February

1st February 2006
Sarvam Brahmamayam Jagath (The entire cosmos is permeated by Brahman or God). While the Divine is thus all-pervasive, the ability to recognise this truth is not present in all. The fact is well known that fire is latent in wood. But on that basis, if one attempts to cook rice in a vessel, placing it on a lorry load of unlit wood, can the rice be cooked? Fire has two states - the inner and the outer. The fire that is invisible and latent is inner fire. This fire, though it is present, cannot burn anything. The external fire manifests its true form and can burn anything and reduce it to ashes. Likewise, the power to experience the omnipresent Divine and envision it internally is possessed by each one, while only some have the capacity to demonstrate it externally.-BABA

2nd February 2006
The Lord creates hostile forces to demonstrate the power of faith in the Divine and to confer peace and plenty on the believers. Just as a mother provides toys and sweets to a child for its pleasure, though they are of no use to her, God creates certain situations for the sake of the devotee, to bring out the depth of his devotion. Even in small matters, we find that their true nature is discovered only by experiencing the elements opposed to them. For instance, if one wants to develop physical strength, he has to subject the body to strenuous exercises. Even a diamond requires to be cut and polished to enhance its brilliance and value. - BABA

3rd February 2006
All the myriad differences that one sees in the world are only varying manifestations of the one basic entity - Brahman (Godhead). A man who seeks to enjoy the fruit of a tree cannot be content with nourishing only the flowers. He has also to nourish the roots, the trunk, the branches, the leaves and the flowers. Likewise, the man who seeks the highest Jnana (wisdom) has to nourish the body, the senses and the feelings appropriately. God is the eternal Reality, without birth, growth or death, without a beginning or an end, and who is immutable. It is only bodies that are subject to change. The immutable Divine has to be experienced by making use of the body that is mutable. - BABA

4th February 2006
It is only by the cultivation of detachment, by denying the senses the thrills they thirst for, and by diving into the depths of one's being with the firm belief that there is an immense inner realm that rewards exploration, that one can capture the bliss of the supreme tranquility. This is the highest morality, for, when this is done, man is saturated with love and has no trace of malice, hate, greed or lust left in him. Man's vision is purified by the ideal of the unity of all in One and the proliferation of One as all. - BABA

5th February 2006
Pleasure and sorrow are not inherent in the nature of man. They are products of the mind. Bliss is the true nature of man. But it can be realised only when the love of God is experienced. The sense of 'my-ness' has to be totally eradicated. The man who is filled with love has great peace of mind, purity of heart and is unruffled by any adverse circumstances, failures or losses. This fortitude is derived from love of the Lord, which endows him with self-confidence. Self-confidence generates an immense internal power. Everyone has to develop this power. Everyone has to develop this self-confidence so that the Atma-Ananda (bliss of the Self) may be experienced. - BABA

6th February 2006
Love is Supreme. Develop love in your hearts. Let love flow through every part of your being. Make love the reigning principle of your life. Develop love through love. This was the prayer that went forth from the hearts of Gopikas: "Oh Krishna, play on your flute so that our parched hearts may be flooded with your nectarine love and we may be filled with love in all that we think and do. Plant the seeds of love in our arid hearts so that the saplings of love may sprout and grow." To experience this joy, you have to develop firm faith in God and shed all fear. Cultivate Divine Love and experience this joy. Sanctify your lives by dedicating it to the Divine. - BABA

7th February 2006
One may have listened to a number of spiritual discourses, but one should not be content with mere listening only to forget them later. One must enquire as to how much one has been transformed by attending these discourses. One must try to put into practice at least one or two of the teachings, get rid of worldly attachments gradually and progress on the path towards the Divine. In due course, divinity will surely blossom in the heart. If, on the contrary, one goes on multiplying one's worldly concerns and desires, one will go down to the animal level. One must be content with what one has and put it to good use with faith in the Lord. - BABA


8th February 2006
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna calls upon Arjuna to regard himself as an instrument of the Divine. Every human being is indeed an instrument of God. As such, he should carry out his duties, leaving the results to God. Men have to do their duties; success or failure is determined by the Divine. Do not esteem yourself as the doer. Develop the conviction that the Indwelling Spirit in you is directing you and enabling you to act. - BABA

9th February 2006
The Divine is present in man like the unseen thread which holds a garland together. The entire cosmos is permeated by the Divine and is the visible manifestation of the Divine. Consider yourselves the children of one mother and belonging to the family of humanity. Do not give room for differences of race, creed and nationality. Believe firmly that all belong to the caste of humanity, follow the religion of love and speak the language of the heart. Water is called by different names in different languages. Likewise God is one, whatever name you call Him by, be it Allah, Jesus, Buddha or Rama - have that faith. Develop this universal outlook and don't criticize any religion. - BABA

10th February 2006
Man's foremost duty is to make right use of the time through the bodily vesture given to him. Man is bound by actions in this phenomenal world. While the Divine is all-pervasive, man fails to recognise it. He is unable to see the light that is within him. The Reality which you seek everywhere in the outside world is within you. Man today looks only at the outside world; this is an animal quality. To look inward is the mark of the true human being. Obsessed with the external and ignoring his inner vision, man has forfeited his power of discrimination. - BABA

11th February 2006
Today humanity is being racked by innumerable troubles and worries. No administration or authority can solve these problems. God alone can save mankind. Men have to develop faith in the Self and thereby acquire the grace of the Divine. Humanity, as a whole, is in need of God's grace. To receive this, every man has to fill his heart with love and render service to his fellowmen, and thereby redeem his life. - BABA

12th February 2006
Of all beings in this world, man alone has the highest capacity to determine what is right and what is wrong. In spite of this, he indulges in wrong deeds. Consequently, he becomes a victim of fear and anxiety. Therefore, the discriminating power has to be used in the right way. One should follow the dictates of one's conscience and act according to the promptings of the Atma (the Indwelling Spirit). One is filled with fear when one does something against the injunctions of one's conscience. To get rid of this fear, one has to perform all actions in a spirit of dedication to the Divine. - BABA

13th February 2006
What we must seek to experience today is Ekatwam (unity in diversity). All beings are manifestations of the Divine. Only when oneness is experienced in all the forms can Divinity be understood. Adwaita (Oneness) is expressed in three forms: Bhaava-Adwaita (oneness in mental attitude), Kriya-Adwaita (oneness expressed in action) and Padaartha-Adwaita (oneness as seen in all objects). In Bhaava-Adwaita, one perceives that Divinity is the underlying reality of the entire cosmos. In Kriya-Adwaita, every action is regarded as an offering to the Divine and is thereby divinized. Padaartha-Adwaita implies recognizing that every being or every object in the universe is composed of the same five elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth) which are divine in their origin. - BABA

14th February 2006
Love should be free from feelings of expectation of any return or reward. Love which arises out of a desire for something in return is not true love. One should cultivate utterly selfless and unconditional love, this is the bounden duty of every man. You should not pray to God seeking any favours. The reason for this is that no one knows what immensely precious, divine and magnificent treasures lie in the treasure-house of Divine Grace waiting to be conferred on man. Hence, man should not seek from God, nor desire, nor pray for some petty trifles. More precious and desirable than anything else is God's love. If you wish to ask for anything from God, pray to Him thus - "Oh Lord! Let me have you and you alone." Once you have secured the Lord, you can get anything you wish for. - BABA

15th February 2006
The mind, it has been said, is the cause of both bondage and liberation. The mind is like a lock and the heart is the key. When the key is turned towards God, there is detachment. When it is turned towards the world, there is attachment. Therefore, the mind has to be directed towards what is holy and pure. Then you will lead a free, joyous and blissful life. Indeed, he will be the very embodiment of bliss. Divinity is not confined to any specific place or form. Each one should realise that this all-pervading, all-powerful Divinity is within oneself. - BABA

16th February 2006
The root cause of all difficulties experienced by man is forgetfulness of his spiritual reality and identification with his body. The body is only the vesture of the Indwelling Spirit. By immersing himself in body-consciousness, man develops egoism and possessiveness, which in turn give rise to many other vices. He forgets his inherent divinity and fails to use the senses and organs he is endowed with. Your senses are God-given gifts. They should be used only for sacred purposes and should not be misused. Entertain only sacred thoughts and engage yourselves only in sacred deeds. Thereby, you will be sanctifying your lives. There is only one royal road to realizing God. It is the path of Divine love. You have come from the Divine and your destiny is to merge in the Divine. - BABA

17th February 2006
During summer, the land gets heated up and is rendered uncultivable. As soon as there is rainfall, saplings sprout and the land looks green. From where did the sprouts come? From the seeds sowed in the earth. If there had been no seeds at all, the sprouting would never have occurred. Likewise, Karma (past deeds) is the seed for human birth. Your present life is a reaction, resound and reflection of your past actions. Therefore, you are advised, "Be good, see good and do good." When you perform any action, you seldom think about the long-term consequences. You are preoccupied with the concerns of the moment. But when you are finally confronted with the results, you become frightened. Whether the results are pleasant or unpleasant, they are inescapable. If sugar is dissolved in water, even if you think it is poison, it will only do you good. But if poison is added to water and you drink it, thinking that it is sugarcane juice, it will be fatal. The results are based on your actions and not on your fancies. - BABA

18th February 2006
Thyaga (the spirit of sacrifice) is essential for rendering dedicated service. Getting rid of bad qualities is true sacrifice; it is also yoga (spiritual communion). Realize that whoever you may be serving, you are indeed serving the Divine in various human forms. Those who serve have to cherish this sublime and sacred feeling. They must strive to see God in everyone. You must realize that your service activities are done for the sake of your own spiritual purification and uplift. All actions should be done with a view to purify the mind and remove all the dross from it. It is wrong to think that through actions alone you can attain liberation or redeem your lives. Actions have to be done solely for the purification of the Chitta (consciousness). Without purity of consciousness, life cannot be spiritualized. Human birth is the result of Karma (action). Right action leads to Dharma (Righteousness). Through Dharma, the Divine has to be realized.- BABA

19th February 2006
Love should come from within, not enforced from the outside. Love must be spontaneous. The attitude of petitioning God for favours should be given up. Love of God should not be based on seeking favours in exchange for prayers and offerings to God. Love is the most important element. Through love alone can you unify the world. It is the absence of love that is the cause of hatred. It is this hatred that undermines human nature. - BABA


20th February 2006
It is conduct that is most important for every person. Conduct is determined by the state of the mind. Instead of giving way to the promptings of the senses, every action should be done as a sacred offering to the Divine. One should be indifferent to censure or praise. Such equanimity can come only from unwavering faith in God. Lacking this faith and filled with the conceit that he is the doer of everything, man gets immersed in sorrow and trouble. The one who boasts about his achievements should equally recognise that he is the author of his misfortunes. He cannot claim to be the doer and at the same time deny responsibility for the consequences of his actions. Hence, in all your actions whether good or bad, do your duty, leaving the results to God. - BABA

21st February 2006
From ancient times, various terms have been used to describe the Divine, but no one has been able to demonstrate the true nature of the Divine. The Divine is present in all things, and all forms are His. How can such an omnipresent Divine be described or demonstrated? Can anyone declare that something is Brahman (God) and something else is not Brahman? What is the form of the Divine? If you wish to see the Divine, the form you envisage will be only a caricature. Consider your own form as the manifestation of the Divine. Esteem yourself as divine. Respect others. Love yourself and love others. This is true worship. - BABA

22nd February 2006
There is only one important thing that you have to take note of - give up the delusion that the Divine is in some remote place. Have the faith: "I am God." When you have the faith that you are Divine, you will never go astray. You will pursue the right path. Believe that God is in every human being. Have the firm faith that Divinity is present in every human form. Perform right actions befitting the human form. Eschew selfishness, and the attachments and hatred arising from it. The way to get rid of selfishness is adoration of God. - BABA

23rd February 2006
Service should not be done in a spirit of condescension or to achieve some selfish objective. Not recognising the sacredness and purifying power of service, people hesitate to embark on social service. It should not be imagined that one is promoting the well-being of the nation by one's service activities. One should realise that ultimately one is only bettering oneself by rendering service. Service should proceed from an awareness of what one owes to society. Gratitude demands that one should serve society which is the source of all benefits enjoyed by man. Men without gratitude are worse than wild animals. What is required for service is not money and materials; a loving heart is the first requisite. All service done without a heart filled with love is useless. - BABA

24th February 2006
Devotion cannot be confined to observances like worship, pilgrimage or going to temples. These are merely actions indicative of devotion. There is a power which provides a basic impulse for these actions. That is the love of God. Bhakthi (devotion) means Paripurna Prema (all-encompassing love). This love is motiveless. Love based on an ulterior motive cannot be real love. As a river seeks to join the ocean by a natural impulse, as a creeper winds itself naturally around a tree to climb upwards, the devotee's love is a spontaneous _expression of the yearning to realize God, free from worldly desires of any kind. It proclaims that it needs no one except God. It is oblivious to all other things. It regards the Divine as the One that pervades everything. You must realise that the Divine is present in everything. Only when you can recognise the omnipresence of the Divine will you be able to experience the Divine. - BABA

25th February 2006
Develop faith in God. All names are His - be it Rama, Krishna, Christ, Allah or any other name. Every man is the embodiment of the Divine. True human relations can grow only when this truth is recognised. The first stage of realization is when you recognise "I am in the Light." Next, you realize, "The Light is in me," and finally you realize, "I am the Light." "I" represents love, and light represents Jnana (Supreme Wisdom). When love and light become one, there is Realization. - BABA

26th February 2006 Maha Shivarathri
The moon is the presiding deity of the mind. The mind is the source of all entangling desires and emotions. Today is the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month, when the moon is all but invisible; just a minute fraction remains visible. The mind is, therefore, almost powerless this day; if only this night is spent in vigil and in the presence of the Divine, it can be fully conquered, and man can realize his true self. One must maintain vigil on this sacred night by means of Bhajans, or the reading or listening of sacred texts. Make this the practice for your entire life too. - BABA

27th February 2006
You are all Sat-Chit-Ananda Swarupa (embodiments of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss); only, you are unaware of it and imagine yourself to be an individual subject to limitations. This is the myth that must be exploded in order that divine life may begin. It is the Divine that inspires, that activates and is the fulfillment of the life of every being. From the tiny atom to the vast Universe, every single entity is moving towards that consummation where it merges in the sea of Bliss.        - BABA

28th February 2006
Broaden your vision. Cultivate the spirit of love. Being endowed with the human form, you must strive to develop human values and not stray away from the path of righteousness. Fill your minds with sublime thoughts, and your hearts with divine feelings. Consider everyone as your brother and sister. Only then will you realize your unity with all creation. Redeem your lives by revering your parents, honouring your teachers and developing loving faith in God. Be aware of the divinity that is inherent in every being. Thereby, you will grow in self-esteem. Fill your life with joy. Be happy and make others happy. This will please God. - BABA