Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

The person devoted to God knows no failure. The name of the Lord, if taken sincerely, overcomes all obstacles. It is saturated with sweetness; it has no iota of bitterness. When the savior is by your side, why doubt whether you will be saved?

Past, present, or future, for all time, women are the backbone of progress, the heart of the nation, the very breath. The mission of women is to lay down the canons of righteousness and morality. They must provide children with moral and spiritual training. When mother is imbued with dharma, the children get the benefit and get similarly saturated.

The doctor first diagnoses the disease. Then he prescribes the course of treatment. So too, you must submit yourself to the diagnosis of your illness, viz. misery, travail, and pain. Investigate fearlessly and with care, and you will find that while your basic nature is bliss (ananda), you have falsely identified yourself with the temporary, the frivolous, and the paltry and that attachment brings about all the sorrow. You have to realize that both joy and sorrow are passing phases, like white or dark clouds across the blue sky, and you have to learn to treat both prosperity and adversity with equanimity.

Engage yourselves in social service, remembering and worshiping God and recognizing your inherent divinity. This is the way to sanctify your lives. Be aware of the divinity in you. There is no need to search for God anywhere outside you. The bodily vesture you are wearing should not produce the delusion that you are the body. Shed that delusion, and you will realize the Brahman that you really are.

There is no charity greater than feeding the hungry, there is no greater god than parents, there is no greater dharma than compassion, there is no greater gain than the company of the good, there is no enemy greater than anger, there is no wealth greater than good reputation, and there is no ornament better than the chanting of God’s name.

My truth is one. All belong to Me, and I belong to all. My only wealth is love. I embrace all with love. Even people who come to Me with hatred in their hearts are dear to Me. I do not search for your faults. I go by the principle of love. All should take note of My equanimity and follow this principle of unity.

Do bhajans and have the name of the Lord always on your lips. Do not waste even a single moment. By chanting the name of Rama, Hanuman the monkey, became all-powerful, the embodiment of peace and the exemplar of all noble qualities. Sita was full of praise for him.

The spiritual precept insists, “Have faith in yourself.” That is, first of all, know yourself. Everybody asks the question, “Who are you?” There is none to ask, “Who am I?” When the question, “Who are you?” is asked, a reply that you are so and so, or you are from such and such place, or you are doing such and such job is not the proper answer. “I am the atma,” is the only right answer.

Austere spiritual practice (tapas) does not mean going to the forest or standing upside down and doing some meditation or the other. Keep your word, adhere to truth, show gratitude where due and stay firm in your self-confidence. These are the true qualities of a good individual. If you adhere to these tenets, you will easily overcome any obstacle that may come your way.

The Universe is permeated by the Divine, say the Upanishads. The Lord resides in every living entity. When man respects his human character and realizes his obligation to discover his divine nature, the divine in him will manifest itself. Experience of the Divine must be sought in the company of good people.

The Universe is the manifestation of God. Divinity, subtle and invisible, exists in every human being. Association with good people and spiritual discipline (sadhana) are essential for discovering the Divinity that is latent in the individual.

Only the divine is present with you, in and around you before your birth and throughout your life's journey. Bear in mind this basic and permanent truth. Birth and death relate only to the body and not to the Atma (Spirit). Temples may go up or decay, but God is unchanging and imperishable. The eternal divine is dwelling in the temple of the human body.

Whatever activities you may undertake, you must constantly contemplate the "Soham" mantra, which reminds you of your innate divinity with each inhaling and exhaling process. The same principle has been explained in the great aphorism "Aham Brahmasmi" (I am Brahman) in the Vedas. From the time you get up from your bed till you go to sleep, you must constantly remind yourself that you are verily Brahman and not merely a human being made up of the five elements.

Everything in this world is susceptible to change. It appears to be unchanging, but it is not true. God is the only changeless principle. Therefore, we must install such a changeless and eternal God in the altar of our sacred hearts and offer our love to Him. Thereby, we can experience bliss. That is the foremost duty of a human being.