Past Sai Messages for the Day
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Today, the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe are all polluted. Hence, this widespread pollution has to be controlled, at least to a certain extent, by undertaking sacred activities. That is why the nine forms of devotion have been prescribed as sadhana (spiritual exercises): Sravanam (listening), Kirtanam (singing), Vishnusmaranam (contemplating on Vishnu), Padasevanam (serving His Lotus Feet), vandanam (salutation), Archanam (worship), Dasyam (servitude), Sneham (friendship), and Atmanivedanam (self-surrender). One must adopt any one of these sadhanas for pollution control.
Monday, October 7, 2024
Only when the names and forms are set aside, and the underlying source is identified can it be possible to recognize the truth. When you realize this truth, you will find that the principle 'I' underlies everything in the universe as the principle of unity. We must recognize that ‘I’ principle which is universal. The only aspect you must realize is ‘I am Brahman.’
Sunday, October 6, 2024
You are now sitting in this hall. You do not know what will happen to you when you get up and take two steps. Once you depart from this world, who is related to whom? Who are your friends and relatives? No relationships at all! Hence, the physical body should not be given too much importance. Purify the body by undertaking good deeds. Since people develop many kinds of relationships with the external world, they are afflicted with several impurities. Only when such impurities are cleared to a certain extent will one keep good health.
Saturday, October 5, 2024
When young people realize that God is omnipresent and resident in their hearts, they will certainly follow the Vedic injunction ‘speak the truth, practice right conduct.’ They will always speak the truth and practice morality.
Friday, October 4, 2024
All attachment arises at one stage - between mother and son, husband and wife, and so on - and drops away at another stage. Divine love (prema) is something completely different. God is eternal - existing before one's birth and continuing after one’s death. The divine is without a beginning or an end. True love means the love of God.
Thursday, October 3, 2024
Indians (Bharatiyas) have celebrated the Navaratri festival since ancient times as a mode of worship of Devi as Mother. During these nine days, they worship Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Who are these three? They are the three forms that have fascinated humans. Their esoteric significance is represented by three Sakthi (potencies): action (karma), worship (upasana), and spiritual knowledge (jnana).
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
People today should seek the sovereignty of the Kingdom of the Spirit (Atmasamrajyam) within them. This calls for control over the senses and avoiding evil qualities like anger, greed, and jealousy. This spiritual practice (sadhana) must begin from now itself when you are young. Do not put it off for your old age.
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Just as people of all faiths live in harmony here, you should live in harmony with people of other faiths in whatever country you may live. You will serve your motherland well only when you set an example for the world.
Monday, September 30, 2024
What is the source of ignorance (Ajnana)? It is identification with the body, the delusion that you are the body. This can be removed only by the acquisition of the right knowledge. To remove darkness, light is needed. You cannot drive darkness away by prayer, petition, or protest. Unless the light is on, darkness will not disappear; however much you try. So, ignorance will not disappear by merely wishing for its disappearance.
Sunday, September 29, 2024
You cannot live without breathing. When you take a breath in, you experience the sound "So," and when you breathe out, you experience the sound "Ham." This way, one's breathing signifies "Soham (That I am, meaning Divinity I am)."
Saturday, September 28, 2024
The Upanishads proclaim that release from death can be achieved neither through entanglement in works, nor through one’s progeny, nor through the accumulation of riches. It can be gained only through acts of renunciation, detachment, or sacrifice (thyaga).
Friday, September 27, 2024
Everyone should be prepared to offer all their actions to God. The cosmos should be regarded as God's all-pervading form. Only by realizing the feeling of unity in diversity can the individual and the nation be redeemed.
Thursday, September 26, 2024
More than the knowledge you can get from reading scriptures, you should value the wisdom you can get from experience. By taking the knowledge from the scriptures, you can convert it into wisdom of experience by practicing it in your daily life.
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Peace is the very nature of the Atma. It coexists only with a pure heart; it is never associated with a greedy heart full of desires. Peace is the distinguishing mark of yogis, sages (rishis), and wise people. It does not depend on external conditions. It will flee away from the selfish and the sensual. It hates the company of such people. It is characteristic of the inner Atma—wonderful, unshakeable, and permanent.
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Supreme peace has no ups and downs; it cannot be partial in adversity and complete in prosperity. It cannot be one thing today and another tomorrow. It always maintains state of bliss (ananda).
Monday, September 23, 2024
Peace is the innate nature of humanity. It is the force that comes to the aid of those who try to develop discrimination (viveka), renunciation or detachment (vairagya), and keenness of intellect (vichakshana). It is but a phase of the Atma itself. Like the Atma, it has no beginning or end; no blemish can mar it; it is equaled only by itself; it cannot be compared with any other.
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Detach yourselves from the craving for fame and comfort – that is to say, develop non-attachment (upeksha), and you are free! Detachment alone can save you from entanglement and reveal the ultimate truth.
Saturday, September 21, 2024
The absence of mere anger cannot be taken as peace. Winning a desired object and the satisfaction one then gets should not be confused with peace. The peace that has pervaded the heart must not be shaken for any reason; only that type of peace (shanti) deserves to be called supreme peace (Prashanti).
Friday, September 20, 2024
In the sixth chapter of the Gita, we are told how one can attain purity. Good qualities like kindness, compassion, love, and sacrifice qualify one to be called a devotee or a Jnani, or one who has attained detachment from the external world (Vairagya).
Thursday, September 19, 2024
When one has attained the state of realizing the divinity in every being, when every instrument of knowledge brings the experience of that divinity, when it alone is seen, heard, tasted, smelled, and touched, then one becomes undoubtedly a part of the body of God and lives in Him and with Him. When this duty to progress is taken up, you will get new strength at the very first step; you will get a new and purer joy; you will taste the fullness of bliss; and a new holiness will refresh you.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Everyone must be interested in four things: "Who am I? Where did I come from? Whither am I going? How long shall I be here?" All spiritual inquiry begins with these questions and attempts to find the answers. The four Vedas answer these four questions.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
God is all names and forms! Gods designated in different faiths and adored by different human communities are all limbs of the one God that really is.
Monday, September 16, 2024
Do not make the mistake of considering some worthy of reverence and others unworthy. Sai is in everyone, so all deserve your reverence and service. Propagate this truth; that is the function I assign to this Organization (Seva Samithis).
Sunday, September 15, 2024
On Onam festival day, people of Kerala invite Emperor Bali into their hearts and homes. Bali had unwavering faith in God. He served his subjects as if he was commissioned by God (Narayana). He offered all he earned, all he was and himself most gladly to God. He overcame the clouds of ignorance and rose to supreme wisdom. His Self expanded so vastly that it merged with divine consciousness. Purity leads to unity, and unity merges with divinity. This is the message that Onam and the story of Bali convey to humankind.
Saturday, September 14, 2024
A man once was pestered by a host of relatives when he was dying. Parents, wife, children, brothers, sisters - all surrounded his bed during his last moments and wailed. They asked him, "What is to happen to us?" The dying man lifted his head a little from the pillow and asked in return, "What is to happen to me? I am now more interested in that problem, than being worried about what is to happen to you." Well, it is better if everyone asks those questions even now and equips themselves with the answer rather than wait until it is too late.
Friday, September 13, 2024
Carry out the spiritual practice of repeating the divine name and meditation as prescribed; learn all about it from these Pandits and others who have the experience. Do ritual worship with flowers, repetition of the name with rosaries, etc., until you are ready for higher endeavors. You must offer the Lord, not the flowers from plants; that will reward the plant, not you! The Lord wants you to offer the lotus that blooms in the lake of your heart.
Thursday, September 12, 2024
When the magnet does not attract the needle, the fault lies in the dirt covering the needle. When the Lord does not approach the devotee, the fault lies in the devotee's heart; it is not pure enough. Purify the heart by being good and kind to all. Do not attempt to find fault with others. Look upon all with love, respect, and faith in their sincerity.
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Do all acts as offerings to God; do not classify some as "my work" and some as "His work." All work is His; He inspires, helps, executes, enjoys, reaps, sows and is pleased. He alone exists, for all this manifoldness is but He, seen through the mirror of Nature! Everything is for the attainment of the Supreme.
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
To achieve the great consummation, you must take one step after another. Good deeds like ritual worship, repetition of holy names, meditation, observance of vows, etc., are the 'steps'; good thoughts like prayer for greater discrimination and chances to serve others also help. Slowly, steadily cleanse the mind, sharpen the intellect, purify the senses, and win grace.
Monday, September 9, 2024
People surrender their dignity and status to others for various purposes in life: wealth, fame, possessions, pomp, power, etc. But rarely do they get the chance to surrender to the Lord for the sake of the Lord! How can one get the urge as long as one craves the world and not its basis? One longs for the object, but not for the base on which the object rests. How long can a baseless object satisfy? One wants the gift but not the giver, the created but not the Creator, things from the hand but not the hand!