sai the path of transformation inquire, introspect, be

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SAI – The Path Of Transformation – Inquire,

Introspect, Be

Research Topic:

SAI – The Path Of Transformation : Straight-forwardness

Sai Center / Group Name: Chelmsford

SAI – The Path Of Transformation

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Table of Contents

1. Theme & Topics ...................................................................................... 3

2. Questions To Ponder ............................................................................... 5

3. Center Summaries: Your Life Is His Message ....................................... 15


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1. Theme & Topics


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2. Questions To Ponder

On the Theme “SAI – The Path Of Transformation”: • Swami said: “You are 3 people: the one you think you are, the one others think you are,

the one you really are”. Who are you in reality? • Examine the Theme “SAI – The Path Of Transformation”. What is Individual,

Association, and Spiritual Transformation? • Examine the sub-topics “Inquire, Introspect, Be”. What is the significance of these ideas? • In Geetha Vahini, Swami mentions twenty qualities of a successful spiritual aspirant or a

Jnani. What are these qualities?

• Swami wrote a letter to his devotees explaining the significance of “Spiritual hunger”. What does this mean? What did he say?

• Is there a difference between spiritual life and practical life? Did Swami address this in his discourses - Sathya Sai Speaks?

• Does spiritual quest or inquiry have a place in our lives right now? Is it relevant? • Is there -and- why is there a dependence on external company or internal crutches to

feel complete? Can we dwell in solitude as the Self? • In Geetha, Krishna declares: Jnaathum, Dhrashtum, Praveshtum–Three stages of

knowing, seeing, experiencing on the path to self-realization. Do they -or- How do these apply to our life?

On the Topic of “SAI – The Path Of Transformation” -> “Inquire” -> “Straight-forwardness”:

• What does Straight-forwardness mean? • How does integrity of thought, word and deed relate to Straight-forwardness? • What is significance of “Straight-forwardness” in spirituality? • Let us Inquire into our Ego & Attachments – see things as they are without judgement

On Practice:

• “Cheppinattu Chestara”? Will you practice what you say – or learnt? • How would practice of “Straight-forwardness” look in real life?

• What could be 2-3 specific goals or actions which we can focus on and work on to

inculcate “Straight-forwardness” in our daily life? • How can we implement a self-audit or self-reflection to assess progress? • What are the challenges the straightforward person faces in society or workplace or

family? • Do the straightforward person need to be thick skinned – not minding the comments and

remarks of others on him/her? • Does straightforwardness mean that he can talk affront on others?


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Please feel free to add more Qs to this list that may be beneficial to the Center members.


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3. Questions To Ponder

• Swami said: “You are 3 people: the one you think you are, the one others think you are, the one you really are”. Who are you in reality?

• “But man is not able to understand his true identity, which is Sathchith-anandam and is in search of happiness outside. It is like searching for his own self outside. How can he find his own self outside? He has to look within.” –SSS Vol 31

“Your foremost duty is to recognise the principle of truth that is present in you. But you are forgetting your innate divinity. You are undertaking a number of Sadhanas (spiritual practices) to experience divinity. In fact, you do not need to perform any special Sadhana to have the vision of God who is always with you, in you, above you, around you.” – Divine discourse 21st March at Sai Kulwant Hall

“The one you think you are is bhutakasha because it contains all that you see, hear and experience.2.The one that others think you are is the chittakasha because it reflects in your mind’s eye whatever you contemplate on. 3. The one you really are is the chidakasha or the principle of Atma, your true nature.It is divine bliss” – summer course 2002

• Examine the Theme “SAI – The Path Of Transformation”. What is Individual, Association, and Spiritual Transformation?

“I do not want your praise. I want your transformation,” observed Bhagavan Baba, in an inspiring exhortation to devotees to fill their hearts with love and lead a godly life, in His discourse on the last day of the Veda Purusha Saptah Jnana Yajna, in the Poornachandra Auditorium at Prasanthi Nilayam. “If there were no spiritual transformation in your way of life over the years, you would be guilty of having wasted all your energies, time, and opportunities. You have been coming to Prasanthi Nilayam for the past many years and have been listening to Swami’s discourses. But your desires seem to be ever on the increase, while the spirit of “tyaga” (renunciation) has not developed to the slightest extent. Should you not try to curb your desires to some extent? Living in the ashram, your thoughts are about samsaram (the family). This is not true sadhana [spiritual practice]. Sometime or other you will have to give up your material possessions. Only he is a hero who gives up his possessions before they go from him.” “I do not want to know that you have listened to my discourses well. What I want to know is that you have thoroughly transformed yourselves. It is such a transformation that is the mark of true devotion. If the ground is not wet, what is the point of saying that there has been a downpour? Those who claim to be devotees should show in their actions some evidence of their faith.” There are many cases of people undergoes changes ( transformation) after coming to Swami or listening His talks or reading His teachings.


