1008 PEARLS OF SAYINGS OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA - Part-V [101 to 125]

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Om Sri Sai Ram

1008 PEARLS OF SAYINGS OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA

Part-V [101 to 125]

[A compilation of THOUGHT FOR THE DAY displayed in Prashanthi Nilayam over years prior to1992]

 

101.  THE Gita was Arjuna and Krishna, though Krishna supplemented it with

Captious explanations of why and wherefore. Arjuna admitted that he was a

profaner. He had to surrender to His Wait, so that there was no need for

Krishna to argue with him. He was convinced of the correctness of His command.

Still, in order that Arjuna might fight with a full heart, He gave him the

reasons, which supported the course that He laid down for him. I too want you

to know why I designed it so you should act in a particular manner, and I do

not like you to behave in another manner.

102.  BISHMA was a Bhakta and by winning the Lord's Grace he was clothed with

more Majesty and splendour than any early emperor. What majesty has these

scepter-holders? They cannot claim to have inner peace, inner joy, they know

not the joy of sharing love with all. Bhishma surrendered to the Lord when He

challenged him with the su-darsana (Vishnu), that is to say, when He offers su

(good) dharsana (vision) one must be wise enough to surrender, give up all,

that is what Bhishma did.

103.  ARJUNA exclaimed Krishna as the Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient

God, when the foe was defeated day after day. But when his son Abhimanyu was

killed in the conflict he raved in the grief that Krishna had not guided him

properly and guarded him efficiently. His mind wavered with every wind of

fortune. To many the mind is the master of the intellect also. One must be

vigilant and preserve the impartiality of instrument called Reason of

Intellect. Clarify reason, then it will reveal God everywhere, even in you once

you accept God as the core of the universe, and you have that strong and steady

faith.

104.  FILL every moment with energy enthusiasm and effort. The Epics teach you

how to succeed in this. The Mahabharatha describes how and when every other of

the hundred Kauravas died. The eldest Duryodhana was challenged by Bhima to

meet him in a duel, when at last he fell on the ground; Bhima struck his head

with his foot in order to add insult to injury. Duryodhana's pride was hurt, a

Kshatriya, such as he, could not pass that insult by. He retorted even when he

was dying. Do not exult that you have done some big heroic act by tramping on

my head! In a few seconds dogs and vultures will be doing that act. It does not

require a hero to plant his foot on a

dying man. You dared not do this when I was capable of hitting back, you coward!

That kind of awareness of one's potentialities and quick response to all

happenings must be present in you too. Heroism gushed out even when he was

passing away!

105.  KRISHNA, whose advent you should celebrate, is not the cowherd boy who

charmed the village folk with His flute, but Krishna the indefinable

inscrutable Divine Principle that is born in the navel of the body (Mathura) as

the product of Divine Energy (Devaki) that is then transported to the Mouth

(Gokulam) and fostered by the Tongue (Yashoda) as its source of sweetness.

Krishna is Yashoda gained the Visualization of the Atma that the repetition of

the Name grants, the vision; you must foster that Krishna on your tongue. When

He dances on it, the poison of tongue will be ejected completely, without

harming anyone as happened when as a child He danced on the hoods of the

serpent Kalinga.

106.  PURITY of motive is the best guarantee that you will have Peace. An uneasy

conscience is a tormenting compassion. Righteous action will have no bad

effects, to disturb your sleep or health.

              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 house, 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, status, or degree of affluence. Do not

look down upon any one; look upon all as Divine as you really are.

107.  ALL Faiths are inter-related and mutually indebted to each other for the

principles they teach and the disciplines they recommend. The Vedic Religion

was the first in time; Buddhism, which appeared about 2500 years ago, was its

son; Christianity, which was influenced much by the Orient, was its grandson.

And Islam, which has the Prophets of Christianity as its base, was the great

grandson. All have Love as the Fundamental Discipline of the Mind in order to

chasten it and merge man with the Divine.

108.  VINAYAKA is called the child of two mothers, Gowri and Ganga. You are the

pet children of four mothers, each of you; Sathya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema. Do

not ridicule them by your act. Honour them and be grateful to them. Do not claim

"Anyaya" (Injustice), "Akrama" (Indiscipline), and “Asathya” (Falsehood and

“Anachara” (Evil behaviour) as your mothers Instead, expand your heart, taking

in all humanity into the circle of your kin, even the birds, beasts, worms, and

insects, trees and plants. The Vedic Prayer asks that the aspirant's heart may

be expanded "Brhathe Koromi" - I make myself Vast! The vastest is "Brahman"

which comes from the same root,  "brh", to enlarge.

109.  I EAT as you do, move about as you do, talk in your Language and behave as

you can recognise and understand, for YOUR sake - not for My sake! I turn you

towards the Divine, winning your confidence, your love, your submission, by

being among you, as one of yourselves, one whom you can see, listen to, speak

to, touch and treat with reverence and devotion. My plan is to transmute you

into Seekers of Truth (Sathya-anveshko). I am present everywhere at all times;

My will must prevail over every obstacle; I am aware of the past, present and

future of your innermost thoughts and carefully guarded secrets. I am

"Sarvatharyami", "Sarva Shakti" and "Sarvajna". Nevertheless, I do not manifest

these powers in any capricious manner or merely for display. For I am an example

and an inspiration, whatever I do or omit to do. My Life is a commentary on My Message.

110.  LOVE must be manifested as Service or Seva. Seva must take the form of

food for the hungry, solace for the forlorn, consolation for the sick and the

suffering. Jesus was himself out in such Seva. The heart full of compassion is

the temple of God. Jesus pleaded at the sight of the poor. Jesus is worshipped

but His teachings are neglected. Sai is being worshipped but His teachings are

neglected. Everywhere pomp, pageantry, hollow exhibitionism and Lectures,

Lectures and Lectures! No activity, no love, no seva. Heroes while lecturing

are Zeros while putting what is said into practice. Develop Compassion. Live in

Love. Be Good, Do Good and See Good. This is the way to God.

111.  THE nature we have around us and with us is the vesture of God. We have

evidence of His Beauty, Goodness, Wisdom and Power all around us; wherever we

turn our eyes. But the art of recognising Him is strange to us and so we deny

Him and live on in darkness. We have all around us, in the atmosphere, the

music emanating from all the Broadcasting Stations of the World, but they do

not assail your ear at any time. You are not aware of any Station; but, if you

have a receiver and if you tune it to the correct wavelength, you can hear the

matter broadcast from any Station; if you fail to tune it correctly, you will

get instead of news only nuisance! So too, the Divine is everywhere above,

around, below and beside, near as well as far. For cognising it, you require

not a

"Yantra" (machine) but a "Mantra" (mystical formula potent with a psychological

undertone). Concentration of Dhyana is the fixing of the exact location of the

Station in the Band; Love is the correct tuning in; realising the Reality and

the Bliss it confers is the happy clear listening!

112.  THE Divine is a wine that would intoxicate you. The nectar that the Name

of the Lord is saturated in produces it. Taste it and you forget everything

else; you are transformed. Man is, they say, a monkey that has lost its tail;

well, he must lose many more attributes of the monkey before he is entitled to

call himself Man. He must dedicate his thought, word and deed to God and

surrender to His Will. Then only is this animal entitled to become a Man in

whom the Divine is enshrined.

113.  THE body is the ball filled with the air of Divinity; it is kicked in play

by six players on the side (the six foes: Lust, Anger, Greed, Attachment, Pride

and Hate); and six on the other (the six friends: Truth, Right, Peace, Love,

Compassion and Fortitude); the goal-posts are on each side, and if the ball is

hit so that it passes through them, they achieve "Dharmavidya" (Moral

attainment) and victory. Or else, their kick results in an "out"! Learn to

speak what you feel, act what you speak; do not allow them to be at

cross-purposes. Man, with the feelings of a demon fuming with hate, engages in

fighting, holds Peace Conferences and prides himself on his Plans for Peace!

Transform the heart into a Tabernacle of Peace, then Conferences to deceive

oneself and others

become unnecessary. What can mere talk achieve?

114.  DISCIPLINE trains you to put up with disappointments; you will know that

the path of life has both ups and downs, that every rose has its thorn. Now,

people want roses without thorns, life has to be one saga of sensual pleasure

picnic all the time. When this does not happen, you turn wild and start blaming

others. If each one cares for his own pleasures, how can Society progress? How

can the weak survive? Mine, not thine, this sense of greed is the root of

all-evil; this distinction is applied even to God! - My God, not yours! Your

God, not mine!

115.  GOODNESS, compassion, and tolerance: through these three paths, one can

see the Divinity in one-self and others. Softness of heart is condemned by

people today as weakness, cowardice, and want of intelligence. The heart has to

be hardened, they say, against pity and charity. But that way lies war,

destruction, and downfall. Love confers lasting happiness and peace. Sharing

can reduce grief and multiply joy. Man is born to share, to serve, to give and

not to grab. When you have faith in God as a precious truth in the altar of

your heart, you will welcome, with equal alacrity, the blows and blossoms of

fortune.

116.  HAVING come to this place and availed yourselves of this opportunity to

treasure in your hearts the things you have seen and heard, resolve to plunge

into a practice of them. Your resolution and your practice must happen

simultaneously. Have a master plan and start from tomorrow the execution of the

program, drawn in consultation with others. This must happen in all countries.

Do not think that only the Andhra State is Sai's. All are Sai's. All are one.

We must endeavor by all means to realise and establish this Truth in this Kali

Yuga. This is the message I am giving you today. I am fulfilling all your

desires. So you must fulfill this one desire of Mine. I bless that you have

long life, good health, Ananda,

Peace and Prosperity; and that you will dedicate your physical, mental,

intellectual and spiritual strength and skills for the service of the country

and of all mankind.

117.  THERE are some ignorant persons who laugh at "Bhajans" and other acts of

worship and consider them a waste of valuable time. Those persons might laugh

at your pouring bags of paddy seeds on a slushy field and condemn that act too

as waste of valuable food-material. But you know that, for every bag of

paddy-seed, Mother Earth will give back grain tenfold or even twenty fold, in a

few weeks. Time spent in contemplation of God or adoration of the Divine is

indeed well spent, for it rewards you with a rich harvest of mental peace and

courage.

118.  WHEN Jesus was emerging as the Supreme Principle of Divinity, he

communicated some news to his followers. The statement of Christ is simple.

(He, who sent me among you, will come again) and he pointed to a lamb. The lamb

is merely a symbol, a sign. It stands for the voice BA-BA. The announcement was

"The Advent of BABA". - "He will wear a robe of red, a blooded robe". He will

be short, with a crown (of hair). The lamb is a sign and symbol of Love. Christ

did not declare that he would come again, he said, "He, who made me, will come

again". That BABA is the Baba; and Sai, the short curly hair crowned, red-robed

Baba has come.

119.  MANY believe that a pilgrimage to holy places is conductive to spiritual

progress. They journey to Tirupathi, Rameswaram, Badrinath or Amarnath and pray

for the removal of their mundane troubles. They vow to remove their hair if,

through Divine intervention, they win a prize in the State Lotteries, as if God

is in need of hair. This trick of bargaining is only cheating oneself in an

attempt to cheat God. Do not pray to God for wealth or fame, positions of power

or for the fruits of your actions. The genuine seeker will pray for nothing else

but God.

120.  HUMAN lives are now passing on and on, filth over filth, bent, broken,

diseased, distressed and disheartened. To enrich their lives and to make the

human heritage worthwhile, I have come, I am evincing all this enthusiasm to

teach you the prayer attitude to Seva, for Love expresses itself as Seva, Love

grows through Seva, and Love is begun in the womb of Seva. And God is Love. The

Avatar is a Child to the children, a Boy to the Boys, a Man among men, a Woman

among women, so that the Avatar's message might reach each heart and receive

enthusiastic response as "Ananda". It is the compassion of the Avatar that

prompts His every action.

121.  HAVE no thorn of hate in your mind. Develop Prema towards all. Desire is a

storm; Greed is a whirlpool; Pride is a precipice. Attachment is an avalanche;

Egoism is a volcano. Keep these things away, so that you can do Japa or Dhyana;

they do not disturb the Equanimity. Let Love be enthroned in your heart. Then

there will be sunshine and a cool breeze and the gurgling waters of contentment

feeding the roots of faith.

122.  THE title "Sathyam Sivam Sundaram" is full of meaning. It speaks of HE,

imminent in every one of you. Sathyam is the basic reality of you all; that is

why you resent being called a liar. The real "you" is innocent, you will not

accept an imputation that is false. The real "you" is joy, happiness, and

auspiciousness. It is not Savam but Sivam; it is Subham, Nithyam, and Anandam.

How then can you bear being called ugly? The Atma has got entangled in the

body, which it does not like; it is weighed down by shame, when you identify it

with the body and attribute to it the weaknesses and deficiencies of that

physical vehicle.

123.  I NEVER speak through another; I never possess another or use another as a

vehicle of expression. I come direct, I come straight, I come, as I am to confer

Peace and Joy. I do not accept from you flowers that fade, fruits that rot,

coins that have no value beyond the national boundary. Give Me the Lotus that

blooms in your Manasa-Sarovar, the clear, pellucid waters of the lake of your

inner consciousness. Give Me the fruits of holiness and steady discipline. I am

above all this worldly etiquette, which enjoins you to see elders with some

fruit or flower in your hand. My World is the World of the Spirit; there,

values are different. If you are happy with faith in God and fear of sin, that

is enough "Service", enough "Kainkaryam" for Me. It

pleases Me so much.

124.  YOU must speak soft and sweet words to everyone. Do you like the voice of

the crow? No, you drive the crow away when it starts to caw; its speech is

harsh, it is too loud for your ears. You must have heard the Koel, the cuckoo,

haven't you? That bird looks very much like the crow; it grows in the nest of

the crow with the baby crows; the mother crow, along with her own kids, feeds

it. But no one will throw a stone at a "Koel"; every one likes to hear its

sweet voice. Speak soft and sweet; then every one will like you.

125.  NO service is too low or mean; every emergency is immediately noticed and

attended to. They need not be sorry that during those days they had no time to

sit for Dhyana or do Japa or even to go out on Nagarsankirtan! Why? You can

have the Name on the lips, when you sweep the streets or lift a corpse in the

morgue or when you walk towards or away from the area of distress. People may

dub you mad! But be elated that you are not affected by the insanity they

suffer from!

With Sai love,

Sai brothers – ‘’

TO BE CONTINUED