Teachings of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

5

Realise Oneness with Mankind through 

Selfless Service

Everyone should regard his life as a form of 

penance. Everyone must have firm resolution that 

as long as life lasts he will dedicate himself to the 

service of his fellow men. Thereby he will realise 

his oneness with all mankind. Such a feeling of 

unity will lead to God-realisation. Service is the 

only way to get rid of selfishness and self-centred-

ness. A devotee who has resolved upon such ser-

vice is dear to the Lord.

5

The devotee should be steadfast and unwaver-

ing in any situation. With his mind firmly rooted 

in God, he should engage himself in service to 

others and perform actions in a spirit of detach-

ment. Only such a devotee is eligible for God’s 

love. He is unaffected by pleasure or pain, gain or 

loss, or what happens in the mundane world.

6

Do Not Engage in Impure Acts

Determination should be confined to actions 

that are pure, helpful to others, and sublimate 

man. No man can refrain from action of some 

kind or other even for a moment. In no circum-

stance should one engage himself in an impure 

act. This is the way to achieve purity through firm 

determination. Only such a person can be called a 

resolute person.

3

Be Equal-Minded at All Times

You should be one of determination in order 

to attain Divine grace. Once you have taken ref-

uge in God, never lose faith, come what may. Do 

not become disheartened by trials and tribulations 

that come your way. Be equal-minded in times of 

both pleasure and pain. That is true determina-

tion.

4

UDAASEENA 

(Detached)

Be Totally Detached

Next comes udaaseena, which means detach-

ment. You must be totally detached with respect 

to whatever you are doing. You can do any kind of 

work; you may, for example, be engaged in service 

activity. However, you should not have expecta-

tion of any type [including of the outcome], and 

also not seek any reward, praise, appreciation, etc., 

for what you are doing. Especially while working 

for service organisations, you should be very care-

ful; you must not have any craving for fame and 

name. 

You must not seek praise and respect. You 

should not lament, “I am working so hard and do-

ing so much, but there is no mention of it whatso-

ever in the newspapers!” If you do your work with 

such cravings and expectations, then the good that 

you might be doing is nullified and the sanctity of 

the work is destroyed. Therefore you must do ser-

vice work sincerely, being immune to success and 

failure, praise as well as criticism.

2

Perform Your Duties Selflessly

You must be indifferent towards sorrow or joy, 

loss or gain, honour or dishonour. You must be 

concerned only to see whether your actions are 

pure and selfless according to your conscience. 

Nothing else matters, neither the praise nor the 

blame of other people. When your conscience tells 

you that what you are doing is good, you may go 

ahead regardless of the opinion of others, whether 

they are your kinsmen, friends, or others.

5

The human body is the result of past actions. 

Man is bound to the world by his actions. The 

body is the primary requisite for the performance 

of right action. Indifferent to fame or blame, not 

seeking power or position, one should perform 

one’s duties selflessly.

1

Always Remain Serene and Unruffled

One must be free from attachment to any-

thing. It means remaining serene and unruffled 

by fame or blame, peace or sorrow, loss or gain, 

pleasure or pain, not elated by prosperity or de-

pressed by failure. One should not succumb to 

calumny. Nor should one exult over fame. Fame 

and censure are like passing clouds. One should 

look upon them as mere witnesses. They should be 

treated with equanimity. To treat them seriously is 

to give rise to agitations in the mind, which may 

lead to demonic tendencies.

3

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6

GATAVYATHAH 

(Free from Grief)

Do Not Brood Over the Past or Worry 

About the Future

After this, gatavyathah, which means being 

impervious to the ups and downs brought about 

by time. Acquisition of this particular virtue also 

calls for strong determination. You should neither 

brood over the past nor worry about the future. 

Why all this pointless contemplation? No matter 

how much you think, reflect, and brood, the mis-

eries of the past cannot be corrected or set right. 

Regarding the future, no one can say anything 

definite about it since it is so very uncertain. You 

are keen about achieving something tomorrow; is 

there any guarantee you would be alive then? Are 

you sure you would be alive? No one can speak 

with certainty on such matters. Therefore, what is 

the point in worrying about the future? 

Focus Your Thoughts on the Present

The future is hidden in the womb of time; no 

one can see it. So, why spend time imagining all 

sorts of future scenarios? As for the past, it is gone 

and lies buried in the sands of time. The past can-

not be revived, recovered, or resurrected. The fu-

ture belongs to time. Why therefore waste time re-

flecting about both the past and the future? If you 

do want to think, then do so about the present. 

Man cannot live without thinking. Waves of 

thought constantly assail you. Focus your thought 

on the present. Why? Because both the past and 

the future are contained in the present. The pres-

ent is a seed that came from a tree called the past. 

This seed also contains the tree called the future. 

Thus the present is very important, being the em-

bodiment of both the past and the future; there-

fore, go by it. Don’t worry about the future, but 

concentrate on the present. If you take proper care 

of the present, the future is bound to be bright; of 

that you can be sure.

2

Mental Worry Should Be Eliminated

When you act properly in the present, the fu-

ture will take care of itself. Do what is appropriate 

for the present moment. If there are no expecta-

tions, there will be no disappointments.

1

Brooding over the past and speculating about 

the future, man is failing in his duties in the pres-

ent. This is the cause of his misery. Make right 

use of the present, and a good future is ensured. 

The aspirant should bear this truth in mind and 

concentrate his attention on the present. Mental 

worry about the past or the future is a rajasic (pas-

sionate) quality. It should be eliminated.

3

Engage Yourself in Right Actions

A true devotee is one who lives in the pres-

ent without brooding over the past and worrying 

about the future. Past is past; forget the past. Do 

not worry about the future for the future is un-

certain. So live in the present; it is not ordinary 

present. It is omnipresent.

4 

Keeping the present in 

view, men should engage themselves in right ac-

tions. The past and the future are in the present. 

Devotees who do their duty in the present are dear 

to the Lord.

5

SARVARAMBHA PARITHYAAGI 

(Renunciation)

Who Is a True Renunciate?

Lastly, sarvarambha parithyaagi—this implies 

total renunciation. Who is a true renunciate? He 

who remains perfectly calm at all times and under 

all circumstances is the one who merits such a de-

scription. Such a one is beyond pomp and osten-

tation. God distances Himself from the ostenta-

tious type. In fact, exhibitionism is the first thing 

that one must renounce. Pomp is a sure sign of 

rajo guna (quality of passion). 

The craving for ostentation is the starting point 

for all desires. Seeking publicity is a reflection of 

worldly desires. Do not go after worldly goals for 

they represent the temporary and the evanescent. 

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