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Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi
Nilayam |
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
1st, 2007
The Lord created everything in the universe, but kept
nothing for Himself. Every creature has been given complete
freedom to enjoy anything it desires. But there is one
limitation. For every action there is a corresponding
reaction. You are free to act as you please, subject to this
rule. If you misuse the freedom given to you and indulge in
wrongful deeds, the consequences too are bound to be bad.
These results are not caused by God. The Lord does not
inflict harm on anyone. Everything that happens is the
consequence of one's own thoughts and actions.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
2nd, 2007
Birds, beasts and other creatures concern themselves with
the enjoyment of external objects. Man alone is gifted with
the capacity to discriminate between the transient and the
permanent, and seek what is everlasting. It is the
consciousness in the physical body that enables man to enjoy
the pleasures experienced through the senses. Once this
truth is realised, the divine nature of consciousness will
become clear. Then, every action can be regarded as an
offering to the Divine. Work will then be transformed into
worship.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
3rd, 2007
Man is in truth the Atma, which is beyond the bounds of his
mind. The Atma has neither beginning nor end. The mind, the
senses, and the body undergo growth or decline every moment
and finally disintegrate and die. Man places faith in the
instruments of exploration and experience, his senses, that
are superficial and thus deprives himself of the supreme
Ananda (bliss) inherent in the Atma. Like the sun hidden by
clouds, embers covered by ash, the sheet of water veiled by
moss, the consciousness of man is coated thick with his
likes and dislikes preventing the splendour of Atma from
shining through.
-SAIA BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
4th, 2007
"Kaarunyam paramam thapah" (Compassion towards all beings is
the highest spiritual discipline). Man is the crown of
creation; he is the highest among living beings. Therefore,
he bears a great responsibility. He has to love other living
beings, serve them and save them, for they are his kith and
kin, and they too have the Divine Principle as their core.
But, man is proving himself worse than animals due to
self-centeredness, conceit, envy and anger. Though man is
endowed with the virtues of compassion, charity, sympathy,
fortitude and joy, he has given up these virtues and become
inhuman in his conduct and behaviour.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
5th, 2007
Today people have little sense of gratitude. Even if you get
a little help from anyone, you should always remember it and
be grateful to them. However, unfortunately, some people go
to the extent of harming those who help them. Such people
are the worst sinners. Do not be a Kritaghna (ungrateful).
There is a mantra in Suryanamaskara that says,
“Kritaghnaghnaya namah” (salutations to the sun who punishes
the ungrateful). What is the significance of this? Hurting
someone who has helped you will result in losing your
eyesight. It is the radiance of the sun that is reflected in
man’s eyes. All that you see is through the reflection of
the sun’s radiance. The sun withdraws its radiance from the
eyes of those persons who commit the sin of ingratitude.
Therefore, we should always be grateful. We should return
help for help to the utmost extent possible.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
6th, 2007
The philosophers of all lands and all times have sought to
discover the truth about God, the objective world and man.
Maya is the Will that causes all the three. It is a clear,
flawless mirror. When Sathwa-guna (purity and goodness) is
reflected in that mirror, God results. When Rajo-guna
(passion and restlessness) is reflected, the Jeeva or the
individualized Self results. It is ever anxious to grow, to
grab, to survive and to be secure. When Thamo-guna
(inertness and inactivity) is reflected, matter or the
objective world is the result. All the three are basically
Divine, but appear different because of the interplay of the
Gunas (characteristics).
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
7th, 2007
During our lives we accept the help rendered to us by many
thousands. We have to pay back this debt by helping as many
people as we can. With genuine keenness or readiness to
serve others, you can be happy in any group or community.
Derive bliss through Seva (service) that is not done with
any desire to get something in return. When you get a chance
to help someone, rejoice at your good fortune. The very
eagerness to serve others will endow you with the strength
and skill necessary for the required service.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
8th, 2007
Heaven and hell are dependent on the conduct of man. True
humanness consists in having unity of thought, word and
deed. In Vedantic parlance, this unity is described as
Trikarana Shuddhi (threefold purity). True moksha
(liberation) consists in speaking in accordance with one's
thoughts, and further, in practising what one speaks. The
ancients considered this unity as a form of yoga (spiritual
endeavour). "Manasyekam, vachasyekam, karmanyekam
mahaathmanam" (Those whose thoughts, words and deeds are in
complete accord are noble beings). "Manas-anyath,
vachas-anyath, karmanya-anyath duraathmanam" (The wicked are
those whose thoughts, words and actions are in deviance).
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
9th, 2007
The Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) must have as his objective
the state of mental preparation for the realization of
Godhead. That is to say, his heart must be cleansed of
despair, free from hesitation and doubt, and open to the
waves of bliss that surge in from all sides. Follow the
scriptural directives with faith and sincerity. That will
help you to realize the purpose of life. Since every action
has its corresponding reaction, beware of evil intentions,
wicked words, and acts that harm others and therefore harm
you consequently. Lead your life revering everyone around
you as moving temples of the Divine.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
10th, 2007
When you seek to assuage the suffering of others, it is
really your own suffering that you mitigate. When your
fellow being is relieved of his pain, it is truly you who
feel the relief. Service can be effective only when the
feelings of 'I' and 'mine' give place to 'God' and 'God's'.
It is only when your attention is focussed on the body and
its needs that egoism grows in strength. When you instead
direct your attention to the Antaratma (inner-self), which
is God, you perceive the same God to be present in all and a
flood of reverence fills you and sanctifies every act of
yours.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
11th, 2007
Love, sacrifice, service and righteousness are the four
limbs of religion. Religion brings out the divine and
sublime feelings in man and makes him serve society. It
evokes all that is great, blissful and good in men, and
demonstrates the unity of mankind. It is unfortunate that
religion, which has such high and sacred objectives, is
construed and practised in a narrow way and propagated as a
narrow creed. Religion is like an undercurrent that sustains
the whole of humanity. The founders of religions, with a
view to spreading the subtle secrets of religious faith,
laid down certain rules of conduct and conveyed their
message to the people. Thus, when the essence of all
religions is one and the same, when all the scriptures
proclaim the same truth, when the goal of all human effort
is one, where is the basis for any differences? The paths
are varied, but the destination is one and the same.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
12th, 2007
Every man aspires for peace and happiness. How can one lead
a peaceful life? It is possible only when he puts human
values into practice. Human values are not be acquired from
outside, they are latent in every man. Human life is based
on Samata (equality), Samaikyata (unity), Saubhratrutvam
(fraternity) and Saujanyam (nobility). They constitute the
very foundation of the mansion of life. Life will be
meaningless even if one of them is absent. Everyone must
cultivate and safeguard these four virtues. The principle of
Samatvam (equality) can be experienced and practised only
when man understands the principle of Ekatvam (unity).
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
13th, 2007
Truth fosters Neeti (morality); righteousness confers Khyati
(reputation); Thyaga (sacrifice) is the Jyoti (light) of
life; Manava Jathi (human race) is the combination of these
three - Neeti, Khyati and Jyoti. But man today is neglecting
the principles of truth, righteousness and sacrifice. He has
to adhere to these principles not for the sake of society
but for his own redemption. If you expect to be respected by
all, you have to develop self-respect, which is the basis of
human life. One who lacks self-respect cannot command
respect from others. Man should respect others and share his
love with others wholeheartedly. This is the primary duty of
man.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
14th, 2007
Education that does not inculcate values of caring and
sharing is not fit to be called education. In spite of his
education and intelligence, a foolish man will not know his
true self and a mean-minded person will not give up his
wicked qualities. Modern education leads only to
argumentation, not to total wisdom. What is the use of
acquiring worldly education if it cannot lead you to
immortality? Acquire the knowledge that will make you
immortal. There are a large number of people who are in much
poorer circumstances than you. You must strive to ameliorate
their condition as much as you can. When you help others,
that itself is your reward. The scriptures declare:
Paropakaraya punyaya papaya parapeedanam (you earn merit by
helping others and commit sin by hurting them). Hence,
always try to be helpful.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
15th, 2007
The service activities that we undertake are meant to
experience unity in society. It is a great mistake if you
think that you are serving others. In fact, you should not
consider anybody as ‘other’, for all are the embodiments of
divinity. But man is not making efforts to realise this
truth. Hence, he is subjected to difficulties. Once man
realises that God is all-pervasive, he will be free from
suffering. In order to get rid of suffering, man has to
practise the principle of unity in society. Once he
understands the principle of unity, he can attain the Cosmic
principle.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
16th, 2007
Religion is realisation. Only when you realise the truth
about yourself, will you understand what religion is.
Spirituality is not merely singing Bhajans, performing
worship, going to temples or on pilgrimages or undertaking
any other good activity. Spirituality is recognising the
oneness of all beings. Questions and doubts arise when you
see multiplicity in unity. To recognise unity in diversity
is spirituality. The basic truth to be recognised is that
there is only one Atma in all beings. If you have firm faith
in God, you will perceive divinity everywhere, no other
thought will enter your mind.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
17th, 2007
The Universe is visible to the naked eye. It is called
Prapancha because it is a manifestation of the Pancha Bhutas
(five elements). There is no world without the five
elements. They are the very forms of the Divine. That is why
people reverentially refer to the five elements, namely,
earth, water, air, fire and ether, as Bhudevi, Gangadevi,
Vayudeva, Agnideva and Shabda Brahman, respectively. The
five elements are present in every being. The Spirit or the
Atma which is the very form of God is not visible to the
naked eye, but the Pancha Bhutas can be seen, heard, felt
and experienced by one and all. They are highly potent. Man
is the embodiment of the five elements. He is their master.
