SATHYA SAI SPEAKS

The Key to Permanent Happiness

Who is the hero? God is the hero, while the world is a zero. So, you should make friendship with that hero. It is only the eternal nature of Divine Love, which is blemishless, selfless and pure, which can stand the test of true friendship. When you enjoy the proximity of such a friend, you will be free from fear even in the face of insurmountable difficulties.

Lack of faith is the cause of fear in man. So, cultivating faith in the Divine is the foremost task of man. Endowed with such faith, one can achieve success in every kind of task. What is the root cause of disturbance and restlessness in the world?

Due to their ignorance, people have lost
Fear of sin and love for God,
Resulting in the depravity of human nature.
What a blow to the cause of peace in the world!

~ Telugu Poem

Man today has made giant strides in all fields. But the progress he has registered can be compared to an electric wire without current, since he does not possess human values. Love of God has infinite power. Here is an example: People are coming here (to Swami’s physical presence) from far off places in India and from different countries, spending a lot of money and time.

Why do they gather here? What is the reason? They find something here that they do not find in their family members, in friends, relatives, in the society they live in, and also in their countries. What do they find here? You find Love here. For the sake of experiencing Divine Love, all of you embark on long and arduous journeys.

God is the hero, while the world is a zero. So, you should make friendship with that hero. It is only the eternal nature of Divine Love, which is blemishless, selfless and pure, which can stand the test of true friendship. When you enjoy the proximity of such a friend, you will be free from fear even in the face
of insurmountable difficulties.

But, if you make a thorough observation and investigation into the matter, you will be able to know that love is present within you only. In the Gita, Lord Krishna declared: Mamaivamso Jeevaloke Jeevabhutha Sanathana (the eternal Atma in every human being is a part of My Being). Hence, Divine Love is present in every individual. But the human being, unable to realize the truth that Love is present within himself, thinks that it is something separate or different from him and undertakes long journeys searching for Love. Know that the Divine is not different from you. Sarvata panipadam Tat sarvathokshi siromukham (That omnipresent Brahman has His hands, feet, eyes, and mouth everywhere).

Our Foremost Task is to Cultivate Sadgunas

To have a vision of God, who is omnipresent, you have to make certain enquiries. The Vedas proclaim that Brahman is all-pervasive. Easwara sarva bhutanam (the Divine is immanent in every being). Man should cultivate good qualities if he wants to realize the truth of these statements.

Without such qualities, man cannot realize even a fraction of the truth of the statement saryam khalvidam Brahma (verily all this is Brahman). Only by means of good qualities can one recognize the Divine, who is omnipresent. Cultivating good qualities is the basic tenet of devotion.

Inculcation of virtues, right attitude, adherence to truth, discipline, and sense of duty are the signs of devotion. Only those who develop these qualities can be called devotees.

Our foremost task is to cultivate sadgunas (good qualities). The Sanskrit word, sath stands for eternity, which is called Being. We should acquire the qualities of Being. What are these qualities? They are attributelessness, purity, steadfastness and enlightenment.

Our foremost task is to cultivate sadgunas (good qualities). The Sanskrit word, sath stands for eternity, which is called Being. We should acquire the qualities of Being. What are these qualities? They are attributelessness, purity, steadfastness and enlightenment. It is not an easy task to acquire all these qualities.

However, there is one way out. Since all the virtues are embedded in pure, selfless, and divine love, if you develop love, all the virtues will manifest in you. The true nature of love should be cultivated to experience the Divinity latent in you.

God is the Resident of Your Heart

God is not different from you. He is not confined to places like temples, mosques, and churches. He is omnipresent. He is the resident of your heart. The body is the temple of God. So, you should strengthen the feelings of love within you. You do develop love, but it is based on bodily relations. You love your son, father, and mother.

You identify yourself with the body, so you direct your love towards those with whom you have a relationship at the physical level. You are not able to manifest the kind of love that is beyond name and form. Love has no form. It does not differentiate between young and old or man and woman. Love is love. It cannot be compared to anything else. Love is the very form of the Divine. Love is God. Live in love. How to do that?

Start the day with Love
Spend the day with Love
Fill the day with Love
End the day with Love
This is the way to God.

You can cultivate love in several ways. But, do not limit it to the bodily needs and relations. However, as long as you live in the world, you do need the warmth of relationship. You can wish for the welfare and progress of someone else. You can also share his/her happiness. But all these feelings are limited to the physical relationship, which is transient.

Love has no form. It does not differentiate between young and old or man and woman. Love is love. It cannot be compared to anything else. Love is the very form of the Divine. Love is God. Live in love

Man yearns for happiness in every act, in every kind of experience. Whether he does business or work in an office, his aim is to derive happiness. But does he find it? No. It is only a temporary phase as it is worldly happiness. He may be happy for a while, but permanent happiness is attained only by contemplation on God. So, contemplate on the Divine. You try to experience many things. Instead, experience the divine bliss, which is within you. That is the supreme bliss.

It is the very form of supreme wisdom.
It is one without a second.
It is expansive and pervasive like the sky.
It is eternal, pure and changeless.
It stands as a witness of everything.

~ Sanskrit Verse

Cultivate Divine Love

Divinity, like light, is the witness of everything. Its effulgence illuminates everything else. Where does it exist? We find santhi (peace) within asanthi (unrest). In the depth of the santhi (peace), there exists prakanthi (supreme splendor).

In this prakanthi, one can experience Param Jyothi (Divine Effulgence). Param Jyothi, in the form of Atma Jyothi (the light of the Atma) is within you. That is the light of non-duality and eternity, of immortality; that is the light of the Self.

Since you possess that light within yourselves, why should you be afraid of anything else? Why should you worry? Be happy. Where is happiness? How to experience it? Union with God is happiness.

Since you possess that light within yourselves, why should you be afraid of anything else? Why should you worry? Be happy. Where is happiness? How to experience it? Union with God is happiness. You should realize that Love is the form of God.

As long as Divinity, in the form of love, exists within you, unrest cannot reach you. But, these days, people are subjecting themselves to unrest and unhappiness by misinterpreting the nature of Love and by attributing to it certain impure feelings. It is a blunder. Know that Divine Love is unsullied, selfless, and pure. Without any hesitation you should try to acquire that Love. Strive to possess it.

Embodiments of Love! Strengthen love, saturate your lives with love and live in that Divine Love.

~ Divine Discourse delivered on April 26, 1999 at “Sai Sruthi”, Kodai Kanal