Thought For The Day
Related Link:
Thought for the day yearly archive -
2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006
HOME
Sai Daily Ne & latest photoslatest photos
1st March 2006
What has to be given up is Jagath-bhaavam (worldliness). The reason is
that the world is not different from God. "Ishavasyam idam jagath" (God
pervades the entire Universe). Disregarding this profound and sacred
truth, man is becoming prey to grief because of his worldly attachments.
The world should not be viewed merely from the physical plane, but should
be looked upon as a Divine manifestation. It is only when man is filled
with godly thoughts that he will be rid of sorrow. Hence, what should be
given up is worldliness. Then alone Atmananda (the Bliss of the Spirit)
can be attained.
- BABA
2nd March 2006
The search for God in the external is futile. When the Divine is
omnipresent, it is foolish for man to search for God in some particular
place. Hence the goal of man is the realization of his divinity. This
realization must come through the Vedantic process of exclusion "Nethi,
nethi" ("not this, not this"). One must assert "I am not the body. I am
not the intellect. I am not the Will. I am not the Antahkarana, the inner
instrument. All these are merely my instruments". Man should realize: "I
am the Master of all of them." When by this process of elimination man
realizes his true Self, he is freed from sorrow.
- BABA
3rd March 2006
Man's most precious and sacred gift from God is Buddhi (intellect). The
intellect that should be used for seeking the Atma is being used by man
today to seek Annam (food). When you are given a mirror, if you turn it
backwards, how can you see your face? Use the mirror of Buddhi to
recognise your true self. That is known as Saakshaatkaaram - direct vision
of one's true Self. Unfortunately, man today seeks to know everything
except his own true nature. He asks everyone: "Who are you?" but does not
pose the question, "Who am I?" One who does not know himself, what right
has he to enquire about others? Such an enquiry proceeds from ignorance.
Without the awareness of his own true self, man can never attain bliss.
- BABA
4th March 2006
Every man has within him a Kalpatharu (wish-fulfilling tree). But around
it, there is a wild growth of bushes. When you clear away the bushes, the
tree can be seen. That tree is the Self within each one. This Self is
covered by man's sensual desires. When these desires are removed, the Self
is recognised. Although the Self is within, no attempt is made to realize
it. How can a man involved in external pursuits realize his inner Reality?
The right method has to be adopted to attain the desired objective. The
first requisite for this is faith. One must cultivate an unshakeable faith
in God. Today, Man's faith is fickle and easily blown away like dried
leaves in a gust of wind. Man should strive to experience the Divine with
firm faith, through joy and misery.
- BABA
5th March 2006
People say, "Seeing is believing! I will believe in God only if I see Him
" But are all things seen, heard, touched or tasted, as real as they seem
? Is it the eye that sees? Your eye may be seeing, yet if your mind is
elsewhere, you will not observe anything at all. You see things only
through the illumination of the Atma. You love, because the Atma is Love.
You know, because the Atma is knowledge itself.
- BABA
6th March 2006
When a man is described as 'Nara', it means that he is the very embodiment
of the Atma. The Atma cannot be affected by any taint. It is the
attachment to the body which is the cause of bad thoughts, bad desires and
bad actions. One who is unable to rein in his senses falls prey to such
impulses. To become a slave to the senses is the mark of the animal; to be
guided by the Atma is the sign of the human. No one should attempt to
justify his lapses as being natural to a human. They should be regarded as
signs of mental weakness. You should continually strive to master your
senses. When you have truly acquired sense-control, you will experience
the power of the Divine within you.
- BABA
7th March 2006
Man has to keep a watch over his thoughts because they form the basis for
his actions. When his wishes are fulfilled, he is content; else, he feels
disappointed. Man does not enquire into the causes of these divergent
results. When his heart is pure, his actions yield beneficial results. His
thoughts are the cause of the success or failure of his efforts. Hence,
man must utilise his thoughts in the proper manner. His experience of the
world depends on his vision. "As he feels, so he becomes." When one's
thoughts are sacred, the results are also good.
- BABA
8th March 2006
As human beings, you have to ascertain by the use of your intelligence and
Vijnaana (discrimination) what actions are proper and what are not. If you
think it to be good, do not hesitate do it. But, if knowing that something
is wrong, if you still do it, then you may have to inevitably face the
consequences. The Lord created the Cosmos and offered it to mankind.
