True knowledge - Bhagawan Tells us with the Football analogy
<http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/True%20Knowledge.jpg> Students! You are familiar with the game of football. There are six players on each side for this game and the goal is at the end of each side. The six internal enemies- desire, anger, covetousness, attachment, pride and jealousy are the players on one side and on the other side truth, righteousness, peace, love, non-violence and sacrifice are the players in the game of life where the individual’s life is th...e ball. Worldly knowledge and spiritual knowledge are the boundary limits. If the ball of life goes outside the boundary limit it is considered as ‘out’ but not goal. So study both and learn to lead the life. All fields of worldly knowledge are like rivers and rivulets. Ultimately all these reach the ocean of spiritual education. Ocean is the destination for all rivers. However many types of knowledge you learn, the ultimate destination is God’s grace. Having this firm faith, develop the loving nature. What is the purpose of the descent of an Avatar? <http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/SI040516.jpg> God descends and takes on the human form only to change the lives of humans by His own example. Only humans descend to the depths of degradation by their utter disregard of their dharma (code of conduct) and Divinity. Birds and beasts firmly adhere to their own respective dharmas. There is no need for the Avatar to arise amongst birds and beasts since dharma has not declined in them. Lord Krishna declared, “I come down for the protection of the good” (Paritranaya sadhunam). God always protects the virtuous. There is no use merely lisping Rama’s name. Emulate Rama and transform yourselves by following the path of Love. However deep and great your scholastic eminence may be, one cannot achieve anything without undergoing the transformation of the mind. - Divine Discourse, Summer Roses on Blue Mountains, 1996, Ch 2. All are One, Be alike to Everyone! – BABA. "The ocean is welcoming Me with a garland" - pearl garland at Kanyakumari <http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/Ocean.jpg> This incident which took place during Swami's trip to Kanyakumari, where three seas meet at the southern-most tip of India. It was evening, the sky had turned into a carnival of pink and purple, and the clouds had decorated themselves with a golden fringe. Baba walked towards the seashore with His companions. Each succeeding wave that lapped upon the shore seemed more eager than its predecessor to touch... His lotus feet. Suddenly, as if aware of the yearning of the seas, Baba turned, faced the waters and said to those beside him: “See! The ocean is welcoming Me with a garland.” A few yards away, a stately wave was advancing majestically towards the shore. Soon it swept over Baba's Feet. When the wave receded, encircling the ankles of the Avatar was a bewitching pearl garland, swaying with the gentle surge of the waters around it. These pearls were translucent and priceless, held together by a golden thread. Their number was exactly 108. Such were the divine happenings that kept devotees enthralled and enchanted. Sathya Sai Baba on Jealousy <http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/Jealousy.jpg> Don’t be carried away by anybody. You hold on to your own faith, cling on to the principle of spirit and atma. Some people are jealous because they watch the prosperity and progress of others and jealousy is one of the worst demons possible. A fruit bearing tree, the fruits are so delicious but you find pests entering into the roots, it is not visible to people but the moment the roots are rotten the tree falls. What is the mistake of the tree? It is only the jealousy, the envy that prompt people to publicize and propagate. It is wickedness. What is the role of attitude in our daily living? Bhagawan, our Loving God explais and instructs us what attitude we must live with. <http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/SI030516.jpg> Most God fearing people believe in Karma philosophy, that fruits we reap, are a result of our own actions. Because of our strong faith in the doctrine of Karma, we readily come forward to do good deeds, and hesitate or abstain from doing bad acts. To lose hope is not a characteris...tic feature of cultured people. To suffer from lack of faith and to lose hope is a weakness; by entertaining such weaknesses, one will lose all the human strength one has. Enthusiasm and care will show the way for the prosperity of human beings. Every individual with these qualities will surely achieve success and attain glory in any work that they undertake. Hence lead your journey of life with interest and enthusiasm. - Divine Discourse, Summer Showers in Brindavan 1974, Ch 2 True devotion really means installing the Divine in the heart and enjoying the bliss of that experience. – BABA Remind yourself, "I am a human" - Sathya Sai Speaks <http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/human-Sai.jpg> All of humanity belongs to one clan. In fact, there is only one race - the human race. It doesn’t matter whether one is a theist or atheist or whether you are a Jew or a Buddhist. You belong to the human race - that is the truth. It is enough if you remember this. Keep aside questions like whether you are a theist or an atheist. 'I am human being'. Human values have to be fostered. Having been born as a human, if you not h...ave human values then you are human only in form but not in reality. We find certain traits such as anger, pomp and show and jealousy entering into humans. Anger and jealousy are animal qualities. Anger is the quality of a dog. Wavering nature is that of a monkey. You are not monkey, you are not dog, you are man. When you are carried away by feelings of anger think ten times - 'I am man, I am not dog. I am man, I am not dog'. Today, we find human qualities are on the decline. Animal qualities are finding a place in man. This is not true human life. You must develop such sacred qualities as compassion, truth, forbearance, empathy, etc. Good people wouldn't get hurt; With analogy of an Goldsmith and gold <http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/good-people.jpg> Here is a story of a goldsmith who during the practice of his profession was once melting gold. In this process, he was addressing the gold thus, “Oh gold! you are a very valuable thing and people respect you but now you are in my clutches. I will have the great opportunity of heating you, melting you, beating you and doing all kinds of things that will hurt you. This is now my privilege and pleasure”. In response, the gold tells him that the result of all his effort to cause hurt to the gold is only to further purify the gold, increase its value by removing impurities and make it shine better and more attractively. But in the process, the heat, the smoke, the pain of having to beat hard are all irksome only to the goldsmith. In this way all the trouble goes to the goldsmith and all the improvement goes to the gold. If you take good people, saints, men of great character and men who have steady minds, it does not matter whether you abuse them or hurt them or praise them. The hurt, the abuse and even the praise never reaches them. They are returned to the persons from whom they emanate. You young people are now at the appropriate age when you should make contact with men of great character and good men and choose the path along which you wish to move. I do hope that you seek such good company and will choose such a path. Potency of the Rama Principle? Why is it so special? <http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/SI020516.jpg> We should not delude ourselves into thinking that the Avatar is a simple human form like ourselves. His form may be human; but His majesty and magnificence are Infinite. The principle of Rama is most sacred, sublime and glorious. There is nothing in the world that cannot be achieved by cultivating the Rama Princi...ple (Rama Thathwa). Though thousands of years have elapsed since Ramayana took place, the Rama Principle is deeply imprinted in the hearts of the people. It is ever fresh, ever new and embraces infinitude itself. The Rama Principle is contained in the smallest of the small and the largest of the large. It is not confined to the name and form. It is a transcendental principle, which transcends time itself. True seekers will understand the true nature of humanity by realizing the Rama Principle.- Summer Showers Ch2, May 20, 1996. God is present in the heart of every being. He is ever present and is infinitely powerful-BABA. Creation of a crucifix by Sathya Sai Baba for John Hislop <http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/crucifix.jpg> Interestingly, the crucifix was created on Mahasivarathri Day in the year 1973, deep in the forest! This holy festival was celebrated by Baba in the company of a small group almost in privacy, and not before massive crowds as normally happens. Let us hear Hislop recall the event: Our destination was the Bandipur Game Sanctuary in Bandipur Forest, several hours away from the city of Mysore. We arrived at the Forest rest... house in the early afternoon.As we crossed a bridge above a sandy, dry riverbed, Baba indicated that this would be the place. As we passed a bush, Swami broke off two twigs, placed them together and asked me, "What is this, Hislop?" "Well Swami, it is a cross," I answered. Baba then closed His fingers over the twigs and directed three somewhat slow breaths into His fist, between thumb and forefinger. Then He opened His hand to reveal a Christ figure on a Cross, and He gave it to me. He said, "This shows Christ as he really was at the time he left his body, not as artists have imagined him. His stomach is pulled in and his ribs are all showing. He had no food for eight days." I looked at the crucifix but found no words. Baba then continued: "The wood in the cross is the same as the wood of the actual cross on which Christ was crucified. To find some of that wood after 2000 years took a little time! The image is of Christ after he died. It is a dead face." I noticed something odd and asked, "Swami, what is that hole at the top of the cross?" Baba replied that the cross had been originally hung from a standard. A couple of years later, some American devotees asked Swami about the cross materialised for Hislop. Baba replied: Yes, I made it for him. When I went to look for the wood, every particle of the cross had disintegrated and returned to the elements. I reached out to the elements and reconstituted sufficient material for a small cross. Very seldom does Swami interfere with Nature, but occasionally, for a devotee, it will be done." Develop positive thoughts - Sathya Sai Speaks <http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/positive.jpg> Remove all the negative feelings. Develop, grow more and more positive thoughts. If anyone says old man, that is also the name of this body. All are the names given to the body. My parents gave one name, friends gave another name and others gave me nickname too. This body has many names. Don't go by the body. If anyone calls you bad would you be bad? No. If he calls you bad, try to be free from bad quality. If anyone points out a mistake try to be free from that mistake if it's there. In this kali age, when desires are not fulfilled, they start blaming God. This is there in all countries. Don't have such mean, disrespectful, unsacred thoughts. After all you've got your own wickedness, wicked knowledge. So, in times of Tyagaraja he said "God appears in the way you estimate". As you think of Him He manifests. With all good thoughts if you pray to Him, you will find Him. Embodiments of love! Don't hate anybody, don't accuse anybody, to the extent possible love all and if not possible at least don't hate anybody. Bhagawan wants us to develop the spirit of oneness, unity. What should we do to develop into sacred ones? <http://www.ssso.net/pnews-2016/SI010516.jpg> We talk a lot about discipline. Simply to keep on talking about discipline and not have the strength and faith to accept discipline is not going to do any good. Today, unfortunately, even persons who claim to be, and boast of being highly educated, a...ppear as weaklings in practical life. Such people do not understand the value of true education. You must be prepared to put into practice one out of the ten things that you preach, in preference to just saying ten good things. To discipline and duty we should also add devotion. It is only when these three D’s—Discipline, Devotion, and Duty—are together and firmly implanted in your heart, that your heart will be able to develop into a sacred one. - Divine Discourse, Summer Roses on Blue Mountains, 1976, Ch 1 You must gladly subject yourself to the hammer of discipline and the chisel of pain-pleasure, so that you become Divine. - BABA. __._,_.___ -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "saimsg" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