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Sample for Individual transformation; Transformation by Sathya Sai Baba by B. Halagappa ‘Sri Rangapatnam Orphanage,’ Mysore, India https://sathyasaibaba.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/transformation-by-sathya-sai-baba/ When an individual is looked at and by his behavior and attitude his associates started developing urge to take up Swami’s teachings as guidelines and life principles. Spiritual transformation: Transformation of the heart to realize the truth within oneself. Sample; http://www.saibaba.ws/miracles/transformationoftheheart.htm By Dr.Ramanatha Iyer, Cardiologist

• Examine the sub-topics “Inquire, Introspect, Be”. What is the significance of these ideas?

INQUIRE: By asking oneself within – Who am I. This self-inquiry diverts the attention inward and gradually the agitations of the mind gets reduced to reach a placid state of the mind. INTROSPECT: No questions are asked to oneself. By vigilantly keeping one’s attention and awareness constantly on oneself to get the reflection from within. BE: Once the stillness and inner peace of the mind is attained one just abides in that state without any effort. These three are gradual, progressive and powerful steps of sadhana for self- realization. https://us.sathyasai.org/devotion/discourse/through-self-enquiry-self-realisation http://www.theprasanthireporter.org/2012/07/sai-on-sadhana/

• Swami wrote a letter to his devotees explaining the significance of “Spiritual hunger”. What does this mean? What did he say?

Spiritual hunger is the extreme urge to know the reality or true nature of oneself or communion with God. The urgency felt within accelerates the man’s search within himself.The spiritual journey is propelled by spiritual hunger. Sri Ramakrishna said; if a thief comes to know that there is a wealth kept in the next room, he would have sleep and have his full thinking on it and plans to acquire it. Until such time he will not be at peace. One who has spiritual hunger is called mumukshu as mumukshutwam denotes urge for attaining atma jnana. The intensity towards attainment of his goal is also explained by Sri Ramakrishna in a parable. When a guru was asked by a disciple what should be attitude of a disciple and what kind of efforts should one put in to realize God, the Guru took him to a river. There he pushed the disciple’s head inside the water. After a few seconds he released the grip and asked the disciple what was his thought while his head was inside water. The disciple said all his thoughts were on getting air to breath.That should be the intensity shown in spirituality.

https://sathyasaibaba.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/transformation-by-sathya-sai-baba/

http://www.saibaba.ws/miracles/transformationoftheheart.htm

https://us.sathyasai.org/devotion/discourse/through-self-enquiry-self-realisation

http://www.theprasanthireporter.org/2012/07/sai-on-sadhana/


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Swami says that this urge keeps the every moment in life to be oriented towards his goal. One may be having all the comforts and luxuries of life but man with spiritual hunger will be discontented with all these and direct his attention, efforts towards the goal of god or self-realization. We have read about the stories of many great devotees how they were longing and pining for the Lord.

https://sathyasai.us/sites/default/files/pages/resources/august-1981-message-to-ssio-members.pdf

Is there a difference between spiritual life and practical life? Did Swami address this in his discourses - Sathya Sai Speaks?

• How does integrity of thought, word and deed relate to Straight-forwardness?

Swami calls the integration of thought, speech and action as Trikarana Shuddhi. Integration is yoga and spirituality. Disintegration is worldly.

Q: How can we get unity in thought, word and deed?

Swami: You need integration. What you think is what you say. What you say is what you do. (Integrated Personality: thoughts, words and deeds)

(Overseas Medical Camp Group, November 2002 Morning (Women)

• Does spiritual quest or inquiry have a place in our lives right now? Is it relevant?

Everyone has to embark perpetually on the quest for truth. In every thought, word and action this quest must go on. (14 April 1996) https://us.sathyasai.org/devotion/discourse/quest-truth-0

• Is there -and- why is there a dependence on external company or internal crutches to feel complete? Can we dwell in solitude as the Self?

Swami has said, “You and the Universal are one; you and the Absolute are One; you and the Eternal are One. You are not the individual, the particular, the temporary. Feel This. Know this. Act in conformity with this.” Though man is complete and fullness (



https://us.sathyasai.org/devotion/discourse/quest-truth-0


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purnathwam)he not realizing it. His search for becoming full or complete is towards people or objects. As one cannot feeling fullness from outside ultimately the attention is diverted inwards to look for fullness.