Consequently, the responsibility for properly utilising the resources God
has provided rests on humanity. If men use things in the right way and
benefit from them, they will experience happiness. On the other hand, if
they misuse them, they will have to bear the troubles resulting therefrom.
- BABA
9th March 2006
There is only one divine consciousness. All the variety of names and forms
one perceives are creations of the mind and are bound to disappear. When
you are one with the Divine, where is the need for seeking the Divine?
Only a fool goes in search of himself. Instead of resorting to all forms
of meditation, it is simpler and easier to proceed on the single idea that
you and the Divine are one. But this process of identification should not
be an artificial exercise. It should come from the heart. In declaring "I
am the Divine," you should express a genuine and deep experience. You
should feel that the Divine is not separate from you. Instead, if you
mechanically repeat, "I am God, I am God", you will be indulging in a vain
exercise. The Divine should be comprehended by earnest enquiry and a
profound inner experience.
- BABA
10th March 2006
There is no greater friend than God. He is beyond the reach of praise or
censure. He does not give up man although many a time he fails to come up
to His expectations. That is why God has been given the appellation,
Suhrid (a true friend). God desires no offerings from any devotee. God is
the only one who confers benefits on devotees without expecting any
return. In spite of this, man does not readily accept such a friend. Only
the man who accepts God as such a friend and is guided by His advice can
understand the full meaning of Divine friendship. Faith of this nature
alone constitutes true Jnana (wisdom).
- BABA
11th March 2006
Man today is like a horseman riding two horses at the same time. He
aspires for the Divine, yet at the same time he yearns for worldly
pleasures too. He forgets that the creation is contained within the
creator. Forgetting this truth, he goes after the phenomenal world,
regarding it as different from the Divine. Instead of following the easy
path of chanting God's name, man involves himself in multifarious troubles
and wastes his precious life. Man is verily God. He is allowing his
inherent divinity to be submerged by worldly desires. He should utilise
the pure and sacred thoughts that arise in him to turn away from the
transient attractions of the world and to set him on the path towards the
Divine.
- BABA
12th March 2006
The mind is a bundle of thoughts. Actions ensue from thoughts. From
actions flow the fruits thereof. Hence, thoughts are the seeds which
ultimately yield fruits in the form of fortune or misfortune. Man is thus
the architect of his own destiny. As thoughts determine actions, it is
essential to cultivate good thoughts. Even evil men have been transformed
by the influence of the good and the godly. Ratnakaara, the dreaded thief,
was an example of such transformation. Contact with sages turned him into
the immortal author of the Ramayana. When the mind is turned towards God,
one's life becomes purified. When our thoughts are purified, our lives
will be transformed into ideal ones.
- BABA
13th March 2006
Of all the gifts you receive from God, the greatest gift is Santosham
(contentment). The opposite of Santosham is sorrow, which is the fruit of
desire that arouses hope and almost always results in disappointment or
despair. One desire engenders another and proliferates into a hundred,
even when it is fulfilled. It knows no justification and has no end. So,
Santosham is the supreme blessing of the Lord, who, in His infinite Love,
puts an end to that unquenchable thirst. No wealth or worldly attainment
can equal it in efficacy; Santosham is the culmination of desire in full
contentment and sacred satiety.
- BABA
14th March 2006
The foremost thing that people today have to recognise and understand are
human values. Whatever position one may achieve, whatever one's
scholarship or status, the primary requisite is comprehension of what it
means to be a human. This humanness can be developed only through
spirituality. If you take a seed and plant it in a tin, it will rot. But
if the same seed is planted in the earth, it grows into a tree. Humanness
will not develop in an atmosphere of worldly concerns. It will grow only
in a spiritual, ethical and righteous atmosphere.
- BABA
15th March 2006
Education sans wisdom, wisdom bereft of discrimination, action without
discretion, erudition lacking sagacity, power not justified by
credentials, statements not based on Truth, music wanting in melody,
adoration not sustained by devotion, a person devoid of common sense and
character, a student not endowed with humility - these serve no useful
purpose. In addition to knowledge derived from the sacred texts, one
should earn wisdom through experience. Knowledge without personal
experience is futile.
- BABA
16th March 2006
The knowledge which relates to the waking and sleeping states is not
permanent, it comes and goes. The knowledge that is lost is not true
knowledge. Jnana (knowledge of Supreme Reality) when once acquired, will
never go away. On the other hand, once ignorance leaves a man, it will not
return. However, that which neither comes nor goes is Atma Tatwa (the
Atmic Principle). This Divine Principle is everywhere; there is no place
where the Divine is not present. Where, then, can the Divine come or go?
Surrender to the Divine present everywhere.
- BABA
17th March 2006
Time moves fast like a whirlwind. Each one's life span is getting reduced
every moment, like a melting block of ice. Hence, it is the duty of every
man to realize the purpose of life and utilise his time in the performance
of his duties, and thereby sanctify his existence. When people speak about
man's bondage, what is it that binds man? Man can liberate himself only
when he knows what it is that binds him. The greatest cause of bondage is
the failure to know oneself. An individual who is not aware of his true
self cannot escape from sorrow. As long as there is sorrow, bliss cannot
be experienced.
- BABA
18th March 2006
One who is engaged in the contemplation of the Atma within and thereby
constantly enjoys Atmic bliss, and sanctifies every moment of his life by
doing good deeds is called a Brahma-Nishta. He realizes that the same Atma
is present in all beings as the Antaratma (Inner Self) and discards all
selfish thoughts. He is a Brahma Jnani, a realized soul, who is aware of
the truth that revering others is revering the Lord, and hurting others is
hurting the Lord. Such persons radiate divinity though they are in a human
body.
- BABA
19th March 2006
Spirituality does not mean preoccupation with meditation, worship, etc. It
involves total extinction of the animal and demonic qualities in man, and
the manifestation of his inherent divinity. When the attachments and
hatreds in which man is enveloped are removed, the inherent divinity in
man, the Sath-Chith-Ananda in him, will manifest itself. There is no need
to search for the omnipresent Divine in any specific place. When you are
yourself divine, why search for the Divine elsewhere? It is a mark of rank
ignorance.
- BABA
20th March 2006
Recognise the truth that morality is the primary requisite of human
society. You have to perform your duties and discharge your obligations.
You must be united and take part in social service. Unity is strength. It
promotes the welfare of all. If one does not strive for unity and
progress, how can one serve society? If unity is lost, what can anyone
accomplish? Suppose there are three persons in a house, there can be peace
in the house only if all the three live in harmony. Similarly, in every
individual, there are three entities in the body: the Manas (mind), the
Vaak (tongue) and Kaayam (the organs of actions). It is only when these
three entities function harmoniously that the individual can have peace.
When there is discord among them, how can peace be got?
- BABA
21st March 2006
Today, the foremost need is the promotion of unity. Irrespective of
physical and ideological differences, the Atma principle is common to all.
It has to be recognised that individuals are integrally related to
society, like the different organs in a body. Humanity itself is a limb of
Prakruthi (Nature) and Nature is a limb of God. If this integral
relationship is understood, where is the ground for hatred? No one should
consider himself as insignificant or unimportant. Everyone, big or small,
is a vital part of the whole and is essential for its proper functioning
like all the parts in a rocket. Even a small part, if defective, may cause
the rocket to explode. Likewise, in this vast Cosmos every being has a
significant role to play to ensure its smooth functioning.
- BABA
22nd March 2006
Morality and integrity in society are based upon spiritual consciousness.
Spirituality alone will take man to the sacred path leading to his
destiny. Spirituality alone can elevate man and raise him to higher levels
of consciousness. It is the means to true national progress and
prosperity. World peace can be secured only through spirituality. It is
the means for the redemption of mankind. Forgetting spirituality, man is
leading an artificial life based on worldly pleasures.
- BABA
23rd March 2006
The process of Samskara (refinement) is true for every object in the
universe. The paddy that is grown and harvested cannot be consumed as it
is. The husk has to be removed and then it has to be cooked so that it
becomes rice. In the process of transformation to rice, the original paddy
has considerably increased in value. The transformation process thus makes
an object more useful and valuable. If that is the case with ordinary
objects, how much more is it necessary for man, who is more important than
all of them, to go through this transformation? Hence, the ancient sages
envisaged a system of Samskaras intended not only to develop further the
human qualities but also to eliminate all remnants of animal nature in
man. It is a process of spiritual development by which the bad tendencies
in man are got rid of and good tendencies are inculcated.
- BABA
24th March 2006
For accomplishing anything in the world, three things are essential: one,
mastery over the senses; two, control over the mind; three, maintaining
perfect bodily health. It is only when all these three requisites are
present, that man can achieve his goals. If today man fails to achieve
even petty objects, it is because he is deficient in all these. To acquire
these three, man has to practise Dharma (righteousness), as laid down by
the sages. The Vedas declare - "Yatho abhyudaya nisshreyas siddhih saa
Dharmah" (that which is conducive to one's well-being here and the
hereafter is Dharma). This calls for unity in thought, word and deed. This
is true righteousness. Where there is no accord between what one thinks,
says and does, one's life is meaningless. It is by the harmony of thought,
speech and action, that the true worth of man is manifested.
- BABA
25th March 2006
Educated persons, nowadays, are concerned solely about their own
well-being and that of their families, and have no interest in the welfare
of the world. Education should aim at making a person take pleasure in
promoting the well-being of all people. As a person grows up, he develops
associations with relations, friends, teachers and many others. It is
through these numerous relationships that one's human qualities develop.
Without these associations, the individual would remain at the animal
level. One's human nature is developed by society and contacts with
kinsmen, friends and others. You have to show your gratitude to all of
them by striving for their well-being.
- BABA
26th March 2006
Students today are seeking education not for the sake of knowledge but as
a means to earn money or wield power. This is not true education. It is
the discovery of one's spiritual essence that constitutes real education.
The world is in sore need of spiritual discipline. All the evils that we
witness in the world today stem from a perverted system of education. The
so-called educated persons have no control over their senses. Self-control
is the only means to real bliss. The primary need is the development of
self-control among students. They must be able to remain firm in their
minds and unwavering in their outlook in any circumstance. This can be
achieved only through spiritual discipline.
- BABA
27th March 2006
When one's thoughts are pure and sacred, the ripples emanating in the mind
fill all the senses and limbs in the body, from head to toe, with pure
vibrations. The pure thought, entering the eye, purifies the vision. The
same thought entering the ear, encourages it to listen to sacred sounds.
Entering the mouth, this pure thought brings about purity in speech.
Permeating the hands, the sacred thought induces them to engage themselves
in sacred acts. The sacred ripples from the mind entering the feet, induce
them to go on pilgrimages. If one's thoughts are impure, they induce the
senses to indulge in unholy acts. Hence, people should not give room to
bad thoughts, bad associations or bad relationships.
- BABA
28th March 2006
Men should turn away from the worldly path like fish which swim against
the current in a river. That is the way to realize the Divine. If you
allow yourself to be carried away by the worldly current, you can only
meet with a sad end. Regardless of what the world may think, never swerve
from the spiritual path. When people ask for liberation, they should
understand that liberation means oneness with the Divine. Become aware of
your divinity. Then worldly thoughts will not enter your mind. To realize
this oneness with God, one has to chant the Lord's name incessantly. You
must pray for the vision of the Lord in your heart. There should be no
room for evil thoughts and feelings.
- BABA
29th March 2006
We should give up all differences based on one's birth and position in
life and chant the Lord's name with intense love and devotion. First the
name should melt the devotee's heart, only then can it melt God's heart
and draw His grace upon the devotee. God does not care for how long and in
what ways you have practised Sadhana (spiritual practice). What He wants
is your sincere, whole-hearted and intense love for Him.
- BABA
30th March 2006Ugadi
If you wish to embark on a new life, you need not wait for the arrival of
a new year. Treat every second as new. Sanctify every moment of your life.
This has to be done by realizing the unity of Sath (existence) and Chith
(the individual Consciousness). When this union is achieved, Ananda
(Spiritual Bliss) is experienced. This is the primary task before
everyone. Every second should be regarded as Divine. This New Year's Day
may come and go as it happens every year, but God neither comes nor goes.
- BABA
31st March 2006
One should never doubt one's capacity to undertake a particular task. If
one has faith in oneself, one can accomplish anything. Vedanta (Vedic
philosophy) declares that a person who doubts himself can never realize
the Atma. If one tells oneself that one does not have a particular skill
or capability, that will psychologically affect one in a negative manner.
Develop the courage that you can accomplish anything, then you will
actually be able to do so. The real devotee is one who makes an effort to
develop confidence in the self. Whatever one undertakes, one should do it
with a divine and sacred feeling.
- BABA