SRI SATHYA SAI FOREVER

The day when people were engulfed in fascination for English language,Knowledge of one’s own religion and language declined;

When knowledge of one’s own religion and language declined,The cultural outlook disappeared;

When cultural outlook disappeared, righteousness declined on the earth;

When righteousness declined and disappeared from the earth,The exalted position of Bharat was shattered.

Oh! Bharatiyas! Open your eyes and be alert to the situation, at least now.Oh! Men of noble qualities!What more can I explain and exhort?(Telugu poem)

The land of Bharat is very sacred. It is the land of sacrifice. It is a holy land. It is the land where a number of chaste women took birth.

Savitri, who brought her deceased husband back to life, was she not a chaste woman of Bharat?Chandramati, who by her power of truth could extinguish the wild fire,was she not a chaste woman of Bharat?

Sita, who for establishing her chastity entered the fire and came out unscathed,was she not born in this great land of Bharat?

This great land of Bharat is surrounded by an ocean of Sathwic quality. The Bharata Jathi is resplendent with chastity and purity. Bharat is an extremely fertile land of noble feelings.Is it not true that this great land of Bharat is a world teacher?(Telugu poem)

Is there another country in the entire world where a chaste woman could bring her deceased husband back to life? This land of Bharat gave birth to many such chaste women. In the Ramayana, the demon King Ravana abducted Sita, the chaste wife of Rama and kept her in confinement under a tree in Ashokavana in Lanka, guarded by the demons. He used to entreat her daily to come under his fold. But, during the 10 months when Sita was under confinement in Lanka, she never raised her head and looked at his face even for a second. Such was her purity and chastity. The land of Bharat is like a teacher to all the countries in the world. Though not all men in this country are suffused with great and noble feelings, every woman here is certainly chaste, truthful and righteous. Even when their husbands return home, the women in Bharat would greet them only submissively. Where else would Lord Shiva incarnate, except in such a sacred land as Bharat?

God cannot be manifested merely by offering worship, performing vrathas or by conducting rituals like Yajna. It is only by developing purity of heart and noble qualities that one can have the vision of God. All the objects in the world are created by the omnipresent and omnipotent Lord who is the creator, sustainer and destroyer of the universe. Every object in this universe is a gift of God. God is immanent in every object. It is said, Easwara sarva bhutanam (God is the indweller of all beings) and Isavasyam idam sarvam (the entire universe is permeated by God). Hence, whatever object you come across, consider it as an embodiment of Divinity. People say, this is a cloth (showing a handkerchief). It is not really so. It is a piece of cloth made by wearing together a number of threads. But, that is also not a correct description. It is a manifestation of cotton. From cotton come the threads and the threads are woven together to make a cloth.

What is the nature of Divinity? Nirgunam, Niranjanam, Sanathana Niketanam, Nitya, Shuddha, Buddha, Mukta, Nirmala Swarupinam (God is attributeless, pure, final abode, eternal, unsullied, enlightened, free and embodiment of sacredness). Divinity is given different names by different people, but God is beyond name and form. He is all names and forms. He is all-pervading. That is why He is described as Sarvatah panipadam tat sarvathokshi siromukham, sarvatah sruthimalloke sarvamavruthya tishthati (with hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire universe). You are concerned with the human body. But, it is like a water bubble. The mind is a ‘bundle of thoughts’. Hence, one should not lead one’s life reposing full faith in the body and mind. No doubt, the human body is a gift of God. In fact, we are born to offer everything that has been given by God, to God Himself. Lord Krishna in Bhagawad Gita declared, Mamaivamsho jivaloke jivabhuta sanathana (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). He said, You are all My amsa. Hence, you are not a mere human being. The name given to you in this objective world is the one that is given by your parents. In fact, at the time of your birth you had no name at all! Humanity is associated with Divinity, which is pure and sacred. It is only to foster such a sacred nature in human beings that God incarnates from time to time. Whenever righteousness declines, God incarnates to uphold Dharma in keeping with His declaration:Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati Bharata,Abhyutthanamadharmasya tadatmanam srujamyaham.(When there is a decline in Dharma and rise in adharma, I incarnate Myself for the establishment of Dharma.)

In today’s world, righteousness has declined and truth has gone into the oblivion. The whole world is filled with injustice, indiscipline and evil behaviour. In such a chaotic state, faith in God is the only lasting remedy. Truth is the only refuge, for, truth is God. Love is God, live in love. Devoid of love, one cannot live. Hence, one has to love God to receive the gift of love from God. It is only by love that God can be attained.As stated by the Pundit who just spoke, the ‘Athi Rudra’ consists of many Namakas and Chamakas. They sustain the human life. From where did this power come? The Namaka and Chamaka are taken from the Krishna Yajur Veda. It is an all inclusive Veda, from which the other Vedas, Sastras (scriptures), Ithihasas (ancient legends) and Puranas emanated. Unfortunately, today, the Vedas have lost their pre-eminent position due to poor patronage. People who take to a serious study of the Vedas and chant the mantras contained in them regularly have become rare. A regular study of the Vedas and practice of Vedic injunctions confer all forms of wealth on the human beings. The fundamental principles governing human life and destiny are contained in the Vedas. The Vedas are the gift of God for the welfare of the entire humanity. The Vedas make no distinction whatsoever on the basis of religion, caste, nationality, etc. The Veda mantras can be chanted by one and all. (Swami then called two boys from abroad studying in Prasanthi Nilayam and asked them to recite Sri Suktam).It is Swami’s wish that the Vedas shall be spread to every country, so that every human being irrespective of religion, caste, nationality, etc., learns Vedas and chants them.

Some people from Iran and Iraq have come to Puttaparthi, day before yesterday. The devotees from Iran are still here. We are making efforts to teach Vedas to all people. The Vedas remove all types of sorrow. The yajna that is being performed now is different from other rituals like Puthra Kameshthi yaga or Aswamedha yaga. It is for the welfare of the entire humanity. A few fortunate ones are learning the Vedas and propagating them. But, unfortunately many people are making no efforts to teach the Vedas, though they have studied them. Today, all the students in Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions are being taught Vedas. As a prelude to the learning of the Vedas, one has to acquire knowledge of Sanskrit, the language of Vedas. Nowadays, people of every country are making efforts to learn Vedas, especially the Rig Veda. Along with it, they are also learning the Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and the Atharvana Veda. Vinay Kumar has been appointed as the youth leader of Karnataka State. He is entrusted with the responsibility of bringing together all the youth in Karnataka on one platform and make them learn the Vedas and spread the message of the Vedas. Similarly, youth leaders have been appointed in all the states of India like Andhra, Kerala, etc. Not only that, youth leaders have also been appointed in the Sathya Sai Seva Organisations in all the countries of the world for the propagation of the Vedas and Vedic chanting. The Vedas are not to be neglected. The secret of the entire creation is contained in the Vedas. The Vedas establish the goal and purpose of human life. Everything concerning creation, sustenance and dissolution of the universe is contained in the Vedas. The Brahmacharya (celibacy), Grihastha (householder), Vanaprastha (recluse) and Sanyasa (renunciant) Asramas are rooted in the Vedas. People are able to realise the glory of the Vedas now. Wherever you go, even in the villages, you will find the ladies also chanting the Veda mantras. There may be difference in the body structure between the males and females; but, so far as the Vedic learning is concerned, there is hardly any difference.

The Veda is very sacred. Especially, the Athi Rudra part is a very important section. ‘Rudram’ is generally understood as a synonym to Lord Easwara. In fact, it is the essence of all the Vedas, namely, Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana Vedas. Another important feature of Rudram is the Ekatwa (oneness) between the two parts, namely Namaka and Chamaka. The Namaka emphasises on the aspect of detachment whereas Chamaka stresses on the aspect of desire. But, the essence of both aspects is one. What is to be discarded and what is to be desired? The evil is to be discarded and good is to be desired. Both are essential. Whereas Namaka lays stress on Virakti (detachment), the Chamaka speaks of desires for this and that. People generally think that giving up of family life, house, land and other forms of wealth as Thyaga (sacrifice). But, that is not a sacrifice at all! This can be done easily. What is required is, sacrificing the resultant desires. That is the real sacrifice. One has to realise the purpose of human life. We are not born merely to eat, drink and make merry. The human birth is given to us to help our fellow human beings. Help Ever, Hurt Never. We should not cause harm to anybody. We should not speak harsh words. In fact, such noble qualities are inherent in us. The human body is Panchabhouthika (made up of the five elements, namely, earth, water, fire, air and space). It consists of Panchendriyas (five senses) which crave for fulfilling desires. However, there are also certain values like Sathya (truth), Dharma (righteousness), Santhi (peace), Prema (love) and Ahimsa (non-violence) hidden in the core of our personality. These have to be brought out and manifested in our daily life. This process is called ‘Educare’. Today, the knowledge that is acquired from the study of books is termed as ‘Education’. This is not the real education that we have to acquire. Real education is ‘Educare’, by which the noble qualities that are inherent in us are manifested in our daily life. This can be done by self-effort without someone spoon-feeding us with some externals. Thereby one can lead a sacred life. It can be attained only by God’s grace and by no other means. In keeping with the saying Sarvada sarva kaleshu sarvathara Hari chinthanam, one has to constantly contemplate on God. That is the real devotion. Ornaments are many; gold is one; cows are of many colours, milk is one.Divinity is one, by whatever name we call (Rama, Krishna, Yesu or Allah). These are all the different names ascribed to God. It is said Ekam sath viprah bahudha vadanthi (truth is one, but the wise refer to it by various names). Hence we should never make any distinction in respect of God. If one desires to know the secret (essence) of God, one should develop an ‘open heart’. You may contemplate on God by any name of your liking. There is nothing wrong in it. But, it is wrong to worship one name and form, while reviling other names and forms ascribed to God. Some people like the name ‘Narayana’. They don’t like ‘Shiva’. This is wrong. ‘Easwara’ and ‘Narayana’ are different names by which the same God is worshipped. The one God is worshipped with many names and forms. He who realises this oneness will have peace of mind. To love one form of God and hate another form is not good. You will not be able to fulfil your desire, by doing so. Not only the youth, everyone (young and old) have to realise and follow this principle. In fact, it is Divinity only that is protecting the world now. The name of God is more powerful than the nuclear bombs. God’s name protects the good and punishes the evil. Hence, if you continue to worship God, surely the world will be protected.

This Yajna is being conducted for the welfare of the world. There is a very important aspect of this Yajna. The Athi Rudra Maha Yajna protects and fosters the divine nature in the human beings, while rejecting and diminishing the demonic qualities. Thus, it works for the welfare of humanity. This Yajna can be undertaken by anyone interested in the welfare of humanity. The material and other resources for conducting this Yajna have been arranged by the efforts of Vinay Kumar alone. He undertook the job lovingly and performed it almost single-handed. Several people had come forward to donate rice, fruits, vegetables and other materials, but, he did not agree to their requests. The expenditure for conducting this Yajna involves a large amount of money. He went round all alone and arranged for the materials for conducting this Yajna. I wish that every state should have such dedicated sevadal leaders. He is doing a lot of service. I am very happy about his service. He spurned all offers of help for conducting this Yajna saying “Sai is with me; He alone will help me.” He was married ten years ago. Both he and his wife are in the service of Swami. When the proposal to conduct this Yajna was placed before Me, I asked them “Dear ones! You propose to conduct this Athi Rudra Yajna in Prasanthi Nilayam. Do you wish to have a son?” They replied in one voice that that was not their desire and motive for their prayer. Then I enquired what else they wished to have. Their reply was “Swami! We want you only!” I have not heard such a reply so far from any couple. True to his name, Vinay Kumar is doing a lot of good work, with love and humility. His father was an Income Tax Commissioner. He was a colleague of Laxminarayana. Even now, Vinay is associated with Laxminarayana. Vinay Kumar treats him as his own father. There should be many more such souls which should be increasing. When the leaders are good and competent, the whole world will run smoothly. Unfortunately, today, the world has come to this sad state due to lack of proper leadership. There should be good leaders in all fields - Education, Politics, Religion, Spirituality, etc. But, nowadays you rarely find good leaders in any field. Wherever you see, every human endeavour is polluted with the craze for money. Everything is business. However, Sri Sathya Sai Organisations have no such problems. Everything is free in our organisations. Education from 1st standard to the Ph.D. level is totally free. Same is the case with our Hospitals. Our General Hospitals and Super Speciality Hospitals are providing medical services totally free of cost. The hospitals outside charge three to four lakhs of rupees for performing a heart operation. How can the poor people mobilise such a huge amount? It is beyond their means. The medical services including the specialist services are totally free in our hospitals. The poor people come to our Hospitals for treatment, having not even a rupee in their pockets and return to their places completely cured of their diseases. We should render all services free of cost. I wish that all our Sevadal and college students should render free service. Then only they will be able to attain Swami’s grace. A word of caution - you may forget anything, but you should never forget chanting the divine name.Embodiments of Love! The Athi Rudra Maha Yajna is great, most sacred and highly efficacious. The lives of the people who perform this Yajna, will be sanctified. There will be eleven Ritwiks performing the rituals at each Homakunda. There are eleven such Homakundas. Thus, there will be 121 Ritwiks in all performing the various rituals in this Yajna. For each Homakunda, there will be one person-in charge, who will look after everything concerning the rituals. Thus, all people connected with the Yajna work in unison to make the Yajna a success. It is only by unity, anything can be achieved. From unity comes purity and Divinity manifests from purity. Hence, all should conduct themselves as brothers and sisters. If, for any reason you get angry on a particular occasion, consider anger as your enemy and get rid of it. The Kama (desire), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Moha (delusion), Mada (pride) and Matsarya (jealously) are the six enemies that trouble the human being. Embodiments of Divine Self!You are not ordinary human beings, you are Embodiments of Divine Self, verily. Each individual is given a particular name for the purpose of identification. But, you are all Embodiments of Divine Self, not mere human beings. I wish that all of you should lead a happy, peaceful, contented and blissful life. You will not be able to lead such a life, if you are not really devoted. Hence, develop devotion Bangaru! (golden ones!) you must be immersed in devotion, not deep ocean. It is only such devotion that takes you to the Divine.

1) The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow.

2) Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.

3)You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.

4)Love...and you shall be loved. God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.

5)A hug is a great gift... one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it's easy to exchange.

6)Everyone needs to be loved... especially when they do not deserve it.

7)The real measure of a man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity.

8)Laughter is God's unshine. Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it.

9)It's important for parents to live the same things they teach.

10)If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.

11)Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within.

12)Take time to laugh, for it is the music of the soul.

13)If anyone speaks badly of you, live so no one will believe it.

14)Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.

15)Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together.

16)The best thing parents can do for their children is to love each other.

17)Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.

18)To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it.

19)We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for.

20)Love is the only thing that can be divided without being diminished.

21)Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others.

22)For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back.

23)Do what you can, for whom you can, with what you have, wherever you are.

24)All people smile in the same language

25)Thank God for what you have, TRUST GOD for what you need.

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He Practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting A little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was Walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck Square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see His sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, " Sally, let's wash the Dishes." But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in The kitchen." Then she whispered to him, " Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go Fishing and Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make Supper." Sally just smiled and said," Well that's all right because Johnny told Me he wanted to help." She whispered again, "Remember the duck?" So Sally Went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, He finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long You would let Sally make a slave of you." Thought for the day and every day thereafter? Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... And the devil Keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad Habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.) ....whatever it is....You need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing..... He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make U a slave.

The man whispered, "God, speak to me." And a meadowlark sang.But, the man did not hear.
Then the man yelled "God, speak to me." Thunder rolled across the sky.But, the man did not listen.The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you."And the stars shined brightly.But the man did not notice. And, the man shouted, "God, show me a miracle." And, a life was born.But the man did not know.So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here." Where upon, God reached down and touched the man.But, the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

So remember, don't miss out on a blessing because itisn't packaged the way that you expect.Take notice of the blessings around you.Every thing that comes to you is a gift of god accept it as it comes. Dont expect,leave it to his will and he will give you what ever you need.

Parama Pavana maina Bharata vani Yandu
(in this most sacred Land of Bharat)
Sahana manmade manaku chakka danamu
(tolerance is our real beauty)
vratamu lanniti yandu vane ganchina Yatti Ghana Sathya sheelame kathina tapamu
(out of all the rituals, Penance, ADHERENCE to truth is real penance)
madhura bhavambedi mana desa mandanna matru bhavamu kanna manya meddi
(what is most sweet thing about this country is love for mother)
pranambu kantenu manambe ghanamanu mana desa neethini manta galipi
( virtue is most important than one’s own life and this priniciple is being ignored)
neti kichiri Paradesha Neetula Rasi vese vichitra swetcha anu vichu kathe
(due to westernization in the name of freedom)
enugu etla tana balamu eruga ledo attu lainaru mana bharatheeyulu nedu
just as the elephant is unaware of its strength, Indians have come down to the level of elephant.

Embodiments of love
Indians are very fortunate, this land is land of sacrifice,merit,spirituality… such a country, Indians are not understanding the greatness of Bharat… if an elephant waves its tail it can throw a person 9feet away.. such an elephant is controlled by a human.. not knowing its strength, elephant is slave to humans…

YOU ARE NOT THE BODY:
This body is bound to fall one day or the other, the indweller is permanent..He has no beginning nor end… He is God himself.. realize this truth… this body is just an iron box…the power present in this body is not present any where….Truth is PERMANENT… you can just experience it but cant see it.. Truth is God, God is wisdom,he is endless..

TRUTH AND ONLY TRUTH:
Everything is born out of truth, and merges in truth…there is no place without truth…you will find truth every where nothing is Mithya (illusion), but man is carried away by out ward beauty… Man has to realize this TRUTH.. Man has to uphold TRUTH.. There is no place without TRUTH…Sathya is the foundation for the mansion of Dharma.So control your senses and give up body attachement. Merely relying on bookish knowledge is paving way for forgetting the TRUTH…Ignoring the Truth, we are follwing the senses…Mind can run any distance in seconds.. Mind has to be put in control…MIND IS LIKE A MAD MONKEY… BODY IS A WATER BUBBLE.. by believing the mind and body, Man is RUINING his life.. the day when you give up body attachment and control your sense and realize the Atma tatva.. that day you will be God himself.. You are not MANAVA(Man)..you are MADHAVA (God)… You have taken a form of human being, as long as you move about in this world, you wil be called by the name given to you by your parents… this is just ACTING.. the moment you leave this body you get another name and another form..

You have to make use of this Human life.. all your learning, degrees are MOMENTARY…. And they vanish the moment you leave your body.. first of all realize the REAL TRUTH.. the TRUTH.. IAM NOT THE BODY.. if any one asks you Who are You?.. you respond to a person basing on your body and your name.. if your name is Ram das, and when any one calls you you say YES I am Ram das. Who gave you this name?… You didn’t have name when you were born…its just a name given to you by your parents…

LOVE YOUR MOTHER
When Rama was named by Vasishta, he was named Rama Chandra.., only few people realized Rama’s divinity….You should have forbearance… other wise you are not human being at all.. Love your mother…today do you find any one respecting their mother? That day when Rama was going to Janaka Maharaja(Sita’s Father), he took blessings from His mother….She blessed Rama to be successful and victorious…Because of that mother’s blessings, Rama was successful.. Janaka was a learned man.. he fell at the feet of Rama…and asked Rama to marry Sita.. though Janaka asked Rama, Rama didn’t agree….. TODAY’S BOYS ARE NOT LIKE THAT.... They jump in joy the moment theIr marriage is fixed and start printing wedding cards and distribute them to all…But Rama said, we are four brothers, Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrugna…so the four should be married same day, same time…Though the marriage to Sita was fixed, Rama never looked at Sita…Today’s children are not like that.. after engagement they go to movies.. this is NOT THE RIGHT ATTITUDE.. He never looked at Sita.. after getting consent from His father, Dasaratha.. He accepted to marry sita, still He didn’t look at Sita..

SITA RAMA WEDDING:While the marriage was going on, Sita was supposed to garland Rama first… Rama yet didn’t look at her.. because, “she is not my wife.. she is another women.. how can I look at another woman?its worst of the sins”… Rama was very tall.. and Sita couldn’t garland Him….. Rama didn’t bent before Sita and Sita didn’t garland Rama….. All the people assembled were looking at each other with curiosity….. then Rama looked at Lakshmana.. and Lakshmana said, Brother! first you touch the feet of our mother.. Rama took blessings from mother, and to do this Rama bend, and immediately Sita put the garland around Him…
This way the marriage was conducted.. those ages are the real ages.. Today, boy s and girls, don’t stick to such moral values..

Always listen to elders, respect them.. Then only there will be peace in your lives..When they went to forest, for 14 years. Sita followed to forest as she considered her husband as God, as life…one day when Rama and sita were sitting under a tree and were in conversation, Lakshmana left the place.. he walked a long distance.. then Lakshmana had bad thoughts.. he thought, Brother, why should we suffer like this? Lets go back to Ayodhya.. Why should Sita suffer?.. Rama called Lakshmana and said, its not your mistake.. it s the effect of the place… this is a place where demons move so you have demonic qualities.. this is not your behaviour….. there after Lakshmana transformed and lived with Rama and Sita for 14 years

RAMAYANA-INDIA
…Ramayana is the HEART of India.. for all the difficulties we face today is just because of losing values.. even if you are in mountains, in the river, invillage, in town, God WILL COME TO YOUR RESCUE.. those who know the nature of God will EXPERIENCE THE TRUTH.. The spark of God is present in every one of us.. We are the sparK of the divine.. we are GOD… If you say, I am son of SO AND SO, son-in-law of SO AND SO.. brother-in-law of SO AND SO….... YOU WILL REMAIN SO AND SO ONLY…

Embodiments of Love
You all are good children.. but because of environment, and also food habits you are becoming bad…. Have good friends TELL ME YOUR COMPANY I SHALL TELL YOU WHAT YOU ARE… So you should join GOOD COMPANY…Join good company, get a good name.. BE GOOD DO GOOD SEE GOOD.. THIS IS THE WAY TO GOD.. Lead your life accordingly For the past 4 days, I AM TROUBLING YOU.. (Prof.Kumar paused for a while, as Students loudly said NO SWAMY!!!!)Swamy continued “you might say NO, but I know…..in the days to come I will tell you many more things…Lead your life like Rama…Give up bad thoughts.. when bad thoughts come in mind don’t think about them again and again.. as you see, as you talk, bad thoughts come.. JUST IGNORE THEM… Sathya Dharma Shanti Prema are your GOOD FRIENDS… Don’t leave them… then only YOU will be a GOOD BOY..other wise you will be a BAD BOY.. get good name.. to you and to your parents… and make them happy..never disobey your parents.. then only you will earn the MERIT”….

After about 5 mins. .. Swamy gave a short discourse which gave 70mm smiles on all our faces… He said, “ All of you should have a smiling face… smiling doesn’t mean laughing loudly….Swamy continued from His chair, “ I don’t like castor oil faces!!!….Even the scholars who have assembled here are not smiling… the problems with their wives and children are understandable!!!”Thus Swamy ended His divine discourse leaving all of us smiling…
(The above discourse highlights are based on memory and not the official version… )

Abdullah was sleeping in a corner of a mosque in Mecca, when he was awakened by the conversation of two angels above his head. They were preparing a list of the Blessed and one angel was telling the other that a certain Mahbub of Sikandar City deserved to be ranked first, even though he has not come on pilgrimage to the Holy City.Hearing this, Abdullah went to Sikandar City and found out that he was a cobbler, repairing the shoes of people. He was famished and poor; for, his earnings barely sufficed to keep flesh and bone together. He had by severe sacrifice piled up a few coppers during the course of years; one day, he spent the entire treasure to prepare a special dish which he proposed to place before his enceinte wife as a surprise gift.When he was proceeding home with the gift he heard the cry of a starving beggar who seemed to be in the throes of extreme hunger. Mahbub could not proceed further; he gave the pot containing the costly delicacy to the man and sat by his side, enjoying the blossoming of satisfaction on his haggard face.The act gave him a place of honour in the register of the Blessed, a place which pilgrims to Mecca who had spent millions of Dinars in charity could not secure. The lord cares for the feeling behind the act, not the fanfare and the fuss.

