Thought for the Day

1.Human life is beset with ups and downs, joys and sorrows. These experiences are intended to serve as guideposts for man. Life would be bland without trials and tribulations. Problems in life bring out the human values from within man. You cannot get the juice of the sugarcane without crushing it; you cannot enhance the brilliance of a diamond without cutting it and making many facets. One must shed pettiness and develop broad-mindedness through the cultivation of love. Only when you endure various difficulties, can you experience the sweet bliss of Self-realization. Hence, difficulties must be welcomed and overcome to experience Divinity.

2.Contentment is a pure (sathwic) quality; it will not transform you into an idler; no. Instead, it will bring you closer to God and grant you peace. You will also find yourself less selfish and being able to overcome many pitfalls of the path. You will be able to discern the impermanent in life and reject their temptations. Discrimination, renunciation, and the spirit of inquiry, all develop through contentment. The contented person will become very pure (sathwic) and will attain a rich inner life in communion with the Atma. They will be able to undertake any work without rest and complaint and will acquire one-pointedness of mind. Contentment gives all spiritual aspirants the enthusiasm and vigour necessary for treading the path, that leads to Sakshathkara (realisation of God)

3.Devotion does not call for arduous spiritual practices or severe discipline of any kind. There is no need to perform intense penance or Yajnas (religious sacrifices). The only easy and sure means for ordinary people to realize God, without regard to their caste, nationality, gender or any other qualification, is to have intense devotion and love for God. Where there is deep faith, there is intense love. Where there is love, there is Shraddha (earnestness). Through earnestness, Jnana (higher knowledge) is gained. This knowledge enables one to practice spirituality. The Gopikas (cowherd maidens) exemplified this; they experienced the continuous presence of God within them and outside them. They showed that such sublime love was possible even for ordinary persons with little knowledge of the scriptures or spiritual disciplines and demonstr ated the inextricable link between the Divine and the individual..

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba