The Dawn of Man

VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE

Today’s topic is about the dawn of man. The dawn of man is the most valuable in the entire creation. According to the scriptures, there are approximately 84 lakhs of species in nature. Out of these 84 lakhs, the life of a human being is most precious, cherished, and desired.

As Bhagavan says, “Even angels wait to be born as human beings on earth in order to establish contact and rapport with God in human form.” To be born as human is very rare in the entire creation. Human life is not just an accident or a matter of choice but it is, indeed, the culmination and climax in the course of physical evolution. Yet, before I go into details, let us understand the difference between a human being and an individual.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL  AND A HUMAN BEING

We often consider the terms ‘individual’ and ‘human being’ to be one and the same, and use them as if they were synonyms. But they are not. An individual is an entity, while a human being is not. An individual is restricted to geographical space and specified time, while a human being is not. An individual is constrained by a particular language, religion, brand and banner, while a human being is not. An individual is limited and finite, whereas a human being is vast and infinite. Therefore my friends, when I use the term ‘human’, I am referring to the one who is rare, precious, boundless, and limitless in the entire creation. However, before we go into other details, allow me to bring another point to your attention.

LEARNING ABOUT THE SELF

My friends, acquisition of knowledge about oneself is different from learning about one’s Self. Acquisition of knowledge about oneself is concerned with having or gaining information on family, community, country, nationality, property, qualification, and profession of a person. But learning about one’s own Self does not have to do anything with the past; it refers to the present – as to what is currently happening and how the person is now. In another words, all which deals with the past is knowledge about oneself, while all that concerns the present is learning about one’s own Self.

This morning, we are making an attempt to learn about one’s own Self. It is on this wavelength that I would like to draw your attention to some of the most important statements made by Bhagavan on this subject. As we try to investigate and explore in depth the dawn of man, Swami’s comments will be, indeed, of an immense help to all in clarifying the topic.

THE MEANING OF MAN

Bhagavan, in His own inimitable, unique, and Divine style, explains the word ‘man’ by interpreting each letter individually. ‘M’ stands for maya or illusion. ‘A’ is Atma or consciousness. And ‘N’ stands for nirvana or liberation.

Just let us reflect on this explanation. Maya or illusion is mistaken identity or super-imposition. For example, if it is dark, a rope could very well be mistaken for a snake. Yet, with the help of a torchlight, one will soon know that the rope is not a snake. A few more examples: You think you are the body, but you are not. I think I am the mind, but I am not. He thinks he is the intellect, but he is not. Indeed, to feel what one is when one is not is an illusion or a delusion.

Once one crosses this maya and is above and beyond this illusion, then one will understand ‘A’ for Atma or consciousness. Atma or consciousness has not been perceived, comprehended, thought of, and experienced because of maya or illusion. Therefore my friends, once one transcends and grows beyond maya, one will be able to experience Atma or consciousness. In fact, ‘n’, nirvana or liberation is possible only if one experiences Atma or consciousness.

GET RID OF MAYA OR ILLUSION

What is nirvana or liberation? One also may ask, “What is the harm if I am not liberated? I am quite comfortable with fine food, a luxurious and well-furnished home, and a good bank account. So, why do I need liberation?”

My friends, whatever may be the position, bank account, property, progeny or status, all will ultimately lead to misery. No man ever said that he is in bliss because of property, or extremely happy because of position, or very, very fine because of his influence. Uneasy lays the head that wears the crown of thorns.

Therefore my friends, the position, property, status, and influence, although extremely attractive and initially promising, ultimately land us in trouble and take us to misery and sadness. The illusion that position, status, or influence will make one happy should be dispensed with, dropped and disposed of.

Indeed, one ought to focus on being a non-dualist. Maya or illusion is dualistic. Dualism or dwaitha means that I am happy in the morning, so-so in the afternoon and miserable by night. It is dualism when I earn profit one year and sustain loss soon after. It is dualism if I am victorious and successful sometimes, but end up in a failure and become a loser later on. Life is full of dual experiences and nobody can ever say, “I am successful throughout.”

ATMA IS NON-DUAL

One has to pass through dual experiences in life. It is duality that is responsible for our happiness and misery. Because we forget this fact, we have to face the reverse as well. The day will not remain throughout; certainly and definitely it has to be followed by night. As someone said, “All days are not Sundays.”

My dear friends, the dual experiences of life are the cause for sadness, misery, and unhappiness. Therefore, at one time or another, this maya or illusion, which is nothing but dualism, must be transcended, so that one will experience the one and only non-dual Atma or consciousness.

THE THREE SIGNS OF CONSCIOUSNESS –SATH-CHITH-ANANDA

Atma or consciousness is non-dual. It is the other name for bliss. Consciousness has three qualities, indications or signs: Existence - Sath, Awareness - Chith, and Bliss - Ananda: Sat-Chith-Ananda. Existence, awareness, and bliss are the three attributes of consciousness or Atma that one will be able to experience only if this maya or illusion has been scrubbed. It is then and only then when one will be able to attain liberation or nirvana.

Nobody else but Baba can think of such a beautiful and wonderful interpretation and explanation in this simple yet unique way. Life is not worth living if we do not go beyond maya, do not experience Atma, and do not attain nirvana. That is why the dawn of the human being is so precious. Human life is rare for the simple reason that man alone can go beyond illusion, experience consciousness and attain liberation.

Swami also says, “Mankind -- see that, God is a Divine Poet.” You may be a man of letters, but God Himself is the letter. So as He is the letter, it is quite natural that He can explain it better!

Now He says, “You belong to ‘mankind’.” We know that mankind is a composite, comprehensive, and collective term. Then, how can you call yourself a member of mankind? You can call yourself ‘belonging to mankind’ if you have kindness in you.

Indeed, the man with cruelty, the one who is animalistic, bestial, violent, uncompassionate, and unkind, cannot possibly belong to mankind. That is why sometimes we ask, “Are you a human being?”

Why and when do you question the person in front of you? You put that question when that person is not acting in the way one expects of a human being. Therefore my dear friends, when Bhagavan uses the term ‘mankind’, He means ‘the one with kindness’.

THE THREE QUALITIES OF HUMANNESS

Once we become human, we have ‘humanness’. ‘Humanness’ is something like the brightness of light or the sweetness in the sweet. We should carry within us at least the minimum of humanness.

Baba says that there are three important qualities of humanness. One is sathya or truth. Swami calls it neethi. The second quality of humanness is dharma or righteousness. Swami calls that reethi. And the third feature of humanness is tyaga or sacrifice that earns khyathi or reputation.

Neethi is the code of conduct or the expected behaviour. The path one should follow is that of reethi or dharma. By following neethi, morality or sathya, and treading the path of reethi or dharma, you will get khyathi or reputation. This is the way to khyathi or reputation as a human being.

Sometimes when we go through the newspapers or watch TV, we see or hear of some incidents showing how some fellows are violent, brutal, and harsh towards each other. Then we begin to question and doubt whether they are really human beings or not.

Therefore, humanness means neethi, reethi, khyathi. Truth, neethi has to be followed; its procedure is reethi; then only one can earn the reputation of a human being, khyathi. It is only then one can say that one belongs to mankind, jaathi or the race of man.

Please notice the beautiful alliteration! Neethi, reethi, khyathi, jaathi. Bhagavan says that you belong to jaathi or the human race only when these three qualities are present in you.

THE MEANING OF THE WORD ‘HUMAN’

First, we reviewed Swami’s description of what ‘M’, ‘A’, and ‘N’, in MAN stands for and, now, we shall study Bhagavan’s interpretation of every letter in Human: ‘H’, ‘U’, ‘M’, ‘A’, and ‘N’, as to what they truly represent. ‘H’ stands for ‘high human value’, ‘U’ for ‘understanding society’, ‘M’ stands for ‘mindful of one’s own duty’, ‘A’ for Ananda or bliss, and ‘N’ for the Name of God.

When we say that ‘H’ stands for high human values, we mean that, as an individual, we should know the high values of a human being. I cannot consider myself and others as an animal or as low and cheap. I know the high values of my human life. Therefore, ‘H’ represents the high human values in thought, word and deed that I should carry within me as a true individual.

‘U’ - Understanding society means that we should have a proper grasp of the universal good, what is beneficial for everyone in the long run. In other words, we should go beyond the narrow limitations of selfishness, the ‘I and mine’. We must do what is beneficial for everyone.

It is in this context that Baba’s repeated quote “Help ever - hurt never” comes to our rescue. “Help ever - hurt never” gives the proper understanding of society. We do not have a suitable understanding of society if we have a sinister pleasure in hurting others by our words and deeds.

A sadist feels so happy hurting someone else. Baba always says that we should lead our lives in such a way so as not to hurt others and not to be hurt by others. A beautiful Telugu poem says, “Lead your life in such a way as to neither hurt yourself nor others.”

THE HIGHEST DUTY OF MAN

‘M’ stands for mindful of one’s own duty. I have to clarify this notion, as some of us are mindful of other people’s duties instead of our own! (Laughter) We judge, evaluate, and assess others, checking to see whether they are doing well or not in different arenas.

But, is it not true that we should be mindful of our own duty? One should ask, “What is my duty?” Is it my duty to push or shout at everybody, or to simply carry on with my own business? Is it my duty to remark well or to earn reputation in society? What is my real duty?

The first and foremost duty of duties is to know one’s true nature or true Self. That is the highest duty. Our duty is not to earn salary to take care of one’s own living expenses or livelihood. The reason for our education should not be to get our degrees in order to merely win our daily bread.

As Baba puts it, “Birds and beasts live well without degrees.” No bird got a Ph.D.! The spider builds a beautiful cobweb without getting a Master in Technology! The honey bee will be collecting honey from different sources in a honeycomb, without a Master in Business Administration, MBA! As we do business with MBA, my degree helps me to exploit, whereas the honeybee, without a degree, can collect honey beautifully and preserve it in style in a honeycomb. Therefore my friends, duty is not simply to carry on our life’s sojourn. Duty is not merely a profession, a skill or a talent. The real duty of duties is to know one’s own true nature.

‘A’ - Ananda or bliss is present if only one can realise his true Self. If I know everybody, but I do not know myself, I am the most miserable man on earth. Everything else is useless if there is no realisation of my own true identity. When there is no search for my true Self, my life will become a market, a bazaar, an open commercial street full of thoughts of others and details of the whole world.

What is the truth about me is equally the truth about you. As Baba says, “Truth is only one, not two.”

I asked Swami once, “Swami, is it not enough if I say, ‘Truth is one?’”

Baba replied that one repeats, “Not two” in order to emphasise and stress that it is only one. Thus, with added emphasis and greater stress, it is said, “Truth is only one, not two.”

Therefore, ananda or bliss is experienced only if I know the Truth, which is only one and not two. And that is present, uniform and is the birthright in everyone. Truth is not to be imported, exported or generated. According to Bhagavan, “You are the embodiment of Truth.” Therefore my friends, ananda is possible by being mindful of one’s own duty, while investigating and experiencing one’s own nature.

UNITY OF THOUGHT, WORD AND DEED

N – The Name of God is needed so that one can realise the Self within. To cut the cloth, you need scissors; and to stitch the pieces, you need a needle and thread. Similarly, to know your own true nature, you need the sacred Name of God.

Christians often end their prayers, “In the Name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, our Saviour.” In the Name of the Lord, you will have ananda. In the Name of the Lord, you will have an understanding of your true Self and realise the high human values. This in a nutshell is, “Helping ever, hurting never.”

Swami has a few thoughts on human life in general. We know a rose from its smell, the sunrise from its sunlight, gold due to its glitter, and honey for its sweetness. Similarly, the human being should also reflect human life through the unity of his thought, word and deed.

