Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

Embodiments of the Divine! To realise the divine, Love is the easiest path. Just as you can see the moon only with the light of the moon, God, who is the Embodiment of Love, can be reached only through Love. Regard selfless love as your life breath. Love was the first quality to emerge in the process of creation. All other qualities came after it. Therefore, fill your hearts with pure selfless love and lead your life with selfless love as the foundation.

In this vast Cosmos every being has a significant role to play to ensure its smooth functioning. Anyone can pursue the spiritual path without the aid of a rosary or taking to the forest. For example, a farmer tilling the field should think that he is tilling the field of his heart. While sowing seeds, he must think that he is sowing the seeds of good qualities in his heart and while watering, he should think he is watering the field of his Heart with Love.

To understand Me, everyone has to realise that the ‘I’ is present in everyone. The ‘I’ is used by everyone in every context, whether one is a millionaire or a pauper. This ‘I’ is I am Brahman (Aham Brahmasmi). Everyone should strive to recognise the divinity that is present in all. This effort has to be made by everyone. Human birth has been given for this purpose. It cannot be left to God.

What is it that you can offer to the Lord who is omnipotent, omnipresent and all-knowing? The Lord has endowed you with all his wealth and Divine potentialities. You are inheritors of His wealth. You have to discover what that wealth is. Sai's wealth is nothing but pure, selfless and boundless Love. You must inherit this Love, fill yourselves with it and offer it to the world. This is your supreme responsibility.

We have to treat others' suffering and difficulties as our own. We have to be amicable with one and all. We must develop faith in the maxim that we are "Embodiments of One Divine Self (Ekatmaswarupas)." If our thoughts are good, we will always engage ourselves in good deeds (Satkarmas). If you indulge in bad thoughts, you will see bad everywhere.

All beings are images of the Universal Atma, in the names and forms they have apparently assumed. This is the truth, enclosed, elaborated 'and demonstrated in the spiritual texts of India, which form the basis of Bharathiya culture. The essence of all religions and faiths then, is this: the merging in this Unity. The goal of all spiritual endeavour is this: the merging in this Unity. The object of all enquiry is this: to cognise this Unity.

Human being is as a seed. The seed sprouts, becomes a sapling, grows into a tree and fulfils its destiny, offering flowers and fruits to the world. 'So, too, man rises from childhood through adolescence into youth and middle age, and when fully grown up he has to justify himself by offering to the world the flowers and fruits of good thoughts and deeds, himself acquiring the fullness of wisdom.

Man can reach perfect Bliss only when his heart becomes free from envy, egoism, greed and other evil traits. We need persons who can recognise and relish the recognition of the kinship and the identity between man and man, as well as between one society and another.

Each one must become aware that he is part of the one Truth that encompasses everything in the Universe. It is reprehensible to stick for one's whole life-time to the low narrow paths of selfishness, envy, and greed. Make the heart big and the mind pure. Then only can peace and prosperity be established on the earth.

To acquire awareness of the Divine, one need not journey to any special region or place. It is enough if the eye is turned inwards. In the Song of the Lord (Bhagavad Gita), the inner reality (the Atman), is described as 'resplendent like a billion suns.' But man has not become aware of the Light and Power within; he still flounders in the darkness of ignorance. The scriptures proclaim that man is the child of Immortality (Amrithasya puthrah).

You must realize that the Divine current that flows and functions in every living being is the One Universal Entity. When you desire to enter the Mansion of God, you are confronted by two closed doors, the desire to praise yourself and the desire to defame others. The doors are bolted by envy, and there is also the huge lock of egoism preventing entry. So if you are earnest, you have to resort to the key of Love (Prema) and open the lock; then remove the bolt and throw the doors wide open.

You consider this habitation on of yours as your body; no, It is the temple of God. God resides therein. Keep it clean, fresh and fragrant through developing Compassion and Love. Use the temple of God only for holy thoughts, words and deeds. Do not demean it by using it for low, trivial and unholy tasks. Wherever you are, whatever you do have this resolution steady and strong.

God resides in the heart of persons and not in shrines like Tirupati, Badrinath or Prasanthi Nilayam. He is essentially Indweller of the heart (Hridhayanivaasi)

Hitherto we have had a world council. It served its purpose, but now Sai Centers have grown on large scale in overseas countries. The world council will cease from today. It will be appropriate if in each overseas country there is a committee looking after the workings of Sai Centers according to the conditions and requirements of those countries.

You have to seek unity, love and peace, and not promote differences, debates and disputes. They belong to politics, that is to say, competition and contests for places of authority in the Units have corroded some associations even in this Organization, because individuals have not learnt to control their ego, their minds have not been cleansed of Rajasik tendencies. Compassion (Daya), Sense Control (Dama,) Charity (Dana) - these are the three qualities that have to be cultivated by man.

Jesus had twelve disciples. Judas was one of them. But he betrayed Jesus. At that time, there was only one Judas, but today there are many such ‘Judases.’ Today the world is engulfed in unrest because of the rise in the number of treacherous people like Judas. They are mean-minded and are easily tempted by money.

I desire that you should all conduct yourselves as brothers and sisters in the Sai Organization and set an example to the world. The direct individual relationship between each of you and myself will remain always. If our relationships can be strengthened through the Organizations, I shall feel happier.

Speak sweetly; shed comfort with every glance of yours. Do not be slaves to your sensual desires. Prahlada told his father who had conquered the three worlds that he had failed to conquer lust and desire. You should conquer lust and vanquish anger.

Intellect alone can direct man in the path of discrimination, between the true path and false, the proper step and the improper. This is the reason why man has been praying since ages, through the Gayatri mantra: “Illumine me, prompt my intelligence, so that I may walk aright." The reasoning power of man is shaped, not only by the education he receives now, but more by the impact of past lives and the import of future events. If the power is used for self-aggrandisement it feeds delusion; if it is used in service for others, it will promote the Revelation of Reality.

"When you become all-embracing infinite Love, the Divine will manifest in and through you. Try to be like Jesus. Jesus was a person whose only joy was in spreading Divine Love, offering Divine Love, receiving Divine Love and living on Divine Love."

He who announced Himself as the Messenger of God, developed, through the blossoming of Divinity and the expansion of compassion and service in Him, to a stage when he declared Himself as the Son of God. And then, finally, He rose to the status of 'I and my Father are One.' When Jesus declares that He is the Son of God, He becomes entitled to the paternal Majesty and Power. These He can claim only when He grows in the qualities that His Father has.

Jesus sacrificed his life and poured out his blood to instill Love and Compassion in the heart of man, so that he may be happy when others are happy and sad when others are sad. It is not by festivity and fun that you should celebrate Christmas. Celebrate it, rather, by resolving and putting into practice at least one of the ideals He enunciated, or endeavouring to reach at least one of the goals that He placed before man.

People talk of the sacrifice of Christ as evidence by His crucifixion. Let us pay attention to the sacrifice that Jesus made while free, out of his own volition. He sacrificed his happiness, prosperity, comfort, safety and position; he braved the enmity of the powerful. He refused to yield or compromise. He renounced the 'ego', which is the toughest thing to get rid of. Honor Him for these. He willingly sacrificed the desires with which the body torments man; this is sacrifice greater than the sacrifice of the body under duress. The celebration of His birthday has to be marked by your sacrificing at least a desire or two, and conquering at least the more disastrous urges of the ego.

Jesus taught simple, practical lessons in spiritual advancement for the good of mankind. He manifested Divine powers to instil faith in the validity of his teachings. He marked out the path that can confer on men the sweet nectar of bliss. He exhorted people, by his teachings and example, to cultivate the virtues of charity, compassion, forbearance, love and faith. These are not separate, distinct qualities; they are only some of the many facets of the Divine in man, which he has to recognise and develop.

This day, Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Christ, resolve to lead the lives of loving service to the weak, the helpless, the distressed, the disconsolate. Cultivate tolerance and forbearance, charity and magnanimity. Hold dear the ideals He laid down and practise them, in your daily lives.

We are true Christians only when we live according to the teachings of Christ and practise them in daily life. Even if we follow two teachings of his, that would be enough. Christ said, "All life is one, my dear Son! Be alike to every one." If we truly follow this, it would be enough to fulfil our destiny.

You are the farmer; the body is the field. Sow the seeds of goodness, you can get the harvest of happiness; sow the seeds of evil, you reap the harvest of grief. You are the cause of either of these. Do not blame others or impute partiality to God. Above all, do not rely on this impermanent objective world; it is full of sorrow and change; cultivate detachment, equanimity and self-control and love.

Exile from your mind greed, hate and jealousy. Dedicate your hand to the service of mankind. Jesus teaches infinite love and compassion. To resurrect love and compassion, you must kill jealousy and selfishness, purify your hearts. Earn the true mercy of Jesus. Follow the path shown by him and reach the position he holds.

You are not one person but three---the one, you think you are, the one others think you are and the one you really are. You think of yourself as your body and its sense cravings, others think of you as a personality. You are truly infinite spirit Divine. You should constantly remind yourself, "I am God" "I am God." "I am God." The day you see yourself as God, you become God.

When the New Year begins, people start speculating as to what the New Year has in store for them and also for the world at large. The future of the world depends on the actions of man, not on the New Year. Actions depend on the mind, the mind on thoughts. As are the thoughts, so is the action. Hence, for the world to be peaceful and prosperous, man should foster truthful thoughts. The world will enjoy safety, security and peace only through men of truthful thoughts.

The year becomes new, the day becomes holy, when you sanctify it by spiritual practice (Sadhana), not otherwise. Spiritual practice (Sadhana) can grow only in a field fertilised by Love (Prema). Love (Prema) is the sine qua non of devotion to God (Bhakti). The love you have towards material objects, name, fame, wife and children, etc., should be sanctified by being subsumed by the more overpowering Love of God.