Rama said to Bharata - ‘Good men are not fascinated by sensual pleasures. They possess all the best virtues and modes of behaviour. They will be happy at the happiness of others; they will be sad when others are sad. They look upon all with equal affection. They have no enemies and they are not bothered even if foes exist. They are endowed with wisdom, knowledge of the objective world, and a deep sense of detachment. Their hearts are tender; they have compassion towards the weak and the helpless. They adore my feet with purity of thought, word and deed. They delight in serving me. They have no concern with fame or infamy honour or dishonour. They are always interested in serving others; they never yield to the orgy of selfishness, even in dreams. Their actions are transparently simple; their hearts are ever cool and unruffled. They yearn for opportunities to renounce; they are every moment soaked in joy. For them praise and blame are the same. Brother!

Whoever has these characteristics in him, take it that he is of my own nature. He is myself, I am himself. Take that to be the truth’. (RKRV Part II, p. 150)

The spirit of renunciation, adherence to virtue, the eagerness to cooperate, the sense of kinship - these are the characteristic signs of man. Life which considers these as encumbrance cannot be valued as ‘life’. (SSS Vol.9, p. 49)

The One God manifests Himself in two aspects, so that the world may be sustained and fostered, improved and cleansed. These two – the terrible and the tender – are the characteristics found together in every single thing on earth, for, are not they all parts of the Self same God? (SSS Vol.9, p. 71)

Everything in this manifested universe has five characteristics. In Vedic terminology it is called.Asti,Bhati,Priyam, Nama and Rupa, meaning, it exists, it shines with an inner light, it has a purpose and brings joy, it has a name and it has a form. The Sanskrit equivalent for Asti, Bhati, Priyam is Sat-Cit-Anand. ‘This Sat-Cit-Anand is the eternal truth; it is the permanent reality. For Sat-Cit-Anand there is no birth and no death: Therefore, Asti, Bhati and Priyam, or Sat-cit-ananda may be described as the mark or signature of divinity. Name and form are only transient and illusory. They are really just imaginations. (DBG, p. 171)

‘The white ants would manifest bit by bit in the beginning,

Soon they will eat away the whole log;

The evil qualities appear to be insignificant in the beginning,

Soon they will destroy even a person of sound character.’

(M&M, p. 71)

‘The chief characteristic of Sathya Sai is, let Me tell you, equanimity, forbearance, Sahana. There are many who are engaged in criticism and calumny. Many papers publish all types of writings. Many pamphlets are printed. All kinds of things happen in the world. My reply to all these is a smile. Such criticisms and distortions are the inevitable accompaniments of everything good and great. Only the fruit-laden tree is hit by stones thrown by greedy people. No one casts a stone on the tree that bears no fruit.’ (Uniq, pp. 72-73)