Strive - that is your duty.

Yearn, that is your task. Struggle,

that is your assignment. If only you
do these, sincerely and steadily, God
cannot keep back for long the reward
of realization. The river strives,
yearns and struggles to merge with
the sea from which it came. It has
that consummation ever alert in its
consciousness. It attempts to make
itself pure and pellucid so that it may
be welcomed by its source. It
overcomes every obstacle of terrain
in order to journey successfully
towards it goal. Similarly, you too
must utilize all the physical, mental,
intellectual, moral and material
endowments that God has granted
you so that you may journey to the
goal of Realization

- Divine Discourse, Feb 16 1977

 Take an ordinary postal
envelope. Upon it, in golden ink,
write the address of a person in
artistic calligraphy. Insert a
beautiful worded letter full of
amazing sentiments, and drop it
into a postbox. What happens to
it? It will not move even a yard
away! Now take a simple post
card, scribble unimpressive things
with no special care, affix a stamp,
an address and drop it into the
box. What happens? The
artistically ornamental envelope is
inert, while the inartistic cheap
document travels a thousand
miles towards the person
indicated. Therefore, whatever
may be the uniqueness or
importance, the furore or
attractiveness, the service that you
do can yield no fruit if it is done
without a pure chiththa (thought or
intention).

-Divine Discourse, Mar 6, 1977.

 By saturating work with love, it can
be transformed into worship. When such
work is offered to God, it gets sanctified
into puja (sacramental worship). This
makes it free from ego. It is also freed from
the earthly desire for success and the
earthly fear of failure. When you can feel
that when you have done the work as best
as you can, your puja is complete. It is then
for Him who has accepted the puja to
confer on you what He considers best. This
attitude will make the work unattached.
Regular practice of this discipline will
render the consciousness clear and pure.
Without this practice, however prospective
your career might be, however much you
may accumulate the wherewithal of a
comfortable life, to whatever heights of
authority you may have climbed through
the exercise of intelligence, your gains
shall be nothing, unless your every activity
is suffused with the Divine purity, that is
inherent in consciousness.

- Divine Discourse, Mar 6, 1977.

 Seeing one's own reality is the
opening of the doors of liberation.
For this, the mirror of the heart has to
be prepared by coating the back of
the heart with Truth and Righteous
Action. Otherwise the image will not
appear. In every act of yours, if you
observe truth and justice, then you
can see your own reality revealed.
You may say that the burden of past
acts and their inevitable
consequences have to be borne; but
the Grace of the Lord can burn that
burden in a flash; the revelation of
reality, will, in a flash, save you from
that burden.

-Divine Discourse, Dec 25, 1976.

 The Lord is devoid of
attachment and hatred. He
comes on a Mission and is
bent only on that task. His
nature is to support the right
and admonish the wrong. His
task is to restore vision to
man, to turn his footsteps
along the path of morality and
self-control, so that he may
achieve self-knowledge.

- Divine Discourse, 25 Dec, 1976 .

 Let me call upon you to
give up two evils from your mind
on this Holy Day: Self-praise and
talking scandal. Adopt one habit:
The habit of loving service to the
distressed. If you spend all your
time and energy in worldly
comfort and sensual delight, you
are disgracing the human
existence. Consider this body as
a temple of God where He resides.
Keep it clean, fresh and fragrant
through developing Compassion
and Love. Use the Temple of God,
only for holy thoughts, words and
deeds. Do not demean it by using
it for low, trivial and unholy tasks.
Wherever you are, whatever you
do, have this resolution steady
and strong.

- Divine Discourse, 25 Dec, 1976

 You must realize that the
divine current that flows and
functions in every living being is
the One Universal Entity. When
you desire to enter the Mansion
of God, you are confronted by
two closed doors: The desire to
praise yourself and the desire to
defame others. The doors are
bolted by envy and there is also
the huge lock of egoism
preventing entry. So if you are
earnest, you have to resort to
the key of love and open the
lock. Then remove the bolt and
the doors are wide open. The
education you receive must train
you to be successful in this
difficult operation.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 25, 1976

 From the narrow vision of the
individual need, one must voyage out
into the broad vision of the Universal.
When a drop of water falls into the
ocean, it loses its narrow
individualities, its name and form and
assumes the form, name and taste of
the ocean itself. If it seeks to live
separately as a drop, it will soon
evaporate and be reduced to non-
existence. Each one must become
aware that he/she is part of the One
Truth that encompasses everything in
the Universe. Make the heart big and
the mind pure, only then can peace
and prosperity be established on
earth.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 25, 1976.

 Dharma' or Right Action
promotes peace and happiness,
contentment and joy. Today, we are in
need of persons who have attained
purity in all levels of consciousness.
One can reach perfect bliss only when
his/her heart becomes free from envy,
egoism, greed and other evil traits.
We need persons who can recognize
and relish the kinship and the identity
that exists between man and man, as
well as between one society and
another. Dharma, Righteous Action
alone provides peace, contentment
and joy.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 25 1976.

 Those who sing bhajans get
what can be called "Double
Promotion", for they derive joy and
distribute joy. Life today is filled with
sorrow, it is beset with fear and
despair. The only time you can forget
these thoughts and strengthen
yourself to meet the hard times is
when you contact the Source of all
strength, God. You cannot get that
peace and joy while you bend under
the burden of daily life. You are
carrying a huge load of worry all day.
Keep that aside for an hour every
evening and spend that time with God,
who can make your shoulders strong
and your burden light. You eat twice a
day for the upkeep of the body,
should you not do bhajan at least
once for the upkeep of the mind?

- Divine Discourse, , Dec 12, 1976.

 When you intend to harm
another, the evil recoils on you. The
grief which you suffer is only an echo
of the grief you inflict in another's
heart. So when you have injured
another, pray for pardon. Repent and
resolve never to do it again. Through
genuine prayer, mountains of evil can
be pulverized and destroyed. From
now on, decide that your words shall
be soft and sweet, your acts beneficial
to others and your thoughts always
about how to serve others who are
weaker and less prosperous.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 12, 1976.

 The supreme secret is that man
must live in the world where he is
born like the lotus leaf, which though
born in water floats upon it without
being affected or wetted by it. Of
course, it is good to love and adore
God with a view to gain some valuable
fruit either here or hereafter. But since
there is no fruit or object more
valuable than God or more worthwhile
than God, the Vedas advise us to love
God, with no touch of desire in our
minds. Love, since you must love for
love’s sake; Love God, since whatever
He can give is less than He Himself.
Love Him alone, with no other wish or
demand.

- Sathya Sai Vahini.

 Life has the nobler goal of self-
illumination, of lighting the lamp of
love inside oneself and sharing that
lamp with all around us. Kama (desire)
and Krodha (anger) are the enemies
that will not allow that flame to be
burning bright. Kama (Desire) is the
lust for physical pleasure, for power,
fame, wealth and scholarship. Krodha
(Anger) is the result of foiled lust. If
you long for peace of mind, you must
take the spiritual practice that will
confer peace on you. If you choose
the wrong path, you cannot complain
that you are lost. Salt and camphor
look alike, but you have to exercise
your intelligence to discriminate
between them. Brass makes more
noise than gold, but you should not
be deceived by that and choose brass
instead of gold.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1976.

 Once the person is drawn to the
Divine, the process of culturing or
"Samskara" begins. Without this, the
individual is fallow and feeble. He has
no dignity or personality. A worthless
steel lump is transformed by skilful
manipulation and reconstruction into
a watch that is worth several units of
money. This is the result of the
Samskara, which turned a steel lump
into an useful tool for indicating time.
In a similar manner, one can be
transformed into a noble, efficient,
happy and disciplined member of the
society by implanting in him/her good
thoughts, good feelings, good deeds
and good emotions. Such transformed
persons will spontaneously engage
themselves in the task of promoting
human welfare. They will be
promoters of the ideals of the
brotherhood of the man and the
fatherhood of God.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1976.

 Let us consider the act of
"Chamatkara," the acts that attract
and cause you to wonder. You see a
flower. You long to hold it in your
hand only when its colour or
fragrance is attractive. You enter the
market and see heaps of fruits. If the
fruits are not attractive, you have no
urge to eat them and benefit by
them. Attraction is the nature of the
Divine. When one renounces one's
selfish desires, his/her love expands
unto the farthest regions of the
Universe until that person becomes
aware of the Cosmic Love that feeds
all.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1976.

 Do not seek to discover or
discuss the evil in others, for the
attempt will tarnish your own mind.
When you are engaged in searching
for the faults and the failings of
others, you are paving the way for
developing those faults and failings in
yourself. Dwell on the good in others,
and in time, it will prove to be an asset
to you. The goodness latent in you
shall then be urged to sprout and
blossom.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

 The Lord incarnates as human
being to help humans comprehend
that which apparently cannot be
understood and to enable them to
attain that which is seemingly
unattainable. By this action, the Lord,
who is infinite, immutable and
immanent, does not suffer any
diminution. Neither is He, though
embodied in a human frame,
influenced by the taints and
blemishes that normally affect a
human being. To grasp the
significance of the Divine Incarnation,
it is imperative that one should rise
above the rajasic (passionate) and
thamasic (dull) gunas (atrributes).
Pious (sathwic) habits alone can lead
him through the path of true devotion
to the Lotus Feet of the Divine. For
this, a favorable environment and
company of good people are
essential.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

 There is a burning coal. At
some distance, there is a cold piece
of coal. When they contact each
other, the heat spreads to the cold
piece of coal and the part that is in
contact with the burning coal is
rendered hot and red. If you
vigorously sway a fan over the
contact area, soon the entire coal
becomes a burning ember. "Near"
alone is not enough for realization.
One has to make it "Dear" by using
the fan of spiritual practice. The
power of spiritual practices is such
that it can make human transform
into Divine. Spiritual Practice is the
cultivation of Divine Love. Be full of
Divine love, taste the exhilaration that
love can confer on you.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

 Iron turns into rust if it seeks
the company of soil. It glows, softens
and takes on useful shapes, if it
enjoys the company of fire. Dust can
fly if it chooses the wind as its friend.
It has to end as slime in a pit, if it
prefers water. It has neither wing nor
foot, yet it can either fly or walk, rise
or fall, according to the friend it
selects. Knowing this truth, a great
saint, Kabir once said. "Here are my
prostrations to the good, Here are my
prostrations to the bad." When asked
why he offered prostrations to the
bad, he said, "My prostrations to the
bad, so that they may leave me alone.
I do the same before good, so that
they might remain near me always."
You are shaped by the company you
keep.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

 No one eats to appease
another's hunger nor takes drugs to
alleviate another's illness. You eat to
appease your own hunger, you drink
to quench your own thirst. So do not
seek approval, appreciation or
admiration from others or refrain from
your spiritual practices. Be self-reliant
and self-confident. See through your
own eyes. Hear through your own
ears. Most people today believe their
ears and deny their eyes. Or they use
the eyes, ears and the brains of others
and that leads to fear or misjudgment.
The Lord is moved and showers
Grace on every genuine appeal
emanating from the heart. Let His
Name dance on your tongue forever,
conferring on you the sweetness of
His Majesty.

- Divine Discourse, 14 Nov 1976 .

 When God is invoked by
prayer that emanates from the heart,
let it be even once, He responds
immediately. It must not emanate only
from the lips; it does not have the ring
of sincerity and faith. From the lips, it
must roll back on the tongue; from the
tongue, it must reach down into the
heart. Continuous purification alone
can grant success in this effort. Just
as the mother who is attending to her
chores on the first floor of the house,
will quickly rush to the infant lying on
the ground floor when the infant wails,
God will rush to your aid. The mother
will not stay away because the wail
was not musical or melodious.
Similarly, God always responds to
prayer that emanates from your heart.

- Divine Discourse, 28 Apr 1975 .

 Every thought leaves an
impression on the mind, so be ever
alert that contact with evil is avoided.
Ideas which are opposed to spiritual
tendencies, that narrow the limits of
love, that provoke anger or greed, or
that cause disgust, have to be shut
out. For the aspirant, this is the most
essential discipline. One must
sublimate such thoughts before they
cause an impact on the mind, and
should concentrate on the very
source of the thinking process. This
can be achieved by the practice of
equanimity, unaffectedness or
balance. The path of devotion and
dedication is the easiest for most. It is
attainable by love, for love leads you
quickly to the Goal.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976

 The Divine Call is not to deceive
or mislead. It is to transform,
reconstruct, and reform. It is to make
the person useful and serviceable for
the society; to affirm in the individual
the unity of all beings in God. The
person who has undergone this
samskara (refinement) becomes a
humble servant of those in need of
help. This is the stage of Paropakara
(selfless service). Service done with
this kind of reverence and
selflessness prepares man to realize
the One that pervades the Many.

- Divine Discourse, 23 Nov 1976

 The devotional songs you sing,
saturates the atmosphere with
thoughts of God, and of the peace and
joy that He showers. The songs
affects not only the particular area
you are and the environment, but the
entire atmosphere. Continue the
attitude of devotion and humility, of
service and tolerance, and the
atmosphere will not be polluted by
hatred. Do not contaminate the air by
voices of acrimony, scandal, insult or
slander. Keep silent when you feel like
expressing such ideas, that itself is a
service to yourself and to others.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

 When we fill the
atmosphere with hatred we too have
to perforce breathe the same air,
and are hated in turn. When we
saturate the air with sounds full of
reverence, humility, love, courage,
self-confidence and tolerance, we
benefit from those qualities
ourselves. The heart is the film and
the mind is the lens; turn the lens
towards the world and worldly
pictures fall on the heart. Turn it
towards God and it will transmit the
pictures of the Divine.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976

 Samkirtan is singing the Glory
of God. It is the process of singing
that originates in the heart... not from
the lips or the tongue. It is the
expression of the joyous thrill that
wells up from the heart when the
Glory of God is remembered. It is the
spontaneous manifestation of the
inner ecstasy. No attention is paid to
the blame or praise that others may
give. It does not seek the admiration
or the appreciation of the listeners. It
is sung for one's own joy, one's own
satisfaction, for one's own delight.
That type of singing alone is supreme.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976.

 Cast away the vice of egoism,
the evil of greed and the poison of
envy. When you seek joy from
something outside you, remember
that a joy far greater lies in wait within
your own inner consciousness. When
you are afraid of someone or
something outside you, remind
youself that the fear is born, fed and
fertilized in your mind, and that you
can overcome it by denying it. Faith in
the Almighty God is the impregnable
armour that the aspirant can wear,
and people of all lands are aspirants,
whether they know it or not. Be
steady, do not waver, keep straight
on, hold fast to the ideal without
despair. Pray until God relents; do not
turn away sadly if God does not
shower Grace when you expect it.

- Divine Discourse, 1 Oct 1976 .

 When kama (desire) and
krodha (anger) are rising in hot
flames from the heart, how can the
cool rays of Shanthi (peace),
Sathya (truth), Ahimsa (non-
violence) and Prema (love)
emanate therefrom? This human
birth is a rare chance. Use it for
spreading joy, not grief. Of course
it is natural for man to resent, to
grow angry. You should not allow
anger free and furious scope. The
raging floods have to be restrained
by bunds and dams so that the
water may reach the sea without
scouring the fields on either bank.
You must set limits to your own
anger and hatred, and honour
those limits.

- Divine Discourse, 28 Aug 1976 .

 To remove the evil of
egoism, service is the most
efficient instrument. Service will
also impress on the person doing
the service the Unity of all
mankind. One who dedicates
his/her time, skill and strength to
service can never meet defeat,
distress or disappointment, for
service is its own reward. His
words will be ever sweet and soft,
his gestures ever revered and
humble. He will have no foe,
fatigue, or fear.

- Divine Discourse, Aug 28, 1976.

 Give the body the
attention it deserves, but not
more. Some people advise that
you should cultivate disgust
towards it; but that is not
beneficial. Tend it as an
instrument, use it as a boat, a
raft. Disgust is not a desirable
attitude towards anything in
God's creation. Everything is
God's handiwork, an example of
His Glory, His Majesty.

- Divine Discourse, Aug 1, 1975.

 Carry on your highest duty
to yourselves, following the four 'F's
- Follow the Master, Face the Devil,
Fight to the End and Finish the
game....Love can make you gather
the affection of mankind. Love will
not tolerate any selfish aim or
approach. Love is God, Live in
Love. Then all is right; all can be
well. Do not narrow it down into an
instrument of restricted love.
Expand your heart, so that it
encompasses all.

- Divine Discourse, Aug 1, 1976.

 Desire is the worst enemy
and it has to be canalized and reduced
with determination until it ceases to
bother you. Besides desire, anger and
greed also have to be discarded, for
they are present wherever there is
desire. When you say "bowman", it is
implied that there are arrows too with
the bow. Thus desire is ever
associated with anger and greed.
Desire is bad even if it is for fame and
authority. It is the avarice for power
and pelf that ruins many a human
life... Life is a long journey. Keep your
hearts ever pure, steady and
inclusive. Do not tarnish others hearts
to make them narrow and
vengeful. You must encourage
opportunities to enlarge them and
soften them through intensive social
service.

- Divine Discourse, Aug 8, 1976.

 Recognize this truth. God
is in all. When you hate another,
you are hating the Lord. When you
hate the Lord, you are hating
yourself. When you inflict pain on
another name, remember that the
other is yourself, in another form
with another name....Envy causes
pain on those who are envied.
When another's fortune is green,
why should your eyes be red?
Why get wild when another eats
his fill?... Give up this vice of envy.
Be happy when another is happy.
That is more pleasing to the Lord
than all the prayers you recite, all
the flowers you heap on His
picture or image, or even the
hours you spend in silent
meditation.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 24, 1980.

 The bumble bee can bore
a hole in the hardest of the wood.
But, when dusk intervenes while it
is sipping the nectar from the
lotus flower and as a result when
the open petals close in on the
bee, it finds itself imprisoned with
no hope of escape. It does not
know how to deal with softness.
So too, the mind can play its
tricks and jump about on any
arena. When placed on the Lotus
Feet of the Lord, it becomes
inactive and harmless. To offer
the mind entirely to the Lord,
deep detachment from worldly
desires is needed. Superficial
devotion or shallow steadfastness
cannot succeed.

- Divine Discourse, Dec 24, 1980.

 Do not pray to God for
wealth, fame, positions of power or
even for the fruits of your actions.
The genuine seeker will pray for
nothing else than God. This longing
will fill all the acts he does in a day.
Every wave of emotion, every tune of
song and every beat of pulse will
respond only to that wish. God is the
basis on which this creation rests.
The deepest yearning should be to
experience that One, the basis, the
Being, that has become. Be aware of
the One, which manifests as many.

- Divine Discourse, 24 Apr 1980 .

 You must be ever engaged in
the process of purifying the mind
and clarifying the intellect. You have
to free yourself from all prejudices
and misunderstandings. You must
speak softly and sweetly and give
everyone the respect and attention
due to them sincerely. Humility and
tolerance must characterize your
behaviour as a devotee. When the
wind agitates the serene waters of a
lake, wavelets dance all over its face
and a thousand Suns sparkle. When
calm descends and the waters are
still, the shadow of the Sun within
the lake is one full image.

- Divine Discourse, 29 March 1976

 Patience, Tolerance, fortitude,
equanimity, fraternity...these will prove
invaluable equipments in the pilgrimage
to God. Do not distinguish between one
fellow pilgrim and another on the basis
of caste, creed or color. Do not divide
them into friends and foes. Recognize
the common traits, uniting efforts, and
the basic divinity amongst all. Rich and
poor, scholar and illiterate - these
distinctions do not hold good for long,
they are just outer frills. A flower
radiates fragrance and charm, whether
held in the right hand or the left. It does
not limit that gift to some and deny it to
others. Everyone who comes near,
receives the fragrance.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1975

 The task before each of one of
us is to plant the seeds of Truth,
Righteousness, Peace and Love in
each heart. Foster these saplings
and watch over them with love and
care until they grow into trees
yielding a rich harvest of sweet
fruits. Sages who had succeeded in
this beneficial culture have laid
down the means and methods, the
steps and slips, the helps and
hindrances, that one has to
consider. The swimmer has to push
the water behind him so that he
might proceed forward. So too,
while attempting to march forward,
one has to push back from him the
evil thoughts, habits, deeds and
impulses that crowd in. Believe in
this conviction, instill faith in your
heart and you will be assured of
success.

-Divine Discourse, Vol 13 Ch 19,

Nov 23, 1975.
 Today you must resolve to
practice My advice, to follow My
directives, to translate My message
into acts of service and to engage in
Sadhana. Adore your fellow being,
the adoration reaches Me. Neglect
him/her, you neglect Me. Of what
avail is it to worship the Lord and to
suppress your fellow-being? Love
for God must be manifested as Love
for fellow-beings and Love must
express itself as Service. Through
Love alone, Love that is acquired
through spiritual practices, and
shared with all can peace be attained
by the individual as well as the
nation.

-Divine Discourse, Vol 13 Ch 19, Nov

23, 1975.
 What you judge as joy or
sorrow is only like a passing cloud,
which cannot affect the splendor of
the Sun or Moon. Know that such
emotions follow one another when
the wheel of life turns round from
moment to moment. The sea has
water that cannot quench thirst, but
it has also pearl and coral. You have
to get toughened by the hammer
strokes of joy and sorrow until you
are unaffected by the vicissitudes of
fortune. The Atman (Self) alone is
eternal and unchanging.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1975.

 God is sweet Love. You too
must reveal the same sweet love, and
thereby announce the Reality of God as
Love. Do not exhibit equanimity
momentarily. You must not start
getting angry at all and sundry, after a
while. Some are Yogis (spiritual) in the
morning, Bhogis (epicureans) at noon
and Rogis (Sick) at night. You must not
act three roles in one day. Your
deepest yearning must be to
experience the One, the Being that is
present in You. Be aware of the One
that manifests as many. That is the
Divine Life.

-Divine Discourse, Vol 13, 23 Nov

1975.
 The mansion called life
must be built on a strong
foundation. The pursuit of
Artha and Kama, of wealth
and welfare, of all desirable
objects must be regulated by
the standard of Dharma.
Dharma (righteousness)
fosters those who foster it.
The strongest foundation is
ever-present faith in the
Almighty.

- Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol.VIII.,

P.74 .
 Dharma is not the giving of
alms, feeding and providing lodging
to pilgrims or the adherence to one's
traditional profession or craft. In all
worldly activities, you should be
careful not to offend propriety, or the
canons of good nature. You should
not play false to the promptings of
the Inner Voice. You should be
prepared at all times to respect the
appropriate dictates of conscience;
you should watch your steps to see
whether you are in someone else's
way; you must be ever vigilant to
discover the Truth behind all this
scintillating variety. This is the entire
duty, it is your Dharma.

- Dharma Vahini .
 Peace is a shoreless ocean. It
is the Light that illumines the world.
It confers knowledge of this world
and that. Pure love can emanate only
from a heart immersed in peace, for
it is an atmosphere that pervades
and purifies. Peace is not a
conviction arrived at by means of
logic. It is the discipline of all
disciplined lives. Iron has to be
beaten flat by iron alone. So too, the
inferior, lower mind, has to be
shaped better by the superior mind
itself. One has to make his mind
superior and stronger for the task of
personal upliftment. Drink deep the
waters of discipline. Immerse
yourself in it and become cleansed.
May its coolness refresh your
sorrows and pains, and quench the
fires of sin.

- Prasanthi Vahini.
 Absence of mere anger
cannot be taken as peace. The
winning of a desired object and
the satisfaction derived then
should not be confused with
peace. The peace that has
pervaded the heart must not be
shaken subsequently for any
reason. Peace must be everlasting
and have no ups and downs; it
cannot be partial in adversity and
complete in prosperity. It cannot
be one thing today and another
tomorrow. Only that kind of
permanent peace alone deserves
to be called Prasanthi.
Maintaining the same even flow of
peace, bliss, and joy is Prasanthi.

- Prasanthi Vahini.
 Through selfless service
you realise that all beings are waves
of the Ocean of Divinity. No other
sadhana (spiritual practice) can
bring you into the incessant
contemplation of the Oneness of all
living beings. You feel another's pain
as your own; you share another's
success as your own. To see every
one else as yourself and yourself in
every one, that is the core of the
sadhana of seva. Again, seva makes
the ego languish for want of food. It
makes you humble before the
suffering of others, and when you
rush to render help, you do not
calculate how high or low his social
or economic status is. The hardest
heart is slowly softened into the
softness of butter by the
opportunities that the seva offers.

-Divine Discourse, November 14, 1975.

 A devotee is like a needle
which is always drawn towards the
magnet. But the needle has to be
near enough and must be clean. If
you stay far away and complain that
Grace has not come, what can be
done? You must scrape off the mud
and rust by the process of
repentance. Sometimes, you come
near for some time and stray way. I
do not mean the physical distance. I
do not measure distance in miles or
meters. Realize that I am always with
you, in you, beside you, ever. Only
you have to be aware of Me and
make use of My presence.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1975.

 You must make service a part
and parcel of your life. Youth is an
important stage when self-control,
self-examination and self-effort are
most needed. Channelize the
courage, optimism and strength in
constructive channels. You must act
what you speak and speak what you
think. That will give you inner joy
and contentment. You have to
dedicate yourself to service, that is
saturated in selfless love. The
service you render must give
satisfaction and relief of those you
serve. The joy of the recipient must
be your sole objective.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1975.

 When the rain drop falls into
the sea, it gets the name, form and
nature of sea. So too, when the
individual merges with the vast
concourse of humanity and feels one
with all, it is endowed with the name,
form and nature of the Divine.
Whatever you do as service, to
whomsoever you offer the act,
believe that it reaches the God in
that person. This is the meaning of
Ishwara sarva bhutaanaam (God is
present in everyone). Dedicate all
your actions to God. Do your actions
as Ishwararpanam (Offering to God).

- Divine Discourse, July 27, 1980.

 You must demonstrate that
Love, Peace, Righteousness, Truth
and acts of Loving Service, rendered
in a spirit of humility and reverence,
is what makes people happy. We
need not concentrate on production
of more food or building of more
houses or manufacturing more cloth.
What is most needed today is a total
effort to make human beings
manifest more tolerance, more
humility, more brotherliness, more
compassion and deeper awareness
of the springs of joy and peace that
lie within the heart of each one. Be in
the forefront of this spiritual
adventure.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1975 .

 Service is prescribed as one of
the nine steps to realize God. You
must therefore be earnest and
welcome all chances to serve the
sick, disabled, diseased and the
distressed. Holding a fruit in the
hand is just a preliminary step.
Without eating and digesting, you
cannot he healthy and happy.
Similarly, unless you serve, you will
not attain joy and bliss. Your acts of
service will be judged based on your
mental attitude that is accompanying
them. So, whatever work is allocated
to you, do it with fervor,
understanding of its importance and
developing reverence towards it. In
service, there can be no high or low,
for God is in all.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1975.

 Through service you realize that
all beings are waves of the Ocean of
Divinity. No other spiritual practice
can bring you into the incessant
contemplation of the Oneness of all
living beings. You feel another's pain
as your own; you share another's
success as your own. To see
everyone else as yourself and
yourself in every one is the core of
spiritual practice. This spirit makes
you humble before the suffering of
others. When you rush to render
help, you do not calculate how high
or low one's social or economic
status is. Thus, the hardest heart is
slowly softened into sweetness by
the opportunities of service.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1975.

 Doing something because it is
being done elsewhere is a sign of
ignorance. The service programs
must satisfy a need, solve a local
difficulty and must be adapted to
local conditions. Do not think of the
satisfaction of doing something
concrete or about the name, fame or
praise you will win. Do not crave for
publicity...crave for the joy that
shines in the face of the people
whom you help. Selfless service
brings you nearer to Me. The flower
that is your heart gets the fragrance
by means of your selfless service
and becomes more acceptable to
me.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1975.

 Attachment, affection,
interest... these will create
prejudice, partiality, and illusion.
They hide the truth and dull the
intelligence. Attachment is a
disease, as far as the path of
enquiry is concerned. One has
to be free from favorites, fancies
and fondness. Once you attach
yourself to a person or habit or
mannerism, it will be difficult for
you to shake them off.

- Divine Discourse, 10 July, 1980 .

 Expansion is the key note of
education. The first step for this
expansion is the home, where you
must revere and please your
parents who gave you this chance
to live and learn. If you ill-treat them
or inflict grief on their minds, how
can you ever gladden others by
service and understanding? You
know that when a balloon is blown,
it bursts and the air inside it merges
with the vast limitless expanse
outside. So too your love must fill
your home and your society, and
finally burst even those bonds and
become worldwide. A drop of water
held in the palm evaporates soon; it
is very alone. But drop it into the
sea - it survives! It assumes the
name, the majesty and the might of
a sea! Cultivate the seeds of love in
all hearts!

- Divine Discourse, July 25,

1975.
 When you are true and
brave, kind and compassionate,
virtuous and pious, the world
can have an era of peace and
joy. Beware of the two evil
sirens that entice you into futility
and frivolity: Cinema and Novel.
They contaminate young and
innocent minds, and corrupts
them; they destroy basic
humanness and degrade a good
individual. Do not get tempted
into the wilderness of vice.
Youth must grow into strong
and straight spiritual aspirants
who scale the heights of
spiritual life.

- Divine Discourse, July 25, 1975

 Treat mercifully those who
struggle to survive. Help them
as much as you can. Realize
your responsibilities. Move
reverentially with others. Win the
blessings of God and earn good
fame amongst your fellow
brothers and sisters. Examine
your daily activities on the
touchstone of righteousness.
May you become individuals
shining in virtue.

- Divine Discourse, Sep 21, 1980

 To presume that peace
comes either from
wealth, or from kith or
kin is a great error.
Peace comes only from
God. In fact, there is no
strength superior to
Love. Where Love is,
there everything is. You
must Love God and live
in love. Everything shall
be alright. You must
make others also live in
love.

- Divine Discourse, Sep

21, 1980.
 Liberation is giving up of the unreal.
Let us suppose you want a cup of fruit
juice. Unless you throw away the water
already in the cup, you cannot pour the
juice in the cup. Similarly, unless you
give up materialism, Atma bhava
(spiritual attitude) cannot come to you.
Moksha (Liberation) is not a distinct and
different spiritual discipline. It is only
giving up unnecessary desires.
Ignorance is the cause of jealousy, and
jealousy is the cause of disharmony. And
disharmony is the cause of anger.
Through anger, wisdom is lost. The real
spiritual wisdom is seeing "One in All" at
all times. If there is duality or differences,
wisdom declines.

- Divine Discourse, Sep 21, 1980.

 Just as you prescribe minimum
qualifications for every profession,
the minimum qualification for Grace is
surrender of egoism, control over
senses, and regulated food and
recreation. The body is the boat on
which we voyage across the ocean of
our worldly lives. It has to be kept trim
and sea-worthy. The atmosphere we
breathe in, the water we take in, the
ground we live in, the animals and
plants that surround us - all have to
be maintained clean. Exercise,
bathing, washing and cleaning
activities are prescribed for this
purpose. So also, the voyager too,
must be strong, confident and
courageous.

- Divine Discourse, Sep 1980.

 Virtue can be cultivated through
voluntary, selfless service to the
living beings. A virtuous person can
be both healthy and happy. Virtue
must flow through the triple
channels of love, mercy and
detachment, if it has to feed the
roots of Service. Human beings are
endowed with the instinct of
gregariousness, in order to tread
the path of mutual sympathy,
continuous compassion and
concrete service. Virtue is the
panacea to lead a healthy and
happy life.

- Divine Discourse, Sep, 1980.

 A person is made or
marred by the company he/she
keeps. A bad man who falls into
good company is able to shed
his evil habits quickly and shine
forth in virtue. A good person
falling into evil company is
overcome by the subtle
influence and slides down into
doing evil. The lesser is
overpowered by the greater,
hence be watchful at all times.

- Divine Discourse, July 27, 1980.

 To have the vision of God, one
should become the master, for the
Master alone can have access to the
treasure-chest. You have to master the
senses and all other faculties. One
should not be the servant of the
senses, and of the whims and fancies
of the emotions and passions. The
servant has access only to the cheap
and perishable junk of the house-hold.
The treasure-chest of life, therefore,
cannot be viewed by eyes blinded or
befogged by egoism, greed and envy.
Therefore, engage yourselves in
sadhana (spiritual practice), without
any delay. Cultivate virtues, free
yourself from evil habits, thoughts,
words and deeds. Grow in love and
greet Nature with Love. This is the way
to Joy, Ananda.

- Divine Discourse, July 27, 1980.

 Divinity is deep in the core of
the consciousness of everyone. We do
not keep gold, jewels and valuables in
the verandahs and the quadrangles of
our homes; we keep only pots and
baskets there. We place our jewels in
an iron safe or secure enclosure, in an
inner room, away from public gaze.
The body is liable to fall, rot and get
burnt. When one ages, we say that one
is nearing their end faster and faster.
In the box called 'body' is the treasure
'Atma'. The sea keeps its valuable
pearls deep down, close to the bed. It
scatters cheap shells on the shore,
where people can pick them. So, to get
the treasure from the body, that is, to
perceive the Atma, your inquiry must
turn inward.

- Divine Discourse, 28 April 1975

 A sense of elation and
exultation keeps the body free from
ill-health. Evil habits that one
indulges in is the chief cause of the
mental and physical diseases. Greed
affects the mind, disappointment
makes one depressed. Each one can
justify their existence only by
cultivation of the virtues. Once you
have virtues, you become a worthy
candidate for Godhood. It is progress
in virtue that announces the progress
of a person towards Divinity. Virtue
also confers skill, freshness and long
years of youthfulness. Start
cultivating and growing virtues that
are divine in you, today.

- Divine Discourse, July 13, 1980.

 Sorrow is caused by the human
body, which is the home of countless
microbes and other parasitic beings.
No one can be free from this disease
inducing causes. But, one can easily
overcome this sorrow by developing
feelings of compassion towards all
beings, and developing thoughts
which thrive on Love and spread
Love. Illness, both physical and
mental, is a reaction caused by the
poison in the mind. Vice breeds
diseases. Bad thoughts and habits,
bad company and bad food, are
fertile grounds where disease thrives.
Arogya, good health and Ananda,
bliss go hand in hand.

- Divine Discourse, July 13, 1980.

 You must endeavor to become
Divine, from where you have come.
Lessen the attachment to the world,
not by cutting yourself off, but by
being in it as an instrument in God's
Hands. Subdue all tendencies towards
egoism that raise their heads in you
through single-minded attention to the
dictates of God called Dharma
(Righteousness). Edison, the scientist
concentrated so much on the solution
of the problems that worried him,
such that he left untouched, for days
together, the food and drink that was
pushed in through the doors of his
laboratory. You must have the same
concentration and shraddha (steady
dedication) while engaged in sadhana
(spiritual discipline).

- Divine Discourse, 10 July 1980 .

 Life is a game of football. You
are the ball and you are bound to be
thrown and kicked about. How long
have you to bear this treatment? Until
the air is full in the ball. Deflate it, and
no one will kick it again! The air that
inflates is the ego. When the ego is
out, Bliss comes in. Remove the ego
in you and make yourself useful to
your parents and society. Do not
belittle others or your parents as
illiterate or ignorant. They are far more
knowledgeable than you are. Never
cause tears to fill the eyes of your
parents. Love them, revere them and
serve them. Be humble and loving,
and in the company of good and
Godly. Remember the Name of God
indicating His Glory, His Mercy, His
Love... All egoistic feelings will flee
away from you.

- Divine Discourse, July 10, 1980.

 We have to treat others
suffering as our own. We have to
treat others difficulties as our own.
We have to be amicable with one and
all. We must develop faith in the
maxim that we are Ekatmaswarupas
(Embodiments of One Divine Self).
We must develop a sense of
discrimination between good and
bad, and take only the good present
in all human beings. The same
principle has to be followed in
society too. We have to do good
even to those who harm us.

-Divine Discourse, July 10, 1980.

 The game of life is worth
playing and becomes an
interesting tonic, only when
there are bounds for field, and
rules and restrictions for the
players. Imagine a game of
football or cricket where there
are no rules or boundaries or
umpires. The game will be
chaotic, it will soon degenerate
into a riot, a free fight. Dharma
(Right conduct) is what makes
the game of life interesting,
decent and desirable.

- Divine Discourse, July 23, 1975

 The "Vedas" (ancient scriptures)
say "Matru Devo Bhava," Revere your
Mother as God. You must revere
your mother, who has brought you up
with love, care and sacrifice. However
famous one may be, if he/she does
not revere their mother, they do not
deserve respect. A person whose
heart is so hard that it does not melt
at the pleadings of their mother
deserves nothing but ridicule. This
principle of adoration applies to the
country which gave birth to you too.
You must revere the country and
follow its culture.

- Divine Discourse, March 25, 1980.

 Cultivate the attitude of
detachment, of indifference, of
bypassing of the urges (of desire)
through prayer and systematic practice.
This will lead you to Truth and
Righteous behavior. Thus, you can lead
a life prescribed by scriptures. Running
away from home and company of
people, and escaping into solitude will
not help you. Home is certain to haunt
you, wherever you may take refuge.
Recognize this and dedicate all your
thoughts, words and deeds to the
Divine. Then, you will achieve the
Divine Vision, wherever you are.

- Divine Discourse, July 23, 1975.

 It is always preferable to
approach God for the fulfillment of
wants, rather than cringe before
men, who themselves are but tools
in the hands of God. In His own
silent way, God will transform the
mind and turn it towards sadhana
(spiritual practice) and successful
spiritual pilgrimage. He cannot and
will not allow His children to lose
their way and suffer in the jungle.
When you approach God and seek
His help and guidance, you have
taken the first step to save
yourself. You are then led to
accept His Will as your own. Thus,
you achieve shanthi (absolute
peace) .

- Divine Discourse, April 4, 1975.

 Service is best built on the
strong foundation of Tath-Thwam-
Asi. (That and This are the same) -
there is no other. There is only
One. Kites fly high, but all are lifted
and kept high by the same air, the
same wind. The kites have no
separate will. The pots of water in
which the Sun is reflected may be
many, but the Sun is One. When
another is poor, you cannot be rich.
When another is in distress, you
cannot have joy. The same current
runs through and activates all. All
help you give is therefore help
given to yourself, all service is to
the Self alone.

- Divine Discourse, March 7, 1980

 "The Divine is Full. The Creation
is Full, as it came from the Divine.
When Full is taken away from the Full,
Full remains." How is this quote from
the scripture true? You go to the
market to buy one unit of Jaggery
(Sugar). The shopkeeper brings from
his store a big lump and slices off a
portion, weighs it, and gives to you a
piece, in return for a price. You go
home and make a sweet drink using the
jaggery. The drink is sweet, the jaggery
at home and the mother lump in the
store, are all equally sweet. Fullness is
the quality of divine. It is found in all
parts - whole or in the divided units.
Quantity is not the criterion - Quality
is! Do not consider the world as
anything less than God.
Divinity/Fullness is the nature of the
Supreme, and cannot be diminished in
the process of creation.

- Divine Discourse, July 23, 1975.

 God is in the World, In and
Through everything. No item can be
discarded as not worthy of God. There
are four stages in securing the Grace
of God: (1) Attach your mind to the
God, (2) Love the Form of God to
which the mind has been attached, (3)
Install the Form in your heart, (4)
Dedicate all that one has and does to
the Form Installed. God is fragrance,
brilliance, sweetness, taste,
intelligence, valor, austerity, fame,
contentment. You can acquire
unalloyed bliss by knowing this
universal and all-inclusive Glory of the
Lord.

- Divine Discourse, July 23, 1975.

 The scriptures (Upanishads
and Bhagavad Gita) declare, "All
Nature is God" and "The Lord is in all
beings". When learning about the
sublime secrets of the trees,
appreciate the Creator and strive to
understand the principles behind
creation. Life is a tree. The mutual
relationship we cultivate and cherish
are symbolized by the branches, twigs
and leaves; the thoughts arising in the
mind are the flowers; Ananda (Joy) is
in the fruit, Dharma is the sweet juice
it contains. The tree is held firm by the
very roots which fed it...roots that
symbolize faith and self-confidence.
Nurture the roots well.

- Divine Discourse, February 18, 1980.

 Riches beyond reasonable
limits will result only in disaster. Unity
of minds, mutual love and co-operation
- these are the qualities we must
develop continuously. One must not
learn to live like a drop of oil on a pond,
spreading all over the surface and
refusing to merge with the water. One
must join others in common tasks and
contribute one's strength and skill to
the common pool. A single thin string
cannot stop even an ant, but hundreds
of them twisted into a rope can hold
back an elephant. This is the effect of
united effort. It is a very desirable trait
to work for a common cause with
others in co-operation; do not believe
in mere operation tasks.

-Divine Discourse, Vol 14 Ch 20, Feb 18,

1980.
 Living becomes a glorious
experience only when it is sweetened by
tolerance and love. Willingness to
compromise with others' ways of living,
and co-operation in common tasks -
these make living happy and fruitful.
Develop the Atmic awareness, the
consciousness of the Divine and the
acquisition of Divine attributes. Expand
love and understanding. When one
consciously and steadily strives to
develop these distinct human qualities,
one gains valuable experience and feels
equipped to transform the society. When
this happens, the nation and the entire
human race benefits.

- Divine Discourse, February 17, 1980.

 The key discipline you must
cultivate is Ahimsa (Absence of
Violence). It does not merely mean not
injuring a living being. You should not
cause hurt even by a word, a look or a
gesture. Tolerance, fortitude,
equanimity - these help you to be
steady in Ahimsa. They will remove all
chance of your causing pain to others.
This is called Sahana (Forbearance) or
Kshama (Forgiveness). Assess the
worth of whatever others do to you or
say about you, and cultivate fortitude
and the understanding to appreciate
their behavior and pardon their faults.
This capacity is as invaluable as truth,
righteousness, renunciation and
compassion. This is all that one need
to possess for spiritual advancement.

-Divine Discourse, February 17, 1980.

 Without an ever-present faith
in an all-knowing God, life is dry and
drab, shadowed by despair and doom.
Love for God and fear of sin are the
two primary needs for a happy life.
Without these two, one becomes a
monster. You must be ever ready to
sacrifice your selfish needs for the
sake of a larger community. Be honest
and be proficient in detachment, and
with God installed in your hearts,
march forward to offer your skills and
duties steadfastly.

-Divine Discourse, March 29 , 1979

 Today, our lives are tainted
by a desire for wealth. Wealth
makes a man intoxicated. Money is
necessary, but it must have a limit.
Excessive money can be harmful to
the mind. It is more difficult to
spend money than to earn it. It is
even more difficult to take care of
money earned. This difficulty has an
advantage. Put the money to good
use by spending it for the rural
folks, and for the people in distress.
Money is not the basis of this
mundane world (It is not Dhana
moolam idham Jagath), but it is
(Dharma moolam idham jagath).
Righteousness is the foundation of
this world. If money grows, unrest
also grows, and money brings
sorrows with it. Give your money in
charity and make it purposeful.

- Divine Discourse, March 28, 1979

 Talkative persons easily
slip into scandal mongering. Too much
talk and a tongue addicted to scandal
are twins; for they work together in
unison. A poet addressed his tongue
thus, "Oh tongue, knower of taste,
relisher of sweetness, always prefer the
Truth and God." Even when speaking
the truth, one should not inflame
passion, diminish enthusiasm, or inflict
injury. Follow this tenet in your life:
Speak the truth, and say it pleasantly
(Sathyam Bruyath, Priyam Bruyath). If it
is unpleasant, do not speak the truth.
(Na bruyath, sathyam apriyam). Even if
it is pleasant, do not speak
falsehood. (Priyam cha na anritham
bruyath).

-Divine Discourse, Feb 17, 1980.

 Whenever any
person is ill-treated or
harmed, it is God who
is the target of that
sacrilege. Resorting
to falsehood is a
demon that
possesses and
overpowers the weak.
Indulging in
unnecessary talk, talk
for its own sake, is a
morbid habit. It is
also a waste of
energy. It disperses
 The body is
cleansed by soap and
water, but true
cleanliness can be
achieved only from
within. The cleansing
of the body may keep
physical illness away,
but the disease of the
mind requires inner
cleanliness. A
perfume applied to
the body might please
the company around,
but good thoughts
 Cultivate not riches,
or comfort, or
luxuries, but Divine
virtues. Speak
sweetly, shed comfort
with every glance of
yours. Do not be
slaves to your
sensual desires. You
should conquer lust
and vanquish anger.
Exile from your mind
greed, hate and
jealousy. Dedicate
your hand to the
 God incarnates to inspire
human beings to follow higher ideals in
the Universe. Human beings may have
different languages and life styles, but
God is One and He is present
everywhere. All religions speak of Him
as Love and as attainable through love.
Forms of worshipping God differ, for
they are shaped by time and place, but
love is the basic content of all the
forms. The language of love is
understood and spoken by all hearts.
There is only one race, the race of
mankind. One must not consider petty
distinctions of nationality, race, religion
and language, and withhold love. Love
must flow to everyone from the heart.
Nurture this love in your hearts and
experience the Divine.

- Divine Discourse, December 25, 1979.

 Develop knowledge about the
higher levels of consciousness and
the higher planes of existence.
Knowledge leads to skill. From skill
in using such knowledge, one
acquires balance. You must
recognize that this life is a stage in
the long pilgrimage, and that we are
now at a hotel, a temporary resting
place. There is a watchman to the
hotel, which is your mind. Do not feel
permanently attached to the mind or
the body. This "negative" body has
the "positive" Divinity within it. When
you become all embracing infinite
Love, the Divine will manifest in and
through you. Try to be like the
Divine.

- Divine Discourse, December 25,

1979.
 Every living being is on a
pilgrimage - whether he/she or it is
aware or not. The Sun causes clouds in
the sky by raising water from the sea as
vapour; the waters of the sea fall as
rain, the rain water accumulates and
flows as streams and rivers, until it
merges with the source, the sea. It is
faithful to its destiny; it confronts
bravely all the hurdles and obstacles on
the pilgrim path. Every human being
has come into this world as a
Messenger of God.

-Divine Discourse, December 25, 1979.

 Flowers scatter fragrance,
trees offer fruits in plenty. No one
brings wealth when he is born or
takes it with him when he dies.
Whatever riches one has
accumulated have to be freely
shared with others. Instead of
learning the lessons they teach,
man pursues his own sense-
cravings and his urge for fame and
authority over others. Contentment
is the most precious wealth. Greed
brings misery in return.
Contentment alone can lead man
towards the goal of Divinity.

- Divine Discourse, ,December 25,

1979.
 Protect your mother tongue
and Motherland with all your energy.
Make yourselves fit for this, by
making the best use of the
opportunities. Progress as much as
you can, without any hesitation.
Develop character as well as
intelligence and health. The most
reliable source of strength is in you,
not in money, or kinsmen or physical
acumen, but in the Divinity within you.
Know it, delve into it, and draw
sustenance from it. See it in all, serve
it in all.

-Divine Discourse, December 8, 1979.

 Have high ideals. Strive to
elevate yourselves. Work to attain
the highest goal, God Himself.
Whatever the obstacle or the
opposition, do not be disheartened.
Give up the animal in you, stabilize
yourselves in human virtues, and
proceed boldly towards the
achievement of Divinity. Do not
waver - having devotion today,
tomorrow seeking sensual
gratification, and then the day after,
back to devotion again. When
something goes wrong, you are
filled with despair. When discipline
is enforced, you start holding back,
and when love is showered, you
are first again. This dual attitude
must be given up.

-Divine Discourse, March 7, 1978 .

 We become what we
contemplate. By constant thought an
ideal gets imprinted on our hearts.
When we fix our thoughts all the
time of the evil that others do, our
mind gets polluted by evil. On the
contrary, if we fix our mind on the
virtues or well-being of the others,
our mind is cleansed of wrong and
entertains only good thoughts. No
evil thought can penetrate the mind
of a person wholly given to love and
compassion.

-Divine Discourse, March 7, 1978.

 You must realize that bhajan,
namasmaran and puja (chanting the
Name and worshipping God) are not for
pleasing or making God happy, but for
our own spiritual progress. Frequently,
people flatter the rich and the powerful
- especially when they are in their
employment or are beholden to them
for some precious help - in order to
induce them to shower gifts on them.
But God does not shower Grace on
people because they sing His praises.
Nor does He come down upon them
because they do not worship Him.
Recitation of the Divine attributes only
enable us to dwell on elevating ideals
and approximate ourselves more and
more to the Divinity that is our true
nature.

-Divine Discourse, March 7, 1978.

 Do not develop much
attachment with others and get
entangled through the silken bonds of
friendship or iron chain of hatred. It is
good and helpful to have an enemy, for
they are ever eager to criticize you for
your faults than a friend who will cast a
blind eye on them. The enemy takes
delight in abusing you, and as a
consequence, he goes on diminishing
and wiping off from your account the
demerits you have to live out in misery.
The person displaying enmity absorbs
your sins and effects. Moreover, this
person makes you alert not to give him
any reason to point a finger of scorn at
you. He is your censor, corrector and
conscience. Be thankful to him who
talks ill of you, for he is doing you very
great service by examining your every
act on the touchstone of morality, truth
and righteousness.

- Divine Discourse, May 11, 1975.

 Ignoring the unity of all mankind
in the Divine Soul, one relishes in
quarrels and factions. He classifies
some among his contemporaries as
friends and some as his foes. Duality is
the making of an individual. It is their
own likes and dislikes, prejudices and
passions that is reflected, and that
creates all these reactions of love and
hatred - it is the resounding echo of
faction and friction. Friendship and
enmity arise from your heart; they are
labels fixed by you, not marks which
other people are born with. The same
person is the thickest friend of one and
the mortal enemy of another - both
because of his one act or word. Realize
this truth and live in unity.

- Divine Discourse, May 11, 1975.

 Illness is caused by the
malnutrition of the mind than of body.
Doctors speak of vitamin deficiency; I
will call it the deficiency of 'Vitamin G'
and I will recommend the repetition of
the Name of God with accompanying
contemplation of the glory and grace
of God. That is the 'Vitamin G'. That
is the medicine. Regulated life and
habits are two-thirds of the treatment,
while the medicine is only one-third.

- Divine Discourse, April 28, 1975 .

 Cultivate unity and
brotherhood. A single fiber of
hemp cannot bind even an ant.
Thousands rolled into a rope can
tame a wild elephant into quiet
submission. In unity lies strength,
joy and prosperity of the entire
society.

- Divine Discourse, Feb 23, 2009.

 You have it in your power to
make your days on earth a path of
flowers, instead of a path of thorns.
Recognize the Lord present in every
heart, and all will be smoothness,
softness and sweetness for you. The
Lord will be the fountain of Love in your
heart, and in the hearts of all with
whom you come in contact. Know that
the Lord is Omnipresent in You, and in
every other being. Adore everyone as
you adore the Lord. Allow the others as
much freedom as you like to enjoy, and
do unto him just as you would like to be
done to you. Don't do unto him
anything you don't like to be done unto
you. This is the sum and substance of
your spiritual effort.

- Divine Discourse, May 11, 1975.

 The body that man bears is
essentially the receptacle of God. It is a
temple, where God is installed and
where God is the Master. It does not
deserve all the attention you now pay to
fulfill its urges, needs and whims. The
Divine is the core, the essence of your
being. God is everywhere; when He is
recognized and adored as the Indweller
of your body, it becomes a Temple and
it is no more a burden. God is shining,
announcing Himself through you. He is
expressing Himself through every
thought, word and deed that emanates
from you.

- Divine Discourse, April 28, 2009.

 Rig Veda teaches the
lesson of serenity. Peace is
like rose water scent; when it
is sprinkled on you, smell it
but don't drink it - that is to
say, accept it and thrive on it.
Blame is like a medicine.
Examine yourselves whether
you have the illness and if you
have, accept the blame and
benefit by it.

-Divine Discourse, April 20, 1975.

 Body is an assembly of
various organs. No single organ
can constitute a body. When the
various organs get separated, the
human body gets weakened and
even loses its existence. One
should find God in every object.
Bulbs of different colors and
voltages glow when the same
current passes through them.
Similarly, we should develop the
habit of visualizing unity in
diversity, and not diversity in the
unity that is divine. God is
everywhere and in everyone. The
whole universe is inhabited by
Him.

- Divine Discourse, April 10, 1975.

 When you win the Love of
God, His compassion will flow
unto you. Love gives and
forgives. Ego gets and forgets.
Live without hating others,
condemning others, or seeking
faults in others. Doing good to
others is the only meritorious
act. Doing evil is the most
heinous sin. When you feel you
cannot do good, at least desist
from doing evil; that itself is a
meritorious service. Do not try to
discover the differences,
discover unity.

- Divine Discourse, April 4, 1975.

 The culture of the country is
marked with guidelines for achieving
eternal bliss, which is the
consummation of all sweetness, all joy
and fulfillment of all desires. But today,
each one is struggling to achieve petty
things, paltry joys and low desires.
When you seek God, you must not be
misled into bypaths and mirages. The
seeker of the gold must cast away
brass and other yellow metals that may
distract him. Like the river which leaps
over precipices, creeps through bush
and briar, flows round hills, seeps
through sand, but keeps the goal
always in view, one should march
untiringly towards God.

- Divine Discourse, April 1, 1975.

 God cannot be identified
with one Name and one Form. He
is all Names and all Forms. Your
Name too are His, you are His
forms. You appear as separate
individual bodies, because the
eye that sees them seeks only
bodies, the outer encasement.
When you clarify and sanctify
your vision, and look at them
through the spiritual eye, then
you will see others as parts of the
Absolute Lord. Strive to win that
vision of the Lord and to saturate
yourself with that bliss.

- Divine Discourse, October 2, 1965.

 What is required is the
awareness of the vicious game that
the mind plays. It presents before the
attention, one source after another of
temporary pleasure; it does not allow
any interval for you to weigh the pros
and cons. When hunger for food is
appeased, it holds before the eye of
the attraction of the film, it reminds
the ear of the charm of music, and it
makes the tongue water for the
pleasant taste of something that it
craves for. The wish becomes very
soon the urge for action, the urge
soon gathers strength, and the
yearning becomes uncontrollable. The
burden of desires gradually becomes
too heavy and man gets dispirited and
sad. Train the mind to turn towards
the intelligence for inspiration and
guidance, not towards the senses for
adventures and achievements. That
will make it an instrument for reducing
your vagaries, and saving your time
and energy for vital matters.

- Divine Discourse, April 1, 1975.

 Instead of saying a
hundred things, it is better to
do one thing properly.
Sanctify your life by doing
selfless work. For the person
who talks a lot, there is no
time for work. For the person
who is engaged in work, there
is no time to talk. Instead of
wasting time in your words,
use your time in service to
mankind, which is service to
God, all the while repeating
the name of the Lord.

-Divine Discours, March 31, 1975.

 To cultivate devotion to God,
always endeavor to mix with good
persons, engage yourselves in
chanting the Names of the Lord, and be
thrilled with the joy that wells up in
you. Why do you waste time or even
pollute it by talking ill of others? The
eye, the hands, the nose, the head, the
stomach, etc. each look different. Each
does one special task, and has a
different name and function. But they
subserve the interest of one body to
which they belong; they do not work at
cross-purposes, do they? So too, each
of you is a limb in the body called
society. Do your work without a
murmur, work in co-operation with all.
Then the society will be healthy and
happy. Love, Love alone can bind you
to others and to God. God is the very
embodiment of Love.

- Divine Discourse, Jan 28, 1975.

 Life is like a train journey. In the
journey of life, children and young
adults have a long way to go and the
elders have to alight from the train
pretty soon. Whichever stage you are
in your life, you must learn to make
your journey comfortable and happy.
Do not carry heavy unwanted luggage
with you; that will make your journey
miserable. Do not indulge in fault-
finding and in picking quarrels with
others. Anger, hatred, envy, jealousy -
these are the heavy luggage you should
avoid taking with you on your journey.
Don't desire to have the best things
only for yourselves. Share with others
around the good things you are given.
Be truthful, just and calm under
provocation, and be full of love in your
dealings with others. These will make
your journey a pleasure.

-Divine Discourse, Jan 6, 1975

 The supreme message of the life
of the Avatars is the uniqueness of
the Love Principle. This message is
all the world needs. Lord Krishna is
an embodiment of love. It is strong,
brilliant and unbreakable like
diamond. It is extremely
precious. This love can only be
understood through love. If you want
to secure such divine love, your love
for God must be equally strong. You
can cut diamond only with diamond.
Likewise, Love begets Love. Hatred
begets hatred, jealousy begets
jealousy, Anger begets anger. If you
want to foster love, you must get rid
of hatred, jealousy and anger.

-Divine Discourse, Jan 6, 1975.

 In earlier times, several people
used to live together under one
roof, with peace and happiness.
Today, the fear complex is
pervading everywhere. Where did
this fear complex come from? It is
due to lack of self-confidence, and
lack of faith in their inner self.
Where there is self-confidence,
there will be self-satisfaction.
Where there is self-satisfaction,
there will be self-sacrifice. And
where there is self-sacrifice, there
will be self-realization. It is
common knowledge that where the
foundation is strong, the walls will
be safe. Where the walls are safe,
the roof will be secure. It is only in
such a house, can one live safely.
Self-confidence is the foundation
for a human being. Self-satisfaction
represents the walls, self-sacrifice
is the roof, and self-realization is
life. Hence, there should be
perfection amongst these four.

- Divine Discourse, 22nd Nov 2008 .

 Even if we don't have any
property, we can lead a happy life only
if the property of love is with us. This
love should be supported with self-
confidence. God is the only source and
sustenance for the entire universe.
Everything else is an illusion. Sorrows
and difficulties, loss and gain, diseases
and sickness - treat them all as Divine
Will. Then everything will turn out to be
good for you. You are God verily, just
get rid of "I", the ego, and "the 'my'
attachment". Rise above these. Let us
all move together; Let us all grow
together; Let us all stay together and
grow in intelligence together. Let us
live together with friendship and
harmony. Lead a contended life, you
will derive great happiness.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 2008.

 The wave dances with the
wind, basks in the Sun, and frisks in
the rain, imagining it is playing on the
breast of the sea. It does not know it
is the sea itself. Until it realizes this
truth, it will be tossed up and down;
when it knows it, it can be calm and
collected, and at peace with itself.
Man has been sent into the world for
a purpose: In order that he may use
the time and opportunity to realize
the truth that he is not man but God.

- Sathya Sai Speaks, vol. 9, Pg. 64

 Install God in the altar of
your heart and meditate on Him
constantly. In spite of sorrow,
difficulties and calamities that you
may encounter, hold on to him
firmly. They trouble your body, not
you - for, you are separate from
your body. We cultivate qualities
like anger, jealousy, envy, pride
due to our contact with the outside
world. Only when we get rid of
these qualities, we enjoy peace.
Therefore we have to start our
spiritual journey with truth and
righteousness. When truth and
righteousness go together, peace
will reign. Peace brings love.
Where there is peace, there hatred
cannot be. When we develop hatred
against someone, it means the
spring of love has dried up in our
heart. When there is love in our
heart, we do not get angry, even if
someone accuses us. Hence
always follow the motto, "Love All,
Serve All.“

- Divine Discourse, Feb 23, 2009

 Society can be set right
only by those who have firm faith in
God. Sacred teachings should be
imparted to the students and they
should be encouraged in the
service of the society. Only then
can there be peace in the world. It
is not enough if you merely pray
"May all the beings in all the worlds
be happy." You should serve the
world; you should serve all. You
should develop the spirit of selfless
service.

- Divine Discourse, Feb 14, 2009.

 In order to deserve the sacred
name, seva (service), the activity
must be freed from all attachment
to the self, and based on firm faith
in the Divine resident in every
being. Seva has to be considered
as worshipping the form that God
has assumed to give the sevak
(volunteer) the chance of worship.
When a hungry nara (person) is
served a hearty meal, what is being
done is Narayana Seva (service to
God) , for, nara (man) is only 'a
form and a name' projected by
maya (human ignorance) on
Narayana (God).

- Divine Discourse, Nov 21, 1986.

 He who aspires to be a
Leader of people, must free
himself of selfish propensities, of
hate and malice. His words must
be sweet to the ear and food to
the spirit. They must be valued
by all men as the panacea they
need. When the swelling of the
head (ego) disappears, he/she
deserves the coveted honor.

- Divine Discourse, October 6,

1965.
 He who aspires to be a
Leader of people, must free
himself of selfish propensities,
of hate and malice. His words
must be sweet to the ear and
food to the spirit. They must be
valued by all men as the
panacea they need. When the
swelling of the head (ego)
disappears, he/she deserves
the coveted honor.

- Divine Discourse, October 6,

1965.
 "Dharmo Rakshathi Rakshithah" -
Dharma, the spirit, protects those who
practices righteousness. Dharma
(Righteousness) means certain
obligations and duties, and regulations
over actions, words and behavior.
Elders have certain obligations towards
young people as the young have
towards the elders. Similarly, neighbors
have mutual duties and rights. The
mighty should not grab the
possessions of the weak; the pledged
word has to be honored.
Righteousness alone will serve as an
effective armor against all foes.

- Divine Discourse, October 5, 1965.

 The body is the temple of
God, He is resident in the heart. The
intelligence is the lamp lit in that
altar. Any gust of wind that blows
through the windows of the senses
affects the flame of the lamp and
dulls it light, threatening even to put
it out. So, close the windows, do not
keep them open for dire attraction
from objects. Discrimination is an
important instrument of spiritual
progress. Keep the intelligence
sharp, so that it may cut the mind
like a diamond and convert it into a
blaze of light, instead of being a dull
pebble. That is its legitimate use.

-Divine Discourse, Vol 5, Ch 45, Oct 3,

1965.
 Love your religion, so that you
may practice it with greater faith. When
each one practices his religion with
faith, there can be no hatred in the
world, for all religions are based on
universal love. Love your country, so
that it may become strong, happy and
prosperous, and an arena for the
exercise of all the higher faculties of
the human beings. Prayer has great
efficacy. Pray for even those who
invade out of greed or hate; sympathize
with their ignorance and pray that their
steps may be directed towards truth,
justice and love. Cultivate the universal
vision of peace and happiness of all
mankind, of all animate and inanimate
objects.

- Divine Discourse, October 2, 1965.

 Hunger is the disease for which
food is the medicine; thirst is the
illness for which drink is the medicine.
Food and drink, housing and clothing,
must be subsidiary to the needs of the
spirit, and the education of our
emotions, passions and impulses. You
cannot have more salt than the quantity
of dal (a side dish), not even the same
proportion. So too, efforts to achieve
health, comfort, etc. must be just
enough for the purpose of sustaining
the sadhana (spiritual practice), not
more, not less.

- Divine Discourse, October 2, 1965.

 Establish the status of the
mother in the home as the
upholder of spiritual ideals, and
therefore, the Guru of the
children. Every mother must
share in this effort - the
expansion and steady
manifestation of God
Consciousness, latent in every
child.

- Divine Discourse, September 30,

1965
 A person may think he is
enjoying the pleasures; but really
speaking, it is the pleasures that are
enjoying man, for they sap his
energies, dry up his discrimination,
eat up his allotted years and worm
into his mind, infesting it with
egoism, envy, malice, hate, greed
and lust. You should not plunge into
action spurred by momentary
impulse; ponder deeply over the
pros and cons; weigh the expected
benefits against the likely harm; then
act so that you escape pain and you
do not inflict pain. This is true in
worldly matters as well as in the
spiritual field.

-Divine Discourse, September 28, 1965.

 Your nature is revealed
by your acts, gestures, looks,
speech, feeding habits, dress,
gait, etc. Therefore, pay
attention to ensure that your
speech, movements, thoughts,
and behaviour are right and full
of love, devoid of wildness and
waywardness. You have to
develop the humility to believe
that you have much good to
learn from others. Your
enthusiasm, strong ambition,
resolution, capacity to work,
store of knowledge, wisdom -
all these have to be related to
all others and not utilised for
you alone. Your heart should
take all others in. Your
thoughts too should be
patterned on those broad lines.

- Vidya Vahini