Thursday, March 31, 2016

Sai Blossoms



Sai Madhuryam



Purity of mind is the pathway to progress;
Purity of mind means mighty power;
A pure mind is like a precious pearl in the sea;
Never forget these words of wisdom.

See no evil, speak no evil;
Hear no evil - anytime, anywhere, in the world;
Remember always the picture of the three monkeys;
What I say is truth, indeed!

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Bhakti



"Bhakti is the state of mind in which one has no separate existence apart from God.  The Bhakta's very breath is God.  Like the fish, which can live only in water, man can live only in God, in peace and happiness.  In other media, he has only fear, frantic struggle and failure."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(S.S. - Feb. 2005)

Baba's Storytime - Abou Ben Adhem



"Students might have heard the story of Abou Ben Adhem who always offered sarva bhuta daya pushpam (compassion on all beings) to the Lord. 

Everyday he used to go round the streets to serve the destitute and the handicapped and return home late in the night. One night when he returned home, he found in his bedroom an angel writing something. When he asked her as to what she was writing, she replied that she was making a list of those who loved God. She replied in the negative when he asked her if his name was there in that list. 

The following night, when he returned home, he again found the angel writing something. He queried, “Mother, what is it that you are writing now?” She said, “Son, I am writing the names of those who are dear to God.” He again wanted to know if his name figured in the list. She replied that his name was on the top of this list. 

The sum and substance of this story is that God is pleased when you serve your fellow-human-beings. The scriptures have prescribed nine paths of devotion, namely, sravanam (listening to the Lord’s stories), kirthanam (singing His glories), vishnusmaranam (remembrance of the Lord’s name), pada sevanam (service to the Lord’s Lotus Feet), archanam (worship),vandanam (salutation), dasyam (servitude), sneham (friendship), atmanivedanam (offering oneself to the Lord) i.e., complete self-surrender. But the path of service is the greatest of all. 

Neither by penance nor by pilgrimages 
Nor by going through the sacred texts 
Can one cross the ocean of worldly life; 
One can redeem one’s life only through service.

(Sanskrit Verse). 

Abou Ben Adhem became the recipient of God’s love because he spent all his time in the service of his fellowmen. God loves all, for He is the embodiment of love. But He will give Himself to those who show compassion to all beings."

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

Monday, March 28, 2016

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy



Quotable Quotes





"The goal is to be not better than the other man,
but your previous self."

~ Dalai Lama ~

Keshava Madhava



Keshava Madhava Jaya Deva Madhu Sudana
Netra Kamala Dala Ativa Manohara
Antarayami Prabhu Parameshwara
Maya Manusha Veshi Lila Dhara

Victory to Lord Keshava, Madhava and the Lord of Lords,
Lord Madhu Sudana.O Lotus Eyed One!
Thou art surpassingly beautiful.  O Majestic and Supreme Lord!
Thou art the indweller of every heart.
Thou has assumed the illusory human form as a
part of Your divine play.

(Bhajan)

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Sai Blossoms



Life is a Long Journey



"Life is a long journey.  Desires are the luggage you carry.  Less luggage means more comfort.  Man has to discriminate between the necessities and luxuries and confine his desires to what is essential.  Life is an ocean filled with waves of pleasure and pain.  Man is happy when his desires are fulfilled and sad when they are not.  Joys and sorrows are inseparable.  Joy is not separate.  It is the fruit of difficulty."

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

Friday, March 25, 2016

I Am Your Mother



"Bring Me the depths of your minds.  No matter how grotesque, no matter how ravaged by doubts or disappointments, I will not reject you.  I am your mother."

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

Sai Madhuryam



This body is a valueless iron safe;
Like the precious jewels kept in an iron safe,
There is the Divine inside the body.
This Sai's word is the path of Truth.

What you call God is not in some far off place,
That God is in your very body;
What you call sin is not in a distant country,
It is there in the very actions that you perform.

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Divine Wisdom



Tuesday, March 22, 2016

My Gratitude Flames



Thorns die,
Roses live.
Hate dies,
Love lives.
Desire dies,
Aspiration lives.
The human in me dies,
The divine in me lives.

My gratitude-flames
In the Heart of God
Never shall die.
Eternally they breathe,
Eternally they sport,
Eternally they manifest
The Supreme,
My Supreme.

~ Sri Chinmoy ~

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Quotable Quotes



"Let us try to recognise the precious nature of each day."

