The First Word

SAI BABA CAN TAKE YOU FROM MEDIOCRITY TO PERFECTION

Excellence is not a privilege of a few. It is accessible to everyone who has implicit faith in Sai Parabrahman. All it takes is a vision beyond your desires and a commitment to a higher goal, through total surrender to Lord Sainath. We are happy to present this twenty-fifth issue of Sai Aura commemorating the Ugadi festival in April 2024.

Do you want to excel in life? Or are you content with mediocrity? If you have the drive to achieve perfection, the Bhagavad Gita has the formula for success. Not everyone has a high IQ or is immensely talented. But every single person can be highly motivated. The focus must shift from external conquests to internal victory by the blessings of Sainath Parabrahman. Then, you discover the power of the mind. Conquer the mind, and you will conquer the world.

Excellence requires a serene mind. When the mind is calm, the intellect is sharp and actions brilliant. When the mind is agitated, you cannot access your knowledge, thinking gets deviated and actions are flawed.
We all suffer from mental agitation. What disturbs the mind? Thoughts of self. A singer sings the wrong note when thoughts of oneself get in the way. A job aspirant flounders at the interview when he’s obsessed with getting the job. A chef makes mistakes when he wants to impress his guests.

Excellence is not the exclusive privilege of a select few. Everyone is privy to it — from the most talented to the least endowed. All it takes is a vision beyond your desires and a commitment to a higher goal. Desire is the greatest obstruction that stands between you and success. Break free from desire and you sail into the realm of perfection.

The law of life is that you get what you deserve, not what you desire. So set aside desire and focus on deserving. Work to gain merit. Hone your skills. Strive to be better at your job. Shift from grabbing to serving, from profiteering to offering. As Lord Sainath blesses you, the forces of nature will bow down to you.

You contemplate – do you feel deprived or blessed? Are you working to get a few things you do not have? Then you are unenthusiastic. You merely go through the motions of your job. This leads to failure and frustration.

You are aware of the abundance you have been gifted with – then you become grateful. You want to give, contribute, and add value to people. You become creative, inspired, and successful. Abundance is a state of mind unconnected with material assets. You may have nothing and feel blessed. The richest man may feel deprived.

Identify your passion, talent, and gift. Fix a higher ideal in that field. Work in a spirit of service and sacrifice for the larger goal. Selfish action leads to mediocrity. All successful people worked for a nobler cause. Sri Narasimha Swamiji took upon himself the task of spreading information about Sai Baba from the remote village of Shirdi to the entire globe. Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji initiated tens and thousands of Sai devotees into Vishnu Sahasranama for spiritual upliftment. Don Bradman did not play cricket for selfish ends. Ustad Bismillah Khan was dedicated to music. Einstein only thought of physics.

When your attention shifts from the world to the beyond, you perform selfless action. You work neither for a selfish end nor an unselfish goal. As a devotee of Sai Maharaj, you know your talent is a Sai Baba-given gift. You offer it as thanksgiving to Lord Sainath, our God Supreme. Then, perfection flows from you effortlessly. Athlete Eric Lidell, nicknamed the ‘Flying Scotsman’, was unbeatable and set Olympic records. He would say: “God made me to run, and I will run for God.” With this motto, he won Olympic gold.

However talented you may be, you cannot achieve success by yourself. You would need to build strong teams. Feel one with your team members. View them as partners, not opponents, as collaborators, not competitors.

When you gain success, you do want to get carried away with it. Remember, it is transient and temporary. It will go some day. Enjoy the fruit of your labor, but do not depend on it. Build inner reserves that will stand by you in times of calamity. When things go as they must, you will not be shattered or heartbroken.

We wish all our readers as they celebrate New Year’s Day all with the blessings of Sai Baba and a message from

Sri Narasimha Swamiji, “For him in vain the envious seasons roll, who bears Sainath Parabrahman in his soul.”