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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
November 2004
November 1, 2004
All that you see in
the cosmos, the moving and the stationary objects, are
manifestations of the Atma. This Atma is called "Eruka" or
Awareness. This Awareness produces in every being the sense of
"I-ness" and it expresses itself as " I " or "Aham". When this " I "
identifies itself with the body, it takes the form of Ahamkara
(ego). This is what is called Mithya or Delusion. What man needs
today is the resolve to realize the Atma, one's true self. Through
Atma-Jnana (knowledge of the self), man can experience Atma -Ananda
(Atmic bliss).
November 2, 2004
Try to be as self-reliant as possible;
endeavour to stand on your own feet. Be industrious. Be efficient
and enthusiastic in the work that has come your way as your share in
life. God has provided two hands for every stomach. If those hands
work assiduously and intelligently, they can, without doubt, fill
that little stomach. The trouble is that we are loath to work. We
welcome every chance to talk and teach. But, speech cannot fill the
hungry stomach. Dedicated and intelligent work, that is what is
needed.
November 3, 2004
You need not glorify God, for that may keep
you at a distance from Him. God is not new. He was there before your
birth and He exists eternally. Where is the need to glorify Him? You
must consider Him as your old friend. When you acquire friendship
newly with a person, you speak to him formally and respectfully.
When he becomes an old acquaintance, you can take liberties with
him. Consider God also as an old friend, so that you can enjoy the
liberty and feel kinship with Him!
November 4, 2004
Young people who are capable of making
sacrifices are very essential today. We should encourage them to
proclaim to the world the Omnipresence of Divinity. It is necessary
to have young people who can fight with courage in situations
arising from injustice, unkindness and cruelty. They should not only
strive for worldly and material benefits, but also for the ethical
and spiritual ideals of life. They should be prepared to give up
imitation and selfish ideas, and serve the community in a selfless
manner. They must, through their experience, proclaim to others that
inner Divinity is the most important thing in life.
November 5, 2004
Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness),
Shanthi (Peace), Prema (Love) and Ahimsa (Non-violence) are the
primary human values. However, the fundamental basis of Truth and
Righteousness is Love. Love is God, Truth is God, Righteousness is
God. The five human values can be compared to the Pancha Pranas
(five life principles) of man. If you do not speak truth, you lose
one life principle. Unrighteous conduct amounts to losing the second
life principle. Similarly, even the other life principles will be
lost if you do not practise the other human values. Therefore, one
bereft of these principles verily becomes a living corpse.
November 6, 2004
We must consider rendering service to society
as a sacred duty. Whatever small service we may do, if we do it in
the right spirit, serving without any thought of self-interest, we
shall be doing something commendable and worthwhile. The act by
itself may be insignificant, but it must be done wholeheartedly.
Just as a cow transforms whatever it consumes into sweet, wholesome
milk, any kind of service rendered with a pure heart will yield good
results.
November 7, 2004
Virtues are more important than physical
beauty. Observing the good and bad in the world, one should develop
discrimination to choose the former. One should strive hard to
cultivate virtues. Right from an early age, one should inculcate
good qualities and develop good character. Wherever one may go, it
is character that is of utmost importance. It is virtues that lend
greatness to any person. If everyone develops good character, the
whole country will become good and great.
November 8, 2004
Truth and righteousness are the two main
pillars on which the entire world rests. If we protect truth and
righteousness, they will in turn protect us wherever we go. Truth is
the source of all happiness. If you do not adhere to truth, how can
you expect to attain happiness? Truth is the fundamental principle
of life. But today, man's thoughts, words and deeds are tainted with
untruth and unrighteousness. That is the reason he is unable to
enjoy happiness in life.
November 9, 2004
What is Brahman? It is the Atmic principle
permeating every living being as consciousness. When the Atmic
principle is encased in a body, it becomes individualized and is
referred to as Jiva or Conscience. The individual, Atma and
Chaithanya (consciousness) are one and the same. People think that
they are different because they are given different names. Remove
the names and there is only one Atmic principle.
November 10, 2004
The very first Sadhana (spiritual exercise)
one must adopt is the cultivation of inner silence, to put an end to
the continuous dialogue with the mind. Let the mind rest for a
while. Do not project on the mind irrelevant details or pollute it
with fumes of envy and greed. Every idea we entertain, either good
or bad, gets imprinted on the mind. An element of weakness and
unsteadiness is thus introduced in the mind. Keep the mind calm and
clear. Do not agitate it every moment by your non-stop dialogue.
November 11, 2004
Be always in the company of devotees of God.
Through this Sathsang (good company), Viveka (discrimination) and
Vairagya (detachment) will be inculcated in you. These qualities
will strengthen the spirit and endow you with inner peace. If the
mind is subdued, that alone is enough; it is not then necessary to
conquer the external senses. If the mind has no attachment to the
sense objects, the senses have nothing to cling on to and they
become powerless; likes and dislikes are both starved out of
existence. The bonds with the objective world are cut, though the
senses may still be affected by it. For him who has been blessed by
the awareness of the Atma, how can anything worldly bring grief or
joy?
November 12, 2004
Today is the day on which Naraka, the demon
was killed. What does this event signify? It signifies killing the
demon in man. 'Nara' means man and 'Asura' means demon. This demon
is present in every human being. It is not necessary to acquire
great Astras and Shastras (weapons) to kill this demon. Man is
called 'Nara' because there is Atma in him. That Atma is the
embodiment of love. Only through love is it possible to kill these
demons. Therefore, realize the Atma Tathwa (Atmic principle) and
develop love. This is true Bhakthi (devotion).
November 13, 2004
What is required is the transformation of the
heart. All bad thoughts and feelings should be expelled from the
heart. We should whole-heartedly participate in Bhajans. It should
not be a mechanical ritual. Once your heart is filled with sacred
thoughts and feelings, they will be reflected in your
Bhajan-singing. Through your singing you should give joy to all the
participants.
November 14, 2004
Life has to be an incessant process of repair
and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness.
Paddy grains have to be de-husked in order to become edible as rice.
Cotton has to be converted as yarn to become wearable cloth. Gold
nuggets have to be heated in the crucible to remove the impurities.
Man too, must purify his impulses, emotions and desires and
cultivate good thoughts, words and deeds so that he can progress
spiritually.
November 15, 2004
Today, man aspires to attain Mukthi
(liberation). What is Mukthi? It is not the attainment of a heavenly
abode. Mukthi means freedom from suffering. One needs to have Mukthi
at three levels - body, mind and soul. For example, when one is
hungry, one eats food and the hunger is satiated. This is a kind of
Mukthi. Suppose, one is suffering from a disease, one gets cured by
taking medicine. This is also a kind of Mukthi. All this is related
to the body. At the mental level, Mukthi means controlling the
vagaries of the mind. But, true liberation lies in understanding the
principle of the Atma which neither comes nor goes. This is termed
as 'Nirvana'.
November 16, 2004
The lamp is a sacred symbol of divinity. The
flame of the lamp always rises upward. Wherever it islit, it dispels
darkness. For dispelling the darkness of ignorance withinyou, you
need the Divine lamp of wisdom. Only then can you shine as a
person.Inner purity is the wick of this Divine lamp. Devotion is the
oil and Divinegrace is the fire by which the lamp of wisdom can be
lit.
November 17, 2004
Desire can be rooted out only when the faith
that the Atma is the very core of one's being is firmly established.
Since all efforts are now directed to the accumulation of material
goods and the satisfaction of sensual desires, man is tossed abouton
the waves of fighting and factionalism, falsehood and greed. The
individual is intimately related to society and so his restlessness
affects society too.
November 18, 2004
Compassion towards all creatures is the
greatest virtue; wilful injury to any creature is the worst vice.
Have full faith in this and spread love and joy through compassion,
and be full of joy and peace within. You do not have joy and peace
now because your vision is directed towards the faults and failings
of others and never towards your own faults and failings. Truly
speaking, upon enquiry you, will find that what we see in others is
but a reflection of our own selves, our prejudices and preferences.
November 19, 2004
Motherhood is the most precious gift of God.
Mothers are the makers of a nation's fortune, for they shape the
sinews of its soul. These sinews are toughened by two lessons - fear
of sin and fondness of virtue. As the mother, so the sweetness of
culture. As the mother, so the progress of the nation. If mothers
take care of their families, they will be protecting the nation.
Mothers should foster in their children, love for truth,
righteousness and narrate inspirational stories of great men and
women.
November 20, 2004
Every act must be regarded as an offering to
the Divine. It may not be easy to develop such an attitude. But if
the effort is made sincerely, it can be achieved. It does not call
for abandonment of hearth and home or giving up your wealth and
position. What you earn through the grace of God will confer on you
enduring benefits greater than the wealth you earn by any other
means. The grace of God is like insurance; it will help you in your
time of need. Material wealth confers Bhoga (enjoyment) which leads
to Roga (illness). But selfless service is Yoga (spiritual path)
which secures Divine grace.
November 21, 2004
Just as it is natural for a river to flow
towards the sea, for a creeper to cling to a tree, for the stars to
glitter in the firmament, in the same way, spontaneous flow of man's
love towards God is totally natural. Love has no reason and it is
not bound by any rules and regulations. Selfless love that does not
expect any reward directly reaches God. Worldly love does not arise
from the depth of one's heart; it is the outcome of compulsion.
November 22, 2004
Educational institutions should teach students
to adhere to truth and to discharge their duties as a sacred
obligation. Students should not allow success or failure to ruffle
their minds unduly. Courage and self-confidence must be instilled in
the them. The moulding of character and inculcation of human values
must start with children at a very young age. All that one does as
an offering to God is but an expression of human values. Whatever
studies one may pursue, one must not give up one's faith in God as
it is tantamount to giving up one's life.
November 23, 2004
I must ask you to give me as a birthday
offering only one thing - reduce your selfishness; abate your wrong
desires. Foster your spirit of sacrifice and become noble human
beings. The Avatar (Divine incarnation) comes to save mankind out of
His Love and Compassion. He comes down to the level of man and
arouses the Divine Consciousness in him. In order to enable you to
reach the highest goal of merging with the Absolute, this chance has
been granted to you as a reward for merit acquired in many previous
lives.
November 24, 2004
Physical eyes are useful only for seeing the
phenomenal world. Every man has to develop the inner vision of
wisdom to experience the Atma. It is only when you feel that the
cosmos is permeated by the Divine that the cosmos will appear to you
as a manifestation of the Divine. All Names and Forms are His. Names
and Forms may vary, but the Atma is the same in all. Recognise the
unity of all beings. Then, you will be filled with universal love.
November 25, 2004
The nature of Divine love is different from
that of human attachment. It is timeless and constant. Make it your
sole ideal. It is inherent in you; all that needs to be done is to
manifest it in the proper way. If there is sugar at the bottom of a
tumbler of water, you can make the water sweet by stirring the sugar
to dissolve it. Likewise, your heart is a tumbler at the bottom of
which there is Divinity. Take the spoon of Buddhi (intellect), stir
the heart by the process of sadhana (spiritual effort). Then, the
Divinity in the heart will permeate the entire body.
November 26, 2004
The Divine is omnipresent. The entire cosmos
is permeated and sustained by this Divine energy. Man must make the
necessary effort and sacrifice in order to experience the Divine.
All the bad tendencies have to be renounced the moment they invade
the human mind. True devotion lies in eliminating the animal
tendencies in man. Man should seek to realise the eternal Divine
within him. This is the primary purpose of human life.
November 27, 2004
When we have excess money, it breeds pride,
sloth and contempt for others. In pursuit of money, man descends to
the level of the beast. Money is of the nature of manure. Piled up
in one place, it fouls the air. Spread it wide, scatter it over
fields and you are rewarded with a bumper harvest. So too, when
money is spent for promoting good works, it yields contentment and
happiness in plenty.
November 28, 2004
Man has the choice of two paths - the
Pravritti Marga (the outward path of involvement) or the Nivritti
Marga (the inward path and non-involvement). When involved in the
world, man is confronted with the six internal foes - lust, anger,
greed, attachment, pride and hatred. When detached from the world,
man is helped by six internal friends - sense and mind control,
fortitude, contentment, faith and equanimity. The human body is
deified as the temple of God; but the foes have to be evicted and
the friends admitted before the Divine can establish itself there.
November 29, 2004
Man's heart is like pure gold, but as he
associates himself with worldly desires, he loses his value as well
as his effulgence. Do not pollute your mind with worldly desires.
You have attained this human birth as a result of meritorious deeds
done in past lives. Do not misuse it. Human life is highly valuable.
People aspire to attain Nirvana (Liberation). In order to attain
Nirvana, one should have a pure heart. True Nirvana lies in having
love for God, fear of sin and morality in society.
November 30, 2004
At first, God stands at a distance watching
your efforts. He is like the teacher who stands aside while the
student answers the examination paper. When you shed your attachment
to the material world and turn to doing good and serving others, God
comes encouragingly near. He is like the Sun who stands waiting
outside the closed door, without announcing his presence or knocking
at the door. He simply waits. But, when the door is opened even a
little, the light of the sun rushes in at once and drives out the
darkness. When you ask God for help, He is right beside you with
hands held out to help you. So, all you need is the discrimination
to pray to God and the wisdom to remember Him.
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