SSPSC
22nd June 2013
Ceiling on Desires
"Who is the poorest man?
• “He who has many desires is the poorest man in the world.”
“Who is the richest man?
• He who has much satisfaction is the richest man in the world".
• This is what Baba says, and exhorts all devotees to have a
ceiling on their desires to evolve spiritually.
• “Man is deluded by his unlimited desires. He is living in a dream
world. He is forgetting the Supreme Consciousness (Para-tattwa).
That is why it is important to keep our desires under control, to
place a ceiling on them. We are spending too much money. Instead
of inordinately spending for our own pleasure, we should be
spending for the relief of the poor and needy. This is the real
meaning of ‘Ceiling on Desires’. However, do not make the
mistake of thinking that giving money is all that is needed while
allowing your own desires to continue to multiply. Curtail your
desires, as materialistic desires lead to a restless and disastrous
life. Desires are a prison. Man can be freed only by limiting his
wants. You should have desire only for life's bare necessities,”
Baba says.
‘Ceiling
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on Desires’ – in relation to…
Time
Money
Energy
Food
Knowledge
• “Firstly, consider the food we consume. Eat only what you
need to eat. Do not be gluttonous. Do not take more than you
can eat and waste the rest, because wasting food is a great
sin. The surplus food can feed another mouth. Eat only what
you need, and be sure that what you eat is Sathwic. Do not
waste food, because food is God, life is God, and man is
born from food.”
• “Food is the main source of man's life, body, mind and
character. The gross part of the food, which is the major
portion of the food consumed by the body, is thrown out as
waste matter. A minute amount of the food, which is the
subtle part, is assimilated by the body and flows as blood.
And a minuscule amount, which is the subtlest part of the
food, makes up the mind. Therefore, the mind is the
reflection of the food consumed. The reason for the present
beastly and demonic tendencies in our minds is the food we
consume. Only by controlling the quality of our food and
water we ingest can we attain Divinity.”
• “Secondly, consider the ways in which money is spent.
Indians consider money or wealth as Goddess Lakshmi. Do
not misuse money; misuse of money is evil. By doing so,
you will only become a slave to bad qualities, bad ideas and
bad habits. Use your money wisely for good deeds.”
• ‘Dana’ (Wealth) and ‘Dhana’ (Charity)
• “A man should own only as much wealth as is essential. It is
like the size of his shoes. If the shoes are too loose, he
cannot walk; if they are too tight, he cannot wear them.
Money is like manure. Piled up in one place, it fouls the air.
Spread it wide, scatter it over fields, it rewards you with a
bumper harvest. So too, when money is spent for promoting
good works, it yields contentment and happiness in plenty.
Like blood, money too should circulate to ensure health”,
said Baba.
• “Thirdly, examine the usage of time. One should not waste
time. Time should be spent in a useful manner. Time should
be sanctified because everything in this creation is
dependent on time. Even our scriptures extol God as
‘Kaalaya namaha. Kaalaatheethaya namaha (Salutations to
the One who is the embodiment of Time and who transcends
Time).’”
• “Time is an essential part of our life. Do not defile time by
gossiping and unnecessary talk. The truth behind the saying
"Don't waste time" is that no time should be wasted in evil
thoughts and acts. Instead, make use of time in an efficient
way.”
• “Fourthly, conservation of energy is very important. Our
physical, mental and spiritual energies should never be
wasted. You might ask me: “How are we wasting our
energies?"
• Seeing bad things, hearing bad things, speaking evil,
thinking evil thoughts, and doing evil deeds all waste your
energy.
• Conserve your energy in all these five areas, and make your
life more meaningful.”
Sustainable Living - as derived from of the philosophy of Sathya Sai
Babas teachings on Ceiling on Desires :1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Energy - Avoid Excessive Talk / Talking ill of others / gossip
/Speak softly & lovingly / Thoughts are the spark of energy –
so watch your thoughts all the time.
Food – Control consumption of air, water, food, Rate of
death cause by eating excessive food in western countries
exceeds the rate of people who die of starvation in the third
world countries. We must eat to live NOT live to eat.
Time – Avoid excessive use of Face book / mobile phones /
internet / e-games etc
Money – Use money wisely and help the poor & needy.
Knowledge – Balance of secular and spiritual education. Use
practical knowledge for the good of the society.
1)
Do you save money and at the same time, conserve energy by limiting use of
electricity, water, gas, and other natural resources? Do you remember to turn
off the lights, water and gas when not in use and check for leaks and over
usage?
2)
Do you watch your telephone calls, especially long distance ones/
3)
Have you considered taking a packed lunch to work, at least some days, in
preference to eating in a restaurant where you spend more time and money,
but receive less in value in nourishment?
4)
Do you buy more food at the market than you can eat before it spoils?
5)
Do you save leftovers or do you throw them out or keep them until they spoil?
6)
Do you use more petrol than you need, due to lack of planning, whether you
drive to a market or on a vacation?
7)
Do you have a habit, or may be even an addiction, which is not only
extravagant, but is not healthy, especially if indulged in excess?
8)
Are you teaching your children the proper use of money?
9)
Do you buy things you do not really need, or that are too expensive, such
as clothes, jewellery, cars, accessories, and gadgets in order to impress
people, compete with others, or make you feel more important or worthy
of approval?
10)
Do you buy expensive gifts to try to impress or ingratiate yourself with
others, or buy their love or approval?
11)
Instead, could you make something, do a favour, or run an errand for
someone which would express more love and concern than costly gifts
from a store?
12)
Do you buy books instead of borrowing them from the library?
13)
Finally, what would you find hardest to give up, or what do you feel you
cannot live without?
1)
Do you plan ahead what and how much you need to buy before
you go to the market, to avoid buying things you do not need, or
indulge in impulsive buying?
2)
Do you check the produce in the market for freshness and decide
on the amount before you buy it to avoid having to discard food
that has spoiled?
3)
Do you buy only those foods which adequately nourish you and
your family, or do you include junk foods?
4)
Do you purchase only whole grains and flours, instead of those
which are bleached and in packaged mixes?
5)
Do you read labels to determine if packaged or canned goods
contain fat, salt, M.S.G, sugar, caffeine, or other undesirable
additives?
6)
Do you try to avoid white sugar, which Baba has warned can
cause cancer due to the lye used to bleach it?
7)
Do you buy snack foods to tempt you to eat between meals?
8)
If you have a garden, do you grow your own fresh vegetables and
salad greens to augment your food supply?
9)
Do you plan dinner parties to impress your guests with too much
food and extravagant dishes?
10)
Do you eat out at restaurants which serve such a large quantity
of food that much of it is eventually thrown away?
1)
Do you monitor the amount of time you and your
children watch television?
2)
Do you eliminate unsuitable programmes?
3)
Do you select your reading material with care
and avoid over stimulating and questionable
subjects?
4)
Do you indulge in idle talk, either on the
telephone or with a visitor?
5)
Do you waste time by worrying, daydreaming,
complaining, or bemoaning your fate in self-pity, or
in regret, guilt, fear, anger, or gossip?
6)
Do you use sleep as an escape from boredom, or
to avoid a particular job or situation you fear or
dislike?
7)
Do you waste a long time in front of the mirror, or
with endless shopping?
8)
Do you plan ahead when driving somewhere to be
sure you choose the quickest and most economical
route, and combine several errands at one time?
1)
Do you organize your work and set priorities, so that you do the
most demanding jobs when your energy level is at optimum?
2)
Are you a perfectionist who tries too hard to make everything
perfect?
3)
Are you a fanatic about your house, spending too much energy
and time wiping away every speck of dust, or tidying it?
4)
If you have children, do you allot them simple tasks befitting their
age to free you to do other things?
5)
Do you plan your use of a car and include several errands in one
trip?
6)
Do you spend unnecessary energy in an effort to please or
impress people, in order to feel loved, rewarded and to gain
attention?
7)
Do you indulge in fits of anger when something or someone does
not please you or agree with you?
8)
Do you resist or procrastinate, which wastes both energy and
time?
9)
Are you so impatient that you try to control the timing of
situations in your life, instead of waiting for the right time when
doors will open naturally for you to go ahead?
10)
Do you worry over non – essential or old grievances for fear of
dire future happenings which may never come to pass?
11)
Do you force yourself to do something which builds up tension,
instead of relaxing and asking Baba to flow through you?
12)
Do you wish to control people and situations, instead of
respecting the free will of others?
•Group Feedback….