Prasanthi Vahini

By Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

We are, today, right in the vortex of a crisis in human history. Fear stalks mankind from one end of the world to the other. Anxiety rules the heart of man and deprives him, everywhere, of sleep and rest and joy and laughter. Virtue has become rare and wickedness puts on respectable robes. In the family, in society, in the nation, and in the community of man, there is a pathetic cry for peace, shanti! But, we need not despair. We have a Prasanthi Nilayam, the Abode of Supreme Peace, where Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has inaugurated the process of re-establishing Prasanthi (highest spiritual peace)! His Miraculous Powers proclaim Him a God. His Omniscience astounds the pundits of science. His Omnipresence is felt even across the seven seas. His Grace is available to all, who cleanse their hearts with the tears of repentance. He is thirty-six years of age, now and He has promised to wear this human habiliment for well-nigh sixty years more. He teaches us the secret of Prasanthi in conversation, by speeches, and through His letters and writings. These last are to be found in the monthly magazine, published from the Prasanthi Nilayam, and this book is the English Translation of a series He wrote, on the subject, “Prasanthi”. Study it with devotion, dear reader, and practise its lessons, for they are from the Avatar of the Lord Himself, come to retell the ancient wisdom to men, who have lost the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust, Publications Division
• Release date: Jul 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9789350690918

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born as Sathyanarayana Raju on November 23rd, 1926 in the village of Puttaparthi, in the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India. Even as a child, His spiritual inclination and contemplative nature set Him apart from other children of His age, and He was known as 'Guru' and "Brahmajnani' among His peers and others in the village. On October 20th, 1940, He made the historic declaration of His Avatarhood and the world at large learnt of this divine phenomenon. Today, millions of devotees worship Him as an 'Avatar' and an incarnation of the Sai Baba of Shirdi.Revealing the purpose of His Advent, Sai Baba has said that He has come to re-establish the rhythm of righteousness in the world and repair the ancient highway to God, which over the years has systematically deteriorated.Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is an integral manifestation who combines two very significant roles. Firstly, He is a great spiritual Master, famed for His simple and sweet exposition of the greatest and most intricate of spiritual truths which form the fundamental teachings of all the religions of the world. His formula for man to lead a meaningful life is the five-fold path of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema, and Ahimsa. Love for God, fear of sin and morality in society - these are His prescriptions for our ailing world.Secondly, He is an inexhaustible reservoir of pure love. His numerous service projects, be it free hospitals, free schools and colleges, free drinking water supply or free housing projects, all stand testimony to His selfless love and compassion for the needy and less privileged. True to His declaration - "My Life is My Message", He has inspired and continues to inspire millions of His devotees worldwide by His personal example to live the ideal that service to man is service to God.Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is a beacon of hope in the world. A devotee said, "Bhagawan Baba is nothing but Love walking on two feet."

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Prasanthi Vahini

(The Supreme Bliss of Divine)

By

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust, Publications Division

Prasanthi Nilayam - 515 134

Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA

STD: 08555 ISD: 91-8555 Phone: 287375 Fax: 287236

E-mail: [e-mail]

Website: www.srisathyasaipublications.org, www.sanathanasarathi.org, www.saireflections.org

© Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust, Publications Division; All rights reserved.

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First Edition: 19th July, 2014 (19/07/2014)

ISBN: 978-93-5069-091-8

Paperback ISBN: 81-7208-340-8

Published By

The Convener,

Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust, Publications Division

Prasanthi Nilayam, India, Pin Code – 515134

STD : 08555 ISD: 91-8555 Phone: 287375 Fax: 287236

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Contents

1. Preface

2. Prasanthi Vahini

3. Glossary

To The Reader,

We are, today, right in the vortex of a crisis in human history. Fear stalks mankind from one end of the world to the other. Anxiety rules the heart of man and deprives him, everywhere, of sleep and rest and joy and laughter. Virtue has become rare and wickedness puts on respectable robes. In the family, in society, in the nation, and in the community of man, there is a pathetic cry for peace, shanti! But, we need not despair. We have a Prasanthi Nilayam, the Abode of Supreme Peace, where Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has inaugurated the process of re-establishing Prasanthi (highest spiritual peace)! His Miraculous Powers proclaim Him a God. His Omniscience astounds the pundits of science. His Omnipresence is felt even across the seven seas. His Grace is available to all, who cleanse their hearts with the tears of repentance. He is thirty-six years of age, now and He has promised to wear this human habiliment for well-nigh sixty years more. He teaches us the secret of Prasanthi in conversation, by speeches, and through His letters and writings. These last are to be found in the monthly magazine, published from the Prasanthi Nilayam, and this book is the English Translation of a series He wrote, on the subject, Prasanthi. Study it with devotion, dear reader, and practise its lessons, for they are from the Avatar of the Lord Himself, come to retell the ancient wisdom to men, who have lost the way.

