These are excerpts taken from a discourse given by Baba at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in July 1996 ( the excerpts are taken from the book Sai Prescriptions, published by the Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust, Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital Hospital in Whitefield, Bangalore).
Food for Healthy Body and Mind
" Right food must essentially contain Sathwic food. It means that the food must not contain mutton, fish, onions and the like. In your hostel, there is of course no mutton and fish! But, onions are used extensively.
This is because it does not get spoilt. It also has its advantages. It improves your digestion power.
There is a popular saying in Telugu, "the good done by the onion ( ulli) is not done by your own mother
( thalli)!'' You must also take care to avoid excess of spice, chilli and salt. May people think that Sathwic food means fruits and milk. These can also be thamasic! For example, eating two bananas is correct. If you eat four bananas, it becomes thamasic. Do not take a cup of thick milk. Comparatively, it is hence said " One cup of wine is better than a cup of milk."Thick milk contains plenty of fat and calcium. It is also liberally laced with glucose. When the blood is saturated with too much of glucose, it turns the residual glucose into acid. The result is that you develop boils. This acid and the blood combines to form stones in the gall bladder.
Ensure that you take at least seven to eight cups of water daily. Water cleanses your internals. This also ensures that stones do not form inside your kidneys because water goes to the kidneys and constantly keeps itflushed.Eat rice and vegetables well. Green leafy vegetables are the best of the lot. This is because under the skin lies a very light secondary layer, It is this layer that protects the skin. Green leaves strengthen this layer,
apart from having other benefits. It is very good for heart patients too because green vegetables are totally free of oils. Vegetables contribute to some extent to the cholesterol. What must you do when you have excess cholesterol? Cholesterol is essential to some extent. The limit prescribed is about 10%. But if it crosses 20% or 30% your nerves and veins will harden like rusted pipes. This consequently thickens the blood making the heart pump less and less blood. The heart pumps the blood and sends it to the lungs which purifies the blood and distributes it to the entire body. When the heart pumps less, more and more cholesterol accumulates there, which is dangerous for the heart. Hence it is advisable to take a white onion daily.
Garlic pills can also be taken daily, a daily intake of one pill after lunch will get rid of the cholesterol problem. Green leafy vegetables and drumsticks are very healthy for the body. Drumsticks are good for the brain. Do not take too much of potatoes. Potatoes contain 80 % starch that will only make you slightly fat, but also give you very little in terms of health.Tomatoes are also good. The seeds of the tomatoes may be removed and a
curry made of the tomato. This is because the seeds of the tomato do not get digested easily. They remain in the digestive canal and gradually become stones, when they combine with glucose. These stones go down to the stomach and remain a mass, giving frequent trouble.
We must also ensure that eating must always be in a limited quantity. You must be able to get up from your plate with the same ease and lightness with which you sat down to eat. This is the correct limit. You come quite easily to eat. But when you get up you need a support ! Many people develop a paunch like that.
Proportion is very important as it confers health to the body. Never take meat, cigarettes, or other intoxicants and drugs. Habitual cigarette smokers develop cancer. You can perform this test on smokers. Take a white cloth and put it across the mouth after the person has smoked. You will see bright red dots on the cloth. When the external cloth has itself been so noticeably spoilt, you can well imagine how much destruction
it is causing to the veins and lungs. The two fingers that hold the cigarette will develop a yellow colouration. White spots develop on the lips. The skin around the lips turn dark. You must avoid taking curds. It is better to take the two cups of buttermilk. Curds have too much of protein."
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Click on link below to read the Krishna Janmashtami Discourse given on 11 August 2001
Krishna Jayanthi discourse
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Darshan Notes
Dear Ones,
Once again in Parthi, just 3 and a half months after leaving in spring I find so many things changed, and I cried a lot to be honest. We were so blessed during the year gone by to see Swami give long, long, extra long Darshans and maybe somehow I thought this will be like this forever, but alas... Swami comes, goes through the lines, calls many people for interview (good for them at least), pops out to call some more from the veranda and leaves after bhajans.
Krishna Janmashtami was very beautiful though, a day to take in the sight and voice of Swami, something to compensate for those days of longing. In the morning of Saturday, the 11th, we had some musical program, the students were singing beautiful songs in praise in Krishna and Swami, in the end even two English ones. I can't recall the first one as I have never heard it before but the second one was "I keep feeling your love in me" - so beautiful. Swami sat in His beige swing chair smiling sweetly. After the second English song He
made a motion with His hand and bhajans started. Anil Kumar went over to Swami to talk to Him, then got up and went to a mikrophone at the back of the veranda. The pundits and boys with the aarathi trays got
up and sat in front and I thought, what a pitty that it's almost over! Swami had been with us for an hour then.
