1008 Pearls of Sayings
of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Index
Introduction
Pearls 1- 100
Pearls 101 - 200
Pearls 201- 300
Pearls 301- 400
Pearls 401- 500
Pearls 501 - 600
Pearls 601 - 700
Pearls 701 - 800
Pearls 801 - 900
Pearls 901 - 1008
From 201 to 300
201
MAN alone can rise through effort
to higher stages of spiritual evolution. No other animal can do so. Animal
trainers of the Circus can train a tiger to perform various tricks, but they
cannot change his nature. They cannot make it live on grass and completely
deprive it of meat. But man is different. His nature can be changed by means
of his own disciplined effort. He can control, by his will, the evil
thoughts and ideas that arise in his mind. This is why birth as a human
being is considered a rare gift.
202
FAITH in God will instill faith in
themselves and in others and the World will be happier thereby. The
Americans might walk on the moon, or the Russians picnic on the planet Mars,
but they have both to return to Earth, which is their common home. One can
claim genuine victory only when one has reached not the dead satellite, but
the living star, not the Chandra, but Ramachandra, the Lord who rules over
the inner satellites, the inner planets, the inner motives and aspirations.
203
LIFE is a jungle, where there is a
great deal of dry wood, which harbors worms and insects. No one cleans the
floor of the forest or cuts away the undergrowth of bush and bramble. To
wade through the thorns and the leech-ridden floor of the jungle, one has to
wear boots. So too, one has to wear the boots of sense-regulation, if one
has to pass through the jungle of life without harming oneself.
204
THERE are three desires which every
"I" cannot escape from. "I must live" is the first. The will to live is
overpowering and paramount. This is the urge for immortality. "The desire to
know" is the second. This too is unquenchable thirst and is an indication of
the position of which the "I" is the inheritor. "The desire for joy" is the
third, prompting man behind the senses into the outer World for pleasures.
This evidence shows that deep in the core of the "I" there is a spring of "Ananda"
which seeks its mate and its fulfillment.
205
THERE is no Vidya, which our
students are not proficient in. They develop all the virtues and they
saturate every act of theirs, including their skills and studies, with those
high and pure qualities. To demonstrate that this process will yield joy,
peace and prosperity, I have these students as My instruments. They would
themselves act as ideals. They are the source of My delight and they sustain
My hopes. (They are My "Aasaya", My "Ananda" and my "Ahaara") These students,
and those of the same stamp are the pioneers in My task of mending the
present World and ushering in a new World.
206
PARENTS set bad examples uttering
falsehood, scandalizing others, gambling, drinking, behaving violently,
inflicting injury, becoming addicted to nightclubs, pictures and drinking
parties and quarreling after arriving home past midnight. How can children,
used to such low sights and sounds, learn to become bright fresh fragrant
flowers of the Sanathana Garden of India?
207
THE student of today is not able to
realise what he should primarily be concerned with. It is only in name that
he is a "Vidyarthi", the seeker of knowledge. In practice he is only a "Vishayarthi",
a seeker of worldly pleasures. It is the duty of every human being to
understand and respect his parents. Similarly, in a nation, it is the duty
of every national to assimilate and appreciate the historical and cultural
background of his nation and consider these two factors as his father and
mother. In fact, one who is ignorant of the historical and cultural heritage
of his country is like a stupid person who has no knowledge of his parents.
208
TODAY the student-world is tossed
in confusion; not only in confusion but in downright insanity. They wear
white clothing; but the hearts are still dark.
Heads are full of
evil thoughts
Ears are open for
scandal-tales,
Eyes delight in peeping unseen;
Minds crave for wicked plots;
Reason pursues plan to cheat.
When Vidya perceives these in man,
It will not stay a moment there.
When this is the condition, how can one
earn Vidya? Of course, man's present situation and status are determined by
his acts and thoughts in the past.
209
SAMSKRITI the word for culture and
civilization is derived from the word Samskara, which means the dual process
of removing the dust and dirt of vice, and planting the virtues of Sathya,
Dharma, Shanti and Prema. Samskara is also the name for certain obligatory
rites of initiation and purification prescribed by the Vedas for the
spiritual upliftment of man. Their number is forty-eight in all, but they
could be reduced to ten and if needed, even to one; the final fulfilling
one, of recognising one's identity with Madhava, Siva, or Brahman. Nara is
but Narayana seen through the limitations of primal ignorance.
210
AN Iron box is essential to keep
safe precious stones; so too, the body is essential to keep safe the
precious gift of virtue, faith, love and discrimination. The parents gave it
and so they have to be respected by speech, action and behaviour. How can
you expect the Heavenly Father to respond to your prayers if you do not
respond to the demands of the earthly Father? The first step in Dharma is
gratitude; the first duty of the child is reverence to the parents. When the
first step is absent, ascent is impossible.
