Thought for the Day Archive for November 2004

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Thought for the Day

As written at Prasanthi Nilayam

Source: Radio Sai Global Harmony

Thought for the Day Archive

November 2004

November 1, 2004

All that you see in the cosmos, the moving and the stationary objects, are

manifestations of the Atma. This Atma is called "Eruka" or Awareness. This

Awareness produces in every being the sense of "I-ness" and it expresses itself

as " I " or "Aham". When this " I " identifies itself with the body, it takes

the form of Ahamkara (ego). This is what is called Mithya or Delusion. What man

needs today is the resolve to realize the Atma, one's true self. Through

Atma-Jnana (knowledge of the self), man can experience Atma -Ananda (Atmic

bliss).

November 2, 2004

Try to be as self-reliant as possible; endeavour to stand on your own feet. Be

industrious. Be efficient and enthusiastic in the work that has come your way

as your share in life. God has provided two hands for every stomach. If those

hands work assiduously and intelligently, they can, without doubt, fill that

little stomach. The trouble is that we are loath to work. We welcome every

chance to talk and teach. But, speech cannot fill the hungry stomach. Dedicated

and intelligent work, that is what is needed.

November 3, 2004

You need not glorify God, for that may keep you at a distance from Him. God is

not new. He was there before your birth and He exists eternally. Where is the

need to glorify Him? You must consider Him as your old friend. When you acquire

friendship newly with a person, you speak to him formally and respectfully. When

he becomes an old acquaintance, you can take liberties with him. Consider God

also as an old friend, so that you can enjoy the liberty and feel kinship with

Him!

November 4, 2004

Young people who are capable of making sacrifices are very essential today. We

should encourage them to proclaim to the world the Omnipresence of Divinity. It

is necessary to have young people who can fight with courage in situations

arising from injustice, unkindness and cruelty. They should not only strive for

worldly and material benefits, but also for the ethical and spiritual ideals of

life. They should be prepared to give up imitation and selfish ideas, and serve

the community in a selfless manner. They must, through their experience,

proclaim to others that inner Divinity is the most important thing in life.

November 5, 2004

Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanthi (Peace), Prema (Love) and Ahimsa

(Non-violence) are the primary human values. However, the fundamental basis of

Truth and Righteousness is Love. Love is God, Truth is God, Righteousness is

God. The five human values can be compared to the Pancha Pranas (five life

principles) of man. If you do not speak truth, you lose one life principle.

Unrighteous conduct amounts to losing the second life principle. Similarly,

even the other life principles will be lost if you do not practise the other

human values. Therefore, one bereft of these principles verily becomes a living

corpse.

November 6, 2004

We must consider rendering service to society as a sacred duty. Whatever small

service we may do, if we do it in the right spirit, serving without any thought

of self-interest, we shall be doing something commendable and worthwhile. The

act by itself may be insignificant, but it must be done wholeheartedly. Just as

a cow transforms whatever it consumes into sweet, wholesome milk, any kind of

service rendered with a pure heart will yield good results.

November 7, 2004

Virtues are more important than physical beauty. Observing the good and bad in

the world, one should develop discrimination to choose the former. One should

strive hard to cultivate virtues. Right from an early age, one should inculcate

good qualities and develop good character. Wherever one may go, it is character

that is of utmost importance. It is virtues that lend greatness to any person.

If everyone develops good character, the whole country will become good and

great.

November 8, 2004

Truth and righteousness are the two main pillars on which the entire world

rests. If we protect truth and righteousness, they will in turn protect us

wherever we go. Truth is the source of all happiness. If you do not adhere to

truth, how can you expect to attain happiness? Truth is the fundamental

principle of life. But today, man's thoughts, words and deeds are tainted with

untruth and unrighteousness. That is the reason he is unable to enjoy happiness

in life.

November 9, 2004

What is Brahman? It is the Atmic principle permeating every living being as

consciousness. When the Atmic principle is encased in a body, it becomes

individualized and is referred to as Jiva or Conscience. The individual, Atma

and Chaithanya (consciousness) are one and the same. People think that they are

different because they are given different names. Remove the names and there is

only one Atmic principle.

November 10, 2004

The very first Sadhana (spiritual exercise) one must adopt is the cultivation of

inner silence, to put an end to the continuous dialogue with the mind. Let the

mind rest for a while. Do not project on the mind irrelevant details or pollute

it with fumes of envy and greed. Every idea we entertain, either good or bad,

gets imprinted on the mind. An element of weakness and unsteadiness is thus

introduced in the mind. Keep the mind calm and clear. Do not agitate it every

moment by your non-stop dialogue.

November 11, 2004

Be always in the company of devotees of God. Through this Sathsang (good

company), Viveka (discrimination) and Vairagya (detachment) will be inculcated

in you. These qualities will strengthen the spirit and endow you with inner

peace. If the mind is subdued, that alone is enough; it is not then necessary

to conquer the external senses. If the mind has no attachment to the sense

objects, the senses have nothing to cling on to and they become powerless;

likes and dislikes are both starved out of existence. The bonds with the

objective world are cut, though the senses may still be affected by it. For him

who has been blessed by the awareness of the Atma, how can anything worldly

bring grief or joy?

November 12, 2004

Today is the day on which Naraka, the demon was killed. What does this event

signify? It signifies killing the demon in man. 'Nara' means man and 'Asura'

means demon. This demon is present in every human being. It is not necessary to

acquire great Astras and Shastras (weapons) to kill this demon. Man is called

'Nara' because there is Atma in him. That Atma is the embodiment of love. Only

through love is it possible to kill these demons. Therefore, realize the Atma

Tathwa (Atmic principle) and develop love. This is true Bhakthi (devotion).

November 13, 2004

What is required is the transformation of the heart. All bad thoughts and

feelings should be expelled from the heart. We should whole-heartedly

participate in Bhajans. It should not be a mechanical ritual. Once your heart

is filled with sacred thoughts and feelings, they will be reflected in your

Bhajan-singing. Through your singing you should give joy to all the

participants.

November 14, 2004

Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding

evil and developing goodness. Paddy grains have to be de-husked in order to

become edible as rice. Cotton has to be converted as yarn to become wearable

cloth. Gold nuggets have to be heated in the crucible to remove the impurities.

Man too, must purify his impulses, emotions and desires and cultivate good

thoughts, words and deeds so that he can progress spiritually.

November 15, 2004

Today, man aspires to attain Mukthi (liberation). What is Mukthi? It is not the

attainment of a heavenly abode. Mukthi means freedom from suffering. One needs

to have Mukthi at three levels - body, mind and soul. For example, when one is

hungry, one eats food and the hunger is satiated. This is a kind of Mukthi.

Suppose, one is suffering from a disease, one gets cured by taking medicine.

This is also a kind of Mukthi. All this is related to the body. At the mental

level, Mukthi means controlling the vagaries of the mind. But, true liberation

lies in understanding the principle of the Atma which neither comes nor goes.

This is termed as 'Nirvana'.

November 16, 2004

The lamp is a sacred symbol of divinity. The flame of the lamp always rises

upward. Wherever it islit, it dispels darkness. For dispelling the darkness of

ignorance withinyou, you need the Divine lamp of wisdom. Only then can you

shine as a person.Inner purity is the wick of this Divine lamp. Devotion is the

oil and Divinegrace is the fire by which the lamp of wisdom can be lit.

November 17, 2004

Desire can be rooted out only when the faith that the Atma is the very core of

one's being is firmly established. Since all efforts are now directed to the

accumulation of material goods and the satisfaction of sensual desires, man is

tossed abouton the waves of fighting and factionalism, falsehood and greed. The

individual is intimately related to society and so his restlessness affects

society too.

November 18, 2004

Compassion towards all creatures is the greatest virtue; wilful injury to any

creature is the worst vice. Have full faith in this and spread love and joy

through compassion, and be full of joy and peace within. You do not have joy

and peace now because your vision is directed towards the faults and failings

of others and never towards your own faults and failings. Truly speaking, upon

enquiry you, will find that what we see in others is but a reflection of our

own selves, our prejudices and preferences.

November 19, 2004

Motherhood is the most precious gift of God. Mothers are the makers of a

nation's fortune, for they shape the sinews of its soul. These sinews are

toughened by two lessons - fear of sin and fondness of virtue. As the mother,

so the sweetness of culture. As the mother, so the progress of the nation. If

mothers take care of their families, they will be protecting the nation.

Mothers should foster in their children, love for truth, righteousness and

narrate inspirational stories of great men and women.

November 20, 2004

Every act must be regarded as an offering to the Divine. It may not be easy to

develop such an attitude. But if the effort is made sincerely, it can be

achieved. It does not call for abandonment of hearth and home or giving up your

wealth and position. What you earn through the grace of God will confer on you

enduring benefits greater than the wealth you earn by any other means. The

grace of God is like insurance; it will help you in your time of need. Material

wealth confers Bhoga (enjoyment) which leads to Roga (illness). But selfless

service is Yoga (spiritual path) which secures Divine grace.

November 21, 2004

Just as it is natural for a river to flow towards the sea, for a creeper to

cling to a tree, for the stars to glitter in the firmament, in the same way,

spontaneous flow of man's love towards God is totally natural. Love has no

reason and it is not bound by any rules and regulations. Selfless love that

does not expect any reward directly reaches God. Worldly love does not arise

from the depth of one's heart; it is the outcome of compulsion.

November 22, 2004

Educational institutions should teach students to adhere to truth and to

discharge their duties as a sacred obligation. Students should not allow

success or failure to ruffle their minds unduly. Courage and self-confidence

must be instilled in the them. The moulding of character and inculcation of

human values must start with children at a very young age. All that one does as

an offering to God is but an expression of human values. Whatever studies one

may pursue, one must not give up one's faith in God as it is tantamount to

giving up one's life.

November 23, 2004

I must ask you to give me as a birthday offering only one thing - reduce your

selfishness; abate your wrong desires. Foster your spirit of sacrifice and

become noble human beings. The Avatar (Divine incarnation) comes to save

mankind out of His Love and Compassion. He comes down to the level of man and

arouses the Divine Consciousness in him. In order to enable you to reach the

highest goal of merging with the Absolute, this chance has been granted to you

as a reward for merit acquired in many previous lives.

November 24, 2004

Physical eyes are useful only for seeing the phenomenal world. Every man has to

develop the inner vision of wisdom to experience the Atma. It is only when you

feel that the cosmos is permeated by the Divine that the cosmos will appear to

you as a manifestation of the Divine. All Names and Forms are His. Names and

Forms may vary, but the Atma is the same in all. Recognise the unity of all

beings. Then, you will be filled with universal love.

November 25, 2004

The nature of Divine love is different from that of human attachment. It is

timeless and constant. Make it your sole ideal. It is inherent in you; all that

needs to be done is to manifest it in the proper way. If there is sugar at the

bottom of a tumbler of water, you can make the water sweet by stirring the

sugar to dissolve it. Likewise, your heart is a tumbler at the bottom of which

there is Divinity. Take the spoon of Buddhi (intellect), stir the heart by the

process of sadhana (spiritual effort). Then, the Divinity in the heart will

permeate the entire body.

November 26, 2004

The Divine is omnipresent. The entire cosmos is permeated and sustained by this

Divine energy. Man must make the necessary effort and sacrifice in order to

experience the Divine. All the bad tendencies have to be renounced the moment

they invade the human mind. True devotion lies in eliminating the animal

tendencies in man. Man should seek to realise the eternal Divine within him.

This is the primary purpose of human life.

November 27, 2004

When we have excess money, it breeds pride, sloth and contempt for others. In

pursuit of money, man descends to the level of the beast. Money is of the

nature of manure. Piled up in one place, it fouls the air. Spread it wide,

scatter it over fields and you are rewarded with a bumper harvest. So too, when

money is spent for promoting good works, it yields contentment and happiness in

plenty.

November 28, 2004

Man has the choice of two paths - the Pravritti Marga (the outward path of

involvement) or the Nivritti Marga (the inward path and non-involvement). When

involved in the world, man is confronted with the six internal foes - lust,

anger, greed, attachment, pride and hatred. When detached from the world, man

is helped by six internal friends - sense and mind control, fortitude,

contentment, faith and equanimity. The human body is deified as the temple of

God; but the foes have to be evicted and the friends admitted before the Divine

can establish itself there.

November 29, 2004

Man's heart is like pure gold, but as he associates himself with worldly

desires, he loses his value as well as his effulgence. Do not pollute your mind

with worldly desires. You have attained this human birth as a result of

meritorious deeds done in past lives. Do not misuse it. Human life is highly

valuable. People aspire to attain Nirvana (Liberation). In order to attain

Nirvana, one should have a pure heart. True Nirvana lies in having love for

God, fear of sin and morality in society.

November 30, 2004

At first, God stands at a distance watching your efforts. He is like the teacher

who stands aside while the student answers the examination paper. When you shed

your attachment to the material world and turn to doing good and serving

others, God comes encouragingly near. He is like the Sun who stands waiting

outside the closed door, without announcing his presence or knocking at the

door. He simply waits. But, when the door is opened even a little, the light of

the sun rushes in at once and drives out the darkness. When you ask God for

help, He is right beside you with hands held out to help you. So, all you need

is the discrimination to pray to God and the wisdom to remember Him.

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