Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 1st, 2008
Dharma (righteousness) is the foundation for the welfare of humanity, it is the eternal truth. When the effulgence of Dharma fails to illumine human relationships, mankind will become enveloped in the darkness of sorrow. Man must dedicate himself to Dharma so that he may live in peace and the world may also enjoy peace. He cannot acquire lasting peace nor can he win the grace of God through any means other than by leading a Dharmic life.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 2nd, 2008
The person who is free from all desires, who has not even the slightest inclination to possess or enjoy the sensory world, who has no trace of egoism and who is ever immersed in the bliss of God consciousness, is always untouched by any tinge of sorrow. He is firmly established in supreme joy and peace.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 3rd, 2008
Ganesh Chaturthi
The mouse is the vehicle of Lord Vinayaka. What is the inner significance of the mouse? The mouse is attracted by smell and is considered as the embodiment of the sense of smell. The mouse is a symbol of attachment to 'Vasana', which means both smell and worldly tendencies. It is well known that if you want to catch a mouse, you place a strong-smelling bait inside the mouse-trap. The mouse also symbolises the darkness of night. The mouse can see well in the dark and moves about freely in the night. As Vinayaka's vehicle, the mouse signifies an object that leads man from darkness to light. Thus, the Vinayaka-principle signifies that which removes bad thoughts, bad habits and inculcates good thoughts and good conduct in people.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 4th, 2008
All are God. You too are God, above and beyond the past, present and future. You are not the body which is tied up with time and which is caught in the coils of was, is and will be. Be ever fixed in the attitude that you are of the nature of Parabrahman (God); dwell constantly in this thought. Thus you can become a Jnani (person of wisdom).
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 5th, 2008
Like the wind that covers everything with dust, desires and attachments cloud the mind. They have to be kept away so that the splendour of the self might merge in the splendour of the Higher self, the Paramatman (God). The process of purifying the consciousness of man in the crucible of single-pointed thought, speech, feeling and activity directed towards God, will rid him of all blemishes and defects. When the inner consciousness has been rendered pure and unsullied, God will reside therein. Then man will experience the vision of God within him.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 6th, 2008
Each one should ask himself the question: spiritually realized persons were also persons like me; they were also embodied beings. When they could attain perfection, can I also not succeed if I follow their method? What profits me if I spend time in discovering the faults and weakness of others? Therefore the first Sadhana (spiritual endeavour) is to search for the faults and weaknesses within yourself and strive to correct them and become perfect.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 7th, 2008
People say that the service to man is the service to God, that Manava Seva is Madhava Seva. This is true. However, even though the service of humanity is holy, unless it is merged in the higher ideal, men will not benefit, however much the service undertaken. Whatever is done with the Lord in mind, along the path of truth and righteousness, alone can be considered to be service of the Lord. Whatever service is done for gaining name and fame, and for enjoying the fruits thereof, cannot be referred to as service of God.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 8th, 2008
For establishing oneself in the contemplation of the omnipresent Lord, there are no limitations of time and place. There is nothing like a holy place or auspicious time for this. Wherever the mind revels in the contemplation of the Divine, that is the holy place. Whenever it does so, that is the auspicious moment.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 9th, 2008
Man must always proceed towards 'Balam' (strength); he should not take to untruth, wickedness and crookedness, all of which denote the fundamental trait of cowardice. This cowardice is born out of accepting an inferior and false image of oneself. You believe that you are the husk, the outer covering. But, truly you are the kernel, the core. This false identification is the fundamental mistake. All Sadhana (spiritual effort) must be directed towards the removal of the husk and the revelation of the kernel. So long as you say "I am so and so", there is bound to be fear, but once you say and feel "I am God", you get unconquerable strength.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 10th, 2008
Tat Twam Asi: Thou are that. This is the highest and holiest teaching. You are the indestructible Atma. It is for the sake of the Atma that you have the physical body and so in the attempt to realise God here and now, you must be prepared to sacrifice the body at any moment. The body is only an instrument, an implement given by God. Let it serve its rightful purpose.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 11th, 2008
Love God with steadfast devotion and faith, have fear of sin and practise morality in society. If you want morality in society, you should develop love for God. If you love God, you will have fear of sin. Today people without fear of sin commit heinous acts. This contradicts the very nature of humans. The body is a house given to you on rent. The owner is God. Live there as long as He wills, thanking Him and paying Him the rent of faith and devotion.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 12th, 2008
Onam
This day is the sacred day when the Lord as Vamana Avatar conferred liberation on Emperor Bali. Bali was a great emperor. He loved his subjects and looked after their welfare. Poverty was unknown in his realm. He felt proud about his kingdom and his people, and thus suffered from a slight sense of ego. Lord Vamana incarnated to eradicate the undesirable quality of ego in Emperor Bali by effacing even this pride and thereby redeem him. Before leaving for the nether world, Bali gave a promise to his people, whom he loved dearly. He said that he would visit them every year on the day of Onam and bless them.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 13th, 2008
Life is a long garland of blossoms, fair and faded, fragrant and futile. They are, so to say, the good and bad of life. Man recognizes only the blossoms, happy over some, unhappy over most; he does not see the string on which they are bound together, the Brahmasutra, the everlasting and ever-fresh principle of divinity that holds all the short-lived flowers together. Just as sparrows during a storm fly towards a warm shelter, man too, must take shelter in the Divine principle to escape from the storms of life.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 14th, 2008
When boring is done to draw water from the bowels of the earth, the pipe has to be kept free of air so that the water will rise up. If the air enters, the water cannot rise up in the pipe. So too, be sure that attachment to worldly things does not mar your spiritual effort. Love will not rise up if sensual pleasure or personal pride invade the mind.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 15th, 2008
Those who wish to establish themselves in Divinity must seek solitude, practise Dhyana (meditation) and Japa (repetition of God's name) at specified times, acquire one-pointedness through these practices, and be always engaged in deeds for the welfare of all beings. They should always be engaged in performing work without any concern for the fruits thereof.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 16th, 2008
The joy you seek and the Self-realization you aim at are both within you. They cannot be found in the external world. This condition is similar to that of a person who begs for food on the street even though there are sweets and delicacies in his own home. You imagine that the world and its objects confer happiness on you. This is an illusion created by your mind. It is only when you follow the discriminating intellect that you will be able to enjoy true peace and joy.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 17th, 2008
No object in the world can be without a creator. Everything we use in our daily life has been made by someone. But, there are also objects which are beyond the capacity of humans to create. The stars which twinkle in the sky, the sun and moon that illumine the whole world, all these demonstrate the existence of a superior power. These are not human creations. Have they come into existence by themselves or have they been created by some invisible force? The supreme power which has the capacity to create such marvels has been described by the Vedas as Aprameya, one who is beyond all proofs and all limitations. He cannot be described in words. The primary object of man must be to seek to understand this Infinite Power.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 18th, 2008
When an individual seeks fulfilment outside himself, he fails; if he seeks it within himself, he is successful in obtaining it. The divine principle within us is always accessible and always responsive. Pain is felt only as long as attachment or aversion to outer forms remains. Ultimate relief from pain can come only by the effacement of the ego, by the elimination of that which reacts to one thing as pain and to another as pleasure, and whose memory and conditioning sustains the recognition of the dualities of joy and grief.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 19th, 2008
One need not search for spiritual power, going around the world and spending a lot of money. You can stay in your own house and develop it within yourself. You do not have to run for it hither and thither. You are not a mere man, but God Himself. Do not be under the delusion that God is residing somewhere and that you have to search for Him; God is within you.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 20th, 2008
The world is one vast community. Every individual in it is a part of this community, bound to it by the bonds of love. This love is there, deep in the heart of every man. It is the Vishwa-Prema (all encompassing love) that flows from one spark of the Divine to all other sparks. When the eyes shine illumined by the highest wisdom of Jnana, they see all as the One. Man realises that Sarvam Brahmamayam Jagath (the entire universe is pervaded by Brahman). To have this One revealed as in All, one has to develop faith and discipline the mind. The mind has to shed its fancies and foibles; the Truth has to be known and experienced.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 21st, 2008
In all the efforts that you make, if you place your trust in a Higher Power, the work becomes easy. This reliance on the Lord, the source of all power, results out of one's intense devotion. When you travel by train, you only have to purchase the ticket, enter the right train and take a seat, leaving the rest to the engine. So too, put your trust in the Lord and carry on to the best of your ability. Have faith in the Lord and His Grace. Try to earn it using the intelligence and the discrimination He has endowed you with.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 22nd, 2008
Without self-knowledge, man is led into the belief that the objective world is true and everlasting, and into the neglect of the true and the eternal. He ignores the Atma, the Divine Principle that he is. Denying the Atma, disregarding its mandate, ignoring its existence - these are the roots of grief. Through Karma (activity) one becomes a moral individual and one starts seeking the basis of morality (Brahman). One discovers that virtue and morality add to one's Ananda (Bliss) and that all Ananda everywhere flows from Brahman Itself. One realises that activity devoid of this awareness is barren and binding.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 23rd, 2008
People complain of grief, sorrow and distress. These are but reactions to the loss of something that one already possesses, or the failure to gain something that is desired. Therefore, the only way to escape sorrow is to conquer the desire for the illusory. See the world as God. That vision will scotch desire. When one's desire is focused on God, success is assured and every step contributes to the achievement of Divine Bliss.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 24th, 2008
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 done without 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 power and skill necessary for the required service.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 25th, 2008
You have to busy yourselves with activity in order to use time and skill to the best advantage. That is your duty, and duty is God. The dull and the inert (Tamasic) will hesitate to be active for fear of exhaustion or failure. The emotional and passionate individuals (Rajasic) will plunge headlong, craving for quick results and be disappointed when results do not come in as expected. The persons with balance of mind (Sathwic) will be active, considering it their duty; success or failure will not disturb their equanimity. The godly will take up activity as a means of worshipping God. They leave the fruits of their efforts to God, as they know they are but instruments in His hands.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 26th, 2008
What is realization? The moment you see your inner beauty and are so filled with it that you forget all else, you are free from all bonds; you know that you are all Beauty, all Glory, all Power; the reflection of Shivam (God) in the mirror of Prakruthi (nature) is Jiva (the individual).
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 27th, 2008
There is no need to go in quest of God. In fact, it is God who is in search of a genuine and steadfast devotee. Today's Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) is approaching God for the fulfilment of his petty desires. He does not seek to understand the nature of true love or the Divinity that underlies everything. Just as the sun can be seen only by its own light, the love of the Divine can be acquired only by Divine Grace and not by pursuing some trivial practices. The Sadhanas (spiritual practices) that the Sadhaka undertakes are invariably motivated by selfish objectives. Only when the Sadhaka's heart is filled with the Divine, will he be able to entertain pure and sacred love.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 28th, 2008
The ego brings wave after wave of wants and wishes before your attention, and tempts you to attempt to satisfy them. This is a never-ending circle. So try to reduce your wants and expand the range of your love in order to be free from the coils of your ego. Living involves many confrontations, companionships, separations, conflicts and neglects. We have to give up both the types of contacts - the repugnant and the pleasant. Attach yourself to God and the delusion of the world will automatically fall off.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 29th, 2008
You do not see the foundations of a skyscraper. Can you, therefore, argue that it simply sits on the ground? The foundations of this life are laid deep in the past, in lives already lived by you. This structure has been shaped by the ground plan of those lives. It is the unseen foundation that decides the structure and design of the entire edifice.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - September 30th, 2008
Faith is essential for human progress in every field. Knowledge, and hence, wisdom can be earned only by means of faith and effort. Equipped with these, man can scale great heights and emerge victorious. However, one has to be warned against cultivating too much faith in things that are merely material. One has to root it deep in the eternal Truth, God. Faith is power. Without faith, living is impossible. We have faith in tomorrow following today. That is what makes us take up activities that extend beyond this day. People with no faith cannot plan; they court misery by their want of faith.
-SAI BABA