Q & A with Bhagavan Archive

Q.  In this cosmos that is the human body, what is the best dharma [right action] to follow? Which ashrama is most conducive for that dharma? How many ashramas are there in all? A.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba is easily one of the most popular spiritual leaders of contemporary India. He has attracted crores [millions] of followers, cutting across barriers of caste, language, region, and nation. He first

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

Swami: Have you understood what has been told so far? Understanding does not mean mere rote! By practice and experience, have you realized in thought, word, and deed, and with full equanimity, the true

Hislop: Swami says that He cannot give to a dry heart. Why is the heart dry? Sai: Even that, God gives for our own good. When you don’t have hunger, why should He give

Devotee: In the West, sadhana [spiritual effort] is generally taken to be a process of self‑improvement. But does that imply identification with the changing personality? Sri Sathya Sai: First, there may be the urge

Hislop: Yes, I am the one who puts the separation between us. I am the ego. Sai: Ego is untruth. Hislop: Ego is untruth, then I… Sai: But you are not ego. You are

Bhakta: You used the word, adhyasa. What does it mean, Swami? Swami: What? You do not know the meaning of that! “Seeing one form and taking it to be another, superimposing one thing upon

Q. Is there any mantra or japa that will give us this shanti state that you spoke about just now? If there is any, which is the important one? A. Mantra and japa are

Q: Swami! Is it right on the part of Rama to kill Tataka, a woman? Bhagavan: Rama embodies dharma [righteousness]. Along with Lakshmana, He went to the forest led by Vishvamitra only to destroy

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

Hislop: What is the meaning of the word dharma [righteousness]? Sai: The word dharma does not mean duty. In duty there is no freedom; in reason there is freedom; and in religious obligation there