1008 PEARLS OF SAYINGS OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA -Part X [226 to 300]

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Om Sri Sai Ram

1008 PEARLS OF SAYINGS OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA

Part X [226 to 300]

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

201

MAN alone can rise through effort to higher stages of spiritual evolution. No

other animal can do so. Animal trainers of the Circus can train a tiger to

perform various tricks, but they cannot change his nature. They cannot make it

live on grass and completely deprive it of meat. But man is different. His

nature can be changed by means of his own disciplined effort. He can control,

by his will, the evil thoughts and ideas that arise in his mind. This is why

birth as a human being is considered a rare gift.

202

FAITH in God will instill faith in themselves and in others and the World will

be happier thereby. The Americans might walk on the moon, or the Russians

picnic on the planet Mars, but they have both to return to Earth, which is

their common home. One can claim genuine victory only when one has reached not

the dead satellite, but the living star, not the Chandra, but Ramachandra, the

Lord who rules over the inner satellites, the inner planets, the inner motives

and aspirations.

203

LIFE is a jungle, where there is a great deal of dry wood, which harbors worms

and insects. No one cleans the floor of the forest or cuts away the undergrowth

of bush and bramble. To wade through the thorns and the leech-ridden floor of

the jungle, one has to wear boots. So too, one has to wear the boots of

sense-regulation, if one has to pass through the jungle of life without harming

oneself.

204

THERE are three desires which every "I" cannot escape from. "I must live" is the

first. The will to live is overpowering and paramount. This is the urge for

immortality. "The desire to know" is the second. This too is unquenchable

thirst and is an indication of the position of which the "I" is the inheritor.

"The desire for joy" is the third, prompting man behind the senses into the

outer World for pleasures. This evidence shows that deep in the core of the "I"

there is a spring of "Ananda" which seeks its mate and its fulfillment.

205

THERE is no Vidya, which our students are not proficient in. They develop all

the virtues and they saturate every act of theirs, including their skills and

studies, with those high and pure qualities. To demonstrate that this process

will yield joy, peace and prosperity, I have these students as My instruments.

They would themselves act as ideals. They are the source of My delight and they

sustain My hopes. (They are My "Aasaya", My "Ananda" and my "Ahaara") These

students, and those of the same stamp are the pioneers in My task of mending

the present World and ushering in a new World.

206

PARENTS set bad examples uttering falsehood, scandalizing others, gambling,

drinking, behaving violently, inflicting injury, becoming addicted to

nightclubs, pictures and drinking parties and quarreling after arriving home

past midnight. How can children, used to such low sights and sounds, learn to

become bright fresh fragrant flowers of the Sanathana Garden of India?

207

THE student of today is not able to realise what he should primarily be

concerned with. It is only in name that he is a "Vidyarthi", the seeker of

knowledge. In practice he is only a "Vishayarthi", a seeker of worldly

pleasures. It is the duty of every human being to understand and respect his

parents. Similarly, in a nation, it is the duty of every national to assimilate

and appreciate the historical and cultural background of his nation and consider

these two factors as his father and mother. In fact, one who is ignorant of the

historical and cultural heritage of his country is like a stupid person who has

no knowledge of his parents.

208

TODAY the student-world is tossed in confusion; not only in confusion but in

downright insanity. They wear white clothing; but the hearts are still

dark.        

Heads are full of evil thoughts Ears are open for scandal-tales, Eyes delight in

peeping unseen; Minds crave for wicked plots; Reason pursues plan to cheat.When

Vidya perceives these in man It will not stay a moment there.

When this is the condition, how can one earn Vidya? Of course, man's present

situation and status are determined by his acts and thoughts in the past.

209

SAMSKRITI the word for culture and civilization is derived from the word

Samskara, which means the dual process of removing the dust and dirt of vice,

and planting the virtues of Sathya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema. Samskaras is also

the name for certain obligatory rites of initiation and purification prescribed

by the Vedas for the spiritual upliftment of man. Their number is forty-eight

in all, but they could be reduced to ten and if needed, even to one; the final

fulfilling one, of recognising one's identity with Madhava, Siva, or Brahman.

Nara is but Narayana seen through the limitations of primal ignorance.

210

AN Iron box is essential to keep safe precious stones; so too, the body is

essential to keep safe the precious gift of virtue, faith, love and

discrimination. The parents gave it and so they have to be respected by speech,

action and behavior. How can you expect the Heavenly Father to respond to your

prayers if you do not respond to the demands of the earthly Father? The first

step in Dharma is gratitude; the first duty of the child is reverence to the

parents. When the first step is absent, ascent is impossible.

