An ardent devotee, who wishes to remain anonymous, has woven this resplendent garland of 1008 petals, each one suffused with the honeydew of the Grace of the Divine Master. Over the last three years, each day, he called out, from the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, compiled in English by the noble soul, Shri. N. Kasturi, a glittering piece to serve as "Thought for the Day." Not one day passed by without the 'Thought' being written out and displayed on a Board attached to a tree in the vicinity of the Poornachandra Auditorium in Prashanthi Nilayam. It has been to us, in Prashanthi Nilayam, a common sight, every day, of Devotees congregating in front of the Board, after the morning Darshan, to have their minds soaked in the "Thought for the Day" and to gather the strength and competence to take one step toward the Divine Master.

With the Blessings of Bhagawan Baba, this Devotee has completed this labour of love – putting 1008 Gems inside the covers of a handy Book that any Devotee can have as the priceless possession for his lifetime. He has prayed to Bhagawan Baba to bless him with leave to place copies of this Volume, free of cost, in the hands of the students and the Teachers of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and other Devotees who come with a ardent desire to sit at Bhagawan’s Lotus-Feet. The contents of the Book, primordial, authentic, perennially sweet, and ennobling, can be read over and over again, at all times of the day. By the Grace of Bhagawan Baba, such reading will help to intensify the process of purification of the reader's mind. The Avatar is here to act as our Guru. Bhagawan has made his advent on Earth for our benefit, and to give us the opportunity to learn the Truth, and establish the foundation for our spiritual advancement. We, who are at the Divine Lotus Feet, are fortunate because we have been given a chance to move away from the pattern of life, in which we are enmeshed, in the twilight zone of Illusion - a state, which obscures the Truth and prevents us from realizing lasting happiness. At this juncture, we should resolve, with all our hearts, to surrender to the Divine Master. By this act, we will experience Bliss, the supreme goal in life, and leave behind the miseries and disappointments of the past and the present and move into a future full of Divine Grace. 

Says Bhagawan Baba:

"The choice is yours and the timing is yours. I shall always be here, waiting for you."

This Volume, "Thought for the Day”, constitutes a bridge that will help us, when we are on it, to learn to concentrate, and to acquire the ability to contemplate and finally reach the stage of meditation on the vision of Reality and the Divine presence.

In his Avatar as Krishna, Bhagawan has said:

"Knowledge is superior to Practice;
Meditation is superior to Knowledge;
Superior to Meditation is Renunciation of the Fruit of Action;
From Renunciation arises immediately Peace"

Meditation holds the Golden Key to the Glory of Renunciation and the sacred Kingdom of ever-lasting Peace. This Volume, "Thought for the Day", is a powerful instrument placed in our hands to facilitate our entry into the domain of 'Meditation' that will lead us to 'Divinity'.

The architect of this compilation in English makes this plea:

"Let this sacred text of Divine Thoughts, rendered in the English language, find its bloom in all the other languages of the World. Anyone, willing to take up this task, is free to do so, subject to the compassionate condition that the product will be placed in the hands of Devotees free of cost."

By the Grace of Bhagawan Baba, may this noble aspiration find fulfillment!

With the Book in our hands, we stand immersed in the milky ocean of the Lord's Compassion. And, then, we are warmed by the Radiance of the Divine Master - a Radiance that of an order of magnitude so great that no mortal can find words to describe it. In every breath that we take, in every atom of our behaviour and in every manifestation of our intellect, we should strive to become worthy recipients of the Divine Master's Love and Compassion.

AUM SRI SAI RAM

JAI SAI RAM