Happy New Year

May your new year be filled

with peace, joy and love.

Jai Sai Ram.

Satisfaction of Parents

"Satisfaction of parents is what pleases me.

I do not require anything.

When you make your parents happy,

I am also happy."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 19.11.98)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

When things go topsy-turvy,

Never get agitated and disturbed.

If you can smile gaily, leaving all worry,

That is a sure sign of maturity.

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

A Little Smile ...

A little smile, a word of cheer,

Lots of love. lots of kindness,

From home to home,

From heart to heart,

May this Christmas bring us all

closer together!

Faith...Hope..Love

Faith makes all things possible;

Hope makes all things work;

Love makes all things beautiful.

May you have all three for this Christmas!

Have A Blessed Christmas

May your Christmas be filled with

Swami's Love and Blessings

~ Divine Blossoms ~

Love - Conclusion - Spiritualization of Life

Sincere spiritualization of life will invoke in us a

sense of well being, a sense of deep satisfaction,

prompting us to live the human values of sathya,

dharma, shanti, prema and ahimsa.

In short, living in love comes naturally through

spiritualization of life.

The more we live in love and the more selfless service

we render, the greater will be the rewards of

the ecstatic state of spiritual love.

Most of us will certainly stumble and fall again and again;

but no sincere effort at transformation has ever failed

to bring grace upon us in a never-ending stream of love,

giving us courage, strength, and the will to get up and

move forward towards Light, Peace, Love ...God.

(From the book "Love" by Sudha Geethanath)

Love (Pt.6) - Invaluable to Live in Love

Invaluable to live in love.

Moderation in speech lessens our thoughts and internal dialogue

and keeps us free from needless worry and tension.

Thus free, introspection becomes easier.

As we connect with the soothing solitude of our inner self,

we are drawn into an inexplicable ethereal silence.

Heavenly peace descends, blanked in the warm glow

of Divine Light and Love.

Then living in Love becomes a possible reality.

Letting go and contentment become easier with the

spiritualization of life. Meditation, namasmarana or

conversing with our chosen God makes Him

a real presence in our life.

Awareness dawns that God is our Divine Parent,

our Friend and Guide - our Security Blanket

when the going gets rough.

From the book "Love: by Sudha Geethanath)

The Body is Impermanent

"The body is impermanent. But it is the abode of the indwelling spirit.

It is a shrine and when it moves, the Divine moves with it.

Hence the body should be cared for in the same way in which

an iron safe, which is of little value in itself, is safeguarded

for the sake of valuables kept in it."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(S.S. March 1996)

Love (Pt.5) -The Road to Love - Heal Thyself

To love others, it is imperative that we heal ourselves first.

Healing is a two-pronged process:

i. Honest, realistic assessment of ourselves with a view

to purging the self of any negativity.

ii. Sincere acceptance of others for what they are,

born of the belief that nobody is perfect.

World is a mirror. Awareness that the world is but a reaction, reflection

and resound of our own action, that the world is a mirror held

before us.

Loving the world for what it is, forgetting the good done

to others by us, and the bad done to us by others.

(From the book "Love" by Sudha Geethanath)

Whoever You Are ...

"Whoever you are, you are Mine.

I will not give you up.

Wherever you are, you are near Me.

You cannot go beyond My reach."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(From: "Tapovanam")

Love (Pt.4) - The Road to Love - Contentment

We just saw how wonderful life becomes when we live in . And the stumbling blocks to loving.

So what must we do to live in love?

Here are a few pointers.

Why be like the proverbial monkey who refused to let go the peanuts held in his fist inside the pot and paid with his life?

Let go! True freedom comes from contentment born of minimum wants.

Contentment:

Contentment leads to peace and peace to love. Therefore, contentment is vital to live in love.

For contentment, it is imperative that we:

(a) adhere to the ethical code of conduct. It keeps the conscience clean.

(b) Work sincerely, it gives satisfaction.

(d) Count and name the blessings received, for it makes us aware of, and trust in, the ever protective Hand of our Divine Father.

(e) Finally, it is imperative that we put a ceiling on desires, for insatiable desires cause discontentment, making self live by getting and forgetting.

(From the book "Love" by Sudha Geethanath)

God is ...

Once a King wanted to know the answers to three questions about which he had been contemplating for a long time. One day the King raised these questions in the Court Hall.

The questions were:

Where is God? In which direction does He cast His look?

What does He do?

