Thiought for the day

1.If you view the world with love, it will appear as filled with love. On the other hand if you view it with hatred, everything will appear antagonistic to you. Eyes filled with love shine with brightness and cheerfulness. On the contrary eyes filled with hatred appear bloodshot and fearful. Your thoughts determine your actions whether good or bad. The external world will reflect your thoughts. You must consider the entire universe as a temple of God. You must regard all that is beautiful and great in Nature - the lofty mountains, the vast oceans, the stars in the sky - as proclaiming the glory and power of the Divine. The sweet fragrance of flowers or the delectable juice of fruits should also be regarded as tokens of God's love and compassion.

2.Your attitude to God should not be dependent on likes and dislikes. There are some devotees who worship God with devotion for some time. Then they turn against God. The reasons for these changes in attitude can be traceable to their expectations from God. When they feel that their prayers are being answered and their desires are being fulfilled, they adore Him. But when their wishes are not fulfilled, they revile God in all sorts of words. This kind of devotion is based on self-interest and has nothing divine about it. One should not blame God for difficulties. Pure devotion will not be affected by changes in circumstances or fortunes. True love is not based on any conditions. It is equal in joy and pain and is not affected by fluctuations in fortune.

3.Upaasana means approaching near the Divine. Often Upaasana is equated with fasting; this is not correct. When one is immersed in the bliss of Brahmaananda (divine bliss), one gives up food of one's own accord; this is true Upaasana. To subject oneself to fasting as a compulsory regimen is not Upaasana but mere starvation. For instance, to keep awake on the night of Shivaraathri by watching films or playing cards is a caricature of the sacred vigil that one is expected to observe at that time. The experience of Divine Bliss is not to be achieved by the mastery of various spiritual practices. It is only when the heart is purified that divinity can be realized. There is no room for divinity in a heart filled with egoism, pride and hatred.

4.All of you must realize that the relationship between you and God is permanent, and is beyond the limitations of time and space. You should not waste your life thinking only of the physical relationship. The body is a passing thing. What you see externally is a burden; when you have made it a part of yourself it ceases to be a burden. It is like the food that a traveller carries on his shoulders for consumption on the way. As long as the food remains outside it is a burden. But when he has eaten it, he gets stronger and there is no burden on his shoulder. You must safeguard the Divinity you experienced and magnify it by contemplating on it internally. You should concentrate on the attainment of union with the Divine, which is permanent and beyond the limitations of time and space.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba