Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s message of unity and universality

Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar

It is very often said that “more things could be achieved by prayers than this world dreams of.” In fact, the whole world is engaged in constant prayers, poojas, bhajans, meditation and archanai for the quick recovery of Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s health who underwent a sudden operation recently. It is an accepted and acknowledged fact that from time immemorial this world had produced great spiritual personalities who by their miraculous deeds have achieved greatness. One amongst them is Sri Sathya Sai Baba who has performed miracles and saved human beings from the vertex of sufferings and incurable ailments.

Even in Hindu literature and puranas we have come across great saints and sages who have saved their devotees from even deaths. Saints like Thirugnanasambanthar, Sundarar, Thirunavukkarasu, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Rishi have done miracles.

Universal teacher

Sri Sathya Sai Baba has not only performed miracles, but he has established educational institutions, hospitals and several religious organizations for the benefit of his devotees not only in India but for the people from the whole world irrespective of different communities and denominations. Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s message of unity and universality and service have been greatly appreciated and recognized in the whole world. He says, “whatever religion you belong to, it does not matter, whatever form and name of God that is your deity, pray to that form and you will arrive at the goal”.

Very few teachers were saying this, most of them were preaching about one particular faith. But, here is universal teacher for the whole of humanity to keep it under one umbrella. That might have been the reason the whole world is greatly disturbed and perturbed when they heard of his ailment. In fact, the whole world is tremendously worried from the time he was admitted to the hospital.

Conduct poojas

According to the latest reports we have been made to understand that there is great improvement in his health and particularly Sri Lankans who belong to all the communities namely Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists pray to God and conduct regular poojas for his quick recovery.

Recently D M Swaminathan, Trustee of the temple arranged a poojas at Sri Ponnambala Vaneeswarar temple, Kochchikade where several Hindu priests participated. Likewise, poojas are conducted in several Hindu temples. Even the General Secretary of the All Ceylon Hindu Congress Kandiah Neelakandan has taken all possible steps to conduct poojas for Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s recovery. Recently I came across a Muslim by the name Sri Fize Mohammed of Trinidad who became a devout devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He is a Muslim by birth and a Financial Consultant in a private organization.

He says that he was greatly touched by the beautiful sayings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Those sayings were: “There is only one religion, the religion of love, there is only one caste, the caste of humanity, there is only one language, the language of the heart, there is only one God and he is omnipresent. The other which he really liked was “Let different faiths exist, let them flourish. Let the glory of God be sung in all the languages in variety of tunes.

Sai devotees

He further says that “Sathya Sai Baba in his universal message has said that “Let a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Hindu become a better Hindu and a Christian becomes a better Christian”. When Sri Fize Mohammed mentioned some of the Sathya Sai Baba’s sayings: ‘Love all, serve all’, ‘Help ever, hurt never’, ‘Hands that help are holier than the lips that pray’. All these Mohammed mentioned in his speech, his Muslim friends questioned him where he got all these sayings, whose teachings were these.In fact, Sathya Sai Baba transformed people through his universal teaching. Mohammed told his Muslim friends that “Regardless of religion, purity of heart and conduct are more important.”

“No religion is greater than another, because all belong to God and He has no favourites.”

When Mohammed gave these messages of Sathya Sai Baba, some Muslim friends who discarded and disregarded him earlier became his good friends. There are now several Sai centres in Trinidad and many Muslims have become Sai devotees. As such, let us pray to Almighty God for Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s health.