Theos-Talk Archives (May 1996 Message tl00665)

    Everyone should treasure in his heart love for the mother, who has borne
    him, reared him with love and fostered him with care. Love of the
    mother can redeem a man's life, whatever his other lapses may be.
    Whoever she may be, [the] mother is verily divine.  [For that reason,]
    the person who forfeits [her] love will not earn anyone's love.

    We should not disregard the mother. If you have some kind of doubt, go
    to her in a nice way and clarify. Tell her in a nice way and explain. Don't
    hurt her at any time. No one who hurts [her] will prosper in life. If you
    disregard your mother now, tomorrow you will be disregarded by your
    children.  This is the law of action and reaction that is always at
    work.

    The first guru to the child is the mother. In the tradition of Bharat,
    mother, father, guru and God have to be worshipped. The mother has
    the first place. Why does she get the first place? The mother carries the
    child in her womb for nine months, undergoes all trouble and pain and
    sacrifices everything including her blood for the child.  Therefore, we
    have to honour [her].

    The branch is a part of the tree. A child is a part of the mother. The
    branch cannot survive without the tree. The child cannot survive without
    the mother. The mother is prepared to go [to] any length and sacrifice
    for the sake of the children. She will sacrifice even her life to protect
    her children.

    Starting with the mother, gratitude should extend to the father and the
    preceptor. If you show gratitude to these three, you will realise the
    presence of the Triune Lord in them and you will reap the fruit of
    worshipping the Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva).  [But] the
    mother stands foremost among [the three]. She is indeed the first
    teacher for everyone.

    Mothers are the makers of a nation's fortune or misfortune, for they
    shape the sinews of its soul. ...  If you want to know how advanced a
    nation is, study the mothers: are they free from fear and anxiety; are they
    full of Love towards all; are they trained in fortitude and virtue? If you
    like to imbibe the glory of a culture, watch the mothers, ...  feeding,
    fostering, teaching, and fondling the babies. As the mother, so the
    progress of the nation; as the mother, so the sweetness of the culture.

    What is the reason for Gandhi becoming a Mahatma? ... One day his
    mother was worshipping. She had taken a vow that she [would] not take
    even a morsel of food unless she hears the cuckoo sing. One day it was
    12 in the afternoon. The cuckoo did not sing. The mother did not eat.
    Gandhi was very young then. He asked, "Why have you not eaten so far,
    Mother?" She said, "The cuckoo has not sung." Then he went to the
    backyard and tried to sing like a cuckoo. He came inside and said,
    "Mother, the cuckoo has sung. You can eat." It was not the singing of the
    cuckoo. The mother came out, caught hold of his ears and said, "What
    sin have I committed to give birth to you, who [utters] a falsehood. It is
    sin to consider you as my son." ... Man is the very embodiment of truth.
    Man should not utter falsehoods under any circumstance. She felt very
    bad. Gandhi saw it. So this went like a dart into his heart. From that day
    onwards, he never uttered an untruth. It is the mother alone, not the
    father, who puts the child on the right path.

Quotes from Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba

--
Nicholas <> am455@lafn.org <> Los Angeles
"Morality is water that cleanses stains of wrongdoing; it is moonlight
cooling hot passions. As a snowy peak in the midst of men, its noble
presence peacefully unites all beings."  Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419)