SAI BABA TALKS TO RUSSIAN LADIES

SAI BABA TALKS TO RUSSIAN LADIES [Excerpts]

Prashanthi Nilayam 25.06.2002

Sai Baba: What is a meaning of Pooja?

Lady: Pooja is a worship of God.

Sai Baba: It is not correct. You have to worship God inside, not outside. Don't see God as a picture, see the picture as God. See God in everything.

Sai Baba: Do you have any questions?

Lady: How to find an answer to the question: "Who am I?"

Sai Baba: Think like this. We say: "This is my handkerchief." It means that I am separate from the handkerchief. We say: "This is my body” It means that I am different from my body. "This is my hand". "This is my leg". It means that I am not the hand and not the leg. But who am I? I am the consciousness inside this body. Consciousness is everything. Consciousness is God. But nowadays too many people have body consciousness.

God is one but He has many names. Christians call Him Jesus, Muslims call Him Allah, Hindus call Him Rama, Krishna, Govinda. But God is only one. When a doctor wants to make a blood test, he takes some blood from your finger. But the blood is the same in the shoulder, in the chest, in the leg. You can wear different types of jewelry - bangles, rings, chains, earrings, but the gold is one and the same. All of you here have different names and forms, but all are ladies. Similarly, God is one, path is one, goal is one. If you want to reach the goal you have to stick to one path. Some people go to one lady, then go to another lady. This is not good. There should be one path, one goal.

Now in Russia husband and wife often live separately. They fight with each other. Husband doesn't want to take care of the family.

Ladies have two stomachs. One is for food, another is for baby. In that other stomach often there are some diseases. One man comes and gives his blood. Another man comes and gives his blood, and so on. This blood mixes inside and causes problems. Ladies also take pills to prevent being pregnant. This is another reason for a disease. This is not good. Control your senses and you will not fall sick.

Sai Baba: What do you eat?

Lady: We eat vegetables.

Sai Baba: Very good. Vegetables contain all necessary proteins and vitamins. Vegetables and green stuff are very good. Meat is not good. It is very harmful. Animals eat impure food. Sometimes they eat dead bodies. If you eat non-vegetarian food all this poison goes to your body. Ladies are usually more careful than gents. They eat only good food. But gents go to the restaurants and eat anything. They buy different snacks in the bazaars and in the streets. This food is not good.

Many people nowadays are sick with cancer and TB. But look at the animals. They don't suffer from cancer and TB. Why? Because they eat natural, raw food. Their food is not cooked. Human beings, on the contrary, eat unnatural artificial food.

Lady: Can we eat fish?

Sai Baba: Fish is not good. Nowadays the water in the ocean is polluted. Such countries as Japan and China throw bombs and nuclear waste into the ocean. Fish is therefore gets poisoned and is not good. Do not eat fish.

Sai Baba: It is very important to control your five senses. This is the best Sadhana. Meditation and repetition of Gods Name is not necessary. If you control your sense organs just for eleven days you will get Moksha, Mukti, Nirvana, and Liberation.

Buddha also did tapas and meditation, visited different teachers and sages but finally he gave up all these practices. He understood that five senses are given to us by God and that we have to control them. He learned to control his senses and in eleven days he reached Nirvana. Once a very bright, effulgent Light came down on him from heaven. Ananda, who was sitting next to Buddha, also saw this light. He understood that Buddha is going and started crying. Buddha asked him: Ananda, why are you crying? Don't cry, I am going to God. My life is fulfilled. Thus Buddha went to God. After some time Ananda also was engulfed in Light and reached the state of Nirvana.

First of all you should control your tongue, eyes and ears. Tongue is the most important among the five sense organs. Many ancient sages observed Mauna (period of silence). As a result they were in the state of bliss. Silence is gold. You should talk less.

Sai Baba (addressing one of the ladies): What Sadhana are you doing?

Lady: Every morning I meditate on Your Name and Form.

Sai Baba: Very good. During meditation you should look at the tip of your nose, like this (demonstrates). If you keep your eyes fully open, your attention will be easily distracted, this is Raja guna. If you close your eyes completely, you may fall asleep, this is Tamo guna. Therefore you have to keep your eyes half-closed, looking at the tip of your nose. Then you will reach Sattva guna. And you always have to keep your mind here (points at the area between the eyebrows, third eye), and not there (points at the chest). Here is the minds real place. Here is God.

Lady: Why do bad omens come true?

Sai Baba: This is because of your mind. Mind is everything. If you think that something bad should happen, it happens. If you think of something good, then good thing happens.

Don't talk evil, talk what is good.

Don't hear evil, hear what is good.

Don't see evil, see what is good.

Don't do evil, do what is good.

Don't think evil, think what is good.

You are what you think. Yad Bhavam Tat Bhavati (As is the feeling so is the result). If you think you are a man, you are a man. If you think you are God, you are God.

What is mind? Mind is just a bundle of desires. Desires are like luggage in this journey of life. Less luggage more comfort. Therefore reduce the number of your desires, one by one. Take, for example, this handkerchief. It is just a piece of cloth made of threads. If you remove threads one by one, the cloth will disappear. Similarly, if you remove your desires, the mind will disappear.

Sometimes you feel envy, jealousy. This is a quality of a monkey. When you feel jealous, say to yourself: I am not a monkey, I am a man. The jealousy will go. Anger is a quality of a dog. If you feel angry, say to yourself: I am not a dog, I am a man. Then you will be free from anger. Envy, jealousy, hatred, anger - these are all animal qualities. You have to get rid of animal qualities and to develop human qualities Lust is like thorns and love is like a flower, a rose. You have to pluck a flower of love without touching the thorns and offer it to God.

You have to keep your heart pure. Pure heart means pure death. This is very important. Body is a water bubble, mind is a mad monkey. Don't follow the body, don't follow the mind. Follow the consciousness.

Never think that the work you have to do is your work. Consider all your work, all your actions to be an offering to God.

Think of God always. Mira used to spent all her time in the Krishna temple.. Once there came her angry husband and started shouting at her: What are you doing here?! Go home and do your household duties! He forbade her to go to the temple. At first, Mira got very upset. But then she understood that all temples are built by human beings and that body is the only temple built by God Himself. She started worshipping Krishna within her heart. (Swami sings Miras song): O, mind, go to the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna. The point of confluence of Ganga and Yamuna is here, in the center of the forehead. Here is the seat of God. It is not an ordinary seat. It is His coronation seat.

(To a lady who is crying): Why are you crying?

Another lady: She is crying out of love.

Sai Baba: Love is very easy.

Start the day with love

Fill the day with love

Spend the day with love

End the day with love

This is the way to God.

During the interview Swami materialized nine diamond rings, small golden statue of Goddess Lakshmi and a watch.

