Human Values

Truth, righteousness, peace and love — these are the four pillars on which the mansion of happiness is built.

Sathya is what I teach
Dharma is the way I live
Shanti is the mark of my personality
Prema is my very nature.

When lust envelopes the heart of man,

Truth, Justice, compassion and peace flee from it.

The cultivation of Human Values alone is Education.

Cultivate the heart to raise a harvest of Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love. This crop has to be raised in your heart and should be shared with others.

Everyone has Love towards some thing or other, and that Love is a spark of the Divine; everyone has ultimately to base his life on some one Truth; that Truth is God.

Our life is like a block of ice which is melting away every moment. Before it spends itself, devote it to the service of others. Education in Human Values is designed to prepare everyone for this life of dedicated service.

So long as man is capable of Prema, Dharma will exist, do not doubt it. When that Prema is fixed on the Lord, your mental make-up will slowly and steadily undergo a revolutionary change; then, man will share in the sorrows and joys of his fellow-beings; thereafter he contacts the very source of the Bliss that is beyond the temporary gains and losses of this world.

The cultivation of Human Values alone is Education.

Wherever Sathya [Truth], Dharma [Righteousness], Santhi [Peace] and Prema [Love] are emphasised, in whatever religion or language, there we have Sanathana Dharma [the Eternal Gospel].

Whoever tries to understand the Human Values of Truth, Righteous conduct, Peace, Love and Non-violence properly, who practises these values and propagates them with zeal and sincerity can alone be described as a truly educated person.

You may have the best vegetables, you may be the most capable cook, but, if the copper vessel in which you prepare the vegetable soup is not tinned, the concretion you cook will be highly poisonous! So ‘tin’ your heart with truth, right conduct, peace and divine love; it will then become a vesssel fit for repeating holy name or symbols, meditation, religious vows, pilgrimage, ritualistic worship and the other dishes that you prepare in it.

Whatever happens, the path of virtue should not be given up.

An empty iron box gets valued when it contains jewels; the body is honoured when it contains the jewel of consciousness and the valuables called virtues. Life has to be lived through, for the sake of the chance to unfold the virtues. Otherwise, man is a burden upon the earth, a consumer of food. When fire rages, you try to put it out by throwing sand or water, and you keep a stock of these in readiness. But, you have six fires raging inside you - lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hatred. What have you in store to put them out? Keep ready Sathya, shaanthi, dharma and prema. They will help you scotch the flames; they are effective extinguishers.

Man’s sense of values is so degraded that he does not revere the Geetha, as much as he values and scans the pages of the daily newspaper. This is to be attributed to sheer ignorance and perversity, or pitiable fate.

The fear and anxiety that infect humanity today are the results of this degradation of values, this ignorance of what is of significance and what is not, this want of faith in what the elders and sages have handed down as the wisdom of ages. People prefer what is pleasing to what is beneficial.

Virtue is the fragrance of the flowers which the tree of life puts forth. Educated people must be identified in society by their strict adherence to virtue, not by more skilled methods of escaping the consequences of vice.

Sacrifice, so that you may be saved. You have to sacrifice, not a bleating sheep or a horse or a cow, but your animality, the bestial lust and greed, hate and malice. Sacrifice these and you earn the heaven of unflinching peace.

Sathya, Dharma, Shanghai and prema are the hall-marks of a purified heart, a heart where God is enshrined and is manifest.

If there is righteousness in the heart
There will be beauty in character;
If there is beauty in character
There will be harmony in the home.
When there is harmony in the home
There will be order in the nation.
When there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world.

So, be righteous; avoid all prejudices against others on the basis of caste, creed, colour, mode of worship, ststus or degree of affluence. Do not look down on any one; look upon all as Divine as you really are.

Truth is man’s nature; to be untrue is to be false to one’s nature. dharma (Right Action) is the practical application in real life of the ideal of truth. Shanthi (Peace) is the result of Dharma and Preme (Love) is the sffulgence of Shanthi.

Every child is born not only with a stomach that has to be catered to, it is also endowed with two hands which can work and produce the food for the stomach. The hands have to be given the strength and skill; they have to learn the lesson of self-reliance. They should never be lazy or slothful. Then, there can be no deficiency in food and no problem of underfeeding.

Human nature is an amalgam of animal, human and divine characteristices. Love, compassion, humility, charity - these are all divine. One has to cultivate these, in order to be at peace, with onsself and others.

One has to visualise God in every living being and worship Him through love. Therein lies the supremacy of man. Ownership of enormous wealth is a dangerous burden; authority over many men is a dubious aasset. Love is the most precious treasure to be sought after. Virtue is the wealth to be won.

Man must saturate his daily life in truthful speech, virtuous acts and holy thoughts.

You should not cause hurt even by a word, a look or a gesture. Tolerance, fortitude, equanimity - these help you to be steady in ahimsa (absence of violence).

Assess the work of whatever others do to you or say about you, and cultivate fortitude and the understanding to appreciate their behaviour and pardon their faults. This capacity is as invaluable as truth, righteousness, wisdom, non-violence, renunciation, delight and compassion. It is all that one need possess for spiritual advancement.

Living becomes a glorious experience only when it is sweetened by tolerance and love. Willingness to compromise with others’ ways of living and cooperation in common tasks, these make living happy and fruitful. Certain modes of behaviour have been laid down and proved beneficial by centuries of practice.

These have to be observed with midifications to suit the conditions of today.

Virtue is the panacea for both body and mind. The virtuous person can be both healthy and happy. How is virtue to be cultivated? How can it express itself in daily practice? Through service to living beings, through seva. Virtue must flow through the triple channel of love, mercy and detachment, in order to feed the roots of seva.

Purity of the heart has to be the goal of Saadhana.

Human values can be listed as 50, 60, 70, 80 in all. But they can be better grouped under the following three heads; pure thoughts, pure words, pure deed; thoughts, words and deed cordinated with one another.

A lamp kept on mound illumines the area; if kept in a pit, it is as if it were not. A virtue that is practised is a lamp that shines for all; good thoughts and good deeds have a way of influencing others. The gems of wisdom, the light of intuitive experience should not be kept away from fellow - men. They have to be shared, even at the cost od one’s life. That was the lesson Jesus taught and symbolised.

Of all the human values, three are most important. The foremost is love of God. Where there is love there is sacrifice. There arises purity of heart. There should be a fusion of love, sacrifice and purity. They are not mere human qualities. They constitute vital organs of a human being. They are as essential for a human being as the head, hands and legs for the body. Without these attributes, no one is a complete human being.

The man filled with good qualities like Truth, Love, absence of jealousy, ego and hatred, can see God without searching for Him. He becomes a Jnani (a man of spiritual wisdom).

The fundamental human values all emanate from Dharma, based on Truth. If human behaviour has no such basis, it leads to disaster.

The enumeration of human values as five - Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence is not correct. They are all facets of the foundational humanness. They grow together; they are absence of Inner conflicts. How can one have peace when he revels in violence of speach and action?

The values a man must cherish as his life-breath are: Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non violence.

Of these five vital principles, Love is the foremost. It is Love that flows as the under-current for the other four values. How does it flow this way? When Love is associated with our thoughts, it manifests itself as Truth. When Love is associated with feelings, it produces Peace. When Love animates actions, it results in Right Action. When Love is combined with understanding it becomes Non-violence. Therefore whenever you feel angry, think of love, develop thoughts of love in your heart. You will have peace.

You must cultivate unity, cooperation ans mutual trust. Love is the basis of all other human qualities like Truth, Righteousness and Peace. If the four qualities of Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema are present in a person, he will manifest the divinity that is in him.

Conflicts and factions, violence and upheavals are caused by the neglect of human values in daily life.

Man becomes fit and functionally valid only when, along with scholarship and expert skills, he has imbibed these values. The person who is wedded to Truth and Love would need nothing more for peace and happiness. When Creation is witnessed through these values, it becomes holy scripture, an inspiring lesson and guide,. Therefore I exhort you: Let Truth and Love be the goals for all your efforts and studies.

More vital than the five pranas (Prana, Apaana and others), Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa are the vital life-breath for everyone. Of these the greatest is Prema (Love). Fill yourself with love. Love should express itself in service to society. You should look upon society this way. We exist for society and society exists for the good of all. Try to sanctify your life by doing service and spreading joy and comfort all around.

Those who produce, those who guard and those who guide - the workers, the soldiers and the teachers - are like the three lengs of a tripod. But as a mere structure with three legs the tripod cannot be useful and efficient. The people who are the concern and under the care of the three categories form the plank on top of the three. The seat has to be screwed tight to the legs - the screwd being peace, love and truth and the process of screwing and tightening being the eager enthusiasm for progress, prosperity, security and unity.

The sincere effort to accept and promote the human values - Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Non-Violence and Love. These five values are a essential for a full and worthwhile life as the five vital airs or pranas mentioned in the scriptures.

We are today concerned with education in Human Values. In my view the cultivation of Human Values alone is education. Whoever tries to understand the human values of Truth, Rightous Conduct, Peace, Love and Non-violence properly, who practises these values and propagates them with zeal and sincerity can alone be described as a truly educated person.

It is when you experience another’s suffering as your own that your human values is manifested.

You may think that the programme of education in human values was launched only five years ago. But in fact I initiated it nearly fifty years ago. When I was staying in Karnam Subbamma’s house I used to sing a song.

With Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema
Carry on your life’s journey, oh man;
Karma yoga is your bourden duty;
Remembering the Lord is the great secret
And Sadhana is the devotee’s hallmark,
Proceed, oh man, on your life’s pilgrimage
With Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema.

Regard the heart as a vast field. Use the mind as a plough. Treat the gunas (qualities) as bullocks. Use the intelligence (Viveka) as a whip. With these aids, cultivate the field of your heart. What is the crop that is to be grown in it? Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema are the crops. Bhakthi is the rain, meditation is the manure, Brahmananda is the crop.

Cultivate the heart to raise a harvest of Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love. This crop has to be raised in your heart and should be shared with others.

Our life is like a block of ice which is melting away every moment. Before it spend itself, devote it to the service of others. Education in human values is designed to prepare everyone for this life of dedicated service.

The Human Values should be regarded as basic requirements for every human being. In spreading the message of these values to the world, you should all cooperate with each other and act in harmony.

Whatever may be the experience in everyday life, the basci inner Truth should not be forgotten.

If we want to eliminate bad qualities like hatred, envy, pride and ostentation, we have to employ Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema and Ahimsa as the cleaning instruments.

Together with worldly education, you have to cultivate the human values and undertake spiritual discipline.

In cultivating human values, emphasis should also be placed on avoiding wastage of money, food and time.

Even teachers have to be trained in this respect.

The development of the society, the state and the nation is proportionate to the development of the Human

state. If human qualities are lost, the honour of the society and the nation will be lost.

Human life is beset with ups and downs, joys and sorrows. These experiences are intended to serve as

guideposts for man. Life would be stale if there were no trials and difficulties. It is these difficulties

which bring out the human values in man.

Only that which is got by hard effort will yield lasting benefit.

There should be a harmonious blend of religion, philosophy and art for man to live healthily in the world.

In this context religion means the religion of love. This is the only religion in the world. There is only one caste, the caste of humanity. One should cultivate human values for healthy living. this calls for harmony in thought, word and deed. When you cultivate this harmony you will be free from desires and fears.

The five values of Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence are related to different inner instruments of the body . The value of Truth is expressed through speach or words. The value of righteousness is expressed through the body. This is related to the physical sheath. Peace can be experienced only in the mental plane. For Sathya, Dharma and Shanthi one has to purify the instruments of speach, body and mind. Love comes out of the mental and bliss sheath. Non-violence comes from Bliss sheath. Love (prema) flows as an undercurrent in all the inner instruments and purifies them. So all the five values are having relationship with the five sheaths.

Shanthi comes from Manomaya Kosa
Sathya comes from Vijnanamaya Kosa
Dharma comes from Annamaya Kosa
Prema comes from Praanamaya and Manomaya Kosa
Ahimsa comes from Anandamaya Kosa

In these five sheaths are encased 3 types of bodies: physical (sthoola), Subtle (sookshama) and causel (kaarana) sarirars. Annamaya Kosa represents physical body. It is like the tyre of a lorry. If you increase intake of food it grows and the weight of the body increases. Divinity is there in all the sheaths of the body. It is contant Integrated Awareness in different forms in speach, action and feelings.

