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Parte II(4 discursos)

DISCURSO 1Lecciones sobre Seva-Sadhana (prctica de servicio)SSS 15.31: 19 de noviembre 1981

LA SOCIEDAD ES la reunin de las personas. La cooperacin entre la gente, conespontaneidad e intenciones puras, es el distintivo del seva (servicio). Seva se puede

identificar mediante dos caractersticas bsicas: compasin y disposicin para el sacrificio.

La historia nos dice que, en todos los pases y en todas las pocas, el hombre es unanimal social. El hombre nace en sociedad, crece en y a travs de ella y su vida termina enla misma sociedad. Las canciones de los hombres, sus palabras, sus deberes y diversiones,todo es determinado por la sociedad. La sociedad es para el hombre lo que el agua para elpez; si la sociedad lo rechaza o lo desdea, no sobrevive.

Lo que un solo individuo no puede lograr, un grupo armonizado o una sociedad,puede hacerlo. Un hombre que camina solo se sentir cansado y miserable al cabo de cincokilmetros; pero caminando con otros diez en un grupo, sentir los cinco kilmetros comoun paseo, y llegar fresco y fuerte. Vivir en sociedad contribuye a incrementar la felicidady la eficacia del esfuerzo entre los pjaros y las bestias. Ellos son capaces de defenderse delos enemigos, asegurar el alimento y el abrigo, emigrar a lugares a grandes distancias, todoesto actuando en grupo. Aun las hormigas saben del inmenso beneficio que se deriva de laactividad gregaria y de la organizacin social. Los monos tambin viven en grupos paraobtener mayor seguridad y alegra.

Djenme decirles que nada es imposible de conseguir si una sociedad organizadadecide obtenerlo. Aun la liberacin de los conflictos materiales puede ganarse a travs delservicio, as como promover el progreso de la sociedad. Mediante el sentido de unidad, lavoluntad de sacrificio y la compasin, todos los objetivos se pueden alcanzar. As, lasOrganizaciones Sai deben avanzar con entusiasmo en el campo del servicio a la sociedad.

La primera leccin sobre el servicio se debe aprender dentro del crculo de lafamilia. Padre, madre, hermanos; en este limitado grupo que est bien enlazado, debe unocomprometerse en un servicio amoroso y prepararse as para el servicio ms amplio quenos espera fuera del hogar. El carcter de cada uno de los miembros determina la paz y laprosperidad de la familia; el carcter de cada familia es el factor bsico de la felicidad y elbienestar del pueblo y la comunidad, y el progreso de la nacin est basado en la fortalezay la felicidad de las comunidades que la componen. Por lo tanto, para el bienestar del pasy del mundo entero son una urgente necesidad el espritu de servicio, el entusiasmo vital,la imaginacin constructiva, las motivaciones puras y la viveza mental sin egosmo.

Tomen a Hanumn como su ejemplo en el servicio. l sirvi a Rama, el prncipe dela rectitud, mostrando indiferencia a todo tipo de obstculos. Aunque era fuerte, docto yvirtuoso, no tena traza de orgullo. Cuando los Rakshasas de Lanka, lugar adonde haba


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debe producir en nosotros. Nadie puede servir a otro mientras su ego subsista dominante.Las actitudes de ayuda mutua y servicio sin egosmo desarrollan lo humano y ayudan a laexpansin de la divinidad latente en l.

Krishna fue conocido por todos como todopoderoso, todocompasivo y omnisciente.

An as, el entusiasmo para realizar servicio lo hizo acercarse a Dharmaraja, el mayor delos hermanos Pandavas, la vspera del magnfico yaga Rajasuya que haba planeadocelebrar, y se ofreci a prestar servicio de cualquier clase. l sugiri que podraasignrsele la tarea de limpiar el comedor despus de que los invitados hubierondisfrutado del banquete! Krishna insisti en la limpieza exterior e interior; ropas pulcras ymentes puras es la combinacin ideal.

Durante la batalla de Kurukshetra, clmax de la historia del Mahabharata, Krishnasirvi como "conductor" del carruaje de Arjuna durante todo el da, y cuando la noche hizosuspender el combate, condujo los caballos al ro, les dio un bao refrescante y les aplicblsamo en las heridas sufridas durante la feroz refriega. Remend las riendas y losarneses y puso el carruaje en condiciones de servir en otro combate al da siguiente.

El Seor sirve de ejemplo para que los devotos lo imiten. Afirma que servir acualquier ser vivo es servirlo a l, servicio que acepta con la mayor alegra. El serviciohecho a las bestias, a los hombres, es un sadhana laudable. Mantener los alrededores denuestra casa limpios, brindar ayuda a los vecinos, acudir a los hospitales y atender a losenfermos deben ser actos de servicio activo para los miembros de las Organizaciones Saide Servicio. Muchas personas hacen lo anterior como "servicio social", no como unaprctica espiritual sincera; el espritu del sadhana est ausente.

Con la prctica del servicio Hanumn alcanz identidad con Rama, de la mismamanera que el ro se identifica con el ocano. Arjuna tambin consider cada acto como un

sadhana para adquirir la gracia de Krishna porque l le orden luchar tenindolo siempreen su mente. Tambin ustedes deben tener a Dios siempre en sus mentes como su ejemplomientras atienden a los pacientes en los hospitales o limpian el desage de un mercado.ste es el tapas, sta es la ms alta forma de sadhana. Ms que escuchar cien conferenciaso darlas a otros, ofrecer un acto de genuino servicio atrae la gracia de Dios.

El cuerpo tiene que utilizarse para servir a otros, la actividad es su principalpropsito. Krishna dice: "No tengo necesidad de empearme en tareas, pero yo hago eltrabajo para activar el mundo". Mucha ms felicidad se puede obtener al servir a otros quela que se obtiene sirvindose slo a uno mismo. Brinden servicio al necesitado, con todo elcorazn y experimenten alegra y bienaventuranza. No tiene que ser un gran servicio,puede hasta pasar desapercibido; slo debe hacerse para agradar a Dios, un asunto entreustedes y l.

Necesitamos hoy en da a aqullos que se deleiten en el servicio desinteresado,pero tales hombres se ven raramente. Cada uno de los que pertenecen a lasOrganizaciones Sathya Sai debe volverse un sevak (servidor), ansioso de ayudar a los quelo necesitan. Cuando un sevak se vuelve un nayak (lder), el mundo prospera, slo unkinkara (siervo) puede llegar a ser y volverse un shankara (maestro). Por supuesto, debeneliminar el ego totalmente; aun una pizca de l atraer el desastre. No importa cuntotiempo hagan meditacin, no importa cuntas veces repitan el Nombre Divino, un poquitode ego anular sus resultados. Los bhajans (cantos devocionales) entonados con orgulloegosta se tornarn duros como el graznido del cuervo. Por eso, traten de evitar que su ego

se asocie con su sadhana, ni en el menor grado. Todos conocemos la historia deVisvamitra, quien, despus de efectuar por aos severas austeridades, obtuvo el poder decrear otro cielo sujeto a su voluntad. Su ego lo hizo intensamente apasionado y de vivo


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sabio Vasishta, quien era adorado como Brahmarishi, y ansiaba ese ttulo para l. Esto lohizo an ms rajsico. Cuanto ms grande era su deseo, ms altas se elevaban las llamas desu ego.

Las Organizaciones Sathya Sai han establecido el servicio como sadhana, como una

manera de desenraizar de la mente este mal rasgo. El servicio los ayuda a eliminar el ego;por eso, no presten atencin a lo que los otros puedan decir cuando ustedes estninmersos en actividades de servicio. Si ustedes ejecutan buenas acciones, por qu dudar,por qu sentir vergenza, por qu temer? Que la compasin y el sacrificio sean sus dosojos; que la ausencia de ego sea su aliento y el amor su lengua; que la paz reverbere en susodos; sos son los cinco elementos vitales en los cuales ustedes tienen que vivir. Dios noles preguntar cundo y dnde hicieron servicio, l preguntar: con qu motivo lohicieron?, cul fue la intencin que los movi? Ustedes pueden medir el servicio yvanagloriarse de su cantidad; sin embargo, Dios busca la calidad del corazn, la pureza dela mente, la santidad del motivo.

Ustedes han estado haciendo servicio durante diez o doce aos, como miembros

del comit de servicio, en muchos campos y direcciones, no son novatos; estn conscientesdel camino del servicio. Pero, puesto que son humanos, el velo y la niebla, la maleza y losgusanos, infestan la mente, las dudas y el miedo los persiguen y obstaculizan su trabajo.Pero estn alertas contra su embestida, esfurcense cada da, con fe en el ideal que tienenpor delante, mejoren sus actividades de servicio con lineamientos sagrados y puros, sinegosmo.

Este da y maana, personas con experiencia les hablarn de los medios y mtodospor los cuales sus actividades de servicio pueden volverse ms benficas para un mayornmero de gente necesitada. Ustedes tambin tendrn que debatir este tema, deliberenentre ustedes acerca de un mtodo eficaz y propongan algunas modificaciones para

mejorar su programa de servicio. Ms tarde yo les resolver cualquier duda que surja y losaconsejar, no slo acerca del servicio aqu y ahora, sino para adquirir paz y alegra parasiempre; conversar con ustedes y los premiar con bienaventuranza a travs de misbendiciones.

