A Christmas Message

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy

Wishing You a Blessed Christmas

May this Christmas bring you 
peace and joy.

Jai Sai Ram!

Quotable Quotes

"The ultimate source of happiness is not money and power,

but warm-heartedness."

~ Dalai Lama ~

Thoughts of God

"Hours, days, years are wasted in the pursuit of things of the world.  One moment devoted to thoughts of God will make all the difference.  What meaning is there in acquiring millions?  A contented man is happier than a millionaire.  The poorest man in the world is the one who has insatiable desires."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 8.3.1997)

Divine Wisdom

Gifts to Give

GIVE THE FOLLOWING GIFTS:

To your enemy . . .forgiveness,

To your opponent . . .tolerance.

To a friend . . . your heart.

To a customer . . . service.

To all men . . .charity.

To every child . . . a good example

To yourself . . .respect.

(Author Unknown)

It's Christmas!

It was a few days before Christmas many years ago and it looked like it would be a lean one for my family. The saw mill that I was working at had laid a lot of us off while machinery was being repaired so we didn’t have much money. My wife and I had scrimped and saved to buy our young children some toys, but an unexpected car repair had taken most of our cash. We decided then that we could only afford to get one small gift for each of our children.

We arrived at the store and walked down the parking lot past people loading gifts into their cars. I envied them a bit, because it sure didn’t feel like Christmas to me. We hurried into the store past the Salvation army bell ringer with our heads down. I had always enjoyed putting something in his kettle before but wasn’t sure if I could afford to this time. We searched all through the store hoping to find one thing each of our small children would like. Thankfully, we were able to get them each something sweet. We headed for the checkout, bought the toys, and were amazed that we even had a few dollars left over. As we walked out of the store into the brisk, Winter air I stopped and dropped those dollars into the bell ringer’s kettle. I didn’t have a dime left but that didn’t matter. Suddenly, it felt like Christmas.

I think the wonderful actress, Dale Evans put it best when she said: “Christmas is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give it’s Christmas.” It doesn’t have to be a gift of money either. When we give our time, it’s Christmas. When we share our smile, it’s Christmas. When we give others our kindness and compassion, it’s Christmas. When we do anything at any time to help another, it’s Christmas.

May you do all you can to make it Christmas every day of the year and every day of your life here. May you always share God’s light through the love you give and the life you live.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella 

Offer Yourself to God

"What is that you have to offer to God? 
Not a leaf, a flower, a fruit or holy water. 
You have to offer yourself to God. 
Then you become one with the Divine. 
That is what God desires from you."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 11.7.1995)

The Form of Divinity

"No one can measure the distance of the sky from the earth. That is the reason why it is said that the sky is blue. Similarly, none can describe the form of Divinity. In order to portray God, artists started using the colour of blue. In fact, God has no colour at all. If God were to be born with a blue colour, He would have been put in an exhibition as an object of wonder. Divinity cannot be changed. You may change; but your Atma will never undergo any change."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 22.11.2007)

Sai Blossoms

Swami's Compassion

Mr. Gordhandas Patel invited "this Das" (the author of this article) to attend one of the weekly bhajan sessions at his house in Harrow near London.  Just before the day in question, he called me and asked, "Can we also peform laksharchana (i.e. repetition of mantra 100,000 times with offering of rice grains}?  I readily agreed.

A beautiful altar was set up and about a hundred devotees took part in the laksharchana which was conducted in the usual way.  I then spoke of Swami's miracles and teachings and about his "visiting cards".

 No specific leela was visible and after Arati, everybody left to go home.  Five youngsters were sitting in the shrine room with their backs to the altar and one of them said, "This man with the tie {i.e. the author) spoke about many things, but a single miracle happened here today.  Yet they all consider Sathya Sai Baba as God."

Swami heard this statement and decided to remove the ignorance of these five youngsters.  Suddenly there was a sound and horizontal cracks appeared in the middle of all five coconuts that were on the altar.  

At first, the youngsters wee scared and then they had tears in their eyes and fell at Swami's feet, saying,"Please forgive us for doubting the man with the tie!  We now realise that You are God!".  One of them prayed and asked, "Baba, give us a little vibhuti and we will be under your Lotus Feet forever." When they went upstairs they saw another miracle.  A coconut placed on a copper vessel had also cracked and vibhuti appeared on it.

