Speech by Dr. Michael Goldstein, Chairman, Prashanthi Council

[Guest guest]

Om Sri Sai Ram

SRI SATHYA SAI PRE WORLD CONVENTION

ZONE III - AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, ASIA EXCLUDING

normal">INDIA AND MIDDLE EAST

VENUE: SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC CONVENTION HALL

Speech by Dr. Michael Goldstein, Chairman, Prashanthi Council

On 29th May 2004

With humility and love I offer my pranams at Bhagawan Baba’s Divine Lotus Feet.

As Sai devotees, we know that the most important achievement is to know

ourselves. The most important joy, the greatest joy, is to know selfless love.

Many years ago I had the good fortune to be seated at Swami’s divine lotus feet.

I watched him as he gazed out the window. I could see his eyes. I had the

impression that Swami was not looking at the buildings and the people and trees

and all the things in the vicinity of the window, but rather He was looking out

beyond the Earth into the Universe.

And suddenly I had the temerity to say to Swami, "Swami, will you let me see the

world through your eyes." Swami looked at me, and smiled like the divine Mother

and Father that He is, and he said to me "If I let you see, you will not want

your work, you will not want your home, you will not want your family, you will

not want your body."

How many times has Swami instructed us that we are not these bodies, we are not

these minds, we are the divine indweller who resides in our spiritual hearts.

Many many times, Swami has instructed us to understand that the body is merely

a vehicle for the divine indweller.

I am very happy to inform all of you that Swami’s physical condition is

improving dramatically and he has declined medical information and intervention

and is effecting his cure by his own divine will.

Swami is permitting us to see Him struggle with the physical form. He permits us

to see apparent physical suffering and limitations of the physical form. We must

ask ourselves, "Why is this so?" What lesson should be derived from this heart

wrenching experience? Surely all of you have asked yourselves this question.

Let us focus on Swami. Despite His apparent suffering and impediments, He

continues to care for His devotees and for the universe. And you will see, when

I describe Swami’s increasing role in the development of the Sai Organisation,

His activities and involvement in everything have actually increased. It is my

experience that His expectation of us has also increased. Let us not speculate

about the mystical significance of Swami’s injuries or condition; that is a

waste of time. Further, or rather, let us see what is in front of us,

understand it, learn from it and

apply what we learn.

Swami has permitted us to see Him with this apparent physical suffering and

disability. And in this state, His love and activity on our behalf has

increased, not decreased. He is not his physical body and He is demonstrating

that to all of us in a most dramatic manner because we have to learn that

eternal truth about ourselves. As a result of experiences that I had with Swami

recently, I see that His suffering does not diminish His love, His suffering

does not diminish the intensity and productivity of His actions. In fact, the

illustration of His suffering seems to have resulted in an increase in His

involvement with us individually and collectively as the Sri Sathya Sai

Organisation.

To comprehend the very fundamental lesson of the physical ordeal Swami has taken

upon Himself, we might consider Swami’s well known words "Take one step towards

me and I will take ten steps towards you." Now, for every one step of His, we

should take ten steps or a hundred or a thousand steps forward in our spiritual

journey to recognise divinity within ourselves. One thousand steps forward in

progressing towards the spiritual development of the world outside ourselves.

Let us transform our selfish madness into nobility of character. The madness of

man manifests as the six carnal enemies lust, anger, greed, pride, attachment

and jealousy and the nobility of the man manifests as the universal Human

Values such as Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema, Ahimsa. Truth, Right Action,

Peace, Love and Non-violence.

If we look back we can see that He has been telling us for years to treat His

spiritual teachings seriously and experience their truth. In his Ugadhi

discourse this last March, Swami said, and I quote Swami, "Many years have gone

by but your old habits have not changed and your lives remain the same. The

reason is that you are not making an effort to experience the principle of

divinity which is present in all in the form of love." End of quote.

What words from Swami. Many years have gone by and you have not changed your

habits and you have not changed your life. To hear Swami say this to us!

We have been impervious to His exhortations. Now He has caught our attention.

His apparent suffering should not become an emotional burden that immobilizes

us; it should become a source of energy and motivation to follow Him at last,

to apply his lessons to our lives at last, to become his genuine devotees at

last.

Our solitary inward spiritual journey is enhanced by the scenery that we enjoy

and benefit from together. I refer to our roles and responsibilities and work

in the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation. Each of us, empowered by our devotion to

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, is moving God-ward, some faster than others, some

further than others, but all of us are moving God-ward; if it were not so, then

we would not be here together now.

That reminds me of Bro Ravi’s words; very very kind words. Bro Ravi referred to

my talk as a divine discourse. There are no intermediaries between Swami and

all people in the world. All people in the world have a heart-to-heart

connection with Swami. No one can give a divine discourse other than Bhagawan

Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

However, every man and every woman, and every word that they utter, if they have

transcended "me and mine", if they have conquered their selfish desires, every

word is a divine discourse.

Each of us must be genuinely striving to realise our own divinity. Then we will

all be truly empowered to serve our brothers and sisters and contribute to the

spiritual upliftment of mankind. Sai vision is the sight and insight of the

divine indweller who resides in our hearts. And the Sai mission is contributing

to the illumination of mankind so that all people recognise their divinity and

act according to Sai vision. Our vision and our mission, broadly stated, is

that Bhagawan Baba, divine incarnation, Kali Yuga Avatar, has come to inspire

us to realize our own divinity. In so doing, we will have all knowledge and all

power. We will still fulfill the menial tasks associated with our worldly roles.

But more importantly, we will devote our love, wisdom and time to the service of

all people. We will bring people together in this knowledge, thereby restoring

the unity of

divinity in the diversity of His creation.

God has divided Himself into many and His sheep have gone astray. By realising

our own divinity, we bring ourselves and help to bring our fellow human beings

back into the fold so that the Divine Shepherd is pleased.

Our vision and our mission are spiritual according to the teachings of Bhagawan

Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Therefore, they are eternally true, they are expansive,

they are inclusive and their substance is selfless love.

Most of us contribute to the disunity of mankind. We identify, divide and

classify ourselves into different personalities and as a result of the illusion

of Maya, we are attached to these personalities. These minds and bodies that

should be regarded as tools to do God’s works become the focal points of our

existence. This is the root cause of disunity. We further contribute to

disunity when we identify, divide and classify ourselves as members of

different religions, races and nationalities and become attached to these

superficial and worldly designations. We reinforce diversity and subordinate

the unity of mankind.

As members of a spiritual Organisation, actually a spiritual movement, we must

ask ourselves, are we creating the kinetic energy of selfless love? Is there

spiritual synergism in our collective actions? If not, it is better that we

have no Organisation rather than demean the sacred name of Bhagawan Sri Sathya

Sai Baba.

While order and understanding are prerequisites to accomplishment, bureaucracy

is antithetical to spiritual process. Therefore, let us beware, lest we

institutionalize mediocrity, let us take care lest we trivialise divinity. The

Sai Spiritual Centre is the nucleus of the international Organisation that

Swami has so graciously permitted us to form in His name. The Sai Centre is a

sacred place, not a business place. The Sai Centre is a sacred place, not a

social place. The Sai Centre is a spiritual place, a universal place, not a

religious or philosophical place. As Sai devotees, as spiritual aspirants, we

have embarked on this monumental campaign to realise our divine heritage, yet

we ourselves present the greatest obstacle to our spiritual progress.

Is this not a paradox? No, it is not a paradox. Permit me to answer my own

question. Swami has explained the role of man in God’s view during the

different Yugas or spiritual ages.

During the Treta Yuga, Sri Rama waged war against the demon Ravana in another land?

During the Dwapara Yuga, Sri Krishna gave counsel to the noble Pandavas and

advised them to vanquish the evil Kauravas living in the same land, and members

of the same family.

And in this Kali Yuga, the age in which we live, Swami teaches us that the

battlefield between good and evil, the Kurukshetra is in the minds and hearts

of every man and every woman.

We must forget me and mine, we must forget desire and worldly attachment, we

must remember that we are the divine indweller, the Lord who resides in our

spiritual hearts and whose selfless love knows no limits.

I am happy to report to you that Swami had so very graciously given His guidance

to the overseas Sri Sathya Sai Organisation and we will begin very soon, to put

into practice the treasures that He has so generously bestowed upon us. We will

restore the profound spiritual depth of the Organisation that bears the name of

Divinity Incarnate Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. We will reinvigorate the great

spiritual dedication, commitment and great enthusiasm that have been responsible

for the advent of the spiritual movement and unprecedented widespread worldly

growth.

While each of us must take that solitary walk alone within ourselves, we visit

with each other during our spiritual journey, reinforcing each other,

encouraging each other, selflessly loving each other. This is the substance of

our Sai Organisation, our Sai spiritual movement, our Sai Satsang.

This conference like any function of the Sai Organisation will not have a good

outcome unless there is an unobstructed flow of love and wisdom. This flow is

the essential prerequisite for the spiritual process. This flow is

unobstructed; it is pure and strong when our conscience prevails over our egos

and our desires. Do we have sufficient faith in divinity to sustain us and

enable us to derive the spiritual benefits that Swami has made accessible to

us? Of course we do. The fact Swami has brought us here attests to the strength

of that faith. He has brought us here to deepen that faith and spiritual

awareness so that we can actively and consciously participate in the Divine

Mission, in the great works that lie ahead.

Regarding our mission, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba demonstrates divinity and

inspires us to seek spiritual transformation. As the Divine Exemplar, His

divine message instructs in the nature and ways of Divinity and inspires us to

consider the purpose of life, spiritual transformation, and how we can apply

ourselves to accomplish this purpose of our lives.

As the Divine exemplar, His divine works inspire us to serve selflessly, to

emulate Him and to transcend our imagined limitations. Our vision is that

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba as the Divine Exemplar is the incarnation of the

all pervasive consciousness that is God. The nature of God is selfless love.

Swami is accelerating the spiritual evolution of human civilisation through

individual transformation and through the transformation of the institutions of

society. We are the spiritual aspirants striving to be constantly aware of the

all pervasive consciousness. Society is the beneficiary of our spiritual

progress, because as we progress we experience the divine imperative to serve

selflessly. That is the nature of humanity. Our selflessness will determine the

effects of our good works.

Our mission is to do these good works having realised our good selves. Doing

good works without love, without selflessness comes to naught. When the

universal vision is clear, when you have a sense of your spiritual being, then

your spiritual mission, what you should do, becomes immediately evident. It is

selfless.

In this conference, like in the world, there is inner work and outer work. The

Agenda of this Conference, the workshops and your deliberations and the

meetings constitute the outer work. The outer work consists of many worthwhile

tasks that encompass the worldly work, the mundane matters at hand. However,

the most important in a real and lasting sense is the inner work. If we

accomplish the inner work, the outer work will take care of itself. The inner

work cannot be reduced to a series of tasks. It is a spiritual process; it is

fulfilling the covenant between us and God.

In our Sai Organisation now, we are becoming embroiled with cultural issues,

social issues, financial issues, project issues, organisational issues, "etc

etc" issues. Many issues are brought forth from the world outside ourselves.

Swami has been saying repeatedly that there is only one issue. The

transformation of each and every one of us that will result in embracing

wholeheartedly His Divine teachings. All the rest will follow, all the rest

will unfold as it should, all the rest will be God’s will because as a result

of embracing the divine teachings we will surrender. As a result of our

surrender we will be transformed, as a result of our spiritual transformation,

our actions will reflect Dharma and raise God-consciousness in the world. To

raise God-consciousness in the world is Seva.

I’m not advocating forsaking our worldly responsibilities. I am advocating the

fulfillment of our worldly responsibilities with wisdom and love that comes

from within ourselves. We forsake the search for pleasure and power; we love

and serve selflessly, finding God always in everyone, everywhere. That is the

way of spirituality.

The covenant with God, to which I referred, is the ageless promise between man

and God. If we seek within ourselves we will find the Lord and the Lord is us.

Our covenant is with God but our worldly interactions are between other men and

women. Swami says that Atma is beyond rules and regulations but we need them to

prevent the meandering of our minds. We need commitment and mutual understanding

in the human sense so that we can work together in a divine sense.

Let us consider the nature and purpose of Sai Organisation in the world and in

our hearts. What is this Sai Organisation? The Sai Organisation is a spiritual

movement with a worldly structure to which divinity incarnate Bhagawan Sri

Sathya Sai Baba has lent his name.

The Sai Organisation, or any genuine spiritual Organisation, has no life without

the conscience of each man and woman in that Organisation. It is not spiritual,

it is not of God or from God, God being immersed and permeated by consciousness

or selfless love. This can only happen if the Organisation is guided by the

conscience of each man and woman acting together in the spirit of selfless

love. It is for this purpose that Swami has lent His name to this Organisation.

 

As an Organisation, order and communication are prerequisite to accomplishment.

However bureaucracy and mediocrity are antithetical to spiritual progress. The

Sai Organisation is our home. We, the members of the household, the brothers

and sisters of the Sai family must keep our house clean and wholesome so that

it is fit to welcome all people as the embodiments of divinity that they are.

All who come to the door should be regarded as Swami himself. All of us should

regard each other as Swami himself, and in so doing, we become Swami; that is

our goal.

Our Organisation is a spiritual movement, comprised of sincere spiritual

aspirants who have faith in the omnipresent divinity. The Sai Organisation must

be a spiritual movement, not a political interaction. We must not neutralize or

compromise our philosophical differences through negotiation. Let us not

trivialise divinity. Let us find unity by transcending our differences through

inspiration. The Sai Organisation must be an instrument of His Love that

uplifts us all, and all who behold us, so that everyone comes closer to the

realisation of their own divinity. That’s the point.

What is this Divine Mission we talk about so much? Some think it is the works of

Swami, some think it is the words of Swami, some think it is the advent and

functioning of the Sai Organisation. All of these things are merely minor

aspects of the mission like grains of sand in an expansive desert. The divine

mission consists of the great mystical works of the Lord Bhagawan Baba. These

small visible manifestations are merely grains of sand in the great desert.

Let us not look out into the world and follow the path of zeal or worldly

action. Let us look into our own hearts and follow the path of real inspiration

to find ourselves. Then we will uplift the world. Do not follow the path of

zeal, follow the inner path, then we will uplift the world.

What is the purpose of the Sai Organisation? The purpose of the Sai Organisation

is not to see how many hungry people we can feed, how many people sick people we

can cure, how many children we can teach, how many centers we can open, how many

schools we can build etc etc. All of these things are good things but this is

not the purpose of the Sai Organisation.

