DIVINE BIRTHDAY DISCOURSE JANUARY 2010
Baba started his discourse with the following three Sanskrit Slokas:
SUKLAM BARADARAM VISHNUM
SASI VARNAM CHATHUR BHUJAM
PRASANNA VADANAM DYAAYETH
SARVA VIGNO PASAANTHAYE.
AGAJAA NANA PADMARKAM
GAJAANANA MAGARNISAM
ANEKA DANTHAM BAKTHAANAAM
EKA DANTHAN UPAASMAHEEKA
DANTHAM UPAASMAHE.
SRI RAMA CHANDRA HA!
AASRITHA PAARIJATHA HA!
SAMASTHA KALYANA GUNAABI RAMA HA!
SITHA MUKAAM BORUHA CHANDRIKA HA!
NIRANTHARAM MANGALA MAATHARAM.
My most dear embodiments of love.
“On this occasion of New year 2009, the Sankranti festival and Baba’s birthday, I bless the students that they may receive not only a good education, but that they may develop a good character as well. That the unmarried may find a husband/wife, the jobless find employment, and those with different professions receive improvement in their professions. I bless you all that you may find happiness and comfort in both the material and spiritual worlds.
(Sri Balasai Baba then chanted a four lined Telugu poem, His own lyric, meaning):
Those who do good deeds are the greatest in all the worlds.
Those who do not do good deeds are a failure.
These are Balasai Baba’s words and
this is meant for salvation.”
(Sri Balasai Baba then gave His blessings in many different languages starting with the 4 South Indian Languages: Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, followed by Hindi, the national language. He then gave His blessings in the foreign languages: English, Japanese and lastly in German)
“Today, God and those who have surrendered to God, meet here like a father and son, or as a mother and child to celebrate this function. This makes Baba very happy indeed and my happiness won’t go to waste without giving you and your families the happiness and comfort that you need.
Embodiments of love.
Up till now we have all been enjoying great happiness with the divine blessings that we have received. Now though, you should all listen carefully to what I am going to say, and, if possible, you should also spread this message to others whenever you find the time.
I bless you all wholeheartedly for this service.
Embodiments of love.
We are all very fortunate indeed, since due to the good deeds from our previous lives, we have now taken birth in India.
Even if we should ever come to know, or hear of the existence of any divine incarnation(s) in other countries, we will never need to spend the sixty or seventy thousand rupees it takes to travel there.
From ages past up until today, so many divine incarnations have taken birth in India to both bless the country and the people. India receives and blesses people from other countries also without any discrimination of
caste, creed or nationality by its mere strength of spirituality. This is possible for the avatars of this country. We must be proud of the unique nature of our country and our divine incarnations
Embodiments of love.
Our Hindu religion and culture are very great and we must take great pride in it. Even our neighbouring countries should appreciate our spiritual heritage. We should always remember this truth and recognize our good luck for having been born here in this country. We have to remember and recollect how much grace and blessings we have received from our ancestors.
Even before the birth of the modern world, India emerged as the spiritual capital of the world; as a father figure for other countries, and as a leader for an organization of other countries. Our spiritual heritage stands way in front as the longest known in world history, as all other world religions, unlike our Indian religion and culture, are dated to an age and period when they commenced. Without discrimination of any race, religion, caste or nationality, Hinduism has stood its ground keeping humanitarianism as its underlying principle. It has grown, and continues to grow, by its unique spiritual heritage and by advocating the unity in diversity.
Our Hinduism has shown a lot of love and patience to those who came to take shelter here; even those who came to attack and conquer the country. The nature of Hinduism is to protect its spiritual culture without causing any damage – even under adverse conditions. Hinduism has stood tall to show its unity in diversity and equanimity of religions. This form of love in Hinduism is extended to all and everyone.
Every other religion was founded and established by a prophet/messiah and this religion then spread, but that is not so in our Hindu religion.
Each religion shows its own way but the goal is always one and the same.
Hinduism shows the wonderful truth to the world that no matter to whomsoever one may call on for help, to whomsoever one may pray to, or to whomsoever one worships, there is only One listener and One who answers that call – the One Supreme God.
