Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 1st, 2007
The Divine manifests itself in many forms. God is worshipped in many forms for the joy to be derived from it. The primary duty of human beings is to recognize that though the paths indicated by the various religions are different, the goal is One. Love, sacrifice, compassion, morality, integrity and similar qualities are common to all religions. In different ways all religions seek to promote unity in diversity.
-Baba



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 2nd, 2007
Some people ask - "How can we find time for Sadhana (spiritual practice) when we have to toil every moment for feeding and clothing ourselves?" They forget that the Lord will grant these material comforts and even immortality, if only they completely rely on Him. Whatever you do, always have the name of the Lord on your lips, you do not have to spend extra time or energy for that. When you rise in the morning and slide into sleep in the night, do so with the name of God on your lips.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 3rd, 2007
There are three ways of realizing oneself: Pravrithi, Nivrithi and Prapatthi. Pravrithi (external activity) is the method of sublimating the instincts and impulses. Nivrithi (detachment and internal quiet) is the method of subduing the thirst of the senses and the ego. Prapatthi (surrender) is the method of utilizing the senses, instincts, emotions and intelligence for the glorification of the Divine. Perform your actions and dedicate them to God without worrying about its results. That is the secret of spiritual success.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 4th, 2007
The aeroplane has to land at a certain place in order to take on board those who have reserved the right to fly by purchasing the tickets. The Lord descends upon the earth so that those who have won the right to be liberated may be saved. Incidentally, others too will know of the Lord, of His grace and ways of winning it and the joy of liberation. However, a few ignorant people will cavil at the very Lord who has come to save them.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 5th, 2007
Some people may laugh at Sankirtana (devotional singing) and scoff at it as mere show, and recommend quiet meditation instead. But participating in Bhajan singing in public helps in removing egoism. For example, a person may sweep the room when no one is looking. But, to perform the same act in the presence of others requires some mastery over the ego. Nama Sankirtana (repetition of the Lord's name) will keep the mind free from distracting thoughts. So sing aloud the glory of the Lord and charge the atmosphere with divine adoration.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 6th, 2007
When the devotee feels that he is not close to God, the fault lies with the devotee. Repent for the errors that you have committed and resolve never to repeat them. Pray to the Lord to be able to carry out your duties and resolutions and to be able to improve your conduct. Bhakti (devotion) involves complete dedication without even a wisp of ego remaining. Bhakti softens the mind and keeps it receptive to higher emotions and purifying impulses.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 7th, 2007
Buddhi (intellect) is superior amongst all the faculties that a human is endowed with. Its pre-eminence is due to its proximity to the Atma (soul) whereby the brilliance of the Atma directly falls on it and energizes it. The Buddhi should exercise its control over the mind, and in turn, the mind over the senses. But what happens generally is that the Buddhi does not exercise discrimination; the mind arrogates to itself superiority over the intellect and the senses arrogate to themselves superiority over the mind. Consequently, the mind proceeds in the wrong direction and the purpose of life remains unfulfilled. To avoid this, the Buddhi has to be centered on the Atma and the mind should act in subordination to Buddhi.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 8th, 2007
In Creation, no one object is like another. No two humans are similar, for each has his own peculiar experiences. Why, even the same individual keeps changing with time as he passes through infancy, youth, middle-age and finally senility. Man must seek refuge in the changeless Paramatman (God) from which all diversity emerges and into which it merges. Only then can man secure lasting peace and contentment.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 9th, 2007
When the surface of the pond is agitated, the reflection of the moon in it appears wavy. But on a calm surface, the moon's reflection is clear and steady. Likewise if man's mind is confused and agitated, his love also gets distorted. When the mind is pure, unselfish and unwavering, the Divine manifests in all His purity and fullness. It is because of the contamination of his mind through obsession with multifarious external objects, man today is unable to experience the Divine that is present in him.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 10th, 2007
March on with your eyes on the goal. Do not brood over the mistakes committed and failures suffered in the past. Do not follow the whims and fancies of the mind any longer. They will fill the ear with praise or blame and drag you away from the spiritual path. Follow the call of the Divine arising from the hearts of all living beings. Serve them in an attitude of worship, without expecting anything in return. Do not accept even gratitude, having dedicated all your acts to the indwelling God. This will purify you so that you will be able to listen to the sound of 'Soham' (I am He) that you repeat with your every breath.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 11th, 2007
From the moment of birth, suffering pursues man in one form or the other throughout life. If in all these ordeals one has to maintain equanimity and peace, one has to lead a righteous life with firm faith in God. There is no need to give up one's duties. But, all acts should be performed as an offering to God. Thereby, even ordinary acts become sanctified. Love of God should express itself in the form of consecration of every action.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 12th, 2007
Contemplate on God as Love. This is the easiest path to God. Some feel despair that God's grace will be denied to them because they do not have the resources to go on pilgrimage or do not have knowledge of scriptures. This belief is incorrect, for God does not measure out Grace in proportion to external achievements. He is not moved by quantity. To appease hunger, one does not need the grain in all the granaries in the world; a handful is enough. Similarly, one little act of surrender is enough to win His grace forever.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 13th, 2007
Believing that the world as cognised during the waking state is real and that the highest goal is the attainment of happiness in that world, man accumulates the instruments and symbols of that happiness; he fashions after his own taste and inclination, the laws, ideals, institutions and principles that would bolster that happiness. But can the goal of Life be just this - to struggle amidst the waves of joy and grief that rise and fall in this visible objective world, to be carried along the current of desire, gathering food, shelter, comfort and pleasure, and finally, to flounder into the jaws of death? If man too leads life in this manner, verily he is no better than a mere animal.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 14th, 2007
Of all the gifts you receive from God, the greatest gift is Santhosham (contentment). The opposite of Santhosham is sorrow, which is the fruit of desire that arouses hope and almost always results in disappointment or despair. One desire engenders another and proliferates into a hundred, even when it is fulfilled. It knows no justification and has no end. So, Santhosham is the supreme blessing of the Lord, who in His infinite Love, puts an end to that unquenchable thirst. No wealth or other attainment can equal it in efficacy, Santhosham is the culmination of desire in full contentment and sacred satiety.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 15th, 2007
Your country and your body are not different from each other. Both are composed of the same five elements. They are inseparably interrelated and totally interdependent. They are like mirror images of each other. Try to recognize this truth. The youth of today are the leaders of the future. If the future is to be prosperous, the modern youth should perform their duties with firm faith in God. You are not separate from the country, but a part of it. Have the firm conviction that this country belongs to you. One who does not say with pride, this is my motherland, this is my mother tongue, this is my religion can be compared to a living corpse. Every person, whichever country he may belong to, should have patriotism firmly ingrained in his heart. -SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 16th, 2007
Man's vision which is now turned outward towards the phenomenal universe, should be turned inwards towards the indwelling spirit. One should manifest the divine consciousness inherent in him. He should submit himself to that consciousness as a spiritual discipline. This is called the "Conscious realisation of the inner Divinity." The first step is to develop awareness of the Divinity within. The next step is to realise that the divinity that is within one's self is equally present in all others also. One must recognise that the veil that appears to separate him from others is born of delusion and every effort should be made to remove it. Only then will it be possible to experience the oneness of all living beings.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 17th, 2007
Man is the embodiment of the Divine Atman which is infinite, ever-full, and indivisible. However, today men are filled with Rajas (passion) and Thamas (sloth) and are content with their merely dealing with the objective world. Their ideal is only to amass material wealth and satisfy material needs. Examine yourself and discover at what level you are by analysing your desires and activities. In this way, you can sublimate your thoughts and urges yourself.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 18th, 2007
Man has demarcated two distinct goals before himself, material and spiritual. But, such distinction is wrong and ruinous. It may be congenial and convenient on the surface, but if acted upon, great harm will be caused to the blossoming of the soul. For they are both the same, one continuous pilgrimage towards the divinization of man.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 19th, 2007
Human life is a journey from 'I' to 'We'. This journey is subtle and the goal is very near, but man takes many births to reach the destination. Just as you change your dress, so too you have to change your body one day or the other. That is why it is said, "Death is the dress of life". That which is responsible for birth is responsible for death too. This body is like a passing cloud. So long as there is life in the body, use it in the service of others. Engage yourself in service till the last breath. Service to man is service to God. Have control over your senses; without this discipline all your service will be futile.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 20th, 2007
The six inner enemies - Kaama (lust), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Moha (attachment), Mada (pride) and Maatsarya (malice) reduce man to the level of a demon. They have to be overpowered and transmuted by the supreme alchemy of Divine Love. Only then can there be purification of the mind and the illumination of the soul.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 21st, 2007
The Upanishads state that there are two birds, the Jivatma and the Paramatma that sit on the tree called the body. One bird eats the fruit of that tree while the other simply looks on as a witness. But, the wonder is that the two birds are in reality one, though they may appear as two. They cannot be separated since they are two aspects of the same reality. Steam in the air may be invisible, but it is of the same nature as ice which is solid. Niraakara (the formless aspect of the Divine) and the Saakara (the manifest Divinity ) are just two ways in which the One projects itself.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 22nd, 2007
No one can describe the nature of Divine love. It is beyond the reach of even the best of poets. When one is still neck-deep in the water, one may be able to say a few words. The one who is completely immersed in the waters of Divine Love will be unable to speak anything about his experience. Those who speak about God in the world do so only from a superficial experience, but those who are wholly saturated with God's love will find no words to describe their bliss. That is why the Vedas declare that the Divine is beyond the reach of the mind and speech.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 23rd, 2007