~ Dalai Lama ~

Don't Worry

Years ago, I was enthralled as I listened to a pastor who for several years had faithfully served the church. His executive responsibilities had taken him all over this country. As he concluded his message, he told of one of the most frightening, yet thought-provoking, experiences of his life.
He had been on a long flight from one place to another. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten your seat belts. Then, after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened."
As he looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice of the announcer said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us."
Then the storm broke. The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.
The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm.
Then, I suddenly saw a little girl. Apparently the storm meant nothing to her. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat; she was reading a book and every thing within her small world was calm and orderly. Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity,when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid." The minister could hardly believe his eyes.
It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark,our pastor lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time. Having commented about the storm and behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid.
The child replied, "'Cause my Daddy's the pilot, and he's taking me home."
There are many kinds of storms that buffet us:
• Physical,
• Mental,
• Financial,
• Domestic

Many other storms can easily and quickly darken our skies and throw our plane into apparently uncontrollable movement. We have all known such times, and let us be honest and confess, it is much easier to be at rest when our feet are on the ground than when we are being tossed about a darkened sky.

Let us remember... Our Father is the Pilot. He is in control and taking us home... so Don't Worry.
~ Author Unknown ~

Friday, March 18, 2016

Transformation



"It is only when the individual is transformed and becomes good that society can be changed for the better. Men must engage themselves in a constant process of self-correction, instead of seeking to find fault in others. If, instead of searching for a hundred faults in others, one corrects any one of his own faults, he would be sanctifying his life."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 7.8.1988)

A Quiet Conscience



"Of what use are wealth and position if one has no peace of mind? A quiet conscience is man's brightest jewel. To achieve inner peace, desires have to be subdued and all thoughts should be centred on God."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 9.1.1988)

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy



Thursday, March 17, 2016

Today



This day is a special day, it is yours.
Yesterday slipped away,
It cannot be filled anymore with meaning.
About tomorrow nothing is known.
But this day, today, is yours, make use of it.
Today you can make someone happy.
Today you an help another.
This day is a special day, it is yours.

(An Indian poem)

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Sai Blossoms



Divine Wisdom



Baba's Storytime - The Nature of Divine Love



The nature of Divine love is not rightly understood by most people. For instance, even a great woman like Dhraupadhi did not understand the ways of the Lord. 

Once, during their exile, while she and Yudhishthira were strolling in the Himaalayas. Dhraupadhi asked Yudhishthira with tears streaming from her eyes, "Dear Lord, you have taken such good care of your subjects, you fed the starving and relieved the needy, you always adhered to Dharma. Why should you be subject to this present suffering? You are the very embodiment of Righteousness. We are leading the life of a destitute here. Why should this happen to you? Have we forfeited God's grace? Is there anything wanting in our devotion?"

Smilingly, Dharmaja replied, "Dhraupadhi! Look at the Himaalaya mountains. How beautiful are the peaks! I am filled with joy looking at those mountains. They do not serve me in any way, but still they fill me with joy. The beauty of Nature gives me joy. Beauty is bliss. That bliss is nectarine. There is no joy equal to the enjoyment of the beautiful. When you look at a flower, you derive ineffable joy, though the flower renders you no service. Nature is the vesture of God. When you behold Nature, you experience bliss. I love Nature for the joy it gives. I derive joy from seeing it and for no other benefit. 

Likewise, God should be loved in a selfless spirit. I love Krishna regardless of what difficulties I have to suffer, because that is the way I love him. I have no interest in the transient pleasures and possessions of the world. True bliss transcends the fleeting pleasures experienced by this perishable body. Dhraupadhi! Do not seek these pleasures relating to the body. Seek the Divine feet of the Lord, which will confer enduring bliss. Do not grieve over petty difficulties. Concern yourself with the means to experience God. All other things are valueless." 

The bliss from experiencing the Divine has been extolled by the Vedhic seers and sages from ancient times. It is holy, eternal, ineffable and infinite. It is the bliss of oneness with God.


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

Monday, March 14, 2016

Sai Madhuryam



When man comes out of the mother's womb, 
he does not bring any money with him. 
Money does not follow him either 
when he departs from the world. 
Even a millionaire has to partake of salt and rice. 
He cannot swallow gold to satiate his hunger. 
One may feel proud of his wealth, 
but he cannot take even a single pie with him 
when he leaves the world. 
Just as man enjoys the honey collected by the bees, 
the wealth one amasses may ultimately fall 
in the hands of either donga (thief) or dora (king). 

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Your Heart



"All bodies are like bulbs, and love is the main switch. Only when the main switch is pressed will the bodies radiate light and happiness to one and all. You are switching off the main switch and trying to enjoy happiness. It is impossible. Hrid + daya (compassion) = Hridaya (heart). Your heart should be filled with compassion. All your activities should be suffused with love. There is no strength superior to love."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 1.1.2003)

God's Rosebud



A new minister was walking with an older, more seasoned minister in the garden one day.

Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice.

The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to  open it without tearing off any of the petals.


The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry.


But, because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact. It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this was to do.


