Living Lightly on Earth During my first trip to Prashanti Nilayam, I noticed a quote of Baba’s hanging on the dining hall wall—“Let the Universe be your teacher.” Reflections on this sentence led me to believe that Baba was instructing us to learn from the entire world surrounding us; to honor, respect and venerate this world and to live in a spirit of constant gratitude to the elements of the world. Essentially, to act towards the Universe as we would towards a Teacher or Guru. “How very strange and surprising that you never think of thanking God for all the precious things He has so graciously bestowed on you! He has placed you in this vast and wonderful Universe, providing for you fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink, Mother Earth to live on, etc…. ln short, but for the five elements created by Him, you cannot live even for a moment. Therefore, is there a greater sin than forgetting to offer your thanks to such an all-merciful God?” Summer Showers – 1990 Many of us do offer thanks with our hearts and yet with our hands we cause harm to those very same things for which we are grateful. This happens sometimes because we lack knowledge and lack awareness. Since habits are, very often, strong, we determine that care of the Universe is not so necessary. Then, we pollute the air with our cars and our factories; we ruin the rivers with our laundry detergents and our toxic wastes, we destroy Mother Earth with our farming practices and our mountains of trash. In the months to come, we would like to have a column that offers practical methods to remove our ignorance, so that we may examine our habits that harm the Earth. We would love contributions and feedback. By changing some of our habits, we will expand our ability to practice gratitude. ~Sheila Brown and June Reiber

Q & A With Hislop ln continuation of Dr. Hislop’s talk, published in the December issue of Sai Sarathi, the following are some of the questions that the audience had the opportunity to ask him after his talk. Q: Just hearing about your experiences with Baba is absolutely wonderful and you’ve already answered a lot of my questions, but I guess my burning desire is to hear about what Baba has said about animals, and our relation with them. A: Swami’s relationship with animals (if we wish to take that as a model) is that He has great compassion for animals. He very often has a small dog that He keeps. We all know about Gita, who loves Swami with all her heart. And I said to Him one time, “Swami, people say Gita was an Indian princess who took birth again to be near you.” He said, “Non-sense!” (laughter) “Pure nonsense.” He said, “Gita was never human, but she will be a human being in her next birth.” So, Swami sees animals as very little different from human beings. He says there’s nothing that doesn’t have awareness, nothing that doesn’t have life. But He is also very strict with animals. They have to behave themselves. There was a cobra living on the campus area of His ashram. And Swami told the cobra: “You can stay here, but don’t kill anything in this camp.” So, time went by and then people came to Swami and said, “Swami, the cobra ate a rat.” And Swami said, “kill it.” Just like that! So, animals also have to do their proper dharma (duty, right action). Dharma exists for animals as it does for man. At Brindavan there’s a great big compound full of deer and geese. He also has all kinds of birds. So, He’s very much aware of the animal kingdom. Q: You make a very important point about awareness, and I think I understood you to say that you could get rid of your karma by always realizing that you are awareness. Did I get that right? A: You can get rid of your karma by keeping your mind on God at all times, then everything else fades away into insignificance. Now, the Buddha’s monks also were worried about karma, and so, to a great assemblage of his monks one time, the Buddha gave this teaching: He said that your karma is like a string of beads that you are pulling behind you. They’re not following you; you are pulling the beads behind you and whenever you wish you can let loose of the string of beads and they will disappear. In the same way, at any moment, you can realize yourself that your true nature is Divinity, and everything that happens (whether karma plays itself out or not) will have nothing to do with you because you are free, you are the observer, you are the Lord. Q: If you are aware of something you are doing that might not be exactly right, does karma still accumulate, even if you realize that you are God? A: Swami says that if you engage in any evil action, you may be sure that sooner or later the consequences will follow. Now, was it due to foolishness on your part, just a stupid action, or was it a malevolent action? Swami says that intention is more important than the event itself. This is illustrated by the common story of the robber who stabs somebody and the surgeon who stabs somebody. One gets jail, the other gets rich. Q: Dr. Hislop, has Swami said anything about creation and how He created and in what order? A: Well, one time I was there, in Brindavan, and I was actually about to go home, so Swami moved His hand like that and turned His hand and there was a great big mass of sugar candy. Swami said, “Look, look! You can see the water still there changing into the sugar!” So, Swami could see it—the actual act of creation going on—the sequence: space, fire, air, water, earth. So the last two in the sequence of creation—water and earth—were demonstrated right there before us on His hand. And then another, similar situation was that long ago He made a ring for me. We were having an interview with a bunch of nuns from Amayananda, and He made a ring, and I thought He made it for the nuns who were in there. Why I was there with a bunch of nuns, I don’t know, but I was sitting there. He must have invited me in. So, then He turned and gave it to me, this ring. It was a typical Indian ring with nine different stones and the composite metal of fine metals that they use in India. So, at that time, we were staying in Bangalore. We went back to our hotel room and in the morning when I woke up, I wanted to admire the ring again, but the pearl was missing. Wasn’t there! So, my wife and I crawled under the bed and we looked every place. There was no stone. So, when we got back up to Brindavan, I said, “Swami I must have done something horribly wrong because Swami has already taken one of the stones away.” And Swami said, “No, no Hislop, it’s not that.” He said, “When I was creating the ring, the thought crossed my mind, is this an appropriate ring for His1op.” You see the importance of that? For a moment His concentration had fluctuated, and the process of creation is interfered with. You see, Swami makes all these artifacts for people. Probably most of you who have been to Brindavan have one of these artifacts – maybe a ring or a watch or something. And the question is, how come, where do they come from? So, Swami says, “Well, I don’t import them, bring them from someplace else, my workers make them.” So, what does that mean? Well the thought is made up of atoms of energy of

Nine Point Code of Conduct The following article is based on discussions conducted by members of the Brookline Center (Northeast Region) on the nine-point code of conduct, given to devotees by Sathya Sai Baba as a prescription for spiritual health and progress. The Nine-Point Code of Conduct A study of the nine points reveals that three kinds of efforts are required by the spiritual aspirant. They are: Swami’s mission is spiritual uplifting of all humanity. Individuals must be instruments in this mission. Sai centers have a central role to play in any group effort toward this end. Swami, as an avatar of this age, does not want us to focus solely on our individual liberation. Emphasis needs to be on sharing what we learn with others. The more spiritually evolved each of us becomes, the better we can serve the growth of humanity. Swami’s process, as illustrated in the nine-point code, forges a link between the individual’s spiritual progress and that of humanity. Daily Meditation and Prayer: Swami has often talked about the delicate balance in the universe, explaining how the sun, moon, planets, and stars move in a balanced motion. If this balance were to be lost, there would be chaos and the universe itself might be in jeopardy. The idea applies to human beings as well. Meditation helps to restore and maintain balance. Many questions arise about meditation. One of the more common is, why does the mind wander during meditation? Perhaps the most prevalent reason is that the mind is a bundle of unfulfilled desires. Let us think about how thoughts and feelings arise and operate. Thoughts are our mental reaction to the outside world. Feelings arise from attachment. If we turn thoughts inward, they have nothing to react to. Eventually they die down. Feelings, when turned inward, take the form of love for the divine. Thus both thoughts and feelings, if turned inward, retire. In that emptiness, the effulgence of the spirit shines. Then there is happiness, bliss and love. At that point, no feeling of progress or lack of it remains. This is the crux of meditation. Light meditation, discipline with regard to time and place, observing the breath to still the mind, and concentrating on Soham (I am That) are steps toward that goal. Try to stop reacting to the outside world, even for a brief time. Observe emptiness being filled with divinity. That is the true journey toward reaching the goal of permanent peace, bliss, and happiness. To be empty and to be pure are the main goals of meditation. We need not be concerned with how deep we go, or how long we concentrate. Allow the light of the atma (soul) to manifest. If it does not, don’t worry. But don’t give up. It is sadhana (spiritual effort). With faith and consistent effort, we are