A teaching from Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Dear devotee, your hands are very small, but with these little hands you are trying to serve me. Your eyes are very small, but my creation is enormous. With your two little eyes you are trying to see the whole vast universe. Your ears are very small, but with these two small ears you are trying to follow my words. With your two little feet you are attempting to come towards me. Merely serving me with your two little hands will not achieve very much. Merely looking at my vast world with your two little eyes will also not be of much use. Merely listening to my divine words through your two little ears will not get you very far, and merely coming into my presence with your two little feet will also not fully serve your purpose.

But there is one thing that you can do, which will have a great impact, which will produce a truly significant effect; that is to install me permanently in your heart. Once you bring me into your heart, then those other activities will not seem very important. Whatever form of worship you engage in, using your eyes, your ears, your hands and your feet only serves to control the mind, but when you invite the Lord to enter your heart, then control of the mind and the senses becomes very easy. The mind and the senses will become still on their own. There will be no need for any special effort to be made in order to sacrifice the fruits of your actions. Lord Krishna said, “Once you start thinking and indulging only in thoughts of me, then all the rest will be taken care of by me automatically.” To achieve this state you must develop a resolve and an unshakeable faith in the ever-present Lord residing in your own heart.

Wake up my children! Wake up to the dawn of knowledge, wake up to your divine duties, wake up to your divine rights and wake up to your divine reality. Engage in action, but all the while remembering the Lord’s name. You should always keep this goal before you and strive to attain it. Due to silent sitting an expansion of energy takes place within you. This is Man’s electric power. The current of the human body is will power. You should be careful how you use this energy. By talking too much, you are wasting a lot of energy. This leads to a loss of memory power. Silent sitting does not mean merely keeping your mouths shut. You should exert control over your thoughts. The brain should get full rest. By rest, in this context, I mean a change of activity, for example, after studies you can engage yourself in manual labour or in singing bhajans. Whatever you study, study with full concentration. Above all, respect God, Who is your protector.

The first and foremost duty of children is to make their parents happy. It is because of our parents and their sacrifices that we possess our bodies. Even after growing up, we should never forget our duty towards our parents. We should always be proud of our parents, and show respect and love towards them. If we love and respect our parents today, then we can expect the same treatment from our children tomorrow. God pervades the whole universe. Self-confidence is the foundation of life. To realize the core of divinity, expand your love.

This has to be cultivated right from a tender age. If the sapling is straight, then the tree will grow straight. If human values are not developed in childhood, then that person will remain devoid of human values in adulthood. A child should be taught the 3Ds – Duty, Discipline and Devotion.  Duty is God, Devotion and Discipline are the two bodyguards. Children are the makers of the future. If their life is good, then they will be good citizens of a good country. Ego comes due to ignorance. The causes of Ego are status, wealth, knowledge and material possessions; these come and go. Money comes and goes, but morality comes and grows.

Fill your hearts with love, and then the whole world will be full of love. Where there is love there is happiness. If you commit a mistake due to ignorance, then resort to prayer. Prayer unites two people, Man and God, into one. Prayer elevates you and helps you to abandon the evil path. Inculcation of human values (love, peace, righteousness, truth and non-violence) is the true education. The hallmark of a true education is humility. Discipline your life by practicing the human values. Take to the good path. Try and guide those who have gone astray, lovingly, onto the correct path. First endeavour to improve yourselves in a systematic and humble way as charity begins at home. Light the lamp of knowledge within yourself. By transforming yourselves the effect will spread far and wide. Remember the minute that has fled is no longer yours; the minute that is approaching cannot be counted as yours; the minute that is with you, this alone is truly yours. Make the best use of it, for it may be your last.