Sathya Sai Baba The World-Avatar Teaching and Revelations

tra will save you from being caught up in the coils of this worldly
life which is infested with death, grief and pain. Of all mantras, the
OM is the highest and the best. It is the very head and crown of all
of them.
8. March bravely on. Try to fill every moment with thoughts of God, in
some form or other. Repeat so'ham with every breath: “So” when
you take in and “ham” when you exhale. (...)
Those sounds will be reduced to O and M, that is to say, it will be
OM. Repeat that sound afterwards with every breath and that will
save you, from bondage to birth and death. (...)
This so’ham-recitation is a good means of restraining the mind
from running away with you. Let the mind be ever attached to the
Lord; then, it will not flee, as it fancies, towards all directions. That
is the meaning of the exhortation of Krishna: “Giving up all other
activities, surrender fully to me”. Place the mind completely at his
service. Then, he will save you from failing.
9. Bharata (Indian) is the land where everyone has attachment to
God; but today, people are in fact losing that taste and that attachment.
You may tell me: “We are so busy, we have no time to spare”.
Well, I cannot believe it is true. I know that you are finding time
in spite of the hard work throughout the day, to attend cinemas, to
engage in wayside chats, to promote and partake in factions, in
quarrels and for many other distractions which add to the sum of
your worries. It is best if you stay away from companions who drag
you to such distractions that weaken and worry you; spend a few
minutes every morning and evening in the silence of your own
shrine or home, spend them with the highest of all the powers that
you know of. Be in his elevating and inspiring company; worship
him mentally; offer unto him all the work you do; you will come out
of the silence nobler and more heroic than when you went in.
Just consider - do you come out of the cinema theatre more peaceful,
more heroic, purer, nobler than when you went in? No; your
passions are aroused, your animal impulses are catered for, your
lower nature is fed. Nothing else can give you that rich reward,
which silence and prayer and communion with the master can give.
Not even a decent bank account, nor a string of degrees, nor
the muscle of a prize fighter.
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