Monday, February 23, 2015

Improve Yourself!



“Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. Make all your friends feel there is something special in them. Look at the sunny side of everything. Think only the best, be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give everyone a smile. Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others. Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.”

  ~ Norman Vincent Peale ~

Divine Wisdom




Develop Love

 
 

"Everyone can have the vision of the Atma.  All are endowed with such power.  Enquire within yourself what you have achieved by reading a number of voluminous books.  You have become hard-hearted.  If this is the result of your education, why should you study at all?  First of all, develop love.  When you have love in you, everyone will become your friend.  If your heart is not suffused with love, your life will become artificial.  Life is meaningless without love."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 17.8.2005 on the occasion of the
International Conference on Education for the 21st Century: Education to Educare)

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Be Patient


 
"Be patient.  In time, everything will be given to you.  Be happy.  There is no need to worry about anything.  Whatever is experienced, whatever has happened, know that this Avatar has willed it so.  There is no force on Earth, which can delay even for an instant the mission, for which this Avatar has come."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Life is a Challenge Meet It)


Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba



 "In childhood, one develops absorbing interest in play 
and enjoys the company of ones' playmates.
In youth and middle age, one is engrossed in cultivating 
worldly relations and earning money.
In old age, one repents for not having this and that.
One still craves for earning money without 
contemplating on God even at that ripe age.
In this way, man wastes his precious human birth."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Baba's Storytime - The Sun God



The Sun God was, one day, very much impressed by the 1,008 names which a devotee offered Him worship.  He listened to the names as he uttered them in steadfast faith.  He was particularly alerted when he called upon Him as Andhakaradweshi - He who was looked upon as the enemy of Darkness.

He could not tolerate the existence of an enemy alive; so He called for a war unto death on this demon called Darkness. He went into all the places where Darkness hid himself but no sooner did He spot him, the demon disappeared so that He could never come to grips with him.

Finally, He concluded that Darkness was non-existent and was only a creation of the imagination of His adorers!  Before the Splendour of Immortality, the darkness of mortality too would flee in haste.

The resident in the body has no birth and therefore no death.  But man is hugging the falsehood that he is the body and so is subject to death and birth.  A silver cup can be reshaped by the smith into a plate, or later, into  a pan-box; but though the name, the form and the function vary, it remains the same.


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

Quotable Quotes



Friday, February 20, 2015

Not Just an Apple from God


A little girl saw people queue up at God’s home in heaven. It was apples that people waited for, a sweet gift that God chose to give away that day. Just like everyone else there, Katie hopped on the train from earth to heaven and stood there waiting for her turn. It didn’t matter that the queue was rather long. She was determined to taste an apple from God’s very Hands. After a pretty long day, she finally got a chance to be blessed with a shiny, red apple. She stretched out her tiny palms to hold the fruit.
She was obviously delighted to receive this gift from God.

Just when she thought her mission was successful, she lost grip of the apple and it tumbled out of her hands. “Waaaaaaaaaaah” Katie began to wail and seemed inconsolable till God agreed to give her another apple. This was only if she could join the queue again. It wasn’t exactly the most thrilling thing to do as the people looking for apples had only increased in number. Patience, huge amounts of patience, was what Katie needed. Not willing to go back to earth with empty hands, she decided it wasn’t going to be so bad to wait longer. So, she rejoined the queue and stood for several hours again hoping this time she wouldn’t miss the golden chance. Her little legs ached, but she was as determined. She made friends in the queue with her immediate neighbours and exchanged phone numbers.

Finally, Katie’s turn came again and she looked relieved and focused at the same time. Her tiny hands weren’t going to let her down this time around. Fully prepared for the moment, she opened her little palms and waited for her second fruit.

As God gently placed the apple in her palms, He said to her lovingly: “My darling girl, do you know why the first apple fell out of your palms? I willed it because it was a rotten one. You are a lovely girl and treat your friends and family right and I know you deserved a succulent apple. Here’s the right one for you. Eat it with all the joy in your heart and remain a good girl. And you know this is the best apple on the farm. Go on and have a smashing day.”


Isn’t it just marvelous that God decides what’s best for us? He times it perfectly; the good, the bad and the ugly. God wills all the delays and denials we experience. It is His universe and we are parts of His Love and Will. All we need to do is keep the faith and possess patience and forbearance. 

Bhagavan Baba lovingly helps us understand: 

“Forbearance cannot be learned through the study of books, nor can it be bought.  It is only by faithfully sticking to the practice of spirituality when you are under trying circumstances that you will be able to acquire forbearance. It is when you are under test, in situations full of problems and difficulties, that the cultivation of forbearance takes place."

"There are a number of weaknesses hidden in a person and, under trying circumstances, these weaknesses manifest themselves as anger, fear, arrogance, and hatred. It is at such times that you will have to learn to practise forbearance.  If you have not developed forbearance, then you will reap much unhappiness and lack of peace in your life.  Also, without forbearance, you may take to wrong and evil ways.  It is therefore essential that you recognise the importance of forbearance.” 

Katie was blessed and so are we. We all receive only the best there is. Let us always remember that every event and non-event in our lives is only because He designed it in His perfect fashion.

(Source: Radio Sai)

Quotable Quotes



"One must become poor inwardly, for then
there is no seeking, no asking, no desire - nothing!"

~ Krishnamurti ~

Desire



"Desire comes from attachment;
Deliverance comes from detachment."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Sanathana Sarathi - April 1998)

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Divine Wisdom




Picture in a Wallet

A ticket collector on a train found an old worn out wallet in a compartment full of many people. He looked inside to find the name of its owner. There was no clue. It had some money and a small picture of Lord Krishna. He held it up and asked, 'Who is the owner of this wallet?'

In response, an old man approached and said, “That is my wallet, please give it to me.” The ticket collector then told him: “You'll have to prove that it is yours. Only then I can hand it over to you.” The old man, who had no teeth, smiled, and said, “It has a picture of Krishna in it.” 

“That is no proof; anyone can have a picture of Krishna in his wallet. What is so special about that? Why is your picture not in there?” Obviously, the ticket collector was not an easy person to deal with. 

The old man took a deep breath and said, "Let me tell you why my picture is not there. My father gave this wallet to me when I was in school. He used to give me a small sum of pocket money. I loved my parents and I kept their picture in it. Later on, I replaced their picture with mine as it was an excellent color picture of a handsome looking teenager. 

Some years later, I got married. My wife was very beautiful and I loved her a lot. I replaced my picture in the wallet with that of hers. I spent hours gazing at her pretty face. 

When my first child was born, my life started a new chapter. I shortened my working hours to play with my baby. I went late to work and returned home early too. Obviously, my son's picture occupied the prized position in my wallet."
 
The old man's eyes brimmed with tears as he continued, "My parents passed away many years ago. Last year my wife too left her mortal coil. My son is very busy with his beautiful family. He has no time for me. All that I had close to my heart is out of my reach now. 

So, after all the disappointments, I have put this picture of Lord Krishna, my favorite form of God, in my wallet. It is only now that I have realized that He is the eternal companion. He will never leave me. Alas! If only I had realized this before. If only I had loved the Lord all those years, with the same intensity as I had loved my family, I would not have been so lonely today!"

The ticket collector quietly gave the wallet to the old man. When the train stopped at the next station, he directly went to the book stall at the platform and frantically started looking for a picture of his favorite form of God for his wallet! 

Innumerable are the occasions when Bhagavan Baba has told us that our one and only true friend is God – He will never forsake us. He will always be with us no matter what. He alone is permanent and will never lift His compassionate gaze from us.

In a Guru Poornima discourse a few years ago, Baba said, 

“Try to reduce your attachment to the world to the minimum extent possible. Be happy and make others happy. Do not hurt anybody. Consider difficulties as passing clouds. You have developed family relationships and there are bound to be some worries. But do not be perturbed by them. When you look at the vast sky, you find many clouds. Likewise, in the sky of your heart there are clouds of attachment. They just come and go. Do not worry about them. Develop equanimity and strive to attain Divinity”. 

(Source: Radio Sai)spacer

Wake Up, My Children!


 
"My duty is to awaken the slumbering divinity of every human being.  Even if you growl, grumble or groan, kick or criticise, quarrel or cry, I will not forsake you.  I will not let your divinity go to sleep.  I have come to help, to accompany and to carry you.  I shall be very grateful to each child of Mine, who helps me in My task.  Wake up, My children!  Wake up to the dawn of knowledge, to your divine duties.  Wake up to your divine rights.  Wake up to your divine reality."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(From: Spirit of the Mind)

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Quotable Quotes


 
If I have just one aim,
And if that aim is to be myself,
Then I am bound to discover joy,
True joy, eternal joy.

~ Sri Chinmoy ~

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba


 
"Life in this world is transient.
Youth and wealth are ephemeral;
Wife and children are like passing clouds,
Only love and righteousness are eternal."
 
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Happy Chinese New Year 2015




May you be blessed with Swami's love and grace
this Chinese New Year!
Jai Sai Ram!

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Maha Sivarathri 2015



“The lesson of Shivarathri is that devotees should foster good and sacred thoughts. They should be filled with godly thoughts. They should seek to become one with the Divine by reflecting on their inherent divinity. If you constantly chant the name of God, God realization will come in due course. 

Whatever other things they may possess, men suffer from lack of peace and bliss. These two can be obtained only from God. It is for these two that men should pray to God and not for anything else, because God alone can give them. When these are secured, all other things will come of their own accord by the grace of God. People should yearn for God. All other desires are worthless”. 


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 26.2.1998)

All Forms are Mine


 
"All religions are Mine.  All forms and names are Mine.
You can call Me by any name, I will answer."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Sanathana Sarathi - Oct. 2001)

Shivoham



 
When you realise Shivoham (I am Shiva), then, you have all the happiness, all the auspiciousness that there is. Shiva is not to be sought on the peak of a distant range of mountains, or in some other special place. You must have heard that sin and merit are inherent in the acts that men do; so too, Shiva is inherent in every thought, word and deed, for He is the energy, the power, the intelligence that is behind each of them.


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse on Maha Shivarathri,  February 20, 1974)

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Divine Wisdom



 "Love is a tool that will disarm every opponent; love begets love.  It will be reflected back; it will have only one reaction and that is love.  The path of love is the only path to God.  God is love, live in love.  
Let all humanity live in love."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Sanathana Sarathi - Oct. 2001)

Friday, February 13, 2015

Where is Kailasa?



"Sivarathri makes one aware of the fact that Divinity is all-pervasive and is to be found everywhere.  It is said that Siva lives in Kailasa.  But where is Kailasa?  Kailasa is our own joy, our own bliss.  It means that Easwara lives in the Kailasa of delight.  If we can develop that sense of delight and joy in our heart, that itself is Kailasa.  How can one get this joy?  It can be experienced when we develop purity, steadiness and sacredness.  This will fill the heart with peace and bliss.  Then our heart itself will become Kailasa and Siva will be there in the sanctum sanctorum of our heart within the temple of our body."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Sanathana Sarathi - Mar. 2003)

Baba's Storytime - The Cry That Can Save



There is a fine story about Siva.

One dark night when Siva and Parvathi were journeying through the sky, they saw a man perched on the branch of a tree, about to fall on the ground through sheer exhaustion of limbs.  Parvathi pleased on his behalf and wanted that Siva should save him; and Siva preferred that she should save him instead.

Meantime, the fall became imminent and they decided that if while falling the man shouted "Amma", Parvathi should hasten to arrest his fall, and if he shouted, "Appa", Siva should help and see that no bones are broken.  The man fell but he shouted neither "Amma" or "Appa" but "Ayyo"!  And so he had to be left severely alone!

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

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba




"Sai says 'Yes' to those who say 'Yes' and 'No' to those who say 'No'.  
'Yes' and 'No' correspond to your mouth, 
but for Sai, everything is 'Yes, Yes, Yes'."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Quotable Quotes


 
"Life is effort"
So says the body.
"Life is blessing"
So says the soul.

~ Sri Chinmoy ~

The Tongue and The Eye


There was a monk once who as the first two steps in ascetic practice decided on two vows: (1) not to injure any living thing and (2) not to speak falsehood.

While he was engaged in meditation under a tree in the thick jungle, invoking the aid of God to confirm him in these two vows, he saw a beautiful deer running in terror from some hunters and taking refuge in a bower behind his hermitage.  The hunters came to him seconds later and asked him about the whereabouts of the deer.

