[ysj sai]

                                        11-04-2017

v

If you wish to understand your true nature, you have to do three things: Bend the body, mend the senses, and end the mind. ‘Bend the Body’ means you should not allow the ego to develop within your body. Cultivate humility and do your duties sincerely. ‘Mend the Senses’ requires you to examine how the senses behave and correcting them when they tend to go astray as well as restraining them when necessary. ‘End the Mind’ requires you to quieten the vagaries of the mind by turning it to a different direction. For example, there is a lock and key. When you turn the key to the left, it locks and when you turn right, it opens. Similarly, your heart is the lock and mind is the key. When you turn the mind towards God, it develops detachment. When the mind is turned towards the world, it develops attachment. Hence turn your mind towards God and dedicate every action of yours to Him. - Divine Discourse, May 6, 1988.

To the person who has completely surrendered, every experience in life  (good or bad) is a gift from God. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                                        12-04-2017

It is not possible to progress in the Universe without sacrifice (yajna). Yajna maintains the order of the Universe. Sacrifice pleases the gods; the gods send rain; the rain feeds the crops; the crops yield harvest, the harvest strengthens the limbs and widens the outlook; it broadens the heart and clarifies the vision until man reaches the goal, where there is no more struggle or death. The highest and the most fruitful sacrifice is that of the ego. Crucify it and be free. Dedicate your ego to God and be rich beyond all dreams. Prepare yourself for this supreme status, by engaging in holy action (karma), meaning, karma cleansed in the crucible of righteousness (dharma), and attain God (Brahman - the One Indivisible Absolute) as your reward! Have faith in God; He sees everything; He is everywhere; He is all-powerful. He lives in every heart.

- Divine Discourse, May 6, 1988.

The year becomes new; the day becomes holy, when you sanctify it by spiritual discipline, not otherwise. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                               13-04-2017

	Celebrate festivals by understanding and experiencing their true significance. Right from this moment, embark on a new life giving up bad thoughts and bad qualities. Purify your heart and your life will become blissful. There is no point in reading sacred texts or visiting noble souls unless you purify your heart. Let your thoughts, words and deeds be sacred. This is the true significance of celebrating New Year. When you undertake any task with a sacred heart, you will certainly meet with success. You all believe you are devoted to Sai, then you must adhere to My teachings strictly. Fill your lives with love. Stop criticizing others. Respect even those who hate you. Hatred is a bad quality. It will ruin you. Hence, get rid of this evil. Love everyone. When you follow My teachings, you will certainly achieve sacred results and earn a good name. Give up selfishness and dedicate your life for others well-being. - Divine Discourse, Apr 13, 2002.
Thursday Darshan Video - 144
When the mind is pure, unselfish and unwavering, the Divine appears in all His purity and fullness. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                                 14-04-2017

Jesus came to teach mankind the greatness of divine love. After His father passed away, with His mother’s permission, He embarked to serve the people. He resolved on three tasks: (1) to be filled with Divine love and share it with others (2) to not succumb to praise and (3) to inspire in others the conviction that the Divinity within is omnipresent. Jesus considered spreading the gospel of love as his foremost task. He faced all the ordeals and challenges along His path courageously. He was determined to treat pleasure and pain, sickness and failure with equanimity. He could not bear to see anyone suffer. He was opposed to the traffic in birds going on in Jerusalem. The affected persons turned against him. But Jesus carried on regardless of their hostility and in the end He sacrificed His life for the sake of others and out of His love for all. - Divine Discourse, Dec 25, 1995.

Let compassion and sacrifice be your two eyes; let egolessness be your breath and love be your tongue. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                             15-04-2017

On New Year's day, people get up early, have a sacred bath and put on new clothes. They are interested only in external cleanliness and are not concerned about purifying their hearts which are tainted with evil thoughts and feelings. It is rather easy to have external cleanliness and to wear new clothes but that is not the purpose of celebrating festivals. True celebration of New Year lies in giving up evil qualities and purifying one’s heart. Human heart in its pristine state is highly sacred and human birth is difficult to attain. Having attained such a precious life, people are not making any effort to live like a true human being. Today people have become a bundle of desires. All time and effort is spent in fulfilling desires. One should realise that only annihilation of desires will lead to ultimate bliss. True happiness lies in the state of desirelessness.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 13, 2002.

The year becomes new and the day becomes holy when you sanctify

[ysj sai]

                                             16-04-2017

You have immense capacities latent in you, waiting to be tapped and used. You have many talents which have to be brought to light. At times, you all feel the urge to love all beings, to share your joy and grief, to know more and satisfy your intellect, to peep behind the awe and wonder that Nature arouses in you. You are all adept at gathering information about what goes on in all corners of the world. Let Me ask you: Are you aware of what happens in the corner of your own mind? Do you know the answer to the simple question, “Who am I?” Why have you not felt it essential to answer this important question? Without knowing this answer, how can you go about rashly judging, labelling and even defaming others? Earnestly ask this of yourself and seek out the answers to the enigma, from within yourself. Our scriptures guide you on the process by which you can discover it yourself! - Divine Discourse, Feb 19, 1964.

Come into the world with the question, "Who am I?" Leave it with the answer, "He I am." - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                            17-04-2017

Dedication means offering. You all offer flowers to the Lord. Flowers symbolise your heart. When you offer the flower of your heart to God, it should be free from the pests of desire, hatred, envy, greed, etc. So, ask yourself, is the flower of your heart pure or infested? Is it free from Self-conceit (Ahamkara) and envy (Asuya)? Self-conceit is the biggest barrier between you and God, and is based on eight different factors: Physical prowess, birth, scholarship, beauty, power and penance. As long as a trace of this self-conceit is predominant, it is impossible to recognise the Divine or realize your innate reality. Pride of wealth very quickly brings about your downfall. So carefully demolish these completely. Only when you sacrifice the egoistic pride at the altar of the Divine, can you discover your true nature. This dedication of your pure and loving heart to God is the first step in the spiritual journey. - Divine Discourse, Jan 16, 1988.

When your heart is filled with good thoughts and feelings, all that comes out of your senses - speech, vision, action - will naturally be pure. -Baba

[ysj sai]

                                           18-04-2017

You are the formless (Nirakara) infinite, taking the form of a finite human (Naraakara). You are the Absolute, pretending to be the Relative; you are the Self, pretending to be the body! The Universal Self (Atma) is the basis for all the beings. The sky was there before houses were built under it; the sky penetrated and pervaded them! The houses crumbled and became heaps and mounds over time, but the sky was not affected at all! So too, the Atma pervades the body and subsists even when the body is reduced to dust. The same inexplicable and invisible electric current when it enters a bulb, a fan, a stove, a cooler or a sprayer, activates each one of them or even all of them together! So too, the Divine Principle activates all beings (Ishwara Sarva Bhutanam). That is the inner core, the Divine Spark, more minute than the minutest, more magnificent than the most magnificent!

- Divine Discourse, Feb 19, 1964.

The human body, so fitted with skills, so capable of great adventures,  is a gift from God to each of you. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                             19-04-2017

Devotion (Bhakti) is the highest form of Love. “Service to God is Devotion” say the Scriptures. Devotion means constant contemplation of God. The term Bhakti is derived from the root Bhaj meaning to worship. Devotion means loving contemplation of God, repetition of His Name, worshipping Him and doing penance for Him. Service to the Lord is the highest expression of devotion. There is nothing that is not attainable through loving service to the Divine. Devotion does not mean merely doing bhajans or performing puja. These forms of devotion at present are based on some kind of self-interest and self-seeking. True devotion should be an expression of love from within. Devotion is not something to be proclaimed or demonstrated. True devotion must be free from selfishness of all kinds. Exhibitionistic devotion will definitely result in disaster.

- Divine Discourse, Jan 16, 1988.

Wear the garland of Devotion Gems round your neck and saturate your thought, word and deed with Divine Love. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                        20-04-2017

Ignorance can be cured only by knowledge; darkness can be destroyed only by light. No amount of argument, threat or persuasion can compel darkness to move away. A flash of light is enough to destroy years of darkness! The light is already there in you. But since it is heavily overladen by repressing factors, it cannot reveal itself. Prepare yourself for that flash of illumination! Everyone must achieve it, whether one is striving for it now or not. It is the inevitable end to everyone’s struggles, the goal to which every being, knowingly or unknowingly is proceeding. Do not be afraid of reaching the goal of liberation (Moksha). Do not conceive that stage as a calamity. Liberation indeed is the end of all calamities. It is death to all grief - grief that you will be born again. It is the birth of joy, a joy that knows no decline!

- Divine Discourse, Feb 19, 1964.

Thursday Darshan Video - 145
Without developing devotion to God no human quality can grow. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                            21-04-2017

Discipline must be strictly observed. From the moment you wake up, you have to carry out your morning ablutions, meditate on God and then do your prescribed duties in an orderly manner without deviating from the regular routine. Variations in the routine from day to day are undesirable. The day's activities should be regulated by the same schedule. The ambience in the morning is calm and serene. In this setting, immediately after finishing the morning chores, one should devote, at least a few minutes, to loving meditation on God. Discrimination comes next. The world is a mixture of good and bad, right and wrong, victory and defeat. In a world replete with opposites, you must constantly make the choice between what is right and proper, and what is wrong and undesirable. You should not be guided by your mind, but listen and follow the directions of your intellect (Buddhi). As long as you follow your mind, you will not be able to attain Divinity.

- Divine Discourse, Jan 16, 1988.

When your mind follows the intellect and starts discriminating, then, you will easily become attached to the Self (Atma). - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                            22-04-2017

Illusion haunts people as desire (trishna or kama). Prompted by desire, you run after sweet sounds that satisfy the ear, and smooth and soft things that yield pleasure to your skin! You pursue the forms of beauty that appeal to the eye to satisfy the fire in you, crave for food and drink that are tasty to appease the water element in you, and enjoy the perfume and pleasant smells to please the inner urge of the Earth element! The malignant designs of desire rob you of lasting happiness. The insufferable heat of the Sun is controlled and reduced by your body to maintain a congenial temperature of 98.4 degrees. So also, you must keep the destructive forces of your elemental passions born out of the clamour of sound, touch, form, taste, and smell (shabda, sparsha, rupa, rasa, gandha) rigorously in check and bring it down to tolerable levels. Then you can lead a healthy and happy life.

- Divine Discourse, Feb 19, 1964.

Let the waves of memory, the storms of desire, and the fire of emotions pass through without affecting your equanimity. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                                  23-04-2017

Consider the meaning of the name, Sai Baba. Sa means 'Divine;'ayi means 'mother' and Baba means 'father'. Your physical parents exhibit love with a dose of selfishness; but Sai, your Divine Parent, showers affection or reprimands only to lead you towards victory in the struggle for self-realisation. You cannot realise God in the outer objective world; He is in the very heart of every being. Gemstones have to be sought deep underground; they do not float in mid-air. Seek God in the depths of yourself, not in the tantalising, kaleidoscopic world. This human birth is granted to you for this high purpose; but, you are now misusing it, like the person who cooked his daily food in the gem-studded gold vase that came into his hands as an heirloom. I desire that you may be inspired to observe the discipline laid down by Me and progress towards the Goal of self-realisation, the realisation of the Sai who shines in your hearts. - Divine Discourse, Jun 19, 1974.

You worship with faith and you experience Grace. Faith results in Grace,  without your being aware of it. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                            24-04-2017

Since I moved freely among people, talking and singing with them, even intellectuals were unable to grasp My truth, My power, My glory, or My real task as Avatar. I can solve any problem however knotty. I am beyond the reach of the most intensive enquiry and the most meticulous measurement. Only those who have recognised My love and experienced it can assert that they have glimpsed My reality. Do not attempt to know Me through the external eyes. When you go to a temple and stand before the image of God, you pray with closed eyes, don’t you? Why? Because you feel that the inner eye of wisdom alone can reveal Him to you. Therefore, do not crave from Me trivial material objects; but, crave for Me from within, and you will be rewarded. The path of Love is the royal road that leads mankind to Me. My grace is ever available to devotees who have steady love and faith.

- Divine Discourse, Jun 19, 1974.

Selfless Love is the bond that wins Grace. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                                25-04-2017

Embodiments of Divine Love! Wherever you may be, never give room for any differences. Everyone must get rid of all selfishness, self-interest and self-centeredness. Mutual regard (Mamatha), equipoise (Samatha) and forbearance (kshamatha) are basic qualities necessary for every human being. Hence develop love, forbearance and compassion. Realise that love is present in everyone. Get rid of all differences and adhere to your faith and traditions. Learn to live in love and harmony with all the members of your society. When differences of all kinds are given up, love will grow in you and you can have a direct vision of God. Without love, verbal prayers are of no avail. Divine love is the only unifier, motivator and harbinger of joy to everyone. God is love and God can be realised only through love. All saints and religions have emphasized the greatness of love, truth, sacrifice and unity. Therefore cultivate love. - Divine Discourse, Dec 24, 1980.
There is no strength greater than virtue. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                26-04-2017

Without the control of your senses, your spiritual practices (Sadhana) will be ineffective; it is like keeping water in a leaky pot! When the tongue craves for some delicacy, assert that you will not cater to its whims. If you persist in giving yourself simple food that is not savoury or hot, but amply sustaining, the tongue may squirm for a few days, but it will soon welcome it. That is the way to subdue it and overcome the evil consequences of it being your master. Since the tongue is equally insistent on scandal and lascivious talk, you must curb that tendency also. Talk little, talk sweetly, and talk only when there is a pressing need. Also, talk only to those to whom you must, and do not shout or raise the voice in anger or excitement. Such control will improve health and mental peace. It will lead to better public relations and less involvement in contacts and conflicts with others. - Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1968.

The tongue should be engaged only in speaking the truth, in speaking sweetly and in consuming what is pleasant and wholesome for the body. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                                 27-04-2017

Today's Thursday Live (27 Apr 2017) - Programme Schedule
You have listened to hours of spiritual discourses and you spend days and nights in spiritual practices. Have you taken any concrete efforts to sublimate your life? Endeavour to lead an ideal life. If there is no change for the better in your daily conduct, remember that all your so-called spiritual practices will be futile! People claim to spend hours in prayer and meditation. But of what use is it if there is no concentration of mind? It is better if you engage yourself in doing your regular duties or render social service or participate in bhajans. By these means try to bring the mind under control. Then your work will be transformed into worship. Dedicate all your thoughts and actions to God. You can purify your actions when you do everything with the only goal to please God (Sarva Karma Bhagavad preethyartham). If you want to experience God, you have to do it through your duties and actions. This is not so easy! - Divine Discourse, Jan 01, 1991.
Thursday Darshan Video - 146
Knowledge that is not put into practice is like food that is not digested. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                           28-04-2017

You might say that the karma of the previous birth has to be consumed in this birth and that no amount of grace can save man from that. Evidently, someone has taught you to believe so. But I assure you, you need not suffer from karma like that. When a severe pain torments you, the doctor gives you a morphine injection and you do not feel the pain, though it is there in the body. Grace is like the morphine; the pain is not felt, though you go through it! Grace takes away the malignity of the karma which you have to undergo. There are also dated drugs, which become ineffective after a certain time. Well, so too, with Grace, the effect of karma is rendered null, even though you go through the experience. Hence, it is wrong to say the ‘Lalaata likhitam’ (fate written on the forehead) cannot be rendered ineffective. Grace can surpass anything; nothing can stand in its way. Remember, it is the grace of the ‘All-mighty’! - Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1964.

An air-conditioner may cool your body. But, only grace of God can cool the heated brain and troubled heart. - BabaS

[ysj sai]

                                          29-04-2017

Love is Divine. Love all, impart your love even to those who lack love. Love is like a mariner’s compass. Wherever you may keep it, it points the way to God. In every action in daily life manifest your love. Divinity will emerge from that love. This is the easiest path to God-realisation. But why aren’t people taking to it? This is because they are obsessed with misconception relating to the means of experiencing God. They regard God as some remote entity attainable only by arduous spiritual practices. God is everywhere. There is no need to search for God. All that you see is a manifestation of the Divine. All the human beings you see are forms of the Divine. Correct your defective vision and you will experience God in all things. Speak lovingly, act lovingly, think with love and do every action with a love-filled heart. - Divine Discourse, Jul 5, 1996.

Whoever loves and serves all, him the Lord loves and honours. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                             30-04-2017

Embodiments of Love! Human life is precious, noble and virtuous. It is a pity human beings do not realise this or forget it often. The whole purpose and goal of human life is to know one's true nature. Forgetting one's true nature, you are caught up in worldly concerns and plunged in misery. The ancient sages have indicated the path to be pursued for the redemption of mankind. They commended nine forms of worship (Nava-Vidha Bhakti), any one of which could confer bliss and redeem any individual's life. To experience the proximity of the Divine the easiest path is Namasmarana, remembering constantly the name of the Lord. Sage Veda Vyasa declared that in this Kali Yuga there is nothing greater than chanting the name of Hari for realising God. It is the easiest path for one and all, be it the scholar or illiterate, the rich or the poor. - Divine Discourse, Oct 3, 1996.

Keep the name of the Lord always radiant on your tongue and mind,  which will keep the antics of the mind under control. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                           01-05-2017

Lord Krishna indicated the qualities one should possess to enable them to earn the love of the Lord. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna declared, desirelessness (Anapeksha) as the first important quality. All sensual pleasures are ephemeral. But most people are content with sensual pleasures. Greater than the sensual is the transcendental path, Shreyo marga, which confers lasting bliss. When you do any action as an offering to God, it gets sanctified. Such an act becomes anapeksha (a desireless act). Every selfless act of devotion becomes an action free from the taint of desire. The second quality is purity (Shuchi). What is required is both internal and external purity. God cares only for Chitta-shuddhi (purity of the mind). The third quality is dhaksha. This means that the devotee should be steadfast and unwavering in any situation. With their mind firmly rooted in God, they should engage themselves in service of others and perform actions in a spirit of detachment.

- Divine Discourse, Oct 3, 1996.

Selfless Love is the bond that wins Grace. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                             02-05-2017

Since times immemorial, you have an eternal, infinite and unbroken link to the Atma (Self). Bhagavatam declares, "It is natural for every living creature to go back to the source from where it came." You emerged from the Divine (Atma) and you must merge in the Divine. Till the goal is reached, do not treat lightly the sacred journey of life. Ask yourself, where did you come from? Not from your mother! Your mother gifted the body, but the Soul came from the Lord. You are not the body nor the senses nor the mind. You are the Atma alone. Each of you is a child of immortality. That being the case, why are you seeking this anrutha (untruth)? What is the way to immortality? Removal of immorality is the only way to immortality. Bad traits and evil qualities like attachment, hatred and envy, make you distant from God. Get rid of them, God becomes nearer and dearer to you.

- Divine Discourse, Oct 3, 1996.

You worship with faith and you experience Grace. Faith results in Grace,

[ysj sai]

  

                                               03-05-2017

A pure devotee is one who possesses the quality of Udasina, being indifferent to external happening. The other quality a devotee must have is being free from egoism and possessiveness. And one should also get rid of the idea of doership and ownership and surrender everything to God. Krishna has declared in the Gita that such a devotee is dear to Him. Such a devotee naturally develops detachment towards all worldly concerns and is indifferent to the happenings in the phenomenal world. He is indifferent to praise or blame, pleasure or pain. Another quality you must have is giving up attachment to the fruits of one's actions. Everything belongs to the Divine. Hence, engage yourself in worthy acts and experience God. Everyone in the divine mission, unaffected by success or failure, joy or sorrow, will receive God's grace abundantly.

- Divine Discourse, Oct 3, 1996.

The tongue should be engaged only in speaking the truth, in speaking sweetly and

[ysj sai]

                                              04-05-2017

The more you grind the sandalwood, the more it yields sandal paste. The more you crush the sugarcane, the more it yields sweet juice. As the gold is heated more and more, it becomes purer and shines with added brilliance. Likewise, the good qualities in a noble person blossom more and more as one passes through the vicissitudes of life. Embodiments of Love! The difficulties of life do not cause any hindrance to a person pursuing a noble course of life. In spite of these, he always remains at peace and contemplates on God constantly. Of all the living beings, to be born a human being is the rarest occurrence (Jantunam Narajanma Durlabham), so this life that you are gifted with is indeed a great good fortune. Having been blessed with such a human birth, you should develop noble thoughts and experience bliss within. Only then will you be truly fortunate. - Divine Discourse, May 06, 2001.

Thursday Darshan Video - 147

[ysj sai]

                                               05-05-2017

Mother is not just an ordinary woman; she is verily God. Scriptures give mothers an exalted position in the Universe. Worship her and attain her grace. Once you have the blessings of your mother, you can achieve anything in this world. Never disobey or displease her. Never cause displeasure to your mother. Never hurt her feelings. Then God will help you in all your endeavours. Even today, there is no dearth of noble mothers. They feel pained to see their children straying away from the right path. They leave no stone unturned to correct them. A woman’s prayer is more powerful than a thousand prayers of men because women are pure and tender-hearted. Never look down upon women. Treat all elderly women as your mother and the younger ones as your sisters. The world will remain safe and secure only when men have such noble feelings.

- Divine Discourse, May 06, 2001.

A woman’s prayer is more powerful than a thousand prayers of men because women are pure and tender-hearted. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                           06-05-2017

There are many noble mothers in this world. But Mother Easwaramma was the chosen one. I chose her to be My mother! As Sai’s glory began to spread far and wide, she came to Me one day and said, “Swami, I am pained to see small children of our village walking all the way to Bukkapatnam to attend school. Please construct a small school.” Conforming to her wish, I established a small school. After some time, she wanted a small hospital also to be established here. She said she could not bear to see the mothers taking the trouble of carrying their children to Bukkapatnam for medical treatment. Accordingly I got a small hospital built. The small school that I established has become a big university today. The small hospital that I constructed has become a Super Specialty Hospital. These mighty tasks could be accomplished as a result of the Sathya Sankalpa (genuine noble wish) of Mother Easwaramma and Nitya Sankalpa (Eternal Divine Will) of Sai.

- Divine Discourse, May 06, 2001.

Consider your country as your own mother and work for her progress. Under  any circumstances, do not cause any harm to your mother - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                               07-05-2017

Develop the quality of love. Do not hate anyone. Develop the faith that whatever happens to you is good for you. Think that whenever you encounter any difficulty or suffering, you alone are responsible for it. On the other hand, if you insult anyone knowingly or unknowingly, that someone else may punish you some day. Pleasure and pain are the products of your own making. The merit or sin you commit, follows you like a shadow always. Many today give sermons to others, without they themselves following what they advice. What value will your advice have? Whenever you read or listen to a noble thought, it is of no value to you until you practice it assiduously. Help your fellow human beings at least in a small measure. You will be helped in return when you need it most. Never blame others for the difficulties you face. Never abuse anyone. Love all and treat everyone as your brothers and sisters. - Divine Discourse, Jan 01, 2004.

Moderate food, moderate sleep, love and fortitude - these will help in the upkeep of your body and mind. - Babass

[ysj sai]

                                              08-05-2017

You should realise that for every action there is a consequence. The results of each action depend on the nature of the action, just as the nature of the tree depends on the seed which is sowed. The consequences of one’s actions are inescapable and it is for this reason that the Emperor Manu laid down that all should observe righteousness (Dharma). The consequences of actions may appear sooner or later but they are bound to occur. When you constantly think of God and perform all actions with divine feelings, you will experience the full blossoming of the human qualities. You cannot avoid actions. You must transform work into worship. You have to perform work in this spirit. You cannot substitute prayer for work. You have to combine both work and worship. Hence from now on, consider your every action as dedicated to God. - Divine Discourse, Aug 31, 1992.

Transform work into worship, and worship into wisdom - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                            10-05-2017

It is indeed foolishness to single out a particular day in a year and celebrate only that day with great joy. Everything in this objective world is impermanent and unreal. Hence we must contemplate on the eternal truth and reality. We should not waste our time brooding over the past or anticipating the future. It is great foolishness to worry about the future or the past, forgetting the present. The present is only real. Past is past, you cannot get it back, however much you pray for it. The future is hidden in the womb of time. Unable to internalise this truth, people worry about past and future. Hence, from now, give importance to the present. It is important that you consider every minute of your every day and celebrate it with new joy! Indeed, for a true devotee, every day is new; every day is a festival day!

- Divine Discourse, Jan 01, 2004.

Your present is the product of the past and is also the seed for your future. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                          10-05-2017

You are unnecessarily struggling and planning several schemes, thinking about them day and night. In spite of all your struggles, what has to go out of your hands will go. Divinity in all the human beings is one and the same. The body is like a water bubble. The mind is like a mad monkey. If you follow this mad monkey, you will get into trouble. In the same manner, if you believe in the body, you do not know when this body, which is like a water bubble, will burst. Nothing is permanent. Only the Divine Self (Atma) is eternal and immortal. ‘I’, ‘Self’, ‘God’ are all different names by which God, the Atmaswarupa is called. God incarnated as Rama, Krishna and the like, and underwent several difficulties to demonstrate great ideals. Finally, every one of them left their mortal coil. The physical bodies of the Avatars undergo changes, but the Divine Soul (Atma) in their bodies remains the same. It is omnipresent, eternal, changeless and transcends time.  - Divine Discourse, Jan 01, 2009.

Those who walk with God always reach their destination. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                        11-05-2017

Today's Thursday Live (11 May 2017) - Programme Schedule
You consider helping people in difficulties is service. No. It is not as simple as that. Your body should be constantly engaged in serving others. The human body consists of several limbs. All these limbs are meant to be engaged in serving your fellowmen and not for other activities. Unfortunately we are forgetting this basic fact. Every limb in the body has been granted by God for Karmopasana (worshipping God through service). Karmopasana is the only means by which the human life can be sanctified. We are building several temples. We are undertaking various spiritual practices. But all these sadhanas can give us only temporary satisfaction, not eternal joy. Our ancient sages have been able to achieve eternal joy through a conscious effort. Therefore, you must develop firm faith in the truth that nothing can provide eternal joy, except service to humanity. Undertake service to the suffering humanity. Service is not merely confined to health services. Service encompasses every possible help to fellow human beings.  - Divine Discourse, Jan 1, 2004.
Thursday Darshan Video - 148
Learn to adapt, adjust and accommodate. Learn to give, not to take, and learn to serve, not to rule. - Baba

[ysj sai]

s

                                                      12-05-2017

Gladly share your education and wealth with your fellow human beings. God is the real owner of the wealth you acquire. Remember, the money you earn belongs to God’s Trust. You are His Trustee and accordingly, make proper utilisation of your wealth. Do not hanker over money or other forms of wealth. Instead, constantly contemplate on God. You don’t have to go to caves or forests or ashrams in search of Him. Wherever you are, He is with you. Develop this faith and win over your demonic qualities. Do not forget that what ultimately comes with you is not your wealth or education, but the sin or merit you have accumulated through your actions. Share at least a morsel of what you eat with others. Never forget to practice selfless love and service. Help yourself and help others, this is indeed the greatest spiritual practice (sadhana). Without following these principles, there is no peace and joy, anywhere in the world!

- Divine Discourse, Jan 1, 2004.

Just as the son or daughter is the rightful heir to the father's property every one of you have equal claim to God's property of love, truth, forbearance, peace an

[ysj sai]

                                           13-05-2017

	The Lord is attained only through supreme devotion (para-bhakthi). Supreme devotion can be acquired only through spiritual wisdom (jnana). Spiritual wisdom can be cultivated only through faith (shraddha), and faith comes only through love. So how is love to be cultivated? Through two methods: (1) Always consider the faults of others, however big, to be insignificant and negligible. Always consider your own faults, however insignificant and negligible, to be big, and feel sad and repentant. By these means, you avoid developing bigger faults and defects, and acquire the qualities of brotherliness and forbearance. (2) Whatever you do, do it remembering that God is omnipresent. He sees, hears and knows everything. Discriminate between the true and the false, and speak only the truth. Discriminate between right and wrong, and do only the right. Endeavour every moment to be aware of the omnipotence of God. - Prema Vahini, Ch 19.
God is the nearest, dearest, the most loving, the most eager companion,  comrade and kinsman of every being. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                            14-05-2017

	Devote your time to the service of the world with faith in the Lord, regardless of its fruits. Then you become blessed. Otherwise though the body may be inactive, the mind will be very busy, committing acts on its own. People with such minds fall prey to karma (consequences) in spite of their not doing anything! When a person has the mind fixed on contemplation of God and the pursuit of truth, though the body and senses do acts that are of service to the world, they won’t be affected by them; though they do actions they are still non-doers of action. This is the lesson from Bhagavad Gita. The heart of the person who doesn’t strive to cultivate the mind with holy thoughts is certain to be the paradise of evil and wickedness. Everyone who hopes to rise to greatness, who seeks one-pointedness and aspires for salvation must bear this in mind. - Prema Vahini, Ch 72.
Your body will shine if your character is fine. Serving fellow-beings and  worshipping God will preserve its charm. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                                   15-05-2017

	Everyone must be interested in knowing about the experiences of ideal ones who struggled to arrive at the Truth; for all should have an ideal to strive for, a goal to be reached. For saplings to grow, soil is essential; for ideals to get implanted, knowledge of the struggles and successes of saints and sages is essential. These experiences are not uniform; each spiritual aspirant has a different story to tell, depending upon their equipment and enthusiasm. So the vision and the glory are different, though all are divine. Take the case of Sage Agastya. He is reported to have drunk the ocean completely in one sip. The real meaning of this is, he dried up the ocean of the objective world (samsara), with its waves of grief and joy, prosperity and adversity, success and failure. ‘Drinking the ocean’ is not a special feat; it is a parable explaining that though he was a married man with a son, he conquered all attachments of the world.  - Divine Discourse, Feb 8, 1963.
Your heart is the seat of love. That love must express itself, to begin with, in your home. - Baba

s

[ysj sai]

                                           16-05-2017

The word surrender has been misinterpreted and people promote idleness in the name of surrender. We think that we have surrendered our mind and body to the Lord. Your mind is not under your own control, how then can you hold it and give it to the Lord? You have no control over your own body too. So to say that you have surrendered your mind and body to the Lord is untrue! The flute is a very good example of an instrument close to the Lord and the one great quality in the flute is its complete surrender. There is nothing left inside the flute – it has no residual desires and is completely hollow. Like the flute has nine holes, our body also has nine holes. If we successfully remove the pulp of desire from our body, then there is no doubt that our body-flute will also become nearer and dearer to the Lord. - Summer Showers in Brindavan 1974, Vol 1, Ch 3.

Surrendering the fruit of your actions to the Lord is real sacrifice. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                             17-05-2017

Unbelief is the insidious disease that is now rampant amongst people. It sets fire to the tiny shoots of faith and reduces life to cinders and ashes. You have no criterion to judge, yet you pretend to judge. Doubt, anger, poison, illness — all these must be destroyed before they grow. Repeat Rama’s name, whether you have faith or not. That will itself induce faith and create the evidence on which faith can be built. In addition, if you aspire to be a devotee, you must eschew attachment and aversion. You should not be proud if you sing well or decorate your worship room tastefully. There must be a steady improvement in your habits and attitudes; otherwise, spiritual discipline is a vain pastime. Your homes must be immersed in the highest peace (shanti) — undisturbed by any streak of hatred, malice, pride, or envy. No worship or penance can equal the efficacy of obedience to the command given for your liberation. - Divine Discourse, Feb 8,1963.

Doubt is the virus that attacks faith. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                               18-05-2017

Good and bad, wealth and poverty, praise and blame go together in this world. You cannot derive happiness out of happiness (na sukhat labhate sukham). Happiness comes only out of sorrow. A wealthy man today may become a paupertomorrow. Similarly, a pauper may become a rich man some day or other. Today you are being praised, but tomorrow you may be criticised. To consider praise and blame, happiness and sorrow, prosperity and adversity with equal-mindedness is the hallmark of a true human being. The Gita declares, “Remain equal-minded in happiness and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat (sukha dukhe same kritva labhalabhau jayajayau). You can truly enjoy your life as a human being only when you consider both sorrow and happiness, profit and loss with equanimity. There is no value for happiness without sorrow. Therefore, welcome sorrow if you want to experience real happiness. - Divine Discourse, Jul 9, 1996.

Thursday Darshan Video - 149

True devotion lies in accepting both pleasure and pain with equal-mindednesss

[ysj sai]

                                                   19-05-2017

	All the five elements have been created by the will of the Supreme. They must be used with reverential care and vigilant discrimination. Reckless use of any of them will only rebound on you with tremendous harm. Nature outside must be handled with discretion, caution and awe. It is the same with our inner ‘nature’ and internal instruments too! Of these, two are capable of vast harm - the tongue and one’s lust. Since lust is aroused and inflamed by the food consumed and the drink taken in, the tongue needs greater attention. While your eye, ear and nose have single uses, the tongue makes itself available for two purposes: to judge taste and to utter word - symbols of communication. You must control the tongue with double care, since it can harm you in two ways. Sage Patanjali, the author of Yoga Sutras has declared that when tongue is conquered, victory is yours! - Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1968.
Engage your tongue only to speak the truth, to speak sweetly and to consume what is pleasant and wholesome for your body. - Baba

s

[ysj sai]

                                                 20-05-2017

You attach importance to quantity, but the Lord considers only quality. He does not calculate how many measures of ‘sweet rice’ you offered but how many sweet words you uttered and how much sweetness you added in your thoughts. Offer Him the fragrant leaf of devotion, the flowers of your emotions and impulses, freed from the pests of lust, anger, etc. Give Him fruits grown in the orchard of your mind, sour or sweet, juicy or dry, bitter or sugary. Once you decide that the orchard in your mind is His, all fruits will naturally be sweet! The very act of your seeking refuge and protection (sharanagati) will render them acceptable to the Lord, so they cannot be bitter. And for water, what can be purer and more precious than your tears shed not in grief, but in rapture at the chance to serve the Lord and to walk along the path that leads to Him!

- Prema Vahini, Ch 72.

Compassion is the hall-mark of devotion. - Baba

[ysj sai]

s

                                                  21-05-2017

Life is not gifted to you to enjoy food and become fat yourself. The body is the basic instrument for the practice of righteousness (Dharma). Give food to the starving. Dedicate your entire time to service and for the proper discharge of your duties. God is omnipresent; He is everywhere and within you. You are Divine! You must develop the spirit of sacrifice (tyaga). You must serve others through your body and cherish good and noble thoughts in your mind. You must use your wealth for supporting educational and service institutions to help the people. This is the way to lead a purposeful and sublime life. God alone can transform your spiritual efforts into a transcendental experience. Ensure your spiritual practices (Sadhana) are not for any selfish reason. It must promote the good of others. Give up selfishness, cultivate selfless love for others, and thus sanctify your lives. Then you will experience Sakshatkara, the vision of the Divine, from within you.

- Prema Vahini, Ch 72.

Truth, righteousness, peace and love — these are the four pillars on which the mansion of happiness is built. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                                     22-05-2017

Many of you grieve: “It is said that getting the audience of a holy person is destruction of sin (darshanam papa nashanam). Well, I have had darshannot once but many times, and yet, my evil fate has not left me and I am suffering even more than before!” True, you may have come and haddarshan, and have sowed fresh seeds secured from the holy places — seeds of love, faith, devotion, good company, godly thoughts, remembering God’s name, etc. And you may have learnt the art of intensive cultivation and soil preparation. Now you have to carefully sow the seeds in well-prepared fields of cleansed hearts. Until the new harvest, when the fresh produce comes in, don’t you have to consume the grain already stored in previous harvests? The troubles and anxieties you experience now are the crop collected in your previous harvests, so do not grieve and lose heart! - Shivaratri Discourse, Mar 1963.

Why blame God when bitter seeds do not yield sweet fruits? - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                                 23-05-2017

The greatest disease is the absence of peace. When the mind is peaceful, your body will be healthy. So everyone who craves for good health must pay attention to their emotions, feelings, and motives that animates them. Just as you wash clothes, you must wash your mind free from dirt every day. To cleanse your mind you should mix in good company and avoid dirt elements like falsehood, injustice, indiscipline, cruelty, hate, etc. Truth, righteousness, peace, love - these form the clean elements. If you inhale the pure air of clean elements, your mind will be free from evil viruses and bacilli, and you will be mentally sturdy and physically strong. As Swami Vivekananda said, you should have nerves of steel and muscles of iron. You must brim in hope and joy as your unshakable resolution, not display despair and dejection. - Divine Discourse, Sep 21, 1960.

All your activities must be dedicated to God for the highest good. Then it will provide good health to your body and mind. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                                  24-05-2017

Do not grieve that the Lord is testing you and putting you through the ordeal of undergoing the tests, for it is only when you are tested that you can assure yourself of success or become aware of your limitations. You can then concentrate on the subjects in which you are deficient and pay more intensive attention, so that you can pass in them too when you are tested again. Don’t study for the examination at the last moment; study well in advance and be ready with the necessary essential knowledge and with the courage and confidence born out of the well-acquired knowledge and skill. What you have studied well in advance must be rolled over and over in the mind, just previous to the examination; that is all that should be done. This is the pathway to victory.

- Shivaratri Discourse, Mar 1963.

Test all your actions, words, thoughts on this touchstone: “Will this be approved by God? Will this rebound to His renown?” - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                              25-05-2017

	The passionate and ignorant (Rajasic and Tamasic) forces besieging your heart are bent on your downfall. Just as they give calcium and vitamin tablets to cure anaemia, take Repetition-of-the-Name tablets to get rid of mental anaemia and other illnesses. The Lord’s Name is the Narasimha for the Hiranyakasipu of the mind (the Avatar Narasimha slew the evil Hiranyakasipu). There are some throat pastilles or lozenges, which you have to keep in your mouth and swallow slowly in order to relieve a cough; similarly, keep the Lord’s Name on your tongue and imbibe its taste slowly to get rid of the troublesome upsurge of passions and emotions. Keep the Name lit on the tongue; it will illumine your interior and also the exterior. It will cleanse your mind as well as minds of those who listen to the Name when you recite it. Keeping it on the tongue is like keeping a lamp lit on the entrance doorstep of your house. - Divine Discourse, Apr 29, 1963.
Thursday Darshan Video - 150
Repetition of the Lord’s Name (namasmarana) is the best spiritual discipline; it is the most beneficial good action you can do forever. - Babas

[ysj sai]

                                            26-05-2017

Prahlada was immersed in the thought of his beloved Lord, when he was thrown downhill, trampled by the elephant and tortured at the direction of his father. He paid no heed, for he heeded only his Lord; he needed only his Lord. The cowherd maidens lost all attachment to the world and to the senses when they listened to Krishna’s flute; they yearned for the sublime spiritual merger with the infinite Lord. By the purification of impulses, one gets into the higher stage where the mystery of the Divine is grasped — this is the realm-of-spirituality (salokya) stage. Then by contemplation of the Divine, the stages of proximity to Divinity (Sameepyam) and likeness of the form of Divinity (Sarupyam), are won. Many great mystic poets like Jayadeva attained this height and sang in that strain. But if you sing that song in the same way, Krishna will not appear. He wants sincerity, not imitation.  - Divine Discourse, Mar 1963.

Wear the garland of Devotion Gems round your neck and saturate your every thought, word and deed with Divine Love. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                               27-05-2017

A person who strays away from righteousness (dharma) meets with greater harm than even physical slavery. There is dread hue and cry now about invasion and bondage to the enemy if you are not alert enough and united enough. But the loss of dharma is an even greater calamity, for what is life worth if one cannot live up to the talents with which one is endowed? These principles are called eternal (sanatana) because their origins are not dated, their author is not identifiable; they are the revelations made in the clarified intellects of impartial sages. They are basic and eternal. They do not represent temporary vagaries. Dharma is not a matter of time and space, to be modified and adjusted to the needs and pressures of the moment. It means a number of fundamental principles that should guide mankind in its progress toward inner harmony and outer peace. - Divine Discourse, Apr 1, 1963.

Cultivate your heart to raise a harvest of Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love. - Baba

[ysj sai]

                                               28-05-2017

The Sadhana (spiritual practice) of selfless service to better another being’s condition is superior to the Sadhana aimed at one’s own liberation. Worship God in His manifestation as mankind. Every one is a child of God, whatever the colour, caste, creed, and language. This sense of unity has to be fostered. Serving to fellow beings, is indeed worshipping God! You have in you both the talent and the desire to uplift your fellow beings. The country needs your service urgently today. In simple language, persuade fellow-beings to give up habits that undermine their health and peace, and promote in them the qualities of mutual aid, truthfulness and nonviolence! God welcomed the urge to manifest the Cosmos. “Ekoham Bahusyam (I am One; I shall become Many)”, He said to Himself. You must also feel the need to blossom and expand. Derive bliss in the process, possess it and share it, in order to increase it. - Divine Discourse, Jan 4, 1987.

[ysj sai]

                                               29-05-2017

Though humanity has achieved incalculable progress in science and technology, the mind of every individual is still polluted with greed, envy and gross selfishness. Egotism has struck deep roots in the heart and has grown to demonic proportions. People have become puppets, yielding to every pull of the string. They crave all things that confer temporary happiness on them and accumulate things that cater to their sense of power. They examine every item from their own selfish point of view. They are therefore enslaved by the monsters – envy, pride, fear and prejudice. True knowledge alone can save mankind from ruinous downfall. Sai has reiterated the four goals laid down in the Vedas. They are Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love. Humanity must understand the importance of these four goals as foundational pillars, accept them, adore them and practice them in daily living. Only then Divinity latent within can shine forth in all its glory. - Divine Discourse, Mar 8, 1981.

[ysj sai]

                                                    30-05-2017

The core of this Universe is the Supreme Self (Paramatma). We can describe the Universe but the Supreme Self is beyond all description. Both the cognisable and the non-cognisable have emanated from the same One Indivisible Consciousness. Each is full and complete in itself. The individual consciousness is the manifestation of the Cosmic Consciousness. When the material sheath falls off, it merges in its source. The Vedas declare, “This is full, that is full. From the full emerges the full. When the Full is taken from the full, the full remains full”. So the Cosmos, the World, the Individual - all are embodiments of the Full. Nothing is fractional or incomplete. Hence all is indeed Divine. But this awareness of the immanence of the Universal can come to your experience when the ‘I’ consciousness is forgotten. When the ‘I’ in you disappears, you automatically become fit to know the ‘non-I’. - Divine Discourse, Apr 5, 1981.

Just as there is oil in the sesame seed, butter in milk, fragrance in flower, tasty juice in the fruit and fire in wood, there is Divinity in the vast Universe. - Baba