Acharya Sookthulu

The ocean water never goes dry even if millions of fish drink it. The sea-water is drunk by both, the cloud as well as the Badabagm (fire in the Ocean). The latter’s thirst never gets quenched despite the heavy intake of water from centuries. Yet, it is of no avail. In this world also, there are many people who fall in this category. Deeply engrossed in their insatiable thirst for the worldly things, they never think of helping others. Such lives are futile. Whereas the cloud drinks salty and hard water from the sea yet it gives away cool, sweet and soft water to the thirsty even in the hot summer. Good people, like the clouds, seek pleasure in serving others. Nature exhorts us to live like a cloud.

Let’s all try to be like the clouds and be the reason for happiness in others life.

Acharya Sooktulu

Swamiji resorts to a well-known parable. A great scientist had once to cross a river. He boarded a boat and indulged in freewheeling conversation with the boatman during the course of the voyage.

Scientist: “What will happen to the small gram of sand if it is dropped in the river?”.

Boatman: “It will sink, sir”

Scientist: “Do you know then, why the boat doesn’t sink, though it is heavier than the grain of sand”

Boatman: Confessed his ignorance.

Scientist: Sneered at him with a sense of superiority. “How come you don’t know this though you live on the boat day in and day out Half of your life is wasted”.

After some time,
Scientist: Pointing at the clouds and asked the boatman what do they contain?”.

Boatman: “Water”

Scientist: Threw up a little water. It fell down. “You’ve noticed that this little water, when thrown up, fell down promptlly. Have you ever thought as to how the clouds hold so much of water in them, up above the sky?”

Boatman: Still perplexed and said that he never thought of it.

Scientist: “You realise how three fourths of your life is wasted in ignorance? You’re bom and bred in this water. Yet you know little about it”

As the conversation was going on, the weather suddenly changed. Soon there blew a storm. The boat was rocked up and down by the turbulent waves. It was now the turn of the boatman to question the scientist.

Boatman: “Sir, Do you know swimming”

Scientist: “Why?”.

Boatman: “There is no hope of reaching our boat to the bank in this storm. In a few seconds, the boat may sink. Unless we swim, there’s no hope of surviving this storm”.

Scientist: “Oh God, I cannot swim. What shall we do now?

Boatman: “Sir, I am an illiterate. I know little of what you asked. But I am safe now because I know swimming. All your knowledge is of no avail now. I am sorry, God alone can save you”.

Thus saying, the boatman jumped into the river and swam to the shore, while the scientist was swallowed by the raging river. This story tells you that one should have knowledge of essential things. Thus, to get across the ocean of life successfully, one should have the five fold knowledge (1) Who am I? (2) What is the goal of my life? (3) Who gave it? (4) What are the means of achieving it? (5) How to remove the obstacles.

Acharya Divya Tiruvadigale Saranam

Acharya Sooktulu

Most of the times the realisation of happiness is more when you are with your friends and well-wishers than when you are alone in your room. When you mingle with others with your heart and mind, you think of them more and you feel like doing some good service to them. When you sincerely and honestly serve them, indeed all of them will think of your welfare Your goal should be think beyond your home, your village, your State and your country. When you are thinking of so many in the universe, then automatically you are increasing your number of well-wishers. If you increase your interests up to the universe, you will become closer to Viswa Rakshaka, namely the Paramatma, who directs the Universe. With love, God will inculcate the necessary Buddhi yogam so that you can permeate yourself into everything and thus you can make an indelible impact on society.

So think for the welfare of the universe and the universe will think of our welfare.

Acharya Diyva Tiruvadigale Saranam.

When you have a ticket in your hand to see a museum within an hour, you should see it. But if you waste your time by appreciating the beauty of your ticket instead of the objects in the museum you will soon be sent out. This body is like a ticket to the museum of this universe. Through this perceive God in this Universe, and attain the bliss par-excellence by proper means of service to Him. Man alone has this ticket and hence he can think of the relationship between Nature and God (Prakruti and Purusha). If you adore your body and do not use it as a means to this, the bell rings for the exit of the soul (Jiva).

Let’s all see the museum(God) before the bell rings and make it a purposeful visit.

Acharya Divya Tiruvadigale Saranam.

The need today is to understand the relationship between material and spiritual pursuits, taking care to see that all material pursuits are an aid to spiritual uplift. The needs of the body must be met. But those who direct all their efforts towards satisfying their physical needs are no different from animals. Material possessions are necessary, but they should serve only as an aid to nobler quests. But what is man doing today? If we ever approach the higher power, we does so to seek favors in the material world. The inherent tendency of the mind is to seek that which is endowed with beautiful, Divine, and exalted qualities. The mind is constantly in search of supreme solace and joy, which can be found only by treading the path of spirituality. When you realise that there is something, far greater than the mundane things of the world, your attention will be directed towards it – call it Self or God. This power is infinitely greater than nature.

When we understand the relationship between our self and the universe, we will endeavour to create harmony.

Acharya Divya Tiruvadigale Saranam

Specially to children, the Swamiji says : children are like receptacles who can retain what is poured into them. Even as the roots of the tree when nourished, result in rich foliage and bumper harvest of fruits. Similarly children when fed with knowledge of God, taught discipline and trained in maintaining good conduct, will work for society’s good. They should be made aware of the efficacy of prayers. The Swamiji’s advise is that every devoted individual can worship God he chooses, in whichever form he likes but there should be no hatred or disrespect to other deities. By worshipping a single God,the power of concentration increases and hence one is advised not to dissipate one’s spiritual energy on diverse deities. One can do Aradhana (worship) to God of one’s liking and Adarana (respect) to other deities. People should participate in Yagas and He points out how during the Bhopal gas tragedy, the family which was conducting regularly the Agnihotram, remained unaffected by the poisonous gas.

So parents please try to inculcate the knowledge of God, Discipline, Good Conduct and create responsible citizens.

Sveeya Aradhana Sarva Adarana (Worship Your Own…Respect All)

Acharya Divya Tiruvadigale Saranam.

There are many organs in the body, all related to one another, in the sense that they belong to the same body. Likewise, if the universe is considered as a body, each one of us is an organ with a direct relationship with that body. Why do you take so much trouble to keep your body healthy? Because you know that the body is yours and that if you are to live and work properly, all the parts of your body must function efficiently. Similarly, when you realise that you are an integral part of the universe, you naturally become concerned about the welfare of all beings. We are all related to one another in the sense that we are being directed by the same higher power; the Lord of the Universe.

Let us all be concerned about the welfare of all beings. Serve All Beings As Service To God.

Acharya Divya Tiruvadigale Saranam

If one eats, moves, sleeps and reproduces, it is called “LIVING” (Jivanam). But in addition to these, if one ponders over the question “Who am I?”, it is a high form of living (Ujjivanam). Those who want to live on a higher plane are concerned with five things, viz;

1. Who am I?,
2. What is the goal of my life?
3. Who gave it?
4. What are the means of achieving it?
5. How to remove the obstacles, if any, to it.

Only if a man has an awareness of these, he is worthy of being a man. Man is considered the greatest of all creatures in this world because of his unique possession of knowledge (Buddhi). Though animals and birds have consciousness, (Jnanam), they never address themselves to the question “WHO AM I?”. They gather food, eat the fill, breed and sleep. When subjugated, they serve their master to the best of their ability without expecting anything in return. They never think about the relationship between the body and the soul, and what happens to this soul after its desertion of the body. Even if they think, they cannot express and act accordingly. Only man has the ability to express his inner feelings and ideas and hence his control over the Nature. Let’s all try to be in the higher plane.

Acharya Divya Tiruvadigale Saranam