Conferencia de las Organizaciones de Servicio

19 XI 81

PART IIDISCOURSE 1

Lessons on SevSdhanSSS 15.31: November 19, 1981

Society is the coming together of people. Cooperation among people in a society,motivated by spontaneity and by pure intentions, is the hallmark of sev (selfless service).Sev can be identified by means of two basic characteristics: compassion and willingnessto sacrifice. History informs us that, in all countries and in every age, the human is a socialanimal. The human being is born in society. He or she grows in and through society and his

or her life ends in society itself. A human beings songs and speech, duties and diversions,are all determined by society. Society for the human is like water for fish. If society rejectsa person or neglects a person he or she cannot survive


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What a single individual cannot accomplish, a well-knit group or society can achieve. Aperson walking alone will feel tired and miserable at the end of five miles but walking withten others as a group he or she will find the five miles a jaunt. That person arrivesrefreshed and strong. Social living contributes increased happiness and more efficienteffort among birds and beasts. They are able to defend themselves from enemies, securefood and shelter and migrate to places beyond great distances when they act as a group.Even ants have learned that immense benefits are derivable from group activity and socialorganisation. Monkeys also live in groups for greater security and happier lives.

Let me tell you that nothing is impossible to achieve if an organised society is set onachieving it. Even liberation from material entanglement (moksha) can be won throughserving and promoting the progress of society. Through the sense of unity, the willingnessto sacrifice and the softness of compassion all objects can be gained. So, the Sathya SaiOrganisation must move forward with hearty enthusiasm in the field of service to society.Service Must Bring About Uprooting of Ego

The first lesson in sev (selfless service) has to be learned in the family circle itself.Father, mother, brothers, sistersin this limited group, which is well-knit, one mustengage in loving service and prepare for the wider sev that awaits outside the home. The

character of each individual member determines the peace and prosperity of the family.The character of each family is the basic factor that decides the happiness and joy of thevillage or the community. And the nations progress is based on the strength andhappiness of the communities which are its components. So, for the welfare of the countryand of the entire world, the spirit of service, vital enthusiasm, constructive imagination,pure motivation and unselfish alertness are all urgently needed.61

Take Hanuman as your example in sev. He served Rama, the Prince of Righteousness,regardless of obstacles of all types. Though he was strong, learned and virtuous, he had notrace of pride. When asked who he was by the Rakshasas (demons) in Lanka, into which hehad entered so daringly, he described himself in all humility as the servant of Rama. Thatis a fine example of uprooting of the ego that sev must bring about in us. No one can serveanother while the ego is rampant. The attitudes of mutual help and selfless service develophumanness and help the unfoldment of the Divinity latent in the human.

Krishna was known to all as almighty, all-knowing, all-encompassing and all-fulfilling.Yet, the enthusiasm to do sev prompted Him to approach Dharmaraja, the eldest of thePandava brothers, on the eve of the magnificent Rjasya Yagna (ritual ceremonyperformed by the kings) he had planned to celebrate and offered to take up sev of anykind. He suggested that He might be given the task of cleaning the dining hall after theguests had partaken of the feast. Krishna insisted on outer cleanliness and inner cleansing.Clean clothes and clean minds are the ideal combination.

During the battle of Kurukshetra, which climaxed the Mahabharata story, Krishnaserved as the driver of the chariot of Arjuna throughout the day on the field and whendusk caused the adjournment of the fight, He led the horses to the river, gave them a

refreshing bath and applied healing balms to the wounds suffered by them during thefierce fray. He mended the reins and the harness and rendered the chariot battle-worthyfor another day. The Lord sets the example for the devotees to follow. He teaches thatservice done to any living being is offered to Him only and is accepted by Him mostjoyfully. Service rendered to cattle, to beasts, to human beings is laudable sdhan(spiritual discipline).Sev Rendered to Every Living Being Is Sdhan

The Lord sets the example for the devotees to follow. He teaches that service done toany living being is offered to Him only and is accepted by Him most joyfully. Servicerendered to cattle, to beasts, to human beings is laudable sdhan (spiritual discipline).Keeping the environment of our residences clean, providing help to those who live aroundthe place, going to hospitals and serving the patients who are in the wardsin such acts ofservice the members of the Sathya Seva Organisation must take active part. Many do suchthings now as social service, not as a sdhan in a full-hearted manner. The sdhan

f d h


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Through sev sdhan, Hanuman attained identity with Rama, as the river attains identitywith the sea. Arjuna too considered every act as sdhan to attain the grace of Krishna, forKrishna directed him to fight on, ever keeping Him in memoryMmanusmara

yuddhyacha. You too should keep God ever in your mind as the pace-setter, whether youare serving patients in the hospitals or cleaning a drain in the bazaar. That is the tapas(penance). That is the highest form of sdhan. More than listening to a hundred lecturesor delivering them to others, offering one act of genuine sev attracts the grace of God.The body has to be utilised for service to others. Activity is its main purpose. Krishna says,I have no need to be engaged in work but I do work in order to set an example for the

world. More nanda can be won by serving others than what can be got by merely servingoneself. Offer service to someone in need, with a full heart, and experience the nanda thatresults. It need not be something big. It can be small and unnoticed by others. It has to bedone to please the God within you and within the one you are serving.Avoid the Ego Marring Your SdhanWe require today those who take delight in selfless service, but such human beings arerarely seen. You who belong to the Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, every one of you, mustbecome a sevak (servant), eager to help those who need it. When the sevak becomes the

nyak (leader), the world will prosper. Only a kinkara (servant) can grow into a shankara(master). Of course, one has to eliminate the ego totally. Even a trace of it will bringdisaster. However long you may do dhyna (meditation), however constant your japa(recitation), a little ego will render them barren of results. Bhajan done with egoistic pridewill be as 62

harsh as the crows caw. So try to avoid the ego marring your sdhan, even to a smallextent.

You all know the story of Vishwamitra, who, as a result of severe tapas for years, hadearned the power even to create another heaven amenable to his will. His ego made himintensely passionate and short tempered (rjasic). So he was known as rja-yogi andrjarishi. He was jealous of the sage Vasishta who was adored as a Brahmarishi and soughtthat title for himself. This made him even more rjasic. The wilder his desire, the higherrose the ego flames.Be Vigilant against Doubts and Fears

The Sathya Sai Organisation has laid down sev as sdhan in order to uproot fromyour mind this evil trait. Service helps you to remove the ego. So, do not pay heed to whatothers might say when you engage in service activities. When you are doing good acts, whyhesitate, why feel ashamed, why fear? Let compassion and sacrifice be your two eyes. Letegolessness be your breath and love be your tongue. Let peace reverberate in your ears.These are the five vital elements you have to live upon. God will not ask you, When andwhere did you do service? He will ask, With what motive did you do it? What was the

intention that prompted you? You may weigh the sev and boast of its quantity. But Godseeks quality, the quality of the heart, the purity of the mind, the holiness of the motive.

You have been doing, as sevdal (volunteer service corps) members, sev in many fieldsand directions for ten or twelve years. You are not novices. You are aware of the sev-wayof life. But since you are human, veils and fog, weeds and worms infest the mind. Doubtsand fears haunt your work. But be vigilant against the onslaughts of these. Strive everyday, faithful to the ideal you have set before yourself, to improve your sev activities alongpure, unselfish, sacred lines. This day and tomorrow, people with years of experience willbe telling you the means and methods by which your sev activities can become morebeneficial to a larger number of deserving people. You will also have group discussions onthese topics. Confer among yourselves in a meaningful way and arrive at some proposalsfor bettering your service programmes. Later, I shall resolve any doubts that arise andadvise you not only for sev here and now, but also for attaining peace and joy forever. Ishall converse with you and reward you with nanda through My Blessings.63


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DISCURSO 2Nacidos para Servir

SSS 20.26: 19 de noviembre 1987

Solo el servicio desinteresado, con un corazn compasivo, es verdadero Servicio.

Seguro alcanzar la paz aquel que sirve con un espritu amistoso.

Esto es la Verdad.

Esto es la Verdad.

Encarnaciones del Divino Atma! Deben saber que la vida les ha sido otorgada parael servicio desinteresado y no para ser vivida con fines egostas. Solo por medio delservicio puede experimentarse la unidad de la humanidad. El servicio desinteresado es elsostn del karma yoga, de la dedicacin a lo Divino por medio de la accin. La base delyoga es disciplinar la mente y el cuerpo por medio del servicio desinteresado.

La sociedad honra solo a aquellas personas que prestan un servicio a la sociedad.

Esas personas se ganan la gracia de Dios. Cada uno debe tomar conciencia de laimportancia suprema que reviste el servicio desinteresado. El espritu de servicio debe irjunto con la disposicin al sacrificio. Solo entonces puede llamarse servicio desinteresadolibre de toda mancha de inters egosta. Ese es el servicio que le da sabor a la vida.

El amor universal sostiene la vida nutrindola. El amor es el aliento vital delhombre. La magnanimidad de espritu le da fragancia a la vida.

Por ms importante que sea una persona, tiene que tomar conciencia de que lameta principal de la vida es prestarles un servicio a sus semejantes. La relacin madre-hijo, preceptor-discpulo, Diosdevoto, est basada en la dependencia mutua. No puede

haber un hijo sin una madre, un discpulo sin un maestro, un devoto sin Dios.

Cada uno est asociado con el otro con un lazo indestructible.

Debe prestarse servicio a los desvalidos Hay que estar dispuesto a servir a otrosms que preferir ser servido por ellos. Adems, no hay nada meritorio en servir a aquellosque estn muy por encima de nosotros, pues pueden disponer de los servicios deayudantes. Prestar un servicio a aquellos que estn en la misma posicin que uno tampocoes destacable. Debe prestarse servicio a aquellos que estn peor que uno y que han sidoabandonados por el mundo.

Hay tres niveles de personas: en el nivel ms alto estn aquellos que podranubicarse en la categora de Lakshmi-Narayana.


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No hay necesidad de prestar servicio a un Lakshmi-Narayana, ya que tendr sirvientes quelo atiendan. El Ashvattha Narayana es el tipo de persona que est llena de interminablesdeseos y nunca se conforma con sus logros o sus ganancias. No es necesario prestarservicio a tales personas. Son los dbiles, los desvalidos y los indefensos quienes precisanayuda. Pero, cuando prestamos servicio a estas personas, no debemos sentir que estamossirviendo a otros, sino que estamos sirviendo al Seor Narayana, que mora en ellos.

