Through Love we can achieve anything

Always and at all time you should have the feeling of Love. From the time you get up in the morning, till the time you go back to bed, you should always be smiling and you should be full of love and you should show kindness and tenderness. 'Happiness is Union with God', if you are happy at all times, it means you are with God permanently. 'Start the day with love, fill the day with love, spend the day with love and this is the way to God'. Imprint such sacred sayings in your mind and develop yourselves into useful citizens and be always good balvikas children. It may be that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had just one disciple in either Brahmananda or Vivekananda but today we have so many Ramakrishna Paramahamsas, Brahmanandas and Vivekanandas. I hope you will grow into good disciples and develop yourselves into citizens, who are worthy of the traditions of this country.

Follow balvikas teachings all your life

Embodiment's of Love! Since you are children of Balvikas and since you have already understood and are in contact with the ideals of Sai, there is no need for me to speak to you at any great length. I am hoping that by your education, you will be able to turn your minds and hearts into the shape of tender and sacred creepers and thereby be useful citizens for the country. Just because you are in Balvikas and you are the members of Balvikas, you accept the principles and ideals and put them into practice and when you grow a little older and join the colleges, you should not give-up those good practices. Whatever the nature and the environment into which you may be thrown, you should make it a practice that you do not give-up the good qualities you have acquired and the good practices you have acquired while being the members of balvikas.

Concept of Four F

Boys and girls! In your life you should pay great attention to certain things which we will call the four F's. Four F's the first F is 'Follow the master'. The second F is 'Face the devil'. The third one is 'Fight to the end '. The fourth one is 'Finish the game'. These four F's follow the master, face the devil, fight till the end and finish the game, these four F's, you should establish them as four pillars on which your life will be supported.The first F is Follow the master. Who is the master? He is the Father. Father is one who gives you education.Father is one who protects you, looks after your welfare and whose blood you are sharing. If on such father you have no faith and you do not follow him then you will be deceiving your own self.

Cultivate Love and Reverence

Sweet and tender hearted boys and girls! You should recognize that in our culture and in our tradition we have four injunctions "Matru devo bhava, Pitru devo bhava, Acharya devo bhava and Athidi devo bhava," that is regard your mother as god, father as god, teacher as god and guest as god. Mother gives you the body, father protects and lets that body grow. Teacher enables intelligence in your head to grow and prosper. Finally, the community which consists of other guests regard you as a member of community and they help you to grow in the community. Boys and girls! Your body, blood, clothes, everything has been given to you by your father and mother. The moment you have entered this world and opened your eyes, your mother is prepared to sacrifice everything for your welfare. She gives her blood and everything, so that you may grow and prosper in this world. So the first thing which you have to learn is to learn to love mother, who is the embodiment of such affection and prema. We now come to father. Father protects you, thinks of your future, your welfare and prosperity. Such father who protects you should also be borne in mind and you should show the affection and regards to him. Life is not something which solely consists of merely eating and filling your stomach. Brightness, intelligence and ability to control are necessary. Education is such that, it will teach you how you should conduct yourself in the midst of the society of which you are a part. So to the teacher who gives you this ability, knowledge and adjustment to the environment and the society, you should be grateful and honor the teacher.

Children have tender hearts; Mould them

Boys and girls who are the future citizens of this country and those who are responsible for the future welfare of this country. You are like the foundations for the future of this country. You are also like the roofs for the tree for this country. Children's minds are like creepers which will go around a tree. It is only when the elders can make this creepers creep around the tree properly, that we will have prosperity and will have a proper decoration for the country. The creepers in the young minds are these boys and girls, who have to be put in the right path. It is only when they are put in the right path, they will be able to get prosperity for the country. We have to recognize that it is only by spreading the minds of this tender children in the proper way that we can look to the future of this country.The children have pure, unwavering, sweet minds.The teachers should recognize this and put in their efforts, give their life, the moral, spiritual support and give them an appropriate background.

Balvikas children must lead a Dharmic path

There are many students in our colleges with varied experiences who were wandering in many ways outside and were addicted to many bad things. Such students after joining in our college are becoming best students and the kind of ideal life which they are leading cannot be identified by others except Sai himself. Young children like 9 year olds or 10 year olds, are smoking cigarettes and beedis, and going to places where they can drink alcohol. Parents are not properly training their children who indulge in all these bad habits and instead think that their children are doing something really great and go on boasting that their son is able to smoke 10 cigarettes a day which is an insult to them. There are parents who will pat on the back of the boy, and say you have done a great job by playing cards for the whole night and earned ten rupees. How their future will become consecrated if the students instead of studying indulge in all bad vices and bad habits. If the plant in its tender age were to become crooked and get a curved shape, then the whole tree too will be crooked.The Balvikas teachers must take responsibility to bring such educated parents closer to them by attracting them with sweet and soft words and explaining them the right situations.Therefore, it is imperative to provide training to these teachers for at least 3 months. While there are many other things which our balvikas teachers have to acquire, experience and learn, yet one after another it is necessary to put them on a right path.

Role of Balvikas Gurus and Parents

Teachers, who are verily embodiment of Divine souls, must imprint in their mind that it is very necessary to identify and understand the holy culture of our country Bharath. I am hoping that from today onwards teachers with sacred hearts must prepare students to become ideal citizens of our country and groom them. So that, they can spread the holy ideals and objectives. Parents of some children are not readily coming forward to enroll their children in the Balvikas classes.You should explain to such parents about the true importance of balvikas and make an attempt to join their children in balvikas group.Truly, 80% of the parents are only thinking that their children should pursue higher education, should go to America, should acquire higher degrees and should do a big job. But they are not understanding the truth that, how their children are entering the wrong path and leading a desecrated life. Parents are not questioning their children even if they return home late at midnight after watching movies and playing cards. But they are punishing them even after attending Sathya Sai balvikas classes or some spiritual congregation.Hence, parents to an extent are also responsible for spoiling their children.

What is the role of Balvikas Gurus

Today the teachers are responsible for all the agitations and confusion happening in our country. How can such teachers communicate, demonstrate and show a ideal path to children.Today a good teacher is more essential than a good student. If one student is bad only he will get spoiled, but if one teacher is bad thousands of students will get spoiled. The future of the Bharath rests on the shoulders of the teachers. The teachers by showing sufficient forbearance and working hard can provide a great service to our country. There are two paths which one can follow here, one is the path of Diksha, and the second is the path of Siksha. We should enquire and find the true meaning of these two words Diksha and Siksha. Diksha means to teach students some stories, or to make them read some verses, or to make them memorize some words or to make them chant mantras.This kind of Diksha will not make them sacred or will not make them prosper in future. Even certain amount of Siksha is required to this. Siksha means to train them to control their sense organs by teaching yoga, to provide them strength of faith relating to any name. We should provide them education at the age when they are mentally, physically and spiritually strong. If they are not able to control their sense organs when they are in youth, it will not be possible for them to control when they become old.

Swami teachings to balvikas teachers

Modern-day teachers, 90 out of 100 have no spiritual knowledge. They should recognize the truth that because of this condition they are doing great injustice to their country.Teachers should come out of the notion that they are just working for salary and instead should sacrifice their lives in shaping the future of the students. Sacrifice and good character are like two wheels of the chariot and these are the two qualities which are required in modern-day teachers. A chariot without two wheels, or a bird without two wings are prone to accident. Therefore, it is necessary that the teachers must be given a systematic training and orientation, to bring discipline into their jobs. A teacher must take necessary steps to prevent the student from developing bad qualities like stealing and lying to others. In this context, a teacher should encompass these truths and morals into small, attractive moral stories and parables and they must be professed to the students. The hearts of these children are pure and selfless and at this stage whatever you teach them will be imprinted firmly and will remain for the rest of their lives. So, the teachers should spend some time and show interest in these young boys of pure heart and they should also have some discipline in them which is very important. It is necessary for the teachers to get an appropriate training. The teachers of balvikas should make no distinction between religions and castes and , whoever comes to the teacher, if christian children comes to you, you can teach them about the bible, if the Muslim children come to you, you can teach them about the Quran, if the Hindu children comes to you and if there is no possibility to teach them vedas or shastras, you can teach them small stories out of ramayana, Bharatha, and Krishna Tattwa which is very important. Those teachers who have such equal mindedness and who are impartial will be deserved to be called as teachers. It is only when the teachers have such an equal mindedness and do not distinguish between one religion and another or between one sect and another, will be able to propagate such good ideas. There is only one caste, it is the caste of humanity, there is only one religion, and that is the religion of love, when you remember these two things, then this world will become as one home. One eye of equal mindedness and impartial, and other eye showing love, these two should constitute your vision and the teachers of balvikas should pay attention to both these eyes.

