Thought for the Day

There are several, who, despite chanting the Lord’s name for several hours, days and months together, did not transform themselves even one bit. The demonic nature of Ravana, Bhasmasura and Kamsa did not diminish even a little, despite their chanting of the Lord’s name. What is the reason for this? All their sense organs function with the feeling: "I am the body (Aham Dehosmi)." Those who utter the name of the Lord while being immersed in body consciousness cannot realise the Divine, however long their penance may last. You are the embodiment of Divine Consciousness. Only when you are pure, you can experience that consciousness. Through attachment to worldly pleasures one gets bound to the physical and becomes oblivious to one’s essential Divinity.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the day

Educare guides a person to be humble, it grants a sense of discrimination endowed with wisdom. Why should anyone feel proud in being educated? Ultimately isn’t what he or she has attained a fraction of all learning? Never be egoistic of the knowledge you have acquired. Education is true, only when you direct it to render service to the society. Humility must be the crest jewel ornament of an educated person; it is truly the essence of education. It must reflect in our daily conduct and behavior, and should not be simply limited to occasional verbal expressions. People with humility, and obedience to parents and elders will achieve great success in their lives. Through your own words and actions, you must manifest the latent values by engaging yourselves in appropriate acts.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

We either think of the past or the future and ruin the present. Past is past, forget it. The past which is dead and gone, is useless. Work for your progress by living in the present, and in the moment. Future does not always bring happiness. And so far as the past is concerned, how much happiness have you experienced in it? Therefore, live happily in the present. What should we do in the present? Follow this maxim: Less luggage more comfort makes travel a pleasure. We should not worry about the past at all. Thinking about the past will not do any good to us. Therefore we should lead our life in the present and achieve all-round progress.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

When a tree sways with the wind, its branches bend and toss up and down. But the tiny bird sitting on it is not afraid? Why? Because the bird relies on its wings. Even if the branch falls down, as long as its wings are fine, it is safe. With this realization, the bird sits bravely on the swaying branch. However, human beings do not have so much faith as a tiny bird. Even with the slightest problems on the tree of life, people get very worried, why? It is because they have lost their self-confidence. Even at the slightest suffering, people are frustrated, depressed and unable to bear. Instead of depending on your intelligence, physical strength or wealth, trust your self-confidence. Do good deeds; let every step and all your efforts be directed to win His Grace and proximity. Then, you will surely triumph!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Each and every one of you is a spark of the Divine. Lord Krishna declares in Bhagavad Gita, “You are all essentially Divine, you are eternal and ancient. Do not conduct yourself as a human being nor be beastial in your attitude and behavior”. Each one of you is endowed with the sacred qualities of Truth, Righteousness, Love, Peace and Non-Violence. Hence, all of you must conduct yourself in accordance with these noble virtues. Never submit yourself to the evil qualities such as lust, greed, anger, jealousy, hatred and avarice. These do not befit the life of any human being. At times, changes in place or food habits give rise to other behavioural tendencies. Hence, be aware and take pure food and pure water regularly and in a timely manner. Lead a happy life, as a true human being, by observing all the rules and regulations

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Suppose you dream that you are being bitten by a snake, and are struggling with pain, shouting and frantically searching for medicines. Now even though you are bitten by a snake, do you take medicine to remove the poison? No, you don’t do that, because this happened in your dream. You perhaps will even forget the pain, as soon as you wake up, isn’t it? Similarly today you are in deep slumber of ignorance and worldly attachments and hence undergo a lot of suffering. The world is ephemeral and full of misery. You suffer only because of ignorance and body attachment. The moment you are awakened from the slumber, your problems will be solved. Anyone and everyone who aspires to lead a happy life must reduce body attachment. You develop ego because of your position, associations, physical strength or wealth. If you want to enjoy bliss, never give any scope for ego.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Young students are innocent. Their hearts and minds are pure, and they are selfless. In the primary school, you will find that many of them observe perfect discipline and are well behaved. By the time they are in secondary school, the purity and discipline slowly decreases. When they reach a college or university, everything becomes topsy-turvy! What really happens in between? As they grow in years, their mental balance is upset; they lose the steadiness of mind and self-control. They are exposed to undesirable influences. At this stage, teachers and parents must practice exemplary behavior and ensure that the children are on the right path at all times. Students also must bear in mind that all the regulations and discipline that are prescribed are for their highest good and in their own interests.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

People today depend on their intelligence, physical strength and money, but do not have as much confidence in their own Self. When you have Self-Confidence, you can achieve anything. You may have wealth or money (Dhana Bala), but how long will it last? It is like a passing cloud; it comes and goes. How long will this wealth called people (Jan Bala) - family and friends, last? As long as you have power, position and wealth, people will surround you. Hence all of these are transitory. You will receive true respect in this world, when you have the strength of the Soul. Therefore, lead your lives with the strength of the Divine to attain the Divine. With faith in God, you must resort to good activities. As is the action, so is the result. Every step you take, must lead you to His proximity. Make every effort to get close to God. Then, you will be
 triumphant in life.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Rama chose to go to the forest to fulfill the pledge of His father. It may be asked: Did He go to the forest under any compulsion or out of His own resolve, or with a sense of dissatisfaction? No. Rama set out for the forest with the same sense of serenity and joy with which He looked forward to His coronation. Rama demonstrated the spirit of equanimity. He showed that pain or pleasure, profit or loss, victory or defeat, were the same to Him. In human life, pleasure and pain, happiness and sorrow alternate all the time. It is not a good quality to welcome pleasure and turn away pain. You must welcome sorrow in the same joyous spirit in which you greet happiness. Happiness has no value unless there is also sorrow. That is why it is said, "Pleasure is not secured from pleasure." Pain is needed to secure pleasure. Rama demonstrated to the world the truth o f this concept.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the day

The Vedas taught two kinds of dharma (codes of right conduct). One is termed pravrithi (outward path) and the other is termednivrithi (inward path). Pravrithi is related to worldly activities; it prescribes the qualities needed for leading the life in the mundane world. Nivrithi teaches knowledge of the Self (Atma-jnana). One who knows the difference between the two is dauntless. For example, when one is hungry, Pravrithi tells one to eat food and appease the hunger. Nivrithi reminds what kind of food one should eat, what is good for one’s health and what is injurious, and how it should be consumed. All conflicts begin from your mind; it is Pravrithi that generates conflict, brings about union and separation. Ayodhya (a-yodhya) means a place free from strife and controversy; no enemy could enter it. The human heart is the symbol of Ayodhya.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Rama’s name is a life-giving essence with esoteric significance. It consists of three syllables: Ra + Aa + Ma. The combination of the three letters constitute the name ‘Rama’. Ra representing Agni (the Fire God), burns away all sins;  Aa representing Surya (the  Sun  God ), dispels the darkness of ignorance; and Ma representing Chandra (the Moon God), cools one’s temper and produces tranquility. The name Rama has the triple power of washing away one's sins, removing one's ignorance, and tranquilizing one's mind. How can this profound meaning of the name Rama be imparted to mankind? This can be done only by the Divine coming in human form and demonstrating to mankind the power of the Divine. Rama was one who, while appearing to lead the life of an ordinary man, led the Life Divine. He 
demonstrated the ideal life of a spiritually realised person.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

As an individual, Rama revealed the Divinity in Him through His ideal conduct.

The profound message the divine epic Ramayana gives is: One must lead the life of a human being, and one must seek oneness with the Divine. In every human being, all the three natures – human, divine, and demonic – are present. But most people today ignore their humanness and Divinity, and foster only their demonic nature. In fact, one should strive to manifest the Divinity, and not display one’s weakness or unpleasant qualities. In every act, Rama set the example, be it in individual conduct, in the discharge of duties to the family, or in fulfilling the obligations to society. Rama demonstrated the ideals to be followed. All should begin with fulfilling their individual obligations. The duty of the individual is to manifest the Divinity within. As an individual, Rama revealed the Divinity in Him through His ideal conduct.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Every action carries with it an equal reaction. Every action is a seed, and these seeds grow into trees, so always undertake only sacred actions. Sometimes, we undertake actions with full enthusiasm and joy. When we end up suffering from the action’s consequences, we shed tears and lament. Hence, before you start doing anything, you must first think; discriminate between good and bad action, and conduct yourselves accordingly. You must also give importance to the appropriateness of the speech that flows through the action. Never do anything that will cause others trouble. It may appear impossible to go on with your duties without the feeling of body consciousness and attachment. But by constantly thinking of God, you must reduce these feelings. Then there will be no misery; pain and pleasure will not bother you.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

You may go through sacred texts, offer all sorts of prayers to all Gods and perhaps be in a thick forest or in the safest place, but you cannot run away from your destiny. Just like you may immerse a container in a small lake or a large ocean, but you cannot collect more water than what the container can hold. Without the strength of righteousness, physical and intellectual strength are of no avail. Examine for yourself – what happened to the mighty Karna (in the epic Mahabharata)? Though he had the intellect and physical valour, he joined the bad company of Duryodhana, Dushasana and Shakuni, and therefore came to be known as the fourth wicked person. So never be in bad company who will lead you to entertain bad thoughts and indulge in inappropriate actions. To earn the special grace of God, you must be in good company and do good deeds. Then God will make your container bigger to harvest His Grace!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Due to the force of gravity objects fall. The gravitational force is invisible to our eyes. Similarly, there are innumerable divine forces operating in this Universe. You must not deny them just because you cannot see them. Only the power of the Divine enables you to speak, see, move and think. All the power of the sense organs are derived from the Divine. In conceit, you may imagine that you are the doer. This is the result of ignorance and folly. Ask the question, what is responsible for existence? The answer is Divinity. Without faith in the Divine, nothing can be achieved. There is no need to seek a reason for this faith – Faith has no season or reason, it is like the love of a child for the mother. The child loves its mother for the sole reason that she is its mother. Develop such confidence and firm faith, you can realize God.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

When Krishna was placed in the weighing scale, Rukmini brought one Tulasi leaf and said, “One may offer a leaf, a flower, fruit, or even just water to God. I offer this Tulasi leaf to You. If it is true that you rescue the person devoted to You, I pray, let this leaf of Tulasibalance Your weight.” The sanctity of sacred thoughts and acts are not understood by many. Rukmini’s offering was filled with devout feeling, so it equaled the weight of Lord Krishna, who is the very Lord of the Universe. Rukmini accomplished this feat through her selfless devotion. What is the significance in the offering of a leaf? Body (deha) is a leaf (patram) with three attributes of Satva, Rajas andTamas. Heart (Hrudaya) is a flower (pushpam). The flower of the heart is pure and sacred. Fro m this flower comes the fruit, mind with its sweet juice. You must offer this to God.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

An educated person must control one’s senses.

After birth, as one grows, one develops association with relatives, friends, teachers and others. Through these numerous relationships, one’s human qualities develop and blossom. You must show your gratitude to all by striving for their well-being. Without these associations, the lone individual would remain at an animal level. If you confine your interests to a few subjects, it will result in narrow-mindedness. You must not be restrictive in acquiring skills that help you earn a livelihood. In fact, you must learn about life itself, how it should be lived and the basic goal of life. Learning how to earn an income is not a great thing; all the evils that we see in the world today stem from a perverted system of education. An educated person must control one’s senses. Education that helps one discover one’s spiritual essence is real education. Learn how to live as a worthy human being.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba