Real Sacrifice…

Real Sacrifice…

You must give up your selfishness and strive to please The Lord in Whom you have faith by dedicating your lives to the service of The Divine. The whole universe is permeated by The Divine. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and all knowing. Be conscious that He is not confined to any place. He is everywhere and in everything including your body…exhorts Bhagawan to students illustrating what is real sacrifice through a story from the time of Lord Buddha.

Buddha was once asked: “Who is the richest man in the world?” Buddha replied: “He who has much satisfaction (with what he has) is the richest man.” To the question, “Who is the poorest man?” Buddha replied: “He who has many desires.”

A Maharaja, who was listening to Buddha’s sermons on contentment and renunciation, wished to earn the approbation of Buddha.

Buddha used to keep with him always a rattle-drum. His disciples once asked him: “Master! Why are you always keeping this rattle-drum by your side?” Buddha replied: “I shall play on this drum the day a person who has made the greatest sacrifice approaches me.” Everyone was eager to know who this person would be. Such persons are often the forgotten men of history.

Wishing to attain this distinction, the Maharaja loaded his elephants with considerable treasure and went to Buddha. He hoped to offer the treasure to Buddha and earn his praise.

On the way, an old woman greeted the Maharaja and pleaded: “I am hungry. Will you give me some food?” The Maharaja took out a pomegranate fruit from his palanquin and gave it to her. The old woman came to Buddha with the fruit.

By then, the Maharaja had also come to Buddha and was eagerly waiting to see when Buddha would sound the rattle-drum. For a long time Buddha did not use it. The Maharaja stayed on.

The old woman approached Buddha, staggering on her legs, and offered to him the pomegranate fruit. Buddha took it and immediately sounded the little-drum.

The Maharaja asked Buddha: “I offered so much wealth to you. You did not sound the drum. But you rattled it after receiving a small fruit. Is this a great sacrifice?”

Buddha replied: “Maharaja! In sacrifice, it is not quantity that counts. It is the quality of sacrifice that matters. It is natural for a Maharaja to offer gold. But what great sacrifice is made when a hungry old woman offers the pomegranate fruit to the Guru despite her hunger. She did not care even for her life and gave the fruit. What greater sacrifice can there be? It is not sacrifice to offer what is superfluous for you. True sacrifice means giving up that which is most dear to you, that which you value most.”

Students! You must give up your selfishness and strive to please the Lord in Whom you have faith by dedicating your lives to the service of The Divine. The whole universe is permeated by The Divine. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and all knowing. Be conscious that He is not confined to any place. He is everywhere and in everything including your body. He cannot be seen by dissecting the body. But when the mind is directed towards God He can be experienced. The men who landed on the moon declared they did not find God there. God cannot be found through machines (Yantras). He can be experienced through Mantras.

Real Sacrifice – A Sacred Path Of Love, Duty, And Selflessness

Real Sacrifice is not merely giving up something outwardly; it is the offering of ego, selfishness, pride, and attachment at the feet of God. Many people think sacrifice means losing comfort, money, time, or possessions. But in the deeper spiritual sense, sacrifice means giving with love, serving without expectation, and choosing what is right over what is easy.

Human life becomes noble when it moves beyond selfish desires. If a person lives only for personal pleasure, praise, and profit, the heart becomes narrow. But when life is used to bring comfort, hope, and peace to others, it becomes sacred. Sacrifice expands the heart and makes it more sensitive to the needs of the world.

Real Sacrifice teaches that the value of an offering depends on purity of intention. A person may give a large donation but secretly desire fame and recognition. Another person may quietly share a little food, time, or kindness with deep love. In the eyes of God, the second offering may carry greater spiritual fragrance because it is free from ego.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba often emphasized selfless service as an expression of divine love. Service becomes pure when there is no pride, no demand, and no feeling of superiority. The giver should not think, “I am helping others.” Instead, the devotee should feel, “God has given me a chance to serve Him through His creation.”

Real Sacrifice becomes meaningful when we are willing to give up our lower tendencies. Giving money may be easier than giving up anger. Offering flowers may be easier than offering pride. Visiting holy places may be easier than forgiving someone. The greatest sacrifice is often the quiet surrender of inner weaknesses.

A mother caring for her child, a teacher shaping students with patience, a worker doing duty honestly, a soldier protecting the nation, and a devotee serving the poor all show different forms of sacrifice. Their actions become sacred when guided by love, duty, and sincerity rather than selfish gain.

Real Sacrifice also reminds us that sacrifice should not be done with sadness or complaint. If we give but constantly remind others of what we have given, the purity reduces. True sacrifice is joyful because it comes from love. A flower gives fragrance without complaint, and a tree gives shade without demanding praise.

Sometimes sacrifice means controlling speech. Instead of speaking harshly, we sacrifice anger. Instead of spreading gossip, we sacrifice negative pleasure. Instead of proving ourselves right in every argument, we sacrifice ego for peace. These small sacrifices can save relationships and purify the heart.

Real Sacrifice finally teaches that duty itself can become an offering. When we perform our responsibilities sincerely, even when no one appreciates us, we are practicing sacrifice. When we choose honesty despite difficulty, patience despite provocation, and service despite tiredness, we rise above selfish comfort.

Prayer, namasmarana, bhajan, meditation, and seva strengthen the spirit of sacrifice. Prayer gives humility, the divine name purifies desire, bhajan fills the heart with devotion, meditation gives self-control, and seva removes selfishness. These practices help us give without pride and serve without expectation.

A devotee should also sacrifice unnecessary wants. Much suffering comes from endless desire. People want more praise, more possessions, more comfort, and more control. But peace grows when desires are reduced and gratitude is increased. Simplicity is a beautiful sacrifice because it frees the mind from greed.

Sacrifice does not mean neglecting wisdom. One should serve with love, but also with discrimination. Giving should uplift, not encourage wrong habits. Helping others should be guided by compassion and clarity. A balanced heart knows how to give sincerely without becoming careless or proud.

The highest sacrifice is surrender to God’s will. The ego wants everything according to its own plan. Devotion says, “Lord, I will do my duty and accept Your guidance.” This surrender brings peace because the burden of control becomes lighter. The devotee begins to trust that God knows what is best.

In the end, Real Sacrifice is a sacred reminder that life becomes beautiful when it is lived for love, duty, and service. It asks us to offer ego, selfishness, anger, greed, and pride to the Divine. When sacrifice is filled with humility and devotion, the heart becomes pure, life becomes meaningful, and every action becomes blessed by God’s grace.

Sai’s ‘Visiting Card’ in Pune…