Happiness

We must strive to discover the Divine Principle that exists within us. Genuine happiness comes from giving happiness. Acquiring material wealth and hankering after luxuries cannot bring happiness. The fact of the matter is that all Truth is internal and external happiness is not permanent. 

       - Satguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Peace of Mind

We must conquer the mountain of the mind.  We must exert effort to quieten our  minds and bring it under control.  We must make our minds be steady and calm.  This is an essential pre-requisite to obtain peace of mind.

  - Satguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Inner Wealth

Inner wealth constitutes real wealth.  It can never be washed away.  External wealth can be wiped out but inner wealth always remain supreme.

- Satguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Seek God with Love

Importance of Light

Help Those in Distress

Who is God

Anger & Love

Mind Control

Self Belief

Gift of Life

Moksha

Wisdom is God

Parents

Peace of Mind

Conflicts

The world is beset by difficulty.  They are caused by lack of proper communication or understanding.  This results in conflict and war.  This includes conflicts within families.  Cities are at war too.  There is no peace, no happiness and no meaningful relationships.  Victory is difficult to secure under such circumstances.  Heed the good and avoid the bad.  Let us strive for a better and happy life without getting influenced by substances that causes us to be addicted to them.  We must ride the elephant from above and not from below. 

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Positive and Negative

The positive and the negative, good and bad exists because they both have something to instruct us.  Good minded people through their actions teach us to emulate them while evil minded people teach us through their actions to avoid them.  The purpose of our birth lies in serving us selflessly.  We must engage in activities that will only bring us  peace and contentment and avoid those that bring unhappiness.  Our bodies are similar to a vehicle that are meant to provide positive energy to others.  We must guard against inappropriate thoughts, words and actions because they will rebound on us.  

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Family

Be courageous, utilise the time and opportunity given to you because you will not get it again so easily.  Perform your duties mindfully.  Look after your family, be united.  A temple can be built only upon the foundation of a happy family.  Conflict invariably destroys. We need to grasp this profound truth.  There is a deep principle governing your family.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Speech

Speech is actually a potent weapon.  We must always be mindful of our speech.  Practice prayer even before you speak because speech will be cleansed by such a prayer.  All negative habits will rebound upon us, including thoughts and speech.  Speak with love and let it be preceded by prayer.  Mindful speech always generates love and compassion.  It is necessary to practice mindfulness in thought, word and deed.  

-Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Conquering the Inside

Conquering the world means conquering the inside which is realising the Self.  We shouldn't have strong desires for things in the external world. What we are to receive in this lifetime will come to us irrespective of whether we want it or not.  God knows all our desires, if we surrender all our desires to God, He will ensure the fulfilment of our needs and not necessarily our desires.  We will not be able to experience perfection in the outside world if we cannot experience it inside ourselves.  The external world is subject to change constantly, anything that will change is not real.  The external appearance is unreal and false while the internal essence is true and real.  Perfection can be experienced only on the inside. 

 -  Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Good and Bad Times

We must learn to live our lives in a manner where we are able to exercise control over our senses. We must learn to accept that good will be followed by bad and bad will be followed by good. This is the nature of world because it is anchored on the principle of duality.  We  must develop an equanimity of mind because such a state alone will help individuals to remain calm and unaffected in both good and bad times.  Such calmness is the vehicle which would enable us to transcend the state of duality and go beyond it.  

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Karma

Nothing in this world happens without a reason.  There is no such a thing as accident or coincidence.  All occurrences in our lives have a reason behind them and this reason is the law of karma.  We are born to fulfil our karmas.  The best way to do this is to extinguish our desires by understanding the fact that fulfilment of one desire leads to fuelling more desires.  It is important to control our desires, new karmas will be created by new desires.  

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Never Worry

Self-belief or faith in your inner Self is essential.  Such a self-belief is God.  It is a combination of Shiva and Shakthi.  Never worry because worry kills.  Mental worry invariably leads to illnesses. Diseases of the mind results in diseases of the body.  Know that everything that is likely to change is unreal.

 -Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Be Happy

If we are sad, we are threatened with the loss of things which we have already.  On the other hand, if we are happy, we will always win.  The right side symbolises self-belief and the left side symbolises health.  This is the meaning of ardhanareeshwara. It is only by pursuing both self-belief and health that we will be able to climb the mountain and have our desires fulfilled.  So pray for self-awareness.  We must always be content with what we have because what we have is real. What we do not have is unreal.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Reason

There is always a reason behind why anything happens.  This means that there is a profound sense of interconnectedness that governs the universe we live in.  Nothing ever happens without a reason. We enter a temple because of a reason, we attend a satsang or spiritual discourse because of a reason and we perform our daily tasks because a number of specific reasons prompt those actions.  It is important to keep this principle in mind.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Live like a King inside

If you are a prince, live like a pauper on the outside.  If you are a pauper on the outside, live like a king inside.  Never be a pauper inside.  This was actually the sum and substance of Lord Krishna's message to Arjuna.  Respect all atmas and all atmas will respect you.  There is an intimate relationship between prakirti or nature or the world on the one hand, and human beings and God on the other.  

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

I am Well

I am well is the first mantra.  Good thoughts should always prevail.  Calling upon Lord Shiva one thousand times but being unhappy afterwards is of no use.  If you are Shaivam outside, you must be Vaishnavam inside.  This means being a Brahamana which is su+brahamana (Subrahmanya) which means immersed in the unalloyed bliss of Brahman.

                    - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Good or Bad

We must develop the belief that God exists within us, with such belief we can travel across any forest, any path and any road.  Difficulties cannot be eliminated, what we experience only handful. However what God experiences embraces the entire cosmos.  Lord Shiva has only one free day and that is Shivarathiri, even then on that day he is completely engaged. There is always a reason for the good or the bad.  We must conquer those reasons and develop patience to gain the ability to overcome these difficulties

as difficulty is

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Good Deeds

When we are required to do good things, we must accept these tasks at once.  We must not wait to be asked.  We need to learn to do Good Deeds.  This is the best way to self-development or self-revelation.  Good Karmas are required.  Kali Yuga is a Karma Yuga.  Remain happy in your life. Perform good deeds with focus and alertness.  Do not act with fear.  When we see a snake in the forest, the snake comes within us.  We must think of what would help us triumph over the snake so that we can win and overcome our fears.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Studies and Effort

Studies require effort.  A child is often exhorted by his parents to study.  Studies are absolutely essential even if father, mother, Guru and God are present. We become good children when we exert that effort. By centering our minds within, we must develop from within.

 -Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Victory

'Shakti, Bhakti and Mukti are three essential ingredients.  Victory in anything is possible only through effort.  We should not run away from challenges and difficulties.  We need mental strength.  We need to be brave, courageous and self-confident.  We need to grow from within, victory can only be accomplished only through a lot of effort.  

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

World

The whole world around us symbolises the truth!  All that is in the world is Shivam! Everything in this world is ought to be beautiful, nothing is ought to be dirty! Nothing can obscure the truth that we are born into this world.  We must serve this world because this is the sole purpose of our birth.  The many duties and responsibilities that we assume must be executed perfectly.  

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Moksha

God provides us with bountiful opportunities in our present life to turn to dharma (path of righteousness).  We must make maximum use of that opportunity by becoming that opportunity to overcome our negative karmas (mindless actions inherited from our previous births), and stride towards moksha.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

God is Wisdom

Every individual has freedom to discriminate between good and evil.  Do not jump to the conclusion that somebody is God by hearsay.  You need to validate that fact through your own experience based on what you have seen and sensed.  God is wisdom.  So check whether such wisdom exists.  

           - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Human Form

Just contemplate being alive and not having a human form but having assumed the form of a bird or an animal.  Every person has talents and capabilities that are unique to him or her; every nerve has its own potency.  Recognizing the impermanence of the world is an essential precondition for spiritual growth.  

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Refuge in God

Only those who have experienced hunger understand the hunger of others.  Only when we are confronted with hardships do we hunt for solutions.  It is often sufferings that drives us to seek refuge in God.  This suffering is actually a blessing in disguise as it drives us to seek refuge at God's feet. When we are in God's abode, His blessings are immense and our negative karmas get considerably reduced.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Human Life

Human life is so fragile that even a mosquito can irritate our lives.  It is conditioned by maya.  There is no end to our troubles and anxieties, we should strive to overcome this turmoil by praying to God to give us the strength to control our minds.  It is not possible to completely alter our destiny, but it is possible to mitigate its effects through sincere heartfelt prayer.

 - Jegadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Disciples

Mahatma guides the disciples and they only need to have faith and do the driving.  However, if they lose faith and go against the instructions of the Mahatma, he will stop guiding them.  

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Mahatma

Mahatma is like the soil.  People sow a few seeds and the soil gives them bountiful crops.  Similarly, it is the duty of the mahatma to give the people back ten times the offerings made.  Mahatma is like the cable tower and devotee is like the mobile phone. Closer to the tower means better communication, similarly we must hold on to the lotus feet of the Mahatma  for guidance to attain the ultimate goal.

                  - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Maya

Whatever we feel, enjoy and experience is the influence of Maya.  It is the powerful sway of Maya that delude humankind to mistake the impermanent as permanent, the unreal for the real and causes to identify ourselves with our bodies, mind and intellect.  Such identifications increase our desires and attachment and result in suffering, requiring even more births to attain our goals.  

We must develop a firm determination to escape from the grip of Maya through deep devotion to God.  Once our minds are fixated on God, we will not be affected by the power of Maya.  But to reach this state is immensely difficult. Only mind with utter renunciation and firmness of purpose can reach this state.  Nevertheless, we should not waver from our goal to achieve this state of being.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Powers

All powers including those of desire, speech, wisdom and action actually reside inside you.  Lord Brahma represents thought, Lord Vishnu represents speech and Lord Shiva represent action.  We need self-confidence and body power.  Presist with meditation, it is in meditation  that we develop these powers. Meditation, chanting and worship are needed to realize and conquer the inside.  Know that it is possible to live like a lotus in this world.  

                 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

God's Grace

Every human being has his or her own style.  Irrespective of what your own style is, know that it must be good and have God's grace.  In a bus, there is a driver, conductor and cleaner.  Each has their job to do and it is separated by the function that each performs.  Similarly, we need to perform and complete the task allotted to us.  We cannot do all of them on our own.  We need help from others.  It is God's grace that ensures that the requisite help arrives on time.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Presence of God

See God in everything and everybody.  Expand your heart and expand your consciousness! If you offer a banana to Lord Hanuman, He will eat it only if it has the name of Lord Rama inscribed upon it.  Discover the presence of God! Respect everybody!

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Help

Help those in distress!  This is genuine service to God! Feed a beggar at least once a year!  If you feed a beggar, God gives you everything! Serve the beggar and go to God!  Lord Murugan is portrayed as a pauper at Palani, but He is portrayed as a prince in Trichendur.  Feed the pauper and receive prasadam from God.  Feed them with love.  You will gain what you have lost!  

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Difficulties

Conquer difficulties, be like Sri Rama and Seetha Devi.  Sri Rama was exiled to the forest, yet he did not flinch in performing his duties.  Even though he was an incarnation of God, he had to undergo tremendous suffering.  Your belief in your Self is your first Guru.  It is only with such belief that you can approach a Guru.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Spiritual Path

If you want to climb the steps of the spiritual path, you must be willing to climb down the steps to help people less fortunate than you.  This is the essence of devotion, faith and surrender.  Such service helps to accumulate spiritual merit and opens the path to experience Godliness.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Stalam

We need peace wherever we are.  Stalapunyam is essential, for which we need arul.  Our luxuries are not important, our  mind is. Even if we have stalam and luxuries, our kaalam must co-operate with us. Only then you will be able to experience and derive happiness from your possessions.  So do seva sincerely with samarpanam and bhakthi.  Each and every thought, word and action of ours should have the Lord in it.  

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Bakthi is Shakthi, Shakthi is Mukthi!

The world known does not extend beyond the size of the palm of our hands.  But the world unknown extends to the entire universe.  Always call upon Shiva and Shakthi, it is important that divine essence of Guru is understood.  He is not the body, his existence comprises of the entire universe.  He is in you.  He is Jnana! He is Shakthi!  Bakthi is Shakthi, Shakthi is Mukthi!

-Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Love

Surrender to God.  Be in that state all the time.  Entertain and nourish good thoughts, words and deeds.  Maintain God like an emperor inside you! Do not keep him in poverty!  Love is the fulfilling law of the universe!  Love completes, fulfils and makes life wholesome.  Speak less through the mouth and more through the mind.

  - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba

Devotion

In our devotion lies our power and in our power lies our salvation.  Guru is our armour.  

Guard against bad speech.  Practice silence.  It is a great virtue.  Cultivate devotion by reciting the Name.  The power of such recitation is immense.  Hanuman was able to lift the mountain by chanting Lord Rama's name.  Do namasmaran and practise omkaram.  Be like Hanuman; peaceful, happy and silent.

 - Jagadguru Sri Sharavana Baba