Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

A person who has a compassionate heart, Whose words spell truth and Whose body is utilised to serve others Will never be affected by any evil forces. Such a person's life will be truly sanctified. SANDALWOOD gives more and more fragrance when it is subjected to more and more grinding, so does sugarcane yield juice as it is chewed more and more. Gold gets refined when it is burnt and melted in fire. So also a true devotee will never falter in his love for God even when he faces troubles and obstacles in his life. God tests His devotees only to lift them up to a higher level in the spiritual ladder. A true devotee leads a sacred life which is sanctified when he faces the obstacles and problems with full faith in the Divine. The body is only for leading a sacred life.

"I am the infinite Time" says Krishna. Time has no measure, and it is unlimited, infinite. It is experienced by man in his life by dividing it into years, months, weeks, days, etc. It is only to facilitate man to pursue his daily activity that time is brought under some convenient, standard division.

"Mamaivamsho jeevaloke jeevabhoothah sanathanah." God is as a spark in every one. To recognize this Divinity man has to do some sadhana. A mirror though clean may not reflect your image if it is not having the mercury coating behind it. So also the heart may be pure but there should be the coating of love behind it to facilitate reflection of God. There are multitudes of waves in the Ocean which are not all alike and vary in shapes and forms, but there is no difference in the sea-water that is contained in every one of these waves. Similarly names and forms of people are different but the spark of Divinity that is Sathchithanandha is the same in every one. Every one, in fact, is an embodiment of Sathchithanandha. When we realise this, sacred feelings will prevail and no petty ideas will arise in the mind. God manifests in man in three forms described as, Bhur-Bhuvah-Suvah. Bhu is the padhartha (material form). Bhuvah is Spandhana Shakthi or Prana Shakthi (Life Principle). Suvah is the form of Prajna. Prajna Shakthi is the radiation which, through Prana Shakthi (vibrating power) gives the material form represented by the body. God manifests in all these three forms. The body is a combination of water, iron, lead, phosphorus and other things which are but inert matter. The body is inert but is made to function actively through vibration or the Life Force Prajna Shakthi (radiation) causes vibration to act. This Prajna Shakthi is conscience. It occupies a special place in the body. God, in the form of conscience, activates the body. If only man understands this truth of spirituality he will never indulge in bad deeds. The functioning of the body is itself a mystery.

We use old newspapers generally to wrap different types of articles purchased in a shop. If jasmine is wrapped in the paper, the paper smells sweet like jasmine. Another person may wrap some edible like pakoda and the paper gives that smell. If dry fish is wrapped, the paper emits the smell of dry fish. Though the paper has no smell of its own it takes on the smell of the thing with which it is associated. In the same way our mind, too, gets polluted because of the illusion of body consciousness and attachment. When you think of a material object, it gets object oriented but if you turn the mind towards the Life principle it makes the life sacred. If you turn it towards the world, it is binding you to the world. If you turn it towards Awareness, which is Brahman, you become Brahman. Embodiments of Love! If you enquire carefully you will find that the entire universe is pervaded by God: Vishvam Vishnu Svaruuopam. The human body is bound by time, karma (work) and duty. Everyone has the responsibility to do his duty. The effulgent Divinity within is not realised by man and he leads a useless life indulging in mundane pleasures. The entire universe is made up of matter which is transient and subject to decay. Therefore, one should develop devotion to the Lord who is the permanent Reality. Absence of self-confidence is the cause of all miseries and troubles man encounters in the world. One should have confidence in his own inner Self that is the Atma. If one has this selfconfidence, he will have self-satisfaction, which will lead to self-sacrifice. Self-sacrifice leads to liberation or Self-Realisation. Everything is based on "Self" and everyone is Atmaswaruupa (embodiment of the Self). The body is just an instrument. There is water in the tumbler before me. Without the tumbler water can't be kept; the tumbler is the basis for the water which is needed to quench the thirst. So also the body is the vessel to hold the water of Divinity. To drink the water is Sadhana. Your thirst for realising Divinity is quenched by Sadhana.

You call this day as New Year Day. There is nothing new. It is as old as any other day. We take it as a new year every time one year ends and another begins. The time is divided on the basis of the motions of Moon and the Sun. The former is called Chandhramana, which is followed by some people, and the latter is called Souramana, which is followed by another section of people. Today, we bid farewell to the year Angeerasa and welcome the year Shreemukha. Shri means very sacred. It is the highest among the eight types of Aishvarya (wealth) of which God is described as the master. Shabda brahmamayee, Charachara mayee, Jyothirmayee, Vangmayee, Nithyanandhamayee, Parathparamayee, Mayamayi and Shreemayi are the eight-fold wealth of which Shri is the most important. In order to foster immortality in mortals it is customary to use 'Shri' as prefix to the names of males and 'Shrimathi' to those of females. Even when God comes down to earth as Divine Incarnation such as Rama and Krishna, the prefix 'Shri' is added to their names and we call them as 'Shri Rama' and 'Shri Krishna'. The purpose is to signify the immortality of God even when he assumes the mortal human form.

The name of this year is 'Shreemukha'. The name implies that it should give brilliance to all faces. But you will not find this year as favourable as its name indicates. One should not get discouraged by these prospects. You cannot always have pleasure. Pleasure is an interval between two periods of pain. They are like sunshine and shadow. You should make efforts to look on both with equanimity.-Man wants to get all that he desires and gets disillusioned and disappointed. The lighthouse of hope for this ocean of life is God, who is the only permanent entity. This lighthouse never fails. So you should engage yourself in Godly activities with unstinted devotion.

God is omnipresent. He has hands, legs, mouth, faces everywhere and pervades the entire Universe. Where is the need to search for Him? Such a search may be termed as folly. All forms of God are in you. Any time is auspicious to realise this. You need not wait for the New Year. There is no need for a new religion or a new culture or a new philosophy, What is needed is only a pure heart. You should not give room for impurity or pollution in the heart. You can make your life sacred by following the golden rule: "Help ever; hurt never."

Speak softly, sweetly and truthfully. There are two eyes to see different things, two ears to hear good and bad, there are two hands to do good and bad, but there is only one tongue to speak only the Truth.

Real bliss consists in sanctifying the senses. The ornament for the hand is charity, that for the tongue is truth and that for the ears is listening to divine scriptural talks. What other ornament is needed than these! "Anandhame Andhamu" (Bliss is beauty). It is the nectar of life. You should enjoy the sweetness of bliss.

Embodiments of Divine Atma! Spend your life in cherishing sacred thoughts, listening to good things, speaking good words, and doing good deeds. If all of you adopt this path, happiness and prosperity will reign in the world. No government or politician or any one in the world can protect you from troubles and disasters. There is only one who can protect you and that is Supreme Lord. To seek His protection, all of you must wholeheartedly pray "Lokassamasthas- sukhino-Bhavanthu" (Let all people in the world enjoy bliss).