The Message of Sri Sathya Sai Baba: In His Words - Part 2

Sathya Sai Speaks
On World Problems and Spiritual Solutions

 Today humanity has achieved tremendous progress through science. On one hand, astonishing advances have been made in areas like plastics, computers, electronics and exploration of space. On the other hand, in the sphere of ethics, the picture is depressing. The world is confronted with grave economic and political problems. International, racial, religious, caste and communal differences, inter-state conflicts, violent agitations by students are rampant, all over the world. What is the reason for these contradictory developments, scientific progress on the one side and moral deterioration on the other? How has mankind fallen to this egregious depth of ethical and spiritual degradation? 

Wickedness and cruelty are spreading among men today. Lacking in devotion and righteousness, men are developing only their bad habits and tendencies. Mankind does not lack scriptures like the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bible, the Quran, the Zend Avesta and other great works to show how peace and the higher wisdom are to be got. Spiritual books are published in countless numbers. Nor is there any dearth of religious preachers, heads of Maths (religious centres) and religious scholars.

Sadhus and Sanyasis (renunciants) are proclaiming spiritual and ethical truths to warn mankind. In spite of all these well-meaning efforts, why is it that minds of human beings are turned towards narrow and unrighteous pursuits?

There has been any amount of transformation in the political, social and scientific fields. But all this development is of no avail if there is no commensurate transformation in the mental outlook of people. Ethical transformation depends on social transformation. Social transformation is related to spiritual change. Without spiritual transformation, social progress tends to become inimical to human advancement. Spiritual transformation is the basis for ethical transformation.

“A New World Order Based on Spirituality”, My Dear Students, Volume 05, 
June 16, 1983, Prasanthi Nilayam

Suffering and misery are the inescapable acts of the cosmic drama. God does not decree these calamities, but man invites them by way of retribution for his own evil deeds. This is corrective punishment which induces mankind to give up the wrong path and return to the right path so that he may experience the God-like condition of Satchitananda. All this is part of the grand synthesis in which the negatives serve to glorify the positives. Thus, death glorifies immortality, ignorance glorifies wisdom, misery glorifies bliss, night glorifies dawn.

So, finally, if the Avatar brings the natural calamities to an immediate end, which I can and do when there is a great need, the whole drama of creation with its Karmic law will collapse. Remember, these calamities occur not because of what God has made of man, but really because of what man has made of man. Therefore, man has to be unmade and remade with his ego destroyed and replaced by a transcendent consciousness, so that he may rise above the Karmic cycle to command Nature and avert its calamities. This is the work of the Avatar which I am presently doing.

“Raising Man to God”, God Lives in India, 
September 1976, Prasanthi Nilayam

On Understanding Him and Practicing His Teachings

You must take a path by which you can see deep into My heart and experience the various Divine aspects of Mine. You must understand the all-knowing power in Me. Do not be led away by people who always talk of having got a locket, a watch or a ring from Me. These things have no deep meaning. If you can earn My grace, it is as good as getting the entire world. Do not talk about My miracles but talk of the Prema which you can get from Me by your conduct. This is what is most important and you must make an attempt to get it. When there is an invaluable diamond in Me, you must try and acquire that. What is the meaning in your wanting to acquire smaller things? You must not go away from this invaluable treasure. You must be as close to it as possible. It is necessary for you to take and treasure it. You may ask what is the necessity for us to earn such a thing as Divine grace and Prema? In this context, it is useful if you know of the kind of love that comes from the Divinity in Me. 

I would have given a protective Talisman to a devotee and that individual would have worn it either on his head or somewhere on his body. You do not have to constantly think of Swami. He will be with you and looking after you, even if you do not have a protective Talisman on your bodies. My grace is always available to all the people. The purpose of the Talisman is that if the individual wearing it is in some danger or difficulty, the Talisman will immediately bring to Me in a flash the news and goes back with My grace to you. This is the function that the Talisman that I give performs. It constitutes a kind of link between the wearer and me in times of danger. Such material gifts have been protecting thousands of people.
“Who is Sathya Sai Baba?”, 
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1974, Part 2, Brindavan

The space encased in the pot must become one with the space that traverses the entire Universe, by the negation of the attachment, which is just an artificial creation of the deluded mind. That attachment must disappear; that inferior status of manhood that now satisfies him must give place to the status of Reality of God (Madhavatwam) which is the genuine status. That is the task for which Sai is calling you; that is the work for which I have come.

I have come to re-form you: I won’t leave you until I do that. Even if you get away before I do that, do not think you can escape Me; I will hold on to you. Whenever I appear to be angry, remember, it is only love in another form. For, I have not even an atom of anger in me; I just evince My disappointment that you do not shape as I direct. When I direct you along a line of action, reflect on My advice; you have full liberty to do so; in fact, I shall be happy if you do so; I do not like slavish obedience. If you feel that it will help you to reach the goal, follow it; if not, go to some other place; but, let Me tell you one thing: Wherever you go, you meet only Me. I am everywhere.I will demand good conduct, good habits, good thoughts, good company, wherever you go seeking for refuge!

“Brahmaanda Linga”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 04, 
February 11, 1964, Prasanthi Nilayam

Sai’s philosophy does not lie in encouraging devotees to sit in a comer, control their breath and go on uttering, “Soham! Soham! Soham!” “Oh, Sadhak! Arise! Gird up your loins! Plunge into social service!” This is the Sai message. No room should be given for laziness and indifference.

“Practise What You Preach”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 18, 
November 17, 1985, Prasanthi Nilayam
There is no Satyam (Truth) without Shivam (Goodness); there is no Shivam without Sundaram (Beauty). Truth alone can confer Mangalam (Auspiciousness) and Mangalam alone is the real beauty. Truth is beauty. Joy is beauty. Falsehood and grief are ugly because they are unnatural. Buddhi, Chittam and Hrudayam (intellect, sub-conscious mind and heart), these are the three centres in the individual where resides Jnana, Karma and Bhakti. The effulgence of Satyam will reveal Shivam. Do Karma that is approved by the higher wisdom, not Karma that is born of ignorance. Then all Karma will be Shivam, auspicious, beneficial, and blessed. The experience of that Shivam is what is called Sundaram. For it confers real Ananda. That is My reality. That is why My life is named ‘Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram’.

“Protection of the Devotees”, Sathya Sai Speaks, 
Volume 03, July 07, 1963, Prasanthi Nilayam


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