There are four components in the term "Ceiling on Desires." They are, respectively; curb on excessive talk, curb on excessive desires and expenditure, control of consumption of food,check on waste of energy. (SSS vol.16) Avoiding waste of these four forms of gifts from God is spiritual saadhana. It is the means to Self-realisation. (SSS Vol.26)

Don’t waste money, Don’t waste energy, Don’t waste food and Don’t waste time.

This is what is meant by ceiling on desires. It is only when we ourselves practise ceiling on desires can we keep our children in check. But today neither the elders nor the children observe ceiling on desires. Many of the elders do not even know what is meant by ceiling on desires. Only in India, we find some people practising this. But in other countries like America, people do not practise this. In fact, they waste a lot of food and money. They spend so many dollars even on one dinner party. They should observe certain limits. They should feed those who are in need. Ceiling on desires is very important as it can help man to progress in life. Misuse of  is evil. Waste of food is bad. If you waste money, you may have to face many difficulties. Do not throw away the food which is left after you have eaten. Better you give it to someone who is hungry. Unfortunately, people throw away the food instead of giving it to those who are  hungry. Ceiling is necessary in every aspect of life. Even in talking, we should observe ceiling and should not talk too much. Then, we will experience immense happiness. If you make someone happy by giving food to him, your happiness will also become double.

Nobody should waste anything. Time waste is life waste. By wasting time, we waste our life. We should also not waste money. What is the use of wasting money? Misuse of money is evil. Therefore, never misuse money. Spend only when it is necessary. Is it proper for you to spend money unnecessarily only because your pocket is full? Is it not a mistake? In this manner, many people waste money. Those who get fat salaries spend money in an arbitrary way. When you lead your life in such a lavish manner, low income people like sweeper and milkman will also try to imitate you and ask for more salary. We should not set a bad ideal to others. We should follow the path which is beneficial to all. When you have too much money, you don’t mind wasting it. But do not spend money like that. You should think before spending, whether you are making proper or improper use of money. (SSS Vol.41)

The first one is: “Don’t waste food.” Why? Because food is God. Food is indispensable for human life, since the body cannot survive without food. The second one is: “Don’t waste money.” The misuse of money is an evil.

Today’s youth especially are wasting money in a number of ways. This will lead to bad habits, loss of peace of mind, and the ruining of your life itself. Our country is today facing grave economic problems, so indiscriminate spending of money for selfish purposes should strictly be eschewed in the interest of the society at large. The spirit of cooperation has to be promoted. National unity and integrity should be safeguarded.

A balance has to be maintained between individual interests and national interests. Everything in life depends on maintaining the proper balance, whether it be walking, sitting, cycling or driving a car. Today this balance has been lost because of excessive knowledge and its misuse. If knowledge is to be put to right use, it should be transformed into skill. However, instead of skill, young people in particular are killing knowledge. You are wasting knowledge and energy in seeing, hearing, talking, thinking etc., in wrong manner and in excessive measure. Therefore the third item in the “Ceiling on Desires”, says: “Don’t waste energy.” A small illustration in this connection. You have turned the radio to a particular station. Whether the volume is kept high or low, whether you listen or not, so many units of electrical energy will be wasted. Likewise your body is a radio. You are constantly engaged in thinking as well as talking in a loud or low tone, talking to others or to yourself, talking while awake and even while asleep. Due to such continuous talking day and night, how much of energy is being wasted, thereby causing allergy in your lives. Every action involves the use of energy. If the energy in the body is properly utilised, then balance will be maintained and the body will be in good shape.

The fourth dictum of the “Ceiling on Desires” is: “Don’t waste time.” Students, only when the body is strong, healthy, and happy can you enjoy the proper state of balance in life. Man’s life is wasted in brooding over the past and worrying about the future. What is the root cause of man’s sorrow and sickness? Not being content with what he has, and hankering after what he does not have, man forfeits peace of mind. There is no need to think about what is past or about what is in store in the future. Of what avail is it to think of the past, which is irrevocable, or to worry about the future, which is uncertain? It is a sheer waste of time. Past is past, future is future. You can do nothing about either. What is most important is the present. This is not ordinary present. It is Omnipresent. The result of the past and the result of the future are both present in the present. You are reaping in the present what you had sown in the past. And what you are sowing in the present you will reap in the future. Thus, both the past and the future are contained in the present only. So, make the best use of the present. Give up all sorts of worry and lead ideal lives leading to immortality and fulfillment of the purpose of human life.

Students! Don’t underestimate the value of the body. Everything in this world is impermanent; on that account, are we neglecting such things? So, even though the body is transient, you should take good care of it so long as it lasts, because it is a moving temple of God. Develop self-confidence instead of confidence in the world. Self-confidence may be compared to the foundation for the edifice of life, self-satisfaction is like the walls, self-sacrifice is the roof, and Self-realisation is the happiness of living in the mansion of human body. Therefore, with self-confidence, you can accomplish anything and secure joy. You will be able to face and surmount any difficulties in life. (SSB 1990, pp.14-15)

Today we waste time on unnecessary and unwanted things, in indulging in unnecessary talk and doing meaningless actions. In all these actions we are sacrificing the body to time. Instead we should try to make time our servant. It means spending our time in good thoughts and good

deeds. Every second of your daily existence you must ask these questions "How am I utilising

time? Is it for a good or bad purpose?"

Likewise, with regard to food you must ask: "Am I just eating what I need or more? Am I wasting food?" So also with regard to money: "Am I using this money for my own selfish needs or for boosting my name and fame, or to satisfy my ego and vanity?" Once you start seeking answers to these questions, there is no greater saadhana.

These are the. aims of the "Ceiling on Desires" programme. It was never the purpose of this programme to collect money for the Sathya Sai Organisations. The object was to encourage you to share your money with others, to give you an opportunity to utilise your surplus resources for some good and noble purpose which will sanctify your life. (SSS Vol.17)

The project of transformation involves consideration of the problems that afflict the individual, the society, the nation and mankind. The rules and regulations laid down by Government cannot cure certain deep-rooted defects. So, the Sai Organization was commissioned to promote among the members a ceiling on desires. People now yield, on account of weakness of will, to the temptations that clamour for their money. The richer they are, the more wasteful are the ways in which they spend them. Even a struggling middle class family attempts to adopt the spending habits of the reckless rich and suffers min. A worker drawing ten rupees as daily wages spends two rupees on drink, three on the Cinema and two more on some spree or the other, forcing his family to starve.

The message of placing a ceiling on desires and utilizing the money thus saved into a fund was to use the money for social service among the villages, for the poor and the illiterate. But, the underlying principle was generally neglected. What was offered to the fund was not savings derived by desisting from desires. The old, deleterious habits were not given up. Smoking, drinking, etc., continue undiminished. The object of the programme was to put a brake on harmful desires and not the collection of money. (SSS Vol.17)

Selfless activity is the hallmark of a person who has equanimity of purpose. Therefore, today, the primary injunction being given to you is to love all living forms and beings in order to secure the grace of God in your daily work. Therefore, we have this fourfold ceiling on desires. We should not waste food, eat what you really need, thereby you are doing service. Do not waste faculties given to you, in order that we might save money, try to curb your expenditures. There are many wealthy people who, on occasions of marriage and so on, spend thousands of rupees. In this process, what do they do? They give to those who are already wealthy. Misuse of money is evil. Therefore, do not waste food, time, money or energy. When you are no longer wasteful, you will be able to do any amount of service. (MBI, p. 154)

Even a millionaire cannot digest gold as food,

If you are beset with misfortune, even a stick will turn into snake,

If you are blessed with good fortune, even dirt turns into gold.

A scholar may degrade into an animal, and a dullard can become a great sage,

It is possible that the goddess of misfortune may develop an attraction towards a rich man

If you are not ordained by destiny, you will not get even a naya paisa.

No, no my friend, keep your desires within bounds,

Join the company of Sai and cultivate a healthy mind.

(Telugu poem) (SSS Vol.33, p. 369)

Ceiling on desires is a must for leading a peaceful and meaningful life. You must curb the desire to seek more and more wealth and turn your effort to realise the Reality within. In pursuing this effort, you must avoid waste of food, money, time, energy and knowledge as all these are Forms of God. Unnecessary talk should be avoided as this results in waste of energy and reduction of memory power.  Besides observing the ceiling on desire, students should also practise the discipline of seeing no evil, hearing no evil, thinking no evil and doing no evil. By leading a life without discipline, students will practically be like cars without brakes which will spell danger to the occupants. Sense-control is an essential requisite for students who are in the vulnerable stage of succumbing to the temptations of sensual pleasures.  (SSS Vol.27)

One should strive for attaining control over one’s desires. That is ceiling on desires. If you can develop this control, you will come under the influence of divine power. Otherwise, you will be deluded by the power of desires and get into that vortex from which you can never come out. A child-like simplicity, purity and innocence, is the road to divinity. Supposing you are troubled with desires, chase them away as unbecoming of your noble personality. Only then can you hold your head high. (SSS Vol.37)

God is in every man. But he is not able to see Him because of his disturbed mind. A disturbed and vacillating mind can never reflect God. A disturbed mind causes confusion and depression. As Arjuna told Krishna in Bhagavad Gita (6:34)

chanchalam hi manah Krishna

pramathi balavad drdham

tasyaham nigraham manye

vayor iva su-duskaram

(this mind is very unsteady, turbulent and is agitated strongly), the mind is highly fickle and vacillating. All the Sadhana that man performs aims at making his mind steady. There is no use doing Japa, Dhyana and Yoga if the mind is not steady. Once you have the five senses under control, you can experience God. He is not far away from you. He is in you, below you, above you and all around you. God, in fact, is the indweller of man. Yet man is not able to see Him. What Is the reason? Man’s limitless and wayward desires prevent him from seeing God. Desires are the root cause of man’s disturbance. Sense control and ceiling on desires will help him to see God all around and experience bliss. So, we have to keep our desires under check. We should not be worried by the evil talk in which others indulge in. We should not be affected by calumny and criticism. (SSB 2002, p.165)