April

Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 1st, 2006.
Spirituality does not mean performance of ritualistic worship. It calls for the removal of the animal traits in man. Only then will sacred feelings arise in him. Regard all beings as children of God. Bear no ill-will towards anyone. It is because of hatred and ill-will that mankind is plunged in violence and bloodshed. Vices like lust, anger, envy and pride are the outcome of external influences like improper food and associations. They do not arise from within. Qualities like love, compassion, consideration for others arise from within one's self. These are human values. Forgetting these values, men are leading an animal existence. This is wrong. Men should lead lives in keeping with their human estate.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 2nd, 2006.
The Vedas have infinite depth of meaning. All may not be able to comprehend the inner meaning of the Vedic teachings. The earth's gravitational force existed even before it was discovered by Newton after rigorous experimentation. Similarly, the eternal truths hidden in the Vedas were perceived by the Rishis (seers) after intense penance and Sadhana (spiritual austerities). Unless one practises their teachings, one can never get happiness or peace. In order to realize the Divine, you have to practise the precepts prescribed in the Vedas. No doubt, even listening to the recitation of the Vedas is itself capable of purifying your mind and elevating you to a higher level. For, it is Shabdha Brahman (God embodied as sound). If you ruminate over it and practise it in your life, you can imagine the magnitude of the bliss you will attain.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 3rd, 2006.
In the tree of every man's life, there is the fruit of love. To enjoy this fruit, the rind that covers it has to be removed at the outset. The seeds in the fruit have also to be removed. Only then the sweet juice in the fruit can be enjoyed. For the fruit of the tree of life, the rind is Ahamkara (egoism). The seeds in that fruit are the selfish interests of man. Only when the ego and selfishness are eliminated, the sweet juice of love can be experienced. This nectarine love is Brahman (Divinity). It confers immortality on man and fills him with Divine bliss. Men today are unable to grasp the meaning of this Love Principle. It is essentially Divine in its nature. Love is God; live in Love.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 4th, 2006.
The mind can act as a bridge leading man from the tangible to the intangible, from the personal to the impersonal. Cleanse the mind and mould it into an instrument for loving thoughts, for expansive ideas. Cleanse the tongue and use it to speak words that foster fearlessness and friendship. Cleanse the hands; let them desist from injury and violence. Let them help and heal, lead and guide. This is the highest Sadhana (Spiritual exercise).
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 5th, 2006.
To get Santhosha and Shanti (happiness and peace) you must develop a pure, unsullied mind, devoid of egoism and its brood - lust, greed, envy, anger and hatred. For this, you must seek Sathsang (good company), perform Sathkarma (good deeds), entertain only Sathchintana (good thoughts) and read Sathgranthas (ennobling books). You may see a thousand good things or listen to a thousand good words or read a thousand good books - but, unless you put at least one teaching into practice, the blemishes in the mirror of your heart will not be wiped off, and the Lord cannot be reflected therein.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 6th, 2006.
There is no penance greater than cultivating Shanti (stillness of the mind). It is the ornament that adorns saints and it is what everyone yearns for in his heart. Saint Thyagaraja sang that there is no comfort or happiness without peace - "Shanthamu leka soukhyamu ledhu." Sukham (the state of happiness) is like heaven. The pleasures derived by the senses from worldly objects are transient, while real happiness lies in experiencing the bliss of the Inner Self. People are unhappy because of Thrishna, the insatiable thirst for worldly pleasures. Man is deluded by the trivial pleasures of the world, and is filled with greed and lust. This is the main obstacle on the spiritual path. It is the nature of desires to multiply endlessly. The only way to overcome misery or grief is to put a curb on desires.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 7th, 2006.
We must learn to chant the sweet name of Lord Sri Rama with a pure, unsullied heart, in a spirit of selfless devotion. Men should learn to speak sweetly and pleasingly. This is the means to earn peace and attain self-realization. Lord Sri Rama loves to dwell in the hearts of men who speak sweetly. Chanting the name of Rama even once with whole-hearted devotion can destroy mountains of sin. It should emanate from the depths of the heart. You must seek to redeem your lives, by living up to Rama's ideals and proclaiming them to the world. Remember the name of Rama with love. God can be realized only through love and by no other means.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 8th, 2006.
Everyone must learn the secret of happiness which consists in refusing to shed tears for anything less than God. You have won this chance, this unique good fortune of being able to get darshan of Sai. Plunging deep in to the waters of this tumultuous ocean of Samsara (worldly existence), you have heroically emerged from the depths with this rare pearl in your hands - the grace of Sai. Do not allow it to slip from your clasp and thus lose that precious treasure. Hold on to it firmly. Pray that you may have it forever and be filled with the joy it confers.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 9th, 2006.
Service to man is more valuable than what you call "service to God." God has no need of your service. Please man, and you please God. The Vedas sing of God as having a thousand heads, thousand eyes and thousand feet. That is to say, all beings are He; they are not distinct from Him. Note that it is not said that He has a thousand hearts, for, there is but one heart. Each being is a limb in the body of God. When you tend to the limb, you tend to the individual; similarly, when you serve man, you serve God.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 10th, 2006.
The mind is but a pattern of desires, a composite of the warp and woof of plans and resolutions. It has immense potentiality to create manifold images. Imagination hides the truth, it fogs the intellect, perverts the vision and deviates the aspirant from the spiritual path. Desire creates a mirage, it imposes beauty and clothes things with desirability. To escape from the clutches of desire, which gives birth to the brood of anger, hatred, malice, greed, envy, faction, falsehood, etc., one has to cleanse his consciousness by prayer and Sathkarma (noble activity). Seva (selfless service) is the best Sadhana (spiritual endeavour) for eliminating the nefarious pull of the mind towards desires.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 11th, 2006.
The dog will stop barking at its own reflection in the stream, when it knows that it is not another dog but itself. All are reflections of ourselves, and so, whom are we to hate and whom are we to love? The wise men maintain the attitude - "Give up attachment, give up entanglements - Thyaga (renunciation) alone grants freedom". Renounce the idea of your being separate; see all beings in yourself, and yourself in all beings. That is the highest renunciation, the renunciation of the sense of ego, which makes you cling to this temporary body - this bundle of bone and flesh with a name and form.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 12th, 2006.
Do not be deluded by the belief that life has been given to you for eating, drinking, and enjoying other physical pleasures. This rare blessing of birth as a human is not meant to be squandered this way. What is the difference between human beings and animals? It is qualities like kindness, compassion, forbearance and sympathy which differentiate human beings from animals. But man tends to forget these inherent qualities out being absorbed in pandering to his selfish, mundane desires. Those wearing the spectacles of selfishness can only see selfishness all around them. A defective vision produces an apparent defect in creation. There is nothing wrong with Srishti (creation). All faults are due to the defective Dhrishti (vision).
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 13th, 2006.
Man has to master the senses which draw his attention to the outer world. The senses are obstacles in the path of the Spirit. Man cannot liberate himself from the bondage of opposing dualities of pleasure and pain, joy and grief, etc. so long as he is led by the senses. Man can liberate himself from the cycle of birth and death through detachment from the senses and inquiry into his real nature. Kama (desire) is a perpetual foe of man. The more we yield to this foe, the more dominant it becomes, the more you are enthralled and enslaved. Sundry cravings assail man from all sides at all times. They keep growing in number and force, incessantly. The embankments of discipline and duty are swept away by the flood of desire. Hence, you should cultivate detachment, develop renunciation and keep desires in check.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 14th, 2006.
Today, you are celebrating the commencement of the New Year. But, in fact you should treat every second as the beginning of a New Year. On this day, many people speculate as to what changes the New Year would herald in the social, political and economic fields. Any change, if it were to take place, will not wait for the arrival of the New Year. In fact, many changes are taking place from moment to moment. One need not be concerned about these things. Instead, you should be concerned that there is no transformation in your heart though years are rolling by. You have to get rid of evil tendencies in your thoughts, words and deeds. You should celebrate the arrival of the New Year with noble and divine feelings.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 15th, 2006.
All the knowledge acquired through the intellect is illusory. It is based on duality and is tantamount to ignorance. It may serve to score debating points, but such debates only promote discord. The knowledge that transcends all disputations and is related to the eternal verities is the Atma-Jnana (Knowledge of the Self). For this purpose, study of books is of no use. Only by direct experience and one's own Sadhana (spiritual exercises) can this awareness of the Self be realized. Man has to understand that he is the cause of his own happiness or misery and that all that he seeks or loves are not for their sake, but for his own sake. Hence, he has to understand his true nature. Realizing the evanescence of worldly objects, man should recognise that enduring happiness can be got only by developing love for God.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 16th, 2006.
Channel the love that arises in you towards God. Dedicate your body to the Divine. This is the true mark of devotion. There are three constituents in man: the mind, the power of speech and the body. These three are called Trikaranas - the three active agencies in man. It is when all three are used for sacred purposes, that man becomes sanctified. Spirituality alone can purify the heart and mind of man. Morality helps to purify speech. Righteous deeds sanctify the body. It is through spirituality, morality and righteousness that the three instruments get purified. Only the one who has achieved this threefold purity can realize the Divine. If any of these instruments are impure, he cannot realize the Divine.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – April 17th, 2006.
Only a person who has the attitude of Kshama (forbearance) can be considered to be endowed with sacred love. This cannot be learned from textbooks; nor can it be acquired from preceptors. It is only when we face problems and difficulties that this quality of forbearance and forgiveness has scope for taking root. When one is confronted with problems and difficulties, one should not get upset and become a victim of depression, which is a sign of weakness. Instead, one must confront the situation with an attitude of tolerance and forgiveness without getting agitated or giving rise to anger, hatred and revengeful thoughts. You are embodiments of strength, and not of weakness. Therefore, in times of despair, you should be filled with the feeling of forbearance and be ready to forgive and forget. This quality of Kshama is the greatest power of a human being.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 18th, 2006.
When you consider God as your guide and saviour, any work that you undertake will surely yield success. God is your only true friend. He is always with you, in you and beside you. All other friends may be with you as long as you have wealth, but the moment you lose it, these friends will desert you. Therefore, the only way to happiness is to develop friendship with the Lord. Being a human, you should make others happy. When your heart is full of love, you should share it with others.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 19th, 2006.
Embodiments of Love! If you want to realize God, if you wish to experience the divinity within you, if you want to know your true self, you have to develop pure, unsullied love. Develop the love of God. All other forms of love are not love at all, but only fleeting attachments. Man's biggest folly is forgetting his divinity. All should realize that they come from God; all are children of God. Everyone should seek to get nearer and dearer to God. That is true Sadhana. You must feel that God is Hridayavaasi (indweller of the heart). You must cultivate compassion in the heart, because without it the heart is but a stone. Love is God. Live in love. Start the day with love. Spend the day with love. End the day with love. This is the way to God. Only the person who is filled with love will be dear to the Lord.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 20th, 2006.
The primary requisite for man is to realize the divine potency in him that is the source of all the faculties and talents in him. This is true whether one is an atheist, a theist or an agnostic. No one in the world can survive without this energy. It may be called by different names. Names are not important. The energy is one. It is this divine energy which directs mankind on the right path. Men should strive to recognise the presence of the Divine in everything.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 21st, 2006.
Realize that you have within you the source of power, wisdom and joy. Announce that you are unconquerable and free, that you cannot be tempted or frightened in to wrong. So long as a trace of body consciousness persists in you, the search for God must continue. Do not get caught in the sticky tangles of the external world. Do not harden your heart through greed and hate. Instead, soften it with love. Cleanse it through pure habits of living and thinking. Make it your shrine, wherein you instal and worship God. Then, you can enter the sacred precincts of Moksha (Liberation).
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 22nd, 2006.
You do not need to go in search of love elsewhere. It is all within you. A man makes every effort to accumulate wealth. An equal effort is needed to acquire the wealth of love. Men must invest all their love in the Divine bank of devotion. This deposit is not only safe but will yield you increasing returns in terms of bliss. Your heart is the bank where your love for God should be deposited. Deposits elsewhere are insecure for, they may be lost. But the deposit in your heart is immune from any kind of theft or loss. This love is nectarine. Nectar pleases only the palate, but Divine love confers eternal bliss which is sweeter than nectar. Everyone should resolve to acquire this nectarine Love.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 23rd, 2006.
