1008 Pearls of Sayings
of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Index
Introduction
Pearls 1- 100
Pearls 101 - 200
Pearls 201- 300
Pearls 301- 400
Pearls 401- 500
Pearls 501 - 600
Pearls 601 - 700
Pearls 701 - 800
Pearls 801 - 900
Pearls 901 - 1008
From 701 to 800
701
IN order to live up to the high standards of morality which Indian
culture exhorts, you must cultivate Love, non-violence, fortitude and
equanimity. The last three guard and foster the first, Love, which you must
cultivate. Many people have succeeded, with the help of the latter three
qualities, to get their minds established in universal Love; but a large
number of Sadhakas give up the ascent midway, because they lose confidence
in their true selves. They do believe in God, who is the embodiment of Love
and is their Real sustenance.
702
YOU must have heard some people say that no living
person can be adored as God, even though the Sruthi declares: "Daivam Mansushya
Roopom" (God is to be seen in the human form). Perhaps they can revere only a
corpse. Not Sivam, but Savam, is what they wish to revere.
703
OM must be recited slowly and with deliberation.
The sound must be like an aircraft, first approaching from a distance to the
spot where you are and then flying away again into the distance (soft at first
but gradually becoming louder and louder and then slowly relapsing into silence;
this silence, after the experience being as significant as the Pranavas). "U" is
the zenith, the Kailas, reached by the sound in its adoration. "A" is the
initial nadir and "M" the final.
704
YOU must realise that the Divine current that flows
and functions in every living being is the one Universal Entity. When you desire
to enter the Mansion of God, you are confronted by two closed doors - the desire
to praise yourself and the desire to defame others. The doors are bolted by envy;
and there is also the huge lock of egoism preventing entry; so if you are
earnest, you have to resort to the key of Prana (Love) and open the locks, then
remove the bolt and throw the doors wide open.
705
THE day on which Jesus was born is a holy day. He
announced himself as the Messenger of God. In fact, all humans are born as
Messengers of God. The sole purpose of this human career is to propagate the
Omnipresence of God, His Might and Glory. No one has incarnated for merely
consuming food and catering to one's senses. Human life is much more precious
than that. That is why the capacity to appreciate beauty, truth and goodness has
been endowed only on man.
706
THE Brahmin, when born, is just a Sudra; birth does
not entitle him to take up the study of this Mystery, even if the boy happens to
be the son of a great Vedic scholar. It is only when he has been formally
initiated by a special ceremony that he can start the study of Sacred Scriptures.
The ceremony makes him a Brahmin; he is then born again into a sacred world of
study and responsibility.
707
MY Prema towards the Veda is equaled only by My
Prema towards Humanity. My mission, remember, is just fourfold; Vedaposhana,
Vidwathposhana, Doarmarakshana and Baktharakshana. Spreading My Grace and My
Power along these four directions, I establish Myself in the Centre.
708
WHAT profit is it for the children to know the
length of the Mississippi River or the height of the Vesuvius? Why load them
with information they may never require? On the other hand, give them the tonic
to strengthen their spirit, the tonic of the Repetition of the Name of the Lord,
the tonic of meditating on the Glory of God in the silence of the heart.
Formerly, children were learning Rama Nama and the Aksharamala together: "Suddha
Brahma Paraathpara Rama". They were taught to read and write. Now, they sing, "Ding
dong bell, Pussy is in the well". This type of silly meaningless jargon is
spreading everywhere like a poisonous infection, destroying the seeds of peace
and joy.
709
LIVING becomes a glorious experience only when it
is sweetened by Tolerance and Love. Willingness to compromise with others' ways
of living and cooperation in common tasks make living happy and fruitful.
Certain modes of behaviour have been laid down and proved beneficial by
centuries of practice. These have to be observed with modifications to suit the
conditions of today. We are developing in each department of life, but it is a
pity that we are not developing the unique qualities of human beings. Develop
the Atmic awareness, the consciousness of the Divine and the acquisition of
Divine attributes. Expand love and understanding.
710
WITHOUT mastery over the inner instruments of
emotion, no man can be deemed to be educated. The latent has to be cleansed so
that the patent can flourish. Experience is essential for the confirmation of
consolidation of what is learnt from books. We do not see any sign of this in
the present educational system. There is no attempt to awaken the Divine in Man
and awareness of the possibility of rising to the psychic plane.
711
EDUCATION must produce wisdom and moral character.
It can be acquired only by hard living and spending days of toil, with no
respite even for sleep. But present day education makes those who undergo it
mere bonded-slaves to their senses. They do not know how to avoid this bondage,
so they revel in envy, greed and egoism. What the country expects and demands
from the educated person is, however, that he should set an example of honest
labour and light the lamp of knowledge in every home.
712
SANKARA asserted that God is Formless and without
Attributes and is best described as Supreme, Effulgence or Jyothi. He also said
that the individual is not different from the Universal, that Jiva is Brahman
itself, that the manifold nature is also Brahman itself and seen through a
strange veil as a mixture of truth and falsehood, a peculiar make-believe called
Maya or Avidya.
713
BRAHMAN is the cause and Prakruthi (Nature) the
effect. Nature is the deluding manifestation of Brahman. It is what can be
called Leelavibhuthi or an expression of Glory (Vibhuthi) done as more sport (Leela).
When the Leela is perceived as apart from Brahman, it is a false and incomplete
perception. The Leela is manifold, Brahman is all. To discover the One in the
many is the purpose of human existence. Brahmam is eternal. It is the
Nithyavibhuthi, the everlasting Splendour. It is named the Kingdom of God.
Leelavibhuthi is Prakruthi or Maya or Avidya or Nature with deluding, deceptive
diversities.
714
SPIRITUAL health is preserved and promoted by
attention to three Gunas: Sathvika, Rajas, and Thamas. Health is preserved and
promoted by attention to three humours: Vatha (wind) Pitha (bile) and Kapha (phlegm).
Thri-dosha has to be avoided, that is to say, the three humours must not get
vitiated or unbalanced. A healthy body is the best container for a healthy mind,
illness makes the mind agitated and anxious. The material and the spiritual are
the two pans in the balance. They have to be attended to, in equal measure, at
least until a certain stage of progress is attained in spiritual development.
715
THERE is a conscience in Man, a whispering right
advice, restraining unjust hands which man has almost succeeded in silencing;
but, it is the voice of God; it can never be made dumb. Make the children
cognizant of it. In Kerala there is a practice, still happily existing in rural
parts, of the elders gathering the children around them every evening and
spending an hour or so reciting aloud the Stotras in praise of God. It is
essential that it must be revived. Time thus spent is well spent. It will give
great peace and joy.
716
THE Upanishads were not composed or collected by
persons who craved for fame or fortune; nor are they vapours of idlers and
scribblers. They have the true ring of actual experience. They arose out of
compassion for others wandering in the wilderness, out of concentration on the
means of liberation from the dual chain of tears and triumph. Those, upon whom
the people are traditionally depending for guidance, have become callous,
forgetting their task, or involved in darkness and dialectics. So, there is need
to spread the message of Love, which is the message of God. Simplicity is the
sign of Divinity. Pomp, Paraphernalia, Jaw-breaking formula, abracadabra and
dark mysterious mumblings are alien to the spirit of true Religion. These are
tricks by which man wants to monopolise or gain God.
717
PEOPLE do not understand the ways of God. How can
they know why a particular event takes place at a particular time, in a
particular manner? He alone can know. But people try to sit in judgment and talk
ill when, for example, someone dies of illness at this place. How can anyone
escape death? Even Avatars cast off the physical form when the task for which
they have come is over. It is the height of foolishness to lose faith in God,
when someone you cared for dies. The sentence, that he earned is over and he is
released. No one is born and allowed to live for the sake of another.
718
I ADVISE you to utilise every moment of your lives
in the most beneficial manner, to serve your fellow men to the best of your
capacity, to cultivate Love towards all mankind and to give up hate and malice.
Believe that your God, the Form that you revere, is in every one and sanctifying
every act as worship of that Form.
719
MONKS are instructed to shave their heads so that
they can move about unrecognised by former friends and companions, but now, we
find that they desire recognition and even appreciation, adulation and adoration,
things that cater to the ego, things they are asked to flee from. A monk should,
strictly speaking, eat like a dog and sleep like a fox-that is the popular
saying. Eat whatever one gets and appease the hunger; and sleep wherever one
finds shelter. Do not store food for another day or build a house wherein to
pass one's days. Escape the entangling coils of the senses and of the ego that
prompts them.
720
OF what benefit is the discourse of Mine if you do
not receive it into your hearts and act accordingly? I find that all the efforts,
all these years to awaken you to your duty are not fructifying in you. You are
like the rocks on the seashore that unflinchingly face the beating of the waves.
The rock does not move; the wave will not stop. This predicament should end.
Awake and avail yourselves of this unique chance.
721
DRAUPADI moved into the tent and fell at the feet
of Bhishma who blessed her spontaneously as was his wont: "May you have many
years of married life". Draupadi revealed herself as soon as she was blessed.
She prayed that the Pandava Brothers, her husbands, may be saved from arrows.
Bhishma guessed that Krishna must be the author of this stratagem. "We are but
puppets in His hands", he said; and when he found Krishna at the entrance of the
tent, he inquired what the bundle contained. Imagine his dismay when he was told
that the Lord had condescended to carry under His arms the sandals worn by His
devotee. Have faith in Him; He will never give you up; He will guard and guide
you until victory is won. Sincere devotion and unshaken faith can never fail to
earn Grace.
722
IN this Kali Age, the wicked have to be reformed
and reconstructed through Love and compassion. That is why this Avatar has come
unarmed. It has come with the message of Love. The only weapon which can
transform the vile and the vicious is the Name of the Lord uttered with Love.
723
BEFORE every Incarnation, two collaborators for the
task, which causes the incarnation to come, also appear as Mayasakthi and
Yogasakthi. Maya comes, as the elder sister, to warn the wicked; Yoga comes, as
the elder brother, to enthuse and keep constant company. Maya thrusts Kama
deeper and deeper into perdition, so that his downfall will be more terrible.
724
YOU cannot have this chance of being near to the
greatest source of joy in any other place. Here it is so near, so easy to attain
and so full of grace. If you fall back, you will seldom get the chance again.
Ask and get what will save you, not what will bind you. You ask from Me a
thousand things of the World, but rarely do you ask for "Me". That is why I
seldom address you as Bhaktas; I usually address you as "Divyatma Swaruplara",
for that is your real Swarupa. This Divyatman is Divinity. Though you do not
know it, it is a fact. Therefore, I can address you so, with confidence. I can
even call you "Divya Divya Swarupalara" but as for Bhakti, it is a quality that
will make you desire the Lord and nothing else.