Cuando se ofrece un servicio con un espritu de dedicacin total, con unaconcentracin de pensamiento, palabra y accin, el corazn se santifica. Sin pureza decorazn, no puede haber progreso espiritual.

Los trabajadores activos no deben ser arrogantes Los trabajadores activos delmovimiento Sai no deben albergar ningn sentimiento de arrogancia u ostentacin alllevar a cabo sus actividades. Deben tener la mente amplia, completamente libre depreocupaciones egostas, y deben desarrollar amor hacia todos.

Ellos son la columna vertebral de la Organizacin Sai. Deben entender cules son

las cualidades humanas y practicarlas. Si no adoptan la actitud correcta, el servicioprestado con un espritu egosta es una caricatura del servicio. Deben librarse del sentidode lo mo y lo tuyo.

La preocupacin por el propio bienestar y felicidad es la consecuencia de la mentedual. Produce descontento y afliccin. Los sentimientos de apego y aversin manchan lamente y, con el servicio, se la puede purificar. Las prcticas religiosas externas, comobaarse varias veces al da, desparramar vibhuti por todas partes y pronunciar mantrasmecnicamente no servirn para limpiar la mente de impurezas. Eso es algo externo, sinespiritualidad.

Hoy se ignora el conocimiento trascendental que puede obtenerse por laindagacin minuciosa y la fe firme que ayuda a elevar al hombre del nivel animal. No sehace ningn esfuerzo por adquirir este conocimiento. Confundiendo lo verdadero con lofalso, los hombres estn inmersos en la acumulacin de objetos efmeros, a los queconsideran permanentes. Deben salir de este estrecho surco.

Deben superar sus tendencias egostas y aprender a considerar a toda lahumanidad una sola familia. Eso es verdadero servicio.

Pocos tienen este enfoque amplio hoy en da.

No corran detrs de la fama El primer requisito, por lo tanto, es librar al corazn detodos los malos pensamientos, el egosmo, el orgullo y otras cualidades indeseables paraque el espritu del amor pueda encontrar su justo lugar en l. Solo un corazn lleno deamor es puro y santo. Por esto deben emprender las actividades de servicio con unespritu amoroso. No se preocupen por la fama. No es un producto comercial o un artculoque se puede obtener de otro. Fluye espontneamente como un ro, que primero espequeo, pero luego va adquiriendo volumen poco a poco. No busquen tener renombre odistincin.

Concentren la mente en el logro de sus objetivos. Llenen el corazn de amor ydedquense al servicio. El hombre que no es capaz de prestar un servicio a otros no es unhombre en absoluto.

Presten servicio de acuerdo con su capacidad Hemos nacido solo para servir a lai d d t d b d C l i l i i t i l


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meritoria y digna. Un acto de servicio en s mismo puede ser algo pequeo, pero deberealizarse de todo corazn.

As como una vaca transforma lo que come en la dulce y saludable leche, cualquierclase de servicio que se preste con un corazn puro dar como resultado un gran bien. No

deben tener en mente ninguna recompensa al prestar el servicio. Este es mi deber. Yonac para servir, con esta actitud deben emprender el servicio.

Todos los seres de la creacin viven prestndose servicios mutuos, y nadie puedeconsiderarse superior a otro. Cada persona debe prestar servicio de acuerdo con sucapacidad y el mbito de sus actividades. El cuerpo humano tiene varios miembros, perolas manos no pueden hacer lo mismo que las piernas, ni pueden los ojos cumplir la funcinde los odos. De la misma forma, entre los seres humanos hay diferencias. Sus capacidadesy aptitudes pueden variar, pero cada uno debe tomar parte en la actividad de servicio deacuerdo con su capacidad, sus herramientas y su especialidad.

Cualquier individuo puede ofrecer adoracin y dedicarse a las actividades

espirituales de acuerdo con sus preferencias. Pero, desde mi punto de vista, el mrito quese puede obtener por el servicio es mayor que lo que conseguiremos con las prcticasreligiosas.

Ni con las penurias ni con los baos ceremoniales en aguas sagradas, ni con elestudio de las escrituras ni con la meditacin puede cruzarse el ocano de la vida sinprestar servicio a los buenos.

Acten con grandeza de corazn No importa cuntos peregrinajes emprendamos;si nuestro corazn ansa solo objetos mundanos, nunca quedar limpio. La bsqueda de laliberacin (mukti) que emprende el individuo est centrada en s mismo. Eso no est bien.

Uno debe esforzarse por ayudar a otros a que tambin alcancen la liberacin. Ese es elverdadero servicio. Pocos muestran esta grandeza de corazn hoy en da.

Cmo pueden ganarse la gracia de Dios aquellos que se han dedicado sin pausa aperseguir objetivos egostas? Por lo tanto, para comenzar, deben tomar conciencia de ladivinidad que es inherente a todos los seres humanos e impregna todo el cosmos. Parapoder captar la naturaleza de la divinidad, debe entenderse la unidad que incluye ladiversidad. Mientras no se comprenda la divinidad, no podr entenderse ni siquiera lanaturaleza humana.

Dejen de lado el egosmo, que es la causa del dualismo y de los opuestos que de l

derivan: alegra y afliccin, preferencias y aversiones, etctera. El egosta no puedecomprender su propia naturaleza; mucho menos, la de otros. Por eso, el primer paso escomprenderse a uno mismo. Cada persona se refiere a yo, pero dnde est localizado?Y de dnde surge? Las antiguas escrituras sostenan que el corazn (hridayam) es el lugardonde se asienta el ego (ahamkaram). Esto podra sugerir que el yo est en alguna partedel cuerpo. Pero no es as. El corazn lo impregna todo.

Es conocido tambin como el Atma.

Algunos creen que el Atma reside en el corazn. Esto tambin es incorrecto. Elcorazn y el Atma son uno, y no hay que verlos como entidades diferentes. Si fuera as,cabra preguntarse: por qu las personas estn inmersas en la oscuridad de la ignorancia?

Porque su visin no se extiende ms all del Atma. Ni siquiera sobrepasa la mente.A l i d i ll d l t d l l d l i i


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la luna y el solobtiene su luz del Atma, y, cuando la visin se dirige hacia el Atma, lamente desaparece o deja de brillar.

Son pocos los que prestan servicio con amor Es necesario comprender que el Atmaest presente en todo.

Hay que cultivar un sentimiento de amor hacia los dems. El cosmos (vishvam) esuna proyeccin de lo Divino (Vishnuswarupam).

No hay necesidad de buscar lo Divino en ningn lugar en especial, pues esomnipresente. Los rituales religiosos formales o la erudicin espiritual no los llevarn arealizar a Dios. No se requiere un gran desarrollo intelectual para el sadhana espiritual. Esmejor contar con una sola persona de corazn bondadoso que con cien intelectualesvanidosos. Debemos practicar para volvernos hombres buenos, capaces de emprendertareas dignas. Si sus mentes estn llenas de odio, envidia, preferencias y aversiones, noestn capacitados para emprender tareas de servicio.

Ofrezcan sus servicios y reciban amor. Esta es la receta para experimentar laDivinidad. Pero hoy en da el servicio no se ofrece de corazn. Pocos prestan servicio conamor y, as, pocos reciben la gracia de Dios. Hasta su amor es egocntrico y acotado.Nuestro amor no debe limitarse a nuestros parientes. Debe extenderse ms all de lafamilia, a la sociedad en su conjunto, luego a la nacin en general, y, finalmente, al mundoentero.

El servicio prestado con el espritu adecuado es dharma Esta es la consecuencia delllamado de Buda: Sangham Sharanam Gachchami, o sea, Yo me refugio en el sangha o

sociedad.

Partiendo del intelecto (buddhi) debemos ir ms all, a la sociedad (sangham). Deesta manera, se alcanza la unidad de la sociedad.

Pero el solo hecho de reconocernos como miembros de la sociedad no es suficiente.Debemos cumplir, por medio del servicio, con nuestra obligacin para con la sociedad.Este es el sentido del ruego: Dharmam Sharanam Gachchami, el servicio prestado con elespritu adecuado es dharma.

El servicio es tambin el camino para realizar a Dios. Dios es la personificacin delAmor, la Verdad y la Paz. Por tanto, para realizar a Dios, debemos cultivar el Amor,adherirnos a la Verdad y experimentar la Paz dentro de nosotros mismos. El cuerpo

humano es como un carruaje, y el Atma es el conductor. Los cuerpos pueden tenerdiferentes formas y nombres. Pero el Atma es uno y el mismo. Reconozcan la unidad quesubyace tras la aparente diversidad. Por ejemplo, el hambre es comn a todos, aunque laclase de alimento con el cual es aplacada puede variar de un emperador a un mendigo. Dela misma forma, la alegra y la afliccin, el nacimiento y la muerte son hechos comunes atodos.

El Atma es comn a todas las personas. Reconociendo esta unicidad, el hombredebe dedicarse a servir a todos. Lamentablemente, hoy no existe el sentimiento de unidaden el mundo. Todos los problemas que acosan a la humanidad se deben a la falta deunidad.

Ejemplifiquen la cualidad de Samatva en el servicio La tarea principal de lasOrganizaciones Sai es fomentar la unidad sobre la base de que todos son chispas de loDi i tit l f ili Si d t d d f d t l d d


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sirve prestar toda clase de servicios. No puede haber santidad en el servicio, si carecen debuenos pensamientos y sentimientos.

Solo aquel que es puro de corazn, desinteresado y que piensa en todos por igual(samatva) puede ofrecer el servicio como una accin correcta (dharma).

