Everything you see is a reflection of what lies within you. If you call someone a bad person, it means that the evil within you is reflected in them. That person has nothing to do with the evil. Good and bad are reflections of your inner being. Never think that they exist separately from you. Good thoughts are a source of good vibrations. If you are filled with love, that same principle of love will manifest in your speech and actions. If your thoughts are sacred, you will become a Divine being.
Sathya Sai Baba
March 18, 1999
"The Power of Will and Intention."
The best thing is to trust the Lord completely and rely on Him alone as your mother, father, teacher, and guide on your journey. Then you will never stray from the right direction. He will never point you down the wrong path. To develop such strong faith and have such an experience, take up meditation. It is the only way. Meditation on the Lord’s Name and Form with love and faith is sufficient. Choose the name and form that appeal to you most. Remain in joy and sweetness. Develop the habit of always being happy, with a smile on your face. This will give you the power of discernment. In the same way, people will treat you better. God will be pleased as He watches you. Therefore, practice meditation with innocence, purity, and humility. Then you will be able to achieve everything you aspire to. Do not allow yourself to lose your temper in any situation, and do not lose courage under any circumstances. Respect everyone regardless of their status. Only then will the quality of universal unconditional love (Prema) develop within you.
"True devotion, bhakti, is a state of consciousness, an inner world, not a set of actions performed for show.
Many complain that they are forced to confine their devotion within worldly boundaries and rules that bind them. But it is not the world that binds them; they themselves bind themselves to the world!..
A person who is strongly attached to the objects of the senses is not inclined to give up that attachment and becomes entangled in the world, forgetting the purpose for which they came.
This is blatant IGNORANCE.
You must strive to make the best possible use of the time allotted to you…
Realize this and establish yourself in the immutable essence — Brahman."
Your worldly mind cannot know the ways of the Lord. God cannot be realized through the mind and reason alone. You may receive God’s grace, but you cannot explain Him. Your explanations are merely conjectures, attempts to disguise your ignorance behind bombastic expressions.
Bring something into your daily practice that confirms your knowledge of the mystery of the higher life received from Me. Show that you, too, possess greater love for your fellow beings. Speak even more politely and with self-control. Accept both defeat and victory with calm humility.
I am always aware of the future and past of each of you just as well as of the present. Therefore, pity does not move Me so strongly. Since I know the past and what lies beyond it, My reaction is also different. This is the consequence of vices and evil consciously committed in a previous birth, and therefore I allow you to continue suffering, often modifying the suffering with some small compensation. I am not the cause of any joy or sorrow. You are the creator of these two chains that bind you.
I am Anandaswarupa, the embodiment of bliss. Come, take ananda, bliss, from Me, abide in it, and be filled with peace, shanti.
Sathya Sai Baba
November 23, 1968.
Samuel Sandweiss, “Sai Baba—Saint and Psychiatrist.”
How long can a person resist Love? How long can they remain indifferent to its tenderness and sweetness? Sooner or later, they will be conquered by it. How can they reject what is their true, inherent nature? Does anyone reject happiness and joy? No, because happiness is the natural state, while unhappiness is unnatural. Likewise, love is the natural state, and all contrary emotions are unnatural. Therefore, when you send a person a wave of spontaneous love, it is bound to touch a certain chord within them. When you continue to pour out love, it slowly begins to cleanse and purify, and soon undesirable traits of character will be removed and virtue will shine forth.
Love is the only alchemy, the only solution in the Kali Yuga. It is the only possible weapon against evil tendencies. Hatred should not be met with hatred. Meet hatred with love. I tell you: Love is the most important thing, and it can work great miracles, transforming the very nature and character of people. It works within a person and therefore brings about a more complete and thorough change, although the healing process is slow. Therefore, cultivate love toward everyone. You should try to see only good qualities in people. No one can be entirely bad. If a person has even one redeeming quality, that is enough to begin with. Follow this approach and ignore base qualities. Do not look for what is bad; look only for what is good. “See” only what is good, be good, and do good. Give love without any desire for return or reward. Then you will undoubtedly realize God.
People waste energy by indulging in bad thoughts, looking at the world with an unkind gaze, listening to bad words, and performing unkind deeds.
Here is truly the royal path:
May the eyes not see what is bad, but see only what is good.
May the ears not hear what is bad, but hear only what is good.
May the tongue not utter bad words, but utter only good ones.
May the hands not perform evil deeds, but perform only good deeds.
Your time will become sacred only when you learn to apply these rules in your life. This is your sadhana; this is the service you need to perform. And then, surely, the day will come when you conquer your mind and merge into the Divine.
Today, people often ask themselves: “Where is God?” By ceaselessly chanting the Name of God, Prahlada (a hero of the Puranas and a devotee of Vishnu) realised that God is present everywhere. Neither statement—“He is only here” or “He is not here”—is true. But awareness of this truth comes only as a result of persistent sadhana (spiritual practice). In a supermarket, you see many attractive things, but merely asking the shopkeeper to give them to you will not make them yours. You will acquire them only by paying the required amount. Self-realisation, or the apprehension of Truth, may seem attractive enough for you to want always to have it with you, but you cannot obtain it for free. It will never become yours if all you offer in return are unsupported demands and empty phrases.
You deserve the title of king if you are the acknowledged and rightful ruler of your kingdom. If the enemies pursuing you overthrow you from the throne, how can you live up to this exalted title? Likewise, only when you have conquered the inner enemies—lust, greed, hatred and pride—and established complete and unconditional mastery over yourself can you ascend the throne and proclaim yourself the Ruler.
Caught up in worldly desires, a person does not understand their divine nature. They identify with the body, not understanding that it is mortal and temporary. The human body is nothing other than an instrument for realizing the inner divinity. A person wants to learn everything about the Universe but does not try to find out who they themselves are. Human beings lead artificial lives because they are ignorant of their true nature. The foremost task should be to realize one’s divine nature. A human being is not merely human. They are divine and must accept this fundamental truth. One must understand that all the parts of the body function only through the divine power that gives them life.
To make each of your actions worthy of being offered to God and pure enough to merit His Grace, all your actions must be expressions of Love. The more brightly this is expressed, the closer you are to God. Prema (Love) must not be influenced by considerations of caste, creed, religion, or similar factors; it must not be tainted by envy, malice, or hatred.
Guard Love against being poisoned by evil; make an effort to cultivate feelings within yourself that are free from hatred. The root of all religions, the essence of all scriptures, the crossroads of all paths, and the inspiration of all people is the Principle of Prema (Love). It is the strongest foundation for fulfilling the mission of your life.
The light that ensures peace and prosperity throughout the world. Fill every word you speak and every action you take with Love. A word born on your tongue should not strike like a knife or wound like an arrow. Words should be like the foundation of sweet nectar or a path strewn with flowers; they should pour peace and joy over the world.
It is the mind that leads a person either to success or to ruin. If it is immersed in worldly matters, it will lead you into bondage. But if the mind regards the world as something temporary, then through such detachment it becomes luminous and free. Train the mind not to become attached to what changes, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Do not tempt it with the tinsel of worldly fame and wealth; instead, draw it toward the lasting joys that flow from the source within you. This will bring a greater reward. Then the mind itself becomes the guru, for it will lead you farther and farther as soon as it tastes the sweetness of steady meditation. It is the mind that fills the image created by the potter with the Divinity seen in it by the devotee; it is the mind that fills the shrine room with the fragrance of holiness.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, March 24, 1958
Death is a change of clothes. Embodiments of the Divine Self! Have unwavering faith that you are a Divine being, not a perishable body. The body, mind, intellect, and consciousness are a person’s garments. Sooner or later, a person will cast them off. That is why Jesus said, “Death is the clothing of life,” which means that death is simply a change of clothes.
Therefore, it is unwise for us to shed tears when a person changes his clothes. There is no cause for grief if we firmly believe that all sensory relationships are temporary and transitory. As long as we have attachments, we are overcome by sorrow. We must develop attachment to God, not to the world.
In the four mahavakyas (great sayings), the truth that a person is truly Divine is proclaimed. A person must establish himself in the faith that he is Brahman, not Ramaiah or Krishnaiah. But people deceive themselves by believing that they are the body. Parents give a name to your body, but no one is born with a name. Bodies come and go, but the Atman abides forever.
The mother is the support of the home, society, and nation, and therefore of all humanity. Mothers should know the secret of peace of mind, inner silence, strength of spirit, and contentment, which are the greatest wealth, as well as the spiritual discipline that grants everlasting joy. A mother should teach her children the value of remembering the Lord’s Name and the importance of mental and physical purity. She should follow the example of the mother in the story told by Vivekananda. In this story, the mother advised her son to call upon Krishna on his way to school when he walked alone through the forest, and whenever he felt helpless. The father and mother should supplement at home the education provided by the teacher at school. They should familiarize themselves with the lesson the child receives at school and ensure that their behavior and advice do not contradict what the child learns from the teacher he adores. Teachers and parents should ensure that children acquire good habits and right attitudes during their formative years.
Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, September 9, 1958.
An important truth to remember is that it is possible, and even necessary, to use the full power of words through gentleness and tenderness. For one who strives to see God in everything, gentle and pleasant words will be of invaluable help. Just imagine how happy people will be to be in your company, and how light your mind will become through this practice! How quickly concentration can be attained when meditation takes place in such a pleasant atmosphere! If, instead, you use harsh, judgmental, and contemptuous words in conversation, you yourself, in turn, become the object of judgment. Then your mind becomes agitated, and the goal of meditation is not achieved because the atmosphere is polluted. Thus, if you truly want to attain happiness through meditation, at the beginning you should engage either in joyful conversation or in happy thoughts and memories. The ability to speak gently and kindly greatly aids meditation.
Do not consider as your friends those who never speak of the Lord, those who do not even know of Him; those who are occupied with multiplying and strengthening the bonds of the material world (samsara); who preach and practice falsehood, injustice, and oppression, and who advise you to leave the path of dharma. Such people should be avoided at all costs. This is the company of immoral people. By staying with and associating with such people, you will, against your will, make mistakes, say what should not be said, do what should not be done, and consequently follow the road leading to destruction. People who fear neither sin nor God are capable of committing any atrocity; there is nothing surprising about that. Therefore, seek the company of those who have these two fears; this is truly good company. Whether it is easy or not, seek the company only of pious people.
The physical body is inert. It is formed by the combination of physical components. The body consists of elements such as iron, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and so on. Thus, the body is described as inert matter.
Sukshma sharira (the subtle body) is maya svarupa (the form of illusion). In the dream state, the mind not only creates itself but also experiences pleasure and pain, sorrow and fear. These illusory creations of the mind are experienced in the subtle body. These sensations seem real only while dreaming. Maya is the state of mind in which what does not exist is perceived as existing, while what exists is not perceived. Upon awakening, all dream experiences appear unreal. The palaces seen in a dream disappear as soon as one opens one’s eyes.
That which is true and real must exist in the waking state, in dreams, and in deep sleep. Truth is that which is real and unchanging at all times: in the past, present, and future. Therefore, the subtle body is connected with maya.
Then there is the karana sharira (causal body). It is only an image or reflection. It is a reflection of the Mahakarana (Supercausal) body. Mahakarana represents the Supreme Principle. The causal, subtle, and gross bodies function precisely as reflections of the Supreme—Paratattva. It follows that all these aspects are contained within the human being. The ordinary mind, Supermind, Higher Mind, and Enlightened Mind are all present in these bodies.
In the waking state, the mind operates in interaction with the sense organs in seeing, hearing, speaking, and so on. The mind is bound by the limitations of time and space.
Joy is a deceptive trap; sorrow, on the other hand, is a True Teacher who teaches prudence, discernment, detachment, awareness, and vigilance. Death is by no means the merciless enemy it is usually considered to be. Death is a Friend and Companion, a Teacher, a Kind Relative who takes you under its care and surrounds you with a commemorative halo. The human heart must be tempered, but not made of stone; it must be soft, but not yielding. This can be achieved only through the blows of loss, sorrow, and despair. This is how God shapes us, giving us a Divine form.
Do not ask life only for joy and happiness; willingly accept everything that comes to you. You do not insist that a doctor prescribe only sweet medicines for you. Have the courage to endure sorrow as uncomplainingly as you endure joy. Remember that death cannot be avoided, that life is merely an interlude, that the world is simply a caravanserai, and then you will have enough strength to walk the pilgrimage path of this birth.
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. "Life, Death and Liberation." Ch. 17
Just as thousands of species of fish, crustaceans, and sea creatures move through the vast world ocean, so people inhabit the sea called God. It is truly a wondrous sight.
Some beings are underdeveloped, while others are poorly developed; they simply swim about in search of food, insatiable and selfish.
But among the multitude of ignorant beings, there are a few highly developed souls, sages (Jnanis), and yogis.
Since they have mingled with the ignorant crowd, it becomes difficult to distinguish the wise from the rest.
Creation and the miracles with which it is filled are truly astounding. In the present conditions of life, very few see the light and follow it.
Therefore, instead of following different people chaotically, wandering and choosing circuitous paths, the wisest decision is to place complete trust in God and rely on Him as on one's own mother, father, guru, and mentor. Then you will never lose your way. God will never lead you down a false path.
There is no greater quality in a person than selfless Love, expressed through service to others. We should understand the relationship between karma and karma yoga. Ordinary karma, created by desires and attachments, leads to bondage. But selfless actions performed without desire for their fruits become karma yoga. Our life should become yoga (Divine union), not “roga” (disease). Today, most of our actions end in “roga” because they are connected with sensual pleasures. We can free ourselves from illness by following the spiritual path. This is not merely singing bhajans or hymns. It is doing good deeds. Only actions performed as a complete offering to God can be considered spiritual. A person who is ignorant of the Atman is like a flower bud that has not yet blossomed. When the flower opens, it spreads its fragrance everywhere. Likewise, one who realizes the Divinity within becomes a source of light and strength!
You have ears, and you can hear Om in every sound that announces the presence of the Lord to you. The bells in temples ring to convey the sound of Om, symbolizing the Omnipresent God. When the bells ring, the Divinity within you awakens, and you can realize the presence of God. The individual soul has come in a garment (the body), like a pilgrim visiting a sacred place. It should have a guide who will show it the sacred places of worship and help it complete its pilgrimage. This guide is the Lord Himself and sacred books such as the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other sacred texts. The essence of the sacred texts lies in one rule: repeat the name of the Lord, always remembering His glory.
Among all the gifts you receive from God, santosham, or contentment, is the most precious. The opposite of santosham is sorrow, generated by desires that create a sense of anticipation and almost always lead to disappointment or despair. One desire gives rise to another, and even when it is fulfilled, their number increases a hundredfold. This process is endless and has no justification. Therefore, santosham is the highest blessing of the Lord, who, out of His infinite Love, puts an end to this insatiable thirst. No wealth or other achievement can compare with it in power; santosham is the crown of desires, expressed as complete contentment and sacred fulfillment.