N. Kasturi

Editor, Sanathana Sarathi, 1962

Prasanthi Vahini

Readers! May this stream of Prema (love) put down the burning fires of disquiet, ignorance, injustice, and irreligion that is consuming you and may it slake your thirst. May it shower on you Peace, Joy, and Happiness.

There are many people, who are not aware of even the meaning of the word, Prasanthi. It is as the backbone to each individual and for the sadhaka (aspirant), it is as the very breath. The word is taken by each to mean something different. Many feel that they have Peace, when some worldly desire that was vexing them is satisfied! But, that is not Real Peace. It is but a temporary, short-lived interval between one worry and another. The syllable Pra in Prasanthi means, expanding, enlarging, vikasa; and so, Pra-shanti means that type of shanti. That is to say, the absence of desire and anger, greed and hatred.

Prasanthi means success in the elimination of these qualities, grouped under kama (desire) and krodha (anger). This process called shama (control of senses) is very essential for all. The sadhaka (spiritual seeker) must be constantly engaged in practising it. What does the sadhaka strive for? Fulfilment, is it not? In other words, he strives for shanti. Now, this shanti is the innate nature of Man. Shanti is the force, which comes to the aid of those, who try to develop viveka, vairagya, and vichakshana, discrimination, renunciation, and keenness of intellect. It is but a phase of the Atma itself. Just as the Atma, it, too, has no beginning or end, no blemish can mar it. It is equalled only by itself. It cannot be compared with any other.

Shanti must be manifested in feeling, word, posture, and deed; manas, vak, kaya, and karma in the same, uniform, equal measure. Then, shanti becomes Prasanthi, the Real shanti. Bereft of such Peace, one cannot hope to get either worldly, other-worldly, or trans-worldly bliss. Shanti is the nursery of all happiness and all joy. Tyagaraja¹ knew this, for he sang, "No shanti, no soukhya (happiness)." All men need it, whoever they are, be they Dantins or Vedantins, ascetics or scholars, pious men or philosophers.

1. Tyagaraja - a great saint. Composer of Carnatic Music.

But, man is unable to stand still even for a moment! Absence of mere anger cannot be taken as peace. The winning of a desired object and the satisfaction one gets then should not be confused with shanti. The shanti that has pervaded the heart must not be shaken subsequently, for any reason. That type of shanti alone deserves to be called Prasanthi. Prasanthi has no ups and downs, it cannot be partial in adversity and complete in prosperity. It cannot be one thing, today and another, tomorrow. Maintaining the same, even flow of Ananda (bliss, joy) always, that is Prasanthi.

Prasanthi Vahini tells you and makes you understand how to earn it, how it can be utilised, and what its attributes are. Every single sadhaka (aspirant) has the legitimate right to earn this Prasanthi. So, he must learn the path, by which it can be earned. The world, today, is suffering from selfish politics, nihilistic religion, and heartless competition. This is indeed a disgraceful state of affairs. Man has completely forgotten his fundamental, divine nature. At such a crisis, the thing that is most urgent is shanti, prema.

There are the drugs, which will cure this dreaded disease. No other specific can ameliorate the illness. To get shanti, prema is the only means. The fuel prema yields the divine flame of shanti. Prema brings about unity of all mankind and this unity combined with spiritual knowledge will bring about world peace.

The discipline of the self is the basic foundation for successful living. Through that alone can man attain real and lasting Peace. Without peace there can be no happiness. Shanti is the very nature of the Atman. It coexists only with a pure heart. It is never associated with a greedy heart full of desires. Shanti is the distinguishing mark of Yogis, Rishis, and Satpurushas. It does not depend on external conditions. It will flee away from the selfish and the sensual. It hates the company of such persons. It is the characteristic of the Inner Atma, wonderful, unshakeable, and permanent.

Shanti is full of spiritual uplift and the wisdom that is the natural accompaniment of bliss. Genuine shanti is won by the control of the senses only. Then, it can be called Prasanthi. The experience of that stage