Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 1st, 2007
Giving up the little “I” is what renunciation really means. It means sublimating every thought, word and deed into an offering to God, saturating all acts with divine intent. To cultivate love is the best spiritual discipline. Love gives itself forever; it never asks another to give. Shower it on others and you will be showered in return. Stop sharing love and there will be no more to share. Love thrives on renunciation – indeed, they are inseparable.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 2nd, 2007
We speak of the sky and the ocean as being blue in colour, but this is incorrect. Neither the sky nor the ocean are actually blue themselves. It is the vastness of space and the depth of the ocean that produces this illusion of blueness. If you take some seawater in your palm, you will see that it is actually colourless. Likewise, good and evil depend on our own thoughts and feelings.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 3rd, 2007
The mind is sometimes characterized as a snake. This is because it doesn't move straight. It delights in crooked stratagems and clever contrivances. It avoids the straight path of sincerity and veracity. But, the snake mind can be charmed into innocence. When the snake charmer plays on his instrument, the snake sways its hood entranced; so, too the mind will sway with the music that emanates from the recitation of the Name of God!
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 4th, 2007
Whoever comes seeking service from you is the one you must attend to at that time. It is your duty to satisfy the need of that person through your service, and that will be the best work that you can do that moment. The present, when you can do something, that is the most sacred time. You do not see the future, for your eyes cannot perceive it. The past has gone and there is nothing you can do about it. Thus, the present is the best time in which you can discharge your duty and be of service to the person who comes seeking your help.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 5th, 2007
Man today fails to recognise the power of the Divine because of his selfishness and self-centredness. Only when he gets rid of the impurities encrusted in his heart, will he be able to experience Divinity. Man and God are like the iron filing and the magnet. God by His very nature attracts man to Himself, for in man there is the Divine. Often we feel that God has forsaken us and we rush to blame Him, failing to realise our own defects. When the iron filing is too thickly covered by rust and dust, can it get attracted to the magnet?
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 6th, 2007
Everyday when you sleep, where are you? Who are you? Your senses are inoperative; your intelligence is in abeyance; your mind creates a world of its own and, after playing in it for some time, it lapses into inactivity. This state of deep sleep is the nearest you reach in your journey to Samadhi. Live in the 'Atma Tathwam' (spiritual consciousness), that will ensure Shanti (peace). With the poison of Raaga (attachment) and Dwesha (hatred) inside you, how can you be pronounced healthy? If you experience the 'Atma Tathwam', you become one with Bhagawan (God) Himself.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 7th, 2007
The One is the basis of the many. To recognize this unity, one needs practice and effort. For weeds to grow, no effort is required on our part. But, if grain is to be harvested, the field must be ploughed, weeded, watered, applied manure and fenced. So also, to get a harvest of virtue, intense Sadhana (spiritual practice) is needed, though no such effort is necessary to contract vices. Man has to struggle hard in order to attain the higher stages of spiritual development. He has to overcome many hurdles and put up with many difficulties and disappointments.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 8th, 2007
God's grace is the greatest wealth. To consider the amassing of money, gold or other material objects as the ultimate goal is not right. The goal of life instead, should be the acquisition of the divine wealth of God's grace. Try to win His grace by reforming your habits, reducing your desires and refining your nature. One step makes the next one easier; that is the unique quality of the spiritual path. With each step, your strength and confidence increases and you feel the Lord's grace all the more.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 9th, 2007
Like a student leaving college once the degree is awarded, human beings attain liberation once the Truth is realised. They can leave behind them their college with all the study that it entails. But the degree must be earned. Why are you averse to making the effort which is involved? Instead, you run after one teacher or another, hoping to avail yourself of his victory. If he has achieved, of what value will that be to you?
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 10th, 2007
The devotee regards both, persons of high character and persons of low character as actors in the Divine play. When he insults or injures anyone, he is, in fact, inflicting insult and injury on the God he adores. He cannot reap the harvest of grace or the bliss of the Atma if he sows spiritual ardour in a heart full of the weeds of greed and hate. The basic moral prescription for the devotee who aspires to be near and dear to the Avatar (Divine Incarnation) is: Worship God and offer love to Him in every living being.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 11th, 2007
Dharma (righteousness) purifies the mind and leads you to God. It creates a taste for the Name and Form of God. When you love the Name and Form of God, you will naturally respect and obey the command of God. Have the Name on the tongue and Form in the eye; and the demon of unending desire will fly away from your mind, leaving joy and contentment within. This kind of constant contemplation on the indwelling God will promote love for all beings. You will then see good in others and you will strive to do good to others.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 12th, 2007
Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswathi dwell in the human heart. They represent the three kinds of potencies in man: Ichchaa Shakthi (will power), Kriya Shakthi (power of purposeful action), and Jnana Shakthi (power of discernment). What should one do during these ten days of the sacred Navarathri festival? Convert your Ichchaa Shakthi into a yearning for God. Convert your Kriya Shakthi into a force for performing Divine actions. Convert your Jnana Shakthi into the Divine Itself.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 13th, 2007
Many spiritual aspirants are under a misconception today. If you ask them why they are doing various forms of Sadhana (spiritual practices), they reply that they are doing them in order to merge with God. Do not think that you are human and that you have to reach the state of the Divine. Know that you have descended from God, as a human being, and that eventually you will go back to your source. Do not regard God as someone separate and distinct from you, God is very much within you.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 14th, 2007
All men are made of the same divine essence. Service to man will help your Divinity to blossom, for it will gladden your heart and make you feel that life has been worthwhile. Service to man is service to God, for He is in everyman, nay, every living being, stone and stump. Dedicate your talents to God; let every act be a flower free from creeping worms of envy and egoism, and full of the fragrance of love and sacrifice.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 15th, 2007
The sound of Mantras (Vedic hymns) has the power of transforming the evil impulses and tendencies. The word 'Mantra' means that which saves when turned over in the mind. Revolve the mantra ever in the mind, that will keep off wild talk, purposeless conversation, gossip and scandal. Talk only when absolutely necessary. Talk as little as possible.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 16th, 2007
Service in all its forms is primarily a spiritual discipline. Without the inspiration given by that attitude, the urge to serve is bound to ebb and grow dry, or it may meander into pride and pomp. Just reflect for a moment: Are you serving God? Or, is God serving through you? When you offer milk to a hungry child, or a blanket to a shivering person on the pavement, you are but placing a gift of God in a repository of the Divine Principle. God serves and He allows you to claim that you have served! Without His will, not even a blade of grass can quiver. Fill every moment with gratitude to the Giver and Recipient of all gifts.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 17th, 2007
God's grace cannot be had by one who is wavering from moment to moment and whose heart is not pure. The Lord judges the devotee by the purity of his heart and not by the kind of worship or Japa (repetition of God's name) he performs. Even if you do not practise worship or meditation, it is enough if you have cleansed your heart. The Divine will then enter it.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 18th, 2007
If you win the grace of the Lord, even the decree of destiny can be overcome. When a bottle of medicine is purchased, on the label is a date, printed by the drug manufacturer, that indicates its expiration. The drug loses its efficacy beyond that date. Although the drug remains in the bottle, it will no longer be effective. Similarly, the grace of God can work like an expiration date and make the effects of destiny ineffective.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 19th, 2007
Wealth, education, social status, etc. are of no avail without character. Character is like the fragrance of the flower; it gives value and worth. Poets, painters, artists and scientists may each be great in their own field, but without character they can have no true standing. One may wonder whether all those who are now treated with respect by society have a character that entitles them to being considered great, but society is subject to fashions that vary from day to day. The basic nature of a flawless character is eternal, and remains the same whatever the vicissitudes of society. Among the qualities that make up a flawless character are love, patience, forbearance, steadfastness, charity – these are the highest, these have to be revered.
-SAI BABA


Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 20th, 2007
Unless you brighten your vision with love, you cannot see the Truth. Love helps you to see God in everyone and everyone as Divine. The Jagath (world) is not false, it is not a trap. It is the splendour of God, his refection. It is His own substance, manifested as multiplicity, as latent or potent energy-matter. When activity is in accordance with awareness that is befogged or deluded, there Dharma (Righteousness) is decadent and the Avatar appears among men to lead them back to the righteous path.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 21st, 2007
In ancient times, the sages and seers maintained purity in thought, truth in words and righteousness in deeds. But in this Kali Age, people have forgotten human values and exhibit animal qualities such as lust, anger, greed and hatred. Purity of heart and selflessness are the hallmarks of the human life which one gets after passing through several births. Foolishness, pride, covetousness and other such qualities are a hang-over from their previous lives as sheep, buffalo or cat. One who is in the habit of attacking and harming others out of hatred reveals the tendencies of his previous birth as a dog. One who lacks steadiness of mind and constantly jumps from one thing to another, reflects the quality of the monkey from which he has evolved. It is to get rid of such bad qualities that Yajnas (sacrifices) are undertaken.
