TRUE DEVOTION

He is a true devotee who considers God’s happiness as his own.

He always aspires to give happiness to the Lord and does not want to cause any inconvenience to Him. You should never cause inconvenience to God in the name of devotion.

Consider that God’s happiness is your happiness and your happiness is God’s happiness. Imbibe this spirit of oneness.

Today most of the devotees are selfish. They have only Swartha Bhakti (devotion intended for selfish gains). They are concerned with their own happiness and not that of God's.

You should see to it that your love is always pure. God is the embodiment of love. Such divine love is present in all. Share your love with everyone. This is what God expects from you.

SRISATHYASAI

SHANTHI

Santhi (peace) is a shoreless ocean. It is the LIght that illumines the world.

Having it is having it all. It confers knowledge of both this world and next. Pure Love can emanate only from a heart immersed in Santhi.

Santhi is not the conviction arrived at by means of logic. It is the Discipline of all disciplined lives. To attain Santhi, the mind must first be calmed and quietened. Only then the body can be healthy and the intellect sharp.

Your mind is the battlefield where good and bad, right and wrong, contest for supremacy. Iron has to be beaten flat by iron alone. So too, the inferior, lower mind has to be shaped better by the superior mind itself.

You must endeavor to make your mind superior and stronger for the task of personal upliftment.

SRISATHYASAI

YOU AND I ARE ONE !!

Know that you and I are one.

You can realize this only by intense spiritual discipline, that is not marred by anger, envy and greed...the vices that sprout from the ego.

When you get angry, you act as if you are possessed by an evil spirit. Your face becomes ugly and frightful. Heed that signal, and take yourself to a quiet spot. Do not give free vent to wicked vocabulary.

Envy and greed also emanate from the ego and have to be carefully watched and controlled.

Like the tadpole's tail, the ego will fall away when one grows in wisdom. Develop wisdom, discriminate and know the ephemeral nature of all objective things.

Srisathyasai

KEEP YOUR BODY FIT,MAINTAIN GOOD COMPANY AND TRANSLATE PRAYER INTO ACTION

The physical is subordinate to the spiritual. The body is the cart and the spirit, the horse. To not follow the disciplines imposed for betterment, is as absurd as putting the cart before the horse.

Of course, the cart should be kept in good condition. Vice ruins the body and makes it unfit for the journey of life. The mind is the horse. It is starved, neglected and not groomed for the journey. Achieve lasting joy and do not throw away precious years of life in silly adventures.

Develop faith and do not be turned away by your egoism or other's cynicism. With wisdom and detachment, your hearts will bloom with fragrant beauty.

The company one keeps determines one's character. People join groups where they can freely express their innate nature. You must carefully choose the company you are in.

Consider this example: A length of string is a worthless thing, no one will wear it in the hair or place it reverentially on an idol of God. But, when it associates itself with a few fragrant flowers, then women decorate their hair with it and devotees place the garland of flowers on the idol they adore.

All names and forms are based on your feelings. God has no differences whatsoever.

No one can comprehend the nature of Divinity. Actually, the principle of love that exists in all beings is the principle of Divinity. Love has no specific form.

Divinity transcends name and form. In fact, all names and forms belong to the same God. He responds to the prayers of devotees in whatever form they worship Him. Hence, each one considers the form he worships to be superior to the other forms. It is a sign of ignorance to consider one form superior to the other.

What is important is that your prayers should not be confined to mere words. They should be translated into action. It is easy to speak but not so easy to practise. True prayer is that which is translated into action.

SRISATHYASAI

PEACE

Cultivate Love, Peace, Right Action and Fortitude. Practice them systematically.

You should be content with what you have, refuse to be worried by the absence of things that you have not got and try as far as possible to reduce and eliminate the desires and tendencies, passions and hatreds. That is your real duty, the real purpose of human birth.

If these four qualities are cultivated and practiced by each one, then there will be no envy between one person and another, Selfish grabbing will cease, the interests of others will be respected and world peace can be established.

Those enthusiastic about world peace must first learn how to experience and enjoy that peace themselves.

Peace cannot be spread or promoted by anyone. The best that can be done is to show
the way to others, to inform others of its sweetness. How can another's hunger be
appeased by your eating food? The diner alone derives satisfaction from the dinner.
Peace too is of such a nature.

Love and fortitude are enough to confer peace. Let these
virtues saturate your thought, word and deed. That is the way to establish world peace.
Through world peace, individual peace can also be established.

The relationship between Karma and Karma Yoga should be properly understood. Karma (action) done with attachment or desire causes bondage. But selfless action devoid of desires becomes Karma Yoga (the path of action leading to liberation). Our life should become Yoga (Divine Communion) rather than a Roga (disease).

There is no greater quality in man than selfless love, which expresses itself in service to others. Such love can be the source of real bliss.

SRISATHYASAI

YOUR HEART IS THE BEST OFFER TO THE LORD

You must offer the Lord not the flowers that plants grow; they will reward the plant, not you.

The Lord wants you to offer the lotus that blooms in the Lake of your Heart, the fruit that ripens on the tree of your earthly career, not the lotus and the fruit available in the market place.

You may ask, "Where can we find the Lord?" Well, He gives you His address. He says "I reside in the heart of all beings."

Knowing that, how can you look down on any being in contempt or how can you revel in hating or indulge in the pastime of ridiculing?

Every individual is charged with the Divine Presence, moved by the Divine attributes.

Love, honor, friendliness, that is what each one deserves from you. Give these in full measure.

SriSathyasai

RELY ON GRACE, SHED ALL FEAR

As the carpenter shapes the wood, the blacksmith shapes the iron, the goldsmith shapes the gold, so the Lord shapes in His own way, the World, woven of Space and Time.

Know that the Lord is the basis and shed all fear.

The tiny sparrow sits on the storm-tossed bough, because it knows its wings are strong; it does not depend upon the tossing bough to sustain it.

So too, rely on the Grace of God, earn it and keep it. Then, whatever be the strength of the storm, you can survive it without harm.

SRISATHYASAI

'TAPAS' ( PENANCE )

Truth can reflect itself in the intellect only when it is clarified by 'Tapas' (penance). Tapas means all acts undertaken with noble motives and all acts indicating yearning for the spirit, repenting for past mistakes, staunch determination to adhere to virtue, self-control and unyielding adherence to equanimity in the face of success or failure. 'Taapam' means heat, burning intensity and earnestness of endeavour. It is Tapas that fosters renunciation and discipline.

SRISATHYASAI

GOD REALISATION IS NOT THAT DIFFICULT AS PEOPLE IMAGINE IT TO BE

Everyone thinks that God Realisation is very difficult and it requires a lot of effort. This is not wrong also because this is what we have heard from most saints and read in most of the books.

Now listen - there are two things. 1) Turning towards God and 2) Turning away from the world.

Now God is naturally attained - He is ever attained and the world is always moving away from us.

Be silent. Remain in God, let there be no other thought (Gita 6:25). Do nothing and think of nothing - God is naturally attained. The attainment of the ever attained.No thought, no thinking. If a thought comes - it will go.

Keep three things in mind - (1) the thought is neither good, (2) the thought is neither bad and (3) the thought is not in me. Be indifferent to it.Remaining in God, become silent. If we think we will use nature (prakriti) and then it will assume importance. Thoughts just come and go. Do not give them any importance. By doing this, new thoughts do not come - old thoughts that are inside are going away. The door through which they come and go are same.

From the time we have been spiritually inclined, have the thoughts not reduced? This shows that they are going - not coming. Do not oppose the thoughts. If we oppose them, we will strengthen them. Just ignore them. They have no power to control us.

We are their master. If a dog enters our house, it does not become the master of the house.

Accept that Paramatma (Supreme Consciousness, God) IS. The body and world are NOT. Union with Paramatma is permanent and disunion with the body and world is constant. Remove what is NOT - Remove what is naturally being removed. And be in the IS, as this IS-ness is natural.

Now, where is the problem? Natural is what needs no effort.Only the real IS and the unreal IS NOT (Gita 2:16). Paramatma IS, and is naturally and ever attained. Be Still ! Paramatma has no power to leave us. Be situate in the IS.

SWAMI RAMSUKHDASJI

DO NOT SEE FAULTS IN OTHERS

Do Not See Faults in Others It is because of pride in our own qualities that we see faults in others. And by noticing faults in others, our pride gets more grounded and becomes even stronger. A Spiritual aspirant who desires to remove his faults, must not look at the faults of others. By seeing other's faults, he thus reinforces his own faults, and by associating with those faults, new faults start to arise. By seeing faults in others, neither we will be benefited, nor the other. The more impure our inner faculties are, the more we notice the faults of others. Just like a radio tunes to a particular frequency, so the impurities in the inner senses, tunes into and catches the frequency of more faults. If we desire that no one should think of us as bad, then we have no right to think of others as bad. By not thinking of the others as bad, goodness arises from within. That goodness which arises from within, is solid and pervasive. If we wish to protect our innocence, we should not see faults in any one, neither in ourselves, nor in others.

From "Drops of Nectar" in English by Swami Ramsukhdasji

ACHIEVE HARMONY THROUGH YOGA

Unlock Your Energies Through Yoga

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

When we say yoga , for many of you it might mean some impossible physical postures. Yoga means to be in perfect tune. When you are in yoga, your body, mind and spirit, and existence, are in absolute harmony. When you fine-tune yourself to a point where everything functions beautifully within you, the best of your abilities will just flow out of you. When you are happy, your energies function better. Have you noticed that when you are happy you have endless energy Even if you dont eat or sleep, you can go on and on. So, just a little happiness liberates you from your normal limitations of energy and capability. Yoga is the science of activating your inner energies in such a way that your body, mind and emotions function at their highest peak. When your body and mind function in a completely different state of relaxation and a certain level of blissfulness, you can be released from so much suffering. Right now, you come and sit in your office, and you have a nagging headache. Your headache is not a major disease, but it takes away your capability for the day. With the practice of yoga , your body and mind will be at their highest possible peak. There are other dimensions to yoga. When you activate your energies, you can function in a different way. As you are sitting here right now, you consider yourself to be a person. You are identified with many things, but what you call myself is actually just a certain amount of energy. Modern science says that the whole of existence is energy manifesting itself in different ways. If this is so, then you are also a little bit of energy functioning in a particular way. As far as science is concerned , this same energy which you call myself can be a rock, mud, tree, dog, or you. Everything is the same energy, functioning at different levels of capability. Similarly, among human beings, though we are all made of the same energy, we still do not function at the same level of capability. What you call capability or talent, your creativity, is a certain way your energy functions. This energy, in one plant it functions to create roses, in another it functions to create jasmine, but it is the same energy manifesting itself. If you gain some mastery over your own energies, things that you never imagined possible you will do simply and naturally. This is the experience of people who have started doing these yogic practices. It is the inner technology of creating situations the way you want them. We thought we could only dig mud and make pots or bricks. Now we dig the same earth and make computers, cars, and even spacecrafts. It is the same energy; we have just started using it for higher possibilities. Our inner energies are like that. There is a technology as to how to use this energy for higher possibilities. Every human being must explore and know this. Otherwise, life becomes limited and accidental . Once you activate your inner energies, your capabilities happen in a different sphere altogether . Yoga is a tool to find ultimate expression to life.

