Views and Reviews: Insights that Illumine the Light Within

The Vidya Vahini by Sri Sathya Sai Baba is treasure for teachers and students. This annotated reference on this document summarizes the key messages in it.  It is hoped that aspirants are enthused to read the original text, absorb the inspiring teachings on Real Knowledge, and enjoy True Happiness by putting them into practice. "Values cannot be taught; they have to be lived." https://sites.google.com/site/vedicchantsproject/vidyavahini/vidyavahini

VIDYA Values Integration for Developing Young Adults By: Lakshmi Seetha Ram and KE Seetha Ram In the recent years, there has been a tremendous need for Value education to be integrated in the school curriculum. In the olden days, growing children were exposed to 'Values' through grandma tales and Value conscious lifestyles of families and communities. But with the impact of modernization and challenges of an ever-changing society, we have witnessed a great deal of erosion of our cultural and ethical base. Education in Human Values is the art of moulding the consciousness of the students so that they aspire to have good and noble ideals. Knowledge imparted in regular academic institution is only "information oriented". It can be compared to the process of gathering raw materials; i.e., Education, merely for earning a living. The success of any 'Values' program relies entirely on the attitude of the teacher because it is the teacher who has to provi

http://www.sivanandaonline.org/public_html/admin/media/pdf/2011/MAY-ENG-2011.pdf Please see pages 25-26

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“Happy Birthday” Key Messages from the Birthday Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on November 23, 1991 to 2009. The full texts of the discourses referenced in this monograph are available at: http://www.sathyasai.org/discour/content.htm You are truly born, on the day you begin your journey to realize your true identity—Divinity. The full publication in PDF can be downloaded at:  https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnx2ZWRpY2NoYW50c3Byb2plY3R8Z3g6N2U1ZTE5OTE3YTM3N2UyYQ 

2009: Journey with a purpose     This year Swami did not give a birthday discourse.    

2007: Transformation     This year, Swami did not give a birthday discourse.    

2006: The Divine Healer     Service To Society Is Service To God   Man is not able to realise the value of humanness and is deluded by the sight of ephemeral and transitory objects of the world. The basis of man’s life is not the transitory and ephemeral world. His life on earth is a synthesis of moral, ethical and spiritual values. Man, in fact, is the image of divinity.     Your life is full of ambitions and desires. You have to enquire whether you are making appropriate efforts to attain fulfilment in life. First search your heart to know what your thoughts and feelings are – whether they are pure, steady and selfless or are they tainted with desires. Desires are like luggage which is a heavy burden in the journey of life. Less luggage more comfort makes travel a pleasure. Therefore, gradually reduce your desires. If you have less luggage, you will be more peaceful.   Society is your own reflection. Therefore, do not distance yourself from society. Keep yourself always engaged in

2005: Singing His Glory in His Presence     Realise Your Innate Divinity To Attain Peace   Human birth is meant to attain peace and not for occupying positions of authority. Man should engage himself in acts of charity in order to experience peace. Human life is a mixture of happiness and sorrow. It is not possible to experience one to the exclusion of the other. One should not be elated by pleasure nor depressed by pain. We have to develop the spirit of equanimity in order to progress in life. Samatwa (equality) is very essential for samaja (society) to progress.   We have to take to the path of spirituality to experience our innate divinity. If we lack in spiritual outlook, we do not deserve to be called human beings. In fact, it amounts to betrayal of God. God does not expect you to worship Him. He expects you to lead an ideal and purposeful life.   The spark of divinity is present in all. Man is not a mere mortal. He is essentially divine. Jiva (individualized soul) and Deva (God)

2004: Lakshmi Shines as His Messenger     Dedicate Your Life To Serve Society   Wherever you are, you must remember three things, namely: where did we come from?; where are we at present?; and what is the purpose of our coming here? You must find out yourself an answer at least for one of the three questions. Otherwise, your life itself will become a waste.   The purpose of a human birth is not for enjoying food and comforts. It is not even for pursuing education. The purpose of human birth is totally different and the people have forgotten it. You have to fulfill your life and sanctify your birth. The body comes, grows and dies, and finally undergoes decay. Before the body dies, one has to fulfill the purpose for which he has come into this world. Only a human being has the power to realize the purpose of his life. Having been born as human beings we must dedicate our lives in the service of God and in the constant contemplation of God. If you do so, none of the physical ailments will

2003: Presidential Audience     Mother’s Role In Human Values   The mansion of human life rests on the four pillars of truth, righteousness, love and peace. The safety and security of life depend on these four values. The individual child's life is greatly influenced by the qualities of the parents.   Revealing His Divine Descent   Till this day, I have not revealed this to anyone. I am disclosing this today so that you may understand the significance associated with the advent of the Avatar. Prior to the birth of the child, a very significant incident took place. Puttaparthi, was then a tiny hamlet. In the centre there was a well from which people would draw water. One day Easwaramma was fetching water from the well. All of a sudden she saw a white luminous light, emerging like lightning from the sky, entering her womb. There was a sudden gust of wind. Subbamma who came out of her house at that time saw the light entering the womb of Easwaramma. A day prior to this, as Pedda Venka

2002: Going to the Global Stage     Listen To The Master Of The Universe And Transform Yourselves Into Ideal Human Beings   People pursue various paths to experience everlasting bliss. The Taittiriya Upanishad gives the analogy of a bird in this context. The head of this bird is called sraddha (sincerity). The right and left wings are compared to ritham ( ritham remains unchanged in the three periods of time past, present and future) and sathyam, respectively. The body symbolizes mahattattwam and the tail, yoga.   The oneness of thought, word and deed is ritham . They represent the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara.   Man can attain jnana (wisdom) only when he purifies his heart by developing the five aspects, namely, sraddha, sathyam, ritham, yogam and mahattattwam . Jnana is not textual knowledge. Advaita darshanam jnanam (experience of nondualism is wisdom).   Annam Brahma; Raso Vishnuhu; Bhokta devo Maheswarah (food is Brahma; the essence is Vishnu; the one who partakes o

2001: Divine Guidance on Education     Self-confidence And Equanimity Lead To Divine Bliss   Everyone should attain bliss. Everyone should conquer sorrow and develop true love, and experience divinity.   Man is not only invaluable, he is a noble being too. His heart is very valuable; his mind is sweet and his life-principle is eternal. Everyone should recognize this truth and develop sweetness in heart. The most important fortune that you have to aspire for today, is love.   The saints and the sages of ancient times, who have become immortal in history, aspired for hardships rather than happiness. The joy that arises out of hardships is more lasting than that gained from happiness. We should not be averse to sorrow. We should not look for happiness alone.   The ancient sages worshipped Him with the flower of sacrifice and offered their love to Him. They welcomed God as the embodiment of truth. They believed in love, kindness and oneness. They offered Him the throne of their hearts. Onl

2000: Significant Foundations Laid     Love Is My Only Wealth   Life consists of reaction, resound and reflection.   Ensure that there is no trace of evil within you. Then you need not worry about any punishment.   Get rid of the feeling that you are the body and the mind and recognise the atma , which alone gives power to both the body and the mind to function. Everyone is a manifestation of the atma . This manifestation has expanded all over. This all-pervading atmic principle is the cosmic principle. You should attempt to recognize this Cosmic Power. You may feel that this is very difficult, but it is extremely simple. Your body attachment is what makes it appear difficult.   In the world, there is a constant strife between good and evil. There are many people who are jealous of others and subject them to slander. But one should not attach any importance to such criticism. Praise and abuse are common to mankind.   There are four kinds of people who oppose God. The first type of peop

1999:  Sowing the Seeds of Sathya Sai Education     Complete surrender confers Bliss   When you lack divine feelings, you see God as the world instead of seeing the world as God. Once you understand that Viswam Vishnu Swarupam (the universe is the form of Vishnu), you will certainly be able to see the world as God. Yad bhavam tad bhavathi (as the feelings, so is the result).   It is the power of the Divine that makes you see, hear, talk, experience, and enjoy. Difficulties, worries, and misfortunes are also forms of the Divine. God acts according to the feelings of the individual.   Definition of the Divine The term Bhagavan stands for Divinity. What is the inner meaning of this word? The syllable bha stands for effulgence, ga stands for one who gives, and van means one who is capable. So, Bhagavan means the one who is capable of spreading light and effulgence to the world.   Even if you sow seeds, you cannot expect the crop if there is no rain. Even when there is rain, you cannot expe

1998: Practice, Perseverance and Perform with Love as a Leader     Fill your heart with noble feelings   Glory of Bharat   Bharat is the birthplace of spirituality, righteousness, charity, nonviolence, and peace.   Scientist and philosophers affirm the same Truth. The existence of God is visualised by science in the form of electric, magnetic, laser, radio, heat, and light waves, which are all pervasive. The magnetic power acts as the link between that which is apparent and that which is nonapparent. The philosophers term it divine magnetic power, whereas the scientists term it bio - cosmic or super power. The power of attraction is divinity.   God is the very form of Light. Become Light yourself. You will become one with the cosmic light. God is formless. In order to merge in the formless God , you have to give up identification with the body .   Man does not recognise hundreds of faults present within him. But he tends to point out the most insignificant fault in others. The bad in y

1997: Learning about Education for Life     Recognise your Divine Identity   Your real form is Sadhaanandha Roopam (the eternal Bliss Divine), the Divine form of Auspiciousness (Shiva). But, because of the differences in external physical forms, you are victims of the ignorance of your true selves. The scriptures have described Self (I) as Aathma or Hridhaya. Hridhaya mean s that which enshrines kindness. Hence all of you are embodiments of kindness. It is only when everyone recognises this quality of kindness that-world peace will be realised.   The whole cosmos is associated with dhvaitham (duality or plurality) based on the distinction between "I" and "this" (the other). This refers to dhrishyam (what is perceived). "I" refers to the dhrashtha (seer). Without the seer, the seen cannot exist. At one moment you identify yourself with your body. At another moment you distinguish yourself as separate from your body.   All the forms in which God is worship

1996: New Journey in the World with a Mission     Fill your hearts with love   Love is the seed of love. It is also the branches, the flowers and the fruit. To enjoy the fruit of love, one has to practise Love. The most powerful weapon to destroy the forces of evil rampant in the world today is love.   Men have been concerned with the four goals of human life--the Purushaarthas----Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha (Righteousness, wealth, sensuous desires and Liberation). But there is a fifth goal: Love. Everything in the world is governed by the bounds set for it. However, love has no limits. Transform your entire life into a saga of love. You will then lack nothing to make you happy. All wealth and position will be added unto you. Love conquers all.   Spiritual love begins with the concept of Dhaasoham (I am your servant) and culminates in the concept of Soham (He and I are one).   You have no need to go in search of love elsewhere. It is all within you. Every cell in the human body i

1995: First Lesson in Detachment     Love and sacrifice will save mankind   All wealth, all pleasures come from Truth. The Vedhas, the Upanishaths and all scriptures have their origin in Truth. Truth is the proper abode of God. Truth and God are inseparable. Without Truth there can be no universe. Everything has emanated from Truth.   God 'is 'present in subtle form everywhere, like sugar in sugarcane and butter in milk. Although it is difficult to have a direct perception of God, His presence can be experienced in many ways. By understanding the nature of a flame you can understand the nature of fire. By examining a drop of water you know the nature of the Ganges. Likewise by understanding Maanavathvam (the true nature of humanness), you can understand Dhaivathvam (Divinity).   In this human body, constituted by the five elements, God dwells in the form of the three gunas: Sathva, Rajas, and Thamas. The process of creation is subtle and cannot be perceived by any of the senses

1994: Loving Him by Singing His Glory     Both wealth and power have to be used with restraint.   Together with the growth of one's wealth, one's spirit of sacrifice should grow commensurately. Increase in wealth should bring about an increase in generosity. When you have large wealth, offer it for good causes to help others. Thereby you will derive satisfaction.   Power carries with it limits and obligations. There are five kinds of power--the power of knowledge, intellectual power, the power of fame, the power of character, and the power of sacrifice. Only the person who has all these five attributes should aspire for a position of authority.   It is one's own actions, which lead to bad or good results. What man experiences by way of joy or grief is a consequence of his own actions. God is only a witness. That is why the scriptures have declared that man's mind is the cause of his bondage or liberation.   Those who aspire to become true devotees of God have to give up

1993: First Darshan: Removal of Sins     Purity, patience, and perseverance: steps to Divinity   The entire Cosmos is based on the bedrock of Truth. Wealth and Welfare and all comforts and pleasures are dependent on Truth. Restraint in speech nourishes truth.   Men of all faiths--whether they are Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Paarsis or others----have recognized that God is one. It is only when men develop feelings of forbearance, compassion and unity, that men will have fraternal feelings towards each other and foster equality and justice. You may esteem your religion greatly. Adhere' to it accordingly. But do not criticize or despise the religions of other people.   The bad traits which are found in man are the result of his food and other habits and do not arise from his Aathma. Vices like lust, anger, envy and pride are the outcome of bad food and improper associations and are products of external factors. They do not arise from within. Qualities like love, compassion, considera