Anger is the fuel for all varieties of sin

1.You should never get entangled in the meshes of this world and its problems. Try to escape into the purer air of the spirit as often as you can, by taking the name of the Lord. Hate and envy distort man's true charm. Anger is the fuel for all varieties of sin. Those aspiring for success in the spiritual field must therefore decide to control anger, and subdue the vagaries of the mind. They must put down their mental agitations and worries, and see that they do not create worry in others also. From this very moment, pray for the Grace of God which will enable you to control and conquer your vices. Deepen your faith in God. Expand your prema (love) and take into its fold, the whole of mankind. May you all win Truth (sathyam), Peace (shanti) and Joy (sukham) through these means. May you merge in the source of all bliss (A anandam).

2.Peace is a state of mind that is very much within one's own self. It emanates from one's heart. There is reaction, resound, and reflection for everything in the world. Only when there is hatred in you will you see hatred in others. At times, even if no one causes harm to you, you try to hurt others. Whatever you do to others, you will definitely experience the result of that action, and whatever you hear or experience is all due to the reaction, reflection, and resound of your own actions and feelings; others are not responsible for it. You forget this simple truth and lament, "so and so is accusing me or causing pain to me or hurting me" and so on. Many a times you tend to fight and hurt others. From today onwards, always help others, never hurt anyone. Follow your conscience, it will help you to manifest noble qualities.

3.There are three types of Surrender (Saranagathi). The first one ïs Thavai-vaaham, where the devotee affirms “I am Yours” , the second is Mamai-vathwam, where one asserts “You are mine” and the last is, Thwame-vaaham which means “You and I are one.” Each is a step that leads to the other and the last is the ultimate state. In the first stage, Thav-eva-aham, the Lord is completely free and the devotee is fully bound. Just like the cat and the kitten - the cat shifts the new born kitten about, as it wills; the kitten just mews and accepts whatever happens. This attitude is very gentle and is within easy reach of everyone. In the second, Mama-eva-thwam, the devotee binds the Lord in his heart and the Lord willingly remains bound. A devotee can tie up the Lord with Prema (love) that overwhelms and overpowers one’s own egoism. When one has this type of devotion (Bhakthi), the grace of the Lord fulfills every single need of the devotee.

4.There are three types of surrender (Saranagathi). The first one is Thavai-vaaham, where the devotee affirms “I am Yours” , the second is Mamai-vathwam, where one asserts “You are mine” and the last is, Thwame-vaaham which means “You and I are one.” Each is a step that leads to the other and the last is the ultimate state. In the first stage, Thav-eva-aham, the Lord is completely free and the devotee is fully bound. Just like the cat and the kitten - the cat shifts the new born kitten about, as it wills; the kitten just mews and accepts whatever happens. This attitude is very gentle and is within easy reach of everyone. In the second, Mama-eva-thwam, the devotee binds the Lord in his heart and the Lord willingly remains bound. A devotee can tie up the Lord with Prema (love) that overwhelms and overpowers one’s own egoism. When one has this type of devotion (Bhakthi), the grace of the Lord fulfills every single need of the devotee.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Qualities of a truely educated person

1.People surrender their dignity and status to other men and women for wealth, fame, possessions, pomp, power, etc. But rarely does one get the chance to surrender to the Lord for the sake of the Lord! How can one feel the urge to do so, so long as one craves for the materialistic objects (aadheya) and not the Source of the objects (Aadhaara)? How long can the baseless satisfy? People want the created not the creator; things from the hand, but not the Hand! Can there be an object without the cause? No. God alone is the ‘Uncaused’. It is sheer ignorance to surrender individuality for the sake of the caused. Surrender rather to the Cause, the Source, the Origin of all - Sarveswara. This is genuine surrender or Saranagathi.

2.When the clouds that hide the face of the moon are wafted by the winds, the moon shines clear and cool; so too, when the clouds of egoism are wafted away, the mind of man will shine pure and full, with its native effulgence. This is the stage of bliss where grief ceases to exist. Where there is a lamp, darkness cannot exist. The lamp of wisdom (jnaana) once lit never dies, fades or flickers. The ananda (happiness) and the shanthi (peace) that men seek from the objects of the world, prompted by their senses flicker and soon, fade and die. They only momentarily satisfy one’s foolish cravings. They are attained through lust, anger, hatred and envy, and so they are false and fickle. Control and conquer these; only then can you acquire real Ananda and Shanthi. These neither fade nor flicker. You can not only acq uire these, you can in fact become these.

3.Wherever you look, God is present there. Whomsoever you see, God is in him. God has no particular form; all forms are His. That is why the Vedas declare Sahasra Seersha Purusha Sahasraksha Sahasra Pad (The Cosmic Being has thousands of heads, eyes and feet). When you sit for meditation, do not allow the mind to waver; always keep it steady. Do not develop differences amongst yourselves as controversies give rise to many troubles. Even if anybody makes you angry, do not fight with them; understand that when you quarrel, you actually harm yourself. Also control your thoughts. All these are the qualities of a truly educated person. This is called Educare. Along with education, you should also have Educare, for this will grant you health, happiness, peace and prosperity. Everything will become good to you if you make your heart pure.

Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Thought for the day

1.The mother's lap is the school for all; it is your first temple. There is no God higher than the mother. To recognise this truth about one's mother is the duty of every person. Your father is your treasure and mother, your god. Instead of valuing such precious wealth, people engage in all kinds of activities to acquire riches and positions. Father and mother are inseparable like the word and its meaning. The distinction between man and woman relate only to the physical body. The Indwelling Spirit in both of them is the same divine. Everyone should cherish one's parents as embodiments of the Divine.

2.We see in the world today disorder, violence and conflict. To cure these ills, one must shed selfishness, greed and other bad qualities, and rise above the animal nature. It is through charity (unselfishness), that you achieve purity. With purity of the heart you can attain Unity, which will then lead to Divinity. The mansion of human life should be built on charity, purity, unity and Divinity. Women play a crucial role in cultivating these four pillars. Truth, sacrifice and peace are predominant qualities in women. A good wife is of value only to her husband whereas a good mother is a national asset. Only dedicated mothers can offer to the nation children who will strive for the country’s great future. Broad-minded good mothers, who care for the purity and spiritual growth of their children and the well-being of the community, are the need of the d ay.

Bagavan sri sri sri sathya sai baba