A Discourse for  Devotees, by Michael Goldstein M.D.

A Discourse for  Devotees by Michael Goldstein M.D.

My dear Brothers and sisters:

Sai Ram to you all.

I am happy to be with you and very grateful to Swami for this opportunity to speak to you. We are in a good place today, and in fact, we are here together on this planet Earth, living our human lives given to us by God, for the purpose of loving and raising one another to the experience of pure love.

Spiritual realisation is the constant realisation of divine consciousness. That is the reason why we are here together today and why we live these human lives which God has given us.

As devotees of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, as sincere spiritual aspirants, as people with common sense, we recognise the importance of time, the time spent in this good place and the time which we spend embodied in these human lives, given by God. This time is limited.

Hence we focus on the most important: “The nature of God and man, our spiritual purpose and our plan, and time, time, time.

Now is the time to amplify our perspective and contemplate the human passage from birth to realisation, from the entrance into this world and its obstacles, to the transcendence which goes beyond the illusions of maya! Now is the time to move towards becoming aware of our innate divinity.

Today I am speaking to you about these themes, but I must ask myself, “Am I prepared, and am I worthy?” What do ‘prepared’ and ‘worthy’ mean?

Recently, our beloved Swami gave me a profound and poignant lesson on the significance of being prepared and being worthy, a lesson which is applicable to all of us, in every moment and in everything we do.

I was in Prasanthi immersed in a conflict which was the result of my own attachments. I had serious differences of opinion with my brothers of the organisation. Unresolved differences of opinion breed conflicts.

Conflicts breed bitterness and deception. Bitterness and deception breed anger. Anger is the antithesis of spirituality.

This particular day, Swami had planed to give a discourse. He came out to give Darshan; he walked among the multitudes and exuded his Divine Love. We were all seated there, waiting to hear His discourse.

Generally, His discourses are a preceded by one or two orators pre-selected by Swami. That day, I did not have the privilege of being pre-selected. Swami came to me and to my great surprise he asked, “Goldstein, are you going to speak?” I answered, “Swami did not give me instructions to speak today, but if it is Your will, then I will do so.”

Swami then asked, “Are you prepared?”  I replied, “If it is Your will, then, Swami, I am prepared.” He moved away and continued to give Darshan.

A little later He returned and once again he asked, “Are you prepared?” I repeated to Him, “If it is Your will, then I am prepared.”

He entered his room for some moments, and came out again walking among the devotees. Before sitting in His chair for the Divine Discourse, for a third time He came up to me and asked. “Are you prepared?”

This time full of eagerness, anticipating the happiness to have been selected by Swami to speak in His Divine Presence, I said, “Yes Swami, I am prepared!”

Swami then leaned close to me and said softly, “To be prepared… Is a state of the inner self.”

Instantly I knew the significance of His words!!! “PREPARED AND WORTHY ARE ONE” I had thought I was prepared to speak, but I was experiencing inner unrest. Your words must reflect what you think, feel and do.

Then you will be prepared and you will be worthy. I was feeling uneasiness and conflict with respect to matters of the Sai Organisation and so was not prepared to speak of peace and love.

My interior world was not in peace nor in harmony. “To be prepared is a state of the inner self” and obviously I was not prepared, and I must tell you that I did not speak that day. For us, Sai devotees, to be prepared and to be worthy are one and the same.

With a simple word or phrase, Swami teaches us many lessons at many levels. That is the nature of Divinity. One of the reasons for telling you this story in particular is that I know that many of you have bad feelings about our Sathya Sai Organisation.

Now I beseech you to search deeply within yourselves and ask your conscience, which is your master, if these sentiments are noble, spiritual, free of all egoism and worthy. As always, we want a spiritual experience! So let us look as the result of those meetings and programmes offered by the Organisation, the true spiritual experience and not only mundane achievements. 

Now I must repeat my mantra for today, the nature of God and man, our purpose and plan, and time, time, time.

And God?

When the Lord allows himself to manifest himself among Man, it is to ennoble him and allow him to understand the Divine Essence and the purpose of human life. The Lord, to make Himself known, allows Himself to manifest Himself to Man in many ways. God has created nature for us, that we may find our own divinity. It is like playing ‘hide and seek’. Being the omnipresent Lord, He hides everywhere. Candidly we look for Him outside of ourselves, as we mature spiritually we look within, in our own hearts. There we find our true self, our divine self, our self…. free of all egoism.

The knowledge of God is immanent in all the experiences of life.

In so many ways the Lord allows himself to be recognised by man. Unquestionably, the greatest of all is when he takes the form of man, embodies as Avatar, as God-man and walks amid us. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us that this occurs when civilisation suffers a spiritual and moral downfall, to the point that darkness befalls us. The Lord comes to the world as a divine light, loving and enlightening, and he enables us to recognise the outstanding characteristics of true humanity, of nobility, of character, of excellence. He manifests himself in the universal human values; Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema, Ahimsa; truth, right conduct, peace, love and non-violence.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai has embodied for this purpose. Contemplate and rejoice! The lamb and the lion of God are amidst us!!!!!

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, our Beloved Sai, is merciful and compassionate, peaceable and loving. He is the Lamb of God.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, our beloved Swami, is all powerful, omniscient, omnipotent. He is the lion of God.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, our beloved Swami, is the divine synthesis of sweetness and strength, of innocence and of knowledge, of attainability and of invulnerability. 

He is both the lamb and the lion of God.

Frequently, through the years, many people have asked why I travel to India, being so far away and so often. Before answering the question, I contemplate my experiences with Swami in the last 25 years and I ask myself the same questions, which I have just mentioned.

Who among men, knows all that we have thought, felt, said, done and also dreamt?

Who among men, is not limited by the law of time and space, nor matter nor energy, as our scarce knowledge allows us to understand God’s creation?

Who among men can comfort the ignorant, or the suffering, with a look, a smile, a simple touch and so many other imperceptible ways?

Who among men has given his life for the good of humanity so magnanimously, and so free of all egoism, always giving and forgiving, never taking and forgetting?

Who among men spontaneously speaks the eternal truth with fundamental authority?

Who among men can inspire the pure and innocent love of a child in the hardest and most cynical of hearts?

According to my experience, Sathya Sai Baba does all of these things. For me, that confirms His Divinity. Ironically, Swami himself has said that only an idiot goes out into the world to look for God, because God resides in the heart of every man and woman. So, perhaps I have made so many journeys to India because of stubbornness and being hardhearted.

But I feel a great unprecedented love and rejoicing, when I am in the presence of Sathya Sai Baba.

The life of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba demonstrates Divinity and inspires our own spiritual transformation.

The message of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba teaches us the nature and paths of Divinity and inspires us to look for the spiritual purpose of life.

The work of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba exemplifies the omnipotence of Divinity and inspires us to emulate Him to transcend our imagined limitations.

The nature of God and man, our purpose and our plan and time, time, time.

A Discourse for Devotees by Michael Goldstein M.D. – A Divine Reflection On Faith And Sai Service

A Discourse for Devotees by Michael Goldstein M.D. is a meaningful spiritual theme that reminds us of the importance of devotion, discipline, service, and inner transformation in the Sai path. A discourse for devotees is not meant only to give information. It is meant to awaken the heart, strengthen faith, and inspire sincere practice in daily life.

In spiritual life, listening has great value. When devotees listen with humility, even a simple message can become a guiding light. The words of sincere speakers, elders, and dedicated servants can help seekers understand the teachings of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba more deeply. But listening alone is not enough. The message must be absorbed, reflected upon, and practiced.

A Discourse for Devotees by Michael Goldstein M.D. teaches that devotion should never remain only emotional. True devotion becomes visible through character. If love for Swami is real, it should make a person more truthful, patient, compassionate, and selfless. Singing bhajans, attending programs, and speaking about spirituality become meaningful only when they lead to better conduct.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba always emphasized love all, serve all and help ever, hurt never. These teachings are simple, but they require sincere effort. A devotee must practice them at home, at work, in society, and even during difficult situations. Love is not only a feeling; it is a way of thinking, speaking, serving, and forgiving.

A Discourse for Devotees by Michael Goldstein M.D. also reminds us that Sai service is a sacred opportunity. Service should not be done for name, position, praise, or recognition. It should be performed as worship. When food is offered to the hungry, medicine to the sick, education to children, or comfort to the sad, the devotee is serving God present in those forms.

Faith is another important part of the Sai path. Faith does not mean that life will always be easy. It means that the devotee feels Swami’s presence even during difficulty. Problems may come, but faith gives strength. Delay may come, but faith gives patience. Pain may come, but faith gives courage to continue with prayer and right action.

A Discourse for Devotees by Michael Goldstein M.D. can inspire devotees to examine themselves honestly. It is easy to admire Swami’s teachings, but harder to live them. We may speak about love but still become angry. We may praise humility but still seek importance. We may talk about service but still hold ego. Self-examination helps us see where transformation is needed.

The role of a devotee is not to judge others, but to improve oneself. Spiritual groups become strong when members practice unity, respect, and cooperation. If jealousy, criticism, and ego enter devotional work, the sacred atmosphere becomes disturbed. A true devotee protects harmony through patience, understanding, and forgiveness.

A Discourse for Devotees by Michael Goldstein M.D. also points toward the importance of discipline. Regular prayer, bhajan, study, silence, and service purify the mind. Discipline does not make devotion dry; it makes devotion steady. Without discipline, enthusiasm may rise and fall. With discipline, spiritual practice becomes a strong foundation.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba taught that the real temple is the heart. A clean heart is more important than outer display. A devotee should remove negative qualities such as anger, pride, greed, jealousy, and selfishness. These are the real impurities. When the heart becomes pure, every place becomes holy and every action becomes worship.

A Discourse for Devotees by Michael Goldstein M.D. becomes especially meaningful when it encourages unity of thought, word, and deed. Many people think one thing, say another, and do something else. This creates inner weakness. Swami taught that harmony in thought, word, and deed is true righteousness. A sincere devotee tries to live with honesty and consistency.

Devotion should also bring humility. The more one serves, the more humble one should become. Spiritual knowledge should not create pride. Service should not create superiority. Leadership should not create control. Everything belongs to God, and every opportunity to serve is His grace. This understanding keeps the heart pure.

A Discourse for Devotees by Michael Goldstein M.D. finally reminds us that the Sai path is a path of transformation through love. The goal is not only to feel devotion during special programs, but to become loving in every moment. A devotee should carry Swami’s message into family life, professional life, social life, and personal thoughts.

In the end, the true value of any spiritual discourse is seen in the change it creates within us. If the message makes us kinder, calmer, more truthful, and more willing to serve, then it has fulfilled its purpose. Devotion becomes complete when listening turns into practice, practice turns into transformation, and transformation becomes a life dedicated to divine love and selfless service.

A Conversation with Sri Sathya Sai Baba