Sai Baba Gita Reading for Today - The Path of Devotion

[Guest guest]

Sai Baba Gita Reading for Today

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

The Path of Devotion

 

God is beyond the gross, the subtle and the causal. But, as Lord, he

rules over all of them. He is the master of time, past, present and

future. Human beings have been given limited capacities and may find

it very difficult to understand this divine principle. In that case,

the easiest path to follow is the path of devotion. This is what

Krishna taught Arjuna. Krishna described the path of devotion in

three steps.

 

- First and foremost is: Work for God! ­ You may not be aware of it,

but every bit of work you do is already being done for God. He is

the supreme master of this world and everything in this world

belongs to him. Knowing this, consciously make every action you

undertake an offering to God. Devote all your labors to him, while

being ever mindful that God is not outside of you.

 

- The second step is: For the sake of God alone! ­ Up to this point

you have been thinking only about yourself. But who are you? Who is

this I that you use to refer to yourself? Krishna said, "It is I who

am shining in you." This word I does not belong to the body, neither

to your own body nor to Krishna's. This I emanates from the highest

self, the immortal self, the atma. This I should not be equated with

the body or the mind or the intuitive faculty or any other aspect of

the individual. It transcends the limited personal self of the

individual. This I relates only to the unlimited, impersonal self,

the divine self, which is the real self of everyone.

 

The limited personal self by calling itself "I", has associated

itself with the universal. But the personal self is not the real

self. It is merely a reflection of the one immortal, divine self.

Whatever you have been doing has been for the satisfaction of the

divine self alone. Not realizing this sacred truth, you have been

caught up and swept away by delusion. Krishna told Arjuna, "Whatever

you do, do it for my satisfaction, for my sake. Do everything you do

for me. Perform all your actions on my behalf. Act as my agent."

This me or my or I which Krishna is speaking of, is not God outside

of yourself. It refers to the atma, your divine self. Do everything

you do for the sake of God alone, who is none other than your

highest self.

 

- The third step is: Be devoted only to God! ­ Understand the inner

secret of this directive. Devotion is the expression of love, and

the emotion which is called love emanates from God, your highest

self. Love comes from God and is directed towards God.

 

Love has nothing at all to do with worldly feelings and secular

things. Love, which is just another word for devotion, is the very

name of your highest self. This principle of love emanating from the

core of your heart must saturate every action, word and thought.

This will happen when you think that everything you do, say or think

is for the satisfaction of God alone.

 

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

 

Source:

http://www.atmapress.com/saibabagita/saigita010.html

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sai Baba Gita

Compiled and edited by Al Drucker - Published by Atma Press

http://www.atmapress.com - ISBN: 0963844903

Online Edition: http://www.atmapress.com/saibabagita/index.html