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)