Courage

We should not allow trivial matters to dampen the spirit of enthusiasm. We should march forward with courage and conviction, unmindful of any hurdles and inconveniences in the way…. Ailment and suffering are but natural to the physical body. Sometimes even the sun is covered by clouds. But can the clouds ever diminish the effulgence of the sun? No. Just as the sun is not affected by the clouds, you too should remain unaffected by ailment and suffering. When you develop such courage, conviction, and determination, you will not be depressed or dejected by any suffering.

Whenever you encounter suffering either bodily or mentally, do not lose your cool. Do not get dejected. Instead, face the problem squarely and undertake activities that will instill a sense of courage and confidence in you. No doubt, situations do arise in life when we have to undergo sorrows and difficulties. When our loving parents depart from this world, we are in deep sorrow. Instead of losing our poise in such difficult situations, it is advisable to face the ordeal with courage, expressing gratitude to our parents for granting us the gift of this body.

~Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 37-2004

Man should be courageous. Lack of courage leads to doubts, despair, dejection, and depression. A person with a faultless and blemishless character shall never behave like a frightened, trembling sheep. Therefore, developing intellectual integrity and strength of conviction, man should proceed ahead and conquer the evils and temptations of the world.

~Summer Showers 1979 – Indian Culture and Spirituality

What is meant by personality? Does it mean height, weight, and a strong body? No, it is a mistake to think so. Undeterred by the sorrows and difficulties, one has to march forward with courage and adventure to attain God’s love. That is the real meaning of personality. In fact, God has already granted such personality to every human being. Unfortunately, we fail to realize this truth. The word “person” implies a great Divine force that is granted by God to man. Our ancestors called this Divine force as “persona.” This is a great gift God granted to every individual. We are unable to safeguard this great treasure. These sorrows and difficulties are like passing clouds that come and go. Why should we be afraid of them? We have the eternal divine principle immanent in our personality. Therefore, there is no need at all to be afraid of anything as long as we are constantly aware of our latent divinity. March forward with courage and conviction and achieve your life’s goal. It is only to instill this feeling of courage in you and reinforce your faith in God that you are subjected to face certain anxious moments.

~ Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 37-2004

Man exhibits great mental and physical courage, on the battlefields and during adventures on land, sea, and air. He has evinced in history, vast reinforcements of courage inside him, to meet all varieties of obstacles. But the courage to give up entanglement with the material world is a great achievement. Valmeeki [who wrote the epic Ramayana] was a highway robber who waylaid and killed hundreds without hesitation; he was the slave of passion and emotion but, when the seven sages whom he waylaid one-night, counselled patience, forbearance, and self-inquiry, he turned heroically into the path of Rama (giving up the path of kama (lust)), and achieved immortality, immortal fame as the narrator of Rama’s story. From the rajasik (passionate) stage, he transformed himself into satwik (balanced). The spiritual adventure, the spiritual leap from darkness into light needs extraordinary courage and Divine grace is the reward for courage.

~ Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 10- 1970