The women of a country should be happy, healthy and holy. Every woman has a very crucial role to play in their individual uplift and the uplift of their homes and societies around them.

The women of a country should be happy, healthy and holy. Every woman has a very crucial role to play in their individual uplift and the uplift of their homes and societies around them. Young girls and women alike should learn the technique of mental calm, social harmony and contentment with their livelihood. They should also know that joy can be attained only through service to those in need and in distress without any expectation of the benefits that may follow from the kindness shared. They should learn to lay aside the egoism that poisons the service activities. Even those serving for years tend to extol and promote themselves as the founders of institutions and guardians of the poor and needy. The benefit and joy from any act of service is the act itself. The fruit of service is the removal of egoism, not its multiplication.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

If only the culture which is based on the Vedas, and expounded in the Ramayana and the Bhagavatha, is practised with a true understanding of its value, people can ensure for themselves perpetual joy or bliss. The Vedasexhort: Sathyam Vada; Dharmam Chara (Speak the truth; practise righteousness). What is Sathyam and Dharmam? The Ramayana and the Bhagavatha reveal this knowledge through story and example so that anyone, however poor or illiterate they may be, can understand, practice it and benefit by it. Grief is the illness; it has to be cured. The medicine is prescribed in the Vedas; it is taught in the scriptures; it has to be discovered and taken in; then the experience of bliss will certainly follow. Of this, there is no doubt.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Even the best of doctors cannot save a person, when death calls. Everyone has to necessarily respond to the call, whether they are a bride or bridegroom on a ceremonial seat or on a pilgrimage to a holy place. Death brooks no delay, death accepts no excuse. Tears do not move its heart, nor can threats keep it away. So plant the seed of any one of His thousand names that appeals to you, in the well-prepared soil of your heart. Let it sprout in the silence there. Water it with love and service to fellow beings; guard it against pests and cattle, which are the outward dragging emotions and passions. You can do this by erecting the fence of repetition of the divine name and meditation (japa and dhyana). Then, you can reap the harvest of bliss (Anandam).

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

There have been many manifestations of the Lord in Bharath. For teachers have to be present where schools are and where children eager to learn are found. You cannot have the teachers in one place, and the school in another; the blackboard in one place and the bell in another. There are mica mines near Gudur; you cannot ask why they are not found near Peddhapuram. It is so, that is all. So too in India, there is a rich mine of spirituality and so engineers have to come here to operate it, extract it and prepare it for use. That is the reason why more manifestations of the Lord appear here. The atmosphere here is also conducive for the practical application of new modes and methods of extraction and use for the benefit of all humanity.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Group photo of my family

Six Brothers

                                                        6        5        4        3          2         1
                                              
This photo was taken at the time of my father's completion of 80th birthday function which was held on
 21-07-2013.  This function was celebrated grandly in Madurai and all the relatives and friends participated and got blessing from my parents.

From left to right:
1.R.S.Ravichandran-------------------1st brother
2.R.S.Chandrasekar-------------------2nd brother
3.R.S.Rajasekaran --------------------3rd brother
4.R.S.Sivakumar-----------------------4th brother
5.R.S.Sivaprakash----------------------myself
6.R.S.Balakrishnan---------------------6th brother

Thought for the Day

Have faith in the Lord or the Divine Spark within you, it will vitalize you. Some people bargain with God, they promise to give Him costly articles or their own hair if a certain illness is cured or a certain calamity is averted. Lord Venkateshwara or any other form of the Lord does not need your hair. Shaving off your hair indicates that you have lost the delusion that physical beauty alone counts. You take the effort to make yourself wilfully ugly and demonstrate that it is inner charm and harmony that really matters. The hero is he who does not beg or cringe or flatter or fawn. He knows that the Lord knows best. If it is His will, He will grant food and raiment; if not, let His will prevail. That is the path of absolute surrender.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

lusion (maya) envelops the good with the blemish of the bad. It makes evil glitter with the shine of the good. Discriminate to the best of your capacity and develop your capacity to discriminate. Struggle to win, that is the best that you can do. Your conscience knows well the source of joy and happiness. It will prod you towards the right path. You must take it as your guide and not disobey it, every time it contradicts your whim or fancy. There is no need for you to retire into a forest or a cave to know your inner Truth and to conquer your lower nature. As a matter of fact, you have no choice to exercise your vices there, so the victory achieved there may not be genuine or lasting. Be in the world, yet away from its tentacles. This is the victory for which you deserve congratulations.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

