Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

Surrender does not mean that the devotee and God are different. True surrender implies the sense of oneness with God. “Without You, I cannot exist,” should be the attitude of the devotee.

Get over fear, by establishing your mind in the One, for, fear can arise only when there is another.

What is meant by meditation? To think of God at all times and under all circumstances is true meditation. You should install God in your heart and discharge your duties with the feeling that God is the basis of everything. Only then can you be called a true devotee. Wherever you go, whatever you may do, recognise the truth that there is only one God and He is all-pervasive.

The principal message of Krishna’s life is divine Love. This most precious divine Love is immensely powerful, resplendent and as indestructible as diamonds. In the same way that diamonds can only be cut with another diamond, if you want to experience such divine love, your love for God must be equally strong.

Sathya Sai Baba wonderfully summarises the qualities possessed by one who is a genuine example of devotion: He must be free from anxiety and fear, pride and envy. He has four enemies that are intent on ruining him---anger, envy, hatred and the horde of desires. He regards both high and low as roles in the Divine play. When he insults or injures or rejects any one, he is, in fact, inflicting them on the God he adores.

When you have here the very embodiment of love as your dearest treasure, why welcome into your hearts the waves of hatred, faction, fear and doubt?

Keep the mind above the upper lip, between the two nostrils, right in front of the bridge of the nose. Inhale through the left nostril, closing the right with the right thumb. As the breath goes in, it utters So (meaning, He); then exhale through the right nostril, closing the left nostril. As the breath goes out, it utters ham (meaning, I). Inhale and exhale slowly and deliberately, conscious of the identity of He (the Lord) and I (yourself) which it asserts, until the breathing and the awareness grow into an unnoticed process. Keep the mind as a watchman, to note the incoming and outgoing breaths, to listen with the inner ear to the Soham that the breath whispers, and to witness the assertion of your being the Divine, which is the core of the universe.

Meditation (Dhyana) is the process by which it (the mind) is trained to acquire concentration. As a result of meditation on the highest Atma (Paramatma), the mind will withdraw from sense objects and the sensory world. Just at that time, the intellect (Buddhi) must assert its authority and command the mind (Manas) not to entertain any feeling except the thought of the Fundamental Basis (Atma). When its basic truth is known, the mind will not be deluded by the evanescent, the untrue, and the unblissful. Instead, it will welcome the blossoming of joy, happiness, and truth, and it will not be affected by sorrow and grief.

Focus your love only on God. God is present everywhere in the form of love. You should never entertain doubts in this regard. The stream of love should flow in you incessantly. Only then can you have the divine vision. No doubt, you have the desire to see God but you are not expanding your love. If you are interested, I am ready to grant you the vision of God. But you can see Him provided you cultivate true and eternal love in you.

Fear of sin, love of God---these two endow man with peace and joy, save him from sorrow and grant him aanandha (bliss).

Love all beings - that is enough. Love with no expectation of return. Love for the sake of love. Love because your very nature is love. Love because that is the form of Worship you know and like. When others are happy, be happy likewise. When others are in misery, try to alleviate their lot to the best of your ability. Practise Love through selfless service (Seva). By this means, you will realise Unity and get rid of the ego that harms.

Do all acts as offerings to God; do not classify some as ‘my work’ and some as ‘His work.’ All work is His; He inspires, He helps, He executes, He enjoys, He is pleased, He reaps, He sowed. He alone exists, for all this manifoldness is but He, seen through the mirror of Nature! Everything is for the attainment of the Supreme to be utilised for that high purpose. Nothing is to be used as itself, for itself. For Sai devotees (Sai Bhaktas), this is the only proper way of life.

Your life is a long journey. You should have less luggage (desires) in this long journey of life. Therefore, it is said: less luggage more comfort makes travel a pleasure. So, ceiling on desires is what you have to adopt today. You have to cut short your desires day by day. You are under the mistaken notion that happiness lies in the fulfillment of desires. But, in fact, happiness begins to dawn when desires are totally eradicated.

Consider mother as God; consider father as God; consider preceptor as God. Speak the truth; act righteously; do not adopt other ways.