Divine Wisdom

New Year Resolutions

Resolution One: 

I will live for God. 

Resolution Two: 

If no one else does, I still will. 

~ Jonathan Edwards ~

Happy New Year 2013

May your New Year be filled with Swami's grace and blessings!

Happy New Year!

Quotable Quotes

"Yesterday is gone.

Tomorrow has not yet come.

We have only today.

Let us begin."

~ Mother Teresa ~

Two Sirens

There are two evil sirens that entice youth into futility and frivolity, diverting them along the paths of ruin.  One of them is called Dame Cinema and the other is named Dame Novel.

The film contaminates and corrupts; it pollutes young and innocent minds; it teaches crime, violence and greed; it destroys the basic humanness and degrades it into bestiality.  Even ochre robed monks are steadily dragged down to sin by its insidious influence.

Dame Novel too corrupts equally, with salacious pictures of bestiality.  They both lead the young away into the wilderness of vice.  They do not know nor do they care to know how to shape the young into self-reliant, self-confident, self-knowing citizens.

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Chinna Katha from the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

Heart of my Heart

Heart of my heart,

Bliss of my being,

Truth of my life,

Lord of my soul,

Living in each of us,

Speaking through each of us,

Down through the ages

Your voice is heard.

Now You are here

On earth amongst us,

Showering grace,

Truth, peace and love,

Reminding us gently,

Of Your secret presence

Hidden within us

And all your creation,

That our Truth is Your Truth,

That our Love is Your Love,

That we are not separate

But one.

~ Priscilla Taylor ~

(From: Sai Reflections, Dec. 2000)

Christmas

Christmas is a time to open our hearts to God

and his gifts.
Just like the rest of the year.

~ Author Unknown ~

Christmas Blessings

May you always be blessed,

this Christmas and every Christmas!

Christmas Wishes

May the peace and joy of Christmas be with you!

The Message of Jesus

“Develop love of God. All other forms of love are not love at all, but only fleeting and impermanent attachments. Man's biggest folly is forgetting his Divinity. All should realize that they come from God. 

All are children of God. Everyone should seek to get nearer and nearer to God. That is spiritual practice (Sadhana). You must feel that God dwells in your heart. You must develop compassion in the heart, because without it, the heart is only a stone.

That is the message of Jesus: The message of love. Love is God. Live in love. Start the day with love. Spend the day with love. End the day with love. This is the way to God. 

Only the person who is filled with love will be dear to the Lord.

Today, devotees from many countries are here. Whatever happiness you may have experienced here, you must sustain that when you go back to your countries. That is got by God's grace. 

You can get it through love and love alone. When you have that love, your proximity to God is ensured forever."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - Christmas 1966)

I Will Come

 "Build a beautiful temple within,

And let it reflect in your character.

Let the beauty from within

Come out and reach out.

Start the foundation with your faith,

Slowly build the walls with your love.

Cover the ceilings with your devotion.

Put within it lights of truth.

A carpet of peace.

Then close your eyes and sit with patience.

Wait for Me.

I will come.

I have come to stay.

You have built My home for Me."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(From: "Sai Darshan" by Seema M. Dewan)

Divine Wisdom

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"Thinking that God is someone else,

Man forgets his true nature.

If he sets aside all other thoughts,

He himself becomes verily divine.

Give up your illusion and follow Me."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Anyway ...

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."

~ Mother Teresa ~

Sand into Gold

There is a story connected with the construction of the great temple at Kalahasthi.  It was built according to tradition by sage Agasthya, helped by Bharadwaja.

Everyday when the sun was about to set, Agasthya called every worker before him as he sat on the river bed and under his instruction, two sages poured into the lap of each worker sand taken from the bed; that was his wages!  Now that sand changed into gold in strict proportion to the work that the receiver had put in that day.  If one did more work, he got more gold; if less less.  If one had wasted the entire day, it would remain sand, so far as that worker was concerned.

There was no injustice, no grumbling, no favouritism.  All worked in the presence of the All-seeing and accepted the gold that was vouchsafed by the Almighty, for it was just his due, no more, no less.

It is work that is done in this spirit, the spirit of the constant presence of the Lord that is honest.  The Lord will reward by His grace the work that is done sincerely and gladly, not work that is done for fear of superior officers.  If hearts are pure, your work too would be pure.

(Chinna Katha from the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

Devotion to a Name and Form

"It is a great help to install the Divine name and form of your choice in your spiritual heart.  It is much better to be attached to God's name and form than to an individual's.  If this is done, one will not be liable to do anything wrong.  Thoughts, words and deeds will be in harmony.

Having God's image installed in the heart will help to develop the ability to listen to one's conscience and to improve one's power of concentration.  It is unnecessary to be worried about how to get rid of the attachment to the Guru's name and form, before you have given up attachment to your own name and form.  If the latter is achieved, the attachment to all other names and forms will vanish.  Actions performed with a pure and steady mind will be performed much more efficiently.  

Listen to the voice of God.  Remember Him all the time, and by this, transfer your attention more and more from the world to God.

At the most you can claim to be an instrument of God.   It is better to practise a little bit of what you have read than to continue reading tons of books."

(From the book "I Am I" by Ratan Lal)

Divine Wisdom

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"The termites grow in small numbers in the beginning,

But they will eat away the entire wood at the end.

Evil qualities, which make a small beginning,

Will destroy even a great one at the end."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Nothing But Your Own Karmas

"All that you face today,

Are nothing but your own karmas,

For God does not punish and bring misery.

That is why I walk amongst you today,

To see which fruit is ripe to come home with Me,

And which one has to stay on the tree sill.

So ignore all your miseries

Your karmas have brought upon,

And realize your truest misery,

Of your separation from Me.

I give you all the options but it is you that chooses.

Choose Me!

And end it all!"

(From: "Sai Darshan" - Divine messages
received and recorded by Seema M. Dewan)

Quotable Quotes

"We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God.

The world is crowded with Him.

He walks everywhere incognito."

~ C.S. Lewis ~

Divine Wisdom

Sincerity Rewarded

Two sadhus were doing penance sitting under a tree.  One day they heard a divine voice from above saying, "Listen, you will get liberation after as many lifetimes as there are leaves on this tree."

One of the sadhus got up in disgust and said, "I am fed up with this penance.  How can I wait for innumerable lifetimes to attain liberation?"  He walked away disillusioned.

The other sadhu felt happy that his liberation was certain and his final release was guaranteed in the course of time.  He unabatedly continued his penance.  The Lord was pleased with the steadfastness of this devotee and gave him instant liberation.  This showed that it is the attitude and sincerity with which the actions are done that is important and not the mere action itself.

God evaluated a devotee purely on his love and sincerity and purposeful striving towards the goal of liberation.

(From the book "I Am I" by Ratan Lal)

Nandalala Navacheeta Chora

Nanandala Navacheeta Chora Natavara Lala Gopala

Devaki Vasudeva Kumara

Deva Deva Gopala

Mohana Murali Gaana Vilola

Mohana Jaya Gopala

The darling of their foster father, Nanda,

the stealer of butter (sublime consciousness),

the beloved Son of parents Vasudeva and Devaki,

Lord of Lords, Lord Gopala!

The Son who fondly plays the flute "Murali"

and dances joyfully,

O the mind captivating victorious Lord Gopala! 

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"If one does not worship the Lord

Whole-heartedly with his hands,

If one does not utter the name of the Lord

Till his mouth tires,

If one does not saturate his heart

With compassion and truth,

Such a one is a curse to the mother's womb."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Losing What You Cling To

"You can only lose what you cling to."

~ Buddha ~

Divine Wisdom

No Time for Spiritual Practice

"Some people say they have no time to undertake spiritual practice because they work ten hours a day.  I tell them you might work twelve hours a day but give up the sense of individual doership.  That is a spiritual practice in itself.  Unselfish actions will be performed more efficiently.  Also such selfless actions will not leave any imprint on the mind.  If actions are bad, they will leave a bad imprint on the mind."

(From the book "I am I" by Ratan Lal)

The Name of the Lord

"Whatever you do, have the name of the Lord on your lips

and faith in God in your heart.

Thereby work will be transformed into worship."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse 8.3.97)

Waste of Time

There was a doctor in Benares who spent 5 minutes in the morning and 5 in the evening for meditation on God.  Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at the idiosyncrasy.

One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on something which he had been misled into believing.  The doctor replied, "Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day.  But what if He exists?  I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime.  I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime.  Why should you grudge me the ten minutes' joy that I derive therefrom?  I am not robbing you of your joy; why should you rob me of mine?"  he asked.

The cynics were silenced.

(Chinna Katha from the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

Divine Wisdom

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"The Atma is the Eternal one;

Free from birth and death.

It has no beginning, no middle, no end.

It is neither born nor does it die;

It is imperishable.

It shines brilliantly everywhere."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

My Love

"Whether you are walking on My path,

Or another is lost,

My love for both is equal.

For one I encourage to continue his journey,

And for the other,

I have come to transform."

(From: "Sai Darshan" by Seema M. Dewan)

Beloved of our Soul

Oh beloved of our soul,

You are our life, our breath, our all,

Our sweetest joy is loving thee!

Our Own Sathya Sai Baba

Our own Sathya Sai Baba,

Our guru, friend and king,

Our Lord, our God, our true Bhagawan,

We love You!

Happy Birthday, Swami!

Dearest Swami,

Beloved of our hearts,

Help us to love You more;

Teach us to be Your true devotees and

Lead us to life eternal and everlasting peace!

Happy Birthday, dearest Bhagawan!

Faith and Science

A Hindu and his British friend once happened to come to the bank of the Godavari.  The Hindu said, "I will bathe in this sacred water."  He recited the name "Hari" as he plunged in and came out refreshed in mind as well as body.  He felt great happiness that he got the rare chance of a bath in the holy river.

The British laughed and said, "This is mere H20; how can you get unspeakable joy by dipping into it?  It is all superstition."

But the Hindu replied, " Leave me to my superstitions; you can stick to your superstitions."  

The cynic got only physical cleanliness but the believer got mental purity also.

(Chinna Katha from the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

Quotable Quotes

“Never forget that God is your friend. 

And like all friends, He longs to hear what's been happening in your life.  

Good or bad, whether it's been full of sorrow or anger, 

or even when you're questioning why terrible things have to happen.” 

~ Nicholas Sparks ~

(The Last Song)

Divine Wisdom

Lord Krishna's Flute

You all must have noticed that on the majority of the images we see of Lord Krishna, He is depicted as holding a flute in His hand.

Once the devotees of Krishna asked the flute, "Even though we are all devoted to Krishna, why is it He keeps you close to Himself all the time and not us?"

The flute answered, "It is because I am hollow, I do not, in any way, hinder the  mellifluous music that flows from His divine breath.  There is no obstructing ego in me to impede the voice of
God.  So, give up egos and you will also enjoy the proximity to God and will become the instruments through which His voice be heard, unimpeded."

Only when the individuality is erased can one realise the nearness of the indwelling Lord.  Nothing can be nearer to one than one's own Self.

(From the book "I am I" by Ratan Lal)

Do It For Me

"Do not do anything to earn praise from others,

For I am the witness to every act.

Those who praise you today,

May blame you tomorrow.

So do it for Me and Me alone,

Because My love for you stays the same."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(From: "Sai Darshan" by Seema M. Dewan)

Quotable Quotes

"The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go, 
God's love for us does not."

~ C.S. Lewis ~

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"Conquering conceit, one becomes dear.

Conquering anger, one is free from regrets.

Conquering desires, one becomes prosperous.

Conquering greed, one becomes happy."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Happy Diwali

"I have come to light the lamp of love

in your heart, to see that it

shines day by day with added brilliance"

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

MAY YOUR HOMES AND HEARTS

BE FILLED WITH THE JOYOUS

BLESSINGS OF THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Do all Actions without Desire

"Whatever things we do with this body, we are leading to

a rebirth of this body.  Any actions, good or bad, can be compared

to seeds.  In order not to sow such seeds, we should

do all actions without desire.  All actions should be done in and only

for the pleasure of God.  If you sweep a place, think that

you are doing that for cleaning the heart, the shrine of God.

When you help or harm others, think that you are doing it for yourselves.  

Then you will never let yourself harm anyone else."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

("Sadhana - The Inward Path")

Divine Wisdom

Bhajan

"Bhajan cleanses and purifies the atmosphere

 by its vital vibrations.  It inspires, instructs, it calls and comforts."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Global Akhanda Bhajan - 10th-11th November 2012

"Wherever My glory is sung,

I bestow My divine presence."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Divine Wisdom

The Idol Turned

 Kanakadas yearned to see the idol of Krishna installed in the temple at Udipi and as he could not go into the sacred precincts, the flag post hid the view; so he went round the shrine and tried to find a crevice in the wall through which he could catch a glimpse of the Krishna he loved so much.  He found a crevice but that gave him a glimpse of the back of the idol, not the resplendent face of the Lord.  When he lamented his fate, the idol turned round and gave him the coveted darshan!  That is the reward of the yearning!

(Chinna Katha from the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"There is no penance equal to a peaceful mind.

There is no greater happiness than contentment.

There is no worse disease than desire.

No righteousness can equal kindness."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~