SAI:
Anything that comes from the cow, a little milk, butter, cheese, is
alright for the spiritual aspirant. There is no harm to the cow, and
it is of benefit to take it. In Dwapara Yuga, before Kali Yuga, 5680
years back, milk came into favour. Eleven thousand years is the full
length of the Kali Yuga.
Visitor: Does Kali Yuga still continue?
SAI: Yes.
A Visitor: What should be done for my leg? It is
still swollen and hurts.
SAI:
Do not move around and climb on the hills. Take rest.
Visitor: Oh. When I climbed to that tree on the hill,
I did not realize.
SAI:
You must take care of the body. Body is like a boat. Life is like
a river. On this side is the world; on the other side is God.
And so, to reach the other side, that is to reach God, you must maintain
this boat carefully. You can keep the boat for any length
of time in the water; there is no danger. But if the water comes into
the boat, then there is danger. You can remain in the world for any
number of years, but don't let the world take hold. Don't let the
world take hold of the inside world. There is the example of the lotus.
It stays deep down in the mud. It comes up to the light, and it can't
stay without water because it would die. But it does not get mixed
up either with the mud or the water. You have seen the lotus; even
if the water comes it just goes off again. Now, when they talk of
God, they always say 'the lotus eyes, the lotus feet' because of this
inner significance.
SAI: (to a visitor):
If you had fashionable earrings would you wear them?
Visitor: Oh, yes, (Sai moves hand and there appears
a set of golden, jeweled earrings which he gives to the visitor).
SAI:
See, they are fashionable, but the value is not high. (Sai
now moves over to where the visitor is sitting and himself places
the earrings on her ears. Much exclamation from the individuals in
the group.)
A Visitor: (who is somewhat bald) Swami, can you
grow hair?
SAI: (starts to make
some comment, but the visitor interrupts).
Visitor: No. Just a joke, Swami.
Translator: Swami can do anything. Swami says that
He gives the earrings to the lady to bring joy in her. The more joy
the more the disease will go.
SAI: That is the medicine
for her. Joy is the medicine.
Visitor: I wanted to go to the hill to see the Kalpataru
Tree.
SAI:
This is the Kalpataru Tree. Swami is the Kalpataru Tree. Swami
is able to give anything you want. If you want anything, here is the
Tree. This is the gold shop also, and the camera shop! (Much merriment
from the group.)
A Visitor: Swami's gifts are beautiful, but what
if one wants peace of mind?
SAI: Only thoughts of
God and intense love for Him bring peace. As worldly thoughts diminish,
thoughts of God increase. Normally, the mind is all the time desiring
these worldly things. As the desires are cut out one by one, the peace
becomes stronger. You weave the threads and there is the cloth. If
the threads are removed, there is no longer cloth. When there are
Godly thoughts, there is peace of mind. Swami cannot give peace of
mind; one has to work for it. We do meditation, spiritual practices
in this temporary body. Though this body is temporary, you have to
use temporary things to realize the Truth.
Visitor: But I wanted to know about peace.
SAI: Yes. If the desires
are cut off one by one, then there is peace. When the desires go one
by one then there is die-mind. Then there is peace of mind. Swami
cannot give peace of mind; you must work for it yourselves. First,
stop the questioning and ask, 'who am I?'. This is my body, my mind,
my intelligence. But who is this 'My'? Who is it that claims the ownership
of that which is declared to be 'mine'? 'My' indicates ownership.
That 'My' is the life. As long as the life is in the body, there is
this connection between the 'my' and the intellect - 'my' body, 'my'
house, 'my' land. But the moment you remove the life from the body,
there is no 'my' or sense of possession. Life is God. 
'Who am I?' The answer is 'I am God'. The body comes and goes, but
the Atma is permanent. The body has birth and death, but the spirit
does not have any of these. You reach the stage where you say, 'I
am God', but even there, there is duality, 'God and I'. That is not
the full Truth. When we breathe, the breath makes the sound of 'So-Hum',
'He am I'. There is still the body consciousness, the 'I'. But in
deep sleep, the declaration of 'He' and 'I' falls away and only '0'
and 'M' remain, 'Om'; there is only the One.
Hislop: One understands this and has for some time,
but when does intellectual comprehension change to reality?
SAI: It will become
reality only when you practise it intensely. You read so much. You
do not have to practise all that you read. Take one or two things
to practise and then it will become a reality to you. When you go
to the hospital, there are so many medicines. You do not have to take
all the medicines; just the ones that are needed for your malady.
You do not have to eat all the medicines. Whatever kind of spiritual
practices you sincerely want to do, you just take that medicine; do
not collect all the other things. Because too much of this book knowledge
just leads to doubts and confusion. You get too many doubts asking
'what is this?' and 'what is that?', and you waste a lot of time in
this conflict.
H: What does the supreme Spiritual Doctor say is
the correct medicine for me?
SAI: Meditation. For,
in meditation you first get sense control. And yoga will help you
with the body and when the mind is steady, concentration will come
automatically. When you get such concentration, then you get peace
of mind.
(To be
continued…….)
