Q & A with Bhagavan Archive

Devotee: Swami, we are like lumps of iron; the Lord is like the magnet. Both are related to each other. But if that lump of iron has to be changed into an article of

Hislop: We do not perceive life with absolute clarity, and yet we are acting all the time, and unclear action makes for a confused life. We are unhappy about that confusion, and in an

Devotee: Baba, what is concentration? What does it mean? How is it different from meditation? Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Concentration is the fixation of attention on one point, on one act or thought, or

Q.  Swami, I have heard people use the word ‘amanaska’ [mind that is free of desires and thoughts] often. What does it mean? A.  This entire creation, when it is realized as but Seen

Hislop: Why does Baba have regular schools? Why does He not have religious schools? Sai: Religious schools would appeal only to the religious, whereas Baba’s task is to raise the general public into devotion

Sadhaka: All those who are loyal to Bharatiya [Indian] cul­ture accept the Vedas as authoritative sources for every aspect of life. They assert that the Vedas are the roots of their faith. What exactly

Q. We commit many sins and do many meritorious deeds with this body and this mind, Swami! They bring about grief or joy; now, this “I” of which you are speaking, is it the

Bhakta: Swami, at Venkatagiri, during the ‘Adhyatmika Sabha’ (assembly pertaining to the spirit), You said some things that I could not clearly understand; can I ask about them now? Swami: I am happy when

Hislop: Swami, something has happened here. Water is around this box. These saris will get wet. (Swami removed the cover of the box and those of us who were standing there could see that

Bhakta: So far You have told some important things, (1) the external world (2) the internal world (3) Bhagavan, the Lord. Are these then separate entities, like cause and effect? Or are they connected

Hislop: What is the most subtle point of Swami’s teaching, and then in the circle around that point, what are the things to do in order to realize that most subtle aspect of His

Q. They speak of Avadhutas [mystics] also. Who are called so? What are their qualifications? A. Like the vanaprasthas [recluses] and the sanyasis [renunciants], they too have to be free from all attachment and