How can we spread the practice of human values in the world today?

 Human values can be developed only by spiritual practices and by no other means. Only when a seed is planted in the soil and watered can it sprout and grow from a sapling into a big tree. But if the seed is kept in a tin and watered, it will only rot. Likewise with human values, it is only when they are implanted in a heart that is sacred and spiritual and nurtured there, that they will flourish and shine in all their splendour. Unfortunately, today man's heart is filled with narrow selfish concerns. His love is confined to himself and his nearest kith and kin. He does not realise that his welfare and the welfare of his family are dependent on the well-being of the society. This interrelationship should be grasped by students. They should take a firm resolve to eschew selfishness and self-interest and dedicate themselves to the service of society. When the society fares well, the nation also will be prosperous.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

The difference between sakara and nirakara is the same as the difference between ice and water

 The principle of Easwara has two aspects. One is Saguna Sakara (attributeful and formful) and the other is Nirguna Nirakara (attributeless and formless). Associated with the mind and thoughts, and responding to the joys and sorrows, the pain and sufferings of human beings, various forms of Divinity have been visualised. These are the Saguna and Sakara aspects of Easwara. In this context, we have the Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. These are associated with the three Gunas or attributes - Rajas, Sattva and Tamas. Rajas is associated with Brahma, Satva with Vishnu and Tamas with Shiva. Brahma is represented by the sound 'A'. The sound 'U' is the manifested form of Vishnu. And 'M' is the form of the Shiva principle. These three forms are not permanent, because anything which has a form cannot be permanent. These physical forms are forms of delusion, the result of thoughts, the expressions of mental tendencies. But there is one syllable consisting of 'A', 'U' and 'M', which is the One underlying all the three forms - that is the Omkara. Whatever number of births we may take and however long we may go on worshipping these three forms, we will never be able to free ourselves from the cycle of birth and death. If one wants to get rid of birth forever, one has to worship the Nirguna Nirakara, the formless and attributeless principle, which is represented by the Omkara.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

How can the individual or Jivatma attain the Supreme or Paramatma?

 Only by worshipping the principle of Omkara, we can get rid of births. Only when we get rid of the births, can we get rid of Karma or action. Only when we get rid of action, will we be free from the delusion that the world is real. When we are rid of delusion, then we will also be free from the illusion of maya. And only when we are free of maya will we be free from sorrow. And when we are free from sorrow, we will be able to reach the Paratatva, the transcendent principle. This may also be described as Paramatma (the Supreme Soul). Because the Atma in the individual attains and merges in the transcendental (Para), it is called Paramatma. When the tendencies of the mind merge with the Paratatva, it takes the form of Paramatma. Jivatma and Paramatma are not two different entities. The characteristic of Jivatma is to waste life in worldly things and associate the mind with this phenomenal world. This is the externalised vision, which is full of illusion and delusion. If you turn your mind inward, it will be free from delusion. When it is associated with delusion, it is Jiva Tatva. When it is free from delusion and illusion, then it is one with the Paramatma Tatva.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

What can help us achieve freedom from worldly bondage?

 God is the sole sustainer of human life - the basis, the structure, the consummation. Money cannot help man to cultivate godliness and merge in God, the source. Scholarship too is equally powerless. The Upanishad proclaims that release from death can be achieved neither through entanglement in works, nor through one’s progeny, nor through the accumulation of riches. It can be gained only through tyaga (acts of renunciation, detachment, unconcern, giving up). It is a pity that this warning is not heeded and man is engaged in mere grabbing and grasping. As a result he suffers from more and more bonds that get tighter and tighter. The best means to escape from this fate is to take refuge in the company of the good and godly, and journey along their beneficial path.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

What is the reason we forget our inner divinity and indulge in sinful acts?

 People dedicate half their lives to accumulating money. Do they use even a fraction of that time in spiritual pursuits? Do they perform sacred service activities? The body has been given to serve others - Paropakarartham idam shareeram. Why are people unable to recognise this truth? A person is a puppet in the hands of selfishness. Whatever one loves, one loves not for the sake of the object but for one’s own sake. When one loves a person, that’s for one’s selfishness as well. When you go deep into intentions, only selfishness is found. Making selfishness as foundation, one forgets the infinite Atma. First and foremost, if selfishness is curbed, one can easily avoid bad traits and behaviour. Fear of Sin, Love for God, and Morality in Society - these three precepts must be adored as Trimurtis (Divine Trinity of Godhead). Without fear of sin, people will not hesitate to do the most heinous act. Sinning by losing the fear of sin, adopting a path devoid of love for God — this destroys human qualities. This is the cause of uproar in the world.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Sai's philosophy speaks of the unity of work, worship, and wisdom

 The tree of life is a tree of delusion (maya), with all its branches, leaves and flowers of maya. You can realise it as such when you do all acts as dedicated offerings for God. See Him as the sap through every cell as the Sun warms and builds every part. See Him in all, worship Him through all, for He is all. Engage in activity, but fill the activity with devotion: it is the devotion that sanctifies. A piece of paper is almost trash; but if a certificate is written on it, you value it and treasure it; it becomes a passport for promotion in life. It is the bhava (feeling behind) that matters, not the bahya (the external); the feeling, not the activity that is performed. At Tirupati or at Bhadrachalam you find only a stone shaped as an idol; as a stone, it is of little value. But, when feeling permeates it, when devotion transmutes it, the stone becomes the Supreme Treasure of the human mind. Man does not know this secret of transmuting every act of his into sacred worship and so, he suffers from disappointment and grief.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

What are the lessons we should learn from the antagonists mentioned in the epics?

 Men should take great care to see that their senses do not go astray and commit offences. Thinking evil, speaking evil and seeing evil invariably lead to total ruin. For example, in Mahabharata, Duryodhana always had evil thoughts about the Pandavas and ultimately he brought destruction upon his entire family. Keechaka cast an evil eye on Draupadi when the Pandavas were living incognito in Virata King's palace, and he paid for it with his life. Ramayana has the story of Kaikeyi, who listened to the evil counsel of Mantara, and so lost not only her husband but the regard and love of her son Bharata. No one today even likes to be known by these infamous characters - Duryodhana, Keechaka or Ravana. But though the names are not favoured, the bad qualities associated with them have not been given up by mankind. Strive to give up evil thoughts, evil looks, vicious speech and the greed to give ear to evil counsel and slanderous gossip

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 The Lord is so full of grace that He will willingly guide and guard all who surrender to Him. When the battle with Ravana was over, one glance from His merciful eye was enough to revive the vanara hordes fallen on the ground and to heal the wounds they earned during the fight. There were some demons (rakshasas) who penetrated into the camp in vanara disguise; when they were brought before Rama for summary punishment, Rama smiled and pardoned them, for they assumed the monkey form so dear to Him. Rama indeed sent them away, unharmed to the enemy's camp. That was the measure of His mercy. To win that Grace, you must become permeated with dharma so that every act is God-worthy. With the sharp chisel of intellect (buddhi), shape the mind (manas) into a perfect image of Dharma-murti, the embodiment of dharma. Then, the rough-hewn idol of humanity that you now are, will shine with the splendour of Divinity itself! That’s the task to which you should dedicate yourself today!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 Some people raise the question, "How can we make a living if we adhere to the truth?" Well, you cannot escape death, whatever way you spend your days. It is far better to die adhering to truth, than die, sliding into falsehood. Do this duty to yourself first; then, consider the rights of others. Falsehood looks easy and profitable, but it binds you and pushes you into perdition. Purify your feelings and impulses, do not worry that others are not doing similarly. Each man carries his destiny in his own hands. You will not be bound, because others are not freed. You should strive for your salvation, at your own pace, from where you started when you were born into this chance. One coconut garden may have a thousand fruits; a neighbouring garden that belongs to you may have only eight hundred! You are rich only to the number that grew in your garden. You have no right to the fruits grown on another's tree. Earn yourself, for yourself!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 Only persons endowed with Satwa guna (unruffled serenity) can have a vision of the Divine (Sakshatkara), and achieve the heroic victory. In money, there is no evil. In scholarship, there is no evil. In knowledge and intelligence, there is no evil. But evil arises from the activities which man carries on with their help. Pure water has no colour. Poured into a black bottle, it appears black. Poured into a red bottle, it appears red. The water does not become red or black; the colour is due to what we have done to it. When money, scholarship, cleverness and intelligence are possessed by persons in whom rajas (passion, emotion, extrovert qualities) predominates, they promote hatred, ambition and lust. When possessed by persons in whom tamas (sloth, dullness, conceit) predominates, they promote miserliness, greed and envy. When possessed by persons in whom Satwa (equanimity, balance, purity) predominates, they promote love, compassion, urge to serve, the unity of all mankind and World Peace. The sublimation of character into the stage of Satwa is the duty which everyone owes himself. This is the path; this is the real goal. You must try ceaselessly to tread the path and reach the goal.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Where are we getting stuck in this pursuit of bliss and why?

 The bliss that is all-pervasive in the cosmos is also within man. But, as in the case of butter that is present in every drop of milk but which can be seen only after the milk is curdled and the buttermilk is churned, this inner bliss can be experienced only after the right effort is made. Man today is conscious only of the Annamaya (physical) and Pranamaya (vital) principles relating to his existence. He has not developed even up to the stage of realising the significance of the mind. The body represents Annamaya. Activity and motion of the body are to the Pranamaya. The third element is Manomaya (the mental). The fourth is Vijnanamaya (wisdom). Beyond this is Ananda (the state of supreme bliss). In the great journey of life, man has passed, only two stations. He has not tried to go beyond them to the mental and other stages. It is only after passing the Vijnanamaya stage that man can experience Ananda (pure bliss). But because man goes after the impermanent pleasures of the phenomenal world, he is unable to experience the enduring bliss that is inherent in him.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

What is most precious in this world and how do we acquire it?

 Prema (Love) is like a most precious diamond. It will not remain even for a single moment with selfish persons. It will not stay for even half a moment with egoistic persons. It will not remain at all with ostentatious persons. Love is alien to persons who are selfish, conceited or ostentatious.  Where then is this love to be found? This precious diamond can only be got in the Kingdom of Love, in the Street of Love, in the Shop of Love. It can be obtained only through a loving heart. It may be asked, "Is not the whole world permeated with Love? Why, then, is not Love readily available?" The love with which the world is considered to be filled is not real love. Prema cannot be associated with the body, the senses, the mind and the intellect. Anything associated with these is only Anuraga (attachment). The Atmic (spiritual) life alone is a Love-filled life. Therefore, people must lead a spiritual life, not a life subject to the body, the mind, the senses and the intellect.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Why is the faculty of speech so important?

 By pure actions, the mind also gets purified. But mere purity of mind is not enough. The mind has to develop concentration. For cultivating concentration, Bhakti (devotion) is of great value. Bhakti means getting rid of the separation from Bhagawan. There must be the realisation that the Divine is omnipresent and that you cannot separate yourself from God. To remember the omnipresent Divine, to chant His glories and adore Him, you need the tongue (the power of speech). Jayadeva hailed the tongue as the God-given instrument for glorifying the Lord. This sacred instrument should not be misused in any way for speaking ill of others or for causing unhappiness to them. As enjoined in the Gita, you should avoid unpleasant speech and use only words that are true, comforting and good. Harshness in speech should be avoided. Only when the tongue is used in this way can it become pure and sacred. When your speech is sanctified your life itself becomes sanctified.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

How can we move from worldliness to true devotion to the Lord?

 People today are totally immersed in worldly concerns and do not devote any attention to the spiritual quest. It is true that involvement in worldly affairs cannot be given up totally. But all such actions can be sanctified by performing them in a spirit of dedication to the Divine. The Bhagavata demonstrates how this kind of dedicated life can be led by a devotee. It is not enough if you claim to be a devotee of the Lord. The Lord must recognise you as a devotee. Only then does one's devotion acquire value. Arjuna, for a long time, felt proud about his closeness to Krishna and about his devotion to Him. It was only towards the end he realised that he had to abide by the words of Krishna and completely surrender to the Lord. He then declared "Karishye Vachanam Tava" (I shall carry out Your words). No one should feel that it is beyond one’s capacity to surrender oneself completely to the Lord. If there is firm determination, this can be accomplished. It is only through earnest endeavour that Divine wisdom can be obtained.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 The tongue has oil, fat and greasy substances rolling over it; but, it is unaffected by these; it does not become greasy. The mind too must be unaffected by the experiences of success and failure, of gain and loss, of well-being and illness; it must be surrendered at the Feet of the Lord. Let His Will prevail. What profit does your little will bring you? Just close your eyes for five minutes and think of the profit your efforts have won for you. One wish leads to another; one bond brings about ten others. You marry; you get a daughter who has to be given in marriage; you struggle to finish your education; you toil to finish your son's education; he works hard to finish his son's. Thus it goes on, like a never-ending chain. “This one wish if fulfilled will be enough, I won't ask for anything more", you say; but I know you will come and ask for something else, which is the consequence of that wish. It is in the very nature of human desire; for, the joy one gets through its satisfaction is imperfect, limited, temporary, and pregnant with grief.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 The ideal is to make your hearts temples for the Divine to dwell. But this is not possible for everybody. Temples in stone are reminders of the existence of God. When you see a lawyer you are reminded of your legal troubles. When you see a doctor you think of your illness. Likewise, when you see a temple, you are reminded of God. Temples are useful only as reminders. But true worship consists in heartfelt devotion to the God within each one. Purifying this temple of your heart, you must dedicate your life to service. It is such dedicated service, done in the spirit of sadhana, which distinguishes Sathya Sai Organisations. Innumerable Sai devotees, men and women, young and old, are rendering service in various forms out of their love for Sai. People talk about Swami’s vibhuti (sacred ash) and Swami's miracles. But the real miracle is Swami's boundless love. It is this love which is inspiring countless devotees to engage themselves in selfless service!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 You stay far away and complain that Grace has not come! You do not scrape off, by the process of repentance, mud and rust that prevent attachment. You come near for some time and stray away into the distance. I don't mean physical distance at all. You may be physically far, but mentally by My side. I do not measure distance in miles or metres; I am with you, in you, beside you, ever; only you must be aware of Me and make use of My presence. You must become an Artha, torn by intense suffering to sense the Lord. Suffer the pangs of distress. You must realise that mere suffering is fruitless, without the knowledge of the path to attain the Lord. You have to be transformed into a jijnasu, a seeker. Analyse the four Purusharthas (four goals of life) and realise that Moksha (Liberation) is the goal, the culmination. Start craving for that, as an Artharti, the lover of the truest gain. Seek that which, when secured, all else is secured!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

What is the secret to enduring peace and bliss?

 There is nothing greater than pure love. You have all been drawn to Me by this love. To give love and to receive love is My business. No income-tax officer knows the extent of ‘income’ derived from this ‘business’. There is no limit to My Ananda (Divine Bliss). I am always immersed in bliss. This is because My bliss is associated with love and not any material objects. If you follow this path, you will also derive ineffable bliss. You will realise peace of every kind. Look with an equal mind on good fortune and misfortune, on happiness and sorrow, loss and gain. These are products of nature like heat and cold, summer and winter. They have their purposes to serve. Similarly, the ups and downs of life have lessons to teach us. In fact, without reverses in life, we will not experience Divinity. Without darkness, we don’t value light. Without experiencing difficulties, we will not enjoy benefits. It is a lack of peace of mind which compels us to seek the means to realise enduring peace. Upanishads declare that through renunciation alone is immortality to be attained. Learn to practise renunciation and discover the secret of enduring peace and bliss!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Never pollute your speech with falsehood; never poison your thoughts with hatred and greed; never degrade your body with violence in any form.

 The Vedic injunction, given through the sages, is "Satyam vada; Dharmam chara" - Speak the truth; walk in the path of virtue. Harischandra knew the authority behind that injunction. He respected that authority and followed that injunction whatever the consequences. He lost his kingdom, his honour, his everything. He sold his wife and son as slaves; he had to sell himself for cash! He was reduced from being the occupant of the imperial throne to watching over the cremation of corpses and collecting fees thereof. He had to refuse the right to burn his own dead son and insist on the fees being paid by his own helpless queen! But, he stuck to truth and won. Truth will win, whatever the obstacle; otherwise, the Vedas would not have commanded man to stick to it!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 When man fails to use his attainments for the welfare of others, he becomes a Narakasura (hellish demon). In a competitive race for individual glory, he is only condemning himself. He spends billions to get to the Moon and bring rocks from its crust, instead of feeding millions who starve down below and promoting the prosperity of backward nations. Even the best of things can be misused by men. Ravana, Shisupala, Kamsa, and other demons in the Indian puranas (ancient legends) and epics had vast scholarship, enormous economic and military power and even immense yogic and occult skills won by years of austerity, and disciplined living. But, they could not earn one skill, the skill to suppress the ego, and so, they became too obstinate, too obstructive and too dangerous to be allowed to live and prosper. The lesson taught by the careers of Naraka and of Emperor Bali is that man should be the master of his ego if he is to succeed in the art of successful living.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 When you repeat the Name, all the sweetness of the Form and its associated glory must come to memory and, just as your mouth waters when you remember some sweet dish you relish, your mind must ‘water’ when you contemplate the Name. Choose the Name that captivates your heart. Why run after riches when all the pleasure and satisfaction that riches can offer - and even a hundred-fold more - can be got by dwelling on the Name? The Lord has said that where His Name is sung, “There I am present”. He establishes Himself there! He will not move from that place. So, the tongue is enough to win Him, the tongue that speaks the language of the pure mind. The Lord is a Wish-fulfilling Tree (Kalpavriksha). You must approach Him and develop attachment to Him. You must win His grace and be ever near Him, keeping back all the forces that draw you away from Him.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

What is the demonic trait we must seek to destroy within?

 Asuras (demons) have another name in Samskrit - Naktanchara, one who moves in the dark. This is a fair description of their pathetic condition. They have no light to guide them; they don’t recognise they are in the dark; they don’t call out for light; they are unaware of light. Their intellect has become the bondslave of their passions and their senses, instead of establishing itself as their master. When at last, truth appears before them and overwhelms them, they recognise the One and merge happily in it. The lamp is not merely a symbol of knowledge of Truth. It is also the symbol of the One, the Atma that shines in and through all this multiplicity. Just as with one lamp, a thousand lamps can be lit and the One is as bright as ever despite thousands deriving light from it, so too, the Atma (soul-spirit) illumines the jiva (individual self) and shines in and through them, without undergoing any diminution in its splendour.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 Meditation, sacrifice, and worship were prescribed as the primary means of liberation in the Krita, Treta and Dwapara Yugas, respectively. Namasmarana (remembrance of the name) is the easiest path to liberation in this Kali Yuga. Therefore, people born in this yuga are more fortunate than those that lived in the other three yugas. But, unfortunately, people today are not able to follow such an easy path. You are unable to sit steadily even for a couple of minutes. Then what sort of penance can you perform? It is impossible. Therefore, take refuge in namasmarana. There is no greater sadhana than this. When you continuously sing the Divine Name, it drives away all your evil qualities. You yourself can see how blissful you become when you sing the Divine Name. That is why God is described as Ganalola and Ganapriya (lover of music). Sage Narada always sings the Divine Name of Lord Narayana. This is his main task. The Lord becomes ecstatic listening to his singing. There is so much bliss in singing. It captivates one’s heart so that one is lost in ecstasy. That is why singing is considered most valuable.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Why and how should we chant the Name of the Lord?

 Just as calcium and vitamin tablets are given to cure anaemia, take Repetition-of-the-Name tablets to get rid of mental anaemia and other illnesses. There are some throat pastilles, which you must carry in your mouth and whose taste you must slowly swallow to relieve cough; similarly, repeat the Name on your tongue and imbibe its taste slowly to get rid of troublesome upsurge of passions and emotions. Keep the Name lit on your tongue; it will illumine your interior and the exterior. It will cleanse your mind as well as minds of those who hear the Name when you recite it. Keeping it on the tongue is like keeping a lamp lit on the doorstep at the entrance to your house. Repetition of Name (Namasmarana) is the best spiritual discipline; the most beneficial good action. It is the highest prayer and most profitable spiritual exercise. Kuchela won the grace of the Lord through the same means. Fill the Name with your love whenever you repeat it; saturate it with devotion. That is the easiest path for all of you.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

What is the significance of repeating the Name of the Lord?

 Believe that the Lord’s Name is the boat, which will take you across the sea of worldly life. The Name is more efficacious than the contemplation of the Form. Draupadi did not send a chariot to bring Krishna to her rescue; she uttered the Name in agony and Krishna responded and saved her from imminent dishonour. In the Treta yuga, in Ramayana, Nala and his monkeys were building a bridge over the sea to Lanka; the boulders on which they inscribed the sacred name Rama, floated on the waters, but they found that the boulders floated away due to wind and waves. They did not form a continuous bridge for the army to pass over. Some ingenious person gave a suggestion to write ‘RA’ on one boulder and ‘MA’ on another and they found that the two stuck hard together. The name will serve as a float for you too; it will keep you attached to God and bring on you His Grace!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 The Puranas and epics teach the path of devotion and surrender. They ask that man should do every deed in a spirit of dedication. Allow the wind of doubt or the sun of despair to affect the pot of joy (ananda) you have filled, and it will evaporate quickly. But keep the pot in the cool waters of good company and good deeds; it can be preserved undiminished forever! Ananda too grows when you dwell on it in silence and recapitulate the circumstances which yielded it. That is why recapitulation (manana) is held so important a part of spiritual effort. Like the child which throws off its toys and starts crying, you too must realise the paltriness of the toys of fame and fortune and call out for the mother! The child feels that all else is trash before the love of the mother and the blessedness of her presence. One should not aspire for anything less!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Where can we discover the footprints of the Lord? What are the obstacles we must overcome in this quest?

 The butter the Lord covets is the fruit of yoga, final product of churning of the mind by viveka (discrimination). He loves to feast on it; moves away with it into the solitude of self-realisation. We too can discover the Lord through His footprints; it can be discovered everywhere, provided sincere search is made with trained eyes. You can find His footprints wherever there is beauty, virtue, humility, justice, truth, love and peace! The eye must be trained to discover the footprints of God; in this process, the mind has to be mastered. The mind is the pivot of thoughts and feelings. The mind is the thinking aspect of Brahmam, Absolute Consciousness. The Absolute Self manifesting itself in imaginative activity is the mind. However, instead of turning towards the Absolute, it turns outward and starts using senses as its instrument; forgetting its source, the Atma. How and why this happens is inexplicable; we know this happens, and it can be avoided and prevented!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 Recitation of the Name, meditation, devotional singing, yoga, good deeds — do these constitute spiritual practice? Not at all. To transform bad into good is true spiritual practice. To turn sorrow into happiness is spiritual practice. Without grief, there is no joy. Good also cannot exist without bad. The world is an eternal battlefield where these duals struggle against each other. Difficulties and peace are inextricably intertwined. One is the beginning, the other is the end. No one can separate them. Can the beginning exist without an end or vice versa? Only God is beyond beginning and end; everything worldly is compelled to start somewhere and end somewhere. Even the most sacred object slips down to a detestable state without spiritual practice! ​​However priceless it may be, its value diminishes without spiritual practice, without refinement. Suppose you find a raw diamond. Its value soars when you cut and polish it. Gold ore is mingled with soil and rock. After purification, it becomes precious. Spiritual practice transforms small into big, mean into lofty.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 The present is a product of the past and is also the seed for the future. If you make good use of the present, you can ensure a better future! If you misuse the present, the future will be worse. Hence, all those who are in the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation should engage themselves in worthwhile activities and achieve fulfilment in the services they render. Every village today is exposed to many diseases. We need not blame anyone for this situation. We must be concerned only about the resources in men and materials at our disposal and use them with devotion for carrying out welfare services. We must do this work with faith. People display devotion and earnestness in the presence of Swami, but act in a contrary fashion when they are away from Swami! This is not a sign of true Bhakti. Devotion means wholehearted love for Bhagawan. Such love can tame even wild animals. Only when your hearts are filled with such love can you claim to be a devotee! You must show that love to anyone whom you see or talk to and in every one of your actions!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 A man makes every effort to accumulate wealth. An equal effort is needed to acquire the wealth of love. Men today invest their assets of love in pitiful ventures. Instead, they should invest all their love in the Divine bank of devotion. This deposit is not only safe but will yield you increasing returns in terms of bliss. Your heart is the bank where your love for God should be deposited. Deposits elsewhere are insecure. Deposits of money may be in danger of being lost. But the deposit in your heart is immune from any kind of theft or loss. Make your deposit safe by "insuring" it within your heart. It is totally safe, though it has no bolts, doors or locks. This love has been characterised as Amrita-swarupa (the form of eternal nectar). Nectar pleases only the palate. But Divine love confers eternal bliss which is sweeter than nectar. Everyone should resolve to acquire this nectarous Love.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 How many go around in the world with impurities in their minds without a sense of shame? If they make an honest examination of the impure state of their minds and the kind of double life they are leading, they will be able to get rid of their bad thoughts in a moment! What people are doing is concealing their thoughts, but are externally well-dressed and move about as impeccable persons. Of what use is such conduct? We attach importance to the external appearance of the body and value the respect shown to it. But one who cares only for the body and ignores the state of his mind is only a two-legged animal. It is not enough to appear to do right actions. Your motives and impulses must also be pure and unselfish. It is only when your motives are pure that the Divine will extend His grace. Whatever service you render, it must be unsullied. The motive is all important. The form of the action does not matter. Without pure impulses, actions get tainted at the source. If you are a good man, your actions will necessarily be good!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

 Human life is the highest among all living beings in creation. With all these endowments if man lacks jnana (wisdom) he is no better than an animal. It is wisdom that distinguishes man from other animals. In spite of possessing a human body, with its sacred capacities, man pursues wrong paths and indulges in misdeeds, thereby degrading his precious heritage. One who ought to dedicate oneself to the pursuit of the Divine following the Nivriti marga (the Inward Path) and experience bliss, makes oneself a slave to the senses and wastes one’s life in the pursuit of the external, the Pravriti marga. All efforts are directed towards the cultivation of sensual pleasures instead of aiming at the realisation of the power of the Spirit within. It is this preoccupation with the mundane that is at the root of all the insecurity and unhappiness experienced by man. He is perennially filled with discontent and dissatisfaction. Discontentment affects man in two ways: One is the lack of peace of mind. The other is unhappiness resulting from the lack of peace.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba