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==========================================THOUGHT FOR THE DAY -- 1008 sayings of Sri Sathya Sai
These sayings by Sathya Sai Baba are posted daily on the Ashram Blackboard. They were compiled into book form by an ardent devotee. Since this printed version had limited copies, another devotee later reproduced the original into a computer format to facilitate wider publication of the book and to allow for viewing as a 'daily saying' on devotees' computers world-wide. There is no copyright on the original book or on this program. These disks are distributed free of charge to devotees with the hope that they will be spread to other devotees. The only requirement is that the material continue to be distributed free and cannot be published for monetary gain.
With Swami's Grace it is hoped that these sayings will fill devotees' hearts with joy for many days to come. OM SAI RAM
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An ardent devotee, who wishes to remain anonymous, has woven this resplendent garland of 1008 petals, each one suffused with the honey-dew of the Grace of the Divine Master. Over the last three years, each day, he called out, from the Divine Discourses of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, compiled in English by the noble soul, Shri. N. Kasturi, a glittering piece to serve as 'Thought for the Day.' Not one day passed by without the 'Thought' being written out and displayed on a Board attached to a tree in the vicinity of the Poorna-Chandra Auditorium in Prasanthi Nilayam,. It has been to us, in Prasanthi Nilayam, a common sight, every day, of Devotees congregating in front of the Board, after the morning Darshan, to have their minds soaked in the 'Thought for the Day' and to gather the strength and competence to take one step toward the Divine Master.
With the Blessings of Bhagavan Baba, this Devotee has completed this labour of love - putting 1008 Gems inside the covers of a handy Book that any Devotee can have as the priceless possession for his life-time. He has prayed to Bhagavan Baba to bless him with leave to place copies of this Volume, free of cost, in the hands of the students and the Teachers of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and other Devotees who come with a ardent desire to sit at Bhagavan's Lotus-Feet. The contents of the Book, primordial, authentic, perennially sweet, and ennobling, can be read over and over again, at all times of the day. By the Grace of Bhagavan Baba, such reading will help to intensify the process of purification of the reader's mind. The Avatar is here to act as our Guru. Bhagavan has made his advent on Earth for our benefit, and to give us the opportunity to learn the Truth, and establish the foundation for our spiritual advancement. We, who are at the Divine Lotus Feet, are fortunate because we have been given a chance to move away from the pattern of life, in which we are enmeshed, in the twilight zone of Illusion - a state which obscures the Truth and prevents us from realizing lasting happiness. At this juncture, we should resolve, with all our hearts, to surrender to the Divine Master. By this act, we will experience Bliss, the supreme goal in life, and leave behind the miseries and disappointments of the past and the present and move into a future full of Divine Grace.
Says Bhagavan Baba:
'The choice is yours and the timing is yours. I shall always be here, waiting for you.'
This Volume, 'Thought for the Day,' constitutes a bridge that will help us, when we are on it, to learn to concentrate, and to acquire the ability to contemplate and finally reach the stage of meditation on the vision of Reality and the Divine presence.
In his Avatar as Krishna, Bhagavan has said:
'Knowledge is superior to Practice; Meditation is superior to Knowledge; Superior to Meditation is Renunciation of the Fruit of Action; From Renunciation arises immediately Peace'
Meditation holds the Golden Key to the Glory of Renunciation and the sacred Kingdom of ever-lasting Peace. This Volume, 'Thought for the Day', is a powerful instrument placed in our hands to facilitate our entry into the domain of 'Meditation' that will lead us to 'Divinity'.
The architect of this compilation in English makes this plea:
'Let this sacred text of Divine Thoughts, rendered in the English language, find its bloom in all the other languages of the World. Anyone, willing to take up this task, is free to do so, subject to the compassionate condition that the product will be placed in the hands of Devotees free of cost.'
By the Grace of Bhagavan Baba, may this noble aspiration find fulfillment!
With the Book in our hands, we stand immersed in the milky ocean of the Lord's Compassion. And, then, we are warmed by the Radiance of the Divine Master - a Radiance that of an order of magnitude so great that no mortal can find words to describe it. In every breath that we take, in every atom of our behaviour and in every manifestation of our intellect, we should strive to become worthy recipients of the Divine Master's Love and Compassion.
JAI SAI RAM
S. Sampath Vice-Chancellor, Prasanthinilayam,
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning
May, 1992
'Suklambaradaram Vishnum Sashivarnam Chathurbhujam Prasanna Vadanam Dhyayeth Saravavignopa Shantaye'
One who wears a white dress; One who is omnipresent; One who shines like the Moon; One who has four hands; One who has a beautiful and shining face; One who wards off all obstacles. I meditate on Him.
AUM SRI SAI RAM
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1. TODAY is the Birthday of Rama who is Dharma itself. He is Veda Dharma in Human Form. He is Anandaswarupa and Dharmaswarupa. On this holy day of Ramanavami you must immerse yourself in the Atma as Dharmaswarupa as the motivator of the moral life. Rama is 'Atma Rama' in every being. There is no place where Rama is not. He is imminent and eternal. Rama for you should mean the Path He trods, the ideal He held aloft, and the Ordinance He laid down. They are eternal and timeless. Now you worship His Form, you repeat His name; ignoring His orders. Without practicing the discipline laid down by Rama to purify the mind, all else is mere show, empty rituals. Contemplate on this unique day to obtain Godhood. Use it not for feasting, picnics, hikes, watching films, playing games, gambling, etc. The Immortal had come in the form of Rama to show the way to Immortality.
2. THE four brothers Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Satrughna represent the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas. When man neglects the Divine aspect of their natures and the awareness of the Omnipresent and Omnipotent OM, he falls prey to the impulses and instincts dominated by the ego and develops faith in material gains. He spends his life in amassing wealth, power and authority over fellow-beings and believes that holding others under his sway is a desirable achievement. If there were a vacancy in Heaven, he would surely apply for the position of God, for he believes that he has all the necessary attributes.
3. THE Ramayana has a deep undercurrent of significant meaning. Dasaratha means: he who rides in a chariot of ten, that is to say, Man. He is tied up with three Gunas or three wives, as in the Ramayana. He has four sons, the Purusharthas; Dharma (Rama), Artha (Lakshmana), Kama (Bharatha) and Moksha (Satrughna). These four aims of man have to be systematically realised, always with the last one, Moksha, clearly before the eye. Lakshmana represents the Buddhi or intellect and Sita is Truth. Hanuman is the Mind and the repository of courage, if controlled and trained. Sugriva, the master of Hanuman, is Discrimination. With these to help him, Rama seeks the Truth and succeeds. That is the lesson of the Epic to every man.
4. RAMA is Dharma personified. 'Vignahavak Dharmah'. Rama is the Supreme Exemplar of the Virtues that man must cultivate so that he might live as a master, husband, son, brother, friend or even foe. The other three brothers of Rama personify the other three ideals. Bharatha is the embodiment of Sathya; Satrughna of Shanti; and Lakshmana of Prema. Study the Ramayana with the aim of imbibing from it the ideals for happy living, for making this life worthwhile and you will be amply rewarded. Then you can deservedly style yourselves 'Devotees' of the Lord.
5. THE Ramayana is a guide-book, a sacred text, an inspiring scripture for every man in all lands, whatever his creed or condition might be. It imparts poise, balance, equanimity, inner strength and peace. Peace is the best treasure, without it power, authority, fame and fortune are all dry and burdensome. Thyagaraja has sung that there can be no happiness without inner peace.
6. WHY is it that the world reveres Rama and revolts at Ravana? Rama is not the uncle's son or Ravana the step-mother's child! It is the kinship of the spirit, innate goodness, responding lovingly, adoringly to the goodness in Rama; and reacting revoltingly to the wickedness of Ravana. It is not enough, nor is it essential that you should repeat the name of Rama loudly; respect it in the fullness of love and admiration. If you have no spring of love in you, dig into your heart with external instruments like Puja, Stotra, etc. and it will start to flow.
7. VIBHISHANA, Ravana's own brother, chastised him for his willfulness and lust and urged him to save himself, his kingdom and his kith and kin by restoring Sitha unharmed to her Lord. When Vibhishana went over to Rama, Rama knew that he had a pure heart and that he could not survive the poisonous atmosphere of Lanka. So He took him and saved him. The Lord likes to be called 'Aarthathraana-paraayana' more than any other name, for He is most happy when He rescues those in agony.
8. YOU talk glibly of Ramarajya, but how can it be established if you do not emulate Rama? He was 'Vignahavaan Dharmah', the very Embodiment of Dharma. He never deviated from it. Dasaratha means one who is master of the ten Senses, the five Karmendriyas and the five Jnanendriyas; that is to say, the successful Sadhaka. Such a person can have the holy progeny of the four Purusharthas-Dharma (Rama), Artha (Lakshmana), Kama (Bharatha) and Moksha (Sathrughna). Become a Dasaratha and save that holy progeny as a gift from God.
9. HANUMAN succeeded in coordinating his thought, word and act. Therefore he had the unique distinction of being great in physical strength, mental stability and virtuous character. He shines as an invaluable gem among the personalities of the Ramayana. He was also a great scholar, who had mastered, of all things, the six schools of grammar. He knew the four Vedas and the six Sastras. The Gita says that a scholar is one who sees the same Divine force motivating everyone. 'Pandithaha Samadarsinha'. Hanuman was a good example of this outlook.
10. HANUMAN spoke to the brothers in sweet, gentle and pleasing words. Rama was struck by the grammatical accuracy of his sentences. They readily answered all his queries; and Hanuman was satisfied with their bona fides. He offered to take them to his Master and Monarch. The Dharsan (sight) and first Mana of Rama had removed all his sins; their Sparsan (touch) burnt away all the consequences of his deeds in previous lives; and their Sambhashan (conversation) filled his mind with joy. That is the experience of all who welcome the impact of Divinity.
11. HANUMAN became the messenger of Rama. There are three classes of messengers: those who do not understand the orders of the Master or do not care to understand and who operate to the detriment of the work assigned them; those who do only just as much as the order literally communicates; and those who grasp the purpose and significance of the orders and carry them out unflinchingly until the purpose is achieved. Hanuman belonged to the last category.
12. YOU find some one parades all of a sudden some -ism- as new and revolutionary socialism, for example. Socialism, which means, recognising the equality of every individual with every one else was in fact practiced in India long ago. Rama, undisputed Sovereign of a vast Empire, gave heed to the flippant scandal uttered by an irresponsible laundry-man during a quarrel with his wife, and sent his Queen, the very dear person for whom had waged a war of tremendous carnage, into exile, regardless of the fact that she was pregnant at the time. Every one's voice was given equal weight in the empire ruled over by Rama.
13. THE vanaras, while building the bridge across the ocean, carried huge boulders on their heads repeating Rama-nama all the while; and that made the rocks weigh less. It is even said that they wrote the name on the stones and that made them float. Each time they handled or lifted a stone, they sang Rama-nama in unison and so they were a happy lot doing Puja, not work, which is unpleasant. Rama's Grace helped all to overcome obstacles. Take the name and make your work light: that is My advice to you.
14. I INSIST on your seeking and remaining in good company, Sathsangha. Being in the midst of such spiritual heroes, you can fight against evil with a greater chance of success. Once, when Garuda the sworn enemy of snakes went to Kailas, he saw the snakes that Siva wore round His neck, His arms, His waist, and His Feet. The snakes were safe now and they hissed with their puffed hoods at the celestial bird which could not do them any harm since they were in such Divine Company. Garuda said: 'Well! Glide down from the Body and I shall kill everyone of you'! That is the value of the Sath one has reached. Sathsangha is valuable, for it is like keeping a pot of water inside a tank of water; there will not be any loss through evaporation.
15. PRIDE is one of the worst sins in the spiritual field. If you feel conceited that you are Bhaktha of Hare, He will 'hare' (destroy, in Telugu) you. Remember, Sarangathi should be like the attitude of Lakshmana. Rama said: 'Take Sita and leave her in the forest'. Implicit obedience! There is no other way. That is Lakshmana. That is Sarangathi; the rest are deserving, only of 'Sarangathi', the arrow of Rama.
16. WHEN the queen Kaikeyi persuaded her husband to agree to her two requests - enthroning her son Baratha as the Crown Prince and sending the legitimate heir, Rama, into exile for fourteen years - Lakshmana, another brother of Rama and Bharatha, did not acquiesce tamely. He argued that man must meet every little crisis with courage and self-reliance and that he should not yield craven-like to the machinations of intrigue. He boasted that his arrow can avert the crisis. But the arrow is an inferior weapon, even a negligible weapon when compared with the efficiency of Love. Rama heard him coolly and advised him to desist from that hasty Karma, 'Dharma must guide Karma'; then alone can it be praise-worthy and successful.
17. THE path of spiritual discipline, which is most beneficial to man, is laid down in a simple and sweet manner in the great Scriptures of Ancient India. They explain, through example and precept, the Divine Principle inherent in the Universe and inspire mankind to gaze with awe and reverence at the handiwork of God and His inscrutable Leela (sport). They prompt man to march along the pilgrim road of sacrifice in the happy company of Sages, so that the body feels the vision of the Eternal which can be gained and enshrined in the heart for ever.
18. WHEN Sri Rama decided to end His Avatar career and walked into the flooded Sarayu river, a dog too followed the concourse. When asked why it had attached itself to the entourage, it said, 'I desire to enter Heaven with you all. I was in my previous life a full-fledged Yogi; but I slipped and fell from the straight path of self control. I became the slave of conceit. I expounded the Vedas as my fancy dictated, in strange but attractive ways. So, I have now become this animal that takes delight in barking, biting and baying. The persons who encouraged me then by praise are now the fleas and the flies that crowd on my skin and pester me. Help me, Lord, to escape from the disgrace. I have worked my Karma; I have lived out my sentence'.
19. WHEN Rama is installed in the heart, every thing will be added unto you - fame, fortune, freedom, fullness. Hanuman was a mere monkey-leader until he met Rama. He was a Minister in the Court of his Master. But when Rama gave him the commission to seek Sita, that is to say, when Rama was installed in his heart as Guide and Guardian, Hanuman became immortal.
20. DASA means 'ten' and Ratha means 'Chariot'. Hence Dasaratha (the father of Rama) in fact symbolises 'man' who operates with his ten sense-organs such as the eyes, the ears, the nose etc. His three wives symbolize man's three Gunas (attributes) and his four sons, the four Purusharthas (purposes). Lakshmana also represents the Buddhi (Intellect) of Rama. Hanuman is the mind, the repository of courage, while Sugriva stands for Discrimination. With these to help him, Rama succeeds in finding Sita, the lost Truth. This is the lesson of the Ramayana to everyone.
21. THERE are many who spend much time in mechanically reciting the name 'Rama' or systematically reading the Ramayana according to a fixed time-table, or who worship the images of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman as a daily ritual, with noisy pomp and pedantry; but like a person who puts a foot forward only to draw it back again, these persons do not progress at all as the years elapse. Without gaining purity of thought and intention, compassion and the urge to serve, these outward expressions and exhibitions are but ways of cheating yourself for having society applaud you as a great devotee. Your sight must become an insight; it must be turned within and used to purify and clarify your mind.
22. THE greatest formula that can liberate, cleanse and elevate the mind is Rama-nam, the Name of Rama. Rama is not to be identified with the hero of the Ramayana, the Divine offspring of Emperor Dasaratha. He was named Rama by the Court-Preceptor because it was a Name which was already current. Vasishta, the Preceptor, said that he had chosen that Name since it meant: He who pleases. While everyone pleases the self, nothing pleases the caged individualized self more than the free universal individualized self. The self is therefore referred to as Atma-Rama, the self that confers unending joy.
23. HANUMAN was ordered to discover the whereabouts of Sita and he implicitly, without question, obeyed and succeeded. He did not calculate the dangers of the journey and hesitate; and he did not feel proud that he was chosen for the high adventure. He listened; he understood; he obeyed; and he won. The name Ramadutha, Messenger and Servant of Rama, that he earned thereby has made him immortal. You must earn the name, Sai Rama Dutha. Have fortitude and self-control; use good and sweet-words; and examine each act of yours on the touch-stone of My preference.
24. THE toughest fiber is anger. It is the stickiest dirt. When you get angry, you forget mother, father and teacher; you descend to the lowest depths. You lose all discrimination in the excitement; even Hanumantha set fire to the whole of Lanka when he was incensed by the Rakshasas who set fire to the tip of his tail; and he lost sight of the fact that Sita was in the Asoka Vana. It was only after he had exulted in achievement for a little while that he remembered it and then he started condemning himself for his anger.
25. RAMA is extolled as the ideal son who acted according to his father's wish regardless of his own happiness. But Bhishma is a better example in this respect. He acceded to a whim of his father and in so doing made even a greater sacrifice than Rama. Dasaratha made Rama an exile in the forest for fourteen years to satisfy the claims of Truth, while Santhanu made his son give up the throne as well as a wedded life to satisfy a sensual desire of his senile body. As a matter of fact, it is not the obedience to the father's whim that is important; it is the adherence to Sathaya and Dharma, which is Rama's forte.
26. RAMANAMA Feast is cloying to some tastes, but it is something ever fresh, that gives undying sweetness to the heart that is filled with the love of God. One single name will yield fresh sweetness and fresh joy every time it is rolled on the tongue. I have to tell you the things I have told you often before; for until digestion is well established, medicine has to be taken. The face has to be washed day after day. One meal is not the end of the story; you have to eat, again and again.
27. RAMATATWA is known only to Rama. What can the rest know? At best, they can have but a glimpse of Rama's grace; and even then, only if they are immersed in intense inner prayer for God. Think of Him. Call out for Him; He melts. Whatever form He may be shining in, that intensity will make you recognise Him. He may be a cowherd boy, standing under a tree with a flute at His lips. You will see Him and adore Him and place Him in your heart. You extol the Lord as Love, Mercy and Grace.
28. EVERY step in the career of the Avatars is fire-determined; Rama knew that the coming of Surpanaka was the prelude to the coming of Ravana. He had asked Sita to enter the fire and remain in it as just an outer manifestation. Even before the human manifestation, the Lord had decided that the Shakti must also accompany Him. Ravana's tapas were so strong that only a major sin could make the blessings he had won from the Gods null and void.
29. DO not ask God for anything. Let Him deal with you as He wills. Did Jataya ask that Rama should come to him and perform the last rights? Did Sabhari plead with Rama? Earn the qualifications - holiness, purity faith and universal love - then He will approach you on foot, to console, comfort and save. If you have purity of heart and mastery over the senses, His Grace is your right.
30. EGO plays all kinds of tricks in order to get unholy pleasure. During the construction of the bridge to Lanka to take the army across, Hanuman heaved a boulder on the raging waves of the sea as part of the bridge! It floated. Rama heaved another; it sank. Hanuman's ego was tickled, naturally. He laughed in derision; at that very moment, his boulder sank! And the boulder that Rama had thrown rose from the bottom of the sea and floated! Hanuman's ego was pricked into nothing. That was the purpose for which Rama had willed that His boulder should sink!
31. RAMA Nama will save you, if you have at least the Pithru Bakthi and Mathru Bakthi that Rama had. If not, Rama Nama is merely a movement of the lips. Meditate on the Ramaswarupa, the Ramaswabhawa, when you recite or write Rama Nama. That will give exercise to the mind; and it will be made healthy and strong in the spiritual sense. Make the Dharmaswarupa your Atma Rama on the Janmadina of Rama. That is My advice and My Blessing.
32. MAKARA Sankaranthi is a holy day because the day takes you from darkness to increasing light. From today, the sun enters upon the Uttarayana taking a northward direction for six months. When your Drishti (Sight) is on BRAHMAN and when you have Uttamaguna it is Uttarayana, and when your Drishti is on Prakriti it is Dakshinayana. When you have fever, the tongue will be bitter. The bitter tongue is 'Dhakshinayana'. When you are healthy, your sweet tongue tastes well, it is Uttarayana. The real Uttarayana is when you crave for the thought of the Lord and the company of the Godly. Bhishma spent days in bed with pain, as he felt death, when the sun starts towards north is auspicious. Bhishma yearned for the vision of Krishna in Uttarayana. Become fit for the vision of God, cultivating Prema in your heart, full of fragrance and uncontaminated by the pests of greed and egoism.
33. WITHOUT the flowers, the plant yields no fruit. Without the emerging fruit, ripeness cannot happen. Without intense Karma, Bhakti cannot emerge. Without Bhakti, how can Jnana be found? Somaka the wicked, spurned and suppressed the Veda. But did he reap any happiness? The ten-headed monster coveted and kidnapped another's wife. But did he achieve any gain? The close-fisted Kaurava refused a pinpoint of land to his closest Kin. But did he keep his loot? The terror-bound Kamsa sought out and slaughtered each new-born baby; but did he escape from death? Wicked men, even now, shall meet this fate. Take this Sai word as the word of Truth.
34. HERE are the three vows that Krishna had taken; they are mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita for all humanity to read, know and believe: 'For the protection of the good and the punishment of the bad, for the establishment of the Moral I shall concretise Myself, age after age. Whoever is wholly immersed in My contemplation, with no other thought, I shall be ever with Him; and I shall bear the burden of his welfare. 'Surrender unto Me, giving up all the other duties and obligations. I shall liberate you from all sin; do not grieve'. The armlets are reminders of these tasks on which He is set.
35. VYASA is the Lokaguru, he is Divine Effulgence. Vyasa sought to bring home, through the Puranas, the need for mastering the egoistic impulses, as the Sloka says: 'Ashtaa dasa puraneshu Paropakara punyaya Paapaaya para peedanam'. Two statements can summarize all the eighteen Puranas composed by Vyasa. 'Do good to others; avoid doing harm'. Doing good is the drug; avoiding harm is the regimen that must accompany the treatment. That is the cure for the disease of suffering from joy and grief, honour and dishonour, prosperity and adversity and the dual thong that bothers man and deprives him of equanimity.
36. THE Lord will be the Guide of whoever installs Him as his Sarathi. He will not consider that position inferior. He is the Sanathana Sarathi, come to be the Sarathi of all. He is the Lord for all who seek a Master, a support. The Atma is the Master in every one; and Krishna is the 'Universal Atma' personified.
37. THE moment Krishna was born, the chains that bound his father fell off; the doors that had been bolted flew open; and the prison guards were immersed in the Ocean of Bliss, so that they could not recognise any event or thing in the material world. The fire of hatred that was burning in them was cooled; and darkness gave place to the dawn of wisdom. The sky showered raindrops to soften the earth and lay down dust. How can the element operate against the Divine Will?
38. KRISHNA has three separate meanings - (1) the word Karsh is one root from which the name is derived. It means, that which attracts; Krishna attracts hearts to Himself by His sportive pastimes, miraculous victories over the forces of evil, His charming conversation, His Wisdom and His personal beauty. (2) The word is also related to the root, Krish: to cultivate, a field, for growing crops. The word means, He who removes the weeds from the heart of Man and sows seeds of Faith, Courage and Joy. (3) It is related to the root Krish, meaning something above and beyond the three attributers and the three eras; and 'na' means Sath-Chith-Ananda.
39. KRISHNA had taken three Vows and the Kankans were symbolic of His determination to fulfill them. They were, as mentioned by Him in the Gita: (1) 'Dharmasamsthapanaya Sambhavaami Yuge Yuge'. (I shall incarnate myself, in every age, to revive and resurrect Dharma) - (2) 'Yogakshemam Vaham Yaham' (I shall bear the burden of ensuring peace of prosperity for all who rely on me) - (3) 'Mokshayishyami maa sucha' (I shall save all those who surrender wholeheartedly to Me and I shall liberate them from the cycle of birth and death).
40. KRISHNA dealt with the World as with a Sitar, pulling its heart-strings to arouse the melody of comradeship, heroism, love, affection, compassion and conviction. But, of these, the two emotions of love and compassion were characteristically His and His own. His breath was Love! His behaviour was Compassion! Adore Him, placing a garland of tears around His neck; washing His feet with tears, springing from joy at the contemplation of His Love! That very worship will endow you with the wisdom that Sages seek and the Bliss that the Books extol!
41. THIS is the genuine Bharathiya Vision to transform life into a pilgrimage towards the God resident in oneself; a steady march along the straight path to Bliss. There is no such steadiness now. Fancy and Fantasy rule the mind of man. You desire one thing in the morning; at noon you change over to something else. That desire will not persist until evening. If your desire is fulfilled, you praise God and parade your devotion. But if it does not prevail, you throw God overboard and parade your disbelief!
42. NARADA, who moves always by and with the Lord, feels that God is beyond his understanding; Balarama who came as His own brother could not fathom His personality. How then can you grasp My Mystery? How can those who strut about in well-ironed bush-coats fathom the Truth? I know some that are here, who sold their Faith to hollow men and started talking about My dress and My Hair! If you dare, seek My Truth. Come, surrender unto Me. Do not teach treason to your friends and to other seekers. Dress and manners have become polished now; but the inner man has deteriorated in virtue and faith!
43. DETACHMENT is a plant of slow growth; if you pluck the tender plant to look for the pods, you will be disappointed. So too, long and constant practice alone is rewarded by the Peace that God offers. Grace is acquired by Surrender as Krishna has declared in the Gita.
44. WHEN the Gita directs you to give up all Dharma (Set Codes of morality), it does not ask you to also give up all Karma, and when you do it for God, through God and by God, the Dharma of it does not matter; it has to be acceptable; and it is bound to benefit you. The statement is not an invitation to licentiousness or complete inactivity; it is a call for dedication and surrender to the highest in Man, namely GOD.
45. OF all the Slokas in the Bhagavad Gita, Ramakrishna was especially impressed by the one that emphasized the attitude of Atmanivedana or Saranagathi: 'Manmana Bhava Madbakto Madyaji Maam Namaskuru Mamevaishyasi Yuktvaitvam Atmanam Matparayanah'. 'Become one with Me; be devoted to Me; sacrifice to Me and bow down to Me. Unify yourself, thus you will surely come to Me'.
46. THE Mahabaratha declares: 'What is not in Bharath does not deserve reverential consideration'; and in Bharath, the message has always been: tolerance, respect for all faiths and the practice of the essential teachings of love and service with giving up of hatred, envy and pride.
47. PERFORM all acts with as much love as you would offer God. In Truth, you eat for the satisfaction of the 'I' in you and dress up to please the self-same 'I'. The husband loves his wife for the sake of the 'I'. And who is this 'I' that is persistently inherent in everyone? It is God Himself. 'Iswarah Sarva Bhoothanaam' says the Gita: the Lord resides in the heart of every being. He is the Atman in every being. He is the Atman in everyone, the Paramatman.
48. PONDER over your 'sthithi' (present condition), 'gathi' (direction of movement), 'sakthi' (capabilities), and 'mathi' (inclination). Then enter upon the path of Sadhana step by step, so that you approach the goal faster every day, every hour, every minute. Arjuna became entitled to the Gita Upadesh from the Lord Himself, because he evinced the 'Vishada', the 'Vairagya', the 'Saranagathi', the 'Ekagratha', essential to assimilate The Great Message. When the yearning for liberation has become intense, beyond expression, man can set aside all social conventions, worldly norms and codes of conduct that do not subserve that high purpose.
49. KRISHNA does not speak of whoever among men who pronounces the 'Pranava' at the moment of death, etc. The word He uses 'whoever' is without any qualification of sex. He does not say 'Whoever that is authorized' or 'Whoever among the deserving'. The clear intention of the Lord is to encourage women, as well as men, to take up Pranava-Upasana. You would have seen that I do not discourage anyone from the Upasana. It is the royal road to spiritual victory which all are entitled to use.
50. THE Gita says that, if you give up all Dharma and take refuge in Him, then He will save you from Sin and wipe your tears. Giving up Dharma does not mean that you can bid farewell to virtue and righteous action; it means, you have to give up egoism that you are the doer. Be confirmed in the faith that He is the 'doer' of every deed. That is the genuine 'giving up'.
51. I AM in your heart all the time, whether you know it or not. Draupadi called out for the Lord of Dwaraka, Sri Krishna, when she was cruelly assaulted by the wicked cousins of her husbands, and so the Lord responded but after a little delay. He had to go to Dwaraka and come from there to Hastinapura where she was! He told her that she could have received Him in the fraction of a second had she called out, 'Oh Dweller in my heart', for He dwells there as everywhere else.
52. THE elders in Brindavan who reveled in scandalizing Krishna - successors have been born for them even now - set an ordeal for Radha to test her virtue. She was given a mud pot with a hundred holes and asked to bring water in that pot from the Yamuna to her house! She was so full of Krishna-consciousness that she never knew the condition of the pot. She immersed it in the river, as usual repeating the name of Krishna with every intake of the breath and every exhalation. Every time the name Krishna was uttered, a hole was covered, so that by the time the pot was full, it was whole. That was the measure of her Faith. Faith can affect even inanimate objects.
53. IN Realty, Truth is God; Love is God; Dharma is God. The Gopis and Gopalas saw in Krishna the Embodiment of Truth, Love and Dharma. What He said was Truth; what He was became Love, what He did was Dharma. They were so immersed in Krishna-Consciousness that they saw everywhere and in everything nothing but Krishna. Krishna for them did not exist as a separate entity in the home of Nanda; He was right in their own consciousness, at all levels of it. These Gopis and Gopalas were true Bhakthas indeed.
54. WHATEVER is dedicated and offered to God can never be lost. People can gain enormous benefit by offering even a little to God. 'A leaf or a flower, a fruit or a little water' - that is enough, if offered with devotion. Draupadi gave Sri Krishna the fraction of a leaf sticking to the side of a vessel and God granted her endless good fortune. Kuchela gave a handful of parched rice and received from the Lord awareness of His endless Glory.
55. THE Lord had Maya as His consort, so to say, and He had a son called Manas. This Manas, to continue the parable, had two wives. Pravritti and Nivritti (Attachment and Detachment). Of course, Pravritti was His favourite wife and she had a hundred children. Nivritti was ill-treated and neglected; and she had just five. That is the symbolism of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Though all the children lived in the same kingdom, ate the same food and learnt from the same Teacher, their natures differed widely from one another. The Kauravas, children of the attachment, were greedy, cruel, self-centered, and vain. The Pandavas, five of them, each one represented a Supreme Virtue, so that they could be said to symbolize Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa. As they were so pure and born of Detachment, the Lord became their Guide.
56. THE Gita speaks of Bhakthi, Jnana, Karma as Yogas; and by Yoga is meant what Pathanjali intended it to mean: 'Chiththa Vrithi Nirodha', that is to say, 'the stilling of the agitations of the consciousness'. Vishnu is the supreme exemplar of this calm, for He is 'Saanthaakaaram bhujagasayanam', the very picture of peace and calm, though reclining on a thousand-hooded snake, the snake being the symbol of the objective world with its poisonous fangs. Being in the world but not of it, not bound by it - that is the secret.
57. THE riches that you should strive to amass are not fields, factories, bungalows or bank-balances but the wisdom and experience of oneness with the Grandeur of the Universe and the Force that runs it without a hitch. Arjuna is called Dhanajaya by Krishna because he had won (Jaya) such Dhanam (riches) that saves man; and that cannot be taxed, stolen or transferred. The method of winning these riches is Sadhana.
58. GIVE joy to all. Prema or Love is the means to achieve this ideal. When Love can bring even God nearer to you, how can it fail where man is involved? Krishna could not be bound by any other means. That is the reason why SAI has declared: 'Start the day with Love; spend the day with Love, fill the day with Love; end the day with Love. That is the way to God'.
59. KRISHNA was known to all as Almighty, All-knowing, All-encompassing, and All-fulfilling. Yet, the enthusiasm to do Seva promoted Him to approach Dharmaraja, the eldest of the Pandava brothers, on the eve of the magnificent Raja Suya Yaga that he had planned to perform and offered to take up Seva of any kind. He suggested that He might be given the task of cleaning the dining-hall after the guests had partaken of the feast! Krishna insisted on outer cleanliness and inner cleansing. Clean clothes and clean minds are an ideal combination.
60. DURING the battle of Kurukshetra, which climaxed the Mahabharatha story, Krishna served as the 'driver' of the chariot of Arjuna throughout the day till dusk on the field and caused the adjournment of the fight. He led the horses to the river, gave them a refreshing bath and applied healing balms to the wounds suffered by them during the fierce fray. He mended the reins and the harness and rendered the chariot battle-worthy for another day. The Lord sets the example for the Devotees to follow. He teaches that Service done to any living being is offered to Him and is accepted by Him most joyfully. Service rendered to cattle, to beasts, and to men is laudable Sadhana.
61. THE World is today in deep distress because the common man and his leaders are all distracted by lower desires and lower motives, which require only the lower skills and meaner impulses of man. This is what I call 'devaluation'. Though man is inherently Divine, he lives only at the animal level. Very few live even in the native human level.
62. KRISHNA does say: 'whoever among men who pronounce the Pranava at the moment of death', etc. The word he uses is 'whoever' without any qualification of sex. He does not say 'whoever is authorized or whoever is among the deserving'. The clear intention of the Lord is to encourage women as well as men to take up Pranava Upasana. You will see that I do not discourage any one from the Upasana. It is the royal road to spiritual victory which all are entitled to use.
63. BHISHMA, for example, has to be revered and accepted as an inspiration, even more potent than Rama so far as homage to the father is concerned. In order to cater to the carnal cravings which he could have ordinarily condemned, he denied himself gladly, spontaneously, without demur and for the entire period of his life, both wedded life and royal status. The Vedic injunction, 'Pithru Devobhava' was honoured by him in the fullest manner.
64. THIS created Universe has two aspects, one is impermanence (Anityam), the second one is unhappiness (Askulham). In the Gita, Krishna has said, 'Anityam Asukha Lokam Imam Prapy Bhajaseva Maam'. Nothing in this World can give happiness that is true and lasting. Mistaking the World as 'All' and forgetting the Atman, which alone is eternal and the only refuge, is the greatest folly of man today. Man is pinning all his hopes on slippery work and is madly running after amassing and hoarding wealth. Of course, material needs are to be taken care of but within limits and not at the cost of spiritual values. Money and mansions are not the only wealth. Hoard the wealth of the Spirit. Character is wealth; good conduct is wealth; and spiritual wisdom is wealth.
65. WORKERS and peasants - that is the slogan nowadays. These two classes were given their due share of social importance and honour during the Krishnavathar. Now, people are honoured even if they grow not food but cash crops. Foreign exchange is what we are after and so, people are encouraged to produce what others can buy not what we need; such as milk and a variety of milk products which are highly nutritious foods. Balarama, the elder brother and an Avathar in his own right, had as his weapon the plough. It declared agriculture as a consecrated occupation.
66. EGOISM is the most dangerous illusion that has to be exploded and destroyed. Bhima had it; but when he could not lift and lay aside the tail of a monkey, who was really Anjaneya himself, that bubble was exploded. Arjuna had it one day after the battle. When Krishna brought the chariot back to camp, he wanted that Krishna should get down first, like all charioteers; the Master must get down later, after the Charioteer opens the door for him. Krishna refused and insisted that Arjuna should alight before He should. At last Krishna won. Arjuna got down and as soon as Krishna left His seat and touched the ground, the chariot went up in flames. In fact, if Krishna had gotten down first, the various fire-arrows which had the power of burning the chariot would have hit the target; but due to the presence of Krishna, their igneous powers could not manifest themselves. After knowing this, Arjuna was humbled and his egoism had a powerful shock. He realized that every action of Krishna was full of significance.
67. THE Gita advises 'Karmasamyasa', that is to say, Karma without attachment to the fruit thereof. There are Karmas which have to be done as duties related to the status in 'Samsara' and, if these are done in the proper spirit, they will not bind at all. Do all Karma as actors in a play, keeping your identity separate and not attaching yourself too much to your role. Remember that the whole thing is just a play and the Lord has assigned to you a part; act well your part; there all your duty ends. He has designed the play and He enjoys it.
68. IT is when you are in a desperate situation that you call upon the Lord, forgetting your pride and your egoism. The Pandavas were so full of misery in a worldly sense that they always had an attitude of prayer. If I had given you all the comforts and opportunities, you would not have come to Puttaparthi. Trouble is the bait with which the fish is pulled out of the water. Kunti asked that Krishna should continue giving her and her sons all kinds of misery so that He may grant them His Grace continuously.
69. THE Gita prompts you to seek the answers and directs you to experience them. It helps you to control the 'Chittha', the agitations of the mind; it destroys delusion. It develops true knowledge; it makes you glimpse the splendour of the Lord and confirms your faith. You say at one moment: 'Baba does everything, I am but an instrument; but the next moment the same tongue says: 'I did this; I did that; Swami did not do this for me'. If you never step into wrong, you can be ever certain of His Grace.
70. THE Mahabharata, for example, is basically the story of the five Vital Airs of Man (the Pancha Pranas) overcoming the hundred obstacles in the path of upward progress. The eldest of the Five Pandava brothers is Dharmaraja (Morality, Righteousness); he is ably supported by Bhima (physical strength devoted to Divine Service and charged with Devotion), Arjuna (steady pure Faith in God), and Nakula and Sahadeva, who represent Steadfastness and Equanimity. When these Five are exiled, the Hasthinapura (body) is inundated with Adharma (unrighteousness).
71. IN the Manasa-Sarovar (the deep, placid mind-lake) of every man lurks a poisonous cobra with six hoods: Lust, Anger, Greed, Attachment, Pride and Hate, infesting the air and destroying all who are near it. The Name of the Lord, when it dives into the depths, forces it to come up to the surface so that it may be destroyed. So, allow the Divine in you - the Krishna, Lord over the mind - trample on the hissing hood and take out the vicious viper; let it vomit the venom and become Sathvic and sweet.
72. LIKE all Avatars, Krishna announced His advent to the World bit by bit, step by step, testing every time how far the Reality will be accepted by the masses. The signs and miracles were intended, then as now, to proclaim the Avatar.
73. THE mystery and splendour of God can be grasped only by a pure mind and a clear vision. That is why the Lord granted a new eye to Arjuna in order that he might not be confounded by his glory. A resolution adopted by the mind is like a stone thrown into a Sarovar or lake. It produces ripples that affect the entire face and unsettles equanimity. A good resolution or 'Sankalpa' sets up a series of such thoughts, each contributing its quota to the process of purification and strengthening.
74. THE One is comprehensive of all this. So, it has no wants, no desires and no activity to realise anything. Sri Krishna tells Arjuna: 'Name Partha asthi Karthvyam, Thrishu lokeshu Kinchava Partha'. (There is nothing I have to do in any of the three Worlds). He has willed the World as his sport. He has laid down that every deed must have its consequence. He is the dispenser of the consequences but he is not involved in the deeds.
75. ONE can also be rid of Maya if one can discard the three Gunas from one's make-up. The 'Sathyaguna' too has to be transcended; why? The Gita directs that even the eagerness to be liberated is a bond. One is fundamentally free. Bondage is only an illusion. So, the desire to close the bond is the result of ignorance. Krishna says, 'Arjuna, become free from the three Gunas'. In truth, the word 'Guna' means 'rope', for all three 'Gunas' bind the 'Jiva' with the rope of desire. Liberation means liberation from delusive attachment or 'Moha'; 'Mohakshaya', decline in the desire caused by attachment to sensory pleasure.
76. CONSIDER for a moment how long worldly triumphs last. They are but the play of the scintillating name and form of the Divine which is the core of every being. Earn the vision that sees the Divine inherent in all. We are not troubled when something is good; only when it is bad. This is because goodness is natural. In our evil aberration, we are worried and alarmed when we slide into wrong or pain or sorrow. This is because Nature plans us to be right, to be happy and ever in a state of joy. It is a pity that man has lost his understanding of this Truth.
77. VYASA sympathized with man who was caught in the coils of do's and don'ts, of success and failure, of desire and despair. He demarcated many a path which leads man along to fulfillment. The fulfillment consists in up-rooting the animal that lurks in man and reaching out to the Divinity. That is his essence.
78. DHYANA is not mere sitting erect and being silent nor is it the absence of any movement. It is the merging of all your thoughts and feelings to God. Without the mind becoming dissolved in God, Dhyana cannot succeed. The Gita declares genuine Dhyana as 'Anayaschinthayanthomaam Ye Janah Paryapasathi' (Those persons who adore me without any other thought or feeling). Krishna has assured such persons that He would carry their burden and be by their side, guiding and guarding them. Persons adept in this Dhyana are very rare; most people go through the external exercises only. So they are unable to win Grace.
79. LIFE is a song, sing it. That is what Krishna taught through his life. Arjuna heard that song in the battlefield where tensions were at their highest and when the fate of millions was to be decided by the sword. Krishna sang the Gita for Arjuna to listen to. Gita means 'Song', and he sang because he was 'Ananda' wherever He might be, in Gokulam, on the banks of the Yamuna or at Kurukshetra between the warring armies.
80. WHY does He attract all to His Presence? To plough the heart, prepare it for receiving the shower of Grace, to grow the seeds of Love, weed it of all evil thoughts which smother the crops of joy and to enable it to gather the harvest of Wisdom. That wisdom finds its fulfillment in Krishna Himself, for Krishna also means the pure Essence, the Supreme Principle, the 'Sath-Chith-Ananda'.
81. WHERE there is Dharma there Krishna is; so, think for yourself, each one of you, how far have you deserved the Grace of the Lord? You draw Him near; you keep Him far. You entangle yourself, bind yourself, and get caught in the trap. No one is your foe except yourself. No one else is your friend. You are your only friend. The Guru shows you the road and you have to trudge alone, without fear or hesitation.
82. THE word Dharmakshetra is the first word in the Gita. In the very first verse of the Song Celestial, the Kurukshetra (field of Action), in which the Maamakaah (my people, as the blind Dhritharashtra described them through fond attachment and egoistic delusion), people motivated by greed and passion, and the Pandavas (the other people, the good and righteous, the sons of the Fair one, the Progeny of the pure), is spoken of as already transmuted into Dharmakshetra (field of Righteousness). For victory is always for Righteousness and not for greed and passion which blind men.
83. IF you ask Me, I will say that the Gita is like a balance: scales, needle and all. The scale on the left is the 7th sloka of the 2nd Chapter, speaking of 'Karpanya Dosha'. The fulcrum is the 22nd sloka of the 9th Chapter, beginning with 'Anayaschinthayamshomaam'; and the scale on the right is the sloka in the 18th chapter, speaking of 'Sarvadharmaam Parithyajya'. See how apt the fulcrum sloka is. It speaks of single-minded attention, 'steady, like the needle of a well-adjusted balance'. Really, the Gita begins with two scales and a fulcrum: the two armies of Righteousness and Unrighteousness with Krishna, the Teacher, in the middle.
84. BHAKTI is of various types according to the Damskara of the devotee and the state of his mind and the stage of his development. There is the Shanta Bhakti of Bhishma, the Vatsalya Bhakti of Yasodha, the Madhura Bhakti of the Gopikas. Of these the Dasya attitude is easiest and the best for the majority of aspirants at this time. It means 'Saranagathi' and 'Prapathithi' out of Shanti Bhakti.
85. THE fire of sorrow and joy burns when the fuel of Vasanas is fed into the furnace of the mind. Take away the fuel and the fire dies out. Take away the Vasanas, the force of the impulses, promptings and urges and you become your own master. This is done in Yoga by various physiological and psychological exercises. But Bhakti is the easier means for this end. Namasmarana is enough: it is said that the name Sitarama sufficed in the Tretha Yuga; the name Radha-Shama sufficed in the Dwapara Yuga; and in the Kali Yuga, I tell you, all Names have that capacity.
86. PRAKRUTHI is Dhara, Earth and Creation. Think of it always. Long for it. Pine for Dhara, Dhara, Dhara and you find you are pining for Radha, Radha. So, Radha is the Becoming and Krishna is the Being; the desire of Being becomes the longing of the Becoming for the Being - this is the Radha-Krishna relationship, which has been sung by seers and poets, calumniated and caricatured by ignorant critics, appreciated and apprehended by aspirants, and analyzed and realised by sincere scholars of spiritual lore.
87. WELCOME all the blows of fate, all the misfortunes and miseries, as gold welcomes the crucible, the hammer and the anvil in order to get shaped into a jewel; or as the cane welcomes the chopper, the crusher, the boiler, the pan, the sprayer and the dryer, so that its sweetness may be preserved and used as sugar by all. The Pandavas never demurred when disasters fell thick upon them. They were happy that they helped them to remember Krishna and call upon Him. Bhishma was in tears on the arrow-bed, when he was about to pass away. Arjuna asked Him 'why' and he replied, 'I am shedding tears because the miseries undergone by the Pandavas pass through my mind'. Then he said, this is done in order to teach the Kaliyuga a lesson; never to seek power, position or pelf but to submit to the will of God in a completely resigned way, so that you may be ever happy and unmoved.
88. THE Gita speaks of Bhakti, Jnana, Karma, as Yogas. By Yoga is meant what Patanjali intended it to mean 'Chiththa Krishthi Nirodha', that is to say, 'the stifling of the agitations of the consciousness'. Vishnu is the supreme example of this calm, for He is 'Saanthakaaram bhujaga Sayanam', the very picture of peaceful calm, though reclining on a thousand-hooded snake; the snake being the symbol of the objective World with its poisonous fangs. Being in the World but not of it, not bound by it, that is the secret.
89. THE Individual is Arjuna, the Universal which inspires him is Krishna: Led by the Universal, the Individual has to oppose the attractions and delusion of the Manifested, the Maya, and the Prakruthi, that is, the Kaurava hordes. The battle depicted in the Epic is the inner battle, between the temporary and the eternal, the particular and the universal, the sensual and the super-sensual, the seen and the seer. The Atma is described as a streak of lightning in the blue cloud. It is a Gita (streak in Telugu). Discover the Gita, then the purpose of Gita study is fulfilled.
90. WHEN Dharmaraja, the eldest of the Five Pandavas came to know - after the death of Karna which they effected successfully - that Karna was his brother, his agony knew no bounds; he was struck disconsolate and was torn by despair. If only he had known the truth, all that grief could have been avoided. So too, until you know that all are altars where the name God is installed and all are moved and motivated by the Grace of the self-same God, you are afflicted by hate and pride; once you know it and experience it, you are full of Love and reverence to all.
91. WHEN Krishna leapt down from His Chariot with the wheel-weapon in His hand to slay Bishma, Arjuna jumped down with Him and holding both His Feet he prayed 'Oh Lord, you have given word that you will not wield any weapon. Let it not be said that you broke your word to save me from Bhishma, I am prepared to die'. That was the measure of his Bhakti. Bishma too had equal Bhakti. He did not step forward to fight the new challenge nor did he question the Lord. He stood silent drinking in the charm of the Lord and filling himself with the vision of the magnificence of the Lord. That was the measure of the dedication to His will.
92. KRISHNA is slandered by ignorant, prejudice critics as 'jaara' and 'chora' and extolled by seekers and sages with the same appellations, 'jaara' and 'chora'. He stole the hearts and the owners were glad of it. He shed light, awakened people and made those, whose hearts he stole, richer and happier. He destroyed all craving for sensual pleasure and sensual knowledge and filled the entire being with thoughts of the Divine. How then can He be referred to as 'jaara' and 'chora'? When the blind leads the blind in this way, both have to fall into the pit.
93. IN the Mahabharatha, the most noteworthy theme is Dharmasthapana. When the Pandavas were called into the forest, it was as if the Five Pranas of Dharma, the sustaining forces of Dharma, were exiled. Dharmaraja is the Prana of the Right Conduct, Bhima, of the protective Might of Dharma; Arjuna, of the Faith and Devotion needed as its Foundation, Nakula and Sahadeva, of the sraddha essential for the Practice of Dharma. When the Pandavas went to the forest, Hastinapura was reduced to Astinapura, a city of bones, without flesh and blood.
94. KRISHNA was the Purushothama, Arjuna the Narrothama; It was a friendship between The Embodiment of the Highest and the Embodiment of the Best. Krishna was the Avataric Person. Arjuna was the anandic person; it was a coming together of the Avathramurthi and the Anandamurthi. Arjuna was often addressed by Krishna as Kurunandana. This name has a deep significance. 'Kuru' means 'act, activity, Karma'; Nandana means 'happy, delighted'. Kurunandana therefore means 'he who is delighted while engaged in activity'. Throughout the eighteen chapters of the Githa, Arjuna is alert and active, participating vigilantly in every turn of argument.
95. PRACTICE the constant presence of God and, learn to offer all your activities at the Feet of the Lord as an act of worship. Then they will be free from fault. Krishna advised Arjuna to enter the fight and, at the same time, told him not to have 'hatred' towards 'enemies'. These may appear to be two irreconcilable attitudes, for war is rage (passion, attachment) and renunciation of hatred is Vairagya (absence of raga). Arjuna asked Krishna how he was to reconcile these two attitudes. Krishna said, 'Maamnusmara yudhyacha' (keep Me ever in thy mind, and fight. Do not cultivate the egotistic feeling that it is you who is fighting. I am using you as My instrument).
96. THE Pandava brothers were highly fortunate. The eldest, Dharmaraja, rose to be the emperor. The second was the Indomitable Bhima, armed with the terrible mace. The third was Arjuna, son of the Lord of the Gods, Indra. The lord poured His Grace on Arjuna and deigned to serve him in battle as his charioteer! In spite of all these advantages, they were subjected to the severest tragedies in life. What is the lesson that their lives teach? No one can predict what calamity will overtake one and at what time. Every thing depends on the will of Providence; it all happens according to the Divine Plan.
97. THE question on the battlefield was not who was the Kin of whom, but who was right and who was wrong; fight for justice, fight for truth, fight for these as akshatriyu is in duty bound, and leave the result to the Dispenser of all. Krishna told Arjuna: 'I am surprised that you should weep, for you are Gudakesa, the conqueror of sleep and ignorance. You do not kill, so don't be so conceited; nor do they die. They have many more things to do; and so they are real deathless'. 'The sentence of death has been already pronounced on their bodies by Me, and you have but to carry out My Orders', Krishna said.
98. KRISHNA felt that it was time to reveal His Truth and so He just showed all creation in His Mouth when His mother asked Him to show her His tongue, when she suspected He had eaten sand. He made even the longest rope too short to bind Him. It became the talk of the place and every one felt he had all the fourteen Worlds in Him! Avathars choose the time and the mode of announcement of their Advent and Their Glory. Even in this Avathara such miracles had to be done when I decided that the time was opportune for taking the people into My Secret.
99. WHEN the righteous Pandavas were harassed by wicked Kauravas, the beauteous Krishna appeared and saved them. The lord can never design violence and blood shed. Love is His instrument, non-violence His Message. He achieves the correction of the evil-minded through education and example. But it may be asked, why did Kurukshetra happen? It was a surgical operation and therefore cannot be described as an act of violence. The Surgeon saves life through the beneficial use of His Knife.
100. CONSIDER the Name Krishna which the Avathar bore; what a significant Name? Krishna is derived from the root 'krish' which means (i) to attract (2) to plough and cultivate and (3) the Divine Principle beyond time, space and causation. Krishna, like all Avathars, attracts not only seekers, Saints and Sages but the simple, the innocent and the good. He draws also the curious, the critics, the Skeptics and those who suffer from atheism. He draws them towards Himself by the irresistible charm of His Person, by His invincible Look, His Voice, His Flute, His counsel and His undaunted Heroism! He is ever in a State of Bliss, spreading Harmony, Melody and beauty around Him; He sings every where in the peaceful Pasture lands of Brindavan and in the blood soaked battle field of Kurukshetra.
101. THE Githa was Arjuna and Krishna, though Krishna supplemented it with Captious explanations of why and wherefore. Arjuna admitted that he was a prapanner. He had to surrender to His Wait, so that there was no need for Krishna to argue with him. He was convinced of the correctness of His command. Still, in order that Arjuna might fight with a full heart, He gave him the reasons which supported the course that He laid down for him. I too want you to know why I designed it so you should act in a particular manner, and I do not like you to behave in another manner.
102. BISHMA was a Bhakta and by winning the Lord's Grace he was clothed with more Majesty and splendour than any early emperor. What majesty have these scepter-holders? They cannot claim to have inner peace, inner joy, they know not the joy of sharing love with all. Bhishma surrendered to the Lord when He challenged him with the su-darsana (Vishnu), that is to say, when He offers su (good) dharsana (vision) one must be wise enough to surrender, give up all, that is what Bhishma did.
103. ARJUNA exclaimed Krishna as the Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient God, when the foe was defeated day after day. But when his son Abimanyu was killed in the conflict he raved in the grief that Krishna had not guided him properly and guarded him efficiently. His mind wavered with every wind of fortune. To many the mind is the master of the intellect also. One must be vigilant and preserve the impartiality of instrument called Reason of Intellect. Clarify reason, then it will reveal God everywhere, even in you once you accept God as the core of the universe, and you have that strong and steady faith.
104. FILL every moment with energy enthusiasm and effort. The Epics teach you how to succeed in this. The Mahabharatha describes how and when every other of the hundred Kauravas died. The eldest Duryodhana was challenged by Bhima to meet him in a duel, when at last he fell on the ground, Bhima struck his head with his foot in order to add insult to injury. Duryodhana's pride was hurt, a Kshatriya, such as he, could not pass that insult by. He retorted even when he was dying. Do not exult that you have done some big heroic act by tramping on my head! In a few seconds dogs and vultures will be doing that act. It does not require a hero to plant his foot on a dying man. You dared not do this when I was capable of hitting back, you coward! That kind of awareness of one's potentialities and quick response to all happenings must be present in you too. Heroism gushed out even when he was passing away!
105. KRISHNA, whose advent you should celebrate, is not the cowherd boy who charmed the village folk with His flute, but Krishna the indefinable inscrutable Divine Principle that is born in the navel of the body (Mathura) as the product of Divine Energy (Devaki) that is then transported to the Mouth (Gokulam) and fostered by the Tongue (Yasodha) as its source of sweetness. Krishna is the Visualisation of the Atma that the repetition of the Name grants, the vision was gained by Yasodha, you must foster that Krishna on your tongue. When He dances on it, the poison of tongue will be ejected completely, without harming anyone as happened when as a child He danced on the hoods of the serpent Kalinga.
106. PURITY of motive is the best guarantee that you will have Peace. An uneasy conscience is a tormenting compassion. Righteous action will have no bad effects, to disturb your sleep or health. If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in character; If there is beauty in character, there will be harmony in the home; When there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation; When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the World. So, be righteous; avoid all prejudices against others on the basis of caste, creed, colour, mode of worship, status, or degree of affluence. Do not look down upon any one; look upon all as Divine as you really are.
107. ALL Faiths are inter-related and mutually indebted to each other for the principles they teach and the disciplines they recommend. The Vedic Religion was the first in time; Buddhism, which appeared about 2500 years ago, was its son; Christianity, which was influenced much by the Orient was its grand-son. And Islam, which has the Prophets of Christianity as its base, was the great grandson. All have Love as the Fundamental Discipline of the Mind in order to chasten it and merge man with the Divine.
108. VINAYAKA is called the child of two mothers, Gowri and Ganga. You are the pet children of four mothers, each of you; Sathya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema. Do not ridicule them by your act. Honour them and be grateful to them. Do not claim 'Anyaya' (Injustice), 'Akrama' (Undiscipline), 'Asathya' (Falsehood and 'Anachara' (Evil behaviour) as your mothers. Instead, expand your heart, taking in all humanity into the circle of your kin, even the birds, beasts, worms, and insects, trees and plants. The Vedic Prayer asks that the aspirant's heart may be expanded 'Brhathe Koromi' - I make myself Vast! The vastest is 'Brahman' which comes from the same root, 'brh', to enlarge.
109. I EAT as you do, move about as you do, talk in your Language and behave as you can recognise and understand, for YOUR sake - not for My sake! I turn you towards the Divine, winning your confidence, your love, your submission, by being among you, as one of yourselves, one whom you can see, listen to, speak to, touch and treat with reverence and devotion. My plan is to transmute you into Seekers of Truth (Sathya-anveshko). I am present everywhere at all times; My will must prevail over every obstacle; I am aware of the past, present and future of your innermost thoughts and carefully guarded secrets. I am 'Sarvatharyami', 'Sarva Sakthi' and 'Sarvajna'. Nevertheless, I do not manifest these powers in any capricious manner or merely for display. For I am an example and an inspiration, whatever I do or omit to do. My Life is a commentary on My Message.
110. LOVE must be manifested as Service or Seva. Seva must take the form of food for the hungry, solace for the forlorn, consolation for the sick and the suffering. Jesus was himself out in such Seva. The heart full of compassion is the temple of God. Jesus pleaded at the sight of the poor. Jesus is worshipped but His teachings are neglected. Sai is being worshipped but His teachings are neglected. Everywhere pomp, pageantry, hollow exhibitionism and Lectures, Lectures and Lectures! No activity, no love, no seva. Heroes while lecturing are Zeros while putting what is said into practice. Develop Compassion. Live in Love. Be Good, Do Good and See Good. This is the way to God.
111. THE nature we have around us and with us is the vesture of God. We have evidence of His Beauty, Goodness, Wisdom and Power all around us; wherever we turn our eyes. But the art of recognising Him is strange to us and so we deny Him and live on in darkness. We have all around us, in the atmosphere, the music emanating from all the Broadcasting Stations of the World, but they do not assail your ear at any time. You are not aware of any Station; but, if you have a receiver and if you tune it to the correct wave-length, you can hear the matter broadcast from any Station; if you fail to tune it correctly, you will get instead of news only nuisance! So too, the Divine is everywhere above, around, below and beside, near as well as far. For cognising it, you require not a 'Yantra' (machine) but a 'Mantra' (mystical formula potent with a psychological undertone). Concentration of Dhyana is the fixing of the exact location of the Station in the Band; Love is the correct tuning in; realising the Reality and the Bliss it confers is the happy clear listening!
112. THE Divine is a wine that would intoxicate you. It is produced by the nectar that the Name of the Lord is saturated in. Taste it and you forget everything else; you are transformed. Man is, they say, a monkey that has lost its tail; Well, he must lose many more attributes of the monkey before he is entitled to call himself Man. He must dedicate his thought, word and deed to God and surrender to His Will. Then only is this animal entitled to become a Man in whom the Divine is enshrined.
113. THE body is the ball filled with the air of Divinity; it is kicked in play by six players on the side (the six foes: Lust, Anger, Greed, Attachment, Pride and Hate); and six on the other (the six friends: Truth, Right, Peace, Love, Compassion and Fortitude); the goal-posts are on each side, and if the ball is hit so that it passes through them, they achieve 'Dharmavidya' (Moral attainment) and victory. Or else, their kick results in an 'out'! Learn to speak what you feel, act what you speak; do not allow them to be at cross-purposes. Man, with the feelings of a demon fuming with hate, engages in fighting, holds Peace Conferences and prides himself on his Plans for Peace! Transform the heart into a Tabernacle of Peace, then Conferences to deceive oneself and others become unnecessary. What can mere talk achieve?
114. DISCIPLINE trains you to put up with disappointments; you will know that the path of life has both ups and downs, that every rose has its thorn. Now, people want roses without thorns, life has to be one saga of sensual pleasure picnic all the time. When this does not happen, you turn wild and start blaming others. If each one cares for his own pleasures, how can Society progress? How can the weak survive? Mine, not thine, this sense of greed is the root of all evil; this distinction is applied even to God! - my God, not yours! Your God, not mine!
115. GOODNESS, compassion, and tolerance: through these three paths, one can see the Divinity in one-self and others. Softness of heart is condemned by people today as weakness, cowardice, and want of intelligence. The heart has to be hardened, they say, against pity and charity. But that way lies war, destruction, and downfall. Love confers lasting happiness and peace. Sharing can reduce grief and multiply joy. Man is born to share, to serve, to give and not to grab. When you have faith in God as a precious truth in the altar of your heart, you will welcome, with equal alacrity, the blows and blossoms of fortune.
116. HAVING come to this place and availed yourselves of this opportunity to treasure in your hearts the things you have seen and heard, resolve to plunge into a practice of them. Your resolution and your practice must happen simultaneously. Have a master-plan and start from tomorrow the execution of the program, drawn in consultation with others. This must happen in all countries. Do not think that only the Andhra State is Sai's. All are Sai's. All are one. We must endeavour by all means to realise and establish this Truth in this Kali Yuga. This is the message I am giving you today. I am fulfilling all your desires. So you must fulfill this one desire of Mine. I bless that you have long life, good health, Ananda, Peace and Prosperity; and that you will dedicate your physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual strength and skills for the service of the country and of all mankind.
117. THERE are some ignorant persons who laugh at 'Bhajans' and other acts of worship and consider them a waste of valuable time. Those persons might laugh at your pouring bags of paddy seeds on a slushy field and condemn that act too as waste of valuable food-material. But you know that, for every bag of paddy-seed, Mother Earth will give back grain tenfold or even twenty fold, in a few weeks. Time spent in contemplation of God or adoration of the Divine is indeed well spent, for it rewards you with a rich harvest of mental peace and courage.
118. WHEN Jesus was emerging as the Supreme Principle of Divinity, he communicated some news to his followers. The statement of Christ is simple. (He, who sent me among you, will come again) and he pointed to a lamb. The lamb is merely a symbol, a sign. It stands for the voice BA-BA. The announcement was 'The Advent of BABA'. - 'He will wear a robe of red, a blooded robe'. He will be short, with a crown (of hair). The lamb is a sign and symbol of Love. Christ did not declare that he will come again, he said, 'He, who made me, will come again'. That BABA is the Baba; and Sai, the short curly hair crowned, red-robed Baba has come.
119. MANY believe that a pilgrimage to holy places is conductive to spiritual progress. They journey to Tirupathi, Rameswaram, Badrinath or Amarnath and pray for the removal of their mundane troubles. They vow to remove their hair if, through Divine intervention, they win a prize in the State Lotteries, as if God is in need of hair. This trick of bargaining is only cheating oneself in an attempt to cheat God. Do not pray to God for wealth or fame, positions of power or for the fruits of your actions. The genuine seeker will pray for nothing else but God.
120. HUMAN lives are now passing on and on, filth over filth, bent, broken, diseased, distressed and disheartened. To enrich their lives and to make the human heritage worthwhile, I have come, I am evincing all this enthusiasm to teach you the prayer attitude to Seva, for Love expresses itself as Seva, Love grows through Seva, and Love is begun in the womb of Seva. And God is Love. The Avatar is a Child to the children, a Boy to the Boys, a Man among men, a Woman among women, so that the Avatar's message might reach each heart and receive enthusiastic response as 'Ananda'. It is the compassion of the Avatar that prompts His every action.
121. HAVE no thorn of hate in your mind. Develop Prema towards all. Desire is a storm; Greed is a whirlpool; Pride is a precipice. Attachment is an avalanche; Egoism is a volcano. Keep these things away, so that you can do Japa or Dhyana; they do not disturb the Equanimity. Let Love be enthroned in your heart. Then there will be sunshine and a cool breeze and the gurgling waters of contentment feeding the roots of faith.
122. THE title 'Sathyam Sivam Sundaram' is full of meaning. It speaks of HE, imminent in every one of you. Sathyam is the basic reality of you all; that is why you resent being called a liar. The real 'you' is innocent, you will not accept an imputation that is false. The real 'you' is joy, happiness, and auspiciousness. It is not Savam but Sivam, it is Subham, Nithyam, and Anandam. How then can you bear being called ugly? The Atma has got entangled in the body which it does not like; it is weighed down by shame, when you identify it with the body and attribute to it the weaknesses and deficiencies of that physical vehicle.
123. I NEVER speak through another; I never possess another or use another as a vehicle of expression. I come direct, I come straight, I come as I am to confer Peace and Joy. I do not accept from you flowers that fade, fruits that rot, coins that have no value beyond the national boundary. Give Me the Lotus that blooms in your Manasa-Sarovar, the clear, pellucid waters of the lake of your inner consciousness. Give Me the fruits of holiness and steady discipline. I am above all this worldly etiquette which enjoins you to see elders with some fruit or flower in your hand. My World is the World of the Spirit; there, values are different. If you are happy with faith in God and fear of sin, that is enough 'Service', enough 'Kainkaryam' for Me. It pleases Me so much.
124. YOU must speak soft and sweet words to everyone. Do you like the voice of the crow? No, you drive the crow away when it starts to caw; its speech is harsh, it is too loud for your ears. You must have heard the Koel, the cuckoo, haven't you? That bird looks very much like the crow; it grows in the nest of the crow with the baby crows; it is fed by the mother crow, along with her own kids. But no one will throw a stone at a 'Koel'; every one likes to hear its sweet voice. Speak soft and sweet; then every one will like you.
125. NO service is too low or mean; every emergency is immediately noticed and attended to. They need not be sorry that during those days they had no time to sit for Dhyana or do Japa or even to go out on Nagarsankirtan! Why? You can have the Name on the lips, when you sweep the streets or lift a corpse in the morgue or when you walk towards or away from the area of distress. People may dub you mad! But be elated that you are not affected by the insanity they suffer from!
126. THE mind plays many tricks with you, the chief of which is to foster the ego and hide the Prompter and the Power within. You must have heard of an Accountant in the Court of the King of Death, Chitragupta, by name. He maintains a Register of the good and the bad deeds done by each living being, and on death, he brings the book to the Court and strikes the balance between debit and credit. Yama, the king, then meets out the punishment that can expiate and educate. This Chitragupta has his Office in the mind of man, all the time, awake and alert. The word means the secret picture; what he does is to picture all the secrets from promptings that blossom into activity; he notes the warning signals as well as the occasions when those signals were ignored or wantonly disregarded. You must see that the warning of the Divine against the merely human or even the bestial inclination, is heeded.
127. YOU have the chance to see, experience and be sanctified by the incarnation of the Lord; this chance you have received as a result of the accumulation of merit in many previous lives. That merit has brought you here when I came down. For this chance, Rishis and Devas have prayed long in the past. Having won this chance, strive to taste the sweetness and achieve the Bliss of Merging without wasting even a single moment. The rays that emanate from Me are of three grades: the 'Sthula', filling this Prasanthi Nilayam; the 'Sukshma', pervading the Earth; and the 'Karana', covering the entire Universe. The people who have the privilege of living in this Prasanthi Nilayam are indeed lucky, for they are nearest to the 'Kiran' (rays). The 'Sthulakirana' makes a man a 'Sadhaka'; the 'Sukshma' makes him a 'Mahatma'; and 'Karana' converts him into a 'Paramahamsa'.
128. I NEVER deviate from Truth. Since I recline on Truth, I am called Sathya Sai; Sayi (as Seshasayi) means reclining. The name is very appropriate, let me assure you. It is only those, who fail to follow My instructions and deviate from the path I lay down, that fail to get what I hold out before them. Follow My instructions and become soldiers in MY army; I will lead you on to victory. When someone asks you in great earnestness 'where the Lord is to be found', do not try to dodge the question. Give them the answer that rises up to your tongue from your heart. Direct them. He is here in Prasanthi Nilayam. All Avatars teach, as the first step in the long road of 'Sadhana', the giving up of attachment. In the Thretha Yuga, the Yoga-Vasistha taught the same rule. In the Dwapara Yuga, Krishna taught Arjuna to give up Vishaya-Vasana, attachment to the objective world. People utter with apparent faith, 'Krishna, Krishna, Krishna', but they never give up 'Thrishura' (Thirst) for worldly goods or fame. In each Yuga, you have the Avatar of the Lord come to redeem, review and rebuild. At the present time, Mahasakthi, Mayasakthi, and Yogasakthi have come all together in One Human Form. Your endeavour should be to draw near and earn Grace therefrom.
129. WHAT is the immortal part of man? Is it the wealth he has accumulated, the residences he has built, the physique he has developed, the wealth he has acquired and the family he has reared? No, all that he has done, developed or earned are destroyed, he has to leave them all to the ravages of time. He cannot take with him even a handful of earth, the earth he loved so much. If only the dead could take with them a handful each, the earth would have become so scarce that it should have been rationed by now! Discover the Immortal 'I' and know that it is the spark of God in you; live in the companionship of that vast measureless Supreme and you will be rendered vast and measureless. Consider all objects that you collect here as given on 'Trust' to be used in this caravanserai during your pilgrimage in this Karunakshetra.
130. 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 is not false, it is not a trap; it is the splendour of God, His reflection. He reflected and the Jagath happened! It is His own substance, manifesting as multiplicity, as latent or potent energy-matter. When activity is in accordance with awareness that is befogged or belittled, dried up or deluded, there Dharma is decadent and the Avatar appears among men!
131. EVERY one must learn the secret of happiness which consists in refusing to shed tears for anything less than God. You have won this human body, this human life, as the reward for many lives spend in acquiring merit. You have won this chance, this unique good fortune of being able to get Dharsan of Sai. Plunging deep into the waters of this tumultuous ocean of Samsar, you have heroically emerged from its depths, with this rare Pearl in your hands - the Grace of Sai. Do not allow it to slip from your clasp and fall into the depths again. Hold firmly on to it. Pray that you may have it forever and be filled with the joy that it confers. This is the way by which you can render this life fruitful.
132. UTILISE the World as the means to an end; do not desire to stay in it. It is a caravanserai, where you can rest a while during your pilgrimage to the source. It is a bridge wide and strongly built. Can any pilgrim build a house there on for himself? The Cosmos is changing constantly. The minutes that are past cannot be retrieved, even if tempted by a billion rupees. The past is not ours any more; the present slips from our grasp; and the future is uncertain. You come naked into the world, You go out of it without informing the survivors of the address where you can be contacted. In spite of this, attachment grows and you cultivate bounds. This is the great illusion.
133. THE grace of God cannot be won through the gymnastics of reason, the contortions of Yoga or the denials of Asceticism. Love alone can win it; Love that needs no requital; Love that knows no bargaining; Love that is paid gladly as a tribute to the All Loving; and Love that is unwavering. Love alone can overcome obstacles, however many and mighty. There is no strength more effective than Purity, no bliss more satisfying than Love, no joy more restoring than Bhakti and no triumph more praiseworthy than Surrender.
134. HIN means 'Hinsa' (Violence) and 'du' means 'dura' (distant); so HINDU means a person who is devoid of violence, who loves and sympathizes, who helps and serves - not one who hides and hits, harms and draws blood. The same sky is over everyone's head; the same earth supports everyone's feet; the same air enters everyone's lungs! The same God brought all forth, brings up all and brings about the end of this earthly career. Why then this inhuman role of foe and fanatic; of fight and feud?
135. I AM the embodiment of Love; Love is My Instrument. There is no creature without Love; the lowest loves itself at least. And its 'self is God'. So, there are no atheists, though some might dislike Him or refuse Him, as malarial patients dislike sweets or diabetic patients refuse to have anything to do with sweet! Those who preen themselves as atheists will one day, when their illness is gone, relish God and revere Him.
136. STRUGGLE to realise the Atma, to visualise God; even failure in this struggle is nobler than success in other worldly attempts. The buffalo has horns; the elephant has tusks, But what a difference? To live in the body, with the body, for the body is the life of a worm; to live in the body with God is good, for God is the life of man. The dull, activity-hating Thamasic persons have ego and their love is limited to their kith and kin. The Rajasic, active, passionate persons seek to earn power and prestige and love those who will contribute to these. But the Sathwic, the pure, the good and equanimity-filled love all as embodiments of God and engage themselves in humble service.
137. THERE are three types of approaches towards the Lord; the Eagle type, which swoops down on the target with a greedy swiftness and suddenness which, by its very impact, fails to secure the object coveted; the Monkey type, which flits hither and thither, from one to another, unable to decide which is tasty; and the Ant type which moves steadily, though slowly towards the object which it has decided is desirable. The ant does not hit the fruit hard and makes it fall away; it does not pluck all the fruits it seeks; it appropriates just as much as it can assimilate and no more. Do not fritter away the time allotted to you for sojourning on the earth in foolish foppery and fanciful foibles which always keep you outdoors. When are you to walk indoors into the warmth and quiet of your own interior? Retire into solitude and silence now and then; experience the joy derivable only from them.
138. WHAT is the sanctity of Sivarathri? Your answer, 'Linga emerges from Swami's Udara (abdomen)'. 'Today is the fourteenth day of the dark of the month, when the moon is all but invisible, just a minute fraction remains visible to man. The mind is the source of all the entangling desires and emotions. The mind is, therefore, almost powerless this day; if only this night is spent in vigil and in the presence of the Divine, it can be fully conquered and man can realise his freedom. Vigilance this night is to be secured by 'Sadhana', this is by means of 'Bhajan' or the reading of sacred texts.
139. RAMA, Krishna and Sai Baba appear different because of the dress each has donned, but it is the selfsame Entity, believe Me. Do not be misled into error and loss. The time will soon come when this huge building or even vaster ones will be too small for the gatherings of those who are called to this place. The sky itself will have to be the roof of the Auditorium of the future. I will have to forego the car and even the airplane when I move from place to place, for the crowds pressing around them will be too huge; I will have to move across the sky; yes that too will happen, believe Me.
140. SEE all as Narayanaswarupa and worship all with Prema. Even My nature can be understood by you only when you wear the glasses of Holiness. Holy things can be cognised only by the Holy Seeker. You get what you search for; you see what your eyes crave for. The doctor is found where patients gather; the surgeon stays in the operation ward; so too, the Lord is ever with the suffering and struggling. Whenever people cry out in agony 'Oh God', there God will be.
141. YOU very often condemn the mind as a monkey; but take it from Me, it is far worse. The monkey leaps from one branch to another; but the mind leaps from the heights of the Himalayas to the depths of the sea, from today to tens of years ago. Tame it by the process of Namasmarana. Make it as Ramdas did into a Badrachala, a stable and steady mountain. That is the task I assign to you. Make your heart an Ayodhya by means of Ramanama; Ayodya means a city that can never lie captured by force. That is your real nature: Ayodhya; Badrachala. Forget this and you are lost. Install Rama in your heart; and then no outer force can harm you.
142. THINGS are not so important; the transcendental truth of things is of value. You must visualise the spiritual in the material, the gold in the jewels, the Divine in the diversity of character and conduct and seek to know the Atma. All are equal in birth and in death. Differences arise only during the interval. The Emperor and the beggar are both born naked; they sleep equally silently; they bow out without even leaving their new address. Then how can their reality be different? There can be no doubt on this score. All are basically the same.
143. LISTEN to Me. When you wake up, feel that you are entering the stage to play the role assigned to you by the Lord; pray that you may act it well and earn His approbation. At night, when you retire to sleep, feel that you are entering the green-room after the scene, but with the dress of your role on; for perhaps the role is not yet over and you have not yet been permitted to take the dress off. Perhaps, you have to make another entrance the next morning. Do not worry about that. Place yourself fully at His Disposal; He knows; He has written the play and He knows how it will end and how it will go on; Yours is but to act and retire.
144. WHEN the mind of man is unattached to the ups and downs of life, but is able to maintain equanimity under all circumstances, then even physical health can be assured. The mental firmament must be like the sky, which bears no mark of the passage through it of birds or planes or clouds. Illness is caused more by malnutrition of the mind than of the body. Doctors speak of Vitamin deficiency; I will call it the deficiency of Vitamin G, and I will recommend the repetition of the Name of God, with accompanying contemplation of the glory and grace of God. That is the Vitamin G. That is the medicine; regulated life and habits are two thirds of the treatment, while the medicine is just one third only.
145. CARRY on your highest duty - following the four F's: Follow the Master; Face the Devil; Fight to the End; and Finish the Game. Then you win My love in full measure. Love is My highest Miracle. Love can make you gather the affection of all mankind. Love will not tolerate any selfish aim or approach, Love is God. Live in Love. Then all is right; all can be well. Expand your heart so that it can encompass all. Do not narrow it down into an instrument of restricted Love.
146. THE tongue is the armour of heart; it guards one's life. Loud talk, long talk, wild talk, and talk full of anger and hate; all these affect the health of man. They breed anger and hate in others; they wound; they excite; they enrage; they estrange. Why is silence said to be golden? The silent man has no enemies, though he may not have friends. He has the leisure and the chance to delve within himself and examine his own faults and failings. He has no more inclination to seek them (fault) in others. If your foot slips, you sustain a fracture; if your tongue slips, you fracture some one's faith or joy. That fracture can never be set right; that wound will fester for ever. Therefore, use the tongue with great care. The softer you talk, the less you talk and the sweeter you talk, the better for you and the World.
147. BIRTH is the consequence of 'Kama' (desire, lust); Death is the consequence of 'Kala' (Time, the lapse of Time). The God of Desire (Kama) was reduced to ashes by Shiva; the God of Time is Kala or Yama. He was subdued by sin. So, one has to surrender to Siva (God) if one has to escape the consequences of these two frightfully fatal forces. If between 'Kama' and 'Kala' you take refuge in Rama, then you can escape the rigour. For Rama is the Atma who has no 'Kama' and is unaffected by 'Kala'.
148. WHEN you seek to learn swimming, you will have to enter the water and struggle with the strokes. When Bhasma (Vibuthi) is given, doubt haunts some people whether Swami is wishing that the recipient should be a Saivite! It is a symbol of the indestructible basic substance which every being is. All things become ash; but ash remains ash, however much you may burn it. It is also a sign of renunciation, of sacrifice and of 'Jnana', which burns all 'Karma' - consequently into ineffective ash. It is a sign of Iswara and I apply it on your brow to remind you that you too are Divine. It is a valuable 'Upadesa' about your identity. It also reminds you that the body is liable any moment to be reduced into a handful of ash. Ash is a lesson in detachment and renunciation.
149. THE river of human life meanders along, through many a valley, leaps over many a cliff, loses itself in many a marsh and seeks to empty itself in the ocean of Divine Grace; though, what happens is that it falls into the undrinkable expanse of salt. The flood flows from the heights to the depths; only the flames of fire do ever rise from the depth to the heights. That is why we speak of 'Jnanagni', the Fire of Wisdom of Realisation. Man suffers because he has developed hunger as vast as the sky, with a throat as narrow as a needle. His throat must become as vast as the earth; his heart must blossom wide through Shanti and Sahana; that is through equanimity and fortitude. Then the desire of man for full lasting undiluted 'Ananda' can be attained.
150. LIFE on earth is as on the ocean, ever restless with the waves of joy and grief, of loss and gain, the swirling currents of desires and the whirlpools of passion, greed and hate. To cross the ocean, the only reliable raft is a heart filled with the Love of God and Man. Man is born for a high destiny, as the inheritor of a rich heritage. He should not fritter away his days in low pursuits and vulgar vanities. His destiny is to know the Truth, live in it and for it. The Truth alone can make man free and happy. If he is not prompted by this high purpose, life is a waste and a mere tossing on the waves, for the sea of life is never calm.
151. YOUR car is not meant to be kept a showpiece in a glass garage. It is meant for the roads, for taking you fast and safe to the place where you want to go. So too, your body must serve the purpose of your journey. Journey to where? Not, as it has been happening, to the cemetery. You have nobler things to do than merely die! You must know your own Reality before you die and merge in that Supreme Joy. Eat just enough to keep the body trim; use the body to discover this Reality, namely, God. Sanctify every moment of your sojourn here with pious deeds and sacred thoughts.
152. IT is to persuade you to engage in Namasmarana that I am concluding My discourses with singing a few Namavalis. An Officer of the Indian Civil Service has to write on the slate, A, B, C and D and pronounce those letters, in order to teach his children the alphabet. When you find him doing so, you do not infer that he is himself learning the alphabet, do you? Therefore, do not be surprised if I sing Bhajan songs; I am but initiating you into this most efficacious Sadhana. Strengthen yourself, purify yourself, and educate yourself by this 'Namasankeertan'. Do it loudly and in company. Let those who join you listen and imbibe the nectar of the Name.
153. WHEN you call out in all sincerity, the response will certainly come. Give up all low desires and call from the anguished heart. Do not pray from the lips, as you do now, from the puja room which is but a corner of the kitchen. You worship the Lord with an eye on the dishes or cooking on the oven, with a nose inhaling hungrily the smells of the hot curries. Your thoughts of God are vitiated by 'Vishavasana', attachment to sensory objects. There is a vast gap between what you say and what you do; and between what you are capable of and what you accomplish.
154. FOOD received by foul means and clothing procured through ease and comfort are the main things in life. Do not think that ease and comfort are the main things in life. Disappointment, disease and distress are the lot of all, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, young and old. They are the common lot of all. Let not your pure, immaculate hearts be rendered dirty by false-hood and wrong. Do not soil your tongue using it for uttering dirty words. Utter the name of God; it acts like a spark which can burn into ash a big hill of cotton! All evil thoughts, wicked plans and plots will disappear like fog before the Sun when the Name of God is remembered sincerely.
155. ONCE man is free from undue attachment to the body and its appurtenances, he is liberated also from the pulls of joy, grief, good, bad, pleasure, pain, etc. He is firmly established in equanimity, fortitude and undisturbed balance. There man discovers that the World is one in God; that all is Joy, Love and Bliss. He realises that he himself is all this apparent World, that all the multifarious manifestations are the fantasies of the Divine will, which is his own Reality. This expansion of one's individuality to cover the ends of the Universe is the highest leap of man. It gives supreme 'Ananda', an experience for which sages and saints spent years of prayer and asceticism.
156. MAN has been enslaved by money. He lives a superficial, hollow, artificial life. This is indeed a great pity. Man should seek to possess only as much money as is most essential for his living. The quantity of riches one must earn can be compared to the shoes one wears; if too small, they cause pain; if too big, they are a hindrance to physical and mental comfort. When we have more, it breeds pride, sloth and contempt for others. In pursuit of money, man descends to the level of the beast. Money is of the nature of manure. Piled up in one place, it pollutes the air. Spread it wide; scatter it over fields; it rewards you with a bumper harvest. So too, when money is spent in all the four quarters for promoting good works, it yields contentment and happiness in plenty.
157. MOVE forward towards the light and the shadow falls behind you. Move away from it and you have to follow your own shadow. Go every moment one step nearer to the Lord and then, Maya, the shadow will fall back and will not delude you at all. Be steady; be resolved. Do not commit a fault or take a false step and then repeat it! Have the 'Thaapam' (the deliberation, the decision, the discipline) first; that is better than 'Paschaath Thapam' (regret for the mistake made).
158. GIVE something divine if you want the Divine. Prema, Shanti, Dharma and Sathya are Divine. Do not try to get it for a flower that fades, a fruit that rots, a leaf that dries and water that evaporates. There are some who write and speak as if they have known Me, all that is to be known of Me. I can only say this: they can never know Me and My nature, even if they are born and reborn a thousand times. To know Me, one has to be like Me, rise to this height. Can ants discover the depth of the Ocean?
159. IN this Kali age, the wicked have to be reformed and reconstructed through love and Compassion. That is why this Avatar has come unarmed. HE has come with the message of Love. The only weapon which can transform the vile and the vicious is the Name of the Lord uttered with Love. The Name is redolent with Divine Glory. So when it is turned over in the mind, it transmutes it into an instrument for liberation from delusion.
160. THREE disciplines are essential to become aware of Divinity in all and in the Avatar; no activity should be taken up with individual aggrandizement in view; intellect and emotion must be directed to the revelation of the Resident of the Heart, Atma; and every act should be done sincerely, with Love, with no yearning for acquiring personal profit, fame or benefit. Above all, listen to the voice of God within. As soon as one contemplates a wrong act, the voice warns, protests and advises giving up. It pictures the shame that has to be suffered, the punishment that has to be faced and the disgrace that it entails.
161. IF God is implanted in the heart, you will see God everywhere, even in the objective World. 'Sarvam Brahmamayam' is a fact. Resolve this day to engage only in virtuous deeds, good thoughts, and good company. Let your mind dwell on elevating thoughts. Do not waste a single moment of your time talking in idle gossip, vain boasting or demeaning recreations.
162. THE journey into the inner consciousness, to calm the storms that rage, is more important than the journey to the Moon or Mars. The latter may be more spectacular, but the former is the more beneficial. Life without goodness, good thoughts, good actions and good words is like the sky in the night without the moon or stars. It is like a wheel without a hub or spokes! No one can push a boulder away while standing on it; you cannot be free from anxiety while all the entrances through which it sneaks in are open. Stop catering to the senses and feeding the desires that haunt you.
163. THE ceremony of Brahmopadesam is Upanayanam, because the word means, 'taking near', taking the young aspirant near Brahman, that is to say, introducing him to Brahmajynasa, the path of Brahma. It is one of the Samskaras, that is rites which reconstruct the personality, reform the mind, purify it and rebuild it. It makes the person receiving it a 'Dwija', twice-born! The boy is born first into the World; now he is born into the Sadhaka World. He becomes a Brahmachari, a person who walks towards Brahma.
164. SEE God in every being and then true 'Sneha' will blossom. This type of true 'Sneha' can come only when you follow the advice of Krishna. 'Adveshta sarva bhoothanam maitrah karuna evacha Nirmano nirahamkaarah Sama dukher Sukha Kshami': 'He who has no trace of hatred towards any creature, who is friendly and compassionate towards all, who is free from the bondage of 'I' and 'mine', who takes pain and pleasure as equally welcome and who is forbearing in spite of provocation'. Grow these qualities in you, for they are the signs of true 'Sneha'. It is only when you are proceeding on the God ward journey along the nine stages of Bhakti that you can attain this Divine ideal of true friendship.
165. MOHAMMED, who sought to establish the primacy of the One Formless Absolute, had a large share of persecution, defamation and privation. Jesus, who attempted to rebuild mankind on the basis of Love, was crucified by little men who feared that their tiny tower of hate and greed will be toppled by his teaching. Harischandra, who had resolved never to waver from Truth, was subjected to ordeal after ordeal, each more terrifying than the previous one. Those who seek to know God must steel themselves to bear insult, injury and torture with a smile.
166. YUGADI: The word 'Yugadi' means: the day of the Inauguration of the 'Yuga or Age'. On this day dedicate your life anew to the spiritual discipline, giving up all habits that interfere with the constant remembrance of God. Nature puts on a neat garb of green, but man alone continues with his old prejudices, out-worn habits and moth-eaten principles, which tarnish and demean him. The spiritual discipline prescribed by the Scriptures for the Kritha (Yuga) Age is Dhyana; for the Tretha Yuga it is Dharma; for the Dwapara Yuga it is Archana or Ritual worship; and for the Kali Yuga it is Namasmara and Seva. With the constant remembrance of God, worship the Lord, leaving the result to the All-powerful, All-knowing and All-Merciful. The New Panchangam reveals the position of the Sun, Moon and Stars. Saint Thyagarja sang that Rama's Grace can counteract the evil effect of Stars. Expand yourself. Take in all. Grow in Love. That is the new dress you have to wear and shine on this day.
167. I AM showing you by My example. You must fill every moment with useful beneficial activity. You talk among yourselves, 'Oh Swami is having his rest hour; Swami is sleeping', but I have never craved, for a minute's rest or sleep or relief. Shall I tell you at what time I feel restful, relieved and content? When I know that you are all earning supreme Bliss through detachment and spiritual discipline; not until then. I am ever engaged in some activity or other for your benefit. Things that I could get done, I do not entrust to others; I do them myself, so that they may learn self-reliance and get experience thereby.
168. YAMA or the God of death is described as dragging his victims to his abode by means of the rope or 'Paasa'. Well, He has no rope-factory there, for supplying him with the rope he needs. You manufacture the rope yourself and have it ready around your neck; he has only to take hold of the rope and pull you along! It is a three-stranded rope, the strands being 'Ahamkaram' (Egoism); 'Vishayavasana' (sense-attachment); and 'Kama' (Desire).
169. LEARN a lesson from the tree. When it is heavy with fruits, it does not raise its head aloft in pride, it bends low, stoops, as if it does not take any credit for its accomplishment and as if it helps you to pluck the fruit. Learn a lesson from the birds. They feed those who cannot fly far. The bird relieve