The body, the mind, the intellect and the senses are but instruments. The question then arises, "Who are you?" The answer is: "You are the master who makes use of these instruments." When you refer to "my mind, my body, my senses," do you enquire "Who am I?" You say, "This is my body, my mind, etc.," which implies that you are different from these; yet, you identify yourself with the body and become a slave of the senses instead of being their master. You are the Atma, the Supreme Master. You have the potential to realize this through the discriminating power of the intellect. Once you recognise this truth, you will get rid of your animal qualities and understand your divine nature.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 24th, 2006.
Compassion towards all creatures is the greatest virtue; wilful injury to any creature is the worst vice. Have full faith in this and spread love and joy through compassion, and be full of joy and peace within. You do not have joy and peace now because your vision is directed towards the faults and failings of others, and never towards your own faults and failings. Truly speaking, upon enquiry, you will find that what we see in others is but a reflection of our own selves - our prejudices and preferences.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 25th, 2006.
Divine love is the only panacea for all the troubles and miseries that arise from man's insatiable desires and frustrated ambitions. God's love is like a lighthouse beacon. It shows the right direction. Navigate the boat of your life towards the lighthouse of Divine love. You are then bound to reach the shores of bliss. You do not need any special type of penance or meditation. Meditate on love. Fill your mind with love. Even while attending to your daily chores, regard all of them as offerings to the Divine. God is omnipresent. See God in every thing and every being. Let such steadfast love be enshrined in your heart. As Saint Tukaram said: "Dil me Raam, Hath me Kaam" (Install God in your heart and go about attending to the task at hand).
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 26th, 2006.
The same God dwells in all beings. There is no justification for differences on the basis of religion. It is attachment to the body which accounts for religious differences. Do not regard the body as permanent. It is a water bubble. The mind too is like a mad monkey. Don't follow either of them. Follow the conscience. Today, people read all kinds of books and follow so-called 'great persons'. They do not enquire about what constitutes greatness. Realize that there is no one greater than each of you. But you have not discovered the real truth about yourself, just like an elephant that does not know its own strength, which is why a mahout with a goad is able to control it. Recognise the fact that the whole universe is within you. You have all the powers in you. They are derived from the Divine Spirit within you. Forgetting the supreme power of the Spirit, people rely on the powers of the body, the mind and the intellect.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 27th, 2006.
Though axed and maimed by man, trees selflessly serve him by providing him fruits and shade. Rivers carry water to quench man's thirst and to cleanse his body. The cow also selflessly serves man by providing milk. Man should, in the first place, realize the truth that he has been endowed with the human body not for seeking his selfish ends but for serving others. Since man has gained his wealth, knowledge and skills from society, he has to discharge his debt to society by doing some good in return. A man without this supreme virtue of gratitude is worse than a cruel animal; his education and skills are a sheer waste. It is indeed by serving society that these acquire splendour and significance.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 28th, 2006.
Brahman is full of love and, in fact, is the embodiment of love. Your love should merge with this love. In fact, there is only one and no second; it is the non-dual state. The essential nature of love is sacrifice. Under any circumstance, it does not give room for hatred. It is love that drives away the feeling of separateness and promotes the feeling of oneness. Love also raises a person from the animal to the human. Prema (Love) is the Prana (Life Force) of man, and the Prana itself is Prema. One without love is like a lifeless corpse. Love and life are therefore inter-related and intimately connected.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 29th, 2006.
The Anuswaroopa (subtlest form) of God is termed 'Dharmee'. In this form, Dharmee is present in all objects in creation, but none of them is present in Dharmee. All objects in the universe appear as different from each other, but the Divine principle in all of them is one and the same. That Divine principle, which underlies all creation, is called Dharmee. This means Dharmee is what unifies all apparently manifold objects. Dharmee is described by the Veda as 'Moolaadhaara Padhaartham' - that which is at the root of all things, the substratum of the universe.
-SAI BABA




Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam Apr 30th, 2006.
In this worldly life, love is manifested in several forms such as the love between mother and son, husband and wife, and between friends. This love based on physical relationship arises out of selfish motives and self-interest. But the love of the Divine is devoid of any trace of self-interest. It is love for the sake of love alone. One characteristic of this love is to give without expectation of any return. Secondly, love knows no fear. Thirdly, it is only for love's sake and not out of any selfish motives. All these three facets of love constitute Prapatthi (Surrender). When one revels in this attitude of Prapatthi, one experiences the bliss of the Divine.
-SAI BABA