Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 1st, 2008
The Lord will protect in all ways and at all times those who worship Him in complete and uncontaminated Bhakti (devotion), just like a mother who protects her infants, a cow protects her calves and the eyelids protect the eyes, effortlessly and automatically. When the infant grows up, the mother need not pay as much attention to its safety as before. So, too, the Lord does not pay much attention to the Jnani (man of wisdom).
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 2nd, 2008
Who are My real Bhaktas (devotees)? Those with Viveka (discrimination), Vairagya (renunciation), Vijnana (wisdom) and Vinaya (humility), who are aware of the knowledge of Reality, who are always immersed in the contemplation of My Leela (glories), who dwell on My name at all times and under all circumstances and who shed tears of love whenever the Lord's name is heard from any lip - they are My genuine Bhaktas.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 3rd, 2008
Atma Jnana (spiritual wisdom) can be won only by giving up Vasanas (impulses), transcending the mind and analysing one's experiences to grasp the Reality. Without these three, Jnana will not dawn. Firstly, give up all impure impulses and cultivate the pure ones. Then gradually try to give up even these and render the mind completely devoid of any desire. Shanti (peace) thus attained is effulgent, blissful and filled with wisdom. It is indeed the experience of Godhead.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 4th, 2008
One may ask, if God is controlling everything, what is the need for human effort? Yes, God is all powerful. But at the same time human effort is also necessary, for without it man cannot enjoy the benefit of God's grace. It is only when you have both Divine grace and human endeavour that you can experience bliss, just as you can enjoy the breeze of a fan only when you have both a fan and electric power to operate it.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 5th, 2008
Great sages, out of great sympathy for their fellowmen, laid down rules, regulations, limits and directions for daily life and conduct, so that man's mind may not turn against him, but may turn towards the ideals of Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanti (Peace) and Prema (Love). They declared that every act must be evaluated and approved only if it cleanses the emotions and passions, otherwise it has to be cast aside. Bhaavashuddhi (purification of mental disposition) is the fruit of Karma (action) and any act that befogs the Bhaava (thought process) or excites it into Rajas (passion) or demeans it into Thamas (inertia) has to be avoided.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 6th, 2008
God certainly listens to the prayers of His devotees. Some people hesitate to pray lest their prayers should cause inconvenience to God. They are mistaken in their belief, for God can never be put to any inconvenience whatsoever. God has no suffering at all. He considers the devotees' happiness as His own.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 7th, 2008
Service is God. Why has God endowed man with a body, a mind and an intellect? Feel and empathise with the suffering through your mind, plan using your intelligence and use the body to serve those are in need. Offer that act of service to God; worship Him with that flower. Put into daily practice the ideals that Sai has been propagating and make them known all over the world by standing forth as living examples of their greatness.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 8th, 2008
There are four types of people: the 'dead', who deny the Lord and declare that they alone exist, independent, free, self-regulating and self-directed; the 'sick', who call upon the Lord whenever some calamity befalls them or whenever they feel temporarily deserted by the usual sources of succour; the 'dull', who know that God is the eternal companion, but who remember it only off and on, when the idea presents itself powerfully; and lastly, the 'healthy', who have steady faith in the Lord and who live in His comforting presence always.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 9th, 2008
Mountains can be swept away sooner than deep-rooted Vasanas (impulses). But with willpower and zest, supported by faith, the Vasanas can be overcome in a short time. Only do not give up determination and faith, whatever the loss, hardship or obstacle. Vasanas have to be sublimated in order to achieve mastery over the mind.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 10th, 2008
When you meditate, the mind often runs after something else and tends to get diverted along other channels. You then have to plug that diversion by means of the Name and the Form and ensure that the steady flow of your thoughts towards the Lord is not interrupted; if it happens again, use the Name and the Form again, quickly. Do not allow the mind to go beyond the twin bunds, the Name on one side and the Form on the other! When your mind wanders away from the recital of the Name, take it to the picture of the Form. When it wanders away from the picture, lead it to the Name. Let it dwell either on the sweetness of the Name or the beauty of the Form. Treated thus, the mind can be easily tamed.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 11th, 2008
Every act done with the consciousness of the body is bound to be egoistic. Selfless Seva (service) can never be accomplished while being immersed in the body-consciousness. However, consciousness of Deva (God) instead of Deha (body) will bring forth the splendour of Prema (love). With that as inspiration and guide, man can achieve much good, without ever knowing or proclaiming that he is selfless in outlook. For It is impossible to know the Truth of the Atma either through the study of manifold scriptures, or by the acquisition of scholarship, or by the sharpening of the intellect, or by the pursuit of dialectical discussions. A pure heart is the best mirror for the reflection of Truth. All the spiritual disciplines are for the purification of the heart. As soon as it becomes pure, the Truth flashes upon it in an instant. him, it is all God's will, His work, His glory.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 12th, 2008