You may be sitting on a soft cushioned sofa in a safe, air-conditioned room, but your heart may be burning with unspeakable anxiety, distress and fear. The body is akin to the cart and the mind is the horse. Now people give first place to the cart. The body and its needs are given more importance. This is incorrect. The sages have known the mine of bliss in the human heart, and have discovered methods to develop and excavate it. They have clearly spelt out that if Mother Earth (Bhoo-Matha), one’s physical mother (Nija-Matha), the sacred cow (Go-Matha) and Mother Scriptures (Veda Matha) are revered, nourished and fostered and used as best as they should, then happiness is certain and liberation is assured.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Why are you put-off when you see wrong? Why are you provoked to react or respond when you see evil? Remember, evil has in it the potential to become good and good has in it the liability to turn evil! There is no fire without a wisp of smoke; there is no smoke, without a spark of fire. No one is fully wicked, fully infallible or fully perfect. Take the world as it is, never expect it to conform to your needs or standards. The treasure that is undoubtedly the most precious in the universe is the quality of equanimity and unruffled-ness (shantham). Practise this and make it your natural reaction. The Goddess of Victory smiles only on the heroic, those who make lions of themselves; those resilient, brave and self-confident warriors. If you secure the Grace of the Lord, then you will be reinforced with so much strength, that you can carry out even the most difficult tasks.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

This holy full moon day is called Vyaasa Poornima, and must be celebrated with prayer and contrition which alone can cleanse the heart, and not by feasting or fasting, which affects only the body. Today the moon shines bright, cool and full, without any hindrance. The mind of a human is compared to the moon, for it is as wayward as the moon with its swing from brightness to darkness. Your mind must be bright, effulgent and cool always. Two statements give you the gist of all the eighteen Puranas composed by sage Vyaasa. “Do good to others; avoid doing harm". These are the cure for the disease of suffering from joy and grief, honour and dishonour, prosperity and adversity, and all the dual throng that bother you and deprive you of equanimity. Follow the path shown by your Guru. Even Vyaasa can only show you the road. You have to traverse it alone.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Human beings are a mixture of Divinity, Demon and Human (Daiva, and manava). The wickedness of the ogre can be overcome by the quality of mercy and charity (daya), sympathy and empathy. Pride can be overcome through self-control (dama), detachment,  and renunciation; Egoism can be overcome by following the code of conduct (dharma) prescribed by the impartial sages, and by channelizing your instincts and impulses into fruitful action. When these three Gunas are thus sublimated, Manava (human) is transformed into Madhava (God). Make the best use of your Guru. Acquire from Him the skills for winning peace of mind and bliss (shantiand santosha), the Grace of God, the lessons of spiritual practice (Sadhana), and the fruits of good and holy company (sathsang); do not fritter away your energy and time, seeking sensory satisfaction in ungodly company.

BAGAVAN SRI SRI SRI SATHYA SAI BABA

Thought for the Day

A true devotee will have no eye on the profit of any kind that can be derived from their service. If you quarrel with your spouse and desist from food for a day, that does not count as fasting in the book of God. Also praising one God as great and decrying another is incorrect. Any of these acts reflect the fact that you are unaware of the elementary rules of spiritual discipline. Dhana (wealth) is the currency of the world.Sadhana (Spiritual Practice) is the currency of the spirit. Be an example to others through your conduct - sweet speech, humility, reverence to elders and steadfastness in truth and faith. This way you will influence more people into practicing spirituality; it is better than establishing societies, collecting donations or running temples. The Lord looks for sincerity, simplicity and steady joy in the contemplation of His Name and Form.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

