Divine Wisdom

Quotable Quotes

"Do not dwell in the past.

Do not dream of the future.

Concentrate the mind on the present moment."

~ Buddha ~

May All the Living Beings of All the Worlds be Happy

Sai Madhuryam

"There is no disease like debt,

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,

There is no wealth greater than good reputation,

Bad reputation is death itself,

There is no ornament better than the chanting of God's Name."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Your Inherent Divinity

"Realise your inherent divinity.  Regard the whole world as your field of action.  You have come as a pilgrim in this world of action.  Ensure that your pilgrimage proceeds on right lines."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 14.4.1998)

Quotable Quotes

Baba's Storytime - Buddha and Ananda

Once Buddha had an encounter with Ananda, the son of his stepmother.  Buddha had attained the stage of Nirvana (Self-realisation).  Watching Buddha in this state, Ananda burst into tears.  Buddha was about to give up his body.  Ananda was in grief over the thought "What will happen to us?  What is our future?"

Buddha summoned Ananda to come near him and said: "Ananda!  This is not a time for grief.  I am about to achieve Nirvana.  You should also seek Nirvana.  Looking at the dead, the living lament over death.  But who are the dead?  Death awaits the living in due course.  Where there is birth, there is also death.  

"Only the Divine {Purushothama) is free from birth and death.  He is eternal with no beginning, middle or end.  He is the Eternal Witness."  (Telugu poem)  

Except for the Divine, birth and death are natural to all human beings.  Why than do you weep?  You also must strive to achieve Nirvana."

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

Perform Sacred Actions

"We should sanctify our time by performing sacred actions.  This is the spiritual lesson we have to learn today.  We can experience transcendental bliss only when we overcome the difficulties and suffering that come in our way.  Never be afraid of difficulties, face them with courage.  Only then will humanness blossom in you.  Once you experience the bliss of the Atma, difficulties and suffering will no longer bother you."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 28.8.2004)

Purpose of Human Life

"The purpose of human life is to attain liberation.  Man should aspire only for God.  His love should be directed only towards God and not towards the body.  All his actions, his speech and his life breath itself are meant to experience the Atma.  Life is meant for Atmanveshana (quest for the Atma) and not for Annanveshana (quest for food)."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 28.8.2004)

Quotable Quotes

"Learn to let go.

This is the key to happiness."

~ Buddha ~

Divine Wisdom

Sai Madhuryam

"That day alone is a true day

When all good devotees gather to pray to the Lord;

When people serve the poor and the needy

in a spirit of brotherliness;

When a feast is offered to the servants of the Lord

who sing His glories;

When holy men visit our homes and relate the

exploits of the Lord;

All other days are only days of mourning."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

A Day for Thanks

Dear Lord Sai,

Let us be the flute on which You play,

Play on us Your divine melody

That we may know our true reality.

Thank you, Lord for showing us the way!

24th April 2015

Samsaara

"Many devotees tell Swami that they are caught in the coils of "Samsaara" (family and worldly life) and are unable to break away from it.  But what is the truth?  Is it you who are clinging to "Samsaara" or is it "Samsaara" that is holding you in its grip?  Has "Samsaara" any hands to hold you?  You have hands and you are holding on to worldly life.  "Samsaara" is not holding you.  It is a paradox for you to say that Samsaara is holding you in its grip when the truth is otherwise.  It is excessive attachment that is the cause of man's troubles.  Do eveything as an act of offering to the Divine.  Without faith in God, man ceases to be human."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 9.4.1995)

Laugh!

"Time spent laughing is time spent with the Gods."

(Japanese proverb)

Baba's Storytime - The Idol Turned

"When Kanakadas yearned to see the idol of Krishna installed in the temple at Udupi, he could not go into the sacred precincts and the flag post also hid his view.  So he went round the shrine and tried to find a crevice in the wall through which he could gain 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 (as can be seen even today) and gave him the coveted Darshan!  That is the reward for the yearning."

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

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"There is no place without God

and there is no form without the Divine.

Whether one is in a forest or in a town,

on a mountain top or in a valley,

wherever one may be, one is not helpless."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Quotable Quotes

Divine Wisdom

Loftiness of the Impulse to Renounce

"There are three lines along which endeavour has to be directed:

(1) Spiritual exercises and discipline

(2) Cultivation of detachment

(3) Development of confidence in one's self.

Without these three, life is a wearisome and wasteful journey.  Give up, renounce - that is the virtue you need for spiritual progress.  It is not the value of the thing given up that counts, it is the loftiness of the impulse behind the act."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - June 2006)

May All the Living Beings of All the Worlds be Happy

Putting Enough Love

"You will find that people will not always act the way you expect them to, the way you would like them to and the way you think they should.  You cannot change people, but if you put enough love into any situation, it will work out right in the end."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - Sept. 2001)

Consider your Parents as God

 

 

"First and foremost, you should show gratitude to your parents, love them and respect them.  Your blood, your food, your head, your money are all the gifts of your parents.  You do not receive these gifts directly from God.  All that is related to God is only indirect experience.  It is only the parents whom you can see directly and experience their love.  So consider your parents as God."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 6.5.1999)

Smiles

When I was very, very small

Someone said one day
Here's a basketful of smiles for you

Try to give them all away.

So through the years I did my best

To give them all away

But the more I gave, the more I had

Every single day!

(From: Sanathana Sarathi - 1990)

Quotable Quotes

Divine Wisdom

Baba's Storytime - God Never Fails Those Who Call on Him with Faith

There was a small temple of Srinath in the town of Govardhana, some centuries ago.  A poor Brahmin of that place had an only son, a little boy of six, who was always exulting in the stories and legends of Krishna and who delighted only in listening to the leelas of the Lord.

One day, he went out into the meadows of the Lord and when he saw the temple and the image of Krishna inside the shrine, he took it to be the Lord Himself.   He called out very piteously asking Krishna to come out and play with him in the moonlight.  Though the doors were locked by the priest as he went out at noon, the Lord came and hand in hand the two walked along the fields in the cool silver night.  Krishna had the flute and he sat on a boulder and played on it to the extreme delight of the Brahmin lad.  After a few hours, he returned with the friend, whom he called "brother" and, quite unnoticed, He disappeared into the temple shrine, where the idol could be seen through a slit in the door.

The boy could not bear the pangs of separation form his Divine playmate; he spent the night and the morning crying outside the door and he was discovered there by his parents and the priest.  The parents beat the boy for giving them so much trouble but the priest found the idol bleeding, as a result of the blow.

If you call on Him as a little brother, He responds and becomes a rollicking playmate for you.  Call on Him as a Guru, He will instruct and inspire.  He never fails those who call on Him sincerely and in faith.

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

A Gentle Breeze

As I sit here all alone admiring the view of an early sunrise,

I tilt my head back and close my eyes.

A soft gentle breeze crosses my face,

I look around and enjoy the quietness of God's peace and the soft gentle pace.

The trees are in full bloom, the leaves ready to fall,

God's beauty of earth, I admire it all.

As the sun comes up and begins a new day,

I sit here quietly and begin to pray.

Dear God, I begin to say, please watch over my life and keep me safe,

Give me hope and show me faith.

Guide my path and let me know you are near.

Allow me to be strong and filled with love, for love conquers all fear.

A gentle breeze crosses my path, and gives me a slight chill,

God answers and says: I am with you still.

I've never left you alone, or threw you aside, I am in your heart, I will be your guide.

I will show you the way to master life's difficulties, and trust your heart,

For I am with you now and forever, I shall never part.

A gentle breeze I feel again, I know my prayers are answered, God has heard my plea.

He has pointed this out for me to see.

Life has many surprises each and every day. We cannot live on regrets and sorrow.