Some people entertain some newfangled ideas about Yoga (spiritual union), Jnana (spiritual wisdom) and Sanyasa (renunciation). What is true Yoga? Yoga is control of the vagaries of the mind. It is control of the senses. One should treat alike both praise and censure, pleasure and pain. This kind of self-restraint is Yoga. What is Jnana? Advaita Darshanam Jnanam (The Vision of the One without a second is the supreme knowledge). To recognise the Ekatma-Bhaava (the feeling that the same Atma dwells in all beings) is Jnana. True Sanyasa is in the transformation of one's qualities and not in the change of garb. The mind must change, not the apparel. A true Sanyasi (renunciant) is one who has attained mastery over all his senses and has given up all desires. He is a Sanyasi who seeks the feet of the Lord, giving up all attachments to the body, which is subject to disease and decay. He must treat life and death, pleasure and pain alike.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 24th, 2007
What we have to safeguard and protect today are Truth and Righteousness and not the nation. When Truth and Righteousness are protected, they will protect the nation. Hence, righteousness should be fostered in every home. A home is no trivial place, it is the abode of Dharma which protects and safeguards the country. The home is the beacon which illumines the world and sustains it. Women should realize that, irrespective of their education or position, their foremost obligation is to protect the home. Wherever women are honoured there is prosperity and happiness. Women should never be slighted or treated with disrespect. A home in which a woman sheds tears will be bereft of all prosperity.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 25th, 2007
Devotion should not be confined to the four walls of the shrine-room, or the few minutes you perform Dhyana (meditation); it is a fulltime Sadhana (spiritual discipline). Your devotion has to be expressed as worship of everyone as living embodiments of Divinity. See God in every one, even in persons whom you regard as your enemies. Practise this broad, all-embracing Love. How can you derive happiness merely by showing love and reverence to a stone idol that does not respond or reflect your feelings? Living beings will return appreciation and gratitude and wish you well. You can see joy glowing in their faces. That will confer satisfaction on you. If you cannot teach yourself to love your fellowmen, how can you follow the path of dedication to God?
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 26th, 2007
The mind flits rapidly from one idea to another; it plays with one object for a moment and forsakes it the next. You may manage to keep silent, but it is next to impossible to keep the mind quiet. The mind is woven out of the yarn of desire. Its characteristic is to flutter and flit, hither and thither, through the outlets of the senses into the external world of colour, sound, taste, smell and touch. But it can be tamed and put to good use by man. If we keep it engaged in good pursuits and good actions, particularly in the contemplation of the Absolute, it will not go astray and land man in ruin; for God is the source of lasting peace and wisdom.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 27th, 2007
Emperor Bali stands forth as a sterling example of one who stands by his word whatever the circumstances. That is why the people of Kerala (a state in South India) worship him to this day and celebrate the festival of Onam in his memory. What is it that is adored today? It is the virtue of truth. Without truth nothing has any value. Love is the supreme value. It is not worldly love but Divine love that is precious. That Divine love encompasses every other form of attachment to friends and others. Cultivate the enduring friendship of God. Emperor Bali was prepared to offer everything, including himself, to God. That is the spirit in which Bali surrendered to the Lord; that is his greatness.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 28th, 2007
Impure gold is melted in the crucible and it emerges shining and bright. The mind rendered impure by Rajas (passion) and Thamas (sloth) and by the impressions of a thousand attachments and desires can be made bright and resplendent if it is put into the crucible of inquiry and heated on the coals of discrimination. That brightness is the light of realisation, of the knowledge that you are the Atman.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 29th, 2007
A tree has a trunk covered with bark and myriad roots to feed it and hold it firm. It has branches spreading in all directions, tapering into twigs. It has millions of leaves which breathe and borrow energy from the Sun. It fulfills itself by attracting bees to fertilise its flowers into seeds. All this variety of colour, fragrance, taste, smell and softness, of strength, toughness and tenderness has emanated from one single seed. All creation has emanated similarly from God. This is the Reality inherent in all. That Thou Art. Be firm in that faith.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 30th, 2007
Both inner and outer purity are essential for man's physical and mental health. Most people are concerned about external physical cleanliness. People tend to ignore inner cleanliness in the belief that the heart and mind are not visible to others. But they should realize that the physical body is made up of the five elements and will return to dust sometime or the other. It is the state of the Spirit that is important. The body should be regarded as the abode of the Spirit and cared for as such.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – Aug. 31st, 2007
Believe that God resides in all beings; speak such words as would spread goodness, truth and beauty; perform such acts as would promote the happiness and prosperity of all; pray that the entire world enjoys peace. Expand yourselves; do not contract into your own tiny individuality. Expand into universal love, unshaken equanimity, and ever active virtue. That is the path which will bring out the Divinity in you to the fullest.
-SAI BABA