More Interviews: A B C D E

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 The following is a transcript of the divine interview granted by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to 28 members of (SDSC) Sarva Dharma Service Center. The conversions written here are regarding Sarva Dharma Service Center and few other general topics. They were written down in the hours following the interview. There may be minor distortions in the exact word to word translations and the sequence of these conversations. Some of the words commonly used by Bhagavan are written here as is. The glossary with English meanings for these words are presented at the end of this transcript. After all the members calmly assembled in the interview room, Bhagavan closed the door and looked at all of us. One of the members got up and helped Bhagavan to walk to His chair and help Him sit on it. Our President: Svaami, how are doing Svaami ? Bhagavan: I am absolutely fine. No pain at all. The accident happened while one of the boys was working near the door. When I suddenly opened the door from behind, he was caught by surprise and fell on me and so did the chair. You see, the boy is okay, the chair is okay, this happened to me. My hip joint was crushed. But, I have no pain and I am always happy. Our Center President presented the SDSC building plans to Bhagavan. Bhagavan passed the first few pages (which included letter to Bhagavan and financial statement), and went straight to the drawings. He saw every single page of the drawings and asked some questions. In order to save time, our President tried to march forward by flipping few pages. But Bhagavan held tight and flipped each page and looked at all the pages of drawings (about 40 of them). Our President: Svaami, these are our finalized building plans. We need your blessings. Bhagavan saw the SDSC packet in detail. Bhagavan: "Can I give you some advice, if you don't mind? You don't know who will take care of it {SDSC} in the future, so, be careful in spending money". Our President: Okay, Svaami, like you instructed earlier we will finish it within $1.5 million. Bhagavan flipped the pages... Our President: Svaami, some people are saying that if donors come up with substantial donation, we should name parts of the building after them? What should we do? Bhagavan: If you go on putting names, the building will be full of names. Don't do that. But on the day of inauguration, you can announce the names of major donors. Bhagavan continued to flip the pages... Bhagavan: What is this? (pointing to the mesh in the top view of phase 2 section of the building) Our President: It is some frame.... Member: I think it is a structural frame Svaami. President: Yes it is a structural frame Svaami. Bhagavan continued to flip the pages... President: Bhagavan, this is your room (pointing at one of the rooms in the drawing). Bhagavan: My room is not there, it is here (pointing at President's heart). Everyone laughed... President: Svaami, can you please sign our building plans? Bhagavan: I know, I know, I am looking for an appropriate page to sign. Bhagavan flipped the pages back this time, and stopped at one page... and signed it !!! "With Love and Blessings, Sri Sathya Sai." Member: Svaami, when can we start the construction? President repeated this question to Bhagavan in Telugu. Bhagavan: Start it during Dasara. Svaami counted on His fingers ... Bhagavan: on Vijayadasami day. Our President (presenting the album to Bhagavan): Svaami, these are the pictures taken during the Bhoomi Pooja performed at the SDSC site. Bhagavan looked at every picture until the end and even flipped the blank sleeves to make sure there was no picture left unseen. Bhagavan: Santosham. Member: The world is so beautiful. How to live without being attached to it? Bhagavan: You are 100 % spiritual many times, but some times your mind wanders. You have to live in this world being spiritual but not attached to it. Member: Please stop the war going on in the world. Bhagavan: There is war in every family. First establish peace within the family. Bhagavan: What do you do? (looking at one of the members) Member: I am a teacher. Bhagavan: How many types of teachers are there? Svaami answers: "Three types. 1. The ones who teach for their own sake (selfish), 2. the ones who are totally selfless (even this is not good). They work very hard and think about the future of the children. 3. Those who teach for the benefit of both. These are the ones who teach about spirituality. So there are three types: the one you think you are, the one others think you are and the one you really are. There are three types of MBAs. 1. Finance, 2. Management, 3. General MBA." After speaking to many of the doctors in the group, Swami praised the role of a doctor saying that it is a very noble profession because you can help others and you can serve others through this profession. President: Svaami, Can we take some pictures? Bhagavan: Yes. Our President gave the camera to a member who then went to the corner, got on a chair and took the pictures. Member: Svaami, what can we do for the Sai mission? Bhagavan: Yevvi cheyyakharledu. Prema tho undandi, andarani preminchandi, anandamga undandi. (You don't have to do anything. Just love, give love to everyone, be happy.) More than once during the interview, Svaami recited a Telugu poem which explained that anger destroys you from inside, makes a fool of you in front of others and finally anger destroys the whole community. He also recited another Telugu poem few times which explained that unity is very important and work done hand in hand springs joy and happiness among people. Bhagavan answered many personal questions and offered guidance to the members. He then took help from some of the members to stand up. He pointed at the basket containing Vibhuthi packets. Svaami then distributed the Vibhuthi packets to everyone. Bhagavan then walked slowly towards the door with the help of some members. Someone at the door tried to open it for Bhagavan. Bhagavan says, "No don't open the door. That is my job". He then walked up to the door, opened it and stepped out of the room. We all walked out of the room silently. Sairam. Glossary of Telugu words and their meanings: Santoosham: Happy. Thappaka: Certainly. The following article is from the latest issue of Sarva Dharma Service Center Newsletter, August 2004: More on interview read below Divine Interview with Sarva Dharma Service Center Members, on August 7, 2004 Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba gave a 70 min personal interview to all the 28 members of SDSC on the last day of their trip to Parthi on August 7, 2004 in the afternoon. Svaami reviewed the architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical plans meticulously and advised us to be frugal in financial matters. Svaami also looked over the Bhoomi Pooja photographs that the group presented. Bhagavan spoke with all the individuals in the group enquiring their names and professions, answered and advised several on their personal questions. Svaami materialized and gave to few members a gold chain with a locket, three rings and a small statue of Goddess Annapurna. Svaami made all happy to their hearts' content. He gave padanamaskar to some and vibhooti packets to all. All left Prasanthi Nilayam in bliss. Svaami asked the group to convey his love and blessing to all in NJ. Earlier in the morning, Svaami was presented with a gift from all members of SDSC. It was a Swarovski crystal heart with red center, given as representation of our Hridaya Pushpa. Svaami took this into His hand looked at it and said "Chaala Bagundi" (looks very nice). At that time, He gave an appointment by saying "All of you come here by 3 o'clock". Sure enough, He started from Poorna Chandra at 2.50 and by that time we were all in His Room by 3PM. That was the first time Svaami came for Darshan in the afternoon before 3.15 in the previous 10 days that the group was there. He showed to all of us that the Lord keeps His promise and is punctual. There is a lesson in that for all of us to learn. While at Prasanthi, the group had the opportunity to serve as volunteers at the Chaitanya Jyothi museum, in the Western Canteen and participated financially towards rehabilitation of 22 huts that were destroyed that week in a nearby village. More Interviews:A B C D E

Words of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba taken from this Biography

He is the sub-stratum, the substance; the separate and the sum, the Sath; the SATHYAM
He is the awareness, the activity, the consciousness, feeling, the willing and the doing, the chith; the SIVAM
He is the light, the splendour, the harmony, the melody, the Ananda; the SUNDARAM
"MY MISSION is to grant you Courage and Joy, to drive away Weakness and Fear. Do not condemn yourselves as sinners; sin is a misnomer for what are really errors, provided you repent sincerely and resolve not to follow Evil again. Pray to the Lord to give you the strength to overcome the habits which had enticed you when you were ignorant."
"Worry, greed and needless agitation and anxiety, these cause even bodily disease. Mental weakness is the biggest cause of disease. Dis-ease is a want of ease; the contented mind is the best drug."
"Be good, be joyful, be bold, be honest, be temperate, be patient. These are the rules of good health."
"I refuse to call anyone an athiest or an unbeliever, for all are the Creations of the Lord and repositories of the Grace. In everyone's heart there is a spring of Love, a rock of Truth. That Love is God, that Truth is God. Divinity is there in the depths of everyone's Inner Being."
"The Lord is above and beyond all limits of caste and color, of wealth and poverty; it is foolish to believe that the Lord asks for this gift or is angry when it is not offered."
"I have come to guide and bless those who undergo the discipline and practice leading to Divine union. I am neither man nor woman, old or young, I am all these."
"Do not praise Me. I like you to approach Me without fear, as a right. You do not extol your father. You ask for something from him, as a right, is that not so?"
"You may be seeing Me today for the first time, but you are all old acquaintances for Me. I know you through and through. My task is the spiritual regeneration of Humanity through Truth and Love. If you approach one step nearer to Me, I shall advance three steps towards you."
"I am happiest when a person carrying a heavy load of misery comes to Me, for he is most in need of what I have."
"It is not mentioned anywhere that the Grace of God is available only for certain classes or races or grades of people. From the smallest to the biggest all are entitled to it. The Lord is everywhere, everything."
"The world can achieve prosperity and peace only through such persons whose hearts are pure and whose minds are free of prejudice and passion, lust and greed, anger and envy."
"I have not started the work for which I have come for I am still in the stage of preliminary reconnaissance. When I start my campaign the whole world will know of it and benefit by it."
"Whensoever there is the fading of the Dharma and the uprising of unrighteousness, then I loose myself forth into birth. For the deliverance of the good, for the destruction of the evil-doers, for the enthroning of the Right, I am born from age to age." The Gita - Fourth Chapter. (verses 7&8)
These verses in the Bhagavad Gîtâ of Order, sanskrit, word for word and translation:

yadâ yadâ hi dharmasya
glânir bhavati bhârata 
abhyutthânam adharmasya 
tadâtmânam srjâmy aham

yadâ yadâ -- whenever and wherever; hi -- certainly; dharmasya -- of religion; glânih -- discrepancies; bhavati -- become manifested; bhârata -- O descendant of Bharata; abhyutthânam -- predominance; adharmasya -- of irreligion; tadâ -- at that time; âtmânam -- self; srjâmi -- manifest; aham -- I.
Whenever and wherever it is sure that one weakens in righteousness and a predominance of injustice does manifest, o descendant of Bharata, at that time I do manifest Myself.

paritrânâya sâdhûnâm
vinâsâya ca duskrtâm 
dharma-samsthâpanârthâya 
sambhavâmi yuge yuge

paritrânâya -- for the deliverance; sâdhûnâm -- of the devotees; vinâsâya -- for the annihilation; ca -- and; duskrtâm -- of the miscreants; dharma -- principles of religion; samsthâpana-arthâya -- to reestablish; sambhavâmi -- I do appear; yuge -- millennium; yuge -- after millennium.
To liberate the seekers of truth, to take the power away from the wicked ones and to reestablish the way of the human principles I do appear age after age.