Divine Wisdom

 

"Make your lives simple.  Execute the daily tasks in a spirit of love and mutual co-operation.  Be tolerant towards the errors and failings of others.  Look upon them with sympathy and equanimity.  Be calm and without agitations under all conditions.  Then your sentiments will be tender and unselfish.  Envy, hatred and vindictiveness will not be able to gain entrance in the stronghold of your mind.  You will have peace and happiness."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - March 1996)

You Are Also Correct

 Two monks who came out of a lecture by their master went on a hot debate regarding what they heard during the lecture. Each of them insisted that his understanding was the correct one. To settle the dispute, they went to see the master for a judgement. 

After hearing the argument put forth by the first monk, the master said, "You are correct!" The monk was overjoyed. Casting a winner's glance at his friend, he left the room. 

The second monk was upset and started to pour out what he thought to the master. After he finished, the master looked at him and said, "You are correct, too." Hearing this, the second monk brightened up and went away. 

A third monk who was also in the room was greatly puzzled by what he saw. He said to the master, "I am confused, master! Their positions regarding the issue are completely opposite. They can't be both right! How could you say that they are both correct?" 

The master smiled as he looked into the eyes of this third monk, "You are also correct!"

(From: Once Upon a Time - A Collection of Buddhist Stories)

Prayers Answered

 

 

For eons long I must have prayed to God

By different names his praise I sang

Each prayer must have searched for truth

Each answer must have come from Sai.

Oft times the answers were so strong

But with guided faith your will I chose

Always let me seek your guidance

Never doubting Sathya Sai

The wonder that these eyes

Your form can see

Will always draw my prayers true

The wonder that I am a part of you

Assures my soul of Moksha one day

In this present birth I took

It was many years before your name I heard

But I had always prayed to God

And often wishes his form to see

And now behold!  my prayers answered

To earth has God come as

Bhagawan Sathya Sai.

~ Shirley Lalla ~
(Sanathana Sarathi - Feb. 1993)

How Do I Now Connect with My Sai - 2

 

 

I connect with Swami by constantly thinking of His form and His Divine Love and feeling His Awareness within. At that state, there is no separation... I believe it is the unshakable faith in Swami ingrained in every atom or DNA of this body and the knowledge that He is always guiding and protecting me that helps me most to stay in sync.

It is easier to connect with Swami in the ashram premises. However, back in the world, sometimes, it is a challenge. However, I repeatedly remind myself of the oneness of the Atmic consciousness to connect with Him as I did when He was in His physical form. It does not matter whether Swami is in His physical body or not, His presence is within and everywhere and His guidance is ever available.

Practice of the five Human Values, detachment and discrimination, selfless service are some of the directives Swami guides me to strictly follow to live in His Awareness and feel His Divine Love as the undercurrent of body, mind, word, thought and deed.

~ Dr. Neela R. Soman ~
(U.S.A.)

(Story from Radio Sai)

Baba's Storytime - An Emperor's Taste

 

 Likes and dislikes are but fancies of the moment; the mind wavers, flits from one thing to another. One has to realise this and be steady, adhering to the good and avoiding the injurious, says Bhagawan narrating a beautiful story from the life of Mughal Emperor Akbar.

The Emperor of Delhi, the famous Akbar, was melancholy and depress­ed. His Empire was prosperous and safe from enemies, both internal and external. The cause of his sad­ness lay elsewhere. It was the food he ate every day. Of course he had himself shown the preference; the cooks, or Birbal, the Superinten­dent of the Imperial Kitchen, were not to blame. Nevertheless, he had developed a disgust for meat, for, it was meat, meat, meat—morning noon, evening and night.

So, he called into the Presence, Birbal and commanded that the menu be soon changed. And, the com­mand was obeyed. Birbal racked his brains for a long while and de­cided on brinjals for a change. He procured baskets of brinjals, fresh and fine.

He got prepared chutney salad, soup, cutlet, sweet, savoury bitter—all from brinjal. Akbar relish­ed every item; he praised Birbal to the skies. It was brinjal breakfast, brinjal lunch, brinjal dinner. Thus it went on merrily for a few days— but, for a few days only!

