Don’t develop pride and ego on account of your youth. This stage of youth is like a passing cloud. It comes and goes in a flash. The period of youth must be made meaningful while it lasts. Respect parents and elders. Develop obedience and humility. Without humility, all education is a waste. But today’s students have no idea what humility means. They behave as they please.
One with good behaviour is a boy.
One with good manners is a man.
One with good discipline is a devotee.
You call yourself a boy, but you don’t have behaviour. This behaviour must start early, when you are a boy. “Start early, drive slowly, reach safely.” Do not compare your studies with your behaviour. Human values are human values. Do not compare them with anything because they are permeated with Divinity.
So think of spiritual matters at a young age. “Who is God? How can I see Him? How can I live like a true human being? In what manner can I serve society?” All these issues can be understood in this Summer Course. This course is not meant to teach you some new subject. The subject is Human Values. The name is “Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality.” What is culture? It is sometimes defined as a “way of life”. But Indian Culture cannot be understood easily—it has numerous meanings. Life itself is culture. Our behaviour,
moment to moment, is culture.
Students! Born in this sacred land, you must conduct yourself so as to increase peace in the country. Today Bharat Mata is continuously shedding tears, wondering in what ways Her children will hurt Her next and bring Her disrepute! Not just students, but all four stages of life—Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa—are causing grief to Bharat Mata. No section of society is giving satisfaction to the country. What a pity that even in spirituality, Bharat is shedding tears! Today, only the outer forms of men are changing but not their minds. Their dresses change but not their qualities. Where are these people headed? Is there anyone today who is able to recognize and understand the truth about Bharat Mata? The Motherland is worrying, “My own children are not able to recognize Me!”
What kind of children are they who do not recognize their own mother? You must first recognize your mother. Then understand the nature of your father. The country is the mother and the culture, the father. First of all, protect your motherland and its culture. Patriotism and nationalistic feelings are totally absent in today’s youth. What is meant by a nation? Students think that land, trees and rivers constitute a nation. No, no. Students should understand the principle of their motherland. “This is my motherland, this is my mother tongue,” you should declare with pride. If you cannot, you are only a dead body! We should be ready to sacrifice even our lives for the sake of the country! “What do I care if the country or world goes to ruin? I should be happy.”—This is the attitude of students today. This is gross ignorance. It is only when the country is happy that the society can be happy. And you can be happy only when the society is happy. Students! Consider the nation first, above everything else. What is our country called? We are called Hindus. What does that mean?
Humility + Individuality + Nationality + Divinity + Unity = HINDU.
Only when you have these qualities, are you a true Hindu. Of these, humility is most essential. Pride drives away the other four virtues. Without humility, there is no individual, much less, individuality! Humility, humility, humility —this is of utmost importance. Only then can unity result. Work for the motherland. The next ten days in the Summer Course are valuable. Consider each moment as an era and use this time carefully. Don’t waste life just listening. You must practice what you have learned. Translation into action should be the chief quality of our students. (SSB 1995, pp. 12-14)
It is in order to teach you such ancient ideals of Indian culture that we started these summer classes. The idea is also to wean you away from wrong practices in day-to-day life, inculcate good habits, initiate refinement, and to make this refinement a goal of your life. To develop refinement is of a great act. Student is not the one who merely studies. Studies should be complimented with refinement. So, it is to protect you from the mindless activities, frivolous sights and meaningless chatter, which you indulge in at home during holidays, and to give an experience of culture and thus changing your minds for the better, this course is designed. (SSB 2002, p.208)
This is the first day of the Summer Course. Understand the purpose behind conducting the Summer Course. You would have wasted a lot of time during these two months of vacation. If you waste your time futile pursuits, you cannot have sense control. And if your senses are not brought under control, your health as well as your studies will suffer. Make sacred use of your time in this course. The Summer Course is meant to cultivate virtues in you so that you may attain Pushti (strength) and Santushti (happiness) and experience Satyananda (true bliss) (SSB 2002, p. 178)
We are going to start the Summer Course at Brindavan between 15th and 20th in the month of May. This summer course was being conducted every year a decade ago. With a view to inculcating true values of higher learning in our students and teachers, we want only our students and teachers from Bangalore, Anantapur, Prasanthi Nilayam, Jaipur and Bhopal to participate in this programme. Therefore, after the final examinations, you can go to your native places for vacation and return to Brindavan for the summer course. I hope you will like this programme and derive benefits from it. I will go to Bangalore and make all arrangements for the summer course.
