Develop the Vision, not the body

The principle that food is only a drug to cure hunger is ignored and man is enslaved to the tongue. All the twenty-four hours are spent in attending to the care of the body, the prevention of disease, the promotion of health, the development of muscle, etc. No care is spent on the dehi – the God resident in this physical tabernacle, who has to be recognised and revered. The weighing machine, on which you stand and read your weight with pride, laughs at you for the silly exaltation. It sneers at your conceit over physical victories; it warns you against too much concern over paltry gains. It knows that death is lying in wait to snatch you away, however heavy you may grow. Develop drishti (vision), not deha (body). Concentrate on the Maker, not the made. (SSS Vol.7)

This morning, we are celebrating the samapti of the Saptaha yajna, the valedictory function of the Seven-day Yaga. Sama also means Brahmam, and Aapti means attainment; so, it signifies not only the conclusion, but, the successful conclusion of the ‘sacrifice. The word yajna and the word yaga are both translated as sacrifice; that is the primary purpose of the yajna. You sacrifice riches, comfort, power (all that promotes the ego) and merge in the Infinite.

That is the attainment and the end. Yajnas are useful because they support the ideal of sacrifice, and condemn acquisition. They emphasise discipline, rather than distraction. They insist on the concentration of the mind, the tongue and the hand on Godhead. Cynics count the bags of grain, the kilograms of ghee, and the hundred-weights of fuel, and ask for more bags and kilograms and hundred-weights of contentment, happiness in return! The effects of yajna on the character and the consciousness cannot be measured or weighing in metres or grams. It is something immeasurable, though actual and experienceable. Moreover, the cynics do not calculate the ghee, grain, and fuel they have themselves consumed, with no compensating joy. The grain and ghee offered in the sacred fire to the accompaniment of Vedic formulae give returns, thousand-fold; they will cleanse and strengthen the atmosphere all over the world. Otherwise, the Avatar will not encourage or revive these Yajnas! (SSS Vol.10)

That is Full; This is Full; When Full is taken from the Full, Full remains – this is the Upanishadic axiom! The Divine is Full; Creation is Full; even when Creation happened, and the Cosmos appeared to be produced from the Divine, there was no diminution in the Fullness of the Full. Fullness is the attribute, the nature of the Supreme. It cannot be diminished by the process of creation of the Cosmos. Why is creation also called the Full? Because, it came from the Full.

You go to the bazaar to purchase a kilogramme of jaggery. The keeper of the shop brings from his store a big lump, and he slices off a portion, weighing about a kg; he then weighs lt and gives us, in return for the price amount, one kg. of Jaggery. We sample a piece from the big lump and we expect the portion to behave as sweetly as the original lump. We go home and take a little to prepare the sweet drink called panakam. The panakam is sweet; the kg of jaggery and the mother lump – all are equally sweet. Fullness is the quality of the Divine; it is found in part or portion or in half or whole. Quantity is not the criterion; quality is In the visible world that has been taken from the substance of the Divine, this quality is found equally full. We shall not consider the world as anything less than God. (SSS Vol.13)

And, most important of all, God, the Universal Watcher, is witnessing and weighing your every thought, word and deed. The God in you examines and judges and you are able to acquire self-satisfaction through sincerity and serenity. Prove your humanness by the practice of the values which are the unique qualities of man. (SSS Vol.19)

Satyabhama, in her pride, imagined that her Lord Krishna could be appropriated by her if jewels and gems were presented. She piled them on one pan of the balance which was weighing Him. But this was of no avail. Rukmini had effaced herself and knew only the Krishna-principle. So, when she placed a single tulsi leaf with her prayer on the pan, Krishna could be weighed and the pan with Krishna rose up.

Unadulterated devotion, total renunciation – these alone can help us to achieve the awareness of our Divinity. (SSS Vol.15)

Here patram means body, pushpam means heart, phalam is mind, and toyam is tears of joy. All these should be offered to God. This is the offering that God wants from you. (SSS Vol.32 Part 2)

Man should use his words with utmost care and caution. It is important that man uses words after weighing pros and cons. He should not be hurt nor should he hurt others. Words give life and take away life.

Words are dainty delicacies.

Words are aromatic fragrance.

Words are the essence of nectar.

Words are the essence of the Vedas. (Telugu Poem) (SSB 2002, p.76)