Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba:

Message of love and peace to the world

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba who left the present Mortal frame on Sunday April 24, 2011 after 85 years of existence in this world is considered to be an Avatara of Maha Vishnu by the people of the whole world

Chelvatamby MANICCAVASAGAR

In fact, according to the Bhagavad Geetha Lord Krishna says that when there is decline in Dharma and Adharma prevails he will come down to earth to establish Dharma and the destruction of the wicked. Indeed, Bhagawan has pronounced that he has taken this form to establish Sanathana Dharma in the whole world.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Further, ‘An Avatar behaves in a human way so that mankind can feel Kinship, but rises to his superhuman heights so that mankind can aspire to reach the heights and through that aspiration can actually reach him.’

Sri Sathya Sai Baba proclaimed that ‘I have come to correct the Buddhi - the intelligence - by various means. I have to counsel, command, condemn and stand by as a friend and well-wisher to all, so that they may give up this evil propensities and recognizing the straight path, tread it and reach the goal.’

Love and devotion

Furthermore, he says ‘I do not appreciate in the least the distinctions between various appearances of God. Continue your worship of your chosen God along the lines already familiar to you. Then you will find that you are coming nearer to me, for all names are mine and all forms are mine. There is no need to change your chosen God and adopt a new one.’

He further says ‘I do not take anything from anyone except his love and devotion. I react to the pain you undergo and to the joy that you feel for I am in your heart.’ Problems and worries are really to be welcomed as they teach you the lesson of humility and reverence.

Born on November 23, 1926, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, this phenomenal personage has taken his message of love and peace to the far corners of the globe where his devotees and followers acknowledged and accepted him as a divine incarnation.

His message was not couched in mere rhetoric and fine phraseology, but was backed by life long examples and practices.

As he himself said, ‘The life of Sai, the message of Sai, the ideals Sai holds forth, the lesson that Sai teachers the world are all enshrined in one word LOVE.’ And he had come to proclaim, whether we like it or not, that ‘there is only one religion, the religion of love.’

In keeping with Lord Krishna’s promise to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Geetha, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had taken human form ‘to move among men so that he can be listened to, contacted, loved, revered and obeyed’. He had to speak the language of men and behave like a human being. Otherwise, he would be either negated or neglected or feared and avoided.

In fact we could boldly say that Bhagavan had succeeded in His mission to the extent that he had transformed several persons and drawn them away from evil and wrong doing on the path of righteousness and truth.

Future leaders

Sri Sathya Sai Baba wanted to put his house in order, correct the State of affairs in India and ultimately the world over, by training young people to be the leaders of the future. He emphasized the sacred role of motherhood and the importance of education of women. Accordingly three of his first five schools were exclusively for women students.

He was of the view that peace, was, love, hatred are generated in the minds of men.

The mind is a powerful instrument. It is the cause of the bondages of Samsara. Baba had stressed that the mind must be controlled and purified by the practice of meditation, devotion and selfless service.

This is the first step. Devotion and Bhakti are the second.

N. P. Swami also recommended to the masses constant remembrance of anyone of the Lord’s many names as a Sadhana, for the Lord and his name are inseparable. Further Baba did not acquire his great powers by the practice of penance or any form of meditation.

He did not acquire knowledge by book learning or attending secondary schools or universities. But he interpreted to us the Vedas, taught the Buddha Dhamma and the Bible and quoted from the Koran, for he was Divine, the source of knowledge and intelligence. Indeed, he had intense compassion for human beings. Among his miracles were innumerable cures he effected directly and indirectly to those thousands of miles away, which were inexplicable to medical science.

Welfare of societies

He devoted a great deal of attention and time to matters pertaining to education and stressed that education is for life and not for a living. He further said that ‘Education’ without character, politics without principles, science without humanity and commerce without morality are not only useless but positively dangerous.

Furthermore, he emphasized that head, heart and hands must work in harmony, sincerely wishing all well, loving all, serving all. This would result not only in intra personal but also interpersonal harmony, for it calls for honesty and sincerity in our dealings with another. When this is achieved Dharma is practised.

According to Sri Sathya Sai Baba that ‘today man lives for himself. He spares no thought for the welfare of societies’. Further, he said that ‘man should realize that he is part of society.’

In society, organizations are formed for certain purposes - not just to earn name and fame. An organization is formed for the purpose of helping man to lead an ideally and to bring about a transformation in society.

Promote peace

Bhagavan said that ‘in this world, no one loves another without expecting something in return. A man who expects something in return is a servant. The Lord alone loves without expecting any returns. Therefore He alone is the master. All men are servants. The world is a stage. Men are all actors. God is the Director. Thinking that you are a master and feeling exalted about the power and wealth you possess is wrong, you should be aware that you are duty bound to serve and not to lead the life of a Master.’

In fact BLISS emanates from the spirit of service and not from the feeling of SUPREMACY. Wealth cannot endow one with beauty. It is only virtue that gives one beauty. Bhagavan, further said that unity and universities are very important. When there is unity of thought, word and deed there is real DIVINITY. Through unity you will reach PURITY. Purity will lead you to DIVINITY.

For man today, peace is very essential. That’s why organizations are formed to promote peace. They are not established for Sai’s name and fame.

The objective is to make every one happy. Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba considered only those who truly practised his teachings in their daily lives as His devotees.

Hence, let us show our gratitude to Sai, for all that he had done for us and rededicate ourselves to a life of sincere Sadhana without show and without fanfare.