11
Remain Calm and Composed
Always speak the truth. Apart from speaking
the truth, you should remain calm and composed
in the face of criticism. Only then can there be
peace. Our ancient sages used to observe silence
as part of their spiritual practices. Observance of
silence helps you to progress on the spiritual path.
When you practise silence, you can easily experi-
ence peace of mind. Love manifests from peace.
When you are filled with love, you will have no
enemies. Therefore lead your life with love. Only
through love can we establish peace in the world.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 41,
Chapter 13: Love Is Truth; Truth Is Love. Live In Love.
2
Do Not Indulge in Excessive Talk
Too much talk is very bad. Do not indulge
in excessive talk. Try to mend your nature. Ob-
serve silence as far as possible and be quiet. Talk
as much as is needed. Just answer to the point.
If you talk more, you will be branded as a chat-
terbox. Too much talk is not good, even from the
health point of view. This is very important, es-
pecially in the case of children. You have to keep
your mind steady right from a young age. What is
important is not studying textbooks, but steady-
ing your mind. Textbooks, you can always study,
in the classroom, in the hostel, etc.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 42,
Chapter 5: Love God and Meditate on Him.
2
Maintain Silence While Eating and
Drinking
We should never talk while drinking some-
thing or eating. In the olden days, the great sages
used to maintain silence while eating or drinking.
If you talk while eating, the digestive sys-
tem will be spoiled. Once the digestive system is
spoiled, several diseases will confront you. Pray to
God silently, keeping your eyes closed, and then
partake of your food. Most children do not know
this rule. Take your food in silence in a calm at-
mosphere. Do not howl, talk, and chitchat. Do
not laugh or cry while eating. Do not entertain
any worry before or while eating. These are some
of the precautions one has to take to lead a happy
daily life.
Divine Discourse in Prasanthi Nilayam on October 12,
2002: Soham ‒ the Right Sadhana.
2
Solitude Means to Be in Communion
with God
God is the embodiment of truth. Truth is God.
Therefore you should rely on truth. In fact, you are
the embodiment of truth. It is not something new
to be discovered afresh. Truth will manifest in you
if you sit in deep silence and solitude. What does
the word “solitude” mean? People have wrong no-
tions about this word and misinterpret it in many
ways. They think that sitting alone in a room with
all doors and windows shut is solitude. This is not
solitude but loneliness. Many others think that
sitting under a tree in a forest or in a mountain
cave is solitude. That also is not the true meaning
of solitude.
Solitude means to be in communion with
God, wherever you may be – in the bazaar, in a
meeting, or in the midst of a large number of peo-
ple. Wherever you are, your mind should be fo-
cused on God without being distracted by worldly
and family matters. Solitude is total communion
between you and God. Nothing else should divert
your attention from God. That is the real meaning
of solitude. Whatever you may be doing or even
when traveling in a bus or train or plane, always
keep your mind firmly fixed on God. While do-
ing meditation or contemplating on God, do not
allow any other distraction to divert your mind.
Only then can you have the experience of Divine
light.
Sanathana Sarathi, September 2011.
Lack of Values Is the Cause of Violence in the World.
12
You Cannot Always Oblige,
But You Can Always Speak Obligingly
Speak with Love
Speak Good Words
Always Speak with a Smile
Speech Promotes Friendship as Well as Differences
In this world, speech carries more value than the currency note. In ancient
times, people used to give immense value to speech. With the help of speech they
were able to become rich and prosperous; they could even win kingdoms. Man
becomes virtuous only when his speech is good; he becomes evil when his speech
is bad.
Speech promotes friendship. It also brings about differences between friends.
Speech promotes affinity among relatives. It also creates discord. Effects of speech
are not confined to ephemeral and worldly matters only; speech affects our spiri-
tual progress also. Speech may even cause death. Speech can save one’s life, too.
Sweet speech brings you name and fame. Since man today has lost his pleasant
speech and sweet temper, he is subjected to innumerable ordeals and sufferings.
That is why I tell the students now and then, you cannot always oblige, but you can
always speak obligingly. When the speech is good, man becomes a hero. But man
will become a zero if the speech is not good.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 32, Part 1,
Chapter 11: The Ephemeral and the Transcendental.
13
Wound Inflicted by the Tongue Can
Never Be Healed
Never use harsh words. You cannot always
oblige, but you can always speak obligingly. Bodi-
ly wounds can be cured by the use of medicines.
But the wounds inflicted by the tongue can never
be healed. That is why I repeatedly tell you to cul-
tivate love and talk with love. I never use harsh
words even when I appear to be angry. I always
speak lovingly. You too will become Divine when
you cultivate such Divine love.
Cultivate good thoughts. Good thoughts lead
to good actions. Good actions lead to good com-
pany. Cultivate love. Everything is based on love
and love alone. Man is born in love, is sustained in
love, and ultimately merges in love. Love is the ba-
sis of human life. But you are forgetting such true
love and are getting carried away by worldly and
physical love, which is not love in the true sense.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 33,
Chapter 19: God Incarnates to Serve Mankind.
2
See No Evil; See What Is Good
The image of every seen object gets imprinted
in the mind. Therefore first of all one must have
right vision. Right vision is that which is untaint-
ed by the baneful influence of evil feelings, evil
thoughts, and evil deeds. See no evil; see what is
good. That which develops your insight to under-
stand what is good, eternal, and true is right vi-
sion.
Next comes right listening. You should lend
your ear only to good speech. Under no circum-
stances should you listen to evil talk. For this, you
should listen to sacred texts, devotional songs, and
talks about sacred acts.
Everything in this world is impermanent. The
Vedas say, “All that is seen is bound to perish.” All
that you see will disappear one day or the other.
For the nine-fold path of devotion, good listening
is the beginning. Listening, singing the glories of
the Lord, constant remembrance of the name of
Vishnu, serving the Lord’s feet, worship, saluta-
tion, servitude, friendship, and self-surrender are
the nine paths of devotion. The first step to the fi-
nal act of self-surrender is listening. Ancient scrip-
tures are derived from listening only.
Right Vision and Right Listening Lead to
Right Speech
The next virtue is right speech. Right vision
and right listening lead to right speech. Your
speech should be good. Never utter harsh words.
Speak softly and sweetly. That is why I tell you of-
ten, “You cannot always oblige, but you can always
speak obligingly.” Say what you have to say with-
out harshness. Speak softly so that only the person
for whom your words are intended may hear you.
Such soft and sweet speech should be developed.
Good vision, good listening, and good speech lead
to good thoughts. “As are your thoughts, so is the
result.” Right thoughts lead to right action. With-
out good thoughts, it is not possible to perform
good actions.
Buddha performed penance for many years to
put his five senses on the sacred path. Mere book-
ish knowledge is of no consequence. It is in fact
artificial. Mere textual knowledge will not lead
you to right vision. Similarly, your sense of hear-
ing does not become holy by listening to the ex-
positions of a teacher. Good thoughts cannot be
acquired by reading scriptures or by listening to
the teachings of the preceptor. By self-effort you
should put your senses of sound, touch, form,
taste, and smell to right use. That alone leads you
to proper spiritual practice.
Sanctify Your Senses
When you put your senses in the right direc-
tion, your life will also enter the right path. For
the wrong attitude of man today, senses are the
cause. As the senses become impure, the entire life
too becomes impure and unsacred. If you want
to make your life sacred, you have to first sanctify
your senses. So, Buddha, who did penance for sev-
eral years, understood that all ritualistic practices
were useless. He declared right vision, right listen-