Thought for the Day

Arjuna entered the battlefield, fully equipped and fanatically determined to destroy his enemies. But when he took his position in the battlefield, he saw 'my teachers’, 'my grandfather’, 'my kinsmen’, 'my cousins', etc. and he was moved so much by this sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ that he discarded the bow and desired to return to the forest and beg for the rest of his life, than fight the war. The ‘I’ that has really nothing to do with earthly possessions, blinded him. Lord Krishna taught Bhagavad Gita and removed this delusion (moha). The lesson for you is “Be unmoved by duality”. Let not defeat or success affect your inner calm and inner joy. See yourself as your Self unrelated to others or the objective world. When you know your real Self, you are liberated! That is Moksha. Liberation (Moksha) is not a five-star hotel or a deluxe resort. It is just the awareness of your reality and the rejection of all contrary conceptions.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Every being is suffused with love. It is only for our convenience, for our pleasure, and our own selfish purposes that we develop certain worldly relationships. Give up self­ishness and strive for self-realisation. You must enquire into yourself, “Who am I? Body, mind, intellect, chittha(memories) or ahamkara (ego)?” You are none of these. You are yourself - “I am I.” Recognise this truth. One must render selfless service. The fruit of all actions must then be sacrificed. Only a person, who denounces the fruits of all actions, deserves to be called a Yogi (renunciant). A Yogi is not one who merely sits under a tree, closes one’s eyes and meditates. Real sacrifice involves giving up your desires. Do not be narrow-minded. If you are inflicted with narrow-mindedness your whole life will become narrow. Develop broad-mindedness and cultivate selfless love.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

If you join bad company, you will also become evil. Hence, never befriend a bad person. The moment you come across such people, just say ‘goodbye’ and move on. You need not develop hatred towards them.

The goal of celebrating the Dasara festival is to control the ten senses. Legend says that Goddess Chamundi killed the demon Mahisha during this occasion. The inner meaning of this story is that, under no circumstances, associate yourselves with demonic qualities. Always be in good company. If you join bad company, you will also become evil. Hence, never befriend a bad person. The moment you come across such people, just say ‘goodbye’ and move on. You need not develop hatred towards them. Whomever you come across, consider them as embodiments of Divinity and salute them. Even when you come across people who hate you, offer your salutations (pranams) to them and ask them, “How are you brother?” Then they too will respond in the same manner. A human being is one who is endowed with human values and also exhibits them. Always speak truth and observe righteousness (Dharma). Be peaceful. Be happy and blissful.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

You are wasting your precious time thinking that all that you see in this objective world is true. No! None of these objects is real. Truth is eternal and is beyond the three periods of time - past, present and future. That Truth is Divinity. God is only one, now and forever. How foolish it is to think that the worldly vision which is subject to change from time to time is real. You are a student today. Tomorrow you will become an officer in an Organization and few years later you will be a retired officer. Then, which is true? Is it the life as a student or as an officer or as a retired official? Thus, all that you see in this objective world and all the relationships between individuals are only temporary, never real and permanent. Divinity is not like that. Recognise the Truth that the Divine is omnipresent - yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Do not see, speak or hear what is evil.

Do not see, speak or hear what is evil. You must only see what is good, hear and speak what is sacred. These may seem simple maxims but are full of profound significance. Constantly discriminate between negative and positive actions. All bad and unwholesome actions are negative in character, eschew them altogether. Your mind must be filled with good thoughts, your hearts should be filled with compassion, and your hands must be engaged in selfless service. You will be caught up in negative behavior, as long as you identify yourself with the body. The moment you consider yourself as the master of the senses, your actions will be positive. Mastery of the senses leads to liberation. Liberation is not something to be achieved after life. Striving for liberation must start early in life and proceed continuously, until you are free from the bondage to the senses. Carry on all duties without attachment to the fruits thereof.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

