Saturday, April 30, 2016

Four Birthdays



"Every human being has four birthdays.  The first is when he emerges from his mother's womb, and being neither holy or unholy, craves only for food and shelter; the second is when he begins his spiritual journey to lead him from darkness to light; the third is when he has gained wisdom, having mastered the disciplines propounded by the rishis for achieving self-realisation; the fourth and last is when he realises his true identity and merges with Brahman."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(From the book "Sai Smaran" by Dr.D.J.Gadhia)

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy



Thursday, April 28, 2016

26 Guards



Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, "I'll pray for them later?"  Or, has anyone ever called you and said, "I need you to pray for me, I have this need?"  Read this story - may it change the way that you think about prayer and also the way you pray.  You will be blessed by this.

A missionary on furlough told this story while visiting his home church in Michigan. "While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point.
On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital. Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord.
I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.
Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, "Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards. At this I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, "No sir, I was not the only person to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone."
At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story: "On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?"  The men who had met together to pray that day stood up.
The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26.
(Author unknown)

Service is Joy



I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and behold, service was joy.

~ Rabindranath Tagore ~

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

The Meaning of Gaayathri Manthra



"In the Gaayathri Manthra, the unity of body, mind and soul is depicted in the first line as "Bhur Bhuvah-Suvaha." The next line "Bhargo Dhevasya Dheemahi" means' "Throw away the darkness." "Dheeyo yonah Pracho-dhayaath" means: "Let the effulgence of the Divine dispel the darkness of ignorance."  

Gaayathri is pervading everywhere. It consists of three deities, Gaayathri, Saavithri and Sarasvathi. Of these, the first one is master of the senses. The second is the teacher of truth and the third is the master of speech. Hence it is Trinity of the senses, the mind and speech. Gaayathri is hailed as Chandhasaam maathah (the Mother of all Vedhas). Gaayathri has five faces and is the embodiment of all deities--Sarva dhevathaa Svaruupam.

Sthothra (description of the glory), Dhyaana (meditation) and Praarthana (prayer) are all contained in the Gaayathri Manthra. When does a prayer become meaningful? It is only when you stabilise your mind and turn it towards God. The basis for this is to meditate, pray and experience. It is essential to achieve harmony in thought, word and deed. Gaayathri is teaching this great lesson."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 6.5.1995)

Monday, April 25, 2016

Real Love



"Real love is beyond the three categories of time past, present and future. 
Love towards God, the permanent changeless entity, alone is fit to be called Prema."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 6.5.1995)

He is Present Always



He is present in this very moment on all the roads, behind every fast moving vehicle, or often with it, ready with His warning and loving Hand to avert calamity.  

Shri V.Krishnamurthi writes:

"Driving from Colchester to London on the afternoon of 22nd September, my son asked me to lower his seat as he wished to recline.  This I did, and a truck stopped still in front of the car almost suddenly, and we ran into it.  The steering wheel was completely bent, and the car was extensively damaged in the front.  Neither my son nor I received a scratch.  Baba had asked him to recline!  We had the sacred Vibhuti with us and were reciting the Lord's name.  We bow down to our beloved Lord who intervened."

(From the book "Sathyam Sivam Sundaram" - Pt.III)

Sunday, April 24, 2016

My Dear Ones ...



"I have a task to foster all mankind and
ensure for all of them lives full of ananda.

I have a voew to lead all who stray away
from the straight path, into goodness and
save them.

I am attached to the work that I love:
to remove the suffering of the poor
and grant them what they lack.

I have a reason to be proud: for I rescue
all who worship and adore Me."

"I have come to light the lamp of love in
your heart and to see that it shines with
added lustre day by day.  I have not come
to speak to any particular dharma.  I have
not come on any mission of publicity for
any sect, creed or cause."

"Sathya is what I teach;
Dharma is the way I live;
Shanti is the mark of My personality and
Prema is My very nature."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Dedicated to Our Beloved Guru



To our dearest
Matha Pitha Sadguru,
our humble thanks and gratitude.

April 24, 2016

Thursday, April 21, 2016

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy



Sai Madhuryam



No one brings any wealth with him from his mother's womb,
He carries nothing with him when he leaves the world.
Even a millionaire can eat only ordinary food
and cannot subsist on a diet of gold.
One may wax arrogance over one's accumulated wealth,
But nothing of it will accompany him,
And in the end the wealth may fall into the hands of
thieves or go to the State.
Realise that the only thing that is permanent is the spirit.
What else can I convey to you?

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Divine Wisdom



Dreamers of Peace



O dreamers of peace, come,
Let is walk together.
O lovers of peace, come,
Let us run together.
O servers of peace, come,
Let us grow together.

~ Sri Chinmoy ~

Monday, April 18, 2016

Quotable Quotes



Your Photo Album

"Many people have a photo album. In it they keep memories of the happiest of times. There may be a photo of them playing by the beach when they were very young. There may be the picture with their proud parents at their graduation ceremony. There will be many shots of their wedding that captures their love at one of its highest points. And there will be holiday snapshots too. 

But you will never find in your album any photographs of miserable moments of your life. Absent is the photo of you outside the principal’s office at school. Missing is any photo of you studying hard late into the night for your exams. No one that I know has a picture of their divorce in their album, nor one of them in a hospital bed terribly sick, nor stuck in busy traffic on the way to work on a Monday morning! Such depressing shots never find their way into anyone’s photo album.

Yet there is another photo album that we keep in our heads called our memory. In that album, we include so many negative photographs. There you find so many snapshots of insulting arguments, many pictures of the times when you were so badly let down, and several montages of the occasions where you were treated cruelly. There are surprisingly few photos in that album of happy moments. This is crazy! 

So let’s do a purge of the photo album in our head. Delete the uninspiring memories. Trash them. They do not belong in this album. In their place, put the same sort of memories that you have in a real photo album.
Paste in the happiness of when you made up with your partner, when there was that unexpected moment of real kindness, or whenever the clouds parted and the sun shone with extraordinary beauty. Keep those photos in your memory. Then when you have a few spare moments, you will find yourself turning its pages with a smile, or even with laughter.” 

~ Ajahn Brahm ~

Saturday, April 16, 2016

No Other Gift



"God asks from each of you no other gift, no more valuable offering than the heart He has endowed you with. Give God that heart, as pure as when He gave it to you, full of the nectar of love He filled it with. Your devotion to God is best expressed by achieving the control of the senses."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 23.11.1968)
The spiritual path is the path of detachment, of sense control, of rigorous mind 

Kewat, the Boatman



"If you wish to sway the Lord,
you must offer love and love alone."

This is the story of a boatman called Kewat that figures in the great Epic Ramayana.

When Lord Rama was exiled for fourteen years, he left the kingdom of Ayodhya along with his wife, Sita and brother, Lakshmana.  They had to cross the River Ganges at one place.  They requested Kewat to ferry them across the river.  The boatman refused to do so at first because he had heard about Lord Rama touching a stone with his foot and the stone subsequently turning to a woman!  The boatman expressed his concern for his boat also turning into a woman!  In that case what would he do for a living?  The Lord set his fears to rest and the boatman agreed to ferry them across.

As soon as they alighted from the boat, Lord Rama looked at his wife, Sita as if asking her if there was something they could give to this poor boatman as payment for the ride.  Rama, being dressed as an ascetic had nothing valuable on his person to give to the boatman.  Sita immediately withdrew a ring from her finger and handed it over to Lord Rama, signalling to him to pass it on to the boatman.

Lord Rama:  Here, Brother, that is all we can pay you for your kind service.  Please accept it.

Kewat: (Shaking his head)  No, My Lord!  I cannot possibly accept this from you.

Lord Rama:  Why?

Kewat:  Because people of the same profession do not charge each other for their services.

Lord Rama:  Oh!

Kewat:  A barber never takes payment when he gives a haircut to another barber.

Lord Rama:  So?

Kewat:  Even a washerman never charges a fellow washerman.

Lord Rama:  What are you coming to?

Kewat:  Lord, people of the same profession do not charge each other for their services.  So how can I charge you?

Lakshmana stepped forward indignantly to express his anger.  How on earth could Lord Rama be of the same profession as this rustic boatman?  But Lord Rama silenced Lakshamana with a single look.  He looked compassionately as Kewat who was kneeling in front of Him with folded hands.

Lord Rama:  Brother, how can you and I be of the same profession?  You are a boatman and I a ...

Kewat:  Lord, both of us do the same work.  I ferry people from this shore of the Ganges to the other.  You ferry people across the ocean of Samsaara (Bhavsagar) through the journey of life.  How can I accept payment from you?

The Lord was so overwhelmed at this passionate outburst from Kewat that He held out his arms and embraced the boatman.

A devotee need not go out in search of God.  God is in search of genuine devotees.  If we can show only a slight inclination towards loving God, God shall shower us with His love. If we show the slightest willingness to let God guide us and lead us on, He shall hold the reins of our chariot, like Krishna did for Arjuna and lead our lives to the ultimate goal.

(From "Sunrays for Tuesday" by Priya & Sanjay Tandon)

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Holy Sri Rama Navami



"We must learn to chant the sweet name of Rama with a pure, unsullied heart, in a spirit of selfless devotion. Men should learn to speak sweetly and pleasingly. Sweet speech confers peace. It is the means to self-realization. Sri Rama loves to dwell in the heart of the man who speaks sweetly. Wholehearted chanting of the name of Rama even once can destroy mountains of sins. But the chanting should not be done mechanically, like a gramophone record. It should emanate from the depths of the heart. You must seek to redeem your lives, by living up to Rama's ideals and proclaiming them to the world. Remember the name of Rama with love. God can be realized only through love and by no other means."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 14.4.1989)

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Rama



"Rama is not limited to a particular form.  He assumes innumerable forms.  Though the forms are many but divinity in them is one. Therefore, whomsoever you see, offer your salutations to him, considering him as the form of Rama.  Swami is extolled as Sai Rama and Sai Krishna as He embodies the same principles of Dharma (righteousness), Prema (love) and Santhi (peace) which Rama and Krishna personified."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 27.3.2007)

Our Nearest Kinsman



There was a person who worshipped Baba at home reciting the 108 Names, and on Thursdays the 1008 Names; at the end of the rite, he fell flat on the ground in front of the picture, imagining that he was clasping with both hands the Lotus Feet of Baba standing before him. There was a gap between his palms, where he imagined the Feet to be!  Tears would well up in his eyes while he enjoyed the thrill of that fancy.

Later when he came to Prasanthi Nilayam, Baba granted him a private interview.  "Just look at My Feet as I stand before you!  Take note of this width of space.  I require to place both feet comfortably on the ground.  Your palms do not open wide enough; so I have to keep my feet cramped between them every time you want me.  Keep them a bit wider!"

There is no prayer that He does not hear, no sign that is not recorded in His heart, no tear that He dismisses as unworthy of attention.  He is the nearest kinsman, the closest friend, the wisest guide, the fondest mother, the very breath of our being.

(From the book "Sathyam Shivam Sundaram - Pt.III")

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Sai Madhuryam



You are not the body, a bundle of flesh, blood and bones;
Neither are you the unmanifested desires, nor the
manifested mind;
You are not also the infatuating delusion
that thwarts your liberation;
But you are the Eternal Paramatman,
If only you recognise your innate power.

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Monday, April 11, 2016

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."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 27.3.2007)

Sai Blossoms



Saturday, April 9, 2016

He is Suffering



He is suffering
Because
He knows not
His Mother's voice.

He is suffering
Because
He knows not
His Father's choice.

He is suffering
Because
He knows not
Where God is.

He is suffering
Because
he knows not
Who he is.

~ Sri Chinmoy ~

Friday, April 8, 2016

Sleeping Through the Storm

A young man applied for a job as a farmhand.  When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep through a storm."
This puzzled the farmer... but he liked the young man.  So he hired him.
A few weeks later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm ripping through the valley.  He leapt out of bed and called for his new hired hand, but the young man was sleeping soundly.
So they quickly began to check things to see if all was secure.  They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened.  A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace.
The farmer and his wife then inspected their property.  They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements.  He sees that the bales of wheat had been bound and wrapped in tarpaulins.
The tractor had been moved into its garage. The barn was properly locked tight. Even the animals were calm and had plenty of feed. All was well.
The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's words, "I can sleep through a storm."
Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for any storm.  So when the storm did actually break, he was not concerned or afraid.  He could sleep in peace.
Moral
If we tend to the things that are important in life, 
if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, 
our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business. 
Our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. 
We will never wallow in the agony of 'I could have, I should have.' 
We can sleep in a storm.
And when it's our time to go, our good-byes will be complete.

-- Moral by Rick, from his Blog, "Life in Seminole Heights"



May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy



Quotable Quotes




"A disciplined mind leads to happiness and
an undisciplined mind leads to suffering."

~ Dalai Lama ~

Daily Sadhana



"Just as you attend to the needs of the body regularly, feeding it three times a day to keep it in good running condition, so too spend some time regularly to keep your inner consciousness in good trim. Spend one hour in the morning, another at night and the third in the early hours of the dawn (the Brahma Muhurtha) for japam (contemplation) and meditation on the Lord. You will find great peace descending upon you and new sources of strength welling up within as you progress in this spiritual practice (Sadhana). After sometime, the mind will dwell on the Name, wherever you are and whatever you are engaged in. Peace and Joy will become your inseparable companions."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 25.3.1958)

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Universal Human Values



"In all religions, there are universal human values emphasising the importance of prayer, the need for worship, the principle of Brotherhood of Man and Fatherhood of God, and the cultivation of love for all beings.  Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Jews have their own modes of prayer but all are seeking the grace of God."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(S.S. June 2006)

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Divine Wisdom



Sai Madhuryam



Mind alone is the cause
For man's rise and fall in life;
Mind alone is responsible
For man's bondage or liberation;
This mind alone makes man forget
His reality and land himself in hell!

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Dhuni



Shirdi Sai Baba was considered to be Agnihotri, i.e. he kept a fire (dhuni) burning continuously.  Even to this day, the resident devotees at Shirdi keep this dhuni alive and burning.

The ash from this dhuni, which is called udi or vibhuti, is very auspicious and sacred.  It is used to cure various disabilities and illnesses and has solved numerous problems and worries of devotees.  Vibhuti can also give one mental, physical and spiritual elevation, and has been known to resuscitate a dying or dead body.

The question was put to Sathya Sai Baba in the interview room, "How is it that you do not become angry while Shirdi Sai Baba used to lose His temper very often?"  Sathya Sai Baba replied: "When Swami was in Shirdi, He used to burn a fire continuously to obtain vibhuti; but in this avatar as Sathya Sai Baba, the vibhuti automatically comes from the hands."  Swami explained that the role of Shirdi Sai Baba was that of "preparing a meal" (i.e. laying the groundwork of His mission for living in unity), and while doing it, if the children (devotees) disturbed Him, he used to get angry.  Now in the present avatar, the food (of love and bliss) is ready, and He is serving it to His children (the devotees)!

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

Monday, April 4, 2016

Divine Wisdom



Time



"Time is the very form of God. Birth and death are encompassed by Time. Everyone, therefore, should regard Time as Divine and utilise it for performing sacred actions. You should not waste a single moment. Time wasted is life wasted."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 1.1.1991)

Saturday, April 2, 2016

How Can You Attain God?



"How can you attain God?  Just as God showers His love on all, you should share your love with all.  God will shower His grace on those who imbibe this spirit of oneness.  Therefore, you should share your love with everybody with the spirit of oneness.  Only then can you attain God.  Attaining God does not mean that He is separate from you.  He will manifest from within."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 23.10.2001)

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy



Peace




Peace does not mean the absence of war.
Peace means the presence of harmony,
Love, oneness and satisfaction.
Peace means a flood of love
In the world-family.

~ Sri Chinmoy ~

It's How You See It

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet.  He had a sign which read: "I am blind. Please Help."  There were only a few coins in the hat.
When a man came walking by, he took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat.  Then he took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words on the back.  He put the sign where it was, so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up.  A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. 
That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were going.  The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning?  What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.  I wrote: 'Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it."
Both signs told people the same thing... that the boy was blind.  But the first sign simply said the boy was blind.  The second sign told people they were extremely fortunate that they were not blind.  Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story: 
Be thankful for what you have. 
Be creative.  Be innovative.  Think differently and positively.

When life gives you a reason to cry, show life that you have 100 reasons to smile.  Face your past without regret.  Handle your present with confidence.  Prepare for the future without fear.
Keep the faith and drop the fear... just remember God is Near!
(Author Unknown)