...Continued from Part 1
Three fourths of life is character. Character means good qualities, which is very much needed in a student’s life. Today you struggle for friendship, wealth and strength. But without good qualities, all these three are useless. Friendship should be with God and strength should be the strength of virtues. What is friendship? “Hello… Hello…” is not friendship. Two bodies and one life means friendship. It is possible only with God and none else. So God is the true friend. In Sanskrit the word, ‘Maitree’ is used for friendship. It means, physical, intellectual and Atmic understanding. These also refer to, ‘The one you think you are, the one others think you are and the one you really are’. Where is your friend? He is in you. God is the only friend. The answer given by Hanuman to Sri Rama was “Physically You are my master and I am Your servant. Mentally You are the object (Bimba) and I am the Prati-Bimba (reflection). From Atmic point of view, You and I are one.” That is why Hanuman became more and more close to Rama. During Rama’s Pattaabhishekam (coronation), Mother Sita asked Sri Rama why he had not given any present to Hanuman. Sri Rama said, “Hanuman, I give myself to you. You are for Me and I am for you.” He called him Gunavantudu, Balavantudu, Hanumantudu (Hanuman - the one endowed with virtues and strength). Mother Sita was not satisfied and with Rama’s permission, gave a necklace of pearls to Hanuman but Hanuman said that he did not want pearls or diamonds; he wanted only the Love of Rama. That is Maitree. Today’s friendship with classmates and roommates means, ‘Hello, Hello, how are you? Good-bye, Good-bye.’ But God is within you. He is above you, below you, in you, behind you, and around you. God is present in every heart. According to Vishishta Advaita, He is present in all the five elements. He is everywhere. Modern students have burden-some qualities like hatred, jealousy, ego, pomp and show. These are products of the head - responsibilities. Daya (compassion), Prema (love), Tyaga (sacrifice) and Satya (truth) are natural qualities that come out of the heart. These constitute Manvatva - human values. Without human values, one cannot be called human. He is human only in form. You may have any number of degrees but without character, you cannot be called human. Students must ensure that they possess the following qualities: Spirit of service (Paropakara), hearts free of jealously, feelings bereft of hatred, words without falsehood, bodies with cleanliness, hearts which are not polluted. These will make you Divine. Nothing beyond this is required. True sign of education is Humility. Never be egoistic because of your education. Be humble and respectful to elders, and develop a sense of patriotism for the country. You are born in the society and you live and prosper in the society. You should show respect for the society. Society will value you in turn. One should follow one’s Dharma - the job expected from him. A small example-you should ask yourself, ‘Is my work proportional to my first pay?’ If you work for the salary you get, why should the country need to take loans to pay salary to people? Duty is God. Duty is love. Do your duty sincerely. Follow rules and regulations. Work honestly. This is true service to Bharat. To be Continued… Source: Students with Sai: Conversations Part 1 (1991-2000) -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "saimsg" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