In the drama of life, some act on the basis that nothing belongs to them and that, whatever words one utters or whatever action one does, all belong to God and nothing is their own. They play their role in this spirit, ascribing nothing to oneself. The other category are those that are like the actors who are conscious of the role they are playing and do not forget their individuality in their actions. They do not consider themselves as merely acting a part but as the doer. The difference between the two is that while the former realises the temporary nature of the part being played and is not attached to the things connected with the role, the other develops attachment to the role and does not wish to part with things connected with the role. Presently, most people suffer from the possessive attitude. The reason is the failure to use the senses properly and enslavement to the desires prompted by them. Train your sense organs only to perceive sacred things and abstain from indiscriminate enjoyment.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Fill your life with righteous acts and do not misuse your talents for unholy purposes.

The whole world is a stage and every individual is an actor. The Divine Lord is the Director of the Cosmic Drama. The primary goal of every actor doing a particular role is to carry out their duty, setting aside their individuality. In a school drama, a boy may play the role of a director. While acting, he must exhibit the behavior of a director and not behave like he would in his normal daily routine; those traits must be given a back seat. Your birth as a human being is a God given gift which must be used with due care. Fill your life with righteous acts and do not misuse your talents for unholy purposes. Your life will have a mixture of good and bad, discriminate and select to play your role in a good manner wherein you manifest humanness, and thus conduct yourself worthily. Realise that every human birth is a manifestation of the Divine will.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

People today repose their faith in the ephemeral and unreal world, and forget God who is the embodiment of truth. This is the root cause for all sorrows and difficulties faced by humanity. You say you are encountering difficulties. From where did they come? Difficulties are the consequences of one’s past deeds and thoughts. Everything in this world is suscep­tible to change. God is the only changeless principle. What is human life for, after all? Is it merely for eating, drinking, sleeping and ultimately dying? In doing so, can the human life be termed as sacred? At the time of birth everyone is pure and sacred. As they grow old, they gradually lose this purity. This is improper! One must always maintain one’s purity. Install the changeless and eternal God in the altar of your sacred heart and offer your love to Him. Thereby, you can experience bliss. This is the foremost duty of every human being.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Every human being has a heart. Your heart is already filled with love. With how many are you selflessly sharing the love in your heart? Not many! What then is the use of love, if it is not shared? You must share all the love present in your heart with every being in creation. Love is the gift of God and you must share it freely in this world. This is the only way out of all the troubles and failure that people suffer. Many of you repeat the words mechanically, “May all the beings in all the worlds be happy”. To how many people are you giving happiness? Most of you are concerned with your selfish interests, have strong egos and display ostentation all the time. Whoever has imbibed precious truths from the Masters and scriptures must be filled with love. The day you root out selfishness from within, Divinity will flourish and blossom in your heart.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Inside us, outside and all around there is air. But it cannot be seen, nor can it be grasped by the hand. For this reason can you deny the existence of air? How can one exist if there is no air? To deny the existence of air is to deny one's own existence. God is all-pervading. He is omnipresent. He transcends time, space and circumstances. God exists at a level which is in accordance to one's own level of understanding of the Divine. All the animate and inanimate objects in the world are Vishnuswarupa(manifestations of the Divine). It is foolish to look at the cosmos and deny the principle that pervades the cosmos. Equally is it not silly to look at the universe, which is the embodiment of the Divine, and deny the existence of the Divine? That is the reason why the scriptures declared:Pashyannapi na pashyathi mudho (The foolish one, even though he beholds, does not recognize

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Today many are concerned about the levels of pollution in water, air and environment. Enormous amounts of time, effort and resources are spent on purifying the elements. Shouldn’t you also be equally concerned, if not more, about the pollution in human minds? Many minds and hearts are much contaminated. The dire need today is to eradicate this pollution. Many are deeply immersed in worldly pleasures and desires. As a result, there is mental dissatisfaction and bitter frustration. Turn the minds, back to the source, from where they have originated. What should a fish out of water do to survive? Can the fish thrive by immersing itself in coffee or by placing itself on the most comfortable couch? The fish will survive happily only when it returns home - water! So too, human minds must be restored to their original home, which is the Divine Self within every being. Mental peace can be attained only by turning inward.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Once the saints Namadeva and Gyanadeva were travelling in a forest. They felt thirsty and searched for water and came across an old dried up well. Gyanadeva, who followed the path of wisdom, transformed himself into a bird and flew down, drank the water and returned. Namadeva saw this and didn’t agree with the approach. He thought that one must elevate oneself from this human birth to Divine and not the other way. So he sat at that spot and chanted the name of the Lord. Every time he did it with intensity, the level of water began to rise higher and higher and finally the well started overflowing. He comfortably drank the water and was blissful. He demonstrated clearly wisdom is useful but is not greater than Divinity. He clearly taught the precious lesson that the Name of the Lord will grant everything that one needs in life and ultimately the Divine Himself.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

The birth as a human being is sacred and precious. By indulging in selfishness, people undermine their birth and the Divinity within themselves. Leading a moral life alone can sanctify this birth. God is the indweller in everyone and directs human life as one’s inner conscience. If you let selfishness grow within you, it takes the form of lust, hatred and greed. These three vices are very dangerous and demonic. When worldly desires increase, the vices grow to the extent of making you lose faith in God and even lead you to developing enmity towards God. Never go after worldly happiness which is fraught with danger, giving up the Divine who is ready to be near and dear to you. Your parents or relatives may be away from you. God is never distant from you. He is always with you, behind you and around you, and He will always protect you.

Bagvan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

if we think of the Lord while performing every action, it will reflect and resound in the work we do!”

Sakhubai, an ardent devotee of Lord Panduranga, went to saint Namadeva and submitted, “Master, I make so many cow dung cakes, but people are stealing them. I need to earn a livelihood by selling these, but very little is left for me to sell. What do I do?” Namadeva smilingly asked her, “How do you know that those stolen are your cow dung cakes?” Sakhubai promptly answered, “Master, I make them thinking and reciting Lord Panduranga’s name all the time; my feelings are reflected in them and they give amazing results!” She then asked Namadeva to break and listen to one cake. Everyone around Namadeva were greatly astonished to hear the inanimate cowdung cake reverberating with Panduranga’s name with the correct pitch, tune and rhythm. Mother Sakhubai said, “Not only in these cakes, but if we think of the Lord while performing every action, it will reflect and resound in the work we do!”

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thus Ramayana clearly teaches the lesson that spiritual wisdom alone saves, and is essential.

Ravana was a great scholar. He mastered 64 distinct fields of knowledge, including the language of animals, birds and insects. He possessed all knowledge, wealth and prosperity that equaled heaven. He used his penance as a means to acquire mastery over the physical world, reposing his faith on the phenomenal world and not on the Creator. He chose not to enquire about the Creator of the phenomenal world. The Universe is the Creator’s property. Rama was the Creator Himself and Sita was Rama’s Power (Shakti). Ravana, giving in to lust, desire and greed, developed hatred and enmity towards Rama and abducted Mother Sita. What was the result? Not only he, but his entire kingdom was destroyed. Despite such high knowledge and prowess, he failed to recognize the Divine within and ruined himself due to a moral lapse. Thus Ramayana clearly teaches the lesson that spiritual wisdom alone saves, and is essential.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Dakshah is the quality of having firm determination to perform pure actions. The determination should be confined to actions that are pure, helpful to others and that sublimate you. At all circumstances, you must choose to act in a good manner and strictly refrain from any impure act. A person who can accomplish this is called Dakshah, and is very dear to the Lord. Udaseenah means the freedom from attachment. It means remaining serene and unruffled by fame or blame, peace or sorrow, loss or gain, pleasure or pain, not elated by prosperity or depressed by failure. You must never succumb to calumny, nor should you exult over fame. Fame and blame are like passing clouds; they must be treated the same. If you take them seriously, they will give rise to agitations in the mind, which may lead to demonic tendencies. Any devotee who possesses these sacred virtues is very dear to the Lord.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Many people speak about getting a vision of God. This is a naïve desire. They do not realize that God is present in everything they see. Scriptures declare that the one who fails to see the Divine manifest everywhere around them is a fool. Every being, every atom in this Universe is permeated by the Divine. So you must seek to realize your own inner Divinity and also recognize the Lord in all beings. You must manifest your loving nature, not become stone-hearted. For this, you must cultivate forbearance, love and compassion, and not resort to any sinful means. Your desires can never be fulfilled if you cause harm to others. If you are full of envy, pride and ostentation you cannot please God. The Divine will respond instantly only to unsullied love, and never to wealth, power or position.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

‘Shuchih’ means purity - it does not merely refer to the external cleanliness of the physical body. Your mind gets polluted by wrong thoughts and bad feelings. If you let your mind be continuously filled with evil thoughts, you will reap bad consequences. Hence give no room to wrong thoughts and feelings, and expel all negativity. Your body must be free from the taint of violence or harm (himsa). People commit many acts of violence and many sinful deeds with their hands; this is incorrect. The body has been given primarily for practicing righteousness (Dharma). Such a sacred gift must be used for rendering service to others. No one can refrain from action of some kind, even for a minute. Under no circumstances, should one engage in any impure act. You must achieve this purity with firm determination.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Express your gratitude to God by chanting His Name. Chant from the depth of your heart; not as a mere musical performance. The demonic King, Ravana, constantly repeated the Shiva mantra, Namah Shivaaya without giving up any of his demonic qualities. The young boy Prahlada, repeated the mantra, Om Namo Narayana with all his heart and soul. This served to save him from all the terrible ordeals his evil father, Hiranyakashipu, subjected him to. His father cast him from a precipice, had him trodden by several elephants, got him bitten by venomous reptiles and pushed him into the sea, yet Prahlada emerged unscathed from all these ordeals. Every instrument of torture turned into a blessing for young Prahlada! Hence chant the Name of the Lord from the bottom of your heart, with pleasing Him as the only goal. In this process, you must become one with the Divine. Never sing, pray or chant to earn the approbation of others or for show.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

All aspirants must have internal purity, as all actions arise from internal impulses and not external forces. Your actions reflect your inner being. When pure feelings arise within you, your actions will naturally be pure. To cleanse the internal impulses, you must be pure in your mind, speech and the body. Of these three, purity in speech is the most important. Gita reveals, “Every word you utter should be free from causing excitement or agitation (Anudhvegakaram Vakyam Satyam Priyahitam cha yat)”. Your speech must be true and pleasing. Four factors account for the pollution of speech; they are - uttering falsehood, excessive talking, carrying tales against others, and abuse or criticism of others. Make sure your tongue does not indulge in these offences. Only when you get rid of these four evil tendencies from within, your speech will become pure and unpolluted.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

what price does you pay for the light of the Sun who illumines the world?

Every object in the world, whether it is a bird or a sheep or anything else, has a value of its own. Man alone has lost his value because of his involvement in mundane pursuits. People have no gratitude to the five elements which confer on them gratis innumerable precious benefits like light, heat, air and water. You have to pay a price for so many small amenities like electricity and running water. But what price does you pay for the light of the Sun who illumines the world? This light is a gift of the Divine. What price do you pay for a soft breeze or a heavy downpour of rain? God is providing freely such precious benefits to you. What gratitude do people show to God for all these? The only way to show one's gratitude to the five elements is Smarana (to chant the Lord's name incessantly). Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Is it possible for anyone in this world to be free of any desire and expectation? Not quite! Some things (material and sensual) may be attractive to some persons and some big aims (non-physical and transcendental) may interest others. Almost all desires fall into one of the above categories. Then how is it possible to get rid of both kinds of desires? This is possible! In the Gita, the Lord has declared that He is present in all righteous actions. Therefore those who perform righteous actions can develop anapeksha(desirelessness). This means that when a man performs all actions as offerings to the Lord, they become desireless actions. The Lord is the One who from within, makes one act, speak, listen, see, etc. If a person performs all actions with the conviction that the indwelling Lord is the real Doer, then the actions become desireless. Hence to begin with every sadhaka should regard one’s actions as offerings to the Divine.

 Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

The Gayatri mantra mentions: Bhur Bhuvaha Suvah - the Bhuloka,  and  Suvarloka  (The human world, nether world and heaven). It is wrong to conceive of these three as existing one on top of the other. In fact the three lokas (worlds) are intertwined with each other and one exists within the other. The real meaning of this kind of geometrical configuration of the three lokas is that the pancha indriya, bhutas andkoshas (five senses, elements and sheaths) that constitutes the body isBhuloka; the aspect of prana shakti or manas thathvam (mind principle) is Bhuvarloka; and the microscopic state of Anandam (bliss) representsSuvarloka. So it can be said that the three worlds are nothing but thedeha thathwa, manas thathwa and Ananda thathwa (essential nature of body, mind and bliss) and the totality of these three represents theTrivikrama thathwa (nature of Vishnu expanding to the three worlds).

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

The Lord resides not only in the hearts of devotees, but also in the hearts of the evil-minded

The Lord resides not only in the hearts of devotees, but also in the hearts of the evil-minded. Once the child Prahlada approached his mother, Lilavati, and told her, "Mother, there is only one difference between me, who is a devotee of Hari and my father, who hates Hari. Ever contemplating on the nectarous sweetness of the Lord, repeating His name, and constantly remembering Him, I am immersed in the bliss of love of the Lord, like one intoxicated. My father, in his hatred of Narayana, has turned his heart into stone and installed Him in it." The Lord, who dwelt in the heart of Prahlada, who loved Narayana, and the Lord who was in the heart of Hiranyakasipu, who hated Narayana, was one and the same. One has to live in faith to experience happiness. Realising that the Divine is omnipresent, the devotees make their lives sublime by singing the glories of the Lord and ever dwelling on His name.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

The story of the Festival Onam

The story of the festival Onam is that of Emperor Bali, who was an embodiment of sacrifice (Thyaga), but who suffered from traces of ego (Ahamkara). Due to the predominance of other virtues and Lord Vishnu’s Grace, Emperor Bali overcame the ill-effects of ahamkara and attained mergence with Lord Vishnu, who appeared as Vamana. Bali personified the principles of sacrifice, charity and righteousness till his very end. Since Onam festival day is celebrated in memory of the re-appearance of Bali in his subtle form (sukshma rupa), it is imperative that we remember and practice the ideals for which he lived. Bali, as portrayed above, should be visiting us every day and not just once a year. We forget this and in our daily life leave ample room for the cultivation of undesirable traits such as greed, selfishness and egoism. Learning from Bali's life you must eradicate the negative traits at all costs, and render your heart pure for the Lord to reside in it.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Your body is a house given to you on rent. Live there so long as He wills, thanking Him and paying Him the rent of faith and devotion.

Emperor Bali demonstrated through his sacrificing nature that if one sacrifices everything, one will attain moksha (liberation). The real sacrifice involves two things: First, to realise the cause of our bondage in this life, and second, to sever this bondage. People mistakenly think that wealth, family, etc., are their bondages, and that by severing connections with them they will be able to sacrifice everything and become eligible to attain moksha. But these are not the real bondage. Real bondage is one’s ignorance in identifying oneself with the body. He who cuts off this bondage as Bali did, will attain moksha. For cutting off this bondage, purification of the heart is very necessary. In this Kaliyuga, namasmarana (constant remembrance of God) is the easiest way to purify one's mind; and surrendering to God with a pure mind is the surest way to attain moksha.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Desire (kama) must be got rid of by Tyaga (sacrifice) and Yoga (communion) to secure God (Rama). Desire discolours the intelligence, perverts judgment, and sharpens the appetites of the senses. It lends a false lure to the objective world. When desire is directed to God, the self-luminous intelligence within shines in its pristine splendour, and reveals God within and without, and you attain Self-Reali
sation  (Atma Sakshatkara). I bless all of you to succeed in your Sadhana  (spiritual efforts) ! If you have not been practicing sincerely until now, take up the simple practice of remembrance of the Divine (Namasmarana), along with reverence towards parents, teachers and elders, and service to the poor and needy. See everyone as your lshtadhevata (Beloved Lord). That will fill your heart with Love and give you stability of mind and peace.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

People think that giving up hearth and home is renunciation. This is not what Vairagya (detachment) implies. Whatever we do should be done in a spirit of goodwill and service. It should be for the wellbeing of the nation. And the welfare of all must be looked upon as the motto of the nation. From very early times, Bharatiyas have lived up to the ideal: "May all the worlds be happy!" To uphold this ideal, rulers, scholars, sages and everyone made many sacrifices. Today the spirit of sacrifice is not to be seen anywhere. It is selfishness that is the root cause of all the cruelty and violence today. All that we have in this century are strife, disputes, riots and violence. Selfishness has reared its head. Embodiments of Love! Get rid of selfishness. Regard yourself as an integral member of society. Develop the faith that your welfare is bound with the well being of all.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Remember, hands that serve are greater than the lips that pray. Real humanness consists in dedicating oneself to the spirit of service. Quantity does not matter; quality of service counts. Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly and spontaneously. The primary requisite is purification of the heart (Chittha Shuddhi). When your heart is purified, you get Supreme Wisdom (Jnana siddhi) and you can dedicate all actions in a spirit of detachment. Divine love can be secured only by dedicated service. God responds bounteously to your offer. For a handful of parched rice given to Krishna Kuchela got in return limitless prosperity. Draupadi was rewarded likewise. How can you receive God’s love if you do not love Him? God’s Grace is like a bank. You can draw money from that bank only to the extent to which you have built up deposits through Tyaga (sacrifice). Earn God's grace through love and sacrifice.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Remember, hands that serve are greater than the lips that pray. Real humanness consists in dedicating oneself to the spirit of service. Quantity does not matter; quality of service counts. Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly and spontaneously. The primary requisite is purification of the heart (Chittha Shuddhi). When your heart is purified, you get Supreme Wisdom (Jnana siddhi) and you can dedicate all actions in a spirit of detachment. Divine love can be secured only by dedicated service. God responds bounteously to your offer. For a handful of parched rice given to Krishna Kuchela got in return limitless prosperity. Draupadi was rewarded likewise. How can you receive God’s love if you do not love Him? God’s Grace is like a bank. You can draw money from that bank only to the extent to which you have built up deposits through Tyaga (sacrifice). Earn God's grace through love and sacrifice.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

There are people who go about declaring that there is no God because they are unable to see Him. They say that they have searched in space, on the way to the moon, and even on the moon there was no sign of the Almighty. But they themselves are the mansions in which He resides, all the time! Like the blind bamboozling the blind into a fall, others too repeat like parrots this ‘fashionable slogan’. No one sees the roots, but the roots are indeed there, deep in the soil, away from all eyes. Can you assert that there are no roots for trees, that nothing feeds them or upholds them from below? God feeds, sustains, holds firm - though unseen, He can be seen by those who make the effort, along the lines laid down for the purpose by those who have succeeded in experiencing Him. God is, as butter in milk, visible when concretized by spiritual striving (Sadhana).

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba