Monday, March 30, 2015

Truth is Truth



"Truth is God.   You may belong to any country or religion but truth is the same for one and all.  There is nothing like American truth, Pakistani truth, Indian truth, etc.  Truth is truth."

The creation emerges from truth and merges into truth,
Is there a place where truth does not exist?
Visualise such pure and unsullied truth."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 14.1.2003)


Desire Binds Us



"Those who catch monkeys prepare a pot with a small opening and fill it with some sweets.  The monkey who desires the food will put his hand inside the pot and take a big handful of the food.  Thus the monkey becomes unable to draw its hand out through the opening.  Only on releasing the grip will the monkey be able to take its hand out.  It is its desire for the food that has bound its hands.  Because it took with its hand some food to fulfil its desire, it was bound there.

This wide world is like that pot and our "samsaras" or families are like the narrow top.  Our desires are the sweets in the pot.  The world being pot, containing the desires, sweets, man puts his hand in the pot.  When he sheds his desires, he will be able to live in the world freely. To get freedom, the first thing to do is to sacrifice.  In philosophical terms, this is called renunciation.  We think that the world is binding us but the world is lifeless.  It is the desire that binds us."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(From the book "Chinna Katha I")

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Quotable Quotes



"A man must arrange his physical and cultural circumstances so that they may not hinder him in his service of humanity, on which all his energies should be concentrated."

~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

Friday, March 27, 2015

May All the Living Beings of All the Worlds be Happy




Sri Ram Navami Message



“The Ramayana, the story of Lord Rama, teaches two lessons: the value of detachment and the need to become aware of the Divine in every being. Faith in God and detachment from objective pursuits are the keys for human liberation. Give up attachment to sense objects, and you gain Rama. Sita gave up the luxuries of Ayodhya so she could be with Rama during His exile. When she cast longing eyes on the golden deer and craved for it, she lost Rama's proximity. Renunciation leads to joy; attachment brings about grief. Be in the world, but not of it.

Rama is the in-dweller in every body. He is the Source of Bliss (Atma-Rama) in every individual. His blessing, surging from that inner spring, confers peace and bliss. He is the very embodiment of Dharma, of all the codes of morality that hold mankind together in love and unity."

. (From ‘Ramakatha Rasavahini’ authored by Bhagawan Baba)

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba




"Conquering conceit one becomes endearing;
Conquering anger one is free from regrets;
Conquering desire one becomes prosperous;
Conquering greed one becomes happy."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
 

Rama is Within You


 
"Rama is immanent in everyone.  Easwara is present in all.  Rama is within you.  In fact, you yourself are Rama.  Establish this truth in your heart firmly and spend your time fruitfully.  Then your life will be filled with everlasting bliss.  Constantly recite the name of Rama.  Aeons have passed, yet the name of Rama has not been forgotten.  Rama is not separate from you. You are not separate from Rama.  You may call a person by his name but it is Rama who is present in him."

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

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

In Life ...




In life there are people that will hurt us and cause us pain,
but we must learn to forgive and forget and not hold grudges.

In life there are mistakes we will make,
but we must learn from our wrongs and grow from them.

In life there are regrets we will have to live with, 
but we must learn to leave the past behind and realize it is something we can't change.

In life there are people we will loose forever and can't have back,
but we must learn to let go and move on.

In life there are going to be obstacles that will cause interference,
but we must learn to overcome these challenges and grow stronger.

In life there are fears that will hold us back from what we want,
but we must learn to fight them with the courage from within.

God holds our lives in his hands. He holds the key to our future. 
Only he knows our fate. 

He sees everything and knows everything. 
Everything in life really does happen for a reason: "God's Reason".


~ Angie Flores ~

Baba's Storytime - Rama's Cheek



There was a merchant who was exhorted by his teacher to repeat the Name of the Lord; he pleaded he had no time to sit and repeat it; the shop took up all his time and energy.  He had to go a little away from the village every morning for answering calls of nature.  He spent about half an hour for this. So the Guru asked him to use this time for the daily Smarana.  

Hanuman, the great Ramabhaktha, was passing through the sky when he saw the merchant defecating and heard him repeat "Ram Ram Ram" while so engaged.  Hanuman was incensed at his impertinence; he was desecrating the Name by pronouncing it while unclean.  So he gave him a hard blow on the cheek and continued his journey to Ayodhya.

When he reached the Divine Presence and looked at the splendour-filled face of Rama, he noticed the swollen red print of a hand upon His cheek.  Hanuman was shocked and his grief was too deep for words.  

Rama told him, "Hanuman!  Do not ask Me the name of the person who dealt this blow.  I always dissipate the moment of a calamity for my Bhakthas and I intercede in time to save them.  That poor merchant, sitting outside the village, who was repeating My Name when you were coming here, could he withstand the terrible onslaught of your angry palm?  The fellow would have collapsed on the spot.  So I intercepted the blow and received it on my own cheek, my dear Hanuman."


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

Life is a Pilgrimage to God



"Life is a pilgrimage to God; the holy spot is there, afar!  The road lies before you; unless you take the first step forward and follow that step with others, how can you reach it?  Start with courage, faith, joy and steadiness.  You are bound to succeed."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(S.S.S. Vol. 1)

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Quotable Quotes




Recite the Name of Lord Sai Ram

Prema Sey Bolo Eka Bara Sai Ram
Jai Jai Ram Sai Ram
Bolo Ram Sai Ram
Hey Madhura Manohara Ram
Hey Mohana Murata Ram
Hey Karuna Sindhu Ram
Hey Raghupati Raghava Ram
Hey Patita Pavana Ram
Jai Jai Ram Sai Ram
Bolo Ram Sai Ram

Once more, recite the name of Lord Sai Ram.  
Victory to Lord Sai Ram.  
Chant the name of Lord Rama of the Raghu Dynasty 
who is charming and pleasing, 
the ocean of mercy, and the saviour of the miserable and fallen.  
Victory to Lord Sai Ram.  
Chant with love, "Sai Ram".



The Principle of Life



"First and foremost, understand the fundamental principle of life.  Beings are many but the divine principle in them is one and the same.  Hence, recognise the principle of divinity that is present in all in the form of the Atma.  The Atma is the Adhara (support) and the body is the Adheya (that which is supported).  Recognise the Atma as the fundamental basis of your life and everything else will be taken care of."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 17.8.2005)

Quotable Quotes



"Violence is not merely killing another.  It is violence when we use a sharp word, when we make a gesture to brush away a person, when we obey because there is fear."

~ Krishnamurthi ~

Kabir's Pitambara for the Lord


Kabir was weaving a pitambara for the Lord, his Rama.  He had to work the loom alone by hand.  He recited Rama Rama Rama Rama and went on weaving ceaselessly.  The cloth had become twenty yards long but Kabir did not stop; his tapas continued unabated; the pitambara was becoming longer and longer.

The Ananda of the craft, devotion to his Lord, were enough food and drink for his subsistence.  When he gave it to the temple priest for clothing the idol of Rama, the pitambara was just the size, just the length and breadth, not a finger more!


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

Monday, March 23, 2015

God is Your Old Friend



"You need not glorify God because that may keep you at a distance from God.  God is not new.  He was there before your birth and He will be there eternally.  Where is the need to glorify Him?  You must take Him as your old friend.  When you acquire friendship newly with a person, you speak to him with respectful words.  When he becomes an old friend, you treat him with liberty and privilege. Consider God also as an old friend, so that you can enjoy the liberty and be free with Him.  

Devotees think that they can please God by describing His glory.  This is not true.  You can melt His heart only with love.  Plant the seeds of love and let the water of good qualities flow on the dry land so that the seeds will sprout and fed by the rain of love, grow into a tree sheltering all."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(From Bhagawan's Discourses at Kodaikanal - April 1998)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba



"Sweeter than sugar,
Tastier than curd,
Sweeter indeed than honey
is the Name of Rama.
Constant repetition of this sweet Name
gives one the taste of divine nectar itself.
Therefore, contemplate on the Name of Rama incessantly."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Baba's Storytime - Happiness and Your Thinking



It all depends on the point of view whether you are happy or unhappy that colours all attitudes and opinions.

Ramadas sang about the exploits of Anjaneya in Lanka and while doing so, he mentioned the white lilies of the islands.  Anjaneya heard him sing it and immediately took exception to the description.  He said that he had never seen a single white flower there; the lilies of Lanka were red, he declared.  Ramadas, however, insisted that they were white.  Anjaneya got annoyed at the impudence of poets who tried to pit their imagination against a firsthand expert witness and appealed to Rama for intercession.

Rama agreed with Ramadas!  He said that Anjaneya saw them red because his eyes were affected by Rajasic anger at the entire Rakshasa brood!


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

From Truth to Peace


 
"When you plant the seed of Truth in the heart and make faith take deep root, with the rain of chanting God's Name, peace blossoms, yielding the fruit of liberation.  Therefore every human being should sow the seed of Truth in his heart.  The deeper the root of faith goes down, the stronger will be the tree of life.  You must provide water for the flourishing growth of the tree by means of Bhajan (singing the glory of God) and Daiva Chintana (contemplation on God).  Only then will the flower of Shanthi (peace) bloom and from this the fruit of liberation will be attained."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Sanathana Sarathi - July 2000)

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Where Is He Not?


Once a Guru sent a pupil for further guidance to a mendicant in a Siva temple.  

When he reached the temple, he found a fellow reclining in the central shrine with both his legs resting on the sacred lingam.  The pupil was naturally enraged at the man's insolence; when he spoke angrily against his behaviour, the man said, "Please lift my legs and place them where the lingam is not."

When he did so, there was a lingam under the feet in the new position.  Wherever he deposited the man's legs, a lingam rose to give hem rest!

That was the lessen the beggar taught him - God is everywhere; win the vision to see Him so.


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


Ugadi Message



 "On this day of Ugadi, take a firm resolve to purify your heart. Past is past. It cannot be retrieved. When you are walking on the road, you should look at the path ahead of you. What is the point in looking behind? Likewise, there is no point in brooding over the past. Future is not certain. What is the guarantee that you will be alive until tomorrow? So, do not worry about your future. Live in the present. It is not ordinary present. It is omnipresent, meaning the results of past as well as the future are contained in it. So, when you make proper use of the present, you can be rest assured that your future is safe and secure”.


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 13.4.2002)

Quotable Quotes



"There is no greater disaster than not knowing how to be content."

~ Lao-Tzu ~

Service to Others

 
 
"Engage yourself in service activities and I shall see to it that you lack nothing.  God is ever ready to help those who come forward to help others.  Develop broad-mindedness.  Do not be narrow-minded.  Only a person with expansion love can claim to be a human, not the one with contraction love.  Do not limit your love just to your family.  What happiness do you derive from your narrow-mindedness?"


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 6.10.2000)
 

Friday, March 20, 2015

May All the Living Beings of All the Worlds Be Happy



Divine Wisdom

 

 "Ego is very dangerous and powerful.  It ruins your character.  It is foolishness to consider yourself great in any aspect of life as there are always people greater than you.  So, where is the scope for ego?  Your true name is Love.  Live up to your name.  After receiving elevating education in Sai institutions and after listening to the sacred words of Swami, you should act in the noblest manner.  Only then will Swami feel happy."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 6.10.2000)

Krishna and Butter

 

"Krishna did not steal butter from others' houses for its taste.  There is an underlying message in this Leela (divine play).  Here, butter symbolises pure heart.  Wherever there is a pure heart, Krishna goes there.  Such a pure heart will be soft and sweet.  The hearts of Gopis were ripened with devotion.  They were pure, soft and nectarine.  Hence Krishna would go their houses to steal their hearts."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 6.9.2004)

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Quotable Quotes



May all virus be well and happy! 
May all beings be well and happy! 
May all animals be well and happy! 
May we be well and happy!

~ Ajahn Brahm ~

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba


"There is no trace of peace anywhere;
Truth has become equally scarce;
Though man is afraid of dreadful weapons,
he is stockpiling them more and more;
The root cause of all this is his selfishness;
This is the truth that is being conveyed."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

God on Your Side - World in Your Hold



"You may have accumulated riches, acquired deep scholarship and achieved health and strength.  But unless you have gained, in addition, a vision of the Supreme Sovereign, and an aspiration to be ever in the ecstasy of that vision, all that has been garnered by you is mere lumber.

