Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

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.

The divine permeates the cosmos, but this can be realized only when one is filled with love. As long as one is full of hatred, the world will appear as a hate-filled world. Only when you develop love can the dualism of good and evil be transcended and the joy of oneness with the divine will be experienced.

One who is attached to the body can never experience a formless, incorporeal God. One can recognize the transcendental divine only when one gets rid of the body consciousness. Hence, as long as one is attached to the body, one must adore God physically.

The Divine comes as Avatar to proclaim the pure, unsullied, and unselfish love of devotees toward God. People may consider that the Avatar's activities include punishment of the wicked, protection of the good, weeding out of unrighteousness and restoration of righteousness. This is how they may look at the Avatar's doings. But that is not the way the Lord sees things. There is nothing bad in God's view. Hence there should be no hatred or ill-will toward any being. It is only when you love all, that you can be said to love God.

The concept of total surrender is related to Self-realization (oneness with the divine). God, in fact, dwells in every human being as the Atma (Spirit). The body is the sacred abode of the Atma. Hence, the scriptures declare - "The body is the temple of God in which the individual Spirit dwells as the Ancient One."

With a mountain of desires in their heart, a devotee offers a petty coconut to the Lord! This is not the way to pray to the Lord. This is not devotion. This is not Love. To seek a favor is not prayer at all. Only a selfless person can engage in service to society. Only such a person is entitled to serve God. The first prerequisite is the spirit of sacrifice, which can be developed only through love. A person filled with love is ready to make any sacrifice.