Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 1st, 2009
The Bhagavad Gita declares "Sarvatah Paani Paadam Tat Sarvathokshi Shiromukham, Sarvatah Shruthimalloke Sarvamavruthya Thishthati" (God is omnipresent with His hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouths and ears pervading everywhere, He permeates the entire universe). Nothing escapes His attention. Therefore, we should always keep our minds filled with good thoughts as God is constantly pronouncing the blessing of fulfilment saying 'Tathaasthu' (so be it!). When you are subject to misery you blame God, but do not realise that your distress is the consequence of your own thoughts. This is why you should always have good thoughts and seek good company.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 2nd, 2009
The Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) who wants to attain Shanti (peace) has to constantly practise a virtuous life, overcoming all the initial obstacles. Shanti is like a mountain rock. It can stand up against the continuous floods of temptation from evil. This Prashanti (supreme peace) need not be sought anywhere outside. It emanates from the Antahkarana (Inner Self) itself.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 3rd, 2009
Man has forgotten love and is hankering after worldly objects. Money comes and goes but morality comes and grows. Does your wealth accompany you when you leave this world? No! Only the results of your actions will accompany you. Only the wealth of merit will protect you. Paropakaraya Punyaya, Papaya Parapeedanam (one attains merit by serving others and commits sin by hurting them). Do not accumulate sin. Instead, earn the wealth of merit.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 4th, 2009
There is no distinction between Bhakti (devotion) and Jnana (wisdom). Just as Saguna (worship of God with attributes) becomes Nirguna (worship of God without attributes), Bhakti becomes Jnana. Therefore each individual deed must be full of the spirit of Seva (service), Prema (love) and Jnana (wisdom). Whatever is done from dawn to dusk must be pure, unsullied and fit to be consecrated in worship of the Lord.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 5th, 2009
Several fuels like petroleum, coal, etc. are extracted from deep within the earth. Wherefrom did they arise in the first place? Over a long period of time, they have accumulated deep inside. Now they are making their appearance outside. In the same way, evil tendencies like desire, anger, hatred, etc., are accumulated in you, hidden in you. Sometime or the other, they are bound to come out. So, take care that they do not even make their entry into you. You should discriminate and ensure that only good qualities enter you. This is the true human value. The very attempt to control or restrain your anger is a sign of weakness. In fact, you have to cultivate your nature in such a manner that the very feeling of anger does not enter you.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 6th, 2009
Visit to temples, the company of holy men, the recital of the Divine Name, the adoration of the Divine Form - these are external sources of Light. Dhyana (meditation), Tapas (penance), Manana (contemplation) - these are the sources of inner illumination. Devoid of both, how can men experience the vision of Divine Glory?
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 7th, 2009
To think that someone is your friend and another your enemy is an error. Such a delusion has to be given up. The Lord who is the embodiment of love is the only true and constant companion, friend, guide and protector. Know this and live in this knowledge. This is the way to lead a life of Dharma (righteousness). The Dharmic way of life is the road to Self-realization. Those who walk along it are dear to the Lord. He dwells with all who are truthful and whose deeds spring from Dharma.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 8th, 2009
Janthunam Narajanma Durlabham - there is no greater blessing than human birth. To call oneself a human, first and foremost, one must show humanness in action. Having been born and brought up in society and having earned one's wealth from it, one should show gratitude to it by working for its welfare. The world is facing problems because man does not show his gratitude to society. Society's well-being is your well-being too. Give up selfishness and work for the welfare of the society. The world will enjoy peace and security only when everyone serves society and has devotion towards God.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 9th, 2009
You may claim that you live righteously, but your basic flaw is that your acts are not done in the spirit of dedication. If so done, they get stamped with the authentic mark of Dharma (righteousness). How can a person aspire to get the attitude of dedicating all his activities to the Lord, without, at the same time, being pure in thought, word and deed?
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 10th, 2009
The human being is referred to as 'Nara'. 'Ra' means that which is perishable. 'Na' means 'not'. 'Nara' refers therefore to that which is imperishable in man, the Atma (Spirit). Consequently, sorrow should be alien to him. He should shed no tear. Deem yourself as Divine. Live with this firm conviction. The Divinity in every being should be revered. You have to recognise unity in diversity. Do not give room to any bad thoughts. The body is a temple of the Divine and no evil thoughts should be harboured within it.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 11th, 2009
Do not shape your conduct with an eye on the opinion of others. Instead, follow bravely, gladly and steadily the sweet and pleasant promptings of your own Sathwic-manas (pure mind), your own awakened consciousness, your own inner self. Associate yourself only with those who are truthful.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 12th, 2009
The body and the mind are closely inter-related and both derive sustenance from food. Therefore, food has considerable impact on the character and destiny of the individual. As the food, so the mind; as the mind, so the thought; as the thought, so the act. All that is perceived by the senses constitute 'food'. For the Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant), the intake must always be Sathwic, i.e., pure and moderate. The sounds, the sights, the impressions, the ideas, the lessons, the contacts - all must promote reverence, humility, balance, equanimity and simplicity. It is only the Sathwic 'food' that will keep the mind on an even keel, fully concentrated on the Atma on which one must contemplate in order to attain peace.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 13th, 2009
Men are born with a helpless lamenting cry; they should depart from the world with a smile of joy. That is the purpose of the years of life in between. But those years are wasted now. God, who is the anchor that saves man from the tempests of grief and despair, is neglected and ignored. Man is tossed about from one want to another, one grief to another, until he is blinded by despair and exhausted by foiled pursuits. Most illnesses are due to this despair and this exhaustion.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 14th, 2009
A home where the members of the family are leading their lives in keeping with noble ideals, where they together sing the glory of the Lord's name and spend their time in performing good deeds, where the values of truth, peace and love reign supreme, where regular study of holy books are undertaken, where the senses are under control, and where there is equal love and respect for all creation prompted by the knowledge of the basic unity of all creation - such a home is verily heaven on earth.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 15th, 2009
Lord Krishna has said in the Bhagavad Gita, "Mamaivamsho Jeevaloke Jeevabhuta Sanathanah" (all beings are an eternal part of My Self). God is present in the heart of one and all. It is because of Bhrama (delusion) that man is unable to realise his Divine nature. In the first instance, man should make efforts to overcome this delusion and realise that God is always with him, in him, around him, above him and below him. There cannot be any defects or imperfections in such a Divine principle. Whatever defects you think you see are purely the result of your imagination.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 16th, 2009
The man who is caught up in the coils of his ego cannot recognise God. When the ego merges in the Atma, there is Mukti (liberation). The Aham (ego) arises from the Atma. From the ego, thought emerges and thought is the source of Vaak (speech). All these have emerged from the Atma. It is only when the ego goes that the truth of the Atma can be realized. It is ego that is the cause of man's bondage. Man comes from the Brahman (God), grows in the Brahman and merges in the Brahman. The aim of all spiritual exercises is to make man recognise the unity that underlies the entire creation and enable him to realise the bliss in union with the Divine.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 17th, 2009
Self-discipline is the basic foundation for successful living. Through that alone can man attain eternal peace. And without peace, there can be no happiness. Shanti (peace) is of the very nature of Atma, it can co-exist only with purity of heart. It is never associated with a greedy heart full of desires.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 18th, 2009
The six inner enemies: desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride and envy can be uprooted only by the teachings of good men, the love of God, knowledge of the Lord and the company of the holy ones. The heart of the person who does not strive to cultivate his mind with holy thoughts is certain to be paradise of evil and wickedness. This has to be borne in mind by all those aspire for salvation and who hope to rise to greatness.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 19th, 2009
Health is wealth. Without a healthy body, man cannot execute any of his thoughts, however noble they may be. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Have your meals on time and relish what you eat. Also, while eating, be filled with positive thoughts - that will bestow upon you good health. In the first instance, give up all bad habits; you will automatically gain good health, which will confer a strong body. You can then lead an ideal and meritorious life full of happiness and bliss.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 20th, 2009
The grace of God is not easily attainable. The feeling of Ahamkara (egoism) which makes one say, "I am the doer," should be plucked by the roots from the heart. Everyone, be he learned or illiterate should feel an overwhelming urge to know God. God has equal affection towards all His children, just like the sun that illumines the whole world equally.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 21st, 2009
Of various forms of Bhakti (devotion), Namasmarana (chanting of God's name) is the best. If every aspirant considers the name of the Lord as the very breath of his or her life, and having complete faith in good deeds and good thoughts, develops the spirit of service and equal love for all, then there can be no better path for Mukti (liberation).
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 22nd, 2009
All experiences of pleasure and pain have their origin in the thoughts of man. A thought is like the seed of a tree, which in due course puts forth branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. All that you see in a tree has come from a small seed. Likewise, although man's thought is subtle, it contains potentially the entire universe. The atom is the microcosm of the Universe. One may have noticed the huge size of the banyan tree; however its seed is very small. Intrinsically, the seed and the tree are essentially one.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 23rd, 2009
Among the festivals, Shivaratri is of exceptional importance. On Shivaratri night, divine vibrations are close to every human heart. At such a time, when people are engaged in holy tasks, they absorb the divine vibrations. The holy night of Shivaratri is intended to serve as a sacred occasion for turning the mind firmly towards God. As this night precedes the new moon day, it will be pitch dark everywhere outside while the heart will be filled with divine effulgence. Light represents auspiciousness. That is why this day is observed as Shivaratri.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 24th, 2009
The Jivi (individual) must realise the evanescence of the body and be all eager to merge in Shiva (God). For this, on need not wait for any auspicious time. This very moment is the right moment. Start today the Sadhana (spiritual exercise) that has to be done tomorrow. Start now the Sadhana that has to be done today. One does not know what is in store next moment. Therefore, there should be no delay in engaging oneself in the Sadhana that has to be done.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 25th, 2009
The Lord sees the inner feelings and not the outer appearance and behaviour. However, you should not neglect the outer behaviour and action; you should manifest the inner noble feelings even on the outside. That gives a chance for experiencing the feelings of quietude and peace in fuller measure, for the taste of Shanti (peace) must be enjoyed through every thought, word, gesture and deed. It is only then that Shanti becomes Paripoorna (complete).
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 26th, 2009
Every Bhakta (devotee) hopes to experience the joy of Supreme bliss. But that bliss is not something to be acquired newly, or some new experience to be won by Sadhana (spiritual exercise). It is always with you, in you, only you are not able to taste it now due to the ego which acts as a screen, hiding it from view. One has to rend that veil asunder. Then the ever-existing can be cognised. What comes and goes is the screen of 'I' and 'mine' which covers the bliss.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 27th, 2009
Permanent happiness can be secured only through one form of Vidya (knowledge) - the Upanishadic Vidya. That is the science of God-realisation, the teachings of Rishis or seers. That alone can save man and grant him peace. There is nothing higher that. Whatever be the subjects you have specialised in for a profession or living, have your eyes always focussed on this Vidya.
-SAI BABA



Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam - February 28th, 2009
God is immanent in the five elements - Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Ether. Since there is no place in creation where the five elements do not exist, it can be concluded that God is all-pervasive. And yet, why is man unable to experience this divinity? Though water reflects objects, the image, unlike the object, is not steady. Similarly, man cannot be a perfect image of God if he has a wavering mind. Such a mind leads to confusion and depression, and with such a mind, a seeker can never realise the divinity within. What is essential for a steady mind is the control of the five senses and a ceiling on desires.
-SAI BABA