Solitude is the perfect aid in spiritual sadhana as distractions of the mind is reduced. By being in solitude for a particular point of time one will start realizing that real solitude is within and in spite of being with a crowd one can maintain peace as obtained in solitude.

“The greatest defect today is the absence of Atmavichara, the inquiry into the nature of the Atma (spirit). That is the cause of all this Ashanti (restlessness). Just like how all pots are made up of mud, all ornaments of gold, all clothes of yarn, everyone is made up of one basic substance; that is Brahman; that is the Atma. Once you enter the depths of the sea, it is all calm, it is all peace. Agitation, noise, confusion all are only on the outer layers. So also, in the innermost recesses of your heart, there is a reservoir of Shanti (peace). Therefore, “See Always Inside” – SAI.”

• In Geetha, Krishna declares: Jnaathum, Dhrashtum, Praveshtum–Three stages of knowing, seeing, experiencing on the path to self-realization. Do they -or- How do these apply to our life?

O Arjuna, I can only be fully known through bhakti-yoga. By such devotion one can truly see Me and attain Me! (BG 11: 54)

Jnatum means knowing by enquiry

Dhrashtum – Visualizing or grasping

Praveshtum – Become one with it. – (Summer Showers In Brindavan 1973).

These three are equivalent of Inquire –Introspect and BE.

In daily life, every time we want something, first we come to know about it; then we acquire and get it closer to oneself; it is enjoyed. For instance if a delicacy is wished for one comes to know about it its availability, its contents ( label) etc; it is obtained by paying money and ready to be eaten; finally it is tasted by putting in the mouth.The taste is enjoyed and feel contented.

• What does Straight-forwardness mean?

Rjuthwam or straightforwardness is Integrity. It means the harmony of action, speech and thought; this applies to practical and spiritual activity. Simplicity also denotes humility, vanityless-ness and being grateful.


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Each person thinks, talks and acts based on the three gunas prevalent in him. Three Gunas are : Satwa, Rajas and tamas. Sathwaguna is steady, pure, unselfish, light ; so those who have this characteristic will have no wish or want; they will be fit for the knowledge of Atma. Those with Rajo guna will be engaged in acts tarnished with a tinge of ego. They may have the urge to do service to others, but that urge will drive them on to win fame and take pride in their achievements. They will yearn for their own good, along with the good of others. The tamo guna will make the individual lazy, indolent, ignorant and not willing to learn. In day to day life one should have combination of three gunas. While studying – Satwa guna; while working- Rajo guna; while sleeping- tamo guna. What is Integrity? Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, or moral uprightness. It is colloquially a personal choice to hold oneself to consistent moral and ethical standards. Integrity is a personal conviction that you will not do anything against your inner feeling. What is honesty? The word Honesty comes from the Latin word “honestus”, which means “honourable”. It’s about integrity, and not being deceptive or fraudulent. It’s about being upright and aboveboard, and not hiding information, or leading someone on to believe something that isn’t true. Honesty is adherence to the values and principles. Integrity is the conduct. To win the grace of God, you must become either as simple and straightforward as a child or as wise and discriminating as a deeply learned scholar. -ssspeaks/volume02 You should work hard without worrying for anything. When you lead such a straightforward life, you will not have to run after anybody and beg for favours. Experience the bliss that is within your heart without making a show of it to others. Have belief in that which ought to be believed. Have love for that which ought to be loved. You have to love only one thing and that is God. Once you have love for God, you will have everything in life. On the one side is the world and on the other, God. You cannot have both simultaneously. It is like riding on two horses which is sure to prove dangerous. Focus your mind only on God and have total faith in Him. –SSS Speaks Vol 39 • What could be 2-3 specific goals or actions which we can focus on and work on to

inculcate “Straight-forwardness” in our daily life?

Take up 2- 3 teachings of Swami like –speaking the truth, being honest in all the dealings,Help ever and hurt never etc Try to practice to start with within the family; then in workplace and then in all places. There may be challenges in putting them in practice consistently. Develop grit or think of Swami to sustain the practice. Develop patience or tolerance to bear the remarks from others.


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Always bear in mind that Swami is watching everything from within and always invoke inner strength to carry it forward.

• How can we implement a self-audit or self-reflection to assess progress?

On daily basis one can revert and review the application of the aspect taken up during the day.

Was there any lapse due to pressure/ situation?

The Reception by other people.

The inner feeling of satisfaction or self- esteem in practicing can be noted.

Appreciation by others / recognition by others on the changes in our behavior can be observed.

ANECDOTES/STORIES ON STRAIGHT FORWARDNESS – INTEGIRTY

In May of 2005 American professional tennis player Andy Roddick was playing Fernando Verdasco, of Spain, in the round of 16 at the Italia Masters tennis tournament in Rome, Italy. Roddick was the number one seed in the tournament and a heavy favorite to win the match and advance.

