Sairam,       

Once a Sultan ruling over the region of Mathura and Brindavan came on pilgrimage and stayed at Brindavan for some days. One late night he went and called before the closed doors of the temple, "Who is inside?". He heard a voice from inside giving reply, "Govind Maharaj and Radha Rani!". Knowing there were two persons living inside, he was filled with an agonizing yearning to see the distinguished occupants of the temple. He waited outside for three full days ignoring hunger and thirst because he was afraid that the Imperial Couple may emerge any moment and he might miss their darshan. On the last night, Govind Maharaj and Radha Rani dressed magnificently with headgear, necklaces, wristlets and Ornaments emerged from the temple and signalled Sultan to follow them to the banks of Yamuna where they were welcomed by thousands of Gopas and Gopis shining with heavenly joy. They played music and danced in the bright moonlight and returned to the temple at 4 A.M . They gave kankanas (Golden anklets) to Sultan for safekeeping and passed through the closed door before he could say anything.  

A party of priests came at the same time to open locks of the inner doors of the temple to inaugurate the ceremonials of the day with Suprabatham and Nagarasamkirtan (Awakening Hymn and Moving Choirs). They enquired why Sultan is standing there at that time with kankanas in hand. The Sultan replied, "I don't know why Govind Maharaj and Radha Rani gave me these kankanas for safe keeping. They were with me and they have gone inside just now after spending at the Yamuna bank from midnight till few minutes ago." They concluded that he is caught in the act of theft, bound him and beat him. Later they found that the Locks are unbroken and only the idol of Krishna has no gold kankanas! They were convinced that the man outside was a great Bhakta who had the unique vision of the Lord. They honoured him and craved pardon for their wrong actions. The reward of unlimited Ananda can be earned through sincere yearning and by developing implicit faith in God.

It is impossible to understand God completly because he is unlimited and we have limited senses. Neither the big scholars nor the mental speculators or even becoming a sannyasi cannot understand Lord. You can begin to know the Lord once you become submissive and develop spiritual attitude of following Lord as a Servant, Friend, Son, Father or Lover. Only faith and devotion can qualify one to understand the Lord. Once you develop faith on Lord and get convinced that whatever you see is simply a manifestation of the enengy of Lord, you can understand his actions i.e., how he is working; how his energies are acting; how he is manifesting; what is this material world; what is the spiritual world; what are the living creatures; what is the relationship.

The most intimate relationship with God is forgotten and this relationship is revealed when you are perfectly liberated. Moksha (liberation) results from the breaking of the mind with all its vagaries and wishes. Viveka, Vairagya and Vichakshana (discrimination, detachment and ability) are required to acquire Moksha (liberation from bondage to both joy and truth). Remove dirt (anger, conceit, egoism, pride) and dedicate the sensual desires encompassing the mind and smash it in the presence of God to get Moksha. You can get liberation by following the instuctions and directions of the spiritual master but not just by dharsana, sparshna and sambhashana (seeing, touching and conversing).

You cannot claim yourself as divine by doing manava karmas (human actions) or dhanava karmas (demonic actions). Manava (human being) can discover his Narayana thathwam (divine state) by engaging himself in Madhava karmas i.e., actions dedicated to God. Virtue is the life-breath; character is the backbone. A characterless man is like a pot with many holes which is useless neither for carrying water not for storing it.

The bees are attracted by lotus from afar but the frogs that skip around it on the lake never know of its beauty or fragrance.

--SATHYA SAI 

Omsai Srisai Jaijaisai