Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

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.

Know that waking from sleep is but birth, and going into sleep is death. On waking, pray every morning of your life, “Oh Lord, I am born now from the womb of sleep. I am determined to carry out all tasks this day as offerings to Thee, with Thee ever present before my mind’s eye. Make my words, thoughts, and deeds sacred and pure. Let me not inflict pain on anyone; let no one inflict pain on me. Direct me, guide me, this day.” And when you enter the portals of sleep at night, pray, “Oh Lord! The tasks of this day, whose burden I placed on you this morning, are over. It was You who made me walk and talk and think and act. I, therefore, place at Thy feet all my words, thoughts, and deeds. My task is done. Receive me, I am coming back to you.” Adopt these as your daily prayers.

Everyone must develop the spirit of sacrifice (thyaga). You must serve the people with your body. You must cherish good and noble thoughts in your mind. You must use your wealth for supporting educational and other institutions to help the people. Give food to the starving. This is the way to lead a purposeful and sublime life.

Take refuge in God. Let God be your guru, your path, your Lord. Adore God, obey God’s commands, offer God your grateful homage, and hold God fast in your memory. This is the easiest way to realize God as your own reality. This is the one and only way.

When one realizes the inefficiency of the senses, mind, and intellect to cope with the reality and know the inner core of God’s truth, then one realizes that there is God who is the basis of all this superstructure, who has designed and contrived all this. One then surrenders the ego to God. "Let Your will prevail," one proclaims and resigns fully to God’s plan. That moment is a supreme moment of joy and bliss.

You have to recognize these three. First is that which once comes, then never goes. The second, once goes, then never comes back. The third, neither comes nor goes. The first is wisdom (jnana), the second is ignorance (ajnana) and the third is the principle of the Atma. Atma is steady and eternal, it never changes.

The best thing is to have your own Self as the source of light, as the guru. The inner intelligence, the inner guru will reveal the truth. This prayerful attitude will so educate your impulses that your Inner Intelligence will be fully revealed.

The waves appearing in an ocean appear as different from each other. But they consist of the same water. Likewise, though humanity appears in innumerable forms, all these are like the waves appearing on the ocean of being-awareness-bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda). Names and forms may be different, but the basis is the same.

Try to be near God, as close as God’s own kin, do not calculate the number of hours you have spent in serving God, and pine that God has not compensated you. Be ever in God’s service, that is to say, in doing good and being good.