After that bhajan Anil Kumar made an anouncement that Swami had graciously consented to bless us with His Divine Discourse in the afternoon at 4 o'clock. (I was happy that there would be a discourse because the day before there has been some discussion on the veranda between Anil Kumar and two young men, maybe security with Swami standing by, smiling, occasionally saying something Himself, once lightly slapping one of the two young men on the cheek. They were taling quite exitedly because you could even here their voices on the ladies side.) Anyway, Swami stayed on, He called one of His assistents and prasad was given
out. Swami got up from His chair and saw to it that everyone got a package with a delicious silvercovered milk sweet with pistaccios. He talked to the men on the veranda, the primary school children, it was so beautiful to watch! Bhajans went on and on, at one point I even had the impression that the students had to think which bhajan to sing now (only Krishna Bhajans were sung that day), cause there was a little pause. I guess nobody had expected that Swami would stay that long! I was in heaven, I can tell you! Finally at half past 8 h Swami stopped the bhajans and aarathi was sung. Swami blessed us all with both hands raised. Swami then went inside the interview room where He stayed for another 10 minutes or so. Many people got up and left the hall! I also got up, but just to move more to the front which had
become more empty by then. Just when I had settled again, Swami came and slowly walked out, taking the front path, the one He usually comes in, which gave me a very beautiful close Darshan. He was
smiling sooooo happily!
In the afternoon lines started early as usual, at the women's side you better be there by one at the moment. I got line 6 which brought me pretty close to the front, perfect sight on a discourse day! Swami let us wait for a long time. There was a special guest expected and He only came after he had arrived. The Vicepresident of India, Mr. Krishnakand and his family had come, they arrived approximately 25 minutes to 4 o'clock. Swami came at a quarter to 4, didn't go to the men's side, but walked in between the students and the women's VIP
block which for the afternoon had been moved to right in front of Swami's desk. Some chairs had been put up next to the pillar for the family of the Vicepresident. Swami came and talked to his mother then going over to the veranda and welcoming Mr. Krishnakand. He beckoned him to the chair that had been put up next to Swami's desk, the same chair as Swami had. He sweetly talked to the Vicepresident even while they were sitting. Then some primary school children came up to chant the inaugurating slokas. Swami looked like a veeeeery proud mother, He smiled and fondly watched them. As there is no padnamaskar any more He just waved at them when they had finished.
Then the speakers were introduced, a businessman and poet, Mr. Raju, who gave his talk in Telugu, Prof. Venkatraman and of course Vicepresident Krishnakand. And then, finally Swami started with His sloka singing about miserliness and anger and who they make us ill. Then He continued with many enchanting stories about Krishna's miracles, sang a song inbetween as well, very beautiful! He went on then telling about the projects like the hospitals, water project, education, etc. giving figures how much money is spent on that. No need to go too much into the details of the discourse as no doubt you will all be able to read it soon. Swami ended with Bhajana Bina Sukha .., I was hoping for a second bhajan, maybe a Krishna one. Well, He continued with Prema Muditha, then Subramanyam. It is very, very rare that He sings three bhajans at the end of a discourse, but this time - I could have jumped with joy cause I loooove to hear Him sing - He also sang Vahe Guru, Vahe Guru. Four bhajans, can you believe it?!! The afternoon ended with aarathi and Swami again taking the front path to walk out, blessing the students and talking to the women sitting in the VIP block.
Love to all of you
Michaela
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Divine Advice
From: (from SAINANDANA by Swami's students)
On 13th March 1995, Bhagawan called the IInd year
undergraduate students. It was Bhagawan who asked the
first few questions. He gave the answers too.
Importance of education - many boys study only to
empty their heads in the examination. This is like
Polaroid camera. But in the other type of camera, you
can get negatives. Your studies ahould be like that.
Whatever you study should be imprinted in your mind.
Whenever you need, you should be able to use it.
Memory Power - Don't think too much. It may cause a
decline in memory power. You should have purity,
patience and perseverance. Wastage of energy
diminishes memory power.
Examinations - You should welcome tests. Everything in
life is a test. Test gives you rest and rest is the
taste of God.
Writing - You read at home but write in examination
hall. This is not good. You should practice writing
the answers too.
Manana - You must read two pages at a time and think
over what you have read. When you read twenty pages at
a stretch, it is like a Polaroid camera. When you read
two pages at a time, it will be like a photo negative;
whenever you want, you can take copies out of it. When
you study this way, the pustaka (book) and your
mastaka (head) become one and the same.
Sleep - It is not right to study all through the night. It will diminish your memory power. Boys need 7 to 8 hours sleep. Go to bed early. Think of what you studied, till you get sleep. This is manana. Get up early - at 4:30a.m. But do not sleep during daytime. Also, don't rush to the Institute immediately after lunch. Sit on a chair, close your eyes and take rest for five minutes.
Anxiety - When you get deep into work, you get enthusiasm, not anxiety. So, get involved in your work.
But.... - When you have no interest, don't sit in front of the book. Go for a short walk. Sing Bhajans. Come back with enthusiasm and interest. Then study.
What else... - Faith in yourself and faith in God, this is the secret of success.