1991-05-20 - Summer Course Inaugural Discourse

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The next few posts will be somewhat different. These are from my notes in the "Summer Course Diary" given to us on the first day of the Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality. So, the main gist of the diary contents would be summaries of the Summer Course talks.

 

We XII students (going from XI to XII) were fortunate to attend the Summer Course along with the college students of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. Many alumni have described how the summer course ambience was, with You distributing the diaries/pens etc on the day before the inauguration. We XII students were extra-blessed by not having seats - there were not enough chairs for all the students, so we were asked to sit right in the front, on the ground next to the stage pit, even before the first row of chairs. So, we not only had a ringside view of this materialization below, we also had the blessing of You wading through us for all the cultural programs and whenever You would visit the auditorium for talks during the morning sessions. And we could sit and stare at You during the cultural programs, when You would be seated just ten feet away.

 

Hiranyagarbha Linga materialized on 28 May (not 5th May).

Now to my diary notes. The summer showers version can be found linked here. These main points were from the study session in our rooms after dinner, I believe, which we used to study for the summer course exam at the end of the course.

Inaugural Divine Discourse Main Points

  1. The five types of knowledge are
    1. Bookish
    2. Superficial
    3. General
    4. Discriminatory
    5. Practical
  2. Education is for life, not for a living.
  3. Spirit of love is spirituality. Split of love is science.
  4. Three essential things for man - Paapa Bheeti, Daiva Preeti, Sangha Neeti.
  5. Man's ideals are immortal.
  6. Money is compared to shoes.
  7. Life is a journey from I to We.
  8. The two types of I and their comparisons - I = self or soul, Eye = body.
  9. Four types of life and comparisons -
    • Brahmacharya - foundation - self-confidence
    • Grihastashrama - walls - self-satisfaction
    • Vanaprastha - roof - self-sacrifice
    • Sanyasa - the building - self-realization
  10. End of education is character
    End of freedom is wisdom
    End of wisdom is love.
  11. Life is a challenge, meet it
    Life is a game, play it
    Life is love, enjoy it
    Life is a dream, realize it.
  12. Science goes on outlook, spirituality goes inwards. 
  13. Heart = lock. Mind = key.
    Right = open. Left = lock.
    towards divinity = detachment. towards world = bondage.
  14. Meaning of real happiness - it lies in liking what one has to do, not in doing what one likes.
  15. Help ever, Hurt never - secret/essence of the Puranas.
  16. Cause for present problems -
    • Science without humanity
    • Education without character
    • Commerce without morality
    • Politics without principles
  17. Knowledge can be skilled by seeing good, doing good, thinking good, hearing good; killed by by bad ... Skill leads to balance. Kill leads to imbalance.
  18. Students misdirected by parental indulgence - (Eg. Premchand). Must respect parents even if they allow freedom.
  19. Science is information. Spirituality is transformation.
  20. Ancient traditions - used to go to those who had renounced all.
  21. Churchill - Scientists try to find out all except themselves and do not control their senses. Same, Prahlada. 
 

 

 

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