The most desirable prosperity is the Lord’s Grace; that is to say, the most desirable form of wealth is the Grace of God. He will guard you, even as the lids guard the eye; do not doubt this. Faith in Providence is as the very breath of life. The bliss that it bestows has been experienced by many saints and sages, who have, with faith in their hearts, withstood the onslaughts of poverty, neglect and cruelty. Instead of fixing attention on this, man fritters his energy on collecting tawdry tinsel, forgetting the diamonds he could well have. Both are available on earth; but man is led by glitter and not by worth. Draw inspiration from the Divine in you and earn the glory of being good, sincere, honest, self-sacrificing, lovable. Hear good things, see good, do good, think good; then, all the evil tendencies will be uprooted. (Sathya Sai Baba: 13 Dec 1964).

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Discover for yourself your stage of spiritual development, to which class in the school you would fit in. Then determine to proceed from that class to the next higher one. Strive your best and you will win the Grace of God. Do not bargain or despair. One step at a time is enough, provided it is towards the goal, not away from it. Beware of the pride of wealth, of scholarship, of status, that drags you into egoism. Do not seek the faults of others; seek your own. Be happy when you see others prosper; share your joy with others. (Sathya Sai Baba: 4 March 1962).

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The greatest instrument by which success can be ensured for all your efforts is devotion. That will give health, wealth and prosperity too, for it will eliminate hatred and faction and give more power to your elbow when you plough the land. A man with devotion will do every act as worship of the Lord and so the act will be done better and more efficiently, without any malingering or insincerity. It will also win the Grace of the Lord, and so, a devotee will be able to raise more crops and enjoy greater health and mental happiness. (Sathya Sai Baba: 9 Sept 1959)

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When have you experienced the most desirable prosperity (the Grace of God) in your life?

How does your devotion help you to act in a way that is more powerful, with more efficiency?

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I am glad that the State Bank of India is opening a branch here in the Prashanthi Nilayam area. This bank helps you to keep your money safe when you deposit it with them. They are happy to receive it from you; they will allow you to make use of it when you are in difficulty. But your money helps you only in worldly distress. There is another bank which receives deposits and maintains accounts strictly and confidentially. Every little sum is entered and accounted for – deeds, thoughts, words, good, bad and indifferent. If this bank takes good care of your wealth, that bank watches whether you are a person who acts on the assumption that there is a sovereign guiding principle that is Divine, that whispers warnings from the heart when righteousness and Truth are infringed, when wealth and desire enslave man unchecked. Open a deposit account there in that bank, for your prosperity here and hereafter. That deposit, growing by your spiritual efforts, will give you joy and peace. Righteousness, Truth and Love are the currency accepted by that other bank. All acts, words and feelings ringing with the purity of these metals will be accepted as deposits. So, along with an account in this bank, you must take care to have an account in that other bank also. (Sathya Sai Baba: 14 July 1966)

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Welcome pain and grief so that you take both success and failure as hammer strokes to shape you into a sturdy spiritual aspirant. Inner content is more important than outer prosperity. (Sathya Sai Baba: 12 April 1959)

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See that you do not give up love, or deviate from virtue (dharma). Earn prosperity (artha) adhering to virtue (dharma) and have always only one wish (kama): to get liberated (moksha); that is the way to realize the four goals of life. Let virtue dominate prosperity and liberation dominate carnal desire; then, your life will be a success. I have told this so often but just as one has to take food every day, this too has to be spoken again and again. (Sathya Sai Baba: 30 April 1961)

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How would you describe the prosperity that righteousness, Truth and love help you to have here and hereafter?

What are ways that you are earning your wealth through righteousness?

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Money comes and goes; Morality comes and grows.

Sathya Sai’s Thought for the day, January 3.

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Health is Wealth.

Sathya Sai’s Thought for the day, April 3.

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Leave on your own earnings, your own resources.

Sathya Sai’s Thought for the day, July 20.

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Our good conduct is our true wealth.

Sathya Sai’s Thought for the day, July 23.

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Do not get attached to worldly things and pursuits. Be in the world, but do not let the world be in you.

Sathya Sai’s Thought for the day, June 19.

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Man must work every moment of his life: he cannot avoid this burden.

Sathya Sai’s Thought for the day, July 23