Noticing the younger preacher's inaIt is only a tiny rosebud,
To unfold this life of mine?

bility to unfold the rosebud, without tearing it, the older preacher  began to recite the following poem...


It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of God's design;

But I cannot unfold the petals

With these clumsy hands of mine.


The secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I.

GOD opens this flower so easily,

But in my hands they die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

This flower of God's design,

Then how can I have the wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?



So, I'll trust in God for leading

Each moment of my day.
I will look to God for guidance

In each step along the way.


The path that lies before me,
Only my Lord and Savior knows.

I'll trust God to unfold the moments,

Just as He unfolds the rose.

~ Author Unknown ~

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Shivarathri Blessings



“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)

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Quotable Quotes



"When you are discontent,
you always want more, more, more.
Your desire can never be satisfied.
But when you practise contentment,
you can say to yourself,
"Oh yes - I already have everything that I really need."

~ Dalai Lama ~

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy


Sai Blossoms



Baba's Storytime - God is Formless



Once Goddess Lakshmi came to Parvathi and wondered :

“Oh! Gowri! You are very young and Sambasiva is old;

He has matted locks and wears a tiger skin;
He rides a bull and is constantly on the move;
He is adorned with snakes;
How did you court Him?
Don’t you know all this?
He has no house of His own and sleeps in the burial ground.”

(Telugu song)

Parvathi was deeply disturbed by these remarks and approached Lord Siva and asked, “You don’t have a house of your own. You don’t belong to a particular caste or lineage. Further, you are‘Ardhanarishwaraa’ (androgynous). How then can you call yourself God?”

Lord Siva replied that God is beyond name, caste, and lineage. He then turned to Lakshmi and asked, “Oh! Mother Lakshmi! Are you aware of your own husband’s antecedents? He is constantly on the move to protect His devotees and has no time for food and sleep. If at all He settles down to eat His food, the call from some devotee like Draupadi comes to Him, ‘Oh!  Krishna! I am in great trouble. Please save me!.’  He immediately rushes to her rescue leaving His food. Thus, He is constantly on the move to protect His devotees like Narada or Prahlada. How then did you court such a Lord who has no time even for food and rest?”

Siva then clarified that God has no name and form; He is changeless; He has neither birth nor death; neither beginning nor end; He is eternal and Atmaswarupa (embodiment of Atma). He also emphasised that it is man’s delusion which makes him ascribe a name and form to God. The formless God manifests with a particular form and name as per the wishes of the devotees and to fulfil their aspirations.

God is formless and attributeless. It is the devotee who attributes names, forms and attributes to God and feels satisfied. All names and forms are anithya and asathya (evanescent and false). The only eternal and true form of God is Atma. Everything in the world may change; but the Atma will never undergo a change. The entire universe is contained in the Atma. This is also called divine consciousness or Aham or Brahman. People misunderstand this eternal truth, and give it several names and forms. 

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

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The Shiva in All



"Love brings people together; hatred drives them apart. You cannot be happy, when you cause misery to others. God showers grace when the nine steps of Bhakthi (devotion) are observed. Masters or rulers can be won over by the same means - sacrifice, love, devotion, dedication in the path of duty. When success is achieved by means of unrest and violence, it has to be preserved and prolonged only by further unrest and violence.

Therefore, let this be the lesson of Shivaraathri for you: Shiva is in all beings and all things. He is the inner motivator. Be aware of this always; do not cause pain to any one, do not harm or injure anyone, or hurt his self-respect. Love all alike, cultivate tolerance and spread brotherliness."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 20.2.1974)

Divine Wisdom



Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Make God Your Life Breath



"The flower to be offered to God is a pure heart free from all taints and evil tendencies like lust, anger, and pride. The fruit to be offered is a mind free from all bad thoughts and feelings. It should be filled with the sweet juice of goodness. The water that should be offered to God is the water that flows from the eyes out of joy in experiencing God. Tears are of two kinds: tears born of grief resulting from attachments; tears spontaneously arising from Aanandha (blissful experience of the Divine). Make God your life breath, the sweetness of your existence."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 5.9.1995)

Peace is Every Step



Peace is every step.
The shining red sun is my heart.
Each flower smiles with me.
How green, how fresh all that grows.
How cool the wind blows.
Peace is every step.
It turns the endless path to joy.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

Sai Madhuryam



It is the power of love that is responsible 
For the earth to rotate without a pivot. 
It is the power of love that makes the stars 
Stand across the sky without falling on the ground. 
It is the power of love that keeps the oceans 
Within their limits. 
It is the power of love that makes the wind 
Blow incessantly in all the worlds. 
That power of love is mysterious, infinite, 
Most wonderful and one without a second; 
It permeates the entire cosmos. 
The entire creation is saturated with love. 

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~