The purpose of the Sai Organisation is to inspire each and every man and women

with whom we come into contact to better understand and adhere to the eternal

spiritual principles through our own exemplary being.

To the extent that each of us succeeds, we grow spiritually and the beneficial

effect that we as individuals and collectively as an Organisation will have on

the world will grow proportionately. Then these service activities and

institutions will emanate selfless love, and they will be genuinely worthwhile.

They will feed spiritual hunger and need, instead of feeding the egos of the

ostentatious who have no conception of selflessness. Make this distinction.

In our Organisation, planning devotional service and education projects is the

business at hand. Selfless love and experiencing divine consciousness is the

business at heart.

How does the Sai Organisation achieve its purpose? We have a common bond, our

love for Bhagawan Baba and a common goal, to realise our own divinity. We join

together in a spirit of love and acknowledge our common universal goal.

We devise the ways and means to manifest our bond and goal in this world without

desire for reward or recognition. In a worldly sense, we meet and agree that we

are divine, that Bhagawan Baba is the embodiment of Divinity and that we have

the capacities to realise that divinity and put aside this trivial life of me

and mine. Ultimately through spiritual love, our minds and bodies are

subordinated to our hearts, thus we all become of one mind, the universal mind,

the over-mind, the unlimited mind, the infinite mind that transcends the

temporal frame of mind.

Ultimately the Purpose of the Organisation is to provide the circumstances in

which unity, purity and divinity is manifest in ourselves and in the world. How

do we derive maximum benefit from Sai Organisations? It is very simple. The

divine indweller becomes the ruler of our being, and his qualities emerge. They

are manifested in the world by each of us; we are the personifications of the

Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema, and Ahimsa. It is very very simple. Swami says

it is a very easy path. Those are Swami’s words. It is a very easy path.

This process restores the divine monarchy in our being. Each of us becomes the

king or queen of creation that we have always truly been. Do you require the

Organisation to do this? No, you do not require the Organisation. Can the

Organisation be helpful and accelerate your spiritual progress? Yes, most

certainly it can.

We should remember who we were before and recognize who we have become after our

involvement in the Sai Organisation. What does involvement in the Sai

Organisation mean? What should it mean? It should mean deepening of our

devotion to our divine Lord Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It should mean always

striving to be always aware of our own divinity. It should mean that we are

consciously involved in selfless action and love in the world. It should mean

that we have adopted a spiritual way of life enhanced by our organisational

programmes and activities and perpetuated by our own faith, determination and

self-confidence. These goals are the purpose of human life. We are all striving

consciously and unconsciously to achieve these goals.

Permit me to say a word about office bearers in the Sai Organisation. The Sai

Organisation is a spiritual movement whose purpose is to move each of us and

our respective societies God-ward. Our common bond is that we all love Bhagawan

Sri Sathya Sai Baba and revere him as the embodiment of divinity. And our common

goal, as I already said, is that we all believe that heaven, self-realisation,

realisation of our innate divinity can be achieved by all people through faith,

selfless love and determination while we live on this earth.

As office bearers in the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation, we are all volunteers who

aspire to self-realisation. We seek not power nor recognition but rather an

opportunity to selflessly serve our fellow men and women. We serve Swami by

serving his devotees. We recognize that if we are not doing service, we are

doing disservice. That which raises God consciousness in the world is service,

that which does not is disservice.

It is written in the Bible that no man can serve two masters. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

As office bearers, we are indeed volunteers. Being a volunteer does not negate

the need for discipline and maintenance of order in the Sai Spiritual

Organisation. The administration of the Organisation that bears Swami’s name

will not be bureaucratic or military in attitude, neither will it be

lackadaisical and permit everyone to do what they want when they want.

If we have faith in Swami and his teachings, then we regard the opportunity to

volunteer as a great privilege and opportunity to progress spiritually. Anyone

who is an office-bearer for any reason other than this, other than the yearning

to progress spiritually has made a mistake which is detrimental to that person

and to the people who should be served and to the Organisation.

We must realise volunteering our services to this Organisation means that we

accept responsibility and accountability and act accordingly. As an

officer-bearer in the Sathya Sai Organisation, if you are not motivated to

serve selflessly, then it is better for you and those around you that you stand

aside and let someone else step forward.

Those of you who undertake the service of maintaining the Sathya Sai Baba

Spiritual Centres, serving our brothers and sisters as office bearers, have a

sacred responsibility. We cannot accomplish anything without being aware of our

purpose. Each of us should deeply examine our own motives in serving as an

office-bearer in the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation.

In my view, the criteria for being an effective office-bearer in the Sri Sathya

Sai Organisation in the order of importance are first, selflessness, second,

dedication and third, competence.

If there is no selflessness, we cannot serve spiritually. If there is no

selflessness, there is attachment. If there is attachment, there can be no

universal spiritual perspective.

If there is no dedication, we will not serve spiritually. If there is no

dedication, there would be no determination. And without determination, there

would be no sustained effort.

If there is no competence, then we do not serve spiritually as well as we could

and should. Without competence, there is a lack of ability and the results of

our efforts are somewhat deficient.

However, if we have selflessness and we have dedication but lack competence, we

might stumble and fumble but we will still be able to touch the sensitive

heart.

Office-bearers in the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation when called upon to speak

should first speak of spirituality according to Swami’s teachings. Then speak

of the spiritual nature of the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation according to Swami’s

teachings. Then speak of your personal spiritual experience with an attempt to

speak uplifting truth and project the spirit of selfless love.

The convenors of the three groups in this conference should reflect this

attitude as they conduct the deliberations of this conference. We are united in

our bond of love and in our spiritual goals. We also require unity of purpose,

and unity of practice, which requires unity of people. Unity of people requires

spiritual-minded people. We are not advocating military discipline and corporate

efficiency; we are advocating orderliness and understanding through love.

The Organisation enables us to plan and act effectively, because we have a

common understanding of our spiritual purpose and methods. The Organisation is

an instrument of divine will if it operates as it should. However, the

Organisation becomes an obstacle to spiritual progress if we permit ourselves

to become embroiled in politics, personalities and pettiness. Then we become

small-minded bureaucrats and the Organisation becomes a group of well-meaning

foolish people unworthy of bearing the name of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Let us not permit that. Never never never. We mustn’t let that happen.

We must think before we speak and consult our conscience before we act.

Restoration of spiritual ideals, reinvigoration of commitment and spiritually

uplifting activity by all Sai devotees will result in spiritual growth of

individual devotees of the Sai Organisation and growth in public awareness of

the spiritual life, works and teachings of Bhagawan Baba. Ultimately this will

lead to growth in public participation in spiritual programmes of the Sai

Organisation.

The restoration and reinvigoration is inevitable. There is also a need for

assessment and accountability in the Organisation. We must put our house in

order and keep it that way.

Heretofore, many of us have been complacent, even apathetic, regarding the

organisational responsibilities that we have volunteered to undertake. Many of

us initiated actions inappropriately without proper consultation. All Centres

are part of a national Organisation which is part of an international region

which is part of an international zone which is part of the overseas Sri Sathya

Sai Organisation.

Certainly it is the duty of the chairman and the responsibility of the

Prashanthi Council to assist the international leaders. More importantly,

however, the primary function of the chairman and the Council is to serve all

devotees and society. We are all spiritual volunteers, committed to uplifting

the spiritual Organisation that bears the divine name of Bhagawan Sri Sathya

Sai Baba. If we fail to act, or act improperly, we detract from our own

spiritual progress, we detract from the progress of others depending on the

scope of our responsibilities and most importantly we detract from the divine

name.