COURTESY : Times of India 18th Nov 2009

With love and Guru's blessings

SMRITI -- SPIRITUAL MEMORY--GURU GRANTS IT TO THE ASPIRING SISHYA

Random Access Memory, RAM in short, is a feature that makes computers meaningful. It is hard to imagine a PC functioning minus RAM. Computers without RAM are like people with dysfunctional memory, who live a life divorced from reality. On coming across such people, we realise how blessed we are to have our memory alive and in order. Sages, however, might beg to differ. In Indian spiritual lexicon, memory (smriti) is more than just remembering telephone numbers and bank balances. Memory connotes an evolved state of being. Success and failure in life, in the ultimate sense, depend upon how active and functional ones memory is. An illustration from the Bhagavad Gita might help clarify this point. The forces are positioned on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, ready for war. Arjuna, a key player in the Pandava team, finds his brethren and revered seniors before him. His emotions suddenly get the better of him. He realises the futility of war. He sees before his minds eye death and disaster on a large scale. He turns spiritual and resolves to renounce the contest. His mentor, Krishna, pities Arjuna and gives the message of the Gita, ending it with, Reflect upon it and act as you choose. What is the effect of the Gita, coming straight from Krishnas mouth, on Arjuna, the ardent disciple He says, My delusion is destroyed. I have regained my memory smritilabdha through Your grace! Tracing the sequence of self-ruin , the Gita states, Brooding over the objects of sense, man develops attachment to them; from attachment comes desire; from desire anger sprouts forth. From anger proceeds delusion; from delusion, confused memory or smritibhransh , from confused memory the ruin of reason, due to ruin of reason he perishes. Recovery of memory motivates Arjuna to engage in battle, but he fights in the dispassionate mode of action, the mode of Karma Yoga. He fights in Krishnas shadow of grace, acting solely as a blessed instrument of God to reset a disturbed cosmic order, dharmasansthapanarthaya . What is that ultimate memory that Krishna quickened in Arjuna to inspire him towards right action In the typical paradox of cosmic truth, ultimate memory is the same as original memory which, in turn, is the same as eternal memory. This relates to the truth of the essential unity of creation, non-duality , advaita. Sustenance , guidance and positive energy flow from the renewal of the memory of oneness and unity. All belong to the One, not as its parts, but rather as the One. Each of us, jointly and severally, is the One. The prelude to the Upanishads enunciates the absurd equation of Vedanta: One minus one equals one. That is a whole, this is a whole, from that whole has this issued. When this whole issues from that, what remains is a whole. Maya blurs the memory of oneness; it inspires notions of difference, self-interest and rival interest. The spiritual journey consists of constantly renewing this memory until it firmly lodges in the mind. This is called sumiran, a corruption of the term smaran , or remembrance. Sages across religions have hailed its value. Steeped in sumiran one gets established in bhakti or devotion, because the point of bhakti is ananyata, non-another-ness .

COURTESY: TIMES OF INDIA , 14th Nov 2009

"AHAM BRUMMAASMI" "I AM THAT" BE ESTABLISHED IN THE SELF.

"Be fixed in the consciousness that you yourself are the immortal "atma" which is indestructible, which is holy, pure and divine. That will give you unshakable courage and strength. Then, you must develop mutual love and respect. Tolerate all kinds of persons and opinions, all attitudes and peculiarities. The school, the home, the workplace and the society are all the training grounds of tolerance. The relationship with each other must be based on love, not fear. Only the atmosphere of love can guarantee happy co-operation and concord."

SRISATHYASAI

WHO IS A SAADHAKA ?

SADHAK (SPIRITUAL ASPIRANT)

No person can become a sadhak (spiritual aspirant) by doing
prohibited actions.

A sadhak may either turn away from the unreal (Asat, temporary and
changing) or may turn towards the real (Sat, Eternal, Permanent).
Of the two, he will have to do either one of them, then only, the
troubles will go away.

A sadhak must have a firm aim, a determination, a single pointed
goal, that he must attain only God Realization - This firm aim and
remaining unshakable and steafast in it, is extremely essential.

A sadhak must at no time see himself as a enjoyer of pleasures or a
worldly person. He must at all times be alert that "I am a sadhak".

The more detached one becomes from inert matters, the more a sadhak
gains extraordinariness within himself.

A sadhak is one who is ever alert and cautious.

A sadhak must believe that he is naturally established in
Paramaatmaa (God, Supreme Consciousness) only, which in essence is
true. A sadhak who believes that he is established in the world, he
falls from his spiritual practice.

A sadhak should think that if no one benefitted from him, if no one
was uplifted by him, and if no one was served by him, then how is he
a sadhak ?

A sadhak is not worried or concerned about his spiritual practice,
nor any attainment, nor of any supernatural powers, but it is
essential that for God Realization there must be intense longing.
Worries take one away from Bhagwaan (God), wherease intense longing
can make one realize God.

As long as one is aware of their individuality, till then the sadhak
must not become satisfied.

It is Ok to have differences and to make your life and your
spiritual practices according to the group, the path, the lineage
etc. that you follow, however, to feel bad about the differences in
others, to criticize them, to detest, condemn or hate them, that is
a mistake.

Until a sadhak is not satisfied and not contented with his present
state, till then there will not be any spiritual progress.

A sadhak must minimally have alertness, such that whatever he sees
as perishable, he must not get attached and entangled in it, he must
not give it importance. Make use of perishable things, but do not
accept it's servitude.

Sadhak, instead of becoming of a particular organization, must
become of the Elemental Essense (tattva vaadi).

For a seeker of enjoyment and pleasures, he likes sleep just like a
friend, but one who is engaged in worship of God and spiritual
practices, for him sleep is bad like an enemy.

For those who are not engaged in the worship of God, for them, this
is Kaliyug. For those that are engaged in worship and devotion of
God, for them, this is the most opportune time, an excellent time.

From "Drops of Nectar" in English and "Amrut Bindu" in Hindi Pg. 93-
95 by SWAMI RAMSUKHDASJI.

With BLESSINGS of GURUJI for the Saadhakas and to those
who wish to become Saadhakas. LOVE for all.

REFINEMENT AND THE SACRED PATH

A potter collects clay from the river bank, mixes water in it, puts it on a wheel and makes pots. The pot cannot hold water unless it undergoes refinement through fire. Just as a pot becomes strong when it is processed in fire, man becomes God when he undergoes refinement in the fire of wisdom. Clay gains value when it is refined and made into a pot. The metal gold gains added value and strength when it is made into a beautiful ornament. Likewise, refinement manifests the latent power in man and increases his value.



Do not waste time. At present, you are wasting a lot of time in vain pursuits. In fact, time is our life. Time is everything - "Kaalaya Namaha, Kaala Kaalaya Namaha" (Worship time, Worship the Lord of Time). If you spend such a valuable time, indulging in vain and unsacred things, how can you get it back? It is only to sanctify this life, God has given you your span of time. If you channelize your thoughts in the right path, your actions will be timely. The time, the action, the cause and the duty should be harmonized. Do not ever leave the sacred path; the path will help you lead a sacred life. You can definitely achieve this.



Having grasped what ought to be grasped, do not let go of the grip till you succeed. Having desired what ought to be desired, hold on till your desire is fulfilled. Having asked what ought to be asked, hold on till your request is answered. Having thought what ought to be thought, hold on till you succeed. Either God should yield to your prayer or you should ask with wholehearted intensity. That is the path a true devotee should pursue.

SRISATHYASAI

SURMOUNT OBSTRUCTIONS THROUGH VAIRAGYA AND BE IMMERSED IN BLISS

From time to time, the Divine power assumes numerous forms. In devotees, it shines as the Jnana-Agni (fire of wisdom). In non-devotees, it burns as Krodha-Agni (the fire of anger) or the Kama-Agni (fire of desire). Man today has this fire (of anger, etc) in his heart and has become a victim of fear and delusions. All other types of fire subside in due course of time, but these fires (of anger, etc.) never completely cease. They may flare up at any moment. How, then, are these fires to be extinguished once for all? Vairagya (detachment) and Prema (love) are the two requisites to extinguish these fires. It is only through Prema (love) that man can acquire peace.

There is no obstruction that cannot be surmounted. Attachment to sense objects can be removed by sama, dama, uparathi, thithiksha, that is, by developing purity, self-control, withdrawal of desires, and the ability to suffer. Dullness of understanding can be removed by listening again and again. Constant meditation on things heard will abolish the habit of cynical criticism. All absurd conceit will vanish through the teachings one imbibes.


When a man's inner self is filled with love, his life becomes full of bliss and he is always hale and hearty. Today, man suffers from numerous ailments the root cause of which is a diseased mind. There is no death for the mind, though when the body is facing death the mind thinks it is dying. The mind, it has been said, is the cause of one's bondage or liberation. Bad thoughts beget bondage. Good thoughts lead to liberation. Hence, everyone should develop good thoughts and perform good deeds. Such good feelings can arise only out of love.

SRISATHYASAI

ACHIEVE THE GOAL THROUGH FIRM FAITH AND PURE LOVE

Know that Paramatma (God) is the goal of man. Direct all attention to that goal. Control the mind that wanders away from it. This is the essence of the teachings of all the Shastras (scriptures). Be bound to the Atma in you. Take refuge in it. Meditate on it without interruption. Then the worldly bonds would loosen themselves, for the bond with which you attach yourself to the Lord has the power of unbinding all other bonds.


God will decide what to give, when to give, and where. Hence, all actions should be dedicated to God, and He will decide what the devotee is fit to receive. When everything is left to God out of pure love and total faith, God will take care of the devotee. People today lack such firm faith. In the path of devotion, many ordeals have to be overcome. Great devotees in the past faced such ordeals with faith and fortitude. Ultimately they secured the grace of the Divine and experienced bliss. For achieving anything in life, two things are essential: firm faith and pure love.


Wherever there is a vacuum in any heart, love flows into it and is glad that it can fill the emptiness. It is never held back; it is offered in abundance without guile or deceit. It does not wear the cloak of falsehood, flattery or fear. The tendrils of love aspire to cling only to the garments of God. It senses that God resides in all His splendour in every heart. To discover that seat of God is real devotion.

SRISATHYASAI

AUSTERITY

First, all of you should develop discrimination to distinguish the eternal from the transitory and to decide which is worthy. Then, a sincere attempt must be made to experience what is so chosen as worthy and true. Finally, this attempt should not be given up whatever comes your way. Union of these three is called genuine austerity. Only from this austerity alone is born real peace and joy.

SRISATHYASAI

FRAGRENT FLOWERS...Bunch THREE

த்யானவானில் ஓர் ஞான சூரியன்
மோனமனம் தவழ் பூரண சந்திரன்
சிதாகாசம் ஒளிர் சத்திய ஜோதி
சுத்தானந்த யோகி வாழ்க வாழ்க

FRAGRENT FLOWERS...Bunch TWO

These solemn lines of poetic prose,
Are but a photograph of my sincere heart.
I politely beseech Thy benign Grace,
In humble submission and surrendered thought.


In dark despair,God,the unknown mystic lead me to you.
You lifted me up from deplorable depth,
And the greatest mystic amongst all,
Lead me to Godhood, but yet in secret silence.

A monument,sky-high built in my heart's void,
Craves for Thy brilliant Divine Presence above all.
Be kind to beautify its throne and adorn its shrine,
Thy all-pervading spirit--unknown to many,
Is my sole Refuge,Master,Friend and Guide.

Thou hast taken the purest shape in me,
And you go with me wherever I go;
Please be within forever with all Thy Glory,
I shall serve you with heart and soul.

This is an emotional outpouring inspired by my Guruji
YOGI SHUDDHANANDA BHARATI in Nov 1974.
May you all receive His bountiful blessings!!

FRAGRENT FLOWERS ... Bunch ONE

Hail Pure Almighty Grace!

Eternal Guiding Light! !
Give us strength and resource

To serve Thee day and night.

--Yogi Shuddhananda Bharati