Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

See God in the form of people all around you. Your vision becomes sanctified only when you develop the feeling that all are the embodiments of God. Everything in this creation is sacred. All that you see is only the manifestation of God.

When black charcoal comes in contact with fire, it becomes red like fire. Holy company (satsang) means proximity to God. You can find fulfillment by developing proximity to God and performing service.

Do not get elated at the riches, status, authority, and intelligence that you may have. Consider that they have been given to you on trust so that you may benefit others. They are all signs of God's grace, opportunities for service, and symbols of responsibility. 

The human body is spoken of as a temple where the individual jiva (being) is installed. I would prefer to describe it as a house you rented. God is the master, the owner. The jeevi (tenant) has rented the house and is occupying it. The rent has to be paid in the form of good deeds, good thoughts, good speech, and good conduct.

Spiritual practice (sadhana) is the cultivation of divine love (prema). Be full of love, taste the joy that love can confer. Human beings are love embodied: they thirst for love, and find real joy in giving and receiving selfless love.

The principle of Atma cannot be understood by merely studying the Vedas and sacred texts or listening to discourses. Just as a gigantic tree originates from a tiny seed, the entire universe also has its origin in the principle of Atma. 

Remember the world is all a play, where God is the director. Unless you restrain from being too involved with it, you are in danger of being entangled. Use the world as a training ground for sacrifice, service, expansion of the heart, and cleansing of the emotions. That is the only value it has.  

You may be in the jungle, but your mind may wander in the marketplace. Similarly, you may be in the market, but by spiritual practice (sadhana), you can still secure peace in the heart in the midst of the bustling city.

Dedication to the Lord sanctifies all activities. He is the prime cause for all activity, the prompter, the executor, the giver of the required strength and skill, and the enjoyer of the fruit. So, dedication must come naturally to you, for all is His, and nothing is yours! Your duty is to believe He is the motivator of your activities and draw strength from that belief.

We have friends and foes, likes and dislikes, whereas Vedanta teaches us to develop equal-mindedness. Just as we do not punish our teeth for accidentally biting our tongue because we consider both organs as parts of our body, we must also bear in mind that the eternal and universal Atma resides in everyone and everywhere. We should not accentuate differences but concentrate on unity. 

Serve all and love all. Firmly believe that the divine is in everyone and constantly act on this belief. Only by continuous practice can you develop this sacred attitude. Fill yourself with Self-confidence and courage. Make your life a complete offering to the divine, who is the real source of all you are and have.

There is love in every one of you. What is the form of love? What is the nature of love? When we analyze carefully, we will realize that love is not limited to human beings alone but is present in all living beings. Every being is endowed with the quality of supreme divine love. One must give up enmity and cultivate unity and purity to understand this truth.

Your ultimate goal is to realize the innate Atmic principle, which is the same in all. There are no differences whatsoever. The Atma that is present in you is present in everybody. It is attributeless. To realize this Atmic principle, you should fill your heart with love. The heart is like a vessel. Fill it with the qualities of truth, love, and sacrifice. Then, you don't need to ask for peace; it will automatically manifest from within. In fact, love, truth, etc., are within you. You should manifest them from within. You cannot acquire them from outside.

The divine dwells in everyone's heart. You must enthuse those who entertain godly feelings. Such people should not be discouraged. Divine feelings arise in one only as a consequence of good deeds done in many lives. Only a sacred heart can experience the divine. The pursuit of any object other than the divine is a futile exercise - worldly possessions come and go, but divinity comes and grows.