Views and Reviews: Insights that Illumine the Light Within

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 Vi...

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 th...

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 ...

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 w...

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 insignifi...

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...

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. E...

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 a...

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 ha...

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, c...

1992: My Birth In My Journey To Divinity     The Divine sweetness in human life is derived from Maathru bhaavamu (maternal love). This means one who has not received the loving look of his mother does not deserve the gracious look of the Divine.   Neethi (morality) is greater than one's Jaathi (community) and Guna (virtue) is greater than one's Kulam (caste).   Yatha pinde, thatha Brahmaade" (What is in the microcosm is in the macrocosm). The divinity present in God (the macrocosm) is present in man (the microcosm) in a subtle form like the fire in a match stick. The mind is dampened by Ahamkaara and Mamakaara (egoistic and acquisitive tendencies). It is only when this dampness is removed by the sunshine of Vairaagya (detachment) that an illumined life becomes possible.   Everyone should strive to recognise the divinity that is present in all. Human birth has been given for this purpose. It cannot be left to God. There are many who do not understand the Sai...

1991 – The Divine Conception Of My Birth     1991 – The Divine Conception Of My Birth     Man is born out of desire, lives on desire and passes out by desire. Man's life is based on desires or thoughts (sankalpa). As are his thoughts, so are his actions. As are the actions, so are the fruits thereof. The fruits determine the goal. It follows that man's destiny is determined by his thoughts.   It is supreme folly to consider that the spiritual is divorced from the physical and that the material world has no connection with spirituality. Spirituality runs like an undercurrent through every aspect of life social, political, economic and moral. This basic truth has been forgotten today. People have faith in the transient, the ephemeral and the illusory.   Human existence is supremely sacred. It is precious, divine and should be lived befittingly.   Swami announced the inauguration of the one-of-its-kind in the world Super Specialty Hospital Pra...

“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.

“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