SAI ANSWERS

"Om Sri Sai Ram"

SAI ANSWERS

The following webpages give brief insight about Sri Sathya Sai Baba's opinion on certain topics of interest. More information on Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teachings can be found on the Internet and in Sai literature.

BHAJANS
"The wealth derived from singing God's name, and meditation, is the influence of the higher energies in nature on one's life. These not only cleanse the external body but also purify the inner tendencies."

"Those who sing bhajans get what can be called a 'double promotion', for they derive joy and distribute joy."

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DHARMA
"To cut it short: sensual life is Adharma; the spiritual life is Dharma."

"Likewise man has a 'dharma'. This dharma (or natural trait) is to perform all actions with purity in thought, word, and deed. Man's natural function is to behave with harmony in thought, word, and deed (unity of body, speech, and mind). Where there is divergence between thought, word, and deed, the resulting action is unrighteousness. It is because today there is no harmony between thought, word, and deed in the conduct of human beings, unrighteousness is rampant. This triune unity is not prevalent among the educated or the illiterate."

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DRINKING
"Any intoxicant or stimulant, because it disturbs nature's even trend, is harmful."

"Drinking is such an evil and pernicious habit that when man puts the bottle in his mouth he himself gets into the bottle and cannot escape from it! First man drinks wine, then the wine drinks more wine, and finally the wine drinks man himself! He is thus sunk and drowned in drink. Liquor destroys the human qualities in man. How then can he get a chance to develop the divinity in him? One should dance in divine bliss; instead, sensual dance is indulged in as a deleterious substitute! Make your heart pure, your activities holy and your feelings beneficial to all."

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DRUGS
"There are some who recommend drugs, soothers, and the like, to those eager to do meditation; but, they do not know that drugs are deceptive, debilitating and dangerous, they have deleterious consequences."

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EDUCATION
"To live a happy and peaceful life, good education is necessary, education which is based on dharma."

"Universities are busy developing different types of subjects to be taught, but are not aware of the real subject which they should teach. What is the subject which is the very basis of all other subjects? Atma Vidya, Spiritual Knowledge, is the basis of all education. It is like the ocean while all other types of education are like rivers which must merge in the ocean. Today education without a spiritual base is causing harm. The essence of spiritual education is faith and dedication. They are like two bounds of a river. Only when the river of life flows between these bounds would the river be safe. If there are no bounds, the waters would flow over villages and towns and cause vast destruction. It is the absence of spirituality which is responsible for all problems, violence, agitation, and strife. Education should foster the two bounds of dedication and faith in students."

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KARMA
"The good people suffer now because of some bad karma in the previous birth. And the wicked ones prosper on account of some good which they did in the previous birth. People are neither wholly good nor wholly bad. There is a potential saint in every sinner and a potential sinner in every saint. Good persons may do a lot of good but one terrible lapse will cause their downfall. When they are born again, there will be a slight deterioration of virtues and morals; but at the same time they will continue to enjoy the fruits of their good actions in the past."

"Even he with the worst of karmas who ceaselessly meditates on me quickly loses the effects of his past actions. Becoming a high-souled being, he soon attains perennial peace. Know this for certain; the devotee who puts his trust in Me never perishes."
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MARRIAGE
"Marriage means your life, a whole lifetime together, not just a few days or a few weeks, or a few years. Marriage is a training ground for fostering transensual love."

"Marriage is for the sake of pursuing dharma. It is not for enjoying worldly pleasures. The same pleasures are experienced by street dogs. Is that happiness?"

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MATERIALISM
"...as long as you look at the world with a materialistic attitude, Divinity shuts itself off from us. Once you gaze at the world, with divine attitude you see only divinity."

"Hold all your property and wealth in trust for the Lord who gave them to you; even your family, you must treat as a sacred trust, as persons given to you by the Lord to love, foster and guide. Thus, you must elevate your attachment into worship and make it an instrument for spiritual progress."

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MEDITATION
"When Valmiki wished to write the Ramayana, he first meditated on all the qualities of Rama and then alone he could commence his epic. Because of the constant repetition of the name of Rama and continuous meditation on the Rama Principle, he shone with the effulgence of Rama. It is one of the miracles of Rama that the highwayman Ratnakara could become the author of a great epic. When you meditate on the effulgence of anyone, a part of that effulgence enters into you."

"We always have enough time to talk, visit, cinema, etc. There is certainly time for meditation. Early morning is best. Mind is quiet and there is not the pressure of responsibilities. There is difficulty during the day. People are around, and there is work. If meditation is attempted, even work may suffer... real meditation is getting absorbed in God as the only thought, the only goal. God only, only God. Think God, breathe God, love God, live God."

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SEVA
"All acts of service done to others are to be treated as service rendered to God."

"The purpose of life is to grow in love, expand that love and to merge with God who is Love, and this is best done through service. There is no discipline like service for the eradication of the ego."

"A wave of service, if it sweeps over the land, catching everyone in its enthusiasm, will be able to wipe off the mounds of hatred, malice and greed that infests the world."

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SEX
"Books on yoga say that the generative (sexual) energy, if controlled, will be converted into spiritual energy. Therefore the first step in any spiritual practice is celibacy. There is a common proverb in Kannada language that where Rama (God) is present, Kama (lust) is not there and where Kama is present, Rama is not there."

"Garuda Purana advises to restrict (sexual intercourse) only for the purpose of getting good children and not for getting pleasure. This should be considered as a sacred means to invite good embodied souls to come to their family."

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SPIRITUALITY
"Spirituality calls for the removal of the animal qualities in man and developing his divine qualities. This is the duty of all spiritual aspirants. Qualities like slander, back-biting and speaking ill of others are sub-human qualities. You must learn to respect the divine in everyone, while carrying on your duties."

"Brightness in the face, splendor in the eye, a determined look, a noble gaze, pleasant voice, open-hearted charity, unwavering goodness: these are signs of a progressing will to attain the vision of God."

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VEGETARIANISM
"Today, anyone who believes they are devotees of God should give up eating meat. Why? Meat eating promotes animal qualities. It has been well said that the food one consumes determines one's thoughts. You develop cruelty when you eat the flesh of cruel animals. Not only this, but how cruel it is to kill other living things that are sustained by the same five elements as human beings. So people who want to be devotees of God must give up eating meat completely. How can you call yourselves devotees of Sai, or Rama, or Krishna, when you kill animals? Those people are real demons. Such people never get the grace of God. So whoever they are, whether Indians or from other countries, they should follow Swami's command. Give up eating meat, now!"

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Sathya Sai
Baba

Love All, Serve All
Help Ever, Hurt Never