Definition of Real Prema (Love)

There is need to spread the message of Love as the message of God. However, Prema or Love is a much misused word. Any positive response to the attraction is called love; any feeling of attachment, however trivial or transitory, is characterised as prema. We must certainly coin new words or set aside specific words to indicate the forms of love.

The attachment of parents to their children or of children to the parents must be called affection. The response to the attraction of sex can be best described as fancy, fascination or moha (delusion). The feeling of kinship or comradeship evokes dearness. The pleasure one gets through a sense of possession, especially of material objects, can be known as satisfaction. The yearning to reach for the sublimity that lies inherent in Truth - this alone is entitled to be called by that holy word, Prema.

Prema is strong and steady enough to leap over all obstacles, confront with equanimity all changes of fortune and defeat, all attempts to delay or deviate. It does not judge one incident as good and another as bad; it does not ascribe them to different agencies. Just as the same Sun causes both day and night, the same divine Will causes joy and grief.

-Sai Baba

"Believe me, you are the Supreme Reality"

Somehow it was very simple and easy in my case. My guru, before he died, told me: "Believe me, you are the Supreme Reality. Don't doubt my words, don't disbelieve me. I am telling you the truth, act on it". I could not forget his words and by not forgetting, I have realized. Once the guru told me: "You are the Supreme Reality", I ceased having visions and trances and became very quiet and simple. I found myself desiring and knowing less and less, until I could say in utter astonishment: "I know nothing, I want nothing."

-Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Creativity

Creativity is the labor to manifest beauty. Creativity is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual action to change darkness into light. As long as you try to bring light into dark places, into minds, into people's souls, into homes, into organizations, you are a creative person.

You can create in the political, educational, and philosophic fields. You can create in the artistic, scientific, religious, and economic fields. It is this creativity that pulls humanity upward to new heights, to enlightenment, unity, joy, prosperity, and a greater contact with the Universe.


-Torkom Saraydarian
The Creative Fire

Everyone expects from others to be faultless, kind and honest

You take it for granted that others should show wisdom, kindness and honesty and are indignant if they don't. But how do you yourself behave? You never ask yourself this, which is why there is so much chaos in the world. Everyone sees things the same way: they all expect others to be irreproachable, while they themselves can behave just as they wish.

Radio, television and newspapers are full of people criticizing and accusing others - it's all you'll ever hear, see or read. They make a career out of it, endlessly justifying their own mistakes.

It's just the same in daily life: people always have something to blame others for, while they see themselves as faultless. But, in an initiatic school, you will see that the opposite is taught, that true work involves dealing with oneself, with one's shortcomings, deficiencies and mistakes - and in leaving other people alone!

-Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

Purity of food leads to purity of mind

According to the Bhagavad Geetha, the body and life in it are based on food and sustained by food. However great and learned a person may be, however much he pays attention to the teachings of the Vedantha and takes care to spread them, if he neglects the strict code laid down for the food, he cannot succeed spiritually.

The food we eat is an important constituent of the physical and mental stuff we have to struggle with, in the spiritual field. Purity of food leads to purity of mind.

-Sai Baba

The Self

The Self is the treasury within us. Our Core, which contains in Itself the entire splendor of the Universe, must come into manifestation.

Our greatest glory and honor is built in the process of actualizing our True Self. We are going to manifest the beauty which is hidden in each one of us. The percentage of our manifestation of beauty is equal to what we are, factually.

Try to radiate goodness through your thoughts, expressions, words, motives, and actions, and you will feel how real you are. Slander, envy, gossip, and treason keep you a slave in an illusionary world because they destroy the formation of your soul.

The Self is all loving, all understanding, all giving, and the more Self you are, the less people dare to manipulate your goodness.

The Self's only interest is to bloom and flower toward the Cosmic Self.

People must be good to their bodies and heart and mind. If you are doping your body, doing things against your conscience, or acting against the welfare and freedom of others, you are not good to yourself. If you are building a heavy karma for yourself by exploiting others, you are not good to yourself.

Doing goodness to yourself and others is a process of Self-actualization. In the advanced path you not only live a life of goodness, but you yourself also become an embodiment of goodness. Such was the Lord Buddha.

Some modern psychologists understand "Self-actualization" in a different way. They tell us to express our anger in violent ways, to express sex in various ways, to express our hatred and jealousy in still other various ways. These people have no idea about the Self. The Self for them is anger, hate, sex, jealousy, revenge. These are acts of Self-defeat. Trying to express your anger, sex, hate, revenge, etc., in order to get rid of them, is like trying to eliminate a cup of poison by dumping it down your throat.

The Self is beyond such vices. It is Beauty, Goodness, and Righteousness. Righteousness must be expressed throughout our life in our thoughts, words, and actions. The more righteous we are toward our body, heart, brain, wife, husband, children, neighbors, authorities, teachers, is how much righteousness we practice. Righteousness brings out the beauty and goodness that we are in our essence.

There was a mechanic who, one day, changed the oil in my car and in the meantime was talking about how righteous he was in all his relationships. After the oil was drained in a pan, he took it and dumped it under a huge tree. I moved close to him and said, "What a righteous fellow you are!"

The mechanic asked, "What is the matter?"

I asked, "How can you pour that poison on the roots of that magnificent tree?"

"Well, I must dump it somewhere," he said.

We must accept and cherish the rights not only of people but also the rights of animals, trees, and the soil. To respect and understand the rights of life-forms means to be righteous.

We must face ourselves often and check if we are trying to be really beautiful, to have goodness in our heart and righteousness in all our relationships. This leads us to Self-actualization. Every time we act ugly, with evil intention, or become unrighteous, we accumulate hindrances on our path and make it difficult to reach our future destination.

If we imagine having had five hundred incarnations and doing ten ugly things in each life, can you imagine how many obstacles we have accumulated on our path?

People say, "I am doing many things to shine out my light," but they cannot radiate light because they have built a cement wall around themselves for so many incarnations through ugliness, unrighteousness, and evil intentions.

Karma is the accumulation of those actions which make it very difficult for you to actualize your Divine Self. Every time you prevent your beauty, goodness, and righteousness from being active, you create karma.

Karma means hindrances, obstacles, walls around you. All these one day must be wiped away by your free will or by the force of karma. You will experience much pain to destroy these walls. The more you wait to destroy your obstacles, the more suffering and pain you will pass through.

The best policy in life is not to accumulate karma. The Lemurian and Atlantean civilizations did not see the consequences of the Law of Karma, and they faced a great disaster. Can our Aryan civilization escape from such destiny?

If we are beautiful, righteous, full of goodness, then then Self will rejoice, and the joy of the Self is the most healing power for our three vehicles.

-Torkom Saraydarian

A disease in the body, is the result of a mind in chaos

A disease in the body,
is the result of a mind in chaos.
A body is a temple in which God resides.
The body is a manifestation of the soul.
It is a vehicle that reaches you
To Vishnu pada (Vishnu's feet).
When the mind gets agitated,
You begin to lose God within.
The body automatically begins to lose function.
This is a hindrance in your spiritual progress.
Life is precious. It is a gift of God,
Given to realize His Omnipresence
Within you and all around.
Value this gift and treat it with respect.
Firstly, it is important to develop strong faith in God.
Your dependence must be on God and no other.
Secondly, you need a strong will
To overcome temptations,
Any temptations that will agitate the mind
Or inflict pain in the body.
Thirdly, develop a pure heart of love.
You must think in the best interests of all around.
Fourth, you must stop wasting time.
Utilize time only to see and feel God at all times.
Fifth, you must stop worrying.
Why worry when God is the doer.
Surrender! Surrender!
Sixth, give up anger!
Anger is a disease of the mind,
Fire that will only consume you.
Seventh, have no desires,
Except that of being with God.
Desires are the roots of a restless mind.
Eighth, have no thoughts.
When all is God, all is His will,
Then why think, just do!
Ninth, offer God every moment, pure, sincere love,
He is himself enslaved by your true devotion.
Be persistent and God will shower His Grace.
With this Grace, there will be no mind,
No body consciousness, no ego,
Only Atma and Paramatma.

From : 'Sai Darshan' - Part III
(Divine Messages received and recorded by Mrs Seema M Dewan)

All matter is vibrant with life

There is no such thing as inanimate matter. There is life in everything. Life is involved in a piece of stone. All matter is vibrant with life -­ this has been conclusively proved by modern scientists.

Smile with the flowers and the green grass. Play with the butterflies, birds and deer. Shake hands with the shrubs, ferns and twigs of trees. Talk to the rainbow, wind, stars and sun. Converse with the running brooks and the waves of the sea. Speak with the walking stick. Develop friendship with all your neighbours, dogs, cats, cows, human beings, trees, flowers, etc. Then you will have a wide, perfect, rich, full life. You will realise oneness or the unity of life. This can hardly be described in words ­- you must feel it for yourself.

-Sivananda

How to increase our prosperity potential

To increase the prosperity potential means to release the Inner Abundance on all levels of our expression. This is what self-actualization is. The Inner Abundance must express Itself as abundance on spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical levels. It must start from the spiritual level: spiritually you must be prosperous if you want to be prosperous on the lower planes and enjoy your prosperity on lower planes. We can increase our prosperity potential by establishing a contact with the Source of abundance within us and the Universe. This is the first requisite. Unless we establish this contact and prepare our bodies to receive it, we will not be in prosperity and abundance.

How can we have abundance?
There are seven main techniques which have been used throughout ages with great success. They are:

-meditation, which includes affirmations and visualization

-sacrificial service

-joy and ecstasy

-actualizing the virtues and visions contacted through meditation

-sharing

-expansion of the field of knowledge

-perseverance

Abundance is the result of unity, whether it is psychological or individual unity, group or national unity, or global unity. The depression in the world's economy is the result of the cleavages between nations and the result of efforts to perpetuate such cleavages. The great Lord once said. "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." (Matthew 12:25) When you are working through Beauty, Goodness, and Truth you are linking your physical, emotional, and mental nature to the Source of abundance, to your true Self, the God within you. When God within you releases Itself, it gives energy to the threefold nature and fills you with abundance because Beauty, Goodness, and Truth are three streams of abundance pouring out from the ocean of your divine Self. It is also important to know that there are many fiery devas or angels who work in close association with those whose lives are dedicated to Beauty, Goodness, and Truth. Through currents of impression and thought they bestow their help to such individuals.


-Torkom Saraydarian
The Spring of Prosperity

Before partaking your food

If you talk while taking food, the digestive system will be spoiled. Once the digestive system is spoiled, several diseases will confront you.

Before partaking your food, pray to God silently keeping your eyes closed. Take your food in silence in a calm environment. Do not howl, talk and chit chat while taking food. Do not cry or laugh too. Do not entertain worry before or while taking food. These are some of the precautions to be taken to lead a happy life.

-Sai Baba
Divine Discourse. Oct 12, 2002

By looking deeply at things just as they are

Do not go after the past,
Nor lose yourself in the future.
For the past no longer exists,
And the future is not yet here.
By looking deeply at things just as they are,
In this moment, here and now,
The seeker lives calmly and freely.
You should be attentive today,
For waiting until tomorrow is too late.
Death can come and take us by surprise--
How can we gainsay it?
The one who knows
How to live attentively
Night and day
Is the one who knows
The best way to be independent.

-Bhaddekaratta Sutra

Trying to discover others' faults is a great mistake on your part

Instead of searching for others' faults, search for your own faults yourself. Uproot them; throw them off. It is enough if you search and discover one fault of yours. That is better than discovering hundreds of faults in others.

Whatever people may say about the faults that you know are not in you, do not feel for it. As for whatever faults that are in you, try to correct them yourself, even before others point them out to you.

Do not harbour anger or bitterness against the persons who point out your faults. Do not retort by pointing out their faults. Instead, you must show your gratitude to them. It is good for you to know your faults. Trying to discover others' faults is a great mistake on your part. Knowing others' faults is no good for you.

-Sai Baba
Sandeha Nivarini

Heavenly visits

You have certainly had this experience: you were busy with your everyday tasks, thinking of nothing in particular, and suddenly you felt something like a current, a presence close to you, something alive which brought you light, peace and joy. So, what did you do? At such moments, stop all your activities and concentrate on this presence that has come to visit you. These are rare and precious moments, and you must not neglect them and so let them pass you by.

Heavenly beings come to teach us and enrich our lives. If you don't stop and receive them the moment they appear, that's it; you can look for them and beg them all you like, they won't come back. Or, they may return, but when? You must hold on to them the moment they come, for in no time at all you'll not have the slightest idea what they came to bring you. Take the necessary time to become conscious of what these heavenly visits represent, so that they leave an indelible mark within you.

-Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

Emotional Maturity

What is emotional maturity? It certainly is not to be equated with physical age. I know people who are well past middle life and are not yet emotionally mature. Even if the physical body is totally mature, the intellect, as well as the emotional unit, can remain childish and unstable. The mind may have been educated to the nth degree, and yet such a scholar remains vulnerable to depression and discouragement. The very first step toward emotional mastery is recognition coupled with admission that in some areas we are not yet perfect. Only through open admission can we devote ourselves to the sadhana that will balance and lessen the forces, allowing us to strive within ourselves to secure ourselves within ourselves. An emotionally mature man or woman is totally secure within and prepared to tap the greater realms of spiritual being.

We make very little progress when we strive to conquer these baser instincts in a good mood. However, vast strides are possible when we are miserable and work with ourselves to replace our misery with joy and understanding. Therefore, if you are ever disappointed or discouraged, count it a blessing, for you then have the opportunity to conquer the instinctive nature and really stabilize yourself dynamically on the spiritual path.

Often we are disappointed not only with ourselves and our circumstances but with other people as well. We can oversee this and other instinctive responses, such as mental criticism or jealousy, by looking at everyone and saying to ourselves, "I like you. I send you blessings." We cannot be discouraged or disappointed or jealous when we look our fellow man in the eye and say and simultaneously feel and believe through every atom of our being, "I like you. I send you blessings." Impossible! Love overcomes all instinctive barriers between people.

There may be certain people or a certain person to whom you can say, "I like you," but for whom this is hard to believe in your heart. If you look deeper into them, you may find they are emotionally immature, a 12-year-old emotional body walking around in a 35-year-old physical body. Are you going to dislike a person for that? No, of course not. You are going to understand him or her. I've seen people with 22-year-old bodies with the wisdom of an 80-year old and the emotional stability of a 40-year old. I've seen people walking around in a 60-year-old body with a 12-year-old emotional body. By learning to understand, we cease to be a personality leaning upon our fellow man and falling into disappointment when he lets us down. No, we must lean on no one but ourselves, our own spine, and not be the reactionary victims of the ups and downs of the world around us or the people around us. Then we will gain our freedom from the instinctive forces we were born into and attain sufficient emotional maturity to love and bless the world no matter what our circumstances may be.

-Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/study/mc/daily_lesson_html/lesson_66.shtml

If mind becomes pure, everything else will become pure

Today cities have become centers of pollution and unrest. There is pollution everywhere, as man's mind has become polluted. If mind becomes pure, everything else will become pure.

So, cleanse your mind. Drive out all your worries. What is the use of brooding over the past? Past is past, forget it. Future is uncertain. What is the guarantee that you will be alive tomorrow? Don't worry about your future. Present is very important. This is omni present, not ordinary present. So, make the best use of present and be happy.

-Sai Baba

Entities and illness

Because humans do not know how to protect themselves, they allow all sorts of physical and psychic disorders to take hold of them. And the doctors who treat them, and who know no more about this area than they do, are content just to give medication. They never say to their patients, 'Close your door to dark entities, and live a purer life, so that you attract only heavenly entities.'

You will say, 'Entities? But what does that have to do with illness?' Have you read the Gospels? After Jesus had cured a sick man, he said to him, 'Go, and do not sin any more', because faults and transgressions attract evil spirits by acting as bait and food for them. Once these spirits have entered a person, they cause a lot of damage, which leads to all sorts of physical and psychic disturbances. This is the reality doctors ought to study.

-Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

There is no creature without love

I am the embodiment of divine love; love is my instrument. There is no creature without love; the lowest loves itself, at least. And its self is God. So there are no atheists, though some might dislike Him or refuse Him, as malarial patients dislike sweets or diabetic patients refuse to have anything to do with sweets! Those who preen themselves as atheists will one day, when their illness is gone, relish God and revere Him.

- Sai Baba
Divine Discourse on 9th June'1974

Never let anything threaten your joie de vivre

Never let pain or any physical impediment threaten your joie de vivre. Do something! Even if you're losing your sight or your hearing, even if you have a paralyzed limb, focus on all the faculties and possibilities you still possess, thanks to which you can still be active and still learn and develop. And what you still have left, above all else, are your feelings and thoughts, which are the greatest of forces. Call on them, for in cultivating right thinking and generous feelings you will create in yourself a positive frame of mind, which will even contribute to the improvement of your physical state.

Evil takes the proportions we allow it to take. If we give way to weakness or discouragement, we reinforce it. But have you seen a chicken defending its chicks when a dog gets close to them? She bristles, puffs up her feathers and strikes a threatening pose to frighten it away. Do the same with evil: pump yourself up, show it you are able to defend yourself, and it will be forced to retreat.

-Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

Heroism is a manifestation of humility

Fiery World III, 24. One of the great concepts, often incorrectly interpreted, is precisely the great concept of humility. It has been interpreted as non-resistance to evil; it has been interpreted as good-heartedness, as compassion, but very few accepted it as self-denial. For only self-denial and self-sacrifice can give understanding of humility.

Truly, We see the giants of spirit and the heroes who devote themselves fully to the humble tasks for the good of humanity. We know of great experiments being humbly carried out in the earthly laboratories for the benefit of humanity. We know the great fiery experiments of those who dedicate their lives wholly and humbly to the benefit of mankind. We know manifestations on the path to the Fiery World which inspire all surroundings. Truly manifold is humility manifested through self-sacrifice and self-renunciation.

Heroism is a manifestation of various aspects of humility. Thus the records of space are filled with great deeds of humility. Invaluable are these fiery flights of the spirit. Thus, verily, the heroes of humility drain the cup of poison for the good of mankind.

-Agni Yoga

This dual attitude must be given up

Have high ideals. Strive to elevate yourselves. Work to attain the highest goal, God Himself. Whatever the obstacle or the opposition, do not be disheartened.

Give up the animal in you, stabilize yourselves in human virtues, and proceed boldly towards the achievement of Divinity. Do not waver - having devotion today, tomorrow seeking sensual gratification, and then the day after, back to devotion again.

When something goes wrong, you are filled with despair. When discipline is enforced, you start holding back, and when love is showered, you are first again. This dual attitude must be given up.

-Sai Baba
Divine Discourse, March 7, 1978 .



A man with dual mind is half blind. - Baba