Divine Inspirations Volume 5

Publisher’s Note

Our Divine Mother Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in His own inimitable way narrates stories in His Divine Discourses to make the devotees easily understand His teachings and practise them like any other human mother trying to make her infant to eat food by diverting its attention to the moon, bird, etc. Bhagawan’s moral stories are a nectar of love and intended to ease the learning of His messages and enhance their understanding to enable them to practise and get spiritually elevated.

This collection of moral stories told by Bhagawan with Learning Points titled Divine Inspirations Vol-5 by Sri S. Sasidhar is simple to read and is a needful guide to all, children, youth and old people. The chapter titles in this book are quotes or messages of Baba with appropriate moral stories and their explanation. It is interesting and absorbing to read these stories which will specially be useful to Bal Vikas children, teachers and parents.

The Publications Division of Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust gladly presents this valuable and practical guide book to the devotees and general public and hopes that it will be well received by them.

Convener,

Publications Division,

Prasanthi Nilayam,

Date: 10th Dec, 2014

If you question where God is, some people say that He is present in their heart. It is not a proper answer. When you say the kerchief is in your hand, you are bigger than the kerchief. Likewise, when you say God is in you, it means you are superior to God! Hence, it is not proper to say that God is in you. The truth is, you are God.

- Baba

Preface

Our beloved Baba has bestowed Divine nectar of love in the form of His sacred teachings for uplifting mankind. To ease our learning, Baba frequently narrated stories in His Divine discourses. Therefore, stories are an excellent inspirational tool to imbibe and practise Baba’s teachings in our day-to-day lives.

Divine Inspirations is intended to ease our learning of Baba’s teachings, and enhance our understanding through moral stories collected from His discourses. Handbook for Ideal Sai Human Life—the comprehensive compilation of Swami’s teachings -- has provided the seeds for this book.

Each chapter title in this book is a quote/message which is supported by a moral story/stories narrated by Baba and followed by a brief explanation on the learning points. Each story exemplifies the ideals of Sai and explains how important it is to practise these ideals in day-to-day life through examples.

The contents of the book are primarily designed to fulfil the needs of individual aspirants and for activities like study circles, to discuss and gain insights through stories and quotes. Moreover, some of the stories can be a great resource for Bal Vikas/SSE teachers and parents. For the ease of readers, all the quotes used as chapter titles are listed separately at the end of the book.

My heartfelt thanks to my wife Hetal, for all her patience and support. My sincere gratitude and respect to my parents, other family members and friends for their love and support.

Let’s all pray to Bhagawan to help all of us in practising His teachings more rigorously each day and ultimately attain everlasting merger in Him.

Dr. S. Sasidhar

Contents

Publisher’s Note

Preface

1. When You Have Sathya (Truth) And Dharma (Righteousness) As Your Guiding Stars You Can Achieve Anything In Life.

2. My Sankalpa (Will) Is Based On Your Feelings.

3. You Should Not Love God For Material Benefits. Love Him For The Sake Of Love. Only Then Can You Attain Him.

4. Whatever The God You Worship, Adore Him With Tadatmabhava (A Sense Of Oneness).

5. Only Those Who Sacrifice Are The Children Of Immortality Because They Live For Ever.

6. Control The Mind And You Remain Unruffled. That Is The Secret Of Shanti (Peace).

7. Spirituality Alone Confers True Vision Upon Man And Makes Him Complete.

8. Bhajan Cleanses And Purifies The Atmosphere By Its Vital Vibrations. It Inspires, Instructs, It Calls And Comforts.

9. Right Conduct Is The Only Thing That Really Matters.

10. It Is Foolish To Consider Sacred Rituals As Outdated, Ridiculous, And Meaningless.

11. Never Underestimate The Capacity Of Women.

12. God Can Do Anything By An Act Of Will.

13. Impertinence And Irrelevance Cannot Hide Irreverence From The Eyes Of God.

14. Tyaga (Renunciation Or Sacrifice) Is A Supreme Virtue In Man.

15. You Should Work Hard. Thou Shalt Live By The Sweat Of Thy Brow, Says The Holy Bible.

16. Faith Is The Foundation.

17. Spirituality Will Save You If You Have Faith.

18. Seva (Service) To The Jiva (Individual Being) Is Seva To The Deva (Divinity). Always Be Firm In That Belief.

19. Always Remember That Service Is Worship, And Each Act Of Service Is A Flower Placed At The Lord’s Feet.

20. Just As Darkness Is Dispelled By A Flash Of Light, The Darkness Of Ignorance Should Be Dispelled By The Light Of Wisdom.

21. Many Things Emerge From The Mind, When Churned, But The Wise Wait Patiently For The Appearance Of The Guarantor Of Immortality, And Seize Upon It With Avidity.

22. There Is No More Dreadful Disease In The World Than Insatiable Desire.

23. Never Entertain Jealousy. Jealousy Leads To Total Ruin.

24. His Glory, His Compassion, His Grace—These Are Inscrutable; They Shape Themselves In Manifold Forms, As He Wills.

25. There Is Nothing That God Does Not Know.

26. Physical Charm And Force Can Never Overpower The Charm Or Force Of The Spirit.

27. Faith Can Work Wonders, It Can Compel The Lord To Manifest Himself And Give You What You Believe He Will Give.

28. You Need Not Renounce The World. You Need To Shed Worldly Thoughts.

29. Devotion Must Find Expression In Dedicated Service To The Lord.

30. Divine Power Manifests From The Bodies Of The Avatars, Saints And Yogis In Many Different Ways.

31. Waves Of Maya (Delusion) Make Recognition Of The Avatar (God In Human Form) Almost Impossible.

32. One Must Always Strive To Earn The Protection Of Dharma And The Grace Of God.

33. When You Win The Love Of God, His Compassion Will Flow Unto You.

34. Speak The Truth; Act Righteously.

35. The True Victor Is One Who Is Able To Conquer The Ceaseless Flow Of Thoughts In The Mind.

36. Self-Enquiry Is Most Essential In The Spiritual Path.

37. Seek Out Your Own Faults And Others’ Merits.

38. Play The Role, But Keep Your Identity Unaffected.

39. The Teachings Of Vedanta (Ancient Indian Scriptures) Take You Through The Statements This Is Not I, This Is Not I Until You Are Able To Realise What The I Is.

40. Win The Lord’s Grace Through Faith And Devotion.

41. Have No Desire, Empty Your Mind Of All Cravings, Become Hollow And Straight—Become A Flute And Lord Krishna Will Breathe Through You Sweet Melody To Still The Agitation Of The World.

42. There May Be Difference Of Opinion At Times, But That Should Not Lead To Hatred And Enmity. Differences Should Not Divide Us.

43. All The Pains And Pleasures Man Experiences Are The Results Of His Own Actions And Not Due To Any Act Of The Divine.

44. 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.

45. Do Not Delay Any Good Work That You Wish To Undertake.

46. What Now Appears As The Cosmos Is Really God. This Is The Vision That The True Aspirant Will Get When He/She Succeeds In Their Endeavour.

47. Imitation Is Only Human. But Creation Is Divine.

48. True Devotion Is The Love Flowing From A Pure Heart Unpolluted By Selfish Motives.

49. Win The Lord By Obedience, Loyalty, Humility And Purity.

50. More Than Worshipping God, To Regard God As An Ideal Example Of A Perfect Human Being Is Important.

51. The Result Of One’s Own Karma Is So Invincible That One Can Never Escape It.

52. Lord Rama Strove To Uphold Truth As The Main Plank Of Dharma. Whatever The Trial, However Hard The Travail, He Did Not Give Up Truth.

53. When We Talk Of Demons And Wicked People, They Are Not To Be Found Elsewhere As Separate Entities; They Are Living In Our Own Hearts And Arise From Our Own Actions.

54. Confidence In One’s Self Is A Prerequisite For The Recognition Of Divinity.

55. Make Your Heart Pure With Selfless Actions And Serve Society.

56. If We Practise Our Ancient Values, Society Will Attain Kshemam (Welfare), Otherwise It Will Be Afflicted With Kshamam (Famine). Practising One’s Sacred Culture Is The True Sign Of Education.

