Have a Blessed New Year

As the New Year begins,

let us pray that

it will be a year with New Peace,

New Happiness

and abundance of Good Health.

May God bless you throughout the New Year.

New Year Gems (1) - The Qualities of a Good Mind

"Embodiments of Love!

Years have rolled by but man has not developed noble feelings.

A true human being is one with a good mind.

The qualities of a good mind are:

It has the brightness of the sun and the coolness of the moon;

It makes one utter sacred words and confers peace on the society.

One with compassion, love, forbearance, sympathy

and sacrifice alone is a true human being.

But in modern man, such sacred qualities have become scarce."

~ Baba ~

(New Year Message - 1.1.2001)

The Path of Love

"If you live on the level of the Body and the Individual,

you will be entangled in food, fun and frolic, encased in envy and pride.

Forget it, ignore it, overcome it - you will have peace, joy and calm.

In the Divine Path, there is no chance of failure;

it is a path in which every milestone is a monument for victory.

For it is the Path of Love."

~ Baba ~

(Voice of the Avatar)

The Mind is Like a Fragrant Flower

"The mind is like a fragrant flower; it emits fragrance whether it is held in the right hand or left, whether the person who holds it is good or bad. It walks blindly along, irrespective of the lin or the land. It is blind, so someone has to take it on tow.

When you invite ten blind people to dinner, you have to lay twenty plates. For each blind person brings with him and, has to so bring with him, a guide who can lead him to your home. So the mind too must have a guide who knows the way, the obstacles, the shoals and ferries."

~ Baba ~

(Voice of the Avatar)

The Purpose of the Human Body

"The human body has been given to you for a grand purpose -

realizing the Lord within.

If you have a fully equipped car in good running condition,

would you keep it in the garage?

The car is primarily meant for going on a journey; get into it and go.

Then only is it worthwhile to own it.

So too, with the body.

Proceed, go forward to the goal.

Learn how to use the faculties of the body, the senses, the intellect,

the mind for achieving the goal and march on"

~ Baba ~

(Voice of the Avatar)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

Unity of Head, Heart and Hand

"Unity of head, heart and hand is essential for man.

This is the true significance behind the Christians making the cross sign.

Install God in your heart.

Contemplate on Him and undertake good deeds.

Consider every activity as God’s work and act accordingly.

Merely feeding the poor and distributing clothes to the needy

do not constitute Seva (selfless service).

Along with this, one has to cultivate love, which is eternal.

Right from dawn to dusk all our actions should be suffused with love.

Start the day with love, fill the day with love,

spend the day with love, end the day with love.

This is the way to God."

(Thought for the Day as written in

Prasanthi Nilayam on 26.12.10)

Worship Jesus By Following His Ideals

"Worship Jesus by following His ideals.

Jesus pointed to three stages.

The first one is “I am the Messenger of God.”

He wanted to propagate the message of God.

The second one is, “I am the Son of God.”

The son has a claim to father’s property.

What is the property of God?

Truth, love, forbearance, peace, and righteousness are the properties of God."

So, you must strive to attain these qualities.

You must practise, experience, and propagate these virtues.

Only then do you deserve to be called Son of God.

The third one is “I and My Father are one.”

This stage is attained when the principle of unity is realised.

Jesus was always blissful and was prepared for anything

because He understood that the body is merely vesture and God is the indweller.

(Thought for the Day as written in

Prashanti Nilayam on 25.12.2010).

I Sang a Song

"Twenty years back when Christmas was celebrated

for the first time in Prashanti Nilayam,

I sang a song:

Love is my form,

Truth is my breath,

Bliss is my food.

My life is My message,

Expansion is My life,

No season for Love,

No reason for Love,

No birth, no death.

If anyone asks you to tell about Sai Baba,

sing the the song.

It will convey the whole message.

Tell them Love is His form and His life is His message.

Develop the feeling of brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God."

~ Baba ~

(Christmas Message - 25.12.98)

Have A Blessed Christmas

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,

The gladness of Christmas give you hope

And the warmth of Christmas grant you love.

Hallelujah!

Two thousand years ago the child Christ came to earth,

His gentle mother, Mary was blessed to give Him birth;

He trod the path of truth and love to show that all mankind

Could learn to purge their hearts of sin and sanctify the mind.

Hallelujah, Christ is purest Love

Hallelujah, Christ is purest Love

Hear the angels sing His glory in the heavens above,

Hear the angels sing His glory in the heavens above.

Two thousand years have passed, the Avatar is here!

The Lord Himself in orange robe will cleanse this world of fear;

His words are blazing swords of truth, pure love surrounds His form;

The Saviour's here to lift men's souls before the Golden Dawn.

Hallelujah, Sathya Sai is Love

Hallelujah, Sathya Sai is Love

Hear the angels sing His glory in the heavens above;

Hear the angels sing His glory in the heavens above.

HALLELUJAH!

~ Jacqui-Lloyd Davies ~

All I Want for Christmas Is ...

I don't need a white Christmas

or presents galore,

I don't need silver bells or

sleigh rides,

All I want for Christmas

is Your gentle smile and to know that

You're always by my side.

I don't need Christmas trees

or new toys,

I don't need sweet puddings

or Christmas pies,

All I want for Christmas

is to see Your smiling face

amidst the shining stars in the sky.

I don't need silver or gold,

I don't need diamonds or pearls,

All I want for Christmas

is to live Your message

and bring gladness to the earth,

with little deeds of kindness

and little acts of love.

Dearest Swami,

On this Christmas Day

May I wish You joy and gladness too,

But please don't send me a doll

for all I want for Christmas

is a sack full of love

TO LOVE ALL AND SERVE ALL!

~ Divine Blossoms ~

Christmas Gems (9) - Accumulate the Wealth of God's Grace

"Jesus also set no value on wealth or position.

Once a rich man came to Jesus when he was in the

house of Martha and Mary.

The rich man told Jesus that despite all his wealth and possessions,

he was not having peace of mind.

He was harassed by many worries and appealed

to Jesus to show him a way out.

Jesus told him: “There is a simple way but will you follow it?

You have been accumulating riches and

your worries have grown with them.

What are you going to do with all this wealth,

which some day you will have to leave behind?

Distribute it among the poor and the needy

and all your worries will go.

Accumulate instead the wealth of God's grace

through love of your fellowmen."

This is the message that has to be understood today.

What people should seek is the earning of God's love.

All other forms of wealth, including the wealth of scholarship,

are valueless."

~ Baba ~

(Christmas Message - 25.12.87)

Christmas Gems (8) - Do Not Give Room for Religious Differences

"Embodiments of Divine Love!

Wherever you may be, in whatever country,

do not give room for religious differences.

Do not give up religion.

Get rid of differences based on religion.

Adhere to your faith and your traditions.

When differences between religions are given up,

love will develop in you.

When love grows, you can have a direct vision of God.

Without love, verbal prayers are of no avail."

~ Baba ~

(Christmas Message - 25.12.1990)

Christmas Gems (7) - Always Pray for the Welfare of All

"You should help people even if you have to undergo some difficulties.

Never indulge in reviling others, for the same atma is permeating every living being.

If you abuse others, it amounts to abusing your own self.

If you do not like them, keep yourself away from them, but never abuse them.

Any amount of good work done by you will be of no use, if you do not give up bad

qualities. If you cannot do good to others, at least speak good words.

You cannot always oblige, but you can speak always obligingly.

If you find someone suffering, try to help him. Today it is his turn, but tomorrow it could

be yours.

Always keep this in mind. Nobody can escape from pain and suffering.

Always pray for the welfare of all. It is only in this context, the universal prayer of

Loka samasta sukhino bhavantu

(May all the people of the world be happy!)

is addressed."

~ Baba ~

(Christmas Message - 25.12.2002)

Christmas Gems (6) - Have Sacred Vision

"No spiritual practice can yield the desired result

if the senses are misused.

Have sacred vision.

Speak good words.

Hear only what is good.

Entertain noble thoughts.

There is no greater spiritual practice than this.

This was the teaching of Buddha.

The same was taught by Jesus."

~ Baba ~

(Christmas Message - 25.12.2001)

Christmas Gems (5) - Fill Your Life with Love

"What is meant by calling yourselves devotees of Sai?

You have to foster love and develop unity.

You must consider yourselves as members of one family,

the children of one God.

Only then you are entitled to call yourselves Sai devotees.

Whatever others may say, do not bear any ill-will towards them.

Welcome everything as for your good.

The more you serve God, the more the bliss you will experience.

Hence, fill your life with love,

grow in love and end your life in love."

~ Baba ~

(Christmas Message - 25.12.95)

Christmas Gems (4) - May the World Have Peace

"Only those who can pour out compassion to fellow-men

can claim a place in the Grace of God.

This is also the highest spiritual discipline;

it impresses on you the unity of the human community

and the glory of God's immanence.

May this discipline which the Seva Dhal

has taken up with genuine delight spread all over this country,

and may the land be happy and prosperous.

May the world have peace and happiness, and loving trust.

That is My blessing.

I want you to pray for the welfare and prosperity of all mankind."

~ Baba ~

(Christmas Message - 25-12-1970)

Christmas Gems (3) - Constantly Think of God

"Everyone has to face the consequences of his actions. None can predict when and how, but you are bound to face them.

However, when you constantly think of God, you will never be put to suffering. He will always be with you, in you, around you, safeguarding you.

You may worship God by any name - Jesus, Rama, Krishna, etc. But remember that God is one, goal is one, truth is one and love is one. Love is God.

Enshrine this unity principle in your heart and have firm faith in it. Then God will certainly take care of you wherever you are - in a forest, in the sky, in a city, in a village, on a mountain top or in the middle of a deep sea."

~ Baba ~

(Christmas Message - 25.12.2000)

Christmas Gems (2) - Peace

"Everybody clamours for peace, saying "I want peace." But can peace be found in the

external world, which is only filled with pieces?

Peace has to be found within oneself by getting rid of the "I" and desire.

Peace is being destroyed by the ego and by insatiable desires.

Restrain your desires.

Man is haunted by endless worries of many kinds.

Only by turning his mind towards God can he get rid of the worries.

Men have to reduce desires and cultivate vairagya (detachment)

so that they can have real peace of mind."

~ Baba ~

(Christmas Message - 25.12.89)

Christmas Gems (1) - The Power of Love

"The power of Love is infinite. It can conquer anything.

Once while Lord Buddha was journeying, he was confronted by a demoness who threatened to kill him. Smilingly, Buddha said: "You are not a demon; you are a deity! I love you even if you behave like a demon."

Hearing these loving words, the demoness turned into a dove and flew away.

Love can change the heart of even an inveterate enemy. It is this kind of Universal love that should be cultivated by everyone.

There are people professing different faiths in the world - Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Zorastrians and so on. There should be no difference or distrust amongst them, for all of them uphold Truth and Dharma."

~ Baba ~

Christmas Discourse 25.12.86

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

Ego

"The worst enemy of man is his ego. Many have been able to overcome the six weaknesses: anger, pride, lust, greed, hatred and attachment, but rare indeed is the hero who has demolished his ego, which has jealousy as its companion trying to dominate the mind continuously.

More than ordinary men, the scholars, sages, teachers and even devout spiritual aspirants are victims of ego. It is their ego which makes them declare that they are nearest to God and the most enlightened. The ego brings wave after wave of wants and wishes. When egoism enters man, envy follows fast. Sorrow is the shadow that haunts ego.

How does the egoism get into our system?

Where was the ego in the beginning?

Is it a weed cultivated by us for our destruction?

When were we before we were born?

Where will we be after death?

All our ideas and inferences are but products of the period between birth and death. When the girl you married was seriously ill as a child, you did not worry since she was not "yours". We ourselves grow the attachment. This "mine" and "yours" attitude adopts colossal importance in our lives.

Egoism is a thorny bush, which when planted and fostered, makes us suffer. It makes enemies even of close friends and does not allow men to work together. Grief follows ego like a shadow."

~ Baba ~

S.S. March 1996

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

Overcome Anger through Kindness

Newly-wed Uttara was not very happy in her new household, for although she loved to prepare alms food for the Buddha and his disciples, she was too busy looking after the needs of her new husband to do so. She complained to her father about it and he, feeling sorry for her, sent her some money.

Uttara then asked her husband if she could use it to hire a maidservant who would look after him while she used her own time to prepare alms food for the Buddha and his monks. The husband agreed and a maidservant was employed.

