Source: Sathya Sai Speaks
Equanimity of Mind
Satsang
It is only when you can demonstrate an ideal life, can you say that you have justified having been born as a human being. On the other hand, if you become a slave to your senses, you become a slave to the whole world around you. Even if you live a short life, lead a good and ideal life. A long life with contaminated and impure thoughts is no good. It is very necessary that you recognize that real education means development of character.
You should make an attempt to experience and enjoy the bliss that is contained in what you have learnt. Our wealth is knowledge. Our prosperity lies in the good qualities that are in us. Our riches are our dharma. An individual who has got faith in God must put his faith into practice. By believing in God and yet by ignoring God’s utterances and commands, you are contradicting yourselves. Faith is not a cloak that is worn outside for decieving others. Such people are deceiving themselves.
These essence of education is to recognize the truth. All branches of learning are like the rivers. The spiritual learning is like the ocean. All rivers go and merge into the ocean. When they merge in the ocean, the rivers lose their individuality completely. Under no circumstances should we give room to excitement, to ego and to anger.
There is one little example for this. In one village, there was a village head who did not like Buddha. The moment he heard any words uttered by Buddha, he used to get angry. He was always suffering from uncontrolled anger. One day, he learnt the news that Buddha was coming to that village with his disciples. Since he was the head of the village, he issued a certain order. The order was that when Buddha came asking for alms, no one should give him alms and all should close their doors. Following this order, all the people in the village closed the doors of their respective houses when Buddha came. The head of the village also closed the doors and was sitting in the verandah outside the door.
Buddha was all-knowing and he knew what was happening. With his disciples he came to the very house in which the village head was living. Great people will never be affected either by praise or blame. Such people, having developed equal mindedness, will go right in front of those who are suffering from jealousy and ego. This village head, was suffering from such ignorance and pride and Buddha went straight to him and asked for alms. The village head, who was waiting for such an opportunity, became even more excited. A person who is sick will always want to take several medicines. Certain birds will always be wanting to look at cool moonshine. Good people will always want to help the bad people and to see that the badness in them is removed and they are cleansed. It is only one who has a disease and is sick, that wants a doctor. A healthy man does not want a doctor. Similarly, people who are suffering from the disease of disbelief can be cured by good people.
With such noble ideas, Buddha, along with his disciples, went to the house of the village headman and said, “Bhavati, bhikshan dehi,” I have come to ask for alms. When he saw Buddha and the disciples accompanying him, the headman became very angry. He addressed Buddha and said, “You lazy man, you have collected all these people in your company, and they become lazy. You are taking them round because they do not want to work. Not only you are ruining your own life, you are also ruining the lives of your disciples. This is wrong.” In that manner, he abused Buddha and the disciples who came with him.
Buddha smiled at all this and smiling, asked the head of the village, if he could clarify a doubt for him. The headman said in a very loud voice. “What is your doubt? Let me know.” Buddha said, “I have come to ask for alms from you. You have brought something in order to give it to me. If I do not accept what you wish to give to me, where will it go?” The village headman laughingly replied, “What a big question have you asked! If you do not wish to take what I have for you, I will take it back myself”. Buddha said that he was very happy. “I have come here along with my disciples for taking alms from you. You have brought abuse and you want to give it to me as alms. But I have not accepted the bhiksha you brought for me in the form of abuse. To whom will it go back?” With this, the ego of that village headman subsided. In this manner, great people and great saints go to several persons and with a view to enlighten them, adopt different methods.
When the Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya, after the illumination that revealed to him the Four Noble Truths, gangs of disbelievers gathered around him and poured ridicule and abuse on him. His disciples were enraged; they prayed to the Buddha, “Lord, give us leave; we shall beat this insolence and ignorance out of these traducers”. But, Buddha only smiled at their anger. He said, “Dear Ones, know you not how much joy they derive from this exercise? You derive joy worshiping me. They derive joy pelting me with abuse. You pour reverence; they pour ridicule, and receive equal satisfaction. Control yourselves; do not hate any one, that is the teaching. This is the ancient ordinance”.
Some people cannot tolerate glory in others; some are filled with the venom of envy; some are demonic in nature and cannot tolerate holiness and divinity; some are perverted by disappointment and cast the blame on God; such people will indulge in abuse. If you associate with such people and their followers, you will only be contaminating your minds. Even ordinary men will feel ashamed to cast aspersions on the great, but, these expose themselves by their tactics as lower than the lowest.
You might say, we are the ordinary kind; when the Form we adore is traduced how can we bear it silently? Suppose some one sends you a letter by registered post. When you sign and take it, you become aware of its contents, though you may not accept the contents. If you do not sign, the letter goes back to the person who sent it and his purpose in making you aware of the contents is defeated. So too, don’t give ear to the abuse; keep cool and uninterested; then, the foulness goes back to the sender, and cannot affect you at all. It will affect him as a resound, re-action. Instead of harming you, it will only recoil on him.
- Sathya Sai Speaks
