Thought for the Day

Revere Knowledge as you revere your father, adore Love as you adore your mother, bond fondly with Dharma (righteousness) as if it is your own brother, confide in Daya (compassion) as if it is your dearest friend, have Shantam (calmness) as your better half, and treat Sahana (fortitude) as if it is your own beloved son. These are your genuine kith and kin. Move with them, live with them, do not forsake or neglect them. Living with these kinsmen is the best recipe. That is the best atmosphere to ensure the discipline and detachment needed for mind control. Mere prayer will not do. You will have to swallow and digest the morsel that is put into the mouth; repetition of the name of the dish is of no use. The mother feeds lovingly, but the child must take it in with avidity and relish. When an earthly mother has so much love, who can estimate the love of the Mother of all beings, the Jagatjanani?

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Cultivate nearness to Me in your heart and you will be rewarded. Then you too will acquire a fraction of the Supreme Love. Do not lose the contact and the company; for, it is only when the coal is in contact with the live embers that it can also become a live ember. You are truly fortunate, blessed with a great chance. This chance will not come your way again, beware of that. If you cannot and do not cross the sea of grief now, when again can you get such a chance? Engage yourself in spiritual discipline, spiritual thoughts, and spiritual company. Let the past go its way. At least from now on seek to save yourself. Never yield to doubt or unsteadiness. Do not get shaken in mind; do not allow faith to decline. That will only add to the grief you already suffer from. Hold fast - that must be your vow.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

The eagle is pestered by crows so long as it has a fish in its beak. They swish past that to steal the fish out of its mouth. They pursue the bird wherever it sits for a little rest. At last, it gives up the attachment to the fish and drops it from its beak; the crows fly behind it and leave the eagle free. So, leave off sense pleasures and the crows of pride, envy, malice and hatred will fly away, for they want only carrion. Practise renunciation from now on, so that you may set out on the journey when the call comes, and you never know when that will happen. Else at that moment, you will be in tears, when you think of the house you have built, the property you have accumulated, the fame you have amassed, and the trifles you have won. Know that all this is for the fleeting moment: develop attachment for the Lord, who will be with you wherever you go. 

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

God's love is totally selfless. It is absolutely pure, eternal and flawless. Human love is self-centred and tainted. Such a love cannot merge with God's love. It is only when you are free from egoism, pride, hatred and envy that God will abide in you. Without tyaaga (renunciation) if a person is immersed in worldly pleasures and leads a mundane life, all his devotion is only artificial and a kind of self-deception. Such devotion will not lead one to God. Today the world is full of such persons. People claim that they are loving God. But everyone loves God for one’s own sake and not for the sake of God. This is pure selfishness. You seek all things in the world for your own sake. Even God is sought for such a reason. God cannot be got so easily. The heart has only a single seat. There is room in it for only one person. If you install worldly desires on that chair, how can you expect God to sit on it? God will enter that seat only if you empty it of all other things. 

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

You will have to follow the path of Radha, Meera, Gouranga and Tukaram. You must feel an inseparable affinity with the Lord, as inseparable as the wave and the sea. You are really of the same essence, the same taste, the same quality as the sea, though you have the name and form of the wave. The Lord is the form with attributes (Saguna) aspect of theParamatma (Supreme Being), that is the Universe. Butter, when in the milk, is immanent in it, and has no separate name and form; but, when you convert milk to curd and take it out, it has a name and form which makes it distinct from milk. Ghee (clarified butter) too when liquid has no particular form, but when it solidifies, it gets a form. So too Madhava-tatwam (the Divine essence) when it assumes a form, isManava (Human form).

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Adi Shankara asks, "Who are you, who am I, where did I come from, where am I going, what is the nature and purpose of all this movement and change, is there any stable base, any goal, direction or director (Kasthwam, koham, kutha ayatah)? Do not brush aside these questions from your mind. Each one of you gets this and it harasses you, when you are alone with something grand and awe-inspiring in Nature, or with some terrible or shocking incident in your own experience. It is unwise to forgo these precious moments and turn again to the humdrum of life, without pursuing the inquiry to which you are prompted. Guru comes to warn and awaken. He reveals the truth and encourages you to progress towards it. Unless you have the yearning, the questioning heart, and the seeking intelligence, he cannot do much. The hungry can be fed; the one without hunger will discard food as an infliction.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

One fatal weakness that prevents you from getting closer to experiencing God is dambha: conceit, egoism, pride, the desire to be talked about or praised! People take delight in talking tirelessly about their achievements and capabilities. They want that their names and deeds should appear in the daily papers in big bold letters! This indeed makes them ludicrous and pitiable. It is not in the newspapers that you should strive to get attention. Earn status in the realm of God; earn fame in the company of the good and the godly, progress in humility, in reverence to elders and parents! If you are forever in the primary class labouring over A B C, how can you make out the meaning of what experts teach? Spirituality and Divinity is beyond the reach of the senses and you must listen, practice, and cherish noble ideals in your minds. Practise virtues and live in joy.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

There are four kinds of temples: One, Vidyalaya (the temple of learning); second, Bhojanalaya (the temple of food); third, Vaidyalaya (the temple of healing) and Devalaya (the temple of God). All the four are places of worship for man. You go to a Bhojanalaya (also means hotel or restaurant), eat good and tasty food you like and come out happy. You go to aVaidyalaya (hospital), consult a doctor and only receive prescribed treatment for the illnesses you are suffering from. When you go to aVidyalaya (an educational institution) you seek only knowledge in the subjects you are interested in. Similarly when you go to a Devalaya(temple), ask yourself, do you conduct yourself properly? In a temple you should be concerned only with worship. Instead of concentrating the mind on the Divine, why do you allow it to wander hither and thither and think about useless mundane affairs? Remember, if only you secure the grace of God, everything will be accomplished easily!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

We should be afraid of sin, and not difficulties. We have to developDaiva preeti, papa bheeti and Sangha neeti (fear of sin, love of God and morality in society). Instead of developing fear of sin, we are enslaved by sin. Instead of seeking refuge in God, we are submitting ourselves to difficulties. Morality in society will lead to love of God which will in turn lead to fear of sin. Hence, we should uphold morality in society and dedicate ourselves to God. Saint Thyagaraja once prayed, “Oh Lord, I am deeply concerned about the fear of sin. I am unable to surrender to Your love. Please grant me the strength of conviction to bow down before Your divine love and bless me with strength to overcome difficulties”. Every true devotee of God must abstain from sinful acts and overcome sorrows and difficulties. Strive to attain the treasure of pure devotion! 

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Although God dwells in every person, this fact remains latent like oil in the gingelly seed. To manifest the Divine within you, you must go through trials and ordeals. Love for God should grow as a result of adversity. Just as gold improves in brilliance the more it is heated in the crucible, your devotion must shine when it goes through a constant purificatory process. Remember, for all the cruelty and violence that we find in the world today, the root cause is selfishness. This must be eradicated. Experience the Love Principle and rid the world of hatred. Once hatred is destroyed, world will be free from violence and strife. Cultivate Selfless Love and manifest love in all your thoughts and actions. You will experience bliss. When you are filled with Love for God, all pains and troubles will be forgotten. To propagate this principle of Divine Love, God descends in human form from time to time.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Amongst the many who claim to be devotees of the Lord, only very few are real devotees. When the elements of selfishness and egoism are present in a devotee, God will take no notice of him or her. Divine Love is present all the time. But like the cloud that hides the sun from a person, selfishness and ego of the devotee comes between God's love and the devotee. To proceed from the human condition to the Divine in man, the only means is the Prema Tatwa(Love Principle). Worldly love cannot be equated with Divine Love (Prema). The term Prema is used in ordinary parlance to describe what is really worldly attachment. People are attached more to names and forms than to the inner spirit of things. To get over this false attachment to external forms and names, it is essential to cultivate love in its purest form. To manifest this love, the first requisite is to get rid of selfishness and self-interest.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

When you fill your hearts with love, you have no ill-will towards anyone. Cultivate the faith that God is in everyone. Surrender to the Divine in a spirit of dedication. The symbolic meaning in the relationship between Krishna and the Gopikas is this: Your heart is the Brindavan. Your thoughts are like the Gopikas. TheAtma is Krishna. Bliss is the sport of Krishna. Everyone must convert their heart into a Brindavan and consider the indwelling Atma as Krishna. Every action should be regarded as a Leela of Krishna. Gokulashtami is celebrated by offering to Krishna Paramannam (a special rice dish cooked with jaggery). The real meaning of Paramannam is Annam (food) relating to Param (Supreme). Paramannam is sweet. Your love must be sweet. What you offer to God must be your sweet love. Your love must be all-embracing. This is the foremost message of the Avatar.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Experiences with Maha Periyava:

Swamigal was sitting like a Statue with the flower in His Hand!