One day, while Uttara was busily preparing food for one of her merit-making ceremonies, her husband happened to pass by the kitchen. Seeing his wife so happily engaged, he thought to himself, “What a foolish little woman! She should be enjoying herself instead of working so hard.” And he smiled at her affectionately.

When the maidservant saw his smile, she forgot that she was only a hired hand, and in a fit of jealousy, took a pot of hot boiling butter from the stove to pour over Uttara.When Uttara realized what the maid was going to do, she made this resolution: “Let the butter scald me only if I bear any ill-will toward my maidservant.”

But ill-will was far from the heart of Uttara. Instead, she felt only loving kind ness and gratitude toward her maid, for Uttara realized that without her, she would not have been able to carry out all of her merit-making activities.

Consequently, the hot butter simply rolled off Uttara’s body like drops of cold water. When Uttara’s attendants realized what the maid had done, they seized her and started hitting her from all sides. Uttara immediately ordered them to stop. The maid then realized that she was in no position to be jealous of Uttara. Feeling ashamed, she asked Uttara for forgiveness.

Later when the Buddha learned what had happened, he praised Uttara for having conquered anger by loving kindness. He further instructed his listeners that abuse should be conquered by non-abuse, selfishness by generosity, and lying by speaking the truth.

Overcome anger through kindness, wickedness through goodness, selfishness through charity, and falsehood through truthfulness.

(From Dhammapada Stories)

Every Tick of the Clock ...

"Every tick of the clock snips a length off the thread of life. Money when unspent remains in your account at the bank but spent is your life with every moment whether wisely or unwisely. It marches relentlessly on.

Use the present moment best to sharpen your skills, to broaden your intelligence, to expand your heart and to master the technique of facing the challenges of life with courage and equanimity."

~ Baba ~

(The Voice of the Avatar)

The Unique Treasures of Mankind

It is said that during the Kurukshetra battle which lasted for 18 days, Vyâsa had his mind torn with contrition, for the contestants were both of his lineage. So he could not cast his eyes on the fratricidal carnage!

One day, he was so overcome by remorse that he hastened beyond the blood-soaked plain, where another day's holocaust was about to begin. Hurrying along, he saw a spider scurrying forward on the ground.

"Why so fast?" inquired the sage; the spider ran off the road, climbed up an ant hill by its side and from that eminence, it replied, "Know you not that the war chariot of Arjuna is about to pass this way! If I am caught under its wheels, I am done".

Vyâsa laughed at this reply, he said, "No eye gets wet when you die! The world suffers no loss when you are killed! You leave no vacuum when you disappear".

The spider was touched to the quick by this insult. It was shaking with rage. It ejaculated, "How is that? You are a bloated sage! You feel that if you die, it will be a great loss, whereas I will not be missed at all. I too have a wife and children whom I love. I too have a home and a store of food. I too cling to life with as much tenacity as you folk. I have hunger, thirst, grief, pain, joy, delight and the agony of separation from kith and kin. The world is as much in me and for me, as in and for human beings and other."

Vyâsa hung his head and moved on in silence, muttering the line, Saamaanyam ethath pasubhir naraani; for man and beast and insect and worm, these things are common, but, he told himself, "Inquiry into the Ultimate, yearning for Beauty, Truth and Goodness, Awareness of the underlying Unity, these attributes of Wisdom are the unique treasures of mankind", and went his way.

(Chinna Katha from Baba)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

Wish You Were Here

"Having a good time -

wish you were here!"

So reads the postcard sent to you by a friend on holiday.

Here's mine to you -

"Have a good time.

Do not wish you were there.

Be here, wherever you are -

because you are not anywhere else now!

All you have here and now

is here and now."

(The Daily Enlightenment)

You Yourself Are God

"Many people go to places of pilgrimage like Badrinath,

Amarnath, Kedarnath, Bhadrachalam, Tirupati, etc., in search of God.

They think that they can find God at such places.

Oh foolish man! God is not somewhere else.

In fact, you yourself are God. God is present in all.

God is only one and He is present wherever you look for Him.

He is in you, with you, above you, below you.

God is beyond birth and death and indwells every being in the form of Atma.

He is present in all human beings right from a child to an old man.

The same God is present in an ant, a mosquito and in all birds, beasts and animals.

Therefore, do not go in search of God here and there and trouble yourself."

~ Baba ~

Benedictory Address - Convocation of SSSIHL

22.11.10