Thought for the Day

Millions read and write; millions have qualified for degrees and have become experts and specialists. This only means that they are efficient collectors of information or big encyclopaedias of general knowledge! But none can say, who one really is. People try to fly millions of miles into space, but they are powerless to travel even half an inch into their own inner realm and discover what lies therein. What is the use then, of the vast amount of exertion and energy they have spent for their education? True learning must be like that of ancient India, where knowledge and scientific temper was developed and practised along with sense and mind control, and character development. That will be beneficial to the individual, the society and lead to the progressive unfolding of the Divinity present in every being.

Thought for the Day

Proceed ever towards strength (balam). Do not take to untruth, wickedness, and crookedness – all of which denotes a fundamental fatal trait of cowardice and weakness (bala heenam). Weakness is born of accepting as true, a lower image of yourself than what the facts warrant. That is the main mistake. You believe you are the husk, but you really are the kernel. All spiritual practices must be directed to the removal of the husk and the revelation of the kernel. So long as you say, ”I am so and so”, there is bound to be fear. Once you say and feel “I am Divine” (Aham Brahmasmi), you get unconquerable strength. 

Thought for the Day

Illusion is like a fierce dog that will not allow anyone to near its Master, God. You can easily manage to by-pass it by assuming the Form of the Master which is called Sarupyam or by calling out to the Master so loudly that He comes down and accompanies you into the house; that is to say, by winning His Grace as proximity, Saameepyam. Illusion is His pet and so will not harm you, if He orders not to. Illusion is the blemish that affects the mind. The Master comes to save not just one good person from Illusion, but the whole of mankind. Of course, He has to come assuming a form that man can love, revere, and appreciate.

Grama Seva covered puttaparthy village today

Today Students covered Puttaparthi village and it was the third day of Grama Seva.

Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna started

The Seven Day Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna got underway in Poornachandra Auditorium this morning .

Other Excellent Performance by UK team

Devotees from the UK  offered a special Musical Offering yesterday in Prasanthi Nilayam. Roopa Panesar again showed her talent in music-especially Sitar.All the listeners enjoyed the program and gave big clap.After the wonderful performance youth from the UK continued with a medley of fast bhajans, singing with devotional exhuberance.

Thought for the Day

Cleanse the heart with the water of love and the detergents of prayer and contrition, so that the stains of desire will be removed. Then God will pour His Grace into it. If you yearn for God, you should give up attachment to the external world and to the body (Loka bhranthi and Deha bhranthi). There is no use trying to put one foot in one boat and another in a different boat. You may have been a spiritual aspirant for 20 or 25 years, but if you worry more about physical needs and comforts than meditation and spiritual progress, then the years of practice is of no value, as there has been no progress. The waving of the camphor flame (aarti) at the end of the prayer or bhajan session is to remind you that your sensual cravings must be burnt away without leaving any trace behind. You must offer yourself completely to God, to be merged in His Glory.

Thought for the Day

A merchant was once brought before a magistrate for selling adulterated ghee (clarified butter). Judgment was pronounced and as a punishment he was asked to either consume the entire quantity of the foul ghee or receive 20 whips or pay a fine of 100 gold coins. He preferred the ghee and started drinking the stuff a little bit, but finding the smell unbearable, he then chose the stripes. He received a few but could not stand any more. So finally he pleaded with the magistrate to let him go with the fine and paid his dues. If only he had opted for this initially, he could have avoided the foul drink and the excruciating pain. By swaying in his decision, he had to taste the wreck and the rod. So too, most people do not opt for God in the beginning when grief overpowers them. They do not recognize the inevitability but eventually come to God, sooner or later. Make your choices wisely

Thought for the Day

Like the silkworm that spins from out of itself the cocoon that proves to be its tomb, man spins from out of his mind the cage in which he gets trapped eventually. But there is a way of escape, which the spiritual teacher (Guru) can teach you or which the God in you will reveal to you. Take to the spiritual practices that will bring you relief. Forget the past; do not worry about possible errors or disappointments. Decide and Do. Substitute good thoughts for the bad and cleanse the mind of all evil by dwelling on righteous deeds and holy thoughts. Forget the things you do not want to remember and bring to memory only those things that are worth remembering. Take on the role of the Hero from now on, not the Zero. This is a sure way to achieve spiritual progress.

Thought for the Day

If only the agony and toil now being experienced by you to accumulate the symbols of wealth and power for keeping yourself and your family in comfort, are directed towards God, you can be infinitely happier. The veil of maya (illusion), however, hides from you the face of God which is shining from every being and thing around you. Maya creates the universe and attracts the mind with the vast paraphernalia of the objective world. It is a narthaki, an enchantress who entices the intelligence and traps the senses. This na-rtha-ki can be subdued by ki-rtha-na (note the re-ordering of the syllables). Kirthana is the concentrated contemplation of the glory of God. 

Thought for the Day

A small lump of steel can become a beautiful and efficient watch through the application of intelligence and skill. Can not a human being be transformed into one who has realised the Ultimate through the application of the tools of discrimination and detachment? Have faith in yourself, your own capacity to adhere to a strict time-table of sadhana, your own ability to reach the goal of realisation. When you have no faith in the wave, how can you get faith in the ocean? Do not give ear to what others say. Believe your experience; what gives you peace and joy, the bliss of Aathma anandham - the joy of the Inner Self. Believe in that. That is the real basis for faith

Thought for the Day

Meditate upon the flute of Krishna and the melody it aroused in the veins of mankind, animals, birds, plants and even hills, rivers and rocks on sand dunes. Dwell also on the supreme love of the Gopis, their surrender of everything, gross and subtle, of ego and egoistic attachment at the feet of the Supreme Being. They spoke no word except prayer, they moved no step, except towards God, they saw and heard only Krishna in every being, they spoke every word of Him, to Him, no matter who was present with them. Lord Krishna filled their hearts and transmuted them into the most self-effacing group of devotees the world has ever seen. And know that the Lord’s assurance, "Yogakshemam Vahaamyaham" (I shall take care of the well being of My devotees) is no empty declaration; it is the vow of the Lord, and He is the very embodiment of Truth.

Sai Jyothi Offers Medley Of Sai Devotionals

The visiting UK group “Sai Jyothi” presented a medley of devotional songs this evening in Prasanthi Nilayam. Beginning with an instrumental playing to the tune of “Vande Uma Nandanam” invoking Lord Ganesha, the presentation progressed into a Hindi solo by Kaviraj Singh Dhadyalla followed by a medley of devotionals in English.

Thought for the Day

The best among men is one who has compassion; the most blessed time is the 'present', this very second, and the best act is to relieve the pain and grief of others. You decide to start Naamasmarana (remembrance of the Divine Name) ‘next Thursday’, as if death has assured you in writing that he will not call on you till that date. Do not postpone what you can do today or do now, this very moment. Make your efforts towards your goal. The goal will near you faster than the pace with which you near the goal. God is as eager to save you as you are eager to be saved. He is Love, He is Compassion for all who flounder on the path. God grants the desires of each one of His devotees, and hence has won the name, Bhaktha Abheeshta Pradha.

Musical Program-Sai Anandam

The group Sai Jyothi  from UK, offered a classical musical presentation entitled ‘Sai Anandam’,in Sai Kulwanth Hall this evening.It was an amazing program by Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization UK.Sai Anandam had

• Roopa Panesar  on Sitar,
• Kirpal Singh Panesar on Tar Shehnai,
• Kaviraj Singh Dhadyalla on Santoor and Vocals,
• Gurdian Singh Rayatt on Tabala.

Bhajans ended with the “Madhura Madhura Ghana Muraleedhara Shyama…” in Bhagawan’s own voice. Mangala Arathi was offered at 18.15 hrs.

Thought of Mahatma Gandhi

• When you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.
• God alone is the judge of true greatness because He knows men's hearts.
• The good man is the friend of all living things.

Thought for the Day

When you feed the cow with fermented gruel so that it may yield more milk, the milk emits an unpleasant smell. When you engross yourself too much with the trifles of the world, your character and conduct will also become unpleasant. It would indeed be tragic to witness the downfall of a ‘child of immortality’, struggling in despair and distress. If only you were to ask yourself: “What are my qualifications? What is my position? What are the opportunities I am bestowed with?” Then you will soon realize your own downfall and make efforts to recover. Will a tiger, however hungry eat popcorn or peanuts? Stay focussed on the goal worthy of your lineage. Never slacken the effort, whatever be the obstacle, however long the journey. Keep your efforts on, in line with the dignity of your noble goals.

Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand Parthi Teertha Yatra

This evening hundreds of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand people conducting Parthi Yathra here.

Thought for the Day

If your thoughts are centred around the body, you will have worries of pains and illnesses, real or imaginary. If they are centred on riches, you will be worried about profit and loss, tax and exemptions. If they roam round fame, then, you are bound to suffer from the ups and downs of scandal, calumny and jealousy. So let them centre round the seat of power and love which deserve willing submission - the Name of the Lord. Let your whole being surrender to it. Then you will be happy forever. For the sages of the Vedic culture, the Name of the Lord was the very breath; they lived on the sustenance, which contemplation of the Lord’s glory provided. God is the very embodiment of Love. He can be won only through Love.

Thought for the Day

When worship is rendered with a view to fulfill desires and realize wishes, the precious prize will be lost. Worship must cleanse the heart, so that God, the Indweller, may shine in all His glory. Know that desires tarnish the heart, instead of cleansing it. Invite a prince, who is yet a child to sit on the throne – he will start weeping, for he cannot play on the throne with his toys and pets. The adults would sneer at the boy’s fondness for toys, they would call it childishness. So too, all those, who keep away from the throne of ‘Sovereignty over themselves’ and prefer to play with the toys and pets of material things are equally childish, no matter what their age or status is

Thought for the Day

Repeating the Name of God saved Prahladha from the agony of torture. He learnt the Sacred Name and understood its sweetness. He chanted it constantly and internalized its nectarine taste. When the enraged elephant rushed towards him, he did not call out for his physical parents to rescue him; he instantaneously cried out ”Narayana”. The Lord is the source of strength for the weak and the strong; He is the Supreme Power. When Prahladha took the Name of the Lord, enraged elephants backed out, no fire could touch him and no poison could affect him. The Lord’s Name was his armour, his shield, his breath, infact his very life. For chanting the Divine Name, no expense is involved, no materials are needed, no special place or time is required. Scholarship, caste or creed does not matter. When a piece of iron is rubbed on a slab of stone, heat is generated. So too, in order to generate sufficient heat to melt the soft heart of the Lord, repeat the Divine Name vigorously and constantly. Then, the Lord will shower His Grace.

Thought for the Day

The tree of life can yield the fruit of bliss only when it is watered with virtue and fed on faith. Provision of food, clothing, and shelter will not ensure peace and joy; they can come only through virtue and faith. Virtue alone can endow love and sympathy. We are now putting the cart (the body) before the horse (mind) and providing for the safety and strength of the cart alone. The horse (mind) is allowed to grow wild or is starved. Harmony at home and in society can be brought about only through the recognition of the Oneness of All. Virtues alone can endow love and sympathy, peace and joy for one and all.

Thought of Mahatma Gandhi

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

Thought for the Day

In the firmament of the heart, the intellect (sun) and the mind (moon) revolve on their regular courses. If envy, greed, hate or malice dim the glory, they are to be dismissed as passing clouds that cannot affect the sources of light. The more you reason out things, the clearer will become the reality. Reasoning power will never hinder the discovery of the Truth; only you have to go as far as reason can take you; then you can see the vast vistas beyond. Man has been endowed with enormous, immeasurable talents, skills and power; but is using all that to travel to the moon, instead of journeying towards the wonderland of one’s own inner realms, where one can come face to face with God who is the Inner Reality of this entire phenomenal world.

Thought of Mahatma Gandhi

International Peace

I do not believe that an individual may gain spiritually and those that surround him suffer. I believe in advaita. I believe in the essential unity of man and for that matter of all that lives. Therefore I believe that if one man gains spiritually, the whole world gains with him and, if one man falls, the whole world falls to that extent.

Happy Gandhi Jayanthi

Today celebrate 143rd birth anniversary of Great Mahatma Gandhi.

Thought for the Day

A glowing electric lamp can be compared to Prema (Love). For the lamp of love to burn, there should be a bulb, which is Shanthi (peace). The electric wire connected to the bulb is Dharma (Right Conduct). The current flowing into the wire is Sathya (Truth). Thus, the lamp of love glows and sheds its light, using all other human values. Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema constitute a single whole and not separate values. All the four values have to be adhered to equally. Prema must express itself in professional life too. Develop the feeling that all in your place of work - managers, workers and others are members of one family. Develop fraternal feelings towards all. With mutual love and regard, harmony can be achieved even in one’s profession.

Thought for the Day

You see and hear certain things during the day. But when you go to bed and dream during sleep, you are not aware of all this; you see and experience a new set of events, which seem as real, as impressive, and as significant as those you witnessed when awake. And when in deep sleep, nothing ‘is’, except probably the inner consciousness that you are. When you dream, the dream is real; when awake, the waking experience is as real as the dream was. The fact is, it is all a dream, a creation of the mind when the Atma (the true self) is reflected on it. Remove that mind, then there will be nothing on which the Atma reflects. The Atma shall then shine in its own splendour. Jnana (Wisdom) is passing from the dream stage to the waking stage, and realising the dream to be unreal. Seek the springs of bliss within you and happiness will be your lot, here and forever. Believe that the bliss within you is derived from God who is your Reality.