Being Near and Dear to God… Whatever a man sees in the world arouses fear in him. Detachment alone can free him from fear. Failing to grasp this profound truth, man is allowing his desires to multiply, without realising that desires promote attachment instead of detachment. As long as man is attached to the body, he cannot get over the desire to possess the objects that attract him. A man afflicted with the acquisitive impulse can never get rid of worries. To overcome this attachment and possessiveness, ancient sages tailored their educational system so that it promoted self-control. Self-control also developed humility and thus, humility became the true index of right education. Control of the senses is absolutely essential for achieving humility, and education must promote such control. Today’s educational system is concerned mostly with imparting bookish knowledge, and students seek education only as a means for earning a living. This link between education and employment has to be severed, and education must instead be transformed into the process of acquiring True Wisdom. In life, there are two aspects that have to be considered, rights and duties. Most people are concerned only with their rights and engage in struggles to secure them. Seldom do they recognise their responsibilities. This is true of all fields of human activity – social, political, economic and even spiritual. Lack of self-control is responsible for all this. Men should regard their senses as potential enemies and not allow senses to have their own way. They should be subject to one’s control and direction. What is the easiest way to achieve this mastery? Only the spiritual path. If there is real faith and devotion in man, the senses would be powerless against him. It is the decline in faith and devotion that has led man to become a slave of the senses. The prompting of intellectual reasoning should not be identified with the dictates of the Conscience. Rather, the directives should come from the Heart. When you dive deep into a problem and enquire whether what you do is in the interests of your friends and Society in general, your Conscience will give you the right answer. Man is made up of three constituents, the body, the Mind and the Atma. Man needs the body for performing actions. But, if the actions are done without using the discriminating power of the Mind, man would be behaving like an animal, which acts on impulse. Moreover, if the Mind, without relying on the eternal and ever pure Atma, follows the demands of the body and the senses, the actions would be demonic. Bereft of the influence of the Atma, the combination of the Mind and the body can lead to demonic qualities. However, when one is installed in the Atmic principle, transcending the body and the Mind, one attains the Divine. Hence, sanctify all your words, thoughts and deeds. Make your Heart pure so that it becomes a worthy abode for the Divine. Excerpts from a Discourse of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

A to Z of life A Always depend on God B Bear insult, near injury C Control the tongue D Do not cheat anybody E Evil company is dangerous F Fear nothing G Give, give, give. God will Love, Love, Love H Helping others is virtue I Injury is vice J Japa is your coat of arms K Knowledge is the fruit L Live for others M Mind deceives, beware N Now is the best time to utilize O Overcome grief by liberality P Pure mind is your friend Q Quietness will lead you to progress R Recite the name of God S Speak sweetly, speak softly T To love is to Serve U Understand yourself V Virtue is the staff of life W Within you is bliss X (E)xert yourself for Good Y Your treasure is God Z Zero has no value, if not attached to a unit. So life has no value if not attached to God.

A Taste of His Teachings Baba’s teachings cover many viewpoints, and seem to primarily be a resounding, world-emboldening ‘Yes!’ to all legitimate spiritual paths and the basic truths of all religions.  Most of Baba’s teachings focus on love – love for God and for all beings – as the essential core of spirituality:  “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!”  And this Love is to be given to everyone, always, without exception: “Love all, serve all!  Help ever, hurt never!” Yet as I explored His teachings more deeply, I found that He is also a Master of advaithic philosophy, and a strong exponent of the jnana path (the path of Atmic wisdom).  “The main aim of human life is to acquire the knowledge of the Atman.  This is the true Purushartha [goal of life].  Human life will find fulfillment only if this goal is attained.”1  The various approaches are beautifully balanced in His discourses, with devotion and Atmic abidance given equal importance. Baba also stresses the practice of what He calls the five primary human values, namely, Love, Truth, Peace, Righteousness, and Non-violence.  In many of His discourses He asks us to dedicate all our actions to God and live in tireless selfless service to humanity.  He also lays importance on the practice of kindness, and the use of sweet speech under all circumstances, saying, “You cannot always oblige; but you can always speak obligingly.”  Baba advocates daily meditation for all, as well as repetition of God’s Names with love, devotional singing, and the practice of seeing and serving God within everyone, laying particular emphasis on continual remembrance of the Divine Reality.  “Spirituality means constant integrated awareness.” Interestingly, He does not encourage His non-Hindu devotees to become Hindus, but rather, to use His teachings to become the best Christians, Jews, Muslims or Buddhists they can be.  Many of the devotional songs sung at Baba’s ashrams contain the names of Allah, Jesus, Zaroaster, Mahavir, Moses, Guru Nanak and the Buddha, in addition to the Hindu Avatars.  It seems to be a clear a way of saying, ‘Hear, O world!  The Lord is One!’   “There is only one Religion, the Religion of Love.There is only one caste, the caste of Humanity.There is only one language, the language of the Heart.There is only one God, and He is omnipresent.” As an aid to the realization of His primary teaching – that we are God – He often recommends use of the mantra ‘So Ham’ (meaning “I am He”, or “I am God”).  He has also offered His devotees the following maha-affirmation: I am God!  I am God!  I am not different from God! I am the eternal undifferentiated Absolute! Grief and anxiety cannot effect me. I am always content.  Fear cannot enter me. I am Satchidananda!  I am pure Existence, Knowledge and Bliss. I am Omnipotent!  I am all-powerful; nothing is impossible for me! I am Omniscient! I am all-knowing;  there is nothing which is not known to me. I am Omnipresent!  I am present everywhere.  I pervade this universe! I am Krishna!  I am Christ!  I am Buddha! I am Sai!  I am Sai!  I am Sai! I am God!  I am God!  I am God! (Try saying that ten times a day, and see how fast your life changes…!)   

Answers from the Divine Guru (Compiled from various meetings with Sri Sathya Sai Baba) Question 1Why are some people born more beautiful, or more intelligent, than others are? Why does not God give everyone equal beauty, abilities and talents? Sri Sathya Sai Baba:It is not God’s partiality or fault. It is the human being who is responsible. His actions, thoughts and words are responsible for all good and bad. It is the mind that creates the differences. Pleasure is an interval between two pains. It is the way you look at things that matters. There is a vast ocean of talents and qualities. All human beings have vessels to fill. Some people, through their actions, are able to fill the vessels to the brim; some fill only half; others can fill only a quarter, or less. They possess intelligence, beauty, talents, and etceteras, according to how much they can fill their vessels. You even judge beauty these days, as in Miss India, Miss World. But, that is all physical beauty, which is transient. What is important is the beauty of the atma (Self). Question 2How are good or bad actions carried into the next birth? Sri Sathya Sai Baba:Swaasha (breath) carries the actions, for the breath stops when a person dies. The body is still there after death and we call it a corpse and burn it as useless. So, the body cannot carry anything with it, just as a flower cannot carry its fragrance. It is a breeze that wafts the scent of the flower and makes its fragrance reach you. Similarly, imagine a municipal lorry, the breeze carries the bad odour to you again! In the same manner, good and bad actions are carried by the breath and surround you in the next birth like an invisible garland. The pattern of your life is then governed by what the garland has good or bad scent. That is why man must understand that everything he does has a reaction, a reverberation and a reflection. It is he who writes his own destiny by his actions. It is essential for man to live a good life with good thoughts and good actions. Only through such a life can he realise the divinity in him. The concept Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahma = God) is also incorrect, since it indicates duality. Aham (I) and Brahma (God) become separate. The statement ought to he Aham Aham (I am I). Question 3Many people feel that Hindus worship countless gods. How did this happen? Sri Sathya Sai Baba:India has a wonderful religious tradition. It has something for everyone, to suit everyone’s needs. Many people do not understand this excellent idea and make derisory comments on our having too many gods. This tradition has evolved to suit the needs of different people, just as we have shirts of varying types and sizes to fit different people. With the ideal of One God, there is only one shirt and, if it does not fit or if it is unsuitable, people turn away from God. But, here, if someone likes Krishna, they can worship Krishna; others can worship Rama, or Narayana, or Shiva, or even snakes and lions! What more do you need to propagate the idea that God is in everything everywhere? That is why I often say don’t worship God as a picture, but worship the picture as God. This will slowly lead to the realization of God in you. That is where the Hindu spiritual path is practical and good. Question 4Why does not God prevent cruelties in the world? Sri Sathya Sai Baba:God is only a witness (saakshibhoota). He does not act. Man acts according to the dictates of his intellect (buddhi) and himself suffers the consequences of his actions (karma). There is neither good nor bad for God. Take the knife as an example. A murderer uses a knife to kill another man, a slaughterer uses a knife to slay animals, a surgeon uses a knife to amputate, and a cook uses a knife to chop vegetables. If a magnet is placed among all these knives, it will attract them all equally and not according to the kind of tasks they perform. God is like this magnet. All knives are the same to Him. However, the hands that wield the knives have to bear the consequences of their actions, dependent on right and wrong. Question 5When we have troubles and are in difficulties and we pray to God, why does He not take them away’? Sri Sathya Sai Baba:Troubles and difficulties are part and parcel of human life. They are the results of your karmas. There is no point in praying to God to wipe away all such troubles and difficulties. The right type of prayer would be to ask God for courage and strength to bear all the difficulties, problems and tragedy with equanimity. Question 6What is the difference between the politics of yesterday and those of today? Sri Sathya Sai Baba:The present state of affairs can be described as the state of jumps and bumps. Now, take the example of your body and limbs. Each limb is important in forming the composite whole. All the limbs joined together make up the body, which is the deha (body, person). Similarly, in the desha (country, nation), every aspect should be tended to, just as one takes care of every part of the body. Question7The view that women should not take ups Brahma vidya (spiritual knowledge), nor chants the Omkara. Is this correct? Also, in ancient times, were spiritual sadhanas (endeavours) forbidden to women? Sri Sathya Sai Baba:Brahma vidya and chitta shuddhi (spiritual knowledge and purity of consciousness) do not depend on whether a person is a man or a woman. All have an equal right to benefit from Brahma vidya provided only they are able to take it up with discipline and dedication. At no time have there been any taboos against women. Lord Vishnu (the Preserver) taught Bhu Devi (the Goddess Earth) the glory of the Bhagavad- Gita. Parameshwara (Shiva) taught Parvati the Brahma tatva (divine essence) through the Guru Gita. Ishwara (Shiva) initiated Parvati into yoga shastra and mantra shastra (science of yoga and science of mantra). The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad mentions Yajnavalkya teaching Maitreyi the Brahma vidya. So, women in ancient times were not denied the pursuit of spirituality. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad mentions Ciargi and Maitreyi hasking in the splendour of sannyasa (renunciation) and brahmacharya (celibacy, chastity). Madaalasa Chudaala and others were able to receive Brahma jnana (divine wisdom) while in the grahastha (householder, i.e. married) stage of life. Even today, there are many that belong to this vast category. It is sheer absurdity to deny women the right to earn Brahma jnana. But, in worldly matters, it is necessary for them to maintain certain limitations in the interests of dharma (righteousness) and loka kalyana (the good of the people/world). For the sake of safeguarding morality and for the

108 Quotations on Faith in God From Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s Divine Discourses    The first quality every member of the Sathya Sai Seva Organisation should have is firm faith in God. This faith must be based on the awareness that God is Omnipresent. The Divine pervades everything in the Universe. This may not be understood by everyone. Some may not agree that the Divine is Omnipresent. But whether they accept this fact or not, the truth is, evidence of the presence of God can be found wherever one turns.      Is it possible for this boundless creation to be brought into existence by man, if there had been no Divine Principle behind it? For instance, fire is latent in the branches of a tree and in the tree itself. If the branches rub against each other, they may generate a fire which could burn down the tree, branches and all. Which is the power that filled the branches with the latent fire and ensured at the same time that they did not destroy themselves by releasing that fire? Is man responsible for this? Take, again, the example of the process by which the food that we take is converted into blood. Is this the invention of any man?      It is the immanent, all-pervasive power of the Divine that reveals Itself in numerous ways. We see flowers of all kinds. Men are able to make plastic flowers of the same kind. But can any one fill the plastic flowers with the native fragrance that is got from natural flowers? This is possible only by the Divine. There is sweet water inside a tender coconut. Who poured the water inside the coconut? Was it the work of any man? No. Only the Divine can do such a thing.      Examples such as these should serve to confirm your faith in the Divine. No one can probe the mystery of the power of the Divine or grasp its infinite magnitude. If members of the Sathya Sai Organisation have no faith in the Divine, there is no purpose in their remaining in the organisation. Such persons need not join the organisation or continue in it. It is with faith that one should take up social service. Society is our primary concern. The Divine is manifest in society. – Sri Sathya Sai Baba