Sai Prerna: June 2009

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Sai Inspires - 30th June 2009

Swami today enlightens us about the nature of divine incarnation.

The Lord incarnates as human being to help humans comprehend that which apparently cannot be understood and to enable them to attain that which is seemingly unattainable. By this action, the Lord, who is infinite, immutable and immanent, does not suffer any diminution. Neither is He, though embodied in a human frame, influenced by the taints and blemishes that normally affect a human being. To grasp the significance of the Divine Incarnation, it is imperative that one should rise above the rajasic (passionate) and thamasic (dull) gunas (atrributes). Pious (sathwic) habits alone can lead him through the path of true devotion to the Lotus Feet of the Divine. For this, a favorable environment and company of good people are essential.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

See Good, Be Good and Do Good - This is the way to God. Baba

Monday, June 29, 2009

Sai Inspires - 29th June 2009

Why should we invest time in spiritual practices? What value does it have in our journey to God? The Divine Master explains to us today so that we may never forget the value of spiritual practices.

There is a burning coal. At some distance, there is a cold piece of coal. When they contact each other, the heat spreads to the cold piece of coal and the part that is in contact with the burning coal is rendered hot and red. If you vigorously sway a fan over the contact area, soon the entire coal becomes a burning ember. "Near" alone is not enough for realization. One has to make it "Dear" by using the fan of spiritual practice. The power of spiritual practices is such that it can make human transform into Divine. Spiritual Practice is the cultivation of Divine Love. Be full of Divine love, taste the exhilaration that love can confer on you.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

Love in Action is Non-Violence. - Baba

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Sai Inspires - 28th June 2009

What is the importance of the company we keep, in relation to our journey to the Divine? The Divine Master explains to us through absolutely wonderful examples today.

Iron turns into rust if it seeks the company of soil. It glows, softens and takes on useful shapes, if it enjoys the company of fire. Dust can fly if it chooses the wind as its friend. It has to end as slime in a pit, if it prefers water. It has neither wing nor foot, yet it can either fly or walk, rise or fall, according to the friend it selects. Knowing this truth, a great saint, Kabir once said. "Here are my prostrations to the good, Here are my prostrations to the bad." When asked why he offered prostrations to the bad, he said, "My prostrations to the bad, so that they may leave me alone. I do the same before good, so that they might remain near me always." You are shaped by the company you keep.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

Hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 27th June 2009

Why should we be self-reliant and persist on our spiritual practices? Swami nourishes us on our march to Him with wonderful examples to carry on in our journey of life.

No one eats to appease another's hunger nor takes drugs to alleviate another's illness. You eat to appease your own hunger, you drink to quench your own thirst. So do not seek approval, appreciation or admiration from others or refrain from your spiritual practices. Be self-reliant and self-confident. See through your own eyes. Hear through your own ears. Most people today believe their ears and deny their eyes. Or they use the eyes, ears and the brains of others and that leads to fear or misjudgment. The Lord is moved and showers Grace on every genuine appeal emanating from the heart. Let His Name dance on your tongue forever, conferring on you the sweetness of His Majesty.

- Divine Discourse, 14 Nov 1976 .

U are shaped by the company you keep. Make God your Best Friend- Baba

Sai Inspires - 26th June 2009

Will God really come to our aid, when we call Him? To receive such loving grace as soon as possible, how should our prayer be? Swami sweetly explains to us today.

When God is invoked by prayer that emanates from the heart, let it be even once, He responds immediately. It must not emanate only from the lips; it does not have the ring of sincerity and faith. From the lips, it must roll back on the tongue; from the tongue, it must reach down into the heart. Continuous purification alone can grant success in this effort. Just as the mother who is attending to her chores on the first floor of the house, will quickly rush to the infant lying on the ground floor when the infant wails, God will rush to your aid. The mother will not stay away because the wail was not musical or melodious. Similarly, God always responds to prayer that emanates from your heart.

- Divine Discourse, 28 Apr 1975 .

The Unseen is the basis of all that is Seen. Practise to see the Hand of God, everyday - Baba

Sai Inspires - 25th June 2009

What are the key attitudes we must possess and be vigilantly alert, to march forward and attain oneness with the Lord? Swami lovingly teaches it to us today.

Every thought leaves an impression on the mind, so be ever alert that contact with evil is avoided. Ideas which are opposed to spiritual tendencies, that narrow the limits of love, that provoke anger or greed, or that cause disgust, have to be shut out. For the aspirant, this is the most essential discipline. One must sublimate such thoughts before they cause an impact on the mind, and should concentrate on the very source of the thinking process. This can be achieved by the practice of equanimity, unaffectedness or balance. The path of devotion and dedication is the easiest for most. It is attainable by love, for love leads you quickly to the Goal.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

Virtue alone will bring the Grace of God- Baba

Sai Inspires - 24th June 2009

Why does the Divine Attract? What is the purpose of the Divine Call? The Divine Master exemplifies the benefits to an individual and purpose of "His Call" today.

The Divine Call is not to deceive or mislead. It is to transform, reconstruct, and reform. It is to make the person useful and serviceable for the society; to affirm in the individual the unity of all beings in God. The person who has undergone this samskara (refinement) becomes a humble servant of those in need of help. This is the stage of Paropakara (selfless service). Service done with this kind of reverence and selflessness prepares man to realize the One that pervades the Many.

- Divine Discourse, 23 Nov 1976

Love in action is Right-Conduct. Baba

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Sai Inspires - 23rd June 2009

Can the devotional songs we sing in our homes make a difference to the world? Swami lovingly shows us the results they bring in the universe and in our own daily lives.

The devotional songs you sing, saturates the atmosphere with thoughts of God, and of the peace and joy that He showers. The songs affects not only the particular area you are and the environment, but the entire atmosphere. Continue the attitude of devotion and humility, of service and tolerance, and the atmosphere will not be polluted by hatred. Do not contaminate the air by voices of acrimony, scandal, insult or slander. Keep silent when you feel like expressing such ideas, that itself is a service to yourself and to others.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

Make God your Best Friend - Baba

Monday, June 22, 2009

Sai Inspires - 22nd June 2009

Why should we practice tolerance, love, humility and reverence to all, even if the situation is difficult? Swami lovingly teaches us the connection to practicing the values and the environment.

When we fill the atmosphere with hatred we too have to perforce breathe the same air, and are hated in turn. When we saturate the air with sounds full of reverence, humility, love, courage, self-confidence and tolerance, we benefit from those qualities ourselves. The heart is the film and the mind is the lens; turn the lens towards the world and worldly pictures fall on the heart. Turn it towards God and it will transmit the pictures of the Divine.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

Laziness is rust and dust. Realization is best and rest. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 21st June 2009

What is the quality bar that Swami sets while singing the Glory of God in a congregation? Swami shares the secret to experience supreme joy.

Samkirtan is singing the Glory of God. It is the process of singing that originates in the heart... not from the lips or the tongue. It is the expression of the joyous thrill that wells up from the heart when the Glory of God is remembered. It is the spontaneous manifestation of the inner ecstasy. No attention is paid to the blame or praise that others may give. It does not seek the admiration or the appreciation of the listeners. It is sung for one's own joy, one's own satisfaction, for one's own delight. That type of singing alone is supreme.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

Life is a song, Sing it. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 20th June 2009

When we pray to God and do not receive something we desire, should we feel disappointed? Swami teaches us a valuable lesson today on fear in our minds and faith in God.

Cast away the vice of egoism, the evil of greed and the poison of envy. When you seek joy from something outside you, remember that a joy far greater lies in wait within your own inner consciousness. When you are afraid of someone or something outside you, remind youself that the fear is born, fed and fertilized in your mind, and that you can overcome it by denying it. Faith in the Almighty God is the impregnable armour that the aspirant can wear, and people of all lands are aspirants, whether they know it or not. Be steady, do not waver, keep straight on, hold fast to the ideal without despair. Pray until God relents; do not turn away sadly if God does not shower Grace when you expect it.

- Divine Discourse, 1 Oct 1976 .

When you take one step to reach Him, He takes ten towards you to make the journey quicker. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 19th June 2009

What is the correct purpose of this life that we should be focussed on? How can we bring ourselves back on track? Swami teaches us key tenets and a valuable lesson today for us to reach Him.

When kama (desire) and krodha (anger) are rising in hot flames from the heart, how can the cool rays of Shanthi (peace), Sathya (truth), Ahimsa (non-violence) and Prema (love) emanate therefrom? This human birth is a rare chance. Use it for spreading joy, not grief. Of course it is natural for man to resent, to grow angry. You should not allow anger free and furious scope. The raging floods have to be restrained by bunds and dams so that the water may reach the sea without scouring the fields on either bank. You must set limits to your own anger and hatred, and honour those limits.

- Divine Discourse, 28 Aug 1976 .

Love must express itself as Service. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 18th June 2009

What should you do to avoid defeat, distress or disappointment in life? Swami teaches us the sweetest way that will make our days ever joyful.

Sai Inspires - 18th June 2009

To remove the evil of egoism, service is the most efficient instrument. Service will also impress on the person doing the service the Unity of all mankind. One who dedicates his/her time, skill and strength to service can never meet defeat, distress or disappointment, for service is its own reward. His words will be ever sweet and soft, his gestures ever revered and humble. He will have no foe, fatigue, or fear.

- Divine Discourse, Aug 28, 1976.

Service to man is service to God. - Baba

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Sai Inspires - 17th June 2009

How should we prioritize our requirements for health? And why? Swami teaches us sweet little steps that will make our days joyful.

Give the body the attention it deserves, but not more. Some people advise that you should cultivate disgust towards it; but that is not beneficial. Tend it as an instrument, use it as a boat, a raft. Disgust is not a desirable attitude towards anything in God's creation. Everything is God's handiwork, an example of His Glory, His Majesty.

- Divine Discourse, Aug 1, 1975.

Conquer anger through fortitude. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 16th June 2009

What should we do to win His Love in full measure? Swami kindly gives us the answers today.

Carry on your highest duty to yourselves, following the four 'F's - Follow the Master, Face the Devil, Fight to the End and Finish the game....Love can make you gather the affection of mankind. Love will not tolerate any selfish aim or approach. Love is God, Live in Love. Then all is right; all can be well. Do not narrow it down into an instrument of restricted love. Expand your heart, so that it encompasses all.

- Divine Discourse, Aug 1, 1976.

Your Master is in your heart, where God resides. Baba

Monday, June 15, 2009

Sai Inspires - 15th June 2009

What exactly has to be renounced? Swami lovingly shows the important decisions we should make today in our journey to Him.

Desire is the worst enemy and it has to be canalized and reduced with determination until it ceases to bother you. Besides desire, anger and greed also have to be discarded, for they are present wherever there is desire. When you say "bowman", it is implied that there are arrows too with the bow. Thus desire is ever associated with anger and greed. Desire is bad even if it is for fame and authority. It is the avarice for power and pelf that ruins many a human life... Life is a long journey. Keep your hearts ever pure, steady and inclusive. Do not tarnish others hearts to make them narrow and vengeful. You must encourage opportunities to enlarge them and soften them through intensive social service.

- Divine Discourse, Aug 8, 1976.

Make God your Best Friend - Baba

Sai Inspires - 14th June 2009

What is more pleasing to Him than the prayers we recite? Swami lovingly explains this and shows us the path to uproot the vices within and lead us to Him.

Recognize this truth. God is in all. When you hate another, you are hating the Lord. When you hate the Lord, you are hating yourself. When you inflict pain on another name, remember that the other is yourself, in another form with another name....Envy causes pain on those who are envied. When another's fortune is green, why should your eyes be red? Why get wild when another eats his fill?... Give up this vice of envy. Be happy when another is happy. That is more pleasing to the Lord than all the prayers you recite, all the flowers you heap on His picture or image, or even the hours you spend in silent meditation.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 24, 1980.

Love all Serve all; Help ever Hate never. - Baba

Recognize this truth. God is in all. When you hate another, you are hating the Lord. When you hate the Lord, you are hating yourself. When you inflict pain on another name, remember that the other is yourself, in another form with another name....Envy causes pain on those who are envied. When another's fortune is green, why should your eyes be red? Why get wild when another eats his fill?... Give up this vice of envy. Be happy when another is happy. That is more pleasing to the Lord than all the prayers you recite, all the flowers you heap on His picture or image, or even the hours you spend in silent meditation.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 24, 1980.

Love all Serve all; Help ever Hate never. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 13th June 2009

What is the connection between the physical strength we have and control of mind? The Divine Master explains to us the secret of surrendering at the Lord's feet in complete clarity today.

The bumble bee can bore a hole in the hardest of the wood. But, when dusk intervenes while it is sipping the nectar from the lotus flower and as a result when the open petals close in on the bee, it finds itself imprisoned with no hope of escape. It does not know how to deal with softness. So too, the mind can play its tricks and jump about on any arena. When placed on the Lotus Feet of the Lord, it becomes inactive and harmless. To offer the mind entirely to the Lord, deep detachment from worldly desires is needed. Superficial devotion or shallow steadfastness cannot succeed.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 24, 1980.

Sai Inspires - 12th June 2009

What simple prayer must we remember every day? Swami sweetly explains the secret for us to reach Him.

Do not pray to God for wealth, fame, positions of power or even for the fruits of your actions. The genuine seeker will pray for nothing else than God. This longing will fill all the acts he does in a day. Every wave of emotion, every tune of song and every beat of pulse will respond only to that wish. God is the basis on which this creation rests. The deepest yearning should be to experience that One, the basis, the Being, that has become. Be aware of the One, which manifests as many.

- Divine Discourse, 24 Apr 1980 .

Develop Love for all beings. Realize that God resides in all. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 11th June 2009

What should our focus always be in our journey towards God? Swami explains to us sweetly the key aspects with a beautiful example today.

You must be ever engaged in the process of purifying the mind and clarifying the intellect. You have to free yourself from all prejudices and misunderstandings. You must speak softly and sweetly and give everyone the respect and attention due to them sincerely. Humility and tolerance must characterize your behaviour as a devotee. When the wind agitates the serene waters of a lake, wavelets dance all over its face and a thousand Suns sparkle. When calm descends and the waters are still, the shadow of the Sun within the lake is one full image.

- Divine Discourse, 29 March 1976 .

The Unseen is the basis of all that is Seen. Practise to see the Hand of God, everyday- Baba

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Sai Inspires - 10th June 2009

What is the correlation between the fragrance of a flower and divinity? Swami lovingly explains it to us and inspires us on the journey to Him today.

Patience, Tolerance, fortitude, equanimity, fraternity...these will prove invaluable equipments in the pilgrimage to God. Do not distinguish between one fellow pilgrim and another on the basis of caste, creed or color. Do not divide them into friends and foes. Recognize the common traits, uniting efforts, and the basic divinity amongst all. Rich and poor, scholar and illiterate - these distinctions do not hold good for long, they are just outer frills. A flower radiates fragrance and charm, whether held in the right hand or the left. It does not limit that gift to some and deny it to others. Everyone who comes near, receives the fragrance.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1975.

A Pure Heart is all Sadhana- Baba

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Sai Inspires - 9th June 2009

What is the first and foremost task before us? Swami lovingly teaches it to us today.

The task before each of one of us is to plant the seeds of Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love in each heart. Foster these saplings and watch over them with love and care until they grow into trees yielding a rich harvest of sweet fruits. Sages who had succeeded in this beneficial culture have laid down the means and methods, the steps and slips, the helps and hindrances, that one has to consider. The swimmer has to push the water behind him so that he might proceed forward. So too, while attempting to march forward, one has to push back from him the evil thoughts, habits, deeds and impulses that crowd in. Believe in this conviction, instill faith in your heart and you will be assured of success.

-Divine Discourse, Vol 13 Ch 19, Nov 23, 1975.

Virtue alone will bring the Grace of God-

Monday, June 8, 2009

Sai Inspires - 8th June 2009

What is the simple step we must practice from today in our daily lives? Swami teaches us today how even a small step we take can bring joy to the World.

Today you must resolve to practice My advice, to follow My directives, to translate My message into acts of service and to engage in Sadhana. Adore your fellow being, the adoration reaches Me. Neglect him/her, you neglect Me. Of what avail is it to worship the Lord and to suppress your fellow-being? Love for God must be manifested as Love for fellow-beings and Love must express itself as Service. Through Love alone, Love that is acquired through spiritual practices, and shared with all can peace be attained by the individual as well as the nation.

-Divine Discourse, Vol 13 Ch 19, Nov 23, 1975.

Love is God. Live in Love. - Baba

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Sai Inspires - 7th June 2009

What is the attitude we should take towards joy and sorrow in our day to day lives? Swami teaches us today to focus on the eternal truth.

What you judge as joy or sorrow is only like a passing cloud, which cannot affect the splendor of the Sun or Moon. Know that such emotions follow one another when the wheel of life turns round from moment to moment. The sea has water that cannot quench thirst, but it has also pearl and coral. You have to get toughened by the hammer strokes of joy and sorrow until you are unaffected by the vicissitudes of fortune. The Atman (Self) alone is eternal and unchanging.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1975.

Love must express itself as service. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 6th June 2009

Who is God? What do we need to do to experience oneness with Him? Swami teaches us a valuable lesson to us today and inspires us to lead a Divine Life, daily.

God is sweet Love. You too must reveal the same sweet love, and thereby announce the Reality of God as Love. Do not exhibit equanimity momentarily. You must not start getting angry at all and sundry, after a while. Some are Yogis (spiritual) in the morning, Bhogis (epicureans) at noon and Rogis (Sick) at night. You must not act three roles in one day. Your deepest yearning must be to experience the One, the Being that is present in You. Be aware of the One that manifests as many. That is the Divine Life.

-Divine Discourse, Vol 13, 23 Nov 1975.

Develop the awareness of God, see Him and serve Him in every living being. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 5th June 2009

What is meant by Dharma? What is the essence of Dharma? Can we lead a happy life and survive if we stick to Dharma? Swami kindly explains today.

The mansion called life must be built on a strong foundation. The pursuit of Artha and Kama, of wealth and welfare, of all desirable objects must be regulated by the standard of Dharma. Dharma (righteousness) fosters those who foster it. The strongest foundation is ever-present faith in the Almighty.

- Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol.VIII., P.74 .

Love in Action is Right Conduct. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 4th June 2009

What is meant by Dharma? What is the essence of Dharma? Can we lead a happy life and survive if we stick to Dharma? Swami kindly explains today.

Dharma is not the giving of alms, feeding and providing lodging to pilgrims or the adherence to one's traditional profession or craft. In all worldly activities, you should be careful not to offend propriety, or the canons of good nature. You should not play false to the promptings of the Inner Voice. You should be prepared at all times to respect the appropriate dictates of conscience; you should watch your steps to see whether you are in someone else's way; you must be ever vigilant to discover the Truth behind all this scintillating variety. This is the entire duty, it is your Dharma.

- Dharma Vahini .

Love in Action is Right Conduct. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 3rd June 2009

What are the key aspects of being at peace with oneself? Swami kindly clarifies what Prasanthi is and advocates one little value that will make our days joyful forever with His blessing.

Peace is a shoreless ocean. It is the Light that illumines the world. It confers knowledge of this world and that. Pure love can emanate only from a heart immersed in peace, for it is an atmosphere that pervades and purifies. Peace is not a conviction arrived at by means of logic. It is the discipline of all disciplined lives. Iron has to be beaten flat by iron alone. So too, the inferior, lower mind, has to be shaped better by the superior mind itself. One has to make his mind superior and stronger for the task of personal upliftment. Drink deep the waters of discipline. Immerse yourself in it and become cleansed. May its coolness refresh your sorrows and pains, and quench the fires of sin.

- Prasanthi Vahini.

Virtue is the sign of an educated person. - Baba

Sai Inspires - 2nd June 2009

Can we be silent and free from anger to attain peace? Swami kindly clarifies today the true nature of Prasanthi, for our peaceful living.

Absence of mere anger cannot be taken as peace. The winning of a desired object and the satisfaction derived then should not be confused with peace. The peace that has pervaded the heart must not be shaken subsequently for any reason. Peace must be everlasting and have no ups and downs; it cannot be partial in adversity and complete in prosperity. It cannot be one thing today and another tomorrow. Only that kind of permanent peace alone deserves to be called Prasanthi. Maintaining the same even flow of peace, bliss, and joy is Prasanthi.

- Prasanthi Vahini.

God is the embodiment of Right Conduct (Dharma). His Grace is easily won by practising Dharma. Baba

Sai Inspires - 1st June 2009

How can selfless service help those who are doing the seva? Swami explains to us today.

Through selfless service you realise that all beings are waves of the Ocean of Divinity. No other sadhana (spiritual practice) can bring you into the incessant contemplation of the Oneness of all living beings. You feel another's pain as your own; you share another's success as your own. To see every one else as yourself and yourself in every one, that is the core of the sadhana of seva. Again, seva makes the ego languish for want of food. It makes you humble before the suffering of others, and when you rush to render help, you do not calculate how high or low his social or economic status is. The hardest heart is slowly softened into the softness of butter by the opportunities that the seva offers.

-Divine Discourse, November 14, 1975.

Hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray. Baba

Sai Inspires - 31st May 2009

What is the distance between Devotee and God? The Divine Master beautifully explains this today.

A devotee is like a needle which is always drawn towards the magnet. But the needle has to be near enough and must be clean. If you stay far away and complain that Grace has not come, what can be done? You must scrape off the mud and rust by the process of repentance. Sometimes, you come near for some time and stray way. I do not mean the physical distance. I do not measure distance in miles or meters. Realize that I am always with you, in you, beside you, ever. Only you have to be aware of Me and make use of My presence.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1975.

The Lord is the saviour for all who seek His refuge - Baba

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Sai Inspires - 30th May 2009

Why is it important to do service? What should be our objectives in doing so? Swami lovingly shows the path by enumerating the end results that should arise out of our actions.

You must make service a part and parcel of your life. Youth is an important stage when self-control, self-examination and self-effort are most needed. Channelize the courage, optimism and strength in constructive channels. You must act what you speak and speak what you think. That will give you inner joy and contentment. You have to dedicate yourself to service, that is saturated in selfless love. The service you render must give satisfaction and relief of those you serve. The joy of the recipient must be your sole objective.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1975.

Service is the best school for training in Leadership - Baba