Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

Claiming to be devotees and going about as devotees, few are caring to find out what is true devotion. Singing and repeating God's name (bhajans and japas) and performance of sacrifices and rituals (yagas and yajnas) are not the real marks of devotion. They are merely exercises in washing out one's impurities. All the nine kinds of worship are also designed to achieve purity of mind and heart. But purity should find expression in action just as clothes that have been washed have to be worn. Without purity in action, the real nature of the Self cannot be recognized.

Each should use the power of discrimination given to them to fight the evil forces within. They must foster the divine elements within by their own efforts and by listening to the voice of their conscience. The freedom to choose has been given to all for this purpose. This freedom is to be used to discriminate between right and wrong, good and evil, and to foster divine qualities. This is the unique feature of the Kali (Iron) age. In this age, everyone has to fight against the demonic forces themselves and vanquish them. When this is accomplished, one's inherent divine nature will manifest itself of its own accord.

The eyes see; but can the organ 'eye' see of itself? It cannot function without prompting of the divine spirit (Atma) within. The brain thinks; but can the cells perform the process all by themselves? No. They must be activated by the divine within. The 'one' is the basis, the cause, of the manifestation in the many. Through love (prema) alone can the inherent, the immanent One be recognized.

God is omnipresent; God is the inner motivator (antaryami) of every particle in the universe. To declare that God is amenable only to your style of worship, that God will answer only to the name that you have learnt to use, is to insult God’s omniscience and glory. See God in all, serve God in all. Revere God in all. Pray, "Let the whole world prosper; let all mankind be happy."

Three disciplines are essential to become aware of divinity in all and in the Avatar. (1) No activity should be taken up with individual aggrandizement in view; (2) intellect and emotion must be directed to the revelation of the resident in the heart, Atma; and (3) every act should be done sincerely, with love, with no yearning for acquiring personal profit, fame, or benefit. Above all, listen to the voice of God within.

In this world, which is impermanent and ever transforming, the immanent power of the Lord is the only permanent and fixed entity. In order to realize the eternal and the true, one should attach oneself to that source and sustenance.

People should endeavor to cultivate qualities like tolerance, love, sympathy, righteousness, justice, and truth. People do not give any importance to this quest for truth. The search for truth is being directed toward worldly objects which are ephemeral and worthless. People should really dedicate themselves to the quest for the truth that is eternal.

Your actions should be in harmony with your words. Develop sacred feelings. Only then can you perform sacred activities. Devotion does not mean merely performing rituals like worship. Any work done with pure and selfless love is devotion.

Self-confidence is the foundation for the mansion of life. Once you have Self-confidence, you can raise the walls of Self-satisfaction over which you can lay the roof of self-sacrifice and lead a life of Self-realization. Hence, lay the foundation of Self-confidence strong and sturdy.

The service activities that we undertake are meant to experience unity in society. It is a great mistake if you think that you are serving others. In fact, you should not consider anybody as ‘other,’ for all are the embodiments of divinity. But people are not making efforts to realize this truth. Hence, one is subjected to difficulties.

If you must bring the power from the powerhouse to your residence to illumine your place, you must put up poles at regular intervals and connect the house with the powerhouse with cables. So too, if you must win the grace of God, do spiritual practice (sadhana) at regular timings, and connect yourself with God by the cable of remembering the Lord (smarana).

Everyone should have faith in the divine. Faith is essential for anyone, whether one is a theist or an atheist. People may judge things as good or bad according to their own predilections. But for God all things are the same. In this world, nothing will appear bad if one views it from the divine point of view.

Do not pollute your mind with worldly desires. You have attained this human birth because of meritorious deeds done in past lives. Do not misuse it. Human life is highly valuable. Keep up its value by practicing human values.

You are all Sath-Chith-Ananda Swarupa (embodiments of existence-consciousness-bliss), but you are unaware of it and imagine yourself to be this individual or that, subjected to this limitation or that! This is the myth that must be explored in order that divine life may start. Divine life does not admit the slightest dross in character or delusion in intellect. So, people dedicated to it must emphasize this by precept and example.