Universal Quotes from Swami
- Sri Sathya Sai Baba
I have come to
light the lamp of love in your hearts, to see that it shines
day by day with added luster.
I shall be with
you, wherever you are, guarding you and guiding you. March on,
have no fear.
Duty is God;
Work is worship. Even the tiniest work is a flower placed at
the Feet of God.
Start the Day
with Love;
Spend the Day with Love;
Fill the Day with Love;
End the Day with Love;
This is the way to God.
Cultivate
nearness with Me in the heart and it will be rewarded. Then
you too will acquire a fraction of that Supreme Love.
Love as Thought
is Truth.
Love as Action is Right Conduct.
Love as Understanding is Peace.
Love as Feeling is Non-violence.
Duty without
love is deplorable.
Duty with love is desirable.
Love without duty is Divine.
Your heart must
be transparent, like glass, with spiritual light within
illuminating the whole world.
Peace can only
be won the hard way, by eliminating violence and greed from
the hearts of individual.
The secret of
happiness is not doing what one likes to do but in liking what
one has to do.
The end of
wisdom is freedom; The end of culture is perfection;
The end of knowledge is love; The end of education is
character.
First you must
grapple with the fact that duty is God and start doing your
duty.
I have come not
to disturb or destroy any faith, but to confirm each in his
own faith - so that Christian becomes a better Christian, the
Muslim, a better Muslim, and the Hindu, a better Hindu.
Transmuting
"man" into "God" and experiencing that Ananda or Bliss is the
one and only achievement for which life is to be devoted.
The minimum
qualifications for Grace are surrender of ego.
The treasure
that is precious is the quality of even mindedness in all
situations.
The joy of being
the master of senses is far greater than being their slave.
Your progress is
reflected back as Grace, your decline is reflected back as its
absence. The mirror just reflects. It has no partiality or
prejudice.
Sathya is what I
teach;
Dharma is the way I live;
Shanthi is the mark of My personality;
Prema is my very Nature.
Peace is shore
less ocean - it is the light that illuminates the world.
Virtue is the
sign of the educated person. This is what makes education
worthwhile.
God can be felt
and experienced only in the deepest depths of silence.
Education must
remove hatred between the pilgrims on the various roads to
God. There is only one God, one Goal, one Law, one Truth, one
Religion and one Reason.
To help the
helpless is the only way to please, follow and reach Him.
Mind, word and
act; all three must be filled with the belief that all is His
play; that is the genuine path.
You are in the
Light, then the Light is in you, You are the Light.
Desire is storm,
greed is whirlpool, pride is precipice, attachment is
avalanche, ego is volcano. Discard desire and you are
liberated.
Devotion has to
be unintermittent, uninterrupted, like the flow of oil from
one vessel to another.
Human society
minus God is equal to a forest of brutes.
Bear all and do
nothing;
Hear all and say nothing;
Give all and take nothing;
Serve all and be nothing.
Man minus
immorality is Immortality.
God is for
those, who are not for themselves.
So long as the
sugar is on the tongue, you feel the sweetness in taste.
Similarly, so long as the heart has love, peace and devotion,
you feel the bliss.
If you will not
rise above the things of the world, they will rise above you.
Praying is your
task; what happens to the prayer is dependent on the Grace of
God.
Seek out your
faults and others' merits. Seeking others' faults is dire sin.
Your duty is to
pray for the welfare of the world and to work for it as far as
it lies in your power.
Earning money
cannot be the purpose of education. Acquiring good qualities
can be the only purpose of education.
True devotion
must not get dispirited; nor elated or satisfied with lesser
gains; it must fight against failure, loss, calumny, calamity,
ridicule and against egoism and pride, impatience and
cowardice.
Follow the
Master;
Face the devil;
Fight to the end;
Finish the goal.
If animal
feelings are washed out, Divine feelings begin to overflow
instead.
A man who has no
love in him is as barren as a cloud with no moisture, a tree
with no fruits or a cow yielding no milk; he is ever far from
God and can never earn His Grace.
Life is a bridge
over the sea of changes. Do not build a house on it.
In the innermost
recess of your heart there is a reservoir of peace where you
must take refuge.
Employ yourself
usefully. Be like a trustee, holding on trust, on behalf of
God, for the purpose, which He likes and approves.
Hear good
things, see good, do good, think good, then you get the Grace
of God, as all the evil tendencies will be uprooted.
All are
expressions of the same God, as bulbs lit by the same current
through manifold colors and wattage.
Have faith in
His Grace and lead a virtuous life, a life devoted to the
service of the weak; a life spent in the thought about the
might and glory of God.
The refinement
of an individual is measured by the yardstick of sense
control.
Prayer must
emanate from the heart, where God resides, and not from the
head where doctrines and doubts clash.
You have come
from God, you are a spark of His Glory; you are a wave of that
Ocean of Bliss; you will get peace only when you again merge
in Him.
See God in every
one you meet; see God in every thing you handle. Live
together, revere each other, let not the seeds of envy and
hate grow and choke the clear stream of Love.
Make your life a
rose that speaks silently in the language of fragrance.
Be in the world,
but let not the world be in you.
Be like the
lions in the spiritual field, rule over the forest of the
senses and roam fearlessly with full faith in victory.
The heart with
compassion is the temple of God.
Start early,
Drive slowly, Reach safely.
Watch your
Words, Action, Thoughts, Character and Heart.
Education
softens the heart. If the heart is hard, one cannot claim to
be educated.
Faith in
ourselves and faith in God: this is the secret of Greatness,
for God is Love.
Good ideas, good
conduct and adherence to Truth should result from our
education. Only those who acquire these qualities can be
called truly educated.
Devotion to the
Divine will give you Bliss, Prosperity and Peace. It cannot
inflict pain, perturbation or personal anxiety. It fosters
love and brings all together as one band of brothers.
Every action of
yours at the present time is bound to have a reaction, resound
and reflection in the future.
Reach the point
where churches, temples, mosques do not matter, where all
roads end, from where all roads run.
Doing one's
duty, however small, in an unattached manner gives rise to the
awakening of self-awareness.
Bend the body,
mend the senses and end the mind - this is the way to
Immortality.
Why fear when I
am here? Put all your faith in Me. I shall guide you and guard
you.
Try within your
means to satisfy the needs of the poor.
If you place
complete faith in the Lord at all times, you will receive His
Grace. Grace takes away the pain of Karma. The Lord can save
man completely from Karma.
God has no
preferences and prejudices; His is but reaction, reflection
and resound.
Where there is
Faith, there is Love;
Where there is Love, there is Peace;
Where there is Peace, there is Truth;
Where there is Truth, there is God;
Where there is God, there is Bliss.
Life is Love,
enjoy it;
Life is Challenge, meet it;
Life is a Song, sing it;
Life is a Dream, realize it;
Life is a Game, play it;
Life is a Goal. achieve it.
Ego lives by
getting and forgetting;
Love lives by giving and forgiving;
Love is expansion; Self is contraction;
Self is lovelessness; Love is selflessness.
There is only
one religion, the religion of Love;
There is only one language, the language of the Heart;
There is only one caste, the caste of Humanity;
There is only one law, the law of Karma;
There is only one God, He is Omnipresent.
Haste makes
waste;
Waste makes worry;
So do not be in a hurry.
You are not one
person, but three:
The one you think you are;
The one others think you are;
The one you really are.
Money comes and
goes; morality comes and grows.
Nations are
many, but Earth is one;
Beings are many, but Breath is one;
Stars are many, but Sky is one;
Oceans are many, but Water is one;
Religions are many, but God is one;
Jewels are many, but Gold is one;
Appearances are many, but Reality is One.
Come just one
step forward, I shall take a hundred towards you. Shed one
tear, I shall wipe a hundred from your eyes.
The proof of
rain is in the wetness of the ground; the proof of devotion is
in the peace the aspirant has attained.
Every experience
is a lesson, every loss is a gain.
You should
completely forget the help rendered by you to others and the
harm done to you by others.
If wealth is
lost, nothing is lost.
If health is lost, something is lost.
If character is lost, all is lost.
The body has to
be utilized for service to others. More bliss can be got from
serving others than from merely serving oneself.
You should
consider every individual as God. This is true worship.
You are not
doing service for others. You are doing it always for
yourselves, to the God in you, the God who is equally present
in others.
If it is good
and will harm no one, go ahead. If it is not good, put it
aside. If not sure, do nothing until sure.
What is needed
today is that we should lead a life of good quality. The
fostering of sterling character and good conduct is the need
of the world. Once we have greater numbers of such people of
good quality, the country and the world will become prosperous
and peaceful.
You must act
ever in the consciousness of your divinity and recognize in
each being, a brother, a child of God. The whole world is one
family.
The only
permanent change is slow, steady change.
God, if you
think, God you are
Dust if you think, dust you are
As you think, so you become
Think God, be God.
Those who seek
to acquire steadiness of faith must first acquire the strength
to bear grief and pain, insult and injury. The succession of
joy and grief must help confirm the faith and make it
immovable. That alone can evidence true devotion.
Individual
spiritual practice is the negative pole and service is the
positive pole. The conjunction of both poles can alone bring
success. The mind carries the divine principle (the light of
love) and conveys it to all who contact it.
We can be
successful leaders only if we are disciplined followers, who
do not issue commands to others but rather set an example of
service in our actions.
If you have the
inclination to do good work, God will give you the time to do
good things.
Man falsely
imagines "I am doing this", "I am planning this". It is the
supreme, all pervasive consciousness that motivates, unfolds
the skills and operates the intellect.
Let God work
through you and there will be no more duty. Let God shine
forth. Let God show Himself. Live God, Eat God. Drink God.
Breathe God. Realize the Truth and the other things will take
care of themselves.
Treat all as
your own self. Do not have a double standard.
What you would
desire others to do for you, you should do for others. You
should respect others, as you want to be respected by them.
Love all men
without distinction; Know that mankind is a single community.
Is the intention
pure, selfless, and born out of love? Is it based on truth?
Does it result in peace? If so, it is a right action.
True humanness
consists of a continuous series of tiny acts executed with
absolute sincerity and largeness of heart.
The quality of
one's feelings determines one's future.
Think before
speaking; Think before acting; Then go ahead, If you feel good
about it.
See good - Hear
good - Speak good - Do good - Be good
If you strive to
find your Self by using your mind, you will strive and strive
in vain, because the mind cannot give you the Truth. You are
that Self. All else is illusion of the mind's creation.
Every being in
the universe has the potentiality of transcending the senses.
Even the little worm will one day transcend the senses and
reach God. No life will be a failure. There is no such thing
as failure in the universe.
More than
listening to a hundred lectures or delivering them to others,
offering one act as genuine service attracts the Grace of God.
We should not
aspire for acclaim and praise from those around us, but do
service only to secure the Grace of God and not for any other
reward from any one.
Bury bad
thoughts under good ones. Then the bad ones will just fade
away and be forgotten.
Living is not
enough; it has no value by itself. It is the motives, the
feelings, the thoughts, the attitudes that prompt the day to
day life that matters.
Secure spiritual
bliss first and then try to convey it to those who thirst.
When the tank is dry, how can the taps give water?
Always try to
put yourself in the position of the other and judge your
action against the background. Then you will not be wrong.
Make the mind,
the voice and the actions agree in harmony. That is the right
way of life.
Impurity is a
mere superimposition under which the real nature of man has
been hidden.
Where divinity
is sought after, one ought always to behave in the spirit of
Love, devoid of the slightest trace of hate, envy and anger.
When one cultivates the inner look, one attains the conviction
of the basic equality of all.
What is heard
has to be pondered over. What is pondered over has to be put
into practice. It is only when all three are accomplished that
the realization of Bliss can be attained.
The secret of
perfect health lies in keeping the mind always cheerful -
never worried, never hurried, never borne down by any fear,
thought or anxiety.
The pure heart
is the best mirror for the reflection of Truth. So all these
disciplines are for the purification of the heart. As soon as
it is pure, all truths flash upon it in a minute.
O Lord, take my
love and let it flow in fullness of devotion to Thee.
O Lord, take my hands and let them work incessantly for Thee.
O Lord, take my soul and let it be merged in oneness with
Thee.
O Lord, take my mind and thoughts and let them be in tune with
Thee.
O Lord, take my everything and let me be an instrument for thy
work.
Religion is
three-fourths character. Only those who preserve character can
be pronounced truly religious.
Desire destroys
devotion, anger destroys wisdom, greed destroys work - hence
these bad qualities must be sacrificed. With good and sweet
words, keeping desires under check and control (for ultimate
removal), one should start on the path of sacrifice.
Man derives all
the joy and peace that he needs from within himself and not
from sources outside himself. So the best spiritual discipline
is: strengthen the inward vision.
Anything that
helps you maintain unruffled equanimity is right action.
True love
expands the self; attachment contracts it.
Moderation in
temper is virtue; Moderation in principle is a vice.
The harder the
circumstances, the more trying the environment, the stronger
are those who come out of those circumstances.
That which
happens physically on the outside in terms of actions is not
of major importance. What is important is that which comes
from inside.
This body is the
residence of God. The food you take is the offering you make
to him. Your act of bathing is the ceremonial bathing of Him
who is in You. The ground you walk on is His domain. The joy
you gain is His gift. The grief you experience is His lesson.
Remember Him ever, in sun and rain, day and night, asleep and
awake.
Offer service
and receive love. This is the recipe for experiencing
Divinity. Our love should not be confined to our kith and kin.
It must extend beyond the family to society as a whole, then
to the nation at large and finally embrace the whole world.
Whatever books
you may read, you cannot realize the Divine merely by
intellectual effort. One must put it into practice. That sense
of oneness can only be promoted by the practice of love and
not by any other means.
It is not what
you have achieved that is important. It is the broadness of
heart that has motivated you to do work that counts. Being
broad minded with a selfless attitude, humility and obedience,
you should try to share the difficulties of others around you.
It is the purity of heart that is more important than the
magnitude of the work itself.
Our
relationships are heart to heart relationships. Ours is a
business of love, not a business of money or materials.
For the progress
of humanity, work alone is not adequate, but the work should
be associated with love, compassion, right conduct,
truthfulness and sympathy. Without the above qualities,
selfless service cannot be performed.
God will not ask
you when and where you did service? He will ask, with what
motive did you do it? What was the intention that prompted
you? You may weigh the service and boast of its quantity. But
God seeks quality - the quality of heart, the purity of mind,
the holiness of motive.
Living with God
is education
Living for God is Service
Living in God is Realization
Reform the body,
reconstruct the mind, regulate the way of living, then, the
country will become automatically strong and prosperous.
Before you
speak, think -Is it necessary? Is it true? Is it kind? Will it
hurt anyone?
Will it improve on the silence?
The first step
in the Sadhana is the cleansing of the speech. Talk sweet
without anger. Do not boast of your scholarship or
attainments. Be humble, eager to serve; conserve your speech.
Practice silence. That will save you from squabbles,
frittering thoughts and faction.
Spend a few
minutes every morning and evening in the Silence of your own
shrine or home; spend them with the highest of all the Powers
that you know of. Be in His elevating and Inspiring company;
worship Him mentally; offer unto Him all the work you do; you
will come out of the silence nobler and more heroic than when
you went in.
Forget the harm
that anyone has done to you, and forget the good that you have
done to others.
There is only
one royal road for the spiritual journey...Love
Be Silent
yourself, that will induce Silence in others. Do not fall into
the habit of shouting, talking long and loud. Reduce contacts
to the minimum. Carry with you an atmosphere of quiet
contemplation, wherever you happen to be. The less you talk,
the more will become your mental power. With the increase in
your mental capacity, there will be increase in your power of
discrimination too. Consequently, you will give up "individual
discrimination". Because of this, you will begin to consider
the good of the world at large rather than your own individual
welfare. You must cultivate such broad feelings from this
young age itself.
Learn the value
of Silence, of Namasmarana, of Bhajan, of Japa, of Dhyana, of
single-minded remembrance of the Lord, of the association with
spiritually kin. These will stand you in good stead, when
distress assails you.
The voice of God
can be heard in the region of your heart when the tongue is
stilled and the storm is tilled and the waves are calm. There
will be no temptations for others to shout when you talk to
them in whispers. Set the level of the tone yourself; as low
as possible, as high as necessary to reach the outermost
boundary of the circle you are addressing. Conserve sound,
since it is the treasure of the element akasa, an emanation
from God Himself. Reason can prevail only when arguments are
advanced without the whipping up of sound. Silence is the
speech of the spiritual seeker. Soft sweet speech is the
expression of genuine love. Hate screeches, fear squeals,
conceit trumpets. But love sings lullabies. It soothes. It
applies balm. Practice the vocabulary of love; unlearn the
language of hate and contempt.
Silence is the
only language of the realized. Practice moderation in speech.
That will help you in many ways. It will develop Prema, for
most misunderstandings and factions arise out of carelessly
spoken words. When the foot slips, the wound can be healed;
but when the tongue slips, the wound it causes in the heart of
another will fester for life. The tongue is liable to four big
errors: uttering falsehood, scandalizing, finding fault with
others, and excessive speech. All these have to be avoided if
there is to be Shanthi for the individual as well as for
society.
Good works never
languish for want of funds; the Lord will come to their
rescue. Only it may take some time; do not lose heart... You
should not collect money in devious ways. Help should come
from pious hearts, from well-earned money, from persons who
know and appreciate the purpose for which they give. That is
why I oppose all benefit shows, where you tempt people with a
dance or a drama or a film and collect money for your pet
plan.
In all effort,
if you trust in a Higher Power, which is ready to come to your
help, work is made easy. This comes out of Bhakti, reliance on
the Lord, the source of all Power. When you travel by train,
you have only to purchase the ticket, enter the proper train
and take a seat, leaving the rest to the engine. Why should
you carry the bed and trunk on your head? So too put your
trust in the Lord and carry on to the best of your ability.
You have been
born because you did not pass in certain subjects; there is
some balance of experience, which you must acquire to complete
the course. If you get convinced that your true nature is the
Atma, then you have finished the course and 'passed'.
You should see
that no dirt settles upon the mind; that is to say, you should
move about in such company that dirt is avoided. Falsehood,
injustice, indiscipline, cruelty, hate -- these form the dirt;
Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema -- these form the clean
elements. If you inhale the pure air of these latter, your
mind will be free from evil bacilli and you will be mentally
sturdy and physically strong.
The year becomes
new, the day becomes holy, when you sanctify it by spiritual
discipline, not otherwise.
Do not crave for
recognition and respect from others; crave rather for winning
grace from the Lord.
God is love,
live in love.
The Lord will be
watching with a thousand eyes the least activity of man to
discover any slight trace of selfless love sweetening it.
A sound mind
ensures a sound body; a sound body ensures a sound mind.
The body will
shine if the character is fine; service of man and worship of
God will preserve its charm.
The peace that
pervades the heart can never be shaken for any reason; only
peace of this kind is worthy of the name.
Love all beings;
that is enough.
The grace of God
is like insurance. It will help you in your time of need
without any limit.
The service of
man is the only means by which you can serve God.
God is in you
God is in every word of yours,
Every deed and thought.
Speak, do and think as befits Him.
Do not seek to
discover or discuss the evil in others, for the attempt will
tarnish your own minds.
Life is: Loving
- Listening - Lifting - Learning - Living
Thinking,
discriminating and practice - all three constitute the basic
human characteristics.
Education should
build character.
Its is Truth and
Truth alone, that is one's real friend, relative.
Faith is like
our life breath. It is impossible to live even for a minute in
this world without faith.
Resolve to carry
on the quest of your own Reality.
When hatred
sprouts, Envy raises its hood.
When Love sprouts, Peace descends like dew.
Life is the car,
your heart is the key and God is the chauffeur.
Expand
yourselves; do not contract into your own tiny individuality.
Foster Love
Live in Love
Spread Love
Have the name
and form of God as your companion, guide and guardian
throughout the toils of the waking hours.
When you retire
for the night offer grateful homage to God for being with you
all day long.
The present is a
product of the past, but it is also the seed for the future.
Experience that
is drawn through any of the senses has an effect on one's
health.
The mind sees
separateness, Love sees unity.
Head in the
forest; Hands in society
Today's man is
pursuing unrestrained sense cravings. These pursuits drag
man's mind into the gutter.
A man's
well-being depends upon his degree of contentment.
Every living
being in this world is knowingly or unknowingly on a spiritual
pilgrimage.
Every one is the
embodiment of God.
Character is the
most precious gift of education.
Life is a
challenge, meet it! Life is a dream, realize it! Life is a
game, play it! Life is Love, enjoy it!
You are all
members of the same family, bound by the Religion of Love.
True education
is not for a mere living, but for a fuller and meaningful
life.
Devotion is not
a uniform to be worn on certain days and then to be put aside.
If the mind of
man is not reformed and purified then all the plans to reform
the world will be futile.
What God gives
is never exhausted
What man gives never lasts.
Love must
express itself as Service.
Meaning of WATCH
W [your]
Words
A [your] Action
T [your] Thoughts
C [your] Character
H [your] Heart
You must make
the mind the servant of God, not the slave of the senses.
Good company is
important; it helps to cultivate good qualities.
As close as you
are to God, so close is God to you.
The synthesis of
pure, calming food is breathing pure air, listening to good
sounds, looking at good sights, and touching pure objects.
We must control
our desires.
Don't waste money
Don't waste time
Don't waste food
Don't waste energy
I - Want - Peace
"I" is ego.
"Want" is desire.
Remove ego and desire and you have peace.
The gift of food
to the hungry is the noblest of all gifts.
When we sit for
the meal, we feel light and effortless. When we are done, we
should rise with the same feeling of lightness and
effortlessness.
Love...doesn't
allow any room for pettiness or narrow outlook.
We should
realize that man has not only a mind, which conceives
thoughts, but also a heart, which can put them into practice.
The teachers of
tomorrow are the students of today.
Renunciation is
the power of battling against evil forces and holding the mind
in check.
The heart of
man, which is now allowed to lie fallow, has to be plowed by
spiritual exercises like repetition of God's name.
Teachers must be
examples of Love and Truth.
Being example is
the best form of Service.
Desire makes man
forget his real nature and reduces him to be status of a
beast.
Let the
different faiths exist; let them flourish and the glory of God
be sung in all the languages and in a variety of tunes.
Dedicate all
your thoughts, words, and deeds to Him.
Man will realize
his mission on earth when he knows himself as Divine and
reveres others as Divine.
God gave you the
time, space, cause, material, idea, skill, chance, and
fortune. Why should you feel as if your are the doer?
If you give up
and surrender to the lord, He will guide you and guard you.
Ignorance is the
most important cause of sorrow.
Once we
surrender our mind to God completely, He will take care of us
in every way.
Learn to speak
what you feel, and act what you speak.
Small minds
select narrow roads; expand your mental vision and take to the
broad road of helpfulness, compassion and service.
Politics without
principles,
Education without character,
Science without humanity, and
Commerce without morality
Are not only useless, but also positively dangerous.
Try to conduct
yourself in such a way as not to injure others.
A nation that
has no bridle on its sensuality can never thrive or survive.
God is all Names
and all Forms
Have
constructive thoughts; consoling words; compassionate acts.
The first thing
you have to do, to impress upon your mind the reality, is to
recite the name of God and dwell on His Glory in the mind.
Character is to
be sought more than intellect.
The attitude
today is the root on which the future grows.
If there is
righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the
character.
If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in
the home.
When there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the
nation.
When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the
world.
Friendship is
the expression of unshakable Love. Love that is noble, pure,
free from desire or egoism.
Meditation is
nothing else but rising above desires.
When you take
one step towards God, God takes ten towards you.
Service should
not be exhibitionistic; you must seek no reward, not even
gratitude or thanks from the recipient.
You cannot see
Me, but I am the Light you see by.
You cannot hear Me, but I am the Sound you hear by.
You cannot know Me, but I am the Truth by which you live.
The food we
consume should be tasty, sustaining and pleasant; It should
not be too hot or too salty; there must be a balance and an
equilibrium maintained.
Example, not
precept, is the best teaching aid.
Base all
educational efforts on building up of the character of the
students, and then you can confidently think of rising on in
the super-structure of curricula.
The mother is
the pillar of the home, of society, of the nation, and so of
humanity itself.
You are all
separate beads strung together on that one thread, God.
Nourish your
aged parents; revere them.
Your thoughts,
words and deeds will shape others and theirs will shape you.
Love of the
country is the basis on which you can build love for world
community.
Always respect
other's opinion and other's point of view.
Spirituality is
an activity. It is an activity of the Divinity within.
If you honor
your mother, the Mother of the universe will guard you against
harm.
If you honor
your father, the Father of all Beings will guard you.
Love expands; it
does not limit itself to boundaries.
If you honor
your parents, your children will honor you.
A language is as
sweet as the tongues of the speakers.
The whole world
is One Single Tree;
The different countries are it's branches;
Its root is God;
Human beings are the flowers;
Happiness is the fruit;
Self-realization is the sweet juice therein.
The beauty of
life depends upon our good habits.
To reform: First
weed out the evil thoughts and bad habits. Second cultivate
good habits.
When the road
ends, and the goal is gained, the pilgrim finds that he has
traveled from himself to himself.
Do not preach;
practice.
Man loves
because he is Love.
He seeks Joy, for he is Joy.
He thirsts for God; for he is composed of
God and he cannot exist without Him.
By peace,
western countries mean the interval between two wars. That is
no peace! When man thinks, speaks, and does good - peace will
ensue.
Where there is
Love, there God is evident; God is the Life-breath of every
soul.
One single act
of service offered to God whom you visualize in another is
worth all the years of yearning for God.
Wealth has to be
earned through Righteousness. Desire has to be for Liberation.
Your duty is to
serve, not search for faults.
There is no
living being without the spark of love; even a mad man loves
something or somebody.
Make the home a
seat of harmony.
The greatest
fear man can have, is the fear of losing God's Love.
God is the
mother and father of the world. Our parents are the mother and
father of this body.
God is one;
there are not many Gods, one for each tribe among men.
Love is one; it
transcends caste, color and creed, if it has to be genuine.
Truth is one;
there cannot be two. For, two can only be One, occurring
twice.
The goal is one;
for all roads must lead to the One God.
God is to be
recognized in all that exists, all that is charming,
suffering, blooming or drooping.
When heart
speaks to heart, it is love that is transmitted.
A limit should
be placed on the food that we take.
If you know the
road and the goal, then you can discover whether you are
progressing or not
Make the fullest
of your talents and march as long as you can, and pitch the
tent nearer the goal, when darkness falls.
Truth is the
basis of Righteousness.
Be ever watchful
to see that you strive to take in more and more of God into
you.
Implant in your
Heart: 1. Do not forget God. 2. Do not put faith in the world
you see around you. 3. Do not be afraid.
The wise are
those who know the self.
Truth has no
fear; Untruth shivers at every shadow.
Sensory
pleasures are trinkets, trivialities.
God is the doer;
you are but the instrument.
Cultivate that
attitude of Oneness between men of all creeds, all countries
and all continents.
Not through
wealth can Immortality be won; it can be won only through
renunciation.
Give up; do not
grasp in clenched fists.
Release; do not bind and get bound.
Do not waste a
single moment, in idling or loose living.
Love of the
country is the basis on which you can build love for the world
community.
If you safeguard
Righteousness, it will, in its turn, safeguard us.
Do not get
attached to worldly things and pursuits. Be in the world, but
do not let the world be in you.
Have no desire
to place before God. Whatever He does with you, however He
treats you, is the gift that He likes best, to give you!
Work
disinterestedly. Content to do one's duty as best as one can.
Aspire now
Adore now
Achieve now.
Blood has to
circulate from head to foot;
Love has to circulate from high to low.
Campaign against
the temptations of the senses; Conquer inner foes; Triumph
over your ego.
Practice alone
makes man perfect.
Have the Love of
God filling and thrilling your heart; then, you cannot hate
anyone.
God is not to be
spoken of as coming down or going up, since He is everywhere.
The fulfillment
of human life consists in the service that man renders,
without any thought of return, in an attitude of selflessness.
Spiritual
discipline grows only in a field fertilized by Love.
Be steady, have
faith, and reach the Goal safe.
To rectify the
world and put it on the proper path, we have to first rectify
our conduct and ourselves.
Teachers are
reservoirs from which, through the process of education,
students draw the water of life.
Knowledge that
is not put into practice is like food that is not digested.
Man can realize
his mission on the earth only when he knows himself as Divine
and when he reveres all others as Divine.
Real Peace of
mind has no ups and downs; it cannot be partial in adversity
and whole in prosperity.
Instead of
making the senses, which are at best very poor guides and
informants, his servants, man has made them his masters.
There may be
differences among men, in physical strength, financial status,
and intellectual acumen - but all are equal in the eye of God.
Discipline
trains you to put up with disappointments, every rose has a
thorn.
You say,
"enjoy"; but it is when you "end joy", that you can really
enjoy.
The day when
passion is accepted as a mark of womanhood, it will mark the
beginning of the end of femininity>
If you feel you
are a hundred percent dependent on God, He will look after you
and save you from harm and injury.
Love with no
expectation of return.
Activity must be
dedicated to God, the Highest Good. Then, it will provide
health to body and mind.
God is
omnipotent. All powerful
God is
Omnipresent. Present everywhere.
God is
Omniscient. All knowing.
God, first; the
world next; myself last!
Live on your own
earnings, your own resources.
Man seeks to
change the foods available in nature to suit his tastes,
thereby putting an end to the very essence of life contained
in them.
Each man carries
his own destiny in his own hands.
Dreams relating
to God are real.
The easiest way
to control sensuous desires is to practice altruistic love.
Our good conduct
is our true wealth.
If some people
say there is no God, it only means that they are at too great
a distance to be aware of Him.
Men are born
with a helpless lamenting cry; they should die with a smile of
happy joy.
Do not belittle
any religion or give predominance to any religion.
Love knows no
fear and so love needs no falsehood to support it.
Do not use
poisonous words against anyone, for, words wound more fatally
than even arrows.
You must be a
lotus unfolding its petals when the sun rises in the sky,
unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water,
which sustains it!
The root is
education and the fruit is virtue.
Of all the
insanities that harass man, God-madness is the least harmful,
and the most beneficial.
You may be able
to pay back any debt; but the debt you owe your mother, you
never can repay.
Love is the
light that guides the feet of man in the wilderness.
Every experience
that is drawn through any of the senses has an effect on one's
health.
Mine, not thine,
this sense of greed is the root of all evil. This distinction
is applied even to God! -- my God, not yours! Your God, not
mine!
Discipline is
the mark of intelligent living.
No one can judge
another, for, when another is judged you are yourself
condemned.
Love seeks no
reward; Love is its own reward.
One without
power does not mean lack of physical or mental strength.
Speak soft and
sweet; sympathize with suffering and loss and ignorance: try
your best to apply the salve of soothing words and timely
succor.
The Lord is but
a witness; He is above all hate and anger, of attachment
derived from "mine" and "thine".
Nothing is to be
used as itself, for itself.
"Seeing is
believing: I will believe in God only if I see Him;" but are
all things seen or heard or touched or tasted, as real as they
seem?
Either the
Government must have the capacity to educate and reform the
people or the people must have the capacity to educate the
Government.
Peace - It can
come only from the Fountain of Peace within.
It is best to
live with honor for just a day than with dishonor for many
decades; better a short lived celestial swan than a
century-lived crow.
Every sense is
an outlet for the energy of man in a direction that binds him
to the objective world.
Spiritual
progress is right living, good conduct, moral behavior.
Do all acts as
offerings to God; do not classify some as `my work' and some
as `His work'.
The reasoning
faculty must be employed to distinguish between the limited
and the unlimited, the Temporary and the Eternal.
Life is a
mirage; It comes from no visible rain; It falls into no
recognizable sea.
When the magnet
does not attract the needle, the fault lies in the dirt that
covers up the needle.
Food should not
be too salty, too hot, too bitter, too sweet, too sour.
There should not
be any trace of dislike or distrust on the score of
nationality, language, caste, economic status, scholarship,
age or sex.
The end of
knowledge is love; The end of education is character.
Each country is
but a room in the mansion of God.
The very joy
derived from service reacts on the body and makes you free
from disease.
The age period
16 - 30 is a crucial stage, when man achieves best and
struggles hardest to achieve.
All things in
creation are subject to the law of change and man too is
subject to this law.
Service is
spiritual discipline, not a pastime of the rich and well
placed.
God alone is the
giver of life, the guardian of life, and the goal of life.
All spiritual
practice must be directed to the removal of the husk and the
revelation of the kernel.
The same current
activates all.
Man is now able
to soar into outer space and reach up to the moon; but he is
not moral enough to live at peace with his neighbor!
The food that
one eats has to be pure, free from the subtle evils radiated
by the persons who collect the materials, who cook the dishes,
and who serve them.
Whatever is to
our advantage will appear right to us; we do not usually look
upon a matter from the other fellow's standpoint.
However high a
bird may soar, it has sooner or later to perch on a treetop,
to enjoy quiet.
The purpose of
living is to achieve the `living in God'
When you feel
you cannot do good, at least desist from doing evil.
Condemn the
wrong and extol the right as soon as you notice either in your
children; that will settle them on the straight path.
Awake, Arise and
Stop not until the goal is reached.
Limiting birth
by artificial means is an absurdly wrong step. The
consequences of this act are irresponsible fatherhood or
frustrated motherhood.
The mind fixed
in the awareness of the One is like a rock, unaffected by
doubt, stable, secure.
Instead of
making the senses, which are at best very poor guides and
informants, his servants, man has made them his masters.
Jesus said:
First - He is a
messenger of God.
Second - He is
the Son of God.
Third - He and
His Father are one.
Women have equal
chances and equal rights to attain Godhead
Let the wave of
memory, the storm of desire, the fire of emotion pass through
without affecting your equanimity.
Silence is the
speech of the spiritual seeker
All men are
cells in the same divine organism, in the divine body. That
should be your faith, your fortune, your fort, your fullness.
Hate screeches -
Fear squeals - Conceit trumpets - But love sings lullabies.
Food cooked in
water should not be used the next day; it becomes harmful.
No society can
find its fulfillment, no social ideal can fructify, without
the blossoming of the spirit of man.
Patience is all
the strength that man needs.
The earlier
years of life are the most crucial, and so the mother and the
father have to share the responsibility for the upbringing.
Through the
media of films, books, music and the behavior of elders, young
minds are excited and aroused into indulgences.
The God of death
does not give notice of His arrival to take hold of you. He is
not like the photographer who says, "I am clicking, are you
ready?"
Whenever you get
a little leisure, do not spend it in talking about sundries,
but utilize it in meditating on God or in doing service to
others.
Greed yields
only sorrow; contentment is best.
Whatever acts a
good or bad man may do, the fruits thereof follow him and will
never stop pursuing him.
It is not the
standard of living that is important, but the manner of
living.
You must render
service out of spontaneous urge from within, with a heart
filled with love.
A chance
conglomeration of humans does not become a society.
A society has to
be welded into a unit by the consciousness of kinship in God.
Unity is
divinity; Purity us enlightenment.
Reform the body,
reconstruct the mind, regulate the way of living, then, the
country will become automatically strong and prosperous.
Forget the harm
that anyone has done to you, and forget the good that you have
done to others.
There is only
one royal road for the spiritual journey...Love.
If one student
is bad, only that student is affected. But if one teacher is
bad, hundreds of students get spoiled.
Your thoughts
play a vital role in shaping your life.
Religion is
three-fourths character.
The present is a
product of the past, but it is also the seed for the future.
Open the gates
of wisdom, tear the veil of ignorance, enter the abode of
Divine Bliss. Rest in peace forever.
Form a Satsang,
where you meet and exchange truths and virtuous talk; where
you study holy books and discourses on the glory of God.
All works are
God's. He inspires, He helps, He executes, He enjoys, He is
pleased, He reaps and He sowed.
Have faith in
yourself. When you have no faith in the wave, how can you get
faith in the ocean?
Do not
contemplate on death; it is just an incident in life;
contemplate on God, who is the master of all life.
You must welcome
tests because it gives you confidence and it ensures
promotion.
So long as you
say 'I am' there is bound to be fear, but once you say and
feel 'I am God' you get unconquerable strength.
By eating flesh
one develops violent tendencies and animal diseases.
Do not get
swelled up when people praise you and do not feel dejected
when people blame you.
Serve man until
you see God in all men.
Knowledge
without devotion to God produces hatred.
What is the
unmistakable mark of a wise man? It is love, love for all
humanity.
Service springs
out of love and it scatters love in profusion.
Soft sweet
speech is the expression of genuine love.
Mankind can find
happiness only in unity, not in diversity.
Philosophy that
cannot be understood, scriptures that are not practiced - it
is a waste of time to talk of them.
Anger is the
harvest of the bewitching mind; it enslaves man and fogs his
understanding.
People are born
for different tasks, but in order to survive every one
requires the same nourishment; inner peace.
Whatever the
trouble, however great the sorrow, persist and win by
recollecting the Lord.
Those who have
gone through pain and suffering can understand and sympathize
with those who are in pain
The basic Truth
in all religions, irrespective of country or race is one and
the same.
Whenever and
wherever you put yourself in touch with God that is the state
of meditation.
The mind is a
bundle of desires - remove the threads of attachment one by
one; at the end the 'cloth' disappears and the mind is clear
and pure.
Practice silence
- for the voice of God can be heard in the region of your
heart only when the tongue is stilled and storm is stilled and
the waves are calm.
Practice the
vocabulary of love - unlearn the language of hate and
contempt.
God is in you,
around you, behind you, above you, beside you.
Of all the
righteous acts, help rendered to those needing it, is the most
righteous.
Surrendering the
fruit of action to the Lord is real sacrifice.
My birthday is
the date when divinity blossoms in your heart.
God is neither
distant nor distinct from you.
What is offered
to God is totally free from all defects and imperfections.
The joy that we
cause in the heart of God is the only worthwhile achievement.
The acid test by
which an activity can be confirmed as holy or sacred is to
examine whether it promotes attachment or avoids bondage.
Body is like a
flashlight, Eye is like the bulb
Mind is the battery cell, Intelligence is the switch
Only when the four work together do you get the light.
Any happiness
that you can give to others will result in happiness for
yourself in the end. Man must realize that he cannot get
anything without sharing it with humanity around him. So, you
must believe that happiness of the people around you will lead
to your own happiness in due course.
Illnesses are
caused more by malnutrition of the mind than of the body. I
will recommend the repetition of the Name of God. That is
Vitamin G. That is the medicine; regulated life and habits are
2/3 of the treatment, while the medicine is just 1/3 only.
It is only when
you have both divine grace and human endeavor that you can
experience bliss, just as you can enjoy the breeze of a fan
only when you have both a fan and the electrical energy to
operate it.
Do not think
that only those who worship a picture or image with pompous
paraphernalia are devotees. Whoever walks straight along the
moral path, whoever acts as he speaks and speaks as he has
seen, whoever melts at another's woe and exults at another's
joy.... is a devotee, perhaps a greater devotee.
This is bad;
this is good - can such judgments be ever made about anything
in God's creation when all are manifestations of His will?
Love is one
without a second. When this love is directed towards the
world, it is called attachment (anuraga), and when directed
towards God, it is called Prema (devotional love).
The play is His,
The role is His gift, The lines are written by Him
He directs, He decides the dress and decoration,
The gesture and the tone, The entrance and the exit.
You have to act well to receive His approbation When the
curtain falls
Earn by your efficiency and enthusiasm, The right to play
higher and higher roles
That is the meaning and purpose of life
Living with God
is the true education |