Our Offering The Bhagavad-Gita (IX, 26) says, `Offer Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, a drop of water; that is enough.’ But Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba does not ask even these things. He says that there is no use in offering God leaves that fade, flowers that crumple, fruits that rot, and water that becomes foul. Give Me your heart, pure and full of devotion, He says. He calls to Him those whom He has chosen and teaches them this great lesson—offer unto God the pure heart filled with devotion. If you think that you have come here, to Prasanthi Nilayam, to have His darshan [seeing Him] you are mistaken; He has chosen you and brought you here. God wants you to come here and so you have come. If we must find out what exactly we have to offer to Bhagavan, we can know it well by examining the career of Mhalasapathi, who served Baba in His previous body at Shirdi. He was an ignorant villager with no pretensions to wealth or learning. He was the first to welcome Sai Baba when He reached Shirdi with the marriage party of Chand Patil. The carts of the party were loosened in the open space before Khandoba’s Temple, and one by one the members of the party got down from the carts. When Baba got down, Mhalasapathi saw Him; he said Ya Sai (Welcome, O Sai). Thence­forth He was known as Sai Baba; Baba adopted that name. He was sleeping with Baba at Dwarakamayi until the Mahasamadhi. He was such a great devotee of Baba that Baba called him by that very rare appellation, bhakta [devotee]—bhagat! This dasya bhava [attitude of servitude] is the attitude we should have toward Bhagavan; that is the best. He loves us beyond description by words; one glance from His eye is enough to make us happy forever. We who are less than the dust of His feet, He deigns to call near Him and use for His purpose and Mission. Mhalasapathi was very poor; Baba often used to ask him, “There are many rich people coming here; I shall tell them to give you money so that you can be rid of this trouble.” But every time Mhalasapathi refused to take anything. He wanted only Baba’s grace and the chance to serve Baba. Leave everything to Bhagavan, He knows best, He will give us what we deserve and what His grace can win for us. Four years after Baba left, Mhalasapathi passed away on one Ekadasi Day, with the words Sai Sai on his lips, supremely peaceful and happy. That is the life we should emulate; that is the bhava [attitude] we must cultivate. May Bhagavan endow us with the discrimination to elect this path and stick to it through to the very Goal. ~From Speech by K. P. Mukunda Prabhu, Prasanthi Nilayam 28/8/67Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Sept. 1967 Be humble, so that you can escape the fury of the passions and the emotions. A tree that holds its head high is torn down by the raging floods; but a reed bends low when the flood swirls around it and so it survives the fury of the waters. Man must learn to be egoless and humble. ~Baba

Pioneers! Let me make it clear, at the very outset, that I have not come here as Minister of External Affairs. I have come as a jijnasu, a seeker, an aspirant eager to learn the ulti­mate Truth. I cannot call myself a devotee, for I have yet to acquire devotion. I will continue to be a jijnasu as long as I live. We all ask questions to ourselves. One of them is: “What exactly do we want to achieve in life? Is it wealth or fame or a position of power?” I know many wealthy people, but they are not happy. They have money and money can purchase medicine. But money does not give them health. This does not mean that we should give up the world. As men con­cerned with the world, we need money to keep body and soul together. But money cannot be the ultimate goal of life. I find many Americans here before me. Theirs is a land of plenty. It can be called the Kubera bhoomi [the land of the Lord of demigods] but the people are not happy, for happiness comes not from the accumulation of external objects or skills but from within. Of course, it is very easy to say that we have to seek happiness from within ourselves, but this is a very difficult process. I have power, position, and a little name. But some­times, when I am alone, I feel I am groping in the dark. Every person craves for light. The student participant from Chandigarh who spoke just now of his experiences in this Summer Camp spoke of knowledge gained and wisdom earned. This is really a tapo­van, a hermitage, and not merely a spiritual ‘camp’. This institution is not just a stru­cture erected from brick and mortar. Re­ally, it is the wisdom gained by the spirit that matters. We Indians are very good as individuals. We shine as good doctors, wonderful engi­neers, and experts in many fields. But when we come together, we are a crowd not a community. The community spirit is the result of the fellow‑feeling and compassion—quali­ties of the spirit. Ours is a multi‑lingual country. But we are all sons and daughters of the one Mother, India. When we come together we speak in many languages, but they are all the languages of our Motherland. The language may be different but the trend of thought, the bhava [feeling], is the same, for it is based on the deep‑rooted traditions of our country. We all aspire for self-realization, but the problem is to how to set about it. It is a crucial question. As soon as we see a ray of hope, there appear dark clouds on the hori­zon to overwhelm the ray. The world is now in a very tense situation. Humanity is on the crossroad. The choice before it is no longer between cooperation and confrontation; it is, as President Carter said, between survival and annihilation. We are in the very brink of disaster. Now, who will save humanity? Certainly not the poli­ticians as we know them. Politicians guided by dharma[righteousness] can. ‘Dharanath Dharmam Ithyahu—The source of money is the world’ I wish Swami would arrange a course on dharma for politicians. I wish I could be one of the fortunate few who could be the disciples of Swami. I would be the first to join such a training class. I am really fed up with this race for position and fame. Prahlada prayed: Na thwaham Kamaye RajyamNa Swargam na punarbhavamKamaye dukha thapthaanaamPraninaam aarthi naasanam. I do not desire a kingdom, or heaven or birth in superior lives; I desire only to serve the distressed. That is the goal we have to set before ourselves As the student said just now, quoting Swamiji, “If there is love in the home, there is peace in the society; if there is peace in the society, there is peace in the nation; If there is peace in the nation, there is peace in the world.” We must be careful to see that the spiritual battery is charged, if we cannot do the better thing, to have self-­charging batteries. With the blessings of Swamiji, that stage will be acquired. The darkness that threatens can be dis­pelled, for this country is destined to become great. We have a mission; we can show the way to the world, provided we ourselves go that way. The Summer Course on Indian Culture and Spirituality must have impressed on you­ the new generation that it is dharmathat matters and not just the accumulation of degrees and diplomas. These may help you to earn money; but they cannot bring peace. Under the inspiring leadership and guidance, the molding of new generation on right lines, is already on. You are the pioneers. Take the message of love, com­passion, and fellow‑feeling to every part of the country. Source: Sanathana Sarathi, July 1978 Peace is the most priceless possession of man. It is the sign of a virtuous character, a willingness for service, a readiness to renounce, a clean spirit of resignation, and awareness of the evanescence of the material wealth, of an agitation‑less lake of joy in the heart. —Baba

Peace Through Seva B. Dato’ Lew Sip, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Malaysia, in his speech at the Sadhana Camp in Port Dickson, Malaysia, spoke about the Sai Baba followers serving the community selflessly and how it is beneficial in the present world. Let me tell you how I came to know of Sai Baba. I was informed that a certain group of public‑spirited people were operating a weekly free medical clinic in a squatter area in my constituency. This is a transit long‑house area built to resettle illegal squatters. There was no publicity when this medical service was launched. I came to know about it quite by chance. This episode brought several facts to my attention: (1) Devotees of Sai Baba inclu­ded Malaysians of diverse racial groups and they belonged to different religions. The organizer is a Hindu, the Doctor is a staunch Catholic, the people they serve are Malays, Indians, and Muslims. (2) This self­less service was being done without any de­sire for publicity. (3) The devotees of Sai Baba are those who have firm belief in God; they continue to pursue the religion of their choice or origin, they dedicate themselves to the service of mankind, regardless of race, religion, or creed. In a multi‑racial country like Malaysia, where we have Malaysians of Malay, Chi­nese, and Indian origins, and where we have virtually all the major religions of the world, this attitude of service to mankind regard­less of race or religion is most laudable. If all the devotees of Sai Baba in Malaysia dedicate themselves to such services in villages, hospitals, old folk homes, orpha­nages, etc., they will, I am sure, create a tremendous impact on the nation. I cannot see a better way to instill Muhibbah or Goodwill that has been the call of this government than by the type of service that I believe all of you are prepared to dedicate yourselves to. I am amazed to find that increasing num­bers of Malaysian Chinese are becoming devotees of Sai Baba. I understand that hundreds of Malaysian Chinese who, in the past would have no thought of visiting India have, in fact, gone to India to visit Sai Baba. Malaysian Chinese are also here in this Camp. They have come from Kuantan, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and other parts of Malaysia. I am informed that in the tem­ple of Kuan‑ti in Kuantan, classes are held for about 150 children by the devotees of Sai Baba, where they are taught religion and morality and spiritual and devo­tional songs. As you are aware, in Malay­sia the government has declared Belief in God as one of the tenets of the Rukun Negara or as one of the pillars of national life. If the youngsters of this country are able to turn to God and become aware of religion, spirituality, and morality, there can be no better bulwark against Communism and Communalism and against the growing tide of Drug Culture and other aspects of Western influence. If the Sai Baba movement in this country can bring people close to the religion of their own choice, if the movement can make people more conscious of God and their obligations, duties and responsibilities to their parents, their family, their schools, their state and their nation, then this move­ment will have done a great service to this country. I have been told that Sai Baba is a phenomenal force in the world today and that there are devotees of Sai Baba in virtually every country in the free world. I have also heard about various miracles happening in His personal presence and in the homes of devotees thousands of miles away from where He is located. Religion has always been a source of inspiration to man to bring him along the path of righteousness and goodness. How­ever, in modern society religion is losing its hold, especially on the youngsters. Fast living is becoming a new religion. This has brought untold suffering to families. Parents who have dedicated their lives to the children find that they become liabilities, rather than assets. Religion is most im­portant today not only for youngsters, but also for elders caught up in the rat‑race for living. Modern man can accumulate knowledge, power, and prestige, but the one thing he cannot buy or acquire from others is inter­nal peace. Internal peace is becoming a rare commodity today. The fact that wealth itself is not the answer to this problem is evident from the increasing number of suicides taking place all over the world. The fact that power and prestige are tran­sient phenomena is evident from events taking place all around us. For man to acquire internal peace, the path of spirit­uality, morality, and God is vital. Many of us make the mistake of not bothering to give time to prayers, for religion, for God and for selfless service. However, if this is the message of Sai Baba and if all Sai Baba devotees dedicate them­selves to tread the path of spirituality, along the religion of their choice, and if they perform selfless service to their fellowmen, I am sure they will find the internal peace that they desire, while giving comfort and joy to others at the same time. Source: Sanathana Sarathi, Oct/Nov 1980

Divinely Supreme Miracle Bhagavan reached Goa via Dharwar at 10 P.M. on the 7th of December and was received at the Cabo Raj Nivas [house] by the Lt. Governor Sri Nakul Sen I. C. S. and family. That very night, He took over in His infinite compassion the attack of acute appendicitis that a devotee was about to suffer from; expert physicians opined that could not be cured without an immediate surgery. On the 10th evening, however, when Bhagavan gave a long discourse during the Bhajan Session at Raj Nivas, He was perfectly normal, cheerful, and in good health (as the P. T. I. correspondent reported). His recovery within a couple of days without any surgical treatment was, as observed by the U. N. I. correspondent at Panaji (Goa), ‘considered a miracle not only by laymen but also by the expert physicians who attended on Him’! The speech that was delivered by the Lt. Governor on the 10th, in the Divine Presence of Bhagavan (who had cast off the malignant and painful illness that He had taken on), will give the reader some idea of the Divine Mercy, Grand Power, of Baba. Sri Nakul Sen said, “Bhagavan Shri Swami Sathya Sai Baba and Brothers, Sisters, and Children of Goa. It is our supreme good fortune that we find Divinity present amidst us today. I need not say how this has come about. To tell you who Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba is will be like showing candlelight to the midday sun. The inhabitants of Goa are indeed fortunate that Bhagavan Himself has come here and blessed them with His darshan. As we look back at the history of Goa, we feel em­boldened to lay a special claim for Bhagavan’s darshan and blessings. This will make you curious why I have said so. I do not have to remind you that Goa is an ancient land; Goa is a sacred land; Goa is a land of the Rishis [sages]. It is the land originally inhabited by Maharishi Parasuram and his devotees called Saraswat Brahmins. When they came to Goa, they found its beauty and landscape enchanting, but they could not locate any level ground where they could settle down with their cows whom they had brought with them from the North. Varuna, the Lord of the Oceans, welcomed Maharshi Parasuram and made the sea recede from that much of the area that was required by the Maharshi and his followers for the settlement and the cows for their pasture lands. As the sea receded, the cows in utter ecstasy ran toward it and that is how this land came to be called Gomant, that is the land’s end to which the cows could go. All Goans are the descendants of Maharshi Parasuram, and it is the result of their good deeds (punya karma) spread over many lives that Bhagavan Himself has come here to give darshan to them. “Goa is also the land of Lord Shiva, who lived on the Sahyadri Mountains. He had infinite love for His divine consort, Bhagwati Parvati, and for Her pleasure created through His sankalpa two rivers—the present day Mandovi and the Zuari, which are the counterpart of the holy Ganges in the North. The ancient names of these two rivers are Mahadevi and Aghanashini. They keep alive for all time to come the sacred memory of Lord Shiva and Bhagwati Parvati. Ever reminding us of them, they flow down the Sahyadri ranges through the entire territory of Goa, rapidly moving over the falls and leisurely sauntering over the planes before finally merging into the Indian Ocean. Both these rivers are very happy today—they are in ecstasy! They are humming divine songs of infinite sweetness. Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear can participate in their joy. Their happiness is boundless and is emerging from the consciousness that their creator, Lord Shiva, has come to Goa today in the form of Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba to meet and bless them. It is a widely known fact that in the present times, Shiva Shakti is finding its expression through Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba, who is the Physical manifestation. There is yet another reason why Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba has blessed us with His visit. Those who have read the story of Lord Krishna know fully well that He and His elder brother, Shri Balaram, visited Goa in the early years of their life and stayed here for over two years. They were chased by Emperor Jarasandha of Magada, who was defeated by them in a spectacular hand-to-hand fight on the soil of Goa itself. Shri Balarama would have killed him, but Lord Krishna had already ordained his death at the hands of Bhima and, therefore, Shri Balarama could not be allowed to kill him. It is from Goa that while leaving this beautiful land Lord Krishna took the Garuda Dhwaja that was so dear to Him, and which remained with Him all his life. Lord Krishna loved Gomant. No wonder he decided to visit this ancient and sacred land again in the form of Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba. The sole object of my saying all that I have said is that both historically and spiritually the Goans are like children of Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba and can, therefore, rightly lay a claim on Him. He has loved Goa in His previous incarnations and Goa continues to be dear to Him even now. Bhagavan lives in the inner recesses of the hearts of His devotees and there is nothing that He would not do for them. Those who have read His life story or have had the good fortune of remaining in contact with Him over a period are aware of His breath‑taking and unaccountable leelas and mahimas. He has simultaneously appear­ed in His present form at different places to help His bhaktas in distress or impending calamity and saved them from it. He has assumed through His will (sankalpa), illness of His bhaktas and suffered it for them, because otherwise they would have been just overpowered by it. We have been the

Divinely Supreme Miracle Bhagavan reached Goa via Dharwar at 10 P.M. on the 7th of December and was received at the Cabo Raj Nivas [house] by the Lt. Governor Sri Nakul Sen I. C. S. and family. That very night, He took over in His infinite compassion the attack of acute appendicitis that a devotee was about to suffer from; expert physicians opined that could not be cured without an immediate surgery. On the 10th evening, however, when Bhagavan gave a long discourse during the Bhajan Session at Raj Nivas, He was perfectly normal, cheerful, and in good health (as the P. T. I. correspondent reported). His recovery within a couple of days without any surgical treatment was, as observed by the U. N. I. correspondent at Panaji (Goa), ‘considered a miracle not only by laymen but also by the expert physicians who attended on Him’!  The speech that was delivered by the Lt. Governor on the 10th, in the Divine Presence of Bhagavan (who had cast off the malignant and painful illness that He had taken on), will give the reader some idea of the Divine Mercy, Grand Power, of Baba. Sri Nakul Sen said, “Bhagavan Shri Swami Sathya Sai Baba and Brothers, Sisters, and Children of Goa. It is our supreme good fortune that we find Divinity present amidst us today. I need not say how this has come about. To tell you who Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba is will be like showing candlelight to the midday sun. The inhabitants of Goa are indeed fortunate that Bhagavan Himself has come here and blessed them with His darshan. As we look back at the history of Goa, we feel em­boldened to lay a special claim for Bhagavan’s darshan and blessings. This will make you curious why I have said so. not have to remind you that Goa is an ancient land; Goa is a sacred land; Goa is a land of the Rishis [sages]. It is the land originally inhabited by Maharishi Parasuram and his devotees called Saraswat Brahmins. When they came to Goa, they found its beauty and landscape enchanting, but they could not locate any level ground where they could settle down with their cows whom they had brought with them from the North. Varuna, the Lord of the Oceans, welcomed Maharshi Parasuram and made the sea recede from that much of the area that was required by the Maharshi and his followers for the settlement and the cows for their pasture lands. As the sea receded, the cows in utter ecstasy ran toward it and that is how this land came to be called Gomant, that is the land’s end to which the cows could go. All Goans are the descendants of Maharshi Parasuram, and it is the result of their good deeds (punya karma) spread over many lives that Bhagavan Himself has come here to give darshan to them. “Goa is also the land of Lord Shiva, who lived on the Sahyadri Mountains. He had infinite love for His divine consort, Bhagwati Parvati, and for Her pleasure created through His sankalpa two rivers—the present day Mandovi and the Zuari, which are the counterpart of the holy Ganges in the North. The ancient names of these two rivers are Mahadevi and Aghanashini. They keep alive for all time to come the sacred memory of Lord Shiva and Bhagwati Parvati. Ever reminding us of them, they flow down the Sahyadri ranges through the entire territory of Goa, rapidly moving over the falls and leisurely sauntering over the planes before finally merging into the Indian Ocean. Both these rivers are very happy today—they are in ecstasy! They are humming divine songs of infinite sweetness. Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear can participate in their joy. Their happiness is boundless and is emerging from the consciousness that their creator, Lord Shiva, has come to Goa today in the form of Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba to meet and bless them. It is a widely known fact that in the present times, Shiva Shakti is finding its expression through Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba, who is the Physical manifestation. There is yet another reason why Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba has blessed us with His visit. Those who have read the story of Lord Krishna know fully well that He and His elder brother, Shri Balaram, visited Goa in the early years of their life and stayed here for over two years. They were chased by Emperor Jarasandha of Magada, who was defeated by them in a spectacular hand-to-hand fight on the soil of Goa itself. Shri Balarama would have killed him, but Lord Krishna had already ordained his death at the hands of Bhima and, therefore, Shri Balarama could not be allowed to kill him. It is from Goa that while leaving this beautiful land Lord Krishna took the Garuda Dhwaja that was so dear to Him, and which remained with Him all his life. Lord Krishna loved Gomant. No wonder he decided to visit this ancient and sacred land again in the form of Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba. The sole object of my saying all that I have said is that both historically and spiritually the Goans are like children of Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba and can, therefore, rightly lay a claim on Him. He has loved Goa in His previous incarnations and Goa continues to be dear to Him even now. Bhagavan lives in the inner recesses of the hearts of His devotees and there is nothing that He would not do for them. Those who have read His life story or have had the good fortune of remaining in contact with Him over a period are aware of His breath‑taking and unaccountable leelas and mahimas. He has simultaneously appear­ed in His present form at different places to help His bhaktas in distress or impending calamity and saved them from it. He has assumed through His will (sankalpa), illness of His bhaktas and suffered it for them, because otherwise they would have been just overpowered by it. We have been the witnesses of