Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 1st, 2007
Listen carefully and ruminate over whatever you have heard. Put into practice whatever you have absorbed. This is the meaning of the Upanishadic injunction: Shravanam (listening), Mananam (contemplation) and Nidhidhyaasanam (practice). Just as there is no meaning in preparing delicious food unless it is consumed and digested, it is useless to listen to discourses unless you put into practice what you have already learnt. Only then can the bliss of learning be experienced.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 2nd, 2007
A car is not meant to be stowed away in a garage. It is meant for the roads, for taking you speedily and safely to your destination. So too, your body must serve its purpose of carrying you on your journey. Journey to where? Not, as has been happening, to the cemetery. You have nobler things to do than to merely die! You must know your own Reality before you die, and merge in that Supreme Bliss. Use the body to discover your own Divinity. Sanctify every moment of your sojourn on earth through pious deeds and sacred thoughts.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 3rd, 2007
Enduring bliss can be got only by overcoming trials and tribulations. Gold cannot be made into an attractive jewel without being subjected to the process of melting in a crucible and being beaten into the required shape.When I address all of you as Bangaru (gold), I consider you as precious beings. But only by going through the vicissitudes of life with forbearance can you become attractive jewels. You should not allow yourselves to be overwhelmed by difficulties. Develop self-confidence and have firm faith in God. With unshakeable faith, dedicate yourselves to the service of your fellowmen and lead exemplary lives.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 4th, 2007
One should not undertake to analyse the good and bad in others.
If we use our eyes for finding faults in others and spend all our time in this process, our heart will also become impure and we will develop bad thoughts.
The heart is like a camera lens. The object on which we concentrate our attention gets imprinted on the mind. Hence, we should make an attempt to perceive the good in whatever we see.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 5th, 2007
Desire breeds wishes. Wishes cause birth and also death. When man gets rid of desires, he need not go through the cycle of birth and death. Successive births are caused by unfulfilled desires and are determined by them. But, the desire to know God, to love God and to be loved by God is not a desire that binds.When the awareness of God dawns in all its splendour, every worldly desire is reduced to ashes by the burning flames of that awareness. The individual self then merges in the Universal Self and delights in supreme peace.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 6th, 2007
God will decide what to give, when to give, and where. Hence, all actions should be dedicated to God, and He will decide what the devotee is fit to receiveWhen everything is left to God out of pure love and total faith, God will take care of the devotee. People today lack such firm faith. In the path of devotion, many ordeals have to be overcome. Great devotees in the past faced such ordeals with faith and fortitude. Ultimately they secured the grace of the Divine and experienced bliss. For achieving anything in life, two things are essential: firm faith and pure love.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 7th, 2007
Divine Love does not originate from the firmament. It does not grow from the earth.It has no birth and death. It is all-pervading. It emerges from the heart when the knots of ignorance are broken.One may describe in various terms, the state of mind of the devotees filled with love of the Lord, but not the nature of Divine Love. It is a priceless gem that can be obtained only from God, who is the very embodiment of love.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 8th, 2007
The mind has no distinct form or shape. It assumes the shape or form of the thing it is associated with. Wandering from wish to wish, flitting from one desire to another - this is its nature. Thus, the mind is the cause of joy and grief, of elation and depression. It is worthwhile for man to know the characteristics of the mind and the ways to master it for one's ultimate benefit. The mind is prone to gather experiences and store them in memory. It does not know the art of giving up. Nothing is cast away by the mind. As a consequence, grief, anxiety and misery continue simmering in it. Give up what has to be cast away, know what has to be attained, then, Ananda (bliss) becomes your nature.So give up the idea of the world being real; know the reality of the Self and attain the Source, the Brahman (God).
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 9th, 2007
What a joy it is to discover the ocean of bliss within, to dive deep into the depths of truth and realize who you really are, the Infinite.What problems can ever shake you, who are immortal? Problems and difficulties are stepping stones and not stopping stones. Once you realize that you are one with the all-loving God, then how can worry ever assail you again. To worry is not your true nature. Your true nature is bliss and pure, selfless love.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 10th, 2007
Deep sleep is often compared to Samadhi (spiritual trance), for, the senses and the mind are transcended and the ego is immersed in itself. It is in bliss, but, it is not aware of that bliss, for, wakefulness alone gives that knowledge. So, what can grant realization is the awareness of the waking stage and the bliss of the sleeping stage. Concentrate on the point, where one is having these two: that is the moment of victory. Mark the word 'Sama dhee' - it means balanced, unruffled intellect, and equanimity in the face of grief and joy, pain and pleasure, rejection or rejoicing. One who has attained that stage will be indifferent to fear or favour, to hate or love, to praise or blame. Where there is only One, how can even thought arise? That is the true Samadhi - the being, the awareness and the bliss.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 11th, 2007
Man is enslaved by money. He lives a superficial and artificial life. This is indeed a great pity.
Man should seek to possess only as much money as is most essential for his living. The quantity of riches one must own can be compared to the shoes one wears; if too small, they cause pain; if too big, they are a hindrance while walking. Money too should be just enough for a life of physical and mental comfort. When we have more, it breeds pride, sloth and contempt for others.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 12th, 2007
Whatever one's religion may be, one should cultivate respect for other faiths. One who does not have such an attitude of tolerance and respect for other religions is not a true follower of his own religion. It is not enough merely to adhere strictly to the practices of one's own religion, one should also try to see the essential unity of all religions. Only then will man be able to experience the oneness of Divinity. Once the Truth of the Indwelling Spirit is recognised, there dawns the awareness that the whole world is one family. One is then filled with Divine Love which becomes the driving force for all of one's actions.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 13th, 2007
Diamond and gold are only materials; man has made them precious by attaching value to them. In fact, man is really the most valuable being on earth. That is why it is said, "Janthunaam Narajanma Durlabham". It has been secured as a reward for many lives of meritorious activity. It is valued as a boat which can help us cross the ocean of 'Samsara' or mundane existence. In spite of this, man desecrates himself by running after trivial pleasures.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 14th, 2007
One should yearn not for the prolongation of life but for its sanctification.
A few moments as Hamsa, the Celestial Swan, are far more precious than many years as a crow. One should sublimate one's lower urges and take to the holy path, and achieve the glorious destiny of oneness with the Cosmic Consciousness, the identity of the Jiva (individual) with the Deva (Universal).
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 15th, 2007
Without having unwavering faith in an omniscient and omnipotent God, life becomes dry and drab, shadowed by despair and doom. Love for God and fear of sin are the two primary needs for a happy life. Without these two, man becomes a demon. Man must be ever ready to sacrifice his selfish concerns for the sake of the larger community. There is nothing as praiseworthy as renunciation. Be honest and detached; and with God installed in your heart, march forward to offer your skills and talents towards fulfilling your responsibilities.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 16th, 2007
Love exists for love's sake and nothing else. It is spontaneous and spreads delight. Everything is permeated by love. Love can conquer anything. Selfless, pure, unalloyed love leads man to God. Selfish and constricted love binds man to the world. Unable to comprehend the pure and sacred nature of love, man today is a prey to endless worries because of his attachment to worldly objects. Man's primary duty is to understand the truth about the Love principle. Once he understands the nature of love, he will not go astray.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 17th, 2007
Divine Life is based on Sathwa Guna (quality of calm serenity), which must be cultivated.
This guna can be built only upon Saathwik food (natural food that is moderate in flavour), which promotes health, strength, lightness of body and spirit, and earnestness of endeavour.
There is no use distributing Adhyaatma rasa (nectar of spirituality) to underfed and weak people; give Anna rasa (food) first; make them strong enough to entertain right beliefs and high ideals; physical hunger must first be appeased by simple Saathwik food.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 18th, 2007
The Divine is omnipresent. The entire cosmos is permeated and sustained by this divine energy. Everyone should endeavour to experience the Divine. Man must make the effort and he is bound to be successful. The necessary sacrifice must be made. All the bad qualities have to be renounced the moment they invade the mind. True devotion means elimination of all the animal tendencies in man. Man should seek to realise the eternal Divine within him. That is the primary purpose of human life.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 19th, 2007
In this worldly life, love is manifesting in several forms such as the love between mother and son, husband and wife, and between relatives. This love based on physical relationships arises our 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. This is called Bhakti (devotion). One characteristic of this love is to give and not to receive. Secondly, love knows no fear. Thirdly, it is only for love's sake and not for selfish motive. All these three angles of love jointly connote Prapatthi (Surrender). When one revels in this attitude of Prapatthi, one experiences the bliss of the Divine.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 20th, 2007
The Vedas teach that man should adore and worship God in gratitude for His benedictions. The Bible teaches that man should pray for peace and practice charity. The Koran would have man show mercy to the suffering and to surrender his will to the Divine. The Buddhist texts teach the lesson of detachment and sense control. The Zend-Avesta exhorts man to get rid of evil propensities and shine in his own innate glory.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 21st, 2007
All must equip themselves with strong and healthy bodies. When the body is fit, mental functions too, run smoothly; when the body suffers, the mind too gets unsettled. So, this raft called the body, which is the only means of getting across the Samsara Sagara (tumultuous sea of worldly existence), has to be kept in good trim. Devotion and morality are as important for physical well-being as they are for mental health. They free the mind of agitation, they feed it with joy and contentment, they quieten the nerves and help stimulate the bodily processes.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 22nd, 2007
Man when engaged in Seva (service activity) for the good of society, is bound to encounter many hurdles. This world is full of dual characteristics - good and bad, joy and grief, progress and regress, light and darkness; do not get upset by all this. Do your duty as best as you can with prayer to God. Work hard and sincerely, and leave the rest in His hands. What exactly is Seva? It is the very essence of devotion, the very breath of a devotee, his very nature. It springs from the actual experience of the devotee, an experience that convinces him that all beings are God's children, that all bodies are altars where God is installed, and that all places are His residences.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 23rd, 2007
Devotion to the Lord is only a form of discipline to reach the goal. The seeker should not stop with the acquisition of devotion. He should not pay so much attention to the love he has towards the Lord, but more to the love and grace that the Lord bestows on him. He must be always eager to find out which behaviour of his, what acts of his will be most pleasing to the Lord, will fill the Lord with happiness. Inquire about that, yearn for that, do things that will secure that objective - be engaged in acts conducive to gain it, that is real Bhakti (Devotion).
