Introduction
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From 337 - 378
337
I HAD to tell you so much about My Truth, for I
desire that you should contemplate on this and derive joy from the reform, so
that you may be inspired to observe the disciplines laid down by Me and progress
towards the Goal of Self-realisation, the Realisation of the Sai that shines in
your hearts.
338
IF each one does his duty in the spirit of
dedication, the Light can illumine all, but if the doors of the heart are shut
against the Light, how can darkness disappear? You cannot sit back and expect
the Incarnation to bring Peace and Joy into you. The Incarnation comes to warn,
to guide, to awaken, to lay down the path and shed the light of Love on it. But
man has to listen, learn and obey with hope and faith.
339
THE deer, the elephant, the cow, the horse - these
live on Sathvic food and behave in a Sathvic manner. So they are adored and even
worshipped by man. Tigers, bears, hyenas and other wild animals are feared by
man and are driven by him into the dark recesses of the forests. The wonder is
that the wildness, the cruelty and the terror-inflicting attributes of these
beasts are developed and exhibited by man himself! Man prides himself as the
crown of creation, he declares that he has in him the spark of the Divine. But
he ignores it or suppresses it and revels in displaying the qualities of the
ferocious beasts of the jungle.
340
THE ocean is a vast mystery. It is boundless and as
old as time. It has in its womb chaotic whirlpools, raging currents, and it has
a face with furious moods. No one can hope to sail over it from one shore to
another without a sturdy boat of Divine Grace to cross the raging Ocean of this
"Samsara" (ever-changing, ever-agitated flow of life). This ocean too is vast
and full of mystery; it has its unplumbed depths! It tosses man about from birth
to death and again from death to birth.
341
TO equip oneself with the Ocean-worthy boat of
Grace, one has to develop in himself the qualities of Faith and Discipline. One
has to clarify and purify the inner Consciousness, the "Chitta". Time is the
Gift that God has blessed man with, for this purpose. So man should use it as an
instrument for the clarification and the purification. Contemplating the Glories
of God, discovering His Presence in Beauty, Goodness and Truth seen anywhere,
meditating on His Form, repeating His Name - by these means the process can be
made successful.
342
TO achieve release, man kneels before a million
Gods, in frantic pain. If he but blasts the ego within, the goal is reached, he
is freed indeed! It is difficult indeed to understand the ego in its depth and
devious ways. It is an inert entity; that is to say, it cannot know itself nor
can it know others. It has no fear; it will not bend before others; it degrades
man from the golden glory, which is his due, to the level of lowly dust.
343
THE best way to resolve the confusion and conflicts
that hamper moral, ethical, material, technological and spiritual progress is
for man to live as fully as man ought to and rise to the height of the Divine,
that is his Reality. That is the one eternal, universal teaching. The thoughts
that the intellect frames, must be reflected as feeling in the mind and
translated into action by the hands. Thought, word and deed must be coordinated.
They must fulfill one another. The sign of a holy person of Mahatma is "Manasayekam,
Vachasyekam, Karmanekam", "One mind, one word, one act".
344
SATHYA and Dharma go together; they are the two
faces of the same coin. "Sathyam-naasthi Paro Dharmah", "There is no Dharma
higher than Sathya. Righteousness is built on the foundation of Truth".
345
WORDS can confer strength; they can drain it off;
Words can gain friends; they can turn them into enemies; words can elevate or
lower the individual. One must learn the habit of making one's words sweet,
soft, and pleasant. A person is judged by his words; words inflict damage in
other ways too. Whenever we talk disparagingly, defamingly, sarcastically or
hatefully of others, they get recorded on the tape, which is our own mind.
346
DIAMOND and gold are only material things; man has
made them precious. But, man is really the most valuable being on earth. He has
recognised his uniqueness and importance for, he declares, "Janthoonaam
narajanmam durlabham". In spite of the awareness, man desecrates himself by
bartering himself for trivial pleasures.
347
WE have a feeling that "Ananya Bhakti" consists in
surrendering to God, saying "I have no Saviour other than you". We think that
simply by declaring "You are mother, you are father, you are friend; you are my
saviour, Oh God of Gods", we have surrendered and are practicing "Ananya Bhakti".
Real "Ananya Bhakti" comes from deep inquiry into the Reality of the Inner Self.
348
THE World today is in a very bad state. The
situation can improve only through Asthikas, who are believers in Divinity. They
should become Prema Swaroopas or Embodiments of Love and by their Sadhana,
backed by patience, forbearance and compassion, play their role in serving
Society and contributing to the betterment of the World. God is present in you
and is visualizing through thousands of eyes what you do. Even when no one is
seeing, God is watching your actions always. Do everything with this awareness.
349
WHEN clouds gather in the sky, lightning appears
and illuminates the cloud. Similarly, "Wisdom must illuminate Education". This
word of SAI is the path of Truth. Smaller than the smallest atom, bigger than
the biggest thing, witness of everything, the Atma is Brahman and Brahman is "Atma".
350
THERE are three types of knowledge: Knowledge of
matter-energy; knowledge of mental energy; and knowledge of cosmic energy.
Cosmic energy works in every person in the form of Divine knowledge. Matter in
all forms is only Energy. Without atoms, you cannot have any matter, and in the
atom, energy has the form of electron, proton, neutron, etc. Energy springs from
the structure of the atomic constituents.
351
MAN does not live by food alone. In fact he lives
by the power of the Atma. So you must use your strength of body and mind, wealth
and education with intelligence, in order to realise the Power of the Soul.
Without discrimination, what is the use of physical strength?
352
ILLNESS, both physical and mental, is a reaction of
the body, caused by poisons in the mind. An uncontaminated mind alone can ensure
continuous health. Vice breeds disease. Bad thoughts and habits, bad company and
bad food are fertile grounds where disease thrives. "Arogya" and "Ananda" go
hand in hand. A sense of elation and exultation keeps the body free from ill
health. Evil habits in which men indulge are the chief causes of disease,
physical as well as mental. Greed affects the mind; disappointment makes man
depressed. Man can justify his existence as man, only by the cultivation of
virtues. Then he becomes a worthy candidate for Godhood.
353
THE God ward path is Karma, based on Dharma. That
is the path also towards joy, contentment and, therefore, of strength. Now, the
path has become hidden by an overgrowth of briar and bush; the bridges and
culverts are in disrepair. People have forgotten the goal, the path and the
habit of walking on it. That road is the only refuge; it must be trodden
tomorrow, if not today, for the goal lies at the end of that road. It was laid
down, centuries ago in the Vedas, beyond the memory of history. "Sathyam Vada",
"Dharmam Chara": the Vedas call on you.
354
MAN is basically, essentially and fully immortal.
He is "Amruthaswarupam" yet he is afraid he would die! He is "Anandaswarupa";
yet he weeps that he is miserable. He is Santhiswarupam; yet everywhere he is
overlaid with anxiety. This absurd self-deception is the root of the tragedy
from which the World suffers today.
355
ALL Religions exhort man to cleanse the heart of
malice, greed, hate and anger. All Religions hold out the gift of Grace as the
prize for success in this cleaning process. Ideas of superiority and inferiority
arise only in a heart corrupted by egoism. If someone argues that he is higher
or that his Religion is holier, it proves that he has missed the significance of
his faith.
356
SACRIFICE, service, sharing in the exaltation of
others, and compassion when others suffer grief are virtues that purify and
prepare the individual to the arduous task of reaching the Goal. Expand the
limited awareness of the individual into the limitless realm of Divine Glory -
that has been the call, down the corridors of Time.
357
FOR each person, there is a Code of Conduct laid
down in the Shastras, according to age and status, the profession adopted, the
stage of spiritual attainment reached and the goal of life accepted. Do not carp
at the behaviour of others or at the efforts they make to get consolation and
courage amidst the turmoil of life. For each there is the path that he has
chosen and the Name and the Form of God he prefers. Also do not give up your
Code of duties and take up that which is recommended for someone else.
358
DELUSION has to die; then only does the cycle of
change end, then only is man liberated from the bonds of birth, life and death.
Call it "reaching the Goal", or "Sayujyam" or "Brahmasaakshaathkaaram", or "Aikyaanubandhaanam"
or "becoming one with the Infinite" - the Names may differ but the Finish is the
same. Every mortal must attain Immortality; for he is "Amruthasya Puthra", a
child of Immortality.
359
IT is much easier to speak the Truth and be done
with it. What you have seen or heard or done, speak about these just as you saw
or heard or did! And what is Dharma? Practicing what you preach, doing as you
practice in life. Earn virtuously; earn piously; live in the fear of God; live
for reaching God. That is Dharma.
360
THE Five Elements have each a characteristic that
affects and attracts one of the five senses: Sound (ether) which fascinates the
mind through the air; Touch (Air), which draws the mind to itself through the
skin; Form (fire), which manipulates the mind in its favour through the eye;
Taste (Water), which enslaves the mind through the tongue; and Smell (Earth),
which attracts the mind through the nose. Contact with the external world is
maintained by the senses, for the sake of these experiences which yield joy or
grief.
361
THE symbol on the Flag at Prasanthi Nilayam is a
reminder of this ideal, which you have to put into practice. It is the symbol of
Victory, achieved by steady endeavour over the diabolic foes of lust and greed,
of envy and hate and of malice and conceit. It is the symbol of the silent state
of the Supreme Bliss, won through Self-control and Self-realisation.
362
THERE is not the slightest trace of self-interest
in Me. Whatever I do, whatever paths I pursue, everything is intended for the
happiness of all, for the good of all, and for the improvement of all. Not a
single action of Mine is undertaken for the satisfaction of My own personal
desires. Desire is something alien to Me. All My wishes are only to promote the
welfare of the World. "Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavanthu" is the only objective of
SAI (May all the World be happy).
363
SAI'S main purpose is to develop the minds and
attitudes of young men on right lines, so that they may work for the progress
and welfare of Bharath. Students are the only wealth that I cherish. All My
hopes are concentrated on them. To reform them and train them to serve as
exemplars of righteousness is Sai's sole resolve.
364
I DO not have any particular desire with regard to
food or any other need. My "Ananda" is My food; and to secure that food I
promote happiness in others and derive delight from their joy. That is the
significance of My statement, "My Life is My Message". To feel blissful enjoying
the happiness which others experience, is a quality of the Divine.
365
YOU come to know that you are a spark of the Divine
Flame. Very soon, you realise that others too are sparks from the self-same fire.
How then can hate, anger, envy or greed survive in the Sunlight of the Vision?
366
CHANGE your Vision and the world will appear
accordingly. Let the eye be charged with the Divine, it will see all as God. It
is foolish to try to shape the World; shape yourself as the embodiment of Peace,
Love and Reverence. Then you will see all as Love, Compassion and Humility.
367
YOU are the image of the Supreme Atma, the image
that is reflected in the body that is part of "Prakriti". Your body is Kith and
Kin of all the objects that surround you in nature; your body is an object among
so many. The original Divine spirit, the individualized spirit, which is the
image and the objective world of which the body is a part - these are the
entities called Iswara - Jiva - Prakriti.
368
IT IS not enough you are at Puttaparthi. You have
to engage in Sadhana to win My Sankalpa. You may think that the burden of the
consequences of acts done in previous births cannot be easily brushed away; no,
they can be destroyed, as a heap of cotton is by a spark of fire. "Jnanagni
dagdha karmanam", the speck of Jnana will destroy the effect of Karma in a trice.
369
DO not jump to conclusions, abdicating your
discrimination and do not deny the validity of your own experience. Stand on
your strength. Be unmoved, either by adulation or denigration. Follow My lead. I
am unaffected by either; I march on alone, undeterred and of My own accord. I am
My own Guide and Witness; have full faith in this.
370
TODAY, man dabbles in Yoga (devotional practices)
in the morning hours; revels in Bhoga (festivity and luxury, catering to the
senses) during the day; and tosses about in roga (disease) during the night!
Bhakti is not to be "performed" during certain periods every day and superseded
by other fashionable attractions. Bhakthi is a constant, continuous bent of mind,
a habit of thought and a way of life. It must be loyally adhered to, whatever
may happen - dishonour, distress, despair, deprivation, pleasure, prosperity,
power and pomp.
371
MAN seeks joy in far off places and peace in quiet
spots; but the spring of joy is in his heart; the haven of peace is in himself.
Even when he walks on the Moon, man has to take with him, his fears, his
anxieties, his prejudices and his pet aversions. Have faith in God and in the
correctness of moral living. Then you can have peace and joy, whatever may be
the fare that fortune offers you.
372
THE parents gave you this body and fostered the
intelligence and love that are embedded in it; so gratitude is their due. If you
do not honour the parents who are the creators in human form, how can you learn
to honour the Creator in Divine Form? Moreover, the parents reveal to you the
glory of God and the means of worshipping Him; they are the first
representatives of authority which you meet with, authority modified by love and
care. Learn to bend before that authority; and you will learn how to submit to
the Lord.
373
POEMS, that deal with the fundamental problems of
life and death, truth and delusion, and virtue and vice, will last for centuries
and will help man at all times. Problems of exterior living change and get
changed. So when poems deal with them, they are short-lived. "Prakriti" and "Paramathma",
Creation and Creator are like two halves of a pulse: and seedling sprouts from
between them.
374
YOU have it in your power to make your days on
Earth a path of flowers, instead of thorns. Recognise the Sai Resident in every
heart and all will be smoothness, softness and sweetness for you. Sai will be
the fountain of Love in your heart and in the hearts of all with whom you come
in contact. Know that Sai is Omnipresent and that He is present in you and every
living being. Adore everyone as you adore Sai.
375
THE span of life allotted to man is very short; the
World in which he lives is very wide; time extends far behind and far beyond.
What little man has to accomplish must be done quickly, at the place that is
assigned to him and within the time that is allotted to him. And, man has such a
formidable task before him; it is to fulfill it that he has come as man,
exchanging for this human habitat all the merit he has acquired during many past
lives. The task is no less than the manifestation of the Divinity latent in man.
376
RISE up to the Divine, don't bring down Godhead to
your human and even animal levels. Do not worship God as the picture before you,
but worship the picture before you as God, because God is in everything and can
be grasped through every single symbol. There is nothing wherein He is not;
there is no might or right, apart from Him.
377
SNAKES hiss; pigs grunt; and bulls moo! They are
asserting their ego, intent on keeping others away. Of the traits of ego, pride
is the most poisonous. But the pride of the scholar and the vanity of Pundits
are so thick that it is impossible for them to get rid of these.
378
GOD is the vastest among the vast, minutest among
the minute. Yet, God has no ego. How then can man, who has no claim to even the
tiniest glory, parade himself as great? It is really a ridiculous pose. The
egoist ignores the source which can bring respect to him. He loses the chance of
developing his skills and talents on the right lines.
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