about us	contact	faq	home
	EC	P	Consultations ‘07	Discourse on  Education and Educare	standards	resources

October, 2005 Children’s Festival of Joy

CULTIVATE SATTWIC QUALITIES RIGHT FROM CHILDHOOD

Childhood passes in trivial play with other children. Youth passes in amorous sport, Middle age absorbs
time and effort in amassing wealth, Come dotage, time crawls in futile longing for worldly desires, yet
there is no time for contemplation of God. Thus is wasted the precious heritage of human birth, deeply
entangled in the net of karma. (Telugu poem)

Why waste your time in idleness? Time wasted is life wasted; Arise, awake, it is not too late, Think of
the future, at least now. (Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Love! Dear Students! If you spend your time thus, if you fritter away your time and
energy in vain pursuits thus, what for is your human birth? What will happen to you in future? Did you
ever ponder over this? Time is the measure for human life. Time is the most precious aspect in human
life. Don’t waste time. “Time wasted is life wasted”. You have to seriously question yourself whether it
is sensible to waste your time thus. If you waste your precious time in this young age, when will you be
able to sanctify your life?

Man has to perform Karma in this Karmabhumi (field of activity) right from birth to death. In fact, the
human birth has been given to us to perform Karma. We are, therefore, engaged in performing various
Karmas, continuously. But, very few make any effort to enquire to their selves whether the Karmas
performed are Sathkarmas (good deeds) or not.

One has to strive to sanctify his time, right from childhood. We are, partaking of a variety of items as
food, to sustain the human body. But none is making an enquiry whether the food one partakes of is
proper and healthy; whether it is beneficial for nourishing and nurturing his physical, mental and
spiritual health.

“Man is born out of karma, grows and departs from the world due to karma; Karma is verily the embodiment
of divinity. It is only due to Karma that Happiness and sorrow occur in the world.” (Telugu Poem)

The Bhagavadgita exhorts that man has a right only to perform his duty and none to the fruit thereof. Of
course, there will be a result for every Karma that is performed by a human being. There will be a good
result for a good Karma and a bad result for a bad Karma. This is the eternal law. When you partake of a
mango fruit, you will only have the belch of that fruit and not that of a lime fruit. In the same
manner, your head (thoughts) will always be conditioned by the type of food you consume.

“As is the food, so is the head (thoughts). As is the head, so is God” Thus, the food, the head, and God
will be on the same wavelength. Hence, one has to cultivate good and noble thoughts always. If you eat
Sattwic food and cultivate Sattwic nature right from childhood, your entire life will run smoothly.
Hence, one has to be wary of his food and head (thoughts). If you wish to sanctify your human birth, you
should not live like a bird, beast or an animal. Having taken birth as a human being, one has to perform
the Karmas worthy of a human being. One has to conduct oneself as a human being. What does the term
“Human Values” imply? Sathya (Truth), Dharma (righteousness), Santhi (Peace), Prema (Love) and Ahimsa
(non-violence). It is only when we cultivate and exhibit these five human values in our daily lives that
we will be entitled to be called as human beings. Human being is a repository of Trigunas, namely,
Sattwa (calm serenity), Rajas (passionate activity), Thamo Guna (sloth and slumber). Unfortunately,
today, we find the Rajo and Thamo Gunas more active in human beings. We do not find even a trace of
Sattwic Guna anywhere. Hence, it is of utmost importance today that people are taught and encouraged to
cultivate Sattwa Guna, perform Sattwic karmas and finally reach the abode of Sattwic Guna.

Embodiments of Love! You are now in the stage of childhood. This is the right age to cultivate Sattwic
Guna. The quality of your life in the later stages will depend upon the qualities you cultivate now.
What is the use of trying to cultivate Sattwic Guna at the fag end of your life, when your physical body
refuses to co-operate with you in your Sadhana? Hence, you must cultivate and put into practice the
sattwic guna in the youthful age itself. If man wishes to experience Manavatwa (humanness) and reach
Daivatwa (divinity), Sattwic Guna is very essential. It is only when you consciously cultivate Sattwa
Guna that you will be able to attain Sattwic nature. If you aim to attain Sattwic nature but indulge in
Rajasic and Thamasic acts, it is not possible. All our ancient sages and seers did their Sadhana when
they were young and strong.

Embodiments of Love! You have to partake of Sattwic food. By partaking of Sattwic food, you will be able
to cultivate Sattwic thoughts. And, by cultivating Sattwic thoughts, you will be able to undertake
Sattwic Karmas. It is absolutely necessary that one should have Sattwic friends in youth and constantly
move about in their company. It is said,

“Good company leads to detachment; Detachment makes one free from delusion; Freedom from delusion leads
to steadiness of mind; Steadiness of mind confers Liberation.” (Sanskrit Sloka)

Hence, you have to partake of Sattwic food keeping your goal of liberation in the mind. You may at times
have a doubt that you may not get such Sattwic food. I do not at all agree with this view. Don’t you get
vegetables and edible green leaves in plenty? In fact, the moment you are born out of your mother’s
womb, you are surviving and thriving on your mother’s milk or cow’s milk. Is this not Sattwic food? Can
you not live upon a vegetarian diet consisting of vegetables, green leaves and cow’s milk? Why should
you cater to the dictates of your palate adding chillies, salt, tamarind and spices? It is only when you
gradually reduce these ingredients for taste you will be able to cultivate Sattwa Guna. Parents have a
great responsibility in teaching the children about the efficacy of Sattwic food and getting them
accustomed to it right from their childhood. On the other hand, if the parents themselves prepare and
serve Rajasic and Thamasic food consisting of meat, fish, etc., in their homes, how can they expect the
children to develop Sattwa Guna? I am of the view that the children at least should abstain from such
Rajasic and Thamasic food and demand from their parents only the Sattwic food. One has to consciously
cultivate the habit of partaking of only Sattwic food. Only then will one be able to develop Sattwa
Guna.

Embodiments of Love! All our senses are conditioned by the Trigunas and the Gunas, in turn, are
conditioned by the food we consume. Hence, if we start eating Sattwic food, undertake Sattwic Karmas and
move about in the company of Sattwic friends, I am sure that we can transform ourselves into Sattwic
individuals. It is the bad company that is responsible for evil qualities. If you want to cultivate good
qualities, you have to eat Sattwic food. In fact, it is the food that we consume is responsible for all
the evil qualities.

Dear students! If you develop bad qualities like anger, passion, envy, jealousy, etc., right form this
early age, your entire life will be spoiled. You are poisoning your young minds with these evil
qualities. My advice to the youngsters and students is eat Sattwic food; cultivate Sattwic behaviour and
keep the company of Sattwic people right from this early age. I often observe that youngsters today join
bad company the moment they enter the school or college and continue to move about in the company of bad
people. With the result, they cultivate bad qualities, resulting in bad behaviour. Frequently they are
not even aware of the subtle changes taking place in their behaviour towards elders, parents, teachers
and society. They think that they are on the right track, since they are pursuing education in a good
educational institution. The education they are pursuing may be good, but the core of their heart is
polluted due to bad company. Several bad thoughts emanate in their mind even at a young age.

People often think that it is a natural phenomenon due to young age. I do not at all subscribe to this
view. It is not a natural phenomenon at all! It is most unnatural. Since, you are partaking of bad food,
you are having bad thoughts. Hence, first and foremost, give up bad food. People who are devoted to
Swami, must join Satsanga. But, you are joining bad company and, as a result, are developing bad
thoughts. Once bad thoughts enter your mind, none can drive them away. Hence, you have to cultivate good
thoughts, even before bad thoughts enter your mind.

Dear children! There are several parents who are not concerned about the future of their children.
Either they are too busy pursuing their vocations or they are helpless in supervising your behaviour.
But, if you tread the right path they will be most happy. On the other hand, if you are moving about in
bad company cultivating bad habits, resulting in bad behaviour, they will be very sad and will be unable
to share their distress or anguish with anybody. Hence, it is your foremost duty to keep your parents
happy. If you want to keep your parents happy, you must tread the right path. So, tread the right path
and keep your parents happy. Only then will you be able to cultivate good behaviour. There are three
aspects in human life, which are interlinked – the thoughts, behaviour and the end result. As are the
thoughts, so will be the behaviour and as is the behaviour, so will be the result. Teachers expect good
behaviour from their pupils. How is it possible, when the students move about in bad company, eat wrong
kind of food and entertain bad thoughts? The end result is always bad in such a situation. While taking
bitter food, how can you experience sweetness? In short, the Rajasic and Thamasic food that you consume
is the root cause for the bad thoughts that are entering your mind.

Dear students! All of you must tread the right path. Even if your parents for any reason offer you
Rajasic and Thamasic food prepared in the home, you must explain and convince them of the ill-effects of
such food, saying, “Mother! If you serve Rajasic and Thamasic food to me thus, I will only get bad
thoughts. This is not conducive to good behaviour on My part.” You must also convince them of the need
to prepare and serve Sattwic food to all members of the family. Not only should you eat Sattwic food,
you should also read good books. Your entire life is dependent upon good food, good thoughts and good
company.

Dear students! You should not read all sorts of trash like cheap novels, stories, etc. Such trash will
generate bad thoughts in you and pollute you mind. When you go to a library, you should read the
biographies of great and noble people which will help to cultivate good qualities and good thoughts in
you. One reason for the pollution of young minds and proliferation of bad thoughts in them is reading
all sorts of cheap literature. In fact, it is only the mind that is responsible for good or bad
thoughts. That is why it is said, Manaeva Manushyanam Karanam Bandhamokshayo (mind is responsible for
both bondage and liberation of man). Unfortunately, in these days it is only cheap books that have
become popular and acquired great attraction. Good books have become a rare commodity. A question may
arise as to where one would get such good books. You go to good libraries of institutions committed to
the moral and spiritual uplift of humanity. Frequently we come across people travelling in trains and
buses purchasing worthless books available in the railway platforms and bus stands and reading them with
absorbing interest. They may say that they are reading them for whiling away the time. They do not
realise how harmful those books are in generating bad thoughts and polluting their minds. Hence, you
must always select books that contribute to your intellectual, moral and spiritual development.

Embodiments of Love! If you wish to cultivate good thoughts and good behaviour, you must read good
books. Several students today consider it a fashion to read cheap literature that is available for a low
price. With the result, cheap thoughts and cheap behaviour are generated in them. They look for cheap
books and trash distributed free of cost. They woefully lack a sense of discrimination to judge whether
such writing is conducive to their moral, spiritual and character development. They will, however,
realise the consequences of their action after their minds are totally polluted. Then it will be too
late for them to retrace their steps. It is only through good books that good thoughts and good
behaviour can be cultivated.

Dear students! There are several other important aspects to be taught to you in these three days which
will enable you to cultivate noble thoughts and tread the right path. I will teach several aspects in
due course that will enable you to cultivate pure thoughts.