It is impossible to know the Truth of the Atma either through the study of manifold scriptures, or by the acquisition of scholarship, or by the sharpening of the intellect, or by the pursuit of dialectical discussions. A pure heart is the best mirror for the reflection of Truth. All the spiritual disciplines are for the purification of the heart. As soon as it becomes pure, the Truth flashes upon it in an instant.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 13th, 2008
There is no use arguing and quarrelling among yourselves about the nature of Divinity. Examine and experience, then you will know the Truth. Do not proclaim before you are convinced; be silent while you are still undecided or engaged in evaluating. Discard all evil in you before you can attempt to understand the mystery. And, when faith sprouts, fence it with discipline and self-control, so that the tender shoot might be guarded against cattle, the motley crowd of cynics and unbelievers. When your faith grows into a big tree, those very cattle can lie down in the shade that it will spread.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 14th, 2008
Keep the mind away from base desires that run after fleeting pleasures. Turn your thoughts away from these and direct them towards the permanent bliss derivable from the knowledge of the Divinity within. Keep before the mind's eye the faults and failings of sensory pleasures and worldly happiness. Thus you will grow in discrimination, non-attachment and achieve spiritual progress.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 15th, 2008
You have to remove wicked thoughts from your heart, plough the heart with good deeds, water it with love, manure it with faith, plant the saplings of the Name of the Lord, fence the field with discipline, destroy pests with Shraddha (dedication) and reap the harvest of Jnana (wisdom). Understand that God is in you, with you and around you. In fact, you are God.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 16th, 2008
An able monarch will have his ministers under control; he will direct them along proper lines and maintain the peace and security of the kingdom. On the other hand, a monarch who allows himself to be controlled by his ministers does not deserve the throne; he is spurned and disgraced. His kingdom has no peace and security. The mind is the monarch in man and the senses are the ministers. But, if the mind is enslaved by the senses, the individual knows no peace. Every Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) who aspires to attain the Divine in him has, therefore, to earn mastery over the senses. That is the first step. The next one is the conquest of the mind, its elimination. The third is uprooting the Vasanas (innate tendencies), and the fourth, attainment of Jnana (spiritual wisdom). Only then can the awareness of the Atmic reality be gained.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 17th, 2008
The mind can be used as a bridge to lead one from the manifest to the unmanifest, from the individual to the universal. Cleanse the mind and mould it into an instrument for loving thoughts and expansive ideas. Cleanse the tongue and use it for fostering fearlessness and friendship. Cleanse the hands; let them desist from injury and violence. Let them help, heal and guide. This is the highest sadhana (spiritual discipline)
-SAI BABa



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 18th, 2008
One may say, "I am striving to control the mind but it runs about like a mad dog. How am I to succeed?" Therein lies a mistake. The mind is intangible, but, it is attached to the senses. Hence, control the senses; let them not draw you into the objective world. By this means, the mind can be made an instrument of illumination and not of delusion. The truth will then dawn that this Atma (individual soul) is Brahman (God). The splendour of this awareness will drive away the darkness of ignorance, for, the Atma (Self) is jyothi (light) and there can be no Thamas (darkness of ignorance) where there is light.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 19th, 2008
In the spiritual sphere, the responsibility for success or failure is entirely one's own. You have no right to shift it on to others. The fire will rage only as long as it is fed with fuel. Hence, do not add fuel to the fire of the senses. Detach the mind from the evanescent and attach it to the eternal. Plant the seedling of Bhakthi (devotion) by the practice of Namasmarana (remembering the Lord's name). That seed will grow into a mighty tree with the branches of virtue, service, sacrifice, love, equanimity, fortitude, and courage.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 20th, 2008
Man should get rid of Ahamkara (the feeling that he is the doer). As long as the ego is dominant, the Atmic consciousness will not develop. The egoist cannot recognize the Atma. It is egoism that is at the root of all of man's troubles. It is delusion based on the misconception that the body is real and permanent. The truth is otherwise. One should recognize the evanescence of the body and the senses and control the desires prompted by the sense organs. Desires are insatiable. The pursuit of wealth, power and position can only end in misery. Instead, one should take refuge in God and dedicate all actions to the Divine.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 21st, 2008
People engage in Bhajan (devotional singing), Pooja (ritualistic worship) and Dhyana (meditation). But these are only at the physical plane. But, unless these are imbued with sincerity, they will not elevate us to the Divine. The Lord judges you by the sincerity of your thoughts, not by the form of your worship. The Lord sees your bhakthi (devotion) and not shakthi (power). He cares for your gunas (qualities) and not your kula (caste or lineage). He looks at your chiththam (heart) and not at your viththam (wealth). You must strive to purify your heart and engage yourself in righteous action, with devotion and integrity. No Sadhana (spiritual discipline) is of any use if you are involved in sinful deeds.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 22nd, 2008
Without the sanction of the Lord, man cannot achieve anything in the world. The Divine is the basis for everything. Man, however, is filled with conceit that he is the one who is doing everything. This pride is the cause of his ruin. It is the cause of his frustration and disappointment. Man today is basing his life on reliance on Nature and is hence forgetting God. This is a grievous mistake. You must place your faith in God, the Creator of the universe, and then enjoy what Nature provides. Faith in God is the primary requisite for man.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 23rd, 2008
The happiness derived from sensory objects arises and vanishes with time. For instance, when hunger is appeased, there is happiness for that moment; but this happiness ebbs away after a while. This is true of all objects in the world; the joy derived from them is evanescent. Man, however, is after lasting Ananda (bliss). He is in fact the embodiment of bliss. Bliss constitutes his very nature and being. Why, then, does he not experience it? This is because, unaware of his true nature, he is obsessed with the external world and fails to experience the bliss within him. He mistakenly imagines that the source of joy lies in the phenomenal world.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 24th, 2008
Man suffers from numerous ills because he has not understood the purpose of life. The first thing he has to realize is that God is one, by whatever name and in whatever form the Divine is worshipped. The One chose to become the many. The Vedas declare, "God is one; the wise hail Him by many names". It is the imagination of the observers which accounts for the apparent multiplicity of the Divine. The sun is only one, but its reflection appears in many vessels. Likewise, God is present in the hearts of different beings in varied forms and natures.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 25th, 2008
Man's life is like a garland, with birth at one end and death at the other. Between the two ends are strung together flowers of all kinds - troubles, worries, joys, sorrows and dreams. Few are aware of the string that runs through all the flowers. Without the string there can be no garland. Only the person who recognises the string can be called a true man. This string is called Brahma-Sutra (The Divine String). The Divine Atmic principle is the string which is found in all human beings and which is the source of all potencies in them.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 26th, 2008
The body must be regarded as the basis for spiritual activity. The body is not meant merely to be pampered and kept in comfort. Our mental abilities and talents should not be used only for worldly achievements. Only by seeking Jnana (spiritual wisdom) can man rise above the level of the animal. The animal is concerned only with the present. Man alone can realize that the present is the product of the past and that the future will be determined by what he does in the present. Only if you act rightly in the present can the future be good. This requires steadfastness and determination to adhere to the path of righteousness whatever may be the difficulties.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 27th, 2008
Man does not become fully human until he progresses on the spiritual path. Body, mind and spirit - these three together constitute the man. An animal is concerned primarily with looking after its bodily needs. Man is a superior being, since he has been bestowed with a mind. Cultivation of the spirit will elevate him to the Divine. The body, mind and spirit are intertwined and interdependent. Mind and body have to subserve the spirit in achieving awareness of the Divine Atma.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 28th, 2008
The Upanishads declare that immortality can be experienced only through Thyaga (renunciation or sacrifice). This renunciation does not mean giving up hearth and home, kith and kin. It means giving up the transient and impermanent things of the world. This calls for discrimination between what is permanent and what is perishable, what is good and what is bad. Only then can man discover the divine principle within him.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 29th, 2008
Despite aeons of evolution and considerable progress in scientific knowledge, man is not able to make significant progress towards the Divine because of absence of strenuous striving in the spiritual sphere. Without spiritual practice, reading religious books and listening to spiritual discourses have no value. Study of the Upanishads and Shaasthras (spiritual sciences) and reciting God's names may be good acts in themselves. But, if there is no love, which is the basis of all Sadhana (spiritual discipline), they are of no use. Love reinforces one's physical, mental and spiritual energies. Devotional acts without love are of no avail.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - June 30th, 2008
When the obstacles in the path of truth are laid low, deliverance is achieved. That is why Moksha (liberation) is something that can be won, here and now; one need not wait for the dissolution of the physical body for that. Action must not be felt as a burden, for that feeling is a sure sign indicating that it is against the grain. No action which helps your progress will weigh heavily on you. It is only when you go counter to your innermost nature that you feel it a burden. A time comes when you look back on your achievements and sigh at the futility of it all. Entrust to the Lord, before it is too late, your mind, and let Him shape it as He likes.
-SAI BABA