1008 PEARLS OF SAYINGS OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA-Part XVII [901 to 1008] – CONCLUDING PART

[Guest guest]

Om Sri Sai Ram

1008 PEARLS OF SAYINGS OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA

Part XVII [901 to 1008] – CONCLUDING PART

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

901

ONCE Ramadas wailed, "Oh Lord! You are Mighty, all powerful, all knowing; I am

alone helpless, orphaned and poor". Then the Lord interrupted the

self-condemnation and said, "No, how can you call yourself poor, helpless and

orphaned? I am with you and in you, showering My Grace. The only orphan in the

Universe is Myself, for I have no guardian, no means of support, nobody to fall

back upon. I am the A-natha; all else are Sa-natha (with Lord), for I am their

Natha (Lord)".

902

THE Universe is the Body of God; in that Body, the Unity Consciousness is

Bharath, the Ekabhava. "Ekam Sath" the Vedas declared eons ago! That is the

heartbeat of Bharath today. This is the reason why Sages, Saints, Divine

Personages and Incarnations of God appear here and proclaim their message to

mankind from this land. The precious message is being exported but very little

is used inside the country. That is the tragedy. For the influence available

from positions of authority and for acquiring and accumulating power,

individuals talk ill of others and breed hate.

903

MAN strives to provide himself with food clothing and housing for the sake of

the body. He must also provide himself with something to keep the mind healthy

and happy. It is the mind that conditions even the body. The mind is the

instrument, the flywheel, and the thickest comrade of man. Through it, one can

ruin oneself or save oneself. Regulated and controlled, channeled properly it

can liberate; wayward and let loose, it can entangle and bind fast.

904

TRAIN the mind to dwell on the inner equipment rather than the outer

attractions. Use the mind to cleanse the feelings, impulses, attitudes,

tendencies and levels of consciousness. Let it not accumulate dirt from the

outer world and deposit them within itself. If it is attached to work

(Pravritti Marga), the consequences of work get attached to it. Unattached work

is the purest; it does not encumber the mind with elation or disappointment. "I

did it", this is mine", these are the two fangs that make the individual

poisonous. Pull out the fangs, the snake can be handled and played with as a

pet.

905

THE Lord is closest to you. He is the Mother, Father, Teacher, Friend, Guide and

Guardian. Call on Him and He responds immediately. From dawn to dusk, spend

every minute in His company. That is the reason why I have directed that every

Sathya Sai Organisation must arrange for Nagarsankirtan in the pre-dawn

Bhahmamuhurtham. It is a mission of Love and all will welcome it. It is a great

act of social service to wake up people with the Name of God. It is a purifying

pilgrimage, casting off anger and hate that infest the atmosphere.

906

THE Gita speaks of "Yukthahara Viharasya", habits of feeding and recreation,

which are controlled and regulated. The gross part of food is discarded as

feces, the subtle part is transformed into muscle, blood etc., and the more

subtle of the subtle aspects are transmuted into the mind and its activities.

That is why the Sages have prescribed certain limits and levels of food, in

order to promote the spiritual urges and prevent contrary tendencies. But

nowadays, as a result of the downgraded time, spirits and food that damage the

spiritual urge are being increasingly favoured.

907

THE Karma or activity is the indicator of inner character. Observing one's

actions, their motives, their consequences and the extent of one's involvement,

it is possible to declare one as a Pasu (beast) or Pasupathi (The Lord of

Individual Souls: that is to say, as Divine as God Himself).

908

AT school, the first lesson is "Baa Baa Black Sheep, Have you any Wool?", and

the second is "Ding Dong Bell, Pussy in the well". Gone are the days when the

first lesson was on Rama, Krishna or some great sage or saint? Getting to know

about black sheep will make children black sheep; getting to know about the

great and the good will make children great and good. Children of Baba Vihar

are therefore told stories of Rama, Krishna and other Divine Persons. Learn

those tales and decide to live like them. Learn Indian ways and Indian tales,

and be true Indians.

909

WHY say "Good morning" or "Good night". "Namaskar" or "Namaste" is the Indian

way, the really humble way. You must have Bhaya Vinaya and Viswasa - Fear,

Humility and Faith. Fear of what? Fear of doing wrong and of falling into

falsehood. Humility before whom? Before elders, teachers and parents. Faith in

what? Faith in God, in your own strength and in your own victory.

910

"TAMASOMA Jyothigamaya" is the prayer. Egoism is Tamas. There is an easy way to

illumine the inner consciousness and the outer behaviour with the light of God.

Put the lamp of the Name of the Lord, the illumining flame, on the tongue! That

is the doorstep. That light will drive out the darkness from both, inside and

outside. Have it ever burning, clear and bright. You will soon reach remarkable

heights and enjoy happiness, the like of which you cannot get by sticking to the

senses.

911

KRISHNA took upon Himself three vows: (1) "Parithraanaya Sadhoonam Vinaasaayacha

Dushkrithaam, Dharma Samasthaapanaarthayya Sambhavaimi Yuge Yuge" - "For the

protection of the good and the punishment of the bad; for the establishment of

the Moral Order, I shall concretise Myself, age after age"; (2)

"Anayaaschinthayathramanm Yejanah Paryappasatha, Shaamnishya-Abhiyukthaanaam

Yoga Shemam Vahamyaham" - "Who ever is wholly immersed in my contemplation,

with no other thought; I shall be ever with him and I shall bear the burden of

his welfare"; (3) "Sarvadharmaan Parithojya Maamekam Saranam Vrajas Ahamthwaa

Sarva Paapebhyo Mokshaysh Yaami Maasuch" - "Surrender unto Me, giving up all

other duties and obligations, I shall liberate you from all sin; do not

grieve".

912

WHEN Dharma (which means, that which is worn, the apparel, clothes) was sought

to be removed from the wearer, the Lord blessed Draupadi with the grant of an

unending series of saris. Today, the Sanathana Dharma, which is the robe of

Bharathamatha, is sought to be taken away by her unworthy and deluded sons; and

the Lord has come to grant solace and strength. You will see splendid saris

pouring into her lap from every door of the Durbar Hall, where she is being

insulted. You will witness this great Miracle by the Avatar who has come to

protect her honour and her heritage.

913

YOU stay far and complain that Grace has not come. You do not scrape off, by the

process of repentance, the mud and rust that prevent attachment. You come for

needs sometime and stray away into the distance. I do not mean physical

distance at all. You may be physically far but mentally by My side. I do not

measure distance in miles or meters. I am always with you, in you, beside you;

only you have to be aware of that and make use of My presence. You must become

an "Aartha", torn by intense suffering to sense the Lord.

914

THE Lord has to take the Form that is suitable for the task He has to fulfill.

To catch a gang of decadents, the Police Officer has to move among them as a

decadent. That is why the Human Form has been taken. But who, challenged with

impurity by their own wives, dare challenge the Avatar and ask for proof! Of

course, if you desire to understand, you are welcome; be near, watch, learn and

believe. Put on the role, if you have the courage and the conviction that you

can enact it well. Are you not tired of playing the parts of beggar and clown,

in scene after scene, birth after birth? Aspire for the nobler role, at least

now, in this birth.

915

IF you plan to give joy to others, you will be joyful. Who are these others?

Even when the Lord has come with a definite Human body, all humans that you

come across are but parts of His Glory and Splendour. "Iswarasarvabhuthanaam,

Hrdresse Arjuna Shrishtethi", "Oh! Arjuna, the Lord, dwells in the regions of

the heart in all beings", says the Lord in the Gita.

916

HOW can we find time for all this when we have to toil every moment for feeding

and clothing ourselves? But you forget, the Lord will grant you these material

things and even immortality, if only you place full reliance on Him. Whatever

you do, have the name, Rama or Krishna, or Siva or Hari on your tongue, no

extra time or energy is needed for that. When you rise in the morning, rise

with the Name on your tongue and slide into sleep with the Name on your tongue.

 

917

CONSIDER the condition of the field of your heart; it is overgrown with thorns

and bushes of lust, anger, greed and envy. Remove them, root and all. Do not

allow the land to turn fallow. By continuous good work, plough the field and

fill the field with the water of Prema. Select the Nama-seed that appeals to

you and sow it in the field. Discipline is the force, which will guard the

growing crop against cattle. Virtue is the pesticide. Fostering the field with

great care, you can bring home the precious harvest of Ananda.

918

ONE day, Krishna pretended to be fast asleep! With the flute carelessly thrown

aside by His side, when Radha approached the fortunate flute and asked it in

plaintive terms, "Oh lucky Murali! Tell me how did you earn the great good

fortune. What was the vow you observed, the vigil you kept, the pilgrimage you

accomplished"? The flute got a voice through His Grace: "I rid myself of all

sensual desire of envy, greed and ego, that is all. I had no feeling of ego

left to obstruct the flow of His Prema through me to all creation".

919

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 Shantams as if it is your better half; treat

Sahana (Fortitude) as if it is your own beloved son. These are your genuine

kith and kin. Move with them; live with them; and do not forsake or neglect

them.

920

THIS is a place where you must try to help and not hinder; this is the

atmosphere of peace and Prashanthi. Do not behave here as you do when you

gather elsewhere. There is no scope here for envy or malice of hate or

competition. When Kama and Vrodha are rising in hot flames from the heart, how

can the cool rays of Shanti, Sathya, Ahimsa and Prema emanate therefrom? This

human birth is a rare chance! Use it for spreading joy, and not grief. Of

course, it is natural for man to resent and to grow angry. But you should not

allow anger a free and furious scope.

921

KRISHNA had undoubtedly the power to transform in a trice the wayward mind of

His kinsman into unillumined instrument for resolute action. But Krishna did

not use the power! He only prescribed the medicine and the regimen. Arjuna had

to swallow the drug and follow the regimen himself in order to be saved. He

said, "You are My friend; you are My kinsman; you are now so near to Me that I

am now your charioteer; you are also in great distress; I agree that the

delusion, which has overpowered you, must be removed quickly; but, your Ajnana

must fall off through your own efforts not through some Miracle of My design".

922

ONE can claim genuine victory only when one has reached not the dead satellite

but the living star; not the Chandra but the Ramachandra, the Lord who rules

over the inner satellites, the inner planets, the inner motives and agitations.

Then one's inner reaction and agitation will be transmuted into the Divine. All

that one experiences through the senses, the mind and the intellect will take

on the Divine lustre, reveal their Divine core, and man will be shaped through

the mould of Love.

923

ONE can be in the World but yet unaffected. Activity will then be for the

Almighty by His Grace and through His will. Do not get work done by cooks,

servants, ayahs and others in the home, women must not depend on these for the

care of their children or attendance on their husbands. Earning leisure for

Dhyana through these servants is not a spiritual gain.

924

I ALWAYS encourage Samathanam, Sanghikam and Saam Krishikam activities: the

three S's. If it is for reviving the values recognised as great by time or

recreating the damaged structure of the good of Society or restoring vigor to

some fine art that is declining, you can count on My Blessings. I always exhort

people to win, not the titles that come to those who canvas support but the

title that the Upanishads proclaim as the highest decoration for spiritual

aspirants: "Amirthaaya-Pathrash", "Children of immortality".

925

EVERYONE'S heart is Dharmakshetra where the battle between the forces of Good

and Evil is fought. The whole country is Dharmakshetra. So, the mothers and

children of this land must be devoted to Dharma, above all. The Gita begins

with the words, Dharmakshetra, and ends with the words: "Sarva Dharmaan

Parithajiya"; "Through Dharma, you have to transcend Dharma". That is why

Kausalya exhorted Rama when He went into the forest: "May the Dharma, which you

are upholding by this act, be your guardian when you are in the forest as an

exile". And Rama upheld Dharma even under the most trying circumstances.

926

THIS World is His play; it is not an empty dream; it has purpose and use; it is

the means by which one can discover God; see Him in the beauty, grandeur, the

order and the majesty of Nature. These are shadows of His Glory and His

splendour; that is why the Vedas have three Sections or Kandas; Karma, Upasana

and Jnana. Karma leads to the consciousness of the ever-present, immanent,

all-powerful God. Upasana or adoration of that God lends to the knowledge that

He is in all. When you experience that, there is no second that is Jnana.

927

MY place is among you, with you and wherever work lies. That is why I moved

among you and stood at your back. This is just to show you that, even in your

own places, when you do Bhajan or some other type of adoration like serving

children, the sick or the poor, I do not sit on a special seat, apart and

distant. Do not believe I am on the pedestal that you offer Me. I am part of

you, a partner and partaker in all your efforts, inspiring and instructing when

you ask or need inspiration and instruction.

928

BY developing spiritual qualities, you will be promoting the resuscitation of

this country and its culture. Look at the warning that the sacred texts offer!

Somaka, the Asura, stole the Vedas! Ravana kidnapped Sita, Duryodhana grasped

an empire; Kamsa slaughtered children; but not one of them realised their

heart's desire that their names be exalted by history. Sentence of death awaits

everyone, cutting off their pride and pomp. Some young persons feel that the

work they have on hand gives them great pleasure but they do not pay heed to

its future consequences. When you seek beneficial results, you have to involve

yourselves in beneficial activity.

929

THERE are some who are attracted by various systems and methods like Hathayoga,

Kriyayoga or Raja yoga, which claim to help people to realise the self. But I

must tell you that none of these can make you realise God - I am saying this

most emphatically. The Prema Yoga, Discipline of Love, alone can lead you to

God. Those Yogas may calm the minds' agitation temporarily and may improve

health and prolong life for a few more years - but that is all that they can

do. What is the good you hope to achieve with that body in those extra years?

If Love is absent, they weigh you down as life's big burdens.

930

WHAT is the immortal part of man? Is it the wealth he has accumulated? The

residences he has built, the physique he has developed, the health he has

acquired, and the family he has reared? No, all that he has done, developed or

earned are destroyed; he has to leave them all to the ravages of time. He

cannot take with him even a handful of earth, the earth he loved so much. If

only the dead could take with them a handful each, the Earth would have become

scarce; it should have been rationed by now! Discover the Immortal "I"; and

know that it is the spark of God in you! Live in the companionship of that vast

measureless Supreme and you will be rendered vast and measureless. Consider all

objects that you collect here as given on trust to be used in this caravansari,

during your pilgrimage, in this Karmakshetra.

931

THE law of Karma is not an iron law. By dedication, by purification which

invites benediction, its effects can be modified and its rigor mitigated. Do

not despair; do not lose heart. When vices hold sway over your heart, it

becomes foul and sooty. The flames of Kama, Krodha and Lobha char the heart.

The quenching of these flames provides Grace. Grace confers Ananda, which Kama,

Krodha and Lobha can never confer.

932

WHY is it that the World reveres Rama and revolts at Ravana? Rama is not its

uncle's son or Ravana its stepmother's child. It is the kinship of the spirit,

your innate goodness, responding lovingly and adoringly to the goodness in Rama

and reacting revoltingly to the wickedness of Ravana. It is not enough nor is it

essential that you should utter the name of Rama loudly, respect it in the

fullness of love and admiration. If you have no spirit of love in you, dig into

your heart with external instruments like Raga, Stotra etc., and it will start

to flow.

933

WE are today celebrating the Advent of Krishna. The Avatar (incarnation) in the

Krishna. Form has a vast mystery enshrined in it. Brindavan (the forest of

Brinda) is the tangled jungle of life. The cows tended by Lord Krishna in

Brindavan are none other than the humans that are helpless without His care and

guidance. Gokula (the herds of cows) is the name given in the Bhagavatham (book

on the Glory of the Lord) to the region where Krishna tended the cows. "Go"

means also the individual who is enclosed in the body. So, Gokula is the region

inhabited by man.

934

ONE poet has sung, "Oh, Krishna, Oh, Gopala, do not count on your being kind to

me, being moved by my appeals for mercy. Don't I know that you killed with your

own hands your maternal uncle? You killed the very nurse who came endearingly to

you in order to feed you at her breast! With no iota of compassion towards the

father of your dearest devotees, you tortured him and killed him while the son,

Prahlada was looking on! You approached Bali as if for alms, and when he gladly

placed all he had at your feet, you trampled on his head and pressed him into

the nether regions! How can a heart that has no tenderness melt at my misery"?

Yes, the Lord is above all attachments, He has no favorites or foes.

935

BY THE example of your lives, you have to restore confidence among the people in

the higher values of life. Do not neglect the great lessons embedded in

Sanathana Dharma, which have sustained countless generations in this land for

many centuries. "May all the Worlds be happy", this is the goal towards which

Sanathana Dharma is leading us. Welcome within the fold of your Love, all men

without distinction or race or religion, colour or class. Have the picture of

the Happy, Love filled human community in your heart. That will give you enough

encouragement in your mission.

936

ISSA Vassyam Idam Sarvam; "All this is enveloped by God". All this is soaked in

God; saturated with God. Everything is the substance of God. We are on the

Earth; around it revolves the moon. Both, the Earth and the Moon are illumined

by the Sun. Dependent on the Sun, planets like Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,

Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn dutifully move along the orbits at different

speeds. Their Satellites also belong to the Solar family. Whenever we lift our

eyes up to the sky at night, we notice Stars beyond numbers. And in the Milky

Way, we see thick masses of Star Clusters. In space, there are more than ten

thousand crores of Stars, and regarding the Galaxies in the Milky Way and

elsewhere; we have more than ten crores. Without being lost in numbers, we must

ponder over the mystery of the Unity and

Harmony of this Cosmic projection.

937

IT IS not possible to consider Creation and the Creator, Nature and God as

different or separate. Can we see that waves are separate from the sea? They

are of the sea, with the sea, and from the sea. Man too is of God, with and

from God. The bubble is born in water, stays in water and is lost in water. The

Cosmos too is a bubble born in the Absolute exists as the Absolute and merges in

the Absolute or Paramatma. Nara (the human) is the bubble. God (Narayana) is the

sea. Recognise this truth, as the bubble cannot be conceived without positing

water. The Cosmos, this World, cannot be conceived without God.

938

GOOD men are the targets for maligning by the small. Have your own errors and

evils hidden so that you can tackle them in solitude; do not inflict them on

others. Wrestle with them and overwhelm them in the silence of Sadhana. Deal

with others only beneficially and in joyful cooperation. Look at Lord Siva. The

poison, which will ruin the World ruthlessly, has been contained in His throat!

He wears the Moon that can shower cool, calm comfort on His head for all the

Worlds to benefit from! That is a lesson for you. Why render others miserable,

because you are too weak to suppress the bandits your heart has welcomed?

939

I KNOW there are many of you who argue and discuss how and in what manner these

structures came to be built so grandly. If you have known Me through and

through there will be no such argument at all. You will know that this is but

an insignificant product of My power. I have done this only as an example;

unless those who lead are themselves active and earnest to bend and bear the

burden, all those who are encouraged to follow will lose heart and miss the

way. Religious leaders have a great responsibility in this respect. People fly

high, only to cast their eyes on a wider circle, searching for sustenance as

vultures do! The eye belies what the wings proclaim.

940

WHEN you have filled your heart with sympathy for the distressed, the Lord will

shower His Grace. Draupadi had earned the Grace through her devotion and

virtues. Sita, too, had stuck to the highest ideals of life in spite of her

severe sufferings. Her abductor kept her as a prisoner. When Hanuman offered to

cross the ocean with her on his shoulders and take her safe to her Lord Rama,

she replied that she would not allow herself to be abducted back from the

custody of Ravana since that would deprive Rama of the chance to punish him for

his crime and retrieve her. Quite in consonance with Dharma.

941

THE Gita is His Command; how can you earn the Master's Grace if you do not carry

out the Master's commands. If the son says, "Leave me to myself, I need no

instructions from you"; how can he expect the father to give him a share of the

property? The Gita also helps you to recognise the incarnations of God. Usually,

when the Lord appears with Form, man is pestered by doubts and he actually loses

the precious chance. He asks himself and all those whom he meets "Is it true?";

"Can it be true?"; and before his doubts are removed, he deserts the quest and

wanders into the wilderness. Of course, steady enquiry is essential! Do not be

led by others; awaken your own reason; amass your own experience; and decide

for yourself your own path.

942

NOTHING that is experienced will go to waste. It will shape the course of

events. It will change attitudes and habits. It will purify and clarify

situations and outlooks. That is why I want you to read the Gita; it is like

learning Eatha (Swimming) - this learning of the Gita. Eatha saves you from

drowning. Gita saves you from drowning in the treacherous flood of worldly

desires. The Gita is the real purpose for which the Avatar of Krishna was

undertaken.

943

TO condemn all is unjust, untrue, and unkind. Take My own instance. I never

exult when I am extolled, nor shrink when I am reviled. Few have realised My

purpose and significance: but I am not worried when things that are not in Me

are attributed to Me. Why should I worry? When things that are in Me are

mentioned, why should I exult? "Sayiki Sarvam Yes, Yes, Yes". For Sai, it is

always S.S.S. If you say "Yes, you are the Lord", I am the Lord to you. If you

say "No", I am "No" to you. I am "Ananda, Shantham, Dhanam", Bliss, Equanimity,

and Courage. Take them, as your "Atonathathwam" and you will not be wrong.

944

THE influence of the Divine is such that while you are contemplating it, all

traces of envy and greed will disappear from the mind. The boy Krishna had

entered a Gopi's house and was just standing beneath the pot of curds when she

discovered Him. Krishna ran out into the street and the Gopi pursued Him and

wanted to catch Him quickly, for she was so distressed that the boy was running

in the hot sun. She never worried about the loss of curds or milk or butter, but

the very thought of Krishna's tender feet walking over the hard stones in the

sun was something she could not bear. The Prema that Krishna showered made

everyone forget everything else. He too gave such disarming replies to the

queries of the mother and the Gopis that no one could have anything but Prema

towards Him. That is the characteristic of

Avatars at all times.

945

DHARMA is the very habiliment of India, the dress that Bharatha Matha wears to

protect her, honour to reclaim her status to shelter herself against heat and

cold and to set a standard to her sisters. When the wicked Kaurava princes

seized hold of the sari that Draupadi wore and tried to inflict insult on her

honour, Krishna rescued her and foiled the foul design. Dharmaraja sat as if he

was unaware of his rights and duties. Bhima was involved in doubt concerning his

obligations to his elder brother and his consort. Arjuna cared more for his own

interests. Nakula and Sahadeva waited and weighed the pros and cons. But the

Lord did not wait! His Grace knew no delay or doubt.

946

Wicked irreverent hands now seize DHARMA, the very clothes that Bharatha Matha

has worn since centuries, which is the expression of her natural style. They

wish to dress her in unbecoming styles on their own initiative or frenzied

dictates. So Krishna has to come again for resuming the eviction of the wicked.

Krishna revealed the hollowness of the people who were confident of their

capacity to dishonour Draupadi and the weakness of those entrusted with the

task of protecting her. Now too, the Lord has to foil the attempts to undermine

Dharma and to stand in support of those who are the traditional protectors and

protagonists of Dharma.

947

YASODA one day was searching for Krishna who had strayed away. She thought He

went to the house of Radha. Radha just closed her eyes and meditated on Krishna

for a while and when she called "Krishna", Krishna was there. Then Yashoda shed

tears of joy. She said, "I love Krishna as a mother. I have a sense of egoism

in me that He is my son and that I must save Him from harm and seek to give Him

guidance and protection. Your Prema is pure; it has no egoism promoting it".

948

REMEMBER always that it is easy to do what is pleasant; but it is difficult to

be engaged in what is beneficial. Not all that is pleasant is profitable.

Success comes to those who give up the path strewn with roses and brave the

hammer blows and the sword-thrusts of the path fraught with danger. As a matter

of fact, no road is strewn with rose petals. Life is a battlefield, a

Dharmakshetra, where duties and desires are always in conflict. Smother the

fiery fumes of Desire, Hatred and Anger that rise up in your hearts. It is

sheer cowardice to yield to these enemies that turn you into beasts.

949

THE vision of the Virata, the Cosmic Form, is given to those who surrender their

ego and take refuge in the Lord (as Arjuna did) and who imbibe with care the

Gita sung by the Lord in the silence. God is Omnipresent. He is the inner

Motivator of every particle in the Universe. To declare that He is amenable

only to your style of worship and that He will answer only the Name that you

have learnt to use is to insult His Omniscience and His Glory. See Him in all;

serve Him in all; revere Him in all. Pray, "Let the Whole World prosper; let

all mankind be happy".

950

IMAGINE the Prema of the Gopis. One noon, Krishna stealthily entered the house

of a cowherd and drank all the milk in the pot. The Gopi discovered Him and,

when she admonished Him, Krishna took to His heels. When the Gopi saw Him

running over the hard cobblestones of the street, she shed tears of contrition.

"These Lotus feet must feel great pain", she wept. "Oh, what a great sinner I

am", she wailed. Krishna will make the most wicked heart melt in repentance. He

is Prema Swarupa and Santha Swarupa and so He makes every heart sprout up to

Prema and Shanthi.

951

VASUDEVASSARVAMIDAM does not mean that all this is just Krishna, the son of

Vasudev. It means that all this is God, by whatever Name He is known. So if you

decry anyone, you are decrying God, which is His real core. If you become aware

of the God in you and the God in all else, there is nothing to equal the peace

and joy that you get.

952

LET Me tell you, without reforming conduct in daily behaviour and acts, "Ananda"

will be beyond reach. I consider "Pravarthana", Practice, as essential. A man or

an institution is to be judged by his integrity and whether acts are according

to the principles proposed. The mind, the body and the word; all three must

work in unison. By such disciplined Karma, the senses will be sublimated and

Prashanthi won. Then out of this Prashanthi will arise Prakanthi or the great

light. From that will emerge Paramjyothi, the Supra-splendour of illumination.

That illumination will reveal Param-Atma, the Over-Soul, the Universal.

953

PRASANTHI Nilayam is holding forth and exemplifying the higher ideals in the

material, ethical, economic, moral, spiritual, worldly and even political

fields. There is no place here for anything contrary. This can be asserted

without any possibility of contradiction. In spite of this, some ignorant

individuals rely more on their guesses than on facts and indulge in spreading

wrong conclusions. Let me tell them that if a single person in the whole world

points out a wrong step in Prashanthi Nilayam, he shall be met with and be

convinced that the Prashanthi Nilayam is eagerly bent upon the task of

upholding and demonstrating high and holy ideals of achieving spiritual

realisation. It does not seek those worldly riches, nor does it yearn for

earning favours and fame.

954

IN Prashanthi Nilayam, no misuse or extravagance can ever happen. For any

festival, either Shivaratri, Navarathri or the Birthday, many people imagine

that lakhs of Rupees are spent here. For the Dasara celebration, all who have

come served their best in the fullness of devotion that dwells in their hearts

and so, not a Naya paisa is spent for any purpose. The Rthwiks, who officiate

at the Yagna and the lecturers who deliver discourses, all come and share in

the joy out of Love and Faith. Their comforts are looked after by the members

of the Seva Dal and the Seva Samithis and by the Volunteers who dedicate their

strength and skills to make the Festivals a success. No paisa is spent on any

item.

955

TODAY, you find the Prashanthi Nilayam area clean and pleasing. What is the

reason? How many sweepers have we employed? How many coolies are engaged, you

may wonder? No, not one, everyone cleans the place where he is staying and the

adjacent area. Thus, cleanliness is ensured without any cost. It can be

asserted that at no place in the World are resources put to such good use, with

the least expense, as at Prashanthi Nilayam.

956

MAN has Truth as his nature, that is to say, you can rely on man's behaviour

being always true; he will speak out only what he feels to be sincere; he will

act according to his words. His thought, word and action will be consistent and

complementary. If in any one case this concordance is absent, then the person is

a man only in outer form. He is worse than a beast, for beasts are free from the

burdens of thought and speech.

957

GOD gives an ear to the prayers that rise in all languages and even from the

silence of the dumb. He has no trace of anger or worry. You too have no reason

to develop anger and anxiety. When the teeth bite your tongue, do you get angry

at them for hurting? Do you break the teeth that hurt it so? No, teeth and

tongue are both yours. Similarly, he who hurts you and you are both limbs of

the same body - God. Feel that Oneness and avoid hate. God is on the lookout

for the inner vision. He blesses those whose hearts are so vast that they can

take in all His children. How can He be pleased when you are so selfish and

narrow minded that you send away His children from the doorstep of your heart?

958

WHAT has brought you all, in this vast number, from your homes and villages to

this place?. It is the Love you have for Me, and the Love I have for you. The

reason for your presence is not any force or authority or temptation to earn

material profit or gain. Ponder over the things I have told you out of My Love.

Try to cleanse your minds through repentance for the wrongs done or contemplated

and, through a firm resolve to shape your lives anew according to the Divine

Plan, by which each can stand revealed as fully Divine.

959

RAMA strove to uphold Sathya as the main plank of Dharma. Whatever the trial and

however hard the travail, He did not give up Truth. Sathyam is Dharmam; Dharmam

is Sathyam; the two are irrevocably intertwined. "Sathyam Vada; Dharmam Chara",

say the Upanishads. Rama will be remembered as long as mountains raise their

heads and the ocean exists because of this strict adherence to Sathya and

Dharma. If He had argued "Why should I be bound by the word of my father?” He

would not have earned this immortality. The Immortal had come in the Form of

Rama to show the way to Immortality.

960

WHEN you travel towards God, obstacles have to be bypassed. Prahlada went

against his father; Vibhishana went against his brother; Jamadagni had to harm

his own mother; Meera could not obey her husband; because they stuck to the

path of God and broke through all those who opposed them. Young men like you

have the problem, I know, of being forced to marry against your will by parents

who seek to hasten you into marital security. You have to win them over and get

their approval as Sankara did when he wanted to enter the monastic order.

961

BELIEVE that All are God through Jnana, even then compassion compels you to love

and serve. Believe that God is Master or Father and that you are His children or

servants through Bhakti. Even then, His command is to wipe the tears, nourish

the sick, and help the lame to climb over the stile through pity and sympathy.

Believe through faith in Karma that God has to be adored through dedication.

The highest form of adoration is by means of Seva done in Love.

962

RAMA is the personification of Viveka, the discriminating faculty of the

intellect. Sita and Lakshmana are the higher levels of consciousness - Sujana

and Prajnana. Rama puts an end to evil feelings and promotes good thoughts.

Rama is the emperor of Ayodhya. That name means impregnable will. No enemy,

that is to say, no demeaning feeling or thought can invade the heart when Rama

is installed therein. Thyagaraja sang "Telisi Rama Chinthana Cheyeve Manasa",

(Oh Mind, Meditate on Rama with the full knowledge of what He represents).

963

INDIA shone for centuries as the Karmabhoomi, where each activity of man was

ennobled by a high purpose and sense of dedication. She was therefore acclaimed

as Yogabhoomi, the land where the people yearned for atonement with God. She was

revered as the Thyaga Bhoomi, where the ideal of the mendicant monk, the naked

fakir and the simple monarch, counseled by the sage, was placed before the

people through precept and example. At the present time, it is being forged

into a Bhwyabhoomi, the land of skyscrapers, air conditioning and tinned foods

and an undisciplined mass of humanity pulled from its roots and transplanted in

other soils. This is an insult to our past and a defiance of history.

964

SRI Sathya Sai College is not founded, as some of you are guessing, to promote

financial considerations, nor is it intended as an instrument for publicity. It

will be an example of an inspiration, a beacon, a pioneer and a lesson for

educators and for all those who have the future of humanity in their hearts.

The usual answer to the question, "Why College education? Is it to help secure

jobs? Why this college?" is, "It is to sweeten the hearts of the future mothers

of this land with humility, faith and discrimination; and to light the path they

tread towards truth and virtue".

965

YOUR car is not meant to be kept as a showpiece in a glass case. It is meant for

the roads, for taking you fast and safe to the place where you want to go. So

too, your body must serve the purpose of your journey. Journey to where? Not,

as it has been happening, to the cemetery. You have nobler things to do than

merely die! You must know your own Reality before you die and merge in that

supreme joy. Eat just enough to keep the body trim and use the body to discover

this Reality, namely, God. Sanctify every moment of your sojourn here with pious

deeds and sacred thoughts.

966

MAN has been enslaved by money. He lives a superficial, hollow, artificial life.

This is indeed a great pity. Man should seek to possess only as much money as is

most essential for his living. The quantity of riches one must earn can be

compared to the shoes one wears; if too small, they cause pain; if too big,

they are a hindrance while walking. Money too has to be with us only just

enough for a life of physical and mental comfort. When we have more, it breeds

pride, sloth and contempt for others. In pursuit of money, Man descends to the

level of the beast. Money is of the nature of manure. Piled up in one place, it

pollutes the air. Spread it wide, scatter it over fields - it rewards you with a

bumper harvest. So too, when money is spent in all the four quarters for

promoting good work, it yields contentment

and happiness in plenty.

967

MOVE forward towards the light and the shadow falls behind; you move away from

it and you have to follow your own shadow. Go every moment one step nearer to

the Lord and then Maya, the shadow will fall back and will not delude you at

all. Be steady; be resolved. Do not commit a fault or take a false step and

then repent! Have the "thaapam" (the deliberation, the decision and the

discipline) first, that is better than "Paschaath Thaapam" (regret for the

mistakes made).

968

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, His Glory. Every being is surcharged with His Bliss,

His Beauty, and His Goodness.

969

DO not compare the various manifestations of the Divine and pronounce judgment,

declaring that Rama is greater than Krishna or Siva superior to Vishnu. This

line of thought is poisonous and harmful to the devout aspirant. You do not

know your own self, but yet, how dare you pronounce judgment on personalities

and powers you have never experienced or understood. Rama is as unknown to you

as Christ and so it is best to keep silent, and revere both with equal ardour.

For all are manifestations of the same Divine Effulgence.

970

THE airplane runs on wheels for some length on the ground before it takes off

into the air. You may ask "Why wheels for the airplane?" so too, when you reach

a certain height in spiritual Sadhana, rules and regulations can be folded up,

as the pilot folds up the wheels when up in the air. While serving others

through the Samithi, do not forget to do some Sadhana for your own advancement.

Paraseva (service of others) is the negative Pole. Atma - Seva (service to

oneself) is the positive Pole, and when they meet, the flash of Ananda (Bliss)

emanates. Bliss obliterates all worries, all fears, and all anxiety. March on

to that Consummation, through Sadhana and Seva. These are my Blessings to each

of you.

971

THE Purusha Suktah of the Vedas says "Sahasra Seersha Purushah, Sahaeraakshah,

Sahasrapad", The supreme Sovereign Person has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes

and a thousand feet. The heads, eyes and feet of the thousands who gather here,

are my heads, My Eyes, and My Feet. Nurse them respect them, attend to their

needs - you have done your Japam Dhyanam and Puja! The mantra says "Sarva Deva

Namaskaraha Kesavam Prathi, Gachachathi"; the homage that you pay all to the

Gods flow towards the one only, Kesava. I would elaborate it further and give

you this new mantra; "Sarva Jiva Namaskaraha Kesavam Prathi Gachchathi"; The

reverence, the Service that you offer to every single being (Jiva) flows

automatically to the One, namely Kesava.

972

GOD is to be recognised in all that exists, all that is charming or suffering,

blooming or drooping. He is Intelligence in the insect, Faithfulness in the

dog, and latent Energy in the rock! Vivekananda announced at Chicago that

Hinduism uncovered the Upadhi (Scabbard) and sought the inner core of the

Divine in all things, animate and inanimate. A gentleman may wear morning

dress, evening dress, dinner coat or luncheon slacks; he is the same inside all

these dresses, isn't he?

973

THE Vedas are for the Glorification of the Gods, "Devaanam sthuthy antham", in

the Kaliyug, one is asked to rely more on Naamasmarana for Liberation. Why is

it considered enough for the people of this Age? For other sadhanas are fraught

with difficulties. They need rigorous discipline and much preliminary effort.

Again, there is another advantage in Naamasmarana; as soon as the Name is

uttered, the owner of the Name comes into view. When you think of the Form, the

Name may not always accompany; you may not be able to identify. There may be

more than One Name and you may be confused, but take the Name and the Form

automatically appears before the mental eye.

974

THE true Guru is not a human Preceptor. It is the Cosmos itself, Prakriti,

Creation, the World around us. Life must have an ideal before it, it must

proceed towards a goal, it must be a constant march. Life has as its sole

purpose: man becoming Divine, the transformation of the man. We profess to be

the God we really are. "Gu" in the word Guru indicates the qualities of

Gunatheetha, that is unaffected by attributes and attitudes, not associated

with any one particular characteristic, and "Ru" means rupa-rahitha, that is

not limited to any form but pervasive in all forms. In this context, the

Universe and all its components are to be looked upon as one's Preceptors and

lessons learnt from each.

975

IT is all God, an expression of His Majesty! Derive joy from the springs of joy

within you and without you; advance, do not stand still or recede. Every minute

must mark a step forward. Rejoice that it is given to you to recognise God in

all and welcome all chances to sing His Glory, to hear His chronicle, to share

His presence with others. God has His Hands in all handiwork, His Feet on all

altitudes His Eyes beyond all horizons, His Face before every face. That is

what the Bhagavad Gita declares, you who read the Gita can vouch for the

accuracy of that statement, if only you have faith in it and live in its light.

 

976

THE sages have laid down three categories, which comprise the knowable world;

God, Nature and the I (Iswara Prakriti and Jiva). God, when seen through the

mirror of Nature, appears as I. Remove the mirror, there is only God, the image

merges in the Original. Man is but the Image of God. Even Nature is but an

appearance of God; the reality is He alone. The Principle of Appearance that

deludes as multiple manifestation is Maya. It is not external to God; it is

inherent in God, just as all Powers are inherent in Him.

977

GOD, the Eternal Absolute is pictured, praised and adored as temporarily

apparent and is adored in limited regions as Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Easwara,

etc. These are not basic fundamental expressions of His Nature. These are only

Forms assumed for certain purposes, like conferring peace on earth,

re-establishing the norms of justice and strengthening the ideal of faith in

the Supreme. The fixed and fundamental Attributes are Sathyam, Jnaanam, and

Anantham. This is the Swarupa of Brahmam.

978

THE Lord is now worshipped by offering Him all things that you crave for; by

treating Him with all the honour you like to have yourself. The idol is bathed

and washed, bedecked with jewels, fed and fanned, surrounded with fragrance,

etc. since these are things you desire. But the Lord is pleased only when you

do things the Lord desires! How else can you win the Grace? How else than by

nursing and nourishing, scouring and saving His Children? How else than by

helping them to realise Him as their Lord and guarding and cultivating Faith in

Him, through your own straight and sincere living?

979

CLEANSE the heart by listening to spiritual discourses seeking the Company and

comradeship of the righteous, the simple, the sincere, the seekers and by

cultivating goodness of character and sweetness of disposition. Fill your

hearts with the sweet, fragrant waters of Prema (Love). Then every act of

yours, every word of yours (which are like the water drawn from the tank

through the taps - tongue, hand, brain etc.) will be sweet and fragrant. If the

tank is filled with pollution, how can the word be helpful, the thought

beneficial, or the deed commendable?

980

SOME people are afraid of cynical criticism by unbelievers and therefore

reluctant to move out in groups along the streets in the early morning hours

singing the Glory of God. When you have the embodiment of fearlessness

installed in your heart, why should the slightest tremor of fear affect you? If

others do not join for fear of derision or ridicule, move out alone singing the

Name. You came into this world alone with no companion, didn't you! During the

years of life you collected all this kith and kin, you gathered wife and

children, friends and acquaintances, which attached themselves to you. When you

return to the Realm from which you came, you enter the portals alone, with no

one to keep you company. So too, let it be with the journey called

Nagarsankirtan. Come into street alone, collect kith and kin, if

they come to you, move with them unconcerned and unaffected; revel in your own

sweet solitude and finally enter your home in the satisfaction that your job is

well done.

981

GOD likes such pure souls who come gladly to merge in Him. Some people say, "Oh,

it is the Dasara Festival and lakhs and lakhs of people throng there. And they

pour lakhs and lakhs of rupees there". Well, what they give is Alakshyam, not

Lakshyam! My hand stretches out for receiving only when a pure heart full of

Prema is offered; on all other occasions, He gives, never takes. Let the People

with poison in their hearts, barren of Love and Service, feel shame, and resolve

to cleanse themselves from now on.

982

IT was announced that I was born like Janaka, as the result of some Karmasesha!

I have no Sesha or Karma as already mentioned in the Gita. The Mahasakthi puts

on the cloak of Mayasakthi in order to fulfill the purpose of contacting and

protecting mankind. I have no desire and so, no binding Karma. It is only you

have the desire, aim and wish that drag you along various paths. For Me, your

Ananda is My Food, your elation is the swing on which I sit, and your activity

is My Playground.

983

WE have hospitals and dispensaries and clinics in every street now because

disease has its hold in every family, in every home. Even little children wear

glasses, young people dye their hair, many wear dentures. The reason is, the

atmosphere in the modern home is filled with artificiality, anxiety, envy,

discontent, empty boasting, vain pomp, extravagance, falsehood, and hypocrisy.

How can anyone, growing up in this corrosive atmosphere, be free from illness?

If the home is filled with the clean fragrance of contentment and peace, all

its occupants will be happy and healthy.

984

THE Patient must drink the drug himself. There is no vicarious cure. The balm

must he applied where the pain is. The cause of the illness and the misery is

in your mental vision, for you are many when there is only one. You say "My

God", "Their God", "Your God Baba", as if there are many Gods existing to help

you quarrel and fight among yourselves. Ask the Lord for the removal of your

earthly troubles. There is no mistake in that. It is much better than asking

other men and losing self-respect and honour.

985

ATMA is the Ocean, Prakriti is just a wave of that vast ageless, boundless

Ocean, and the Jivi is just a drop of that wave. You cannot give up the wave or

the sea, you can only merge the Name and Form of the drop, Once you enter the

depths of the Sea, it is all calm, it is all peace, agitation, noise confusion

- all are only on the outer layers. So also in the innermost recesses of the

heart, there is a reservoir of Shanthi where you must take refuge.

986

THE doctors can serve the poor by treating them without insisting on payment:

give the poor all the attention and care that you lavish on the rich paying

patients. Do it for the sake of God; feel that it is the Puja you are offering

Him. The lawyers can help those, who for want of a skilled advocate have to go

undefended or have to suffer at the hands of unscrupulous men. Do not publish

these acts of sympathy, do them spontaneously without fanfare. That is more

precious than demonstrating your service with the help of headlines and

photographs. These reduce the worth of the deeds of compassion. You must be

uncomfortable when those around you are unhappy; when you ease their

discomfort, you are making them happy and making yourself happy, isn't it?

987

TAMASO Maa Jyothirgamaya, is the Prayer, Egoism is thamas; Sharanaagathi is

Jyothi. There is an easy way to illumine the inner Consciousness and the outer

behaviour with the Light of God. Put the Lamp of the Name of the Lord, the

illumining flame, on the tongue! That is the doorstep, that Light will drive

out the darkness from both, inside and outside. Have it ever burning clear and

bright. You will soon reach remarkable height and enjoy happiness; the like of

which you cannot get by sticking to the senses.

988

SIVARATHRI is a very auspicious day for all. It is the fourteenth day of the

lunar fortnight, when the moon is waning and the sun is in the sign of

Aquarius. The festival is however related to the moon, rather than the sun.

That is the reason why it is called "Shivaratri", the night of Siva, unlike

other nights; this particular night is the night of consecration or dedication

of illumination. On this night, there is just a minute part more to be

conquered and that can be done by keeping vigil and dwelling on the Glory of

God. The Vigil that is prescribed is symbolic of the eternal vigil one has to

observe, while the rite of fasting is symbolic of diverting the senses of the

pleasures they crave for. The night-long Bhajan is significant of the lifelong

consciousness of the Divine Presence that every one should

cultivate.

989

THE Lord is closest to you. He is the mother, father, teacher, friend, guide and

guardian. Call on Him and He responds immediately. From dawn to dusk spend every

minute in His company. That is the reason why I have directed that every Sathya

Sai Organisation must arrange for Nagarasamkirtan in the pre-dawn

Brahma-muhurtam. It is a mission of Love and all will welcome it. It is a great

act of social service to waken people with the Name of God. It is purifying

Pilgrimage, casting off the foul fumes of anger and hate that infest the

atmosphere.

990

THERE was once a wicked commentator who said that this direction removes the

need to discriminate between the right and wrong! He must have been the same

person who said, "The Lord says in the Gita that He will be pleased if even a

leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water is offered to Him". Well, this hookah

contains all four, the tobacco leaf, the red flower, denoted by the cinders, the

shell of the coconut, fruit, and water through which the smoke bubble bubbles!

Impertinence and irrelevance cannot hide irreverence from the eyes of God.

991

THE Anandam that will well up within you and the contemplation of Anandaswarupa

will drive out all grief, all worry. Siva it seems laughed when He took a good

look at the chariot that was provided for Him when He started out to slay the

Thripura - Asuras, the Asuras of the three bodies; Sthula, Sukshma and Karana

(the Gross, the Subtle and the Causal). Vishnu, the Charioteer, was mostly in

Yogindra, the Stable Earth was the Chariot and the two wheels were the Sun and

the Moon, two spheres which never revolved in Unison! That slaughter laid the

Asuras low. There was no more need to proceed against the Asuras. How did the

evil forces that dwelt in the three bodies die? They could not exist where

there is Ananda; for they are products of grief. Develop Ananda; then evil

impulses and tendencies will vanish, for

they will not get any foothold in the heart.

992

THE human body has been secured as a reward of 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 you need

before you sow the seeds.

993

KSHETRA also means the entire earth. Another significant meaning of the word is

"a holy place". We say "Kasi - Kshetra", "Prayag - Kshetra", etc. to indicate

those places are sacred. The body is also a Kshetra since it is a temple where

God is installed and worshipped through thoughts, words and deeds. The temple

has to be cleaned and kept healthy and pure. Purity is to be preserved and

promoted not by multiple baths or by avoiding contact with others "condemned as

untouchable". You cannot be pure by the observance of the superficial taboo,

"Don't touch".

994

THE body can be cleaned if washed with water. Speech can be cleaned if it is

saturated in truth. Life can be purified if it is sanctified by Tapas, and the

intellect can be cleared of blemish through Jnana. Above all, the conviction

that you are not the body but only a resident of the body has to grow in you.

If you identify yourself with the body you carry about with you, you are

inviting sorrow and suffering to overwhelm you, instead of the joy and peace

which are awaiting to bless you.

995

AVATARS manifested in the Krithika Yuga for preservation of Vedic tradition, in

the Thretha Yuga for the protection of Dharma, and in the Dwapara Yuga for the

promulgation of the right of Property. In the Krita Yuga the Avatar saved the

Vedas from neglect, in the Thretha Yuga, He saved women from dishonour, and in

the Dwapara Yuga He saved property from injustice. Now, in the fourth Age, the

Kali Yuga, all three are in dire peril. The Vedas are ridiculed, women are

tempted into unworthy lives, and property is condemned as theft! So, the Avatar

has a threefold Task. Man has no purity in the heart, no sanctity in his

emotions, no love in his deeds, no God in his prayers.

996

THE Earth is a caravanserai where men come and stay for the night and when dawn

breaks, one by one they tramp their different ways. Kith Kin are the words we

use for the attachment to the travelers cultivated in the caravanserai during

the short term of acquaintance. Husband and wife are like two pieces of wood

drifting down a flooded river; they float near each other for some time and

when a current comes between them, they are parted. Each must move on to the

sea at its own rate and in its own time. There is no need to grieve over their

parting of the two, it is in the very nature of Nature that it should be so.

997

MAN must be Yoked to Samsara and broken; that is the training which will teach

that the world is unreal; no amount of lectures will make you believe it is a

snake unless you actually experience it. Touch fire and get the sensation of

burning; there is nothing like it to teach you that fire is to be avoided.

Unless you touch it, you will be aware only of its light. It is both light and

heat; just as this world is both true and false; that is to say unreal.

998

COURAGE comes out of the grace of the Lord, it needs generations of learning and

struggle. Meanwhile you must start with the first step, the cleansing of the

mind and the cultivation of virtue. Even if you do not start with that step, at

least do not laugh at those who do and discourage them. Do at least this much!

Then, do not depend upon others for doing your work like attending to your

personal wants. Do it yourself; that is real freedom. Again, never accept

anything "free" from others; Pay it back in service or work. That will make you

a self-respecting individual! Receiving a favour means getting bound to the

giver. Grow with self-respect and dignity. That is the best service you can do

to yourself.

999

THAT which is born has also to die; coming implies going; that which has no

birth has no death either. The Atma has no birth, no death, nor can you say it

spreads or grows or weakens. It has no history that is all that can be said

about it. It is ever Intelligence, ever Bliss. There is the urge to desire a

thing that is named Ichchaa Shakti - but it too is a derivative of the Atma

Shakti, the Divine that is your core. Realise it as such and do not demean it

by desiring deleterious objects. Desire, so sublimated, is the basis of Love,

"Prema". It is the fruit of the tree of God-ward directed Ichchaa Shakti.

1000

WHY attached false values to exterior symbols? Why develop prejudice for the

reason that a man was born on the other side of a political boundary or calls

on God in another language? God is the origin of all languages. Boundaries

shift and are subject to revision, resettlement and change. These are man-made

differences and should not interfere with God-ward activities. God has made the

Universe as one single Home for one Single family. Each state is but an

apartment in that mansion.

1001

BAKTHI is defined as the means of discovering the Divine Reality within each

being. Four steps are laid down in the scriptures to help man succeed in this

effort; Discrimination between the Permanent and the Impermanent; withdrawal

from the process of catering to the senses; Positive control of the feelings,

thoughts, and pursuits; and incessant yearning for Liberation from all bonds.

Bhakthi is the urge, which manifests as all four endeavors. Bhakthi is derived

from "Bha" or Bhagawan or God. It directs man to have God ever in mind and to

cultivate love for God within him.

1002

DEVOTION fosters the highest virtue; it is the most precious treasure, it is the

truest path, the only way to God. Man must live in Bhakthi; for Bhakthi; through

Bhakthi. For Bhakthi is Love of the purest and the noblest variety. Such love is

the breath that sustains life that supports the Soul in the effort to merge in

the super-soul. The years of life spent without the Light of Love are years of

ruin, of dust and disease. One could as well be dead and decay forever.

1003

THE Jivi has come to this birth in order to reveal the splendour of the spark of

Godhead, which it is. The body is the wick of the lamp; yearning for God is the

ghee, which feeds the flame. But like the rat, which, attracted by the strong

smelling cheap stuff inside the trap, neglects all other articles of food in

the granary and falls prey to its foolishness. Man too neglects his real

sustenance and wastes his life in pursuit of mortal riches.

1004

YOU must dive deep into the sea to get the pearls. If you must realise the full

fruit of this Avatar, dive deep and get immersed in Sai Baba. Half-heartedness,

hesitation, doubt, cynicism, listening to tales, all are of no avail.

Concentrated complete faith that alone can bring victory. This is true of any

worldly activity, is it not? Therefore, how much more true must it be in the

spiritual field? But if you have already attached yourselves to some Name and

Form, do not change it; do not choose another in place of the Prema Swarupam.

1005

HAVE your mind fixed on one. Do not, now and then, allow clouds of doubt like

"Is He Great?", "Is He God?" to dim your faith. Behold and Acknowledge the

Glory that you have witnessed; proclaim the joy that you have experienced;

confer the Grace that you have earned. For example, when people ask you whether

you are going to Puttaparthi and whether you too are singing Bhajans, say, "yes"

proudly, for there is no shame in walking on the right path.

1006

THE only new thing is man's perverse behaviour, the directions in which he has

been wasting his talents, misusing his capacity of playing false to his own

nature. He has been forgetting the path prescribed in the Scriptures for the

cultivation of his nature, therefore all this suffering and hence My advent.

1007

YOU might have heard people talk about the miracles; My "making" this and

"giving" that, My fulfilling all your wants, My curing your illnesses. But they

are not so important as the Satwa guna I appreciate, promote and instill. Of

course, I confer on you these boons of health and prosperity but only so that

you might, with greater enthusiasm and with less interruption, proceed with

spiritual Sadhana. Bhakthi leads to Shakti and Shakti will grant Yukthi. The

Yukthi will help you to fix your Rakthi or attachment on the proper objects and

your Bhakthi thus promoted, finally results in Mukthi.

1008

CRITICISING others and finding fault with them are both results of egoism.

Search your own faults instead. The faults you see in others are your own

faults instead. The faults you see in others are but reflections of your own

personality traits. Pay no heed to little worries; attach your mind to the Lord

and then you will be led to the Company of good men and your talents will be

transmuted.

CONCLUDED

With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Divine Lord Sai

Sai brothers

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