Lessons For Polticians:Republic Day Special(Bhagwan Sathya Sai Discourse,2001)

Lots of people are making all kinds of predictions of the events in the coming year. What is bound to happen will happen. Carry on doing what you have to do. During all this, your mind should be centred on your original source (mooladhara). If you neglect this, all your efforts are useless. As a consequence of this only, humanity is faced with so many distressing and calamitous events. One should not say unpleasant things, but I am obliged to say some unpleasant things. The coming year is likely to face far more difficulties, than the past year, in fact a lot more. The political arena is likely to face greater problems. There are likely to be more earthquakes. What is the cause? It is the consequence of man’s wrong actions. The good or bad events of the world are a consequence of the activities of mankind. There is conflict even between brothers; and in the field of politics human values have been forsaken. It is not in any one country but all over the globe. One is bound to experience the reflection, reaction and resound of one’s own actions, but none can predict when, where and how. One thing is certain, the good will never be 

put to suffering and no danger can befall them.

Your vasana (innate tendencies) depend on the feelings you cultivate in your heart.Poison will remain poison even if it is put in a precious vessel studded with diamonds, pearls, emeralds, etc. The divine ambrosia will not lose its taste even if it is put in a brass vessel. Likewise, it is the purity of heart, not the external appearance that matters. Purity of heart is the purpose behind chanting God’s name. Chanting of God’s name should originate from the heart, not from the lips.

Your heart may be compared to a paper. If good feelings are packed in it, you will certainly develop good tendencies. See good, hear good, talk good, and do good. Then the evil effect of Kali will have no impact on you. Do not allow the Kali Prabhava (effect of Kali Age) overpower your Swabhava (true nature). Today practice of dharma is fast declining and, consequently, the water level in earth is also going down. Humanness has become scarce. There is no purity in society, no morality in politics. Neethi (morality) alone can sustain manava jathi (human race).

Jawaharlal Nehru (the first Prime Minister of India) once described the dams, power houses and factories that were being built under the five-year plans as the temples of free India. But he did not realize that it is not the mere erection of these structures in brick and mortar that makes them the temples of "socialist, secular" India. It is the spirit in which they are built and the purposes for which they are used that will endow them with sacredness.

"Don't go about this holy work in a haphazard way, without Sraddha and Bhakthi(sincerity and devotion). You have, by that Sraddha and Bhakthi, to curb this mighty river, which has carved its way through these hard rocks since the beginning of time, and you have to obstruct its speed and its rage for the benefit of man and beast. Man has by his skill and daring to make this wayward child of Nature halt for a while, and pass on. This task will become lighter if man curbs his own way ­ wardness and his own egoism, anger, malice, envy, greed, and the roaring flood of his passions.

 "Dam them in your own hearts, and canalise them into useful fields. Utilise the force of those qualities to gain better results from your efforts and Sadhana. Grow in those fields the fruit of Shanti and Prema (Peace and Love). That is the agriculture that Sadhakas know, and which your own forefathers practised for ages. I have come to remind you of it and to tell you all of the need once again to follow that path."

Those who repose their faith in Bhumatha and Gomatha will never lack anything in life. Since times of yore, Bharatiyas considered Bhumatha and Gomatha as the very basis of their life. But today we find many people are giving up agriculture and migrating to towns in search of money. They watch television day in and day out and aspire for luxurious life. As more and more people are giving up agriculture and deserting villages, scarcity for food has arisen. Having given up farming, how can you expect the mother Earth to feed you? Villages are the very life breath of Indian culture. Even to day, Indian culture is sustained only in villages, not in towns. Only people of villages are aware of the greatness of Indian culture. As people have lost respect and reverence for mother Earth, we experience earthquakes and such other natural calamities causing untold destruction.

Due to the absence of fear of sin and love for God, humanness has declined in human beings. This is detrimental to universal peace. (Telugu Poem) Forbearance is the real beauty in this sacred land of Bharat. Of all the rituals, adherence to truth is the greatest penance. The nectarean feeling in this country is the feeling of love toward one’s mother. Character is valued far higher than the very life itself. People have forgotten the basic principles of this great culture and are imitating Western culture today. Alas! What has happened to this country? (Telugu Poem)

ained only in villages, not in towns. Only people of villages are aware of the greatness of Indian culture. As people have lost respect and reverence for mother Earth, we experience earthquakes and such other natural calamities causing untold destruction.