Friday, June 30, 2017

Everything is Brahman



"God is adored as mother, father, kith and kin, friend, wealth and everything else in the world. God is immanent in every atom of the universe. All that you see, the mountains, trees, insects, birds and beasts, the food you eat, the air you breathe are all manifestations of the divine."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 20.7.1997)

Divine Wisdom




Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Where You Grow

When I was a boy growing up in my Nana’s old house we had 4 huge gardens. Come June my Dad would be working the tiller while my Mom, brothers, and I would be planting the seeds. One garden held enough potatoes to feed us all year round. Others held corn, carrots, cabbages, onions, tomatoes, cantaloupes, and watermelons. There were also so many flowers. My Nana had a special love for them and nurtured them. Flowers surrounded her old house and every year she would put down potting soil, plant new ones, and sing while she worked.

One June I can remember helping her go around the house pulling weeds and watering the freshly planted flowers. She was so gentle with them and gave them such love and care. I thought it was no wonder they grew so fast. When we where done I ran to get my bike to ride awhile. As I was getting on it, however, I noticed something. I got back off and knelt down on the concrete walkway that led to our porch. There growing out of a crack in the concrete without water, soil, or love was a single dandelion.

At times in my own life I have felt my growth nurtured, watered, and cared for like Nana’s flowers. At other times I have felt like I was that dandelion having to grow through solid concrete. Through it all, though, I never stopped growing. Through it all, I never stopped loving. I realized that it doesn’t matter where you grow. It just matters that you grow.

God loves you so much and God wants you to grow in this life. Make the choice to keep growing then no matter what your circumstances. Keep growing in love. Keep growing in goodness. Keep growing in kindness. Keep growing in oneness with God. Keep helping others to grow as well. Always remember that to live is to grow whether it is through the richest soil in the world or through a crack in the concrete.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella 


Quotable Quotes




Monday, June 26, 2017

Sai Blossoms




Baba's Storytime - Nirvana




Once, Buddha had an encounter with Ananda, the son of his stepmother. Buddha had attained the state of Nirvana (Self Realization). 

Watching Buddha in this state, Ananda burst into tears. Buddha was about to give up his body. Ananda was in grief  over the thought. 

“What will happen to us? What is our future?” 

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

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


Only the Divine is free from birth and death.
 He is eternal, with no beginning, middle or end. 
He is the Eternal Witness. 

(Telugu poem)

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

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Sai Madhuryam



There is no place without God, 
and there is no form without the Divine. 
Whether one is in a forest or in a town, 
on a mountain top or in a valley, 
wherever one may be, one is not helpless.


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

God is Close to Everyone



"God is in every human being residing in his spiritual heart which is on the right side of the body while the physical heart is on the left. It is only a single seat sofa, and not a double seated sofa or musical chair. So, God is close to everyone, being seated in the spiritual heart. When you realize this, you will have the feeling of blissful happiness."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 4.4.1998)

"LOVE" Letter



Students nourish deep love for Swami, who is their guide, guardian and God.  Swami blesses the students on their  birthdays with the compassion of a thousand mothers.

A puny student of second standard, studying in the primary school came to the Mandir for Swami's blessings on his birthday. By then Swami had already blessed other boys and had gone into the interview room.  The student with all his heart wrote a letter to Swami.

After the interviews, Swami came out and noticed the boy.  The boy handed over the letter to Swami.  Swami's face lit up when He read it. He was deeply touched by the letter.  He read it aloud.

"Dear Lord, How is Your health?  Please take care of Your body.  Please take care of orphans and beggars.  I love You, Swami.  Your loving son."

This small letter sums up that the values taught by Swami go deep into students.  The essence of all values is love.  This is how love grows for God and fellowmen in the tender minds of the children.


(From the book "Mother Sai's Miracles of Love")


You Decide Your Own Fate



"God is not involved in either rewards or punishments.  He only reflects, resounds and reacts!  He is the Eternal Unaffected Witness!  You decide your own fate.  Do good, be good, you get good in return; be bad, do bad deeds, you reap bad results.  Do not thank or blame God.  Thank yourself, blame yourself!  He does not even will that creation, protection and destruction shall take place."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse in Bombay - 12.5.1970)

Friday, June 23, 2017

Divine Wisdom




Speechless




You have shown me such Splendorous Colours
For which even the Rainbow
Is lost in thought.

You greeted me with such Lovely Smiles,
For which even the Roses
Have lost their charm.

You drove me into those "Blissful Waves,
For which even the Oceans
Have lost its bay.

And You blessed me with so many splendid gifts,
For which I became speechless
Even to express my gratitude.


~ Raja Sekhar Ganta ~
(From his book "108 Heart Beats")


Divine in Origin



"Men have to realise that essentially they are divine in origin. The individual selves have come from the ocean of Sath-Chith-Aanandha, like waves from the ocean. It is only when this truth is realised that men can experience true bliss."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 22.7.1994)


Tuesday, June 20, 2017

May all Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy




Quotable Quotes





Old friends pass away, new friends appear.
It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. 
The important thing is to make it meaningful: 
a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day. 

~ Dalai Lama ~

Saturday, June 17, 2017

The Value of Forbearance


The sentries of King Kalabu reported to the King that his queen was in the company of an ascetic. Hearing this, the King flew into a terrible rage and rushed to the scene. As he drew his sword to kill the Bodhisattva, the queen pleaded for mercy and asked him to spare the ascetic’s life. Still seething, the King asked, “Holy man! What do you teach?”
“The value of forbearance. I teach how one should never lose composure even in the face of abuse,” answered the Bodhisattva calmly. “Aha! Is that so?” the King sniggered. “Then let me test your forbearance.” 

Saying this, he ordered his men to lash the ascetic a hundred times with a whip of thorns. The thorns bruised the Bodhisattva’s back sorely but he still remained calm. This infuriated the King all the more and he chopped off the Bodhisattva’s hands and legs. 
“Now holy man, tell me again… what do you teach,” the King demanded. But this time too, the Bodhisattva smiled and replied, “The value of forbearance.” The King became frustrated and left the scene. On the way, he was struck by lightning, and he died.
(Author Unknown)

Renunciation



"To recognise the illusory character of the world does not mean giving up all actions or family ties. Actions should be done in a spirit of detachment. Relationships should be maintained without deep attachment. It is not renunciation of action that is required. Renunciation in action is what is necessary."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 11.7.1987)

Sai Madhuryam




Possessing physical prowess 
And intellectual strength, 
If one lacks Divine help 
He is powerless and weak. 
Forget not the fate of one 
Like the valiant Kama, 
Who died ingloriously, 
And learn the lesson. 
Everyone knows the world of God 
But of what avail is it? 
They profess to worship God 
But have no understanding of God's message.


~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~


Friday, June 16, 2017

Baba's Storytime - The Minister




In the Tamil land, many great saints have taken birth. Many great scholars were born in the Tamil land. 

One of the Tamil kings was very fond of horses and sent his Prime Minister to buy horses. During his journey the minister came across a holy man named Thirukannan. He was attracted by the teachings of the holy man. The sage said that all worldly pleasures were ephemeral and God was the only reality. Inspired by these teachings, the minister decided to give up his mission (of purchasing horses) and used the money given to him to build a temple for Shiva. 

Meanwhile, the king was worried about what had happened to his minister and why he had not come back. He came to know that the minister had used the money, given to him for purchasing horses, to build a Shiva temple. He had the minister arrested and put in prison. The minister was unaffected. He continued to chant the Lord's name in the prison.

Later the king realized his mistake. Recognizing that the minister was a great devotee, he summoned him to his presence and asked him what he had done with the king's money. He said: "Oh King! I used the money for God. What God had given, I gave it back to Him. Without the grace of God no one can have anything. Without the power of the Divine not a cell in the human can move, not a blade of grass will move. The whole universe exists by the will of God. Oh king! By a stroke of good fortune you have become a ruler. Because of my bad luck I became a minister." 

That minister considered his becoming a minister as a misfortune. When one becomes a minister he should be prepared to use all his energies and powers in the service of the Divine. Only when Spirituality prevails, will humanness blossom. The lotus blooms when the Sun's rays fall on it. The lotus of the mind residing in the lake of the human heart will blossom when the light of Divinity illumines it.


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



Devotion



"The Divine will not consider your status or position, your pomp and show.
The Lord is bound only by the devotee's devotion."

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

Sai Blossoms




Monday, June 12, 2017

Quotable Quotes




“The bad things, don't do them.
The good things, try to do them.
Try to purify, subdue your own mind.
That is the teaching of all buddhas.” 



Wonder-struck




My dearest Swami, sometimes I casually think,
That if sky is paper and the ocean is ink,
Still, I shall remain incomplete in extolling Your glory,
An Endless Saga of Celestial Story.

At times I am wonder-struck the way You know everything,
And yet act as though You know nothing.
In human form, You are a Perfect Mortal,
And at Divine Level, You are the Supreme Immortal.

~ Raja Sekhar Ganta ~
(From his book "108 Heart Beats")

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Divine Wisdom




Moksha



"Moksha does not mean attaining some divine state. Divinity is within you. All you have to do is to manifest it. That which does not exist, will not come forth. That which exists will not go away. Everything is present here and now. Hence, there is no need for any search or for any saadhana. Whatever you do, do it as an offering to God. Do not make a distinction between "my work" and "God's work." When you make a division, you give rise to enmity, because of differences. Where there is enmity, there is no room for Divinity, purity or unity."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 24.3.1993)

Simultaneous Griha Pravesam





Sometime in the year 1960, the house warming ceremony of a row of newly built flats took place at Prasanthi Nilayam.  This auspicious function was to be inaugurated by Swami Himself lighting a lamp in each flat.  In those days, when certain functions were held, Swami used to perform some miracles.  So all the devotees were waiting for Swami's arrival with great expectancy.  To light the auspicious lamp, a brass lamp had been kept ready with five wicks soaked in oil in all the flats.

Swami arrived and entered the first flat in order to light the lamp to mark the "Griha Pravesam" ceremony.  Fortunately or unfortunately, the match box was not kept ready.  The owner of the flat started searching for the match box.  Swami could wait no longer.  He said, "No match box?  It does not matter."  He just held His right hand as if blessing the lamp and lo and behold!  All the five wicks of the lamp instantly got lit up!  Everyone spontaneously broke into applause saying "Sai Ram, Sai Ram".

Swami then started moving smilingly.  The other flat owners wanted Swami to bless their homes too.  Swami said, "The Griha Pravesam of all the flats is over!"  Everyone rushed to look  into the other houses and what a surprise! The lamps that had been kept ready in each flat had been lit and were burning brightly!  What a Divine play!


(From the book "Mother Sai's Miracles of Love")

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Sai Madhuryam



From the Sath has emerged all there is, 
The Sath permeates the whole of creation, 
Nothing exists without the power of Sath, 
Behold the glory of this eternal Sath. 
Tossed about on the bitter ocean of mundane existence; 
Going hither and hither without a rudder or a compass, 
If only you steady your mind for a moment 
The Lord of Sri will send you, Oh man, His rescue boat.

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Worldly Pleasures



"All worldly pleasures are transient and temporary.
Very often they result in sorrow and disappointment.
God alone is the source of enduring bliss."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 16.4.1988)


Friday, June 2, 2017

All Roads Lead Home

When I was a boy there were no smart phones, computers were something you saw on STAR TREK, and our television only got one channel clearly. Still, I was never bored. The fields, hills, and woodlands around my home were the perfect playground whose adventures were only limited by my imagination. 

I can remember once hiking to a nearby lake and slowly walking around it. At the backside of it I was amazed to find an old, one lane, dirt road that I had never seen before. I immediately set out to travel it. It was full of potholes and muddy tire tracks and deep woods bordered it on both sides, but exploring it still seemed like a fine adventure.

I walked on and on for what seemed like hours. I am sure my guardian angel was whispering in my ear to turn around and head back home but I was stubborn and even a bit stupid, so I walked on. The dirt road gave way to a gravel one and then a paved one, yet there was still neither a car nor a house in sight. 

My legs were getting tired. I noticed that the sun was starting to go down and I grew scared. I didn’t want to end up trapped on this road in the dark of night, but I was sure it would be dark before I could make my way back to the lake again.

I continued to walk on with the fear growing inside of me. My heart was pounding and my legs were aching. I was almost in tears when I turned one last curve and saw something in the distance. It was a house that I recognized. My heart leapt up! I jumped up and down and laughed out loud. I knew the way home! It was still over a mile away but my legs felt like feathers and I hurried back to my house in no time. I walked in with a big smile on my face just in time for dinner. Then I ended my adventure with a good night’s sleep.

I remembered this recently when I saw a sign that said: “All roads lead Home.” This is true. In this life all roads no matter what their twists and turns can lead us home again. They can lead us to our homes here on Earth. They can lead us to our homes in our hearts. They can lead us to our Home in Heaven. 

What is important, though, is how we travel them. Are we going to go forth in fear or are we going to go forth in faith? Are we going to take each step in selfishness or are we going to take each step in love? Are we going to make this life a terrible trip or are we going to make this life a joyful journey? The choice is ours.

May you always walk your path with love. May you always go forth with a smile on your face and God in your heart. May you always help your fellow travelers along the way. And may your roads always lead you Home again.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella