Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Quotable Quotes





“Some people do not even want to look at a person when the person is alive, but when the person dies they write eloquent obituaries and make offerings of flowers. At that point the person has died and cannot really enjoy the fragrance of the flowers anymore. If we really understood and remembered that life was impermanent, we would do everything we could to make the other person happy right here and right now.” 

~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy




The Way to God



"The ear ought to be eager to listen to the glory of God. The tongue ought to love the taste of His story only. Every action must be worthy enough to be an offering to Him. I have told you often, "See good; hear good; speak good; do good; be good. This is the way to God." I often add, "See no evil; hear no evil; speak no evil; do no evil; be not evil. This is the way to God.""

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 28.8.1985)

Truth and Love




"Your love should not be based only on the physical forms. Bodies are perishable and impermanent. Beyond the biological parents, there are permanent parents whom you should revere. They are Truth and Love. Though the body may go, Truth remains as the permanent father. Likewise Love is the eternal mother. It grows with the passage of time and never diminishes. By regarding Truth and Love as your parents, as essential for your existence as your eyes or as the two wings for a bird or the two wheels for a cart, lead worthy lives."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 6.5.1985)

Divine Wisdom




Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Inner Significance of Nandi



"In temples of Easwara (or Shiva), you find Nandi (image of bull) in front of the deity. What is the inner significance of this? The usual reply you get is that Nandi is the Vahana (vehicle) of Easwara; as if He could not afford to have a better vehicle than a bull. This is a wrong idea. 

The truth is that just as the Lingam is the symbol of the Lord (Easwara), Nandi (bull) is the symbol for Jiva (individual soul). Therefore, just like the Nandi, man should turn away from Prakruthi and direct all his attention towards Easwara only. 

There are some more meanings for this symbolism. For instance, it is said that no one should stand between Easwara and Nandi. One should have the vision of Easwara by looking through the space in between the two ears of Nandi. 

The underlying idea is that through the Sadhana of using its ears to listen about Easwara alone, the animality in the bull becomes transformed into divinity and because of its merger with Easwara it is called Nandeeshvara (Bull-God). 

Thus the lesson of the symbolism is that man should also try to merge with God, by following the example of the Nandi."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 24.5.1992)


Friday, January 26, 2018

Divine Chiseller



Swami, I was a lump of coal,
In Your contact, I became a Sparkling Soul!

I was a dormant bud, causing burden,
But blossomed brightly in Baba's Garden!

I had a heart, a log of wood, dark and brown,
Which Swami has chiselled into a Royal Throne!

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

Mysterious Disappearance of Cyclone



Mr. Naipaul Sukdeo came to Prasanthi Nilayam for the first time in November 1985 as a delegate to the World Conference from Trinidad and Tobago.  He was a devotee of Bhagawan for many years and had seen many mahimas of Bhagawan in his country.  He revealed that he saw Bhagawan as Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, Devi Durga, Lord Jesus and Allah and all others, when Bhagawan mounted the dais on the beautifully decorated Shanti Vedika on 23rd November morning.  

The clouds seemed to become thicker and about to burst forth.  There was the forecast about the impending cyclone.  But what was there to fear in the presence of the Lord?  There was not even a drizzle.

Bhagawan made a mention of the mysterious disappearance of the cyclone in His Birthday Discourse.  He revealed, "When the festival was just on, Kasturi told me about the forecast of a cyclone that was about to cross the coast and enter Nellore and cause heavy rains in Rayalaseema too.  But it did not happen.  If the cyclone had swept in, the devotees would have suffered much.  Their devotion touched My heart.  I willed that they should not be inconvenienced in any way.  I have a heart soft as butter but butter too needs warmth to melt.  Your devotion was the warmth.  No one has yet announced where the cyclone had gone!  How can anyone gauge this wonder?"

The love of the Lord always seeks the happiness of His devotees.

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

Thursday, January 25, 2018

The Sign





I wake to find a scene unkind, on vessel I do stand.
Adrift at sea; lost, scared and cold; in desperate need of land.

From whence came I? What purpose here? Which course should I set sail?
My heart longs after former home, yet all my senses fail.

Rotating, searching, looking out; no means to tell the way.
And so I drift with every wind, more helpless day by day.

Shall this continue endlessly? Shall sea become despair?
A purpose there must surely be, a course to chart...but where?

Then pausing, pondering, opening up...a prompting, "Look above".
In yonder sky, a wisp of white, a sign of hope: a dove. 

"Set sail", my heart cries. "Follow thence. T'wil surely guide to shore".
Yet speed I've not. I fall behind. The sign I see no more.

But all's not lost. The way I know and if to this course I'm true.
Then home I shall be once again...my mansion built anew.

~ Jeff Bresee ~

Quotable Quotes



Worldly Life



"Ride safe on the raging waters of worldly life; be a witness, do not care for the fruit of action and leave the consequences of all acts to God's will.  He is the doer; you are His instrument.  Practise spiritual disciple and be unaffected by defeat or  victory, and establish yourself in unruffled peace."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 4.7.1968)

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Baba's Storytime - Brahma's Lesson



Once upon a time in a war between the Devas (demigods) and the Asuras (demons), the former came out victorious; and puffed up with pride, they assembled together to celebrate their victory. Brahma wanted to prick the bubble of their ego and pride, and to open their eyes to the fact that their victory was due to divine grace and not to their own strength and valour. 

So Brahma appeared before them in the guise of a Yaksha (celestial being). On seeing him, Agni (Fire-God) came to him. When the Yaksha asked Agni as to who he was, the latter proudly answered, "Don't you know me? I am Agni Deva (Fire-God), the great hero who can reduce to ashes the entire world in a trice." 

Thereupon the Yaksha placed before him a blade of grass and said, "O Fire God! please burn this blade of grass." Despite all his efforts, the Fire-God could not burn the blade of grass and he went back humbled. 

Next came the Wind-God Vayu and bragged before the Yaksha about his unequalled might in devastating entire villages, trees, forests etc., in the form of cyclones,etc. The Yaksha smiled and asked Vayu to blow away the blade of grass. With all his might and herculean effort, the Wind-God could not even shake the blade of grass and had to beat a retreat. 

On witnessing the failure, frustration and humiliation of his two mightiest lieutenants, Indra, the king of the demi-gods himself came forward to .see the Yaksha at close quarters but when he reached the spot he saw a woman standing in the place of the Yaksha. 

He addressed her, "O Mother! kindly tell me who you are and who is the one who has just vanished from sight." Then she answered, "I am Uma. The one who was here earlier in the guise of a Yaksha was Brahma, who came to destroy the highly inflated ego in all of you assembled here. So long as you have the ego, you cannot have Self-realisation. That is why none of you could recognise Brahma although he appeared right in front of you. As Indra, you personify the mind which is the leader of the senses, and which is a bundle of desires. That is why I have given you a vision of myself as a woman, who is the embodiment of desires." 

On hearing these words of Uma, the ego of every demi-god became deflated and in all humility they prayed to Brahma as follows. "O Lord! Not even a blade of grass will move without your command, what to speak of the microcosm and the macrocosm. Without understanding this, some people like us become puffed up with pride. Bhagavan! What is the use of various kinds of possessions and powers like wealth, physical strength, intellectual acumen, etc., if one does not have the ability to know you? And none can know and experience you except through the strength of Bhakti (devotion or love)." 

The lesson this episode teaches us is that we are mere tools in the hands of the Almighty and we should not become egoistic and proud thinking that any success or achievement is due to our own innate strength. We cannot win God's grace except through Bhakti. And what is Bhakti? It is but loving God with a pure and selfless heart devoid of ego and pride.


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

Monday, January 22, 2018

Sai Madhuryam



O foolish mind! 
Whither do you wander 
In search of the blessed Vision of Brahman. 
It is within Your own self; find It there. 
This is the word of Sai revealing the Truth. 

Love cannot be grown on a farm as a crop; 
Nor will it be for sale in a shop. 
Whether they be kings or commoners, 
They can know love only through selflessness.

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~


Real Sadhana



 "Real sadhana consists in transforming bad into good, converting sorrow into joy. There can be no happiness without sorrow, no good without the bad. There is a continuous conflict between good and evil, between happiness and sorrow."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba~
(Divine Discourse - 1.6.1991)


Please your Parents



"Render your homes bright by pleasing your parents. If you cause grief to them your entire life will be soaked in grief and your children, in turn, are sure to sink you in sorrow. Do not be arrogant towards your parents because you have studied a few things. "Consider the Mother as God; consider the Father as God; consider the Teacher as God; consider the Guest as God."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 22.11.1986)


Saturday, January 20, 2018

Divine Wisdom




Quotable Quotes



“It is possible to live happily in the here and now. 
So many conditions of happiness are available -more than enough for you 
to be happy right now. You don't have to run into the future in order to get more.” 

The Water Beetle

Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads, there lived a little water beetle in a community of water beetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond with few disturbances and interruptions.

Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and would never be seen again. They knew when this happened, their friend was dead, gone forever.

Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what he had found at the top.

When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so warm, that he decided he must take a nap. As he slept, his body changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body designed for flying.

So, fly he did! And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never known exbeen before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.

But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he understood that their time would come, when they, too, would know what he now knew.

So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!


Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Good and Bad



"Good and bad coexist. It is not possible for anyone to separate them. When you cultivate more of goodness, the bad in you will become absolutely insignificant. There is no need to use any force to drive away all that is bad. When you forget bad, goodness will develop in you in full measure. This is the message I would like to give on this day. Do not think that the New Year will give you some new fruits. The fruits that you earn will be based on your qualities and actions. All that you think will be reflected back to you. Everything is the result of your thoughts."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 30.3.2006)

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Baba's Storytime - The Cowherd



Once there was a cowherd who used to take cows for grazing to a place surrounded by three mountains. One day when the cows were grazing, he sat down under a tree and started singing a song in praise of God. As he sang the song, he heard its echo. He thought that someone was imitating his song to tease him. 

Therefore, he shouted in anger at the invisible intruder and heard its resound in the same angry tone. In this state of anger, he went home and did not even take his food. His mother asked him why he was so upset. He narrated what had happened. 

Next day, his mother accompanied him and came to know that it was his own echo which was the cause of his trouble. 

In the same manner if you criticize or abuse anybody, all that will come back to you. The world is nothing but reaction, reflection and resound. Whatever you do will come back to you, and nothing else. This is the divine law. Those who are full of love will see love everywhere. Those who are full of hatred will see enemies all around. Therefore, love and hatred do not come from outside. They have their origin within you. The good and bad you experience arise out of your own feelings. God is not responsible for any of these. God is nirguna, niranjana, sanathana (attributeless, pure, eternal). It is only your feelings that change. God is changeless. 


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

Sai Blossoms




Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient



Before I prayed
To help me out,
He saved me.

Before I reached
To seek pardon,
He forgave me.

Before I shared
My tears of sorrow,
He wiped them.

Even before I offered
The fruits of success,
He accepted them.

Since He is -
A sign of Omnipresence,
A symbol of Omnipotence,
And a saga of Omniscience.

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

Saturday, January 13, 2018

The Lord Speaks through Sunil Gavaskar



Sunil Gavaskar, the famous cricketer, visited Prasanthi Nilayam for the first time in 1982.  Bhagawan blessed him with an interview on the first evening itself.  Then Bhagawan took him to the boys' hostel.  The students had gathered in the prayer hall.  Bhagawan asked Sunil to sit on a chair by his side.  He was very nervous.  "Today is Bakrid.  Speak to the boys on the importance of the festival," ordered Bhagawan.

Sunil was flabbergasted since he never thought he could speak anything in the presence of Bhagawan.  The other major problem that haunted him was, he knew almost nothing about Islam or Koran or Bakrid.  He pleased with Bhagawan about his inability.  Bhagawan replied, "You just go and stand in front of the microphone.  Everything will be fine."

Sunil obeyed the command. He spoke about Islam and Bakrid for ten to twelve minutes.  When he finished, there was thunderous applause.  As he went back to his seat, Bhagawan looked at him and said, "Didn't I tell you that you could speak?"  Sunil just folded his palms in reverence.

Even till today he does not know what he had spoken on that day.  He said that he just obeyed the command of His Master and His love for His devotee spoke through him.  It was an amazing experience for him.

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

Sai Madhuryam




Heaven is not some remote place, 
Where people are virtuous and of good character,
You will find Paradise.

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Faith



"Whatever troubles you may face, whatever ordeals you may encounter, you should not allow your faith in God to weaken to the slightest extent. You must learn a lesson from the Chakora bird. There may be terrible thunder and blinding lightning in the sky. But the Chakora bird will follow the cloud to catch the raindrops in the sky and will not go to any other source for water. Nothing less than the pure raindrops from the cloud will satisfy the Chakora. Likewise, you should yearn always for the bliss of nearness to God, whatever difficulties or joys you may experience in life."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 10.4.1986)

Divine Wisdom




Thursday, January 11, 2018

Seva



"Seva is the highest of paths of Devotion which wins the Grace of God. It promotes mental purity, diminishes egoism and enables one to experience, through sympathetic understanding, the unity of mankind."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse -  21-11-1986)

Divinity




"Divinity is present in every object in creation, from the ant to Brahma. Ignoring this basic truth, man is involving himself in endless problems. God is treated as a convenience, to be sought when in trouble and forgotten at other times. The Divine is not be sought in some far off place. He is the indweller in our heart. When this eternal, divine light is shining within us, it is a mark of ignorance to seek for illumination elsewhere outside."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 27.8.1986)


Monday, January 8, 2018

Moments, Days, Years

When I was a young man I had a lot of ego and very little empathy. I thought I knew everything. I looked forward to fame and success. I can even remember once in college arrogantly telling one of my friends: “If only everyone listened to me then they would all be happy.” I finally left school ready to take on the world. Little did I know the world was about to take on me.

In the years following college instead of success I found struggles. I had trouble finding work. The jobs I did work at were either temporary or back-breaking and none of them paid well. When my wife and I had children we were shocked to learn that not one but both of our sons had Autism and would need to be taken care of for the rest of their lives. I had no idea why this had happened to us and I was very angry at God.

In time, however, I began to change. My formally massive ego was shrinking fast and my empathy was beginning to grow. Instead of success, I found my joy in moments of love. Playing and laughing with my sons brought me so much happiness. My boys taught me more about peace, patience, kindness, joy, and unconditional love than I could have ever learned on my own.

I began to share the lessons I learned through my writings and my life. I finally realized too that my purpose in this world had nothing to do with fame or success and everything to do with allowing God’s love and light into my life and sharing it with everyone I could.

Always remember that moments of love become days of love and days of love become years of love. You may not be happy 100% of the time. No one can be in this world. Yet, in God’s love you will find a joy no earthly success could ever give. Put all of your moments, days, and years to good use then. Live them with love.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Quotable Quotes





“Nothing can survive without food. Everything we consume acts either to heal us or to poison us. We tend to think of nourishment only as what we take in through our mouths, but what we consume with our eyes, our ears, our noses, our tongues, and our bodies is also food. The conversations going on around us, and those we participate in, are also food. Are we consuming and creating the kind of food that is healthy for us and helps us grow? When we say something that nourishes us and uplifts the people around us, we are feeding love and compassion. When we speak and act in a way that causes tension and anger, we are nourishing violence and suffering.” 


Thursday, January 4, 2018

New Year Message



"The new year does not bring anything new with it. The day, when fresh and sacred thoughts originate in your heart, is the real new year day. As you all consider this day as new year day and welcome it with enthusiasm, I bless you all, so that you may cultivate fresh, sacred and ideal feelings. I desire that you share with others all that you consider as good. I want you to lead a peaceful and blissful life and become role models for the rest of the country.

At times evil qualities like desire anger and hatred may arise in you but they should not be allowed to enter the mind. Once they are refused permission, they will automatically withdraw. If they are allowed to enter the mind, they will remain in it.

A small example. When someone comes to your doorstep with his baggage, if you receive him and start exchanging pleasantries, he will immediately enter and settle down in your house. On the other hand, if you ignore him completely, he will go to a hotel or a lodge. Likewise, when the evil qualities try to enter your mind, just ignore them. Then they will go back to the place of their origin. On the other hand, if you entertain them, they will rule over you. When you come across something evil, do not look at it, talk about it or listen to it. Just ignore it. That is the true human quality.

You will allow only your friends and relatives to enter your house through the doors. Will anyone allow the donkeys and pigs to enter the house just because it has doors? Your body has got nine doors. You should permit through them only that which is sacred. Do not allow the evil to enter. Only then can you attain peace. Human life is highly noble, valuable and Divine. Do not put it to misuse by giving room to evil qualities. Use the power of discrimination and make proper use of the senses. Only then will your life be redeemed. You will attain immortality and infinite bliss.

Start a novel and Divine life in this new year. Give up all the old unsacred feelings. Cultivate Divine feelings. Once you have divine feelings, no other feeling can enter your mind. Install God within, then peace will automatically follow.

Embodiments of Love! I bless you all so that you may lead your lives with peace, prosperity and happiness. Thus I bring My Discourse to a close."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - 1.1.2001)

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Sai Madhuryam



One may have mastered the Vedantic texts 
And perfected the art of expounding them; 
If his mind is not well filled with good qualities, 
His scholarship is like the crop grown on barren soil. 
If you cannot comprehend the Swami in front of you 
And wander in search of God all over, 
You are like the man who went in quest of ghee 
While having butter in his hand. 

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Baba's Storytime - The Highest Duty




Aurangazeb was Emperor Shah Jehan's son. He was tired of waiting to ascend the throne; so he imprisoned the father and crowned himself. His evil-minded comrades desired to put an end to Shah Jehan's life, so that Aurangazeb could be safe on the throne. They planned to execute him. 

When Shah Jehan came to know of their plot, he felt glad that he could escape the humiliation and misery of exile and imprisonment. Aurangazeb gave up the idea of execution, when he found that the father was welcoming that fate. He did not relish the idea of satisfying the old man. He decided to keep him in prison until his death, with a single feeble-minded servant and the Holy Quoran as his only companions. 

Shah Jehan was elated at the opportunity to read the Holy Quoran to the companion. But he had to give up the attempt when there was no response from him. He said to himself: "What have I to do with companions now? Peace is the first companion. The joy of Love is the second, the third is Affection, the fourth is Adoration. and the fifth is Sweetness. All these together are inspiring me to become aware of my soul". With this resolution, he spent himself in the Holy Quoran
 and became one with its message. 

This is the highest duty, to have a high ideal, to reach It and become IT.


(From Bhagawan's Divine Discourses)