Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - April 6th, 2006

[Guest guest]

There is no penance greater than cultivating Shanti (stillness of the

mind). It is the ornament that adorns saints and it is what everyone

yearns for in his heart. Saint Thyagaraja sang that there is no

comfort or happiness without peace - "Shanthamu leka soukhyamu ledhu."

Sukham (the state of happiness) is like heaven. The pleasures derived

by the senses from worldly objects are transient, while real happiness

lies in experiencing the bliss of the Inner Self. People are unhappy

because of Thrishna, the insatiable thirst for worldly pleasures. Man

is deluded by the trivial pleasures of the world, and is filled with

greed and lust. This is the main obstacle on the spiritual path. It is

the nature of desires to multiply endlessly. The only way to overcome

misery or grief is to put a curb on desires.

-SAI BABA