More vibhuti and kumkum (red powder) appeared on a framed photo of Shiva and Shakti.  The youngsters were blessed to witness these miracles and thus developed faith in Beloved Baba.

(From the book "Sai Smaran" by Dr. D. J. Gadhia)

Divine Wisdom

Baba's Storytime - Radha, the Great Devotee

"When Krishna lifted the Govardhana mountain, it was a matter of celebration. The unmarried Gopikas performed Varalakshmi Vratam. Even now ladies perform Varalakshmi Vratam. 

Radha was a great devotee. But those who did not believe in the divinity of Krishna subjected her to a lot of hardships. Even in those days there were atheists. Atheists, theists, theistic-atheists and atheistic-theists are present in every age. The atheists put Radha in a house and locked it from outside. (Taking this theme, I wrote a drama and got it enacted by children.) They felt Radha’s family reputation was being tarnished because of her going after Krishna. And to stop her from doing so, she was locked up in the room. 

She started crying and praying. Krishna heard her prayers, opened the doors and released her. He chided those people saying, “Is this the way you treat a devotee? It is all right if you have no devotion to Me. But it is a great sin to harass a devotee.” 

Krishna took Radha with Him. Radha then prayed to Krishna to play a song on His divine flute. 

“Sing a song Oh Krishna! 
With each word dripping with honey and talk to Me 
To My heart’s content. 
Take the essence of the Vedas, 
Let it flow through your divine flute 
And transform it into a melodious song. 
Sing a song Oh Krishna …” 
(Telugu Song) 

Listening to His melodious music, Radha breathed her last. From that day, Krishna never touched His flute again. Krishna performed several leelas. He was verily God in human form. None could comprehend or describe His divine nature. It was infinite and unfathomable. You do not find anything other than Divine love flowing from Him.

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

Sai Madhuryam

Devotion alone bestows the supreme good; 

Devotion alone is the destroyer of the disease 

of the cycle of birth and death; 

Devotion alone is the means of recognizing Divinity; 

Devotion alone is the means of Liberation. 

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Quotable Quotes

A Special Night

High on the hill
Above the town
A little white lamb
Looked curiously down.

“Mother” he asked
“Do you see that light?”
“Hush, my son,
It’s a special night”

“But why do the people
Hurry so fast?”
“Because, my son,
It has happened at last.

Jesus, the God child
Is born upon earth,
Come let us join them
To honor his birth.”

~ May Fenn ~

The Message of Jesus

“Develop love of God. All other forms of love are not love at all, but only fleeting and impermanent attachments. Man's biggest folly is forgetting his Divinity. All should realize that they come from God. All are children of God. Everyone should seek to get nearer and nearer to God. That is spiritual practice (Sadhana). You must feel that God dwells in your heart. You must develop compassion in the heart, because without it, the heart is only a stone.

That is the message of Jesus: The message of love. Love is God. Live in love. Start the day with love. Spend the day with love. End the day with love. This is the way to God. Only the person who is filled with love will be dear to the Lord."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Christmas Discourse - 25.12.1996)

Jesus and Krishna

"Once a young discipline asked Jesus, “O Master, when I am faced with some problems, how am I to solve them? 

Jesus replied, “O simpleton, do not seek solutions to your problems. Love God, who is installed in your heart. Love even those that hate you because God is present in them also. How can you ever have suffering when you love all? Your heart will be filled with bliss when you love everybody.” 

Similar was the answer which Lord Krishna gave to Arjuna when he asked him, “Swami, is there anybody who is very dear to you?” 

Krishna replied, “O simpleton, I have neither friend nor foe. I am present in every heart. I reside even in the hearts of those who criticise Me. One who sees God in all and loves them is very dear to Me. One is intimately related to Me not by birth, but by one’s intense love for Me. Having been with Me for so long, it is rather surprising that you have not understood this basic truth. O Arjuna, you have made Me sit in your chariot, but not in the chariot of your heart.” "

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Christmas Discourse - 25.12.2000)

Service to Man is Service to God

"You will have to feel honoured to call yourself as a servant of God and humanity. If you start serving with the attitude that service to man is service to God, you will find God there. The same thing you cannot experience in japa or dhyaana. You have to "shut your mind and open your heart," which happens while doing Seva."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 19.7.1997 - World Youth Conference)

Die-mind

In 1958, Beloved Swami was in Kanya Kumari with devotees. One of them had read in a book the story of the diamond which formerly adorned the Goddess Kanya Kumari and was stolen by pirates.  Beloved Swami asked them: "Would you like to see this diamond?  I know where it is."  All answered, 'Yes, Swami!"  He then put one condition.  No one should touch the diamond!  Baba patted the sand and the huge, glittering diamond appeared in His hand.  After showing it to everyone, the diamond disappeared and was returned to its place.

What a wonderful miracle!  Many times, after a materialisation, Beloved Swami has said in the interview room: "This is not a diamond, but Die-mind!  You must cut down your desires and have a ceiling on desires."

(From the book "Sai Smaran" by Dr. D. J. Gadhia)

Divine Wisdom

The Gift of Love

Christmas is no fun when you're poor", I thought to myself as I slowly climbed the steps to my cold, damp apartment. I was a young, struggling, substitute teacher whose calls into work had been few and far between. Money was tight, bills were due, and it was Christmastime. My wife and I couldn't even afford to get gifts for each other and the only gifts we could get for our young daughter and son were a few stuffed animals that I had found on sale.

I opened the door to the apartment and brought in the gifts I had hidden in our old car's trunk until Christmas. Then I handed them to my 4 year old son and 18 month old daughter. I watched with a sad smile while they did their best to tear off the wrapping paper. As they pulled out their toys, though, I noticed their own smiles grow wide. Their eyes lit up and they jumped up and down with glee. My daughter happily hugged her stuffed animal and then hugged her Mom and me as well. I laughed as I watched my children play with their stuffed animals for hours that day, and I thanked God for the greater gift they had given me.

It has been over twenty years now but I still remember that Christmas like it was yesterday. It was one of those special days that stays in your heart and soul forever. It was one of those special moments that helps to shape the rest of your life. I still cherish the gift of pure love that my son and daughter gave me that day. I still strive to share it in my own life as well.

The great inspirational author Leo Buscaglia once wrote that: "There is no lesser or greater gift if the gift is love." In truth, the most priceless gift of all time was a gift of love from God given to us as a poor baby warmed in the hay of a manger. It was a gift that changed the world forever. It was a gift that showed us all how to live and how to love. May your every Christmas be rich in love and may all your days be full of goodness and joy.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella

Quotable Quotes

"Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold.  It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience.  It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighbouring country.  Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed and where individuals and nations are free."

~ Dalai Lama ~ 

Sai Blossoms

Divine Wisdom

Three Fold Shanthi

"The word Shanthi is pronounced three times at the end of every prayer, ritual or offering. What is the meaning behind this? 

The first Shanthi means: "May we enjoy peace for the body." It means that the body should not get heated by feelings of jealousy, hatred, attachments and the like. Whatever news you receive about any event, you should receive it with calmness and serenity. 

The second Shanthi pertains to the mind. You should not get worked up when someone says something about you which is not true. You must simply dismiss it as something which does not concern you. If you get angry or irritated, you are losing your peace of mind. You should say to yourself: "Why should I lose my peace of mind just because someone says something about me which is not true?" You resolve to stick to your truth and be true to your own nature. 

The third Shanthi refers to peace of the soul. This peace has to be realised through love. This world has to be brought back on to the rails and it is love and peace alone which can achieve this. 

Fill your thoughts, actions, emotions with love, truth and peace. There may be people who may hate us but love them too." 

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 9.12.1985)

The Ocean Pays Homage

The next day we proceeded to Kanya Kumari where sunrise and sunset are spectacular scenes not to be missed.  We went early in the morning and were blessed to see the wonderful rays of the rising sun - darshan of the Sun.

We remembered the incident when Beloved Baba was in Kanya Kumari.  While standing on the seashore, He told the devotees present that "This great ocean wants to welcome Swami and to garland My feet."  He gave permission and the waves touching His Divine Lotus Feet made an offering of a beautiful garland of  108 pearls, strung on a thread of gold.  The ocean thus paid homage to the Lord!  In the Chaitanya Jyoti Museum in Puttaparthi8, this scene of the ocean offering the pearl garland to Baba is shown in a film.