725
WHEN the pot of milk on the hearth boils over, you
pour cold water on it, and it settles down. Durvasa is the example of the pot of
milk boiling over; and Narada of the pot of milk that does not. Narada had the
Name of the Lord always on the tongue and so the senses did not establish
mastery. If you too keep your senses and your wishes in check, you will gain by
listening to these talks and by this visit; and I will be happy that you have
taken to the path that will give you real strength and joy.
726
IN the past Ages, Avatars rid the world of evil, by
destroying the few fanatics and heroes who wrought it. But now, fanaticism and
felony reign in every heart. The number of Asuras or evil men is legion. All are
wicked to some extent or other. Therefore, everyone needs correction; and
everyone has to be educated and guided into the right path. Every being is a
pilgrim destined to reach Madhava and merge in Him; but most people have
forgotten the road; they wander like lost children, wasting precious time in the
by-paths.
727
BHAKTI involves dedication with nothing held back;
not even a wisp of ego should remain. His command alone counts; His will
prevails. Like a drunkard, the Bhakta has no sense of honour or decency, pride
or conceit. He is a Matha, as Unmatha, a mad person, unconcerned with all that
is unrelated to his ideal. He is deaf to the call of hunger and thirst; he
misses steps in logic and he calculates wrongly while dealing in the marketplace.
728
Kurukshetra must be made a Dharmakshetra.
Kurukshetra is the field where brothers fought over a handful of earth; but it
must be made a field for the uplift of man through the practice of Dharma. It is
for the sake of Jnana that Dharma has been laid down. Bhakti and Karma are the
two feet; and, the head is Jnana; walk on with the help of these two.
729
WHEN the heart is pure, the Lord is revealed, He is
the judge. He cannot be bamboozled. The doctor may assure you that you do not
have a fever, but the thermometer cannot lie. The doctor may say so in order to
save you from panic, but the thermometer declares the truth. God knows and God
will deal with you as you deserve. Have that faith. Repent for all the wrongs
done and resolve not to repeat the mistake; then God will extend His grace.
730
YOU are the citizens of no mean land. Bharath is
indeed a Divya Bhoomi: a land saturated since the ages with Devotion and
dedication to God, the path to God was sought for by even the common folk; and
spiritual discipline permeated every activity of life and every detail of daily
life. You are the inheritor of a great culture which has survived the onslaughts
of alien rule and political suppression.
731
WHEN someone sitting near you is immersed in sorrow,
can you be happy? No! It may be that a that when a baby weeps within hearing
range, you will get tears in your eyes in sympathy. Why? There is an unseen bond
between the two. Man alone has the quality of sympathy. He alone can be happy
when others are happy, and miserable when others are miserable. That is why he
is the paragon of creation and the acme of animal advance. Man alone is capable
of Seva; that is his special glory and unique skill.
732
GOOD ideas have to be accepted and bad ones
eschewed. Each idea has to be judged in the Supreme Court of Viveka (Intellect).
And the ruling has to be treated as inviolable. It is in this context that we
have to remind ourselves of the prayer of Gandhiji; "Sabko Sanmathi de Bhagavan",
"Oh, God bestow the right understanding on all".
733
YOU must devote sometime regularly for study and
for Sadhana. Now you are wasting time till late at night in clubs and frivolous
company. A portion of that time, if spent with God, can confer valuable results.
This Motherland has given you a culture that is attracting distracted people
from all parts of the world. Be grateful, study the culture and practice the
disciplines it lays down. Serve the poor and the helpless and those who eke out
their livelihood by hard work.
734
TODAY, we have factions everywhere at home, between
husband and wife, in the school between teacher and the pupil, and in Society
between group and group, This is deterioration indeed. Peace and harmony between
members of the same family are the foundation for peace in the land. The
individual must be at peace with himself. The coordinated effort of all the
organs of the body is essential for the healthy life.
735
FEEL happy that this is your mother country; love
of the country is the basis on which you can build love for the World Community.
Love expands; it does not limit itself to boundaries. Love your mother tongue;
then you will discover that all languages are as sweet as yours, for a language
is as sweet as the tongues of the speakers.
736
DO not preach; practice. In politics, in the field
of administration, in schools and colleges, in spiritual institutions,
everywhere, we have a surfeit of preachers but a famine of practitioners. Heroes
on platforms prove themselves to be Zeros when they descend to the ground.
Therefore, demonstrate in your own lives how Love can confer peace and joy; how
all faiths lead to the same goal; and how all men are brothers of one another.
737
THE only Message, the only lesson I can impart to
you today is to remind you of the great traditions of Bharath and ask you to
spread Love throughout the length and breadth of this great Land. Then, India
can again be the spiritual leader of humanity and fill the whole World with
Divine Love.
738
STRIVE to move away from Untruth towards Truth;
attempt to acquire knowledge of yourself and of the origin of all selves and
thus shed your fundamental ignorance. Move away from the thoughts and anxieties
about this body, subject to decay and death, and become aware of the immortal
soul which you really are.
739
WHO is the real resident of the body? You are the
positive aspect that is activating the negative aspect, the body. The
life-breath repeats Soham, every time you breathe. It means: "I am He, I am God"!
What a profound authentic declaration the breath is making every moment of your
life while waking, dreaming or in a deep sleep, whether you listen to it or not!
If this simple lesson, this Truth which is being dinned all twenty-four hours of
the day does not alert you or inform you of your real task, how can you
understand your Reality by the mere study of books?