211
IF a school has poor discipline and
if its students are led away by self-seekers into the wilderness, the fault
lies on the parents, elders and the Committee of management. The Committee
often is only a "Come-for-Tea" affair.
212
HOWEVER superfine the paper,
however artistic the envelope and however poetic the composition of the
letter, it will not reach the addressee by post when it lacks the 50 paise
stamp! So too the trappings, vestures, shawls, moles and rosaries are
ineffective; they cannot reach the addressee - God. What will take their
prayers to the addressee is the 50 paise stamp: dedication or Bhakti.
213
I WANT each one of you to grow into
a strong, steady and straight person. Your eyes should not seek evil sights;
your ears should not seek evil tales; your tongue should not seek evil
speech; your hands should not seek evil acts; your minds should not seek
evil thoughts. Be pure and be full of Love. Help those who are in a worse
condition and serve those who need your help.
214
GOD appears in human form; He
promotes pasture of cattle and agriculture in order that the food must
sustain the Head and render it intelligent and clear enough to realise God.
The body has to be nourished for the sake of the Head, so that "Jnana? can
be attained and Liberation gained. Food-Head-God: this is the chain of
events.
215
MOST of the names of the Divine
have but two letters or syllables; the significance of the number two, Rama,
Krishna, Hara, Hari, Datta, Shakti, Kali etc., is that the first syllable
represents Agni (Fire principle), which burns up accumulated demerit or sin;
and the second represents the Amrita principle, the restorative, refreshing
and the reformation force. The two processes are necessary for the removal
of obstructions and the construction of the structure.
216
WHEN you live in the World of desire,
you must be prepared for both Joy and Grief. Invite the Minister Boga, and
along with him you must be prepared for the visit of his Private Secretary
Roga! On the other hand, invite the Minister Thyaga or his colleague Yoga,
and you will be happy to receive their Private Secretary Boga who plays a
minor role in the presence of his Master.
217
MAAM anusmara - with Me in memory
ever! Do not distinguish this task as Bhajan, or Bhojan (eating) or Pujan (adoration
of God). All acts are Pujan, for he, eaten by Him, for His sake to yield
strength for His work, gives food. Each moment is worthwhile, for He gives
it; He uses it; He fills it; He fashions it; and He fulfills it. When He is
fused with every breath, you can achieve the sovereign task of merging in
Him.
218
BHAKTI is not to be calculated on
the basis of the institutions one has started or helped, the temples that
one has built or renovated, the donations one has given away; nor does it
depend on the number of times one has written the Name of the Lord or on the
time and energy one has spent in the worship of the Lord. These are not
vital at all; no, not even secondary. Bhakti is Prema, unsullied by any
tinge of desire for the benefit that flows from it or the fruit of
consequence of that Love.
219
GOD is as eager to save you, as you
are eager to be saved; He is Prema, He is Karuna, for all who flounder on
the road. He is called "Bhakta - Abhista - Prada" (He who grants the desires
of the Devotees). You say that I laugh within Myself, that I roll my hair on
My fingers and draw them right over My face, but let me say why? A sign of
My "Ananda" is the success of the Bhaktas in capturing My heart.
220
THE human body has been secured as
a reward for many lives of meritorious activity. Being valued as a boat,
which can help us cross the ocean of change "Samsara", it has to be tended
with grateful reverence. The Bhagavad Gita calls the body "Kshetra", which
means "a field"; one can sow holiness or sin and gather a harvest
commensurate with the particular quality. Choose the crop that you need
before you sow the seeds.
221
THE bird, in the physical cage
wherein man is imprisoned, is always, from the moment of birth to the moment
of death, chirping "Soham? declaring "Jiva and Deva are One". It is this
affirmation that is the justification for the gift of life. When that chirp
does not emanate from the breath, the body is a corpse: Savam! When it
manifests, illumines and fills the cage with the "Divine Fragrance", it is a
Tabernacle: Sivam! Identify yourselves with the Mantra, the bird chirps and
the breath repeats.
222
THE Vedavids marked three stages in
the Life of man and assigned one aspect of God to preside over each stage.
The first, where man is deep in activity of some sort or other in Karma, is
presided over by Vasu. The second, under the protection of Rudra, is filled
with reverential worship of the God in all, discovered through the impact of
Love. The third is the stage of Jnana, the supreme Wisdom, presided over by
the Source of illumination, Adithya or the Sun.
223
THE World is a furnace and a
factory where man has to shape his destiny by his honest, untiring effort.
He, who takes up this challenge and spends his allotted years and the skills
and intelligence with which he is endowed, in purposeful activity, is really
entitled to the status of a KARMA YOGI.
224
DUTY is God; Work is Worship; and
there is a dictum: "Heads in the Forest; Hands in Society"; Do deeds that
are holy and beneficial, untarnished by ego and the greed to benefit. Start
on the sacred pilgrimage to the Divine Goal and make every minute of your
life holy and purposeful. Then surely, this Earth, your field of work, will
be transformed into a Karmakshetra and a Dharmakshetra.
225
A DEVOTEE once lamented, saying,
"Oh God! You have forgotten me"! This is never possible; it is the devotee
who forgets that he is the child of God, that God is his never failing
friend and guide. God is all knowledge, all power, and all mercy. Faith in
God has to be constant and firm in the face of every challenge by fate or
fortune.
226
A PERSON might appear poor,
distressed, and depressed to ordinary mortals; he might not have the
exterior demonstration of devotion, but God could be ever installed in his
heart, guiding and guarding him. He might be doing all acts as acts of
worship to the God residing in his heart.
227
WE, who are crossing the ocean of Samsara (the chain of birth and death),
need to cultivate the art of swimming through "Bhagavath Chinthana" (Meditation
of God). However learned we may be, if we do not have this training and
cultivation, we are bound to sink. Life is a boat which enables us to cross
the ocean of Samsara with the aid of Meditation on God.
228
WHEN you spend your hours in thoughts about God, you are also free from
evil ways. You will not be tempted to abuse others or harm them in any way.
You live in Love, accepting all the events as His gifts. Homes such as yours
are, really speaking, Heavens on earth; the Joy that bubbles in your hearts
is the symbol of Vaikunta; the earnestness
and care that you evince in your work is the sign of Kailas, the abode of
Siva. Hearts dedicated to these ideals are indeed "golden".
229
WE cannot describe God in the vocabulary learnt upon the Earth. We have
to experience the Bliss of realising Him as the core of our being. Man is
endowed with a sense of wonder and awe, the sense which makes him either a
participant (Karma Yoga), an inquirer into the mystery (Gnana Yoga) or a
devout adorer (Bakthi Yoga).
230
EVERYDAY before you begin work, pray to God for a few minutes at least;
and, at the end of the day, when the work is over, gather in some
consecrated spot, a temple or mandir and offer grateful thanks to the Lord,
singing His name and meditating on His Majesty. That will make you real
Karma Yogins, even heroes of the Karma Path.
231
ONE does not have to search for spiritual power, going around the World
and spending a lot of money. Be in your own house, develop it in yourself,
such spiritual power in you! You do not have to run for it here and there.
God is not external; God is not outside you; God is inside you. You are not
a man, you are God yourself. You are not one person, but three; the one you
think you are (physical); the one others think you are (mental); and the one
you really are. Do not be under the delusion that God is somewhere and you
have to
search for Him; God is in you.
232
PARENTS and teachers can earn My Grace only by becoming good and worthy
examples to their sons and daughters, or their wards and students. You claim
to have devotion to Me, but you must examine and discover whether I am
pleased with you. You must examine yourselves every moment, whether you are
observing the discipline I have laid down and the program of service I have
marked out. That is the way to earn My Love. Love others and serve them;
then you can win My Love.
233
YOU will see the day when the Chitravati sands alone cannot accommodate
the gatherings that assemble here from all parts of the World; when the sky
alone can provide a roof for them all. Many hesitate to believe that things
will improve, that life for all will be happy and full of joy, that the
Golden Age will ever recur. Let me assure you that this Dharmaswarupa has
not come in vain; it will succeed in averting the crisis that has come upon
Humanity.
234
WHEN the Dharma of the Age is laid aside to establish it anew, through
loving means; when the World is polluted by conflict and confusion, to
restore the path of virtue and peace; when good men caught in cruel coils
wail, to save them from pain and shame; when sacred texts are not grasped
aright, to proclaim the message they teach mankind; to relieve the earth of
the burden of Vice, to fulfill the promise made in the Tretha Age; Achutha
has incarnated on this earth; Vasudeva, Srihari, has come into the World.
235
GOD alone is eternal; man is a momentary flash, a tiny wave that rises
and falls. So, fill yourselves with vast thoughts, magnificent ideas,
indefinable splendour, by reciting the names of God, names that describe HIM
to your receptive Consciousness. That is the main discipline for this Age.
236
REMEMBERING the Lord by means of His name
is enough to save man. The Lord is
"Anandamaya"; He is also "Ananda". That "Ananda"
is to be tasted through the Name. It is "Sath-Chith-Ananda".
You may doubt whether such a small raft
as Rama, or Sai or Krishna can take you across the
boundless sea of Samsara. People cross vast oceans
on a tiny raft; they are able to walk through dark
jungles with a tiny lamp in their hands. The name or
even the Pranava ,which is smaller, has vast potentialities.
The raft need not be as big as the sea!
237
DO not fret against the rules and regulations
which the Organisation imposes on you; they
are laid down for your own good. Regulation is the
every essence of creation. The oceans observe their
limits. Wind and fire respect their limits and bonds.
The human body has to maintain its warmth at 98.4?
F. in order to be healthy; the heart has to beat a
definite number of times a minute. How, then, can
this Organisation escape the prescription of certain
rules and regulations?
238
THE same Divine compassion that blessed Dharma,
saved Gajendra, restored Kuchela and stood by Prahalada, has come to the Earth as the
Refuge of the refugees; as the Lord of Peace, Harmony
and Righteousness; as the Lord of all the
Worlds; as the Sath-Chith-Anandamurthi; and as
the Puttaparthi Sathya Sai, Sath-Chakravarthi, the
King of Kings.
239
THE Avatar is Atmasakthi that has put on the
raiment of Kriyasakthi and Yogasakthi.
Generally, Avatar or the process of Incarnation is
described as a "coming down" from a higher status
to a lower one. But, no! When the baby in the cradle
weeps, wails and clamours for help, the mother
stoops and takes it up in her arms; her stoop is not
to be described as a "coming down". If you earn the
necessary credentials, the Incarnation will come and
save you. If, on the other hand, you multiply your
demerits and descend lower and lower, how can
you be saved?
240
SAI only reflects your mind. He has no
prejudices or preference. He is a mirror
wherein you can see yourselves as you really are.
In order to correct their mistakes and remove your
faults, I sometimes have to use harsh words; but
you may be rest assured that My sole aim is to turn
you to better ways. I have no anger in Me. It is the
inner compassion which takes the other form of
anger.
241
YOU think that Sai Baba is comfortably sleeping
in the Mandir. Do you know where I find happiness?
I am happy when I am with you. That is the
reason why I declare "My Life is My Message". I
am consistently engaged in some work or another at
all hours. I do not get attached to anything nor do I
need to detach Myself from anything. I am ever in
full Ananda.
242
EGOISM is a thorny bush which, when planted
and fostered in one's heart, makes one pay the
penalty. Egoism makes enemies of fast friends and
rains many good causes and projects, for it does not
allow two good men to work together. Grief follows
it like a shadow. Where there is no ego - joy,
peace, courage, cooperation and love flourish.
When man is aware that the same Divine consciousness
that motivates him is equally motivating all
others, then Love ousts the ego into the background
and takes charge of man's activities, words
and thoughts.
243
OVERCOME by inner foes, how can man succeed
in overwhelming the outer foes? Burdened
with sloth and dullness, how can he achieve
wisdom? Prompted by passion, how can he cultivate
devotion? Balance and equanimity alone can
confer peace and harmony.
244
NARA and Narayana, man and God, are like
iron and magnet. God, by His very nature, attracts
man near, for in man there is the Divine.
When the magnet fails to attract the iron piece, we
sometimes conclude that the magnet has lost its
power. The real fact however is, that the piece of iron
is too thickly covered by rust and dust. Thus, man (the
iron) does not realise his own defect, but rushes to
blame God (the magnet) and even to deny Him.
245
REVERE Jnana as you revere your father; adore
love as you adore your mother; move fondly
with Dharma, as if it is your own brother; confide in
Daya, as if it is your dearest friend; have "Shantam"
as your better half; treat "Sahana", fortitude, as if it is
your own beloved son. These are your genuine kith
and kin. Move with them; do not forsake or neglect
them.
246
HOLD all your property and wealth in trust for
the Lord who gave them to you; even your
family you must treat as a sacred trust, as persons
given to you by the Lord to love, foster and guide.
Thus, you must elevate your attachment into worship
and make it an instrument for spiritual progress.
247
YOU come to Puttaparthi, secure a picture, and
taking it home, begin worshipping it every day
or every Thursday; but, all that is simply "Sathkarma",
good activity. They will not take you far. You
must also develop "Sathguna", virtues, good habits,
good attitudes, good characteristics and a good
character. Otherwise, our life is a chain of pluses
and minuses, one canceling the other out, totaling
up to a mere zero.
248
DEVOTION towards God goes ill with hatred
towards fellow-men. Fellow-men and the
World must be seen ever in the mirror of "Sath-Chith-Ananda".
Kinship based on this recognition alone
will last. That is the Sai kinship. When you
deepen that kinship, the true presence, the constant
presence of Sathya Sai will be yours. Do not be led,
away by your fancies into the jungle of words and
feelings. Be firm, true to your inner-most nature.
249
THERE are many Trusts operating in this
country and in others beyond the seas. I wish to
emphasis that the Sathya Sai Trusts have to shine
forth among them all by their special characteristics.
They must be based on mutual trust and cooperation
built on the actual experience of the One-ness
of all. There is no room here for egoistic poses, compulsory
tactics, greed for power, recrimination and
jealousy.
250
GOD too is a reality, ever present in us and in
every being; but we miss Him, as we miss the
movement of the earth. We have to infer God
through proofs and evidences of His Providence,
His grace, His Majesty and His Glory, just as we
infer the movements of the Earth, the Moon and the
Stars by watching the sky, the seasons and the
precise procession of day and night. We cannot
describe God in the vocabulary learnt on the earth.
251
HUMAN desire is illimitable and without end. It
makes you pursue the mirage in the desert; it
makes you build castles in the air; it breeds discontent
and despair once you succumb to it. But
develop the thirst for Krishna; you discover the
cool-spring of Ananda within you. Krishna-nama
makes you very strong and steady; it is sweet and
sustaining.
252
SIVOHAM, Sivoham - was the exclamation that
rose from the Souls that knew the Truth in a
flash of illumination, after long years of cleansing
the mind through the process of "Tapas". "I am Siva,
Siva am I". Though called by many names and
recognised in many forms, the Divine Principle is
one, without a second. It is "Sivam" and it is latent
in each being, including Man.
253
THE serpent can be tamed and its poisonous fangs
removed, when music from the Nagaswaram
pipe is played and when it is fascinated by that
sweet melody. The poison that Vishaya exerts on
the human mind can also be eliminated and
countermanded, when man is fascinated by the
sweet melodies of NNamasmaranaor Sankeertan,
that is to say, by the repetitive chanting of the meaningful
Names of the Lord. The poison in both can
thus be transmuted into pure nectar.
254
SCRIPTURES are endless; Sadhanas are countless;
opportunities are few; time is already overstocked.
But you can easily win the battle of life, in
spite of these handicaps, provided you arm yourself
with Love, which is the essential teaching of all
Scriptures, the goal of all varieties of Sadhana, the
best use to which all opportunities can be put and
the most profitable way of utilising the precious
capital time.
255
IMAGINE the fate of the cows when a tiger enters
the manger. Can they survive the invasion? So
too, the cows of Truth, Justice, Peace and Love cannot
survive in the human heart when the "Tigers",
namely Greed, Anger and Pride enter and play
havoc. Today, the human heart, especially the
heart of the educated man, has become the lair of
wild desires and cruel habits.
256
THE day when devotees sing songs in
praise of the Lord and please the ear;
The day when sorrows of the poor recur and
men move closer as brothers born;
The day when servants of God are fed with Love
and Care in thankfulness;
The day when a Great One comes to us and relates
thrilling tales of God; these indeed are worthwhile
days. The rest are like days dedicated to obsequies for the dead.
257
DO not consider any act of service as demeaning.
Sweeping the streets, for example, is not
below your dignity. Do you not sweep the floor of
your homes? Do you not scrub and wash off dirt?
When you undertake such tasks, the villagers will
also gladly share in them. Why feel ashamed to be
good? The ridicule that may be cast on you has been
the reward of many Saints. It will soon fade away.
Mohammed was driven out of Mecca by those who
could not appreciate his teachings. Jesus was
crucified. But their names resound in reverence in
the hearts of millions.
258
ISAA Vaasym Idam Sarvam, all this is enveloped
by God; all this is soaked in God and saturated
with God. Everything is the substance of God. In
fact the best teacher is one's own heart. Time is the
best preceptor and awakener; the World is the best
scripture; God is the best friend for man. So there
is no need to wander in search of a Guru. Man is of
God, with and from God. The Cosmos is a bubble
born in the Absolute. The human essence in man is
Divine. The true Guru is not the human preceptor.
Revere the World as Divine. All that is seen or
heard is God. Revere the Universe as Guru.
259
I HAVE no sense of distinction between Bhaktas
who worship this form or that. All can come
near, all who crave for heat and light. The heat of
this splendour will destroy the chill of sensual
pleasure. The light will scatter the darkness of the
ages. Cultivate Love and Prema towards all; that is
the way to gain nearness. I do not measure distance
in terms of meters or miles. The range of Love
decides the distance for Me.
260
THE real aim of education must be to help the
student discover the Divine in every being
Saint Vemana says:
Scholars study! study! study! But the fools know
not what they are! Studying, studying, studying.
The scholar is not free from vice nor has he become
wise. Then why study these mean, mortal things?
Study only that which is deathless. The most
desirable subject for study is the Secret of the Soul
which is Immortal.
261
SEVA is the adoration of the Lord, as "Viswa-Virataswarupa",
as having the multifaceted form and immanence
in the entire Universe. The Vedas
describe Him as thousand-headed, thousand-eyed
and thousand-footed. The thousands of hands and
eyes and feet that have come here for the festivals
are all His, the Lord's. Worship Him; that is the
purpose of your Seva. And He is none else than
your own self.