We will now resolutely address this matter by expecting and reciprocating

wholehearted cooperation in the affairs of the Organisation as they relate to

works like these. We will evaluate the current structure of the Organisation

and the officers who are responsible for its administration. Then we will be

able to establish clarity and efficacy. We will be vigilant with the discovery

of new people, who have depth of spiritual understanding, commitment, and love

for Swami in their spiritual work. By taking these steps, the Organisation will

evolve and grow in spiritual quality and worldly quantity as well.

Before concluding, I would like to say a word about the young adults. The youth

must bring their enthusiasm, creativity and courage to explore innovations into

the Organisation. The Organisation will greatly benefit from their qualities.

The youth must recognize that among the members and elders of the Sai

Organisation they will find examples of selfless love and profound wisdom and

extensive spiritual knowledge. The young adults must have humility so that they

can optimize the benefits they will enjoy from being with people of this

caliber.

Both the elders and the youth as groups must forsake their arrogance and rejoice

in the wonders of each other. The elders must see themselves as they were at a

younger age and marvel how spiritually precocious are our young adults. The

young adults must see the beauty and goodness that is resulted from many years

of devotion to the spiritual life demonstrated by many of the elders. They must

emulate and honour these exemplary qualities. These are the proper

relationships. The spiritual equilibrium that must prevail between our youth

and the members of the Sai Centre who are no longer youths.

All of us must remember that Swami pays little attention to chronology. Once he

pointed to a man in his nineties and said "He is a youth." Swami was referring

to his inner qualities.

We will empower the youth to serve in all aspects of the Organisation, but we

will also have expectation of the youth to comport themselves properly

according to the 5 "Ds", devotion, discipline, dedication, determination and

discrimination. We expect them to embrace and support the Sai Organisation

wholeheartedly. Swami has said that we should regard the youth as the leaders

of tomorrow. All of us should recognise that the leaders of tomorrow must be

the participants of today.

My dear brothers and sisters, Swami has provided us with this opportunity in the

spirit of love, to conduct meaningful discussions. Let us deeply explore what we

feel, what we believe, what we are doing and what we want to achieve within the

framework of the agenda that has been provided. We are all familiar with the

threefold pathway to God: realisation, devotion and action. We all know that in

the end the three pathways merge. We are each drawn to that aspect of divinity

that provides us what we need to progress. Therefore, regardless of which

conference group you attend, the means and the end are the same. The means and

the end are Love.

As we share our Sai love during these two days, may we all be drawn closer to

the realisation of our heart of hearts, the divine indweller, the Kali Yuga

Avatar, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Jai Sai Ram

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

Question: 1

How do we love God?

Answer: With all your heart. Your love must be selfless. We are enchanted by

Swami’s divine form. Is this not love? Yes, it is, but is not enough. We are

deeply inspired by Swami’s Divine Message and heroic unbelievable humanitarian

works, and we desire to emulate him. To love Swami, we must see that Swami

represents the highest, noblest and purest form of love. Loving God is finding

God within your own hearts. There are no intermediaries between you and God.

No officer in a Sai organization is a spiritual leader. We have administrative

posts, hopefully we are worthy of these posts, but we are not spiritual guides

or advisors.

Question: 2

Can devotees pray for a special Darshan at Puttaparthi for Buddha Poornima and Chinese New Year?

Answer: Yes you may, and yes, we do celebrate these festivals at Puttaparthi.

You may pray that Swami will fulfill the aspirations of His devotees to

celebrate those functions in His Divine presence.

Question: 3

If in a family one person is a devotee whilst the others are not, how are we to

convince the rest of the family?

Answer: Swami is in your heart. You don’t need to convince others of your

belief; it is also not your duty to do so. Fulfill your dharma in your family

and profession. Your primary duty as a human being is to realize the Lord who

resides in your heart.

Question: 4

These are questions about ladies attire.

Answer: Once I told Swami that newcomers were coming to Sai Centers in Western

Countries. They saw people, wearing no shoes, sitting on the floor, with men

and women sitting separately, and all singing songs in a strange language. The

new people were repelled because they did not understand and would leave and

not return. Swami said shoes are not important, they may wear shoes, they can

sit on chairs. But separation of men and women is not Indian culture; that is

spiritual. Modesty must prevail when our purpose is spiritual. We are here to

transcend our attachment to our physical bodies. Women and men should dress

modestly and not bring attention to themselves.

Question: 5

Study circles are not as popular as Bhajans.

Answer: All are facets of a diamond and necessary to enhance the lustre of the

whole. Study circles reflect the coming together of different views on a

particular topic and help to better understand Swami’s teachings. They are both

important but service is the most important of all. Practicing is getting up in

the morning, opening your eyes and seemingly beauty and good, spending every

conscious moment focusing on who and what we really, and projecting love into

the world. These are practices that help you to achieve a virtuosity of life.

For example, a concert musician must practise for hours so that his fingers are

nimble so that he can perform a virtuoso concert. In the same manner, we must

also practice in our lives so that our whole lives are a virtual concerto.

Question: 6

Should centers modify practices so as to be culturally sensitive? In Australia,

we are regarded by many as a cult.

Answer: We are not a cult. Let me tell you a story. Last Ugadhi at a function at

Whitefield, Swami had a Trayee session, where Swami came to sit amongst a

fortunate few of us. Swami was quiet for a long time and then he pointed to the

boys and said, "These Bhajan boys are very bad." Then he explained. "We just

celebrated a function. Many people have come from different countries and many

religions are here, but you are only singing Sai Bhajans. You are not

understanding that Swami is universal." Need I say more? The organization will

never impose quotas as to how many French, Chinese, English Bhajans etc. have

to be sung. That’s up to the devotees who need to understand and reflect the

universality of Swami’s message. Baba plants his seed in all the lands of the

world, so that the divine tree will grow into the context of every culture.

Know that Swami came for humanity

and not for any religion, ethnic or social group.

Question: 7

This is about vegetarianism. Can we have office bearers who eat meat?

Answer: No. Swami said "don’t eat meat, don’t smoke, don’t drink." Make no

mistake about that. Office bearers provide administrative leadership, and are

highly visible. They should therefore be exemplary.

Question: 8

Can we go to different gurus?

Answer: People who are office bearers should not. They should have a single

minded focus on Swami’s name and form. By accepting leadership they are

accepting Swami’s divinity. You should not be flitting here and there and

setting a bad example.

Question: 9

Can the youth be run under separate groups instead of under one umbrella of the Sai Organisation?

Answer: No. We must create an environment that makes the youth feel loved,

respected, welcomed and acknowledged. There cannot be autonomous groups of

youth; the youth is a wing of the Sai organization and not separate from the

Organisation. But the age definition of youth is not uniform yet. In some

countries, it’s 18 to 35 years, in other countries it varies slightly. This is

not conducive to young adults because you can have a 16 year old student with a

34 year old PhD with 3 kids. We are addressing this issue.

Question: 10

Can devotees work jointly with humanitarian organizations (e.g. the Red Cross) on projects?

Answer: Swami has said "No"". But if you are working in a reputed humanitarian

organization does this mean that you leave them in a lurch? No. You should act

responsibly and withdraw gradually as our own service activities grow. Work

towards a selfless service. Perfect empathy leads to perfect identification

which in turn brings selfless love. These types of services are subtle, but

they are not spiritual services.

Question: 11

Is it appropriate to have many rituals carried out in Sai centers?

Answer: No.

Question: 12

What should we do with respect to office bearers whose conduct goes against the charter?

Answer: The Sai organization has a hierarchy of recourse. Conflict need two

hands to clap. We must remember that the primary purpose of spirituality is to

contain and resolve conflict peacefully amongst yourselves. Keep it small,

don’t give it power.

Question: 13

Can we receive donations from certain organizations or agencies like tobacco companies?

Answer: We do not solicit donations ever. Tobacco companies are totally inappropriate.

Question: 14

Can there be standard guidelines with regards to various practices of the Sai organization?

Answer: There will be standard guidelines on various practices to reflect the

spiritual nature of the Sai organization.

Question: 15

What are the basic dos and don’ts of devotees especially when a center is full of politicking?

Answer: This means that the center is not functioning properly. Talk to the

Centre President. And if this fails, seek recourse from a person higher up in

the Sai organizational hierarchy. Positions of office bearers must come about

through a selection process not an election. Ideally, we should all come

together to decide who can fulfill the responsibilities of the position.

Differences of opinions must be resolved lovingly, peacefully and harmoniously.

If there is a difference, I ask the will of the people to nominate the office

bearers. Then I seek the elders’ opinions. More than often the elders and the

will of the people are congruent. In addition, I interview prospective new

officers and do whatever I can to make sure that the devotees are best served.

This is selection. Election is a contest of personalities and our spiritual

objective is to transcend our

personalities.

Question: 16

Should Sai Youth Camps be open to the adults?

Answer: Yes. After all adult camps are also open to the youth. Not only should

they be open, but there should be adult youth advisors present. Obviously

whatever you do must be opened to everyone.

Question: 17

Can we avoid the use of "Sai" whenever we go into public schools?

Answer: There is a task force in which Dr Pal Dhall and Prof Venkataraman are

working to define and make uniform the understanding on these issues.

Question: 18

How can bad karma be removed?

Answer: Act properly now and don’t worry about the past ! The circumstances of

your birth, your parents, your race, religion and situation or context of your

life is the most conducive for you to atone for past transgression and to grow

spiritually. Don’t worry about the past, be here now so that you can progress

spiritually and that is what you must focus on.

Question: 19

Can young adults, male and female, be and work together?

Answer: No. Separation of men and women is not Indian culture. It is

spirituality. The Sai Organization is a spiritual movement not a social

organization. We must conduct ourselves accordingly.

Question: 20

How do you instill God’s consciousness in others?

Answer: Be an exemplar. We should be engaged in service. Quality first, quantity

second. Quality is everything. We are here to demonstrate and be living examples

of the divine teachings of Swami in the context of service. Don’t become

grandiose and lose sight of the teachings of Swami.

Question: 21

Can the Sai organization set up a business arm to finance its projects?

Answer: No. Do not exceed your own resources in time, money, equipment, or

resources of any kind. The means is everything, the end is in God’s hands. It

is ludicrous to solicit money to finance spiritual service.

Question: 22

Is it worthwhile to bring in a code of conduct for office bearers?

Answer: Yes, it is imperative. All this is forthcoming. Certainly, the World

Charter and guidelines will be revised and issued by Swami’s 80th birthday.

Question: 23

Have past recommendations / decisions in previous world conferences be implemented?

Answer: No. There is no uniform application of the prior recommendations /

decisions. The past recommendations will be reviewed and new guidelines will be

given for all that are clear and appropriate.

Question: 24

What is the term of an office bearer? Can they stay in office for longer

than four years?

Answer: The two year term, with a possibility of one extension for two years, is

the general rule. However, there can be exceptions to the rule. We don’t want to

create vacuum. The rule is not rigid.

Question: 25

How do we avoid speaking ill of others?

Answer: Don’t do it. Keep Quiet!

Question: 26

In some Sai centers, Hindu religious festivals are celebrated through rituals

like Yagnas and Abishegams; these drive people of other faiths away. Please

advice on how the situation may be improved.

Answer: There is only one religion and that is the religion of love. And there

is only one God who is omnipresent. Religions were formed in different times of

human civilization; they differ in emphasis, not in essence. The Lord took human

form to save man at different times. This is a spiritual, not a religious

movement. If a center is predominantly Hindu devotees, then go to a Mandir to

do your rituals to practice Hinduism; Muslims may go to mosques, Christians to

churches and so on. But in Sai centers, all are one. Understand that Sai

incorporates all religions; don’t confine centers to only a litany of rituals

and Bhajans that are reflective of one religion. Start being more broadminded.

There is however one caveat to this. Bhajans are expressions of adorations for

God. If you are unable to sing other Bhajans and songs, then don’t change; you

are not ready to change.

Don’t change abruptly in a way that causes trauma. But strive to have a broader

perspective and to understand Swami’s spiritual message and ultimately to see

God in all his forms.

Question: 27

Youth activities are seen to be deteriorating into social activity.

Answer: Youth is part of the Sai organization. Activities must be spiritual not social.

Question: 28

Reiki, Chakra healing - can these be spiritual activities in realizing God?

Answer: I can only comment on these activities in the context of the Sai

organization. These activities are not part of Sai organization. I am not

qualified to comment on whether these activities are constructive or not. On

one occasion, a person in the USA who was practicing Reiki, was using Swami’s

name on his programmes. I asked him to remove Swami’s name. His sincere

response was that his Reiki teacher had asked and received Swami’s blessings.

To determine the veracity of the claim, I presented this to Swami. Swami said

"No, these activities are not part of the Sai organization; tell him to remove

my Name from the literature etc."

Do not associate Swami’s Name with these activities.

Question: 29

Are we required to spread Swami’s message? Is it right for Sai organizations to

move towards this end?

Answer: We have just had public meetings in Rome, London, Argentina. Does Swami

want to be famous? Swami seeks no fame nor name. By having these meetings, we

benefit spiritually. We stand up and bear witness to the Truth with dignity,

thereby strengthening our own faith and self confidence. We are not asking

anything from anybody; hopefully we are giving something of spiritual value to

everyone.

Question: 30

How relevant are ritualistic practices in the Sai Organisation?

Answer: They have some place but this is diminutive. They are contraindicated if

they are confined to one religion to the detriment of others. Universality

should not be compromised or subordinated by particular practices of any one

religion; there are religious houses in each religion in which those rituals

may be pursued. But Sai centers are spiritual and not religious organizations.

Question: 31

How is it that the salutation "Sri" is still being used in Sai centers?

Answer: The term "Sri" denotes respect and acknowledgement of one’s stature.

There is no harm in using the term "Sri". It is not against the rules of the

Sai organization.

Question: 32

Sai World Charter and Funds Management

Answer: The rules regarding the Sai World Charter will be revised. Regarding

funds management, we never had any solicitation of funds. Many years ago, Jack

Hislop asked Swami what is the most important consideration in a Sai

organization and Swami replied that we should have as little to do with money

as possible.

