Students Should Set Ideals For Others

4 June 2009, Prasanthi Nilayam

Published English.

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Since ancient times, women have been performing their duties, serving their husbands, praying to God, and observing high moral principles in their life. In this country (India), honour is considered more valuable than life itself. But, today, in the name of freedom, people are imitating western culture. In the (Indian) culture, decent dress, vermilion mark on the forehead, and proper hairstyle are very important for women. But women today have given up their dress code and have started wearing pants and shirt like men after getting their hair cut. This is totally against culture. Since ancient times, culture has been held in high esteem, and it has been a source of joy for all. But such a sacred culture is being forgotten today. Not only men and women but students are also affected by this modern trend. Students are supposed to conduct themselves with dignity and honour, secure high marks, and make their parents happy. Not only to their parents, they should give happiness to society also.

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“I am ().”

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It is because of your delusion that you ask Me who I am. I am (God), and you are in (delusion). Since you identify yourself with the external form, you are unable to realise the truth contained in the axiom,

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“God is in the form of a human being ().”

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All of you worship , , , and many other deities. Where have these forms come from? They are only the creation of artists like . Whatever pictures such artists make, you consider them as pictures of God. When you see the picture of , you consider it as the form of . No, no, it is only a symbolic representation of . Who is ? is Divinity in human form. Whichever form you attribute to Divinity, contemplate on that form. When you worship that form, your mind may waver quite a bit in the beginning.

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One-pointed focusing of the mind on a particular form is called concentration. When you practise concentration, the wavering of the mind may somewhat reduce. That is the state of contemplation. In contemplation also, there is some wavering of the mind. When the mind becomes totally steady, then only can you call it meditation. Gradually, you forget yourself. That is the state of (superconscious state) in which you transcend all forms. Then, you will experience the attributeless . If you merely sit with closed eyes, it is not meditation.

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See your reflection in all beings God is one, and He is the only reality. There is no second. When you think of Him as , He will manifest before you in the form of . When you think of Him as , He will manifest as . But all these forms are your own imagination. They do not correspond to reality. It is all your mind’s work. You think God will manifest before you when you undertake spiritual practices like worship, rituals, and sacrificial practices. It is only your imagination. Your mind is the cause of this imagination. Continue your spiritual practices till you transcend the mind. Mind is always indulging in imagination. Go beyond the mind. Focus only on the . It has no form. Understand that the formless and attributeless is the only truth. It pervades the whole universe.

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Wherever you look, truth is present there. Divinity is the life force that is immanent in all beings, including insects, birds, and animals. Therefore, whomever you come across, offer your salutations to him. What does it mean? It is not the person to whom you offer your salutations but to the Atmic principle present in him. Hence, even if you come across a mad person, offer your salutations to the present in him. Except God, there is no other entity in the world.

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God is one without a second ().

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One dwells in all beings ().

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When you fill a thousand pots with water, the reflection of the sun is seen in all of them. Does it mean that there are different suns in all the pots? No. The sun is only one. All bodies are like pots. The same is reflected in all of them.

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Everything is reaction, reflection, and resound. You hear the echo of your voice. You see your own reflection in a mirror. You should, therefore, see your own reflection in all beings. If you love someone, it means you are loving yourself. If you hate someone, it means you hate yourself. You think everything that happens is done by God. In fact, you yourself are the cause of everything. If you hate or love someone, God has nothing to do with that. God is always steady, pure, selfless, changeless, and attributeless. It is your ignorance if you imagine that God has attributes. Therefore, do not attribute any particular form to God to worship Him. Focus your mind on the principle of the present in you and consider it as your God.

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Morality is the very life-breath of man When you put a step forward, there is God in it. When you look at something, there is God in it. It is the same current that makes the bulb shine, fan rotate, and mike function. God is the divine force that makes everything function. When you put off the main switch, all the electrical gadgets stop functioning. God is like the main switch. When you forget God, it amounts to forgetting everything. Therefore, always love God. Kill the demons of your evil qualities. Strive for the progress of society. Who can develop society? Only those who have good qualities can develop society. Those who have love for God are endowed with morality. Morality is the very life-breath of man. Without morality, one is lifeless. The whole human race () will be doomed without morality (). What is ? People think that is community. But it is not so. denotes the human race. This is its real meaning. does not refer to any particular caste. It refers to humanity as a whole.