740
DO not get involved with borrowed ideologies,
imported fashions or attitudes or apparels and exciting notions of social
behaviour. Youth today is ruined by this fascination for the false. Borrowed
ideas cannot fit into the pattern of our Culture. Sanathana Dharma is the
Culture that has grown on this soil and is best suited to maintaining peace and
joys. You cannot shine in borrowed feathers for long. They can give only
temporary delight. So, do not distort or disfigure your culture by limitation or
neglect.
741
I AM neither a Sastravadin or a Budhivadin. I am a
Premavadin. So I have no conflict with either the scholar who adheres to texts
or the devotee of Reason. Both have their good points as well as their
limitations. If you acquire Prema, then you can dispense with the Shastras, for
the purpose of all the Shastras is just that: to create the feeling of "Sarvajnana
Samaanaprema" equal love for all and to negate egoism which stands in the way.
742
PILGRIMAGES too are for elevating the heart,
sublimating the impulses and leading the lower self to higher levels of thought
and action. Reason serves the same purpose, or at least it ought to. Reason
seeks to know the unity of the Universe, the origin and goal of it all, the laws
that govern the anu and brhath, the microcosm and the macrocosm, and it peeps
behind the curtain to get a glimpse of the "Suthradhara", who pulls the strings.
743
JUST as you tend to the body with food and drink at
regular intervals, you must also tend to the needs of the inner Atmic body by
regular Japam and Dhyanam and the cultivation of Virtues. Sathsanga, Sath
Pravarthana and Sath-Chinthana are all essential for the growth and the health
of the inner personality. The body is the Bhavanam of the Bhabaneswara, His
Bhuvanam. In so far as you are particular about coffee or tea at regular
intervals, be also particular about Dhyanam and Japam at fixed times for the
health and liveliness of the spirit.
744
IT is only when attachment increases that you
suffer pain and grief. If you look upon Nature and all created objects with the
insight derived from the Inner Vision, then attachment will slide away though
the effort will remain. You will also see everything much clearer and with a
glory suffused with Divinity and splendour. Close these eyes and open those
Inner Eyes and what a grand picture of essential unity you get. Attachment to
Nature has limits but the attachment to the Lord that you develop when the Inner
Eye opens has no limit. Enjoy that Reality not this false picture. The Lord is
the Immanent power in everything.
745
IT is here in India that there is a mine of
Spiritual Wisdom and Spiritual Treasure. The Dharsanas, Upanishads, Gita and the
Vedas have to be distributed pure and unsullied, guaranteed in value and quality
to eager aspirants everywhere. We have had a succession of Sages and Saints. On
account of the teachings and the lives of these people, there is a vast field of
spiritual virtue in this Land which needs only a little more care to yield a
rich harvest.
746
YOU must each one try to become ego-less; and then
the Lord will accept you as His Flute. Once, when a number of people were asked
by Me what they would like to be in the hands of God, I got various answers.
Some said the Lotus; some the Sankha; some the Chakra; but no one mentioned the
Murali. I would advise you to become the Murali, for then the Lord will come to
you, pick you up, put you upon His lips and breathe through you and out of the
hollowness of your heart, due to the utter absence of egoism that you have
developed, He will create captivating music for all creation to enjoy.
747
YOU have to carry on certain processes of thought
and action in order to get to the hard core of faith that this World is a funny
mixture of Sathya and Asathya, which is Mithya in fact. The Divine Life does not
admit to the slightest dross in character or delusion in intellect. So, people
dedicated to it must emphasise this by precept and example. Wipe out the root
causes of anxiety, fear and ignorance. Then only can the true personality of man
shine forth. Anxiety is removed by faith in the Lord; the faith that tells you
that whatever happens is for the best and that the Lord's will be done.
748
YOU are all Sath-Chith-Ananda Swarupas; only you
are unaware of it and imagine yourself to be this individual or that, and
subjected to this limitation or that! This is the myth that must be exploded in
order that Divine Life may start. It is the Divine that inspires, activates,
leads and fulfills the life of each being, however simple or complex its
physical structure may be. From the "Anu" to the "Brahath", every single entity
is moving towards the estuary where it merges in the Sea of Bliss.
749
THE Guru very often tells you that you have
forgotten your real name or that you have lost the most precious part of
yourself and yet are unaware of the loss. The Guru is the physician for the
illness which brings about the suffering of alternate birth and death. He is an
adept at the treatment needed for the cure. If you do not get such a Guru, pray
to the Lord Himself to show you the way and He will surely come to your rescue.
750
WHEN the sun is over your head, there will be no
shadow; similarly, when faith is steady in your head, it should not cast any
shadow of doubt. When man loses his way and strays into the wilderness believing
that he is the body, the Gunas or the object, then the Avatar comes to warn and
guide. Keep the faith in the Lord undiminished, you can then safely move about
in the World. No harm can come to you.
751
HUSBAND and Wife are like two pieces of Wood,
drifting down a flooded river, they float near each other for sometime and, when
some current comes between them, they are parted. Each must move on to the sea
at its own rate and in its own time. There is no need to grieve over the parting
of the two. It is the very nature of Nature that it should be so.
752
DIVINE family exists in peace and concord. Siva has
snakes on His arms, on His head and around His waist. One of His sons, Kumara,
rides on a Peacock, which attacks snakes; another rides on a Mouse, which the
snakes feed on. One son has the head of an Elephant which whets the appetite of
the Lion, which is the vehicle used by Durga, the consort of Siva, who is so
inseparable that She is the left half of the body of Siva Himself. Nor is the
Lion friendly by nature to the Bull, which Lord Siva Himself has as his vehicle!
Siva has Fire on the central part of His Brow, and Water, the River (Ganga), on
His head, both incompatible. Imagine how loving and how cooperative the various
components have to be to render life on Kailas smooth and happy.