262
YOU must discover your identity; then only can
you have peace. You are like a man who has
forgotten his name; his address and his mission in
life. Realise it and try to delve into yourself; so that
you may know who you are. Then you get security
and peace. Sharpen your intellect for this purpose;
and cleanse your consciousness for this purpose
through Sathsang, Japa, Dhyana, Namasmarana
etc.
263
VALMIKI was a highway-robber who waylaid
and killed hundreds without hesitation; he was
the slave of passion and emotion; but when the
seven-Sages, whom he waylaid one night, counseled
patience, forbearance and self-enquiry, he
turned heroically into the path of Ram (giving up
the lure of Kam or Lust) and achieved immortality
and immortal fame, as the narrator of Rama's story.
264
SCATTER the seeds of Love in dreary desert
hearts; then the sprouts of Love will make the
wastes green with joy; the blossom of Love will
make the air fragrant; the river of Love will murmur
along the valleys; and every bird, beast and child
will sing the song of Love.
265
PRAYER is the very breath of Religion for it
brings man and God together and with every
sigh nearer and nearer. Dhyana is the process of
listening to the Song Celestial, the Flute of Krishna,
with the mental ears alert on the melody. Yoga is
the merging of the Mind in the Bliss of self-forgetfulness
when the music fills the Consciousness.
266
THE Primal Formless Absolute wedded Desire
and the Mind was born. The Mind wedded
two wives, Inner contemplation and Outer activity.
The first gave birth to five sons; Sathya, Dharma,
Shanthi, Prema and Ahimsa, the Five Pandava
Brothers. Mind was infatuated more with the
second wife, and so, gave birth to a 100, each one
with a name indicative of badness and wickedness,
the Kauravas. God was on the side of the Pandavas
and they won.
267
THE Universe is seen; it can be learnt about; it
can be experienced and enjoyed. But God is
unseen. He has to be inferred through His handiwork.
So too, Society to which social service is
rendered, cannot be seen as such. We can contact
only individuals. But through the individual, you
infer the immanence of the Divine. All are actors on
the World Stage, in His play. Every atom is surcharged
with His Power, His Might and His Glory.
Every being is surcharged with His Bliss, His beauty
and His Goodness.
268
BE devoted to the Universal; be eager to become
that. When you pray to God for a job, a son, or a
prize, you are devoted not to God, but to the job, to
the son and to the prize. Pray to God for God.
Love, because it is your nature to Love, because you
know nothing else and because you cannot act
otherwise than Love. Expand yourself, take in all!
Grow in Love.
269
HAVING an open heart, do not relish the narrow
path of restricted love; love all, do not
develop prejudices against men in power or position.
They too are our kith and kin. We all sail
together. Be convinced of one Truth about Me;
Swami will never lay his hand on a task without
proper reason and without some profound effect
that will flow there from.
270
WHEN the Giver of Grace is here, you run after
persons who claim that they got this or other
article from Me or were blessed with this gift from
Me. When you have Kamadhenu here, why seek to
know and secure a cow? Kamadhenu can give you
all that you need. When you have Kalpatharu here,
why bother about the fruits on a tree? Kalpatharu
can give you all that you ask. When you have here
the mountain of Gold and Silver, Meru, why cringe
for silver and gold from persons who are themselves
beggars? When you have God come among
you to support and sustain you, why grovel before
crude vulgar entities?
271
MAN is
equipped with a return-ticket when he
takes birth. Holding it in his grasp, he earns
and spends, rises and falls, sings and dances, weeps
and wails, forgetting the end of the journey. But
though he forgets, the wagon of life moves towards
the cemetery which is its terminus. It brings no
glory to man if he is tied helplessly to the wheel of
birth and death. His glory and greatness consist in
disentangling himself from that revolving wheel.
272
THE mind is the architect of your progress or
decline. For the fool, the mind is a formidable
dinosaur; for the intelligent, the mind is an angel.
The trained mind is torn by fear; the pure elevated
mind is placid and unruffled, like that of a homeless
Sage. The Vedas teach how to purify the mind and
render it into a useful tool.
273
INTELLECT alone can direct man in the path of
discrimination, between the true path and the
false; the proper and the improper. This is the
reason why man has been praying since Ages,
through the Gayathri "hymn" "Illumine me, prompt
my intelligence, so that I may walk aright".
274
SANKARA wrote a verse summarizing the advice
he gave the poor struggling Brahmin
house holder at Varanasi (Benares city):
"Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam,
Moodha Mathe, Samprapthe Sannihithe Kaale
Nahi Rakshathi Duakru Karane", Praise
God, Praise God, Praise God, you fool,
when death knocks at your door, rules of grammar
cannot save you.
275
OF what avail is a car, a bank deposit, a bungalow
in a posh extension of a city? If you
have all these but no love in your heart, the heart
becomes a dark deserted temple, where the bats of
lust and anger breed in the everlasting night. Such
hearts are foul, diseased with terror and error!