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You say, “I am a , you are a business person (), he is a protector (), you are a labourer ().” This division of people into these four castes is your own creation. It is not given by God. What God has given is only one thing, and that is love. When you develop love in you, you will love everyone. When you don’t have love in you, you will hate others and become distant from them. This is not good.

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Cut the ego and rise to the level of Divinity The entire universe is the creation of God, and every being is the embodiment of Divinity, including small insects. Do not observe any difference between the ant and . propounded the same truth,

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Oh ! In Your pure and unsullied form of love, You dwell in all beings from an ant to as also in and . Please be my protector too. .

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Therefore, God is present in every being. Do not hate or deride anybody. Do not quarrel with anybody. When you lead your life in such a manner, you will be able to realise your Self. You say, “I, I, I”. What does “I” mean? It means ego. As long as you have ego, you will not be able to understand your reality. When you cut the “I” from the middle, it becomes cross (†). The cross symbolises cutting of ego. When you cut your ego, you rise to the level of Divinity. If you have the feeling of “I, mine, and thine,” it will develop duality in you. Duality is not correct. The do not approve of it. All the teach oneness of the principle of . The principle of is without any differences.

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In the realm of all are females The body has been given to you to lead your life in this world and to discharge your duty. Duty is God. Perform your duty. After marriage, you have a wife. Wife has to be treated as wife. But in the realm of the , all are females. You say, “He is my son, he is my son-in-law.” This relationship is of your own making. Truly speaking, nobody is your son and nobody is your son-in-law. It is you who create differences, but, in reality there are no differences. Therefore, consider all as one. The also states this principle of oneness.

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Welcome to all for ’s wedding; together we shall witness the joyous scene. Many have gathered already, decked up in all their finery. With necklaces the ladies are adorned of jewels pure and gleaming. shall tie the knot today to beauteous . Oh, what a fine match they make! Father has made ready bounteous feasts. All learned sages are assembled with presiding. Oh, what an assembly of multitude to rejoice, hearts with joy overflowing! (Telugu Poem)

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Who is ? One who pleases everyone is . When you get happiness from the within you, you become . symbolises the and , the (God, Supreme ). Therefore, the marriage of and symbolises the union of the individual soul () and God (). When the marriage of and took place, all the people of came to see it. After the performance of the marriage of with , went to his dwelling place. Not only did his name denote “friend of universe,” he actually was so. He imparted knowledge to everyone.

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Perform the journey of your life, Adhering to the principles of truth, righteousness, peace, love.

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The principle of love is present in all. When people develop love, there will be no conflicts in the world. Therefore, you should develop love. Never resort to untruth under any circumstances. If you follow untruth, you will never be able to develop love. Therefore, always adhere to truth. Develop love at all times. You can develop love only by following truth and righteousness. These two qualities are most essential for man. This is the essence of all . All the teach the same truth in different ways. The sum and substance of all the teachings of the is that the principle of Divinity is one.

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God is one without a second ().

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Today, there is pollution, pollution, pollution everywhere. There is pollution in water, pollution in food, and pollution even in air. The milk you buy is also polluted. So, everything has become polluted today. Nowhere is there anything pure. Even pure water is not there. It has also become polluted. You are aware that the river comes down from . In our country (India), the is revered as mother. But people are polluting such a sacred river also. A standing in the to perform worship may find even human limbs flowing with water. Similarly, everything is being polluted. Students should develop pure mind to get rid of this pollution. Then only will they become the emancipators of the country. Pure mind is without any doubts, unsullied, steady, and selfless.

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If you imbibe these two qualities, everything will become good for you. Then only will you become a student in the real sense of the term. Students today indulge in hurting others. It is not good if you do not help others. You are not a student at all if you do not develop humility and obedience. These are very essential for students. But, today, educated people have become highly egoistic. They are proud of their Ph.D. degrees. What does Ph.D. mean? The letter ‘P’ stands for person, ‘h’ for help and ‘D’ for divinity. Hence, one with Ph.D. degree is the person who helps others and attains divinity. On the contrary, if he does not help others, then the letter ‘P’ will denote that he is a (sinner). However high an education you may acquire, always remain humble and modest and respect your parents. Even if your parents are too poor to provide two square meals to you in the house, you should still love them. Your mother brings you up putting up with so many difficulties. If you forget such a mother, it is a great sin. Your father also looks after you and helps you in every way. Therefore, never forget and forsake your parents. Love them till your last breath. That is the true quality of a student. Serve your parents and satisfy them. You will find fulfilment in life only when your parents are satisfied.