753
CARRY to every door the name of God and let the
clouds be illumined by love and reverence. Let every street in the towns, every
village in the State ring with the adoration of the Almighty; every sunrise sing
of Rama, Eswara, Sankara, and Krishna. Any Name is effective, provided it is
suffused with the Divine Essence. Love the branches, twigs, leaves, flowers and
fruits. They may appear to be different in colour, feel, taste, smell, etc. but
they all are products of the Earth, drawing sustenance from the Soil and the Sun.
Live together in Love; live in Peace; and live in Service.
754
WHEN clouds gather in the sky, lightning
illuminates the clouds; similarly, wisdom must illuminate education. The word of
Sai is the path of Truth. Smaller than the smallest atom; bigger than the
biggest thing. The Atma is Brahmam; witness of everything, and Brahmam is Atma.
755
BAMBOO is valued for its form and strength and
beauty. Similarly, the real worth of man lies in his intelligence. His
intelligence has come to him over many lives and the real value of his Buddhi is
to practice Thyaga or renunciation. But the Buddhi is covered by illusion, which
is only the real reflection of the Truth. When we throw away the water in the
pot, we throw away the reflection of the Sky in it as well. The reflection of
Truth in our minds is only the conglomeration of our desires.
756
THERE are three types of Knowledge: Knowledge of
matter energy; Knowledge of mental energy; and Knowledge of cosmic energy.
Cosmic energy works in every person in the form of Divine knowledge. Matter, in
all form, is only energy. Without atoms, you cannot have any matter; and in the
atom, energy is in the form of electron, proton, neutron etc. Energy springs
from the structure of the atomic constituents.
757
VOICE breeds disease. Bad thoughts and habits, bad
company and bad food are hostile grounds where disease thrives. "Arogya" and "Ananda"
go hand in hand. A sense of elation and exultation keeps the body free from ill
health. Evil habits, in which men indulge, are the chief cause of disease in the
physical as well as the mental state. Greed affects the mind; disappointment
makes man depressed. Man can justify his existence as man only by the
cultivation of virtues. Then he becomes a worthy candidate for Godhood.
758
ANYONE may blame you; but you should ignore all
such blame and go forward in doing service without rancour. Service is your only
duty. The Universe is a manifestation of God. So too is the individual. All
these three are like Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara - the Trinity. Actually, there
are no three, they are one - it is the unified Godhead. Cherishing this thought
of Oneness and serving the Society is true Adhyatmic or spiritual life.
759
YOU should take to "Sarvada, Sarvakaleshu Sarvatra
Haricharithanam". It is just not sufficient holding a mala and doing Japa, once
in the morning during Brahma Muhurtha time, once in the afternoon and once in
the evening. All the twenty four hours you should be in the remembrance of God.
You should all the time be striving to awaken the spirit within you and for its
blossoming (Atma Vikas). This is the real purpose of life.
760
MAN has in him vast resources of power. When he
does not utilise them while discharging his duties to himself and to the Society
which sustains him, he is only becoming a target for ridicule. When you are on a
railway station platform waiting for the train that is due, and when you come to
know that it arrives five hours late, how do you react? You fling abusive words
at the train. When the coaches receive from you such treatment, how much worse
treatment you deserve for not fulfilling your duty and for disappointing the
expectations that you have raised by your being a man? Utilise your skills and
learning as consistently and as effectively as duty demands.
761
MOHAMMED preached monotheism and was driven out of
Mecca. Jesus preached mercy and charity and he was charged with treason.
Harischandra refused to give up his allegiance to Truth and was driven to such
straits that he had to sell his wife and son as slaves. So, when you stick to
the path of Truth and Righteousness, pain and poverty haunt you. But they are
only clouds passing through the sky, hiding for a little while the splendour of
the Sun.
762
THE motherland is not a mere lump of earth. When we
desire its progress, we have to promote the progress of the people who dwell
therein. The skill needed for resuscitating and reforming man are found only in
students. The reforming process involves the removal in daily living of bad
conduct and bad habits and the practice of good conduct and good deeds. A man's
worth can be measured by his efforts to reform himself. This day, the Government
has no authority to reform the people; and the people have no authority to
reform the Government.
763
THE Pranava is the essence of all sustenance, the
embodiment of Rasa; of the Earth, Water is the Rasa; of the water, Physic (Oshadi)
is the Rasa; of the Physic, the Human Person is the Rasa; of the Human Person,
the Word is the Rasa; of the Word RK is the Rasa; of the RK, Sama is the Rasa;
of the Sama (Veda), OM is the Rasa. These eight Rasas, the Earth, Water, Physic,
Person, Word, RK, Sama and OM lead to the ninth Ananda (Bliss). These are the
Navaratnas, the nine Essences, the nine Sustainers; and Ananda is the goal which
man is seeking, the aim of human life.
764
THE A of AUM is the Viswa; the U is Tejas; and the
M is Praajna- this is another interpretation in the Scriptures. Viswa is the
Walking; Tejas is the Dream; Prajna, the Deep Sleep stage. The Pranava Sadhana
(the spiritual exercise of meditation on OM) is therefore very important for
Seekers. The Vedas prescribe the repetition of the Pranava, while studying holy
texts, reciting the Name of the Divine, carrying out daily duties and offering
gifts.
765
YOU have a Kalpavruksha, ready to give you all that
you want; you have the Lord, who protects and promotes all. The virtues of the
people are treasures of the State; the Smarana of the Name of the Lord is the
root of all virtues. Narada, who was afflicted with conceit that there was no
other who had dedicated his very breath to the recital of the Name, was once
humbled to find that a ryot, who managed to repeat the Name three times in the
course of his overwhelming multitude of distressing preoccupation from cock-crow
to dusk, was judged a great Bhakta.
766
JOY is your birth right; Shanti is your in-most
nature. The Lord is your Staff and Support. Do not discard it; do not be led
away from the path of faith by stories invented by malice and circulated by
spite. Take up the Name of God, any of the in- numerable ones, any that appeals
to you most and the Form appropriate to that Name and start repeating it, from
now on. That is the Royal Road to ensure Joy and Peace, that will train you in
the feeling of brotherhood and remove enmity towards fellow men.
767
BECAUSE you have taken residence in this body, you
cannot call the body "I". When you sit here in this Hall, you do not call the
Hall "I". You know you are separate and that you are here only temporarily. When
you go about in a tonga, you do not say that the tonga is you, do you? You do
not take the tonga inside, when you step down from it on reaching home. So, you
also have to drop this body when you reach "home".
768
PARAMATMA reveals its Glory in man; Prema appears
in various forms, attaching itself to riches, parents, children, one's life mate
or friends. All these are sparks of the same flame and the Love of the Universal
is its highest expression. This Prema cannot be cultivated by reading essays,
guide books, and made-easy lessons and learning the steps by note. It has to
begin with yearning for the Light and an unbearable agony to escape from the
Darkness as in the prayer "Thamasomaa Jyothir Gamaya". The yearning itself will
draw the light. The Love will grow by itself and, by its own slow alchemy, turn
you into God.
769
YOU must cultivate non-attachment towards Prakruthi
and attachment to the Lord. I am reminded of the story of Sankara Bhatta. He was
a great Sadhaka intent on Japa and Ahgama to such an extent that he was reduced
to skin and bone. He worshipped Saraswathi or Vidya which is the key to open the
doors of Mukti. Goddess Lakshmi saw his sad plight and was moved with great pity.
She chided Saraswathi for denying Her votary even the common joys of life and
she hid in his leaky hut to pour on him Her Grace. She offered him plenty,
prosperity, fame and fortune. She derided Saraswathi for neglecting to award
comfort and joy on Her hapless servant. But Sankara Bhatta turned a deaf ear to
her allurements; he said politely but firmly, "No, Saraswathi has blessed me
with the most precious wealth, the gift that liberates me. I do not crave your
Grace. Please remove yourself from my presence".
770
JEWELS give Joy, not Gold. You can experience the
Name, you can imbibe the Form; you can take them to heart and dwell upon them
and fill yourself with the joy that they evoke. That is why Jayadeva, Gomanga,
Ramakrishna and others wished to remain ants, tasting Sugar rather than becoming
sugar itself. The Name is like the seed implanted in your heart; when the shower
of His Grace falls upon it, it sprouts into a lovely tree. All trees that sprout
from the Name are equally lovely and shady.
771
MANAVA can become Madhava by engaging himself in
Madhava Karma; he can then discover his "Narayana - Tatwam". What is the use of
doing only Manavakarma or even Danavakarma and claiming that man is divine?
Virtue is the life-breath and character is the backbone. Without these, no
meritorious act will fructify. A man without character is like a pot with many
holes, useless for carrying water or for storing it. Renounce and win Peace.
772
HOW far have you progressed using the chance of
these Discourses and the Dharsan and Sparsan? Bring something into your daily
practice, as evidence of your having known the secret of higher life from Me.
Show that you have greater brotherliness, speak less with more sweetness and
self-control and that you can bear defeat as well as victory with calm
resignation.
773
WHILE speaking of God, who is guarding you, I am
reminded of a note that someone has sent Me from this gathering. The note wants
Me to explain why I have not mentioned SAI BABA in any of my Discourses so far,
though I bear the name as the Avatar of SAI BABA. Evidently, the writer of the
note had in mind the people who engage themselves in publicity work of Rama,
Krishna or SAI BABA.
774
FOOLISHNESS, egoism, and sheer ignorance are the
causes of misery of man today. The eye, the ear and the tongue lead man to
anxiety and malice instead of making him a messenger of Peace and Harmony.
Intellect is the root of pride and envy. Vishnu is Jagannatha at Puri; at Kasi
Siva is Visweswara; where then is any room for rivalry between those who worship
at Puri and those who worship at Kasi? Vishnu is Gopal (protector of cows) and
Siva is Pasupathi (master of cows). Still, the innate urge to fight comes up in
the heart of man and he uses the name of the Lord as an excuse for provoking the
fighting tendencies.
775
THE airplane has to land at a certain place to take
those who have reserved the right to fly with the tickets they have purchased.
So too the Lord has to come down so that those who have won the right to be
liberated may be saved. Incidentally, others too will know of the Lord, of His
grace and ways of winning it, of the joy of liberation. There are some who deny
even today the possibility of air travel; they curse the contrivance. They cavil
at it. Similarly, there are many who cavil at the Avatar who has come to save
them.
776
YOUR minds are wayward like monkeys that skip and
jump from bough to branch. Give them to Me. I can make them steady and harmless.
When I say "Sit", they will sit; when I say "Stand", they stand. That is what
Sankaracharya offered to do; he told Siva that he would hand over to him the
monkey that was his mind to Him so that it might be tamed and used for his
delight. But it must be a complete handing over with no reservations.
777
MAN comes into the World, burdened with Maya and
its instrument, the Mind. The Mind expresses itself through Attraction and
Repulsion, Raga and Dwesha, Affection and Hatred towards the external World.
Raga is Rajasic in its effect and it can be used for one's uplift as Narada used
it to fix attention on the Lord. Dwesha is Thamasic as Durvasa expressed it in
his dealings with Ambarisha and others. Without Raga and Dwesha, the Mind cannot
function at all. If these two are removed, there can be no mind and no Maya; and
you get fixed in Jnana.
778
THE study of the Vedas is the highest type of
learning since it leads to the conquest of Death. All other studies deal with
the means of living or the surroundings which you have to live; they deal with
earning and spending, deriving a little pleasure by this trick, escaping a
little grief by that trick. The Vedas show the path to the Realm of Eternal
Bliss, where there is no Birth or Death. People learn details about China,
Russia and America; they know about the volcanoes of the Pacific or the islands
of the Arctic regions; but they do not know an iota about the features of their
own inner realms.
779
THE Karma Kanda is the biggest part of the Vedas,
because Karma or sanctified activity is the means by which the tree blossoms and
the fruit matures and grows. The Upasana Kanda deals with Upasana, the method by
which the fruit ripens. The Jnana Kanda describes Jnana, the process by which
the fruit fills itself with sweetness. The first stage takes the longest time.
Also, it comprises the largest portion, the second and the third are quicker by
comparison. And so they are shorter. The third stage can be accomplished, even
apart from the tree, by keeping in a warm place amidst straw or a hot room.
780
MAN can acquire the sweetness of Jnana by keeping
himself in Sathsang or even by remaining in a solitary place by himself with
Dhyana, for example. But, by whatever means, the sweetness (Jnana) cannot be
injected from outside; it must grow from within. It is the transformation of the
inner nature won by a struggle with the inner foes.
781
JUST think of this for a while. You are in this
body, in this receptacle, in order to realise the God you really are. This body
is the cocoon you have spun round yourselves by means of your impulses and
desires. Use it while it lasts, to grow wings so that you can escape from it.
You came into this world crying, announcing your grief at being thrust into it,
grief for having lost hold of God. Having come with grief, decide not to go with
it from here. Get rid of it in this life.
782
BECOME entitled to the honoured title of Bhakta. My
glory is spread daily through those who call themselves My Bhaktas. Your virtue,
your self-control, your detachment, your faith and your steadfastness are the
signs by which people read of My Glory. Not that I want any such prop. But it
just happens that in this World, where men estimate others indirectly rather
than directly. Let me tell you, such Bhaktas are very rare. That is the reason
why I do not address you as "Bhaktulara". You can lay claim to that name only
when you have placed yourself in My hands fully, completely, and with no trace
of ego kept back to cater to your vanity.
783
ALL ills are traceable to faulty living. And what
is that traceable to? The ignorance of one's real Nature, ignorance so
deep-rooted that it affects thoughts, words and deeds. The drug that can cure it
is presented under different Names: Jnana; Karma; Upasana; and Bhakti. They are
all the same in potency and curative power. The difference lies only in the
method of administration: either as a mixture or as a tablet or by injection.
784
THIS Nilayam should not be treated with scant
reverence. Make the best use of your stay here. Do not treat this chance
lightly. You come, spending lots of money and you have put yourselves to much
trouble to reach here. But you do not bloom as fragrant offerings at the Lord's
feet by learning the Sadhana path. The senses have to be curbed into obedient
servants of the Sprit. For example, I insist on silence. Talk less. Talk low
when you must talk. Do not thrust your sorrows, your needs, and your problems
into the ears of those who come here with their own bundles of such things.
785
IN this Prasanthinilayam, there are certain limits
laid down, certain modes of spending time usefully recommended by Me. All who
come here, whether longtime residents or new arrivals, have to observe them. You
have seen Me, stayed here, and heard the Discourses. Let me ask: What is the
gain? Are you going back unchanged, unaffected? Dogs do not chew sugarcane; they
seek a bone instead. Ill-fated mortals recoil, when the talk is about God,
Goodness, Sadhana, and Saakshathkara. But you must pull yourselves away from
slums and bylanes and travel on the highway to God. Dwell always on the Glory of
God then you will shine in that Glory. Adhere to Truth. That is the surest means
of removing fear from your heart. Prema can grow only in the heart that is
watered by Truth.
786
THE Shastras warn you of false steps. They console
you in times of stress and they strengthen you in distress. They give correct
interpretations of moral dilemmas. They prescribe the dress, the food, the
manner of speech, the methods of social conduct, the mode of mutual behaviour
and the lines of onward march. They are the conscience of Society.
787
THE whole World knows what sacred ideals inspire
the Sathya Sai Organizations. It is true that a big bag of rice might contain a
few grains of sand. Any human organization is bound to have a few black sheep.
But that will not affect the Organization as long as it is true to its
principles. The kind of service and sacrifice the Sathya Sai Organizations are
rendering is colossal. The basis for all is the Love that prevails among the
members. From ancient times, the Upanishadic prayer said "Sahanaa Vavathu;
Sahanaa Bhunaktu" (May He protect us all; may He nourish us all.) The spirit of
Oneness proclaimed in these Manthras is operative today only in the Sathya Sai
Organization.
788
SANATHANA Dharma is bound to overcome today's
rampant materialism, for it can harmonize the secular and the spiritual into a
single way of life. It can bring into closer kinship both man and God. It is
based on the Divine which is the reality of the Self. So, it is not limited to
one country, one individual, one period or one set. It has a variety of
procedures, points of view, disciplines and guidelines, in accordance with the
special features of the region, the age, and the environment.
789
THE human body is the home of countless microbes
and other parasitic beings. No one can be free from these disease-inducing
causes. But one can easily overcome this sorrow by developing feelings of
compassion towards all beings, and by thoughts which thrive on and spread Love.
Illness, both physical and mental, is a reaction on the body caused by the
poison in the mind. An uncontaminated mind alone can ensure continuous health.
790
MAN struggles variously to attain Ananda. Ananda is
the height of happiness, the embodiment of joy. It is sought in three different
ways, according to the innate quality of the seeker - the Sathwick, the Rajasik
and the Thamasik. The Sathwik path is poison in the early stages and nectar
while coming to fruition. It involves firm control and regulation of the senses
of cognition and action. This will be very hard to accomplish. But as one
progresses in practice, the joy increases and bliss is attained. How can such a
goal be secured, without undergoing hardship?
791
THE Scripture says: "Happiness cannot be won
through happiness (Na Sukaad Labhyathe Sukham). Happiness can be won only
through misery". Pleasure is but an interval between two pains. To achieve the
Sathwik happiness that is positive and permanent, man must perforce take on
trials and tribulations, loss and gain.
792
TECHNOLOGY must be dedicated to the promotion of
high ideals, those which are cherished in Bharathiya culture. For without the
background of the culture, educated people are easily turned into slaves of
other cultures. Those who belong to a country have to proceed along the special
circumstances and resources of the country. Of course, one must love all
mankind; all are children of God. One must not emphasize the differences between
Nations or between castes and creeds. Cultivate Universal heartfelt Love.
793
MAN must withstand both praise and blame, success
and failure, pleasure and pain, like the Meru Mountain Peak. He must strive to
be steadfast and unmoved. Once you collect desires, you become their slave; you
will find no end to them. When they are attained, others assail you and still
leave you discontented. Be aware of your innate Divinity and show these
recurring desires their due place. The Atma in you is unaffected by desire,
defeat or victory. They are passing clouds.
794
SENSE-Control will guard you against a host of
evils. Do not believe that because you are equipped with the senses nothing
harmful can happen. Through their free exercises, you may have your car
registered in your name and be driving it yourself, but, if you do not apply the
brakes in a timely manner, accidents are bound to be your lot. Your body can be
compared to a car. Your eyes are like the lights. Your stomach, the petrol tank;
your mouth, the horn; your mind the steering wheel; Dharma, Artha, Kama and
Moksh, the wheels; the air within the tires is faith; and intelligence or
Buddhi, the switch.
795
FAITH is the basis of every act. You do not run
away from the barber because he is armed with a sharp razor. You place faith in
him and allow him to cut your hair, quietly submitting to his idiosyncrasies.
You give away costly clothes to the dhobi since you have the faith that he will
return them washed and ironed. You have faith in the driver of your car and in
the engineer who built your house. So too, believe in the inner Motivator, the
Atman within, the voice of God.
796
THE awareness of the Atman or the Divine in man can
neither be gifted to another nor be accepted from another. It is all the time
hidden behind the veil of ignorance. When the false image disappears, the Truth
shines in all its Glory. It is like the Sun behind the passing cloud. Your duty
is to draw this veil and let the Sun of Awareness shine forth and illumine your
thoughts, words and deeds.
797
ACTIVE participation in Society, in a spirit of
dedication and surrender, conceiving all acts as worship and all men as the
embodiments of the Supreme, is a more beneficial form of Sadhana. For there is
no spot where He is not, no object which is not He. For, as the Sruthi declares,
He willed that He becomes all this. Worship, adoration, and pilgrimage cannot be
the end-all. The goal is the realization of "I am He; He is I". That alone can
fill the heart with Bliss.
798
IT has been proclaimed that God is one, and that He
is known and can be known through various Names and forms. It has been declared
that God is installed in the heart of every being. Look at the emblem of the
Sathya Sai Organization. It tells you that the Hindu, the Muslim, the Parsee,
the Buddhist and the Christian are all adoring the same God for the same
consummation. The mind of man has to be a garden of many coloured flowers, a
Nandavanam. Krishna will certainly delight in dancing there and playing on the
enchanting Flute in the bowers of the garden.
799
THE knowledge derived through the mind utilising
the senses is always incomplete, but the knowledge that is earned through the
Buddhi or intellect, illuminated by the Atma, is full, freeing and revealing the
Truth. The first is termed "Manojnana" and the second "Atmajnana". "Manojnana"
informs that you are distinct from others; that God is at Kailas, Tirupathi,
Kasi, or Prasanthinilayam. But Names, Forms and Temples are only for the
Kindergarten stage.
800
THE prayer that rose from millions in this country
from all its temples, yapiaskas, theerthas, holy sea fronts, shrines and altars
for centuries has been, "Sarve janaah Sukine bhavanthu", Let all the peoples of
the World be happy and prosperous. "Samastha Lokaah Sukino Bhavanthu", May all
the Worlds have peace and prosperity. So pray for all humanity, for the welfare
and happiness, the peace and progress of Russia, China, Africa, Pakistan and all
the countries of the World and all beings everywhere.
Index
Introduction
Pearls 1- 100
Pearls 101 - 200
Pearls 201- 300
Pearls 301- 400
Pearls 401- 500
Pearls 501 - 600
Pearls 601 - 700
Pearls 701 - 800
Pearls 801 - 900
Pearls 901 - 1008