Thought for the Day

1.Human life is beset with ups and downs, joys and sorrows. These experiences are intended to serve as guideposts for man. Life would be bland without trials and tribulations. Problems in life bring out the human values from within man. You cannot get the juice of the sugarcane without crushing it; you cannot enhance the brilliance of a diamond without cutting it and making many facets. One must shed pettiness and develop broad-mindedness through the cultivation of love. Only when you endure various difficulties, can you experience the sweet bliss of Self-realization. Hence, difficulties must be welcomed and overcome to experience Divinity.

2.Contentment is a pure (sathwic) quality; it will not transform you into an idler; no. Instead, it will bring you closer to God and grant you peace. You will also find yourself less selfish and being able to overcome many pitfalls of the path. You will be able to discern the impermanent in life and reject their temptations. Discrimination, renunciation, and the spirit of inquiry, all develop through contentment. The contented person will become very pure (sathwic) and will attain a rich inner life in communion with the Atma. They will be able to undertake any work without rest and complaint and will acquire one-pointedness of mind. Contentment gives all spiritual aspirants the enthusiasm and vigour necessary for treading the path, that leads to Sakshathkara (realisation of God)

3.Devotion does not call for arduous spiritual practices or severe discipline of any kind. There is no need to perform intense penance or Yajnas (religious sacrifices). The only easy and sure means for ordinary people to realize God, without regard to their caste, nationality, gender or any other qualification, is to have intense devotion and love for God. Where there is deep faith, there is intense love. Where there is love, there is Shraddha (earnestness). Through earnestness, Jnana (higher knowledge) is gained. This knowledge enables one to practice spirituality. The Gopikas (cowherd maidens) exemplified this; they experienced the continuous presence of God within them and outside them. They showed that such sublime love was possible even for ordinary persons with little knowledge of the scriptures or spiritual disciplines and demonstr ated the inextricable link between the Divine and the individual..

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

1.There is no greater happiness than sacrifice; it is the highest virtue. One who has the true spirit of sacrifice gives away even his most dearest possessions, gladly and without hesitation. But the most profound sacrifice is surrendering the fruit of all actions to the Lord. A thyagi (one who sacrifices) does not shrink even to give up his body, regarding it as worthless. Sacrifice means something more than giving up wealth, gold, and material objects: evil qualities like hatred, jealousy, wrath and malice, which have become ingrained in us over many lifetimes, must be discarded as well.

2.Young men and women must spring into action and strive to create a resurgent India, and a happy and peaceful world. You must overcome the desire for power and instead firmly implant in your hearts the desire to uproot corruption and immorality, and also the urge to work hard. Even as it is the duty of children to serve and please their mother, so it is the bounden duty of every child of the nation to make her happy. To serve the Motherland selflessly should be the sacred ideal of life. You must embrace the lofty ideal of national unity and engage yourselves in dedicated service to the nation.

3.Contentment is a pure (sathwic) quality; it will not transform you into an idler; no. Instead, it will bring you closer to God and grant you peace. You will also find yourself less selfish and being able to overcome many pitfalls of the path. You will be able to discern the impermanent in life and reject their temptations. Discrimination, renunciation, and the spirit of inquiry, all develop through contentment. The contented person will become very pure (sathwic) and will attain a rich inner life in communion with the Atma. They will be able to undertake any work without rest and complaint and will acquire one-pointedness of mind. Contentment gives all spiritual aspirants the enthusiasm and vigour necessary for treading the path, that leads to Sakshathkara (realisation of God).

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

1.Do not strive for physical comforts ignoring the permanent joy of inner calm and contentment, for nothing is more valuable than this. Contentment is the result of attaining peace of mind, joy and discrimination; it is a treasure richer than the three worlds. A contented person can experience indescribable divine glory and can even attain Sakshathkara (vision of the Lord) directly. But to achieve this, namasmarana (remembrance of the Lord’s Name) and dhyana (meditation) are the only means; these alone can give you that ability.

2.Some people focus on spiritual knowledge alone, ignoring the secular branches of learning. This is not desirable because they tend to miss both and wander aimlessly between the two. Secular learning should not be neglected. One should acquire spiritual awareness, while seeking mastery over secular subjects. So even as you acquire secular knowledge, do spend some time everyday meditating on God.

3.Do not get attached to this evanescent body; utilise it as an instrument instead. Consider yourself as separate from this destructible body; know yourself as the indestructible Atma. Just as the house in which you dwell is separate from you, so is this body which surrounds you for a short while, different to you. This body is the root cause of all grief and calamity. Understand this well and make the body obey your will without bowing down to its whims. Keep it under strict control and be prepared to cast it away any moment. You must train your body with great attention. Consider it as a boat that is meant to take you across this stream of life. Until the other bank is reached, or in other words, until the ultimate truth is attained you must ensure that this boat is not leaky or damaged. You must safeguard your body by taking moderate quantities of pure (sat hwic) food at appropriate times, and by keeping up disciplined physical activities.

4.It is often thought that charitable and philanthropic acts make for sacrifice. But there is a vast difference between charity and sacrifice. Charitable people give only a fraction of their wealth to others. Gifts of land, distribution of food, contribution of physical labour and the spreading of education and knowledge belong to this category. Through acts of charity no man ever gives up all that he has. Going a step higher some retain for themselves what is just and essential, and give away all the rest to society. Such people win the highest acclaim in the world. Our sacred texts prescribed that a portion of one’s possessions must be offered to the poor and needy.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

1.You must have contentment, be it gain or loss. This is essential. For the contented mind, life becomes a celebration, whereas a mind worried by desires will be ever restless. In such a state of mind, concentration is impossible. Desires are like a fire in your body, which can burn you up from within and contentment is the effective drug to destroy it. Just as a bath in the cool waters of a stream refreshes an exhausted traveller, perspiring in the burning heat of the day, one suffering from the scorching fires of desire, will be refreshed by the pellucid waters of contentment. Contentment will grant you joy and expand your happiness.

2.Secular learning cannot bestow on us abiding and absolute peace. Self-knowledge alone can help us cross the sea of sorrow; you should all strive to attain this awareness. It is not easy to gain this Self-knowledge, but at the same time one must not give up in a mood of frustration and despair. Self-knowledge can certainly be acquired through purity of mind. Purity of mind can be attained through pious and sacred deeds, charity, compassion and devotion. Selfless actions, consecrated to God, purifies the heart. The Sun of Wisdom dawns in such a heart and this awakening exalts one to the status of God.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

1.Education sans wisdom, wisdom bereft of discrimination, action without discretion, erudition lacking sagacity, power not justified by credentials, statements not based on truth, music wanting in melody, adoration not sustained by devotion, a person devoid of common sense and character, a student not endowed with humility, and a discourse that fails to inspire: these serve no useful purpose. Knowledge without personal experience is futile. You should gain wisdom through experience. Knowledge is sanctified only when it is translated into actions which promote the good of humanity.

2.It is very important to remember that the full power inherent in your words can be utilised through speaking softly and sweetly. For those anxious to visualise God in all, such gentleness of speech will be of immense help. Through words of affection and regard, and by the practice of softness of expression, not only will your minds be calm and light, you will also grant great joy to others! And when you carry out meditation and other spiritual practices in such a happy atmosphere, concentration will come easily.

3.If you blame and find fault with others in a conversation, you will be criticised in turn. You will then become disturbed by this situation, which will disrupt your spiritual progress; in addition, the atmosphere will become stressful. Therefore if you really wish to find joy through your spiritual practices, the first step is to keep your conversations calm and to think positively. Sweet and soft conversation will help you immeasurably. You must cultivate such character, for character outlasts the body. Virtues are your strength and glory. Character is power. So train your mind and use it to hold fast to the goal of achieving oneness with God.

4.Discrimination enables us to distinguish right from wrong, choose the correct path and judge the importance of various aspects of a given situation. The very same atomic energy which can cause colossal destruction can be constructively used to produce electricity. An educated person should discriminate in such matters and pursue the right course of action. Research and development should not lead to violence and destruction. Anyone endowed with wisdom and discernment will be honoured and admired, even though he may not have wealth or position. A person may be an eminent educationist, prominent scientist, or a multimillionaire, but if he is devoid of insight and discrimination, he can never blossom spiritually; he cannot even distinguish between dharma (righteousness) and adharma (unrighteousness). Therefore, every one of you must acquire wisdom and discrimination without resting on the laurels of intellectual knowledge. You must develop and use these qualities to uplift the country and the world at large.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the Day

1.In order to persuade a child to stop crying and calm down, we often relate a story suitable for its level of comprehension. In the same manner, the Jivi (individual), fascinated by the constant attraction of maya and bound by tendencies cultivated during many lives in the past, becomes lost in illusion and cries out ‘Why do I keep on suffering?’ The solution was provided when the sage-preceptor, Vasishta, instructed Lord Ramachandra. “Rama!” he said, “Rather than entangling Yourself in the inquiry regarding how ignorance entered man, put all Your effort into its removal.” This lesson is directed not only to Rama but to all humanity. It instructs everyone who does not realise the transcendental Truth behind the objective world. Simply be convinced that you have this basic ignorance, and give up struggli ng with all your suffering. You must learn how to overcome your ignorance by treading the path that will lead you to wisdom or Jnana. Wisdom is light. Ignorance is darkness. And darkness can persist only until light dawn.

2.All are born out of the womb of one Lord. Just as many varieties of fish and water loving animals swim around a large lake, multitudes of human beings move about in ‘the ocean’ of the Lord. This is an awe-inspiring sight. Some are undeveloped, some are growing; they swim around, greedy and selfish. In the midst of this crowd of ignorant beings are a few highly evolved souls, the wise (jnanis) and yogis. Since they are mixed up with the ignorant, it becomes difficult to distinguish the ones with wisdom from the others. A microscope is necessary to identify the red corpuscles in the blood; similarly, a special mechanism is needed to find the wise. That mechanism is none other than constant contemplation of the Lord (dhyana).

3.When the rope is seen in darkness, by mistake or ignorance, it appears as a serpent, hiding what it really is. When the truth is known the onlooker feels, “this is no serpent; it is a rope!”; the serpent instantly disappears, for it was mere imagination. Therefore our feeling or thinking creates the serpent and also destroys it! Remember this: “Assertion creates, negation destroys!” Both are mental processes which can be classified as thoughts. “We become what our thoughts are.” These thoughts, on the validity of the objective world and the value of the joys derivable from it, though emanating from ajnana (ignorance), shape us from within. To overcome illusion or ignorance, the following are extremely valuable and helpful: (1) attention towards adhyatmic gain (spiritual progress); (2) steady faith; (3) devotion and (4) the grace of God. Even if one of these four is absent, one cannot experience the highest Bliss of the Absolute.

4.You must cultivate the quality of always being joyful, with a smile on your face; this will give you a special virtue. People will also warm to you naturally and the Lord too will be joyful on seeing you. Therefore carry out your spiritual practices with innocence, purity, and humility. Once you do this you will be able to attain your heart’s desire without fail. Do not lose your temper or courage in any situation. Respect everyone, whatever be their status. You will then develop the quality of universal love (prema) and as a result, your spiritual practices will progress unhindered.

BAGAVAN SRI SRI SRI SATHYA SAI BABA

Thought for the Day

1.Three types of activity reach God and earn His Grace: (1) those not prompted by personal desire, (2) those emanating from unselfish love and (3) prayer arising from pure hearts. The Lord pays heed only to these and they reach God direct. The rest are the concern of the various deities who preside over their disposal. Therefore, prayers have to be unselfish, saturated with love, and free from the taint of attachment to the gift that the prayer would bring.

2.The very first step to ensure peace and harmony in mankind is for each one to observe their own religion’s Dharma, or code of conduct. This will count as the most sublime service, provided one holds on to one's own faith and its essential principles diligently. For example, though undertaking charity is a good act, it should not be tainted by egoism. The scriptures assert that charity ensures benefits in a future life, and unfortunately many people offer gifts with this expectation in their minds. They are even beset by pride that they have helped others and crave to be admired. This attitude reveals their ignorance, ajnana. They must journey to a higher stage called Vijnana, where the heart is transformed by loyalty to truth, non-violence, and compassion. Only such persons can understand themselves, their kinship with the Cosmos, and with the Creator of the Cosmos. Once this understanding dawns, they will be able to live free of ignorance, doubt or disharmony.

3.Firstly you must learn about the precious truths contained in the sacred texts from experts in the field. This will lead you to developing an urge to visualize these. This is the first stage of knowing called Jnatum. The second stage is that of visualisation, in which you carefully peruse, examine and collect such sacred texts, and with steadfast perseverance enquire, comprehend and visualise what you have read. You derive joy and satisfaction from the feeling that you have discerned certain profound truths. This stage is called Drashtum. It is not enough if you make progress up to here; you must experience what was thus known and seen. If one lies down after eating, it will lead to indigestion. However if one consumes the requisite quantity of food and also undertakes some physical work, the food will be digested and converted into nour ishment and energy. In the same manner, you should translate your knowledge into experience and action, and use it for the progress of our country and for the welfare of humanity. This is the final stage called Praveshthum.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

True love of Gopikas

One day Krishna is lying on bed and complaining of a headache. Narada comes and asks Him what is wrong. When Narada learns about the Lords problem, he feels something must be done and asks Krishna what he could do. Then Krishna says, Narada, you are a great devotee. I must put on my head the dust from the feet of the devotee alone to be cured immediately. Will you give some dust? Oh Krishna, what are you saying? I cant do that, replied Narada. Then Krishna told him to go and find some devotees, who are ready to give some dust from their feet.

Narada goes in search and finds the Gopikas who are ready to do that. So he brings the dust from the feet of the Gopikas and the moment Krishna puts them on His head, His head ache is gone. Then Krishna says to Narada, You saw Me in pain but were not willing to give the dust from under your feet. But if I had done that, I will go to hell, replied Narada. Krishna then said, "That is the difference between you and the Gopikas. They are ready to go to hell; all they want is My welfare. I love the devotees who think only of Me and not of one's self."

Who is responsible for the sorrow?

1.God is not responsible for the sorrow and the pain that one experiences. The sins one commits are the cause of the grief one suffers. Joy and sorrow are the consequences of the good and the evil that one perpetrates. God is merely a witness. He does not punish, nor does He create grief. The jivi (individual soul) is without a beginning, that is to say, it has no birth; but it involves itself in incessant activity and so it has to go through the inevitable consequences of that activity. This is the unbreakable law of the objective world. Grief or joy is the image of the activity one engages in; it is the resound, the reflection, and the reaction. One can be the witness without concerning oneself with the good and the bad of the activity. When involvement happens, good will have to be experienced when good is done, similarly evil will have to be undergone when evil is done.

2.Dhyana (meditation) is the very basis of all sadhana (spiritual practice). Meditation gives you the first inkling of the Divine Bliss. With this Bliss as the ideal, you must carry on meditation and mental repetition of the Divine Name. The step immediately after meditation is samadhi (total absorption in the Self). Meditation is the seventh of the eight-fold path of Yoga. Do not give up this royal road that leads you on to that sacred goal!

3.We cannot think without words. Words are the essential material for thought. When the individual drops the body, the words enter the mind; the mind enters the Prana or the Life Force and the Prana merges in the Atma. When the Atma (individual soul) liberates itself it rushes to Surya Loka, the region of the Solar Principle. From there, it reaches Brahma Loka, the region of Brahma, the Supreme One. Having reached that region, the jivatma (individualized Atma) has no more concern with Prakriti, or the objective world. It will exist there till the end of time. It will experience boundless delight and have all powers except the powers of creation.

4.People are engaged in various forms of self-cultivation, but the most important of these is the cultivation of spiritual experiences. All refinement is based on spiritual development. It is the king of cultures. The king makes laws, but he is above and beyond them. So too, all rules and laws, all distinctions of right and wrong, of sin and virtue, of joy and sorrow affect only the jivi (individualized soul) that attaches importance to the inexperienced manas (mind) and buddhi (intellect) and not to the Atma. So, cultivation of the Atmic experience, which is pure, self-evident, and transcendental is essential for all. It is also easy, for the Atma is like the mother of all, and listening to the Atma is like the child listening to its mother. Everyone is competent to have that experience; in fa ct, it is everyone’s right to have it!

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba