Instead of altering his vision man wants to change creation

Thoughts and feelings determine what you are. Change your thoughts. If you give up your worldly outlook and view the world from the spiritual point of view, the Vishvam (world) and the Vishnu (Divine) will become one. Therefore, change your viewpoint.

Instead of altering his dhrishti (vision) man wants to change Shrishti (creation). No one can change creation. It is one's vision that has to be changed.

-Sai Baba

Divine Discourse, 14th Jan 1995

Every limb of the body must be put to proper use and sanctified

The human body is a sacred instrument given by God and it has to be sanctified by contemplating on God at least one or two times a day.

What kind of activities are to be undertaken so that man may derive happiness and joy? The most appropriate answer to this question would be that He should be engaged in constant contemplation of God. The eyes must always see good things. The ears must be engaged in hearing good things. The tongue must be made to speak always sweet and noble words. It should chant the divine name. Thus, every limb of the body must be put to proper use and sanctified.

- Sai Baba

God is always ready to give you all that you want

God gives you whatever you pray for, so take care. Ask for the right things. Not knowing what we should ask, we are asking Him for something when we really want something else. In this process, we are getting ourselves into difficulties.

God is always ready to give you all that you want, but you do not seem to know what is good for you and what you really want. Since you do not know what you should want and under what circumstances, it is better and easier to surrender yourself completely to God and simply ask for His grace.

-Sai Baba

The reason for the present beastly and demonic tendencies in our minds is the food we consume

Food is God - Do not waste food.

Firstly, consider the food we consume. Eat only what you need to eat. Do not be greedy. Do not take more than you can eat and waste the rest, because wasting food is a great sin. The surplus food can feed another stomach. Do not waste food, because food is God, life is God, and man is born from food.

Food is the main source of man's life, body, mind and character. The gross part of the food, which is the major portion of the food consumed by the body, is thrown out as waste matter. A minute amount of the food, which is the subtle part, is assimilated by the body and flows as blood. And a minuscule amount, which is the subtlest part of the food, makes up the mind. Therefore, the mind is the reflection of the food consumed. The reason for the present beastly and demonic tendencies in our minds is the food we consume.

A large part of the water we drink is expelled as urine. A minute part of the water consumed becomes the life force (prana). Therefore, the nature of the food and water that we take in decides our character. Only by controlling the quality of our food and water can we attain Divinity. This is why food is said to be God. Hence, to waste food is to waste God. Do not waste food. Eat only what you need, and be sure that what you eat is Sathwic. Give any surplus food to those in need.

-Sai Baba

In God’s creation, there is nothing like sorrow

In God’s creation, there is nothing like sorrow. Whatever God does is for the welfare of humanity. Some people feel depressed and wail as to why God gave them troubles and sorrows. But, sorrows and difficulties are our own making. God does not differentiate or cause trouble to anyone. Sorrows and difficulties are only your feelings. Everything in God’s creation is meant to provide happiness and convenience to the living beings.

That is what I have been repeatedly emphasizing. Whether you are in sorrow or enjoying happiness, always think that everything is for your own good. One has to develop a firm conviction that whatever God does is for one’s own good and not for putting one to trouble.

-Sai Baba Divine

Discourse on 17th October'2004

If you insist on wages, you become a servant

People pray to God to relieve them from pain, grief and loss to confer on them wealth, health and strength; but, if you develop an intimate attachment to Him and make Him yours, He will manage to give you all that you need.

Do not demean the relationship into bargaining; give me this, then I shall give you this in exchange. If you insist on wages, you become a servant. Become His own. He is provider for the idler, the insane, the shirker; can he not provide for you?

-Sai Baba

Source: SAI VEDA, P-21.

Man must know that, which if known, all else is known

Man has become artificial, crooked, twisted out of his normal shape. He has left behind the simple natured ways and made his mind a lumber - room for ideas, worries, anxieties and terrors. He can live on very much less, with much greater joy for himself and others. If only he remembers that he is a treasure chest with the Divine spark in it, he will be more loving and useful.

There must be a Divine purpose in life. Man must know the way to attain God, must be led and guided to attain him, must be educated to rid himself of distractions on the path, must know that, which if known, all else is known. The rest is all secondary, incidental and unnecessary.

-Sai Baba

Source: Sai Veda (SathyaSai Advises Inspires Vivifies Educates Dispels All doubts)

Sadness is not natural to man

What is attachment? It is the body, consciousness. So, misery occurs due to attachment to the body. But, one can be happy physically as well as spiritually if one's senses are under one's control. In fact, sadness is not natural to man. Therefore, methods have to be found out to remove sadness, which is artificial.

Misery can be removed only by prayer and by following the spiritual path. If idle horses are overfed, they will be still lazier. Similarly, if you act according to the whims and fancies of your senses, your senses will get strengthened day by day and ultimately you will cease to be a human being.

-Sai Baba

Truth is one, not two - When you are dual-minded, you cannot experience this happiness

Today people have no regard for truth. Many people do not really mean what they speak. They have something in their mind but say just the opposite. They manipulate their words according to the person and situation. Truth is that which does not change with time. Truth is changeless in past, present and future. Truth is one, not two.

The Upanishads (ancient Indian scriptures) extol the principle of truth in many ways. Truth cannot be described in words. Bliss is its form. When you close your eyes and start contemplating on truth, you will experience inexpressible bliss. Unknowingly, you start smiling. Where has this smile come from? It has come from your feelings of bliss. And what is the source of bliss? The source of bliss is God.

The happiness you get by your union with God is eternal. Happiness is union with God. When you are dual-minded, you cannot experience this happiness.

-Sai Baba

Divine Discourse, October 14, 2002.

All religions are but facets of the one Truth

Sanathana Dharma is the only religion that declares that there is no religion that can be labeled "one and only". It says that all religions are but facets of the one Truth, that all names are names of one God, that all forms are but His forms. No religion can claim to represent fully the universal eternal Truth. This is the teaching of Sanathana Dharma.

Therefore, if any one finds fault with another's faith, he is casting a slur on his own faith. If any one defames another's religion, he only reveals his ignorance of the nature of religion and the glory of God.

-Sai Baba

To win that joy and peace

By mere force of intention, one can imagine in an instant, a scene in America. However, can it also be experienced in actual, at that very instant? No, one cannot! There is no use imagining and framing in the fancy. It must be experienced in mind, word and body.

Similarly genuine peace cannot be obtained by merely knowing and learning about Divine Self. You may even firmly believe that joy is present in these, but that is of no avail. You must dedicate your life to win that joy and experience it and enter upon the discipline needed to acquire it. Only then do you deserve the Grace of the Lord and from that, you receive eternal love and peace.

-Sai Baba

It is the pleasures that are enjoying man

A person may think he is enjoying the pleasures; but really speaking, it is the pleasures that are enjoying man, for they sap his energies, dry up his discrimination, eat up his allotted years and worm into his mind, infesting it with egoism, envy, malice, hate, greed and lust.

You should not plunge into action spurred by momentary impulse; ponder deeply over the pros and cons; weigh the expected benefits against the likely harm; then act so that you escape pain and you do not inflict pain. This is true in worldly matters as well as in the spiritual field.

-Sai Baba

Divine Discourse, September 28, 1965.

Spirituality does have a short cut

People look for short cuts in everything, even in spirituality. But, surprisingly, spirituality does have a short cut. There is no need to wander here and there. God is residing in your heart. Turn your vision inward. You
can see God instantly. This is the easiest path.

Three main principles are expounded in spirituality. These are:

Don't put your faith in the world.
Don't put all your faith in your body, for you do not know what will happen at any moment of time.
Never abandon your faith in God.

Once you are fully aware of these three principles, you can achieve anything.


-Sai Baba

The teachings of all religions are sacred

All religions have taught only what is good for humanity. Religion should be practised with this awareness.

If the minds are pure, how can religion be bad? It is a mark of ignorance to consider one religion as superior and another as inferior and develop religious differences on this basis. The teachings of all religions are sacred. The basic doctrines are founded on truth. Atma-Tatwa (the truth of the Spirit) is the essence of all religions, the message of all the scriptures and the basis of all metaphysics.

-Sai Baba

Mounam - Silence

It is said, "mounam bhajaswa (pratice silence)". What is mounam (silence)? It does not mean keeping the mouth shut. It means, getting beyond the influence of all the senses and being established always in the consciousness of One's own Reality. When the mind withdraws from the external world, the tongue too becomes silent. All senses follow suit. That is real silence.

Hence, you should learn to observe this world from afar, with an uninterested attitude. Then, you can also escape the wiles of the intellect which breeds doubts, delusions and dualistic diversions, that draws you away from Bliss and Peace. One who has reached that stage will be in highest peace and attain the highest joy.

-Sai Baba

Divine Discourse, Prasanthi Vahini

Do not shape your conduct with an eye on the opinion of others

Do not shape your conduct with an eye on the opinion of others. Instead, follow bravely, gladly and steadily the sweet and pleasant promptings of your own gentle and good manners. Follow your own Inner Self.

Associate yourself with those who are richly endowed with Truth. Spend every second of your life usefully and well. If you possibly can, render service to others. Engage yourself in nursing the sick, but when thus engaged in service, do not worry about either the result or the act of service or the person to whom it is rendered. The service is made holy and pure, if you ignore both the good and the bad, and keep on silently repeating in your hearts the name of the Lord that most appeals to you.

-Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, Prasanthi Vahini.

If your thoughts center round...

If your thoughts center round the body, you will have worries about pains and illnesses, real or imaginary. If they centered on riches, you will be worried about profit and loss, tax and exemptions, investment and insolvency, if they roam round fame, then you are bound to suffer from ups and downs of scandal, calumny and jealousy. So, let them center round the seat of power and love which deserve willing submission and let your whole being surrender to it. Then, you will be happy for ever.

-Sai Baba

Do good even to those who try to harm you

Sometimes you become too much angry, you may even criticize or hit someone. This is a great sin. In fact, when you criticize or hit your enemy, but you are criticizing or hitting God himself. Therefore, you should lead your life in such a way that you do not cause harm to anybody.

It is natural that you do good to those who do good to you. There is nothing very great about it. But Sai asks you to do good even to those who try to harm. You should not pay attention to the harm that they try to do to you in any manner. You should always remain in a state of supreme peace. You can attain everything if you have peace.

-Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, Jan 14, 2009

Hostile forces strengthen the faith

The Lord creates hostile forces to demonstrate the power of faith in the Divine and to confer peace and plenty on the believers. Just as a mother provides toys and sweets to a child for its pleasure, though they are of no use to her, God creates certain situations for the sake of the devotee, to bring out the depth of his devotion.

Even in small matters, we find that their true nature is discovered only by experiencing the elements opposed to them. For instance, if one wants to develop physical strength, he has to subject the body to strenuous exercises. Even a diamond requires to be cut and polished to enhance its brilliance and value.

-Sai Baba

Ask God

It is your duty to ask God. Words must be said, and words must correspond to the thought. The thought must be put into a true word. It is true enough that the divinity knows all, but he requires the true word be said. The mother may know that to maintain life the child requires food, but milk is given when the child asks for it.

-Sai Baba