. All those children were of the age group of six to eight.

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One day, nearly 12 boys gathered around Me and said in a anxious tone “, we came to know that cholera and plague are rampant in our village. It seems they are dangerous and fatal. What would be our fate?”

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I told them to light a lamp, place it in the at 6 o' clock in the evening, and do . They did not know what to sing. Then I composed a few for them.

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I told them, “We need not search for God outside. He is within us. Let us go around the village chanting the name of , donning ochre robes and anklets, playing the cymbals in our hands, and getting rid of the evil qualities of anger and desire.”

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In those days, after 5 o'clock in the evening, no one dared to go beyond the temple, because they considered it to be far off from the village and believed that the area beyond the temple limits was haunted.

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I infused confidence in them, saying there are no ghosts or devils and advised them to drive away the diseases of cholera and plague by chanting the name of God. We wore anklets and walked up to the riverbed of playing the cymbals and singing . It was the divine name that eradicated diseases of cholera and plague for good within a short span of three days.

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The parents brought the children to Me and expressed their gratitude for having saved them from the epidemic. They said, “, we are indebted to You for having instilled courage and confidence in our children. We don’t want them to attend school, instead they will come to You. Kindly impart the education necessary for their welfare.”

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Everyday at 6 o' clock in the evening, they would assemble at My residence, after having their dinner, for tuition. They used to address Me as “tuition master”. Their parents wanted to offer 3 per month as , which I flatly refused. The children used to come to Me every evening to learn numeric tables and alphabets. Taking this as a pretext, I used to impart value-oriented education also. I used to advice them to keep away from bad company and not to indulge in criticism and slander. Cultivate good habits and good qualities. Respect your parents and obey their commands. Since then, there was marked improvement in their behavior and outlook.

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’s skills in composing On moonlit nights, we used to go to the River at 6 o’clock in the evening and return only at 11 in the night. Few elders also would accompany us. They used to pass time by playing games like , but the children were not interested in joining them. In spite of My repeated entreaties, they would not participate in any of these pastimes. They were more interested in and being around Me. They would request Me to lead . Thus we used to spend our time in singing .

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The children used to plead with Me to compose new and tunes. They used to extol My composing capabilities. I used to ask them to express their desires, if any, but not praise Me.

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One day a pharmacist by name came to from . He had heard a great deal about My composing capabilities and had come to request Me to write a song that would serve as an advertisement for his new medicine. He came to and enquired about Me.

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She told him, “I know very well. He is the only good boy in the entire village. He is one of good character, behavior and conduct. Not merely that, He imparts good teachings to others.”

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One day, invited for lunch. During the lunch, he expressed doubts regarding My composing skills. He said it was difficult for him to believe that a tiny tot like Me could write good poetry that would sell his new medicine in the market. Consequently, I sent him away saying, better that he goes to some person whose composing skills he had faith in.

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I had immense love for the children. , , Subbanna, and were among the children whom I used to take to the riverbed every evening. Words are inadequate to describe their innocence, purity and love for Me. A seven year-old boy used to request Me to lie down for a while keeping My head on his lap saying, I looked very tired and needed some rest. Seeing this other children also wanted to have the privilege of keeping My head on their laps.

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writes a poem for advertising medicine One day, came to Me again and said, “, all these children are ready to obey your command. They all sing well and have sweet voice. Please write a few songs to advertise my new medicine and ask these children to go around the village singing them. I am prepared to pay remuneration for this.”

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He explained that the name of the medicine was and that it could cure many types of ailments. I composed a beautiful song in Telugu on the efficacy of the medicine:

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O children, come here, a new medicine, , has arrived in the market. It is a wonderful remedy for various ailments like Stomach ache, indigestion, malnutrition, and swelling of legs and hands. It is available in the shop of . It is a very good tonic prepared by .

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was very much pleased with the poem and got it written in big sheets of paper for advertisement. As his luck would have it, I was taken to for studying 5th and 6th classes. made maximum use of My stay in for the advertisement of his medicines.

