What Man Wants

"Man wants the gift, not the Giver;

the created, not the Creator;

things from the hand, but not the Hand."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Divine Wisdom

Quotable Quotes

The King with One Grey Hair

 

A very, very long time ago, there were people who lived much longer than they do today. They lived many thousand years. At that time, the Enlightenment Being was born as a baby named Makhadeva. He lived 84,000 years as a child and crown prince. At the time of our story, he had been a young king for 80,000 years.

One day, Makhadeva told the royal barber, "If you see any grey hair on my head, you must tell me immediately!" Of course, the barber promised to do so.

Another 4,000 years passed, until Makhadeva had been a young king for 84,000 years. Then one day, while he was cutting the king's hair, the royal barber saw just one little grey hair on all the king's head. So he said, "Oh my lord, I see one grey hair on your head." The king said, "If this be so, pull it out and put it in my hand." The barber got his golden tweezers, plucked out the single little grey hair, and put it in the king's hand.

At that time, the king still had at least another 84,000 years left to live as an old king! Looking at the one grey hair in his hand, he became very afraid of dying. He felt like death was closing in on him, as if he were trapped in a burning house. He was so afraid, that the sweat rolled down his back, and he shuddered.

King Makhadeva thought, "Oh foolish king, you have wasted all this long life and now you are near death. You have made no attempt to destroy your greed and envy, to live without hating, and to get rid of your ignorance by learning the truth and becoming wise."

As he thought this, his body burned and the sweat kept rolling down. Then he decided once and for all, "It is time to give up the kingship, be ordained as a monk, and practice meditation!" Thinking so, he granted the income of a whole town to the barber. It amounted to one-hundred-thousand per year.

Then the king called his oldest son to him and said, "My son, I have seen a grey hair. I have become old. I have enjoyed the worldly pleasures of great wealth and power. When I die, I want to be reborn in a heaven world, to enjoy the pleasures of the gods. So I will be ordained as a monk. You must now take the responsibility of ruling the country. I will live the life of a monk in the forest."

Hearing of this, the royal ministers and the rest of the court rushed to the king and said, "Our lord, why do you suddenly want to be ordained?"

The king held up the grey hair in his hand and said, "My ministers and subjects, I have realized that this grey hair shows that the three stages of life - youth, middle age and old age - are coming to an end. This first grey hair was the messenger of death sitting on my head. Grey hairs are like angels sent by the god of death. Therefore, this very day is the time for me to be ordained."

The people wept at the news of his departure. King Makhadeva gave up his royal life, went into the forest, and was ordained as a monk. There he practised what holy men call the 'Four Heavenly States of Mind'. First is loving-kindness, tender affection for all. Second is feeling sympathy and pity for all those who suffer. Third is feeling happiness for all those who are joyful. And the fourth state is balance and calm, even in the face of difficulties or troubles.

After 84,000 years of great effort meditating and practising these states as a humble forest monk, the Bodhisatta died. He was reborn in a high heaven world, to live a life a million years long!

The moral is: Even a long life is too short to waste.

(From "Buddhist Tales for Young and Old")

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"Of what use is all spiritual effort without self-restraint?

Of what use is all Yoga without the virtue of patience?

Of what use is all Japa without the virtue of peace?

All these acts, without cultivation of virtues

Are like tilling a barren land."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Good Health

 

"For accomplishing any task, good health is necessary.

The ancient sages realised the Divine by maintaining perfect health.

The body is given only to do righteous deeds.

As it is the instrument for action,

it should be maintained in a proper condition."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(S.S. Dec. 1994)

Today I Spoke to God

 

Today I spoke to God and this is what I heard
If you're out there being selfish, you haven't heard my word
People out here need you
The young and old need help
Please give them my love, and give it through yourself
Bury all your hatred
Show love, and lend a hand
Surrender all your hatred, and rectify my plan
You are my flowers in a meadow from above, and every single person
came from me, to earth, with love.

~ Keith Evans ~

Quotable Quotes

Namasmaran

"Chanting of the Lord's name is the only way

to liberation in the Kali Age.

God's name only will redeem us.

Any mighty task can be achieved by chanting

the divine name."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Namasmaran means Summoning God

Pedda Bottu, the great devotee of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba often asked Him, "Swami, what is meditation (dhyan) and how to do it?"

Swami used to put her off.  He would merely say, "Don't bother about dhyan.  You are doing namasmaran.  That is good enough."

One night she was sleeping under a tree opposite Swami's residence.  As it began to drizzle, she removed herself from there and prepared to sleep in the verandah outside Swami's room.  As she was making her bed, she said to herself as a matter of habit, "Om Sri Sai Ram."