(From the book "Sai Smaran" by Dr. D.J. Gadhia)

Sai Madhuryam

Do not brag about your learning, 

Nor proclaim your affluence; 

Don't lose your head over your wealth, 

Nor boast about your progeny; 

Do not proclaim you are a donor, 

Nor feel elated because you are Swami's sevak; 

Do not exult over your valour, 

Or over your accomplishments; 

When you win the approbation of a few 

The Lotus-eyed Lord will bless you. 

His feet are everywhere; 

His eyes and Heads are everywhere; 

With His ears in all directions, 

Encompassing everything, stands the Lord.

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Magic

When I was younger I was entranced with stories of magic. I devoured books where wizards and warriors battled the powers of darkness in strange worlds. I rejoiced when they triumphed bringing peace and happiness to their lands. I guess like most of the readers of these stories I secretly wished for magical powers for myself. I wanted to be able to magically make my pain disappear, to make my problems go away, and to have power over this world that so often has power over us.

As I got older, however, I realized that there was no such thing as magic and the harsh reality of life set in. I struggled through a long period of poverty. I had daily pain from a back injury that never healed right. I felt sadness and sorrow when both of my sons were diagnosed with Autism. I still sometimes daydreamed of magic but in time even that faded away.

Then one day I am not sure when I began to discover a different kind of magic. This magic grew stronger in my heart, soul, and mind day by day and year by year. This magic was called LOVE. This magic connected me to God, because God is love. It also connected me to my own highest self and to all of the other souls in this world. It didn’t eliminate my poverty but it made every day of my life feel richer. It didn’t make my back pain go away but it helped me deal with it so much better. It didn’t cure my sons’ Autism, but it helped me see them as the beautiful, loving, eternal, and joyful souls that they truly are. It didn’t make me a wizard or a warrior but it helped me to dispel the darkness of this world with my own light.

There is such a thing as magic in this world. There is such a thing as magic in each one of us. This magic is called LOVE. May you choose it, share it, and live in it every single day of your life. May you use it to help others, to heal this world, and to build a bridge to Heaven.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy

Quotable Quotes

Hold my Hand

Once a little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river." 

The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand." 

"What's the difference?" asked the puzzled father. 

"There's a big difference," replied the little girl. "If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go." 

~ Author Unknown ~

Baba's Storytime - Anger

Let me cite an incident from the life of Babu Raajendra Prasaad, the first President of India. 

Raajendra Prasaad had a very good servant by name Rathna who was exemptionally faithful and served him for a long time to the satisfaction of his master. One day he was asked to clean his room. Raajendra Prasaad had kept a pen given to him by Mahaathma Gaandhi, in one of his books. When the servant was cleaning the table the book fell down and the nib broke. He became nervous but told his master the truth begging his pardon for his mistake. 

On hearing this, Raajendra Prasaad shouted at him in rage and asked him to get out and not to show his face again as the pen was a highly valuable gift from Mahaathma which he had broken.

Then the servant pleaded that he could not survive without him and sought his forgiveness. But Raajendra Prasaad was in no mood to listen to him and went out bidding his servant to get out of his sight. 

During the night, Raajendra Prasaad could not sleep as the memory of his having driven away his servant was haunting him. When he got up next morning he missed his usual morning coffee which Rathna would usually serve him. He reflected over his behaviour and felt sorry for having sent out such a faithful servant for no big fault. He realised that it was his own mistake to have kept the pen carelessly in a book instead of keeping it in a safe place. 

He sent word to Rathna and took him back seeking his pardon saying: "Rathna you are a good boy. It was my mistake to have kept the pen in the book. So you must excuse me for my rash action." He asked him to continue to serve him till the end of his life. 

Anger comes from temper inside and one who yields to this bout of temper is bound to suffer. You should control anger and avoid talking or acting while in an angry mood. 

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

Good Qualities

"Good qualities are the key to experiencing spiritual bliss. Love towards all one's fellow-beings and service to society are essential. These three contribute to the sublimation of human existence."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 5.3.1995) 

Swami's Grace

This is the story of the son of Ratibhai Patel of Southhampton Sai Centre, U.K.

Ratibhai's son, Kishore, once visited a devotee who wanted to throw a statue of Amba Ma (the Divine Mother) in the waters of a flowing river because the hand of the idol was broken.  Kishore volunteered to take this statue home to mend it but his father was reluctant to accept the broken image as he thought it was a bad omen.