Grandes devotos del pasado fueron ejemplos de esta cualidad:

pensar en todos por igual (samatva). Tenemos el caso del santo Tukaram. lmantena su casa cultivando un pequeo terreno.

Sin embargo, era indiferente a sus propias necesidades y pasaba todo el tiempo enla contemplacin de Dios. Un ao cultiv caa de azcar. Cuando la caa estuvo lista parala cosecha, la gente que pasaba por ah se acerc a l para pedirle un trozo de caa.Generoso y sacrificado por naturaleza, Tukaram les permiti sacar toda la caa quequeran. A ese ritmo, qued slo una cuarta parte de la cosecha. Tukaram la cort y lacarg en su carreta.

En el camino, muchos nios le pidieron caa, y Tukaram la reparti sin problemas.

Cuando lleg a la casa, le quedaba una sola caa. Al ver la carreta vaca, su esposase enoj mucho y lo rega:

No piensas en tu esposa y tus hijos? Por qu te desprendes tan fcilmente detoda la caa?

Tukaram no dejaba de sonrer mientras su esposa lo abrumaba con preguntas.Finalmente, le dijo:

Aqu tienes un trozo de caa que he trado para ti.

Incapaz de contener su ira, ella le arranc el trozo de caa a Tukaram y lo golpeen las piernas con l. La caa se quebr en dos, y ella se qued con una mitad en la mano.Tukaram se ri de buena gana.

Yo me estaba preguntando en el camino a casa cmo dividir la caa entre t y losnios dijo. Ahora tengo la respuesta. La caa que qued en tu mano es tu parte. Losnios pueden compartir la otra mitad.

Se sinti feliz por la forma en que su esposa haba distribuido la caa en partesiguales para todos. Esta es la manera en que los devotos expresan su sentido de igualdadpara con todas las personas.

No hay lugar para la envidia en la Organizacin Sai Los servidores Sai debencultivar el mismo espritu de tolerancia y serenidad para poder prestar un servicio eficaz ala sociedad.

Es impropio que algn miembro de las Organizaciones Sai les guarde rencor aotros. Todos deben comportarse como los hijos de una sola madre. Piensen que cada unoes una encarnacin del Divino Atma. Solo entonces podrn prestar servicio con celo y

energa.

No importa la riqueza o la posicin que puedan tener; en lo que concierne al


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Recuerden que la riqueza y la posicin no son permanentes.

Qu se puede lograr por medio de ellas? Pueden obtener lo que estn destinados aobtener y perder lo que estn destinados a perder.

Nada de esto puede evitarse por ningn subterfugio. Solo la gracia de lo Divinopermanecer para siempre.

Hoy se lleva a cabo una conferencia de trabajadores activos.

Hay muchos que solicitan poder prestar un servicio social. Pero el egosmo estpresente hasta en el campo del servicio. Ese egosmo no debera tener lugar alguno en lasOrganizaciones Sai. El individuo y la sociedad son uno. Lo que uno hace para la sociedad,es tambin bueno para s mismo. Cuando se presta el servicio con este espritu, tanto elindividuo como la sociedad obtienen un beneficio.

Tal vez no sea fcil cultivar ese sentido de identidad. Pero con el esfuerzo continuo,se puede llegar a superar el sentido de lo mo y lo tuyo y a identificarse con la sociedad

en general. Si hay voluntad, se puede lograr cualquier cosa. El poder de decisin(sankalpa) de una persona vivir ms que ella.

Piensen en el servicio como una ofrenda a Dios Todo servicio debe considerarseuna ofrenda a Dios y todas las oportunidades de servicio deben tomarse como un don deDios.

Cuando el servicio se ofrece con este espritu, a su debido tiempo conducir a laautorrealizacin.

Es este servicio desinteresado, con una orientacin espiritual, lo que se necesitahoy en da. Le proporcionar un clima de serena paz a un mundo plagado de conflictos ycaos. Considrense a s mismos hermanos de una familia, pero no se queden all. Vayanms all del parentesco hasta la unidad tmica. Deben pasar de lo fsico (annamaya) a lams alta sabidura (vijanamaya), y de all al estado de Bienaventuranza Divina(Anandamaya). Dejen totalmente de lado el egosmo y los intereses personales, ydedquense a las tareas de servicio como el ms elevado propsito de la vida.

El servicio debe ser su aliento vital. Convirtanse en servidores ideales y den unejemplo al mundo.

Discurso inaugural pronunciado en la Conferencia de Servidores Sai Activos de laIndia, en el Auditorio Purnachandra, el 19 de noviembre de 1987.

Tengan siempre presente el significado y el propsito de la vida, y experimentenese propsito y ese significado.

Ustedes Son Aquello, esa es la verdad. Ustedes y el universo son uno; ustedes y loAbsoluto son uno; ustedes y lo Eterno son uno. No son lo individual, lo particular, lotemporal. Sintanlo, spanlo y acten en consecuencia.

Baba


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mechanically will not serve to cleanse the mind of impurities. These are only outwardshow, with nothing spiritual about them.

Transcendental knowledge that can arise through diligent enquiry and steadfast faith,and which will help to raise the human being from the animal level, is being ignored today.No effort is made to acquire this knowledge. Perceiving untruth as truth and treating truthas untruth human beings are immersed in accumulating ephemeral objects, consideringthem as permanent. Human beings must get out of this narrow groove. They must outgrowtheir selfish tendencies and learn to regard the whole of humankind as one family. That istrue service. Few have such a large-hearted approach today.Do Not Go after Name or FameThe first requisite, therefore, is to get rid of all the bad thoughts, the selfishness, pride andother undesirable qualities from the heart so that the spirit of love can find its rightfulplace in it. Only a heart filled with love is pure and holy. Hence you should take up serviceactivities in a loving spirit. You should not be concerned about name or fame. Fame is not acommercial product or a commodity that can be got from someone. It flows spontaneouslylike a river, which starts in a small way, but gathers volume as it goes along. Do not goafter name or distinction. Concentrate your mind upon achieving your objectives. Fill your

heart with love and engage yourselves in service. The human being who cannot do serviceto others is not a human being at all.Render Service According to Your CapacityWe must consider that we have taken birth only to render service to society as a sacredduty. Whatever small service we may do, if we do it in the right spirit, serving with nothought of self, we shall be doing something commendable and worthwhile. An act ofservice by itself may be a small thing but it must be done wholeheartedly. Just as a cowtransforms whatever it may consume into sweet, wholesome milk, any kind of servicerendered with a pure heart will result in great good. You should not have any returns inview in rendering service. This is my duty. I am born to serve. It is with such an attitudethat you should take up service.All beings in creation are living by rendering mutual service and no one can be consideredsuperior to another. Every person should render service according to his or her capacityand according to the sphere of his or her activities. There are various limbs in the humanbody. But the hands cannot do what the legs are capable of; nor can the eyes perform theduties of the ears. What the ears can enjoy, the eyes cannot. Likewise, among humanbeings there are differences. Their capacities and aptitudes may vary. But each should takepart in service activity according to his or her ability, equipment and field of work.Any individual may offer worship and engage in spiritual activities according to his or herpref65

erences. But the merit to be gained through service is greater than what can transpirethrough these religious observances.

Na tapmsi Na trthm, Na shstrm Na japnapi

Samsra Sgarottram, Sajjanasevanam Vin.(Neither by penance nor by taking baths in sacred waters; neither by the study of

scriptures nor through meditation can one cross this ocean of worldly life. This ocean of

worldly life can be crossed only by rendering service to the good.)Develop a Large-Hearted Approach

Whatever pilgrimages we may undertake, our hearts hanker after only worldly objectsand hence no cleansing of the heart occurs. The individuals quest for mukti (liberation) isself-centred. This is not right. One should strive to help others also to achieve liberation.That is true service.

Few have such a large-hearted approach today. How can those who have beenimmersed ceaselessly in selfish pursuits earn the grace of God? Therefore, to begin with,there must be realisation of the Divinity that is inherent in all human beings and whichpervades the entire cosmos. The unity that subsumes the diversity has to be understood inorder to grasp the nature of Divinity. So long as there is no understanding of Divinity,h b d d f h


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Eliminate selfishness, which is the cause of dualism and its brood of opposites, joy andsorrow, likes and dislikes. The egoist cannot understand his or her own true nature, muchless that of others. Hence, the first step is understanding ones own self. Everyone refers to

I but where is it located? And wherefrom does it arise? According to the scriptures itarises from the Hridayam (the heart). It is all-pervasive. It is otherwise known asAtma.

Some consider that the Atma dwells in the heart. This is also wrong. Hridayam andAtma are one and to view them as different entities is wrong. If this is the case, it may beasked, Why are people plunged in the darkness of ignorance? It is because their vision isnot directed towards Atma. It does not go beyond the mind. One who is unable to gobeyond the mind cannot escape from the shroud of ignorance. The way out of thiscondition is to realise that like the moon and the sun, the mind derives its light from theAtma and when the vision is turned towards the Atma the mind fades away or ceases toshine.Few Render Service with LoveIt is necessary to realise that theAtma is all-pervasive and to cultivate a feeling of love forall. The vishwam (cosmos) is a projection of the Vishuswarpam (the Divine). There is noneed to search in any particular place for the Divine who is omnipresent. Formal religious

observances or spiritual scholarship will not lead to God-realisation. It is not intellectualeminence that is required for the spiritual sdhan (spiritual discipline). It is better tohave a single person with a good and kind heart than a hundred vain-glorious intellectuals.We should train ourselves to become good men and women, who are fit to undertakeworthy tasks. If your minds are filled with hatred, envy and likes and dislikes, you are notqualified to embark on service activities.Offer services and receive love. This is the recipe for experiencing Divinity. But today

service is not offered wholeheartedly. Few render service with love and hence few receiveGods grace. Even their love is self-centred and is not all-embracing. Our love should not beconfined to our kith and kin. It must extend beyond the family to society as a whole, thento the nation at large, and finally it must embrace the whole world.Service in the Right Spirit Is DharmaThis is the implication of Buddhas call: Sangham sharanam gachhmi. Starting from thebuddhi (the intellect) one should go beyond it to sangham (society). This way, the onenessof the society is realised. But mere recognition of membership in society is not enough.One has to recognise and discharge through service ones obligation to society. That is theimplication of the prayer: Dharmam sharanam gachhmi. Doing service in the right spiritis Dharma. Service is also a path to God-realisation. God is the embodiment of Love, Truthand Peace. Therefore, to re66

alise God, one has to develop love, adhere to truth and experience peace withinoneself.