Once again I feel a gentle breeze which means God is saying:

My child there is a tomorrow:

The sun will shine once again, the birds will continue to sing.

Memories will last forever, and enjoy life a new today, and all that it may bring.

~ Laurie Swartzfager ~

Glory of God

"The name of God is proclaimed by the trees when they wave their heads.  The birds, in their chirping, call upon us to remember the Name.  The flowers, in spreading their fragrance, declare the glory of God.  The bees, when they hum, announce the bliss in the Name.  It is the Name that reverberates from the sky and the earth.  It can be experienced anywhere.  God is the indweller in the heart of everyone." ~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~ (Source: Radio Sai)

Divine Gift

"You have got this precious human life as a Divine gift.  Do not waste it by seeking worldly pleasures.  Pray to God and serve God by serving humanity."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 20.4.1998)

Divine Wisdom

Glory of God

"God has to be worshipped by us and realized through nature. Nature is the name for all those things that impress upon us the Splendour of God. It is called Maya too, which hides as well as reveals God's beauty and majesty. You must learn to use nature, not for your own comfort or entanglement in forgetfulness of God, but for the better understanding of the Intelligence that guides the Universe."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~ (Source: Radio Sai)

Quotable Quotes

Commendable Obsession

"There is no human being in the world without love.  However, that love expresses itself in many ways.  In a mental asylum, there are people with many kinds of delusions.  In a sense, the entire world may be considered as a mental asylum.  There are many people in the world who are crazy about money.  There are others who have obsessions regarding their health and sickness.  Some others are crazy about power and position.  In this manner, every individual is obsessed with some desire or the other.  There are, again, some who are obsessed with the idea of God.  That is the only commendable obsession."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - June 2000)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"Once you wake up from the sleep of Moha (attachment), you will understand that this Samsara (worldly life) is but a dream, and you are pure, unsullied and eternal Atman."

"You are neither the body, which is nothing but a conglomeration of flesh, blood and bones nor the mind, which is a combination of thoughts and vain desires.  It is the delusion, born out of attachment, which takes you away from liberation.  You are essentially Divine."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Significance of Uttarayana

"Man's vision should not be confined solely to external objects and worldly things which are transient and perishable.  Man has been given this vision so that he may see the pure, sacred Divine Consciousness abiding in his heart.  Uttarayana (northward movement of the sun) is the appropriate occasion for developing this inward vision.  This is the royal road for the spiritual aspirant to realise the Supreme.  It is, therefore, not enough to recognise the northward movement of the sun in this period.  Every effort should be made to direct the vision towards the Indwelling Self."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - Feb. 2000)

Quotable Quotes

Today's Walk

I will walk slowly through this day; 

I leave what is not needed behind from yesterday.

I will treasure all the knowledge to move forward 

What I do today will not change or erase the past.. 

I move on knowing that today I will do differently than before, 

If I fail there will be another tomorrow and a future tomorrow for hope..

~ Kathy Russell ~

Freedom from Fear

"Feelings such as fear, envy, hatred, etc. become ingrained in a person if he nurtures them for a long time from an early age in his life.  God never endows man with fear.  It is one's own weakness that fosters fear because of some shortcomings in one's self.  One who has not committed any wrong or evil act will have no fear and hence will not need any protection or security.  Fearlessness is the hallmark of divinity.  One can become fearless through Thyaga (renunciation).  For example, if you have some valuables with you, there is room for fear.  But if you give up these valuables, you will be free from fear wherever you may be, even in a jungle infested with robbers."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - July 2000)

Quotable Quotes

"I've spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument,

while the song I came to sing remains unsung."

~ Rabindranath Tagore ~

Divine Wisdom

"You are all Atmaswarupa (embodiment of the Self).  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."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~ 

(Birthday Message - 23.11.2005)

Baba's Storytime - Every Act of the Lord has a Significance

Arjuna's pride was humbled during the war in an interesting manner by Krishna.

About the end of the war, one evening, Arjuna felt proud that Krishna was his charioteer and his "servant".  He felt that as master, he should get down from the chariot after Krishna and not before him.  So that day, he asked that Krishna should get down first. But Krishna was adamant - Arjuna must come down first, he said.

After wasting a long time pleading, protesting and praying, Arjuna got down, very unwillingly, swallowing his pride.  Krishna then came down and immediately the chariot went up in flames!  Krishna explained the reason.  The incendiary arrows and missiles that had stuck on that chariot were powerless so long as He was on it; when his presence was no longer there, they set the chariot on fire.

Thus Krishna showed that every act and word of the Lord had significance and a purpose, which mortals cannot gauge.  Egoism is a tough enemy and it requires constant vigilance to conquer it.

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

Do Your Duty:Realise God

"Men are wasting their precious lives in the pursuit of fleeting and petty pleasures.  Make the best use of the opportunity you have now got.  That is true devotion.  You alone are responsible for your condition because of the way your mind works.  Do your duty, recognise the truth of your being, and you will be able to experience your divinity.  You have to purify your heart to experience the Divine.  You may have desires, aspirations and yearning for happiness.  But there is nothing equal to the bliss of experiencing the Divine and you will secure this bliss, wherever God may be.

Life is one long series of worries from birth to death,

But all worries can be overcome by the love of God.

Cultivate this love at least from now onwards."

Turn your minds towards God.  Limit your worldly desires.  

Why waste all your life in the endless pursuit of wealth?"

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 11.3.1994)

Quotable Quotes

"The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love 

and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, 

you will discover that for you the world is transformed."

~ Krishnamurti ~

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"Having resolved what ought to be resolved,

hold on to it till you have succeeded.

Having desired what ought to be desired,

hold on to it till your desire is fulfilled.

Having asked what ought to be asked,

do not leave the hold till you get it.

Having thought what ought to be thought, 

hold on to it till you have succeeded.

The Lord with mellowed heart must yield to your wishes.

Persevere, be tenacious and never give up,

for it is the quality of a devotee never to retreat,

or relent in his resolve."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

What God Looks For

"God looks for your devotion and not for your abilities.  

He looks into your mind (Chitha) rather than at your wealth (Viththa).

He judges you by your virtues and not by your caste.

He is concerned about what you think than about the religion you profess.

He is intent on attracting your heart and not your wealth.

But today, people imagine that God can be propitiated by the offer of money.

This is due to the devotee's ignorance."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 11.3.1994)

May All the Living Beings of All the Worlds be Happy

To Swami

Blessed are those denizens of the Chitravathi Valley

Who breathe the same air as You,

Blessed are those breezes which fan Your cheek

And lift tiny tendrils of Your hair.

Blessed are those Chitravathi sands

Which bear many an imprint of Your Lotus Feet.

But what of those seven seas, Swami,

Which distance me from you?

I know, dear Swami, that You are in every leaf and flower,

In every nook and corner,

Yet my eyes long for Your Darshan,

For a glimpse of that beauteous form,

Long for a loving glance,

Long for Your palm upturned in benediction.

And if there be another birth, Swami,

Not for me, this bundle of flesh and bones,

All I ask is to be a speck of dust

In that path which You tread the most.

~ Ritu Raju ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - Oct. 2001)

Think About God

"Think about God while carrying on your regular duties.  Regard all work as sacred offering to the Divine.  See God in everything you do.  Meditation is not confined to any one thing.  It should permeate every action you do.  There is real solitude only when the mind is completely stilled."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - Oct. 2001)

One Divine Family

"The realisation that the whole of mankind is one divine family is the means to understand the basis of society.  It is because society is a manifestation of the divine purpose that individuals are enjoined to realise the Divine through living in society and not by getting away from it.  The link between social life and spiritual life is not a casual connection.  Social life is the very basis of spiritual life.  Between the cosmos and man, there is a divine link."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Sanathana Sarathi - July 2006)