The more finely sandalwood is ground, the stronger its fragrance becomes. The longer sugarcane is crushed, the more sweet juice it releases. Gold is purified when it is subjected to heating and remelting. Likewise, a truly devoted person will never waver in their love for the Lord, even if they encounter misfortunes and obstacles on their path. God tests His devotees only to raise them to a higher level of spiritual ascent. A true devotee should lead a sacred life, and that life is sanctified by meeting all difficulties and hardships with complete faith in God. The body exists solely to lead a sacred life.
Ignorance can be cured only by knowledge; darkness can be dispelled only by light. No amount of evidence, threats, or persuasion can make darkness go away. A flash of light is enough to dispel years of darkness. The light is always within you. But because it is suppressed, it cannot manifest itself. Prepare yourself for this flash of light! Everyone must attain it, whether they strive for it or not. It is the inevitable end of everyone’s trials, the goal toward which every being moves, consciously or unconsciously. Do not be afraid to attain the goal of liberation (moksha). Do not regard it as a misfortune. In fact, liberation is the end of all misfortunes. It is the death of all sorrows: the sorrow of having to be born again. It is the birth of joy, joy that knows no end!
Sathya Sai Baba
(Divine Discourse, February 19, 1964)
God is the sole source and foundation of the entire Universe. Everything else is illusion. Regard sorrows and difficulties, losses and gains, and illnesses as manifestations of the Divine Will. Then everything will be good for you. You say, “This is my body.” But who are you? You say, “my body,” but you do not say, “I am the body.” Similarly, you say, “my mind,” but you do not say, “I am the mind.” You are separate from your body, mind, and so on. When someone asks your name, you should not answer, “I am Rama” or “I am Krishna.” Say instead, “I am I.” Whatever name you mention was given to you by your parents. It is not your true name. In fact, nothing in this world belongs to you. Only the true “I” is your own. That is why we constantly say “I,” “I,” “I.”
You will truly become God if you rid yourself of ego and attachments. Then the true “I” will manifest within you! When you say “my house, my people,” and so on, attachments increase. Attachment to the body develops ego. Therefore, when you rise above the ideas of “I” and “mine” and attain contentment, you will experience great happiness. May you all live happy, long lives filled with love! May you all become one!
Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, November 23, 2008
You perceive unity as diversity instead of seeing unity in diversity. The number one is the basis of all other numbers.
Likewise, names and forms vary, but in essence they are one. Apart from Divinity, there is no other entity in this world. Many spiritual seekers and yogis made strenuous efforts to understand the principle of Divinity.
Ultimately, they realized that truth is one, but sages call it by different names. Since you have not understood this truth, you are misled by the appearance of duality. To know that Divinity is one, you must understand spiritual mathematics.
The most important thing is to understand this principle of unity and act accordingly. You and your shadow are essentially one, not two. When you understand this unity, you will experience Divinity. You will realize that the individual is not different from God.
If you place 0 after the digit 1, you get 10; place another zero and you get 100. Thus, if you continue adding zeros, the value also increases to 1,000, 10,000, and so on. If you remove all the zeros from 100,000, only one remains.
Zeros acquire significance only when they stand next to one. “I,” “my wife,” “my children,” “my property,” and so on are all like zeros. They will have value only when joined with God, who is like the digit 1.
The entire world is like a zero. It arose from God, who is everything. Because of your illusion, you consider the zero to be everything. As long as you are immersed in illusion, you will never be able to realize Divinity.
Sathya Sai Baba, February 26, 2006, Prashanti Nilayam
Lessons in devotion, faith, and love.
SSG, vol. 39, ch. 3
Emperor Bali welcomed Vamana with open arms and promised to offer Him whatever He might wish. The emperor’s preceptor, Shukracharya, was very far-sighted. Knowing that Vamana was an incarnation of Vishnu, he advised Bali to withdraw his offer. But we can judge the emperor’s generosity and greatness by the fact that he refused to follow his preceptor’s advice. Bali said: “When the Lord Himself has come to me with His hand outstretched, asking for a gift, what greater good fortune could there be than to place this gift in His hands? I am ready to give everything, regardless of what may happen to me afterward.” The Vedas say that, while following Dharma and one’s duty to God, one should not heed contradictory words, whether they come from one’s father, mother, preceptor, or anyone else. Bharata, Prahlada, Meera, and others are examples of those who went against the instructions of their mother, father, and spouse, respectively, while remaining true to their devotion to the Lord. No one can come between a devotee and the Lord, whatever relationship may bind the devotee to that person.
Sathya Sai Baba
- Divine Discourse, September 12, 1989
The sages, striving to understand the mystery of Divinity, concluded that God is everything and that no one can consider anything their own property. Based on this, they were able to realize God. However, today, under the influence of the Kali Yuga, everyone regards everything as “their own.” In reality, nothing belongs to anyone. People develop false and irrational notions of ownership. The sense of possession intrudes into every thought and every action. And this leads to the growth of the “ego.” Egoism must be completely eradicated, as must the instinct of possessiveness. Divinity must reign in the heart. Know that everything belongs to God. “You came with empty hands, and with empty hands you will leave.” Everything you acquire or lose is like passing clouds. King Bali taught people this profound truth. Nothing belongs to anyone. All gifts come from God.
Bali was a great devotee. Devotion has five qualities and knows nine paths of worship of God. The first path is shravanam (listening to the glorification of God), and the last is atma nivedanam (complete surrender to God). Bali revealed to his subjects the great truth about devotion.
From that time to the present day, the people of Kerala have celebrated Onam—a festival as dear to them as life itself. They welcome it with indescribable joy. And it is not because of the dishes prepared for the occasion. For them, it is the holiest day in the world. They gather together to sing the name of God. (Bhagawan sang a song describing how this holy festival should be celebrated: by singing the Lord’s name, speaking about the Lord, and honoring the memory of the saints.) Only that day is sacred when you sing the name of God, seek closeness with God, and experience the bliss of His grace. All other days are days of sorrow. The Divine is within each of you. There is no better spiritual practice than turning to this hidden image. The people of Kerala have preserved their faith in the Lord despite conditions unfavorable to the observance of religious beliefs. Their devotion is deep and unshakable. As devotees of Padmanabha, they draw devotion from the depths of their being.
Embodiments of Divine Love! Understand that we are not separate from God, who is the very embodiment of love. We can come to God only through love—there is no other way.
Every being is a vessel of divine power, the indestructible Atma. Touching this reality is the main purpose of life. Yet this purpose is ignored, and precious days are wasted in pursuit of insignificant goals. Every night, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa lamented that another day had passed, and despite his prayers, the Divine Mother had still not appeared to him in the flesh—alive and filled with love. This is the thirst that a person should cultivate within, rather than an envious desire to outdo another in sensual pleasures—false and fleeting. A person should take on only those tasks that bring peace and lasting joy. One should carefully analyze the benefits of various actions and choose only those that will count toward one's merit. Yet while desiring peace, a person nonetheless sows anxiety and turmoil. He plants a lemon seedling while hoping to harvest mangoes. This is either simple ignorance, conscious blindness, or deep delusion.
Only the Lord has free will. Human beings are endowed with will, but it is not free will. Human will begins to operate when divine free will comes into play. There are many leaves on a tree, but not a single leaf will stir if there is no wind. Leaves do not have free will, but they have a will that enables them to sway when the wind blows. On the tree of life, human beings are like leaves. Human will will begin to act when divine will “blows.”
Thus, human will must unite with divine will. Then human nature will blossom. A person can achieve nothing through their own efforts alone.
There are goals that a person achieves without making great effort. There are other goals they cannot achieve even when exerting every effort. What is the reason? It is the play of Divine Will.
Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, January 1, 1993, in Prashanti Nilayam
The Ramayana takes place in every person's life: Rama is the son of Dasharatha, who rules ten chariots. What do you think these ten chariots are? They are the senses: five organs of action and five of perception. Truth (Sathya), righteousness (dharma), peace (shanti), and love (prema) are the four sons; Rama is truth, Bharata is righteousness, Lakshmana is love, and Shatrughna is peace. Take these great characters depicted in the Ramayana as your ideals. You will see how your life will be filled with peace and joy if you follow these ideals. The Ramayana should be felt with the heart, not studied with the mind as some kind of event. As you read and study it, its inner meaning will illuminate you, as your mind is purified by the lofty ideas in this epic.
Do not exaggerate the importance of things that have only material value; they disappear as soon as you grasp them in your hand.
You must constantly keep your goal—the merging with the Absolute (sayujya)—before your eyes; do not renounce it or forget it. Be like a river that slowly flows toward the sea. A person who has bought a ticket from Madras to Calcutta, since that is the place he wants to reach, will not stop anywhere else along the way; he remembers his destination. Certainly, he may be interested in the sights and scenery along the way; he may get off at one place or another to refresh himself, but he will not look for a home anywhere in between. Remaining in the same place, staying near the Teacher, and identifying with the Teacher’s form (salokya, samipya, sarupya) may be intermediate stages, which is what they essentially are. But do not be satisfied with these stages. Remember, they are only intermediate stations. You must reach each of them and then move onward—to your final destination.
Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, September 2, 1963
God is One, and only He is real. There is no second God. If you think of Him and envision Krishna, He will appear before you in the form of Krishna. If you think of Him and envision Vishnu, He will appear to you as Vishnu. But all these forms are the work of your imagination. They do not correspond to reality. All this is the work of your mind. You think that God will appear before you if you engage in spiritual practices such as worship, performing rites, and sacrificial rituals. All this is merely your imagination. Your mind is the cause of this play of imagination. You should engage in spiritual practice until you transcend the mind.
The mind is always creating mental images. You should go beyond the mind. You should focus only on the Atman. He has no form. You need to understand that the Atman, which has no form or qualities, is the only Truth. It permeates the entire Universe.
Sathya Sai Baba
Prashanti Nilayam. 04 06 2009
SSG vol. 42, ch. 8
The microcosm is contained in the macrocosm, for both are manifestations of a single reality. The entire tree is contained in the seed, and the seed in the tree, because the tree and the seeds are essentially one. You lack the imagination to see a large tree in a tiny seed. But in fact, the tree is already contained within it.
Similarly, the macrocosm is contained in the microcosm. Realizing this truth enables a person to see their true form. As long as a person’s gaze is fixed on the external world, they remain blind and do not see the truth. Only the development of inner vision leads to the revelation of inner divinity. And realizing the divine essence hidden within leads to the realization of the cosmic Divinity.
A mind that has not known God is like a dry leaf rising with every breath of wind and falling when the wind subsides. But a mind focused on the realization of God is like a rock, beyond the sway of doubt, steadfast and reliable. Yielding to worship and contemplation, God is referred to as Hiranyagarbha—the Golden Womb, the Source of Creation, the Immanent Principle that wished to manifest and multiply. The term “gold” is fitting, since gold is the metal from which artisans fashion a variety of jewels, taking into account the needs, wishes, whims, and style of their owners. Through human imagination and depending on one's inclinations and intellect, God also takes different forms—sublime or grotesque, frightening or enchanting. People create these images and call upon them, pouring out their fears, fantasies, desires, apprehensions, and dreams. Depending on the moment, they perceive these images as masters, friends, rulers, or teachers. But whatever a person does with God, God remains untouched. He is the Gold present in all jewels and shining through them.
Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, October 21, 1969
The tongue is the armor of the heart; it guards life. Loud speech, lengthy conversations, uncontrolled speech, and words filled with anger and hatred—all of this affects a person's health and gives rise to anger and hatred in others. Such speech wounds, agitates, and divides. Why is silence considered golden? A silent person has no enemies, although they may have no friends either. They have free time and the opportunity to turn inward, examine their mistakes and failures, and avoid seeking them in others. If your foot slips, you may suffer a fracture; if your tongue slips, you may undermine someone's faith or joy. Such a fracture can never be healed; such a wound will fester forever. Therefore, use your tongue with great care. The more gently you speak, the less you speak, and the more kindly you speak, the better it is for you and for the whole world.
Through our thoughts, we can even heal the illnesses of others. When the friendship of good people is gained through good thoughts, the union of the good leads to the realization of the Divine.
A person’s thoughts determine the kind of people they associate with. A drunkard seeks the company of drunkards, a thief joins a company of thieves, a lawyer seeks lawyers, and so on. Therefore, people with good intentions should associate only with like-minded people. If they fall into the company of evil people, even their good thoughts may become contaminated.
People today do not understand the immense power of the mind. The five elements, the five vital breaths, the five sense organs, and the five sheaths—all are based on the mind. It is precisely because the mind’s tremendous power is not recognized that human life is ruined. By belittling the mind, a person dehumanizes themselves and behaves like an animal or a demon. When a person broadens their vision, they can realize their divinity.
If you want a nation to develop and progress, if you aspire to experience the Divine that pervades the entire cosmos, you must cherish and nurture good thoughts. Do not treat thoughts as trivial matters. A huge banyan tree grows from a tiny seed. There is a Telugu proverb that even a small snake should be struck with a long stick. Similarly, even the slightest evil thought must be carefully guarded against.
Sadhakas (spiritual seekers) need to remain vigilant even regarding the most insignificant matters that may provoke their anger, because if they are careless about anger, they will not be able to make even the slightest progress. Such people need to cultivate qualities of character such as humility and love. Then their bad qualities will gradually disappear. Some sadhakas become highly irritated when someone else notices and points out the shortcomings they possess. This only makes the situation worse! Spiritual seekers should always look within themselves, but if they allow the mind to wander outward, they cannot identify their own shortcomings. Pride obstructs inner vision and confuses the investigation of the mind. If sadhakas want to succeed, they should bow humbly to those who point out their shortcomings. This is the only way to advance quickly on the path of meditation. And they should strive never to make such mistakes again.
They say that the Lord punishes some and favors others. Let me tell you that the Lord does neither. He is like the current in an electrical wire. It is the current that turns the fan and brings coolness into your life, and it is also what powers the electric chair and shortens your life. It has no desire to reduce the heat in the room and no intention to kill.
The Lord’s grace is like a breath of wind. Fold your sails, and the boat will become uncontrollable and powerless. Unfurl them, and it will sail faster and faster. It is like light: one person does good using illumination, while another does evil with its help. Remain in the “inner day” (let the light shine within as it does by day), but in the “outer night” (let the world outside become dark to you). The Vedas teach you this truth and provide the discipline necessary to attain this state.
Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, January 25, 1963
“Your natural laziness prevents you from practicing the spiritual exercises without which you cannot know the nature of God. This laziness—in whatever form it may manifest itself—must be overcome. It should have no place in human nature. To achieve this is my mission. My purpose is not to heal illnesses, comfort people, or free them from earthly troubles and misfortunes. My mission is far higher than that. Deliverance from misfortunes and sorrows does not play an essential role in my mission. My main goal is to restore to people the wisdom of the Vedas and the Sacred Books, and to make their ancient wisdom the heritage of all people. All obstacles will fall, and my mission will be fulfilled—fulfilled at the proper time. Such is the disposition and will of the Lord, and nothing can obstruct His will.”
Samuel Sandweis
“SAI BABA THE SAINT AND... THE PSYCHIATRIST”
“Navaratri” means nine nights. Darkness is associated with night. What is this darkness? It is the darkness of ignorance. The purpose of celebrating Navaratri is to give you the opportunity to overcome the darkness that has enveloped you. When we speak of Devi, we mean the single form of Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Lakshmi, who is the embodiment of prosperity, symbolizes the heart. The mouth represents Saraswati. Purity of action (Kriya Shuddhi) is embodied by Durga. To receive the Lord’s grace, you must maintain purity of heart, purity of speech, and purity of action. This triple purity is described in the Vedic texts as “Tripurasundari.” Celebrate Navaratri in such a way as to dispel your inner darkness by observing the triple purity of thought, word, and deed. On the occasion of this sacred festival of Navaratri, you should also honor nature. Natural resources such as water, air, energy, and minerals should be used sparingly, without waste, misuse, or harm.
Sathya Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, September 27, 1992
Those who proclaim themselves to be sadhakas (spiritual seekers) are actually pursuing selfish goals. God is omnipresent. To attain a divine experience, you must undertake an inner investigation by stopping the restless movement of the mind. People now study all their lives, but do not want to put into practice what they have learned. Practice is more important than the mere accumulation of knowledge.
It is important not to accumulate information, but to transform yourself. What is the use of all this information you have gathered? How much of this collection have you embodied in your real life? Have you attained bliss from it? The answer is: you are heroes in accumulating information, but zeros in putting it into practice. Thus, life is lived in vain, rather than with a definite purpose.
The first step for everyone should be awareness of their true nature. In many cases, as people study more and more books, they become increasingly immersed in doubts. Apart from filling their minds with the clutter of books, what is the result of all their learning? There is no difference between books, which lack consciousness, and a mind filled with bookish knowledge. They are equally sterile. Both are like living dead.
Bookish knowledge without practice may be useful for teaching others, but it is useless to the individual himself. One who does not follow what he preaches wastes other people's time. First, use your time properly. That is why I constantly advise students and others to talk less. Engage in spiritual inquiry and practise at least a small part of what you have learned.