211

IF a school has poor discipline and if its students are led away by self-seekers

into the wilderness, the fault lies on the parents, elders and the Committee of

management. The Committee often is only a "Come-for-Tea" affair.

212

HOWEVER superfine the paper, however artistic the envelope and however poetic

the composition of the letter, it will not reach the addressee by post when it

lacks the 50 paise stamp! So too the trappings, vestures, shawls, moles and

rosaries are ineffective; they cannot reach the addressee - God. What will take

their prayers to the addressee is the 50 paise stamp: dedication or Bhakti.

213

I WANT each one of you to grow into a strong, steady and straight person. Your

eyes should not seek evil sights; your ears should not seek evil tales; your

tongue should not seek evil speech; your hands should not seek evil acts; your

minds should not seek evil thoughts. Be pure and be full of Love. Help those

who are in a worse condition and serve those who need your help.

214

GOD appears in human form; He promotes pasture of cattle and agriculture in

order that the food must sustain the Head and render it intelligent and clear

enough to realise God. The body has to be nourished for the sake of the Head,

so that "Jnana” can be attained and Liberation gained. Food-Head-God: this is

the chain of events.

215

MOST of the names of the Divine have but two letters or syllables; the

significance of the number two, Rama, Krishna, Hara, Hari, Datta, Shakthi, Kali

etc., is that the first syllable represents Agni (Fire principle), which burns

up accumulated demerit or sin; and the second represents the Amrita principle,

the restorative, refreshing and the reformation force. The two processes are

necessary for the removal of obstructions and the construction of the

structure.

216

WHEN you live in the World of desire, you must be prepared for both Joy and

Grief. Invite the Minister Boga, and along with him you must be prepared for

the visit of his Private Secretary Roga! On the other hand, invite the Minister

Thyaga or his colleague Yoga, and you will be happy to receive their Private

Secretary Boga who plays a minor role in the presence of his Master.

217

MAAM anusmara - with Me in memory ever! Do not distinguish this task as Bhajan,

or Bhojan (eating) or Pujan (adoration of God). All acts are Pujan, for he,

eaten by Him, for His sake to yield strength for His work, gives food. Each

moment is worthwhile, for He gives it; He uses it; He fills it; He fashions it;

and He fulfills it. When He is fused with every breath, you can achieve the

sovereign task of merging in Him.

218

BHAKTI is not to be calculated on the basis of the institutions one has started

or helped, the temples that one has built or renovated, the donations one has

given away; nor does it depend on the number of times one has written the Name

of the Lord or on the time and energy one has spent in the worship of the Lord.

These are not vital at all; no, not even secondary. Bhakti is Prema, unsullied

by any tinge of desire for the benefit that flows from it or the fruit of

consequence of that Love.

219

GOD is as eager to save you, as you are eager to be saved; He is Prema, He is

Karuna, for all who flounder on the road. He is called "Bhaktha - Abhista -

Prada" (He who grants the desires of the Devotees). You say that I laugh within

Myself, that I roll my hair on My fingers and draw them right over My face, but

let me say why? A sign of My "Ananda" is the success of the Bhaktas in

capturing My heart.

220

THE human body has been secured as a reward for many lives of meritorious

activity. Being valued as a boat, which can help us cross the ocean of change

"Samsara", it has to be tended with grateful reverence. The Bhagavad Gita calls

the body "Kshetra", which means "a field"; one can sow holiness or sin and

gather a harvest commensurate with the particular quality. Choose the crop that

you need before you sow the seeds.

221

THE bird, in the physical cage wherein man is imprisoned, is always, from the

moment of birth to the moment of death, chirping "Soham” declaring "Jiva and

Deva are One". It is this affirmation that is the justification for the gift of

life. When that chirp does not emanate from the breath, the body is a corpse:

Savam! When it manifests, illumines and fills the cage with the "Divine

Fragrance", it is a Tabernacle: Sivam! Identify yourselves with the Mantra, the

bird chirps and the breath repeats.

222

THE Vedavids marked three stages in the Life of man and assigned one aspect of

God to preside over each stage. The first, where man is deep in activity of

some sort or other in Karma, is presided over by Vasu. The second, under the

protection of Rudra, is filled with reverential worship of the God in all,

discovered through the impact of Love. The third is the stage of Jnana, the

supreme Wisdom, presided over by the Source of illumination, Adithya or the

Sun.

223

THE World is a furnace and a factory where man has to shape his destiny by his

honest, untiring effort. He, who takes up this challenge and spends his

allotted years and the skills and intelligence with which he is endowed, in

purposeful activity, is really entitled to the status of a KARMA YOGI.

224

DUTY is God; Work is Worship; and there is a dictum: "Heads in the Forest; Hands

in Society"; Do deeds that are holy and beneficial, untarnished by ego and the

greed to benefit. Start on the sacred pilgrimage to the Divine Goal and make

every minute of your life holy and purposeful. Then surely, this Earth, your

field of work, will be transformed into a Karmakshetra and a Dharmakshetra.

225

A DEVOTEE once lamented, saying, "Oh God! You have forgotten me"! This is never

possible; it is the devotee who forgets that he is the child of God, that God

is his never failing friend and guide. God is all knowledge, all power, and all

mercy. Faith in God has to be constant and firm in the face of every challenge

by fate or fortune.

226

A PERSON might appear poor, distressed, and depressed to ordinary mortals; he

might not have the exterior demonstration of devotion, but God could be ever

installed in his heart, guiding and guarding him. He might be doing all acts as

acts of worship to the God residing in his heart.

227

WE, who are crossing the ocean of Samsara (the chain of birth and death), need

to cultivate the art of swimming through "Bhagavath Chinthana" (Meditation of

God). However learned we may be, if we do not have this training and

cultivation, we are bound to sink. Life is a boat which enables us to cross the

ocean of Samsara with the aid of Meditation on God.

228

WHEN you spend your hours in thoughts about God, you are also free from evil

ways. You will not be tempted to abuse others or harm them in any way. You live

in Love, accepting all the events as His gifts. Homes such as yours are, really

speaking, Heavens on earth; the Joy that bubbles in your hearts is the symbol

of Vaikunta; the earnestness and care that you evince in your work is the sign

of Kailas, the abode of Siva. Hearts dedicated to these ideals are indeed

"golden".

229

WE cannot describe God in the vocabulary learnt upon the Earth. We have to

experience the Bliss of realising Him as the core of our being. Man is endowed

with a sense of wonder and awe, the sense, which makes him either a participant

(Karma Yoga), an inquirer into the mystery (Gnana Yoga) or a devout adorer

(Bhakti Yoga).

230

EVERYDAY before you begin work, pray to God for a few minutes at least; and, at

the end of the day, when the work is over, gather in some consecrated spot, a

temple or Mandir and offer grateful thanks to the Lord, singing His name and

meditating on His Majesty. That will make you real Karma Yogins, even heroes of

the Karma Path.

231

ONE does not have to search for spiritual power, going around the World and

spending a lot of money. Be in your own house; develop it in yourself, such

spiritual power in you! You do not have to run for it here and there. God is

not external; God is not outside you; God is inside you. You are not a man, you

are God yourself. You are not one person, but three; the one you think you are

(physical); the one others think you are (mental); and the one you really are.

Do not be under the delusion that God is somewhere and you have to search for

Him; God is in you.

232

PARENTS and teachers can earn My Grace only by becoming good and worthy examples

to their sons and daughters, or their wards and students. You claim to have

devotion to Me, but you must examine and discover whether I am pleased with

you. You must examine yourselves every moment, whether you are observing the

discipline I have laid down and the program of service I have marked out. That

is the way to earn My Love. Love others and serve them; then you can win My

Love.

233

YOU will see the day when the Chitravathi sands alone cannot accommodate the

gatherings that assemble here from all parts of the World; when the sky alone

can provide a roof for them all. Many hesitate to believe that things will

improve, that life for all will be happy and full of joy that the Golden Age

will ever recur. Let me assure you that this Dharmaswarupa has not come in

vain; it will succeed in averting the crisis that has come upon Humanity.

234

WHEN the Dharma of the Age is laid aside to establish it anew, through loving

means; when the World is polluted by conflict and confusion, to restore the

path of virtue and peace; when good men caught in cruel coils wail, to save

them from pain and shame; when sacred texts are not grasped aright, to proclaim

the message they teach mankind; to relieve the earth of the burden of Vice, to

fulfill the promise made in the Tretha Age; Achutha has incarnated on this

earth; Vasudeva, Sri Hari, has come into the World.

235

GOD alone is eternal; man is a momentary flash, a tiny wave that rises and

falls. So, fill yourselves with vast thoughts, magnificent ideas, indefinable

splendour, by reciting the names of God, names that describe HIM to your

receptive Consciousness. That is the main discipline for this Age.

236

REMEMBERING the Lord by means of His name is enough to save man. The Lord is

"Anandamaya"; He is also "Ananda". That "Ananda" is to be tasted through the

Name. It is "Sath-Chith-Ananda". You may doubt whether such a small raft as

Rama, or Sai or Krishna can take you across the boundless sea of Samsara.

People cross-vast oceans on a tiny raft; they are able to walk through dark

jungles with a tiny lamp in their hands. The name or even the Pranava, which is

smaller, has vast potentialities.  The raft need not be as big as the sea!

237

DO not fret against the rules and regulations which the Organisation imposes on

you; they are laid down for your own good. Regulation is the every essence of

creation. The oceans observe their limits. Wind and fire respect their limits

and bonds. The human body has to maintain its warmth at 98.4ø F. in order to be

healthy; the heart has to beat a definite number of times a minute. How, then,

can this Organisation escape the prescription of certain rules and regulations?

 

238

THE same Divine compassion that blessed Dharma, saved Gajendra, restored Kuchela

and stood by Prahalada, has come to the Earth as the Refuge of the refugees; as

the Lord of Peace, Harmony and Righteousness; as the Lord of all the Worlds; as

the Sath-Chith-Anandamurthi; and as the Puttaparthi Sathya Sai,

Sath-Chakravarthi, the King of Kings.

239

THE Avatar is Atmasakthi that has put on the raiment of Kriyasakthi and

Yogasakthi. Generally, Avatar or the process of Incarnation is described as a

"coming down" from a higher status to a lower one. But, no! When the baby in

the cradle weeps, wails and clamors for help, the mother stoops and takes it up

in her arms; her stoop is not to be described as a "coming down". If you earn

the necessary credentials, the Incarnation will come and save you. If, on the

other hand, you multiply your demerits and descend lower and lower, how can you

be saved?

240

SAI only reflects your mind. He has no prejudices or preference. He is a mirror

wherein you can see yourselves as you really are. In order to correct their

mistakes and remove your faults, I sometimes have to use harsh words; but you

may be rest assured that My sole aim is to turn you to better ways. I have no

anger in Me. It is the inner compassion, which takes the other form of anger.

241

YOU think that Sai Baba is comfortably sleeping in the Mandir. Do you know where

I find happiness? I am happy when I am with you. That is the reason why I

declare "My Life is My Message". I am consistently engaged in some work or

another at all hours. I do not get attached to anything nor do I need to detach

Myself from anything. I am ever in full Ananda.

242

EGOISM is a thorny bush, which, when planted and fostered in one's heart, makes

one pay the penalty. Egoism makes enemies of fast friends and rains many good

causes and projects, for it does not allow two good men to work together. Grief

follows it like a shadow. Where there is no ego - joy, peace, courage,

cooperation and love flourish. When man is aware that the same Divine

consciousness that motivates him is equally motivating all others, then Love

ousts the ego into the background and takes charge of man's activities, words

and thoughts.

243

OVERCOME by inner foes, how can man succeed in overwhelming the outer foes?

Burdened with sloth and dullness, how can he achieve wisdom? Prompted by

passion, how can he cultivate devotion? Balance and equanimity alone can confer

peace and harmony.

244

NARA and Narayana, man and God, are like iron and magnet. God, by His very

nature, attracts man near, for in man there is the Divine. When the magnet

fails to attract the iron piece, we sometimes conclude that the magnet has lost

its power. The real fact however is, that the piece of iron is too thickly

covered by rust and dust. Thus, man (thereon) does not realise his own defect,

but rushes to blame God (the magnet) and even to deny Him.

245

REVERE Jnana as you revere your father; adore love as you adore your mother;

move fondly with Dharma, as if it is your own brother; confide in Daya, as if

it is your dearest friend; have "Shantam" as your better half; treat "Sahana",

fortitude, as if it is your own beloved son. These are your genuine kith and

kin. Move with them; do not forsake or neglect them.

246

HOLD all your property and wealth in trust for the Lord who gave them to you;

even your family you must treat as a sacred trust, as persons given to you by

the Lord to love, foster and guide. Thus, you must elevate your attachment into

worship and make it an instrument for spiritual progress.

247

YOU come to Puttaparthi, secure a picture, and taking it home, begin worshipping

it every day or every Thursday; but, all that is simply "Sat karma", good

activity. They will not take you far. You must also develop "Sathguna",

virtues, good habits, good attitudes, good characteristics and a good

character. Otherwise, our life is a chain of pluses and minuses, one canceling

the other out, totaling up to a mere zero.

248

DEVOTION towards God goes ill with hatred towards fellow men. Fellow men and the

World must be seen ever in the mirror of "Sath-Chith-Ananda". Kinship based on

this recognition alone will last. That is the Sai kinship. When you deepen that

kinship, the true presence, the constant presence of Sathya Sai will be yours.

Do not be led, away by your fancies into the jungle of words and feelings. Be

firm, true to your innermost nature.

249

THERE are many Trusts operating in this country and in others beyond the seas. I

wish to emphasis that the Sathya Sai Trusts have to shine forth among them all

by their special characteristics. They must be based on mutual trust and

cooperation built on the actual experience of the One-ness of all. There is no

room here for egoistic poses, compulsory tactics, greed for power,

recrimination and jealousy.

250

GOD too is a reality, ever present in us and in every being; but we miss Him, as

we miss the movement of the earth. We have to infer God through proofs and

evidences of His Providence, His grace, His Majesty and His Glory, just as we

infer the movements of the Earth, the Moon and the Stars by watching the sky,

the seasons and the precise procession of day and night. We cannot describe God

in the vocabulary learnt on the earth.

251

HUMAN desire is illimitable and without end. It makes you pursue the mirage in

the desert; it makes you build castles in the air; it breeds discontent and

despair once you succumb to it. But develop the thirst for Krishna; you

discover the cool-spring of Ananda within you. Krishna-nama makes you very

strong and steady; it is sweet and sustaining.

252

SIVOHAM, Sivoham - was the exclamation that rose from the Souls that knew the

Truth in a flash of illumination, after long years of cleansing the mind

through the process of "Tapas". "I am Siva, Siva am I". Though called by many

names and recognised in many forms, the Divine Principle is one, without a

second. It is "Sivam" and it is latent in each being, including Man.

253

THE serpent can be tamed and its poisonous fangs removed, when music from the

Nagaswaram pipe is played and when it is fascinated by that sweet melody. The

poison that Vishaya exerts on the human mind can also be eliminated and

countermanded, when man is fascinated by the sweet melodies of Namasmarana or

Sankeertan, that is to say, by the repetitive chanting of the meaningful Names

of the Lord. The poison in both can thus be transmuted into pure nectar.

254

SCRIPTURES are endless; Sadhanas are countless; opportunities are few; time is

already overstocked. But you can easily win the battle of life, in spite of

these handicaps, provided you arm yourself with Love, which is the essential

teaching of all Scriptures, the goal of all varieties of Sadhana, the best use

to which all opportunities can be put and the most profitable way of utilising

the precious capital time.

255

IMAGINE the fate of the cows when a tiger enters the manger. Can they survive

the invasion? So too, the cows of Truth, Justice, Peace and Love cannot survive

in the human heart when the "Tigers", namely Greed, Anger and Pride enter and

play havoc. Today, the human heart, especially the heart of the educated man,

has become the lair of wild desires and cruel habits.

256

THE day when devotees sing songs in praise of the Lord and please the ear; The

day when sorrows of the poor recur and men move closer as brothers born; The

day when servants of God are fed with Love and Care in thankfulness; The day

when a Great One comes to us and relates thrilling tales of God; these indeed

are worthwhile days. The rest are like days dedicated to obsequies for the

dead.

257

DO not consider any act of service as demeaning. Sweeping the streets, for

example, is not below your dignity. Do you not sweep the floor of your homes?

Do you not scrub and wash off dirt? When you undertake such tasks, the

villagers will also gladly share in them. Why feel ashamed to be good? The

ridicule that may be cast on you has been the reward of many Saints. It will

soon fade away. Those who could not appreciate his teachings drove Mohammed out

of Mecca. Jesus was crucified. But their names resound in reverence in the

hearts of millions.

258

ISAA Vaasym Idam Sarvam, all this is enveloped by God; all this is soaked in God

and saturated with God. Everything is the substance of God. In fact the best

teacher is one's own heart. Time is the best preceptor and awakener; the World

is the best scripture; God is the best friend for man. So there is no need to

wander in search of a Guru. Man is of God, with and from God. The Cosmos is a

bubble born in the Absolute. The human essence in man is Divine. The true Guru

is not the human preceptor. Revere the World as Divine. All that is seen or

heard is God. Revere the Universe as Guru.

259

I HAVE no sense of distinction between Bhaktas who worship this form or that.

All can come near, all who crave for heat and light. The heat of this splendor

will destroy the chill of sensual pleasure. The light will scatter the darkness

of the ages. Cultivate Love and Prema towards all; that is the way to gain

nearness. I do not measure distance in terms of meters or miles. The range of

Love decides the distance for Me.

260

THE real aim of education must be to help the student discover the Divine in

every being Saint Vemana says: Scholars study! study! study! But the fools know

not what they are! Studying, studying, studying. The scholar is not free from

vice nor has he become wise. Then why study these mean, mortal things? Study

only that which is deathless. The most desirable subject for study is the

Secret of the Soul which is Immortal.

261

SEVA is the adoration of the Lord, as "Viswa-Virataswarupa", as having the

multifaceted form and immanence in the entire Universe. The Vedas describe Him

as thousand-headed, thousand-eyed and thousand-footed. The thousands of hands

and eyes and feet that have come here for the festivals are all His, the

Lord's. Worship Him; that is the purpose of your Seva. And He is none else than

your own self.

262

YOU must discover your identity; then only can you have peace. You are like a

man who has forgotten his name; his address and his mission in life. Realise it

and try to delve into yourself; so that you may know who you are. Then you get

security and peace. Sharpen your intellect for this purpose; and cleanse your

consciousness for this purpose through Sathsang, Japa, Dhyana, Namasmarana etc.

 

263

VALMIKI was a highway-robber who waylaid and killed hundreds without hesitation;

he was the slave of passion and emotion; but when the seven-Sages, whom he

waylaid one night, counseled patience, forbearance and self-enquiry, he turned

heroically into the path of Ram (giving up the lure of Kama or Lust) and

achieved immortality and immortal fame, as the narrator of Rama's story.

264

SCATTER the seeds of Love in dreary desert hearts; then the sprouts of Love will

make the wastes green with joy; the blossom of Love will make the air fragrant;

the river of Love will murmur along the valleys; and every bird, beast and

child will sing the song of Love.

265

PRAYER is the very breath of Religion for it brings man and God together and

with every sigh nearer and nearer. Dhyana is the process of listening to the

Song Celestial, the Flute of Krishna, with the mental ears alert on the melody.

Yoga is the merging of the Mind in the Bliss of self-forgetfulness when the

music fills the Consciousness.

266

THE Primal Formless Absolute wedded Desire and the Mind was born. The Mind

wedded two wives, Inner contemplation and Outer activity. The first gave birth

to five sons; Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema and Ahimsa, the Five Pandava

Brothers. Mind was infatuated more with the second wife, and so, gave birth to

a 100, each one with a name indicative of badness and wickedness, the Kauravas.

God was on the side of the Pandavas and they won.

267

THE Universe is seen; it can be learnt about; it can be experienced and enjoyed.

But God is unseen. He has to be inferred through His handiwork.  So too, Society

to which social service is rendered, cannot be seen as such. We can contact only

individuals. But through the individual, you infer the immanence of the Divine.

All are actors on the World Stage, in His play. Every atom is surcharged with

His Power, His Might and His Glory. Every being is surcharged with His Bliss,

His beauty and His Goodness.

268

BE devoted to the Universal; be eager to become that. When you pray to God for a

job, a son, or a prize, you are devoted not to God, but to the job, to the son

and to the prize. Pray to God for God. Love, because it is your nature to Love,

because you know nothing else and because you cannot act otherwise than Love.

Expand yourself, take in all! Grow in Love.

269

HAVING an open heart, do not relish the narrow path of restricted love; love

all, do not develop prejudices against men in power or position.  They too are

our kith and kin. We all sail together. Be convinced of one Truth about Me;

Swami will never lay his hand on a task without proper reason and without some

profound effect that will flow there from.

270

WHEN the Giver of Grace is here, you run after persons who claim that they got

this or other article from Me or were blessed with this gift from Me. When you

have Kamadhenu here, why seek to know and secure a cow? Kamadhenu can give you

all that you need. When you have Kalpatharu here, why bother about the fruits

on a tree? Kalpatharu can give you all that you ask. When you have here the

mountain of Gold and Silver, Meru, why cringe for silver and gold from persons

who are themselves beggars? When you have God come among you to support and

sustain you, why grovel before crude vulgar entities?

271

MAN is equipped with a return-ticket when he takes birth. Holding it in his

grasp, he earns and spends, rises and falls, sings and dances, weeps and wails,

forgetting the end of the journey. But though he forgets, the wagon of life

moves towards the cemetery, which is its terminus. It brings no glory to man if

he is tied helplessly to the wheel of birth and death. His glory and greatness

consist in disentangling himself from that revolving wheel.

272

THE mind is the architect of your progress or decline. For the fool, the mind is

a formidable dinosaur; for the intelligent, the mind is an angel. The trained

mind is torn by fear; the pure elevated mind is placid and unruffled, like that

of a homeless Sage. The Vedas teach how to purify the mind and render it into a

useful tool.

273

INTELLECT alone can direct man in the path of discrimination, between the true

path and the false; the proper and the improper. This is the reason why man has

been praying since Ages, through the Gayathri "hymnIllumine me, prompt my

intelligence, so that I may walk aright".

274

SANKARA wrote a verse summarizing the advice he gave the poor struggling Brahmin

house holder at Varanasi (Benares city):

"Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam,

Bhaja Govindam, Moodha Mathe,

Samprapthe Sannihithe Kaale

Nahi Rakshathi Duakru Karane",

Praise God, Praise God, Praise God, you fool, when death knocks at your door,

rules of grammar cannot save you.

275

OF what avail is a car, a bank deposit, a bungalow in a posh extension of a

city? If you have all these but no love in your heart, the heart becomes a dark

deserted temple, where the bats of lust and anger breed in the everlasting

night. Such hearts are foul, diseased with terror and error!

276

BIRDS, beasts and trees have not deviated from their nature; they are still

holding it valid. Man alone has disfigured it, in his crude attempt to improve

upon it. So, the Avatar has to come as Man among men, and move as friend,

well-wisher, kinsman, guide, teacher, healer and participant among men. He has

come to restore Dharma andwhen man follows Dharma, He is pleased and content.

277

GET up, place the rosary in its bag and engage yourselves in relieving distress;

that is the true spiritual path. Do not waste all your years with stone images,

pictures or idols, learn to see in every living vital active person the

embodiment of all energy, all beauty, all beneficence, namely God. God is

subtler than ether filling the smallest crevice with His Majesty. Know this and

serve His manifestations, wherever you meet them.

278

CONTENTMENT is heaven; grief is hell; anger is the foe; calmness is the armour;

and compassion is the comrade. You repeat Shanti three times, don't you? It is

to encourage peace in the human, Godly and natural milieu in which you have to

live; also to develop peace, in the body, mind and intellect.

279

ALL men have two constables ever with them; they are the symbols of his sentence

of imprisonment. They are "Abhiman" (sense of I) over "Mamakar" (sense of Mine),

the egoistic feeling and the pride of possession. Man is a prisoner of his

senses so long as these two keep him under guard. Man strays away into misery

and pain, because he loses the sense of value and runs after the temporary and

the trivial. He ignores the voice of God, which warns, and guides from within;

and he pays the penalty for the transgression.

280

AN act dedicated as an offering to the God, resident in all, becomes as sacred

as the highest Seva, that is why Avatars happen; hence, when you offer Seva to

mankind, the Avatar will naturally be pleased and you can win Grace.

281

THE individual born in the lake of Society must swim and float in the calm

waters, and joining the River of Progress, merge in the Ocean of Grace. Man has

to move from the stance of "I" to the position of "We". This day we see only the

wild dance of ego-stricken individuals, who hate Society and behave most

unsociably.

282

THE call of the Divine echoes in every heart; it provokes the reaction of awe,

reverence, affection, love and sacrifice all ingredients of Bhakti. It

translates itself into acts of worship, of praise, of adoration and of rituals

symbolizing the Majesty of God. Thus, the Mind gets saturated with Divine

thoughts. It is recast in the Divine Mould until the flow of "Ananda" becomes

unabated.

283

GOD first; the World next, myself last! That is the legitimate sequence for the

Sadhaka; and who is not a Sadhaka? You have to be one, now or later, so that

you can be liberated from this cycle of birth-death! Now, man in his

callousness towards his own welfare, has turned it topsy-turvy! It is myself

first, the world next, and God is last. So, God is lost too! Hold fast to God;

then you will be safe.

284

MY activities are not for publicity or propaganda or even to confer joy on

others! They are for conferring joy primarily on me! I have no need to please

others and to earn approval or appreciation. For you and I are not distinct

entities; you are I; and I am you. I am the current that flows into every bulk

and illumines it. Those who see me as separate are seeing falsehood. I am in

your hearts; you are in Mine. Don't be misled into doubt and distress. Dogs may

bark and jackals howl; but Truth moves majestically forward.

285

THERE is only one God and He is Omnipresent, True. But to concentrate on the

Omnipresent, some fixed point or preliminary form is needed. And to conceive of

the Divine as present everywhere at all times, the mind of man is to be

clarified and purified by means of a certain psychological process called

Sadhana.

286

REMEMBER, God is your guardian, when you sleep; when you are helpless; even when

you have forgotten or neglected or discarded Him. He has no need for the things

you offer or promise to offer. He is ever content, ever blissful, ever full and

ever free. Do your duty to yourself - that is enough offering for Him.

287

MAN must first decide, after vigorous self-examination and continuous

discrimination, the path that he wishes to traverse. Moksha or Liberation means

the removal of the bonds of Ignorance that could hide the Truth and create a

mirage of the Truth. In fact, living is only another name of the process of

achieving alternate misery and happiness, hunger and contentment, illness and

health, desires and fulfillment.

288

THE Sai Religion is the harmonious blending though Love of all Religions, though

some followers of other Faiths feel that the Sai Religion is contrary to theirs.

We should not entertain similar feelings. Ours is the Totality, the Sum; we

should not limit or restrict our Vision.

289

YOU may have vast scholarship, fame and fortune. But the bee can give you a

lesson on how to be free from torment. The tree can teach you forbearance and

tolerance. It offers a shade to all, irrespective of age, sex or religion,

nationality or status. It helps with fruit and shade even to the foe who lays

his ax on its trunk! The dog can teach you a lesson in Faith, Selfless Service

and the process of Dedication.

290

FORM small Sathsangas and meet regularly for Bhajans and mutual consultation

about spiritual matters. Read some fine spiritual classics like Bhagavatha.

Fill your eyes with the Beauty of His form, your ears with the story of His

Leelas, and your hearts with the sweetness of His Glory; inspire yourselves by

seeing Him everywhere. Think of His Immanence in every hill and dale, every man

and beast, every tree, bird and insect. You will be really thrilled by the joy

of that Vision.

291

MAN is daily growing more and more greedy to know more about the lives of

others, more extroverts in fact. He wants to escape from himself by interesting

himself in others. He does not want to worry about the details of his own life

or the problems of his own rehabilitation. Of what benefit is all this burden

of information that you seek to carry in your head, this knowledge of the

various regions of the world without a knowledge of the region of your own

self, the center of all the interest that you evince?

292

REMEMBER, you cannot have the "Anubhava" and the "Ananda" first. And you cannot

postpone Faith until you get them. You cannot bargain:  Give me Ananda and then

I shall have Faith; See the Purushothama in all Purushas. Purusha means: he who

lives in the rural or port-city or town. Each one of us is the resident and the

sole resident of a distinct house of God. But, the Purushothama, the Supreme

Resident in all the cities, is God. You can recognise the Purushothama, if you

educate yourselves properly.

293

EVERYDAY, when you take food you are offering eatables to the fire that God has

put in you to digest food. You have to eat in a prayerful mode, in profound

gratitude. The Gita says that the fire which cooked the meal is God; the meal

is God; the eater is God; the purpose of eating is to carry on the work

entrusted by God or pleasing to God; and the fruit of that work is progress

towards God.

294

PREMA must grow with every moment of Sadhana. It must sweeten every word, deed

and thought of yours. Emerge from Dhyana as a person more charged with Love!

Emerge from Bhajan with a greater measure of Love! Return from Nagarsankirtan

with a firmer conviction that everything is surcharged with the same Divinity

that is behind all your activity.

295

THE beauty of Nature is but a reflection of the Beauty that is God. But like all

images, it is not substantial. Flowers fade, clouds scatter into new patterns,

physical charm is but a flash that disappears in a moment - but Divine Beauty

is eternal, full and free. That Sundaram is Sathyam, unaffected by the passage

of time, unchanging with the location; that Sundaram is the real Sivam, the

only Good that is. Pursuing petty physical beauty leads man astray; it is as

calamitous as the pursuit of trivial joy.

296

YOU must all study the Gita daily. Read a few Slokas and meditate on the meaning

yourself; it will dawn on you in the silence of your heart. You need not read

elaborate commentaries. Each word in the Gita is a gem. No more do you need

gemstones for the ear, the nose, and the neck; have the gem of the Gita Slokas

in your heart; let them activate your intellect and your hands.

297

WE shall act ever as if we are in the presence of God, as if God is watching and

weighing every thought, word and deed. See yourselves in all; See all in

yourselves; that is the road to lasting peace and joy. Let us not seek the

outer empire; let us become the rulers of the inner empire. Let us not try to

defy the outer enemy, leaving the inner foe to grow in striking power. We have

Krishna with us, and so, who can defeat us? We shall win through winning His

Grace.

298

YOU may be in the Prasanthi Nilayam area for 20 or 25 years. But you worry more

about physical needs and comforts than Japam and Dhyanam; the waving of the

camphor flame at the end of the Bhajan sessions is to remind you that your

sensual craving must be burnt away without leaving any trace behind, and you

must offer yourself to God for being merged with His Glory.

299

THE Gayathri Manthram is a Universal Prayer that can be used by men of all

climes and creeds, for it calls upon the Glorious Power that pervades the Sun

and the three Worlds to arouse, awaken and strengthen the Intelligence, so that

it may lead to intense Sadhana; and Sadhana may lead to success.

300

VINAYAKA CHATHURTHI DAY

GANAPATHY is described as "Buddhi Vinayaka" and "Siddhi Vinayaka" (Vinayaka the

Wise and Vinayaka the Accomplished). "Vinayaka" means the Ganas, hence He is

called Ganapathy. Man is confronted with many obstacles (Vighnas) in the

journey of life. Prayers are offered to Vigneswara - for removing obstacles and

impediments.  He is the Deity to whom worship is offered first in any ritual.

Because of the acute intelligence He displayed, Parameswara made Vinayaka Head

of the Ganas.

To be continued

With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Divine Lord Sai

Sai brothers

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