It was 35 years ago on Saraswathi Pooja day during Navarathri that this incident happened.

As usual, Sri Maha Periyava completed the Chandramouleeswara pooja and started doing the Saraswathi pooja. One Vaideekar Purohit Mama was sitting near Him and was reciting the pooja mantras from a book in his hand.

He recited the Sankalpam, Aavahanam, Prana Prathista, Anga Pooja and started reciting the Saraswathi Ashtotram. At the end of each Namaha, Swamigal was offering Her a flower.

Then the Vaideekar came to the line and read:

"Om Brahma Jayayai namaha!"

The flower in the Hands of MahaSwamigal did not reach Saraswathi's Lotus Feet but remained motionless in His hands, about to be delivered!

The Vaideekar kept reciting the same Namavali “Om Brahma Jayayai namaha” in the same manner, several times but MahaSwamigal was sitting like a Statue, with His Hands raised and the flower in His hand!

Everyone present there got worried as to what mistake had occured! Why did MahaSwamigal not offer that flower to Her!

The news reached the SriMatham Manager, Sri Viswanathan Iyer and he rushed to the pooja spot. He asked the Vaideekar to repeat that line again and the Vaideekar promptly said the same: "Om Brahma Jayayai Namaha!"

The flower remained motionless in MahaSwamigal's hands.

Fortunately there was a Sanskrit Pandit nearby. He corrected it and asked the Vaideekar to recite it as:

"Om Brahma Jaayayai Namaha!"

Now the flower in MahaSwamigal's hands took flight to Saraswathi's Lotus Feet!

One may ask what the difference between the two Namavalis is.

Here is the meanings of those phrases:

Correct one is "Om Brahma 'Jaayayai' Namaha!" which means Salutations to Her who is the Consort of Lord Brahma!

Wrong one is "Om Brahma Jayayai Namaha!" which means Salutations to Her who is Victorious over Lord Brahma!

Sri Maha Periyava never performs the poojas mechanically but He always does it with full devotion and perfection. This is a true example for that.

Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara

Thought for the Day

The evil deeds of the wicked and the good deeds and yearning of the righteous are responsible for the advent of Avatars. The Narasimha Avatar (God incarnating as half-man and half-lion) was due to the great devotion of Prahlada and the bad qualities of Hiranyakashipu (Prahlada's father). God descends in response to the yearning and actions of people. Here are two simple examples. Crops grown on the ground look up to the skies for rain. They cannot reach up to the clouds. So, the clouds come down in the form of rain to provide water to the crops. Another example: There is an infant crawling on the floor. It wants its mother but it cannot jump up to her. So, the mother bends down, takes the child and caresses it to make it happy. In the same manner, to offer relief to devotees, to nurture, protect and foster them, the Divine comes in the human form to give them joy.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

The world is a manifestation of the three gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas). When selfishness and self-interest are rampant, people forget kindness and compassion, when the forces of injustice, immorality and untruth grow to monstrous proportions and indulge in a death-dance, the Atmic principle, Divine Mother Shakti, takes on the Rajasic form to suppress and win over the dark forces of evil, and protect Sattvic qualities. This is the inner meaning of the Dasara festival. During the ten days of the Dasara Festival, ask yourself, has the Divine Mother destroyed the 10 demons (rakshasas) within you? Rakshasas are not demonic beings but wicked qualities. Arrogance, bad thoughts, lust, anger, delusion, greed, pride, envy, ego, and hatred are the demons that must be destroyed. You must decide for yourself whether you are now a Ravana or Rama according to your qualities! Embodiments of Divine Love! From today, lead your life with selfless love and live in peace and joy!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

What can you achieve with your paltry intelligence? A man once laughed at God for giving the majestic banyan tree a tiny seed and conferring on the ash gourd, a gigantic fruit. “No sense of proportion,” he thought! He was travelling, and as time passed, he felt tired and happened to sleep under the shade of a banyan tree. When he woke up, he saw many seeds that had fallen on his body. If only the banyan tree had seeds in proportion to its size, a single seed falling from that height would have killed the critic in no time! He thanked God for His perfect logic and wisdom and continued the journey, feeling safe and secure. Take everything as it comes, and cultivate contentment. Do not multiply your wants and foster greed and despair. You take off your warm clothing when you start feeling warm yourself. The coat of desire has to be taken off when the warmth of devotion increases. Strive to secure grace, do not strive to secure any lesser fruit. 

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

It is only to enable you to put good thoughts into practice that goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped during these Dasara celebrations. Durga is not to be understood as a ferocious goddess. She is the Goddess Supreme who protects you. Lakshmi is the embodiment of all wealth. Saraswati is the goddess of speech. Good thoughts, good words and good actions represent the tatwa (essence) of these three goddesses. He who teaches good things to you is verily the embodiment of Goddess Saraswati. He who teaches evil is verily a demon. Goddess Durga destroys only such demons. Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are, in fact, not different from you. They are very much installed in your own heart. They exhort you to lead the life of a human being, since you are a human being. Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are the three mothers to a human being.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Desire destroys devotion, anger destroys wisdom, greed destroys work – hence sacrifice these bad qualities.

Every yajna has a great unseen influence on human life, for these sacred formulae are potent sounds, charged with subtle mysteries. The ritual sacrifice (yajna) has a deeper meaning; the meanings that symbols have is really valuable and essential for human progress. Every rite is a symbolic act. Yajna is correlated at every step with human aspirations and spiritual practices. It is kept in touch with human life and aspirations in its minutest detail. Butter is the product of the churning of the emotions, impulses, impressions, and instincts of people - the purest and the most authentic essence of the divine in people. That butter, when it is still more clarified, becomes ghee, and that is what is offered to the Gods! When you pray, always concentrate on the everlasting fruit - the universal, the spiritual. Do not pray for small mundane desires; direct your mind to follow the guidelines taught by the Lord to re-establish righteousness (dharma) in the Universe.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

The ten-day Dasara festival is meant to encourage you to control your ten senses. Legend says that Goddess Chamundi killed the demon Mahisha during this Dasara festival. What is the inner meaning of this story? We should not under any circumstance associate ourselves with demons. Your thoughts, words and actions must be pure, worthy of being human and not demoniac. Avoid bad company and always be in good company. Do not develop hatred towards anyone. Whomever you come across, consider them as embodiments of Divinity and salute them. Always speak truth, observe righteousness (Dharma). Be peaceful. Be happy and blissful. You should conduct yourself with love in society. I am suffused with love. I distribute that love to one and all. I do not hate anyone. I have no selfishness at all! My love is selfless love. Love is My property. You all are heirs to that property. Love is God, God is Love. Hence, live in love.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

In the Mahavakya from the Vedas, Tat Twam Asi (That Thou Art), Tat denotes that which is outside and Twam stands for innate Divinity. It means that the same Divinity is present within and without. Antarbahischa Tatsarvam Vyapya Narayana Stitaha (That all pervasive God is present within and without). That which is seen, heard and experienced outside is nothing but the reflection, resound and reaction of the inner being. When reality is within, why crave for its reflection outside? It is sheer madness. Man is the embodiment of time. Man is the master of time. In order to understand one’s reality, one has to control the mind. Hence, it is said, master the mind and be a mastermind. The five elements that are seen outside are present in you. You are the master of the five elements. You should master the mind; do not become a slave to it.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Everyone must consider it their foremost duty today to revere one’s own mother as divine and serve her, regardless of country or circumstance. If you cannot respect and serve your mother who bore you for nine months, brought you into the world and reared you over the years, who else are you likely to respect? Lord Sri Rama Himself declared that one's mother and motherland are greater than even heaven. Maternal love is akin to that of the Creator who protects this infinite cosmos in countless ways. The Navaratri festival teaches this profound truth. One must remember that reverence to one's own mother is one's paramount duty. If one's mother is unhappy, all the expenditure one incurs and all the worship one offers in the name of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati during the Navaratri festival will yield no fruit.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Vedas have given four Mahavakyas (divine axioms) to the world. One of which is, Prajnanam Brahma (Knowledge is Divinity). What isPrajnana? Is it bookish knowledge? Is it the knowledge that is forgotten with the passage of time? Is it related to the experience of the body? No. Not at all. Prajnana is the unchanging and eternal principle, which is in you at all times and under all circumstances. People call it supreme knowledge but the correct translation for this term is Constant-Integrated-Awareness. Though God is present within, man goes in search of Him thinking that He is present only in a particular place. It is tantamount to somebody going in search of one’s own self elsewhere. Realise that the five elements present in you are the very forms of Divine. Divinity is present in every being. The life principle that flows through each and every nerve of the body is verily divine.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

You have come from God, a spark of His Glory, a wave of that Ocean of Bliss; you will be peaceful only when you again merge in Him. Like a child who has lost his way, you can have joy only when you rejoin your mother. The ocean drop rose as vapour, joined the congregation called cloud, fell on the earth, flowed along the ravines, and at last reached the ocean. Start on that journey and travel quick and light. It is in Sanatana Dharma that the importance of karma in shaping one’s destiny, the fact of the individual undergoing many births towards birthlessness, and the mighty Grace of God's coming as Avatar to gather around Him in holy companionship individuals for saving them and saving the world through them, is so strongly and clearly laid down. Doubt in any of these great truths will lead to sure suffering and grief. Every one of you must be saved, sooner or later, by the Grace of the All-Merciful. Make it sooner rather than later. Keep the goal clear before the eye and march on.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Dasara Programme at Puttaparthi has various activities like Vedic chanting, worship of Divine Mothers, feeding the poor, drama, music, Harikathas, reading moral epics, lectures on scriptural text, etc. All these are designed for good reasons, which are not superficially evident. You might think this is but customary and traditional. No! Each activity has a deeper significance; intended to bring a definite benefit. Vedas are for all mankind; Vedic recitation promotes world peace and human welfare, subjugating the anger of the elements and of human communities; they invoke the forces of nature to be calm and beneficent. For those who derive joy when the Lord’s names are recited, each name evoking one facet of the splendour of God, we have the pujas (ritual worships). For those thirsting for direction along the path of Sadhana, we have the discourses by experts. Musical recitations, dramas and discourses relate the essential lessons and scriptural wisdom in pleasant palatable ways. All these unfold the petals of the human heart!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

When a person dies, the property and things remain at home; they do not go with the person into the beyond. Even the relatives cannot accompany; only the good or the bad name one has earned will last. So every one of you must live in such a way that posterity will remember you with gratitude and joy. To lead the good life, constant prompting from the God within is a great help. That inspiration can be got only by constantly reciting the Lord's Name (Namasmarana) and calling on the inner springs of Divinity. Practice incessantNamasmarana. Also remember, by simply singing loud or shouting Shivoham, you cannot become Shiva; you must develop the qualities of Divinity like universal love, absence of attachment, etc. Then you will be entitled to assert Shivoham, and even if you do not assert at all, you will be Shiva, for you will then have no aham feeling (no egoism)!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Nag Mahasaya, the householder disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, was able to escape the chains of samsara (worldly life) by becoming humbler and smaller, with less and less egoism; he became so tiny that he could creep through to safety. Nag Mahasaya felt, "I am the servant of the servants of God" -Dasoham. Vivekananda, another disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, on the other hand expanded himself until he identified himself with the entire Universe and so, the chain broke unable to contain his majesty. Vivekananda felt that he was the Master, the Isa who was Idam Sarvam, Sada Soham - he was always steady in the conviction that he was That. This is the identity of the Individual and the Universal (Jiva-Brahma-aikya-anusandhanam), the true celestial wedding. Every individual must endeavour to practice this Consciousness and celebrate this union in their lives. Choose one path that best suits your personality and persist in practice until you attain victory!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

When a plane flies across the sky, it leaves no mark on it, no streak that lasts, no furrow or pothole that interferes with further traffic. So too, allow all feelings and emotions to cross your mind, but do not allow them to cause an impression. This can be done by inquiry, by quiet reasoning within oneself, more than listening to lectures or study of books. Little children are trained to walk by means of a three-wheeled contraption which they hold and push along. The Pranava is such a contraption, with the three wheels of A, U and M - the ‘Omkara Tricycle’. Holding it, you can learn to use the two feet of Bhakti and Vairagya (devotion and detachment). When you give up your hold on the Omkara, you slump down on the floor helplessly. When you walk everyday reciting the Pranava, you will definitely realise the glory of the Divine, which is the very substance of the Universe.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

A green gourd sinks in water; but a dry one floats. Become dry, rid yourselves of attachments, desires, avoid anxieties and worries. Then you can float unaffected on the waters of change and chance. Even water, when it becomes steam, can rise into the sky. Become light and lose weight, so that you may rise higher and higher. Yoga is chitta vritti nirodha - prevention of impulses that agitate the inner consciousness of man. These impulses add to the ballast. Be free from desires that drag you down; have only the yearning to come face to face with the Truth. That Truth is shining inside you, waiting to be discovered. God is Indweller (antaryami), and so, when He is sought in the outer world He cannot be caught. Love Him with no other thought; feel that without Him nothing is worth anything; feel that He is all. Then you become His and He becomes yours. There is no nearer kinship than that.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

When the seven colours of the spectrum revolve together, the effect is ‘no colour’; when they stop revolving, the seven colours can be separately identified. When three blades of the electric fan revolve fast and no blade is separately noticeable, they give cool comfort. So too when the qualities of Satwa, Rajas and Tamas (purity, action and inertia) are unrecognisably intertwined, then all that remains is pure happiness and nothing else. Supari (areca nut) is brown; pan (betel leaf) is green; chunam (lime) is white, but, when these three are together chewed, the colour is red! When your three gunas are moderated adequately through spiritual practice, the result is shanti or peace. The lamp is the satwa guna, the wick is tamo guna and the oil is rajo guna. When they are integrated, they give the Light of Wisdom which illumines through all problems.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

You must all become heroes - adventurous and bold; prepare for that role from now on. Inside you there are many animals: the dog, fox, donkey, wolf, etc. Suppress the tendencies of all these creatures and encourage the human qualities of love and friendship to shine forth. Begin the cultivation of virtues; this is very important, beneficial and will give you real bliss (ananda). It is the essence of all knowledge, the culmination of all learning. Treat everyone as your very own and even if you cannot do them any good, desist from causing them any injury. Burn the lamp of love inside the niche of your heart, and the nocturnal birds of greed and envy will fly away, unable to bear the light. Love makes you humble; bend and bow when you see greatness and glory. An unbending person is infected with egoism of the worst type. Remember, man is the only being that can recognise and revere the great and the glorious.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

People suffer because they have unreasonable desires, they pine to fulfill them, and they fail. They attach too much value to the objective world. It is only when attachment increases that you suffer pain and grief. If you look upon nature and all created objects with the insight derived from the Inner Vision, then attachment will slide away, though effort will remain; you will also see everything much clearer and with a glory suffused with Divinity and splendour. Attachment to nature has limits, but attachment to the Lord that you develop when the inner eye opens, has no limit. Enjoy that Reality. The Lord is the Immanent Power in everything. The moon is reflected in a pot, provided it has water; so too, the Lord can be clearly seen in your heart, provided you have the water of love (prema) in it. When the Lord is not reflected in your heart, it only means you don’t love Him enough.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Gandhi’s mother was a strict disciplinarian and very pure hearted. As the saying goes, “Yatha Raja, Tatha Praja” (As is the king, so are the subjects). She had a maidservant named Rambha, who followed her values and looked after the children with love and care. One day, little Gandhi came running to Rambha and told that he was haunted by fear. Rambha told him, “My dear one, where is the need to fear when the all-protecting Ramachandra is with us always. Recite the name of Rama whenever you are fear- stricken.” From then onwards, Gandhi chanted the name of Rama, and as you all know, he chanted it until his last breath. Can we ever find such noble-hearted women today? See the impact she had on the little child! It is because of such noble hearted women and mothers that young children took to the path of righteousness. 

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Be careful about your physical health too. Satisfy the demands of nature; the car must be given the petrol that it needs. Otherwise, your head might reel and your eyes might get blurred through sheer exhaustion. How can thoughts of the Lord be stabilised in a weak frame? Only, do not forget the purpose of this body when you are tending to it. A road-roller is fed with oil, coal and other types of fuel. But why is it kept in good trim? In order to mend the road, is it not? Similarly, remember that you have come embodied so that you might realise the end of this cycle of birth and death. For that sake, use the body as an instrument. Flying hither and thither, higher and higher, the bird has at last to perch on a tree for rest. So too, even the richest and the most powerful seek rest and peace (shanti). Peace can be got only in one shop - inner reality. 

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

Do not get discouraged that you are not able to concentrate for long when you meditate, or progress much spiritually. When you learn to ride a bicycle, you do not get the skill of keeping the balance immediately. You push the cycle along to an open ground, hop and skip, leaning now to one side and now to the other, and even terribly failing with the cycle falling upon you on many an attempt, before you are able to ride with skill. But once you get it, you never again have to worry about the balance. Automatically, you are able to make the necessary adjustments to correct the balance, is it not? After getting this skill, you can ride even through narrow streets and lanes; you do not need an open road. You can negotiate your vehicle through the most crowded thoroughfares. So too, consistent and steady practice will equip you with a concentration that will sustain you in the densest of surroundings and the most difficult situations.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba