All Service done without a heart filled with Love is Useless.

Service should not be done in a spirit of condescension or to achieve some selfish objective. Not recognising the sacredness and purifying power of service, people hesitate to embark on social service. It should not be imagined that one is promoting the well-being of the nation by one's service activities. One should realise that ultimately one is only bettering oneself by rendering service. Service should proceed from an awareness of what one owes to society. Gratitude demands that one should serve society which is the source of all benefits enjoyed by man. Men without gratitude are worse than wild animals. What is required for service is not money and materials; a loving heart is the first requisite. All service done without a heart filled with love is useless.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Caught in the coils of the creation, man is blind to the fact that he is part of the Divine Creator. Identifying himself with the physical sheath in which he is encased, he is blind to the unity of all beings in the One Universal Absolute. Man has written and studied countless texts on spiritual discipline and discovery, and confounded the confusion indulging in dialectical rivalries and argumentation. But, he who has put at least a page or two of these tomes into practise, is rendered silent and innocent of any desire for fame or victory. He is happy in the depths of his being. He ploughs the field of his heart, sows the seeds of love and reaps the harvest of fortitude and equanimity.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

The cosmos is the creation of the Divine. It is surcharged with energy. This energy is not localised at a particular point in space or time. Though this energy is all-pervading, man is unable to recognise its divine nature. As he cannot recognise it, he presumes that it does not exist. Electrical energy flows continuously in the wires. But, its presence is recognized only when a bulb is fitted and switched on. Likewise, though God is omnipresent. His divine effulgence will shine only in those who adore Him with a pure heart.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Omkara

Little children are trained to walk, by means of a walker, which they hold and push along. The Pranava (the sound of "Om") is such a contraption, with the three wheels of 'A', 'U' and 'M'. Holding it, man can learn to use the two feet of Bhakti (Devotion) and Vairagya (Detachment). If he gives up his hold on the Omkara, he plumps down on the ground helplessly. If he walks on with the help of the Pranava Japa (repetition of "Om"), he can certainly realize the glory of the Brahman (God), which is the very substance of the Universe.

BAGAVAN SRI SRI SRI SATHYA SAI BABA

Thought for the day

One may have listened to a number of spiritual discourses, but one should not be content with mere listening only to forget them later. One must enquire as to how much one has been transformed by attending these discourses. One must try to put into practice at least one or two of the teachings, get rid of worldly attachments gradually and progress on the path towards the Divine. In due course, divinity will surely blossom in the heart. If, on the contrary, one goes on multiplying one's worldly concerns and desires, one will go down to the animal level. One must be content with what one has and put it to good use with faith in the Lord.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

The mansion called life must be built on strong foundations, the pursuit of artha (wealth) and kama (fulfillment of desires) must be regulated by the yardstick of Dharma. Dharma fosters those who foster it. The strongest foundation is ever-present Faith in the Almighty. Some may ask, "If He is Almighty, why then is he not patent?" Well, He reveals Himself only to the person who has the yearning, not the one who puts questions out of impudence or ignorance. He will be patent only in the pure heart that is not clouded by egoism or attachment to worldly objects.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Men have to do their duties; success or failure is determined by the Divine

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna calls upon Arjuna to regard himself as an instrument of the Divine. Every human being is indeed an instrument of God. As such, he should carry out his duties, leaving the results to God. Men have to do their duties; success or failure is determined by the Divine. Do not esteem yourself as the doer. Develop the conviction that the Indwelling Spirit in you is directing you and enabling you to act.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Widen the circle of love

Love God and you see God in every creature. Another way is to start with those around you, and then widen the circle of love till it envelops all creation. Let the mind dwell ever on God; let it see everything as Divine. That is what is described as one-pointedness. When the mind is so fixed, it will give up its tendency to search for faults and foibles in others; it will not run after the foul and the frivolous and it will not accumulate the trivial and the transient. The body is like the container of the torch, the senses, the bulb and the mind is the battery. But if you use your intellect as the switch, then, the mind will not be turned towards the undesirable. It will be used only to help the individual's progress towards his/her Divine destiny.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Women of India

At this critical hour in the history of the world, when the demoniac forces of fear and anxiety, injustice and inequity are raging in wild fury, it is the duty of every human being to be equipped with spiritual strength so that he may not be overwhelmed by the storm. This is an urgent and essential task and I must say that the women of India have a contribution to render service and a role to play. They must bring God into the hearts of the child and help it to keep Him there. For, Faith in God is the tonic that men needs to get back health and happiness.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

It is only by the cultivation of detachment, by denying the senses the thrills they thirst for, and by diving into the depths of one's being with the firm belief that there is an immense inner realm that rewards exploration, that one can capture the bliss of the supreme tranquility. This is the highest morality, for, when this is done, man is saturated with love and has no trace of malice, hate, greed or lust left in him. Man's vision is purified by the ideal of the unity of all in One and the proliferation of One as all. Bagavan Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought For the Day

To attain the attitude of surrender, of dedication, you must have Faith in God. This world is His play; it is not an empty dream; it has its own purpose and use. It is the means by which one can discover God; see Him in the beauty, the grandeur, the order, the majesty of Nature. These are but shadows of His Glory and His Splendour. Upasana (adoration of God), leads to the knowledge that He is all; when you experience that there is no Second, that is Jnana (Spiritual Wisdom)!
Bagavan Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba