44. Devoted Heart
There is a wonderful story, one man turned to God and asked him to publish his address. God answered when someone chants His holy names, God lives in the heart of such a person. Even the highest heavens are only branches, but the heart of a devoted person is the main place where God permanently dwells.
(Sathya Sai Baba – “Lectures at Kodaikanal”, 1996)
Of course, everyone who comes to the ashram really wants to have the opportunity of personal communication with Sathya Sai Baba. But only Sathya Sai Baba himself made the decision to invite or not to invite someone to a personal conversation. There was one way by which one could influence Sathya Sai Baba’s decision and get the opportunity for personal communication, which was by chanting the ancient mantra, Gayatri. The essence of any mantra is the Holy Names of God; it is they who bring colossal power to any mantra.
By chanting the Holy Names, a person awakens the presence of God in his heart, which is why Sathya Sai Baba said that even heaven is just a branch, but the true seat of Divinity is the spiritual heart of a person. The Gayatri Mantra has a special place in the Vedic tradition. People who practiced the Gayatri Mantra established a deep mystical connection with Sathya Sai Baba and would attract his attention and receive many blessings.
All mantras are divine. Sincerely practicing any one of them will help you to gain high spiritual experiences and perfection, however, Sathya Sai Baba said that it is the Gayatri Mantra that includes the wisdom and energy power of all Vedic scriptures.
One who constantly practices the Gayatri Mantra receives the fulfillment of all good desires and the destruction of all evil inclinations. The one who chants the Gayatri Mantra receives the blessing equal to the chanting of all Vedic texts, such is the power of this mantra. Each mantra contains the names of God, which is the power of any mantra.
It is very important to not only pronounce the text of the mantra correctly, but also to deeply understand the content. While repeating Gayatri, one should reflect on the amazing philosophical significance of the teachings set forth in this great mantra. The Gayatri Mantra reveals the divine potentials dormant in every person, provides healing from diseases, increases intellectual abilities, and changes the circumstances of life.