For you to relish the dish (pappu) it must have enough salt (uppu). But if you add a little extra, it spoils the dish. So too, life becomes very difficult to bear, if you have too much of desire. Limit your desires to your capacity and even among them, have only those that will grant you lasting joy. Do not run after fashion and public approval and strain your resources beyond repair. Also stick to your own code of conduct (Dharma) that regulates your life or the stage you have reached. Do not place your needs and joy first. Consider the joy of others as more important than your own. Respect elders and cultivate cordiality between brothers and sisters, teachers and students, employers and employees. Respect the culture of your land and bring honour to the land you were born in and live in. Nourish your parents, revere them. If you do so, the Lord of the Universe will guard you against harm.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

The attachment to sensual objects and to the pleasure they give is like the soot that sticks to the inside of the chimney and dims the light. Clean the chimney by namasmarana(repetition of the Lord’s name) every day and the flame will shine for you and others. Also do good deeds and be in good company. Proper atmosphere is very essential for the development of a spiritual aspirant. That is why spiritual seekers in the past left their homes and lived in the hermitages maintained by the sages. This is akin to keeping a pot of water immersed in water. That way, the water in the pot will then not be lost through evaporation. Therefore be careful, that the success you have won in the promotion of virtue, in the conquest of baneful habits and in the assumption of regular disciplines, are not frittered away by trite company, loose talk, cynical criticism or lackadaisical effort.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

In the dark night, the Moon can be seen through its own light only. The Lord is all Love, so He can be seen only through Love. He is Sathyam and Nithyam (Truth and Eternal), and is beyond all falsehood (Mithya). When the dust settles upon the glass of the lantern, it dims its light. Attachment to sensual objects and to the pleasure they give (Vyamoha) is the soot that dims the light of love in your heart. Remove the delusion and the fact that you have become old or diseased, or that you are weak and debilitated. Do not count the years and grieve over advancing age and shudder like cowards afraid of death. Remember, despondency is hell, elation is heaven. Have always some work to do and do it so well that it grants you joy!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Foolishness, egoism and sheer ignorance are the root-causes of misery. The eye, the ear and the tongue lead people to anger and malice, instead of making them the messengers of peace and harmony. Intellect is the root of pride and envy. Lord Vishnu is called Lord Jagannatha at Puri. Lord Shiva is Vishweshwara, the Lord of Universe at Kashi. Vishnu is Gopal (protector of cows) and Shiva is Pashupathi (master of cows). Where is the room for rivalry between those who worship Shiva and Vishnu? Still the innate urge to fight comes up in the heart of people and they use the Names of the Lord as excuses for provoking the fights they relish. Stay away from these instincts. Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

A thirsty passenger asked the water carrier at an up-country railway station in India whether the leather bag in which they were serving water was clean. The reply the passenger received was, “As regards cleanliness, all I can say is that the bag which contains the water is cleaner than the bag which takes it in!” This statement conveys an important lesson. You must care more for the cleanliness of your mind and intellect than that of the external body. Instead of criticising others and finding fault with the actions of others, subject yourself to vigilant scrutiny. Understand your motives and actions in a deep manner and invest time in correcting your own faults. Do not be like the dancer who blamed the drummer for the wrong steps.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

The whole world is very agitated and full of discontent, anxiety and fear; filled with petty faction and hatred. In order to calm and silence it, you must have enthusiasm and courage. When defeat and disappointment stare you in the face, you must not give way to weakness or despondency. Never condemn yourself as inferior or useless. Analyze the defeat and find out the reasons in order to avoid it the next time. You are not zeroes, you must become Heroes! You should have the muscles of iron and nerves of steel. Then your resolution itself will generate the necessary confidence and you will win over the opposition. For the crop of life, courage and confidence are the best pesticides and manure. Be like lions in the spiritual field, rule over the forest of senses and roam fearlessly with full faith in victory.  

