The teachings of sages and saints will rescue the worldly people from ignorance!

Expressions of worldly people have no meaning. But the nectarine words emanating from the saints and sages are really elevating and exhilarating. Those who are fortunate to listen to such words of wisdom, uplift the conscious. Hence, those who had the good fortune to interact with such souls have recorded the pearls of wisdom. In this regard, the first such episode that comes to my mind is “Bagawath Gita, disseminated in the battle field by Lord Krishna to Arjuna the warrior. This incident has happened more than 7000 years ago in Kurukshethra, the present day Haryana state of India. People may wonder how the Lord’s song was preserved in its pristine glory even after such a long period. We have no tangible proof, how those immortal songs were preserved? Presumably, it is Lord’s will that the future generation of seekers must gain through the teachings.

In the present generation, we had a galaxy of holy people in the form like Shri Ramana, Shri Ramakrishna, Shri Vivekananda, Shri Sivananda, Shri Yogananda and Kabir, Jnanadev, Meera Bai and the like. During twentieth century, Shirdi Saibaba and Sathya Saibaba delivered vital truths to humanity through the devotees. Those teachings were fortunately preserved for the benefit of humanity as a whole. Similarly, Jesus Christ has illumined the mind of many people on the ancient wisdom of supreme Father in Heaven. The Bible is the most translated book among all the books of the world. Hence we have more people in the globe, practicing the beautiful teachings of Christ.

How those saints and sages were able to attract the mass towards their teachings? Generations of people were indulging in sensual pleasures before, like the animal species and their only aim seem to be earning wealth by hook or crook. The sages and prophets noticed the pitiable condition of mortals who drown in mundane existence without seeking a way out of the miserable prison individuality. Hence they called upon the people to the exquisite spiritual Kingdom leading to Heaven instead of mundane concerns. It is not easy for a worldly man to get attracted to spiritual teachings easily. They are like the wet wicks which won’t catch fire if they are lit. But the mind of spiritually inclined people is like ‘camphor’, which will catch fire instantaneously! The wet wicks can be dried in the heat of spiritual practices and discipline! It is no wonder that the teachings of saints and sages of the world is same despite the way they expressed which suit the mindset of people at those time.

Once, Sathya Saibaba told a group of service organizations, “Do not teach spirituality to the hungry man! He miserably needs Food to quench his hunger. Only when the limbs are hale and healthy, nourished by food and drink, one can listen to the teachings of saints. Hence in India, the spiritual leaders started free feeding houses, drinking water wells, free educational programs and health facilities wherever they started their activities. It is no wonder that India boasts many such free facilities in the realm of education, health and drinking water supply. We have a number of such missions like Ramakrishna Mission building hospitals and educational Institutes to cater to the poor sections of society. Shri Vivekananda started many such free hospitals and schools all over India and even in abroad. These service activities are considered more beneficial to the society than individuals praying to god in a corner of their house. Service is really holier than praying lips. In prayers, individuals seek things for their own while the service activities caters to large sections of society.

Hence in ancient India, the kings allocated a portion of their wealth for construction of free rest houses, community wells and fruit bearing trees on the sides of pathways for the use of common path. But for their innovative ideas of welfare, we won’t have tanks adjoining the temples, common places for feeding the poor as well as even animals. In many places where wild animals and other docile animals roam, the kings have provided drinking water tubs. In the villages, we find stone slabs placed over stone pillars. It has dual purpose. People who carry heavy loads on their head will deposit their loads on those slabs and rest a while before resuming their path. Also, the animals find those stone pillars for rubbing their bodies to remove itching.

The very idea of serving the poor and needy emanated from the teachings of those great sages and saints for the removal of ignorance embedded in the minds of worldly people!