Roddick, one of the top players in the world, was at the top of his game. Indeed, just one month later he would make it to the finals at Wimbledon before losing to Roger Federer.

Roddick dominated as expected and had triple match point when something extremely unusual happened. Roddick couldn’t return Verdasco’s hard second serve but the linesman called the serve out and awarded Roddick the point and the match.

With the crowd cheering Verdasco ran to the net to shake Roddick’s hand and congratulate him on his victory. However, Roddick knew something that the linesman, the umpire, the cheering crowd, and Verdasco himself didn’t know. The serve had not been out, but had hit on the line, making it in.

Roddick could have kept this information to himself and accepted the victory. Indeed, honor calls are not expected in tennis. Instead he informed the umpire that the ball had been in and offered to show him the mark on the clay where the ball had hit to prove his point. The umpire reversed the call and awarded the point to Verdasco.

Having been given a second chance Verdasco made the most of it. He came back to win the game, the set, and the match giving him a highly improbable victory, especially considering not long before he had been standing at the net ready to concede.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Roddick


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Sportswriter Frank DeFord estimates Roddick’s honesty cost him at least “tens of thousands of dollars;” perhaps much more if he had gone on to win the tournament. Integrity was clearly more important to Roddick than either winning or money. Andy Roddick lost a tennis match that day but won something much more important, and in the process set a great example of sportsmanship for competitors everywhere.

James Doty

James Doty is a man of many talents, among them neurosurgeon, entrepreneur, and university professor. Early in his career he was heavily involved in developing the technology and bringing to market the Cyberknife. In the process he became wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.

Doty is also very generous. With a net worth of $75 million he pledged stock worth $30 million to charity.

Not long after the pledge his investments were hit hard by the dot.com crash of 2000-2001. Doty lost almost everything. The only thing left was the pledged stock.

His lawyers advised Doty that he could get out of the pledge. They told him people would understand that his circumstances had changed, and that they wouldn’t expect him to follow through.

Doty considered his options. He later said, “One of the persistent myths in our society is that money will make you happy. Growing up poor, I thought that money would give me everything I did not have: control, power, love. When I finally had all the money I had ever dreamed of, I discovered that it did not make me happy.”

Doty decided to follow through with his pledge and give away the last of his fortune. And how did he feel after the gift was given? Doty stated, “At that moment I realized that the only way that money can bring happiness is to give it away.”

You can add one more item to Doty’s list of talents: integrity. With the price much higher than he initially thought it would be Doty followed through on his commitment of giving. The irony is that only after the gift was given did James Doty find the happiness he had been searching for.

A king who was childless wanted to choose his descendant among the young men in the country. More than physical valor, the King wanted the prince to possess integrity. One day all the young men were called to the a palace and each one was given a seed. They are to go home to their villages, plant the seed in a pot and tend it for a year. When they return in a year, the Emperor would judge their efforts and choose his successor.

There was a boy named Ling who received his seed and returned to his village. He put the seed in a pot and watered it daily. There was no sign of any plant. When he met his friends they showed their pots which all had a plant .A year passed and it was time to return to the palace to show what had grown and decide on the new heir. Ling was anxious as his pot still showed no signs of life.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4647602

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Doty_(physician)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberknife


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Ling decided to go to palace and show the empty pot. Ling was embarrassed as other children looked at his lifeless pot and scoffed. The King came out and started to make his way through the crowd, looking at the many impressive trees, shrubs and flowers that were on display.

Then the Emperor came to Ling. He looked at the pot then he looked at Ling. “What happened here?” He asked. “I watered the pot every day, but nothing ever grew.” Ling muttered nervously.The King moved on.

After a few minutes, the King finally finished his assessment. He stood in front of the children and congratulated them on their efforts.

“Clearly, some of you desperately want to be Emperor and would do anything to make that happen, but there is one boy that I would like to point out as he has come to me with nothing. Ling, come here please.” “Oh no,” thought Ling. He slowly sauntered to the front of the group, holding his barren pot.

The Emperor held up the pot for all to see and the other children laughed. Then the Emperor continued, “A year ago, the seeds that I gave you all were boiled until they were no longer viable and wouldn’t grow, but I see before me thousands of plants and only one barren pot. Integrity and courage are more important values for leadership than proud displays, so Ling here will be my heir.”


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4. Center Summaries: Your Life Is His Message

Please capture summaries of discussions from study-circles and your own understanding / suggestions / scenarios or situations / activities to help put these learnings into practice in daily life.

sai the path of transformation inquire, introspect, be

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