The manner in which people from ages past have acquired the results of their meritorious deeds should be recognized.
God is not only to be worshipped in either temples or gurus, but we can see and revere the Almighty even in trees, mountains, animals and in human beings also. This is our uniqueness.
In Indian spirituality, liberation can be attained by performing worshipful activities, rituals and ceremonies. However, there is no other worship better than doing good deeds. There is no other meritorious activity better than doing good deeds. There is no other ritual or ceremony or way to unity, resulting in virtue and righteousness, better than good deeds.
But what are these good deeds that we talk about here?
It is not in building big hospitals or temples which involve large amounts of money and effort, but in helping others in very small activities. One can attain salvation by helping in very small ways. For example; when someone who is hungry asks you for something to eat and you give him a piece of bread, or when you give a pain killing tablet to someone who is suffering from a head ache.
Good deeds and duty must not be confused, however. For example, a husband who looks after his wife and children on a salary of ten thousand rupees, and the wife who runs the family looking after her husband and children with the husband’s salary are both only performing their duty.
If the husband gives even one rupee out of his salary, then it can be counted as a good deed, and the wife, who does not earn anything, can perform good deeds by helping the needy in tender and compassionate activities.
Here is an example.
A husband and wife once went to a Shiva temple where they saw a name plate on the door of a room, which read that money had been donated for the construction of that room in memory of someone who had passed on. After making enquiries, the wife discovered that it cost twenty thousand rupees to construct a room there which could be used by the temple authorities. She asked her husband if he could donate the money in their son’s name, but the husband replied that generally people only donate money as a memorial to someone who has expired (died), so it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to do that. The wife responded by saying that they had to be grateful their son was still alive, and, in gratitude, they could even donate five thousand rupees more to God.
It is with good thoughts and deeds of this kind that one can obtain salvation also – with God’s grace – but, as I have already mentioned in the poem, salvation is not going to happen just by bowing or making salutations and wishing to live a hundred years without any difficulties. We will only waste our time and energy
if we expect to get liberation or salvation by merely worshiping trees, snake holes and mere human beings as gurus, or by wandering here and there without doing any good deeds.
People expect to go to the heavenly regions by doing such things, but even if they reach this place, they still will not reach God.
Here is an example.
There was once a dog who thought it could catch its tail by chasing it round and round. On seeing this, another dog came along and asked this dog what it was doing. The first dog replied that it felt it would be happy if it caught hold of its own tail. The second dog replied that for years it also made the same mistake until finally realising that this does not give happiness because the dog is born with the tail and as the dog grows, so does the tail. Doing this cannot give happiness – only wastes time and energy.
In the same way, we should not waste our time like these two dogs by thinking we can find happiness in mere trivial pursuits. It is only by being compassionate and helping others that we find happiness in life.
I want to be a role model for all of you by doing good deeds. I bless you all to come with me by responding positively and support me in whatever service work I chose to do, so that we both, God and the devotee, reach heaven – hand in hand.
Embodiments of divine love.
Our Hindu scriptures say that whoever performs good deeds, or whoever helps others in doing good deeds, will receive the meritorious fruits of those good deeds, I love you all without any reservation and bless you all profusely, regardless of whether you love me or have faith in me or not. With that love I have for you all, I have decided today to do a great deed, even though I am putting a great burden on myself.
The doctorate certificates given to me by so many organizations for my service activities are mere papers and of no use whatsoever in making me happy. Even if I was made president of the whole universe, I would not be happy. It is only when I have quenched my thirst for doing service by following my desire, that I will be happy.
Embodiments of love.
With the help of the Mayor of Kurnool, Sri Ragurama Reddy Garu and others, I have so far, be able to supply water to the places in Kurnool during the times when it has been scarce. But I am not completely satisfied or happy with that. If I supply water only during the summer months, what will the people do during the rest of the year? I am always looking for ways to find a permanent solution to the water scarcity of Kurnool for its people. I have made many requests personally to the Mayor of Kurnool to accept my offer of help in whatever service activities are needed.
