Learning Through Reading

1313 · May 7, 2024

What is the purpose of the Avatar’s advent? How can we convey His message? Bhagavan lovingly inspires us today.*

Sai comes to fulfill the highest task—to unite all humanity into one family through the bonds of brotherhood, to establish and bring the light of the Spiritual (Atmic) reality into every being, to reveal the Divine that is the foundation upon which the entire cosmos rests, and to teach everyone to recognize the common divine heritage that binds all people, so that human beings may cast off the animal nature and rise to the Divine, which is their true goal!

I am the embodiment of Love; Love is My instrument. There is no creation without Love; even the lowest creature still loves itself. And its essence is God.

Thus, there are no atheists, although some may dislike or reject God, just as malaria patients dislike sweets, while people with diabetes refuse to have anything to do with sugar!

Those who consider themselves atheists will one day, when their illness has passed, enjoy God and revere Him. I have had to tell you so much about My Truth because I want you to reflect on it and derive joy from it, so that you may be inspired to observe the rules I have established and progress toward the goal of Self-Realization—the awareness of Sai, who shines in your hearts!

_Divine discourse, June 19, 1974_.

00* 243 · May 8, 2024

I asked God to take away my pride, but God said to me, “No.”
He said that pride is not taken away; one must renounce it.
I asked God to heal my daughter, bedridden with illness, but God said to me, “No.”
He said that her soul was healed, but her body would still die.
I asked God to grant me patience, but God said to me, “No.”
He said that patience is the result of trials; it is not given, but earned.
I asked God to give me happiness, but God said to me, “No.”
He said that He gives blessings, but whether I am happy depends on me.
I asked God to protect me from pain, but God said to me, “No.”
He said that suffering separates a person from worldly concerns and brings them closer to Him.
I asked God for spiritual growth, but God said to me, “No.”
He said that the spirit must grow on its own, while He would merely prune me to make me bear fruit.
I asked God to help me love others as He loves me.
And God said, “At last you understand what you should ask for…”
I asked for strength, and God sent me a trial to toughen me.
I asked for wisdom, and God sent me problems that required me to rack my brain over them.
I asked for courage, and God sent me dangers.
I asked for love, and God sent me people in need of my help.
I asked for blessings, and God gave me an opportunity.
I received nothing of what I had asked for. I received everything I needed. God heard my prayers.
(Folk parable)

1313 · May 11, 2024

Whenever there is a delay in the arrival of a bus or flight, passengers begin criticizing everyone responsible for the delay. This happens because their duties were not properly carried out. Similarly, a person becomes an object of criticism if he does not perform his duties properly.

A person cannot be called human if he does not uphold universal human values—truth, righteousness, peace, love, and nonviolence. They are like the five life forces of a human being. The absence of these life forces is equivalent to being dead while alive. Everyone is responsible for their own downfall. A person destroys himself by failing to uphold these universal human values.

Embodiments of Love! Love is your greatest wealth. Develop love and always speak the truth. Truth sounds bitter, while people readily enjoy lies. People do not like the milk brought to their doorstep, while they are willing to travel several miles to drink a bottle of liquor together. Lies have become the norm of the day. Lies may please others, but not your conscience. Try to satisfy your conscience first, and everything else afterward. Under all circumstances, follow the path of truth. If speaking the truth could lead to some danger, remain silent.

Sathya Sai Baba,

Divine Conversation, March 12, 2002

1313 · May 13, 2024

If you have God’s Grace with you, no planet can harm you.
The harmful influences of even the most powerful planetary combinations, which astrologers use to frighten you, will disperse in an instant.

There are two prescriptions for attaining this Grace: speak with love about everything that exists in the world, and speak the truth about everything concerning your fellow human beings.
Love should be your weapon.

Sathya Sai Baba

1313 · May 14, 2024

Why should we face both adversity and prosperity equally? Bhagavan lovingly reminds us of this today.

The sages and seers of ancient times had to face tremendous difficulties and hardships before they could establish high ideals for others. That is why their teachings left an indelible mark on the hearts of Bharatiyas. Both individuals and society can achieve progress and prosperity only by going through many trials and hardships. A person has to face not only difficulties, but also blame and criticism. Noble souls will never worry about difficulties or criticism. The welfare of society is the main goal of their lives. Embodiments of Love! Rejoice in sorrow just as you do in happiness. You will attain equanimity only when you treat happiness and sorrow alike. In the human body, the head is considered sacred, whereas the feet are not. When someone comes to your home, can you welcome only the head and ask the feet to leave? When you welcome the head, you welcome the feet as well. Similarly, by welcoming happiness, you welcome sorrow too. -
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, May 6, 2000

The purpose of human life is neither happiness nor sorrow. A person can find fulfillment in life only if they can trace the source of happiness and sorrow.
- BABA

1313 · May 17, 2024

We all experience the bitterness of this world. How can we help peace and love flow from us in abundance? Bhagawan gives us valuable advice that we can follow every day.

Poison is the daily food of people today. Their eyes delight in poison, their mouths spew poison, their ears perk up when poison is proclaimed, their feet carry them to the abode of poison, and their minds devise plans to poison other minds! Only God can swallow poison and save the world from great destruction, as Shiva did when halahala (the terrible poison that emerged during the churning of the Primordial Ocean) threatened to destroy the world. Meditate on Shiva, the God whose throat turned blue from the poison He drank; then poison will be powerless to harm you. I urge you to bring Me and offer Me all the poison that is within you; take health, happiness, and Heaven itself from Me. The Kalpavriksha (the Heavenly Wish-Fulfilling Tree) in the human heart is suffocating under wild growth and thorny bushes. Clear away this suffocating undergrowth, and the tree will grow and bear fruit!
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
- Divine Discourse, March 9, 1968

Through prayer and contemplation of God, you must control the evil qualities within you.
- Baba

1313 · May 21, 2024

What is the one and only panacea for all the troubles in society and the world? Bhagawan reminds us of it today with all His patience and love.

You are all sparks of My Divinity. Therefore, share your love with your fellow human beings, just as I share My love with all of you. Then you too will become Divine. When everyone follows the sacred path, the world will surely attain peace and prosperity. Embodiments of Love! Give up ignorance, light the lamp of wisdom within yourselves, and ultimately merge with the Lord. This is Swami's message for you today. Cultivate love. Only through love can you eliminate the mind, and only through love can you be cured of any disease. Only love can eradicate the wicked qualities within you. Therefore, love everyone. Love the hridaya, the heart, not the physical body. Love the divinity enshrined in your heart. The body, mind, intellect, and sense organs are merely instruments, while you yourself are the master. Therefore, master the mind and be its master. Never become a slave to your mind. Contemplate God day after day. You may chant any name and contemplate any form, but understand the truth that God is one and only one.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
- Divine Discourse, July 16, 2000

The one principle you must uphold and develop is the principle of love. Where love reigns, there is no place for hatred.
- Baba

1313 · May 23, 2024

You must learn how to become leaders of a new kind—leaders who have passed through the crucible of seva performed as sadhana; leaders who have attended school and college and mastered methods of solving the problems of the present and the future in the light of the past; leaders who value tradition and culture. This is the work for which you must prepare yourselves. In Telugu, the word “work” is pronounced “udyoga.” Notice that in the word “ud-yoga,” the syllable “ud” means rising, ascending, emerging. Thus, it is progress in yoga that determines the character and purpose of work. And what is yoga? According to Patanjali, yoga is “chitta vritti nirodha,” control of the fluctuations, anxieties, and fears of the mind. People in positions of leadership devise various means of control and conduct campaigns to popularize them. They control food, gold, birth rates, and other spheres of life, but the most essential thing—control of the mind—is absent! You may sit in an air-conditioned room, but if your mind is agitated under the influence of anger, jealousy, greed, or fear, you will find that the room is very hot!
- Divine Discourse, July 23, 1970

1313 · May 25, 2024

Vice gives rise to disease. Bad thoughts and habits, bad company, and poor food are hostile soil in which disease develops. Good health and bliss go hand in hand. A sense of enthusiasm and joy preserve the body from disease. Harmful habits that a person indulges in are the main cause of both physical and mental illnesses. Greed affects the mind, and disappointment makes a person despondent. A person can justify their existence only by developing good qualities of character. Only then do they become worthy of being a spiritual seeker and realize their Unity with God.
SSB

May you have good thoughts, kind words, and righteous deeds....
Wishing you a happy life in Unity with the Creator!

00* 243 · May 26, 2024

The teaching requires great receptivity; there is no receptivity when there is an idea, because an idea is the past dominating the present. Then the mind is no longer quick, flexible, alive.

Most of us are insensitive even physically. We overeat, do not care about a proper diet, smoke and drink a great deal, so that our bodies become coarse and insensitive. The organism’s very capacity for receptivity becomes dulled. How can the mind be very alive and receptive when the organism itself is sluggish and sleepy?

We may be receptive with regard to certain things that affect us personally, but complete receptivity toward everything included in life is possible only when there is no division between the organism and the psyche. This is an integrated movement.

To understand anything, you must live it; you must observe it, know all its content, nature, structure, and movement.

Have you ever tried to live in harmony with yourself? If you try, you will begin to understand that your structure is not static. You are something constantly renewing itself, alive; in order to live with what is alive, your mind must be alive. But it cannot be alive if it is held captive by opinions, judgments, and evaluations.

In order to observe the movement of your mind and heart, of your entire being, you must have a free mind. Not one that agrees or disagrees, argues over words, but a mind that strives to understand—and this is very difficult, because most of us do not know how to see and hear our own lives, just as we do not know how to see the beauty of a river or hear the rustling of a breeze in the leaves of the trees.

Jiddu Krishnamurti

1313 · May 28, 2024

Pure Love is like a well-paved one-way road with no speed limits. You can race along it toward God at any speed. Rivers beautifully illustrate this principle. They all flow down from the mountains. The rivers run swiftly and rapidly toward somewhere. Where? Toward the Ocean. Along the way, they overcome boulders and rocks, skillfully bypassing obstacles in their path. They never stop, but continue moving toward the Goal all the time. Life should be a river rushing toward the Ocean called God. The flow should never stop or be interrupted. Overcoming all obstacles, you should continue striving toward God. This should be the defining feature of your Spiritual Journey.
Be focused, determined, steadfast, and sincere. Leave no room for weakness.
If you look at and listen to what is good, and if your thoughts, feelings, and actions are good, you will experience nothing but Bliss.

—BABA

1313 · May 29, 2024

With what attitude should we face life's difficulties? Bhagavan lovingly reminds and inspires us.

Whatever others may say or do, remain steadfast in your faith in God. Only good people encounter obstacles on their path. Whatever happens is for your own good. When a student fails an examination, he does not give up but works hard to succeed on the next attempt. In the same way, never give up in the face of life's adversities. Pleasure is the interval between two periods of suffering. Vyasa said: "Happiness cannot be obtained from happiness" ("Na sukhat labhyathe sukham"). Happiness comes only as a result of overcoming difficulties. Just as light is not truly appreciated in the absence of darkness, happiness loses its special value in the absence of difficulties. Difficulties are an integral part of human existence. So accept them as a matter of course. Once, Kunti prayed to Krishna to grant her obstacles in life so that she could always remember Him. She prayed: "Krishna, when my husband, King Pandu, was still alive, I hardly remembered You, for I was absorbed in pleasures and comforts. After his death, we suffered immensely, and because of this we always remembered You. Now I understand the value of difficulties. They help us always remember You. I am ready to face any difficulties, but please ensure that my love for You never weakens."
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
- Divine Discourse, January 14, 2000

Call upon the Lord with your suffering, and He will respond immediately!
- BABA

1313 · Jun 3, 2024

First of all, you must understand your purpose.
Who are you? Atman (God).
Where did you come from? From the Atman.
Where are you going? To the Atman Himself.
How long will you be here? Until you merge with the Atman.
Where do you reside now? In the unreal, in that which is constantly changing.
In what form? In the form of non-Atman.
What are you immersed in? Fleeting problems.
What should you undertake in the future? Give this up and experience something else, so that you may enter the eternal, immerse yourself in the imperishable, and enjoy the bliss of the Atman.

Sathya Sai Baba.

1313 · Jun 6, 2024

“You will hasten the arrival of the Golden Age” ~ A divine revelation shared by the Avatar on His last birthday!
Several years ago, an extremely important conversation took place between Swami and a young devotee. The devotee, a virtuoso singer, had made great efforts to reproduce the unique sound accompanying Swami’s departure on a golden chariot during the celebration of His last birthday in human form in 2010.
Recognizing the young devotee’s efforts, Swami joked: “Do you think you came up with and reproduced the sounds of these conches and celestial bells yourself?” With a smile, Swami then said: “All these sounds were conceived 10,000 years ago!”
Stunned, the young devotee asked: “Swami, what is so special about this event that it was planned 10,000 years ago?”
Swami replied: “10,000 years ago, it was planned that these very sounds would announce the end of the Kali Yuga and the arrival of the Satya Yuga!” This conversation took place on November 23, 2010, at approximately 11 a.m.
Shocked by this news, the young man asked: “Swami, if the Golden Age has already arrived, why is our society still in decline and afflicted by discord, poverty, anger, and many other ailments?”
Swami smiled, pleased with the question, and, looking at the ceiling fan, asked: “Do you see this fan?”
The devotee replied: “Yes, Swami.”
Swami said: “This fan has a five-speed regulator. Suppose it is rotating at its highest speed. What will happen if you press the stop button?”
The devotee answered: “Swami, the motor will stop turning the fan, but the blades will continue rotating until the fan comes to a complete stop.”
Swami said: “Correct! I have already pressed the stop button for the Kali Yuga. But the blades continue rotating at a very high speed. At the same time, I pressed the first-speed button for the Golden Age fan, and it began to rotate.”
The devotee thought for a moment and then asked: “Swami, when will the Golden Age fan begin rotating faster than the Kali Yuga fan?”
This question made Swami smile, and He revealed the deepest truth: “That depends on all of you, My children!”
“On us? How, Swami?” the astonished devotee asked.
Swami replied: “All negative expressions in thought, word, or deed increase the rotation of the Kali Yuga fan. Any positive expressions in thought, word, and deed increase the speed of the Golden Age fan. Now everything depends on you, My children.”
If today we disregard these words of the Avatar, it will be a great loss for the Earth and humanity. The Golden Age will certainly arrive. The only question is whether our generation will take responsibility for accelerating the changes or delay the inevitable by handing this rare opportunity to the next generation.
Many years ago, Swami said: “To whom much is given, much is expected.” We who have the honor of calling ourselves His devotees must begin, from this moment, to pave the way for all humanity. This is why Swami shared His light with us, saying: “My life is My message.” Having filled us with His light, He declared: “Your life will be My message.”
The task is in our hands,
The responsibility for carrying it out rests with us,
We have been honored to lead humanity into the Golden Age!
Swami told the devotees: “As Krishna, I made a promise in the Bhagavad Gita that if you dedicate your life completely to Me, I will take care of all your needs. As the Avatar Sathya Sai, I am making a new declaration. If you dedicate your life to love and service to Me, I will not only fulfill the promise I made as Krishna—Yogakshema—but will also carry you across the ocean of samsara so that you may be united with the Divine forever.”
Do you doubt yourselves? Do you doubt your ability to carry out this task, whose success is assured?
Once, the Lord revealed the following secret to His students: “To be able simply to repeat the Name of Sai, you had to experience one hundred thousand births.”
“What do you know about yourselves? None of you has any idea what you did in order to be here. None of you knows about the intense sadhana you practiced for thousands of years, awaiting the opportunity to be near the Avatar. Many of you were yogis and rishi sages. Some of you entered meditations lasting three hundred years.
“I remember all your sadhanas and karmic efforts, which have now reached their culmination, enabling you to be born at the same time as Parabrahma Svarupa, the embodiment of the highest divinity.”
Thus, Swami told us that He had not only poured His grace upon us by allowing us to be near Him, but also considered us worthy of carrying torches to illuminate everything ahead. Swami has not gone anywhere. He is here. He has merely stepped back to help us fulfill our task and make our lives His message, acting as a beacon that shows others the way.
The Golden Age begins right now...
And everything begins with ourselves...

1313 · Jun 8, 2024

Why should we constantly practise seeing the Lord in every person around us, even when it may be difficult? Bhagavan lovingly inspires us.

You should develop love for everyone, however different each person’s character and abilities may be. Although the same blood flows throughout the body, the eye cannot smell, the ear cannot taste, and the nose cannot see. Do not place too much emphasis on differences and quarrel. Emphasise the essence of brotherhood and practise love. Just as sugar dissolved in a cup of water is invisible but can be tasted by the tongue in every drop, so the Divine is invisible but immanent; it can be experienced in every individual, whether they are at the bottom or the top of the social ladder. Practise Namassmarana (constant remembrance of the Lord’s name); taste the sweetness that dwells in everyone’s heart and focus on His glory and compassion, expressed in these names. Then it will be easier for you to see Him in everyone, love Him in everyone and adore Him in everyone.

Divine Discourse, 31 July 1967

Serve humanity until you see God in everyone; then what you do will be elevated into Worship.

— BABA

1313 · Jun 10, 2024

The Almighty evaluates you by the sincerity of your thoughts, not by rituals of worship.

The Lord looks at your devotion, not at your strength and achievements. He cares about your qualities of character, not your religion or origin. He looks at your heart, not your wealth.

You should strive to purify your heart and perform righteous deeds devotedly and honestly. No spiritual practice can fulfill its purpose if you engage in sinful acts. You must learn to think that God is present in everything you see, do, and touch. You must understand that you are temporarily playing roles on the cosmic stage. When the play ends, you will have to return to your true Divine essence.

Through spiritual practices, you must purify your lives and set an example of righteous living for the whole world!

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

1313 · Jun 12, 2024

Changes will bring only happiness, my friend, but they can also bring pain. That is why people are always afraid of change. They resist change, but, my friend, all of nature is constantly changing, and renewal will bring us happiness. In other words, no matter how much pain these changes bring people now, in the end everyone will experience joy and happiness. Some will rejoice in their victory, while others will rejoice in their liberation.

Mahabharata

1313 · Jun 13, 2024

How can we win the all-encompassing grace of the compassionate Lord? Today Bhagavan lovingly reminds and inspires us.

The Lord is so gracious that, of His own free will, He guides and protects all who surrender to Him. When the battle with Ravana ended, a single compassionate glance from Him was enough to revive the hosts of fallen vanaras (monkeys) and heal the wounds they had received in battle. Some demons (rakshasas) infiltrated the camp disguised as vanaras; when they were brought before Rama for punishment, He smiled and forgave them, because they had assumed the monkey form so dear to Him. Rama truly sent them unharmed back to the enemy camp. Such was His grace. To attain this grace, you must become imbued with dharma and make every action worthy of God. With the sharp “chisel” of intellect (buddhi), shape the mind (manas) into the perfect form of Dharma-murti, the embodiment of dharma. Then the roughly hewn idol of humanity that you are now will shine with the magnificence of Divinity itself! This is the task to which you must devote yourself today! — Divine Discourse, January 11, 1966

God’s grace can reduce mountains of sin to ashes in an instant. Make an effort to deserve such love and grace from God.

— BABA

1313 · Jun 17, 2024

You are not a sinner. You are God
Because of their religious habits, people sometimes say in their prayers: “O Lord, I am a sinner, my soul is full of sin, I have committed so many sins.” But who is this person who sins? Does anyone exist separately from the Lord? You should not accept such statements about sin and sinners. It is better to think: “I am Shiva, I am God, I am the entire world, I am Love, I am Ananda, pure bliss without limits.” Keeping such exalted ideas and thoughts in mind is the best way to attain the goal.
In the Gita, the Lord begins the list of noble qualities a devotee should possess with Adveshta Sarva Bhutanam: do not feel hatred toward any living being. If you treat happiness and suffering equally, then the question of hatred does not arise at all. If you recognize that the same transcendental principle is contained in all people, just as it is in all other beings, then there can be no room for hatred. If you realize that the one Divinity dwells equally in everyone, how can you hate anyone else? Does anyone else truly exist?
In this context, you may ask whom the phrase “Adveshta Sarva Bhutanam” is intended for. Is it intended for those who have realized the one transcendental principle existing equally within themselves and within everyone else? No, it is clearly not intended for them. This instruction is given for those who do notrealized yet another great Truth: the unity of all beings.

Sathya Sai Gita
Chapter 9

1313 · Jun 20, 2024

SATYA SAI BABA on Russia and our people.

- Sai Baba, may I ask you an immodest question: "What is your attitude toward Russia?"

- It is one of the most precious pearls in my Universal necklace.
Russia has gone through, and is still going through, severe trials that no other people in the world could endure. This speaks to the people's great spiritual potential.
The harsh natural conditions and ancient traditions, many of which have been forgotten but preserved in the subconscious memory, have shaped the resilient character of Russians.
This is a people who have always lived by their own labor, engaged in no plunder, and attacked no one.

It is from here that the revival—the Golden Age on Earth—will begin.
Together with India, it will become a spiritual leader for all countries and peoples.

Satya Sai Baba.