In this world the trees yield fruits for the sake of others without selfish motive and without expecting any reward.  The rivers flow for the  benefit of people without any selfish motive and the cows yield milk  for the benefit of the people without selfish motive.  If there are no trees, rivers, and cows in this world, the world cannot exist. World is sustained by  these selfless entities.  But man is not serving selflessly.  The spirit of sacrifice which is prevailing in the trees, rivers and cows is totally absent in man.  He is enjoying himself only in selfish pursuits with self interest.  He does not come forward to participate in service activities. Sai has incarnated for the purpose of making every one realise his duty to the society understanding his relationship to the society.  There is imperative need for this transformation in man to become charged with spirit of selfless service to humanity.  He is wasting his life indulging in unworthy habits, imbibing evil qualities and behaving in despicable manner.  He does not hesitate to kill the animals for his food and  consume  intoxicating liquor which  spoils his health.

Not only these, but also indulges in the detestable evil habit of gambling.  By such bad habits and evil action man leads a wretched life.  In order to wean away the mankind from such bad habits and make them radiate the human values, God has to  incarnate.

People are indulging in such heinous activities such as stealing, ridiculing and abusing others, reading foul literature which may lead to bad actions.  Some people resort to various wicked actions thereby polluting the society besides polluting themselves.  Because of such activities, the society is degrading to a low level.

To sanctify the society and humanity at large, spirituality is the need of the hour.  What is spirituality? It is not just doing worship, Bhajan, etc.  It consists of giving up the animal tendencies and developing humanity and ascending to divinity.  Killing animal instinct, is the primary step in
spirituality.  Next step is to radiate humanness and realise divinity.

In the term SAI:
S stands for Spiritual Transformation; A stands for Association Transformation;  I stands for Individual Transformation.

It is only to activate the three fold transformation that SAI has come. In this process first individual transformation has to be achieved. The individual is termed 'Vyakthi'. Vyakthi is one who manifests the unmanifest and expresses the inexpressible Divine Principle within him. The divinity pervades the individual from top to toe. That is the conscience.  The body should experience the
principle of conscience. Unfortunately no one experiences this but only considers himself as the body.  In fact Vyakthi or individual has to be always experiencing the Awareness of the Divine Principle within.

Vedas say: "Sarvam Kalaidham Brahmam Iswarah Sarva Bhoothanam". All this is Brahma Iswara pervades all beings.

Both these are not mere statements. They are Manthras. You should make efforts to know the inner meaning of theManthra.  Only those with virtuous qualities can comprehend the inner significance of Manthras. It is the duty of every one to realise the inner meaning of Manthras.

To realise your own reality that you are the divinity, you have to follow the
five principles, namely:

(1) Samyak drishti (good vision): Samayak drishti is of vital importance because whatever you see are imprinted  in your mind. If you develop the habit of seeing only good things, your thoughts also will be good.  See only good and see no evil. One that makes you see the permanent entity is good.

(2) Samyak Sravanam : Here only good things such as glory of Divine described in scriptures like Bhagavatham. The importance of listening to good words is brought in the stipulation of nine types of devotion in Bhagavatham. The first is 'Sravanam' (Listening to);  Second is Keerthanam (singing the gory of God); Third is Vishnu Smaranam (thinking of the divine); Fourth is Pada sevanam (servicing at Lotus feet); Fifth is Vandhanam (Obeisance); Sixth is Archanam (worship); Seventh is Daasyam (servitude); Eighth is Atma Nivedhanam (total surrender).

It will be seen from the able that Sravanam or hearing the glory of God and good things is the first step in your progress towards complete surrender.  This is also termed as 'Sruthi'.

(3) Samyak Vaak (Speaking good):  You must talk only good things that help you in realising divinity.  You should also talk softly and sweetly.  Swami often tells people "Even if you cannot always oblige, talk obligingly".  When you speak, it should be in such restrained tone that only the one to whom you are speaking can hear.

(4) Samyak Bhaavam (Good feelings):  Good feelings arise out of the other three practices namely good vision, good listening, and good speaking.  "Yadh Bhavam, Thath  Bhavathi" - As is your feeling, so you become. Vedas  says, "Yadh drishyam thath nasyam" - What you see, will vanish. Good feelings will ensure good talk. All these four good things will  lead you to good action.

(5) Samyak Karma (good deeds):

The Buddha did penance for 238 years to make senses act in the right manner. You cannot attain this control of senses by book  knowledge. By mere reading of spiritual texts you cannot attain the afore said five good things.  You cannot get the  quality of seeing good by reading texts.  You cannot get good feelings from the teaching of a preceptor.  One has to attain these good habits only by one's own self effort.  One has to make use of the five senses in the right direction in order to lead a good life.  Because people are not using the senses properly but misusing them, they are in grief and misery.  For leading a peaceful and sacred life, you should make use  of the five senses of sound, touch, vision, taste and smell in sacred manner. Buddha  attained perfection in
controlling all the five senses which ensure the  five good qualities of human values.  They are also the five life principles represented by the five kosas or sheaths.

The first is Annamayaa Food sheath which is sustained by the food we eat to ensure good state of health, both physical and  mental. This also sustains the Prana or vital air in good state.  The life force or prana is vibration which arises from radiation or the prajnana.  Man is only going up to the Annamayaa, Pranamayaa and Manomayaa(mental sheath).  He is not cognisant of Vijnana maya. The wisdom sheath nor the higher one Anandamaya(bliss sheath).  Physical sheath is what others think you are. Annamaya is what you really are.  When man reaches the state of Praajnana (awareness) he will attain bliss eternal. Only when the body and senses function in the right direction, the life principle will vibrate with divinity.

The Gayathri Manthra starts with Aum Bhur Bhuvah Suvah. Bhurepresents materialisation, consisting of elements of earth, water, fire air and ether. The materials with which the body is constituted are obtainable at a very low cost (water, minerals, salt).  But the value of human life is very high. Bhu indicates the Bhooloka  or the material world. Bhuvaha represents the  Pranamaya kosa, the vibration of the life force. Though materialsation is there, without vibration there is no life. This life force comes from Prajnana(constant Integrated Awareness), which is radiation.  Vedas declare "Prajnanam Brahma - Awareness iss God.  The awareness or Radiation is responsible for vibration. Material body will be inert. Human life is combination of the heart, tongue and hand which activate the thoughts, words and deed respectively.  Mahabharatha portrays Dharmaja  (the eldest of the Pandavas) as the embodiment of the five human values.  Draupadi (his consort and the  consort of all the five Pandavas) represents the life principles.  The son of Wind God Bhima
represents Chaithanya Sakthi (the power of wisdom).  Arjuna represents Anthahkarana sakthi (the power of inner instruments), while Nakula and Sahadeva represent the five senses of perception and five senses of action (Panchendriyas and Karmendriayas). Dharmaja recognized God present in all beings composed of the five elements.  Man has to act with harmony in thought, word and deed which is  called  Tripti. But nowadays, man thinks one way, talks another way and
acts in still different manner and there is no harmony in his action.

"Mans Anyam, Vachas Anyam Karman Anyam  Dhuraatmaanam"

When one's thought, word and deed are entirely different, such a person is a wicked one.  Arjuna is an example of harmony in thought, word and deed. Nakula and Sahadeva followed the elders with implicit purity. Bheema was a strong support for all the brothers like the Vital air in the body.  Draupathi was like life force.  So the  Pandvas with Draupathi represent a whole typical body
throbbing with life force and radiating the human values.

All the epics speak of the principle of spirituality.  The Pandava brothers imbibed the qualities of the world and Draupathi maintained shanthi.  She followed the principle of 'Love all, serve all'.  When Arjuna wanted to kill Ashwathama, wrecking vengeance for the after having massacred all the five sons of Arjuna, while they were asleep, Draupathi taught him virtues. Draupathi was
managing the five elements of Nature (in the form of her five  husbands), taught Arjuna the law of governance which stated that one should not kill a person who is trembling with fear, who seeks protection, who is helpless and without weapons and who is a woman.  She said, "Because you are charged with anger, you speak harshly. One who is angry will commit any misdeed and act hastily, contrary to the rules of human law.  When you act in such a manner, others will look upon you with contempt.  You will lose your respect and your people will desert you."

Though Aswathama perpetrated the heinous crime of killing all their five sons when they were asleep and unarmed, she  did not lose her balance even while becoming angry.  She only asked Aswathama, "How can you kill these young ones who did no harm to you, when they were unarmed and were fast asleep?"

She never used even harsh words. Soft and tender talk is essential even when you are under grave provocation.  Man should make proper efforts to use the five senses in the right direction to merge with the Divine. You have to know what real devotion means.  It is free from attachment (raaga) and hatred (Dwesha). Devotion is like the sweet juice within the fruit, free from the covering of the bitter skin.  That is why God is termed as "Rasovaisaha".  He is the sweet juice.

The juice of Love (Prema) is the (Brahma Thathwa) Divine principle. When one is engrossed in devotion only nice and sweet words will emerge from him.  Such good and nice words will come out only when thoughts are good.   Sometimes  you may have to use harsh words to correct a person who is proceeding in wrong direction.  For example, when there is rain which is but water, there may be some hail stones also falling, which may hurt you.  But you must remember that
they are also water in the form of hail stones.

The water of Love may sometimes turn into hail storm to correct a person.  In Mahabharatha, one day in the eighteen day battle, Bhisma made a vow that he would kill Pandavas the next day.  Draupathi, on hearing this, prayed to Krishna  who appeared before her, and informed her that Bhishma's vow is very severe and no one can oppose or break it. But Draupathi insisted that none but Krishna could help them and they were having Krishna as their only saviour.  Then Krishna  conceived a master plan and helped Draupathi to get over this catastrophe.

On another occasion, Krishna came to the rescue of the Pandavas when Ashwathama planned to kill them when they were in forest.  When they pleased to Krishna that He was only the life of Pandavas, Krishna went to Sage Durvasa and told him that he had to do one help.  Durvasa, though he was glad to receive Krishna in his hermitage said, " I can do anything Lord, but don't ask me to act against Truth". Krishna said, "I am embodiment of Truth. How can I ask you to act
contrary to Truth?"  Krishna wanted Dhurvasa to make a pit in which the Pandavas will hide themselves and he should sit on a plank covering the pit.  He asked him to tell Aswathama when he would come and ask for Pandavas, "Pandvas are below me", only raising his tone as though he told this ironically.  What was needed was only change of the tone and not untruth.  Accordingly, when Ashwathama came and asked him where the Pandavas were, Durvasa said in feigned
angry tone "They are under me". Aswathama on hearing  this,  thought how can they be under him and became afraid of any curse Durvasa might give, if he remained there, went away hurriedly to escape Dhurvasa's fury.

In this way, the Lord makes master plans to help the devotees and not for his selfish purpose. If at all, He acts in a seemingly cunning way, it is only, for the sake of  helping others. God  sustains the world by helping good people and punishing the wicked, true to the declaration in Bhagavad Geeta , "Parithranaya Sadhoonam, Vinaasaaya cha Dushkrithaam, Dharma Samsthapanarthaaya Sambhavami Yuge Yuge"  Dharma will not be extinguished. It cannot be extinguished,  as Dharma protects those who follow it.  Only when people resort to practices
contrary to Dharma, God has to come to  restore order by eliminating the wicked.

Who is God?  It is the Atmic Principle in all of you.  "Mamaivamso jeevalokhe Jeevabhootaha Sanathnah", declared  Krishna in Geeta.  He said, "All the beings in this world of living beings are fraction or fragment of my Divine Self".  The fragment is the Atmic Principle.  In every scriptural texts of all religions and teachings of noble souls, this fact has been expounded.

Atma Thathwa is universal.  There is no German Atma, Japan Atma, American Atma and so on.  Atma is one indivisible entity inall beings irrespective of caste, creed, religion, nationality or race.  It is changeless, pure, permanent, absolute entity.  It is in everyone.
 

When at Shirdi, Sai was  questioned, Sai said He was the Divine in Divine.  You are all divine forms embodying the Absolute Divnity within you.  You are not able to realize this because you consume  "deep wine". and get intoxicated  to the stage of ignorance. To get the realisation what you have to take is "Divine" and not "deep wine". Divinity is the goal of all goals, essence of all fruits, basis of all and the goal of spiritual Path.  For realising this, you have to lead an unpolluted life, keeping the mind free from all evil influences. That is why I told you yesterday, bend the body, mend the senses and end the mind.

'Bend the body',  means  you should practice humility in all occasions. You must respect your elders and parent.  In older days, they used to have the entrance doors very low so that people who enter the house may  bend their heads low, which is but a reflection of humility. 'Mending the senses' can be achieved by Samyak Drishti and do good things through all the five senses.  When you control them, there is no mind. That is 'ending the mind'. You should curtail your thoughts which are desires. "Less Luggage: more comfort".  If you reduce your desires your life's journey will be light and comfortable.   You must face all obstacles successfully and come closer to God.

Salookya is being in the sacred world of God. Saroopyam is to get the form of God. When you constantly think of God, you become God.  Prahladha became Narayana by constantly thinking of Narayana. Ratnakara (Valmiki) gave the great epic Ramayana to the world by constant chant of Rama Nama. Hanuman also was in constant chanting of Rama Nama and became as powerful as Rama Himself. By  such constant  smarana you become closer to God and finally reach the stage of  "Sayujya" which is merger with the Divine.  This is the goal of spiritual pursuit.

Love is changeless and you should end your Sadhana with Love. 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.

When you pray to God you should only pray, for Bliss and Peace which are available only with God and not available in the world.  You should not pray for material things which are available in the world.  You do not have peace and bliss in the world.  What you think you are having is in fact temporary happiness which will not give you lasting peace at all.  You should pray only for that which is not available here,  you can get by prayer with pure heart.

[Swami concluded the Discourse with two Bhajans (1) Bhajana Bina Sukha Santhi
Nahian" and  (2) Pibhare Rama Rasam"…]