Baba says that the unity of thought, word and deed is the backbone of human life. By Baba’s standards, I doubt that we can call ourselves ‘human beings’. This includes me! I am the first one on the list of ‘non-humans’, as I am a botanist and can be branded as belonging to the plant kingdom! (Laughter) Therefore, human beings should reflect human life, and human life should reflect the unity of thought, word and deed. However, unfortunately, often this fails to happen. That is the reason why we cannot call ourselves loyal members of human society!

Furthermore, Bhagavan says that human life should also reflect a life free from ego, full of love, and filled with compassion and forbearance. Human life should be filled with egolessness and loveliness, and be free from possessiveness and abhimana or attachment.

NADA, BINDU AND KALA

Swami has mentioned three more points about the nature of human life. The first one is nada, pranava, or the Omkara. The second one is bindu, which is the body plus the mind. And the third one is kala, buddhi or intellect, which reflects Atma. In other words, a human being is a combination of nada, bindu, and kala.

What is nada? It is the primal sound of Omkara. In the Holy Bible, it also says, “In the beginning there was the Word. The Word is with God and God is the Word.” Therefore, the nada or the Omkara is the primordial sound.

According to Bhagavan, “If you care to listen to the sound in space, it is Omkara. If you stand near the shore of the ocean and watch the surging waves, you perceive Omkara. If you keep your ears close to an electric pole, you listen to Omkara. And if you close both of your ears tightly, you will hear the sound of Omkara.”

Omkara is spread all over the universe. The life breath is ‘So-Hum’: inhalation of ‘So’ and exhalation of ‘Hum.’ Breathing in and breathing out is nada or Omkara. Someone might say, “Sir, there is no Omkara in me.” Then you must have gone long back. You must be on the very first pages of history! (Laughter)

The second one is bindu or the body and mind. Body and mind together constitute the bindu. One cannot say, “I don’t have bindu.” Who are you then?! Or one cannot say, “Sir, I have no mind.” In saying that, I can understand there is mind. You may say, “Never mind”, but mind is there to say that.

The third one is kala, buddhi, or the intellect, which reflects Atma. Buddhi, kala, or the intellect is like a mirror or a glass upon which Atma or Self is reflected. That is the reason why the intellect is the highest of all attributes provided to humankind.

In another context, Baba also says that man should have naithikam or the proper behaviour, conduct, and code of life. Naithikam or morality is similar to the Ten Commandments, or having faith in the Sermon on the Mount.

I often refer to the Holy Bible for the simple reason that I am the product of a Christian college. I studied there for four years, and then I worked in the same place for another twenty-six years! I spent the prime part of my youth there, so I am very, very proud and extremely grateful to that college. So, if I have this much fervour, enthusiasm, and dynamism, the credit really needs to go to the missionaries of the Christian college, as I owe everything to them.

That college is a gift of Christian missionaries of the Lutheran Church in America. While all of us wish to live in America, those missionaries have come down to India (Laughter), working in the slums for the poor people, establishing hospitals, colleges, and orphanages for the downtrodden. That is why I am very much tempted to bring analogies, episodes, examples, and illustrations from the Holy Bible, which is very close to me -- as much as the Bhagavad Gita is.

INDIVIDUAL LAW AND SOCIETAL LAW

According to the Hindu scriptures, naithikam or the code of conduct has two laws, called yama and niyama, which one should follow. The first is the individual law -- how you should conduct yourself individually, while the second one is the societal law -- how you should conduct yourself in relation to society. In fact, yama and niyama are equivalent to the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount.

Baba also speaks of dharmikam, knowing and acting according to one’s own dharma. What is our dharma? Swami has a beautiful interpretation about dharma. There are two words in Bhagavad Gita. One is ‘swadharma’, which means the dharma of the individual and the other is ‘paradharma’, which means dharma for the others.

What is my swadharma? Swami, in His own excellent and unique style, has split swadharma into two parts. ‘Swa’ means Self or Atma, and dharma means the code of conduct, the quality, the expression, the manifestation, and the reality. Swa-dharma then means your duty to know your own Self: ‘swa’ as the Self and dharma as the nature. It is the dharma of the fire to burn, and the dharma of the ice to be very cold. Similarly, to know the nature of ‘swa’ or Self is the primary duty or individual dharma.

