DIVINE DISCOURSE BY BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI

BABA ON 22-8-2000 AT PRASHANTI NILAYAM  

People worship God with devotion and sincerity, but God is not satisfied with external worship. You should serve society. Only one service can confer bliss on you. By rendering service to society, not only can you alleviate the sufferings of the people, but you can also bring about transformation in their lives. YadBhavam Tad Bhavati (as is the feeling, so is the result). If you serve with sacred feelings, it is bound to yield sacred results. Serve society to your utmost capacity. You are doing Bhajans in the morning and evening. The satisfaction that you get by participating in Bhajans is temporary, whereas service confers permanent satisfaction.

You and wealth are like passing clouds. Do not entertain excessive desires. Do your duty sincerely. Whatever happens, be it good or bad, accept it is the gift of God. Understand that it is good for you. Time is the most precious gifts of God, but you are wasting it in vain pursuits and sacred feelings. Sanctify the time given to you by serving society. Through service alone can one get rid of worries, ego, pomp and show and other evil quality. The Vedas say, Chittasya Shuddhaye Karmah (The objective of actions is to purify the mind). Service alone can purify the mind. Today people waste lot of time, wealth and energy in performing activities which do not foster purify of the mind. That is why they are unable to experience peace of mind. The peace that one gets out of worldly activities comes and goes like a passing cloud. One should aspire for the true and eternal peace, which originates from the heart.

Today unrest and violence have gripped the world as Sathya and Dharma have declined in the hearts of people. All that you find outside is nothing but the reflection, reaction and resound of your inner feelings. Human life is highly sacred, most precious and divine. Do not fritter away this life by indulging in unsacred activities. It has to be lived in the proper way by exercising control over the ten Indriyas (senses). Speak sweetly and softly. You cannot always oblige, but you can speak always obligingly. Pray for the well-being of all. Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu (Mau the whole world be happy!). Sanctify your senses by serving all. If you exercise control over you senses, you can achieve anything in life. If God is not pleased with you, you will be looked down upon by everyone in the world. You may think that you have given away ten bags of rice in charity and distributed clothes to five hundred people. Such accounts are to be submitted to the Income Tax Department and not to God. God is not interested quantity, He sees that feeling behind your acts. So, whatever may be the act of charity you undertake, do it with the spirit of love and sacrifice.