The human body is like a chariot and the Atma is the charioteer. The bodies may havedifferent forms and names. But the Atma is one and the same. It is essential to recognise

the unity that underlies the apparent diversity. For instance, hunger is common to all,though the kind of food through which it is appeased may vary from an emperor to abeggar. Likewise, joy and grief, birth and death are common to all. TheAtma is common toeveryone. Recognising this oneness, you should engage yourselves in service to all. Unfor-tunately, there is no feeling of unity today in the world. All the problems bedevillinghumankind are due to the absence of unity.Exemplify the Quality ofSamathwa (Equal-Mindedness) in Service

The foremost duty of the Sai Organisations is to promote unity on the basis that all aresparks of the Divine and constitute one family. Without realising this basic truth, there isno use in rendering any kind of service. There can be no sacredness in service, if goodthoughts and good feelings are absent. Service, as an act of dharma, can be offered only byone who is pure in heart, selfless and equal-minded towards everyone (samatwa).No Place for Envy in the Sai Organisation

Sai sevaks (service volunteers) should cultivate a similar spirit of tolerance and


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children of one mother. Consider that everyone is an embodiment of the divineAtma. Onlythen you can render service with zeal and vigour.

Whatever may be ones wealth or position, in the sphere of service, he or she shouldregard himself or herself as equal with everyone else. All should bear in mind that wealthand position are not permanent. What is it that can be achieved through these? You can getwhat is destined for you and lose what you are fated to lose. Neither of these can beprevented by any subterfuges. Only the grace of the Divine will remain forever.Today we are having a conference of active workers. There are many who claim to berendering social service. But selfish motives are present even in the field of service. Suchselfishness should not have any place in Sai Organisations. The individual and the societyare one. Whatever one does for society is also good for oneself. When service is done inthat spirit, the individual, as well as the society, derives benefits from it. It may not be easyto cultivate such a sense of identity. But through persistent effort one can get over thesense of mine and thine and identify oneself with society at large. Once the will is there,

anything can be accomplished. The power of a persons sankalpa (resolution) will outlasthim or her.Treat All Service as an Offering to God

All service should be regarded as an offering to God and every opportunity to serve shouldbe welcomed as a gift from God. When service is done in this spirit, it will lead in duecourse to Self-realisation.It is this kind of selfless, spiritually-oriented service that is needed today. To a worldriddled with conflict and chaos, this will provide a climate of serene peace. Regardyourselves as brothers in a family. But do not stop there. Go beyond kinship to the atmicunity. You have to march from the annamaya (the physical) to vijnanamaya (the higherwisdom) and on to the state of anandamaya (divine bliss). Shed completely all selfishnessand self-interest and enter upon service activities as the highest purpose of life. Servicemust become your life-breath. You must become ideal sevaks and set an example to theworld.67

DISCURSO 3El espritu de Servicio

Divino Discurso de Noviembre 21, 1988

El espritu de servicio

Prestar un servicio social no significa simplemente limpiar las calles. Cualquierasea el trabajo que realicen, cualquiera sea el deber que tengan que cumplir comofuncionarios o empleados, si llevan a cabo sus obligaciones con eficiencia y devocin, esotambin es Seva (servicio social). Quienes ocupan un cargo y realizan sus tareas losuficientemente bien como para justificar el salario que reciben, estn realizandoverdadero servicio. Sin embargo, es raro encontrar esa clase de personas. Los empleadosbuscan despertar la opinin pblica cuando piden aumentos salariales, pero no prestanservicios en proporcin a los ingresos que reciben.

El servicio desinteresado ennoblece y eleva al hombre. Lo dota de inteligencia y delas habilidades necesarias para refinar la naturaleza humana. Cumplir con el deber propio

con diligencia no es suficiente. Los hombres tienen que cultivar otras cualidades, como elamor, la compasin, la equidad y el perdn. Slo cuando uno posea estas cualidades sercapaz de prestar un servicio dedicado.


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El sentido de dualismo lo mo y lo tuyoes la causa de todas las alegras ylas tristezas, los gustos y las aversiones experimentados por el hombre. Este dualismotiene sus races en el egosmo, que lleva a pensar que, mientras uno est bien, no importalo que les ocurra a los dems. Una persona egocntrica, que piensa que su cuerpo, suriqueza y su familia son lo nico importante, toma lo verdadero como falso y lo falso comoverdadero.

Para librarse de este mal tan arraigado, los hombres tienen que dedicarse alservicio. Deben comprender que el cuerpo les ha sido otorgado para servir a otros y nopara atender a sus propios intereses.

El servicio es una expresin de gratitud hacia la sociedad No hay que prestarservicio con una actitud condescendiente o con un objetivo egosta ulterior. Por noreconocer el carcter sagrado y purificador del servicio, las personas vacilan antes dededicarse al servicio social. No deben pensar que contribuyen al bienestar de la nacin consu servicio. Deben comprender que se estn mejorando a s mismas cuando sirven a otros.

El servicio debe partir de la conciencia de lo que uno le debe a la sociedad. Elnombre y la reputacin, todas las comodidades que uno disfruta provienen de la sociedad.En ella uno encuentra satisfaccin. Siendo as, si uno no sirve a la sociedad, a quin puedeservir? La simple gratitud exige que uno sirva a la sociedad, que es la fuente de todos losbeneficios que el hombre disfruta.

Las personas que no sienten gratitud son peores que los animales salvajes.

Para prestar servicio no se precisa dinero ni objetos materiales.

El primer requisito es un corazn amoroso. El servicio realizado sin tener el

corazn lleno de amor es tan seco como el polvo. Llenen sus corazones de amor. Cuandoestn repletos de orgullo, todo se ve deformado. Cuando estn inmersos en el Espritu,todo se ve bueno y hermoso. Por olvidar este destino elevado del hombre, las personasestn dejando de ser humanas.

La obsesin por el dinero Hoy los hombres estn totalmente absortos enocupaciones que les permitan tener ms y ms dinero. Se obsesionan pensando que slocon dinero pueden conseguir todo lo que quieren. Esta obsesin es la principal causa de lacrisis que enfrenta la humanidad.

Aunque el dinero es necesario para ciertos fines, no es la fuente primordial de

seguridad y felicidad para el hombre. Las personas deberan aprender a llevar vidasbuenas con ingresos modestos. La ostentacin y el orgullo son los enemigos del desarrolloespiritual.

Thyaga (el espritu de sacrificio) es fundamental para prestar un servicio dedicado.El orgullo es la primera mala cualidad a la que hay que renunciar. Librarse de las malascualidades es un verdadero sacrificio; tambin es yoga (comunin espiritual). Este es elmensaje de la cultura bharatiya. Como esto no se les transmite correctamente a laspersonas, tienden a tomar por mal camino. No comprenden que, cuando sirven a alguien,en realidad estn sirviendo a la Divinidad en diversas formas humanas. Los que sirven aotros tienen que albergar este sentimiento sublime y sagrado.

Esfurcense por ver a Dios en todos.

E i d l E it Di i ! D b d ti id d d


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ver con Swami. Todas las acciones deberan realizarse con el propsito de purificar lamente y eliminar de ella todas las impurezas. Esta es la enseanza de Swami. Est malpensar que slo con las acciones pueden alcanzar la liberacin o redimir sus vidas. Lasacciones deben realizarse nicamente para la purificacin de Chitta (la Voluntad). Sinpureza de Voluntad, la vida no puede espiritualizarse. El nacimiento humano es elresultado del Karma (la accin). La accin recta conduce al Dharma (la Rectitud). A travsdel Dharma se ha de realizar la Divinidad. El Nacimiento, la Accin, la Rectitud y Brahmnestn relacionados entre s de este modo.

Los deberes y el servicio Alegar que uno no dispone de tiempo para llevar a caboactividades de servicio por tener obligaciones con el Estado o por otras ocupaciones no esuna excusa vlida. Hasta en el trabajo que realizan pueden prestar un servicio. No esnecesario ir a los mercados a limpiar la calle. Ese no es el nico modo de servir a la gente.Cualesquiera sean sus obligaciones con el Estado, su profesin u ocupacin, si cumplencon su deber correcta y eficientemente, eso tambin es servicio social. Con respecto alservicio, los funcionarios que ocupan cargos altos deberan preguntarse si los serviciosque prestan son proporcionales a los salarios que reciben. Entre los empleados o

funcionarios, muy pocas veces se ve a alguien que realice la cantidad de trabajo quejustifique el salario que recibe. Todos quieren ganar ms, pero no estn preparados paratrabajar ms. Deberan comprender que esta clase de actitud implica una traicin a lanacin. Qu dinero reciben como salario? El dinero pblico. No cumplir con los debereshacia el pblico es una falta grave. Si un maestro da sus clases correctamente, estprestando un verdadero servicio a la nacin. Del mismo modo, si un comerciante manejasu negocio pensando en ganar slo lo suficiente para hacer frente a sus necesidadesrazonables, estar prestando un servicio pblico. Cuando esta es la actitud que prevalece,no es necesario alegar que uno se dedica a hacer servicio. El hombre debera contentarsecon seguir los dictados de su conciencia.

