Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Ramakrishna

One must have for god the yearning of a child. the child sees nothing but confusion when his mother is away. you may try to cajole him by putting a sweetmeat in his hand; but he will not be fooled. 

He only says, ‘no, I want to go to my mother.’ one must feel such yearning for god. ah, what yearning! how restless a child feels for his mother! nothing can make him forget his mother. he to whom the enjoyment of worldly happiness appears tasteless, he who takes no delight in anything of the world—money, name, creature comforts, sense pleasure, becomes sincerely grief-stricken for the vision of the mother. and to him alone the Mother comes running, leaving all her other duties.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

When one performs a kriya (action) as an offering to the Lord, his good, the higher good and the highest good, Swartha, Pararatha and Paramaartha, all become one. First I and you become we. Next we and He become identified. The Jiva (i.e., the Individual soul, I) should accomplish identity, first with the Creation (i.e., the Prakriti, You) and then with the Paramatma (i.e., the Supreme Soul, He). This indeed is the significance of the manthra (sacred formula, mystic syllable), Om Thath Sath.

Today, yesterday and tomorrow Om Thath Sath is, was and will be. “He” and “I” are there always. The Sadhana is also there always. Just as the sun is inseparable and is never apart from its rays, under no circumstances should any aspirant be without his sadhana. It is only when the Saadhaka (spiritual aspirant) adheres to his sadhana in such an incessant manner can he be said to be one with Om (the Pranava, the original sound).