*****

Speech by Dr. Michael Goldstein, Chairman, Prashanthi Council

DATE: 30TH MAY 2004

I dedicate our meeting to Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

I submit to you that every man and every woman, all of us, are spiritual

seekers. We are all consciously or unconsciously seeking in our lives, identity

and purpose. Who am I, and who are you? These are the questions.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba teaches and demonstrates that mankind is unique among all of

God’s creation. We are capable of turning inward deeply and intensely, and

finding the divine source and essence of our lives. Our spiritual heart, our

inner voice, our conscience, our soul are all names for our true spiritual

identity. That is who we really are, and that is what we are seeking to realise

in our lives. The truth is that we are manifestations of the Omnipresent

Divinity.

It is an illusion that has plagued us since time began that we are less than

divine. It is an illusion that we are merely a conglomeration of flesh and

bone, instinct and sensation, thought and emotion. It is an illusion that we

are limited to these small individual identities, these frail human bodies, and

these fickle faulty minds. Not so. We are much more.

Human life is bestowed by divinity; human life is imbued with divinity. The

divine essence of human life is imminent in all of us, waiting to be realised

and experienced. Thus, man has a special station in creation.

Throughout the ages, men and women whose wisdom and nobility are universally

acknowledged have shed light on the plight of mankind. These noble great ones

lived during different ages, among different cultures, speaking different

languages. Nevertheless, they have all brought us the same fundamental message.

Divinity is omnipresent. He has created all that is and He is manifested in all

of His creation. Humanity has a special place in creation; we have a capacity

to recognise that we are inherently divine, and act as an instrument of that

divinity while we live in this world. Because divinity is manifested in all of

creation, because we are essentially divine, we must selflessly love and serve

one another.

All the saints and sages have given us this message. The source of spiritual

illumination who now walks among us, Sri Sathya Sai Baba, has taught and lived

this message all of his life. Should we not give credence to the greatest and

noblest men and women, past and present, who have walked among us? All of whom

are giving us essentially the same message with regards to the divine nature of

human life. All are telling us that we have the capacity to realise our own true

real lasting divine nature, and give up this temporary masquerade even as we

live here on earth.

Faith and divinity are essential. Nevertheless, most of us remain oblivious to

our glorious role in creation. We think and act as if these minds and bodies

will persist forever. We place our faith in the transient and the evanescent to

which we mistakenly attribute immortality. We become engrossed and seduced by

the familiar and comfortable pursuits of this world and in so doing our lives

become mechanical and reactive. We preclude the profound inner awareness of our

innate divinity, our true self. We fail to discern the divine purpose of this

human life.

Divinity seems distant and incomprehensible to many of us. We cannot perceive

divinity with our senses or define it with words or formulae or equations; why

should we have faith in divinity? I am using reason to advocate faith in

divinity but it is useless. How can you describe or demonstrate faith with

logical argument? Only that which speaks to the heart can effectively advocate

the need and importance of faith. Only the moving example of noble deeds, only

the inspiration conferred by selfless love can effectively inspire faith in

divinity.

Consider if you will, faith is like pure water. Water is the elixir of life for

the body of man. Faith is the elixir of life for the spirit of man. Without

water, the organs of the body are reduced to non-functional cells which in turn

are degraded into lifeless chemicals. Without faith, the spiritual principles

given by God to man are not served. When they are not served, chaos ensues

among men. And this chaos demoralises men and demeans society. This lack of

faith is prevalent in the world right now. For that reason, Sri Sathya Sai

Baba, by word and deed, is restoring faith and spiritual awareness among all

people everywhere.

Faith is like pure water. Without action or movement of water, no work is done.

Stagnation occurs and the water becomes impure. In the same manner, action is

required for the spirit of God to be manifest in this world. Love and wisdom

are the currents that move the water of faith. The flow of love and wisdom is

manifested as selfless love and selfless service. Great care must be taken that

we do not permit selfish desire to stifle and destruct the flow of love and

wisdom.

Without faith and divinity, life becomes a meaningless series of disjointed

adventures which end when the mind-body machine ceases to function. With faith

and divinity our lives have noble purpose and meaning and we become selfless.

Spirituality is living selflessly.

What is the meaning of selfless? Love is selfless when it is free of desire and

there is no need for possession, reciprocation or recognition. Service is

selfless when there is no separation between the server and the served one. We

are selfless when there is no separation between us and God. When you serve the

needy selflessly you have perfect empathy with the served one. Perfect empathy

is complete identification. Complete identification is selfless love. Selfless

love is the nature of the all pervasive consciousness that is God.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba has said and I quote "Love is selflessness; self is

lovelessness. Love lives by giving and forgiving; self lives by getting and

forgetting." End of quote.

Spiritual practices, like meditation, prayer, singing devotional songs, studying

scriptures, religious rituals, prepare us, but they are not the end result that

we seek. For faith and divinity to be able to be manifested in the world, we

must act in the world. We must practice spirituality, not merely engage in

spiritual practices. Spiritual practices prepare us for life as it should be

led; practising spirituality is living according to the divine principles.

These principles are eternal, unchanging and inherent in all of the world’s

religions. They are experienced in our lives as selfless love and wisdom.

According to the teaching of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, these divine principles are

demonstrated in our lives by the universal human values of a noble character,

whose attributes are truth, right action, peace, love and non-violence. These

divine principles and attributes are accessed in our lives by looking inwards

and seeking the counsel of our conscience. Spiritual self confidence is

essential for spiritual progress. Spiritual self confidence is the

determination to always seek and follow the dictates of our conscience in all

things, at all times, in all places.

Spiritual practices prepare us to do God’s will. Spirituality is acting,

actually living and doing God’s will. Spiritual practices may give you a

glimpse of heaven; practicing spirituality enables you to experience heaven on

earth.

Human life is in transition from having just animal qualities to becoming

divine. This transition is the culmination of spirituality. However, too often,

we permit the world to divert us from our destiny. We permit our human lives,

our precious, divine human lives, to be misused as playthings and bemused by

the world. Spirituality means overcoming the animal qualities within us, then

the humanity transforms into divinity. This does not mean that we all become

ascetics and forsake all worldly pleasure. It means we must be true to

ourselves and follow our conscience which reflects the light of divinity which

resides in our spiritual hearts.

Consider if you will, the difference between the thinker and the knower. The

thinker uses his mind, his reason, his memory; he accumulates knowledge. The

knower experiences the spiritual truth through his spiritual heart and his

being assimilates the knowledge. Spiritual knowledge is intellectually acquired

by the thinker; he becomes the theologian. Spiritual knowledge is

inspirationally experienced by the knower; he becomes the saint. Now, most if

not all of us have not yet experienced who we are and why we are here? Not yet,

but soon I pray. Still the divine plan for us, our spiritual identity and

purpose elude us, but we will find what we are seeking. It is only a matter of

time. Even though we have not yet experienced this and merely cognitised it

intellectually, nevertheless, many of us strive to take practical action. And

as we strive to act, that is to serve

selflessly; we close the gap between intellectually acquired knowledge and

spiritually experienced knowledge. When this gap is entirely closed, then we

are spontaneous, wise, loving and divine. We are literally in Heaven on earth.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba speaks eternal truth spontaneously. When he speaks,

scripture is created. To the extent that we are receptive, we become the

knower, not the thinker. The knower experiences spiritual knowledge; the

thinker deliberates, contemplates, correlates and stores knowledge in his

memory. But the thinker does not experience the knowledge. The thinker uses the

mind tool given by the Lord to teach us, in order that we might navigate through

these worldly lives. The knower uses his spiritual heart from whence the flow of

love and wisdom never ceases if we are receptive.

What determines our receptivity to experiencing spiritual knowledge instead of

merely mentally cognitising the information? How do we know if we are

experiencing this knowledge; how do we determine if we are thinkers or knowers?

 

Swami has enumerated four factors that determine when we will realise our innate

divinity. In other words, when we will know the eternal truth by experience, and

when will we know that we know?

These factors also determine our receptivity to experiencing the divine message

of the Lord. These factors are faith in divinity, loving God and yearning for

experience of him, the results of our past action called Karma; we reap what we

have sow. Our streams of thought are tainted by dreams of past lives. Finally

and most importantly, the Grace of God. Faith, Love, Karma, Grace.

Consider if you will in a spiritual sense, are we thinkers or knowers, and if we

are knowers, what is it that we should know? We must know who we really are and

how to fulfil the purpose of our lives. That’s everything. Are we content with

our world and life without contemplating a deeper meaning and purpose to life?

Do we think about who we are, above and beyond the personality and

relationships with others created for us in this world? Do we know from

experience the divine nature of human life and live accordingly? To know is to

realise who we really are and how to fulfill the purpose of our lives.

Consider if you will the spectrum and quality of knowing. There are foolish

ones. There are those people who do not know spiritual truth and they do not

know that there is something important to know. They live by their impulses and

instincts. There are dangerous ones. They are those who do not know spiritual

truth and know that they do not know what is important, but they do not care.

They are unscrupulous. Then there is goodness. There are those who know that

they do not know but are striving to know. They are spiritual aspirants. They

are on the spiritual path even though they might not have consciously applied

themselves to seeking spiritual knowledge and experience. I believe most of us

are in this category. Then there is goodness and beauty. There are those who

know but do not know that they know. They are the beautiful, innocent, saintly

ones. They spiritually uplift

others without being conscious of it. They know, but they do not know that they

know. Then there is truth, goodness and beauty, Sathyam Shivam Sundaram. There

are those who know, through experience, spiritual truth, and they know that

they know. They consciously apply themselves to giving to their fellow man what

he really needs. They know that they are spiritually realised and they know how

to spiritually uplift their brothers and sisters but they do not claim credit

for their good works themselves because they know that all is done by the Lord

who is within themselves, and within everyone and everywhere.

Each of us must look within and ask ourselves, who are we and where are we?

We can strengthen our faith and our love and our yearning for God and as a

result we can become knowers instead of merely thinkers.

Consider if you will the nature of heaven. Self realisation or identification

with your innate divinity is heaven. Heaven is just a frame of mind away.

Everyday we see the sun rise and shine; it provides us with light and warmth.

Everyday we look into our own hearts with reverence and intensity and we will

know that heaven is ever so near; it is just a frame of mind away. Remove the

self imposed worldly frame of mind and the mind expands beyond the confines of

mundane identity, physical individuality and the context of your relationships

and memories. Remove this worldly frame and the smallest of your worldly

definitions expands to the infinity of all creation. Heaven is just a frame of

mind away. Sathya Sai Baba has said, and I quote him, "Heaven is not a

super-terrestrial region of perpetual spring. It is an inner experience, a

state of supreme bliss."

Consider if you will inner and outer view, the spiritual heart within and the

world outside. Man is God, God is One, and therefore Man is One. God is within

and the world is without. Now there is chaos in the world because there is

chaos within all men and women. This chaos is caused by our fascination, even

obsession, with the glitter of the external world and the litter created by our

selfishness and desires.

The physical indweller’s animal qualities and the mental indweller’s ego prevail

in us while the divine indweller, our conscience, observes our transgressions.

We have forgotten that we are divine instruments in the symphony of His

creation. The divine indweller, our true identity, propels through the perils

of this physical world. The divine indweller impels us to seek lasting bliss

not transient pleasure. Ultimately, the divine indweller compels us to seek

realisation of He who we really are, manifestations of the omnipresent

consciousness that is God.

Consider if you will the concept of divine omnipresence and universality. It is

taught by all religions that the Lord is omnipotent, omniscient and

omnipresent. Omnipotence and Omniscience are powers that deal with creation.

Omnipresence is a quality; it means being everywhere in time as well as place;

everywhere temporally as well as geographically. The secret of universality

lies in the omnipresence of divinity. The Lord always was, is and will be One.

Various divine incarnations have been born on earth in different times during

the course of human civilization. The world’s religions took birth in their

advent. The apparent differences in their messages are superficial, not

genuine. The differences in the world’s religions are a matter of emphasis, not

essence. Divinity emphasised those teachings that were required for the

salvation of Man in the context of the culture and

problems of that era. Hence the different religions appear to be distinct.

Foolishly and perversely, we use these differences as a rationale to divide

ourselves. If we seriously embrace the concept of omnipresent Lord,

omnipresence in time as well as place, then we should be able to see that the

universality of all religions and the universality of all people would follow.

We should see that we are truly brothers and sisters, in fact, closer than

brothers and sisters because we are all manifestations of one God. Omnipresence

of God implies universality and decries the spurious separation of people into

different races, religions, nationalities, castes and creeds.

Consider if you will the nature of humanity. We are not this body. Not the

skeleton, tissue, organs and fluids that comprise it. We are not this mind, not

the perceptions, sensations, thoughts or emotions that characterise it. Then who

are we? We are divinity encased in human form. We are the eternal encased in an

ephemeral shroud of worldly illusion. Human life is like a candle. With faith,

the light and warmth of the candle of human life will be brilliant and

incandescent. It will mediate the emergence of wisdom and generate selfless

love. Doubts and lack of faith render the light of the candle of human life

like a flickering flame. It will give neither constant illumination nor

sustained warmth. The flickering flame of a light without faith brings us no

joy and it does not help others. It is a human life wasted.

Human life should not be regarded as a state of becoming; it should become a

state of being. We are here now, this instant; we are not becoming this or

that, then or whenever. Becoming is changing from one state to another over

time. Being does not require a gradual progression of events over time. Self

realisation is merely a frame of mind away. It requires no time consuming

process to experience it. These are the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Now, this instant, through our faith, each of us has the power to look deeply

within ourselves, with intensity, and complete conviction, and experience self

realisation. Now, this instant, each of us has the potential of infinite

knowledge and power. Now, this instant, each of us has the capacity to become

an inspiring conduit for the flow of divine love. All of this is a function of

our faith. Did not the Lord Jesus Christ say "Oh yea of little faith, if yea

but had the faith, yea could tell the mountains to move and they would move."

There is a disease that is pandemic in the hearts and minds of men. That disease

is ignorance of our innate divinity, of whom and what we really are, of why we

are here and what we should do with our human lives. We must come to know that

we are not merely mind-body complexes, complicated beings that result from an

interaction of the biological messages inherent in genetic chemicals and the

habits and propensities resulting from a complicated series of learning and

conditioning experiences in our worldly lives.

We are more than products of nature and nurture. Are we not phenomenal examples

of divine creativity, the most beautiful and magnificent among creation? We

have these attributes of nature by virtue of being part of creation, but

uniquely man is imbued with the divinity that created him. In fact, our sole

purpose is to realise that inherent divinity and uplift our fellow men and

women to do the same. In this manner, the divine who made himself into many

becomes one when the unity in diversity of creation is restored. We are indeed

immortal. The creator and the created are one; the divine inner light that

illuminates the heart and life of each one of us cannot be extinguished. The

glory of God will never be finished or diminished. To the extent that we are

receptive to divinity and transcend the impediments of our illusions and

obsessions with the material world, we are all

able to experience the great flow of love and wisdom. Faith is essential. Time, also is important.

