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