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 24th, 2007
The Lord is present in every heart. The liberated person, who has had the vision of his Atma (Inner Self), will never be affected by sorrow; sorrow can never hold sway over him.
The Atma is in the ant as well as in the elephant, in the tiniest atom as well as in the air around us. The seeker must seek within to find out the origins of the agitations of the mind.
This process will itself rid the mind of its ceaseless activity that makes it doubt and argue, and stabilize the seeker in the omnipresent Universal Consciousness.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 25th, 2007
You must show your gratitude with humility and sincerity to whoever has done you any good.
Education that does not promote gratitude is worthless. It is the parents who give you education. The guru is the educator. The Divine has given you the capacity to get educated. Hence, the mother, father and the guru are to be revered as God, as enjoined in the Vedas. You must show your gratitude to your parents, offer due respect to the teacher, and base your life on faith in God.
-SAI BABA

Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 26th, 2007
There are four kinds of worship. The first kind of worship is undertaken whenever one is in distress, but God is forgotten after relief is obtained. The second kind of worship is carried on by the worshipper seeking the good things of life from the deity he worships, without depending on others. The third type of worshipper offers worship for the sake of others, praying for the welfare of all and holding on to the belief that his welfare is bound up with the welfare of all.
The fourth kind, which is the highest form of worship, is worship done in a spirit of complete surrender to the Divine and dedicating all actions to the service of the Divine.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 27th, 2007
Using spiritual practices, discard the attachment to individuality and sense pleasures. Welcome the aspiration to expand the heart into the Universal. Do not cloud your minds with base desires, transitory hungers and thirsts that need but morsels or mouthfuls to be satiated. Yearn for the enthronement of your Soul as the unquestioned Monarch of the Universe. When you merge in the Universal, celebrate your triumph over the inner foes that hampered your march to victory. Acquire Me as your charioteer and I shall lead you to that consummation.
Earn that unfailing grace by your sincerity, simplicity and Sadhana (spiritual practice).
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 28th, 2007
There are many valuable lessons to be learnt from Prakrithi (Nature). Trees distribute their fruits and grant their shade to everyone, even to those who lay their axe on them with intention to destroy them! Mountains suffer heat, rain and storm without demur, and are plunged in meditation for ages. Birds do not hoard for years together, the wherewithal for food or shelter; they do not use more than is absolutely necessary for their survival. Nature is your school, your laboratory, the gateway to liberation and the reflection of God's manifold majesty. Seek to know the lessons it is ready to teach; all things in Nature are Brahman (God) just as you are. So, every act is Divine; all work is worship; build the mansion of your life on the strong foundation of the faith that all creation is Divine.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 29th, 2007
The bonds of love that existed between the Gurus and the disciples in the past do not exist today between teachers and students. The Guru considered it his duty to teach the disciple what was most beneficial for the latter, and the disciples were eager to render service to the Guru and carry out his commands implicitly. In those days, the students were few and they received intensive instruction. Today the students are many, but the quality of education is diluted. Far reaching reforms are needed in the educational system today. The future progress and welfare of the nation depends upon the education that is imparted to children today.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 30th, 2007
Man commits a great sin by forgetting his divinity. He fails to recognize his true nature, considers himself a distinct individual and fills his mind with desires and hatred. We should not look upon human existence as something pitiful or weak and powerless. Man is the embodiment of Sath-Chith-Ananda (Being-awareness-bliss). The Divine in him is always radiating light and bliss. But, due to the barrier of bad thoughts, he is unable to experience this bliss.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - July 31st, 2007
Whatever learning one may acquire, whatever positions of authority one may occupy, however great one may be, if one lacks human values, one cannot be called a human being at all. What is humanness? Essentially, it means unity of thought, word and deed. When one's thoughts are at variance with what one says or does, one ceases to be human. Today, what men have to cultivate is unity and purity in thought, word and deed. True human qualities can grow only in a heart filled with spiritual aspirations; seeds should be sown in fertile soil and not on a piece of rock. Hence, to develop these qualities, men have to develop compassion and equanimity amidst the vicissitudes of life.
-SAI BABA