None could answer these questions. The King summoned with due honour a sage to his court. He asked the sage to answer these questions.

The sage replied: "Like butter in the milk, God is everywhere."

To answer the second question, the sage asked for a lamp and asked the King: "In which direction does the lamp shed its light?" "The lamp sheds its light in all directions," replied the King. The sage said: "God is Effulgence itself and His vision is not directed to a particular place or person. He is all seeing."

The King asked: "What does He do?" The sage said: "Since I am in a way instructing you in spiritual matters, I am in the position of a preceptor, you a disciple. So we have to exchange places. Are you prepared for this?" The King agreed to this and came down from his elevated position and sat on the seat on which the sage sat.

The sage said with a twinkle in his eyes: "This is what God does. He brings down the mighty and elevates the humble. He can make the poor rich and the rich poor. He can do anything. He is all pervading. He is all seeing and omnipotent."

The King was very much pleased with these answers. He expressed his gratitude to the sage and honoured him in a fitting manner.

Like the King in the story, everyone of us should try to understand the true characteristics of God. God is Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipotent.

(Chinna Katha by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

Truth

Truth is only as real

as your delusions allow it to be -

just as the full moon is only as bright

as the dark clouds hiding it allow it to shine.

It is only either this or that -

Do you want more light of the Truth,

or do you prefer the darkness of ignorance?

We make this choice all the time -

from moment to moment.

(The Daily Enlightenment)

Knowledge

"Information-oriented knowledge makes man a machine,

a computer;

whereas transformation-oriented knowledge makes man

a composer."

~ Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 20.11.88)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"Why should you go for a paltry plant in the backyard

When you have the very Kalpavriksha (wish fulfilling tree)

That grants you all your wishes?

Why should you buy a cow for money

When you have Kamadhenu (the celestial cow)

Ready to give you milk in plenty?

Why should go in search of gold and silver

When you have the very Meru, the mountain of gold?

Why should you seek the foul worldly life

When you have the Lord Himself here,

Ready to grant you devotion and liberation?

~ Baba ~

Die Young

How do you train yourself to truly

live your life?

Train your "self" to die

before your actual death.

With the death of the egoistic self

comes freedom in this very life.

(The Daily Enlightenment)

Love (Pt.3) - Hurdles to Living in Love

Ego:

The 'I', 'Me', 'Mine' syndrome

makes us myopic and self-centred.

Excessive Materialism:

The search for happiness in excessive materialism

makes it (happiness) even more elusive,

leading to desperation in man.

Unhealthy Competition:

The desperate man believing that the end

determines the means enters into a frenzied

rat race to succeed at all costs.

Mental Agitation:

Negative emotions rise when the insatiable desires

are not met.

Loss of peace:

The mental agitation in turn vitiates the atmosphere

at home and outside

resulting in violence in society.

The result:

Devoid of Love,

life becomes a long, arduous journey.

(From the book "Love" by Sudha Geethanath)

Happy Birthday, Swami

Happy Birthday, Swami

Dearest Swami

Thank you for the happy times and memories we have shared.

Our love for you shall never cease for in our hearts

You shall always remain.

To our own dear Bhagawan,

Happy Birthday!

~ Divine Blossoms ~

Love (Pt.2) - Why Live in Love?

One living in love has no enemies; has kinship with everyone;

enjoys sound sleep;

enjoys expansive love and lightness of the heart;

views life as a celebration;

is vibrant, joyous and contented;

actually lives in God, the source of immeasurable

Peace, Bliss and Love.

(From the book "Love" by Sudha Geethanath)

Love (Pt.1)

Love:

It is selfless, unconditional and steady.

It is infinite.

It knows no hatred, greed or envy.

It is ever compassionate and empathises.

It is .... Divine.

There isn't a man in whom love is totally absent.

Yet, this love is not Divine. It is natural or worldly.

"Divine Love always gives to others and receives nothing."

~ Baba ~

It is changeless. It is expansive. It is Bliss.

"Natural Love always expects something from others."

~ Baba ~

It is narrow. It is painful.

(From the book "Love" by Sudha Geethanath)

When Depressed

When depressed, depress not your head - lift it up.

Look to the sky. Gasp - take a deep breath.

Open your eyes wide. Smile.

And where is the depression now?

If you are mindful of your body postures when you are depressed,

you will notice that it takes certain patterns - you slouch and your breathing becomes sighing,

and your eyes become lifeless and small as you frown.

Maintaining these postures is almost a sure way of maintaining the depression.

Do the opposite and see what happens.

Our body, speech and mind work in unison - each affecting the other.

Hence, spiritual cultivation means the mindfulness and purification of these three doors.

(The Daily Enlightenment)

The Body

"The body is a house given to you for rent;

the owner is God.

Live there so long as He wills,

thanking Him and paying Him the rent of

faith and devotion."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Akhanda Bhajan

"The spiritual vibrations produced by Bhajans confer great joy both on those who sing them and on those who hear the songs. Bhajans remove all negative thoughts, soothe the nerves, purify the mind and fill the body and the heart with sweet love for the divine.

As one sings Bhajans, the mind is saturated with God Consciousness and a great ecstasy wells up from within. No mental or intellectual effort is called for, as there is no need to understand anything while uttering the holy names of God and singing His glory.

The singing and the atmosphere created by Bhajans takes one beyond the realms of the body, mind and intellect and helps to establish communion with the Higher Self (consciousness) within. Therefore, singing Bhajans becomes a beautiful and blissful experience. Many great composers and musicians like Thyagaraja established communion with God through devotional music.”

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Lokaas-samasthaas-sukhino Bhavantu

"When you utter the prayer, "Lokaas-samasthaas-sukhino Bhavantu",

("May all the people in all the worlds be happy"),

you should pray wholeheartedly with the conviction

that the same Divine dwells in everyone."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"By performing meritorious deeds.

By practising the quality of sacrifice,

By fostering feelings of love,

By conquering demoniac tendencies and

By contemplating on Divinity,

Lead your lives day by day."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Give Up Attachment

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful and charming princess in Greece. She was not only beautiful but also adept in shooting, hunting and running. In fact, she had earned the title of "the fleet-footed princess." Many handsome and heroic princes desired to win her heart and hand. So, the princess hit upon a clever plan. She announced that she would marry the young man who would beat her in a foot race. Hundreds of young warriors came to race with her but she always out-ran them.

At last one young hero was bent upon outrunning her. He sought the advice of a wise man. He explained to him about the fleet-footed princess and her challenge. He also expressed his regret over the fact that many young warriors were being put to shame by the princess.

The wise man said: "Don't worry, you take within your pocket several shining pieces of jewellery and gems. As you run, go on dropping one piece after another on the racing track at strategic points."

On the day fixed for the race, the young man equipped himself with fine pieces of jewellery. The young man and the princess started running. Both of them were good runners. Whenever the princess was on the point of outstripping him, the young man would softly drop a dazzling piece of jewellery. The princess spontaneously stopped to pick up the lovely piece of jewelllery that was after all on the racing track. She was confident that inspite of the halts she would be able to outrun her rival. These brief but frequent halts made him reach the goal ahead of her. Thus the young man won the race as well as the heart and the hand of the princess.

Why did the fleet footed princess lose this time? It is all because of her love for jewellery. Love of lucre always makes man weak and prevents him from realising his real goal in life. If we want success in life, we have to give up attachment and be prepared to sacrifice what we have as the young man did.

(Chinna Katha from Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

Are You Free?

There is the popular misconcept that to be free,

one must have a car, money, time... (The Buddha had no car!)

How real is freedom if it is that conditioned?

True freedom is the ability to be at ease with whatever comes along - it is unconditioned;

a state of mind.

Are you free?

If not, why are you not freeing yourself?

(The Daily Enlightenment)

Sacrifice

"People generally think that giving up of family life, house, land and other forms of wealth is Thyaga (sacrifice). But this is not true sacrifice. This can be done easily. One who renounces the fruits of his desires and actions is a true renunciant."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba

(Divine Discourse - 9.8.2008)

Use Your Body as an Instrument

"My eyes direct your eyes the direction to see Me.

My ears direct your ears to hear only of Me.

My smile shows you the happiness I bring.

My hands show your hands

How to serve me in everyone.

My heart shows you the love I have for you.

Use your body

As an instrument I have given to you,

To bring yourself to Me."

Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sai Darshan)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"It is hard indeed to obtain good company.;

It is easy to obtain bad company in plenty.

Stones are strewn everywhere on earth;

But you will find diamonds only after much searching."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Humility

He who is not humble will not learn

because he has already assumed he knows all.

He who is learned is humble - even the Buddha is humble

by nature though He knows all.

How can we not be unhumble then?

(The Daily Enlightenment)

Recognising Divinity

"Everyone should strive to recognise the divinity that is present in all.

This effort has to be made by everyone.

Human birth has been given for this purpose.

It cannot be left to God."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 23.11.92)

The Lord is the Unseen Foundation

"The Lord is the unseen foundation on which your life is built.

He is the source, sustenance and strength.

Without His will, no leaf can turn,

No blade of grass can quiver."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Ending All Wars

When we hear news of riots and wars going on throughout the world, we tend to feel disheartened, sad and helpless. We might feel rather useless, wanting to help, yet at a loss. We might think: Who are we after, to be able to intervene in political matters? We have neither the right skills nor authority to deal with it. But how true is it? Are we all that helpless?

While we may not as effectively end the wars out there, we can definitely contribute to world peace... by first ending the wars inside us. Every quarrel, every shout of anger, every gesture of fury, even if just to another person, is a small war. And it only takes a handful of angry persons to start a riot and a bigger one to start a "real war." Your family fights and disputes might well be a micro version of a war.

After ensuring the root of hatred in us is extinguished, we have already helped make the world a better place. At least, no war will ever be triggered by you, even in the most drastic circumstances. And your sense of peace will spread naturally to your neighbours and your neighbours' to theirs...

If reality is such that we can't really lend a hand to actively help resolve the wars out there, meditate upon radiating Loving-kindness to the war-ravaged. Trust in the power of Loving-kindness and Compassion. It touches and transforms, even if in the most subtle ways. I look forward to the day when enough of us do this meditation together, such that Love truly transforms the world. We need a threshold amount of Love to overcome hatred in today's world. And I invite you to join me. Together, we will make up this threshold. The only revolution needed to end all wars is the spreading of Love. Spread the word... and may Love pervade all.

(The Daily Enlightenment)

Be Simple

"Be simple in the way you live.

Dress simple, let it be clean and neat.

Eat simple, let it be sathwic.

Pray simple, let it be full of devotion.

Work simple, let it be full of service.

Speak simple, let it be sweet and soft.

'Spend time simple, let it be devoid of showiness.

Love all, simple, let it be pure and selfless.

Call Me, simple,

Let it be from deeper than your heart.

The simpler you are,

the lesser you have to worry about.

The fewer desires you have to kill,

The lesser the mind strays.

You unburden yourselves of all your luggage,

Possess less of worldly things,

Things that especially attach you to the body.

Learn to give all,

And take nothing less than My grace."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sai Darshan)

Greed Leads to Death

Someone had a hundred acres in the south; but he had an itching for more, at least a thousand. So he went in all directions seeking regions where he could get vast areas of uncultivated but cultivable land.

At last, he came to a Himalayan Kingdom and the King gladly offered to give him all the land he hungered for. The only limit he placed was his endurance. He said that the man should start walking without tarrying; he should return to the starting point before the sun sets; all the land enclosed by his route, traced by his steps from start to finish, would be his. That was the generous offer the King made.

The greedy migrant waited anxiously for the first rays of the rising sun and he started off on the circumference of a very wide circle, running in fact, until evening fell; he was so exhausted when he neared the starting point that within three yards of the starting spot, he dropped dead! His heart stopped beating. He had overworked in his mad race to appropriate as many acres as he possibly could before sunset.

(Chinna Katha by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

The Shore of True Happiness

From here, he tries to ride and surf on waves,

towards the other shore of True Happiness,

which quickly crash, bringing him back to square one.

But he wades out again and again, to ride the waves.

But the higher they are, the harder they crash.

This is the common man's ups and downs

of emotional happiness,

while the wise one relaxes on the shore,

knowing True Happiness is not attained

through emotional waves of high,

knowing that the other shore of liberation is to be reached

by a change of mind, mental cultivation.

(The Daily Enlightenment)

The Role of the Avatar

"Embodiments of love! God incarnates for the sake of redemption of mankind and not for His own sake. He needs nothing. He has everything. He comes down to tell humanity its divine origin and to exhort men to return to God by following the Love Principle. Through love you can achieve anything. It is this message that has to be understood today:the role of the Avatar in leading mankind through love to a godly life."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 5.4.98)

Footprints

"Look for My feet.

I leave My footprints always.

I have paved the road.

Just follow My footprints and you will reach home."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sai Darshan)

Through Me O Lord, I Pray

They race, chase, clown, jump and stray

Monkey thoughts need peace at bay

Chaos, conflict cloud our skies

Thoughts seem safe, beyond our eyes

Grant, Sweet Sai, good thoughts this day

Think through me now O Lord, I pray

Words of anger, words fear

I and Mine are loud and clear

Words, like parrots, sounds that crow

Winds of words do come and go

Grant, Dear Sai, sweet words this day

Speak through me now O Lord, I pray

Ego desires darken deeds

Acts uncaring of others' deeds

Wasteful lives where demons dwell

Peace is lost in loveless hell

Grant, Sweet Sai, good deeds this day

Act through me now O Lord, I pray

~ Hal Honig ~

Be Better

We are seldom as good as we think we are.

No matter how good we reckon ourselves to be,

we can always be better.

However,

we are seldom as evil as we think we are.

No matter how evil we reckon ourselves to be,

we can always be better.

In the mean time,

others are seldom as evil as we think they are;

they are usually better than we think,

though like us,

they can always be better too.

(The Daily Enlightenment)

Silence

"It is no use indulging in arguments and disputations;

he who clamours aloud has not grasped the truth, believe Me.

Silence is the only language of the realised.

Practise moderation in speech. That will help you in many ways.

It will develop Prema, as most misunderstandings and factions

arise out of carelessly spoken words.

When the foot slips, the wound can be healed;

but when the tongue slips, the wound it causes in the heart of another

will fester for life.

The tongue is liable to four big errors;

uttering falsehood, scandalizing, finding fault with others

and excessive articulations.

These have to be avoided if there has to be
Shanti for the individual as well as for society."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(S.S. Sept. 1992)

The Painting

Will the road I painted lead me to You?

The garden is white with spring blossoms and jasmine.

I watered all Your flowers with my tears.

I painted a bench in the garden.

A separate chair for You! A swing!

O You have so many choices my Lord.

I invited a group of musicians into the picture.

The silent swans on my pond are thirsting for You.

The velvet rung of the red roses in my picture

Are still waiting for the caress of Your feet.

~ Guity Khoshdel ~

(Tehran)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"To set right the world when the traditions are destroyed,

To purify the world when it is polluted with evil,

To protect the virtuous

When the evil ones live in reckless manner,

To unravel the secrets of the scriptures

When their meaning has been lost in the womb of time,

To foster Mother Earth by ridding her of her burden,

To fulfil the promises

Which had been given in the Tretha Yuga,

Lo and Behold! The very Lord has descened down

As the embodiment of Truth."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Creating Wonderful Karma

You can have wonderful things happen

to you by creating wonderful karma,

by bringing wonder to others,

especially the most wonderful Dharma.

(The Daily Enlightenment)

Dear Mother Sai

Dear Mother Sai! You are our very life!

Without You, oh Lord, our hearts are barren,

We are lifeless! We are crest fallen!

These thirsty hearts of ours
Long for Your love, Your grace.
Without Your love, dear Lord,
This rainy season has become
Dry and dreary like another autumn.

Oh how We love Thee Lord, Living God,
With deepest purest feelings
Pray fill our hearts with righteousness
we worship Thee with rising hopes,
Lead us; Guide us; Love us…

Oh! Mother, do we not deserve Your Love!
Are we not Your very own children!
Why are You staying away from us?
Why are You delaying to grant Your Compassion?
The light in our eyes is missing,
Our minds are devoid of any peace,
We have lost all our talents.
Without You, we can never be at ease.
In spite of all our praying and pleading,
dear Mother,

Your warmth and love has eluded us.
Please bless us, dear Mother, with the right feeling
And the true spirit to set Your heart melting.
And if You deny us, dear Lord,
We just cannot survive.

(A poem by Swami's students)

Jai Ma Saraswati

May Goddess Saraswati,

who is fair like the jasmine coloured moon,

and whose pure white garland is like frosty dew drops,

who is adored in radiant white attire,

on whose beautiful arm rests the veena,

and whose throne is a white lotus,

who is surrounded and respected by the Gods,

protect me.

May you fully remove my lethary,

sluggishness and ignorance.

(Courtesy of indiadivine.org)

Jai Mahalakshmi

Salutations to the great enchantress,

Who is the Goddess of wealth,

is being worshipped by Devas,

And who holds conch, wheel and mace in herh ands,

Again salutations to the Mahalakshmi.

(Courtesy of Hindupedia)