In South India, in the Tamil country, there was a certain Adigal or Dasa, in a village, Thangalur by name. He had heard of the spiritual grandeur of Saint Appar and developed great admiration for him. So he built rest-houses in his name; named his children after him so that they might grow up in the halo of his glory; he donated lands and houses, all in the name of the Saint he had not seen. See how faith preceded experience here. There are others who require experience before they fix their faith. The first path is more thrilling and lasting.Well, one day by chance Appar himself walked into Thangalur for he had missed his way and had to deviate. He noticed everywhere in the town Appar Rest-houses and Appar Charities, and wondered how his name had preceded him. Then Adigal ran forward to His Guru and took him home and prepared a grand feast for him. When his eldest son went to his garden to cut a few plantain leaves for a dinner, a snake bit him and he died on the spot. Adigal however, was not affected in the least; he covered up the corpse, heaping dry leaves upon it and proceeded with the formalities of hospitality for the long-sought Guru. The Guru, however, insisted on all the children of Adigal sitting around him during the meal, and he ordered the father, "Go, call every one here." Adigal did as he was commanded. He called and the dead son rose. He too came and sat for dinner with the rest. When he knew what had happened, Appar said, "Your Bhakthi is greater than my Shakthi." Its better to develop faith in god than to Question his existance.If believing in a saint who is just a messenger of god can rise the dead,what happens if we believe in the creator himself.

A devotee in the US was not financially well off..But he was an ardent devotee of Bhagavan. He earned a meagre amount and saved a part of it every month and bought a flight ticket to Parthi. He kept it safely in his wallet. After a few days he went to a shopping mall and by the time he came out he realized he had lost his wallet. Someone had flicked from his pocket!He was crest fallen..All his dreams of seeing Swami crashed miserably.....He only thought about the intense yearning with which he saved and bought the ticket...But his faith was like a mountain..It was unshakeable..He put his worry on Swami and then went to the police station..The officer incharge at the lost and found cell heard his narration..The devotee said that he lost his wallet and it was very important to get back the wallet and had come there to lodge a complaint....The officer laughed at him and said' In America if u lose a wallet u will never get it and it is a futile task to file a complaint for it ..!' This devotee was determined..He persuaded him to take the complaint telling that he had the full faith he will get back his wallet..The officer was amazed and shocked at his will power and eagerness to get back after all a wallet... He budged and ultimately took the complaint..The devotee told him to inform him immediately as soon as he gets any wallet so that he can come over and check it if it was his..And left..after a week he called up the officer and enquired...

The officer laughed at hope...and told him he had not recieved any wallet..After two weeks the devotee called up and again he faced the same reply from the officer...But he did not give up he kept on praying and after three weeks called up and this time also he heard the same thing from the officer...After four weeks...the officer called up the devotee!!!The devotee went to the police station..and met the officer..He was having a wallet in his hand and waiting for the devotee..to come..As the devotee reached the table..The officer verified whether it was his...The devotee was ecstatic..he had no words to express his thanks to Swami...as he had prayed daily ardently to Swami..Now the officer..asked him what was so important in the wallet that he was diligently, patiently and sincerely waiting for it to be found..The devotee told him that in that was a ticket to puttaparthi..for which he was so worried..as he was yearning to see Swami..Pat came the next question..who is the person whom u want to go all the way to India and see? The devotee said 'he is my spiritual guru'..Not satisfied yet contended...he gave the wallet back to the devotee..Before that he opened the wallet and asked 'who is this?' The devotee smiled and said 'he is only Sathya Sai Baba whom i am going to see in Puttaparthi!' The officer quiped and remarked..'why do u need to go to Puttaparthi for that!!!!!!"The devotee was perplexed...he asked 'what do u mean to say sir?'The officer told 'This person Himself walked in a few minutes back and handed over the wallet to me and told to inform u and left just now.................!!!!'

This is Bhagavan's love..He is waiting for our one call...Swami says that He is like a daasa or servant of the Devotee for the ardent devotees..He is ever ready to carry out our prayers...we are in a room like the master..He stands outside like the master's servant standing just beind the door..He wont open the door...even though the door is partially open..But only when one has surrendered and when we call out with full faith He rushes in and takes charge of the situation...That is love..We all know how much is the love of our physical mother...Imagine Swami's love is more than the love of THOUSAND mothers!!..HOW MUCH more it is .....we can never gratify Swami for HIS love....His love is silent love....Let us make all efforts...to gain that love by offering our selfless love...sairam

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut andhis beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. when they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if Godexists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things." The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!""No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." "Ah, but barbers DO exist! " answered the barber."What happens, is, people do not come to me." "Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point!God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world." Believe in god,be happy.

One day a farmer's donkey fell into a well. The animal cried badly for hours as the farmer tried to think as to what to do. Finally, he decided the as the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyhow; it just wasn't worth it to save the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come help him and they all grabbed a shovel and began to put dirt into the well . In the beggining the donkey realized what was happening and started crying very badly, then suddenly to everyone's great amazment he kept very quiet, after a few more showels of dirt were filled, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw,With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer'sneighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily walked off!Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone.We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up. This everyone can do only when you have God's Grace and Blessings. Chant the Lord's name and you will be ready all Troubles, If your Devotion for the Lord is great, he will face all your Troubles and will keep you safe. That is The Lord's Love and that is Swami's Love.

THE CAKE MIX

Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?"Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away. Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake""Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers. "Yuck" says her daughter."How about a couple raw eggs?" "Gross, Mom!""Well, would you like some flour then.......or may be baking soda?" "Mom, those are all yucky!"To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts thesethings all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!God is crazy about us!He sends us flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.Whenever we want to talk.....He listens. He can live anywhere in the universe...... but He chose our heart! Life may not be the party we hoped for......but while the music lasts and weare still here......we might as well dance!

Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings lived; happiness, sadness,knowledge, and all the others, including love.One day it was announced to all of the feelings that the island was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean. So all the feelings prepared their boats to leave.Love was the only one that stayed. She wanted to preserve the island paradise until the last possible moment. When the island was almost totally under, love decided it was time to leave.She began looking for someone to ask for help. Just then Richness was passing byin a grand boat. Love asked, "Richness, Can I come with you on your boat?"Richness answered, "I'm sorry, but there is a lot of silver and gold on my boatand there would be no room for you anywhere."Then Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was passing in a beautiful vessel.Love cried out, "Vanity, help me please.""I can't help you", Vanity said, "You are all wet and will damage my beautiful boat."Next, Love saw Sadness passing. Love said, "Sadness, please let me go with you."Sadness answered, "Love, I'm sorry but I just need to be alone now."Then, Love saw Happiness. love cried out, "Happiness, please take me with you."But Happiness was so over overjoyed that he didn't hear Love calling to him.Love began to cry. Then she heard a voice say, "Come Love, I will take you with me." It was an elder.Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that she forgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived on land the elder went on his way. Love realized how much she owed the elder.Love then found Knowledge and asked. "It was Time", Knowledge answered."But why did Time help me when no one else would?", Love asked. Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity, answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."

-- author unknown--

It’s amazing how God works in our lives. On a S! aturday night some time ago, a minister was working late at the church office getting ready for the next day. He decided he’d call his wife and let her know that he will be home soon. It was about 10 o’ clock. The phone rang and rang but his wife didn’t answer. The minister let the phone ring for quite some time. He thought it was really odd that she didn’t answer the phone. But he decided he would finish his work and he would give her a call again. The next time he called, she answered straight away and he asked her why she hadn’t answered the first time? But she said the phone hadn’t rung at all!The following Monday, the minister was back in his office again at the church and he received a call. It was the same phone that he had used on that Saturday night. The man that he had spoken with wanted to know why he called him on Saturday night. The minister couldn’t understand what the man was speaking about. But the man said: “The phone rang and rang, but I didn’t answer.” Then the minister remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing the man and said that he had been trying to call his wife.The man said: “That’s okay. Let me tell you my story. You see, I was planning to take my own life Saturday night. But before I did, I prayed. I said: ‘God if you are there, and if you don’t want me to do this, give me a sign now.’ And at that point, my phone rang and rang. And when I looked at the caller ID, it said 'Almighty God'.”So he was scared and afraid to answer the phone. The reason why the man’s caller ID showed 'Almighty God' was because the church that the minister works at is 'Almighty God, Pebenaco'.Remember theres always a reason for everything that happens in our life...its just that we wont be able to realize his ways of execution.

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Footprints

One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the LORD.When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it. "LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.The LORD replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."