Sai Baba on Actions

(A short Essay)

There I am, walking hurriedly to the bazaar, with a long list of errands that must be done.  Suddenly I run in to P who seems to have all the time in the world.  She wants to chat.  I explain that I am in a hurry.  I act very interested in her plan to meet later in the week.  Inside, I am furious that I can’t just tell her that I have no interest at all in getting together.  I am repulsed by what I view as her laziness.  But I witness myself giving her a big, friendly hug and saying that I will see her later in the week.  Here is an example of actions that are not in sync with what is in the mind and in the heart.

According to the Avatar of the Age, Guru Sathya Sai Baba, “One’s actions determine one’s future.  Actions are of three kinds:  Thoughts are one kind, giving expression to them is another. Acting according to one’s word is the third.  The mind is responsible for the thoughts, the tongue for the speech and the hands for the actions.”

What I could have done was simply speak the truth.  Instead, I carried P’s idea to meet later in the week around, like a rock, inside myself, wondering how I would handle the situation.

“The combination of thought, word and deed represents the human state,” Swami Sai told His devotees.   “These three account for man’s pleasures and pain.  Recognizing this, one should understand that he is accountable for his actions.  No one can escape from the consequences of his deeds.”

 On contemplating Swami’s words, I realize that I am going to continue to suffer the consequences of my actions regarding P, if I do not explain my actions. When I ring her up, she accepts my words.  In fact, she thanks me for being honest. What a relief.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba emphasized, “But anything can be achieved through God’s grace.  Hence man should strive to win God’s grace.  The result of one’s actions is realized over three different periods of time.  In some cases, the results are immediate, as, for instance, when one slips and sustains a fall.  In some cases, the results occur after a few minutes or hours.  For example, the food you take in the morning is digested after two hours.  When you sow a seed in the ground, it takes some months or years to grow into a tree and yield fruits.”

Sai Baba was direct, “Some fools imagine that they can get away with bad deeds because the consequences are not immediate.  But the consequences are bound to occur some time or other….  People who may have done no actions of any kind in their present lives may still suffer from the consequences of their actions in previous lives.”

Obviously, I knew P in ages past and never was able to be honest with her.  Mercifully, in this lifetime, by the Grace of my Guru, I let go of the need to be false with her.