Swami also speaks of adhyatmicam, referring to the spiritual. We know now that naithikam is the code of life, swadharma is to know one’s own true nature, and adhyatmicam is to live a spiritual life.

Indeed, we are so great, liberal, and generous to allot one day to God! ‘My Lord, Sunday is Your day. I will meet You same day, same time, same place next week.” (Laughter)

‘Oh Lord Venkatesha, Saturday is Your day. Yes, we have an appointment with You on Saturday. We will meet you then. Till then…bye!’ (Laughter)

‘Friday is my day of visit to the mosque or masjid. I will see You that day.’

‘Baba, Thursday is Your day. I will see You on that day. Be ready with some prasadam for me. We shall go first to the Sathya Sai Baba centres, where only vibhuthi is offered as prasadam; then we will come over here to the Shirdi Sai temple, where sweets are distributed as prasadam.’ (Laughter)

So my friends, adhyatmicam or conducting a spiritual life has only been limited to a particular day and time, becoming an utter ritual. To go to a temple every Saturday is a rite. To go to Baba’s centres on Thursdays is a ritual. Even meditation at 5 pm and singing bhajans at 6 pm have, indeed, become ceremonial.

HUMAN QUALITIES: COMPASSION, TRUTH, AND SERVICE

To be spiritual means to constantly think of Him, offering everything at His Lotus Feet, in a non-stop, regular and incessant manner. This is what Baba calls ‘CIA’. In Baba’s dictionary, ‘CIA’ is not short for ‘Central Intelligence of America’ but for ‘Constant Integrated Awareness’. (Laughter) ‘Constant Integrated Awareness’ means being aware of the Presence of God with each breath, in each breath, and during every single moment. God is not limited to a day or an hour. If that is the case, then the act of worship becomes only a mechanical ritual.

Swami then enumerates the human qualities. As previously mentioned, we have to judge our degree of humanness as per Swami’s criterion.

In order to qualify for Swami’s standards of a true human being, the quality of sadayam or compassion needs certainly to be present in the hridayam or heart at all times. ‘Is my heart filled with enough compassion?’ If the heart is full of anger, fire and fury, it is not a human heart. Then better we keep it in a jungle. Forest life or life in the wildlife preservation is more suitable for fellows with such hearts.

Swami also says, “Yasya bhaashitam - Sathya bhooshitham”, which means that what we speak must be truth. Swami’s very name is Sathya: Yasya bhaashitham - Sathya bhooshitham. According to Bhagavan, “God is Truth, Truth is God; live in Truth.” And, as you must already know, ‘The Truth shall set you free.’

Chaayaha parahitheyasya means the body is a gift to you, given so that it can be dedicated to do service to others. So, the tongue shall speak the truth, while the heart has to be filled with compassion. In other words, the three qualities of a human being are a selfless heart, true speech, and a body prepared to render service to its fellowmen.

BE AN 'ACHARA MANAVA' AND NOT 'AKARA MANAVA'

Now, see how Swami plays with words. Today, we have akara manava. He is only akara (in form), but he is not achara manava (in practice). If a fellow goes on jumping like a monkey, he may not be having the tail, but his character, personality and attitude very much justify the presence of a tail. Indeed, he is deemed to have possessed a tail. He is also near to doom. Therefore my friends, it is clear that one should not merely and simply be an akara manava or a human being in appearance, but instead should also strive to be an achara manava, or a human being in action.

Furthermore, Swami often talks about another very important concept called ‘persona’. Being a teacher, I am fond of repeating any important subject for examination purpose. Old habits die hard. What am I to do about it? Having been a teacher for decades, I cannot leave the habit, as it is too late now. The word ‘person’ is a derivative of an original word, ‘persona’ which in Latin language means Divinity. If I am to call myself a person, that means then that I should be aware of my own Divinity, and I should be and act Divine.

Bhagavan also explains about another Latin word ‘vir’, out of which, pavitra is derived. Pavitra means ‘sacred’. If I am not sacred, I cannot call myself a human being. Swami repeatedly speaks of this word manava. He explains it in two different ways: ‘nava’ means ‘new’ and ‘ma’ means ‘not’. Manava or ‘not new’ then means that, due to past lives, life is a continuous journey to eternity.

We hear of certain recorded instances where Baba is believed to have said that He knows such-and-such a person for the last several lives. Swami knows each one of us and our past lives because Baba’s cosmic and Divine ‘register’ covers past, present, and future, transcending all limitations of time. Therefore, He is able to let us know who and what we were, and who and what we are or will be.

THE GOOD FORTUNE OF BEING BABA’S CONTEMPORARIES

My dear friends, as Baba has recently said in His latest discourse, we are all fortunate being His contemporaries. Immediately after the discourse, however, a person asked me, “Sir, is this true that we are very fortunate?” (Laughter)

So, I told him that I was unfortunate to have met him! (Laughter) When Baba says that you are all fortunate, can you still doubt it and ask as to whether it is true or not? “That is my misfortune to have met you!”

You are really fortunate because you have taken a human birth at the same time that Baba is here. That may be due to your deep and profound inner urge for liberation. Are we not fortunate enough that, among all those many beings who are not human beings, we have been born as a human being? We are not a bunch of mosquitoes! (Laughter) Thank God that we have not taken birth as mosquitoes, but have been born as human beings. Is this not enough good luck and good fortune? In addition, do you not believe that your inner curiosity about spirituality, your inner search for the Divine, and your inner urge for liberation are not enough good fortune?

Yet, the greatest of all is that we have been lucky enough to be the contemporaries of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. There are many people who know Him or know about Him, but could not see Him. There are many people who could see Him, but could not converse with Him. There are many people who could converse with Him, but could not listen to His discourses. There are many who heard His discourses, but could not follow the course of action in their own lives. Therefore my friends, beyond any doubt, to have been born as His contemporary is certainly a great and unique privilege.

Now let us see what manava or ‘human being’ means. Nava – ‘new’ and ma – ‘not’ in conjunction means that you are not here on this earth for the first time. It means that you have had a number of previous lives here on earth and, due to God’s grace, the merit of good deeds accrued in the past, and due to some vasanas and samskaras, you are here again.

You should realise that you are not here on your own, by your own effort, but due to His grace. In fact, to think that you are here on your own is nothing but Himalayan ego! And to say that you have known Baba as your God is also a kind of ego. In reality, it is He who has revealed Himself to you as your God. As you know, some people take Him as a great man, a saint, or a yogi; but it is another sign of grace on His part to have revealed Himself to you in such a way that you are capable of knowing Him as God.

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HUMAN BEINGS

Sakshatkara means ‘to have the experience of the Divine manifestation while in akara or form’. Bhagavan divides human beings into four categories. We shall soon find out to which category we belong or which category we are a member of. But if you think you might not fit into any of the four, let us also have a fifth category, just for you! (Laughter)

One category is manava-danava. Danava means ‘demon’ and ‘manava-danava’ means ‘a demonic human being’. In manava-danava, we can fully and clearly perceive the rajasic temperament. Rajasic temperament is present in all those people who want to have everything in life for themselves. Furthermore, the nature of the demonic temperament is marked by the fact that they want everything good happen to them only. The demon in manava-danava wants to possess everything that exists in this world: ‘Why can’t I buy the whole of Prashanti Nilayam? Why can’t I buy the whole of Mumbai?’ This kind of greed-beyond-need, this kind of spirit of domination, is the quality of the demonic personality.

Most people, however, belong to the category of manava-pashu or the ‘animal-man’. Some people, while very angry, will say, “I am not myself. There is another person inside me.” Who is this other person? Are they referring to the characteristics of the snake or the dog within? The main feature of ‘animal-man’ is, then, the occasional manifestation of animal features or qualities rather than the traits of a real human being.

Next is manava-manava or ‘human-human’. A ‘human-human’ is a human both in appearance and practice. I say this because some people are only human in appearance. For instance, if I say, “You look like a human being,” I mean that you look like one, but you actually are not! (Laughter)

Some of my old students meet me after a while. By saying ‘old students’, I do not really mean that my students are old, but that they are my former students from the past. They tell me, “Sir, you look very young.” I ask them not to say that I look young, but to say that I am young! If you say you look young, it really means that you are not young in reality. (Laughter) Of course, this is the bitter truth but yet…

So, my friends, going back to our main topic, manava-manava is not only human in appearance, but also human in action, temperament, attitude, as well as behaviour.

And then we come to Deva-manava or ‘godly man’. ‘Godly man’ has only God within. When we say someone is a saint, we really mean that, what we expect of God, such as equanimity, equality, kindness, compassion, love, forbearance, sacrifice, etc., have all been realised within that person, and we can clearly see Divinity manifested and expressed in him in their words and deeds.

THE HUMAN HEART AS AN OCEAN OF PURITY

According to Swami, the human heart should be ksheera-sagara or an ‘ocean of milk’. Sagara is ‘ocean’ and ksheera is ‘milk’. It would have been so simple if we could have purchased a few litres of milk for our heart from the dairy farm. “How many litres of milk do you need for your heart today? Let me fill it!” (Laughter) Not so! Ksheera represents purity, charity, clarity, and love. Ksheera sagara means ‘the ocean of purity’ in all its depth and profundity.

But how is human heart today? It is rather sara-sagara. Sara means ‘salt’; nowadays, the heart is full of bitterness. Salinity now and senility later!

CHANTING GOD’S NAME CAN OVERCOME DEATH

So my friends, the caption or title for this morning talk happens to be ‘the dawn of man’, human birth being the most precious gift and grace of God in the entire creation. I have got one question, however, which I will answer quickly and, thereafter, we can disperse.

A portion of a Divine discourse is quoted here on this note, and it was sent to me for clarification. Baba has said, “If a devotee starts chanting the Divine Name, how can I discharge my duties and spread my noose around him?” And since I know what Swami is referring to here, I will let you know of the details.

When a boy named Markandeya was born, God gave his parents the choice of a short life for the boy with a good name, or a long life with no name (reputation) for him at all. The parents chose the former option. As originally planned, it was agreed that the boy was to live up to a certain age, but his was to be kept a popular name forever.

When the boy’s life was nearing its end, the god of death was getting ready to visit him! As you may know, the god of death, Yama Dharmaraja, is in charge of all obituary sections and farewell parties! But, interestingly enough, yama means ‘strict’, dharma means ‘righteousness’, and raja means ‘one who unconditionally enforces’. Therefore, he is the one who will see to it that you cannot escape the punishment of your own wrong doings. Indeed, one can escape income tax, but not Yama Dharmaraja. He is like the topmost income tax officer! Upon his arrival, the debit and credit in your balance sheet is all clear, and there is no chance for any chartered accountant to manipulate it.

Yama Dharmaraja is not like Indian Airlines, which is always running slow or delayed; nor is he similar to the Indian Railways, which never reaches the destination station on time. So this god of death was punctual and ready to take the young fellow’s life at the appointed hour! (Laughter) At the right time, this strict officer takes life by spreading his noose or rope around the neck of the designated person, in order to drag him along with him. Of course, this is all symbolic.

In any case, as the time was nearing, Markandeya went and hugged the Shiva Linga in the temple, and went on chanting God’s Name. As he was praying so ardently, he obtained God’s grace and remained alive.

That is why Baba says that, if you recite and chant His Name, how can he (Yama) spread his rope or noose and take your life away? Impossible! With God’s Name, you will never be facing death, as it can never come near you.

That does not mean that you are going to be deathless. No, no, no! It means that death may happen without any notice. In fact, what more should we actually wish for than, instead of being in bed for years and years with other people waiting for the announcement of our death, we can go to the other planet without any notice? Intercontinental Airlines! How wonderful!

Therefore my friends, the answer to this question is that with the Lord’s Name ever on your tongue and lips, nothing unpleasant and untoward can ever happen to you. By chanting His matchless Name, nothing whatsoever -- neither loss nor failure -- can ever happen.

That is all for today. We will meet again next week. Thank you very much for your time.