bound to succeed. Prayer is essential to evoke the grace of God in reaching the goal—the vision of atma. Sincerity of purpose and motivation are essential. Remember always that Swami has a mission and He wants us to join Him in it. Our task is to be His perfect instruments. The joy, happiness, and peace we may experience are not ends in themselves. We need to carry the fruits of these feelings out into society. That is the mission of Swami and that is our task. Path of Expansion In the overall scheme of nine points, the spiritual sadhana now enters the second phase, the phase of expansion. Swami’s emphasis on the spiritual uplifting of humankind begins with the expansion of sadhana to members of the family. Those who live together should experience divine love together. Bhajans are the right medium for experiencing it. Living together brings close contact, which can lead either to increased dissension or increased cooperation. To ensure that the dissension is minimized and cooperation is maximized, the right kind of spiritual environment needs to be created. Beginning with point two, the following issues come up. Members of a family may have diverse views; not everyone necessarily believes in Swami. The younger generation may have its own schedule and preferences. They may not like to toe the line of the family, particularly under pressure. Besides, how do we define a family? And what if some neighbors want to join in the family bhajans? Do we turn down their requests? Diverse views of members of the family should not cause dissension. The ones who choose to can begin singing bhajan. If some members do not wish to participate, the others should carry out their sadhana and wait patiently until the right climate is created for everyone to willingly join in. Don’t give up. Instead, pray to our Lord for help in carrying out His mission to create a loving climate. There is no restriction on neighbors joining our family bhajans. Some of the centers began as family bhajans with neighbors gradually joining in. By definition, a family includes all those who live under one roof. The members have many points of close contact that create the potential for conflict. The areas of potential conflict need to be converted into points of cooperation. While others are welcome, the extended circle should result in a new center. Participation of children in Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) (Point three) has a clear message. The young ones in the family need not only protection and help, but also character education. SSE, with its emphasis on Swami’s five human values, is the direct route to character building. The program needs to be viewed as a family activity. Parents need to give not only time, but also priority to SSE classes. But the responsibility does not end here. The human values taught in SSE classes must be practiced by parents so that they serve as models in the home. Character building will help children embark on sadhana for spiritual growth when they are older. Letting our families become living laboratories for spiritual sadhana will help us prepare for participating in Swami’s greater mission: the spiritual

Diwali—the Festival of Lights Deepavali will be celebrated this year on November 6, 1999. The human being is a composite of man and beast and God, and in the inevitable struggle among the three for ascendance, you must ensure that God wins, suppressing the merely human and the lowly beast. This festival of Deepavali (row of lights) is to express gratitude at the defeat of the naraka tendencies in man, which drag him down from divinity. Naraka is the name for hell, and the asura (demon) whose death at the hands of Krishna is celebrated today is called Narakasura, the personification of all the traits of character that obstruct the upward impulses of man. He is said to be the son of bhumi (earth) and he is also called bhauma. This is very appropriate, for the earth and all attachments for things earthly lead us down into the regions of pain and grief. Earthly domain, earthly riches are powerless before spiritual domain over the senses, spiritual riches of self-knowledge and self-confidence. Man goes out into space with his rockets and spaceships and sputniks, only to acquire superior striking power over his rivals on earth. Man must know the Universe as basically Brahman and so as fundamentally knowledge and love and peace. He and the universe are one; they are subsumed in the same unique entity. The cosmic vision can be acquired either by watching the universe or one’s own inner cosmos. Man has only to discover himself. In the citadel of the body, there is the lotus temple of the heart, with subtle akasa within. In it are contained heaven and earth, fire and air, sun and moon, stars and planets—all that is in the visible world and all that sustains it and all into which it submerges. Instead of rotating round the earth in the higher realms of space and planning to land on the moon or Mars, if only man plans and prepares himself to travel into his own inner realm, what sublime joy and peace he can attain. His attainments at present in the vast silence of outer space are all prompted by fear and spread only further fear. Victory won through weapons and guarded by armor is not something to be glad about; it is flimsy and fragile. It is fraught with danger and may topple at the lightest gust. But, victory won through love and sympathy transforms the defeated and makes him a willing collaborator forever. Nara falls into naraka, through over-indulgence in ‘ka’ or intelligence; ‘ka’ generally runs wild and like a raging flood, it spells destruction and grief. ‘Ka’ has to be subdued by humility and devotion, to the source of all intelligence, the Lord. What is a festive occasion? It is when great men are born or when wicked men end their careers of vice. Deepavali celebrates the death of Narakasura (a demon); and how did he meet his end? He died at the hands of Krishna, with the Lord standing before his fading eyes. That is a consummation to be wished for. Nivritti [the inward path] confers fearlessness, even while you accept a little of it. It gives strength and courage, for, it is desire that weakens man and makes him cringe before those in authority and with influence. Detachment endows you with self-respect, and the capacity to stand up to slander and calumny. There are some who weep at the slightest sign of defeat or disappointment. This is despicable behavior. Why should you have fear or sorrow, when the Lord installed in the altar of your heart? Do you not know He is there, guarding you and guiding you? He is in all beings, at all times. Endeavor to remember this fact whatever you may be doing, whoever you may be contacting, in whatever manner. You will succeed in this, provided you do not give up the recitation of His name. The home where the name of the Lord is not heard is a cave, and nothing more. As you enter it, as you leave it, while you in it, perfume, illumine it, purify it with the name. Light it as a lamp at dusk. welcome it at dawn, as you welcome the sun. That is the genuine Deepavali, the festival of lamps. Source: “The Lamp at the Door,” Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 5.

Nine-Point Code of Conduct The nine-point code of conduct can be viewed as a spiritual journey. We begin with meditation and prayer which develops the inner view. We then expand our spiritual orbit by sharing devotional singing with family members, participating in Sai Spiritual Education and in community service. Center meetings and studying Sai literature help to deepen our devotion, preparing us to embrace the divinity that pervades the entire universe, finally leading to the universal view. ~Chandrahas S. ShahBrookline Center, Massachusetts, USA

Birthday Message The following quotations reflect the ways in which we as spiritual aspirants can apply Sai Baba’s teachings in our life. “You will experience the fruits of celebrating the birthday only when you follow the teachings,” He says. “All of you are embodiments of the spirit. You are all manifestations of the Divine. The indwelling Spirit is one and the same in all beings irrespective of their external differences, like the current that illumines bulbs of different wattage and color. Fill your hearts with love. Then you can experience real bliss. With a narrow mind and heart, if you indulge in magniloquent words, no one will care to listen to you. First of all Be—be good yourself. Then Do—act likewise. Then Speak—tell others (about what is good). Only thus will you be setting an ideal example. Do not entertain bad feelings about anyone. They do you more harm than to others. As the saying goes, ‘One’s own anger is one’s enemy and one’s peace is one’s friend and kinsfolk. One’s happiness is one’s heaven and one’s sorrow is hell’ (Telegu poem). Develop sacred and pure feelings. We claim to celebrate the birthdays of people. But the birthday is truly celebrated when there is birth of pure ideas in one. You celebrate the birthday of Bhagavan, but do you follow the teachings? You will experience the fruits of celebrating the birthday only when you follow the teachings.” Purity and Divinity “The body, mind and spirit constitute a human being. The three demonstrate the nature of man and enable him to grow to his true stature. They represent the three concepts of action, awareness and realization. The body is the instrument for practising dharma (righteousness). It is the means of discharging all one’s duties. The mind is the source of good and bad thoughts. The world is understood  only through the mind. It is the instrument for judging between right and wrong, the impermanent and the everlasting.  It represents awareness or understanding.  The atma (soul) represents the pure, effulgent, eternal and unchanging consciousness. It shines within man as illuminating flame. The scriptures have characterised it as Divine. The Upanishads (Hindu scriptures) have declared that God dwells in the cave of the heart. The Bible has declared that the Divine can be experienced only through purity of the heart. The Quran (Holy book of Islam) also declares that purity of heart is essential for experiencing God. Guru Nanak (founder of the Sikh religion) declared that only through good thoughts, good speech and good actions can one realise the Divine. All faiths are one in proclaiming the supreme importance of purity of heart.” Atma-dharma and Paradharma “Man, however, has forgotten his true divine nature and is immersed in the vain pursuit of material pleasures.  In the process he has ignored right conduct and is prey to many ills. Men regard dharma as merely ethical conduct in daily life. But this is not so. Dharma really means recognition of the universal consciousness that is in each individual and act on the basis of the unity of that consciousness.  When this consciousness in man is enveloped in the ego, it assumes the form of three gunas [qualities] (Satva, Rajas, Thamas—goodness, activity, ignorance). When the Divine nature of this consciousness is realised, it is transformed into atmadharma, the dharma of the Self. True dharma is the realization of the unity of the Omni-Self. All worldly duties and activities bear the imprint of three gunas.  Swadharma refers to atma-dharma (the dharma of the spirit)  Paradharma is dharma (duties) relating to the world. The worldly duties are ephemeral and subject to change. They have been changing all through the ages. These should not be treated on a par with atma-dharma.  Among these worldly duties, there are duties like varna-dharma (functional duties), asrama-dharma (duties relating to one’s stage in life), and others. These duties have been laid down to help man in leading his worldly life.  But beyond them is the atma-dharma, which has to be observed for Self-realisation. By solely adhering to worldly duties, man remains at the animal level. Through the discipline of the mind, man may rise to the human level. But it is only when the .physical and mental duties are linked to the spiritual discipline that atma-dharma is observed.  The body performs actions, the mind distinguishes between right and wrong. The atma functions as the witness.  Although these three appear to differ from  each other, they are interrelared. It is only when the three are integrated and harmonised that man can achieve self-fulfilment .” God Dwells in a Pure Heart “What is the sadhana (spiritual practice) we should undertake? You should purify your body, mind and speech. How to purify the body?  It is not enough if it is cleaned with soap and water, which amounts to only external cleanliness. It has to be cleaned with good thoughts, good words, good deeds. This signifies purity, which is very essential on the inward path. Whatever work you do, do it with sacred feelings. Divert the body from all unsacred activities; use it only for good purposes. In what way can you purify the mind? You can purify the mind through sense control.  Use the ten senses for sacred purposes. See no evil, see what is goodHear no evil, hear what is goodTalk no evil, talk what is goodDo no evil, do what is goodThis is the way to God. In order to purify the senses, you should make use of them in a sacred way. Purity of the senses is purity of the mind. The mind is the master of the senses. If the mind is to be pure, the senses have also to be pure. How can you purify your speech? You can purify your speech by speaking truth, following dharma and cultivating love  and peace. The moment the human body is born, aham (‘I’) also follows it.  The atma is the origin of aham; so, aham is the son of the atma. From aham the mind is born; so, the mind is the grandson of the atma.  And from mind speech originates, so speech is the great grandson of the atma. In short, the atma, aham , mind and speech belong to the same family. So, you should have the conviction that

The Ramayana in Your Heart Rama – whose birthday, Ramanavami, you are celebrating today – exemplifies the way to save the self in the perilous journey from birth to birthlessness. Rama is the embodiment of dharma (righteousness). That is why he was able to re-establish dharma. Today is a sacred day because you get the chance to recapitulate the glory of God and His relationship with man. As a matter of fact, if you go deeper into the Ramayana (an Indian epic), you will find that Rama is the universal atma (soul), the atma in every being. He did not come down to kill the demonic ruler, Ravana. He is not the son of Dasaratha or of Kausalya; nor is he the husband of Sitha, weeping for her loss and gladdened by reunion. Rama means that which showers ananda (bliss). That is all. What can give greater bliss than the atma? Rama is the ananda in your inner consciousness. You can understand the Ramayana only if you keep this aspect in view. An orange has a form and a name. When you squeeze it and make juice, the form is gone and the name, orange, also is gone. The taste alone remains. The sweetness, the flavour, the essence – these alone are experienced. It cannot be exactly described. It is beyond any vocabulary. “The Ramayana In Your Heart,” Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. II Difference between Raama and Raavana Qualities of Rama and Ravana (a king with demonic qualities) are present in each human being. When people take the direction of unrighteous, they become a Raavana. When they pursue the path of truth and righteousness, they become Ramas. Precept and practice should go together like medicine and proper eating. Meditating on God, one should engage oneself in godly activities. It is useless to study or listen to spiritual discourses without leading a spiritual life. Righteousness means living according to the dictates of one’s conscience. Acting in violation of the conscience is wrong. To realize this, one need not study books. The truths propounded in the Ramayana are relevant to all mankind. Rama represents the exalted state of the human heart. Rama is the treasure-house of compassion. Where can you find such truth, compassion, and grace? All thoughts arise from the heart and lead to actions. Hence, for all thoughts, words, and deeds, the heart is the source. What should be the condition of the heart? It should be full of compassion. Today the devil has installed itself in the heart. The devil in the heart accounts for all badness, and for the absence of compassion. “Let Rama Live In Your Hearts,” Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. XXIX Rama the ideal exemplar of righteousness Rama is the supreme exemplar of how people should conduct themselves in the world, how a country should be governed, and how the integrity and morality of human beings should be protected. High-minded actions, ideal qualities, and sacred thoughts are basic foundations of character. Rama is the very embodiment of these three attributes. This means that every human being should cultivate sacred thought, right action, and good qualities. Rama demonstrated through his words, thoughts, and actions how such a life could be lived. Raama lived up to the ancient injunction, “Speak the truth. Practise righteousness.” Eschewing harsh words, Rama pleased everyone by his sweet speech. He countered the harsh speech of others with his composure, patience, sweetness, and smile. He never pried into affairs of others, he never took notice of their faults, he never indulged in ridicule, and he never caused pain to others by the way he spoke to them. It is essential for everyone to follow the example set by Rama and cultivate his many noble qualities and do righteous actions. People should entertain sacred thoughts. “Install Rama Rajya In Your Hearts,” Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. XXVIII Turn your sight inside, to purify and clarify In order to reach the goal, you have to proceed far. First, examine your present state. Discover its defects – whether it is damaged by egotism, greed, insincerity, waywardness, or sloth. With faults such as these, it is difficult to concentrate on thoughts of God, either within or without. You must also cultivate the positive quality of prema (divine love), for the embodiment of prema can be realized only through prema. That is the message the Ramayana gives all those who study it with sincere desire to learn. That is the message I wish to give you today. “Ramayana For Everyman,” Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. XIII

Small Teachings In a pond, along with the lotus flowers that bloom, there are blood sucking leeches that thrive. Like the lotus cannot survive without water, human life cannot survive without love. Don’t let the leeches of worry breed in your heart of love. Do not allow wicked thoughts to stick to you. Sanathana Sarathi, May 1998, p. 124 It is desire which haunts man that is responsible for making one item a boon or a bane. It is the mind that decides the desire and directs it. A sharp knife can be used for slicing food or for stabbing another. In the hands of a surgeon it can save a life rather than destroy one. The mind can liberate you from bondage or bind you more tightly with the objective world. Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 12, . 202

The Priest and the Thief Abrahman (priest), whose profession was singing the glories of the Lord, was once reciting Bhagavatham in the house of a pa­tron. A thief broke into the house where the recital was going on and hid himself in the attic. Perforce he had to listen to the Bhagavatham. The singer was describing the ornaments worn by Krishna. He described the various or­naments Yasoda (Krishna’s foster mother) put on Krishna before sending Him out with the cows. The thief thought he should kill the lad Krishna and rob all the ornaments at one stroke instead of struggling every day with petty stealing. He waited until the brahman finished the story, then left the place. Wanting to know where the boy was, the thief followed the brahman and waylaid him. The brahman, frightened that he would lose the small amount collected as dakshina (reverential offering given to guru/priest), told the thief, “I do not have anything with me.” The thief said, “I do not want any material from you. I only want some information. You were telling of a woman, Yasoda, who adorned a boy, Krishna, with ornaments before she sent him to graze the cows. I want to know where I can find him.” The brahman was in a fix. Cleverly, he told the thief, “There is a book in my house where I keep all these particulars. Come with me.” He took the thief to his house, looked in a book, and said, “In Brindavan, on the banks of River Yamuna, in a green meadow, two boys will come in the morning—one dark like the cloud with a flute, the other fair, clad in white silk. The dark one will have all the ornaments I described.” The thief believed the story and set out to Brindavan immediately. He located the place, climbed up a tree, and waited for the boys. The sun rose. The faint melody of the flute wafted on the morning breeze. When the enchanting music grew closer, the thief spotted two boys coming. He got down from the tree and went near them. The moment he saw them, he forgot himself, folded his hands and shed tears of joy. He wondered what wretched mother had sent these radiant boys—vigrahas (forms) chiseled to perfection and loaded with ornaments—to the river bank. Since the thief had listened carefully to the story of Krishna as told by the brahman, he noticed that Krishna was not wearing one specific ornament that had been described. He wanted to adorn Krishna with the missing ornament, which he wanted to get even it meant stealing, and enjoy the sight to his heart’s content. Just as a cloud covers the bright sun, wicked thoughts enveloped his mind again. He ap­proached the boys to kill them. Shouting, “Stop,” he held Krishna’s hand. The mo­ment he touched Krishna, all his previous karma was wiped clean and he inquired lovingly, “Who are you?” Krishna said, “Let go of My hands. I am frightened by your looks.” The thief said, “My evil mind is reflected in my face. If you are frightened, I will go away.” Krishna asked the thief, “Have you for­gotten the purpose for which you have come? Here, take my ornaments.” Confused, the thief said, “Will not your mother scold you if you give all your ornaments to me?” Krishna smiled and said, “Do not worry about that. I have plenty of them. I am a bigger thief than you are. But there is a difference between you and me. However much I steal, the owners do not complain. I am lovingly called chittachora (one who steals the heart). Though you are not aware of it, you have a precious ornament in your possession —the chitta (heart). I shall steal it now and take it with Me.” So saying, both boys vanished. To his surprise, the thief found a bag full of ornaments on his shoulder. He took it to the brahman’s house and told him what had happened. Frightened, the brahman took the thief inside and opened the bag. To his utter amazement he saw all the ornaments described as being worn by Krishna in Bhagavatham. Shedding tears of joy, the brahman asked the thief to take him to the place where he saw the dark boy. The thief obliged and both of them waited in the spot where the thief had accosted the boy on the previous day. Sud­denly the thief exclaimed, “Look. Here they come!” But the brahman could not see anyone. Stricken with remorse, he said, “Swami, when You can give darsan (sight of a holy person) to a thief, why not to me? If You do not give darshan to me, I shall end my life.” Krishna said, “You were reading Bhagavatham as just another story. The thief, on the other hand, believed what you told him. I manifest only for those who surrender to Me.” Sincere belief takes one nearer to God.

Dasara Prayer [A model prayer to Mother Sai given during Dasara by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.] Mother Sai, We are all children within thy womb. As the mother lovingly bears the hammering of the embryo, thou, too, in thy supreme patience and compassion, dost put up with the painful knocks we give thee by our misdeeds. Thou art the mother cheerfully doing everything only for our sake, thy children. As Mother Durga, thou dost drive away our difficulties and protect us; As Mother Saraswati, endowest us with wisdom; As Mother Lakshmi, givest us the treasure of wealth in correct measure; As Mother Annapoorna, fondly dost feed us. Even without our entreaties, children that we are, thou wilt bless us of thy own accord, with the right things at the right time. However, for our own satisfaction we pray. Pray, feed us with the dishes of devotion for the heart, and victuals of wisdom for the brain. Grant us the vision to realize that thou art the one power immanent everywhere in everything. Source: Prema Dhara, p. 18