Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

Human life is given to know oneself and to realize God. People worship God and pray to God, and when their desires are fulfilled, they are very happy. If their desires are not fulfilled, they change even the picture of the deity on their altar. If we worship God only to fulfill our desires, then it is not true worship. Our love and devotion to God should be changeless. It should not change under any circumstances.

Where there is faith, there is love. Only when one has love within can one practice righteousness. Righteousness leads to truth, which in turn leads to God. God alone can confer bliss. God is the basis of bliss. Truth is the basis of God. Righteousness is the basis of truth. Love is the basis of righteousness. Faith is the basis of love.

Spiritual pursuit is the right way of making use of time. It calls for developing good feelings and doing good deeds without selfish motives, extending love and compassion towards all beings. This is a real spiritual practice (sadhana). Sa means soul (Atma) and dhana means wealth. By utilizing your time in spiritual practice, you can enjoy spiritual wealth.

Dedicate your hands to the service of mankind. Jesus teaches infinite love and compassion. To resurrect love and compassion, you must kill jealousy and selfishness and purify your hearts. Earn the true mercy of Jesus. Follow the path shown by Him and reach the position He holds.

The Roman rulers were told that Jesus was attempting to assert himself as King and so could be punished for treason. Their insistence made the Governor order His crucifixion. When the nails were being driven into Him to fix Him on the Cross, Jesus heard the voice of the Father saying, "All life is one, My dear Son. Be alike to everyone," and He pleaded that those who were crucifying Him may be pardoned for they knew not what they did. Jesus sacrificed Himself for the sake of mankind.

A deep inquiry reveals that the heart is the greatest of all. Body, mind, and intellect are mere instruments. Hence, one should follow the advice of the heart in all one's endeavors. Understand that all are one, and each one is equally important. Do not become egotistic, thinking that you alone are very important. Do not waste your precious time in vain argumentation. Be friendly with all and face the challenges of life with unity and harmony.

For all human values, love is the basis. Today, human beings are human in form but not human in practice. In some places, one finds people exhibiting human values outwardly without practicing them wholeheartedly. Human values are not meant for exhibition (pradarshana) but are meant to exemplify (nidarshana). Human values should be reflected in all your thoughts, words, and deeds.

The five human values are verily the five life breaths of the individual. One who considers human values as one’s life breaths alone is a true human being. These five values are the fundamental powers of human life. Forgetting these fundamental powers, the individual relies more on worldly power. Our ancients realized that these five values were meant for the peace and prosperity of the world. Without understanding the significance of these values, one cannot understand humanness at all.

Know that all distinctions between good and bad are basically the result of attachment and development, due to considering the world as real, although it is neither real nor unreal. Those who have escaped this ‘illusion’ and this duality are the great souls (mahatmas). They have realized that their reality is the unchanging Atma. They know that there are no two; they experience always only the One. Those who listened to this clarification attained equanimity. Their hearts were delighted with the upsurge of love. They acknowledged Rama’s kindness by gratefully prostrating before him.

Love is the gift of God to every human being. It should be utilized for the service of society. Unity is essential for the progress of the community. A person should share their love with others. Only then will they have the right to be a part of society.

To remove the evil of egoism, service is the most efficient instrument. Service will also impress the importance of unity of all humanity on the person doing service. One who dedicates time, skill, and strength to service, can never meet with defeat, distress, or disappointment, for service is its own reward. Their words will be ever sweet and soft, their gestures ever revered and humble. They will have no foe, no fatigue, no fear.

The ancient sages and seers stressed the need for unity and cooperation among human beings. They said, "Let us move together, let us grow together, let us grow in intelligence together, and let us live in harmony with each other without giving room for conflicts." But such a spirit of unity is lacking in modern society. These days there is no unity even among the members of the family. Unity is the essence of human life. Only through the practice of unity can one attain the goal of human life.

Direct your mind (the Moon) and intellect (the Sun) into propitious channels of peace and prosperity. By spiritual practice (sadhana), you can correct your faults, mold your excellence, and ensure peace for yourselves, your society, and your country. Pray every day for the welfare of all the worlds: May all the worlds be happy (Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavantu). This is my message for the new year (Ugadi festival day).

Selfless service alone can achieve the unity of humankind. Only through unity can humanity attain divinity. Hence service is essential to understand this unity in humanity. People are under the impression that service means merely helping the poor, the weak, and the forlorn. It is a big mistake to think you are rendering service to others. In fact, you are serving yourself because the same principle of the Atma, the same principle of love, is present in all. All human beings are essentially one. The differences lie only in their feelings. So, people should change their feelings and recognize the truth that the same divinity is immanent in all. Only then can there be a transformation in the human being.