Thought forl the Day

1.If you have an eye on the fruits of your actions, you are liable to be affected by worry, anxiety and restlessness. You may ask: “If the fruits have to be given up, how can one manage to live?” Let Me ask you - Why this weakness of heart, this nervousness? He who has assured, 'Yogakshemam vahamyaham' (I will take care of all your needs - worldly and spiritual) will certainly look after that. He will give the wherewithal and the means. The seeker (Karmayogi) who has learnt the secret of action (Karma) combined with sacrifice (Phala thyaga) should have Sama buddhi (equanimity), more than Sanga buddhi (mind attached to the world). Sanga buddhi leads one to think: “This action is mine; its results are due to my endeavours. I am the person entitled to it". Such thoughts bind the doer. Krishna in the Geeta declares, “Samathwam yogamuchyathe” (The end result of all spiritual practices is the attainment of equanimity). One should rise above this Sanga buddhi and try to attain Samathwam.

2.You must first conquer desire. For this, neither waging a war nor the use of pleasing words to persuade desire to disappear is necessary. It will not vanish for fear of one or for favour of the other. Desires are objective; they belong to the category of the ‘seen’. With the conviction "I am the see-er, not the seen", you must release yourself from attachment and conquer desire. You must watch the working of the mind, from outside it; you should not get involved in it. That is the meaning of this discipline. The faculty of the mind is like a strong current of electricity. It has to be watched from a distance and not contacted or touched. Touch it and you are reduced to ashes. So too, contact and attachment give the mind a chance to ruin you. The farther you are from it, the better. By skillful methods, you have to make the best use o f it for your own welfare.

3.The Divine is not separate from you. You are the Divine. This conviction must grow in you. In the beginning you regard yourself as a mere human being. Then gradually you realize your potential divinity. Finally you realize your own inner Divinity. Embark on this journey to attain union with the Divine from now. Time waits for no one. Concentrate all your efforts to realize God. The primary requisite is the elimination of the ego; without this, the bliss of Divinity cannot be experienced. Ostentatious worship, wealth, power and position will not help you in the spiritual quest. They cannot confer peace or remove the fear that haunts man all the time. Only the man of faith is completely free from fear. Hence develop faith in God and lead a God-directed life. The one who is conscious of one’s faults is blessed. Equally blessed are those wh o see the good in others.

4.Jesus sacrificed his life for the regeneration and welfare of mankind. He also proclaimed the truth: One Spirit resides in all beings. He said, “All lives are one, my dear son. Be alike to everyone." You must regard the body as the temple of the Spirit; bear in mind that Divinity is ever within you. Human body is a vesture for the Spirit. Only when you realise this truth can you begin to experience the Divine. Remember, wherever you may go, the Eternal Spirit remains with you. People may be different in form and name, in colour and nationality, and from varied historical circumstances. But God has no such differences. Hence you should not cavil at any religion or attack it or deride it. You may profess whatever faith you like. But you should not disparage another's beliefs. It is a travesty of devotion. We must always respect the div ine that is in every being.

4.Be thankful to the Lord that He gave you Time, as well as action to fill it with. He gave you food, as well as hunger to relish it. But that does not entitle you to engage in action indiscriminately. When you build a house, you install a door in front. What is its purpose? To admit all whom you welcome and to keep out all and sundry, and not let them in as and when they like. So too, select the impulses, the motives, the incentives that enter your mind; keep out the demeaning, the debasing, and the deleterious. Admit the highest wisdom of the scriptures, the wisdom culled out of the crucible of experience (anubhava jnaanam). You have meditated too long on riches, status, salary, children, relatives, fame and the standard of living. They are all of momentary value. Fix your focus and urge on God, the Eternal, the Real, the Pure and the Immovable.

5.Everyone seeks and strives to be at peace with himself and with the community around. People have tried to get this peace by accumulating wealth, which gives power over others and the ability to command conveniences and comforts. Some have sought positions of authority and influence, so they can shape events suited to one’s aims and fancies. Unfortunately, these paths are beset with fear, and the peace that is secured thereby is liable to quick and sometimes violent extinction. Real Peace (Shaanthi) can be achieved only through Love! It is the fruit of the tree of life. This fruit with the sweet essence is encased in a bitter skin. The bitter skin is symbolic of the six evil passions that encase the loving heart of man: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hate. Those who remove the exterior through hard and consistent disci pline attain the sweetness inside - the much desired peace; this peace is everlasting, unchanging and overwhelming.

6.When studying in the primary classes many children conduct themselves with humility, discipline and goodness. However when they reach the Secondary School, they lose some of these qualities. When they go to college, almost everything is gone! Why? It is the teachers who account for their discipline and good behaviour in the Primary School. In the higher classes and in colleges, is anything done through precept and practice to promote character and spirituality among the students? Today, education is sought for getting a job; this is not proper. Education is for developing right understanding. Students should imbibe culture along with academic knowledge. Spirituality and morality should be promoted among the students. Of all the professions in the world, that of the teacher is the most estimable. The teacher has to impart to the students what is good and ennobling. This should be developed in all educational institutions.

7.The whole world is intimately associated with the Sun God. He is the visible manifestation of the Lord. In India, Sun God (Surya) is considered highly sacred and granted the unique status of a great Guru. Sun is also the source of time. The Sun limits and regulates the number of years each one lives. He performs His duty without thought of reward, and is humble and steady. Imagine the patience with which the Sun puts up with all that extreme heat, and gives sufficient warmth to the human body, every single day. Human beings are so full of activity and intelligence on account of the solar energy that is imbibed. If the Sun is idle even for a moment, the whole world will go cold and dark. The actions of the great is the ideal that the rest have to keep in view. This also shows that all in the world are bound by the obligation of karma (activity) .

8.Right Conduct (Dharma) is the quality which makes a human out of an animal. This Sahajadharma (natural conduct) of human beings has been overpowered in course of time; those who supported and encouraged it, and derived joy from it have declined in numbers. This is akin to the weed overpowering the crop. So the 'establishment of Dharma' is a matter of weeding of the field! In this iron age (Kaliyuga), Dharma has been reduced to mere words. Dharma is not manipulation of words. "Sathyam Vada, Dharmam Chara" (Speak Truth and Practice Righteousness) - has been the clarion call of the Upanishads, the repositories of Indian culture. However in the present times, "Dharmam vada," (Speak about Right Conduct) has become the order of the day! That is the first step in th e decline of Dharma! Know that that which is not practised cannot possess strength. Understand this truth and practise Dharma in your lives.

Bagavan sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba