Offer God real flowers grown in the garden of your heart ~ Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
.jpg)
Vyasa composed Vedas. It constitutes 21 volumes. Each volume is as thick as a pillow. If all the volumes are arranged one above the other , the height would reach above the ceiling. In the life span of a human being, one may not be able to complete studying the entire Vedic literature.
However, the comprehension of the entire bulk of Vedas could be summarised as,
"HELP EVER, HURT NEVER. LOVE ALL SERVE ALL"
Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu
Why is it important to control and sanctify the senses?
"Embodiments of love! Senses are like life principles for every man. Once you rein in your senses, your life will be peaceful. You should not only avoid evil talk, but should also talk less. Your speech should be short and sweet.
Sages like Valmiki, Vyasa, and great devotees like Potana composed sacred texts and sanctified their lives. Emulate their ideals and make your life exemplary. Read sacred texts composed by such noble souls. Today, people read books which pollute the mind. It is a very bad practice.
Be it reading, writing, seeing, or talking, let everything be good. Do not commit any mistake knowingly. You can experience Divinity in humanity by putting the senses to proper use. One can visualise the Divine manifestations and become Divine himself only through sacred use of the senses."
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - July 5, 2001)
True spiritual sadhana lies in controlling one’s senses. Without sense control, all spiritual sadhana will prove futile. - BABA
The body is impermanent,
All one's wealth is transient,
Children and wife are shadows,
Only one's good deeds are lasting companions.
Who realises this truth is a true man.
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
"Experience shows that peace or happiness gained from external objects is not enduring. It is like a mirage, which cannot quench the thirst of the deluded animal that runs toward it. The real source of peace is within every individual, and it is this inner peace that can confer real joy."
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(December 9, 1985)
"Speaking with love is Sathya and doing work with love is Dharma. It will give you Shanti."
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba
(Food for Thought No. 2688)
Nârada asked Vishnu once: "The rishis or sages who had attained the purest wisdom relating to the universal âtmâ, could not win Your grace; but the illiterate milk-maids of Gokul who were charmed by Your beauty, Your sport, Your music, Your prattle, Your sweetness, Your inscrutable novelty - they won Your grace. How did this happen?"
But, Nârada himself came to know later that the gopîs had Krishna (the Lord) as the very breath of their lives, as the very sight of their eyes, the very sound of their ears, the very taste of their tongues, the very touch of their skin. While tending the cows and calves, attending to their husbands and children, doing the thousand and one chores of worldly life, they lived in Krishna, with Krishna, and by means of Krishna only; sarvada sarva kaleshu Hari chintanam - under all conditions, at all times, in all places, their minds dwelt on Hari (Krishna, the Lord, the Supreme Personality). How then can God deny them grace?
When Nârada went to Gokul and called the gopîs to gather around him so they could listen to his teachings about the attainment of jñâna, the gopîs gave no heed; they said they did not like to waste precious minutes: "The hours of day and night are not enough for us to dwell on the name of the Lord. We do not require your verbal acrobatics to convince us that God is sat-chit-ânanda-swarupa; we know, we feel, we experience the bliss every moment".
It was after this revelation of the supremacy of bhakti that Nârada composed the Bhakti Sutras, which have become the guiding lamps for aspirants.
(From the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)
What is the feeling with which seva must be undertaken, and what is the benefit of such selfless service? Bhagawan clearly explains to us today, through His instruction to those who serve through the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations.
"Active workers (of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations) should have no feeling of arrogance or ostentation in carrying on their activities. They must be broad-minded, completely free from selfish concerns, and must develop love towards all. Active workers are the spinal cord of the Sai Organisation. They should understand what human qualities are and practise them in their life.
Without having the right attitude, service done demonstratively in a spirit of self-conceit is a travesty of service. They should rid themselves of the sense of “mine” and “thine”.
Preoccupation with one’s own welfare and happiness is the bane of the dualistic mentality. It breeds discontent and sorrow. Feelings of attachment and aversion sully the mind, and only through service can such a mind be purified.
External observances like bathing several times a day and smearing vibhuti all over and mouthing mantras mechanically will not serve to cleanse the mind of impurities. These are only outward shows, with nothing spiritual about them."
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - November 19, 1987)
Men must outgrow their selfish tendencies and learn to regard the whole of mankind as one family. That is true service. – BABA
"Every spiritual seeker should strive for peace (shanti). Peace is the fragrant flower which is born out of pure love. It is the fragrance which is derived as a result of one's good deeds. If one loses this noble and fragrant quality of peace, then one has lost everything."
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(December 9, 1985)
“We ruminate on suffering, regret, and sorrow. We chew on them, swallow them, bring them back up, and eat them again and again. If we’re feeding our suffering while we’re walking, working, eating, or talking, we are making ourselves victims of the ghosts of the past, of the future, or our worries in the present. We’re not living our lives.”
~ Thích Nhất Hạnh ~
"We often say that we have no Shanti. Why? Because you are multiplying your desires. One who is bereft of desires is peaceful. Desires are like the luggage we carry during the journey. If we have less luggage, the travel will be more comfortable. So also in your life's journey, you should restrict your desires that burden you."
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Food for Thought No. 2687)
Why and how should festivals like Vinayaka Chaturthi be celebrated as occasions for spiritual transformation?
"The Lord's family is an ideal one, maintaining harmony and peace in spite of the antagonistic elements present amongst them. The vehicle of Shiva (the bull), Parvati (the lion), Ganesha (the mouse) and Subrahmanya (the peacock) are, in their natural state, inimical to each other. But living in the presence of the Lord, they shed their enmity and live at peace.
Harmony in the Divine family shows that where there is divinity, there is peace and amity. Hatred and jealousy arise when the Omnipresence of the Divine is forgotten or ignored.
Holy days like Vinayaka Chaturthi should be celebrated only to remind ourselves of such sacred truths and to sanctify our minds and lives accordingly. They should not be treated as holidays for feasting and merry-making.
Ganapati should be worshipped so that all the Ganas (spirits) become friendly and helpful to us. Tyagaraja sang that if he has the daivanugraham (Lord's grace), all the grahas (planets) will be in his grasp. We must purify our hearts so that the Lord may shower His grace on us."
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse - Sept 10, 1984)
Ganapati can make even inauspicious occasions auspicious. He is always engaged in conferring boons on all. With His grace, any desire can be realised. – BABA
 |
| 14 September 2026 |
"What is that you have to offer to Vinayaka on this day of Vinayaka Chaturthi? Today people spend lot of money in offering various fruits to God. All these offerings are made only as a ritual. Ultimately people themselves consume them! No benefit accrues from making these offerings.
Pathram, Pushpam, Phalam and Thoyam - these are the four things that you should offer God. Here Pathram (leaf) means body. This body may wither away at any moment. So never develop attachment towards the body, instead offer it to God. Pushpam (flower} means Hridaya. This flower will never fade away. Mind can be compared to Phalam (fruit) and Thoyam stands for tears of joy. All these four should be offered to God. This is the offering that God expects."
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(Divine Discourse: September 13, 1999)
Ego and lust are battles fought silently within, yet their outcomes shape everything you are.
Letting go of ego isn't weakness, it's a quiet victory that opens space for clarity and growth. But giving in to lust is a surrender that steals your sense of self, leaving only desire without direction.
Life teaches that control over impulses defines freedom more than external victories ever could.
Mastery over what moves you internally is the truest measure of strength. Because the wars worth fighting are never with others, but within yourself.
Which inner battle are you fighting today, and which one could define who you become?
Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavanthu
