Every one of the religious sects elaborated their own rituals and modes of worship, their own priorities in spiritual attainment and their own body of doctrines about the individual, the objective world and God. The purpose of these codes and modes was, in all cases, to purify the mind and insist on the practice of high moral virtues. But this was soon ignored and importance came to be attached to superficial conformity and outer purity. The craving for personal aggrandisement and power made every sect, faith and religion, rigid and dry. There is a great need today to discover the inner spring of all faiths, the spring that fertilises the outer rites and ceremonies. A little quiet study will reveal that there is an undercurrent of moral enthusiasm and spiritual adventure. The word generally used for religion is matha; the word to indicate the mind is mathi. Putting the two together it can be said that matha is primarily engaged or ought to be engaged in straightening and strengthening the mathi. – Divine Discourse, Oct 01, 1976

The mind suffers from a false sense of values and tries to discard what is good for it. The child must be educated to appreciate hard, chewable food which it does not welcome in the beginning. So too, the mind must be trained to picture the vast, limitless, overwhelming majesty that underlies time, space and causation. First, it must develop a taste for the Personal God and later for the Impersonal, without a name and a form. All names and forms to the Impersonal God are attributed by the mind. Bhajan, dhyan, Namasmarana, Nagarasankeertan – all these are steps in that education. The bliss that’s won by mergence in the Divine, is the consummation. A sick person must swallow the cough syrup himself, so long as he is ill, however bitter the medicine may be! A person, ill with ignorance and therefore suffering from egoism and discontent, must take the medicine of japa-dhyana (repetition of the name and meditation). The disease of over-attachment to worldly objects can be cured only by the drug of attachment to God, cultivated through japa and dhyana. – Divine Discourse, Nov 22, 1970

There are some who are attracted by various systems and methods like Hathayoga, Kriyayoga, or Rajayoga, which claim to help people realise the self. But, I must tell you that none of these can make you realise God. I am saying this most emphatically. Premayoga, the discipline of love, alone can lead you to God. Other yogas may calm the mind’s agitations temporarily and may improve health and prolong life for a few more years, but that’s all they can do! What is the good you hope to achieve with that body in extra years? If love is absent, it weighs you down like a big burden; if love is cultivated, then the body can be used for serving others, without regard for the interests of the body! The body should be guarded and sustained for the service one can do with it to others, or for realising Atma while in it. There are some who follow a rigorous timetable of japam, dhyanam, etc. Of course, this is good practice, but don’t stick to this timetable even when you have a call to go help a person whose need for service is great and urgent. If you give up your meditation and serve him, you will benefit more from the service than what you may gain from meditation! – Divine Discourse, Nov 22, 1970

We may ask, how can a man sunk in relative knowledge become aware of the Atma? But there is no reason for despair, or for condemning ourselves as mean and low. For, when small men make big decisions, they earn encouragement from the great. When the tiny squirrel decided to share in building the passage across the sea, did it not receive the blessings of Lord Rama? The squirrel knew that its help could only be infinitesimal, but the feeling of dedication which prompted it won the grace of God. Men, however, do not sublimate small spiritual efforts through high purpose. They engage in bhajan, worship and meditation, but these are physical exercises! The mind does not elevate them into sincerity. The mind does not pour forth or vibrate in them. So, they remain at the human level. They do not rise to the level of the Divine. “Can a lake be filled when there’s a sprinkle of rain? Can thirst be relieved, with saliva? Can the belly be full, if breathing is held tight? Can live cinders be secured by burning blades of grass?” asks a poet. Logs must be burned if charcoal is needed; sheets of rain alone can fill a lake to the brim; a glass of cold water alone can cure a person of thirst, nothing less! The heart has to be offered in full. Devotion must fill and overflow the heart.

As all rivers hurry towards the sea, let all your imaginings wend their way to God. The Play is His; the role is His Gift; the lines are written by Him; He decides the dress and decoration, the gesture and the tone, the entrance and the exit. You have to act well your part and receive His approbation when the curtain falls. Earn by your efficiency and enthusiasm the right to play higher and higher roles – that is the meaning and purpose of life. Do not get too much attached to the world, and too involved in its tangles. Keep your emotions always within hold. The waves agitate only the upper layers of the sea; down below it is calm. So too, when you sink into your depths, you must be free from the agitation of the waves. Know that most things are of no lasting value and can therefore be brushed aside; hold fast to the solid substance only. Use your discrimination to discover which things are lumber, and which are treasure!

Just as a thermometer indicates heat of the body, your talk, conduct, and behaviour indicate your mental equipment and attitudes and show how high is the fever of worldliness that afflicts you. These must be pure, untinged by passion of emotions like hate or pride. Talk in peace, promoting peace in others. What is the use of japa and dhyana, when your talk and conduct are not even human? How can you hope to approach the divine while grovelling in the slush of the bestial? Resolve this day to cleanse the mind of impurities, so that you can imbibe the inspiration it is intended to convey. Aspirants for mental peace must also reduce luggage they have to care for; the more the luggage, the greater the bother. Objective possessions and subjective desires – both are handicaps in the race for realisation. A house cluttered with lumber will be dark, dusty and without free movement of fresh air; it will be stuffy and suffocating. The human body too is a house; do not allow it to be cluttered with curios, trinkets, trash, and superfluous furnishings. Let the breeze of holiness blow as it wills through it; let not the darkness of blind ignorance desecrate it.

How many hours of effort is necessary to earn the grace of God? Bhagawan lovingly reminds us and inspires us today.

You should pray to the Lord to give you the strength to bear all troubles and face all difficulties. If you have even an atom of grace of the Lord, a mountain of troubles can be overcome. Chaitanya declared: “If a fraction of the time that is spent in worrying about wealth, provisions, wife, children, friends and business is devoted to contemplation on the feet of the Divine, one can face the messengers of death without fear and cross the ocean of samsara!” It is not necessary to devote many hours to prayer. It is enough if one thinks of God with all his heart and offers himself even for a few moments. A single match stick when it is struck can dispel the darkness in a room that has remained closed for years. Mountains of cotton can be burnt down by a single spark. Likewise, wholehearted chanting of the name of Rama even once can destroy mountains of sins. But the chanting should not be done mechanically like playing a gramophone record. It should emanate from the depths of the heart.

– Divine Discourse, Apr 14, 1989

What is the permanent address of the Divine? Bhagavan lovingly reminds us today.

Once Sage Narada appeared before Lord Vishnu and said: “Oh Lord! I move about in the three worlds and I know the past, the present and the future. If I want to convey to You any special information, to what address should I send it? I do not want Your temporary address. What is Your permanent address?” Vishnu replied: “Narada! Take down My permanent address: Mad-bhaktah yatra gayanti, tatra tishtami, Narada (Wherever My devotees sing My glories, I install Myself there).” People ascribe various abodes to the Lord: Vaikunta, Kailasa, Badrinath, Kedarnath and so on. All these are only ‘care of’ addresses. The direct address is only the heart of the devotee. As the Gita says: “The Lord dwells in the heart region of all beings.” As the Lord is omnipresent, He is equally present in the heart of everyone. Hence the Lord is described as Atma-Rama – one who delights the Atma (the heart) by His presence!

– Divine Discourse, Apr 14, 1989.



God is Ganalola and Ganapriya (one who is attracted by singing). Poems and prayers do not attract God as much as songs sung with devotion do. – BABA

The year becomes new and the day becomes holy, when you sanctify it by sadhana, not otherwise. Sadhana can grow only in a field fertilised by Love. Love or Prema is the essential quality of Bhakti (devotion to God). The love you have towards material objects, name, fame, wife and children, etc., should be sanctified by being subsumed by the more overpowering Love of God. Add two spoons of water to two seers of milk, the water too is appreciated as milk! At present your sadhana can be described only as mixing two litres of water with two spoons of milk! Have the Love of God filling and thrilling your heart; then, you cannot hate anyone, you cannot indulge in unhealthy rivalries, you will not find fault with anyone. Life then becomes soft, sweet and smooth.

When you undertake any task with a sacred heart, you will certainly meet with success. I am the living proof of this ideal. There is no trace of selfishness in whatever task I undertake. Whatever I do is for the benefit of humanity. Many do not try to understand this and think that it is done with some expectation. But I do not expect anything from anybody nor do I get any benefit out of it. I derive only one benefit, i.e., I feel happy when everybody is happy. As you claim to be Sai devotees, you should strictly adhere to the Sai path and make everyone happy. When you follow My footsteps, you will certainly achieve sacred results and attain good reputation. Being Sai devotees, you should give up selfishness and dedicate your lives for the welfare of society. Fill your lives with love. Stop criticising others. Offer your respects to even those who hate you. Hatred is a mean quality. It will ruin you. Hence, do not give room for hatred. Cultivate love. Help the poor and needy to the extent possible.

Today, the senses are allowed free play; man is a slave to greed, lust and egoism. The fault lies entirely with the parents and the elders. When their children go to temples or religious discourses, they reprimand them and warn them that it is a sign of insanity. They tell them that religion is an old-age pursuit; it should not be taken seriously by youngsters! But, if only they encourage them, the children can equip themselves better for the battle of life. Parents ought to advise the children: “Be convinced that there is a God, guiding and guarding us. Remember Him with gratitude. Pray to Him to render you pure. Love all; serve all. Join good company. Visit temples and holy men.” You read in the newspapers about campaigns, conquests, victories, triumphs, etc., but they are all material conquests and other triumphs. Campaign against the temptations of the senses; conquer inner foes; triumph over your ego. That is the victory for which you deserve congratulations, not the others.

When you win the Love of God, His compassion will flow unto you. Love gives and forgives. Ego gets and forgets. When your son steals some money from the house, you do not hand him over to the police; but, when your servant steals a spoon, you have no such qualms. For, you have no love for the servant. Live without hating others, condemning others, and seeking faults in others. Vyasa, who wrote eighteen voluminous Puranas summarised all the Puranas in one single line of a small couplet: “Doing good to others is the only meritorious act; doing evil is the most heinous sin.” When you feel you cannot do good, at least desist from doing evil. That itself is a meritorious service! Do not try to discover differences; discover unity. Understand that the purpose of life is to know the Embodiment of Love, namely, God, through love, and demonstrate through your own Love that you have known Him.

Peace is the best treasure without which power, authority, fame, fortune are all dry and burdensome. Tyagaraja has sung that there can be no happiness, without inner peace. To earn this peace and to be unshakably established in it, man must develop Abhyasa (steady practice) and Vairagyam (detachment). Vairagyam does not imply renunciation of family ties and fleeing into the loneliness of the jungle. It means our giving up of the feeling that things are permanent and capable of yielding supreme joy. The mind plays tricks with man and believes that some things are good and some bad, some eternal and some transitory. You might have a plateful of nice eatables before you and they might appear to be delicious and fine; but, if the cook announces that a lizard had fallen into the cooker when it was on fire and has been boiled alive, all the fascination for the food disappears in a trice! There is no object without fault or failing; there is no joy that is unmixed with pain; there is no act that is not tainted with egotism. So be warned and develop the detachment which will save you from grief.

Every act in this world, the tiniest one, is happening as per the Divine Will. A particular act of God may bring you some inconvenience or sorrow. That is at your individual level. But in God’s creation, there is nothing like sorrow. Whatever God does is for the welfare of humanity. Some people feel depressed and wail as to why God gave them troubles and sorrows. But sorrows and difficulties are our own making. God does not differentiate or cause trouble to anyone. Sorrows and difficulties are only your feelings. Everything in God’s creation is meant to provide happiness and convenience to the living beings. That is what I have been repeatedly emphasising. Whether you are in sorrow or enjoying happiness, always think that everything is for your own good. One has to develop a firm conviction that whatever God does is for one’s own good and not to trouble one. Unable to realise this truth, man experiences all sorts of difficulties and sorrows. One has to strive to recognise the truth underlying God’s creation.

This flower is beautiful; it gives an exciting, enchanting fragrance, declares the eye and the nose. The wise man will not be content with the sense-impression. He resorts to the buddhi (intellect) and wants to discover – How long? How much? The answer is – until nightfall, till the new day dawns. Therefore he concludes that true beauty and true fragrance can be derived only from God, not from created things and components, not from the moving and changing, the emerging and merging, the appearing, attracting and disappearing entities of the world. Man is now riding two horses – the world and God, the Universal and the Particular, the Absolute and the Relative, the Eternal and the Time-bound, the Reality and the Appearance. He is therefore riding for a fall. Sadhana alone can help man to choose the right path and pursue it relentlessly. Every religion in every era and clime emphasises the One and marks out the path to reach it. They warn us against too much attachment to the world, which is basically poisonous.

Every man is a son of Bhudevi (Mother Earth). As a mother, Bhudevi is teaching many lessons to her children. She calls on her children to learn everything from herself instead of going after other preceptors. “Scholars and intellectuals are cutting me to pieces to acquire knowledge and conduct their experiments,” laments Mother Earth. “They are subjecting me to great suffering by their digging and blasting. But I am not worried about all this. Learn this spirit of forbearance from me. Whatever abuse or attack others may level at you, bear them with fortitude. Treat praise or blame, good or bad with equanimity. This is the highest knowledge.” Another vital element in Nature is water, which is also one of the manifestations of the Divine. The lesson that water teaches is: “Son! By nature, I am pure, sweet and cool. Purity, patience and perseverance are three good qualities you have to cultivate.” Fire is another of Nature’s preceptors. It tells man: “My son! I make no difference between good and bad. I do not gain by burning one thing or lose by not burning something. I treat all alike whatever comes into my orbit. Learn to see the Divine in all things. This is the way to gain knowledge of the Self.”

Analyse every object and discover the cheapness and hollowness of each. Then, genuine vairagya (detachment) will be planted in your heart. So, utilise the priceless weapon, the perfect mirror, that God has given you – the buddhi (intellect), for the journey to God. An old adage announces that ‘Buddhi is shaped by one’s actions’ – Buddhih karma anusarini. But this is not quite correct. The mind prompts the senses for action. It has the buddhi on one side and the senses on the other and is drawn by both into action. When the manas (mind) leans towards the senses, and activates them, bondage results; if it leans towards the intelligence (which is illuminated by the Atma), liberation results. Sometimes, the buddhi is enticed by the fake delight that the mind revels in, through the senses. Sadhana has to be used at this moment to turn it away from serfdom to the mind. It must be restored to its status of a regulator and controller of the vagaries of the mind.

The present-day teachers are of two types. There are those who claim to be exponents of Vedanta, but their main intent being catering to worldly desires. They conform to the whims of their disciples and in doing so they succeed in dispossessing them of their possessions. Such gurus are an unbearable burden upon the surface of the earth. They correspond to another meaning of the word ‘guru’, which means weight or burden. The second type of gurus is those who can expound the sacred texts and help the disciples to discipline themselves to some extent. They impress upon their disciples that the guru himself is Brahma, Vishnu, Easwara and also Para Brahma. This is how such teachers enhance their own stature in the eyes of their disciples. There is a lot of difference between a teacher and a guru. A teacher transmits what he has learnt in return for a reward, whereas a guru, through his grace, enters your heart, broadens it and enables you to comprehend the aspects of Divinity. Such a being, in the form of a Guru, appears at an appropriate time. For example, when King Parikshit prayed, Suka immediately appeared.

The quality of Kshama (forbearance) is the most essential for one and all. Forbearance is truth, forbearance is righteousness, forbearance is non-violence, forbearance is the teaching of the Vedas, forbearance confers happiness and heavenly bliss. Forgive those who have harmed you and criticised you. Have faith that whatever happens is for your own good. If someone hurls abuses on you, do not retaliate. Enquire within yourself whether he has criticised the body or the atma. If he has criticised the body, indirectly he has done you a favour because the body is nothing but a heap of flesh, blood, bones and faecal matter. On the other hand, if he has criticised the Atma, it amounts to criticising his own self because the same atma exists in both of you. One should cultivate this kind of forgiveness and broad-mindedness.

Veda Vyasa is called so because of his service to students of the Veda. Vedas defied understanding since they were countless and fathomless: Ananto vai Vedah. He also composed the eighteen Puranas on various names and forms of the same God. Puranas are textbooks and illustrative descriptions of moral codes, historical episodes, philosophical principles and social ideals. Vyasa sought to bring home, through the Puranas, the need for mastering egoistic impulses, as the verse says, Ashta dasha puraneshu Vyasasya vachana dwayam; Paropakarah punyaya Papaya para peedanam”. Two statements summarise all eighteen Puranas composed by Vyasa – Doing good to others is meritorious; doing harm to others is sinful, says the hymn. Doing good is the drug; avoiding harm is the regimen that must accompany the treatment. That is the cure for the disease of suffering from joy and grief, honour and dishonour, prosperity and adversity, and the dual throng, that bothers man and deprives him of equanimity.

It was one of the sports of Krishna to go stealthily into the houses of Gopikas and upset pots containing milk and curds. The Gopikas, who were worried about Krishna’s pranks, were keen to catch Him red-handed. Krishna was an elusive thief. So, one Gopika suggested that the only way to catch Him was to pray to him. The Gopikas started praying to Krishna: “O Krishna, is it possible for us to catch You? You are subtler than the atom and vaster than the vastest thing in the world. You pervade every being in creation. How can we comprehend You?” As a result of the prayer, Gopikas were shown the means of catching Him. Krishna poured out milk from the pot, washed His feet in the milk and ran out of the house. Gopikas followed Krishna’s footprints and caught Him. The symbolic significance of this episode is that the Divine can be experienced only when the devotee clings to the feet of the Lord. This is the teaching of the Bhagavatha.

The reality is cognisable everywhere; why, it is evident most in oneself when you earnestly seek it. You can experience it, even while performing selflessly your duty to yourself and others. I shall indicate to you today, four directives for sanctifying your lives and purifying your mind, so that you can contact God within you! Tyaja durjana samsargam (give up the company of the wicked); Bhaja sadhu samagamam (welcome the chance to be among the good); Kuru punyam ahoratram (do good deeds both day and night); Smara nityam-anityatam (discriminate and remember that which is lasting)! When one does not attempt to transform oneself thus, he is apt to blame God for his sorrows, instead of blaming his unsteady faith! He blames God because he announces himself as a devotee too soon, and expects plentiful grace. Grace cannot be claimed by such people; God must accept the devotee as his own. One has to use his talent of discrimination to sift the trash and discard it in preference to the valuable. Doing good deeds means doing selfless service to others. One has to flee from bad persons to search for and win the friendship of the good, who can cleanse us and heal us.

Atma is omnipresent. Atma is infinite. Atma is the One without a second. But, it appears as many because of the diversity of forms. Spirituality is that which recognises the One that subsumes all diversities as the Atma. Unfortunately, today there are many intellectuals who divide the One into the many. But there are very few who see the One in the many. Here is an example. We have built a mansion. In this mansion, we have one room for bath, one for cooking, another for dining and yet another for living. What is responsible for this division? There are walls in between. If you remove the walls, the mansion becomes one again. Because of the walls in between, there are different rooms with different names and forms. Similarly, the mansion of Atma is only one. Since we have created in this mansion of Atma, different rooms of the body, senses, mind, intellect, will and ego, the diversity appears. Since this divisive tendency is on the increase among mankind today there is a great need for the Guru.

The entire world of manifestation is the play of Brahma, Vishnu and Easwara. Brahma creates, Vishnu sustains and Easwara dissolves or merges. Brahma determines your next birth according to your previous karmas, whereas Vishnu sustains the creation of Brahma. A plant cannot grow of its own accord. It has to be looked after, watered and fenced. Only then it will become a big tree. In the same manner, it is not enough for the guru to merely suggest to you to recite the name of the Lord and carry on with your meditation, he has to also look after your practice and progress by giving you the necessary support and strength. The work of Easwara is to make things merge with infinity. Laya or dissolution means merging the soul with Paramatma. Easwara dissolves the individual into the Universal. Thus, the entire process consists of creation, sustenance and merger. The trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara does not represent the three gurus but relates to the same being functioning in three different directions at three different times.

There are two ways of accosting God. One is in the manner of the beginner, of the devotee who is still in the elementary stage. He praises, “Lord! You are the embodiment of mercy, you are Ananda-swarupa (embodiment of divine bliss), you are All-powerful,” and hopes thereby to win God’s Grace. But the dearer the devotee holds God, the more this distance disappears. It is just as when an acquaintance visits you, you welcome him with a handshake and smiles which are largely artificial. But when an old friend drops in, you receive him with an informal hello and show him a seat with a twinkle in your eye and warmth in your heart. In the flood of formal praise, love is mostly absent. As it happens, in dealing with the personal God, love is the preeminent requisite. Therefore, have faith, have patience and do acts of love and service. Love will be rewarded with Love a thousand-fold.

Dama means control of external organs. Sama means control of inner organs. We can understand the word Sama as signifying control of sensory organs. For one who can control his inner senses, external organs do not give any trouble and external organs easily come under control. For one who is not able to control the inner senses, external organs also cause a lot of trouble. If one gets the strong feeling that he should not see anything external to him, he will not see anything even if his eyes are open. If one is determined not to eat anything, he will not eat the food however attractive it may be. It is the inner senses that provoke the external organs. Thus controlling the inner senses is a difficult matter; but if we are able to do this, we can easily control the external aspects. For one who is born as a human being, whether he works in the worldly sphere or spiritual sphere, the control of the organs is very essential. This discipline will give all of us a lot of happiness!

If a person is always in an air-conditioned room, he can never know what coolness means. He must go, at least once, into the hot sun to realise the value of air-conditioning. No lamp can glow brightly in daylight. Night alone can reveal its value.  Many people come to Me wailing, “Swami! We are in great grief; we are suffering from deep anxiety.” When I hear these words I know what is happening to them. I never had the experience of grief or anxiety. I know that these are but dream experiences. They are not real. Some people may praise you, others may blame you; both are unreal. When a well is sunk, soil that is dug out becomes a mound by its side. Some pay attention to the pit, others to the mound. I consider both with indifference. The soil that was the well has now become soil that’s the mound. This is the eternal see-saw. The sun sets in the West and the Moon rises in the East. These dualities are part of Nature. So long as you are here, try to practise equanimity!

Charcoal is dark and signifies ignorance in the form of darkness. Fire throws light or brightness and signifies knowledge. So long as fire and charcoal are separated from each other, charcoal can only look at the fire but cannot get any of its brightness. However, when charcoal is put into the fire and brought into contact, it will also become bright and will become a part of fire. Therefore, when one comes in contact with the Divine, ignorance in the body will be removed. If we also do a little fanning, the charcoal will become fire faster. Such fanning truly is Sadhana. By sadhana, even an ignorant person can become a wise person. Realising this truth, Gopikas were near and dear to Krishna. All actions of Gopikas were intended to attain immortality but were not performed with any selfish motive. All the events that we read in the Bhagavata must be regarded as actions performed by the Gopikas with a pure and sacred heart. They regarded themselves as part of the Lord. They experienced unity in all creation. We should not take these actions in a superficial manner. Their desires were completely burnt out in the thought of the divine.

Persons who go to the Ganges to bring the holy water can take with them only as much as their containers can hold. Hence, it is essential to broaden the spiritual container in you, namely, your heart. Divinity cannot be realised by various forms of worship. They are good acts in themselves and give their appropriate rewards. But they do not promote spirituality, which consists in establishing association with it only by concentrating on the realisation of that oneness. The Divine has no birth or death and pervades every being as the witness. What is required is a transformation of the heart. All bad thoughts and feelings should be expelled from the heart. Even in the performance of bhajans there should be whole-hearted participation. It should not be a mechanical ritual. Once your heart is filled with sacred thoughts and feelings, they will be reflected in your bhajan-singing. Through your singing you should give joy to all the participants.

A nice rose flower makes us feel very happy; but by the evening, the rose fades away; and by the next morning the petals fall and then it does not generate as much happiness. In the same way, every object of beauty can only generate temporary happiness in us. We must understand carefully where we can find permanent and lasting happiness. This can only be found in the aspect of Atma and in thoughts of God. We can get permanent happiness only from things that are permanent. Out of things that are transient, we can never get happiness which is permanent. Only after experiencing permanent happiness, will we get true bliss. We cannot go on searching for bliss at all places. If we do this, it will be like going to a fish market in search of diamonds. We can find only fish in a fish market and not diamonds! Since this world is temporary and all life in it is uncertain, we cannot find permanent happiness in this world!

In whichever direction a camera is turned while its film is exposed, the resultant picture will be of the things in that direction. It depends on the turn of the lens. Similarly, the mind reflects the nature of things we are attracted to. When someone blames us, we get furious and behave madly. When someone praises us, we leap with joy and think well of the person who praises us. In either case, the reason is our emotional perturbation! We must understand the secrets of the mind and the ways in which it plays with us. We must learn to be unruffled and steady, whether we are praised or blamed. Another example: When the mind is turned towards God or goodness, it becomes human. If it is turned towards evil thoughts and wicked egoism, it becomes demonic. When we turn the key to the right, it opens the lock; when we turn it to the left, it locks it. The same key does two opposite operations, based on the direction of turning. If the mind is turned towards good thoughts, it establishes detachment. Turned towards thoughts of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, causes attachment. Attachment means bondage; detachment leads to liberation!

Prahlada knew the truth, Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagat – This world is all filled with the immanent God. He knew it by study and by experience; he knew it as an ever-present fact. So, when he was asked to frame a boon to be granted by the Lord who concretised before him, he asked neither for the revival of his father nor the restoration of his kingdom, or long life, wealth or fame; he asked for the chance of assuaging the pain and sorrow of all beings! God, he knew, was manifest as those beings and the best form of serving God was to serve those manifestations and give them relief and joy. The tongue must justify itself by sweet soothing words; the hand, by soft harmless acts. The body must be spent in upavasa – living in the constant presence of the Divine.

When people pray to God they should not seek any favours. You should not even pray for the curing of any illness, because the world is full of disease. You must feel that what is ailing numerous others is also ailing you. The world is full of wealth, houses and many other things. You must seek from God what is not readily available in the world. You do not have peace. You must pray for peace. Only the divine has peace. The Divine has been described as the very embodiment of peace in the prayer addressed to the Lord beginning with the word ‘Shantakaram.’ Nobody else except God can give you real peace. The second thing for which you must pray is Sukham (happiness). Real happiness cannot be had from others. They may give momentary worldly pleasure. But only God has enduring happiness and permanent bliss. You must pray for that bliss. God alone can give it. He is the Lord of Bliss. You must pray to God for enduring peace and bliss, and not for any earthly gifts.

Practise the attitude of offering every act at the feet of God as a flower is offered in pooja. Make every breath an offering to Him. Do not be upset by calamities; take them as acts of grace. If a man loses his hand in an accident, he must believe that it was the Lord’s Grace that saved his life. When you know that nothing happens without His sankalpa (resolve), everything that happens has a value added to it. You may be neglecting a creeper in your backyard, but, if a sage passes by and says it is a rare drug that can cure snake poison, you erect a fence around it and do not allow children to pluck its leaves even for fun! When you know that the Lord is the cause, the source of all, you deal with everyone in a humble and reverent manner. That is the path which will lead you quickly to the Goal.

In human life, there are two attitudes to the objects with which one has to deal. 1) These are things for which one is only a temporary guardian by virtue of one’s position in relation to them. 2) These are things which belong to one and which one can take along with him and use as one pleases. The latter type of relationship is called marakam. The former type is called tarakam. Men should cultivate the attitude of Tarakam, namely, that nothing belongs to them and that everything comes from God. All are gifts of God. You must treat all possessions in that spirit. You must take good care of them as long as you have the responsibility for their proper use and maintenance. That is your duty. As long as you live in the world, you have the responsibility to take care of your wife, children and possessions. But you must regard this as an obligation imposed by God. You must not get attached to them as your possessions. Most people in the world, however, are deeply attached to kinsfolk and properties. How lasting are these possessions? You can never know when you may have to leave all of them behind. Hence, the proper attitude for men is to recognise one’s duty towards others and consider everything as a gift from God.

Love for the Lord should not degenerate into fanaticism and hatred of other names and forms. Nowadays, this type of cancer is affecting even eminent men. You must avoid it. Believe that all who revere the Lord and walk in fear of sin are your brothers, your nearest kith and kin. Their outer dress or language or skin colour, or even methods they adopt to express their reverence and fear are not important at all. Sugar dolls are valued for the sugar, not the shapes they are given by the manufacturer. Their sweetness makes men purchase them; it doesn’t matter whether they are elephants, dogs, cats, rats, jackals or lions. That is a matter of individual fancy. Each is sweet, that is the essential thing. The sweetness draws the manava (man) towards Madhava (God); pravritti (external deed) towards nivritti (inner path), ananda (happiness) towards Sat-Chit-Ananda (Bliss in the awareness of the Supreme Being). When the appetite for these grows, all low desires and such hunger cease!

The one who leads a godly life experiences divine bliss. He is ever blissful. He enjoys real happiness. Hence every man should realise the truth that he is a spark of the Divine. This means that everyone should seek to experience God as the indweller in the heart. Once Arjuna was troubled in mind over the state of things around him and asked Krishna why this should happen to him when he had such faith in Krishna. Krishna then explained to him that it was not enough to remember God occasionally when one felt the need to remember him. This kind of remembrance is a matter of convenience and expediency. What is required is Anusmarana, constant remembrance. Only that will relieve the devotee of his troubles and worries. Anusmarana calls for remembrance at all times, in all situations. Krishna told Arjuna that he is thinking of God only on some occasions and for some specific purposes. This is not the proper way. “If you remember Me at all times, I am always with you,” said Krishna.

When you are immersed in the ananda (bliss) of the Lord, you are the master of all the lesser anandas also. When you dive in the sea, you must seek pearls; when you go to the Kalpavriksha (the wish-fulfilling tree), ask for the Highest Bliss. Do not crave for the smaller when the vastest is available, for just a little more effort. There is a natural craving in man to become one with the vast, the supreme, the limitless, for, in the cave of his heart, there resides the self-same Supreme. It is like the young calf pining for the cow. Each calf knows its mother. You may have a thousand calves and a thousand cows. Let loose the calves and each will find its own mother. So, too, you must know from where you get your native sustenance and support. They are available only with God, from whom you came!

The northern direction is associated with the Gods in Indian scriptures, and so, the six months (of Uttarayana, when the Sun moves northward) are considered specially suitable for sadhana and ceremonial rituals. But, I must tell you that you must be concerned more with the Sun in your inner firmament than in the depths of outer space. What is the sadhana that will send the inner Sun Godward? God is hidden and obstructed by the clouds of egoism. Getting rid of egoism is the sadhana to be practised. Learn a lesson from the tree. When it is heavy with fruits it does not raise its head aloft in pride; it bends low, and stoops, as if it does not take any credit for its accomplishment and as if it helps you to pluck the fruit. Learn a lesson from the birds. They feed those who cannot fly far; the bird relieves the itch of the buffalo by scratching it with its beak; they help and serve each other, with no thought of reward. How much more alert must man be, then, with his superior skills and faculties? Service is the best cure for egoism; so, engage in it to relieve pain and grief to the extent that you can.

Once, Totaka, Sage Shankara’s disciple asked: “Master, in this world, who can be regarded as the greatest conqueror?” Shankaracharya replied: “Only the person who acquired mastery over his senses is the greatest conqueror – not those who may conquer kingdoms, scale the Himalayas or master all knowledge.” Prahlada told his father Hiranyakashipu, “You want to conquer the three worlds, but you are failing to conquer your senses.” One who has not mastered his internal enemies like anger, hatred, etc., how can he hope to conquer his external enemies? The inner enemies can be conquered only by one means – Love! It is essential to make our life worthwhile by practising love, by subduing the six internal enemies (anger, envy etc.), and dedicating all our actions to God. The world is in turmoil. At this juncture, it is the duty of all devotees to realise the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man and counteract evil forces inflicting innumerable troubles on mankind. Resorting to the potent weapon of love, try to serve humanity and eradicate the forces of violence and unrighteousness.

Narada saw a woman, shining as a star, lost in meditation; he was amazed at the halo of splendour around her crown. Narada wondered whether he could reach that depth of experience at any time in his career. His presence awakened her and when accosted, she revealed her identity. She was Brahma-Vidya-devata (the Goddess of the science of the awareness of Reality), the truth that jnana (wisdom) reveals! Narada’s amazement was doubled by this revelation. “What need have you to meditate? Why this intense dhyana(meditation), that has silenced all Nature around you? What are you meditating on?” he asked. She declared, “I crave the supreme joy of contemplating on the Lotus Feet of Krishna; I meditate on them, making myself a Gopi, who has surrendered to Him.” Such is the sweetness derivable through that contemplation, that bhakti(devotion).

Mankind has a history of lakhs of years. But humanity is yet to realise the greatness of humanness. After all these years, man is still unable to answer the question: “What are human values?” Men study books, listen to discourses, experience gains and losses, joys and sorrows, and so on but all these do not give them a firm hold on what is permanent in life. If they had acquitted this hold they would have realised that the world is one family. The Vedas taught the concept of one human family. The Vedas declared that the Brihat (Supreme Cosmic Principle) has no limits. It is infinite. Mankind also has no bounds or barriers. In fact, there are no barriers between humanity and every other species of living beings like birds, beasts and insects, and even trees. All of them belong to a single family of living beings. In the Tree of Life, man appears in many forms – as animals, birds and insects. In all these forms he experiences his divine essence. For every man there are four mothers. The first mother is Satyam (Truth). The second mother is Dharmam (Righteousness). The third is Prema (Love). The fourth is Shanti (peace). Man must live in such a manner that he pleases all the four mothers.

Man walks with two legs: iha and para (this world and the other), Dharma and Brahman, righteousness and God! If he is totally engrossed in this world, he is choosing to travel all his life with a handicap; hopping on one leg. That is fraught with trouble; he may fall any moment and break his shin. And he does! Goodness in this world and Godliness for life after death – equal attention to both, and vigilance while taking a step, with either foot – these are essential for a happy journey through life! You must put the right foot, the Brahman step, when you enter the region of realisation. Your senses must be conquered by then. ‘Go’ means ‘senses’ and ‘Go-pi’ means the person who has subdued the senses, as a result of surrender to Go-pala, master of the Go (senses). Krishna once told Arjuna that he can enter Vrajamandala (the region where Gopis lived), only after mastering his emotions and impulses, and his tendency to yield to the senses!

#sathyasai #saibhakta #sathyasaibaba #saibaba

Sai’s wealth is pure, selfless and boundless Love. This is the truth. It is not the edifices you see that are Sai’s wealth. It is pure, selfless Love alone. You must inherit this Love, fill yourselves with it and offer it to the world. This is your supreme responsibility as Sai devotees. What is it that you can offer to the Lord who is omnipotent, omnipresent and all-knowing? The various things you offer to God are given out of delusion. Can the Lord who permeates the Universe be confined in a temple? To One who has the effulgence of a billion suns, what lamp can you light? His truth is beyond the comprehension of Brahma and Hara. How can others comprehend Him? What name can be given to One who is all things? What food can you offer to One who holds the cosmos in His stomach? You become devoted for your own sake. Whatever the name or form in which you worship the Lord, He will respond. He is the provider of everything, who fulfils every wish. Whether the devotee is one in distress or craving for some object, or a seeker or a Jnani, God responds according to the measure of his devotion.

#sathyasai #saibhakta #sathyasaibaba #saibaba

You should not be misled by the pleasures derived from possessions, position or prosperity. These are transient things, which come and go. Pain and pleasure are incidental to human existence like kith and kin. Man should endeavour to realise his true nature, experience his inherent Divinity, and not yield to the temptations of the moment. Both pain and pleasure are impostors. Man should not allow himself to be led astray by them. The Self transcends time and space. It is eternal and unchanging. Enquiry into the nature of the Self is the message of the perennial philosophy. It is also the primary duty of man. The sages declared that the body is a perishable rag-bag, teeming with ills. Giving up attachment to it, man should seek refuge in God. The five elements can affect only the body but can have no effect on the Spirit.

#sathyasai #saibhakta #sathyasaibaba #saibaba

Love is transformed into poison if hate contaminates it. Love some, but do not hate the rest, for that hate will foul the love and make it mortal. Love comes automatically to the realised soul; but, the spiritual aspirant has to cultivate it by means of service and inquiry into the unity of the Athman. Love must flow not from the tongue, or from the head only, but chiefly from the heart. You get the marks that your answers at the examination deserve, not more, not less. Sometimes, if you secure only 5 or 6 out of a total of 100, even the 5 or 6 may be cancelled and you will be assigned just a zero. For, there is not much to choose between zero and the 5 or 6 you were able to collect. But, if you get a number very near the minimum needed for a pass, the 2 or 3 that you fall short of will be added on as grace marks and you are very likely to be promoted. This is true of sadhanaalso. Poor progress in it is as bad as failure, whereas good progress will be appreciated and grace will pull you through.

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There are only two entities at first: “I” and “You”, Tat and Twam, Aham and Brahma. But a third, this Prakriti(world), has come between, or rather deludes us as being in between. You know some people who go about carrying proposals of marriage, the middlemen. They go to the bride’s parents and suggest a certain groom and they praise him to the skies and create a desire for securing him in marriage for the daughter; then they move on to the bridegroom’s village and persuade that party to insist on a large sum as marriage-settlement before agreeing to accept the daughter of the first party; when at last the marriage is concluded, they disappear. Prakriti is like this middleman. When “I” and “You” have united, Prakriti disappears. Its role is to reveal the “you” to the “I”, that is all. As a matter or fact, the “I” is of the same nature as “You,” like the river and the sea, or like the wave and the sea.

#sathyasai #saibhakta #sathyasaibaba #saibaba

With the help of the mind, man can rise from the level of human to the highest level of Divinity. But he can also descend to animal nature or demonic level. Once you turn the mind towards worldly objects it tends to become animal and demonic in nature. If the mind is turned upwards towards God and freed from thought processes, it tends to merge with nirguna, nirakara and becomes liberated. The most important reason for bondage is giving too much freedom to the mind. For example, when an animal is tethered to a post, it will not be able to go to another place and cause trouble. It will not be able to show anger, violence or do harm to anyone. But if it is let loose, it can roam over various fields, destroy crops and cause loss and harm to others. It will get beaten for the mischief done by it. Similarly, mind must be bound by certain regulations and limits. So long as man lives within certain limits and disciplines, rules and regulations, he will be able to maintain a good name and lead a happy and useful life.

#sathyasai #saibhakta #sathyasaibaba #saibaba

The Upanishads say that thunder teaches Da, Da, Dha. Daya (compassion) to ogres, Dama (self-control) to Gods and Dharma to men. Now, since man is all three – part ogre, part god, part man – he must practice all three himself; Daya (be kind to all), dama (be the master of your mind and the senses) and dharma (be constantly alert on the path of right) – that is the advice given from the sky in the voice of the thunder. The journey of every man is towards the cemetery; every day brings you nearer to the moment of death. So, do not delay the duty you must carry out for your own lasting good. Recognise that you are Shiva (God), lest you become a shava (corpse); that will save you from further deaths. The very first thing you must do to impress upon your mind the reality is to recite the Name of God and dwell on His Glory in the mind so that the tongue will not stray into lesser topics or the mind drag you away into inferior fields!

#sathyasai #saibhakta #sathyasaibaba #saibaba

Only by worshipping the principle of Omkara, we can get rid of births. Only when we get rid of the births, can we get rid of Karma or action. Only when we get rid of action, will we be free from the delusion that the world is real. When we are rid of delusion, then we will also be free from the illusion of maya. And only when we are free of maya will we be free from sorrow. And when we are free from sorrow, we will be able to reach the Paratatva, the transcendent principle. This may also be described as Paramatma (the Supreme Soul). Because the Atma in the individual attains and merges in the transcendental (Para), it is called Paramatma. When the tendencies of the mind merge with the Paratatva, it takes the form of Paramatma. Jivatma and Paramatma are not two different entities. The characteristic of Jivatma is to waste life in worldly things and associate the mind with this phenomenal world. This is the externalised vision, which is full of illusion and delusion. If you turn your mind inward, it will be free from delusion. When it is associated with delusion, it is Jiva Tatva. When it is free from delusion and illusion, then it is one with the Paramatma Tatva.

#sathyasai #saibhakta #sathyasaibaba #saibaba