57. Each Place Has Its Peculiar Vibrations, Which Affect The Occupant.

58. The Cultivation Of Universal Love And Achieving Oneness Is The Sublime Path Of Devotion.

59. Be In The World, But Lessen Your Attachment Towards It.

60. The One Who Achieves Equanimity In All Aspects Is The Really Strong One.

61. Discharge Your Duties To The Best Of Your Skill And Intelligence.

62. With Purity Of Heart, Steadiness Of Mind, And Selfless Actions, One Can Become The Recipient Of Divine Grace.

63. The Secret Of Happiness Lies Within You, Not Outside.

64. Immerse Your Mind In Good Thoughts And The World Will Be Good; Soak It In Bad Thoughts And The World Appears To Be Filled With Evil.

65. It Is Not Enough To Listen To My Discourses And Count The Number You Have Listened To. The Only Thing That Counts Is Practising At Least One Of My Teachings.

66. People Speak About My Powers And My Miracles, But My Love Is My Greatest Miracle.

67. God Will Be Patent Only In The Pure Heart That Is Not Clouded By Egotism.

68. The Body Is The Bridegroom For The Life Principle Which Is The Bride; This Is The Wedlock In Every Life.

69. Without Controlling Our Senses And Organs, All The Attempts That We Make In Order To Improve Our Lives Will End In Failure.

70. It Is Not Enough If You Claim To Be A Bhakta (Devotee); The Lord Must Acknowledge It And Exult Over It.

71. The Name Of The Lord Is The Surest Raft To Cross The Ocean Of Birth And Death.

72. The Divine In Human Form Is The Preparation For Comprehending The Formless Absolute.

73. Attachment To The World Can Be Destroyed Only By Attachment To The Lord.

74. Ordinary Thieves Take Away Wealth And Riches. But The Extraordinary Divine Thief Steals The Hearts Of People.

75. The Lord Never Speaks A Word Without Relevance Or Significance; Never Does Anything Without Appropriateness Or Purpose.

76. Realise That True Happiness Consists In Union With God.

77. There Is None Poorer Than The Person Who Will Not Use His Money For Good Purposes. Such Men Are A Pitiable Lot.

78. Only A Great Teacher Can Mould A Great Student.

79. Everything Is In The Hands Of God.

80. Intense And Deep Desire Is Essential To Know And Experience Atma.

81. As God’s Messenger, Undertake Service With Love And Humility.

82. The Relationship Between God And Devotee Is Heart To Heart.

83. It Is Only Through A Tamed Mind That You Can Experience God.

84. My Name Is Sathya Sai; It Means, He Who Reclines On Truth.

85. Continue Relying On The Name Of The Lord As Support. That Is The Sign Of The Wise.

86. Worship The Padukas (Divine Sandals) Thinking All The While Of The Lord’s Form.

87. When You Seek Refuge In The Lord’s Feet, You Can Secure A Vision Of The Divine Form.

88. True Devotees Of God Should Not Attach Any Importance To Differences Of Religion, Caste Or Sect.

89. Be Like The Lotus Leaf, Not Like The Porous ‘Blotting Paper’ That Gets Tainted With Whatever It Comes In Contact With.

90. Man Can Learn Any Number Of Good Qualities From Animals, Birds, Insects And Worms.

91. To Set An Example To The World, The Lord Engages Himself In Apparently Trivial Activities And Teaches The Lessons To Be Learnt From Them.

92. Liberation Is Control Of The Senses.

93. Whoever The Individual May Be, However Great He May Be, He Must Recognise The Conditions Around Him And Adjust Himself To The Surroundings.

94. Equanimity Comes As A Result Of The Awareness Of Unity, Not Otherwise.

95. Real Devotion Consists Of Courageously Standing Up For Your Faith Anywhere At Any Time.

96. Man Is Turning His Back On His Destiny When He Revels In Falsehood, Ugliness And Wickedness.

97. Divine Love Is The Only Penance For All Your Troubles And Miseries Arising From Insatiable Desires And Frustrated Ambitions.

