Teachings of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

7

Shun pomp, show, and publicity. Krishna declared 

that it was such a recluse that was dear to Him.

Never Hanker After Publicity

Today there is show and publicity everywhere. 

The person may spend just five rupees on charity, 

but he is prepared to invest five hundred rupees in 

publicising his act in the newspapers. Is this not 

show? It is only the one who seeks fame that needs 

publicity; on the other hand, the one truly inter-

ested in service has no need for it. Never hanker 

after publicity. 

As long as you are after pomp, you will never 

be able to experience Atmic bliss. How can one 

who is ignorant of the Self ever earn God’s love? 

While seeking God’s grace, one must be very pa-

tient in everything and in every aspect. Then alone 

can it be said that one is treading the spiritual 

path; then alone would one become eligible for 

God’s attention.

2

Eliminate the Ego to Purify the Heart

There should be no ostentation or showing off 

in any undertaking by a devotee. Unless ostenta-

tion is given up, egoism will not leave. The ego 

must be eliminated to purify the heart. No good 

deed can be done without purity in the heart. It 

is through sacred deeds that the heart is purified.

Ostentation is a demonic quality. It encour-

ages egoism and megalomania. One should seek 

to acquire a good name through selfless service 

alone. It should be done with humility and sincer-

ity. One who aspires to become a national leader 

must first know how to render service. He should 

not seek office or position. The Sai Organisations 

have been set up for rendering service and not to 

establish official positions. Selfless service should 

be done out of a sense of duty.

Selfless Service Broadens the Heart 

and Widens One’s Vision

Selfless service brings out all that is great in 

man. It broadens the heart and widens one’s vi-

sion. It fills one with joy. It promotes unity. It 

proclaims the truth of the Spirit. It drives out all 

the evil qualities in a man. It must be regarded as 

a great spiritual discipline. You are born to serve, 

not to dominate. Everyone in the world is a ser-

vant and not a master. All relationships—husband 

and wife, mother and child, employer and em-

ployee—are based on mutual service. The world 

is progressing because of such mutual service. If 

the principle of service did not operate, the world 

would come to a halt.

Do you regard an “officer” as a superior? It is 

not so. Even he is a servant. It is only when man 

is filled with the spirit of service that his Divine 

nature is revealed. He then experiences the peace 

that passeth understanding.

5

Your Devotion Must Be 

for Pleasing the Lord

The world today is immersed in ostentation 

and egoism. What does it matter whether the 

world praises you or decries you? For instance, 

why should a devotee show off his devotion to 

earn the approbation of others? His devotion must 

be for pleasing the Lord and not for earning the 

approval of the world. In the spiritual path, what 

matters is the inner joy you experience. That is 

the key to self-satisfaction. Sarvarambha parithy-

aagi means one who is prepared to relinquish all 

his possessions and acquisitions including wealth, 

knowledge, and strength.

1

One should give up all desires and ego. Ego 

leads to attachment, hatred, jealousy, aggrandise-

ment, and other vices. It is ego that is responsible 

for the downfall of man. One with ego cannot ac-

complish even a small task. An egotistic person is 

not respected even by his near and dear ones. Ego 

is the worst of all the enemies of man. Develop 

humility in order to get rid of ego. No amount of 

spiritual practices will help a man of ego in attain-

ing tranquility and bliss.

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8

YEARN FOR GOD’S LOVE AND BE 

DEAR TO HIM

Secure God’s Love through Sacred 

Actions

If you wish to become eligible for God’s love, 

then your actions must be consistent with love. It 

is impossible to secure God’s love without appro-

priate and sacred actions. Can the one who is al-

ways hankering after rewards ever be truly happy? 

The only compensation you ought to seek is the 

pleasure and joy of doing your duty properly. The 

joy of service is the true reward. If you go against 

the command of God, then everything is bound 

to go wrong.

As you think so you become. If you desire 

God’s love, then your actions must match and be 

compatible with your desire. If you do not want 

God’s love, then you are at liberty to do as you 

please. However, if God’s love is what you want, 

then you must act in an appropriate manner. 

Lovingly Obey God’s Commands

In this world, you first have to pay the price 

before you acquire the authority to possess what 

you desire. You go to a shop to buy a towel. The 

shopkeeper quotes a price of twenty rupees. When 

you pay twenty rupees in cash, the shopkeeper 

packs the towel and gives it to you. No cash, no 

towel! God also follows a similar “transaction” 

procedure. What kind of “business” does God do? 

Divine business! If you lovingly obey God’s com-

mand, then you are sure to receive love. God’s love 

has no limitations or stipulations. Only one con-

dition: you give, and then you receive. 

Without offering selfless service, how can you 

expect to receive God’s love? To receive God’s love, 

you must be totally free from worldly desires and 

constantly engage in selfless service. The service 

must be of a pleasing nature. All actions must be 

performed exclusively for God’s pleasure. For this, 

you do not have to give up anything. Just keep on 

doing your normal duty in the manner ordained 

by destiny. 

Do Everything to Please God 

You wish to study; by all means do so. But in 

what manner should you study? You should do 

it for God’s pleasure. You are employed in some 

place. How should you do your work? Do it as if 

you are trying to please God. Tell yourself, “I am 

doing this job as an offering to Him.” Install this 

feeling in your heart, and do whatever you want 

to do or have to do. However, before rushing to 

adopt this course, pause, reflect, and make sure 

that God would really be pleased with what you 

are trying to do and offer to Him! You cannot do 

all sorts of silly and stupid things, claiming that 

you are doing them for God’s pleasure.

Saturate Every Action with Love

If you act just according to your fancies, do you 

think that God will accept your actions as an of-

fering? Every action of yours must have the stamp 

of quality that is acceptable to God. Without that 

stamp, your action will be counterfeit. God should 

acknowledge that your action is good. When you 

affix the proper postage stamp, your letter can go 

to far-off places. But if there is only an address on 

the envelope and no stamp, it is of no use. An un-

stamped letter dropped into the mailbox will end 

up only in the dead-letter office. Therefore, if you 

really want your offering to reach God, you must 

affix the stamp of love. It is only when love satu-

rates every action of yours that God will shower 

His grace. He will do so in many forms too.

Do Good Work Solely for God’s Pleasure

Slowly but surely you must develop all the 

qualities enumerated in the Bhagavad Gita verse. 

The acquisition of these virtues is possible; have no 

doubt about it. Sparks of fire are produced when 

two pieces of wood are rubbed hard together. But-

ter is formed when curd is churned in a sustained 

manner. Similarly, in spirituality, sustained inqui-

ry leads one to wisdom and Divinity. You realise 

the truth: Tat Twam Asi—that Thou art. 

Is it possible to obtain fire without rubbing 

and butter without churning? The fire is latent 

in the wood and is not visible. You have to rub 

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