Life 45 (Jan 23 - Aug 23)

[winston]

What should the impact of chanting the Lord’s name and spending time in the noble company be?

A person who claims to have gone to the seashore and played with the waves must produce, as evidence, at least a pair of wet feet, isn’t it?

So too, when you come to this sea of Satsanga (the company of the pious) and share the waves of bliss, the proof is in the eye becoming wet with weeping; in the heart that exults when another is happy.

Even when you listen, gather the honey as the bee does when it visits the flowers. It was said that the world is becoming divine.

The world must become full of the Supreme, with any of the many names and forms of the Supreme on the lips of people and before their minds!

It’s the same substance poured into different moulds. Like sugar dolls that children seek, cats, dogs, cows and horses, all are of the self-same sweetness; one child prefers this shape and this name; another one weeps for another doll!

The same Divine being appears in different times and places, assuming different Names.

- Divine Discourse, Feb 26, 1961.

He owns all names and will respond to any one of them. Picture Him in any form while meditating on him; He assumes that form while conferring Grace.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the truth about this life, that we must keep in mind and carry on with our life?

You know that the dream world is a fantastic world of nonsense, where fifty years are compressed into five minutes and where weird incidents and things, are taken as actually present and experienced.

But from the stage of realisation, even the waking stage, is equally without validity. Therefore, have a sense of values, a scale of values rather; give everything, everyone, its worth or their worth, not a whit more.

Five sheaths encase the Atma (Inner-Self) and hide its splendour from revealing itself.

Make all these pure and shining:-
1 The physical sheath (annamaya kosa) must be purified by good, clean, pure food;
2. The vital sheath (pranamaya kosa) by calm, steady breathing and an equanimous temper;
3. The mental sheath (manomaya kosa) by holy thoughts and emotions, untouched by attachment to senses or unaffected by joy or grief;
4. The wisdom sheath (vijnanamaya kosa) by the contemplation of the reality; and
5. The bliss sheath (anandamaya kosa) by getting immersed in the ecstasy of Divine-realisation.

- Divine Discourse, Feb 26, 1961.

Life is a dream, realise it!

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

We are often told about the ill effects of the Kali age. How do we deal with it?

We must try to make the best of our present age, the Kali Yuga, and try to do good things and live happily in this world.

Past is past, and it will never come again, and we are not sure of the future.

The present is not permanent; it changes and moves constantly. That is why we say, “Be good, do good, see good — that is the way to Him.”

Try to be good, fill your heart with goodness and lead a good life, and the result also will be good.

When we fall sick, it is not in any way useful to feel sorry about it. It is necessary that we somehow try to take the proper medicine and get over the sickness.

Instead of weeping over the disease we have got, it is better to try and get it cured and help the body to get well.

So also instead of feeling sorry for the bad things that are happening in this Kali Yuga, we must always try to be good and remove the bad from this world.

- Summer Showers 1972, Ch 11.

This age (Kali Yuga) is the Golden Age for the seekers of the Divine to earn and learn discrimination.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why is the transformation of one’s conduct all-important?

Jnana (spiritual knowledge) is regarded as the primary requisite for man. But what is really primary is his conduct - righteous conduct.

One's conduct, determines one's qualities and the qualities, in their turn, determine one's behaviour.

All are His children and are equally entitled to the love of the Divine. Why then are there differences among men? Why is there no equality or sameness? This is because of differences in the mental makeup of people.

If the mind is impure, one's actions are bound to be impure. When the mind and the consciousness are warped by egoism, human behaviour is also distorted. When these are turned towards the Divine, good actions follow naturally.

The mind is the cause of good and bad deeds. Hence, whatever we wish to achieve, we should try to accomplish without excitement or agitation.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 08, 1983.

Love is another name for Dharma. True love is priceless.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the flower that we must give to get love and peace in return?

Bring a million flowers and do pooja (ritual worship) with them. All will be rejected, none accepted.

Bring a single lotus, your heart which is fresh; the Divine will accept this and grant you both love and peace.

Offer your virtues as flowers. Virtues that spread beauty and fragrance. Offer the lotus of your heart, freed from pests like lust, anger and hate.

The seed of Divinity must be fostered by human effort and steady care, in order that it may blossom and fructify.

Remove from your mind, all traces of desire to harm others, by thought, word and deed. The reaction you encounter by indulging in behaviour that is temporarily satisfying, will be disastrous.

Each such act is a seed planted in your own mind, a weed that will grow wild and destroy your own peace and joy.

So, be vigilant against such tendencies. Cleanse your thoughts, words and deeds and act as men on the march towards their Divine Destiny.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 21, 1983.

The Divine does not live in structures of stone or brick and mortar! He lives in soft hearts,
warm with sympathy and fragrant with universal love.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the easiest technique to realise the purpose of human life, especially in this day and age?

Human life is precious, noble and virtuous. It is a pity human beings do not realise this.

The whole purpose and goal of human life, is to know one's true nature. Forgetting one's true nature, man is caught up in worldly concerns and plunged in misery.

The ancient sages indicated the path to be pursued for the redemption of mankind. They commended nine forms of worship, any one of which could confer bliss and redeem a man's life.

To experience the proximity of the Divine, the easiest path is Namasmarana, remembering constantly the name of the Divine.

In this Kali Yuga, there is nothing greater than chanting the name of the Divine. It is the easiest path for one and all, scholar and illiterate, rich and poor.

- Divine Discourse, Oct 03, 1996.

Using the body as an instrument, you should realise the indweller and propagate this truth to the world.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why is the purity of the heart of utmost importance?

First of all, fill your heart with love for the Divine.

Your heart is like a tank, and the senses are like taps. When you fill the tank of your heart with love, the sweet water of love will flow through the taps of senses.

As are the feelings in your heart, so are the actions. When your heart is full of love, all your actions will be suffused with love.

If you throw a stone into a well, it will create ripples in the entire well. Likewise, when you throw a stone of a good or bad thought in the lake of your mind, its effect will spread to all the limbs of your body.

When a bad thought enters your mind, your eyes will see evil, your hands will do evil, your speech will become evil, your ears will hear evil, and your feet will walk to only evil places.

The effect of thoughts will spread in the entire body right from top to toe. Heart is most important. When the heart is not pure, life becomes meaningless.

- Divine Discourse, Jul 23, 1996.

The spring of Divinity that emerges from your heart is superior to even ambrosia. Such is the sweetness, greatness, and power of your heart.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What can we do with our present, to ensure a joyous future?

Love all. Have faith that He is present in all.

Make everybody happy. Only then can you attain happiness.

It is impossible for you to attain happiness without making others happy.

On this day, take a firm resolve to purify your heart. Past is past. It cannot be retrieved.

When you are walking on the road, you should look at the path ahead of you. What is the point in looking behind? Likewise, there is no point in brooding over the past.

The future is not certain. What is the guarantee that you will be alive until tomorrow?

So, do not worry about your future. Live in the present. It is not an ordinary present. It is omnipresent, meaning the results of the past and seeds of the future are contained in it.

So, when you make proper use of the present, you can rest assured that your future is safe and secure.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 13, 2002.

Spiritual pursuit is the right way of making use of time.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What aspects of our ancient tradition should we resurrect in our modern lives?

Ages have gone by and the world has undergone many changes but there is no transformation in the human heart.

Some people say that education is bringing about a change in man. No doubt, there has been a change. But what type of change is it?

It is a peculiar change that is leading to the perversion of the human mind instead of transforming his heart.

In fact, modern education has added to the confusion of man. Man is not learning what he is supposed to. He is wasting his life by cultivating bestial qualities and by indulging in demonic deeds.

The ancient culture lays great emphasis on the underlying unity in diversity. It wants us to understand this principle of unity and work for our own redemption. But we are following what is contrary to our ancient culture.

So, there is a rise today in the number of so-called educated intellectuals who fragment unity into diversity but the number of noble souls who visualise unity in diversity, is on the decline.

The way of life of the ancients, was such that they evinced great concern for everyone’s welfare. They found fulfilment in giving happiness to others.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 13, 2002.

In a world in which many technical and scientific changes are taking place, a balance has to be maintained between modernity, spiritual traditions and the heritage of the country.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

How can we experience the sweetness of the Divine's presence within and how must it reflect in our life?

Take it that it is the Divine that speaks through you and honour every word as He would have done.

Do not disobey it or circumvent its directives. Pray that the voice alerts you ever, pray with humility and surrender to the advice. Then He will guide you right with compassion.

If you plead plaintively for grace, you will be able to earn divine intervention. Unwavering faith is the sign of spiritual success. That is the result of the awareness of one's inner Reality, the stabilising core, the Divine in man.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 21, 1983.

He who obeys the dictates of the Divine is indeed at ease, he is a yogi; he who disobeys
the dictates of Him is the diseased (the rogi).

Source: radiosai.org