Den el ejemplo a otras organizaciones de servicio Lo que complace a Swami es quecumplan con sus deberes apropiadamente.

Esto constituye Seva (servicio dedicado). Aprovechen todas las ocasiones deprestar un servicio a la sociedad. Este servicio no debe limitarse a los individuos. Esimportante servir a la nacin.

No es necesario que averigen qu clase de servicio deben realizar.

Cada vez que descubran que pueden ayudar a un necesitado, hganlo.

No discriminen entre ricos y pobres o entre merecedores e indignos.

Ofrezcan servicio de acuerdo con lo que requiera la ocasin.

Hoy en las zonas rurales los pobres pasan muchas necesidades.

Por eso, deben ir a las aldeas, organizar actividades de servicio y alentar a lapoblacin rural para que participe en ellas. Transmitan a los aldeanos la importancia de lasalud y la higiene, y mustrenles cmo mantener sus casas y sus aldeas limpias ysaludables.

Las Organizaciones Sai de Servicio tienen que dar el ejemplo a las entidades que

prestan servicio en todo el mundo. En ellas no hay lugar para las diferencias de casta,credo o comunidad. El carcter es algo ms grande que la casta. Todas las actividadesd b b l l ifi i Di l V d d t R tit d E t


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las personas los cumplan con sinceridad y celo, Bharat volver a destacarse como unejemplo para el mundo.

Discurso pronunciado en el Auditorio Purnachandra el 21 de noviembre de 1988.

India es la tierra en la que la dicotoma de aquello y esto, de creador ycreacin fue resuelta en una gran unidad, tanto en la teora como en la prctica, en lasescuelas filosficas y en las ermitas. Los grandes sabios de la India saban que el rbol dela Vida, con sus innumerables ramas que proliferan en forma de pensamientos, palabras yacciones, actitudes, tendencias e impulsos, tiene sus races en el cielo! Por eso, cada reglay ritual era considerado sagrado, lleno de pureza, humildad y amor.

Baba

DISCOURSE 3

The Spirit of ServiceDivine Discourse on November 21, 1988

Embodiments of the Divine. Selfless service enables a person to elevate one to lofty heightsand blesses him or her with divine splendor. Selfless service is also responsible for em-powering a persons mind and intellect with vitality and awakening the humanity in man.For attaining progress in any sphere, it is not sufficient to put in dexterity and hard work.Love, compassion, morality, work ethics, understanding and tolerance are also needed toachieve accomplishment. Without these essential qualities, it is impossible to performselfless service. The joys and sorrows experienced daily, the desires and hatred that one

develops through daily living, the indulgence that the sense organs crave these are allresponsible for the perversions and diversions of a persons mind. Since ages, they haveonly fostered the feeling of dualityclassifying everything into fragments of mine andthine. They have intoxicated him with the feelings that are totally self-centered and bereftof any iota of concern for the world and the surroundings. This feeling of duality hasfurther had a cyclic effect in man, enhancing negative sentiments like desires and hatred.The person who is incapable of thinking beyond himself or the family, wealth and statusand is steeped in the mire of duality is a selfish person to the core. He will always beconvinced that the truth is untruth and will conduct himself by believing that the untruthis true!Service to Oneself

If such a blinkered person seeks to cleanse the heart of all such grime, then selfless

service is the only way. It is vital to realise that human life is presented to indulge inselfless service and not in selfish pursuits. Such service is not meant to be performed toobtain name and fame or to exhibit the status and power of an individual. Service shouldnot be performed to achieve ones own selfish needs and self-interest. Such service cannoteven be considered as selfless in nature. Most men do not come forward to participate inselfless service because they are unable to recognise the sanctity and Divinity associatedwith such activities. It is wrong to assume that one is doing service because such an actwould benefit the society or the nation! One has to believe that selfless service facilitatesemancipation to the doer and not anyone else. To the contrary believing that the serviceone is doing is benefiting others and not recognizing the divinity associated with selflessservice only fosters a feeling of ego in the doer. This ego in turn develops a selfish

outlook.68That is why it is said:The one who does not have good qualities, spirit of sacrifice, sanctity of purpose and


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A living that does not involve itself in selfless service is only an existence in totaldarkness, without any life.Service to Society

We owe our existence to the society. All the name, fame, joy, happiness, wealth andprosperity that we enjoy are obtained from the society. Society helps in solving anindividuals problems and confers all happiness. It helps the flower of humanity toblossom in an individual. It is therefore essential that the one serves such a society. It isimportant that one serves nature through which one learns the highest Truth of Divinity.When someone lifts the handkerchief we drop and gives it to us, we do not forget toexpress our gratitude and say thank you. However, we pay no attention to expressingour gratitude to nature and the society which are responsible for giving us so manycomforts and facilities. Such a life that fails to express its gratitude is worse than the life ofa beast. Service should be the prime goal of human existence and its primary task. To thecontrary, we are discarding our main goal, placing our faith and vision on transientobjectives and thus wasting our life.Service and Sacrifice

Service does not mainly require wealth, riches, grains and other ingredients. Service

indulged in by a heart bereft of any love is only going to be a wasteful exercise, despite allthe other ingredients. It is therefore important that we first fill our hearts with love. Thespark of conscience in us is not wasteful. When associated with ego, it takes a distortedform. When associated with the spirit, it takes a splendorous form. Human life is blessedwith the quality to recognise this sacred reality. Sadly, we are discarding this quality in hu-man life. The consequence is we exist as human beings only in the form, but not in thequality. Every human being only yearns to acquire wealth, power, authority and worldlyindulgence and nothing else. A person is firmly convinced that wealth alone can giveemancipation and liberation. To the contrary, it is responsible for destroying humanity inman! Wealth does not foster us; neither does it protect us. Wealth is certainly essential.But the secret is to lead a moral life with wealth that is limited only to the extent required.It is observed openly today that any act of service by an individual or an organisation issteeped in ego, pomp and show. As long as pomp and show are present, the splendour ofthe spirit will remain in the dark. Without experiencing the splendour of the spirit, thetrue human nature will never blossom. Existence as a human being is not possible unlesshumanity blossoms. A person will exist as a man, for example, in human form but will notbe able to profess any quality associated with man. It is therefore important to understandthat service first requires a spirit of sacrifice. The ego in man is the first distortion thatmust be sacrificed.To discard the evil in our thoughts is itself true sacrifice and the highest form of self-control. Nothing is achieved by merely deserting ones wealth and family and proceeding

to the forests.Serving God Present in Everyone

What is the reason for the society to degrade itself to such a sorry state today? It isbecause there are no experienced scholars who can correctly interpret the teachings ofour great culture and disseminate the information to the people. Considering that we areserving some unknown person is a grave error of judgment. Instead, one should entertainthe sacred thought that he or she is serving Divinity embodied as that person. We need tostrengthen the feeling that the same DDivinityivinity resides in one and all.

Avoid Criticising OthersIt is correctly said:Criticising and slandering others accrues sin, the effect of which will never leave you inthis world. Recognise that others are not unknown entities but Divinity itself.Therefore never hurt or criticise anyone. Doing so is a sure sign of exhibiting the evilnature of your own self which has been lying suppressed. When you find a single fault withone person, others are instantly ready to point ten faults within you. The one whorecognises this truth will never 69


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nature. A human can be termed as man only when such mean mentalities and qualities aredriven out of him. Therefore, see the Divine in each and every individual. It is only thenthat the true fruits of service can be obtained. Never aspire to obtain the fruit or result ofyour service. Instead, consider it as an opportunity given to you to seek your salvation. Aservice undertaken with such a sacred feeling and with such a pure intent becomes selflessin nature.Service Leads to Purity

Embodiments of the Divine. Understand that the service activities you are undertakingtoday are all planned by you since you aspire to taste the sanctity of such tasks and thusprogress in the path of spirituality. But they do not affect Me in any way and are notconcerned with Me! Swami always preaches that selfless service should be indulged in byall those who seek to wash away the filth covering the subconscious mind and thus attain apurified state. Recognise the fact that all service activities achieve only this purpose. Manyconsider that service gives liberation and thus sanctifies their lives. But this is not so. Howcan your life be sanctified without first purifying your subconscious mind? You musttherefore implant in your hearts the knowledge that all activities performed are meantonly to purify the subconscious mind. Understand and believe the truth that human life is

given to undertake such sacred activities that purify and sanctify.Seva with Sincerity

From birth comes activity; from activity comes righteousness; from righteousnesscomes DivinityJanma, Karma, Dharma, Brahma. This is the link between the fouronemust emerge from the other. Some people claim that they cannot indulge in serviceactivities because they are short of time or because they are tied up with their officialduties or that they have other responsibilities. Such excuses are only signs of weakness. Itis a misconception to think that service means only activities like hard labour, or sweepingthe streets or such. Discharging your official duty sincerely, using your authority at workwith proper work ethicsthese also constitute selfless service. People who are employedin a position of authority should always ask themselves if they are discharging their dutysincerely in accordance with the salary that they are being given. Constantly thinking thusis also equivalent to doing selfless service. It is a sad commentary of states today that noemployee is discharging his or her duty with such sanctity. Everyone yearns to accumulatewealth and get more money, but none pauses to introspect and ask if they are workingsincerely in accordance with the salary that they are receiving. It is akin to being a traitorwho has betrayed his or her country.Whose hard earned money is being given to you as salary? It is your own countrymensearnings. Hence, when you behave in a way that harms your countrymen, it is against theprinciples of service. As an example, let us consider a teacher. When that teacher ensuresthat his or her best effort is put forth to teach and that the students learn well, he or she isactually doing a service. Similarly we can consider a trader. It is not essential that he goesinto the market and sweep the streets. If he can ensure that he makes just the required

profit and does not grind the customers for more that too is an act of service. One must actin a way that satisfies ones own conscience. The conscience must be the judge for the act.

