Lovely quote for today

I bring tears and I wipe tears, some one has sung. 

Yes, I bring tears of joy into your eyes and I wipe the tears of grief. 

I am said to make people mad and also to cure madness. 

Yes, I make them mad about God and about the Saadhana needed for that. 

I cure the madness which makes people run frantically after fleeting pleasures 

and fall into fits of joy and grief.

-- Sathya Sai Baba, 29th Sep 1960, in Prasanthi Nilayam

God does not make mistakes!

Trust in My wisdom. I do not make mistakes.

Love My uncertainty, for it is not a mistake. It is My intent and will.

-- Bhagawan Baba

The greatest gift, the greatest wealth, and the best relationship

Health is the greatest gift, contentment is the greatest wealth, faithfulness is the best relationship. - Buddha

(From http://saidivineinspirations.blogspot.com/2012/01/cny2012-002.html)

I am your mother!

I ask only that you turn to Me when your mind drags you into grief or pride or envy. 

Bring Me the depths of your mind, 

no matter how grotesque, how cruelly ravaged doubts or disappointments. 

I know how to treat them. I will not reject you, I am your mother.

-- Bhagawan Baba

Simple way to sanctify life and earn God's grace

I do not prescribe elaborate Japam and Dhyaanam for you to win Grace. 

Control your tongue, make it sweet and soft. 

Do not yield to the whims of the senses. 

Dwell always in the thought of God. 

Remind yourself always of the glory and majesty of God. 

That is enough religious discipline for you. 

Spend all the time that you can command in the recitation of His name. 

That is sufficient Saadhana for you.

-- Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

A beautiful quote from Bhagwan Baba's divine discourses

He is in you, and it is He that has prompted you to project Him into the outer world, as this idol or that image, to listen to your outpouring and give you peace. 

Without the inspiration, solace, and joy that He confers from within, you will be raving mad, as one who has lost his moorings and is tossed about, rudderless on a stormy sea. 

Hold on to Him in the heart, hear Him whisper in the silent words of counsel and consolation. Hold converse with Him, guide your footsteps as He directs, and you reach the goal, safe and soon.

The picture before which you sit, the flowers which you place on it, the hymns you recite, the vows you impose on yourselves, the vigils you go through--these are activities that cleanse, that remove obstacles in the way of your getting aware of the God within.

What's in a name?

Although my name is spelt as 'Aarthi' and is pronounced as 'Aar-thee', over the years, I have noticed that some people used 'Aarathi' too and pronounced my name that way (as 'Aa-ra-thee').

Is there a difference in the meaning of the two? I guess there is. In fact, there is one line in the Sai Ashtottara Namavali that says 'Om Sri Sai Aarthi haraaya namaha'. In this context, 'Aarthi' actually means 'distress' and Swami is hailed as the 'Remover of distress'. The actual 'Aarathi' signifies the waving of camphor as an offering to God, in Hindu rituals and poojas. 

I'm sure my parents did not intend to give me a name that had a negative meaning, when they named me as a child. However, now, when I delve deeper into the significance of the name, I feel there are two ways of interpreting it.

Once, during my college days, when I had to meet the principal for some approval, he asked my name and how it was spelt. That time, he remarked that my name had a negative connotation and that I should probably consider adding another 'A' and make it 'Aarathi', so that the positive meaning was conveyed. I just shrugged and didn't give much thought to it.

I even remember how one of my lecturers always called me 'Aa-ra-thee' and never as 'Aarthi'. I used to get bugged, as I felt 'Aarthi' was the right way my name should be pronounced. In fact, one of my close friends always used to tease me about this and he would first say 'Aa-ra-thee' and then say 'Oh sorry! I mean, Aarthi' and then he would proceed to talk to me. Sometimes, I used to get angry with him. At other times, I used to laugh it off. Even now, in his emails, sometimes, he uses 'Aarathi' only. :)

Now, when I ruminate over the name and its meaning, I realize that I am Swami's child and I should feel very grateful that my parents chose a name that has such a profound meaning. I'm firmly convinced that I must strive to become the perfect offering for Him. As if to resonate my thoughts, a Google search led to this on Wikipedia — Aa means 'towards or to', and 'rati' means 'right or virtue' in Sanskrit. 

It is a well-known practice in Hindu rituals to offer the Aarthi with camphor. There is an inner significance to the use of camphor. Have you noticed that there is no trace left behind when the camphor burns?

"The waving of the camphor flame at the end of the bhajan sessions or any pooja is to remind you that your sensual cravings must be burnt away without leaving any trace behind, and you must offer yourself to God for being merged with His Glory." – Baba

I don't claim to be the perfect offering to God. In fact, most often, I find myself lacking in so many aspects. But, yes, Swami has touched my life and has turned it around. He is slowly but surely transforming me. And I am confident that eventually, He will make me merge in Him.

Although I cannot change the way my name is spelt, I can definitely try to achieve the goal of living up to the phrase 'offering to God'. Just as the camphor burns itself out and is reduced to nothing, I pray to Swami to help me slowly burn away all the vices and desires within me and transform myself from 'Aarthi' to the perfect 'Aarathi', worthy of being offered to Swami.