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

The last day of a Saptaha (seven-day discourse) is calledSamaapthi. That word means, according to most people, the final function; but it has a more profound meaning too.Samaapthi means the attainment (Aapthi) of the Samam(Divine or Brahman). That is the final fruit of Shravana, Manana and Nidhidhyasana (Listening, Recapitulation and Assimilation) of key spiritual truths and lessons from discourses. In the worldly sense, it means the conclusion of a period of time. In the spiritual sense, it means transcending time! The lesson that all spiritual discourses wish to convey is that you must give up your pursuit of sensory objects, if you seek lasting peace and joy. Material wealth brings along with it, not only joy but grief as well. Accumulation of riches, multiplication of wants will lead only to alternation between joy and grief. Attachment is the root of both joy and grief. Detachment is the saviour.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

This Asthipanjaram (skeletal cage or body) is the Hasthinapuram, where we have the blind king, Dhritharaashtra, the symbol of ignorance as well as Yudhishthira, the symbol of wisdom. Let the forces of Yudhishthira win, with the help of Shri Krishna, the Lord. Let the tongue that is accustomed to the bitterness of the neem fruit of worldly triumphs and disasters taste the honey of Namasmarana (Remembering the Lord’s Name). Experiment with this for some time sincerely and steadfastly and you will be surprised at the result! You can feel a significant improvement in peace and stability in you and around you. Learn this easy lesson, get yourself immersed in joy and let others also share that joy with you.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

A millionaire pays income tax with tears in his eyes. A Headmaster joyfully gives up the furniture and laboratory appliances of the school when he is transferred to another place. Why? Because the headmaster knows and believes that he is only the caretaker, and is not the owner. They are not attached to these articles, for they know that these belong to the Government. So too, every one of you must feel that your family, your house, your fields, your car are all the Lord’s property. You are just a trustee and must be ready to give them up without murmur, at a moment’s notice. Sacrifice does not mean that you should not attach value to things. You must indeed care for everything. But remember, that all of them are transient and the joy they give is very trivial and temporary. Know their real worth, do not overestimate them and develop attachment to them.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai baba

Thought for the Day

 Spend your time in the contemplation of the beauties of Nature that are spread out before you in the earth and sky. Enjoy the green expanses of the crops, cool breezes that waft contentment and joy, the panorama of coloured clouds, the music of the birds, etc. Sing the glory of God as you walk in Nature, along the bunds of the fields and the banks of the canals. Avoid polluting the air with vengeful boasts. Do not spend time in hateful talks when you see God has created such wonderful evidences of love! Living in these placid surroundings, you should not disturb the sky with your shouts and curses. Any seed needs water and manure to grow and yield a rich harvest. So too, the tiny sapling of spiritual yearning for liberation from bondage also needs water and manure. Just a wise farmer will care for his crops dearly, you must take care of your habits to reap the harvest of liberation.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Set right your habits, purify your conduct and cleanse your behavior. Even one bad habit can destroy all health, happiness, charm and joy. Control yourself and do not yield to the temptations of friends or social conventions and become prey to bad habits. The body is the temple of the Lord. Keep it in good and strong condition. Also be aware that it can be damaged from qualities such as anger, hatred and greed, or from sloth, sleep and inactivity. When you get angry and/or violent with anyone, quietly repeat the Name of the Lord to save you from your anger. Drink a glass of cold water, or lie down in a bed until the fit of fury passes through. When you are angry, you abuse another and the other person does the same, so tempers rise and heat is generated which causes lasting injury. Five minutes of anger can damage five generations of relationship, so be careful.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

There is no use in asking a doctor to advise you about the plans for the building you propose to raise, nor is it wise to ask an engineer to assuage the pain. Go to the proper Guru and learn from him the cardinal principles to guide your lives. Take time to understand, internalize and practice – what is your code of conduct, what does it allow, what does it condemn, why should it be followed? You must evolve your own code of conduct (Athma Dharma) centred on the Divine, appropriate to your situation, which is based on the firm belief on the omnipresence and omnipotence of the Divine Self which pervades the entire Universe.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Truly speaking, the farmers are holy ones, for they bend under the weight of the service they do. With hands raised in prayer, they toil night and day, converting dust and dirt into nourishing harvest of grain for all people to feed on. Similarly, the Lord will be very pleased with the harvest of virtues, for it also truly sustains the world. Embark on this holy task from today and make the fruits of your efforts very sacred! Worry and grief will always be there – something or the other from the past, present or future will bother you whether you are awake or asleep. Do not give up your worldly duties, but do them with the Name of the Lord on your lips, inviting the grace of God with gratitude. Then worry and grief will vanish and you will have peace! Also do not involve yourself in the affairs of others and get so entangled that you cannot extricate yourself.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Devotion is very difficult to acquire, it is not easy to become a true devotee. A true devotee should fully surrender, and be in complete contentment, whatever may happen. Truly speaking, this is more difficult than the Path of Wisdom (Jnana marga). But do not despair. The river must flow back to its source; it must flow on and on, down and deeper until it merges in the ocean. Do not be discouraged, keep your hope on, you have to win some day. Having taken all the effort to receive good counsel in spirituality, you must put into practice at least one teaching. One stick is enough to light a fire, the entire box of matches is not needed. Have faith and be steady in the pursuit of the goal.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Real Bliss (Ananda) can be won only by means of the transformation of the impulses which agitate the mind. It is not to be found in wealth. Many often think that the rich people are happy. Ask Me, I shall reveal to you that they are full of grief, for they come to Me in large numbers for relief. A strong physique will not give anyone any peace, nor does scholarship, asceticism or rituals. Only constant dwelling on the Name of the Lord gives that Unshakeable Peace, unaffected by the ups and downs of life. You can call someone a Dheera (hero), if they truly take to the Name of the Lord. Keep the Form of your favorite Lord in your mind. Live always in the presence of that form-filled Name, ever vigilant in your mind. Then your life will become one continuous worship of the Lord.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Liberation is attained when the Soul shines in its own divinity. Liberation is not a nation or a suburb in paradise where aristocratic residents secure good sites. Liberation is the condition of one who has shed delusion. Shed delusion, then grief will be destroyed and joy established. Removal of Grief (Dukha-Nivrithi) and Attainment of Bliss (Ananda-Prapthi), happen at the same time. Your mind is the villain, its other name is desire! When you pull out all the yarn from a piece of cloth, there is no cloth. So too, pull out all the desires from the mind; the mind disappears and you attain freedom! Grief and joy are the obverse and reverse of the same experience. Joy is when grief ends, grief is when joy ends. Just as you must set the table for two when you invite a blind person for dinner (the blind person and his/her companion), so too, grief and joy are inseparable.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Attach yourself to God, then all other attachment for the temporary objects will automatically fall off. At least, you will start seeing worldly objects in the right manner, in the light of their relative reality. It is only when the tiny little ego assumes enormous importance, there is a lot of bother. That is the root of all the travail. In your heart there is the Aatma Rama, the Rama who will confer eternal joy upon you. So repeat the Name of the Lord. The Lord’s Name is the Sun, which can make the lotus in the heart blossom in full. Lord Rama is not merely the son of emperor Dasaratha, but is the Ruler ofDasa Indriyas (the ten senses). The recital of Lord Rama’s Name must become as automatic and as frequent as your very breath. The Lord’s name will endow you with power and all the spiritual capital you need. Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

There is no need to fight against the fundamental delusion of body attachment with overwhelming force and argument. Delusion will disappear, if you just sit quietly for one minute and analyse for yourself your own experience with this transient world. Jnana (Wisdom) is not Apraaptha-praapthi, something that is acquired from somewhere, like the gift of money from a donor to a person who did not have it. Wisdom is Praaptha-Praapthi! It is like forgetting about the ten-rupee note that you kept in a book you were reading. You then lent that book to someone and later asked him for a ten-rupee loan. He just gave it to you from the book, which is your own money. Similarly the Guru brings out the treasure of wisdom, from your very ownhridaya pustaka - book of your heart!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba