Posted on: Mar 31, 2014
Celebrate Ugadi by Sacrificing Selfishness and
Embracing Selflessness
Embracing Selflessness
The dawn of a new year
always brings with it a new hope; a hope for good change, improvement
and better tidings. Though this change need not necessarily wait for a
new year, we inadvertently connect the two. This leads to the year being
welcomed with hope-suffused celebrations and, eager and anxious
prayers. In all this we forget that every new year is a reminder that
time moves on swiftly, and that it is indeed necessary for us to
introspect whether we are living the purpose for which this life is
given to us.
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Celebrations of such
festivals in Bhagawan’s presence were special for this very reason. Yes
there is rejoicing and revelry. But Bhagawan always drew our attention
to the essential significance of the observance, and made sure that the
soft spiritual calling is not drowned in the din of the festivity.
So let us all begin this
Ugadi (New Year day for Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Marwari and Sindhi
people) by reading and listening to this Ugadi message of Baba,
delivered on 13 April 2002
where Swami teaches us the best way to celebrate this festival. What
better way than this to start this year named ‘Jaya’ (Victory)? May we
all imbibe this message and move closer to our own ‘Spiritual Victory'’
Embodiments of love!
For ages and generations we
have been enjoying the bliss of celebrating this festival of Ugadi.
Bharathiyas (Indians), through their spiritual insights have been
conferring peace and security to all the countries. That is the reason
why, from olden times to today, the prayer Loka samasthaa sukhino bhavanthu
(May all beings everywhere be happy) is chanted. Today’s man has
progressed well physically and materialistically. But in terms of
ethical behavior, he is not able to keep criticism and narrow mindedness
under check.
If
one enquires and introspects deeply, one would realise that selfishness
and self-interest are the root cause. Man today does not love material
objects for their sake; he does not love individuals for their sake, nor
does he love the country for the sake of the country’s welfare.
Whatever
one sees, listens or thinks is being used for self-interests and
selfishness alone. We will be celebrating Ugadi in its true spirit only
when we give up our narrow-mindedness and selfishness. On Ugadi day,
people wake up early, have a sacred bath, put on new clothes and relish
sweets and delicacies. It is rather easy to have external cleanliness
and to wear new clothes. They are interested only in external
cleanliness and are not concerned about purifying their hearts which are
tainted with evil thoughts and evil feelings. But that is not the
purpose of celebrating festivals. True celebration of Ugadi lies in
purifying one’s heart, developing selflessness and giving up evil
tendencies, thus, making man noble.
Embodiments of Love! Today is Ugadi. Since it marks the beginning (adi) of an era (yuga), it is called Ugadi.
Ugadi has been celebrated from
times immemorial. Though many Ugadis have gone by, the evil tendencies
in our hearts have not gone. The day when you give up bad qualities, fill your hearts with love and take to the path of sacrifice, is true Ugadi.
What you eat and wear alone
does not qualify this day as Ugadi. Today you may wear a new shirt, but
how long will it remain new? Tomorrow it becomes old! Nobody reads the
same newspaper every day. Today’s newspaper becomes tomorrow’s waste
paper. Our life too is like a newspaper. Once you have finished reading a
newspaper, you do not like to read it again and again. You have been
given this life, and you experienced it. Enough is enough! Do not ask
for another birth now; just as you would not read the same newspaper
again. You have read through this newspaper, you have experienced it,
you have rejoiced, you have suffered, you have gone through it all, now
do not seek another.
You should pray, “Oh God! You
have given me this newspaper (life) today and I have experienced all
that I need to. I do not want to have another newspaper; I don’t want
another birth”.
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Many
things happen in this world. We perform various tasks and undergo many
experiences. But what is the use of all this, for it is unable to give
us bliss. Neither by wealth nor by action nor by study of texts nor by darshan, sparshan and sambhashan (vision, touch and conversation) of noble souls can man attain eternal bliss. You can visualise the manifestation of God and experience bliss only when you purifies your heart.
Love
all. Have faith that God is present in all. Make everybody happy. Only
then can you attain happiness. It is impossible for you to attain
happiness without making others happy.
What is it that we have to do on this day of Ugadi? Starting today, we must make efforts to purify our hearts. Past
is past. It will not come back. We have seen the path, we have walked
on. Now, we should look at the path before us. What is the point in
looking behind? Future is not sure, so that is not the truth for us.
Even that will pass on in a moment. What is the guarantee that we will
be alive until tomorrow? So, do not worry or think about your future; do
not muse about the past. Live in the present. Present is the important
thing. It is not ordinary present; it is omnipresent. So, when you
sanctify the present, the past and the future shall be sanctified
automatically.
Embodiments of Love!
Today is the New Year day for
the people of Andhra Pradesh. Tomorrow will be the Tamil New Year day
and that will be followed by Vishu (the New Year Day) for the people of
Kerala. Such festivals keep coming one after the other. There is no
dearth of festivals. What is needed is the intellect to experience and
understand their true significance.
Embodiments of Love!
Right from this day, from this moment, start giving up your bad feelings, thoughts and habits. Thereby make your hearts sacred.
Only then will your obtain bliss. There is no point in reading sacred
texts or visiting noble souls unless you purify your heart in the first
instance. Let your thoughts, words and deeds be sacred. This is the true
significance of celebrating Ugadi.
If
the feelings are sacred, the result is bound to be sacred. When you
undertake any task with a sacred heart, you will instantly get sacred
results. You do not have to look for anybody as proof of this statement.
I Myself am the proof for this. There is no trace of
selfishness in whatever task I undertake. Whatever I do is for the
benefit of humanity. Many people do not try to understand this and think
that it is done with some expectation. But I do not expect anything
from anybody nor do I get any benefit out of it. I derive only one
benefit, i.e., I feel happy when everybody is happy.
So too, as you all claim to be
Sai devotees, you also should strictly adhere to the Sai path and
experience the joy therefrom. When you follow in My footsteps, you too
will certainly achieve sacred results, and also earn a good name. And
this will happen instantly.
Being Sai devotees, you
should at least to an extent, give up selfishness, embrace selflessness
and lead your lives immersed in the principle of love. Give up criticizing others; give up hatred towards others.
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Offer
respects even to those who hate you. Hatred is a bad quality. It will
lead to your own ruin. Do not become a victim to this quality of hatred.
Develop love towards everyone.
Help the poor and needy to the
extent possible. Help ever, Hurt never. Sage Vyasa has given the
essence of eighteen Puranas in two sentences, Paropakara punyaya, papaya parapeedanam (one attains merit by serving others and commits sin by hurting them). This is the main principle of Bharatiya (Indian) culture.
Do not be under the illusion
that you are hurting others. When you hurt others, you are actually
hurting yourself. When you help others, you will receive help tenfold.
If you harm others, you will be put to harm ten times more. Keep this in
mind.
So on this sacred day, fill your hearts with love, become embodiments of love and undertake sacred activities.
Bhajan: Prema Mudita Manase kaho…
Radio Sai Team wishes all of you a blissful and sacred New Year.
- Team Radio Sai
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