Akbar grew disgusted with brin­jals, too. He poured all his wrath on Birbal. And, Birbal had to switch on to something else. 

For, likes and dislikes are but fancies of the moment; the mind wavers, flits from one thing to another. One has to realise this and be steady, adhering to the good and avoiding the injurious. Establish Mastery over the Mind; or, the Mind will ride you into, ruin. The Mind is a bundle of Desires. Give up Desire; the mind disappears.

(Story from The Prashanti Reporter)

Nishkama Karma

"The most direct method of achieving spiritual success is Nishkama Karma,
action without any attention or attachment to the fruit therefrom - 

action as duty, action as dedication, action as worship."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - April 1993)

Mantra

 

When spoken by the tongue of mind

A Mantra helps mankind to find

The light of truth which lies before,

And always was.  Like eagles we shall soar.

Into the heights of silence and of love,

Elevating consciousness glide above

Until the words give birth to God's good Light

To lead us safe through life's dark night.

~ Geoffrey Speechly ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - June 1999)

Easier Known than Done

 One day, the famous poet Bai Ju-Yi (Po Chu-I) asked Master Niao-Wo, 

"What is the essence of the Buddha's teaching?" 

Master Niao-Wo said, "Refrain from all unwholesome deeds and perform all wholesome deeds." 

Bai chuckled, "Ha! Even a child knows that." 

The master replied, "A child may know it, but not even a one-hundred-year-old can do it." 

 (From: Once Upon a Time - A Collection of Buddhist Stories)

Living in Love

To evolve towards the total and permanent joy of Sat-Chit-Ananda we all yearn for, we must work our way through the bonds of the thamasic and rajasic gunas until eventually, our entire character is sathwic.

How can we accomplish this?  And how can we achieve mental physical and spiritual strength?  By constant watchfulness: by loving, gentle but firm discipline.  Steady, constant discipline in gradually simplifying and beautifying our lives with the constant living of Swami's precepts with which, by His Grace, we have chosen to govern our lives.

First and foremost, we are exhorted to "Live in Love".  When someone irritates or annoys us, let us remember that we wouldn't even notice his behaviour if we didn't still have this possibility of the same behaviour within us.  Let us also remember that, if with his background, we are "in his shoes", we would behave exactly the same way.  Or worse.

We can't force the petals of a flower to open; the blooming will take place in God's time.  But we can help the flowering of others, even if we are unable to see it in our time or at our desired pace, by total forgiveness of so-called hurts from whomever we have received them.

The writer was once a volunteer attendant in a state hospital, a member of a service committee.  One day she was assigned the errand of picking up a patient and escorting her to the religious service of her chosen faith.  Unexpectedly, this assignment led her to pick up a patient from the violent ward.

While she was waiting for the patient to get ready, suddenly another patient came up to her and began describing in vile and vivid terms just how she was going to murder the volunteer.  The volunteer began o tremble with fear.  

Just then another patient came up to her and requested help with tying her belt.  As soon as the attendant's attention was withdrawn from the graphic, loud mouthed patient, there was a sudden silence.  The volunteer cast a surreptitious glance at the threatening patient.  It was found that the withdrawal of attention had caused the would be "killer" to shrink away and disappear.

So it is with our bad thoughts, including any unforgiving ones!  As soon as, by the Grace of Swami, we are helped to clean our hearts, we will find there is nothing to fear!

~ R.S. ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - 1987)

Quotable Quotes

The Vain Quest

 A woman visited the village fair to purchase a cow.  She wandered along the long lines of cattle, brought for sale.  She could not get the cow she sought.  For she wanted a cow that was hornless, tame; she must have a female calf; she must eat very little grass; she must yield a good quantity of milk; she must give a sizeable quantity of dung, black green in colour, so that she can use it for flooring her hut; she must be of the holy Kapita (brown, tawny or reddish) colour.

No wonder she had to return disappointed!

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

A Time to Pray

  

  

Wintertime is ended.  Summer now is nigh,

Time for all to look around - a time to wonder WHY.

Why all the Earth is as it is, why people are so sad,

Why pain and misery abound - we can't be all that bad.

But can we?  Let us think awhile.  Have we done all we can

To feed the hungry, clothe the poor, uplift the stumbling man?

A little niggle pricks us there.  Well, have we?  Think again.

What have we done to ease the course of hunger, cold and pain?

What's that you say?  They don't live here?  They live across the sea?

Hundreds of miles divide them from the likes of you and me?

Your Heavenly Father sends his love, and fills you with His grace.

Does He consider just how far it is from place to place?

Let this time be your thinking time and set your conscience clear.

Share your thoughts, and say a prayer for those who are not near,

That man may so be guided to share the worldly wealth,

To feed the starving masses, and bring them back to health.

Your prayers will all be answered if you will do your part.

If love and understanding are coming from your heart.

So send out now your prayers for PEACE,

Send out your thoughts that wars may cease!

~ D.B. ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - 1987)

 

Blessed Lives

 

 

A lot of people who have read my articles have asked me how I can write with such joy and happiness all the time. One of them even asked me if I had led a charmed life to be so happy. The truth of the matter is that I have and I haven’t.

It is true that I have been blessed by God with a loving family, good health, wonderful friends, and countless everyday joys. I have also known heartache, however. I have lost my mother who meant the world to me to Cancer. I have had to struggle financially for most of my life. I have had difficulties raising my two handicapped sons. I have been slammed with problems and troubles from the outside world. I have known anger, frustration, bitterness, fear, and depression.

Through it all, though, I have tried to keep one thing in mind. Life may give us a lot of pain, suffering, problems, and frustrations, but it also gives us a lot of joy, love, peace, and happiness. What we choose to focus on and what we choose to build our life around is up to us fortunately.

Why not choose joy then? That is what I have tried to do. I haven’t had a perfect life by any means, but I have had a blessed one.

You see all of our lives are blessed. God has blessed each and everyone of them. They may have problems and troubles, but we are given the power to overcome them. They may have pains and sufferings, but we are given the power to grow and learn from them. They may be full of anger and fear, but we are given the power to choose joy and love instead. 

When it comes down to it our lives with their ups and downs and pains and joys are what we make of them. May we all make them glorious .

~ Joe Mazzella ~

Divine Wisdom

 

"Man's life is meaningful only because he can use it to see God.  The goal of life is the final merging in the sea, God.  You should not fill life with the world; that will make it a vanity fair, an insanity fair.  Listen to all such things as will draw you towards the principle of Godhead; then, think it over in silence, make it part of your consciousness.  This process of Manana makes you a man; that is the test of man - Mananahood!

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - April 1993)

Baba's Storytime - The Cup and the Needle

Thiruvalluvar, the renowned Tamil Saint, who has written the immortal work called "Kural" used to keep by his side, when he sat for meals, a needle and a small cup fill with water.  

Once his host asked him why he insisted on having these two placed by the side of the plate.  He said, "Food should not be wasted.  Even a grain is precious.  Sometimes, stray grains of cooked rice or stray pieces of cooked vegetables fall off the plate or away from it, while I eat; then I lift them off the floor, with the help of this needle and stir them in the water to clean them, and eat them."

What a great lesson this is, for those who waste more than they consume!

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - April1993)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"No one knows for sure

When one will shed the body made of five elements.

Though the human life span is said to be hundred years,

One can never be sure when life will leave the body.

No one knows when and where death comes

In childhood or in youth,

In middle age or in old age, in a village or in water,

Death is sure to come.

The wise one will strive to know himself when he is alive.

The word of Sai is the true path."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Nature's Cathedral

 

I do not need a church to pray;

No bricks and mortar, tiles of clay;

No altar table, cloth of white;

No golden chalice, candelight;

Carpeted aisle with carved pews flanked

Don't make my prayers more sacrosanct.

For God is with me every day to every place - in every way;

Through relaxation and through chore, He is before me evermore.

The whole world is the Church of God,

From the tallest tree to greenest sod.

The trees and mountains form the walls,

The flowers and green grass deck the halls.

White clouds on high the altar set;

Sun's rays, feeding life, the chalice;

Yet no candles but when falls the night,

Profusions of stars to lend their light.

~ Joan Miller ~

(Sanatha Sarathi - June 1996)

Stop the Train

The story is told of a man who, being late for a trip, arrived at a railroad station and jumped onto the first available train. Extenuated, he dozed off for a while and then upon waking up, saw the train rumbling along at full speed toward an unknown destination. He began querying everyone, complaining aloud and finally crying and shouting. He demanded that the train stop to let him off. The more excited he became, the more the other passengers, eerily silent and down cast, seemed puzzled by his behavior. 

Finally a kind old man told him, "Don't you know, this train has only one destination, the ocean depths from which no one ever returns." 

Once we are born, our final destination is death -- the deep ocean. Why fret and fuss? All we can do is to use our time on earth to develop the Bodhi-mind, seeking Enlightenment for ourselves and others. 

(From: Once Upon a Time - A Collection of Buddhist Stories)

How Do I Now Connect with My Sai - 1

 

For me I have had a good fortune to enjoy the divine darshans, Sparshans and Sambashans of Swami for many years. It was a blissful experience to see Him gliding into the Sai Kulwant Hall for His Darshan.
His bewitching smile that attracts us all and His nectarine words that He utters to some of us. It was easy then to connect with Him but on 24th April morning Bro. Ramani of Chennai met me on my way to the Mandir and told me that Swami had left His mortal coil. For me it was a heart wrenching moment as I had come 2 days earlier to visit Him in the Hospital. A dark gloom settled down on me as the body of our beloved Swami arrived at the Yajur Mandir and thence I was like a child crying for the next 3 days.

Time passed by and soon the ache in my heart slowly left me. I had then remembered that Swami would always tell us that this body is temporary and that the soul was eternal.
However whenever I visited the Maha Samadhi my heart would give in and my eyes will be filled. As I continued on my journey keeping Sai close to me I promised myself that whatever happens this body will continue to carry out His Mission with added zeal and fervour.

I went along with my life these 3 years having complete faith in THE Omnipresent Swami for I believed He is the one who is filling me with energy and I shall not fail Him. He continues to guide me in my profession as a Head and Neck Surgeon and whenever I encounter difficulties I just think of Him and He will then lead me on knowing fully well that His hands are helping me in times of need.
I shall hold steadfast unto Him always as I lead on my life for I feel that He is always watching over me.

~ Dr. Ravindran ~

(Story from Radio Sai)

Ahimsa (Non-Violence)

 

"Non-violence is not merely refraining from inflicting injuries on others with one's limbs or weapons.  Non-violence has to be practised with purity of mind, tongue and body.  There should be no ill feelings which is a form of violence.  To cause harm to others through the body is also violence.  No one should be harmed even by speech.  The speech should be sweet, pleasing and wholesome.  All actions should be helpful to others."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 15.5.96)

Sri Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam 2014

Sai Maata Pita Dina Bandhu Sakha

Tere Charano Mey Sai Mera Koti Pranam

Mujhe Shakti Do Hey Sai Shiva

Mujhe Bhakti Do Hey Sai Shiva

Mujhe Mukti Do Merey Sai Shiva

O Lord Sai!  Thou art the mother, father, kith, kin and

friend of forlorn ones.  

A million prostrations at Thy Lotus Feet.

O Lord Sai Shiva!

Grant me strength, devotion and liberation.

~ Divine Blossoms ~

 

Sri Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam 2014

 Dearest Bhagavan,

My humble pranams at Your Lotus Feet.

Please accept this humble prayer of thanks and gratitude which I offer at Your Lotus Feet.

Thank you, Bhagavan for the many things you have taught me.

Thank you, Bhagavan for giving me so many opportunities to have your Darshan.

Thank you, Bhagavan for the love and compassion which You have showered on me.

Thank you, Bhagavan for giving me strength and courage during the difficult times when I needed You.

Thank you, Bhagavan for Your Grace, without which I would not be here today.

Bhagavan, may You always keep me at Your Divine Lotus Feet and may I always be worthy of You.

 With love,

~ Divine Blossoms ~

Baba's Storytime - Unlock Your Heart

 God dwells in a pure, unsullied heart. Where the heart is inundated in malicious, wicked possessions, God – The Indweller - remains always hidden. It is for man to unlock his heart to eschew the tainted and unwanted to find his ‘sole-possession’ within… Pure Love – Innate Divinity. Former Editor of Sanathana Sarathi, Sri VK Narasimhan writes quoting Bhagawan from one of the Trayee sessions in Brindavan, Whitefield.

Shakespeare described jealousy as “that green eyed monster.” In one of His informal talks to a group of devotees and students assembled around Him at Brindavan, Bhagawan dwelt on the great harm which the evil trait of envy can do to a person. Envy, Swami said, can drag a person down to the lowest depths. Among evil qualities in a human being, it was worst. It closed one’s heart to all that is good and great in man.

It is only when one opens out one’s heart that the Divine in him can emerge. 

Swami pointed out that there were two doors, krodha (anger) and dwesha (hatred), which closed the entry to one’s heart. Ahamkara (egoism) was the latch on the doors, asooya (envy) was the lock on the latch. When a person is filled with envy, nothing good or Divine can enter his heart. He develops egoism, anger and hatred and stoops to the lowest levels and indulges in every type of evil to achieve his ends.

 Envy operates in many subtle ways. It is to be found even among scholars and persons in high and responsible positions.

Unless one learns to eschew envy and control one’s ego, anger and hatred, one cannot hope to discover the Divine that dwells in every one’s heart. “Open the lock of envy, remove the latch of ego and throw open the doors of krodha and dwesha, and Prema (Divine Love) will flow out of your heart. This is the way to realise Ananda – the Bliss that passeth understanding.”

Swami pointed out that Duryodhana’s envy towards the Pandavas led him to perpetrate innumerable wrongs and ultimately it resulted in the complete destruction of the Kauravas.

(Story from the Prashanti Reporter)

The Avatar of Kali Age

 

As the candlelight grows bright

Baba comes to fight the fight;

To conquer darkness, bringing love,

To make our world as Heaven Above.

Rejoice in Lord Sai Baba,

Rejoice and sing of love,

Rejoice in Lord Sai Baba,

Rejoice and sing of love.

Sai Baba gives His Blessings

To all who come to see

The Avatar of Kali's Age,

Who holds the future's key.

Sai Baba's servants we will be

To help and serve Humanity.

Please guide us in Your Holy Ways

And be with us through all our days.

~ J.M. ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - June 1996)

Castles in the Sand

Some children were playing beside a river. They made castles of sand, and each child defended his castle and said, 'This one is mine'. They kept their castles separate and would not allow any mistakes about which was whose. 

When the castles were all finished, one child kicked over someone else's castle and completely destroyed it. The owner of the castle flew into a rage, pulled the other child's hair, struck him with his fist and bawled out, 'He has spoiled my castle! Come along all of you and help me punish him as he deserves.' The others all came to his help. They beat the child ... Then they went on playing in their sand castles, each saying, 'This is mine; no one else may have it. Keep away! Don't touch my castle!' 

But evening came, it was getting dark and they all thought they ought to be going home. No one now cared what became of his castle. One child stamped on his, another pushed his over with both hands. Then they turned away and went back, each to his home.

(From Yogacara Bhumi Sutra 4, quoted from World Scripture) Taken from Thus Have I Heard edited by Minh Thanh and P.D. Leigh.  

(Story from "Once Upon a Time - A Collection of Buddhist Stories)

Divine Wisdom

 

"Truth and Righteousness are the inherent qualities of human beings.  Human life is based on Truth and Righteousness.  What folly is it to declare that one does not know what they are?  Truth is utterance of what you think.  Righteousness is acting according to your words.  The unity of thought, word and action is essential."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 25.9.96)

Sathsang

 

"The easiest and most fruitful method of keeping yourself free from dust and rust is Sathsang (good company).  The company of the good and the godly will slowly and surely chasten and cleanse the persons prone to straying away from the straight path towards Self-Realisation."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - June 1996)

Selfless Service

O Wondrous tree of Sandalwood!

To the axe that cuts you, you do good;

In selfless service you excel;

You give the axe blade your sweet smell.

O Firewood, from you we learn

A lesson as you brightly burn;

You turn to ashes giving heat,

That cooks in seva the food we eat.

~ C.B.S. ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - June 1996)

Baba's Storytime - With God, Be Fair

How petty minds, full of selfish desires work, at times trying to cheat even God without knowing that they are playing around with the Cosmic Creator, at Whose mercy the whole of creation is hanging…existing… ? Saying that, “… your prayers will be answered only when there is sincerity in you” Bhagawan narrated an episode from His Story, concluding that attempt to cheat God would lead to dire consequences… From Bhagawan’s Divine Discourse on 19 October 1999.

"Embodiments of Love! One who thinks of God constantly will never be put to hardships. You may argue that you continue to suffer though you think of God all the time. How can you say that thinking of God has not helped you at all? It certainly would have mitigated your suffering without your knowledge. God’s grace will certainly alleviate your suffering.

By chanting of the Divine Name, even mountains of sin will  vanish like mist into thin air. Sarvada Sarvakaleshu Sarvathra Harichinthanam, you should think of God at all places, at all times, and under all circumstances with pure love and total faith. Your prayers will be answered only when there is sincerity in you.

When I returned to Puttaparthi from Uravakonda, two persons, Subbaiah Shetty and Kodanda Shetty, came from Anantapur.

One of them was finding it difficult to get an alliance for his daughter. He said, “Sathya Sai Baba, I will believe that you are God only if I can find a suitable alliance for my daughter soon. I will build chitikelameda (‘snapping mansion’) for You if my daughter gets married within this month.” Everyone was curious to know as to what that would be.

His daughter got married within the same month. He came to the Old Mandir (temple) with a plate containing a coconut and some flowers. He said, “Swami, you fulfilled my desire.

Now I have to keep up my word. Please permit me to build a chitikelameda for you.” Many others were watching with curiosity.

Even Subbamma came there thinking that he was going to give a big mansion for Swami. I very well knew what he was up to. He gave Aarati and asked, “Swami, will you permit me to build chitikelameda now?”

In order to amuse the onlookers, “I said OK, go ahead.” He started snapping his fingers around Me, saying, “This is the first wall, this is the second wall, this is the roof,” so on and so forth. In the end he said, “This is God,” fell at My feet, and broke the coconut. Likewise, some people resort to mean strategies and try to cheat even God! They certainly have to face the consequences of their actions."

(Story from The Prashanti Reporter)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

 

 

"When the lamp shines brightly at home,

Where is the need to go to the house of others for a lamp?

When you are verily the divine,

Where is the need to seek him elsewhere?

When you forget the divinity in you,

Are you not forgetting your own Self?"
 

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Rainy Day, Sunny Day

 

 (A story from the scripture, as told by Venerable Master Hsing Yun)

There was once an old lady who cried all the time. Her elder daughter was married to an umbrella merchant while the younger daughter was the wife of a noodle vendor. On sunny days, she worried, "Oh no! The weather is so nice and sunny. No one is going to buy any umbrellas. What will happen if the shop has to be closed?" These worries made her sad. She just could not help but cry. 

When it rained, she would cry for the younger daughter. She thought, "Oh no! My younger daughter is married to a noodle vendor. You cannot dry noodles without the sun. Now there will be no noodles to sell. What should we do?" As a result, the old lady lived in sorrow everyday. Whether sunny or rainy, she grieved for one of her daughters. Her neighbors could not console her and jokingly called her "the crying lady." 

One day, she met a monk. He was very curious as to why she was always crying. She explained the problem to him. The monk smiled kindly and said, "Madam! You need not worry. I will show you a way to happiness, and you will need to grieve no more."

The crying lady was very excited. She immediately asked the monk to show her what to do. The master replied, "It is very simple. You just need to change your perspective. On sunny days, do not think of your elder daughter not being able to sell umbrellas but the younger daughter being able to dry her noodles. With such good strong sunlight, she must be able to make plenty of noodles and her business must be very good. When it rains, think about the umbrella store of the elder daughter. With the rain, everyone must be buying umbrellas. She will sell a lot of umbrellas and her store will prosper." 

The old lady saw the light. She followed the monk's instruction. After a while, she did not cry anymore; instead, she was smiling everyday. From that day on she was known as "the smiling lady."

(From: "Once Upon a Time - A Collection of Buddhist Stories)

Beautiful Rain

It is a dark, cloudy Spring day as I write this. The sky is gray, the wind is cold, and the rain has been falling steadily since last night. Still, my spirits aren’t dampened by the damp weather. As I went out and felt the cool raindrops on my face earlier I couldn’t help but smile. The birds were singing their praises to God in spite of the wet weather, so I felt no reason why I should frown because of it. The air, in fact, was so fresh and pure that I stood there for several minutes breathing it in deeply. It brought back wonderful memories of my childhood. 

Even as a child I knew how wonderful the grass, trees, and asphalt smelled after a good cleansing rain. Looking around me I could see the trees beginning to bud once again. I could see my tulips raising their heads up through the ground, preparing to bless us with their beauty for another year. I could see the birds beginning to build nests for their new families to come. All around me was life, beauty, and glory. Whoever said rainy days are sad should have been with me to experience this one. 

As I went back in to dry off I couldn’t help but see that even these so called "sad, rainy" days have a lot of good in them. Life is like that too. We get a lot of rain on us in this life, but if we open our eyes and hearts we can see that there is good in it as well. 

Having two handicapped sons has been difficult for me at times, but my two boys have brought endless joy and love into my life as well. Losing my mother to Cancer so early in my life was very painful, but it helped me to grow in love and to see that life and love never end. They just change. 

When life rains on you then don’t hide your head. Turn your face up to the sky instead. You may get wet, but at least your eyes will be open to see the beauty and goodness that God gives us in bad weather as well as fair.

-------------------------

A note from Joe: Sometimes life's blessings can come to us hidden in its saddest, most difficult times. I hope you enjoy it. 

~ Joe Mazzella ~
 

As You Sow, So Shall You Reap

"God is like a postman.  He delivers to you whatever letter is addressed to you.  The grief or joy you derive from the contents of the letter are your own.  Likewise the suffering or happiness one experiences are the results of one's own bad or good deeds and are not derived from God."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 30.6.96)

The Abode of Peace

In the depths of your spirit

Is an Island, deep within

Where, if ever you can reach it,

Liberated you will be.

This Island deep within,

Is an island of peace

Where the clamour of this world

Can never ever reach.

This Island of Peace

His eternal Abode is

who created the worlds

And all in it.

This Abode of His

Of him who created thee

is the Abode of Love

And it's always full of Bliss.

The souls in this Isle

Of Love, Peace and Bliss

Are pure souls of those

The Lord calls His.

To reach deep within

Till the supreme Isle of Bliss

You need clean your soul

With the Name that He gives.

~ Noor Kara ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - Feb. 1997)

A Student's Testimony

 The students who are privileged to speak before Bhagavan's evening discourses in the Sai Kulwant Mandap, have many interesting stories to relate about their experiences with Bhagavan.  Here is one such story:

"Five years ago, a lad was standing at the bus stop waiting for the bus to come.  When the bus arrived, the young boy ran to catch it and though it didn't stop completely, he managed to get his foot caught on the lower step.  He missed his hold and fell forward on his face, smashing his glasses, nose, chin, etc.  As he was being dragged along, he whispered softly, "Oh God!".  With those soft words, the flaming orange robe appeared, enveloping him in its soft flow.  The Lord had saved his life; there was not a scratch on the boy's face, with only a trickle of blood from his nose.  That boy is standing here before you now."

(Sanathana Sarathi - Aug. 1996)

Eat When You Are Hungry

 Someone asked a Zen Master, "How do you practise Zen?" 

The master said, "When you are hungry, eat; when you are tired, sleep." 

"Isn't that what everyone does anyway?" 

The master replied, "No, No. Most people entertain a thousand desires when they eat and scheme over a thousand plans when they sleep." 

(From: "Once Upon a Time - A Collection of Buddhist Stories)

Offer your Feelings

 

"The Lord is not concerned about how much you gave to anyone, how many poor people you fed or how many clothes you distributed.  You may render accounts of these gifts to the Income Tax authorities.  What you have to offer to Swami are your feelings.  Even if what you give is small, I value the feeling with which you have given it.  I am not bothered about the quantum or the variety of the things you give."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - Aug. 1996)

Quotable Quotes

Worry: Bhagavan's Recipe

 

In an interview in 1989, Swami told me, "Don't worry.  Always think of God, I am always with you.  Have a happy and healthy life."

I am sure He tells this to thousands of people.  Look at the words and how we often take them for granted.  "Don't worry" is one of the most commonly used words in English.  We use it to console our friends, to respond to apologies, etc.  Do we mean it when we say it?  We often say it just for the sake of saying it automatically.  This is why we take Swami's words for granted; our mind doesn't take "Don't worry" seriously.

I commit the same mistake, without realizing that these words are the highest teaching we can receive from God.  "Tell me, what is the shape of worry?" asked Swami and He gave the answer, "Worry has no shape and single intense prayer to God can do away with it." Look at how ridiculous we are in the world; scientists and doctors have spent billions of pounds to research into tranquilizers.

Swami once told me in another interview, "Don't worry about the past.  Past is past."  We worry about the past, present and future, practically everything.  Worry about the past is not going to change anything, neither is worry about the present or the future.  Some people worry about not having anything to worry.

The solution to worry lies in Baba's next words, "Always think of God.  I am always with you."  Someone asked Swami, "But Swami, if that is so important, why don't we do this all the time?  Why do we forget?  Why don't we always think of God so that He will fill us with His love."

Here Baba smiled and said, "That is God's Grace, for you to think of God is God's Grace.  It is His gift.  It is His blessing.  It is something He gives, the chance for you to think of God."

~ Dr. T. Jareosettasin ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - Oct. 1999)

He Knows the Way

As I drive along the endless road,

I see the landscape beyond man's eye,

Each leaf tells a story,

each rock hides a secret, and

Each mountain grows out of Karma.

I am in the land of the Living Avatar.

Part of me is anxious with anticipation.

A greater part is serene.

I know not The Will of the Avatar,

I feel simply His Love.

This pilgrimage of Uncertainty

Is the path to detachment.

Moment by moment

Maya melts away.

 For in THAT Moment

I have accepted and surrendered.

Only HE knows the way.

~ Smita Pujara ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - Feb. 1997)

 

Human Birth

 

"Man has evolved from the animal to the human and he must progress towards the Divine.  Unfortunately today he tends to revert to animality.  Man should realise the infinite preciousness of human birth."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 2.7.96)

Divine Wisdom

 

 

"Your faith in God should never leave you.  It should not change according to whether your desires are fulfilled or not.  Like your life breath, your faith should remain steady, through joy and sorrow, loss and gain, pain and pleasure.

Treat whatever happens as good for you.  Have that sense of fortitude.  When you have faith in the self, even wild animals will be gentle towards you."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 19.1.97)

This I Believe

 

 

Yes, I believe that earth is charged with God;

And I believe that God is everywhere;

And I believe that there is nothing bare of God;

That He is dreaming in the sod;

That He is spilling fragrance in flowers;

That He is motionful in birds and beasts;

And He is worshipful in nuns and priests

Who chant His hymns and sanctify His hours.

~ Benito F. Rayes ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - Feb.1997)