Impart Indian culture to Balvikas Students

Our ancient Bharatiya culture was essentially based upon discipline and control of one's own self. Today the students have reached a stage where they don't need any discipline and control.They have replaced discipline with complete freedom and replaced control by developing anger.They are roaming around here and there without being able to recognize what is freedom. "The end of education is Character". It is also imperative to recognize that the end of wisdom is freedom. Today there is no wisdom among these boys. They are only becoming deaf and dumb. Having been born in this sacred country of Bharat and having obtained a sacred human birth, they are becoming foolish as they are not able to understand the significance of spiritual education. This misunderstanding is a big loss to our country. The teachers should get hold of such students with diligence and must sacrifice if necessary, to impart Bharatiya culture to them and try to see that it is imprinted in their heart.

Impart both Spiritual and Secular education

Spiritual education provides permanent happiness, lasting prosperity and welfare of the world.Today it is not like that. There are no educated people in the world. A educated person is not able to help and give happiness to rest of the world with the education he is getting. In the olden days, students would serve their gurus, learn spiritual education and thus by earning the grace of guru. Even today their names have been ever glowing in our country. Yes, it is also necessary to pursue such worldly education, but that which gives you bliss is only spiritual education. All the worldly education is like a tasteless water. Spiritual education is like a sugar. It is only when we mix these two, the spiritual education and worldly education, we can enjoy the sweet bliss that is contained therein, experience self satisfaction and attain the knowledge of Brahman.This kind of education is like the negative without the positive.Today it is for this reason, wherever you see in this country, the agitation of the students are ubiquitously increasing.Thus, it is the role of balvikas gurus to try to propagate such sacred education and suppress that kind of education which causes obstruction in minds of students.

Role of Balvikas Gurus in imparting knowledge

The teacher must take necessary care to teach such spiritual education.The teachers should be prepared to impart spiritual education to students with selfless feelings treating them like their own children. Young children of today in future will grow into elderly citizens.The future of Bharath rests on the shoulders of these young children.The balvikas teachers must take responsibility in shaping these young children to become future citizens of our country. Therefore the balvikas gurus must become experienced persons and should be ready to impart education based on their experiences and what they have put into practice.

Relation of Balvikas students and Gurus

The close connection that should exist between the balvikas students and Gurus should be for the goal of controlling one's own senses.The teachers should be good guides, and the students should be ideal recipients of such good ideas.Teachers should play the role of an alarm time pieces.The students, who are lost in the sleep of ignorance, should be woken up by these Gurus through the teaching of Prajnana (spiritual wisdom); they should be exhorted to, 'awaken, arise and strive towards the goal.' Ignorance strengthens ones ego. Ego is like a great sin. It has been said, “Death is sweeter than blindness of ignorance”. Where there is a teacher, ignorance disappears. But if one has ignorance, one cannot find a teacher. So long as one has ego, it is not possible to find a real Guru. Unfortunately, today in the world, there are plenty of greedy teachers and lazy students.Today, there is a great need for students with sharp intellect and teachers who can sacrifice. It’s not great to give away objects, but it is indeed great to give away one’s own self. It is only when there is a close relationship and connection between the teacher and the student, whatever is taught will take the shape of spiritual knowledge.

Balvikas gurus will receive Gods grace

Whatever we do, we should regard it as being done in the name of God, as an offering to God. We should fill our hearts completely with the divine quality which is omnipresent and try to fill the hearts of the students also with that quality. With such great ideas and great ideals, we should use the position of a guru for doing good to the world.To have teachers who are selfless and who will do such service to the country are most essential today. Even if you do not get any material result out of your effort, you would definitely receive god's grace.

Ideal teachings to Balvikas Gurus

We have been working as Balvikas gurus for the last four years. What is the result for the last four years? These questions should be asked in the conference and changes and additions have to be made in our working.The gurus should also discuss as groups amongst themselves, put down their own experiences and see what changes have to be made and take necessary steps. We should also discuss what path will enable us to give prosperity to the children and country. We should also discuss the matter, as to what kind of conduct we instill in them, which would promote security and prosperous life. We should also have the faith that teachers conduct themselves like the ideal jyothis for the country. If one student takes the wrong path he alone would have taken the wrong path, but if a teacher takes wrong path, hundreds and thousands of young people would take wrong path.The teachers should stand like a guide post. They should have an unwavering mind in setting themselves as an example, ideal to young students. If the guide post is not stationary and goes on wavering, then, it will show a wrong direction. Just as a guide post stands firm and shows its path very clearly in one direction, so also, the teachers should also stand firm, selfless and show one path for the students to follow. One also should promote one's devotion and faith.

Balvikas gurus must be good all time

It is not as if Sai does not know that the balvikas Gurus are giving the important ideals of purity and prosperity to the children. But it is necessary just as we have to charge the battery now and then, we need to look at whatever faults we have now and then and correct thereby promote the right path. You may have the daily experience of a petromax light. Although you put daily pressure of pumping, sometimes we have to use a pin in order that the petromax light burns brightly. But for this petromax light, whatever pressure we may pump in, whatever pin we may use, still for that to burn we have to put in some kerosene into it. Kerosene can be compared to our care, our sraddha or commitment. Our love is the Pin. Our faith is the pump. In the same manner, when we collect all these three the care, the love, and the faith we can give brightness to others. But for all these things the most important thing is the mantle that is the Divya Nama. Thus, having accepted this position of Balvikas Gurus, we should make all attempts to remove the ignorance that has been covering the country for the past and promote the knowledge of Divine atma.

What is the meaning of Guru

The Balvikas guru is a GURU. What is the inner meaning of the word Guru should be understood. 'Gu' stand for darkness and 'Ru' stand for removing the darkness. This means the origin of Guru is something which removes the ignorance and the darkness that goes with ignorance and gives light If we go deeper into the meaning of the word Guru means that which is Gu means Gunateetha beyond the Gunas and Ru means Roopavarjita that is beyond the form. The guru must realize the aspect that is beyond the Gunas and Form and show the path to the students. This means that the teacher should give up his personal likes and dislikes and should regard the students as their children and should look after them as if they are all having same likes and dislikes. It is only with such thoughts and ideas we enter the Sathya Sai Balvikas there will be some purpose and result.

Swami's teachings for Balvikas Gurus

Today in the context of there being about 5000 Balvikas gurus and if each teacher can set right at least 100 students, then the whole country can be improved in a large measure. What is the progress that we have made in the past four years is a question we should ask ourselves. We should look carefully at everything that each one of us does. The students who learn with a guru, who has Satvik ideas will also develop the same. If we therefore want sacred ideas to be developed and promoted in the students, first thing to do is to develop sacred ideas and thoughts in the minds of the teachers. The first step which one has to take is to see that in the teacher's mind that there are no jealousy, hatred or any such bad qualities. Most importantly among the teachers, they must make an attempt that they do not make the same mistake which are committed in the realm of politics. Teachers should not form themselves into small groups. If some teachers become famous or reputed, then the other teachers become jealous. All the gurus should regard themselves as brothers and sisters and should promote the divine aspect of atma and regard themselves as promoters of one idea, that of Atma. In human lives, it is possible that at one moment or other, bad ideas may come in the minds. But what task you have undertaken is to become the gurus of Sathya Sai balvikas. If some bad qualities come in the way of other teachers there is not much danger, as will result if they enter the minds of the balvikas teachers.

Important lessons for Balvikas Gurus

It is important to assess to find out of if what is being taught in Balvikas classes are liked and are being followed by students. It is difficult to assess in large groups. It is good to have small groups and ascertain from the children which of the methods and which of the paths are working to their satisfaction, what is liked by them and what is not liked by them. I would suggest teachers should collect students from units in small groups and find out what are the paths that are appealing to them and working satisfactorily. There is one very important thing, which I wish to communicate to the teachers. To the children, anything concerning to religion or any aspect to religion should not be taught in a manner which create contradictions in their minds. One should not hate any religion. All religions would teach, how to move closer to God. One should not have any attitude, thinking, one religion is bigger and another religion is smaller and one should not make such comparisons. Acceptance of all religions is the essence of Sai, is something you should recognize. There is only one religion, religion of Love; There is only one caste, caste of humanity; There is only language, language of the heart; There is only one God and He is Omni present. To recognize all these religions as equal and conveying the same on an equal footing is something which we should inculcate in the minds of the children. We should not compare the religions, saying one is big and the other small. Whether Christians, Parsi's, Jains or Muslims, we should regard and welcome them with equal love. We should regard this country as a garden wherein all these religions are flowering and adding beauty to this Garden. Our country Bharath is like a "Nandanavana", in this "Nandanavana" various religions flourishing should be regarded as different flowers. And these flowers would give Ananda or Bliss.

Students should not hate each other

Embodiments of love! In your classes, there may be small differences between individuals. On the basis of those small differences you should not develop hatred. I hope the teachers would teach the children with their soothing and loving words and avoid promoting hatred. All of you should regard yourself as children of God. You have to have the belief that man’s brotherhood and Gods fatherhood are your two eyes. If you can promote this brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God in you, automatically there will be fear for evil and love for god.

Control your Senses at young age

You should bring out the great ideas that are contained in you with the urge to do better. You should be able to cash on the enthusiasm that you have in this young age and should draw on the courage which is characteristic of Atma or SELF in you, to bring all these qualities in the society around you. If you do not control the senses at this age, you will be controlled by your senses when you are older and will get into many difficulties. If you do not undertake to do good and necessary things when your body, mind and spirit are strong at this age, you will not be able to control them when you become old. They will control you and you will be a slave to these things and depend on someone else. For all our life, time is important, in fact, time is responsible for our entire life.

Balvikas children must take up service

Tender hearted boys and Girls, in the very first instance, you must take upon yourself the aspect of service. You should never allow ego or arrogance to enter your mind. It is only when you do some service, and become a servant; you will be in a position to become a leader and lead. Without becoming a servant, you never earn the right to become a leader. You can rise to a position of Shankara, the protector only after first being a “Kinkara”. All the boys and girls need to be disciplined with great care. You have to regard devotion, discipline and duty as the very life breath of your life. Recognise the importance of the three attributes, Satva, Raja, and tamo as divine and thus conduct your life. Therefore, while you are at this young and sacred age, if you do not recognize what is the appropriate kind of work, when and how you have to do work, you will only be wasting time.

Balvikas role in Society

Today we see demons dancing in our society in the form of injustice and hatred. Our ancestors gave us our great culture that has come to us as the spiritual heritage. I am hoping that boys and girls trained through Bal Vikas, with courage will assume the leadership of this country will be in a position to drive away these demons who are spoiling our social structure. In the train of our social life, boys and girls have to undertake a rather long journey. The elders amongst you are like travellers are those who will get off the journey very soon either at the next station or the second station or the third station. You boys and girls will have to understand and take in your own hands the security of this train of the society to make this rather long journey of life. The affairs of the world, depends on the individual countries that make up the world. The affairs of a country, in turn depends on the society. The society finally depends upon the nature and the individual that comprises the society. You are the individuals that make the society. You will have to very cautiously correct this social structure and look after the well-being of the river, your country. You have the responsibility to take this river to the ocean, which is the universe. The first ideal of Balvikas is to be able to first understand and then spread universal love. You should be able to reach satisfaction through universal love.

Be grateful to balvikas gurus

Boys and Girls, you are the future of our country, having been born in the sacred land of Bharata, having accepted the responsibility for maintaining and continuing the great traditions of the country, for promising to fight against injustice, bad conduct and untruth, we have to say in this context, that such a sacred congregation of boys and girls is something which is very vital and important. Just as the well being of a tree rests solely on the goodness of the roots under the tree, just as the security of a big building rests on the strong foundations of the building, so also the future of ones life rests very much on the strength we give in its childhood. To enable the lives of children to achieve all this, joining balvikas and learn therefrom stories that illumine the tradition and our culture, the considerable amount of help given to you by the teachers of Balavikas is something for which you should feel extremely grateful throughout your life.