Discrimination is Essential for Realization of Truth

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Discrimination is Essential for Realization of
Truth
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Light Meditation
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Unity of Thought, Word Deed Review

• Spend the first 10 minutes to review the unity
  of thought, word and deed study circle and
  supplemental materials.
• What were the techniques you used?
• Spend a few minutes to share experiences from the
  last weeks Sai challenge. Share any insights as
  well as difficulties encountered in the
  challenge.

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What does Discrimination Mean to You?
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What is Discrimination?

• The process of differentiating and selecting good
  from bad
• The gift of faculty that distinguishes the
  beneficial from the non-beneficial
• Tells us when and how much importance is to be
  given to various aspects in a given situation
• Constant investigation of truth (real versus
  unreal)
• Example Atomic energy may be used for creating
  destructive weapons, or, if used properly can
  generate beneficial electric power

• Two levels of Discrimination
• Individual discrimination Arises out of and
  promotes selfishness
• Fundamental discrimination Arises out of
  awareness of the Self and promotes the welfare of
  one and all

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Discrimination in Thought, Word Deed
Discrimination is weighing the possible harmful
or beneficial consequences of ones thoughts,
words, and actions, and, following through with
the good and ones duty
Good thought, word and deed
Harmful thought, word and deed
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Discrimination in Thought, Word Deed (cont.)

• Thoughts
• Not to hurt others or ourselves by our thoughts
• Swami says, As you feel, so you become

• Words
• Always speak truth
• Swami says, You may not always be able to
  oblige, but you can always speak obligingly"

• Deeds
• Strengthen selfless approach and attitude by
  constantly serving the needy
• Swami says, Service to mankind is service to
  God
• For Example

The tongue displays a sense of discrimination in
the choice of food. It has also a remarkable
ability to observe restraint by not getting
bitten by the teeth. It never goes beyond its
bounds. Such a highly valuable organ should be
used for the sacred purposes for which it is
intended. This is the exhortation of the
Upanishads to all mankind. - Sri Sathya Sai Baba
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Why Discriminate?
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Discussion

• How has the above information changed your
  perspective on what discrimination is and why it
  is needed?
• What are the different aspects in life where we
  need to apply discrimination?
• Discuss at least one situation where you applied
  discrimination and how you felt? What was the
  result?
• What were the challenges faced? How did you
  resolve the challenges?
• Did you like the taste of discrimination and its
  after-effect?

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Swami says.

• Man is endowed with the special instrument of
  discrimination which, among all animals, he alone
  possesses. The more he uses this instrument, the
  stronger it becomes. He has to use it to realize
  the divinity immanent in him.
• Viveka (discrimination) along with vairagya
  (renunciation) is essential to remove the
  greatest obstacle to experience Truth, i.e.,
  ahamkara (egoism) and mamakara (mineness or
  possessiveness).
• The illumination of viveka (discrimination) will
  remove the darkness which hides the Divine
  essence of Man.
• One should discard Individual Discrimination and
  have only Fundamental Discrimination.

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Techniques

• Filter your thoughts through the five human
  values Is this action or thought loving? Is
  this peaceful? Is this truthful? Is this non
  violent? Is this a right action?
• Ask yourselves if you would do this in front of
  Swami?
• Would you still  have unity of thought word and
  deed if you did this?
• Write out a pro and con list. If the pro
  outweigh the cons, then it is a good idea or vise
  versa.
• Would you be embarrassed if your Sai family or
  your friends witnessed your actions?
• Can you identify acts of discrimination that
  Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi practiced?

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Sai Challenges

• Identify the negative thoughts you have even
  against the people you like. Try to reduce them
  in half.
• Identify the activities in which you would not
  bring Swami with you in your daily life, and
  why.
• Discriminate between the positive and negative
  energy in a situation. Don't concentrate on the
  negative, discriminate by sending positive
  energy. For example, the war in the Middle East.
• For the next two weeks self analyze your thoughts
  and actions by using a pro and con list. If the
  pros outweigh the cons then proceed with unity of
  thought, word and deed.
• When you get angry you loose your sense of
  discrimination.Don't get angry at any
  situation, person or yourself for the next two
  weeks.

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Extreme Sai Challenge

• Try to reduce the number of negative thoughts
  that could be hurtful to people you do not like,
  by half.
• Change all activities in your daily life where
  you would not feel comfortable bringing Swami in.
• Discriminate between eternal truth and factual
  truth.Example Factual truth- J.B. is a
  liar.Eternal truth- if we look past this comment
  we can see that Swami is in J.B. as well (eternal
  truth).
• When you have a difference with another person
  think of what Swami would do and act accordingly.
  
• When you get angry you loose your sense of
  discrimination.Don't get angry at any
  situation, person or yourself until the WYC.

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Next Steps

• Take the first 10 minutes during the next study
  circle to recap discrimination
• Practice discrimination and build from the
  previous study circles
• Share experiences on how the week(s) after this
  study circle was different by practicing
  discrimination. Ensure that a holistic picture
  is obtained by sharing both challenges and
  successes
• Try to incorporate the unity of thought, word and
  deed subvalue in your efforts to practice
  discrimination and discover similarities between
  the two.
• Practice Discrimination as an important step as
  an ideal Sai youth, with the goal of uniting with
  Swami and His mission.

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Through renunciation alone, can you attain
immortality", declare the Vedas! This truth must
be implanted in the mind by discriminating
reason. That is why Sri Krishna says, "I am
discrimination in the human being." That is the
distinct feature of man. - Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Jai Sai Ram