Man has progressed in the worldly sense but morally he has regressed.

He is not able to give up his narrow-mindedness and criticism of others. If one enquires into the reason for this, one will realize that ones selfishness and self-interest are the cause for this. Man does not love objects or individuals for their sake; he does so for his self-interest. All his thoughts, words and deeds are motivated by selfishness. He has been reduced to a mere bundle of desires. He is spending all his time and effort in fulfilling his desires. He is under the mistaken notion that fulfillment of desires will confer happiness on him. He should realize that only annihilation of desires will lead him to ultimate bliss. True happiness lies in the state of desirelessness. Only the one who always gives happiness to the Lord is a true devotee. You should never cause inconvenience to God in the name of devotion. Consider that Gods happiness is your happiness and your happiness is Gods happiness. Imbibe this spirit of oneness. God and I are one. Today most of the devotees are selfish. They have only Swartha Bhakti (devotion intended for selfish gains). They are concerned with their own happiness and not that of God's. You should see to it that your love is always pure. God is the embodiment of love. Such divine love is present in all. Share your love with everyone. This is what God expects from you. The body must certainly be fostered and protected, but no attachment must be developed towards it. The Atma within the body is more fundamental. While the body is bound to perish sometime, the Atma within is eternal. A healthy body and a pure mind in turn combine to give 'Lavanya' - true beauty. True beauty is that of the character and not of the body. It is this Lavanya that gives one an eternal youthful countenance and bliss. Man has progressed in the worldly sense but morally he has regressed. He is not able to give up his narrow-mindedness and criticism of others. If one inquires into the reason for this, one will realize that ones selfishness and self-interest are the cause for this. Man does not love objects or individuals for their sake; he does so for his self-interest. All his thoughts, words and deeds are motivated by selfishness. He has been reduced to a mere bundle of desires. He is spending all his time and effort in fulfilling his desires. He is under the mistaken notion that fulfillment of desires will confer happiness on him. He should realize that only annihilation of desires will lead him to ultimate bliss. True happiness lies in the state of desirelessness. Talk less, talk low when you must talk. Do not thrust your sorrows, your needs, your problems into the ears of those who have come here with their own bundle of such things. They are not interested in adding to their troubles. Be silent yourself, that will induce silence in others. Do not fall into the habit of shouting, talking long and loud. Reduce contacts to the minimum. Carry with you an atmosphere of quiet contemplation, wherever you happen to be. One of the first principles of spiritual living is the practice of silence. For the voice of God can be heard in the region of your heart when the tongue is stilled and the storm is tilled and the waves are calm. There will be no temptations for others to shout when you

talk to them in whispers. Set the level of the tone yourself; as low as possible, as high as necessary to reach the outermost boundary of the circle you are addressing. Conserve sound, since it is the treasure of the element akasa, an emanation from God Himself. Reason can prevail only when arguments are advanced without the whipping up of sound. Silence is the speech of the spiritual seeker. Soft sweet speech is the expression of genuine love. Hate screeches, fear squeals, conceit trumpets. But love sings lullabies. It soothes. It applies balm. Practice the vocabulary of love; unlearn the language of hate and contempt. Silence is the only language of the realized. Practice moderation in speech. That will help you in many ways. It will develop peace, for most misunderstandings and factions arise out of carelessly spoken words. When the foot slips, the wound can be healed; but when the tongue slips, the wound it causes in the heart of another will fester for life. The tongue is liable to four big errors: uttering falsehood, scandalizing, finding fault with others, and excessive speech. All these have to be avoided if there is to be peace for the individual, as well as for society. You feel the presence of God when silence reigns. In the excitement and confusion of the market place, you cannot hear His Footfall. He is Sabdabrahma, resounding when all is filled with silence. That is why I insist on silence, the practice of soft speech and a minimum of talking. Talk low, talk little, talk in whispers, sweet and true. Examine each act of yours and see that you execute it with minimum noise. Do not shout to a person standing far; go near him or beckon to him to approach you. Loud noise is sacrilege to the air, just as there are sacrilegious uses of earth and of water. While struggling on the spiritual path, you must take the Lord Himself as your protector. To instill courage in the child, the mother persuades the child to walk a few steps and turn about, but she will not allow it to fall. If it totters and is about to lose balance, she hurries from behind and holds it before it falls. God too has his eyes fixed on you, His devotee. He has in His hand the string with which He holds you like a kite. The string is the bond of love and grace. He may give it a pull and sometimes, He may loosen the hold. Whatever He does, be confident and carefree, for it is He who holds you and gives you strength. In addition to the first aid kit you carry to assist the injured, remember to carry even more essential aids. Carry in the inner pocket of the heart a packet of discrimination tablets, an ounce or two of self-control and several packets of powder containing a mixture of Love and forbearance. Use this kit to infuse courage and compassion in others and yourself. When you begin to do good, this is the beginning of my communication with you. Strengthen this communication with me through your good actions. This in turn will give you peace. When your mind is calm and heart is full of love, your meditation on the Divine in All will be automatic. People believe that incarnations of God happen only for two reasons - the punishment of the wicked and the protection of the righteous. These represent only one aspect. The

Avatar or the Divine Incarnation is really the concretisation of the yearning of the seekers of God. It is the solidified sweetness of the devotion of godly aspirants. The granting of peace and joy, and sense of fulfillment to seekers who have striven long... this too is His task. The primary reason for the formless Divine to assume the Form is for the sake of the aspirants and the seekers. God is above and beyond all the limits of time and space. For Him, all beings are equal. The difference between man, beast, bird, worm, insect and even God is but a difference of the 'vessel' (the Upadhi). It is like the electric current that flows through various devices and expresses itself in many different functions. There is no distinction in the current. It is the same. So too, the one single God activates every creature and gives rise to manifold consequences. The ignorant feel that all devices are distinct. The wise see only the one uniform current. God appreciates the consciousness of unity as the basic motive of all acts. The attitude of forbearance is to refuse to be affected or pained when inflicted with sorrow, loss, and the ingratitude and wickedness of others. In fact, you should be happy and calm, for you should know that these are the results of your own actions now recoiling on you, and you should view those who caused the misery as friends and wellwishers. You should not retaliate or wish them ill. You must bear all blows patiently and gladly. The natural reactions of people, whoever they may be, when someone injures them is to injure in return; when someone causes harm, to do harm; and when someone insults them, to insult back by some means or other. This is the characteristic of the Pravritti (worldly path) the path of objective involvement. If you seek Nivritti (the inner path of sublimation and purification) you must avoid such reaction and exhibit Thithiksha (forbearance). Saturate every breath of yours with love. Love knows no fear. Fear drags man into falsehood, injustice and evil. Love does not crave for praise. Only those who have no Love in them itch for reward and reputation. Love is its own reward. If you are eager to place offerings before the Lord, let it be Love instead of mere material objects. Love is not merchandise; do not bargain about its cost. Let it flow clear from the heart, as a stream of Truth, and a river of wisdom. Let it not emanate from the head, nor from the tongue. Let it emerge, full and free, from the heart.