Study circle May 20th, 2012

Aum, Aum, Aum Maintain 30 sec silence before commencing omkar Take a deep breath before omkar Maintain a 10 sec period of silence between omkars Wait till all the members finish their omkar before starting the next omkar

Gayatri (3x) Om bhur-bhuvas-suvah Tat-savitur-varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah pracodayat We contemplate on the glory of Light illuminating the three worlds: gross subtle and casual; I am that vivifying power, love, radiant illumination, and Divine Grace of universal intelligence. We pray for the Divine light to illumine our minds.

Meditation/Breathing exercise

Faith and Surrender Why fear when I am here? Put all your faith in Me. I shall guide you and guard you. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Quote shared by Gayatri and Sirish If it can be verified, we don’t need faith….. Faith if for that which lies on the other side of reason. Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, starting joys.

Without Faith in God, man is blind Guru Naanak said that without faith in God, man is blind; without it, you are moving corpses. Your life might be as grand, as beautiful, as rich as the Taj Mahal -- but remember the Taj is but a tomb! Whatever the method of worship, whichever the Name or Form, it is Faith that matters; it is that which gives life and energy for higher things. Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Divine Discourse on Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume II, Chapter 28: The search for quiet, Section: Without faith in God, man is blind

Faith is the basis of self-confidence Firm faith is essential for realising the Self. Faith is the basis of self- confidence, without which nothing can be achieved. The word Manava (man) itself means one who has faith. When he acts up to his faith, he experiences peace and contentment. Love is the means through which faith is strengthened. People offer prayers to God. Prayers should not mean petitioning to God for favours. The object of prayer should be to establish God firmly in one's heart. Aim at linking yourself to God and not at seeking favours. Aspire for earning the love of God. That is real penance. contd……

Faith is the basis of self-confidence That is why it is said: Looking ahead is Tapas (penance) ; looking backward is Tamas (ignorance). Tapas does not mean giving up hearth and home and retiring to a forest. It means giving up all bad qualities and striving to live ceaselessly for God's grace. Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Divine Discourse on Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume XXII, Chapter 5: From Love: To Love, Section: The mind and Divinity

Faith alone can win Aananda (bliss) Embodiments of Love! Every man desires to acquire aanandha. From where can aanandha be acquired? Faith alone can win aanandha. Peace can be got only through faith; faith is the spring of joy. But now, we see sorrow wherever we cast our eyes. Why does this happen? Because, man has lost faith. He has no faith in himself. How then can he acquire aanandha? How can a person, who has not got faith enough to live happily for a few days, win the grace of God? This day, when education has achieved remarkable progress in many directions, man has lost faith in the highest and the supremest---God. He queries, "What exactly is God?" He argues, "Is there God? Well, I shall prove, that there is no God.”

Seek the Truth and you are seeking God. Truth is God. Truth exists; so, God exists. God IS, because Truth is God. Does anyone argue that there is no Truth? Come. I shall show him Truth. He who denies the existence of Truth can never be a man. Can there be a God higher than Truth? The human condition today is full of falsehood; it is sunk in wickedness. So, no one can understand the significance of Truth. Truth is generally understood to mean speaking exactly what has been heard by the ears. No; this is not the meaning of Truth. What has been heard undergoes change; Truth is changeless, it is the same in the past, present and future. Have faith that Truth exists thus and can be experienced. Faith is the very breath of life. Without it, man is a living corpse. Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Divine Discourse on Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume XV, Chapter 33: An ideal university, Section: Without faith man is a living corpse

Faith should be steady and continuous Do not inflict pain on any one, through word and deed. Control your passions, emotions and impulses, especially, anger, envy and greed. They thrive on the ego and make it a dangerous weapon. When you are enslaved by your passions, how can you stand forth and claim respect? Only cowards yield to their senses or passions. Brave men face up to them and win. The hero is he who overrules his mind and curbs his impulses; the zero is he who is overruled by them. contd……

Faith should be steady and continuous Stand fast, like a rock, when the waves beat. Have faith in your ideals, in God. Do not allow faith to falter when failure comes into your door. Meet it as a new challenge, and triumph. Your Vishwaas (Faith) must not be like your Swaas (Breath); for swaas comes in and goes out, it is now in and now out. Let your vishwaas be firm, with no alternations of entrances and exits. If faith is one full continuous stream, Grace too will be showered on you in one full continuous stream. Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Divine Discourse on Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume XII, Chapter 9: The Year Named Aanandha, Section: Truth knows no defeat, nor fear

What destroys faith? Only when selfishness is totally destroyed in the human heart, will man develop a broadmindedness that will promote unity and sacredness among mankind. When this selfishness grows continually, it takes the form of Kaama (lust), Krodha (hatred) and Lobha (greed). These three vices are demonic in nature. When these three demonic vices grow in them, human beings lose faith in God. Besides losing faith in God, they also develop enmity towards God. Worldly desires increase. The Divine quality declines. Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Divine Discourse on Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume XXV, Chapter 29: Three Cardinal Vices, Section: Destroy selfishness totally

Aum Shanti Shanti Shantihi Maintain 30 sec silence before commencing omkar Take a deep breath before omkar Maintain a 10 sec period of silence between shanti and experience the peace