Baba's Storytime - Rabia Malik and Hussain

 

Remember, your real nature is the same as the other man's; he is yourself known by another name. When you do a good deed,  you are doing it to yourself; when you do a bad turn to someone, remember, you are injuring yourself; so, avoid dong evil to others.

 I am reminded of what Hussein, the son of Rabbia Malik of Persia used to do. He rose early and went to the mosque for prayer with great diligence and devotion. When he came, he found the servants of the house still sleeping on their mats and he grew wild at them; he swore and cursed them for neglect of religious duties. 

Then his father chastised him. He said, "Son, why do you get angry with those poor souls who are too tired to wake up early? Do not wipe off the good results of your adherence to the rule of God by falling foul of these innocent slaves. I wish you would rise rather late and abstain from the mosque, for now you have grown proud that you are more religious than these others and you dare blame them for faults for which they are not themselves responsible."

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

Home Environment

How does the home environment influence the physical health and well-being of future generations? 

The body has to be maintained in good condition, for it is only when embodied in this human container that man can realise God. The body is either strong or weak, an efficient instrument or an inefficient one, according to the food, recreations, and habits of one’s parents. 

Since the elders do not pay attention to these, the health of the children suffers; we have hospitals, dispensaries, and clinics in every street now, because disease has its hold on every family, in every home. Even little children wear glasses; young people dye their hair, and many wear dentures. 

The reason is the atmosphere in the modern home is filled with artificiality, anxiety, envy, discontent, empty boasting, vain pomp, extravagance, falsehood and hypocrisy. How can anyone growing up in this corrosive atmosphere be free from illness? If the home is filled with the clean fragrance of contentment and peace, all its occupants will be happy and healthy. The elders have, therefore, a great responsibility towards the generation that is coming up.

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba 

(Divine Discourse - October 5, 1967)

Why should we maintain the body (deha) in good health? It is for the sake of realising the Dehi (Indweller Self). – BABA

Dance, Shiva!

 Dance, Shiva, dance in our hearts 

Blow out the winds of desire 

(Sai) Purify our hearts, purify 

Let our sins die in Your Fire 

Dance, Shiva, dance in our hearts 

And Love will flow like a river.

(English bhajan)

Service in Action

 

Sri Sathya Sai Baba also showed and blessed those who showed the spirit of service in action. 

Satish, a student of MBA at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning was travelling by a bus from Chennai to Puttaparthi. He fell asleep during the journey and opened the eyes when the bus stopped at Madanapalli. On opening his eyes he found that an aged sick lady of about 80 years passed stools and urine on her seat and the whole place was stinking.

She was sick and helpless. No one in the bus volunteered to help her. Touched by her miserable condition, Satish himself lifted the lady to the toilets at the Madanapalli bus station to do the needful. When he went there, carrying the old and sick lady, he found a woman with a bucket of water at the toilets, volunteering help. She told Satish that she would take care of her and bring her to the bus. 

In the meanwhile, Satish went to the bus and cleaned her seat where the sick woman defecated. The woman who volunteered to help at the toilet brought the lady to the bus, placed her in her seat and went away. Satish fell asleep and opened his eyes when the bus reached Puttaparthi. He rushed to hostel, had a bath and went for darshan at the Mandir in Prasanthi Nilayam. 

Sathya Sai Baba stopped in front of him at darshan time, looked at the students sitting there and said "When all of you went home for the vacation, I saw this boy (indicating Satish) at Madanapalli bus station." Baba created vibhuti for him and said, "This is for your spirit of love. I came in the form of a woman to help you at the bus station of Madanapalli when you brought the lady to the toilet with concern and love for her". 

No act of service is too low for God who has taken the human form to says, "My life is My message", conveys the spirit of service and love. 

SAMASTA LOKAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU

Sai Blossoms

"Only love is permanent in this world.  Fill your life with love.  You can love others only when you have love within you  Your innate love is your divinity.  If you have love in your heart, nobody will hate you.  Others will hate you only when you have selfish desires.  Never hate anybody, never feel jealous of anybody and never get angry with anyone."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(April 14, 2006)

Quotable Quotes

 “The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person’s suffering and bring that person joy.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

May All Living Beings in All the Worlds be Happy

 

Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

 

"Cows are many, but milk is one.

Beings are many, but indweller is one.

Castes are many, but humanity is one.

Flowers are many, but worship is one.

Paths are many, but God is one.

Hence, you should give up all the differences based on caste, 

religion and nationality and develop the spirit of love." 

-  Sri Sathya Sai Baba  -

(Sathya Sai Speaks – 21 July 2002)

The Value of Service

 

There was another occasion when Bhagawan taught the value of service. While watching students distributing prasadam to the devotees in Sai Kulwant hall, Bhagawan asked a student, "Do you know why I ask students to perform the seva of distributing prasadam?" 

The student answered, "Swami you want to make people happy by giving prasadam to them." 

Then Bhagawan continued, "I am giving opportunities to the students to perform service so that the merit they earn by performing seva enables me to help my students in their need."

SAMASTA LOKAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU

People

"People must worship God in the form of people.  God appears before one as a blind beggar, a leper, a child, a decrepit old man, a criminal or a madman.  You must see even behind those veils, the divine embodiments of love, power and wisdom, the Sai, and worship the Lord through selfless service."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(April 1, 1975)