Mother Sathya Sai
Quote Corner
July 2018
1. What is Devotion
- Devotion is not just a pose; it is a series of little acts, directed by the attitude of reverence for the Divinity in all beings. Watch for the lie that lurks on the tongue, the violence that lurks behind the fist, the ego that lurks behind the deed. Restrain them before they grow into habits and settle down as character to warp your destiny.
- BABA (Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol I, Chapter 8)
2. Concretisation of Divine Grace
- Repetition of the Name and meditation are the means by which you can compel even the concretisation of the Divine Grace, in the Form and with the Name you yearn for. The Lord has to assume the Form you choose, the Name you fancy; in fact, you shape Him so. Therefore, do not change these two, but stick to the ones that please you most, whatever the delay or the difficulty.
- BABA (Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol I, Chapter 5)
3. Love is common for all Values
- When your thoughts emanate from a mind purified by love, they will result in Right Action, which is Dharma; when Love becomes part of your experience, thought and action, you get Shanthi (Peace). When we comprehend Love clearly, Ahimsa or non-violence will result automatically.
- So, Love is the unseen undercurrent binding all the four values. It can be summarised thus: Love in thoughts is Sathya (Truth); Love in feelings is Shanthi (Peace); Love in action is Dharma (Righteousness) and Love in understanding is Ahimsa (Non-Violence). Love is the common denominator for all these values.
- BABA (Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol I8, Chapter 2)
4. Maternal Inspiration
- Rama attained godhood because he was the son of Kausalya. Lava and Kusa became heroic children because of their great mother, Sita Devi. It is the noble thoughts of the mother which make the children great. A mother may go wrong in other respects, but she will always strive for the well-being of her children. Hence every son has to love his mother as the primary duty.
- BABA (Divine Discourse, 6th May, 1997)
5. Developing faith in God
- Faith in the Lord must be strengthened by the repetition of the name. Faith is the foundation of all activity. Spiritual effort is needed to develop faith in God; just as curdling and churning are necessary to obtain butter from milk. The fire in the matchstick can be seen only when it is struck. Likewise, God can be realised only through spiritual effort.
- BABA (Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol I8, Chapter 2)
6. Maternal Love
- There is no greater love in the world than maternal love. Hence the ancients accorded the highest honour to the mother and declared : “Esteem the Mother as Divine”. For every person, the first preceptor is the mother. It is from the mother that the child learns its first words of speech, the first steps in movement and many other primary lessons in behaviour. Hence the mother stands out as the reflected image of Nature (Prakriti).
- BABA (Divine Discourse, Easwaramma Day, 1996)
7. Approach the Lord without fear
- Earn the right to approach the Lord without fear and the right to ask for your heritage. You must become so free that praise will not emanate from you when you approach the Lord. Praise is a sign of distance and fear. You must have heard the Kalidasa story. He said that he would get liberation, “as soon as I go,” that is to say, as soon as the ego disappears, for then he shines in his native splendour, as Brahman (as the indestructible Atma). The I, when crossed out, becomes the symbol of the cross; remember that what is crucified is the ego. Then, the divine nature manifests itself unhampered.
- BABA (Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol I, Chapter 9)
8. Duty towards Parents
- You owe a supreme duty towards your parents, who are responsible for all that you are. You will be less than human if you do not show your gratitude to them for all that they have done for you. Parental love means for the children what the Sun’s rays mean for the blossoming of a flower.
- BABA (Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol I8, Chapter 10)
9. Brahman (the Supreme Reality)
- The greatest defect today, is the absence of inquiry into the nature of the Self. That is the root cause of all this restlessness. If you are eager to know the truth about yourself, then, even if you do not believe in God, you will not go astray. The pots are all of mud, the ornaments are all of gold, the clothes are all of yarn. There is unity where one saw only diversity; the basic substance is one and indivisible. That is Brahman (Supreme Reality), that is the Atma, which is your own basic substance too.
- BABA (Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol I, Chapter 5)
10. How to Destroy The ego
- The ego is most easily destroyed by devotion, by dwelling on the magnificence of the Lord, and by rendering service to others as children of the Lord. You can call on the Lord by any name, for all names are His; select the Name and Form that appeals to you most. That is why 1000 names are composed for the various forms of God; you have the freedom and the right to select any one of the thousand. The guru will give you the Name and Form suited to your temperament and meritorious acts.
- BABA (Examine, Experience, Chapter 9, Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol I)