-SAI BABA


Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 22nd, 2007
When a sculptor transforms a piece of rock into a beautiful idol to be worshipped in a shrine, what was inert and worthless becomes sacred. In the same manner, everything which is petty and worldly should be transformed in course of time into something sacred and divine. That is the real transformation that every man must aspire for.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 23rd, 2007
One has to be slow and steady on the spiritual path. Adhere to a regular routine. Just as a doctor prescribes a certain fixed measure or weight of a drug and warns you that anything more is harmful, so too, have some limit for your spiritual exercises. Do not overdo them or perform them casually and without care. Just as the medicines have to be taken at a particular time of the day and a specified number of times a day, so also the Japa (chanting the Lord's name) and Dhyana (meditation) have to be carried out regularly at specified timings every day.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 24th, 2007
I am the embodiment of Love; Love is my instrument. There is no creature without Love, even the lowliest loves itself and its 'self' is nothing but God. There are no atheists, though they may dislike God or refuse Him. They are like the people affected by malarial fever who dislike sweets or like the diabetic patients who refuse to have anything to do with sweets! Those who preen themselves as atheists now will one day, when their illness is gone, relish God and revere Him.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 25th, 2007
It may be possible to teach a person the posture, the position of feet or hands, neck, head or back, the style of breathing or its speed. But the meditation is a function of the inner self; it motivates deep subjective quiet, the employing of the mind and filling oneself with the light that emerges from the divine spark within. This is a discipline that no text book can teach and no class can communicate.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 26th, 2007
All relationships are incidental and temporary. Hence, one must perform one's duties in the world with detachment. Even when involved in worldly life, one has to recognise the relationships between mother and son, husband and wife, brother and sister etc., as being intrinsically impermanent. Separation is inevitable sooner or later. But, between man and God there can never be any separation. Even if you forget God, He will not forget you. Therefore, develop faith in God and yearn for His Love.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 27th, 2007
There are three things which one should keep in mind, namely, "I will not think of anything except God; I will not do anything without the permission of God and I will have my attention completely fixed on God at all times." It is only when one accepts and puts into practice these three statements that the Lord will look after one's welfare. However, one does not care to follow God's injunctions and instead questions God as to why he does not look after him or her.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 28th, 2007
God's heart is said to be softer than butter. Yet, however soft the butter may be, it needs warmth to melt. Similarly, in order to melt the compassionate heart of the Lord, the devotee should develop the required warmth by his yearning and Sadhana (spiritual discipline). He should have intense longing for His mercy and grace. When the child cries, will the mother tarry, assessing or analyzing the tune of the cry? Similarly, it is enough if you pray to God in all earnestness. That burning desire is the only Sadhana that easily melts and moves the Lord's heart.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 29th, 2007
One who is engaged in the battle of life needs the armour of spirituality. With this invincible armour he can face any situation. If instead of donning this spiritual armour, he cloaks himself in ignorance, he will be haunted by fear and anxiety. As long as rice is covered by husk it cannot be consumed. Likewise, man cannot experience true bliss until he gets rid of the cloak of ignorance. Man must hence develop the quality of forbearance. Through forbearance and spiritual practices, gradually the shackles of tendencies resulting from past actions can be broken.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 30th, 2007
Surrender the ego, dedicate every moment and every act to Him who has assured mankind that He will ensure liberation from pain and evil. When asked where God is, people point towards the sky or to some far and distant region; no wonder then that He does not manifest Himself! Realize that He is in you, with you, behind you and all around you; and He can be seen and felt everywhere. Realize also that He is all-merciful, eager and anxious to fulfill your prayers, if they arise from a pure heart.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - October 31st, 2007
The greatest sin man commits is to forget his Divinity. Failing to recognise his true nature, he considers himself as a separate individual and fills his mind with desire and hatred. We should not look upon human existence as something pitiful or weak and powerless. Man is the embodiment of the Divine; he is Sath-Chith-Ananda (Being-Awareness-Bliss). The Divine in him is always radiating light and bliss. However, because of the veil of bad thoughts that covers his mind, he is unable to experience this bliss.
-SAI BABA