“Tell the Boys to sing new songs for Christmas…”

“Tell the Boys to sing new songs for Christmas…”

December 17, 1999

During the evening Darshan …
Swami        : (To a group of boys) What do you want?

Student       : Swami, Sanskrit elocution.  
(Swami acted as if He did not hear and made the boys repeat it again and again.  Swami blessed the card that they were holding. It was a medium sized heart symbol made out of thermocol. Swami took the card from the boys and used it as a hand fan and fanned Himself. Something was sticking to Swami’s hair.)

Student       : (In Telugu) Swami, something is there on Your hair.

Swami         : Snakes?

Student        :  Swami, something is there on Your hair. 

Swami bent His head a little and two boys removed the particle to the thrill of everyone assembled in the hall. (After interview)

Swami         : (To boys) What are you doing?

Student        :  Swami, practicing carols.

Swami       : Every year, same songs. Sing new songs also.  Anyway, it is not My business. If you sing I will listen. 
(Swami called the Warden) Tell the boys to sing new songs, not the same old songs.  
(After a while, talking about the Go-carts for the Sports Meet;) When are they coming?

Warden        : Don’t know, Swami.

Swami         : You spoke to them yesterday on phone. Is it not?

Warden        : Yes, Swami.

Swami     : Go-carts boys are practicing. They are practicing new turnings. Horse riding has not yet started. They are afraid even to mount the horses. How will they learn?

Teacher        : Swami, helpers will be there.

Swami       : Yes, they will be there. If they are, there what is the use? If the horses run amock, they will start running. They will not return immediately. It will take another week or so. Anantapur (campus) people are very silent. They have not yet indicated what they are going to do. But they will do very well and systematically. They are going to do bike stunts. They will put planks on the bikes and do Yogasanas and stunts. On the 25th, the girls will be enacting a drama. But they all will wear boy’s dresses. 
(Swami called the bandleader and spoke to him.) Did you see the photos that I sent?

Student        :  Yes, Swami.

Swami        : Swami does not want. Why do I need your photos? I don’t keep albums. 
(To schoolboys) What are you doing?

Students      : Bike stunts, Swami.

Swami         : What? Bike stunts!

Students      : Motorbike stunts, Swami.

Swami         : Do. Put ramps and do. But don’t do it on fire. Where is your Warden? (School Warden came. Swami chided him mildly.) 

Don’t do stunts on fire. Anantapur people are also doing bike stunts. They will do them much better. They will have planks on the bikes. On those they will do formations and Yogasanas. They practice very well. Whatever they do, they do with faith and devotion. They do with the feeling that they are doing for Swami. The girls have Atma-Vishvasam (Faith in the Self). Last year, when they were doing jeep stunts, one tyre went off the ramp. But with the faith that Swami was there, the girl drove very fast. Where there is faith, there is love. Where there is love, there is truth. Where there is truth, there is peace. Where there is peace, there is God. Where there is God, there is bliss. 
(Swami again repeated the Vakya (great saying) to a teacher. He spoke to another teacher regarding, teachers participation in sports) 
Old teachers like Radhaswamy (Prof. Radhaswamy, Associate Dean, School of Business Management, Accounting and Finance in Swami’s University) may like to take part in rope pulling (Tug of war) But they should not strain. Anantapur people do things very quietly. They have not said anything yet. The Mother Sai people are going to get 3,000 bags of rice and 75,000 saris. They are very systematic. They got the 3,000 bags of rice from a single mill and thus got a single variety.

Teacher         : Very big scale, Swami.

Swami          : Yes, very big scale.  25th evening drama is there.  On 24th, the foreigners will sing.

Warden         : Swami, give some chance to our boys also.

Swami         : What chance? I did not give Anantapur students this chance. They themselves are doing. They told this only yesterday, that is all. For 12 years, Swami has not gone there. But they have great devotion and faith. Their devotion is increasing further. They see Me only when they come here. But our boys get chances and Darshan every day!

“i will not lie any more, no more…”

Tell the Boys to sing new songs for Christmas – A Sacred Call Of Joy, Devotion, And Divine Love

Tell the Boys to sing new songs for Christmas is a beautiful spiritual reminder that devotion should always remain fresh, joyful, and full of love. Christmas is not only a festival of lights, decorations, music, and celebration; it is a sacred occasion to remember purity, compassion, sacrifice, and the birth of divine love in the human heart.

Songs have a special power in spiritual life. A spoken word may touch the mind, but a song can enter the heart more deeply. When children and youth sing with innocence, devotion, and sincerity, the atmosphere becomes pure and peaceful. Their voices carry freshness, hope, and the fragrance of love.

Tell the Boys to sing new songs for Christmas teaches that worship should not become mechanical. Devotion must not be only repetition without feeling. A new song does not mean only new words or a new tune. It means a renewed heart, a fresh feeling, and a deeper love for God.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba always gave great importance to devotion expressed through music, bhajans, and pure-hearted singing. When songs are offered without ego, they become prayer. When music is filled with love, it becomes a bridge between the human heart and the Divine.

Tell the Boys to sing new songs for Christmas becomes meaningful when we understand the spirit of Christmas. Jesus came with the message of love, forgiveness, humility, and service. He taught humanity to love God and love one another. Therefore, every song sung on Christmas should carry peace, compassion, and the longing to serve.

Children and young boys have pure energy. If that energy is guided toward sacred music, noble thoughts, and devotional feeling, it becomes a blessing for society. Instead of wasting youth in distraction, pride, or carelessness, they can use their talents to spread joy, unity, and spiritual inspiration.

Tell the Boys to sing new songs for Christmas also reminds us that every generation must express devotion in a living way. The truth is eternal, but the expression can be fresh. New songs can carry timeless values in a language and melody that touch young hearts. In this way, tradition remains alive and meaningful.

A sacred song should not be sung only for performance. It should be sung as an offering. The singer should not think, “How will people praise me?” Instead, the heart should feel, “Lord, let this song please You and bring peace to others.” This attitude removes ego and makes music holy.

Tell the Boys to sing new songs for Christmas finally teaches that the real song must arise from character. If the lips sing love but the heart carries anger, the song remains incomplete. If the voice sings peace but actions create disturbance, the message is not yet lived. True devotion is harmony between thought, word, and deed.

Christmas also teaches the beauty of giving. A song offered with love can become a gift to the world. It can comfort the lonely, uplift the sad, inspire the young, and remind everyone of God’s nearness. Music becomes sacred when it carries healing, hope, and devotion.

Prayer, namasmarana, bhajan, meditation, and seva help the heart sing truly. Prayer gives humility, the divine name purifies the mind, bhajan fills life with devotion, meditation brings silence, and service removes selfishness. When the heart is pure, even a simple song becomes powerful.

A devotee should remember that God listens to feeling more than musical skill. A perfect voice without love may remain empty, but a simple voice filled with sincerity can reach the Divine. The Lord accepts the offering of the heart, not the pride of talent.

The message of Christmas should continue beyond one day. The songs may be sung during the celebration, but their meaning should enter daily life. We should become more loving, forgiving, patient, humble, and service-minded. Then Christmas becomes not only an event, but a transformation.

In the end, Tell the Boys to sing new songs for Christmas is a sacred call to bring fresh devotion, pure joy, and loving service into the celebration of God’s love. It asks the young heart to sing not only with voice, but with life. When music, devotion, and good conduct come together, every song becomes an offering blessed by divine grace.

“i will not lie any more, no more…”