THIS Conference where devotees from all the States of India have come together is a good opportunity to exchange ideas and chalk out programmes of activity. You can also present difficulties and doubts and return with faith strengthened and hesitation cured. You must keep politics away from the associations, for, these are exclusively for spiritual development. Where the rough and tumble of politics and party factions are prevalent, no spiritual discipline can flourish. You have to seek unity, love and peace, and not promote differences, debates and disputes. They belong to politics, that is to say, competition and contests for places of authority in the Units have corroded some associations even in this Organisation, because individuals have not learnt to control their ego, their minds have not been cleansed of Rajasik tendencies. Dhaya,Dhama, Dhana - these are the three qualities that have to be cultivated by man. Dhaya: Compassion to curb the Asuric tendencies; Dhama' Control to fos...
EMBODIMENTS of the Divine! The Cosmos is permeated by God. What we call the jagath is the world in which we are born, grow and return to the place from where we came. The earth is the base for our world. On this earth ceaselessly, inside and outside, night and day, everywhere, we have the air blowing, but it is not visible to the eye. Man spends his time in various activities; eating and resting. When we look up, we see the boundless sky. During the day we see the Sun shining gloriously. At night, there is darkness. Wherever we turn, we see mountains, rivers, trees, houses and mansions. All these beautiful things are visible to the eye. In the story of man, the first activity which he developed was agriculture. Every living thing feels hunger and searches for food. The first cry of a child is for milk and the moment it gets fed, it goes to sleep. Food is thus the first essential thing for every living thing. This food comes primarily from land. This is the reason why from the earliest...
World Conference Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organizations
17 May 1968
YOU are engaged in discovering solutions to problems, arguments to overcome doubts, means to prevent new problems and fresh doubts from arising; such exercises which all conferences relish, cannot help successful navigation across the sea of spiritual endeavour. These are but frail contrivances, these discussions, resolutions, speeches and regulations. The world is much too stormy and agitated to be quietened by these. This is the time for cool calm contemplation, not quick passionate speculation and hasty decision. You need to contemplate once again on the eternal lessons laid down by the sages of India's past, lessons that have been neglected and cynically forgotten in recent years. The suggestions and solutions that come out of the discussions today are all good, so far as they go; but, how can a person who cannot himself swim, teach others the art? How can one whose granary is empty pour out in charity? Acquire the wealth of devotion, fortitude and peace before venturing to advise...
THE resolutions made at this Conference, the rules and regulations flamed here for the Units of the Organisation, must be taken by you as the Royal Road to the Divine Presence. They render the journey smooth and quick. As children of Bharath, you have to foster the ideals of its ancient culture guarding it by the discipline these rules prescribe. So far, as a result of mental and intellectual weakness, you are finding it impossible to adhere to those ideals and to observe the vow and restrictions that they impose. Though we have been laying down many rules, and restrictions and guidelines during the last five years for the proper working of the Units, and emphasising their importance, they have been more misused than made-use-of for the betterment of the Organisation.
As a result of misuse, you find yourselves helpless in cleansing the blemishes in your own minds and eradicating the evils rampant in society. The brightness of the sky is hidden by a thick fog; so too, the fog of evil an...
While this discourse has not been part of the Sri Sathya Sai Speaks Vol 13 (1975 - 77) book, it has been published in the 1978 Sanathana Sarathi edition.
The Bliss of Realisation is not an article that one can give another or which one can receive from another. Brahmananda is not transferable. This Truth has to be first accepted by every one. For, what has to be earned by one's own effort is nowadays sought for, from others. This is mere waste of time. The Atma or Self is holy; it is full; it is free. So, each one is holy, full and free. Know this and you are free. Feel it and you are full. Live it and you are holy.
But, through sheer ignorance of this fact, man imposes on himself sacrilege, incompleteness and dependence and he laments his fate and destiny. This is indeed behaviour to be ashamed of! The human being is not simply this conglomeration of the five elements that form the material body we see. It contains the mind, prone to resolution and Irresolution crisscrossed ...
All-India Conference of Workers of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organizations
22 November 1970
THE thought manifests as word, the word manifests as deed; the deed develops into habit; the habit hardens into character. So, watch the thought and its ways. Let it spring from love, love that is born out of respect for all beings, for, all beings are Divine. You are all embodiments of the Divine. Never forget that reality. Since two days, you have been listening to spiritual discourses and moving in holy thoughts. This All-India Conference for which you have come is just an excuse, for bringing you all here and charging you with Grace, for carrying on your duties with greater zest and understanding. Through the Units of the Organisation of which you are the Office-bearers, you are worshipping God. For, service to man is service to God. When God comes embodied as man to serve man, how delighted He must be to find man himself taking up the role and serving brother-man to get rid of disease, distress or doubt! You have no reason to feel proud when you are able to help another, for, your...
First Overseas Convention of Chairs of Sai Centres
20 November 1998
Punar viththam punar mithram Punar bharya punar mahi, Ethath sarvam punar labhyam Na sareeram punah punah.
Embodiments of Love! Wealth once lost can be regained by one way or the other. If a friend is lost, one can make many more through good feelings. If a wife is lost, one can marry again. If land is lost, it can be reacquired through some means. But once the body is lost. it can never be regained.
“Sareeramadyam khalu dharma sadhanam (the body is gifted to man to undertake righteous actions.)” So, it has to be sanctified by performing sacred deeds. Health is very essential in order to do so. In fact, health is the very foundation on which human life rests. If health is lost, you have to suffer in many ways. There is no greater wealth than health. The body is a combination of different limbs. So, only when all limbs are utilised for sacred purposes can one have pushti and santushti (good health and happiness). For a healthy mind, one should have a healthy body. The Atma sustains ...
THE task before mankind is to plant the seeds of Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love in the heart made ready for their reception, to foster the saplings and watch over them with love and care until they grow into trees yielding a rich harvest of sweet fruits, and to enable all to share in that sustaining repast. Sages who had succeeded in this beneficial culture have laid down the means and methods, the steps and slips, the helps and hindrances, that men have to consider while engaged In this task, and millions have benefited by their counsel. But never before has this become an organised movement in which the entire humanity was involved. Unless it becomes so, there can be no liberation from fear, anxiety and injustice. The sages of India knew that man was fundamentally Divine. They sought to make man aware of his inner Reality and expand that spark of Divinity into Light that can illumine the individual and society in the splendour of love.
Renunciation alone leads to Immortality
As...