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stops ’s of the temple Right from early days I have been a source of inspiration for the young children. I would exhort them to desist from hurting others and discharge their duties sincerely. During the month of , I used to take the children to the temple of at 4 o'clock in the morning. Some of the children were so young that they would not get up at that early hour. So, I would carry them to the nearby pond, give them a bath, and take them to the temple. I would sit at the temple, while the children would do (circumambulation).

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Believe it or not, himself came and stopped Me from going round the temple saying, “O Lord! It is I who should circumambulate you. You should not do this.”

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But the children mistook for an ordinary monkey. I told them that himself came and would not allow Me to circumambulate the temple.

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After this incident, there was a great transformation in the hearts of the children. They went around the village telling people what they witnessed at the temple. This news reached also.

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Next day, she invited Me to her house saying, “, today I have prepared , you should come and partake of them.” In those days food items like and were considered to be rich man’s food. I told that it is not My nature to eat alone leaving so many other children. Then prepared for all the children.

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The need for sathwic food The villagers had lot of reverence for Me. It is because of that the people of started thinking of God for the first time in their lives. It gradually spread to the other villages, too. I used to exhort the villagers to refrain from partaking of non-vegetarian food, consuming liquor, and smoking. I used to stress on the need for sathwic food.

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During the festival of , it was the practice to hold bullock cart races on the riverbed of . They used to whip the bullocks to make them run faster. I would tell the children to insist upon their fathers to stop whipping the bullocks. Not only now, even in those days I taught the principle of nonviolence.

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One who always does good will never be put to disrepute One day the father of this body, , chided Me for interfering in the affairs of the village. He said that the elders knew better and I should not cross My limits. I told him that I could not tolerate killing or ill-treating animals.

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Since he could not convince Me, he directed the mother of this body to advise Me. At the time of serving food, she would tell Me, “, you should not do things that would displease your father. If you do not listen to him, you will earn a bad name in the village.” I argued with her saying I was doing only good and was not bothered about what others said. I emphasized that one who always does good will never be put to disrepute. , the grandfather of this physical body, also supported My argument. He called the villagers and told them that what I was doing was good for the village. He too advised them to refrain from violence and gambling. He cautioned them that lack of unity would lead to unrest in the village. Because of this kind of teachings, some people developed hatred toward Me.

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I had to go to by 7 a.m. to attend the school. Teachers were very affectionate toward Me. Every teacher would first ask as he entered the classroom, “Has come?” Do you realize what I was like in those days? Ours was a poor family. Like children of these days, I did not have dozens of sets of dresses. I just had one pair of shirt and shorts. As soon as I returned from school I would take off My clothes,

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Peace is My nature; love is My very nature When questions were put to Me at school, I would always answer well. Most other students were not good at answering questions. My fellow classmates were quite grown up - in fact, some of them were almost 25 years of age and most of them would be wearing . I was the youngest in the class.

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One day, when I answered a question well, asked Me to slap the other dull students. I would have to climb on to the desk to reach their cheeks. I used to touch them gently on their cheeks.

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As I was returning to , some of the students threw Me down on the sands of the river and dragged me along by my legs. They tore off My shirt and threw Me into the slush. All through this torture I remained calm.

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Peace is My nature. Love is My very nature. Peace is the form of . Bliss is My resolve.

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After reaching the temple I washed My clothes and put them on again. Students may well imagine My state then. If there is a tear in My shirt, there was not even a safety pin available to hold the cloth together. Nor had I any money to buy it. I had no desire to request anyone also. I do not ask for anything from anybody. This resolve I have been upholding from that day to this day.

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I went to temple and took out a thorn from a cactus and used it as a pin to mend the tear on my shirt. If one remains steadfast in his true resolve, anything can be achieved. Once, told Me, “, you are becoming weak. Eat well and grow strong.” My friends would bring everything prepared in their house for Me. But I used to tell them, “See, in your houses meat or fish is cooked and eaten. Please don't bring anything from such houses.” This way, I brought down non-vegetarianism in . In the same manner I had prevented cruelty to animals in the form of cockfights and cart races and also prevented the gambling habit.

