The greatest defect today is the absence of Self-Inquiry

At first look, everyone appears to be a devotee, but individuals respond differently to different circumstances. If you keep a ball of iron and dry leaf side by side, when there is no wind, both of them will be firm and steady. But when there is a breeze, the dry leaf will be carried many miles away. The iron ball will remain firm and steady. If one has true love and firm faith in God, one will be like an iron ball, steady and undisturbed. If one is like a leaf running away on account of difficulties and problems, it is a travesty to call such a person a devotee. We should develop pure and steady love and faith.

The mariner uses his compass to guide him aright amidst the dark storm clouds and raging waves. When a person is overwhelmed by the dark clouds of despair and the raging confusion of irrepressible desires, he too, has a compass which will point to him the direction he has to take. That compass is a society that is dedicated to the propagation of spiritual discipline. So long as man is attracted by outer nature, he cannot escape the blows of joy and grief, of profit and loss, of happiness and misery. But, if he is attracted by the Glory of God within him as well as within Nature, he can be above and beyond these dualities and in perfect peace.

The greatest defect today is the absence of Self-Inquiry (Aathma Vichara), which is the root cause of all restlessness. If you are eager to know the truth about yourself, then you will never go astray. All pots are made of mud, all ornaments of gold, and all clothes are of yarn. Here, even though you see so much diversity, there is a unity. The basic substance of everyone is the Supreme Self (Brahman). It is your basis too! Just as a river’s flow is regulated by the bunds, and flood waters are directed to the sea, so too the Upanishads regulate and restrict the senses, mind and intellect, to help you reach the Divine and merge the individual in the Absolute. Scanning a map or a guide book will not give you even a fraction of joy of the actual visit! Scriptures are only maps and guidebooks. Act in accordance and experience bliss. 

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba