SEE “THOUGHT FOR THE DAY”…as written at

Ashram Today
AUM SRI SAI RAM     2/10/98
   or "Gems from the Lord" on “SAI DARSHAN”
   or book "Gems Of Wisdom" for more sayings. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Devotion fosters the highest

virtue; it is the most precious
treasure, it is the truest path
the only way to God. Man must
live in Bhakthi, for Bhakthi,
through
Bhakthi. For, Bhakthi is Love of
the
purest and the noblest variety.
Such love is the breath that
sustains life, that supports the
soul in the effort to merge in the
super-soul. The years of life spent
without the Light of Love are
years of ruin, of dust and disease;
one could as well be dead, and
decay
for ever.

BABA

Brindavan    29/04/2001
You are as distant from the Lord as you think you are, as near Him as you
feel you are. Well, let Me tell you this: This distance from Me to you is the same
as the distance from you to Me, is it not? But, you complain that I am far from
you, though you are approaching nearer and nearer. How can that be? I am as
near you as you are near Me.
Prashanthi Nilayam    23/11/2000
The day when you resolve to practice My advice, to follow My directives, to
translate My message into acts of service, and to engage in spiritual discipline -
that day is My birthday for you. The 23rd of November, which you now honour as
the day on which I was born, is only like an other day if you celebrate it in a
routine, ritual fashion. Adore man; the adoration reaches Me. Neglect man; you
neglect Me. Of what avail is it to worship the Lord and to suppress man, His
counterpart? Love for God must be manifested as Love for man, and Love for
man must express itself as service.
Prashanthi Nilayam    6/1/2000
For every thing, love is essential. Life without love is barren. In ancient
times, the gopikas immersed themselves in the vast principle of love, sow the
seeds of love, and then with the force and emotion of love, let there be a
downpour of love. When the rivers of love flow, Krishna plays His melodious
flute. The flowers, the fruit - everything is love. When you see that everything is
full of love, your life will be full of bliss. Even when you meet many obstacles, the
vision of love should not alter or change.
Prashanthi Nilayam    5/1/2000
When the principle of love is fostered in our hearts, we will have no doubts,
and we will be able to spread the message of love. The one without love has
doubts. Doubts cause confusion and make one adopt the wrong path. God's
message is unsullied, pure, eternal, selfless and unchanging.
Prashanthi Nilayam    4/1/2000
Where there is love, there is no place for hatred. Today, because of the absence
of love, hatred has entered and established itself in the heart of mankind. There
is no unity among people. How can you partake of happiness without unity? If
there is no joy, how can you attain divinity? It is impossible. Only through love
can you accomplish anything. So, every individual must consider himself or
herself to be a messenger of God.
Prashanthi Nilayam    3/1/2000
You should resolve to spread the voice of God. God's gospel is always
good, related to the well being of all mankind, imbued with compassion and
righteousness and is in accordance with morality and integrity. Instead of
propagating and spreading this highly sacred voice of God, we fall prey to
spreading injustice, unrighteousness, untruth and evil conduct. The most
important act is to spread the message of love.
Prashanthi Nilayam    2/1/2000
The one who loves God is the Messenger of God. The one who is worthy of
God's love is the child of God. The one who understands the unity and non-
dualism of the divine principle and derive bliss from it, personifies truth. Then,
"The Father and the son are one".
So, foster love for God and become messengers of God. If you call yourself a
"messenger of God", but conduct your life contrary to God's message, the
message has no meaning. Such persons are not "messengers", but "messes",
meaning they have lost their divinity.
 Prashanthi Nilayam    1/1/2000
We are not able to understand individuality very well. The day that social
and moral codes are followed, individuality will blossom. The day that value is
given to integrity, the human personality will be revealed.
The meaning of vyakti is the one who expresses or manifests inherent
divinity. Divinity is latent (hidden) in every person and in every living being.
Therefore, every one must make the effort to spread the word of God. Every one
must determine to propagate the message of God and spread peace and
security to all. There is no better path than this.
Prashanthi Nilayam    31/12/1999
Every person is a messenger; every one is sent by God as a messenger.
The messenger is one who gives the message of God to all. But today, there are
messengers who spread the Gospel of God. They are messengers of Yama (the
God of death) who spread contradictory messages and create chaos. People
should be saints (Avadhuta), not messengers of the God of death (Yamadhuta).
Today, in the name of God, people cause harm to others. This violates the nature
of human qualities.
Prashanthi Nilayam    30/12/1999
The Vedas say, "salutations to any living being go directly to God". We think
there is no meaning in saluting both the one who praises us and the one who
criticises us. Saluting the one who praises us is understandable, but what is the
use of saluting the one who accuses us? We must have a continuous
relationship with accusations, because without them, there is no beauty or value
in being praised. Without criticism, appreciation loses its meaning. That is why;
every word and every thought has some kind of obstacles. For the good, bad is a
shadow. All opposites are interrelated - pleasure and pain, profit and loss - exist
together.
Prashanthi Nilayam    29/12/1999
In creation, it is apparent that all matter and form are attractive and
pleasing. God pervades the entire universe; its very form is full of love. God is the
form of love. There is a connection between love and God. So strengthen your
love. Then you can reach a state of nonduality.
Prashanthi Nilayam    28/12/1999
Christ was determined to make the giving and sharing of love His main
objective in life. Such love was met with many obstacles and losses. Christ
considered a true man to be one who could face obstacles and move forward
with love. Do not give in to obstacles, losses or pain. Do not be carried away with
pleasure. Face everything with equanimity.
Prashanthi Nilayam    27/12/1999
Pleasure is an interval between two pains, and pain exists between two
pleasures. Pain and pleasure take the same form. The end of pain is the
beginning of pleasure. Love causes both pain and pleasure. This is called "divine
love". People are unable to understand this divine, ever new, ever fresh and
fragrant love. They are attracted by ephemeral, transient, worldly love, and
thereby they waste their lives.
Prashanthi Nilayam    26/12/1999
The one who is the recipient of such love will not succumb to adversity.
Today, people react to praise and blame easily. Divine love will not make them
elated when praised nor dejected when blamed. People may extol praise,
criticise or blame, but divine love remains the same. Divine love treats pleasure
and pain with equanimity; it will meet any obstacle. It is very difficult to know God,
but it is easy to criticise Him. Mankind opts for the easy path and avoids the
difficult path, which leads to truth.
Prashanthi Nilayam    25/12/1999
The important message which I want to convey today which Jesus also
propagated, is one of love and compassion. So, boys and girls, on this holy and
sacred day, when we celebrate the birthday of that holy personage, Jesus, we
must conduct ourselves in accordance with His message. It is easy to celebrate
birthdays, but we must also keep in mind the purity and message of the person
whose birthday we celebrate.
Prashanthi Nilayam    24/12/1999
Before the wedding, who is the husband? Who is the wife? The love
between a husband and wife begins only after a relationship is formed. This love
has a definite beginning and end, so it cannot be termed true love. Love which is
true and eternal, and drenched mankind in perennial bliss is love in its truest
sense. All thoughts must be full of love. Each syllable must be soaked in love.
The vision must be of love. This is divine love.
Prashanthi Nilayam    23/12/1999
True love exists before birth, during life and after death. That which exists in
all times is real love. The love of mother and child is one that has emerged in
between. What mother loved a child before it was born? What child loved its
mother before it was born? The love between them takes shape only after the
child's birth. So, it is an attachment that developed in the course of life. It is not
true love.
Prashanthi Nilayam    22/12/1999
It is the primary duty of every person to understand the nature of this true
love. The one who recognises the nature of true love can never be led astray.
What about relationship? All the concepts, which are attached to the word "love",
have nothing to do with it in the real sense. The love between mother and child,
between husband and wife, are taken as love. They are not love. They are
relationships. They are finite, with a beginning and an end. But true and eternal
love has neither a beginning nor an end.
Prashanthi Nilayam    21/12/1999
Love that expects nothing in return, that has no attributes and is unsullied,
can bind you to God. Selfish and narrow-minded love will bind you to the world.
But, people today have lost sight of true, eternal love and use it for small and
mean purposes. As a consequence, they are bound to the world and experience
unnecessary sorrow.
Prashanthi Nilayam    20/12/1999
Rivers with various names become one when they merge with the ocean.
They lose their identity, taste and form when they become a part of the ocean.
The river of love also flows in many forms to meet the ocean of the heart, and
takes its name and form. There is nothing in this world that cannot be achieved
through love; it can accomplish anything.
Prashanthi Nilayam    19/12/1999
Love exists for love, and does not expect anything in return. Love is not
mercenary. It does not involve give and take like a business. Love finds joy in
giving. Everything is love. Love does not watch through physical eye; it knows
the heart. Love does not hear through the ears; it listens with peace. Love does
not talk with words; it talks with compassion. Love, compassion and mercy are
synonyms. Love is immortal, eternal, blissful and like nectar. Love originates from
the heart; the heart full of such love is broad and vast.
Prashanthi Nilayam    18/12/1999
Devotees should realise that what matters is the intensity of feelings.
Kabirdas declared that he could not attain God by spiritual exercises of any kind.
But he said that there was one most powerful weapon with him to realise God.
That was his love for God. With that love he could bind God. God submits only to
the power of the devotee's love. Without love all forms of worship are of no use.
That was why the Gopikas appealed to Krishna to fill their parched hearts with
the love flowing from His flute so that saplings of love could sprout in their hearts.
Prashanthi Nilayam    17/12/1999
There is love in every one of you. Develop that love. Share it with others.
When you have this love there is no need for you to go in search of ashrams.
There are some foolish persons who go on hopping from one ashram to another.
This is sheer folly. There is no need to go anywhere. The Divine is in your heart.
Adhere to one belief firmly. Do not change your faith from day to day. Follow one
path with firm faith. That is the Love principle.
Prashanthi Nilayam    16/12/1999
Love and compassion are inherent in every person. Love has to be shared
with others. Failure to share one's love is a gross ingratitude to society to which
one owes everything. One should give one's love freely to others and receive
love in return. This is the deep significance of human life.
Prashanthi Nilayam    15/12/1999
Only the sense of spiritual unity will generate universal love. That love alone
will bind man together in unity. This love principle should emanate from the heart.
Only then will true unity emerge.
It should be realised that the divinity in human beings couldn’t be measured in
terms of worldly goods. It has to be measured in terms of love. Mankind has to
understand the love principle. When there is love, there will be no hatred. Without
hatred, there will be no threat to peace in society. To ensure peace, society has
to promote love. This means that the mind has to be filled with loving thoughts.
Prashanthi Nilayam    14/12/1999
Man may love the body, the mind, the Buddhi (the intellect) or the
Antahkarana (the inner instrument). Love for the body ends with the death of the
body. Love for the mind results in bondage because of the aberration of the
mind. Love for the intellect results in endless speculation and inquiry. Love for
the Antahkarana promotes the ego feeling. It encourages dualism - separation
from God. Only the one who realises his oneness with the Atma can experience
infinite bliss - the bliss that is eternal.
The cosmos is said to be illusory (mithya) and the Absolute (Brahman) alone is
real. This is not correct. The cosmos (jagat) is also real. When you have the love-
filled vision, the whole cosmos appears permeated by the Absolute. When you
see the world with the physical eye, it appears as a bundle of miseries from birth
to death. Love of God is the only way out of this misery.
Prashanthi Nilayam    12/12/1999
Only one thing is permanent, and that is divine love. It connects heart to heart,
love to love, so we must develop love. Especially these days, due to loss of love,
the world has become callous and cruel. Where there is love, there is no hatred,
so all must live in unity and harmony. We should have affection and a feeling of
oneness. When there is unity, there is purity. When there is no unity or purity,
then enmity or ill will are found, and they will grow.
Prashanthi Nilayam    11/12/1999
Some love God as the Mother, others as the Father. Some love God as
dearest and closest friend. There are others who regard God as the Beloved, the
only desired goal. They all endeavour to merge their love with the Ocean of Love
that God is. Wherever Love is evident, take it that it is God's own Love. God is
the greatest lover of mankind. Therefore, when any one decides to serve man
whom He loves, God showers Grace in plenty. When the human heart melts at
the suffering of others and expands as a result of that sympathy, believe that
God is present there. That is the sign of the validity of the path of devotion.
Prashanthi Nilayam    10/12/1999
God is eternal - existing before man's birth and continuing after his death. The
Divine is without a beginning or an end. True love means the Love of God. When
a man and a woman wed it is called "marriage". But when the Jivatma (the
individual soul) unites with Paramaatma (the omniself), it is called "merger".
Prashanthi Nilayam    9/12/1999
Fear and anxiety get entrenched in a heart devoid of love. A heart filled with
love of the Divine will enjoy peace and be totally free from fear. True love is not a
momentary feeling. In the eternal spirit of man, love shines as a pure and
eternally effulgent flame.
Prashanthi Nilayam    8/12/1999
Love dwells in man as Atma (the spirit). The body has been described as the
temple of God. In this temple, love is enshrined as Atma. Such sacred and pure
love can dwell only in a pure heart.
The flowers, the fruit - everything is love. When you see that everything is
full of love, your life will be full of bliss. Even when you meet many obstacles, the
vision of love should not alter or change.
Prashanthi Nilayam    7/12/1999
Students and young men who profess devotion to God must be prepared to
declare openly that they adore and love Bhagawan for no reason except that He
is God. "My experience is the basis of my faith", should be their answer. For
devotion to God, only two things are needed: faith and experience. Both these
are rooted in Love.
Prashanthi Nilayam    6/12/1999
That is not true love, which wanes from moment to moment and waxes from
time to time. Only the love that is unchanging and shines brightly always in the
heart is true love. It is unaffected by joy or sorrow, praise or blame. Such love is
true devotion. A love that grows or declines according to varying circumstances
is not true love at all.
Prashanthi Nilayam    5/12/1999
Love is eternal. You are the embodiment of Love. You are the embodiment
of Peace. You are the embodiment of Truth. You are the embodiment of God. It
is only when this supreme truth is realised and our life is based on it that our love
and life can be sanctified. Then love can make our life meaningful and enable us
to comprehend the world.
Prashanthi Nilayam    4/12/1999
Man's purity is manifest when human relations are based on heart to heart,
and love to love. Love has the form of a triangle, with three arms. Love (Prema)
does not seek anything in return. Where an individual offers love in expectation
of a return, fear over takes him. The one who loves with no expectation of any
return is totally free from fear. Love knows only to give, not to receive. Such a
love is free from fear. For true love, love is its own reward. Thus, love seeks no
return, is free from fear and has its own reward. These are the basic features of
true love.
Prashanthi Nilayam    3/12/1999
The only wealth one can carry with him after death is the love of the Lord.
One should strive to earn that wealth during life. This can be done only by
selfless devotion and love. To earn God's love, one has to dedicate one's time,
body and actions to the service of the Lord.
Prashanthi Nilayam    2/12/1999
 The love of God is the foremost reward to be attained in human life. It is
more precious than all the wealth in the world. All wealth and position are
obtained by the love and grace of the Divine.
The term Bhagawan means the one who is capable of lighting the Divine
effulgence, the illumination of wisdom, the Eternal Light of the soul. Can there be
anything greater than earning the love of such an omniscient Lord? There is
nothing on earth or beyond it which is equal to Divine Love. To make all
endeavours to earn that love is the whole purpose and meaning of human
existence.
Prashanthi Nilayam    1/12/1999
A peaceful mind is the abode of love. Love is inherent in man, but like a
seed that has to be nourished by manure and water, love in man has to be
fostered by dedicated service. Love is a sacred quality. It is like nectar. A man
who has tasted the immortal sweetness of Divine Love will not desire anything
else in the world. Life must be a constant manifestation of Love.
Prashanthi Nilayam    30/11/1999
Sri Krishna, time and again teaches us to cultivate Prema (Love) to counter
anger, envy, jealousy and pride.
Prema knows no hatred
Prema knows no selfishness
Prema seeks no rewards
Prema ever gives but never takes.
The principle of Love is Divinity itself. God is the embodiment of Love. He can be
realised only by promoting Prema in us.
Prashanthi Nilayam    29/11/1999
Love is the most direct means of attaining God. One has to love all, without
distinction, for the Lord resides in everyone, and He is the embodiment of Love.
There are three obstacles which stand in the way of the full free flow of love from
man to God. They are man's inveterate foes - desire, anger and greed.
Prashanthi Nilayam    28/11/1999
There are two forms of love. One binds you to God. The other binds you to
the world. The mind is responsible for either of these states. It is like a lock. If you
turn the key to the right, the lock opens. If you turn the key to the left, it gets
locked. The heart is the key to the lock of the mind. If you turn the key towards
the world, you have attachment (bondage). You must see that desire and hatred
do not get lodged in the mind.
Prashanthi Nilayam    27/11/1999
The body has been described as the temple of God. You must fill yourself
with the feeling that God is in you, beside you, around you, and with you
wherever you go. When you love God with this consciousness, the love results in
self-realisation.
Prashanthi Nilayam    26/11/1999
 Natural resources and wealth are now being misused for the boosting of
one's ego. But when the Atmic unity is realized, they will promote the new way of
life through love. What is now "mercy" or legally enforced mutual "help" will then
be transformed into "Divine Love" that can effectively purify the recipient and the
giver. This action is beyond the region of common politics, ethics or economics.
Prashanthi Nilayam    25/11/1999
True education can be summed up in one word: Love, all-encompassing
love. A life without love is worse than death. The cultivation of love is the greatest
need today. There is no use in acquiring all kinds of knowledge and performing of
japas and meditation if there is no love in the heart. It is love alone which can
save the world.
Prashanthi Nilayam    24/11/1999
Everyone has passed through numberless lives in the past, lives spent in
utter selfishness. So egoistic impulses enslave him drastically even now,
preventing unselfish love from sprouting and spreading. God seeks in man Love
and Law. Love has to be regulated by Law. Without Law, Love cannot expand. It
will be narrow and crooked. They are the negative and the positive.
Prashanthi Nilayam    23/11/1999
Life should rest on the four pillars of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and Prema,
which hold it firm against the turbulent waves of joy and grief. Of these four,
Prema is the crucial support. For it is the very breath, the sole purpose of life.
Love God and acquire the strength to meet the upsets of life. Love liquidates the
blows of fate. Love blends and binds the parents with the child. Love sanctifies
and glorifies the body.
Prashanthi Nilayam    22/11/1999
The wise man does not hate anyone. He does not belittle or hurt anyone.
What is it that prompts you to love another? The urge to love and be loved is
inherent in every one. So, when you deny love or when you hate, you are hurting
not only the person but the Universal Principle, the Divine Nature itself.
Prashanthi Nilayam    21/11/1999
People display devotion and earnestness in the presence of Swami, but act in a
contrary fashion when they are away from Swami. This is not a sign of true
devotion. Devotion means wholehearted love for Bhagawan. Such love can tame
even wild animals. It is only when your hearts are filled with such love that you
can claim to be devotees. You must show that love to anyone whom you see or
talk to and in every one of your actions.
Prashanthi Nilayam    20/11/1999
Meditation means offering the flower of love to the Divine. In the rose plant
of our body, there is the rose of pure and sacred love emitting the fragrance of
good qualities. Below the rose, however, there are thorns in the form of sensual
desires. The purpose of meditation is to separate the rose of selfless love from
the senses and offer it to God.
 Prashanthi Nilayam    2/11/99
To presume that either from wealth or from kith and kin you can derive
mental peace is a great error. Such peace comes only from God. In fact, there is
no strength superior to Love. Where Love is, there everything is. So you must
live in God, and live in Love. Then everything shall be right. You must also make
others live in Love.
Brindavan   2/11/99
If you aspire for shanthi, peace, equanimity, the basic thing is to have faith
that nature is temporary. Be engaged in the uninterrupted contemplation of the
changeless Godhead chosen by you.
Brindavan   1/11/99
Every sadhaka must needs enter the path of enquiry. Then only can the
conviction dawn and grow that nature, and all the learning connected with nature,
are unreal. They are to be experienced and learnt as necessary adjuncts to
existence only. They should not be mistaken to be the highest knowledge, the
unchanging Eternal Truth. That mistake, if committed, leads to ashanthi, an
agitated mind.
Brindavan   31/10/99
First you must know your own full address: Who are you? The Atma.
Whence did you come? From Atma. Where are you going? To the Atma. How
long will you be here? So long as being engaged in sensual pursuits. Where are
you? In unreal and ever-changing. In what form? As anatma? What are you
engaged in? In evanescent tasks. Therefore what should you do hereafter? Give
this up and try the other three: To enter the eternal, to engage in never-changing
tasks, and try to merge with Atma.
Brindavan   30/10/99
Alas man has forgotten the task for which he has come, ignored the
question whence he came, closed his eyes as to where he is, diverted his
intelligence towards amusement and creature comforts and wasted all his
powers. What a tragedy! If in this most propitious human birth the Godhead is not
sought, when else is man to succeed?
Brindavan   29/10/99
It is through Viveka (discrimination) and Vairagya (renunciation) that man
understands who he really is. The Lord has blessed only man with these two
faculties. Without these two, it is impossible to know the Lord. He has endowed
man with these so that he might use them for the purpose.
Prashanthi Nilayam    16/9/98
The Avatar is Atmasakthi that has put on the raiment of Kriyasakthi and
Yogasakthi. Generally Avatar, or the process of Incarnation, is described as a
'coming down' from a higher status to a lower one. But, no! When the baby in the
cradle weeps, wails and clamours for help, the mother stoops and takes it up in
her arms; her stoop is not to be described as a 'coming down'. If you earn the
necessary credentials, the Incarnation will come and save you. If, on the other
hand, you multiply your demerits and descend lower and lower, how can you be
saved?