98. Love Cannot Exist If There Is A Feeling Of Duality.

99. Feeling The Presence Of God Always, Everywhere, Within, And Around Is Gnyanam, True Wisdom.

100. What Cannot Be Achieved Through Work, What Cannot Be Achieved Through Wealth, Can Be Achieved Through Sacrifice.

1. When You Have Sathya (Truth) And Dharma (Righteousness) As Your Guiding Stars You Can Achieve Anything In Life.

Story: At one point of time, Lord Shiva wished to test an ascetic. This ascetic was a great renunciant. He had taken two vows; not to hurt others and not to speak untruth. He was performing penance with all determination to fulfil these two vows in his lifetime. Lord Shiva assumed the form of a hunter and chasing a deer, He made the deer appear in front of the ascetic. As the deer was jumping and running, the ascetic opened his eyes and saw the deer running for its life into bushes. Shiva in the form of the hunter came and said, Sir, I came here chasing a deer. Did you see it by any chance?

If the ascetic said he had not seen the deer, it would amount be untrue. If he said he had seen it, the hunter would ask him about its location. If the ascetic pointed to the deer in the bush, the hunter would cause pain to it. In that case, the ascetic would be guilty of not keeping up his vow of not harming any being. At that instance, the ascetic prayed to God. O God, please give me a vision, a thought, such that both these vows of mine will not be broken. For the one who prays with a pure heart, God will respond within seconds. If the prayer is only lip service, He will not respond even in years. For the one who prays from the heart, there will be immediate resound, reflection and reaction.

A brilliant idea flashed in the ascetic’s mind by God’s Grace. The ascetic said, The one that has seen cannot speak; the one that can speak has not seen; what can I do? O hunter, the eyes have seen the deer, but they cannot speak. They do not have a mouth. The mouth can speak, but it has not seen. How can it speak about that which it has not seen?

By such a tactful answer, the ascetic not only upheld his adherence to Truth but also protected the life of the deer. In this way, the ascetic escaped from the situation. Lord Shiva appeared before him in His true form and blessed the ascetic with liberation. Therefore, it is said, Truth is the life of the tongue. Righteousness is the life of hands. Non-violence is the life of the heart.¹,²

Learning Points: People resort to telling lies, fearing that they may get into trouble otherwise. You have to fear only when you commit mistakes. If you practise sathya and dharma, you need not fear. In a situation wherein speaking the truth can lead to some danger or some problem, do not speak the truth. At the same time, you must not incur sin by speaking the untruth. Maintain silence.¹ It is more difficult to sustain a lie than support the truth. Man is turning back on his destiny when he revels in falsehood.³ It is only by unsullied devotion and adherence to truth that one can realise God.⁴

References:

1. Divine Discourse, 2nd July, 1996 & 4th April, 1998

2. Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 35, Ch. 4

3. Divine Discourse, 1st Mar, 1968

4. Sai Inspires, 19th Oct, 2006

2. My Sankalpa (Will) Is Based On Your Feelings.

Story 1: A student from Darjeeling was a member of the lion dance group for the 2002 sports meet celebrations in Puttaparthi. During one of the rehearsals, he went up to a height of 12 feet to perform a daring feat. Bhagawan Baba told him not to go to such a height, but in his enthusiasm to please Baba, he ignored His words. He lost his balance and fell down. There was a swelling on his neck. Baba told him to take rest for a few days. The student thought that he had lost his chance and felt very sad. But, he was very much determined to participate in the dance. He said, O Lord! I have come all the way from Darjeeling only to dedicate myself at Your lotus feet. Let anything happen to my body, I will not give up my resolve. He prayed to Baba to cure him of his pain so that he could participate.

Baba was pleased with the student’s strong faith and determination. He gently touched the student’s neck with His hand and told him that everything would be all right. The student was completely cured instantly! Ultimately, the student rose to the occasion and performed the feat admirably. Such strong faith and determination are necessary to win Divine grace.¹

Story 2: The power of faith is illustrated in an incident from the life of Jesus Christ. Once a blind man approached Jesus and prayed to him: O Lord! Please restore my sight. Jesus asked him: Do you believe that I can restore your sight? Unhesitatingly the blind man replied, Yes, Lord! If that is so, then open your eyes and see, said Jesus. The blind man opened his eyes and got his sight!²

Story 3: There was a devotee named Narayana, from Chennai. He had a heart problem. His son, a student of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute, called him and asked him to come to Puttaparthi immediately. He came and doctors who examined him said that the four valves of his heart were blocked and it was difficult to perform