Consider if you will time. Time is the only resource that we cannot replace. Nor

can we determine how much we have left. The seasons pass by and a year is over;

years go by and a lifetime is over. When the moon revolves around the earth

then a month has transpired; when the earth revolves around the sun then a year

has transpired; and when we revolve around our illusory preoccupation and

worldly attachments then a lifetime would have transpired. We need knowledge of

our identity; we need purpose in our lives; we cannot waste time looking outside

ourselves as the transient things, the passing clouds, when the eternal truth

beckons to us from within.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba has demonstrated that human life has certain rights,

responsibilities and rewards. What are these rights? Sri Sathya Sai Baba has

demonstrated by his example that men and women have a right to have shelter,

nourishment, healthcare, education and whatever protection society can afford

them from the dangers in the world.

What are these responsibilities? It is our responsibility to seek purpose and

identity during these human lifetimes and thereby experience our divine nature.

Then upon realisation of who we really are, we strive to uplift our brothers and

sisters in need so that they also will come to realise their divine heritage.

What are these rewards? The reward that accrues to that human life that

surrenders to the Lord with is Bliss, never ending. Spiritual surrender is not

a concession that we have to make; we do not give up anything. Actually we

acquire more than we ever dream of. Spiritual surrender is not a concession; it

is an accession. We access our divine nature, and thereby become the divinity

that we really are. Sri Sathya Sai Baba has addressed the basic needs of man

through his great humanitarian works which are astronomic in magnitude and

scope. He has established an educational system from primary school to

accredited universities, the Sri Sathya Sai Institutes of Higher Learning. The

university has multiple campuses offering undergraduate and advanced degrees.

The examinations of performances of the students are among the best in India.

The salient features that distinguish this educational system are very important

precedents. Education at all levels emphasises that true education results in

the development of nobility of character, together with acquisition of skills

and knowledge.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba teaches us that real education is for properly living human

life, not merely for earning a living. Education is offered in all Sai

institutions completely free of charge to all students.

By virtue of these precedents, the institution of education is truly ennobled.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba has established a healthcare delivery system which includes

multiple general hospitals and highly specialised super-specialty hospitals –

the Sri Sathya Sai Institutes of Higher Medical Sciences. The mortality rates,

length of stay and infection rate statistics of the Sri Sathya Sai Institutes

of Higher Medical Sciences ranks them among the best hospitals in Asia.

The salient features that distinguish this healthcare system are very important precedents.

All healthcare, including hospitalisation, surgery, physician services and

medication are given free of charge. Sathya Sai Baba has made advanced medical

services such as open heart surgery available to the local population who has

neither the economic means nor the knowledge to obtain this type of

sophisticated healthcare elsewhere.

All healthcares must be delivered by healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses

and others, with compassion and love, as well as knowledge and confidence. This

brings about the well being of the whole patient.

In this manner, the institution of medicine is truly ennobled.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba has made it clear that governments and politicians in all

countries must serve their constituency. Their office, and their power and

their resources exist only to serve the people.

In the State of Andhra Pradesh, India, there are drought ridden areas where

water is very scarce and often contaminated with toxic levels of fluoride, and

arsenic. Sri Sathya Sai Baba developed a water project consisting of extensive

networks of wells, tanks, pipes, pumps and reservoirs that bring water, pure

and plentiful, to more than one million thirsty people. Furthermore the water

project has been extended by request of the government of India.

Sathya Sai Baba has demonstrated that the government must serve the needs of the

people. What is the most fundamental need for the preservation of human life?

Water is the primary component of these human bodies and must be constantly

replenished. The state government has requested that Sathya Sai Baba extend

this great non-profit work to thousands of additional residents. This great

water project is being emulated in other areas in India.

In this manner, the institution of government is truly ennobled.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba has lent his name to an Organisation of people of goodwill.

It is really a spiritual movement, comprised of men and women all over the

world in many countries of all the continents of the earth who have been moved

and motivated to establish Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organisations in their own

countries. Most of these people, of strong faith and good will, have never had

the opportunity to visit India, and see the remarkable Ashram, or be in the

presence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Yet, they are inspired to engage in good works in the context of their own

societies. Their programmes are very simple, yet rendered powerful by virtue of

their dedication and sincerity. They pray, meditate, sing devotional songs

compatible with all religions, study the writings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and

the scriptures of all religions. They embark on programmes of service to the

downtrodden and needy in their respective societies. The propagate and practice

a values-education programme called Sri Sathya Sai Education in Human Values

among their own Organisations, communities and schools. The values are

fundamental to all faiths, truth, right action, peace, love and non-violence.

The Sai Organisation is a spiritual movement. The Sai Organisation is not a

business; there are no fees, dues, compulsory purchases of books or materials.

The Sai Organisation is not a cult. Sri Sathya Sai Baba has said, and I quote

"I am not guru. Your conscience is your master and your guru. Follow your

conscience." End of quote.

The Sri Sathya Sai Organisation is not a religion. Sri Sathya Sai Baba tells us

that there is only one religion, the religion of love, and that the underlying

principle of all religions is the principle of spiritual love. People of all

faiths find the programmes of the Organisation to be compatible with their own

religious heritage.

Prashanthi Nilayam, which means the "abode of supreme peace" is the ashram of

Sri Sathya Sai Baba in southern India. It is a veritable wonder of the world.

The ashram is an oasis of spiritual learning and uplifting. That in the midst

of the wilderness of India there should be such a place as this defies the

imagination, but it is not a mirage. There are schools, primary to university

levels. There are hospitals, general and highly specialised surgical

facilities. There are places of worship, dormitories for spiritual pilgrims to

reside and other infrastructure necessary to accommodate the multitude of

spiritual pilgrims that assemble to be in his presence. Most importantly, there

is a serene atmosphere of reverence and love, kindness and compassion. It is

deeply moving.

This ashram, far from city and civilization is truly a wonder of the world. In

fact, it is not of this world. In this unusual place, this spiritual oasis,

that there should be such a one as Sri Sathya Sai Baba defies reason and is the

pinnacle of improbability. The greatest story teller of all time could never

conceive a haven like this, or a being such as Him.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba is the pre-eminent world teacher. He is an extraordinary

humanitarian who uplifts and transforms individuals and the fundamental

institutions of society in a unique and monumental way. He brings much needed

illumination into this world of disharmony and chaos that we have created by

our lack of faith, goodwill and common sense.

The light of his wisdom and love bring together people from everywhere

regardless of nationality, race or religion. All people of good will who yearn

for truth are drawn to the light of his wisdom and love. He has said that his

mission is to light the lamp of love in the heart of humanity. It has been my

experience over many years that the qualities of His love are purity and

selflessness. And the powers of his love are redemption and transformation.

Consider if you will the nature of a man who has done all the things that I have

just described. Consider if you will, the nature of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

My dear ladies and gentlemen, I conclude by appealing to all of you and myself;

let us all rise above the duplicity of our minds and come to know the purity of

our hearts.

Let us all rise to the occasion; the occasion is human life.

Thank you. Jai Sai Ram

Sourced and extracted from: http://www.saiaustralia.org.au/

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

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