I am going to reveal now the one thing that I have decided to do. If people wish to cooperate with me or not, accept it or not, whether you come with me and help me or not, I have decided to give a permanent water supply to the city of Kurnool. Even if I have to sell all my assets and stand on the road, I won’t go back on my word. Many political parties or politicians could have done the same thing, but as a divine incarnation, I am trying to create a sense of positive thinking in this modern world.
I have decided to construct a dam across the surface of the river Tungabhadra in Kurnool. I will start the work immediately the moment the Mayor of Kurnool brings the acceptance from both the Central and State Governments. It does not matter, whether I have the money on hand for such a big project as I am ready to sell all my assets if needs be, in order to start the work within two hours of receiving the acceptance . Not until this big project is completed, will we be in a position to say that we are satisfied with the work we have done in giving a good water supply to the lakhs of people of Kurnool. Those who help me in this project will be rewarded with happiness in both the material and spiritual worlds, as well as being remembered by the people of Kurnool for a long time to come. The fruits of such a meritorious act like this – giving a good water supply to the lakhs of people of Kurnool – will protect our families forever.
Giving a pair of shoes to someone who has to walk barefoot on the road in summer, offering food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, or an umbrella for shade to someone who needs it, are all examples of meritorious deeds we can do. The result in the end is that we reap the fruit for those meritorious acts. One cannot expect though, to receive the fruit without doing any service to society. One cannot expect any blessings from God if one lives by merely closing one’s eyes and nose, meditating on some Baba or on any god, or sitting in worship breaking coconuts and making chutney out of it to eat. It is only by doing service that one receives blessings from God.
Here is a small example, and the last before I finish.
After this you can all enjoy your lunch and, collectively, I give you all my blessings. In the evening you can enjoy participating in the cultural programmes and receive the blessings yet again.
Cell phones and laptops have an option button called ‘erase’ or ‘delete’. If you receive a message or mail, you have 2 choices, either you can read it or you can delete it – it is up to you. It is the same with the message I have just given you – you can ‘keep’ it or ‘delete’ it in your mind.
When we manage to solve some problem we have gotten ourselves into, we forget about it or erase that incident from our memory in the same way.
When our neighbours get into trouble, we will be in a hurry to erase it immediately from our memory, but I wish for you to try and store the message that I am going to give you now.
God once sent his messenger to earth and instructed him to find out what strange things were happening there. The messenger went around the earth before returning to report back to God. He told him that everything seemed normal except at one village, where he noticed something strange. All the people in that village were rowdies – except for one pious man, who was doing penance and meditating on God.
On hearing that report, God asked the messenger why he returned without destroying that village. The messenger replied that because of that one pious man he could not destroy the place. God then told him that he should first have killed that person who merely sat doing meditation without performing any service, and then killed all the other rowdies.
So, if anyone is not willing to help others, or won’t participate in or encourage good deeds, he will never receive God’s grace; instead, he has to face God’s anger. Although God may appear to be angry in order to teach us and to show us the right way, God is the embodiment of love and mercy. He has unlimited mercy and kindness towards all.
Even if you feel helpless and unable to escape from problems and misery, God will surely show you a way out of that trouble and help in solving the problem. He protects his devotees from troubles with such a tender heart, and shows them the way for their sustenance and living.
God is there to show us the way and protect us – He gives not only worldly, material sustenance, but also gives spiritual sustenance. For this though, you have to take part in selfless service activities in order to get his grace and blessings so that you can get near to him and be one with him.
So, embodiments of love,
I bless you all that you may be part of at least some small service activity, in order to get near to God and receive his blessings. I shower my loving blessings on you all”.
(Sri Balasai Baba concluded His divine discourse
with a Sanskrit hymn on Sri Krishna)
VASUDEVA SUTHAM DEVAM
KAMSA CHAANURA MARDANAM
JAGADI PARAMAANANDAM KRISHNAM
VANDE JAGATH GURUM
(Sri Balasai Baba then sang two Bhajans:
Govinda Krishna Vitale….and Subramanyam Subrahmanyam…)