276
BIRDS, beasts and trees have not deviated from
their nature; they are still holding it valid. Man
alone has disfigured it, in his crude attempt to improve
upon it. So, the Avatar has to come as Man
among men, and move as friend, well-wisher,
kinsman, guide, teacher, healer and participant
among men. He has come to restore Dharma and
when man follows Dharma, He is pleased and content.
277
GET up, place the rosary in its bag and engage
yourselves in relieving distress; that is the true
spiritual path. Do not waste all your years with
stone images, pictures or idols, learn to see in every
living vital active person the embodiment of all
energy, all beauty, all beneficence, namely God.
God is subtler than ether filling the smallest crevice
with His Majesty. Know this and serve His manifestations,
wherever you meet them.
278
CONTENTMENT is heaven; grief is hell; anger is
the foe; calmness is the armour; and compassion
is the comrade. You repeat Shanti three times,
don't you? It is to encourage peace in the human,
Godly and natural milieu in which you have to live;
also to develop peace, in the body, mind and intellect.
279
ALL men have two constables ever with them;
they are the symbols of his sentence of imprisonment.
They are "Abhiman" (sense of I) over
"Mamakar" (sense of Mine), the egoistic feeling and
the pride of possession. Man is a prisoner of his
senses so long as these two keep him under guard.
Man strays away into misery and pain, because he
loses the sense of value and runs after the temporary
and the trivial. He ignores the voice of God
which warns and guides from within; and he
pays the penalty for the transgression.
280
AN act dedicated as an offering to the God, resident
in all, becomes as sacred as the highest
Seva, that is why Avatars happen; hence, when you
offer Seva to mankind, the Avatar will naturally be
pleased and you can win Grace.
281
THE individual born in the lake of Society must
swim and float in the calm waters, and joining
the River of Progress, merge in the Ocean of Grace.
Man has to move from the stance of "I" to the position
of "We". This day we see only the wild dance of
ego-stricken individuals, who hate Society and behave
most unsocially.
282
THE call of the Divine echoes in every heart; it
provokes the reaction of awe, reverence, affection,
love and sacrifice all ingredients of Bhakti.
It translates itself into acts of worship, of praise, of
adoration and of rituals symbolizing the Majesty of
God. Thus, the Mind gets saturated with Divine
thoughts. It is recast in the Divine Mould until the
flow of "Ananda" becomes unabated.
283
GOD first; the World next, myself last! That is
the legitimate sequence for the Sadhaka; and
who is not a Sadhaka? You have to be one, now or
later, so that you can be liberated from this cycle of
birth-death! Now, man in his callousness towards
his own welfare, has turned it topsy-turvy! It is
myself first, the world next, and God is last. So,
God is lost too! Hold fast to God; then you will be
safe.
284
MY activities are not for publicity or propaganda
or even to confer joy on others! They are
for conferring joy primarily on me! I have no need to
please others and to earn approval or appreciation.
For I and you are not distinct entities; you are I; and
I am you. I am the current that flows into every
bulk and illumines it. Those who see me as separate
are seeing falsehood. I am in your hearts; you are in
Mine. Don't be misled into doubt and distress.
Dogs may bark and jackals howl; but Truth moves
majestically forward.
285
THERE is only one God and He is Omnipresent, True.
But to concentrate on the Omnipresent, some fixed
point or preliminary form
is needed. And to conceive of the Divine as present
everywhere at all times, the mind of man is to be
clarified and purified by means of a certain
psychological process called Sadhana.
286
REMEMBER, God is your guardian, when you
sleep; when you are helpless; even when you
have forgotten or neglected or discarded Him. He
has no need for the things you offer or promise to
offer. He is ever content, ever blissful, ever full and
ever free. Do your duty to yourself - that is enough
offering for Him.
287
MAN must first decide, after vigorous self-examination
and continuous discrimination, the path that he wishes to traverse. Moksha or Liberation
means the removal of the bonds of Ignorance
that could hide the Truth and create a mirage of the
Truth. In fact, living is only another name of the
process of achieving alternate misery and happiness,
hunger and contentment, illness and health,
desires and fulfillment.
288
THE Sai Religion is the harmonious blending
though Love of all Religions, though some
followers of other Faiths feel that the Sai Religion is
contrary to theirs. We should not entertain similar
feelings. Ours is the Totality, the Sum; we should
not limit or restrict our Vision.
289
YOU may have vast scholarship, fame and fortune.
But the bee can give you a lesson on how
to be free from torment. The tree can teach you forbearance
and tolerance. It offers a shade to all, irrespective
of age, sex or religion, nationality or
status. It helps with fruit and shade even to the foe
who lays his ax on its trunk! The dog can teach you
a lesson in Faith, Selfless Service and the process of
Dedication.
