Yad Bhaavam Tad Bhavathi; As are the feelings, so are the results

Last updated on 5th Dec. 2018

I have given below a comment (slightly edited) I made in response to a reference to me somewhere on Facebook

Well, bro --name-snipped--, I go by the Sanathana Dharma teachings which Swami re-emphasised. In this case I think the appropriate teaching is: "Yad Bhaavam Tad Bhavathi". Here is an extract from Swami's 2008 New Year discourse, http://sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/NewYear2008Discourse.html,

The Bhagavad Gita declares, “Mamaivamso Jivaloke Jivabhuta Sanathana” (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). I am in you, with you, around you, above you, below you. There is no place in this Universe where God is not present. Similarly, there is no name or object that does not belong to Him. The Upanishads proclaim the same truth in the declarations, “Easwara Sarva Bhutanam” (God is the Indweller of all beings) and “Isavasyam Idam Sarvam” (the entire universe is permeated by God). Unable to realise this truth, a human being laments, “wherever I see, I find only human beings; I am not able to find God”. “Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavathi” (as the feelings, so are the results).

Suppose you wear a particular dress and stand before a mirror. You will find the same reflection in the mirror. Similarly, your own thoughts and feelings reflect in the outside world. Everything is reaction, reflection, and resound. Your own life style is reflected in the outside world. Whatever you speak comes back to you as a reply. But people think that it is someone else who is speaking these words. This is the truth.
--- end Sathya Sai discourse extract ---

As are the feelings, so are the results!

However, one should not misunderstand or trivialize such teachings to imagine that one has to just wish or feel strongly, and, hey presto, the result will materialize immediately. Perhaps some spiritual masters can do that. But for most of us (including me, surely), it is more of a long term playing out of our sincere and deep feelings & prayers (Yad Bhaavam) mixed with karmic effects of previous actions, that play a big role in the results of our future (Tad Bhavathi).

About a person A being able to plant a thought into another person B's mind and thereby significantly affect the future of that person B: What I have experienced in my life is that it is a mix of what I am seeking (interested in) and what somebody else suggests to me, that decides how it may work out in future. If they are complementary there is a greater possiblity of it working out. Of course I view Swami (Sathya Sai) as Shiva-Shakti Swarupa and Kali Yuga Avatar, and so I place enormous importance to Swami's words (understood in the appropriate context) and even if I may not be particularly interested in something, Swami's words may influence me to adopt interest in it.

In general though, I think that some strong willed people are able to strongly influence weak minded/weak willed people, by a kind of psychological dominance over them.

I also think that spiritual mediums in the name of Sathya Sai flourish even though Sathya Sai publicly and unambiguously said that he does not speak through mediums (or communicators), because there are many Sathya Sai devotees who desperately miss their interaction with physical form Swami. Such persons get some kind of relief, I guess, when they interact with a medium claiming to interact with Sathya Sai, on their behalf.

But I think it is the free will and free choice of such Sathya Sai devotees to go to such mediums. I do not want to be critical of them or interfere in that free will and free choice of theirs with one exception. The exception is the conflict of interest case for office bearers in official Sathya Sai orgn. or employees/staff in official Sathya Sai institutions who visit and have belief in the Muddenahalli communicator, Madhusudan Rao Naidu - in this exception case, I am publicly critical of such conflict of interest.