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Thought for the Day
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As written at
Prasanthi Nilayam
Source: Radio Sai
Global Harmony
Thought for the Day Archive
March 2004
March 1, 2004
Bhakthi (Devotion to God) is like a king who
has two attendants called wisdom and detachment. Bhakthi must be
built upon the foundation of wisdom; it must blossom in to
detachment from the world. Prema (Love) gives rise to Daya (Compassion),
Vairagya (detachment) and induces Dama (Self-Control) and finally
leads us along the path of Dharma (Righteousness).
March 2, 2004
If you are not moved at the sight of human
distress, disease or injustice, how can you muster the determination
and dedication necessary to serve the unseen, inscrutable mysterious
God? When you do not love man, your heart will not love God.
Despising your fellowman, you cannot, at the same time, worship God;
if you do, God will not accept that hypocrisy. God is the resident
in every heart; so if you serve anyone, that service reaches the God
within him: it brings to you the grace of God.
March 3, 2004
There is no meaning in worshipping God as
Sathyaswaroopa (the embodiment of Truth) and not adhering to truth
in daily life. Dharma (righteousness) is born out of Truth. Dharma
emanates from the heart and promotes self-satisfaction. It is an
expression of Self-Consciousness. Have faith in the promptings of
this Divine Consciousness. No one should act against the dictates of
his conscience as it is evil to do so. True worship consists in
doing what is right as dictated by your conscience. Divorce between
thought and speech is ungodly. There should be complete harmony
between one's thought, word and deed.
March 4, 2004
Devotion to the Lord is only a form of
discipline to reach the goal. The seeker should not stop with the
acquisition of devotion. He should not pay so much attention to the
love he has towards the Lord, but more to the love and grace that
the Lord bestows on him. He must be always eager to find out which
behaviour of his, what acts of his will be most pleasing to the
Lord, will fill the Lord with happiness. Inquire about that, yearn
for that, do things that will secure that objective - be engaged in
acts conducive to gain it, that is real Bhakthi (Devotion).
March 5, 2004
Perform all acts with as much love as you
would offer God. In truth, you eat for the satisfaction of the 'I'
in you and dress up to please the self-same 'I'. You love others for
the sake of the 'I' and others love you for pleasing the 'I'. And
who is this 'I' that is persistently inherent in everyone? It is God
Himself. "Iswarah Sarva Bhoothanam" (the Lord resides in the heart
of every being) declares the Bhagavad Gita. He is the Atman in every
being. That is why I say that you are not one but three - the one
you think you are: the body, the one others think you are: the mind,
while the one you really are: the Atman or the soul.
March 6, 2004
Do not be weighed down by the feelings that
the humans are weak and subject to delusions and ignorance. It is
not easy to be born a human being. If nevertheless, one does not
realise his true nature and imagines that God is in the external
world, it is the mark of utter ignorance. Hence, without wasting
time, engage yourselves in duties and embark on the journey towards
God-realisation.
March 7, 2004
There are four kinds of worship. The first
kind of worship is undertaken whenever one is in distress, but God
is forgotten after relief is obtained. The second kind of worship is
carried on by the worshipper seeking the good things of life from
the deity he worships, without depending on others. The third type
of worshipper offers worship for the sake of others, praying for the
welfare of all and holding on to the belief that his welfare is
bound up with the welfare of all. The fourth kind, which is the
highest form of worship, is worship done in a spirit of complete
surrender to the Divine and dedicating all actions to the service of
the Divine.
March 8, 2004
Strive to move away from untruth towards Truth;
attempt to acquire the knowledge of yourself and of the origin of
all selves and thus shed your fundamental ignorance. Move away from
the thoughts and anxieties about this body which is subject to decay
and death, and become aware of the immortal soul which you really
are.
March 9, 2004
True love does not change from moment to
moment. Only the love that is unchanging and always shines brightly
in the heart is true love. It is unaffected by joy or sorrow, praise
or blame. That love is true devotion. The proof of the rain is in
the wetness of the ground. Likewise the proof of true devotion lies
in the peace of mind that the aspirant has been able to attain; the
peace that protects him against the onslaught of failures, the peace
in which he remains unruffled by loss and dishonour.
March 10, 2004
If you cannot help another, at least avoid
doing him harm or causing him pain. That itself is a great service.
What right have you to find fault with another or talk evil of him?
When you say that nothing ever happens without His will, why get
annoyed or angry? Your duty is to cleanse yourself and engage in
your own inner purification. That endeavour will bring you the
co-operation of all good men and you will find strength and joy
welling up within.
March 11, 2004
God is the echo of the hills, the flutter of
the leaves, the whisper of men, the babble of children and the 'Om'
that is wafted everywhere. He is the giver of all gifts, the
Providence bestowing us all that we need. God is present in all
places; but to recognise Him, saints have had to prescribe a
thousand methods. He is in everyone, yet He evades discovery by all
but a few.
March 12, 2004
Do not hope to gain Grace by looking down upon
mankind and looking up at Sai. Remember, that your dress, behaviour
and appearance will reveal your character and attitude towards
others. Always have sweet, soft words on your tongue; cast your eyes
only on holy sights. Wear clean, simple clothes and do not imitate
those who are fascinated by the latest fashion in dress and style.
Swami always advises you to "Follow the Master", the Conscience
within you, which is the Voice of God.
March 13, 2004
Service is God. Why has God endowed man with a
body, a mind and an intellect? Feel with the mind, plan with the
intelligence and use the body to serve those who are in need of
service. Offer that act of service to God; worship Him with that
flower. Put into daily practice the ideals that Swami has been
propagating and make them known all over the world, by standing
forth as living examples of those great ideals.
March 14, 2004
Discipline trains you to put up with
disappointments; you should realise that the path of life has both
ups and downs, that every rose has its thorn. But, nowadays, people
want roses without thorns. When this does not happen, they turn wild
and start blaming everybody. Man's attitude towards God should not
be based on the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of his petty desires.
You must believe that whatever happens to you is for your own good.
March 15, 2004
There are different modes of devotion: that
which foolishly weeps for Me when I am not physically present; that
which surrenders with wild abandon and that which is steady and
strong, ever attached to My will. I accept all these forms of
devotion. The choice between the one and the other is not yours for
it is I who rule your feelings, modifying them. If you try to go
where I do not want you to go, I will stop you; you can do nothing
apart from My Will. Be assured of that, this is the highest devotion.
March 16, 2004
Diamond and gold are only materials; man has
made them precious by attaching value to them. In fact, man is
really the most valuable being on earth. That is why it is said, "Janthunaam
Narajanma durlabham". It has been secured as a reward for many lives
of meritorious activity. It is valued as a boat which can help us
cross the ocean of 'Samsara' or mundane existence. In spite of this,
man desecrates himself by running after trivial pleasures.
March 17, 2004
Man can acquire the sweetness of Jnana (wisdom)
by keeping himself in Sathsang (good company) or by remaining in a
solitary place and practising Dhyanam (meditation). But, by whatever
means one resorts to, the sweetness of Jnana cannot come from
outside, it must come from within. It is the result of
transformation of the inner nature by defeating the inner foes of
lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and jealousy.
March 18, 2004
It is no mean achievement to get the name of
the Lord on our lips during our last moments. It needs practice of
many years based on deep-seated faith and a strong character,
without hatred, greed and pride; for the thought of God can survive
only in a pure heart. But we never know which moment may turn out to
be our last one. Therefore, one must always keep chanting God's name
and cultivate good qualities.
March 19, 2004
One of the first principles of right living is:
practise silence. For the voice of God can be heard in the region of
your heart only when the tongue is stilled and storms of the mind
are calmed. There will be no temptation for others to shout when you
talk to them in whispers. Set the level of the tone as low as
possible, yet audible enough for the people you are speaking to.
Conserve sound, since it is a manifestation of God.
March 20, 2004
One flower cannot make a garland, many flowers
must be strung together to make one. So you must equip yourselves
with strong bodies, sacred ideals and selfless intentions in order
to serve your country. Any high ideal can be achieved, provided
there is co-operation and discipline along with a sense of sacrifice
and determination to succeed.
March 21, 2004
Ugadi marks the beginning of a new era or year.
On this day, dedicate your life anew to the spiritual discipline of
Namasmarana (remembrance of God's name). Give up all habits that
interfere with the constant remembrance of God. The scriptures
prescribe Namasmarana and Seva (service) as the primary spiritual
disciplines in this Kali Yuga to attain the goal of union with God.
March 22, 2004
Have no thorn of hate in your mind. Develop
love towards all. Desire is a storm; greed is a whirlpool; pride is
a precipice; attachment is an avalanche; egoism is a volcano. Keep
these things away, so that you can enjoy undisturbed equanimity. Let
Love be enthroned in your heart. Then there will be warm sunshine
and cool breeze and the gurgling waters of contentment will feed the
roots of faith in your heart.
March 23, 2004
I do not accept from you flowers that fade and
fruits that rot. Give Me the lotus that blooms in your 'manasa
sarovara', the clear and pure waters of the lake of your inner
consciousness; give Me the fruits of holiness and steady discipline.
It is enough if you have faith in God and fear of sin; that by
itself is a great act of service.
March 24, 2004
Most people today have no idea of what is
devotion and what is spiritual discipline. Different forms of
worship, pilgrimages, meditation and the like, are equated with
devotion. These are not the indices of devotion. They can at best
confer some mental satisfaction. As long as you think God is
somewhere outside you, you cannot qualify for the Divine Grace. The
true mark of devotion is to recognise that God is within you, around
you and everywhere. You must develop faith that you are yourself a
manifestation of God.
March 25, 2004
You can adore God according to your own fancy
and pleasure. He remains unchanged even when the names and forms by
which you adore Him keep changing. The effectiveness does not lie in
which name or form you worship, but with how much yearning and depth
of feeling you adore Him in your heart. God will assume that very
form which you pray to and fulfil your yearning; that is the
indication of His grace and the boundless love He has for you.
March 26, 2004
Man is enslaved by money. He lives a
superficial and artificial life. This is indeed a great pity. Man
should seek to possess only as much money as is most essential for
his living. The quantity of riches one must own can be compared to
the shoes one wears; if too small, they cause pain; if too big, they
are a hindrance while walking. Money too should be just enough for a
life of physical and mental comfort. When we have more, it breeds
pride, sloth and contempt for others.
March 27, 2004
Our devotion and prayer to God should not be
for the sole purpose of obtaining something or fulfilling some
desire of ours. It should be for the sake of getting the bliss of
being close to the Lord and becoming one with Him. Do not ask for
this or that from Him in return for prayers you offer or the
sacrifices you make. Do not calculate returns or plan for the
consequences. Act, because you have to and since it is your duty.
Dedicate the deed as well as its consequences to Him. That is real
devotion.
March 28, 2004
At one time we are joyous and at another time
we are sorrowful. The same object which is a source of happiness
turns out to be a source of agony with the passage of time.
Therefore, joy and grief are only states of mind and the objects
which are themselves subject to change cannot give us lasting
happiness. Whatever is transient cannot be real. Knowing that the
life of enjoyment is naturally inimical to serious spiritual effort,
good people consider difficulties as stepping stones to a higher
life.
March 29, 2004
God has four qualities and it is only when you
cultivate them that can you understand Him. They are: Prema (Love),
Soundarya (Beauty), Madhurya (Sweetness ) and Shobha (Splendour).
Cultivation of Prema is enough to add unto you the other three. When
you are immersed in the Love for the Divine immanent in all of
creation, you perceive beauty everywhere and you experience acme of
sweetness, your mind loses its separate identity and merges in the
Universal Mind in all its splendour.
March 30, 2004
The Supreme Being came in the form of Rama to
show the way to immortality. 'Ramo Vigrahavan Dharmah' meaning that
Rama was Dharma personified. He was the Supreme embodiment of the
virtues that one must cultivate so that one can lead an ideal life.
Now you worship His form and repeat His name but ignore the ideals
that He stood for. Without practising the discipline laid down by
Rama to purify the mind, all worship becomes an empty ritual.
March 31, 2004
By Sadhana (spiritual exercises), you can
correct your faults and bring forth your good qualities and thus
ensure Shanti (peace) for yourselves, your society and country. Each
one of you has the tremendous Shakti (power) of the Atma (soul)
within you. Some are able to draw upon it, others just know it
exists and some are unaware of the method of tapping it or even of
its existence. It will come in time, through steady Sadhana.
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