Thought for the Day - As written at Prasanthi Nilayam


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November 2004

November 1, 2004

All that you see in the cosmos, the moving and the stationary objects, are manifestations of the Atma. This Atma is called "Eruka" or Awareness. This Awareness produces in every being the sense of "I-ness" and it expresses itself as " I " or "Aham". When this " I " identifies itself with the body, it takes the form of Ahamkara (ego). This is what is called Mithya or Delusion. What man needs today is the resolve to realize the Atma, one's true self. Through Atma-Jnana (knowledge of the self), man can experience Atma -Ananda (Atmic bliss).

November 2, 2004

Try to be as self-reliant as possible; endeavour to stand on your own feet. Be industrious. Be efficient and enthusiastic in the work that has come your way as your share in life. God has provided two hands for every stomach. If those hands work assiduously and intelligently, they can, without doubt, fill that little stomach. The trouble is that we are loath to work. We welcome every chance to talk and teach. But, speech cannot fill the hungry stomach. Dedicated and intelligent work, that is what is needed.

November 3, 2004

You need not glorify God, for that may keep you at a distance from Him. God is not new. He was there before your birth and He exists eternally. Where is the need to glorify Him? You must consider Him as your old friend. When you acquire friendship newly with a person, you speak to him formally and respectfully. When he becomes an old acquaintance, you can take liberties with him. Consider God also as an old friend, so that you can enjoy the liberty and feel kinship with Him!

November 4, 2004

Young people who are capable of making sacrifices are very essential today. We should encourage them to proclaim to the world the Omnipresence of Divinity. It is necessary to have young people who can fight with courage in situations arising from injustice, unkindness and cruelty. They should not only strive for worldly and material benefits, but also for the ethical and spiritual ideals of life. They should be prepared to give up imitation and selfish ideas, and serve the community in a selfless manner. They must, through their experience, proclaim to others that inner Divinity is the most important thing in life.

November 5, 2004

Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanthi (Peace), Prema (Love) and Ahimsa (Non-violence) are the primary human values. However, the fundamental basis of Truth and Righteousness is Love. Love is God, Truth is God, Righteousness is God. The five human values can be compared to the Pancha Pranas (five life principles) of man. If you do not speak truth, you lose one life principle. Unrighteous conduct amounts to losing the second life principle. Similarly, even the other life principles will be lost if you do not practise the other human values. Therefore, one bereft of these principles verily becomes a living corpse.

November 6, 2004

We must consider rendering service to society as a sacred duty. Whatever small service we may do, if we do it in the right spirit, serving without any thought of self-interest, we shall be doing something commendable and worthwhile. The act by itself may be insignificant, but it must be done wholeheartedly. Just as a cow transforms whatever it consumes into sweet, wholesome milk, any kind of service rendered with a pure heart will yield good results.

November 7, 2004

Virtues are more important than physical beauty. Observing the good and bad in the world, one should develop discrimination to choose the former. One should strive hard to cultivate virtues. Right from an early age, one should inculcate good qualities and develop good character. Wherever one may go, it is character that is of utmost importance. It is virtues that lend greatness to any person. If everyone develops good character, the whole country will become good and great.

November 8, 2004

Truth and righteousness are the two main pillars on which the entire world rests. If we protect truth and righteousness, they will in turn protect us wherever we go. Truth is the source of all happiness. If you do not adhere to truth, how can you expect to attain happiness? Truth is the fundamental principle of life. But today, man's thoughts, words and deeds are tainted with untruth and unrighteousness. That is the reason he is unable to enjoy happiness in life.

November 9, 2004

What is Brahman? It is the Atmic principle permeating every living being as consciousness. When the Atmic principle is encased in a body, it becomes individualized and is referred to as Jiva or Conscience. The individual, Atma and Chaithanya (consciousness) are one and the same. People think that they are different because they are given different names. Remove the names and there is only one Atmic principle.

November 10, 2004

The very first Sadhana (spiritual exercise) one must adopt is the cultivation of inner silence, to put an end to the continuous dialogue with the mind. Let the mind rest for a while. Do not project on the mind irrelevant details or pollute it with fumes of envy and greed. Every idea we entertain, either good or bad, gets imprinted on the mind. An element of weakness and unsteadiness is thus introduced in the mind. Keep the mind calm and clear. Do not agitate it every moment by your non-stop dialogue.

November 11, 2004

Be always in the company of devotees of God. Through this Sathsang (good company), Viveka (discrimination) and Vairagya (detachment) will be inculcated in you. These qualities will strengthen the spirit and endow you with inner peace. If the mind is subdued, that alone is enough; it is not then necessary to conquer the external senses. If the mind has no attachment to the sense objects, the senses have nothing to cling on to and they become powerless; likes and dislikes are both starved out of existence. The bonds with the objective world are cut, though the senses may still be affected by it. For him who has been blessed by the awareness of the Atma, how can anything worldly bring grief or joy?

November 12, 2004

Today is the day on which Naraka, the demon was killed. What does this event signify? It signifies killing the demon in man. 'Nara' means man and 'Asura' means demon. This demon is present in every human being. It is not necessary to acquire great Astras and Shastras (weapons) to kill this demon. Man is called 'Nara' because there is Atma in him. That Atma is the embodiment of love. Only through love is it possible to kill these demons. Therefore, realize the Atma Tathwa (Atmic principle) and develop love. This is true Bhakthi (devotion).

November 13, 2004

What is required is the transformation of the heart. All bad thoughts and feelings should be expelled from the heart. We should whole-heartedly participate in Bhajans. It should not be a mechanical ritual. Once your heart is filled with sacred thoughts and feelings, they will be reflected in your Bhajan-singing. Through your singing you should give joy to all the participants.

November 14, 2004

Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness. Paddy grains have to be de-husked in order to become edible as rice. Cotton has to be converted as yarn to become wearable cloth. Gold nuggets have to be heated in the crucible to remove the impurities. Man too, must purify his impulses, emotions and desires and cultivate good thoughts, words and deeds so that he can progress spiritually.

November 15, 2004

Today, man aspires to attain Mukthi (liberation). What is Mukthi? It is not the attainment of a heavenly abode. Mukthi means freedom from suffering. One needs to have Mukthi at three levels - body, mind and soul. For example, when one is hungry, one eats food and the hunger is satiated. This is a kind of Mukthi. Suppose, one is suffering from a disease, one gets cured by taking medicine. This is also a kind of Mukthi. All this is related to the body. At the mental level, Mukthi means controlling the vagaries of the mind. But, true liberation lies in understanding the principle of the Atma which neither comes nor goes. This is termed as 'Nirvana'.

November 16, 2004

The lamp is a sacred symbol of divinity. The flame of the lamp always rises upward. Wherever it islit, it dispels darkness. For dispelling the darkness of ignorance withinyou, you need the Divine lamp of wisdom. Only then can you shine as a person.Inner purity is the wick of this Divine lamp. Devotion is the oil and Divinegrace is the fire by which the lamp of wisdom can be lit.

November 17, 2004

Desire can be rooted out only when the faith that the Atma is the very core of one's being is firmly established. Since all efforts are now directed to the accumulation of material goods and the satisfaction of sensual desires, man is tossed abouton the waves of fighting and factionalism, falsehood and greed. The individual is intimately related to society and so his restlessness affects society too.

November 18, 2004

Compassion towards all creatures is the greatest virtue; wilful injury to any creature is the worst vice. Have full faith in this and spread love and joy through compassion, and be full of joy and peace within. You do not have joy and peace now because your vision is directed towards the faults and failings of others and never towards your own faults and failings. Truly speaking, upon enquiry you, will find that what we see in others is but a reflection of our own selves, our prejudices and preferences.

November 19, 2004

Motherhood is the most precious gift of God. Mothers are the makers of a nation's fortune, for they shape the sinews of its soul. These sinews are toughened by two lessons - fear of sin and fondness of virtue. As the mother, so the sweetness of culture. As the mother, so the progress of the nation. If mothers take care of their families, they will be protecting the nation. Mothers should foster in their children, love for truth, righteousness and narrate inspirational stories of great men and women.

November 20, 2004

Every act must be regarded as an offering to the Divine. It may not be easy to develop such an attitude. But if the effort is made sincerely, it can be achieved. It does not call for abandonment of hearth and home or giving up your wealth and position. What you earn through the grace of God will confer on you enduring benefits greater than the wealth you earn by any other means. The grace of God is like insurance; it will help you in your time of need. Material wealth confers Bhoga (enjoyment) which leads to Roga (illness). But selfless service is Yoga (spiritual path) which secures Divine grace.

November 21, 2004

Just as it is natural for a river to flow towards the sea, for a creeper to cling to a tree, for the stars to glitter in the firmament, in the same way, spontaneous flow of man's love towards God is totally natural. Love has no reason and it is not bound by any rules and regulations. Selfless love that does not expect any reward directly reaches God. Worldly love does not arise from the depth of one's heart; it is the outcome of compulsion.

November 22, 2004

Educational institutions should teach students to adhere to truth and to discharge their duties as a sacred obligation. Students should not allow success or failure to ruffle their minds unduly. Courage and self-confidence must be instilled in the them. The moulding of character and inculcation of human values must start with children at a very young age. All that one does as an offering to God is but an expression of human values. Whatever studies one may pursue, one must not give up one's faith in God as it is tantamount to giving up one's life.

November 23, 2004

I must ask you to give me as a birthday offering only one thing - reduce your selfishness; abate your wrong desires. Foster your spirit of sacrifice and become noble human beings. The Avatar (Divine incarnation) comes to save mankind out of His Love and Compassion. He comes down to the level of man and arouses the Divine Consciousness in him. In order to enable you to reach the highest goal of merging with the Absolute, this chance has been granted to you as a reward for merit acquired in many previous lives.

November 24, 2004

Physical eyes are useful only for seeing the phenomenal world. Every man has to develop the inner vision of wisdom to experience the Atma. It is only when you feel that the cosmos is permeated by the Divine that the cosmos will appear to you as a manifestation of the Divine. All Names and Forms are His. Names and Forms may vary, but the Atma is the same in all. Recognise the unity of all beings. Then, you will be filled with universal love.

November 25, 2004

The nature of Divine love is different from that of human attachment. It is timeless and constant. Make it your sole ideal. It is inherent in you; all that needs to be done is to manifest it in the proper way. If there is sugar at the bottom of a tumbler of water, you can make the water sweet by stirring the sugar to dissolve it. Likewise, your heart is a tumbler at the bottom of which there is Divinity. Take the spoon of Buddhi (intellect), stir the heart by the process of sadhana (spiritual effort). Then, the Divinity in the heart will permeate the entire body.

November 26, 2004

The Divine is omnipresent. The entire cosmos is permeated and sustained by this Divine energy. Man must make the necessary effort and sacrifice in order to experience the Divine. All the bad tendencies have to be renounced the moment they invade the human mind. True devotion lies in eliminating the animal tendencies in man. Man should seek to realise the eternal Divine within him. This is the primary purpose of human life.

November 27, 2004

When we have excess money, it breeds pride, sloth and contempt for others. In pursuit of money, man descends to the level of the beast. Money is of the nature of manure. Piled up in one place, it fouls the air. Spread it wide, scatter it over fields and you are rewarded with a bumper harvest. So too, when money is spent for promoting good works, it yields contentment and happiness in plenty.

November 28, 2004

Man has the choice of two paths - the Pravritti Marga (the outward path of involvement) or the Nivritti Marga (the inward path and non-involvement). When involved in the world, man is confronted with the six internal foes - lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hatred. When detached from the world, man is helped by six internal friends - sense and mind control, fortitude, contentment, faith and equanimity. The human body is deified as the temple of God; but the foes have to be evicted and the friends admitted before the Divine can establish itself there.

November 29, 2004

Man's heart is like pure gold, but as he associates himself with worldly desires, he loses his value as well as his effulgence. Do not pollute your mind with worldly desires. You have attained this human birth as a result of meritorious deeds done in past lives. Do not misuse it. Human life is highly valuable. People aspire to attain Nirvana (Liberation). In order to attain Nirvana, one should have a pure heart. True Nirvana lies in having love for God, fear of sin and morality in society.

November 30, 2004

At first, God stands at a distance watching your efforts. He is like the teacher who stands aside while the student answers the examination paper. When you shed your attachment to the material world and turn to doing good and serving others, God comes encouragingly near. He is like the Sun who stands waiting outside the closed door, without announcing his presence or knocking at the door. He simply waits. But, when the door is opened even a little, the light of the sun rushes in at once and drives out the darkness. When you ask God for help, He is right beside you with hands held out to help you. So, all you need is the discrimination to pray to God and the wisdom to remember Him.

 

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