It is only when the individual is good that society will progress. When the society and the nation is based on the observance of human values.

Human life is precious, sublime and meaningful. But by involvement in purely worldly pursuits, the greatness of human birth is forgotten. Without human values, life is meaningless. When there is purity in thought, word and deed, human values are practised. The unity of the three H’s is essential. ‘Heart, Head and Hand. ’ But today this unity is absent among people, with the result that men are becoming inhuman.

A tranquil mind, a truth-filled speech, and a body dedicated to service-one who has these three qualities is described as the embodiment of ‘Triputi’ (the Triple purity). Such a one is the noblest of human beings.

Whoever aspires to win the grace of God should cultivate at the outset the quality of Kshama (Forgiveness).

It is a divine quality.

Human values are born with man. They are not got from outside. Man in his ignorance is not aware of these values. when man sheds his ignorance, he will experience his divine nature.

Forgiveness is a quality that every man should possess. That forgiveness is Truth itself, it is Righteousness, it is the Veda. It is the Supreme virtue in this world. Hence, all people should develop the quality of forgiveness.

People should remain unaffected by what others may say. A true man is one who overcomes the ups and downs of life with fortitude. One should not recoil before reverses of fortunes. One should bravely face them and overcome them.

Students should acquire human values, in addition to their scholastic, intellectual and other attainments. It is the decline in human values that accounts for the degradation of human beings in the country today.

Practise any one of the human values. Prema (love) is the basis for all the values. Action with love is right conduct. Speak with love and it becomes truth. Thinking with love results in peace. Understanding with love leads to non-violence. For everything love is primary. Where there is love there is no place for hatred.

Humanness consists in harmony of thought, word and deed.

How can anyone be called human, if being born a human being and growing in a human society, he does not recognise human values? You must see that you don’t harm any living being. He alone is a redeemed being who causes no pain to others and avoids pain to himself.

Human values should predominate in men’s thoughts. Human life has no meaning without these values.

To be a true human being, one has to practise these values in daily life.

Doctors should recognise the importance of the five human values; Truth, righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence. Love is the basis for all the other values. Doctors can infuse courage in patients by the love they show towards the patients. If doctors carry out their duties with love they will be crowned with success.

What is the freedom a man can enjoy? Man is governed by certain restraints. He has to adhere to truth.

He has to follow righteousness. He has to cultivate love. he has to live in peace. He has to observe nonviolence.

Sticking to these five values, man can exercise his freedom. These five values, are associated with the five elements which make up the cosmos. These five elements which may be used in different ways, but they are the basic substances constituting the universe. Beyond these five, there is only one sixth element, that is, the Antahkarana, the Inner Motivator, which is identical with the Atmic Principle.

To exercise freedom in its true sense, man has to respect the five basic values. It is in that freedom he will find true bliss.

Wherefrom are human values to be derived and how are they to be developed? Human values are born along with human birth. They exist in union. Unfortunately, man today separates himself from human values and yet wants to live as a human being. To recover human values, man has to take the spiritual path.

However great an intellectual may be, however great one may be as a scholar or a man of learning, one has also to acquire humanness. Without humanness, scholarship and intellectual eminence are of no value.

It is only when man cultivate humanness that society will shine with radiance and the nation and the world will progress. Humanness can be promoted only through spirituality and not by any other means. Just as a seed can sprout only when it is planted in the soil and watered, human values can grow only in a spiritual soil. If a man wants to cultivate human values, he has to apply the manure of spirituality to his heart, water it with love so that human values will grow.

Human society needs essntially fellow-feeling and unity. When these two are present, humanness will flourish.

Control of senses is an important human value.

At the present moment, in the prevailing situation, what is most essential is the cultivation of love. Losing love mankind has lost its humanness. Love is the Supreme human value. Truth, righteousness, peace and non-violence are other human values. Knowing these values, men are foolishly leading valueless lives.