Just for today, be kind, cheerful, agreeable,
In the South Indian tradition, there are 2 words that are very commonly used during functions & rituals one performs in adoration of God. These words are: Prasaadam, and Naivedyam. The former word as we all have heard is often distributed during functions; the word essentially means a blessing from God. But an everyday affair in many houses & temples.
The other word Naivedyam means an offering to God. During the Pooja ritual, food and other items are offered to God by way of consecrating them but in our context, any loving offering we make becomes a Naivedyam.
For example, we offer flowers to God. We pluck the flowers and make a garland before offering. In worldly parlance, “some value addition” is made before offering to God! Just like that, we must utilize the talents / the skills / the knowledge / the material wealth that we have in a suitable manner, do what we’re supposed to, i.e.; make some value addition and offer them back to God.
Just like our nail is a part of our finger, the finger is a part of our hand, the hand is a part of our arm and the arm is a part of our whole body, man is a limb of Society, Society is a limb of Nature and Nature is a limb of God!!!
Speaking during a concluding function in Dec. ‘96, the famous West Indian cricketer Clive Lloyd said, “Talent is a gift of God and it must be offered back to God.”
Similarly, a Pakistani singer of Ghazals when asked why she was not adopting modern methods of singing replied, “I can’t do that. Ghazals are a gift of Allah and I must offer it back to Allah in a pure form and not with modern distortions!!!”
The concept is the same irrespective of religion!
The great Isaac Newton once exclaimed, “The thumb alone is enough to prove that there is a superior power & that is God!”
This is the easiest way of going back to God – from God we have come and to God we must return. This cycle guarantees a safe return journey.
This is the P / N PRINCIPLE that we’re all supposed to follow.
The human birth is the final birth and, dependent on the virtue of the life, it ends in the Divine, or is reborn again. - SATHYA SAI BABA
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WHERE & WHO IS GOD!!!
· Situated on the banks of the Ganges near holy Rishikesh in the Himalayas, there was once an ashram that had attracted a fair number of seekers.
The HEAD MONK once noticed that the Ashramites were often quarrelling and he could hear rude words that left him pained. 'Why are they angry with one another?' the guru asked himself. But he could not bring himself to throw anyone out - such was his compassion.
One day he saw two inmates fighting over food in the ashram canteen. The incident left him shocked and he returned to his hut in a despondent mood. 'What can be wrong with them?' he asked himself. He was racked with the problem of remedying the situation and elevating their souls.
So, he increased his discourses to them and gave more personal advice. The inmates' reverence for their guru increased, but unfortunately this did not translate in better behavior towards each other.
The GURU prayed to LORD SHIVA to help him find a solution. The LORD appeared in his dream & said, "I will come & stay in your ashram but not in this form. I shall be there in the guise of one of the inmates.”
The guru's joy knew no bounds & he went & shared this information with all of the inmates. They were excited but at the same time confused.
"Is this inmate sitting near me SHIVA in disguise?" one disciple thought. "Who could be that person?" Nobody knew and everybody was left guessing and as a result careful too.
For, each one thought, "How can I fight against him if he is LORD SHIVA? And thus, a subtle change slowly came over in each one of them. They began to see God in everyone and took every opportunity to help the other and be kind and courteous. The whole atmosphere in the ashram was now totally transformed – only love and harmony prevailed.
· There was a religious man who had invited all the members of his family, a few friends & relatives for food on 3 consecutive days on account of a function. That night LORD VISHNU came in his dream & said, "I shall come to your house tomorrow to take PRASADAM."
The man was elated & the next day, while all others were enjoying their meal, he waited for the LORD. An old beggar happened to come that time to his house & wanted to eat as well. But since everyone was busy, the beggar was overlooked & ignored!! The security then sent him away.
The man was very disappointed that GOD didn't keep up his word. That night the LORD came into his dream once again & said, "I came today to your house as the old beggar but you didn't even bother to serve me food."
The man was truly shocked, & exclaimed, "Oh! I had absolutely no idea.” The LORD said in all compassion, "OK, I'll come again tomorrow."
The next day, the man ensured that all 'old men' including 'beggars' were served food while he looked at everyone 'minutely' wondering which one of them was the LORD.
Suddenly one DOG came into the dining hall barking & wagging its' tail. The man saw the DOG inside the hall & screamed at the security to get the dog out as it was a disturbance & a nuisance. The security drove the dog out!
For the 3rd night in a row, LORD VISHNU appeared in the man's dream & said, "I came in the form of that dog & you shouted at me & drove me away! What is the use of all your religious practices if you can’t even recognize that GOD is in everyone?”
PS: Thank you for all the responses that have been coming in during the last 1 month. We're re-starting the SQ series...
We've also sent vibhuti to SRILANKA, MAURITIUS, MUMBAI, VIJAYAWADA...as per recent requests.
Moderator
Dear Reader,
In response to your positive feedback to this section where we have a conversation with the Divine, we continue with Prof. Anil Kumar’s ‘Satyopanishad’ following Dr. John Hislop’s series ‘Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’ that ended in January 2008.
This series is also in the question-answer format that many devotees prefer, and has answers from Bhagavan on topics as wide ranging as the origin of evil, the goals of human lif, and aspects of God – embodied and formless, to price hikes, women’s liberation, vegetarianism, and the generation gap among people of the present times.
Published in two parts by the author, these volumes have 270 questions in all, which are neatly grouped under separate chapters. In this issue, we begin the fifth chapter: 'Concepts'
Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! We have many qualities tamasika (like laziness, dullness, etc.), rajasika (like aggressiveness, ego, etc.) and sattvika (being pious). Do they change at any time? How are we to ennoble ourselves? Sometimes these attributes may be responsible for conflicts with our colleagues in the office. What is to be done under these circumstances? Kindly give us a solution to this problem that we encounter everyday?
Bhagavan: The whole world revolves round these three attributes tamasika, rajasika and sattvika. Every individual has these three attributes working like the three blades of a fan. But in a person, the quality which dominates the other two, decides their nature and total personality, nay, their very destiny as a whole.
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He is a pious man whose sattvika quality dominates his rajasika and tamasika qualities. He is an emotional, passionate, active man if his rajasika quality dominates his sattvika and tamasika qualities. He is a dull, inactive and passive man if he is dominated by the tamasika nature. Thus, everyone has these three attributes.
For instance, in an eyeball don't you see all the three colours - white, red, and black? They symbolise these three traits. Watch the Sunrise. You will notice three colours - red, white and black again indicating three attributes. However, you should note one important point. These attributes or gunas have no independent existence. Divinity makes them functional. But the gunas are not to be found in the divine, as God is gunatita, the One beyond attributes.
Gunas are transformable. For instance, you can get over tamasika quality by karma, action. Karma transforms tamasika quality into rajasika activity. Rajasika nature is dual. It may give you success or failure, profit or loss, praise or blame, etc. Man has to perform karma. In fact, there is no one who does not take any action. You may lie on a bed sleeping, yet your heart beats, blood circulates and the nervous system and pulmonary system work. Don't they? Does it not amount to action?
By doing selfless actions, offering all the fruits of action to God, serving God in everyone and by realising the indwelling divinity, one can develop anubhavajnana, practical wisdom or experience-based wisdom. At that stage, a rajasika person becomes a sattvika person. Therefore, karma is important. It is said karmanubandhini manus yaloke, which means, human society is bound by action. Your very life is gifted to do karma. Thus, janma, birth and karma, actions are interrelated.
Therefore, a tamasika nature can be converted into rajasika by volitional action, which can be further transformed into sattvika by bhakti and jnana, that is, devotion and awareness. This is sadhana or spiritual practice.
In fact, one should salute respectfully the action he does. Tasmai namah karmane, “my salutations to the action given or assigned to me”. Therefore, a tamasika nature can be converted into rajasika by volitional action, which can be further transformed into sattvika by bhakti and jnana, that is, devotion and awareness. This is sadhana or spiritual practice.
By atmavicara, self-enquiry, you can improve and change your nature. When any lower or animal qualities like wavering of the mind, excessive sleep, gluttony, etc. crop up, immediately say to yourself at least ten times. "I am a man, I am not an animal." Then, you will be able to get over them. Do your duty sincerely. Don't be pompous. Don't show off or do any stunt. Always be sure that God notices everything that you do, though others may not. Do your duty with love.
Duty with love is Desirable.
Duty without love is Deplorable,
Love without duty is Divine.
If you offer all your work and the fruits thereof to God, your work will be transformed into worship.
To See The Whole Conversation Go To the Page Below :
http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_07/01JUN09/01-conversations.htm
THE GARBAGE TRUCK!!! SOME RESPONSES…
1. Dear Sir,
I never cease to be awed by the way SQ manages to drive home the point with the help of your spiritual quotes, examples and short stories.
We youngsters always have these misconceived notions that spirituality is something which is to be pursued only in old age after we have enjoyed our life in our youth, but SQ has been an eye opener for us.
The messages are wonderful that we need to be thankful for mental peace and material comfort bestowed by God on us, than to hanker after things which can just give us momentary feeling of happiness.
This write up of SQ is much more intense and thought provoking. I think the effort taken for compiling these articles for SQ is really commendable and hope that you continue to nourish us daily with your spiritual anecdotes.
Regards
REVATHI
2. Dear Sir,
In fact, your SQ has become quite a repository of spiritual knowledge that besides your quotients, the debates and the exchange of ideas and thoughts have also become equally popular. I have become quite an avid reader of all these.
Thank you once again for this wonderful opportunity to 'learn' and to 'debate'.
May your column grow from strength to strength?
Regards
JAWAHAR.N.R
A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room was filled with light, and the Lord told the man that he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might every day!
The man did so, day after day. For several days he toiled from dawn to dusk, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain as the rock simply didn’t budge even an inch!!! But he persisted.
Since the man was showing slight discouragement, the ‘Satan’ decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into his weary tired mind. “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t moved. You’ve been fooled by God! The task is impossible and you’re a failure.”
These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan continued, “Why kill yourself over this? Just give minimum effort, and that will be good enough. Then come & enjoy life with me.”
That’s what the man planned to do as the ‘monkey mind’ played mischief & he was completely influenced by the Satan, but decided to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock even by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing? Why have you asked me to do this?"
The Lord responded compassionately, “My dear fellow, I told you that your task was just to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it! Your task was just to push. That’s all & that you’ve done successfully!!!”
“And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown; your legs have become massive and hard. Your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Your task was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in my wisdom. This you have done. Now I, my child, will move the rock.” Announced God triumphantly!!!
The Man simply bowed in reverence & humility!
PS: What actually God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him. We should not waver - having devotion today, tomorrow seeking sensual gratification, and then the day after, back to devotion again. When something goes wrong, we are filled with despair. When discipline is enforced, we start holding back, and when love is showered, we are first again. This dual attitude must be given up. SATHYA SAI BABA
Pray Until Something Happens!
(Compiled from ‘Radio Sai Journals…might be a repeat but worth it…)
1. Thanks for SQ- it is a great pleasure to read it and to remember it - these stories I can use in my classes - a good way to make my pupils think and remember - hopefully to change their consciousness
2. Dear Sai Brother, hope there is no auther's rights on your prayer, because I'm using it, may God pay you in full for this beautiful prayer you have shared with us. Om sai ram
3. Dear Sir,
This is very useful story. Quite often we see that people try to
hurt each other, whether it is in public transport or in office. One
person speaks very badly to other, because of which his Ego gets hurt tremendously & he retaliates, by speaking badly of the former.
The former returns the garbage & this continues to happen. Those people who happen to hear this are disgusted.
Reading this story, we understand that we should ignore the
garbage, & not try to retaliate but forget it.
VAIBHAV
THE MILK MAIDRESPONSES…
1. Sairam,
Your mails are excellent and words cannot describe the service you do. It is really a great service that you awaken the hearts everyday.
Your SQ answers all queries.
Even then, wish to have an answer for the below.
The mind always runs after success. We always want to be successful in career and satisfy our desires.
Even with swami or spiritual activities, if we aim to see swami , the mind gets satisfied only after seeing swami.
A kind of anxiety is developed always before our aim or desire gets fulfilled.
How to overcome this anxiety? How to control mind? Even when we do namasmarana,one part of the mind
runs after the desire or aim.
Regards,
With best wishes,
Bharathi.R
2. Dear Sir,
Sai Ram.
First we thank you for the wonderful service you are doing by sending these lovely ,so much meaningful,eye opening................ SQs..really cant find words to express our appriciation.
we wish to print these SQs and make a booklet and give out to friends and children.but we are only fortunate to get these SQs from 22nd only.23rd and 29th too we have got.
If its not too much trouble for you ,we would like to have them. 1to 23rd and 29th.
The pearl necklace 40th one made me cry uncontrollably.How we are attached to so many cheep things .
Thank you for the woderful.messages.May our beloved Swami bless you with all the best in life to continue His work.