290
FORM small Sathsangas and meet regularly for
Bhajans and mutual consultation about spiritual
matters. Read some fine spiritual classics like
Bhagavatha. Fill your eyes with the Beauty of His
form, your ears with the story of His Leelas, and
your hearts with the sweetness of His Glory; inspire
yourselves by seeing Him everywhere. Think of His
Immanence in every hill and dale, every man and
beast, every tree, bird and insect. You will be really
thrilled by the joy of that Vision.
291
MAN is daily growing more and more greedy
to know more about the lives of others, more
extrovert in fact. He wants to escape from himself
by interesting himself in others. He does not want to
worry about the details of his own life or the
problems of his own rehabilitation. Of what benefit
is all this burden of information that you seek to
carry in your head, this knowledge of the various
regions of the world without a knowledge of the
region of your own self, the centre of all the interest
that you evince?
292
REMEMBER, you cannot have the "Anubhava"
and the "Ananda" first. And you cannot
postpone Faith until you get them. You cannot bargain:
Give me Ananda and then I shall have Faith;
See the Purushothama in all Purushas. Purusha
means: he who lives in the rural or port-city or
town. Each one of us is the resident and the sole
resident of a distinct house of God. But, the
Purushothama, the Supreme Resident in all the
cities, is God. You can recognise the Purushothama,
if you educate yourselves properly.
293
EVERYDAY, when you take food you are offering
eatables to the fire that God has put in you
to digest food. You have to eat in a prayerful mode,
in profound gratitude. The Gita says that the fire
which cooked the meal is God; the meal is God; the
eater is God; the purpose of eating is to carry on the
work entrusted by God or pleasing to God; and the
fruit of that work is progress towards God.
294
PREMA must grow with every moment of Sadhana.
It must sweeten every word, deed and
thought of yours. Emerge from Dhyana as a person
more charged with Love! Emerge from Bhajan with
a greater measure of Love! Return from Nagarsankirtan
with a firmer conviction that everything is
surcharged with the same Divinity that is behind all
your activity.
295
THE beauty of Nature is but a reflection of the
Beauty that is God. But like all images, it is not
substantial. Flowers fade, clouds scatter into new
patterns, physical charm is but a flash that disappears
in a moment - but Divine Beauty is eternal, full
and free. That Sundaram is Sathyam, unaffected by
the passage of time, unchanging with the location;
that Sundaram is the real Shivam, the only Good
that is. Pursuing petty physical beauty leads man
astray; it is as calamitous as the pursuit of trivial joy.
296
YOU must all study the Gita daily. Read a few
slokas and meditate on the meaning yourself; it
will dawn on you in the silence of your heart. You
need not read elaborate commentaries. Each word
in the Gita is a gem. No more do you need
gemstones for the ear, the nose, and the neck; have
the gem of the Gita slokas in your heart; let them
activate your intellect and your hands.
297
WE shall act ever as if we are in the presence of
God, as if God is watching and weighing
every thought, word and deed. See yourselves in all;
See all in yourselves; that is the road to lasting peace
and joy. Let us not seek the outer empire; let us
become the rulers of the inner empire. Let us not try
to defy the outer enemy, leaving the inner foe to
grow in striking power. We have Krishna with us,
and so, who can defeat us? We shall win through
winning His Grace.
298
YOU may be in the Prasanthi Nilayam area for 20
or 25 years. But you worry more about physical
needs and comforts than Japam and Dhyanam; the
waving of the camphor flame at the end of the
Bhajan sessions is to remind you that your sensual
craving must be burnt away without leaving any
trace behind, and you must offer yourself to God for
being merged with His Glory.
299
THE Gayathri Manthram is a Universal Prayer
that can be used by men of all climes and
creeds, for it calls upon the Glorious Power that
pervades the Sun and the three Worlds to arouse,
awaken and strengthen the Intelligence, so that it
may lead to intense Sadhana; and Sadhana may lead
to success.
300
VINAYAKA CHATHURTHI DAY
GANAPATHY is described as "Buddhi
Vinayaka" and "Siddhi Vinayaka" (Vinayaka
the Wise and Vinayaka the Accomplished).
"Vinayaka" means the Ganas, hence He is called
Ganapathy. Man is confronted with many obstacles
(Vighnas) in the journey of life. Prayers are offered
to Vigneswara - for removing obstacles and impediments.
He is the Deity to whom worship is offered
first in any ritual. Because of the acute intelligence
He displayed, Vinayaka was made Head of the
Ganas by Parameswara.
Index
Introduction
Pearls 1- 100
Pearls 101 - 200
Pearls 201- 300
Pearls 301- 400
Pearls 401- 500
Pearls 501 - 600
Pearls 601 - 700
Pearls 701 - 800
Pearls 801 - 900
Pearls 901 - 1008