The poor monk was in a fix.  If he told them that he saw it entering the bower, they would catch it and kill it.  That will go against his first vow.  If he told them that he does not know its whereabouts, it would be against his second vow.

He avoided breaking both his vows in a very clever way.  He said, "The eye that sees cannot speak.  The tongue that speaks cannot see.  I cannot compel the eye to speak nor the tongue to see."

The hungers went away quietly and the deer was saved.  The monk had not uttered falsehood!


(From the Divine Discourse of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

The Moon Cannot be Stolen


 

Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing to steal.

Ryokan returned and caught him. "You have come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift."

The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.

Ryoken sat naked, watching the moon. 


"Poor fellow," he mused, "I wish I could have given him this beautiful moon."


(Author Unknown)
 

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Quotable Quotes





Divine Wisdom



"Man is bound to face the consequences of his actions, be they good or bad, small or big.  It is most essential for man to understand this truth and act accordingly.  Before undertaking any action, enquire whether it is good or bad, right or wrong.  Do not act in haste.  Haste makes waste, waste makes worry.  Do do not be in a hurry."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 5.4.2000)

Monday, February 9, 2015

My Sankalpa

 

"I respond to each one of you in accordance with the feelings you have towards Me.
My sankalpa (will) is based on your feelings."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(S.S.S.Vol.XXXV)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba



"There is no charity greater than feeding the hungry,
There are no greater gods than parents,
There is no greater Dharma than compassion,
There is no greater gain than the company of the good,
There is no enemy greater than anger."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
 

Maya

 

"The tree of life is a tree of delusion, with all its branches, leaves and flowers of maya.  You can realise it as such, when you perform all acts as dedicated offerings to God.  

See Him as the sap in every cell with the sun warming and building every part.  

See Him in all; worship Him through all for He is all."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(S.S.S. Vol.VI)

Quotable Quotes

 
 
When I think about the misery 
Of those in this world,
Their sadness becomes mine.
Oh, that my monk's robe
Was wide enough
To gather up all
The suffering people
In this floating world.

~ Ryokan ~ 
(1758 - 1831)

(Ryokan was a quiet and eccentric Sōtō Zen Buddhist monk who lived much of his life as a hermit. 
Ryōkan is remembered for his poetry and calligraphy, which present the essence of Zen life.)

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Baba's Storytime - The Gopis' Messenger



The Gopis felt that a bee can sympathise with their pangs of separation from Krishna, more than any human messenger.  So they asked the bee to intercede with the Lord, on their behalf.

Pray to Him, to bear the garland of my adoration, one Gopi asked the bee.

Another wanted it to ask Krishna to illumine the darkness of her heart.

Radha asked it to pray to Krishna to make the desert sands of her heart sprout into green, so that His feet may tread thereon, light and soft.


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

Life is Like a Train Journey



"Life is like a train journey; you young children have a long way to go, but elders have to alight from the train pretty soon.  You must learn to make your journey comfortable and happy.  Do not carry heavy unwanted luggage with you that will make the journey miserable.  Do not indulge in faultfinding and picking quarrels with others.  Do not desire to have the best things for yourselves only.  Share with others around you the good things you are given.  Anger, hatred, envy and jealousy are the heavy luggage that I ask you to avoid taking with you on the journey."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(S.S.S. Vol. XIII)

Friday, February 6, 2015

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

 

 
"Sai Rama, the eternal blissful one
Makes you mad and rids you of madness.
This Bala Rama is the one who makes a Yogi a worldly one
And the worldly one into a Yogi.
This Chinni Rama, the immortal one,
Makes a person cry and rids him of tears."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
 

Thursday, February 5, 2015

The Pilgrimage of Life



"Married life and being a householder will not bar your way to Realization.  Look upon the wife and the children as a sacred trust and serve them in that spirit.  Prepare yourself for celibate and spiritual discipline from the age of fifty.  The five senses have to be mastered by the time five decades of your life are over.

The conclusion of six decades means that you should have conquered the six foes of man: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hate.  

When you are seventy, you must become ready to merge with the seven sages, seven seas and seven colours of the solar ray; that is to say, you must be far, far above mundane desires and ideals, and as near the point of mergence as possible through sadhana.

Eighty must see you in line with the deities that preside over the eight cardinal points, which are more or less Divine in attributes and characteristics.  

Ninety takes you, or rather should take you to the realm of the Nine Planets and into the realm of the Super.  

When man reaches the hundred mark, living out ten decades, he must have mastered the ten senses, the five senses of action and the five senses of knowledge and have become wisdom incarnate, with no trace or action or the consequence thereof, or the desire for it.

He and the Absolute are One and indivisible!  All this is about the Padyatra, the pilgrimage of life.


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(S.S.S. Vol.Xl)

Be Thankful

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad!"

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.


"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father. 

The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole Horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks Dad, for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

Swami says, “Contentment is the most precious treasure… He who has greatest satisfaction in life is the richest man. He who is filled with desires is the poorest man in the world.”

(Source: Radio Sai - SSEHV Newsletter-February 2007)
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Quotable Quotes




Divine Wisdom




  "How can you receive the love of God if you do not love your fellowmen?  If you want to become deserving of God's love, then first and foremost you should become deserving of the love of your fellowmen.  God will help you if you help others.  Help Ever, Hurt Never.  Never put anyone to trouble.  Love everyone.  Lead your life with goodness of heart.  Your heart should melt with love and love should flow in it."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~ 
(Divine Discourse - 27.1.2007
on the occasion of Ati Rudra Maha Yajna)

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Baba's Storytime - The Eyes I Want



Surdas was a blind mystic, singer and poet.  Lord Krishna once appeared and asked him, in His infinite mercy, if he wanted eyes, so that he could see the world.

Surdas replied, "Though people have the kind of eyes you are offering to give me, they are befogged with ignorance and are not able to recognise You in all forms and in all beings.  Though people have ears, they cannot hear the melody of your flute.  I want eyes that can always see Your beauty everywhere, ears that can hear Your flute, from every corner of the world."


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

Love and Concern


There is a true story of a very touching experience. An old man collapsed on a street corner in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. and was rushed to Kings County Hospital. The nurse on duty, after some inquiry, "discovered" that a certain marine stationed in North Carolina might be the man's son. She called the officer-in-charge and requested that the marine be sent to the hospital.

 When the marine arrived, she took him immediately to the bedside of the dying man and said, "Your son's here". The old man was heavily sedated, but he slowly reached out his hand. The marine grasped it gently, and held it for the next four hours. As the nurses came and went, they asked the marine to go out and relax for a while, but he didn't.

After the man died, the marine asked the nurse. "Who was that man?" 

"Wasn't he your father?" the nurse said. 

"No", said the marine, "but I saw he was dying and needed a son badly. So I stayed!"

Love and Concern have no limits; Love and Concern have no relatives; Love and Concern embrace all, and in a special way those who suffer, those who have no one to assist them, those who are abandoned, and mark my words, even those who do not deserve our love! "For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?" 

(Source: Radio Sai)
 

The Real Value of Seva

 

"The real value of seva and its most visible result is that it transforms and reshapes you."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Seva - Flower at His Feet)

Monday, February 2, 2015

May All the Living Beings of All the Worlds be Happy




Make Others Happy


 

 Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, 
even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it.  

~ Author Unknown ~

Divine Wisdom



"Man invites troubles in life by his own defects.  It we improve our conduct, our life will become free from troubles.  So, first and foremost, we should take to the path of righteousness.  It is not food and drink that is important in life.  Character is most important.  If you lack character, you will have to face innumerable difficulties."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(From Bhagawan's Birthday Message on 23.11.2005)

You are the Atma



"You are not the body which is bound to perish.  You are the Atma which has neither birth nor death.  It has no attachment whatsoever.  You will attain immortality once you realise your true identity.  You will be free from all worries and desires.  You may ask, "Is there anyone without worries and desires"?  I am Myself the ideal in this regard.  I have absolutely no desires whatsoever.  Everything is in My hand.  I can give you whatever you ask for.  However, do not desire materialistic things from Me."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(From Bhagawan's Birthday Message on 23.11.2005)