Kishore said to his father, "If my mother's hand was broken or amputated, would we throw her away?  I must bring this image home and will join the hand and make it perfect again."

He did exactly what he said.  During the period of mending the statue and painting it, Kishore started to lose his sight and became blind.  The family went to Prasanthi Nilayam and prayed to Beloved Swami.  The compassionate and loving Baba restored Kishore's sight in the interview room!  Ratibhai thanked Swami and asked for His kind permission to install a temple in their home in Wolverhampton, which would be used to serve devotees selflessly.

Through Beloved Swami's Grace, within a short time, a beautiful temple was installed in their home.  Thousands of devotees have visited this temple where many leelas have taken place, and is well known among devotees throughout the U.K.

(From the book "Sai Smaran" by Dr. D.J. Gadhia)

Sai Madhuryam

Sai seeks from you good qualities, 

Friendliness towards mankind, 

The spirit of sacrifice, 

Eschewing of selfishness and 

Rendering service to society. 

This is the offering Sai desires from you. 

And this is verily the wealth you should offer to Sai. 

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Divine Wisdom

Quotable Quotes

“The best way to take care of the future is to 

take care of the present moment.” 

~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

~ Author Unknown ~

Sai Blossoms

My Life is My Message

"Face the vicissitudes of life with confidence. I am never deterred by hardships or obstacles. When there is no defect in you, why should you have fear? Love even those who criticize you. This is the ideal that Swami expects when He says, “My life is My message”. If you lead your life strictly according to My ideal, you will rise to the same level. Therefore, develop good qualities and help those who are in distress."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 6.5.2002)

Human Values

"Man cannot be called a human being unless he practises human values – Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa. These are like the five life-breaths of man. The absence of these life-breaths amounts to living death. Each one is responsible for his own downfall. Man kills himself by not practising these human values."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse = 12.3.2002)

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy

Birthday Wishes

Happy 91st Birthday, Swami!

Thank you Baba for loving us

Thank you Baba for protecting us

 Thank you Baba for guiding us

Thank you Baba for loving us

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWAMI!

Just One

One song can spark a moment,

One flower can wake the dream

One tree can start a forest,

One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,

One handclasp lifts a soul.

One star can guide a ship at sea,

One word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nation,

One sunbeam lights a room

One candle wipes out darkness,

One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey.

One word must start each prayer.

One hope will raise our spirits,

One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,

One heart can know what's true,

One life can make a difference,

You see, it's up to you!

(Author Unknown)

Quotable Quotes

Love of God

"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)

Baba's Storytime - The Power of Faith

Complete faith is most essential if you want to experience Divinity. There should not be even an iota of doubt. One living without faith in the Divine is like a lifeless corpse. I would relate a story to illustrate the power of faith. 

A young boy used to go from his village to school which was in a nearby town. He had to cross a forest en route to the town. Generally he used to return home well before sunset. One day; it so happened that he had to leave the school late in the evening and darkness set in. The boy was afraid to walk through the forest in darkness and told his mother that he was afraid to walk in the night without company. 

His mother said: "Why are you afraid? Whenever you are in need of company, shout aloud calling your brother. He will help you." The boy asked her: "Who is my brother?" The mother replied: "He is none other than Lord Krishna. God is mother, father, teacher, brother, relative, friend and all. Whenever you are in trouble don't hesitate to call on him for help." The boy had full faith in his mother's words. 

In these days, even if God himself tells, nobody believes. That is why Jesus declared: "If I were to be a child everyday for a while, with full faith in my mother, how happy I would be!" 

Another day the boy was returning home from school late at night in the darkness. He shouted: "Anna Krishna" (Brother Krishna). After a few moments Krishna appeared before the boy in the form of a lad and told him- "Why do you fear when I am here? I shall escort you home." He accompanied the boy to the village outskirts and disappeared. 

The boy told his mother how the brother helped him true to her words. The mother said: “He helps not only you, but everyone who seeks his help." From that time onwards, the boy used to call the brother whenever he needed his help and Krishna never failed to respond. Gradually he picked up courage.. 

When you have full faith, God will surely help you and make you fearless. People who have faith in God will never be let down. But those who have no faith suffer. You need not search for God. It is God who is searching for a real devotee. 

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