The good and bad coexist. None can separate them. But one with Sraddha (Steadfastness) will always experience goodness. What else is to be conveyed to this august assembly?
(Telugu poem)

Embodiments of Love!

Today marks the beginning of yet another New Year. Many new years have gone by, but your old habits have not changed and life remains the same. The reason is that you are not making efforts to experience the principle of divinity, which is present in all in the form of love. Love is the true form of God. It is your foremost duty to recognize this eternal principle of love.

Today you are in search of divinity. Where is the need to search for that which is everywhere at all times? You are in search of God as you are unaware that God is always with you and in you. You are trying to have the vision of God through meditation. However, you should not be satisfied by merely performing such spiritual practices. What is meditation? Adherence to truth is true meditation. The eternal, immortal, wonderful and blissful principle of divinity is present everywhere. You should make efforts to realize this truth. This is the royal path to attain the goal of life.

People are making efforts to realize the truth, but their efforts are not yielding the desired result. Divinity is the very embodiment of eternal bliss and is present in all of us. How can you visualize it? Firstly, you should understand that there is no power superior to truth in this world. Your foremost duty is to recognize the principle of truth that is present in you. But you are forgetting your innate divinity. You are undertaking a number of sadhanas (spiritual practices) to experience divinity. In fact, you do not need to perform any special sadhana to have the vision of God who is always with you, in you, above you, around you. There is no need to search for Him.

Embodiments of Love!

It is a sign of ignorance to search for God who is all pervasive. People perform various spiritual practices such as Yanta, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Prathyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi to experience divinity. What is meant by Samadhi? It should be termed as Sama‑dhi, meaning the intellect which is equanimous in all situations. Such an equanimous intellect is in fact present in every individual. It is a misconception to think that only those who perform sadhana are capable of attaining this state.

Embodiments of love!

Do you go about searching for yourself in the outside world? Such a person can only be called foolish. If you want to see yourself, you should turn your vision inward. Unfortunately, you are moving away from your own sacred self by indulging in various practices with worldly outlook. You are endowed with the sacred principle of love. This divine love is your inherent nature. It neither comes nor goes. Divinity has neither birth nor death. It is always present in you. Instead of spending your time in various types of sadhanas, realise the truth that 'I am 1'. One who realizes this truth need not perform any sadhanas. Where does this 'I' come from? It is in you. Not realizing this, you search for this divine self in the outside world. You have to realize that this divinity is very much in you. But because of illusion, you identify the principle of 'I' with your body. In fact, 'you' are different from the body. You should understand this truth and act accordingly. He is a true sadhaka who realizes that God is present within. Some people sit in a comer, close their eyes and try to contemplate on divinity. One does not need to search for his shadow which is always with him. Similarly, the divinity that you are searching for in the outside world is very much present in you.

Several people made efforts to fathom the true nature of Lord Krishna and undertook several types of sadhanas in this regard. But, ultimately none of them could realize the Krishna tathwa. In fact, where is Krishna? Where is God? He is present in one's own self. The person who cannot realize this truth and goes about searching for Him in the outside world is an ignoramus. Once Krishna told Arjuna, "I am yours and you are mine. I and you are one." Not realizing such unity, it is foolish to search for God in the outside world. The boy who spoke earlier said that he was doing sadhana in search of God. One need not search for God in some distant comer.

Sarvathah paanipaadam Tat sarvatokshi siromukham Sarvathah sruthimalloke Sarvamavritya thishthathi

(with hands, feet, eyes, ears, heads and mouth pervading everything, He permeates the entire universe)

Where is the necessity to search for God separately when He is omnipresent? Whatever you see, all that is permeated by God. There is not one place or form in which God is not present. 

God is love and love is God You can connect yourself with God only through love Develop love and achieve the supreme state of equanimity.
(Telugu poem)

Therefore there is no necessity to engage in a separate search for God. God is present everywhere as truth. Why should one search for such truth? Some people are under the misconception that Lord Krishna was born at such and such a place and left his mortal coil at such and such a place. No! This is not a correct concept. Krishna is present in all places at all times. Whatever you see and whomever you come across in this objective world is the very form of Lord Krishna. Only the names change; God is only one. It is foolish to search for such an omnipresent God. Instead of searching for God outside, try to realize the God who is immanent in you. You enquire into yourself who you are. Leave aside the body consciousness. Do not identify yourself with the body. It is only when you identify yourself with the body, the question of 'I' and 'you' arises. When this 'I' and 'you' merge into one, there will be unity. But, unfortunately, today people are unable to forget their egoistic T. Wherever you see, it is only one 'I' principle that is present in all. Once you realize that the same Atma pervades every individual body, the differences of 'I' and 'you' vanish. But you are unable to give up your false identification with the body. Right from your birth, you are accustomed to identifying yourself with the body.

Embodiments of Love!

Whether it is love or truth or peace or divinity, there is no duality. They are all one. Only when you fortify the spirit of unity, will you be able to realize the truth. Love is not something that is acquired from outside. It emerges from within. When you share such love with everybody, you will be able to realize the truth that all are one. (Showing His handkerchief, Bhagawan said) It is made up of thread, which, in turn, is made out of cotton. Similarly, mind is also made up of the threads of sankalpas and vikalpas (resolutions and aberrations).

Embodiments of Love!

You have to enquire yourself as to what extent you have understood the principle of love which is uniformly present in all; differences arise because of our perception and feelings. Right from the beginning man is carried away by his identification with the body and, therefore, he perceives diversity in creation. In fact, it is unity alone that permeates the apparent diversity. Whatever differences are there, they are only the creations of the mind. If one wants to eliminate these differences and realize the principle of unity in diversity, one has to realize his true nature. It is only when you turn your perception away from this fact of unity will you experience diversity. Therefore turn your cognitive faculties on the principle of unity. I am not this body, I am 1, the same I is present in every individual. When you identify Me with the physical form, you become separate from Me. It is only these differences in feelings that create differences between individuals. The principle of 'I' is the only fundamental principle that is present in every being. Each person is like a mirror and the same 'I' is reflected in all. Mirrors are different but the reflection is the same. You have to realize this reality of unity.

Embodiments of Love!

Students! God has no specific form. All forms are His. But, wise men describe divinity in different ways. That is why it is said Ekam Sath viprah bahudha vadanthi (Truth is one but wise men call it by many names). To visualize unity as diversity is a misperception. This misperception arises out of Maya (illusion). The truth is, there is only unity everywhere, not diversity. What you have observed as diversity is your illusion only. Forget this diversity and contemplate on divinity, i.e., unity. You may ascribe any name or form to divinity, but, God is only one. At one time, Radha, the most ardent devotee of Krishna had realized that both Krishna and herself were one from the Atmic point of view. But she slipped away from such feeling of unity and considered herself as different from Krishna on account of deha bhava (body attachment).

Embodiments of Love! 

Whatever you see, whomever you come across, consider every form as nothing but the manifestation of Divinity. Do not give scope for differences of 'I' and you. Wherever you see in God's creation, everything is reaction, reflection and resound. You look into a mirror and say that you are in the mirror. In fact, you are not in the mirror. It is only your reflection that appears in the mirror. When you go behind the hill and shout "Oh!" you will immediately notice that someone is shouting at you with the same intensity. In fact that voice belongs to you only and to no one else. Thus, man today is immersed in such a mistaken impression. Wherever you see there is only reaction, reflection and resound in this world. Whatever you see outside is the reflection of your inner being. You consider unity as diversity and make a mistake. Unfortunately, nowadays, people are unable to understand their own true nature. 

Once, a young cowherd took his cattle to the forest for grazing. While the cattle were grazing, he began singing loudly. The song echoed from the hills. The innocent boy thought that someone was imitating to make fun of him. He grew angry. After he returned home, he complained to his mother about the incident saying, "Mother! I will not take the cattle to the forest tomorrow. There is someone in the forest who is imitating whatever I sing. I hate him." The mother said that she would accompany him to the forest the next day. He took her behind the hills and started singing loudly. Again, a resound of the same song was heard. Then the mother said, "Son, it is not that someone else is repeating your song to make fun of you. Whatever you sing, its resound is being heard by you." Like the foolish cowherd boy, the present day man is swept away by the reflection, reaction and resound.

I you want to see God, you should firmly believe that you are not the body. To identify yourself with the body is but an illusion. Students should try to understand this clearly. All that is seen outside is only a reflection and is not the reality. You see Sai Baba in front of you. You identify Sai Baba with the body. But I am not the body. I and you are one. Once you understand this truth clearly, there will be no difference whatsoever. If you slap someone on the cheek, it amounts to slapping your own self. If you abuse others, it amounts to abusing your own self. You are bound to face the consequences of your actions. You are the cause of your happiness or suffering. Others are not responsible for it. In fact, there are no 'others'. All are one. How can we say this? Consider for example, you have prepared 5000 laddus and distributed to others. Laddus may be different, but sugar is the same in all. Likewise, the same principle of Atma is present in one and all. You should make efforts to understand your true identity. You are the very embodiment of Love. The principle of love is one and the same in all. You share your love with your children, parents and spouse. The feeling towards each of them is different, but the fundamental principle of love is the same. Atma is the fundamental truth. It is one only without a second.

Embodiments of Divine Atma !

Atma is only one, not two. Once you recognize the truth that the same Atma is present in all, you will be free from all differences and conflicts. Develop firm faith that "you" are present in all. Understand this principle of unity. All the students have immense love for Me. They are happy that Baba loves them. Understand that it is only Baba who loves all. You see differences in individuals; but, in My view, all are one. I and you are one. Have firm faith in this unity. Only then can you transcend duality. When you enquire deeply, you will be able to understand this truth. Have patience. Do not feel disappointed that you are unable to have the divine vision. When you understand the principle of unity and hold on to it firmly, you become Sai Baba yourself. You are divine. But you are unable to realize it as you are intoxicated with the "deep wine" of worldly desires. All are embodiments of the divine. I am not different from you and you are not different from Me. We are one. Understand and experience this unity.

(Bhagawan concluded His divine discourse with the Bhajan, "Hari Bhajan Bina Sukha Santhi Nahi ... )