When someone asked, ‘Swami, what preparations are required for You? You can do in no time whatever You want!’ Swami replied, ‘yes, for you, you have Sai. You will pray to Him and get any work done by Him. But whom shall I call? I have no Sai. I am anath!’ (SSSm Vol.6, p.133-136)
‘Students, do not forget our ancient culture which is very life-breath of the Bharatiyas. Hearth had offered the gems of its great culture to the world at large in the past. Today, our nation has suffered a serious setback due to the ever growing malady of aping other countries. Imitation is human; creation is divine. Right education should help you manifest your innate divinity.
‘Fifty years ago, the youth of our country, who were imbued with patriotism and love of our culture, used to follow the footsteps of the elders. The national leaders, teachers and scholars of those days had said exemplary ideals. There was harmony in their thoughts, words and deeds. That inspired the younger generation to follow their example. They used to decorate their living rooms with portraits of divine incarnations and national leaders. However, it is a matter of regret that now a days, ideal leaders and teachers are conspicuous by their absence. Today’s leaders and teachers have forfeited the confidence of the young, since they do not practise what they preach. Today, we find the pictures of film stars adorning the walls of the rooms of the students. The reason for such degradation in the attitudes of the young is the absence of ideal leaders who practise and propagate the ideals of Indian culture.
‘In present day India, there are many people who do not understand what ‘samskriti’ or culture is. The word ‘samskriti’ originating from ‘samskritam’ refers to the process of refinement of every object before it is made fit for use. For example, paddy has to undergo many processes of refinement before it is transformed into cooked rice. Such refinement also enhances the value of things. For instance, the value of paddy is, say, one hundred rupees per bag. But when the paddy is converted into rice by the milling process, the value of one bag of rice will be six hundred rupees; there is a six-fold increase in its value because of refinement. Similarly, a piece of stainless steel, which is worth nothing, acquires value when it is transformed into a watch through a process of refinement. Likewise, man has no value if he remains in the state in which he is born. He should manifest his inherent divinity. Students should therefore try to acquire, in addition to academic knowledge, refined qualities like humility and discrimination, which will help them, become full-fledged human personalities. As a seed finds fulfilment in a fruit-bearing tree, man should find fulfilment in a purposeful life leading to perfection through ‘samskarana’ or transformation, and yielding the fruits of peace, joy and love.
Love is a divine quality. It should not be confined only to human beings; it should also be extended to birds, beasts and other living beings. True ‘samskriti’ lies in such expansion of love and giving up narrow-mindedness. Such expansion results in real joy for oneself and for the society as well. Thus, human nature will be sublimated into divinity.’
‘Students, during the fifteen days of this summer course, you should learn how to harmonise our ancient culture and traditions with the needs of the modern world and to lead your lives on the principles of Satya and Dharma. Wealth, power, position and youthful vigour are transient like passing clouds; they may all disappear in a moment. Adolescence is a very precious period in one’s life. It should be rightly used. Once you waste this precious period, you can never get it back whatever you might do. Try to develop faith in the sacred ‘Bharatiya Samskriti’, which transcends the limitations of time, space and circumstances. During these fifteen days, you should endeavour to understand fully the glory and uniqueness of our culture.
‘In his welcome address, the vice chancellor Shri Saraf prayed that I should explain to you the functions and significance of the body, senses, mind, intellect and the Atma. It is essential for students to know about these entities. Of what avail is it for one to know everything about the external world without knowing about one’s own reality? It is important for you to understand your true nature, which is divine. Students, boys and girls, you should sanctify this precious period of time by imbibing the sacred ideas and ideals, and then strive to spread them through the length and breadth of this vast country of ours. Do not forget that in all these endeavours, devotion is the most important requisite. Without divine grace, we cannot achieve anything. Therefore, try to develop faith in the Divine, and then you can achieve everything.’(SSSm Vol.6 pp. 146-149)
‘Students, what has been taught to you during these fifteen days is the essence of the sacred Vedanta. What has been given to you is the nectar obtained by the churning of all the Holy Scriptures — Shastras, Puranas and Itihasas. You are the future leaders, pleaders and patrons of Mother India. You should lead exemplary lives, treading the path of Satya and Dharma. Under no circumstances should you deviate from this ideal path. Let your secular education go hand in hand with spiritual education.
‘You are highly fortunate. Even though there are several million people in the world, is it not your unique good luck that only you, who are but a few hundreds in number, have been able to get the benefit of this golden opportunity? However, the purpose of this summer course will be served only if you shine forth as exemplars to others. I hope and aspire that you will practise in your lives what you have heard here, and thereby sanctify your lives and also contribute your share to make the future of Bharat bright and prosperous.’ (SSSm Vol.6, p 152)