India has a great epic, the Mahabharata, which describes a war between the Kauravas and Pandavas.  The Kauravas had superior financial and military resources.  They approached Krishna, the incarnation of the Lord, for help; but they were content to receive from Him a large army and a huge quantity of hardware.  

The Pandavas sought from Him only His grace!  The Lord agreed, He came to their side, alone and unarmed!  He held just a whip and drove the horses of Arjuna's chariot!  That was all that we needed for victory.  The Kauravas were defeated to the uttermost; the Pandavas won the empire and eternal fame.

If God is on your side, you have the world in your hold.  This is the lesson driven home by the Hindu scriptures.

"Give up all bonds of right and duty, surrender unreservedly to Me!  I shall guard you from sin and liberate you from that sad cycle of 'entrances' and 'exits' on the stage of life.  You can remain ever in your own Reality of Eternal Calm," the Lord has assured."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(From the book "Chinna Katha I")

Quotable Quotes

 

"To lose patience is
to lose the battle."

~ Mahatma Gandhi ~


Tuesday, March 17, 2015

A Part of the Ocean



I love the story of the frightened wave. It appears a little wave was bouncing along in the sea having a wonderful time. Suddenly the wave notices that he is going to crash into the beach. The wave begins to cry and scream. Another wave bounces up and asks him what is wrong. "Don’t you see that we are going to crash into the beach and die!", he yells. "Don’t you realize," says the other wave patiently, "that you are not a wave. You are a part of the ocean."

I think that one reason so many of us are frightened in this world is that we think we are only tiny waves. We see ourselves as small, alone, and powerless. We fear pain, death, and each other because we don’t see who we truly are. We are not just waves. We are also a part of the ocean. We may live in separate bodies, but we are also a part of a greater whole. 

We may be individual human beings, but we are also , all of us, Children of God. We are brothers and sisters in this world with the most powerful and loving parent imaginable. We are one family here to love each other, help each other, and make this world better. And when we do one day crash into the shore and die we don’t disappear but rather go home to the never ending love and joy that awaits us there.

I will never see myself as a mere wave. I will always know that I am a part of the ocean. I will never see myself as a lonely, isolated individual. I will always know that I am a Child of God and that all of you are my brothers and sisters. I will never see myself as a weak person unable to help others. I will always know that it is my duty and my joy to love and help everyone from my own family to the homeless drug addict lying unconscious on the street.

Remember then who you really are. You are a Child of God, a part of a mighty ocean of love, and a powerful being capable of endless goodness and joy in this life.


~ Joseph J. Mazella ~


Morality


"Morality is not something that you should force upon yourself.  It is your natural quality.  Therefore, first and foremost develop morality.  Only then will divinity blossom in you.  The entire world will prosper when man adheres to morality.  Only then can man lead a happy life.  Wherever you are, whatever you do, consider morality as the basis of your life.  Morality is, in fact, your true reputation.  You can earn Divine grace when you have morality."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 11.4.2004)



True Meditation


'Today many people practise meditation without knowing what it is.  In the process, they waste a lot of time.  What is meditation?  Is it to sit cross-legged with closed eyes?  No.  Not at all.  People undertake meditation with a deluded mind.  Consequently, they are unable to achieve the desired result.  What is meant by meditation?  To think of God at all times and under all circumstances is true meditation."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~ 
(Divine Discourse - 23.5.2005)

Monday, March 16, 2015

Why Has the Flower Wilted?



"Why has the flower wilted?
I pressed it to my heart with anxiety and love;
this is why the flower has wilted."

~ Rabindranath Tagore ~

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba



 
"There is no disease more fatal than greed,
There is no foe more dangerous than anger,
There is no grief more tormenting than poverty,
There is no joy greater than wisdom."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Divine Wisdom




Sunday, March 15, 2015

May All the Living Beings of All the Worlds be Happy




Love

 
"Love is the quintessence of My teachings.  My power is the power of love.  There is nothing greater than love.  When you develop love, you can easily face the challenges of life and emerge victorious. God will always be with you, in you and around you and will take care of you.  Any mighty task can be accomplished through prayer.  However, your prayer should be sincere.  Say what is there in your mind.  Swami is within you; He knows your thoughts and feelings.  Develop unity of thought, word and deed.  Have faith that Swami is in you and He always listens to your prayer.  If you think that Swami is outside, how will your prayer reach Him?"


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 25.12.2004)

Baba's Storytime - Returned with Thanks


 
Buddha was seated alone one day, and later, some men gathered around him.  One among them who did not like His teachings and the effect it had on the people, got up and started a tirade in very vulgar terms against him.

Buddha sat smiling, listening to all that calumny, without a single gesture of disapproval.  The man got frothy in the mouth through rage, his vocabulary was fast getting exhausted, his tongue began to show signs of overwork, but Buddha only asked him with a smile, "Brother, have you finished?"

The man said, "You have no sense of shame; you do not react when I abuse you.  You are thick-skinned, you are a log of wood."

Buddha asked him, "If a person does not accept a gift, what happens to it?" 

He said, "It remains with the giver."

"Well, keep these gifts of abusive words with you, brother!  I do not accept and react."


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


Saturday, March 14, 2015

Quotable Quotes

 

"Whether you accept or reject it,
God's love for you is permanent."

~ Sri Chinmoy ~

Your Fortune

 
 
"Your fortune or misfortune depends on your actions.  Without realising this truth, you indulge in evil deeds.  You feel sorry when the consequences of your sins haunt you.  What is the use?  You have to be careful right from the beginning not to commit sin.  God is the eternal witness.  You have to make every effort to earn divine grace and perform all actions as an offering to God.  Only then will your life be sanctified."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 19.11.2002)

Friday, March 13, 2015

Divine Wisdom



"There are many types of duties that we have to perform with the help of the body.  But our foremost duty is to develop love.  Where there is love, there is bliss.  True relationship exists only when there is love.  Where there is no love, bliss cannot exist there, neither can there be true relationship."


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 14.4.2006)

Quotable Quotes



"Love implies generosity, care, not to hurt another, not to make them feel guilty;
to be generous, courteous and behave in such a manner
that your words and thoughts are born out of compassion."

~ Krishnamurthi ~

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Take the Time

Rush, rush, rush, hurry, hurry, hurry, check your watch, check your schedule, and worry, worry, worry! Gulp down your coffee, wolf down your breakfast, and head out the door! Think of the thousand things you have to do today and forget about your joy!

If any of you see yourself in those words then you have my sympathy. That was the way I lived for far too many days in my life. My eyes were always on what I had to do. 

My thoughts were always on not having enough time to do it. My feelings were always set on stress, fear, and frustration. At the time I thought I was living my life, but in truth there was very little living in all of that activity.

Finally there came a point one day when I decided that it didn’t matter if I got everything done or not. I realized that most of those things I had been striving to do didn’t add one moment of happiness to my life. Instead they ate up my days and squeezed out moments I could have spent loving others. They left no time for prayer, no time for appreciation, no time for simple pleasures or heartfelt joys. It was then that I ripped up my schedule and tossed it in the trash.

I remember that first day without it. I enjoyed my breakfast for the first time in months. I actually noticed the birds flying across the sky. 

I stopped my car, got out, and walked over to a cherry tree to smell the blossoms on it. Instead of rushing my children home from school I took them to the park and let them run and play. 

I stayed outside longer than usual when I walked my dogs in the evening. I watched the sunset and let the warm Spring breeze kiss my face. I thanked God for my life, felt love in my heart, and had more joy that day than I could ever remember.

And the funny thing was I still got everything done that I needed to do.


Life isn’t some endless list of chores. Life is instead a chance to learn, grow, and love.

Take the time to love then. Take the time to sing, smile, and have joy. Take the time to taste your meals, smell the flowers, and watch the sunrise in the morning. 

Take the time to hug your children, laugh with your friends, and help others in need. Take the time to do a good deed and share a kind word.

Take the time to pray to God, to invite His love into your soul, and to share it with everyone around you. Take the time to become the best possible you, you can be.

The wonderful writer and educator Leo Buscaglia once said: “Life is God’s gift to you. How you live it is your gift to God.”
 
Take the time to live it well.

~  Joseph J. Mazzella ~

Quotable Quotes



"Be a dustbin with a hole at the bottom. You can be a dustbin for your whole life.
Whatever life brings you, it goes in and it’s there for a moment, and then it goes right out at the other end.
So that you keep nothing. That is the trick for having no stress."


~ Ajahn Brahm ~