One who understands the principle of these five elements
becomes God Himself.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
18th, 2007
Man, out of his ignorance, considers himself very weak and
mean. God is present in the microcosm as well as the
macrocosm. That is why the Vedas declare - Anoraneeyan
Mahato Maheeyan (God is subtler than the subtlest and vaster
than the vastest). Such divinity is present in man also. How
can man comprehend his innate divinity? It is possible only
when he turns his vision inward. But today man’s vision is
always directed to the external world. All that is seen
outside is also a manifestation of divinity, but man fails
to realise this. Pashyannapi cha na pashyati moodho (he is a
fool who sees yet does not recognise the reality). All that
man sees and experiences in the world is divine. But man is
not able to understand his divine nature.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
19th, 2007
What will please Swami is the proper performance of one's
duties. This constitutes Seva (selfless service). Avail
yourself of every possible occasion to render service to
society. Whenever you find that you can render help to
anyone in need, offer it unhesitatingly. Do not make
distinctions between rich and poor or the deserving and the
undeserving. Offer service according to the needs of the
situation. Whatever service you undertake should be done
perfectly. The one who serves and the one who is served,
both should be satisfied; that is real service. The bliss
that results out of such service cannot be attained through
any other means.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
20th, 2007
You have heard about the four aeons called Krita Yuga, Treta
Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. These are not distinct
from each other. Be it Krita Yuga or Kali Yuga, it has no
separate form. The Yuga is named according to the conduct of
the people at the time. Even during Krita Yuga there were
people filled with attachments and aversions. There are even
in Kali Yuga people wedded to truth and leading virtuous and
peaceful lives. For all Yugas, God is the origin. Hence, God
is called Yugadi (One from whom the Yuga originates). The
Yugadi festival is celebrated for this reason. Everything is
a manifestation of the Divine. Not realizing this, man
becomes elated at his gains and depressed at his losses. One
should develop the state of equanimity that is unaffected by
the dualities of gain and loss.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
21st, 2007
One can attain divinity only when one has steady faith.
First of all, one should have faith in oneself. Develop
self-confidence, which will lead to self-satisfaction. When
you have self-satisfaction, you will be prepared for
self-sacrifice. Only through self-sacrifice, can one attain
self-realisation. Self-realisation means to realise that you
are everything. Self-confidence is the foundation,
self-satisfaction is the wall, self-sacrifice is the roof
and self-realisation is life. No one can live in a building
without roof. The roof cannot be laid without walls and
walls cannot be raised without a foundation. So,
self-confidence, self-satisfaction, and self-sacrifice are
very essential for self-realisation. Today man has lost
self-confidence. If one loses self-confidence, one loses
everything. Only through self-confidence can one have the
vision of the latent divine effulgence.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
22nd, 2007
God has many invaluable things in His stores. You ask Him
for paltry and insignificant things because you do not know
what precious gifts He can bestow upon you. There is no
dearth of anything in His store. Therefore, you should not
ask God for anything in specific. When the time is ripe, He
will give you what is best for you. God knows and acts
appropriately, based on the right time, place and situation.
That is why you find sometimes that He Himself comes and
gives you things unasked. It is therefore very difficult to
understand God. An ignoramus, who fails to understand this
principle, often misinterprets it.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
23rd, 2007
A deep enquiry into the principles of science and
spirituality will reveal that the atom is the basis of
everything in this world. Even the food we eat, the water we
drink, the air we breathe, are all constituted by atoms. But
there is something more subtle and fundamental than even the
atom. Everything has originated from the Fundamental
Principle. Instead of trying to know the Fundamental
Principle, man is getting carried away by trivialities.
Subtler than the atom, vaster than the cosmos, Divinity is
present everywhere as the eternal witness. Try to experience
the principle of the Atma which transcends everything. In
order to experience the Atma, you should pursue spiritual
education along with secular education.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
24th, 2007
Whatever we see in others is only a reflection of our own
self. If we accuse somebody as bad, it is just that our
feeling toward that person is bad. Whatever impression we
have about others is a reflection of our feeling towards
them. Everything is just reflection, reaction and resound.
Therefore, you should not find fault with others. You do not
have the right to find fault because your assessment of a
person is limited to your experience with him. There are so
many aspects of the personality of that person you do not
know. Therefore, if you want to know a person completely you
should investigate into all the aspects of his personality.
In modern times, people go by the physical appearance and
judge people based on their external actions. This is wrong.
Hence, defect lies in the Dhrishti (vision) and not in the
Shrishti (creation).
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
25th, 2007
What is Prajnana? Prajnanam Brahma (Consciousness is
Brahman). Prajnana is the unchanging and eternal principle,
which is in you at all times and under all circumstances.
People call it supreme knowledge but the correct translation
for this term is Constant-Integrated-Awareness. Just as the
air is pervasive, so too is the
Constant-Integrated-Awareness. How is it that man is not
able to recognise such all-pervasive divinity, which exists
in all the three periods of time - past, present and future?
Though God is present within, man goes in search of Him
thinking that He is present only in a particular place. It
is tantamount to somebody going in search of his own self
elsewhere. Being verily divine himself, he looks for Him
outside.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
26th, 2007
Suppose there is a plate, tumbler and spoon made of silver.
Their names and forms are different, but silver is common to
all of them. Names and forms change but silver remains
unchanged. Likewise, a child becomes a boy, then a man and
later on, an old man. The form keeps changing but the spirit
remains unchanged. Do not repose your faith in the body,
which constantly changes. Body is like a water bubble; mind
is like a mad monkey. Do not follow the body, do not follow
the mind. Follow the conscience. Conscience is the Atma
(Self). Have total faith in the Atma. You are bound to face
problems if you rely on the body, the mind and the senses.
However, so long as you live in this world, you have to
discharge your duties using your body and the mind as
instruments.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
27th, 2007
The Ramayana teaches the principles of Dharma and the path
of duty to every individual. Though aeons have passed by the
Ramayana remains relevant even to this day, guiding humanity
on the path of truth and righteousness. Even today the
characters of Ramayana are respected and revered. There is
no morality higher than what is depicted in the Ramayana.
The Ramayana should be the subject of our Parayana
(worship). You should install the principle of Rama in your
heart and experience bliss. The Ramayana sets great ideals
to men. People should contemplate on such a sacred story and
follow its ideals. Practise the teachings of the Ramayana in
your daily life. Obey the command of Lord Rama. It is to
understand and assimilate the principle of the Ramayana that
we are celebrating the festival of Rama Navami today.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
28th, 2007
God has no distinctions or differences. No one can stipulate
do's and don’ts for Him. He can do anything, as He is in
everything and is everything. He has no master above Him. If
man wants to visualise God, he will see Him only in the form
of a human being who is far superior to him in all respects.
It is also said, Daivam Manusha Rupena (God is in the form
of man). All the sacred texts have described God as having
human form. It does not mean that God is confined to a human
form. All forms are His. No one can say that God has a
particular form. He is present everywhere.
-SAIA BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
29th, 2007
Today religion is regarded as the cause for all conflict,
violence and bitterness in the world. But, Matham (religion)
is not the actual cause. Mathulu (Selfish minds) are
responsible for all the conflicts. If you desire to secure
genuine peace in the world, you should not have antipathy
towards any religion. Mamatha (love and mutual regard),
Samatha (equal-mindedness) and Kshamatha (forbearance) are
the basic qualities necessary for every human being. You
must cherish good feelings as more important than religious
beliefs. The founders of religions experienced these truths
and propagated them as ideals for mankind. You must
wholeheartedly live up to these teachings. Mere reading of
the Bible or reciting the Quran, repeating the verses from
Bhagavad Gita or chanting the Guru Granth Saheb will not
yield any merit. The basic teachings in each of these texts
have to be put into practice in daily life.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
30th, 2007
Sanctify all the limbs of the body in selfless activity. But
it is not that easy to practise this because there is always
some self-interest in whatever man does. Self-interest is
also necessary, but it should be within certain limits. God
is the ocean of bliss. As is the size of your container, so
is the amount of water that you can collect from the ocean.
If you want to collect more bliss from the ocean of bliss,
i.e., God, you have to increase the size of the container,
which means you have to cultivate expansive love. Expansive
love is life and constricted love is death. Foster love in
you and share it with others. Whatever you do, do it to
satisfy God. Only then will you find fulfilment in your
work. All your actions should be beneficial to others. Only
then can you win the friendship of God.
-SAI BABA
Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam – March
31st, 2007
Students have to understand the purpose of education, put
their knowledge into practice and experience bliss
therefrom. Education which is not used for the welfare of
society is no education at all. You can be called truly
educated only when your education benefits society at large
and you become the recipient of its love. It is not enough
if you merely acquire bookish knowledge. You should attain
supreme wisdom and cultivate virtues. True education is that
which bestows on man the wealth of morality, spirituality
and character. The purpose of education is not merely to
sustain the body; it should broaden man’s mind and make him
an ideal and virtuous person.
-SAI BABA
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