Introduction
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From 211 - 252
211
IF a school has poor discipline and if its students are led away by self-seekers into the wilderness, the fault lies on the parents, elders and the Committee of management. The Committee often is only a "Come-for-Tea" affair.
212
HOWEVER superfine the paper, however artistic the envelope and however poetic the composition of the letter, it will not reach the addressee by post when it lacks the 50 paise stamp! So too the trappings, vestures, shawls, moles and rosaries are ineffective; they cannot reach the addressee - God. What will take their prayers to the addressee is the 50 paise stamp: dedication or Bhakti.
213
I WANT each one of you to grow into a strong, steady and straight person. Your eyes should not seek evil sights; your ears should not seek evil tales; your tongue should not seek evil speech; your hands should not seek evil acts; your minds should not seek evil thoughts. Be pure and be full of Love. Help those who are in a worse condition and serve those who need your help.
214
GOD appears in human form; He promotes pasture of cattle and agriculture in order that the food must sustain the Head and render it intelligent and clear enough to realise God. The body has to be nourished for the sake of the Head, so that "Jnana” can be attained and Liberation gained. Food-Head-God: this is the chain of events.
215
MOST of the names of the Divine have but two letters or syllables; the significance of the number two, Rama, Krishna, Hara, Hari, Datta, Shakti, Kali etc., is that the first syllable represents Agni (Fire principle), which burns up accumulated demerit or sin; and the second represents the Amrita principle, the restorative, refreshing and the reformation force. The two processes are necessary for the removal of obstructions and the construction of the structure.
216
WHEN you live in the World of desire, you must be prepared for both Joy and Grief. Invite the Minister Boga, and along with him you must be prepared for the visit of his Private Secretary Roga! On the other hand, invite the Minister Thyaga or his colleague Yoga, and you will be happy to receive their Private Secretary Boga who plays a minor role in the presence of his Master.
217
MAAM anusmara - with Me in memory ever! Do not distinguish this task as Bhajan, or Bhojan (eating) or Pujan (adoration of God). All acts are Pujan, for he, eaten by Him, for His sake to yield strength for His work, gives food. Each moment is worthwhile, for He gives it; He uses it; He fills it; He fashions it; and He fulfills it. When He is fused with every breath, you can achieve the sovereign task of merging in Him.
218
BHAKTI is not to be calculated on the basis of the institutions one has started or helped, the temples that one has built or renovated, the donations one has given away; nor does it depend on the number of times one has written the Name of the Lord or on the time and energy one has spent in the worship of the Lord. These are not vital at all; no, not even secondary. Bhakti is Prema, unsullied by any tinge of desire for the benefit that flows from it or the fruit of consequence of that Love.
219
GOD is as eager to save you, as you are eager to be saved; He is Prema, He is Karuna, for all who flounder on the road. He is called "Bhakta - Abhista - Prada" (He who grants the desires of the Devotees). You say that I laugh within Myself, that I roll my hair on My fingers and draw them right over My face, but let me say why? A sign of My "Ananda" is the success of the Bhaktas in capturing My heart.
220
THE human body has been secured as a reward for many lives of meritorious activity. Being valued as a boat, which can help us cross the ocean of change "Samsara", it has to be tended with grateful reverence. The Bhagavad Gita calls the body "Kshetra", which means "a field"; one can sow holiness or sin and gather a harvest commensurate with the particular quality. Choose the crop that you need before you sow the seeds.
221
THE bird, in the physical cage wherein man is imprisoned, is always, from the moment of birth to the moment of death, chirping "Soham” declaring "Jiva and Deva are One". It is this affirmation that is the justification for the gift of life. When that chirp does not emanate from the breath, the body is a corpse: Savam! When it manifests, illumines and fills the cage with the "Divine Fragrance", it is a Tabernacle: Sivam! Identify yourselves with the Mantra, the bird chirps and the breath repeats.
222
THE Vedavids marked three stages in the Life of man and assigned one aspect of God to preside over each stage. The first, where man is deep in activity of some sort or other in Karma, is presided over by Vasu. The second, under the protection of Rudra, is filled with reverential worship of the God in all, discovered through the impact of Love. The third is the stage of Jnana, the supreme Wisdom, presided over by the Source of illumination, Adithya or the Sun.
223
THE World is a furnace and a factory where man has to shape his destiny by his honest, untiring effort. He, who takes up this challenge and spends his allotted years and the skills and intelligence with which he is endowed, in purposeful activity, is really entitled to the status of a KARMA YOGI.
224
DUTY is God; Work is Worship; and there is a dictum: "Heads in the Forest; Hands in Society"; Do deeds that are holy and beneficial, untarnished by ego and the greed to benefit. Start on the sacred pilgrimage to the Divine Goal and make every minute of your life holy and purposeful. Then surely, this Earth, your field of work, will be transformed into a Karmakshetra and a Dharmakshetra.
225
A DEVOTEE once lamented, saying, "Oh God! You have forgotten me"! This is never possible; it is the devotee who forgets that he is the child of God, that God is his never failing friend and guide. God is all knowledge, all power, and all mercy. Faith in God has to be constant and firm in the face of every challenge by fate or fortune.
226
A PERSON might appear poor, distressed, and depressed to ordinary mortals; he might not have the exterior demonstration of devotion, but God could be ever installed in his heart, guiding and guarding him. He might be doing all acts as acts of worship to the God residing in his heart.
227
WE, who are crossing the ocean of Samsara (the chain of birth and death), need to cultivate the art of swimming through "Bhagavath Chinthana" (Meditation of God). However learned we may be, if we do not have this training and cultivation, we are bound to sink. Life is a boat which enables us to cross the ocean of Samsara with the aid of Meditation on God.
228
WHEN you spend your hours in thoughts about God, you are also free from
evil ways. You will not be tempted to abuse others or harm them in any way.
You live in Love, accepting all the events as His gifts. Homes such as yours
are, really speaking, Heavens on earth; the Joy that bubbles in your hearts
is the symbol of Vaikunta; the earnestness
and care that you evince in your work is the sign of Kailas, the abode of
Siva. Hearts dedicated to these ideals are indeed "golden".
229
WE cannot describe God in the vocabulary learnt upon the Earth. We have to experience the Bliss of realising Him as the core of our being. Man is endowed with a sense of wonder and awe, the sense which makes him either a participant (Karma Yoga), an inquirer into the mystery (Gnana Yoga) or a devout adorer (Bakthi Yoga).
230
EVERYDAY before you begin work, pray to God for a few minutes at least; and, at the end of the day, when the work is over, gather in some consecrated spot, a temple or mandir and offer grateful thanks to the Lord, singing His name and meditating on His Majesty. That will make you real Karma Yogins, even heroes of the Karma Path.
231
ONE does not have to search for spiritual power, going around the World and spending a lot of money. Be in your own house, develop it in yourself, such spiritual power in you! You do not have to run for it here and there. God is not external; God is not outside you; God is inside you. You are not a man, you are God yourself. You are not one person, but three; the one you think you are (physical); the one others think you are (mental); and the one you really are. Do not be under the delusion that God is somewhere and you have to search for Him; God is in you.
232
PARENTS and teachers can earn My Grace only by becoming good and worthy examples to their sons and daughters, or their wards and students. You claim to have devotion to Me, but you must examine and discover whether I am pleased with you. You must examine yourselves every moment, whether you are observing the discipline I have laid down and the program of service I have marked out. That is the way to earn My Love. Love others and serve them; then you can win My Love.
233
YOU will see the day when the Chitravati sands alone cannot accommodate the gatherings that assemble here from all parts of the World; when the sky alone can provide a roof for them all. Many hesitate to believe that things will improve, that life for all will be happy and full of joy, that the Golden Age will ever recur. Let me assure you that this Dharmaswarupa has not come in vain; it will succeed in averting the crisis that has come upon Humanity.
234
WHEN the Dharma of the Age is laid aside to establish it anew, through loving means; when the World is polluted by conflict and confusion, to restore the path of virtue and peace; when good men caught in cruel coils wail, to save them from pain and shame; when sacred texts are not grasped aright, to proclaim the message they teach mankind; to relieve the earth of the burden of Vice, to fulfill the promise made in the Tretha Age; Achutha has incarnated on this earth; Vasudeva, Srihari, has come into the World.
235
GOD alone is eternal; man is a momentary flash, a tiny wave that rises and falls. So, fill yourselves with vast thoughts, magnificent ideas, indefinable splendour, by reciting the names of God, names that describe HIM to your receptive Consciousness. That is the main discipline for this Age.
236
REMEMBERING the Lord by means of His name
is enough to save man. The Lord is
"Anandamaya"; He is also "Ananda". That "Ananda"
is to be tasted through the Name. It is "Sath-Chith-Ananda".
You may doubt whether such a small raft
as Rama, or Sai or Krishna can take you across the
boundless sea of Samsara. People cross vast oceans
on a tiny raft; they are able to walk through dark
jungles with a tiny lamp in their hands. The name or
even the Pranava ,which is smaller, has vast potentialities.
The raft need not be as big as the sea!
237
DO not fret against the rules and regulations
which the Organisation imposes on you; they
are laid down for your own good. Regulation is the
every essence of creation. The oceans observe their
limits. Wind and fire respect their limits and bonds.
The human body has to maintain its warmth at 98.4ø
F. in order to be healthy; the heart has to beat a
definite number of times a minute. How, then, can
this Organisation escape the prescription of certain
rules and regulations?
238
THE same Divine compassion that blessed Dharma, saved Gajendra, restored Kuchela and stood by Prahalada, has come to the Earth as the Refuge of the refugees; as the Lord of Peace, Harmony and Righteousness; as the Lord of all the Worlds; as the Sath-Chith-Anandamurthi; and as the Puttaparthi Sathya Sai, Sath-Chakravarthi, the King of Kings.
239
THE Avatar is Atmasakthi that has put on the raiment of Kriyasakthi and Yogasakthi. Generally, Avatar or the process of Incarnation is described as a "coming down" from a higher status to a lower one. But, no! When the baby in the cradle weeps, wails and clamours for help, the mother stoops and takes it up in her arms; her stoop is not to be described as a "coming down". If you earn the necessary credentials, the Incarnation will come and save you. If, on the other hand, you multiply your demerits and descend lower and lower, how can you be saved?
240
SAI only reflects your mind. He has no prejudices or preference. He is a mirror wherein you can see yourselves as you really are. In order to correct their mistakes and remove your faults, I sometimes have to use harsh words; but you may be rest assured that My sole aim is to turn you to better ways. I have no anger in Me. It is the inner compassion which takes the other form of anger.
241
YOU think that Sai Baba is comfortably sleeping in the Mandir. Do you know where I find happiness? I am happy when I am with you. That is the reason why I declare "My Life is My Message". I am consistently engaged in some work or another at all hours. I do not get attached to anything nor do I need to detach Myself from anything. I am ever in full Ananda.
242
EGOISM is a thorny bush which, when planted and fostered in one's heart, makes one pay the penalty. Egoism makes enemies of fast friends and rains many good causes and projects, for it does not allow two good men to work together. Grief follows it like a shadow. Where there is no ego - joy, peace, courage, cooperation and love flourish. When man is aware that the same Divine consciousness that motivates him is equally motivating all others, then Love ousts the ego into the background and takes charge of man's activities, words and thoughts.
243
OVERCOME by inner foes, how can man succeed in overwhelming the outer foes? Burdened with sloth and dullness, how can he achieve wisdom? Prompted by passion, how can he cultivate devotion? Balance and equanimity alone can confer peace and harmony.
244
NARA and Narayana, man and God, are like
iron and magnet. God, by His very nature, attracts
man near, for in man there is the Divine.
When the magnet fails to attract the iron piece, we
sometimes conclude that the magnet has lost its
power. The real fact however is, that the piece of iron
is too thickly covered by rust and dust. Thus, man (the
iron) does not realise his own defect, but rushes to
blame God (the magnet) and even to deny Him.
245
REVERE Jnana as you revere your father; adore love as you adore your mother; move fondly with Dharma, as if it is your own brother; confide in Daya, as if it is your dearest friend; have "Shantam" as your better half; treat "Sahana", fortitude, as if it is your own beloved son. These are your genuine kith and kin. Move with them; do not forsake or neglect them.
246
HOLD all your property and wealth in trust for the Lord who gave them to you; even your family you must treat as a sacred trust, as persons given to you by the Lord to love, foster and guide. Thus, you must elevate your attachment into worship and make it an instrument for spiritual progress.
247
YOU come to Puttaparthi, secure a picture, and taking it home, begin worshipping it every day or every Thursday; but, all that is simply "Sathkarma", good activity. They will not take you far. You must also develop "Sathguna", virtues, good habits, good attitudes, good characteristics and a good character. Otherwise, our life is a chain of pluses and minuses, one canceling the other out, totaling up to a mere zero.
248
DEVOTION towards God goes ill with hatred towards fellow-men. Fellow-men and the World must be seen ever in the mirror of "Sath-Chith-Ananda". Kinship based on this recognition alone will last. That is the Sai kinship. When you deepen that kinship, the true presence, the constant presence of Sathya Sai will be yours. Do not be led, away by your fancies into the jungle of words and feelings. Be firm, true to your inner-most nature.
249
THERE are many Trusts operating in this country and in others beyond the seas. I wish to emphasis that the Sathya Sai Trusts have to shine forth among them all by their special characteristics. They must be based on mutual trust and cooperation built on the actual experience of the One-ness of all. There is no room here for egoistic poses, compulsory tactics, greed for power, recrimination and jealousy.
250
GOD too is a reality, ever present in us and in every being; but we miss Him, as we miss the movement of the earth. We have to infer God through proofs and evidences of His Providence, His grace, His Majesty and His Glory, just as we infer the movements of the Earth, the Moon and the Stars by watching the sky, the seasons and the precise procession of day and night. We cannot describe God in the vocabulary learnt on the earth.
251
HUMAN desire is illimitable and without end. It makes you pursue the mirage in the desert; it makes you build castles in the air; it breeds discontent and despair once you succumb to it. But develop the thirst for Krishna; you discover the cool-spring of Ananda within you. Krishna-nama makes you very strong and steady; it is sweet and sustaining.
252
SIVOHAM, Sivoham - was the exclamation that rose from the Souls that knew the Truth in a flash of illumination, after long years of cleansing the mind through the process of "Tapas". "I am Siva, Siva am I". Though called by many names and recognised in many forms, the Divine Principle is one, without a second. It is "Sivam" and it is latent in each being, including Man.
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