1st March 2006
What has to be given up is Jagath-bhaavam (worldliness). The reason is that the world is not different from God. "Ishavasyam idam jagath" (God pervades the entire Universe). Disregarding this profound and sacred truth, man is becoming prey to grief because of his worldly attachments. The world should not be viewed merely from the physical plane, but should be looked upon as a Divine manifestation. It is only when man is filled with godly thoughts that he will be rid of sorrow. Hence, what should be given up is worldliness. Then alone Atmananda (the Bliss of the Spirit) can be attained.
- BABA

 

2nd March 2006
The search for God in the external is futile. When the Divine is omnipresent, it is foolish for man to search for God in some particular place. Hence the goal of man is the realization of his divinity. This realization must come through the Vedantic process of exclusion "Nethi, nethi" ("not this, not this"). One must assert "I am not the body. I am not the intellect. I am not the Will. I am not the Antahkarana, the inner instrument. All these are merely my instruments". Man should realize: "I am the Master of all of them." When by this process of elimination man realizes his true Self, he is freed from sorrow.
- BABA

 

3rd March 2006
Man's most precious and sacred gift from God is Buddhi (intellect). The intellect that should be used for seeking the Atma is being used by man today to seek Annam (food). When you are given a mirror, if you turn it backwards, how can you see your face? Use the mirror of Buddhi to recognise your true self. That is known as Saakshaatkaaram - direct vision of one's true Self. Unfortunately, man today seeks to know everything except his own true nature. He asks everyone: "Who are you?" but does not pose the question, "Who am I?" One who does not know himself, what right has he to enquire about others? Such an enquiry proceeds from ignorance. Without the awareness of his own true self, man can never attain bliss.
- BABA

 

4th March 2006
Every man has within him a Kalpatharu (wish-fulfilling tree). But around it, there is a wild growth of bushes. When you clear away the bushes, the tree can be seen. That tree is the Self within each one. This Self is covered by man's sensual desires. When these desires are removed, the Self is recognised. Although the Self is within, no attempt is made to realize it. How can a man involved in external pursuits realize his inner Reality? The right method has to be adopted to attain the desired objective. The first requisite for this is faith. One must cultivate an unshakeable faith in God. Today, Man's faith is fickle and easily blown away like dried leaves in a gust of wind. Man should strive to experience the Divine with firm faith, through joy and misery.
- BABA

 

5th March 2006
People say, "Seeing is believing! I will believe in God only if I see Him " But are all things seen, heard, touched or tasted, as real as they seem ? Is it the eye that sees? Your eye may be seeing, yet if your mind is elsewhere, you will not observe anything at all. You see things only through the illumination of the Atma. You love, because the Atma is Love. You know, because the Atma is knowledge itself.
- BABA

 

6th March 2006
When a man is described as 'Nara', it means that he is the very embodiment of the Atma. The Atma cannot be affected by any taint. It is the attachment to the body which is the cause of bad thoughts, bad desires and bad actions. One who is unable to rein in his senses falls prey to such impulses. To become a slave to the senses is the mark of the animal; to be guided by the Atma is the sign of the human. No one should attempt to justify his lapses as being natural to a human. They should be regarded as signs of mental weakness. You should continually strive to master your senses. When you have truly acquired sense-control, you will experience the power of the Divine within you.
- BABA

 

7th March 2006
Man has to keep a watch over his thoughts because they form the basis for his actions. When his wishes are fulfilled, he is content; else, he feels disappointed. Man does not enquire into the causes of these divergent results. When his heart is pure, his actions yield beneficial results. His thoughts are the cause of the success or failure of his efforts. Hence, man must utilise his thoughts in the proper manner. His experience of the world depends on his vision. "As he feels, so he becomes." When one's thoughts are sacred, the results are also good.
- BABA

 

8th March 2006
As human beings, you have to ascertain by the use of your intelligence and Vijnaana (discrimination) what actions are proper and what are not. If you think it to be good, do not hesitate do it. But, if knowing that something is wrong, if you still do it, then you may have to inevitably face the consequences. The Lord created the Cosmos and offered it to mankind. Consequently, the responsibility for properly utilising the resources God has provided rests on humanity. If men use things in the right way and benefit from them, they will experience happiness. On the other hand, if they misuse them, they will have to bear the troubles resulting therefrom.
- BABA

 

9th March 2006
There is only one divine consciousness. All the variety of names and forms one perceives are creations of the mind and are bound to disappear. When you are one with the Divine, where is the need for seeking the Divine? Only a fool goes in search of himself. Instead of resorting to all forms of meditation, it is simpler and easier to proceed on the single idea that you and the Divine are one. But this process of identification should not be an artificial exercise. It should come from the heart. In declaring "I am the Divine," you should express a genuine and deep experience. You should feel that the Divine is not separate from you. Instead, if you mechanically repeat, "I am God, I am God", you will be indulging in a vain exercise. The Divine should be comprehended by earnest enquiry and a profound inner experience.
- BABA

 

10th March 2006
There is no greater friend than God. He is beyond the reach of praise or censure. He does not give up man although many a time he fails to come up to His expectations. That is why God has been given the appellation, Suhrid (a true friend). God desires no offerings from any devotee. God is the only one who confers benefits on devotees without expecting any return. In spite of this, man does not readily accept such a friend. Only the man who accepts God as such a friend and is guided by His advice can understand the full meaning of Divine friendship. Faith of this nature alone constitutes true Jnana (wisdom).
- BABA

 

11th March 2006
Man today is like a horseman riding two horses at the same time. He aspires for the Divine, yet at the same time he yearns for worldly pleasures too. He forgets that the creation is contained within the creator. Forgetting this truth, he goes after the phenomenal world, regarding it as different from the Divine. Instead of following the easy path of chanting God's name, man involves himself in multifarious troubles and wastes his precious life. Man is verily God. He is allowing his inherent divinity to be submerged by worldly desires. He should utilise the pure and sacred thoughts that arise in him to turn away from the transient attractions of the world and to set him on the path towards the Divine.
- BABA

 

12th March 2006
The mind is a bundle of thoughts. Actions ensue from thoughts. From actions flow the fruits thereof. Hence, thoughts are the seeds which ultimately yield fruits in the form of fortune or misfortune. Man is thus the architect of his own destiny. As thoughts determine actions, it is essential to cultivate good thoughts. Even evil men have been transformed by the influence of the good and the godly. Ratnakaara, the dreaded thief, was an example of such transformation. Contact with sages turned him into the immortal author of the Ramayana. When the mind is turned towards God, one's life becomes purified. When our thoughts are purified, our lives will be transformed into ideal ones.
- BABA

 

13th March 2006
Of all the gifts you receive from God, the greatest gift is Santosham (contentment). The opposite of Santosham is sorrow, which is the fruit of desire that arouses hope and almost always results in disappointment or despair. One desire engenders another and proliferates into a hundred, even when it is fulfilled. It knows no justification and has no end. So, Santosham is the supreme blessing of the Lord, who, in His infinite Love, puts an end to that unquenchable thirst. No wealth or worldly attainment can equal it in efficacy; Santosham is the culmination of desire in full contentment and sacred satiety.
- BABA

 

14th March 2006
The foremost thing that people today have to recognise and understand are human values. Whatever position one may achieve, whatever one's scholarship or status, the primary requisite is comprehension of what it means to be a human. This humanness can be developed only through spirituality. If you take a seed and plant it in a tin, it will rot. But if the same seed is planted in the earth, it grows into a tree. Humanness will not develop in an atmosphere of worldly concerns. It will grow only in a spiritual, ethical and righteous atmosphere.
- BABA

 

15th March 2006
Education sans wisdom, wisdom bereft of discrimination, action without discretion, erudition lacking sagacity, power not justified by credentials, statements not based on Truth, music wanting in melody, adoration not sustained by devotion, a person devoid of common sense and character, a student not endowed with humility - these serve no useful purpose. In addition to knowledge derived from the sacred texts, one should earn wisdom through experience. Knowledge without personal experience is futile.
- BABA

 

16th March 2006
The knowledge which relates to the waking and sleeping states is not permanent, it comes and goes. The knowledge that is lost is not true knowledge. Jnana (knowledge of Supreme Reality) when once acquired, will never go away. On the other hand, once ignorance leaves a man, it will not return. However, that which neither comes nor goes is Atma Tatwa (the Atmic Principle). This Divine Principle is everywhere; there is no place where the Divine is not present. Where, then, can the Divine come or go? Surrender to the Divine present everywhere.
- BABA

 

17th March 2006
Time moves fast like a whirlwind. Each one's life span is getting reduced every moment, like a melting block of ice. Hence, it is the duty of every man to realize the purpose of life and utilise his time in the performance of his duties, and thereby sanctify his existence. When people speak about man's bondage, what is it that binds man? Man can liberate himself only when he knows what it is that binds him. The greatest cause of bondage is the failure to know oneself. An individual who is not aware of his true self cannot escape from sorrow. As long as there is sorrow, bliss cannot be experienced.
- BABA

 

18th March 2006
One who is engaged in the contemplation of the Atma within and thereby constantly enjoys Atmic bliss, and sanctifies every moment of his life by doing good deeds is called a Brahma-Nishta. He realizes that the same Atma is present in all beings as the Antaratma (Inner Self) and discards all selfish thoughts. He is a Brahma Jnani, a realized soul, who is aware of the truth that revering others is revering the Lord, and hurting others is hurting the Lord. Such persons radiate divinity though they are in a human body.
- BABA

 

19th March 2006
Spirituality does not mean preoccupation with meditation, worship, etc. It involves total extinction of the animal and demonic qualities in man, and the manifestation of his inherent divinity. When the attachments and hatreds in which man is enveloped are removed, the inherent divinity in man, the Sath-Chith-Ananda in him, will manifest itself. There is no need to search for the omnipresent Divine in any specific place. When you are yourself divine, why search for the Divine elsewhere? It is a mark of rank ignorance.
- BABA

20th March 2006
Recognise the truth that morality is the primary requisite of human society. You have to perform your duties and discharge your obligations. You must be united and take part in social service. Unity is strength. It promotes the welfare of all. If one does not strive for unity and progress, how can one serve society? If unity is lost, what can anyone accomplish? Suppose there are three persons in a house, there can be peace in the house only if all the three live in harmony. Similarly, in every individual, there are three entities in the body: the Manas (mind), the Vaak (tongue) and Kaayam (the organs of actions). It is only when these three entities function harmoniously that the individual can have peace. When there is discord among them, how can peace be got?
- BABA

 

21st March 2006
Today, the foremost need is the promotion of unity. Irrespective of physical and ideological differences, the Atma principle is common to all. It has to be recognised that individuals are integrally related to society, like the different organs in a body. Humanity itself is a limb of Prakruthi (Nature) and Nature is a limb of God. If this integral relationship is understood, where is the ground for hatred? No one should consider himself as insignificant or unimportant. Everyone, big or small, is a vital part of the whole and is essential for its proper functioning like all the parts in a rocket. Even a small part, if defective, may cause the rocket to explode. Likewise, in this vast Cosmos every being has a significant role to play to ensure its smooth functioning.
- BABA

 

22nd March 2006
Morality and integrity in society are based upon spiritual consciousness. Spirituality alone will take man to the sacred path leading to his destiny. Spirituality alone can elevate man and raise him to higher levels of consciousness. It is the means to true national progress and prosperity. World peace can be secured only through spirituality. It is the means for the redemption of mankind. Forgetting spirituality, man is leading an artificial life based on worldly pleasures.
- BABA

 

23rd March 2006
The process of Samskara (refinement) is true for every object in the universe. The paddy that is grown and harvested cannot be consumed as it is. The husk has to be removed and then it has to be cooked so that it becomes rice. In the process of transformation to rice, the original paddy has considerably increased in value. The transformation process thus makes an object more useful and valuable. If that is the case with ordinary objects, how much more is it necessary for man, who is more important than all of them, to go through this transformation? Hence, the ancient sages envisaged a system of Samskaras intended not only to develop further the human qualities but also to eliminate all remnants of animal nature in man. It is a process of spiritual development by which the bad tendencies in man are got rid of and good tendencies are inculcated.
- BABA

 

24th March 2006
For accomplishing anything in the world, three things are essential: one, mastery over the senses; two, control over the mind; three, maintaining perfect bodily health. It is only when all these three requisites are present, that man can achieve his goals. If today man fails to achieve even petty objects, it is because he is deficient in all these. To acquire these three, man has to practise Dharma (righteousness), as laid down by the sages. The Vedas declare - "Yatho abhyudaya nisshreyas siddhih saa Dharmah" (that which is conducive to one's well-being here and the hereafter is Dharma). This calls for unity in thought, word and deed. This is true righteousness. Where there is no accord between what one thinks, says and does, one's life is meaningless. It is by the harmony of thought, speech and action, that the true worth of man is manifested.
- BABA

 

25th March 2006
Educated persons, nowadays, are concerned solely about their own well-being and that of their families, and have no interest in the welfare of the world. Education should aim at making a person take pleasure in promoting the well-being of all people. As a person grows up, he develops associations with relations, friends, teachers and many others. It is through these numerous relationships that one's human qualities develop. Without these associations, the individual would remain at the animal level. One's human nature is developed by society and contacts with kinsmen, friends and others. You have to show your gratitude to all of them by striving for their well-being.
- BABA

 

26th March 2006
Students today are seeking education not for the sake of knowledge but as a means to earn money or wield power. This is not true education. It is the discovery of one's spiritual essence that constitutes real education. The world is in sore need of spiritual discipline. All the evils that we witness in the world today stem from a perverted system of education. The so-called educated persons have no control over their senses. Self-control is the only means to real bliss. The primary need is the development of self-control among students. They must be able to remain firm in their minds and unwavering in their outlook in any circumstance. This can be achieved only through spiritual discipline.
- BABA

 

27th March 2006
When one's thoughts are pure and sacred, the ripples emanating in the mind fill all the senses and limbs in the body, from head to toe, with pure vibrations. The pure thought, entering the eye, purifies the vision. The same thought entering the ear, encourages it to listen to sacred sounds. Entering the mouth, this pure thought brings about purity in speech. Permeating the hands, the sacred thought induces them to engage themselves in sacred acts. The sacred ripples from the mind entering the feet, induce them to go on pilgrimages. If one's thoughts are impure, they induce the senses to indulge in unholy acts. Hence, people should not give room to bad thoughts, bad associations or bad relationships.
- BABA

 

28th March 2006
Men should turn away from the worldly path like fish which swim against the current in a river. That is the way to realize the Divine. If you allow yourself to be carried away by the worldly current, you can only meet with a sad end. Regardless of what the world may think, never swerve from the spiritual path. When people ask for liberation, they should understand that liberation means oneness with the Divine. Become aware of your divinity. Then worldly thoughts will not enter your mind. To realize this oneness with God, one has to chant the Lord's name incessantly. You must pray for the vision of the Lord in your heart. There should be no room for evil thoughts and feelings.
- BABA

 

29th March 2006
We should give up all differences based on one's birth and position in life and chant the Lord's name with intense love and devotion. First the name should melt the devotee's heart, only then can it melt God's heart and draw His grace upon the devotee. God does not care for how long and in what ways you have practised Sadhana (spiritual practice). What He wants is your sincere, whole-hearted and intense love for Him.
- BABA

30th March 2006Ugadi
If you wish to embark on a new life, you need not wait for the arrival of a new year. Treat every second as new. Sanctify every moment of your life. This has to be done by realizing the unity of Sath (existence) and Chith (the individual Consciousness). When this union is achieved, Ananda (Spiritual Bliss) is experienced. This is the primary task before everyone. Every second should be regarded as Divine. This New Year's Day may come and go as it happens every year, but God neither comes nor goes.
- BABA

 

31st March 2006
One should never doubt one's capacity to undertake a particular task. If one has faith in oneself, one can accomplish anything. Vedanta (Vedic philosophy) declares that a person who doubts himself can never realize the Atma. If one tells oneself that one does not have a particular skill or capability, that will psychologically affect one in a negative manner. Develop the courage that you can accomplish anything, then you will actually be able to do so. The real devotee is one who makes an effort to develop confidence in the self. Whatever one undertakes, one should do it with a divine and sacred feeling.
- BABA