Thought for the LIFE as written at Prasanthi Nilayam During 1-Mar-06 to 31-Mar-006

March 30, 2006

godly thoughts that he will be rid of sorrow. Hence, what should be given up is

worldliness. Then alone Atmananda (the Bliss of the Spirit) can be attained.

- BABA 2nd March 2006 The search for God in the external is futile. When the

Divine is omnipresent, it is foolish for man to search for God in some

particular place. Hence the goal of man is the realization of his divinity.

This realization must come through the Vedantic process of exclusion "Nethi,

nethi" ("not this, not this"). One must assert "I am not the body. I am not the

intellect. I am not the Will. I am not the Antahkarana, the inner instrument.

All these are merely my instruments". Man should realize: "I am the Master of

all of them." When by this process of elimination man realizes his true Self,

he is freed from sorrow. - BABA 3rd March 2006 Man's most precious and

sacred gift from God is Buddhi

(intellect). The intellect that should be used for seeking the Atma is being

used by man today to seek Annam (food). When you are given a mirror, if you

turn it backwards, how can you see your face? Use the mirror of Buddhi to

recognise your true self. That is known as Saakshaatkaaram - direct vision of

one's true Self. Unfortunately, man today seeks to know everything except his

own true nature. He asks everyone: "Who are you?" but does not pose the

question, "Who am I?" One who does not know himself, what right has he to

enquire about others? Such an enquiry proceeds from ignorance. Without the

awareness of his own true self, man can never attain bliss. - BABA 4th

March 2006 Every man has within him a Kalpatharu (wish-fulfilling tree). But

around it, there is a wild growth of bushes. When you clear away the bushes,

the tree can be seen. That tree is the Self within each one. This Self is

covered by man's

sensual desires. When these desires are removed, the Self is recognised.

Although the Self is within, no attempt is made to realize it. How can a man

involved in external pursuits realize his inner Reality? The right method has

to be adopted to attain the desired objective. The first requisite for this is

faith. One must cultivate an unshakeable faith in God. Today, Man's faith is

fickle and easily blown away like dried leaves in a gust of wind. Man should

strive to experience the Divine with firm faith, through joy and misery. -

BABA 5th March 2006 People say, "Seeing is believing! I will believe in God

only if I see Him " But are all things seen, heard, touched or tasted, as real

as they seem ? Is it the eye that sees? Your eye may be seeing, yet if your

mind is elsewhere, you will not observe anything at all. You see things only

through the illumination of the Atma. You love, because the Atma is Love. You

know, because the Atma

is knowledge itself. - BABA 6th March 2006 When a man is described as

'Nara', it means that he is the very embodiment of the Atma. The Atma cannot be

affected by any taint. It is the attachment to the body which is the cause of

bad thoughts, bad desires and bad actions. One who is unable to rein in his

senses falls prey to such impulses. To become a slave to the senses is the mark

of the animal; to be guided by the Atma is the sign of the human. No one should

attempt to justify his lapses as being natural to a human. They should be

regarded as signs of mental weakness. You should continually strive to master

your senses. When you have truly acquired sense-control, you will experience

the power of the Divine within you. - BABA 7th March 2006 Man has to keep a

watch over his thoughts because they form the basis for his actions. When his

wishes are fulfilled, he is content; else, he feels

disappointed. Man does not enquire into the causes of these divergent results.

When his heart is pure, his actions yield beneficial results. His thoughts are

the cause of the success or failure of his efforts. Hence, man must utilise his

thoughts in the proper manner. His experience of the world depends on his

vision. "As he feels, so he becomes." When one's thoughts are sacred, the

results are also good. - BABA 8th March 2006 As human beings, you have to

ascertain by the use of your intelligence and Vijnaana (discrimination) what

actions are proper and what are not. If you think it to be good, do not

hesitate do it. But, if knowing that something is wrong, if you still do it,

then you may have to inevitably face the consequences. The Lord created the

Cosmos and offered it to mankind. Consequently, the responsibility for properly

utilising the resources God has provided rests on humanity. If men use things in

the right way and benefit

from them, they will experience happiness. On the other hand, if they misuse

them, they will have to bear the troubles resulting therefrom. - BABA 9th

March 2006 There is only one divine consciousness. All the variety of names and

forms one perceives are creations of the mind and are bound to disappear. When

you are one with the Divine, where is the need for seeking the Divine? Only a

fool goes in search of himself. Instead of resorting to all forms of

meditation, it is simpler and easier to proceed on the single idea that you and

the Divine are one. But this process of identification should not be an

artificial exercise. It should come from the heart. In declaring "I am the

Divine," you should express a genuine and deep experience. You should feel that

the Divine is not separate from you. Instead, if you mechanically repeat, "I am

God, I am God", you will be indulging in a vain exercise. The Divine should be

comprehended by earnest enquiry and a profound inner experience. - BABA

10th March 2006 There is no greater friend than God. He is beyond the reach of

praise or censure. He does not give up man although many a time he fails to

come up to His expectations. That is why God has been given the appellation,

Suhrid (a true friend). God desires no offerings from any devotee. God is the

only one who confers benefits on devotees without expecting any return. In

spite of this, man does not readily accept such a friend. Only the man who

accepts God as such a friend and is guided by His advice can understand the

full meaning of Divine friendship. Faith of this nature alone constitutes true

Jnana (wisdom). - BABA 11th March 2006 Man today is like a horseman

riding two horses at the same time. He aspires for the Divine, yet at the same

time he yearns for worldly pleasures too.

He forgets that the creation is contained within the creator. Forgetting this

truth, he goes after the phenomenal world, regarding it as different from the

Divine. Instead of following the easy path of chanting God's name, man involves

himself in multifarious troubles and wastes his precious life. Man is verily

God. He is allowing his inherent divinity to be submerged by worldly desires.

He should utilise the pure and sacred thoughts that arise in him to turn away

from the transient attractions of the world and to set him on the path towards

the Divine. - BABA 12th March 2006 The mind is a bundle of thoughts.

Actions ensue from thoughts. From actions flow the fruits thereof. Hence,

thoughts are the seeds which ultimately yield fruits in the form of fortune or

misfortune. Man is thus the architect of his own destiny. As thoughts determine

actions, it is essential to cultivate good thoughts. Even evil men have been

transformed by the influence of the good and the godly. Ratnakaara, the dreaded

thief, was an example of such transformation. Contact with sages turned him

into the immortal author of the Ramayana. When the mind is turned towards God,

one's life becomes purified. When our thoughts are purified, our lives will be

transformed into ideal ones. - BABA 13th March 2006 Of all the gifts you

receive from God, the greatest gift is Santosham (contentment). The opposite of

Santosham is sorrow, which is the fruit of desire that arouses hope and almost

always results in disappointment or despair. One desire engenders another and

proliferates into a hundred, even when it is fulfilled. It knows no

justification and has no end. So, Santosham is the supreme blessing of the

Lord, who, in His infinite Love, puts an end to that unquenchable thirst. No

wealth or worldly attainment can equal it in efficacy; Santosham is the

culmination of desire in full contentment and sacred satiety. - BABA 14th

March 2006 The foremost thing that people today have to recognise and

understand are human values. Whatever position one may achieve, whatever one's

scholarship or status, the primary requisite is comprehension of what it means

to be a human. This humanness can be developed only through spirituality. If

you take a seed and plant it in a tin, it will rot. But if the same seed is

planted in the earth, it grows into a tree. Humanness will not develop in an

atmosphere of worldly concerns. It will grow only in a spiritual, ethical and

righteous atmosphere. - BABA 15th March 2006 Education sans wisdom, wisdom

bereft of discrimination, action without discretion, erudition lacking

sagacity, power not justified by credentials, statements not based on Truth,

music wanting in melody, adoration not sustained by devotion, a person

devoid of common sense and character, a student not endowed with humility -

these serve no useful purpose. In addition to knowledge derived from the sacred

texts, one should earn wisdom through experience. Knowledge without personal

experience is futile. - BABA 16th March 2006 The knowledge which relates

to the waking and sleeping states is not permanent, it comes and goes. The

knowledge that is lost is not true knowledge. Jnana (knowledge of Supreme

Reality) when once acquired, will never go away. On the other hand, once

ignorance leaves a man, it will not return. However, that which neither comes

nor goes is Atma Tatwa (the Atmic Principle). This Divine Principle is

everywhere; there is no place where the Divine is not present. Where, then, can

the Divine come or go? Surrender to the Divine present everywhere. - BABA

17th March 2006 Time moves fast like a whirlwind. Each

one's life span is getting reduced every moment, like a melting block of ice.

Hence, it is the duty of every man to realize the purpose of life and utilise

his time in the performance of his duties, and thereby sanctify his existence.

When people speak about man's bondage, what is it that binds man? Man can

liberate himself only when he knows what it is that binds him. The greatest

cause of bondage is the failure to know oneself. An individual who is not aware

of his true self cannot escape from sorrow. As long as there is sorrow, bliss

cannot be experienced. - BABA 18th March 2006 One who is engaged in the

contemplation of the Atma within and thereby constantly enjoys Atmic bliss, and

sanctifies every moment of his life by doing good deeds is called a

Brahma-Nishta. He realizes that the same Atma is present in all beings as the

Antaratma (Inner Self) and discards all selfish thoughts. He is a Brahma Jnani,

a realized

soul, who is aware of the truth that revering others is revering the Lord, and

hurting others is hurting the Lord. Such persons radiate divinity though they

are in a human body. - BABA 19th March 2006 Spirituality does not mean

preoccupation with meditation, worship, etc. It involves total extinction of

the animal and demonic qualities in man, and the manifestation of his inherent

divinity. When the attachments and hatreds in which man is enveloped are

removed, the inherent divinity in man, the Sath-Chith-Ananda in him, will

manifest itself. There is no need to search for the omnipresent Divine in any

specific place. When you are yourself divine, why search for the Divine

elsewhere? It is a mark of rank ignorance. - BABA 20th March 2006 Recognise

the truth that morality is the primary requisite of human society. You have to

perform your duties and discharge your obligations. You must be

united and take part in social service. Unity is strength. It promotes the

welfare of all. If one does not strive for unity and progress, how can one

serve society? If unity is lost, what can anyone accomplish? Suppose there are

three persons in a house, there can be peace in the house only if all the three

live in harmony. Similarly, in every individual, there are three entities in the

body: the Manas (mind), the Vaak (tongue) and Kaayam (the organs of actions). It

is only when these three entities function harmoniously that the individual can

have peace. When there is discord among them, how can peace be got? - BABA

21st March 2006 Today, the foremost need is the promotion of unity.

Irrespective of physical and ideological differences, the Atma principle is

common to all. It has to be recognised that individuals are integrally related

to society, like the different organs in a body. Humanity itself is a limb of

Prakruthi (Nature)

and Nature is a limb of God. If this integral relationship is understood, where

is the ground for hatred? No one should consider himself as insignificant or

unimportant. Everyone, big or small, is a vital part of the whole and is

essential for its proper functioning like all the parts in a rocket. Even a

small part, if defective, may cause the rocket to explode. Likewise, in this

vast Cosmos every being has a significant role to play to ensure its smooth

functioning. - BABA 22nd March 2006 Morality and integrity in society are

based upon spiritual consciousness. Spirituality alone will take man to the

sacred path leading to his destiny. Spirituality alone can elevate man and

raise him to higher levels of consciousness. It is the means to true national

progress and prosperity. World peace can be secured only through spirituality.

It is the means for the redemption of mankind. Forgetting spirituality, man is

leading an artificial life

based on worldly pleasures. - BABA 23rd March 2006 The process of Samskara

(refinement) is true for every object in the universe. The paddy that is grown

and harvested cannot be consumed as it is. The husk has to be removed and then

it has to be cooked so that it becomes rice. In the process of transformation

to rice, the original paddy has considerably increased in value. The

transformation process thus makes an object more useful and valuable. If that

is the case with ordinary objects, how much more is it necessary for man, who

is more important than all of them, to go through this transformation? Hence,

the ancient sages envisaged a system of Samskaras intended not only to develop

further the human qualities but also to eliminate all remnants of animal nature

in man. It is a process of spiritual development by which the bad tendencies in

man are got rid of and good tendencies are inculcated. - BABA 24th March

2006 For accomplishing anything in the world, three things are essential: one,

mastery over the senses; two, control over the mind; three, maintaining perfect

bodily health. It is only when all these three requisites are present, that man

can achieve his goals. If today man fails to achieve even petty objects, it is

because he is deficient in all these. To acquire these three, man has to

practise Dharma (righteousness), as laid down by the sages. The Vedas declare -

"Yatho abhyudaya nisshreyas siddhih saa Dharmah" (that which is conducive to

one's well-being here and the hereafter is Dharma). This calls for unity in

thought, word and deed. This is true righteousness. Where there is no accord

between what one thinks, says and does, one's life is meaningless. It is by the

harmony of thought, speech and action, that the true worth of man is manifested.

- BABA 25th March 2006 Educated persons, nowadays, are

concerned solely about their own well-being and that of their families, and have

no interest in the welfare of the world. Education should aim at making a person

take pleasure in promoting the well-being of all people. As a person grows up,

he develops associations with relations, friends, teachers and many others. It

is through these numerous relationships that one's human qualities develop.

Without these associations, the individual would remain at the animal level.

One's human nature is developed by society and contacts with kinsmen, friends

and others. You have to show your gratitude to all of them by striving for

their well-being. - BABA 26th March 2006 Students today are seeking

education not for the sake of knowledge but as a means to earn money or wield

power. This is not true education. It is the discovery of one's spiritual

essence that constitutes real education. The world is in sore need of spiritual

discipline. All the

evils that we witness in the world today stem from a perverted system of

education. The so-called educated persons have no control over their senses.

Self-control is the only means to real bliss. The primary need is the

development of self-control among students. They must be able to remain firm in

their minds and unwavering in their outlook in any circumstance. This can be

achieved only through spiritual discipline. - BABA 27th March 2006 When

one's thoughts are pure and sacred, the ripples emanating in the mind fill all

the senses and limbs in the body, from head to toe, with pure vibrations. The

pure thought, entering the eye, purifies the vision. The same thought entering

the ear, encourages it to listen to sacred sounds. Entering the mouth, this

pure thought brings about purity in speech. Permeating the hands, the sacred

thought induces them to engage themselves in sacred acts. The sacred ripples

from the mind entering the

feet, induce them to go on pilgrimages. If one's thoughts are impure, they

induce the senses to indulge in unholy acts. Hence, people should not give room

to bad thoughts, bad associations or bad relationships. - BABA 28th March

2006 Men should turn away from the worldly path like fish which swim against

the current in a river. That is the way to realize the Divine. If you allow

yourself to be carried away by the worldly current, you can only meet with a

sad end. Regardless of what the world may think, never swerve from the

spiritual path. When people ask for liberation, they should understand that

liberation means oneness with the Divine. Become aware of your divinity. Then

worldly thoughts will not enter your mind. To realize this oneness with God,

one has to chant the Lord's name incessantly. You must pray for the vision of

the Lord in your heart. There should be no room for evil thoughts and feelings.

- BABA 29th March 2006 We should give up all differences based on one's birth

and position in life and chant the Lord's name with intense love and devotion.

First the name should melt the devotee's heart, only then can it melt God's

heart and draw His grace upon the devotee. God does not care for how long and

in what ways you have practised Sadhana (spiritual practice). What He wants is

your sincere, whole-hearted and intense love for Him. - BABA 30th March

2006Ugadi If you wish to embark on a new life, you need not wait for the

arrival of a new year. Treat every second as new. Sanctify every moment of your

life. This has to be done by realizing the unity of Sath (existence) and Chith

(the individual Consciousness). When this union is achieved, Ananda (Spiritual

Bliss) is experienced. This is the primary task before everyone. Every second

should be regarded as Divine. This New Year's Day may

come and go as it happens every year, but God neither comes nor goes. - BABA

31st March 2006 One should never doubt one's capacity to undertake a particular

task. If one has faith in oneself, one can accomplish anything. Vedanta (Vedic

philosophy) declares that a person who doubts himself can never realize the

Atma. If one tells oneself that one does not have a particular skill or

capability, that will psychologically affect one in a negative manner. Develop

the courage that you can accomplish anything, then you will actually be able to

do so. The real devotee is one who makes an effort to develop confidence in the

self. Whatever one undertakes, one should do it with a divine and sacred

feeling. - BABA

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divinity. This realization must come through the Vedantic process of exclusion

"Nethi, nethi" ("not this, not this"). One must assert "I am not the body. I am

not the intellect. I am not the Will. I am not the Antahkarana, the inner

instrument. All these are merely my instruments". Man should realize: "I am the

Master of all of them." When by this process of elimination man realizes his

true Self, he is freed from sorrow. - BABA 3rd March 2006 Man's most

precious and sacred gift from God is Buddhi (intellect). The intellect that

should be used for seeking the Atma is being used by man today to seek Annam

(food). When you are given a mirror, if you turn it backwards, how can you see

your face? Use the mirror of Buddhi to recognise your true self. That is known

as Saakshaatkaaram - direct vision of one's true Self. Unfortunately, man today

seeks to know everything except his own true nature. He asks everyone: "Who are

you?" but

does not pose the question, "Who am I?" One who does not know himself, what

right has he to enquire about others? Such an enquiry proceeds from ignorance.

Without the awareness of his own true self, man can never attain bliss. -

BABA 4th March 2006 Every man has within him a Kalpatharu (wish-fulfilling

tree). But around it, there is a wild growth of bushes. When you clear away the

bushes, the tree can be seen. That tree is the Self within each one. This Self

is covered by man's sensual desires. When these desires are removed, the Self

is recognised. Although the Self is within, no attempt is made to realize it.

How can a man involved in external pursuits realize his inner Reality? The

right method has to be adopted to attain the desired objective. The first

requisite for this is faith. One must cultivate an unshakeable faith in God.

Today, Man's faith is fickle and easily blown away like dried leaves in a gust

of wind. Man should strive to experience the Divine with firm faith, through joy

and misery. - BABA 5th March 2006 People say, "Seeing is believing! I will

believe in God only if I see Him " But are all things seen, heard, touched or

tasted, as real as they seem ? Is it the eye that sees? Your eye may be seeing,

yet if your mind is elsewhere, you will not observe anything at all. You see

things only through the illumination of the Atma. You love, because the Atma is

Love. You know, because the Atma is knowledge itself. - BABA 6th March 2006

When a man is described as 'Nara', it means that he is the very embodiment of

the Atma. The Atma cannot be affected by any taint. It is the attachment to the

body which is the cause of bad thoughts, bad desires and bad actions. One who is

unable to rein in his senses falls prey to such impulses. To become a slave to

the senses is the mark of the animal;

to be guided by the Atma is the sign of the human. No one should attempt to

justify his lapses as being natural to a human. They should be regarded as

signs of mental weakness. You should continually strive to master your senses.

When you have truly acquired sense-control, you will experience the power of

the Divine within you. - BABA 7th March 2006 Man has to keep a watch over

his thoughts because they form the basis for his actions. When his wishes are

fulfilled, he is content; else, he feels disappointed. Man does not enquire

into the causes of these divergent results. When his heart is pure, his actions

yield beneficial results. His thoughts are the cause of the success or failure

of his efforts. Hence, man must utilise his thoughts in the proper manner. His

experience of the world depends on his vision. "As he feels, so he becomes."

When one's thoughts are sacred, the results are also good. - BABA

8th March 2006 As human beings, you have to ascertain by the use of your

intelligence and Vijnaana (discrimination) what actions are proper and what are

not. If you think it to be good, do not hesitate do it. But, if knowing that

something is wrong, if you still do it, then you may have to inevitably face

the consequences. The Lord created the Cosmos and offered it to mankind.

Consequently, the responsibility for properly utilising the resources God has

provided rests on humanity. If men use things in the right way and benefit from

them, they will experience happiness. On the other hand, if they misuse them,

they will have to bear the troubles resulting therefrom. - BABA 9th March

2006 There is only one divine consciousness. All the variety of names and forms

one perceives are creations of the mind and are bound to disappear. When you

are one with the Divine, where is the need for seeking the Divine?

Only a fool goes in search of himself. Instead of resorting to all forms of