You may ask what does Swami like? I will say that one must discharge his or her dutysincerely. That is service. Do some form of community service to the society whenever youcan. Instead of stopping with an individual, true service must span the entire society andthen the nation. It is only in such kind of service that one can experience Divinity.There are no set rules and regulations for service. Wherever you feel some kind of serviceis required, you may bend your back and indulge in that activity. Do not give place tosundry thoughts during such times. Do not discriminate between the poor and the rich.Whoever, wherever or whatever may be, if there is a need, then act. Difficulties, sorrowsand pain are common for one and all. Therefore, it is futile to discuss the situation beforedoing service.70


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Serving in the VillagesImportantly, it is being noticed that those residing in our villages are today undergoing

lots of hardships. Under such circumstances, it would be advisable to go the villages,encourage them to participate in selfless service activities by explaining the situation clearlyto them and thus give them succor. There are some who focus on cleanliness related activitiesin the villages as a part of service. How long can you continue to do this? Instead, we may

educate the villagers about the benefits of cleanliness and the need to keep dirt away fromliving areas. It can be clearly explained to them that because of the filth, the health will suffer,thus impacting their capacity to earn a livelihood. If it is emphasised to them that health iswealth, then they will themselves put in efforts to keep their surroundings clean. To thecontrary, if we make appearances once in a month or two and clean the villages, is it going tobe of much use at all? One could instead encourage and educate the villagers themselves tokeep their neighbourhoods clean.Ceiling on Desires

In the past, a topic was discussed called Ceiling on Desires. What is the inner significanceof this phrase? Due to the pressure of limitless desires, the mind of man suffers from seriousdelusions. He is living in a world of fantasy and craze and is totally alienated from Divinity. Itis therefore essential that some kind of limit be set on the desires that one has. Thus, theconcept of Ceiling on Desires came into being. There are also people who are spendthriftsand waste away their money. It was our wish that such wealth instead of being frittered awaycould be spent for the poor, needy and destitute ones. However, people have misunderstoodthe concept of Ceiling on Desires. They think it is sufficient to donate some amount for suchcharity but they continue to have limitless desires. The correct process is to first reduce ourown desires. As long as we infuse excessive desires of the world into us, peace will continue toevade us. That way, one only binds oneself more and more to the world. Breaking free fromthese bonds will require one to reduce desires and limit them to only those which are es-sential.Do Not Waste FoodHow does one reduce ones desires? Eat only to the extent you require. If you serve yourselflarge portions of food out of selfishness, you will only end up with the sin of wasting food. Thewasted food could have easily been served to another person who needed it. Hence, the firstprinciple is Do not waste food. Food is God, life is God. It is from food that one gets life whichsustains the body and mind. The gross part of the food taken gets excreted as stool. Themolecular part of the food goes to the blood. The subtle part of the food goes to the mind. Itcan therefore be concluded that mans mind is shaped by what he eats. The food that is beingconsumed today is primarily responsible for the demonic nature of man. There is nocompassion, mercy, tolerance and love. Instead hatred, jealousy, attachment and other evilqualities have taken their place. The responsibility for this lies with the food that we eat.Therefore, the food that is partaken should be pure and sacred. Such food fosters goodfeelings. The gross part of the water that we drink is excreted as urine. The subtle part istransformed into the spark of life. It is therefore clear that food and water are directly

responsible for making a person reach the state of the Divine. It is said that food is God. Hence,if you waste food it amounts to wasting God. Ensure that you eat pure food and in limitedquantities only.Do Not Waste MoneyThe second quantity is wealth. Indian have always considered wealth to be the very embodi-ment of goddess Lakshmi. Elders have therefore advised that wealth must never be misusedsince it would foster bad thoughts and intentions. It is for this reason that it is said: Do not

waste money. Misuse of money is evil. Squandering away of money only makes man take thewrong path.


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Do Not Waste TimeThe third essential and important quantity is time. Time should never be wasted. Time shouldalways be well spent since everything revolves around time. It is for this reason that theancient Vedas have extolled God as time, the one beyond time, the controller of time, theembodiment of time. Time has been equated with God. Mans 71

life and death is governed by time. His growth in between the two extremes of life and

death is also dependent on time. Wasting time therefore amounts to wasting God. Do notindulge in needless gossiptalk only to the extent required. Do not defile time by using it tovilify others. Not indulging in such slanders and gossip is itself the main requirement of donot waste time.Do Not Waste Energy

The fourth quantity is energy or strength. Energy here refers to physical and mental aswell as spiritual strength. All three should not be wasted. How does this energy get wasted?Seeing evil, hearing evil speaking evil, thinking evil and doing evilthese five contribute toslackening our energy. Using these five properly contributes to enhancing our energy andmaking us realise Divinity.

That is why it is said:See no evil; see what is good;Hear no evil; hear what is good;Talk no evil; talk what is good;Think no evil; think what is good;Do no evil; do what is good;This is the way to God.

Do Not Waste Energy on Sensual PleasuresWhen our entire energy is draining away in wasteful expenditure, it impacts our memory

and intellect. It also affects our discrimination. This is the reason why we find people totallybereft of any semblance of discrimination today. When discrimination is thus affected, howcan man be expected to discharge his actions properly? Let us consider a radio as an example.We are tuning it to some station and listening to news. Whatever be the volume level you use,as long as the radio is on, some units of electrical power will certainly be consumed. Ourhuman body is also like a radio. Whether you think or talk, some energy from inside you issurely going to be consumed. Until you go to sleep, your mind has some thought process goingon in it. Why not ensure that the thoughts are good and sacred? This ensures that the energyconsumed is for a good cause. In this way, whatever be the thought you are thinking, whateverbe the activity you are doing, we can ensure the proper use of energy. In this way, Ceiling onDesires points to the proper use and limiting of the four important quantities of food, wealth,

time and energy. These are essential for those who wish to enter into service.Service Is More Important Than MoneyHowever, today, such a ceiling is not visible. People dodge the main issue of limiting theirdesires and instead, donate some token amount for the activities taken up by Sathya SaiOrganisations. Money was never desired by Sathya Sai Organisations. The main agenda of our

Organisation is to ensure that people stand as ideals for others to emulate. We should changeour mindset gradually to be able to achieve this. Sathya Sai Organisations should work for thiswith unity without any discriminations of caste, creed or nationality.Inculcate Virtues in LifeEmbodiments of Divinity. Morality and ethics are more important than our caste or creed.Fostering love should be of higher priority than religion. Hankering after religion without firstdeveloping a feeling of love will only succeed in distorting the mind of man. There is only onereligion and that is the religion of mankind. Love is the highest morality that one needs to


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adopt. One should foster love, take morality and ethics as ideals of life and then make effortsto guide his fellow-men towards the right direction.Sathyam Vada, Dharmam CharaSince times immemorial, India had always been the teacher who propagated truth and righ-teousness to the world. This is the reason why the dictum Speak the truth, follow righteous-ness reverberates through every corner of this country. Our countrymen should realise that

the greatest welfare of the country is ensured when such sacred virtues like truth andrighteousness are propagated with tolerance and understanding. One should expand the heartwith such sacred virtues. Hankering after scientific knowledge without focusing on wisdom iscertain to be of no use. That is why it is better to have one person with a kind heart than ahundred intel72

lectuals. This single person with a good heart can bring about a far greater change for thebetter in the world.Being in the Sai Organisation, Purify Your Hearts

Man is shaped by his mind. Hence when the mind is pure and influenced by good ideals,man too becomes worthy of his humanity. Everyone should aspire to experience thathumanity within themselves. One may possess sense organs that are sharp, alert and fullydeveloped. A persons mind may be of the highest degree of intellectual achievement. He orshe may also be blessed with good wisdom. Along with all these, it is also important to aspirefor spiritual awakening. Without spiritual awakening within, the senses, intellect and wisdomare sure to transform into artificial entities only. As a consequence, one will lead ones life likean automaton. Our life is not a machine, but reverberates with the sacredness of Divinity.Sathya Sai Organisations have been established to enable man to rediscover the path toDivinity. Every member of this organisation is encouraged to enter into service activities forhis fellow man as per his own potential and capabilities. Do not enter the Organisation seekingfame, pomp and show. Never give scope for ego to infuse into the Organisation. Just acceptyour role as a servant of the Divine, engaged in Divine activities. You are not the master.Remember that unless you are a servant first, you cannot be a master. Each member of theOrganisation should stand like the backbone to the Organisation.Office Bearers Should Be Humble

Embodiments of Love. It is important for those who are office bearers of the Organisationto always tread the right path. If they take to wrong-doing, it would influence all others tofollow suit. Hence, if the Organisation aims at emancipating the world, then the office bearersand the members of the Organisation have to first be ideal in their outlook and selfless in theirapproach. Never give scope for selfishness and self-interest to creep into the service activities.Pomp and show must not even be encouraged to approach anywhere near. These twoqualities have infused into every aspect of our lives and have become a fashion to be imbibed.They will only succeed in harming the nation but are of no use whatsoever. Those who wish tobe of constructive help to the nation should involve themselves only with selfless service.Pomp and show are destructive influences on the country. Our Sathya Sai Organisationsshould cultivate love by being selfless and without any trace of selfishness, self-interest, pomp

or show. They should be pure in nature and thus encourage the spirit of sacrifice. We shouldput into practise tolerance and understanding. These are the attributes of a person who genu-inely wishes to indulge in service activities. One should not seek to use the power of authorityon others. All are equally empowered. It is only the task distribution that puts us at differentlevels. One should limit oneself to only supervising the work aspect of those whom he or she isresponsible for.Ideals of Sai OrganisationLove does not depend or give any authority. Our discipline should be associated with love.None of the procedures laid down in our Organisation should be rigid and enforced like in the


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military. The only force to be used here should be that of love. Speak with love. If a fault isdetected, it should be addressed and corrected with love. Love should play the dominant rolefor everything.That is why it is said:Start the day with love;Spend the day with love;Fill the day with love;End the day with love;This is the way to God.Love should be in all aspects of our life. Love is God and God is omnipresent. You are allembodiments of Love. You should therefore live in love and serve with love. Enjoy with love.You must ultimately merge with love. This is the ultimate goal of service with love. Sathya SaiOrganisation must not involve themselves with other issues. They must focus only on love andconnect with the heart of others through love. They should not aspire for wealth or authorityand should seek to progress only through love. I do not desire temples or places of worship; Ido not wish for ritu73

als and worship. Our actions should be our ritual and our service should be our worship.Seeking to mobilise and collect funds for building temples or other service activities is a

despicable act which must never be encouraged in our Organisation. I have often beencautioning you to keep the Organisation away from wealth and money. Instead, we shouldfocus on associating ourselves with good ethics and behavior. It is unfortunate that some inthe Organisation are discounting this caution and resorting to collection of money, thusopening themselves to the sins of connections and relationships. There are others who falselyclaim that Swami has blessed them with special powers and thus collect money. There isnothing more demonic in quality than this kind of behavior. You have all observed that for allthese years I have never interfered with the activities of any person or persons. However,these people are using Sais name to indulge in such shameful acts and thus defaming thename of Sai. They have converted the sacred purpose of the Organisation into a business. Inretrospect, it is indeed a businessbut what kind of business? It is a business where only lovehas to be given and taken in return! It is sad to note that despite My repeated counseling somein the Organisation defile this sanctity, accumulate wealth in the name of the Organisation andshow favouritism by helping some and putting down others. Such behavior is not expected. Itis not that our Organisation is filled with poor peoplethere are several rich people as well.Would it not be better for such people to volunteer and come forward from within theOrganisation itself to contribute for the service activity instead of mobilizing funds fromothers? Why should these rich people in the Organisation resort to the disgraceful act of beg-ging for funds? Are they not satisfied with what they have? Do not indulge in such perverseways to make money. It will only bring the Sathya Sai Organisations a bad name. My messageto you all is thisdo not bring a bad name to the Sathya Sai Organisation. Apart from this, Iam not involved with the Organisations in any way. To Me everyone is a devotee and all canjoin the Organisation.

In the Sathya Sai Organisation, there must be no discrimination between members andoffice bearers. This Organisation has been established solely for the devotees and with noother purpose or intent. Every individual has equal authority in this Organisationand thatauthority is to work and enhance ones humanity and uncover ones true nature. Human

values should be enhanced and fostered and not the worldly values and vices. Rest assuredthat wherever funds are collected in the name of service activities, rituals and prayers, itcannot have any relation to the Sathya Sai Organisations. It is sad to see that several devoteesindulge in this business of collecting money. There is nothing wrong if a few people with therequired means get together and decide to undertake some service activity. But do not go


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from door to door and solicit for donations. Sai only desires the welfare of the entire world.Everyone should be happy; everyone should foster human values in themselves. Every personshould be able to help the other. This feeling of unity and tolerance should be developedwithin us.That is the real worth of taking a human birth and is the meaning of the statement Human life

is the most difficult to obtain among all.Be IndependentEmbodiments of Divinity. All of you must resolve that Sathya Sai Organisations must not haveanything to do with wealth and money. Members of the Organisation can plan amongthemselves and execute service activities. Understand that there are only two importantaspects associated with our Organisation. Do not have anything to do with wealth and do nothave anything to do with the government. Let us do whatever we can as per our own capacity.The Government is anyway undertaking its own welfare schemes. Let them continue to do it.We should not use their name and resources and undertake those activities already underconsideration and execution by them. We will do what we can with our own resources andmight. Do whatever little you can in service. You will then see that the government will itselfcome forward to help us. But we should never go to seek their help for our service activities.Resources will come in from any direction because there are always good people who ap-preciate the good work done by us. If you seek the help of the government, a new official ontransfer may not help or support us like the pre74

vious official. Then what happens to the service activity we have undertaken by dependingon the governments help? Hence, we should depend on our own strength and resources.Never depend on someone elses strength to discharge your service. That is true reliance onthe strength of your own spirit. Place full confidence on the strength of the spirit since that isthe true strengththe rest are all false sources only.

With this confidence, involve yourself in service and put the world on the right path. Youwill then see the real resplendent form of India. Do not hanker after name and fame. Seek loveinstead. Know that this is the true mission and task of Sathya Sai Organisations.75


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DISCURSO 4Una flor a Sus Pies

SSS 10.6: 04 de marzo 1970

Una flor a sus pies

4 de Marzo de 1970

Prashanti Nilayam

ANTERIORMENTE, CON FRECUENCIA les he hablado acerca de los ideales y la tcnicade servicio. Hoy tambin los invito a que experimenten la alegra que se deriva de lasactividades de servicio. No necesito extenderme acerca de la singular oportunidad que hoy seles ofrece aqu. Entreguen su corazn sereno, con deleite; compartan la alegra de los dems

adoren a Dios en esta deleitable forma. Cuando tengan las cualidades para ser un servidor Sai,sabrn que lo esencial es un corazn puro, es decir, no contaminado por el orgullo, avaricia,odio o rivalidad; tambin es necesaria la fe en Dios, como fuente de vitalidad, virtud y justicia.El servicio es la adoracin que le ofrecen al Dios que est en el corazn de todo individuo. Nopregunten de qu estado del pas provienen o cul es su casta o la religin que profesan. Veanen cada persona su forma favorita de Dios, de hecho, esa persona no es "otra", es su imagen,tanto como lo es cada uno de ustedes. No estn ayudando a "alguna persona", me estnadorando en esa persona. Soy yo frente a ustedes en esa forma en particular; as pues, qulugar podra existir para el ego en ustedes?

El deber es Dios, el trabajo es adoracin, hasta el trabajo ms insignificante es una florque se ofrece a los pies de Dios. Acrquense a los peregrinos que acuden al festival, con un

corazn rebosante de amor.

No guarden su insignia de voluntario en su bolsillo en cuanto el trabajo hayaterminado al finalizar el festival o cuando regresen a su hogar para ocuparse de susquehaceres o de los hbitos que haban interrumpido. sta no es una feria de tres das, es unperegrinaje que dura toda la vida. La insignia debe quedar grabada en el corazn,indeleblemente, de por vida. Dondequiera que vean a una persona enferma o a alguien que sesienta desolado o afligido, ah est su campo de servicio. Cada clula, cada nervio debeestremecerse de amor y sentir el anhelo de compartir ese amor con los desamparados.Cuando el amor ha llenado el corazn, ste realmente se ha transformado en la Divinidad, yaque Dios es amor y el amor es Dios. Es este amor y la compasin que de l se deriva lo quehizo inmortales a los grandes santos de la India y de otros pases, como Kabir, Tukaram, SanFrancisco o Ramakrishna.

Hay personas que han estado en el Nilayam por 20, 15, 10 aos, pero solamente sucuerpo se ha transformado; su anhelo por el servicio permanece igual, no crece. La vida enPrashanti Nilayam debe hacer que se vuelva ms profunda la fe en el servicio como un caminoa la salvacin. Lo esencial es la actitud. El servicio puede ser pequeo, tal vez no tengan laoportunidad de participar en un programa gigantesco de servicio por medio del cual sebeneficie a millones de personas, puede ser que slo ayuden a un lisiado a subir por una


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escalera o guen a un nio ciego a cruzar una calle muy transitada; esto tambin es un acto deadoracin.

Pueden comprar un ejemplar del Gita por una rupia y una trivial novela por diezrupias; cul es ms valiosa? Cul podra transformar el metal comn en oro? El servicio esms fructfero que la meditacin, la oracin y los rituales que se recomiendan para los

aspirantes espirituales, pues sirve para dos propsitos: la extincin del ego y la obtencin debienaventuranza.

Pueden ser felices cuando alguien que est sentado junto a ustedes est sumido en latristeza? No. Puede ser que un beb est llorando patticamente, ustedes al orlo sentirndeseos de llorar, por qu? Hay un invisible vnculo entre ustedes. Slo el hombre tiene estacualidad de simpata para con otros; slo l puede ser feliz cuando otros son felices y sentirtristeza cuando otros estn tristes. Por eso, el hombre es el modelo de perfeccin de lacreacin, la cumbre de la evolucin. Adems, slo el hombre es capaz de ofrecer servicio, saes su gloria especial, su singular habilidad.

Cada ao, antes de los festivales de Dasara, del Cumpleaos y de Shivaratri, los exhortoa que tomen el voto de servicio como disciplina espiritual (sadhana). Debo decirles quetodava no estoy satisfecho con su rendimiento pero no desmayo en insistir, de encargarlesque lo hagan porque espero que cualquier da alcancen este ideal. ste es un ejemplo de laclase de piedad que es natural en m. Esta cualidad me hace estimar hasta el ms pequeo delos intentos que hacen para practicar el ideal del servicio.

Por qu han venido desde tan lejanos lugares, esforzndose por cubrir los gastos yenfrentando todas las dificultades del viaje? Para estar en mi presencia y ganar mi gracia, noes as? Entonces, por qu cuando llegan aqu buscan el contacto de otros, el favor de otros?;por qu caer en los hbitos que los inducen a negarse a s mismos mi presencia y gracia?Olviden a los dems y atnganse

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