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Home > Cover Story > Part 4  
the 'be-aTtitudes' of jesus
…Through the lives of Enlightened Souls and Divine Incarnations

Part 4:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.”

Taking the road less travelled or not yet travelled is never easy; but that is the only way a new path has ever come into being. To stand for Truth and live by it day in and day out is what makes an individual a complete man. Bhagavan Baba says, “Fullness in life is marked by the harmony of thought, word and deed.” In crucial periods, history has blessed us with personalities who have acted out their cherished principles in the face of indomitable challenges and gifted mankind with a new world of hope. Thereby, they not only fulfilled their sojourn on earth but also brought meaning and solace into the lives of millions of their brethren.

 
 

Abraham Lincoln Emancipates the Soul

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) has often been hailed as the greatest President of the United States of America.

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  The Love of Sri Sathya Sai    
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Abraham Linclon
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Bhagavan Baba too, on many occasions, has narrated stories from the life of this great leader to inspire the young minds. In a discourse in May 2002, Baba said:

Before Lincoln became the President of America, people did not realize the power of self-confidence and faith in God. It was Lincoln who taught these values to the people of America. Following the example of Lincoln, more and more people started developing these precious virtues of self-confidence and faith in God. It is enough if a country has one person like Lincoln.

~ Divine Discourse, 16-05-2002

Lincoln struggled with all his might to preserve the unity of the United States during the four year American civil war, which was threatened by the breakaway southern states, who wished to continue slavery.

He strove to emancipate the four million black slaves, convinced in the equal rights that should be bestowed upon them.

This last view was quite contrary to the beliefs of the vast majority of white Americans and he risked losing a large number of people from the north who might have fought on his side, but who were actually against freeing the slaves. Yet he stuck to his principles.

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  The Love of Sri Sathya Sai     The Love of Sri Sathya Sai  
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Four million African American slaves...
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...freed in body and spirit
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Let us again return to Bhagavan’s words:

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    The Love of Sri Sathya Sai  
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Lincoln sacrificed his life
for his country
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The slaves were treated in a very harsh manner by the Whites in those days. Abraham Lincoln wanted to ameliorate their condition and secure equal rights for them. He was of the firm conviction that all human beings were equal and any differences on the basis of colour or race were improper. He tirelessly worked for the cause of the slaves. Eventually, he succeeded in the abolition of slavery in the United States. He is still held in high esteem for this noble work.

~ Divine Discourse, 23-11-2000

Abraham Lincoln was closely involved in the military effort and guided the northern American states to victory. As the war was drawing to a close he was assassinated by a southerner, incensed at Lincoln’s wish to give voting rights to the black American former slaves.

Lincoln always strove to carry out what he believed were acts of righteousness. True, this conviction brought about his untimely death, but it also created a United States that could more fully express its Declaration of Independence precept:

 

“…that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

 
 

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Lord Buddha
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Lord Buddha also taught His followers to sanctify their lives by following the same life principle of Right Conduct or Dharma. Just as Lord Jesus gifted the world eight Beatitudes, so too did Lord Buddha teach His followers the Noble Eight-fold Path which involved Right Vision, Right Thought and Feelings, Right Speech and so on.

[Please go here for our cover story which contains a lucid account of these eight virtues.]

Doing the right thing, or doing things the right way, actually means to be in harmony with our true selves and our real nature. We might doubt if this is really practical in the present world which is steeped so much in unrighteousness.

While our concern is valid, what is also equally and emphatically true is that it is possible, only we should have the confidence to follow the voice of our conscience.

[Please read stories of how every day men and women triumphed over adversity by remaining true to their conscience in our Harnessing the Heart Archives, part of our regular feature articles section in H2H.]

There is nothing impossible once we are less dependent on our smaller selves, and derive advice and sustenance from the Higher Self.

 

End of Part 4

Dear reader, how did you like this story? Did it inspire you in any way? Would you like more such stories focussed on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and other such divine incarnations? Please write to us at h2h@radiosai.org with your name and country. We look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions to help us serve you better. Thank you very much for your time.

- Heart2Heart Team


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Vol 6 Issue 12 - DECEMBER 2008
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