Swami came out and pulled her up, "You stupid, won't you allow Me to sleep?"

Pedda Bottu said, "Swami, who stopped You from sleeping?"

Swami retorted, "When you are summoning Me, how can I go to bed and sleep?"  

The poor lady explained, "I am in the habit of doing namasmaran and uttered, 'Om Sri Sai Ram' within myself.  I did not intend to call you."

Bhagawan told her, "What does that japam mean?  It amounts to calling Me.  Namasmaran is no different from summoning the God."

(From the book "Tapovanam" by J.V.Sastry)

Contentment

"Desire is the fire in your frame.

It reduces you to ashes.

Contentment is the effective drug to destroy it.

Dedicate all to the Lord - that is 

genuine contentment."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Dhyana Vahini)

Let the Different Faiths ...

"Let the different faiths exist.

Let them flourish and let the glory of God

be sung in all the languages of the world 

and in a variety of tunes.  

Respect the di8fferences between the faiths and

recognise them as valid as long as they do not extinguish 

the fame of unity.  The Lord within you,

then you will not be tempted into sin

and fall into evil."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Birthday Blessings

"All are mine and I belong to all.
My benediction is "May all be happy". 

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 23.11.97)

Happy Birthday, Swami

Sai, you are more precious than silver

Sai, you are more valued than gold

Sai, you are more beautiful than diamonds

Nothing we desire compares with You

Sai, you are our beloved Lord

Sai, you are the lotus in our hearts

Sai, you are our guardian and our saviour

All we want is always serving You

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWAMI!

Smile

A smile is free and gives a lot.  It enriches those who receive it,

without making the giver any poorer.  It only lasts a second,

but its memory may last forever.  No one is rich enough

to be able to go without, nor too poor to give one.

A smile creates happiness in the home and is the sure

sign of friendship.  It gives rest to the one who is tired and

courage to even the most disheartened!

In other words, smile!

~ French Unknown ~

It takes 72 muscles to frown,

only 14 to smile.

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"Sacrifice is not going to the forest,

By forsaking property and children.

Sacrifice is renouncing bad feelings.

That indeed is sacrifice and Yoga."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Divine Wisdom

A Heart's Words

"The Lord will accept a heart's words,

but He will not accept words and prayers

that do not come from the heart.

This is why God is described as Lord of the Heart.

It is only when you have faith in this that 

you will be able to manifest your divinity."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Quotable Quotes

"Hard it is to understand:

By giving away our food, we get more strength;

by bestowing clothing on others, we gain more beauty;

by founding abodes of purity and truth,

we acquire great treasures."

~ Buddha ~

Power of the Name

Down a narrow lane not far from the Ganges, an Indian teacher lived.  He had only a few impoverished followers.

One day the lane was filled with the excited voices of a great crowd of people.  On inquiring the reason for all this, he was told that one of his followers had just walked over the river whilst repeating his name.

The teacher was very interested in this news and thought that perhaps if the word got round, some rich American or Englishman might write about him and that he might collect some rich followers.  He then reasoned that if his follower had walked across the Ganges then there must be great power in his name.

So on the following day, crowds gathered to see the guru walk across the river reciting his own name - and he promptly sank.

When the follower had recited the guru's name, that was with faith, which had prevented him from sinking.  When the teacher stepped out reciting his own name, that was egotism.  There was no power in that.

(From: Sai Reflections, May 1999)

My Real Home

My real Home

is in God's heart.

There I can BE me

without expectation.

My real Home

is in God's heart.

There I can experience intimacy

without intrusion.

My real Home

is in God's heart.

There I am within,

without in love

... only in God's heart.

~ Anita Devi ~

Divine Wisdom

I Am Fully Aware ...

"You may think that it is a marvellous phenomenon that the Supreme Being should come down to earth in human form.  But if you are in My position, you will not be so wonder-struck.

I am fully aware of the past, the present and the future of everyone of you.  That is why I do not get overwhelmed with pity.  Not that I do not have compassion and love.  My heart is certainly not made of stone.  But if you shut the door of your heart, how can the waves of My sweet love penetrate beyond?

You shed tears and say, "Swami, I am blind.  I yearn to see Your divine form.  Doesn't my distress melt Your heart?"  When you see a blind person's misery, your hearts are moved.  Does not my heart too feel pity?

But as I know the entire background including the distressed person's earlier lives, My response is naturally different.  If you too come to know of things that are known to Me, your reaction to that person's agony will also be different.

What one reaps in this life is but the fruits of the seeds that he himself had sown in previous lives.  So, I allow him to undergo what he derived from his earlier evil deeds.  Of course, performance of extenuatingly good deeds will mitigate the suffering to some extent.

I am not the cause of either your happiness or misery.  You have yourself fashioned these two manacles that weigh you down."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(From the book "Tapovanam" by J.V.Sastry)

Quotable Quotes

Sanathana Dharma

"You are the children of one Mother.

Her name is Sanathana Dharma.

Redeem the debt due to the Mother.

He is no son who forgets the Mother; he cannot be good

who says that the Mother is bad.

Her breast milk is the very breath of our life.

The giver of this life, the Father of all, is

PARAMATMA."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Prema Vahini)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"Can we know you, O' Krishna!  Can we know you?

You are subtler than the atom;

You are vaster than the vastest.

You always live in eighty-four lakh species of beings

Without ever being far away from them.

You live in an atom, a particle of dust, and in wood too.

You are the greatest among thieves.

Can we know you, O'Krishna!  Can we know you?"

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Quotable Quotes

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"

  ~ William Arthur Ward ~ 

Kind Advice is Wise Advice

 

Once upon a time, the son of Brahmadatta was ruling righteously in Benares, in northern India. It came to pass that the King of Kosala made war, killed the King of Benares, and made the queen become his own wife.

Meanwhile, the queen's son escaped by sneaking away through the sewers. In the countryside he eventually raised a large army and surrounded the city. He sent a message to the king, the murderer of his father and the husband of his mother. He told him to surrender the kingdom or fight a battle.

The prince's mother, the Queen of Benares, heard of this threat from her son. She was a gentle and kind woman who wanted to prevent violence and suffering and killing. So she sent a message to her son - "There is no need for the risks of battle. It would be wiser to close every entrance to the city. Eventually the lack of food, water and firewood will wear down the citizens. Then they will give the city to you without any fighting."

The prince decided to follow his mother's wise advice. His army blockaded the city for seven days and nights. Then the citizens captured their unlawful king, cut off his head, and delivered it to the prince. He entered the city triumphantly and became the new King of Benares.

The moral is: Kind advice is wise advice.

(Source: The Jataka or Stories of the Buddha’s Former Births) 

Divine Wisdom

No Gratitude, No Grace

 

 

 

Once Mother Parvati and Easwara (Lord Shiva) saw a person sitting on the branch of a tree, which was about to break. Watching this, Mother Parvati pleaded with Easwara to save the man. Easwara teasingly remarked, “Why should I protect him? Since You saw him first, it is Your duty to save him.” 

But the Mother said, “How can I protect him without Your grace. I am the negative and you are the positive. Unless You shower Your grace on him, he cannot be saved. Please do not delay any further.”

Then Easwara replied, “Is it not his duty to call Me for help? How can I go to his rescue without being called? As the proverb goes, ‘one should not attend a function without being invited.’” 

Mother Parvati, out of her motherly compassion, wanted to protect that person at any cost. So, she said to Easwara, “If that person, when he falls down, cries out amma (mother), I will go to his rescue; and if he cries out appa (father), you should protect him.” 

Easwara agreed to her proposal. Both of them eagerly waited for the call. But the person fell down crying Ayyo (alas)! 

The words amma or appa did not come to his lips, as he had never respected and revered his parents in his lifetime. Such was his fate! 

How can God come to the rescue of a person who has totally forgotten his parents? Both our Mother and Father are verily God. And when with such feelings, we offer our gratitude to our parents, even God cannot refrain from helping us.

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

Surrender to God

 "Even the most comfortable house,

equipped with all the luxuries man craves for,

cannot endow one with shanthi.

That can be won only by surrender to God,

 who is the very core of one's being,

the very source of all life and living."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Dharma Vahini)

Quotable Quotes

"We shall steer safely through every storm, 

so long as our heart is right, 

our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, 

and our trust fixed on God."

 

- St. Francis De Sales -

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"It is beneficial if the boat rests on water;

It is harmful if water rests inside a boat.

It is beneficial if people live in the world;

It is harmful if the world lives in people."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Happy Diwali

May the Festival of Lights bring 

peace, joy and goodwill.

Being Awake

It is said that soon after his enlightenment, the Buddha passed a man on the road who was struck by the extraordinary radiance and peacefulness of his presence.

The man stopped and asked, "My friend, what are you?  Are you a celestial being or a god?"

"No," said the Buddha.

"Well, then, are you some kind of magician or wizard?"

Again the Buddha answered, "No."

"Are you a man?"

"No."

"Well, my friend, what then are you?"

The Buddha replied, "I am awake."

(From Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart)