These messages of the Divine echoes in every heart; it provokes the reaction of awe, reverence, affection, love and sacrifice - all ingredients of Bhakti. It translates itself into acts of worship, of praise, of adoration and of rituals symbolizing the majesty of God. Thus, the mind gets saturated with Divine thoughts. It is recast in the Divine mould, until the flow of Ananda becomes unabated.

THE airplane has to land at a certain place in order to take in those who have reserved the right to fly by the tickets that they have purchased. So too the Lord has to come down so that those who have won the right to be liberated may be saved. Incidentally, others too will know of the Lord, of His Grace and ways of winning it and of the joy of liberation. There are some who deny even today the possibility of air-travel; they curse the contrivance. They cavil at it. Similarly there are many who cavil at the Avatar that has come to save them.

WHILE speaking of God, as guarding you, I am reminded of a note that some one has sent Me from this gathering. The note wants Me to explain why I have not mentioned SAI BABA in any of my Discourses so far, though I bear the name as the Avatar of SAI BABA. Evidently, the writer of the note had in mind the people who engage themselves in publicity-work of Rama or Krishna or SAI BABA. 

HOW far have you progressed using the chance of these Discourses and the Darshan and Sparshan? Bring something into your daily practice, as evidence of your having known the secret of higher life from Me. Show that you have greater brotherliness, speak less, with more sweetness and self-control, and that you can bear defeat as well as victory with calm resignation.

MANAVA can become Madhava by engaging himself in Madhava Karma; he can then discover his 'Narayana - Tattwam'. What is the use of doing only Manava karma; or even Danava karma and claiming that man is divine? Virtue is the life breath, and character is the backbone. Without these, no meritorious act will fructify. A characterless man is like a pot with many holes, useless for carrying water or for storing it. Renounce and win Peace.

JEWELS give Joy, not Gold. You can experience the Name, you can imbibe the Form; you can take them to heart and dwell upon them and fill yourself with the joy that they evoke. That is why Jayadeva, Gomanka, Ramakrishna and others wished to remain ants, tasting Sugar rather than becoming sugar itself. The Name is like the seed, implanted in your heart; when the shower of His Grace falls upon it; it sprouts into a lovely tree. All trees that sprout from the Name are equally lovely and shady.

YOU must cultivate non-attachment towards Prakriti and attachment to the Lord. I am reminded of the story of Sankara Bhatta. He was a great Sadhaka intent on Japa and Aagama to such an extent that he was reduced to skin and bone. He worshipped Saraswathi or Vidya, which is the key to open the doors of Mukti. Goddess Lakshmi saw his sad plight and was moved with great pity. She chided Saraswathi for denying Her votary even the common joys of life and Herself hid in his leaky hut to pour on him Her Grace. She offered him plenty and prosperity, fame and fortune. She derided Saraswathi for neglecting to award comfort and joy on Her hapless servant. But Sankara Bhatta turned a deaf ear to her allurements; he said politely, but firmly, 'No, Saraswathi has blessed me with the most precious wealth, the gift that liberates me. I do not crave your Grace. Please remove yourself from my presence'.

BECAUSE you have taken residence in this body, you cannot call the body "I". When you sit here in this Hall, you do not call the Hall "I". You know, you are separate and that you are here only temporarily. When you go about in a Tonga, you do not say that the Tonga is you, do you? You do not take the Tonga inside, when you step down from it on reaching home. So, also, you have to drop this body when you reach "home".

PARAMATMA reveals its Glory in man; Prema appears in various forms, attaching itself to riches or parents or children or one's life mate or friends. All these are sparks of the same flame and the Love of the Universal is its highest expression. This Prema cannot be cultivated by reading essays, guidebooks and made-easies and learning the steps by note. It has to begin with great yearning for the Light and an unbearable agony to escape from the darkness as in the prayer: "Thamasomaa Jyothir Gamaya". The yearning itself will draw the light. The Love will grow of itself, and by its own slow alchemy, turn you into God.

YOU have a Kalpavruksha ready to give you all that you want; you have the Lord, who protects and promotes all. The virtues of the people are treasures of the State; the Smarana of the Name of the Lord is the root of all virtues. Narada, who was afflicted with conceit that there was no other who had dedicated his very breath to the recital of the Name, was once humbled to find that a farmer who managed to repeat the Name three times in the course of his overwhelming multitude of distressing preoccupations from cock-crow to dusk was judged a great Bhakta.

THE A of AUM is the Vishwa; the U is Tejas; and the M is Prajna - There is another interpretation in the scriptures. Vishwa is the Walking; Tejas is the Dream; Prajna, the Deep Sleep stage. The Pranava Sadhana (the spiritual exercise of meditation on OM) is therefore very important for Seekers. The Vedas prescribe the repetition of the Pranava, while studying holy texts reciting the Name of the Divine, carrying out daily duties and offering gifts.

THE Pranava is the essence of all sustenance, the embodiment of Rasa. Of the Earth, Water is the Rasa; Of the Water, Physic (Oshadi) is the Rasa; Of the Physic, the Human Person is the Rasa; Of the Human Person, the Word is the Rasa; Of the Word, RuK is the Rasa; Of the RuK, Sama is the Rasa; Of the Sama (Veda), OM is the Rasa. These eight Rasas, the Earth, Water, Physic, Person, Word, RuK, Sama and OM lead to the ninth - Ananda (Bliss). These are the Navaratnas, the nine Essences, the nine Sustainers; and Ananda is the goal which man is seeking, the aim of human life.

THE motherland is not a mere lump of earth. When we desire its progress, we have to promote the progress of the people who dwell therein. The skill needed for resuscitating and reforming man is found only in students. The reforming process involves the removal in daily living of bad conduct and bad habits and the practice of good conduct and good deeds. A man's worth can be measured by his efforts to reform himself. This day, the Government has no authority to reform the people; and the people have no authority the reform the Government.

Mohammed preached monotheism and was driven out of Mecca. Jesus preached mercy and charity and he was charged with treason. Harischandra refused to give up his allegiance to Truth and was driven to such straits that he had to sell as slave his wife and son. So, when you stick to the path of Truth and Righteousness, pain and poverty haunt you. But they are only clouds passing through the sky, hiding for a little time, the splendor of the Sun.

MAN has in him vast resources of power. When he does not utilise them while discharging his duties to himself and to the Society, which sustains him, he is only becoming a target for ridicule. When you are on a railway station platform waiting for the train that is due, and when you come to know that it arrives five hours late, how do you react? You fling abusive words at train. When the coaches receives from you such treatment, how much worse treatment you deserve for not fulfilling your duty and for disappointing the expectations that you have raised by your being a man? Utilise your skills and learning as consistently and effectively as duty demands.

YOU should take to "Sarvada, Sarvakaleshu Sarvatra Haricharithanam". It is just not sufficient holding a Mala and doing Japa, once in the morning during Brahma Muhurtha time, once in the afternoon and once in the evening. All the twenty-four hours, you should be in the remembrance of God. You should all the time be striving to awaken the spirit within you and for its blossoming (Atma Vikas). This is the real purpose of life.

ANY one may blame you; but you should ignore all such blame and go forward in doing service without rancor. Service is your only duty. The Universe is a manifestation of God. So also the individual. All these three are like: Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara - the Trinity. Actually there are no three, they are one - it is the unified Godhead. Cherishing this thought of Oneness and serving the Society is true Adhyatmic or spiritual life.

Bad thoughts and habits, bad company and bad food are hostile grounds where disease thrives. 'Arogya' and 'Ananda' go hand in hand. A sense of elation and exultation keeps the body free from ill health. Evil habits, in which men indulge, are the chief cause of disease in the physical as well as the mental state. Greed affects the mind; disappointment makes man depressed. Man can justify his existence as man only by the cultivation of virtues. Then he becomes a worthy candidate for Godhood.

Human lives are now passing on and on, filth over filth, bent, broken, diseased, distressed, and disheartened. To enrich their lives and make 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.

Mystery of the Avatar

No one can understand my Mystery. The best you can do is to get immersed in it. It is no use your arguing about pros and cons; dive and know the depth; eat and know the taste. You must dive deep into the sea to get the pearls. What good is it to dabble among the waves near the shore, and swear that the sea has no pearls in it and that all tales about them are false? So also if you must realise the full fruit of this Avatar, dive deep and get immersed in Sai Baba. Half-heartedness, hesitation, doubt, cynicism, listening to tales, all are f no avail. Concentrated complete faith - that alone can bring victory. In truth you cannot understand the nature of My Reality, either today, or even after a thousand years of steady austerity or ardent inquiry, even if all mankind joins in that effort. But, in a short time, you will become cognizant of the Bliss showered by the Divine Principle, which has taken upon itself this sacred body, and this sacred Name. Your good fortune, which will provide you this chance, is greater than that which was available for anchorites, monks, sages, saints, and even personalities embodying facets of Divine Glory. Do not allow doubt to distract you; if only you will install in the altar of your heart steady faith in My Divinity, you can win a vision of My Reality.

[The Avatar appears to be human and we are misled into thinking of him in these terms but the Avatar himself warns us against this error. Sathya Sai Baba once responded to a devotee who asked when he should return for another visit: "First understand that you do not need to come back to see this little body", he said pointing to himself. Then he added - "Find me in your heart". In his previous embodiment as Shirdi Sai Baba (1835 - 1918) he made a similar statement to his devotees as under:]

"Though, I am here bodily, still I know what you do; beyond the seven seas. Go wherever you will, over the wide world, I am with you. My abode is in your heart and I am within you. Always worship Me, Who is seated in your heart, as well as in the hearts of all beings."

The Western mind is capable of believing in Jesus as the Son of God, at least on the part of some of the population, but seems unable or unwilling to grasp the concept of the Avatar as an incarnation of God. By contrast, the average Indian is aware of historical Divine personalities and eastern literature is full of descriptions of the various Avatars. The Bhagawata text is precisely about the various Descents of the Divine on Earth.

Man is growing more and more greedy to know more about the lives of others, more extrovert in fact. He wants to escape from himself, by interesting himself in others. He does not want to worry about the details of his own life or the problems of his own rehabilitation. Of what benefit is all this burden of information that you seek to carry in your head, this knowledge of various regions of the world, without knowledge of the region of your own self, the center of all the interest that you evince?

Don't waste the elements nor misuse them. Being bound to the world with attachment to worldly objects is negative approach. Make positive approach turning towards Divinity. The difference lies only in turning your mind. Turn to world, you get bound - turn to God, you get liberated. God is without birth and death and is an eternal witness; you must strive hard to earn the love of God. One who receives the love of God will be earning the love of all. If you realize Love is God, you will not get attached to worldly things. No one can take the wealth of the world with him when he dies. This is a truth we have seen throughout the history of mankind. Many great kings, emperors, saints and seers have left without taking anything. When you are born you don't bring anything with you. Render service in divine awareness. In order to lead a fruitful and meaningful life, render service to mankind, which will take you nearer to God. You are born as human with the goal that you should not be born again. You must live within the frames of secular and spiritual pursuits. Then only you will be attaining liberation. The six bad qualities (Arishadvarga) lust, anger, greed, desire, pride and jealousy are on one side and good qualities truth, right conduct, peace, love, non-violence and sacrifice are on the other side.

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 - BABA. The announcement was "The advent of BABA". "He will wear a robe of red 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 would come again, He said," He who made me will come again." That BABA is the Baba; and the Sai, the short curly - hair - crowned, red robed Baba has come.

You may be seeing me today for the first time, but you are all old acquaintances for Me. I know you through and through. My task is the spiritual regeneration of Humanity through Truth and Love. If you approach one step nearer to me, I shall advance three steps towards you. Wherever you walk, I am there. Whomsoever you contact, I am in that person. I am in each. From each, I will respond. You can see Me in one place and miss Me in another. You cannot escape Me or do anything in secret. Reason for the Divine's Descent into Matter In past ages, when the power of evil reached a certain stage, the Divine descended into form to suppress the evil and to foster the good. In the Kali age in which we are living, evil has reached new depths. Of all the various ages - each with its own characteristics, the Kali age is the age of the deepest descent into matter and form, away from spirit. We have passed through the lowest point of the pendulum, the dark times of this 20th century and are now beginning the upward climb. The appearance of the Avatar coincides with the darkest hour of the Kali Yuga.

"God is the Sun and when His rays fall upon your heart, not impeded by the clouds of egoism, the lotus blooms and the petals unfold. Remember, only the buds that are ready will bloom. The rest have to wait patiently."

When you see the world with the eye of divine bliss, you will find bliss everywhere. If there is hatred in your vision, you will see hatred everywhere. Hence, change your vision to start with. Look at the world with the vision of peace, love, and compassion. Then the whole world will appear loving and peaceful. When your heart is filled with love, you will experience the Divine in the entire cosmos. See the Divine in everyone. Eschew hatred and ill will. After years of devotion, many still lack a broad outlook and an all-encompassing love. Embodiments of love! Promote love in your hearts incessantly love that is immortal and infinite.

Chariot Festivals

Of course, the festival is being celebrated for the purpose of installing the image of God in the chariot. Without the representation of God, the festival would have no meaning. This sacred figure inside the chariot represents the indweller, who is God himself. But only the rare individual will turn his full attention towards that divinity. Most people will see only the physical appearance of the chariot, its decorations and other such things as the fine raiment put on the sacred image inside, the costumes worn by the dancers and musicians, and all the sound and color of the festivities. The largest number will concentrate only on these external things. But there will also be some people who concentrate their attention on the rituals of worship and the offerings being made, such as the breaking of coconuts, the waving of lamps and incense, and the devotion expressed through these rituals. The number of people with this kind of vision and interest will be much smaller than those who concentrate on the decorations, the dances and dramas and all the external paraphernalia associated with the festival.

The universe is visible to the naked eye. It consists of mobile and immobile objects called Prapancha, as it is a manifestation of the Pancha Bhuthas (five elements). There is no world without the five elements. They
are the very forms of the Divine. That is why people reverentially refer to the five elements, namely, earth, water, air, fire and ether as Bhudevi, Ganga Devi, Vayu Deva, Agni Deva and Sabdha Brahman respectively. It is on this basis that Divinity is extolled as Sabdha Brahmamayi, Characharamayi, Jyothirmayi, Vaangmayi, Nityanandamayi, Paraatparamayi, Maayamayi, Sreemayi (the embodiment of sound, mobility and immobility, light, speech, eternal bliss, supreme majesty, delusion and wealth). These are the attributes of the five elements, which sustain the world. The five elements are present in every being. The spirit or the Atma, which is the very form of God, is not visible to the naked eye, but the Pancha Bhuthas can be seen, heard, felt and experienced by one and all.  One who understands the principle of these five elements becomes God himself.

Like the oil that is in the till seed, Like the presence of ghee in milk, Like fragrance in a flower, Like juice in a fruit, Like fire in a piece of wood, So does the Divine permeate the cosmos. Creation is a manifestation of God. It is the form of God. It is called nature (Prakriti). Hence, man, who is a child of nature, is inherently divine.

Who are devotees?

The truth is that people merely call themselves devotees. It is a delusion. They should examine whether they have the qualities of devotees. Everyone seeks to know what good he can derive from other individuals or from society. No one asks himself what good or benefit society derives from him. Start by rendering benefit to society.

Everyone goes about trying to see what he can get from society. Today, thanks to the influence of the Kali Age [the present age], two kinds of diseases have grown. One is the insatiable thirst for wealth. In every city there is a mad rush to make money. Everyone is caught up in this craze for money. No doubt money is necessary, but only up to a limit to meet one's needs. Owing to excessive desire, people lose all sense of proportion. Men turn into demons in the pursuit of wealth. It may be asked whether at least they make good use of their immense wealth. No. Ultimately, the money may fall in the hands of robbers or others. What you get from society, give it back to society. That is the primary value to be cherished by everyone.

The second malady is the thirst for power. The thirst for power and position is unquenchable. Afflicted with these two maladies man converts the whole world into a madhouse.

Role of our life

You are only actors on the stage before the footlights. The Director, who knows the Play, who assigns the roles, who gives the cues, who calls you in and puts you on is behind the curtain. You are a puppet; He holds the strings. If He must be seen, you have to be His 'Sakhaa' (friend) or 'Bandhu' (kinsman). Merely being an onlooker will not entitle you to approach Him and be in His Holy Company. Cultivate His Friendship or Kinship by the attitude of Love and dedicated Service.

TURN TOWARDS GOD AND GOD WILL TURN TOWARDS YOU

When you develop your power of discrimination and become fully awake to the indwelling divinity, you will not suffer sorrow nor be subjected to fear. But as long as you have attachment to the body and attachment to objects, fear and suffering will be with you. Therefore, Krishna told Arjuna to develop his discrimination and rid himself of body consciousness. He told him that once he was free of body consciousness he would be able to develop integral vision. Embodiments of Love, Mankind today has three types of vision. The first is body oriented vision, which is totally superficial. When you have this kind of vision you see only the external appearance of others, such as the clothes and the ornaments they wear, their facial features, their body characteristics, their peculiarities of speech, etc. This type of vision is oriented only towards the phenomenal world. The second kind of vision is insightful vision. Instead of focusing on the external characteristics of others, you focus on their inner feelings, particularly as it is reflected in their behavior and expressions. You gauge the thoughts in another's mind and the feelings in their hearts by carefully watching what they say and do. When you have this kind of vision, you become concerned primarily with the deeper feelings and motivations of the other person

The body should be guarded and sustained for the service one can do with it to others, or for realising the Atma, while in it. There are some who observe strict discipline in spiritual practices, who follow a rigorous timetable of Japam, Dhyanam etc. Of course, this is good practice, but does not stick to that timetable or that program, even when you have a call to go to the help of some person, whose need for service is great and urgent. If you give up your Dhyan to serve him, you will benefit more from the service that what you may gain from Dhyan. If you feel that the person next to you suffering from pain, needing relief, is a nuisance and move on to some place where your Dhyana will not be disturbed, you surely are not going to get the merit of that Dhyan. It is certainly a wrong you have committed and you do not deserve Grace. When God Himself comes down to serve man, He will indeed be pleased if you too serve man. Engage in those activities which will please God, which you feel and know will please God, rather than in activities which will please you. God is pleased with Truth, with Dharma. Know your Dharma and observe it.  (Source: Dharma Vahini)

You cannot see Me, but I am the Light you see by.

You cannot hear Me, but I am the Sound you hear by.

You cannot know Me, but I am the Truth by which you live.

I have come to light the lamp of love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added luster.

I have come not to disturb or destroy any faith, but to confirm each in his own faith - so that the Christian becomes a better Christian, the Muslim, a better Muslim, and the Hindu, a better Hindu.

Make your life a rose that speaks silently in the language of the heart.

The Lord will be watching with a thousand eyes the least activity of man to discover any slight trace of selfless love sweetening it.

Bear all and do nothing;

Hear all and say nothing;

Give all and take nothing;

Serve all and be nothing.

HANDS THAT HELP ARE HOLIER THAN LIPS THAT PRAY.

Learn to give, not to take. Learn to serve, not to rule.

The Grace of God is like insurance. It will help you in your time of need without any limit.

Yesterday has deceived you and gone,

Tomorrow is a doubtful visitor.

Today is a fast friend, hold fast to it.

Wealth that you hoard is not yours; wealth that you have given is really yours.

Your virtue is your shield; your vice is the weapon that inflicts wounds on you.

Source: Thought for the Day Book from Prashanthi Nilayam