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We protect truth and truth protects us Once, some people inimical to Me set fire to the room I was sleeping in. Some 10 children of the age of 6-9 years were sleeping outside in the verandah. The miscreants had locked My room from outside and set fire to the roof. The children were shouting loudly, “! !” I peeped out through the small window smilingly and said, “Don't be afraid.

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(Righteousness, when destroyed, destroys; righteousness when protected, protects).

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The children closed their eyes and chanted “! !” as if it were a . Since the roof was made of hay, there was a big conflagration. Suddenly there was a cloudburst, and the fire was totally put out. The downpour was just over that small hut and nowhere else.

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The joy of the children was indescribable. “, ... What a great miracle?” They were shouting, “We cannot live without you.” I called them in and gave them some guavas and bananas. They asked Me, wherefrom I got these fruits. I told then, “Why do you bother? Eat what is given.” Whether it is a mansion or a wayside shelter what does it matter, it is enough if you get sleep. Likewise, it is enough if your stomach is full.

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’s love for came to know of the episode next day. was a great soul. was her very life. She set afoot a detailed search to find the culprits. They were caught. She ordered that they should be banished from the village. The entire property of the village belonged to her. She was very wealthy. All lands belonged to her. So she ordered them to get out of her lands.

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When she told them this, all those children came to and carried Him over their shoulders. Subbanna, , etc. were very proud people. They carried Me on their shoulders saying, “You must have been some great person in your earlier birth. Otherwise you cannot have such nobleness in you. Because of you, gradually this village is going to attain great fame”

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said, “Don't mistake Him for a small boy. His power is like a lightning strike, how can you understand His true nature?” From that day, she did not allow Me to go out of her house. I stayed in her house and went to school from there itself. She was a great lady. She was sixty years old then. She was always looking for Me, asking, “Is there? Is there?” She would sleep only after seeing Me safe. She was trying to protect Me from the wicked people in the village.

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Attempt on ’s life by poisoning food One day, a lady came. She requested to send to her house for taking snacks in her house. was not very happy at the proposition. She was suspicious and thought that there was some evil intention behind the invitation. She refused and told Me, “ don't go anywhere without my consent.”

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“! Why do you want to thwart her desire?”

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I went there. She had made some . They were poisoned. I ate them. Within five minutes My entire blood stream had turned blue. came to know of this and came running looking for Me. When she found Me, I told her, “Don't worry, what they wanted, they have done. I can look after Myself.” I asked to give Me a tumbler of water with her own hands. As soon as I took that water, the blueness vanished.

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's anger had reached its limits. She said, “Such women will ruin the reputation of . There is no room for such people in this village. Only righteous and good natured people should live here.”

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She called the mothers of 's companions and told them, “These children are not yours. They are all mine. They should be with all the time. They should spend every moment of their life with .” Till recently they were alive. You all may know , he was one of them and is still with us here. He was My classmate in the 6th class. All these children would come to . It is hard to describe their unsullied affection, devotion and attachment to . The has poisoned the minds of children.

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Those days, when stretched Himself to sleep, there was competition between them to take His head on their laps. They would say, “, since you slept on my lap, there is no pain or distress in my body and there is some kind of joy filling me.” I wonder if the children of today will have the same sentiments.

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(as the state of mind, so is the state of person).

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Children of those days were very pure and innocent. resolved then to spread these qualities to the villagers for their own good. Mere bhajan or chanting “, ” is not great.

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Cultivate good habits. One should develop exemplary qualities and earn a good name. is happy when students acquire the reputation of good character. The children’s behavior should be good right from the start. That is why I say,

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Even today, those who were with Me are there as shining examples in the villages. When is returning from , all along the way they offer their salutations, saying “! !” with great joy. Those who have followed Me by car know how these people bring pot-fulls of water and wash the roads. They say, “, you have brought water to us. We have to offer it back to You only.”

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It is for this purpose of transformation that I have not accumulated any money, not a . I have no property worth even a . My entire wealth is My students. I ask for nothing. I only give and give. There is no limit to ’s giving. The devotees must be made happy by giving something. ’s sole concern is the welfare of His devotees. No one needs worry about My welfare. My welfare is in My hands. Therefore, if one leads his life without departing from Truth and Righteousness, life will be fruitful and meaningful.