Sathya Sai Speaks
The Divine Unity of Humanity
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More than two and half decades ago, Bhagavan Baba sent a powerful message to
an International Symposium held in Rome on October 30-31, 1983 on the theme
“Unity is Divinity.” Each directive in this message is profound and extremely
pertinent for all times, and more so in the present world scenario. It is for
this reason that we have dug this out from our archives to place it before you.
As you read excerpts of this Divine Message below, do ruminate upon them and
try to make them a part of your understanding and conduct in your daily
societal life.
Embodiments of the Divine Spirit!
The ancient saying, "All roads lead to Rome,” has been vindicated today. It is
not without great significance that people from many countries have gathered in
this historic city. You have to realise that you have come here to learn things
which you have never heard before, and to derive inspiration from new ideals
about the human adventure.
The whole of mankind belongs to one Religion - the Religion of Man. For all
men, God is the Father. As the children of one God, all men are brothers. This
Conference is therefore a family gathering. It is not a meeting of
nationalities and religions. It is a meeting of minds. It does not relate to
any one culture or philosophy. It is concerned with the Divine way of life that
is implicit in the teachings of all religions. Its purpose is to see Unity in
Divinity.
The One Truth of all Religions
The basic truth in all religions, irrespective of country or race, is one and
the same. The philosophic ideas or the practices and methods of approach may
vary. But the final objective and goal is only one - all religions proclaim the
Unity of Divinity and preach the cultivation of Universal Love, without regard
to caste, creed, country or colour. Those who are ignorant of this basic Truth
develop pride and ego because of their own religion. Such people are creating
great confusion and chaos by fragmenting Divinity. To confine and divide the
Infinite Divine into such narrow compartments is treason to the Divine.
The basic truth in all religions, irrespective of country or race, is one and
the same. The philosophic ideas or the practices and methods of approach may
vary. But the final objective and goal is only one - all religions proclaim the
Unity of Divinity and preach the cultivation of Universal Love, without regard
to caste, creed, country or colour.
The basis for a spiritual, God based life is the indwelling Spirit - the
Aathman (Divine soul). The body is the home of Spirit. Life in society should
also conform to this spiritual basis. Man, however, bases his life on the
belief that the body alone is real. It is to rid him of this error that he has
to be taught about the Spirit. Mankind has to realize that both the individual
and society are manifestations of the Divine Will and that the Divine permeates
the Universe. Only by recognizing this Truth can man give up his ego and lead a
life of devotion to duty. Society should not become a cockpit of selfish
individuals, but a community of divinely guided Individuals.
With the progress of science, man imagines that he is the lord of the universe
and he tends to forget the Divine. Although man today has gone to the moon and
is exploring outer space, if he were to consider the innumerable mysteries and
wonders in creation yet to be known, he will realize that these are far beyond
the limited capacity of mind and intelligence.
The more man discovers the secrets and mysteries of the Cosmos, the more he
will realize that God is the Creator and motivator of all Creation. All
religions are agreed upon this Truth. All that man can do is to strive through
his limited intelligence and knowledge to understand the Invisible and Infinite
Divine and learn to worship and adore Him.
Service to Society is the Means to Promote Unity
Instead of realizing his innate Divinity, man is caught up in the prison house
of his own material achievements. Greater than all his scientific and
technological progress is man himself as a being endowed with the Divine
consciousness. By choosing to regard only the material world as real, it may be
possible to bring about the prosperity of a scientific, technological and
materialistic society for a time. But if, in the process, human selfishness,
greed and hatred develop, as they usually do, society will destroy itself.
If, on the contrary, the essential Divinity of man is realized, mankind can
build up a great society based on unity and on adherence to the Divine
principle of Love. This profound change must begin in the minds of individuals.
When individuals change, society will change. And when society changes, the
whole world will change. Unity is the secret of social progress, and service to
society is the means to promote it. Everyone, therefore, should devote oneself
to such service in a spirit of dedication. It should be realized that material
comfort is not the sole aim of social living. A society in which the
individuals are concerned only about material welfare will not be able to
achieve harmony and peace. Even if it is achieved, it will only be a patched-up
harmony, for, in such a society, the strong will oppress the weak.
When individuals change, society will change. And when society changes, the
whole world will change. Unity is the secret of social progress, and service to
society is the means to promote it. Everyone, therefore, should devote oneself
to such service in a spirit of dedication.
Nor will an equal distribution of the bounties of nature ensure anything but a
nominal equality. How will the equal distribution of material goods achieve
equality with reference to desires and abilities? Desires have, therefore, to
be controlled by developing the spiritual approach and diverting the mind from
material objects to the Divine seated in each one’s heart.
Divine Experience is Inherent Nature of Man
Once the Truth of the Indwelling Spirit is recognized, there dawns the
awareness that the world is one family. One is then filled with Divine Love
which becomes the driving force for all of one's actions, and man turns away
from the pursuit of endless desires to the search for peace and equanimity.
By converting the love for material things into Love of God one experiences the
Divine. This experience is not something which is beyond man. It is, in fact, a
part of the inherent nature of man. It is the secret of his humanness and his
Divinity.
Once the Truth of the Indwelling Spirit is recognized, there dawns the
awareness that the world is one family. One is then filled with Divine Love
which becomes the driving force for all of one's actions, and man turns away
from the pursuit of endless desires to the search for peace and equanimity.
Whatever one's religion may be, everyone should cultivate respect for other
faiths. One who does not have such an attitude of tolerance and respect for
other religions is not a true follower of his/her own religion. It is not
enough merely to adhere strictly to the practices of one's own religion. One
should also try to see the essential unity of all religions. Only then will man
be able to experience the oneness of Divinity.
There should be no kind of coercion or compulsion in the sphere of religion.
Religious matters should be discussed calmly and dispassionately. Do not
entertain the feeling that one's religion is superior and another's inferior.
Conflicts on the basis of religion should be totally eliminated. To divide men
on grounds of religion is a crime against humanity.
Man today imagines that he knows everything about Nature and the Universe. But
of what use is all this knowledge if man does not know himself? It is only when
he understands himself that he will be able to know the Truth about the
external world. Man's inner Reality cannot be known by exploring the world
outside. When he turns his vision inward and realizes his essential Divinity,
he will acquire an equal-mindedness towards all beings. Out of that feeling of
oneness he will experience the Bliss that passeth understanding.
~ Divine Message to International Symposium in Rome on the theme
"Unity is Divinity," held on 30 and 31-10-1983
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