Aradhana Mahotsavam Sathya Sai International Organisation
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Sathya Sai International Organisation
sathyasai.org
Aradhana Mahotsavam
30 QUOTES OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA
For achieving anything in life two Love is Divine. Love all, impart your
1 2
things are essential: firm faith and pure love even to those who lack love. Love
love. To experience pure, Divine love, you is like a mariner’s compass. Wherever you
must be prepared to give up selfishness may keep it, it points the way to God. In
and self-interest. You must develop purity every action in daily life manifest your
and steadfastness. With firm faith in the love. Divinity will emerge from that love.
Divine, you must foster the love of God This is the easiest path to God-realisation.
regardless of all obstacles and ordeals. You But why aren’t people taking to it? This is
should never think that pleasure and pain because they are obsessed with miscon-
are caused by some external forces; it is ception relating to the means of experi-
not so. They are the result of your own encing God. They regard God as some
thoughts. There is no meaning in blaming remote entity attainable only by arduous
others. If you develop love of God, that spiritual practices. God is everywhere.
love will banish all sorrow and evil ten- There is no need to search for God. All
dencies like attachment, anger and envy. that you see is a manifestation of the
One should pursue both spiritual educa- Divine. All the human beings you see are
tion and secular studies. You have to real- forms of the Divine. Correct your defec-
ise that Nature is also a manifestation of tive vision and you will experience God in
God. Hence, Nature should not be all things. Speak lovingly, act lovingly,
ignored. Nature is the effect and God is think with love and do every action with a
the cause. Thus, you should recognise the love-filled heart.
omnipresence of the Divine in the entire Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.29/Ch.28
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume29/sss29-28.pdf
cosmos.
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.29/Ch.22
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume29/sss29-22.pdf
1For spiritual progress kshama (forbear- You have had the valuable opportunity
3 5
ance) is the real basis or foundation. to listen to Divine discourses and direc-
Great people and countries have lost their tions, they have been printed upon your
glory, prestige, and reputation because of hearts; many of your conversations is cen-
the disappearance of Kshama. Without tred on Me or on My divine play (leelas) and
patience and the capacity for forbearance, glory (mahima). My advice to you is: Apply
one becomes spiritually weak. Such weak- this adoration in your life. Let your com-
ness leads to bad feelings, undesirable panions see how disciplined you are, how
thoughts, and unbecoming actions. This sincerely you obey your parents, and how
virtue is best cultivated under adverse cir- deeply you revere your teachers. Be a light,
cumstances, and one must therefore radiating virtue and self-control wherever
gladly welcome troubles instead of regard- you live, just as commendably as you did
ing them as unwelcome. Thus, times of when in My divine presence. Do not slide
distress, and an environment of sorrow back into indiscipline, bad manners, irre-
and misery offer the ideal opportunity for sponsibility and evil habits.
the development of Kshama. Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.8/Ch.5
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume08/sss08-05.pdf
Summer Showers in Brindavan 2000, Ch.12
http://sssbpt.info/summershowers/ss2000/ss2000-12.pdf
It is not easy for the human mind,
6
Good and bad, wealth and poverty, immersed in worldly concerns to turn
4
praise and blame go together in this to God. It is only when the mind is trans-
world. You cannot derive happiness out of formed and brought under the control of
happiness (Na sukhat labhate suk the Soul (Atma) that the body experiences
ham). Happiness comes only out of sor- Divine Bliss (Ananda). The means by
row. A wealthy man today may become a which the mind is transformed is devo-
pauper tomorrow. Similarly, a pauper may tion (Bhakti–intense love for God).
become a rich man some day or other. Progressively, turn your mind towards
Today you are being praised, but tomor- God until it merges in God. Meditation,
row you may be criticised. To consider repetition of the names of the Lord, group
praise and blame, happiness and sorrow, singing of devotional songs (bha
prosperity and adversity with equal mind- jans), reading of scriptures and other such
edness is the hallmark of a true human activities are designed only to purify the
being. The Gita declares, “Remain equal- mind so that it can concentrate on God.
minded in happiness and sorrow, gain As a field has to be properly ploughed and
and loss, victory and defeat (Sukha Dukhe prepared for sowing so as to reap a good
same kritva labhalabhau jayajayau). You harvest, the field of our heart has to be
can truly enjoy your life as a human being rendered pure and sacred through good
only when you consider both sorrow and and holy actions and spiritual disci-
happiness, profit and loss with equanim- pline (sadhana) if it is to yield the fruit of
ity. There is no value for happiness with- Divine Wisdom.
out sorrow. Therefore, welcome sorrow if Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.17/Ch.17
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume17/sss17-17.pdf
you want to experience real happiness.
Sanathana Sarathi, 54(7),p 202, 1996
https://sathyasai.us/devotion/discourse/equal-minded-
ness-hallmark-human-being
2 Aradhana MahotsavamWith prayer to God, you can achieve “The world is impermanent. Birth is a
7 10
anything in life. I want you to pray. I am misery. Old age is a misery. Be care-
always with you, in you, above you, and ful!” says a Sanskrit poem. As long as you
around you. Make efforts to instil such are alive, everyone would seem to love the
faith and devotion in fellow human body. This is for purely selfish reasons.
beings. That will make Me very happy. God alone is utterly selfless. Love God and
Happiness lies in union with God. Hence lead your normal lives; there is nothing
contemplate on God incessantly. Never wrong in this. Whatever you do, treat it as
give scope for anxiety or worry. an offering to God. See God in everyone.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol.39/Ch.1 Don’t have ill will towards anyone. Do not
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume39/sss39-01.pdf
have excessive attachment for anyone.
Direct all attachment towards God. Love
all. Do not rely on anyone except God.
Foster the tiny seed of Love that clings Realise the impermanence of the body
8
to ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ let it sprout into Love and place your trust solely in God. Seek
for the group around you, and grow into refuge in Him. What is most needed today
Love for all mankind, and spread out its in this Kali age is faith. As often as possi-
branches over animals, birds and those ble, when you get the chance, meditate on
that creep and crawl, and let the Love God. Earn the esteem of society through
enfold all things and beings in all the sincere service. That will ensure a good
worlds. Proceed from less Love to more future for you.
Love, narrow Love to expanded Love. Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.29/Ch.33
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol.13/Ch.16 http://sssbpt.info/vahinis/Prema/PremaVahiniInteractive.pdf
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume13/sss13.pdf Sanathana Sarathi 56(7), p2, 2013
https://sathyasai.us/devotion/discourse/ego-and-attach-
ment-lead-bondage-alternative-translation
Above all, it is best for the spiritual aspi-
9
rant to be joyful, smiling, and enthusi- Good company can elevate one to the
astic under all circumstances. Even more 11
level of Divinity, whereas bad com-
than devotion and spiritual wisdom, this pany can degenerate one to the level of an
pure attitude is desirable. Those who have animal. You should make efforts to rise
acquired it deserve to reach the goal first. above the human level. No effort is needed
This quality of joy at all times is the fruit for your downward fall. To become bad is
of the good done in past births. A person very easy. Young people today entertain
who is ever worried, depressed, and bad thoughts and feelings, and perform
doubting can never attain bliss, whatever bad actions, thereby wasting their pre-
be the spiritual practice one undertakes. cious young age. Unfortunately, people
The first task of a spiritual aspirant is the today associate with bad company,
cultivation of enthusiasm. Through that because of which their good feelings and
enthusiasm, any variety of spiritual bliss actions are turned into bad feelings and
(ananda) can be derived. actions — ultimately making their lives
Prema Vahini, Sec. 63, p42 very miserable. Though it may appear to
http://sssbpt.info/vahinis/Prema/PremaVahiniInteractive.pdf
be very difficult to attain the higher level,
you should still make efforts to reach
higher levels. Your thoughts are the root
cause of everything. Therefore, you should
30 Quotes of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba 3have only noble, sacred, pure, and mean- Keshavam prati gacchati). Right from this
ingful thoughts. moment, embark on a new life giving up
Sathya Sai Baba Divine Discourse, July 8, 1996, bad thoughts and evil qualities. Purify
Sanathana Sarathi 54(7), p202, 2011 your heart. Let your thoughts, words and
https://saireflections.org/journals/pdf/Sanathanasarathi/
SSJul2011.zip deeds be sacred. Only then will your life
be blissful.
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.35/Ch.6
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume35/sss35-06.pdf
Though it is hard to restrain the mind,
12
it can be diverted. When the mind
steeped in the secular world is diverted
Consider the meaning of the name
toward Divinity, it gains in moral strength. 14
The mind steeped in the worldly matters ‘Sai Baba’. ‘Sa’ means Divine; ‘ai’ or ‘ayi’
makes you a prisoner of the world, means mother, and ‘Baba’ means father.
whereas a mind steeped in God secures Your physical parents exhibit love with a
liberation for you. Your heart is the lock dose of selfishness; but Sai, your Divine
and your mind is the key. When you turn Mother and Father, showers affection or
the key to the left, it locks. But if you turn reprimands only to lead you towards vic-
the key to the right, it unlocks. It is the tory in the struggle for self-realisation. Sai
turning of the key that makes the differ- descended as Avatar to achieve the
ence. Hence the mind is the cause for your supreme task of uniting the entire man-
liberation as well as bondage. What then kind as one family through the bond of
is liberation (Moksha)? It is not an air-con- brotherhood, of affirming and illumining
ditioned mansion, but a state devoid of the Divine (Atmic) reality in every being.
delusion (Moha). Majesty and morality lie Divinity is the basis for the entire cosmos,
in diverting the mind from the world to and My mission is to instruct all to recog-
God. It is this simple and powerful con- nise the common divine heritage that
cept that really contributes to your prog- binds one person to another, so that you
ress and prosperity. can rid yourself of the animal, and rise to
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1996, Ch 1 the Divine! I desire that you contemplate
http://sssbpt.info/summershowers/ss1996/ss1996-01.pdf on this, derive joy and be inspired to
observe the spiritual disciplines I laid
down to progress toward the goal of real-
God is present in everyone. He resides
13 ising Sai, who shines in your hearts.
in every heart. So do not confine God Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.12/Ch.38
to a temple, a mosque or a church. Where http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume12/sss12-38.pdf
a human is, there God is. God takes the
form of a human (Daivam manusha
rupena). As you forget and do not realise The Lord is attained only through
15
this important fact, you indulge in criti- supreme devotion (para-bhakthi).
cism of others. Whom are you criticising? Supreme devotion can be acquired only
Whom do you adore? Enquire for your- through spiritual wisdom (jnana). Spirit
self. God is present in all. If you criticise ual wisdom can be cultivated only through
others, you criticise God. Whoever you faith (sraddha), and faith comes only
salute, it reaches God (Sarva jeeva nam through love. So how is love to be culti-
askaram Keshavam prati gacchati) and vated? Through two methods: (1) Always
whoever you insult or ridicule, it also consider the faults of others, however big,
reaches God! (Sarva jeeva thiraskaram to be insignificant and negligible. Always
4 Aradhana Mahotsavamconsider your own faults, however insig-
The path of surrender is like that of a
nificant and negligible, to be big, and feel 17
sad and repentant. By these means, you kitten (marjala kishora nyaya), that
avoid developing bigger faults and defects, simply mews in one place, placing all its
and acquire the qualities of brotherliness burdens on the mother cat. Similarly, the
and forbearance. (2) Whatever you do, devotee places complete trust on God.
with yourself or with others, do it remem- The mother cat holds the kitten in its
bering that God is omnipresent. He sees, mouth and transports it safely through
hears and knows everything. Discriminate even very narrow passages. When the dev-
between the true and the false and speak otee places all burdens on the Lord, with-
only the truth. Discriminate between out fear or worry, and surrenders fully to
right and wrong and do only the right. His will, He will certainly provide every-
Endeavour every moment to be aware of thing. Lakshmana is the witness of this
the omnipotence of God. path. To serve Rama, Lakshmana re
Prema Vahini, Sec. 18-19 nounced all obstacles in his path – wealth,
http://sssbpt.info/vahinis/Prema/PremaVahiniInteractive.pdf wife, mother, home and even sleep and
food for fourteen full years. He felt that
Rama was his all, his happiness and joy,
The body is the temple of the individ- and would grant him everything that he
16
ual (jiva), so whatever happens in that needed. His life’s purpose was only to fol-
temple is the concern of that individual. low Him, serve Him, and surrender his
So too the world is the body of the Lord, will to Him. This is the characteristic of
and all that happens in it, good or bad, is complete self-surrender. This discipline
His concern. From the observed fact of of surrender (prapatti) is much superior to
the relationship between the individual that of devotion (bhakti).
and the body, know the truth of the unob- Prema Vahini, Sec. 51
http://sssbpt.info/vahinis/Prema/PremaVahiniInteractive.pdf
servable relationship of the Lord and cre-
ation. The relationship of the
individual (jiva) and the Lord, the kinship
The spiritual aspirant should always
between the two, can be grasped by every- 18
one who acquires three chief instruments: seek the truthful and joyful, and must
(1) a mind unsullied by attachment and avoid all thoughts of the untrue, sad and
hatred, (2) a speech unsullied by false- depressing. Depression, doubt, conceit—
hood, and (3) a body unsullied by violence. these are as Rahu and Kethu to the spiri-
Joy and peace do not reside in external tual aspirant. They will harm one’s
objects; they are within you. But in your spiritual practice. When one’s devotion is
foolishness, you search for them outside well established, they can be easily dis-
yourself, in a world from which, today or carded if they appear. Above all, it is best
tomorrow, you are bound to depart. for the spiritual aspirant to be joyful, smil-
Therefore, wake up now! Try to know the ing, and enthusiastic under all circum-
essence of the eternal truth. Try to experi- stances. Even more than devotion and
ence the love that is God Himself. spiritual wisdom, this pure attitude is
Prema Vahini, Sec. 19 desirable. Those who have acquired it
http://sssbpt.info/vahinis/Prema/PremaVahiniInteractive.pdf deserve to reach the goal first. This qual-
ity of joy at all times is the fruit of the
good done in past births. A person who is
ever worried, depressed, and doubting
30 Quotes of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba 5can never attain bliss, whatever be the
Once Vivekananda went to Swami
spiritual practice one undertakes. The 21
first task of a spiritual aspirant is the culti- Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and asked
vation of enthusiasm. Through that him, “Have you seen God?” “Yes”, said Sri
enthusiasm, any variety of spiritual bliss Ramakrishna. “In what form?”, asked
(ananda) can be derived. Vivekananda. Ramakrishna replied, “I am
Prema Vahini, Sec. 63 seeing Him just as I am seeing you”. “Why
http://sssbpt.info/vahinis/Prema/PremaVahiniInteractive.pdf then, am I unable to see Him?”
Ramakrishna explained that if he yearned
for God with the same intensity with
Love can conquer anything. Selfless, which he was yearning for many other
19
pure, unalloyed love leads the human things, he too would experience God.
being to God. Selfish and constricted love Ramakrishna said that people shed tears
binds one to the world. Unable to com- for relations, wealth and many other
prehend the pure and sacred love, human aspects, but how many shed tears for God?
beings today are prey to endless worries Ramakrishna advised Vivekananda to
because of attachment to worldly objects. yearn for God with all his heart and soul.
One’s primary duty is to understand the God is then bound to manifest Himself to
truth about the Love Principle. Once a him. If you are keen to experience the
person understands the nature of love, he Divine, you must devote yourself to the
or she will not go astray. The various con- Divine. People undertake various troubles
texts in which the word love is used today to achieve wealth, relations, position, and
have no relation to the true meaning of power. If they devote a small fraction of
love. The affection, between a mother and that time to thoughts of God, they will
child or between a husband and wife is definitely experience freedom from the
incidental to a certain temporary rela- fear of death.
tionship and is not real love at all. True Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.31/Ch.24
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume31/sss31-24.pdf
love has neither a beginning nor an end. It
exists in all the three categories of time—
past, present and future. That alone is
Our Upanishads teach us the paths of
true love which can fill the human being 22
with enduring bliss. karma, upasana, and jnana yogas. The
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.28/Ch.38 essence of karma yoga (path of action) is
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume28/sss28-38.pdf to perform all actions with dedication as
an offering to the Lord, for His pleasure.
Upasana yoga (path of worship) is loving
Today the world is losing its ecologi- God wholeheartedly with harmony and
20
cal balance as man, out of utter self- purity in thought, word, and deed (trika
ishness, is robbing the mother Earth of rana suddhi). It is not true upasana if you
her resources like coal, petroleum, iron, love God merely to achieve your worldly
etc. As a result, we find earthquakes, floods desires. Devotion should be love for love’s
and such other devastating natural calam- sake. The followers of jnana yoga (path of
ities. Human life will find fulfilment only wisdom) should consider the whole uni-
when ecological balance is maintained. verse as manifestation of God. Firm faith
Balance in human life and balance in that Divinity resides in all beings in the
Nature, both are equally important. form of Atma is called Jnana. If you won-
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol.33/Ch.15 der how Ekatwa (Oneness) exists with so
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume33/sss33.pdf
6 Aradhana Mahotsavammany different forms, names, different
Cultivate good thoughts, speak good
kinds of behaviour, different doctrines, 25
etc., consider the fathomless ocean with words and do good deeds with the
infinite waves. Each wave is unique and broad view that everyone in the world
different from the other in its size and should be happy. Give up your evil
shape but are all different manifestations thoughts and evil qualities as they are the
of one and the same water and are also cause for all sufferings in the world.
not different from the ocean. Whatever work you do, keeping God as
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1990, Ch. 16 your guide and saviour, will surely yield
http://sssbpt.info/summershowers/ss1990/ss1990-16.pdf success. God is your only true friend. He
is always with you, in you and beside you.
You must wish for everyone to be happy.
What should be the characteristics of Everyone must fill their hearts with pure
23
persons in the Sai Organisation? Their love. Then the country and the world will
hearts should be cool like the moon. Their prosper, and everyone will be happy!
minds should be pure like butter. Their Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.27/Ch.1
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume27/sss27-01.pdf
speech should be sweet like honey. It is
only when you have these qualities, will
you be a worthy member of the Organi
Since I moved freely among people,
sation. When these three are present, 26
there will be Divinity. talking and singing with them, even
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.28/Ch.33 intellectuals were unable to grasp My
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume28/sss28-33.pdf truth, My power, My glory, or My real task
as Avatar. I can solve any problem how-
ever knotty. I am beyond the reach of the
Sathatham Yoginah – always a yogi! Be most intensive enquiry and the most
24
calm, unruffled, serene; unaffected by meticulous measurement. Only those
good fortune or bad, for you are a puppet who have recognised My love and experi-
making motions and contortions accord- enced it can assert that they have glimpsed
ing to the pulls He gives to the strings! Be My reality. Do not attempt to know Me
pleasant in speech and manner; do not through the external eyes. When you go
inflict injury or insult on others nor be to a temple and stand before the image of
affected any adverse act or remark by oth- God, you pray with closed eyes, don’t you?
ers. Be happy that everyone and every- Why? Because you feel that the inner eye
thing is so ordained by God. It is His play, of wisdom alone can reveal Him to you.
His sport! Therefore, do not crave from Me trivial
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.11/Ch.29 material objects; but, crave for Me from
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume11/sss11-29.pdf
within, and you will be rewarded. The
path of Love is the royal road that leads
mankind to Me. My grace is ever available
to devotees who have steady love and
faith.
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.12/Ch.38
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume12/sss12-38.pdf
30 Quotes of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba 7The japamala (rosary) is very useful If you sit in the Dhyana (meditation)
27 30
for beginners in sadhana, but, as you as a first step, this monkey mind will
progress, japa must become the very not be in our control, so you should
breath of your life and so the rotation of entrust the duty of a watchman to this
beads becomes a superfluous and cum- monkey mind. This monkey mind watches
bersome exercise in which you have no who is going in and who is going out-
more interest. ‘Sarvada sarva kaaleshu sar watching the breath, “So” as we inhale,
vathra Hari chinthanam’ – Always, at all and “Ham” as we exhale - this process
times, in all places, Hari (the Lord) is med- goes on and the monkey is kept busy
itated upon. That is the stage to which the watching the breath going in and coming
japamala should lead you. You should not out. By doing this exercise for about 5
be bound to it for ever, it is only a contriv- minutes the monkey mind will come
ance to help concentration and system- under control. After keeping the mind
atic contemplation. focused on the breath for 5 minutes in
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.9/Ch.6 this manner, have a picture that is dear to
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume09/sss09-06.pdf
your heart, or a flame in front of you. Look
at the flame steadily with your eyes wide
open. The flame that you have been hold-
Nature is the best preacher. Life is the
28 ing in your vision with your eyes open
best teacher. Fill yourself with awe imagine now—the same flame kindled
and reverence at the handiwork of God, within you as you close the eyes. There
the manifestation of His power and glory too, the mind should be kept busy with
that is called the world. This is enough intense activity. We should command the
instruction and enough inspiration for mind to take the flame and install it in the
you. recesses of our heart.
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.12/Ch.2
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume12/sss12.pdf In the lotus of our heart, we must imagine
that the flame is ablaze with a bright glow.
Then, this flame must travel throughout
There is a tendency to confuse renun- the body, through the limbs, the stomach,
29
ciation with totally giving up every- the eyes, the mouth, the ears, and through
thing. Renunciation actually means every part of our body. After it has been
attaining a state of perfect equanimity. moved through the entire body, then the
People may criticise you or they may flame must be brought out of the body.
praise you; take them both with a sense of You must imagine that the same flame is
equanimity. One may try to harm you shining brightly in all members of your
while another may try to do you a good family. Then you must see that the same
turn; treat both situations with equanim- flame is shining brightly in your neigh-
ity. In one business venture, a loss might bours, in the people of your locality and in
be incurred, while a profit might be made your friends. At a later stage, you should
in another; treat them both alike. see that this same flame is shining brightly,
Equanimity is the hallmark of yoga. even in your enemies. Then, Isa Vasyam
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1996, Ch.12 Idam Sarvam (Everything is permeated by
http://sssbpt.info/summershowers/ss1996/ss1996.pdf
God).
Unpublished MP3 Audio, 25 May 1979
https://sathyasai.us/devotion/discourse/sevadal-confer-
ence-–-divine-discourse
8 Aradhana MahotsavamYou can also read
