Sai Baba for Beginners
Who is Sai Baba?
Sai Baba once gave the essence of his mission as follows:
'I have come to light the lamp of love in your hearts to see that it shines day by day with added lustre. I have not come to speak on behalf of any particular spiritual practice or Hindu philosophy. I have not come on any mission of publicity for any sect or creed or cause; nor have I come to collect followers for any doctrine. I have no plans to attract disciples or devotees to my fold or any fold. I have come to tell you of this universal faith, this divine consciousness, this path of love, this philosophy of love, this duty of love, this obligation of love.'
So, Sai Baba we may call a great spiritual teacher for ALL mankind. As Sai Baba has said above, there no ONE path, only that which empowers the human race with love. This small place on the web will look at what Sai Baba helps us to discover ... what it means to be humans following an obligation of love
Sathya Sai Baba, also known as ‘Sai Baba’ or simply ‘Swami’ to millions
of people in the world is revered by many of his followers as a Divine
Teacher. He is revered as Divine because he is seen to exhibit divine
characteristics. He is also revered as a Teacher, as he has come to
teach humanity the path to blessedness, which has been forgotten.
Sathya Sai Baba is the Divine Teacher among Divine Teachers such as
Rama, Krishna, Zoroaster, Jesus, Moses, Guru Nanak and the Buddha.
Early Life of Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba was born on 23rd of November 1926, in an isolated
village called Puttaparthi, in the State of Andhra Pradesh in India. He
was the fourth child of a humble, hardworking couple and was named
Sathya Narayana Raju. In May 1940, at the age of 14 he disclosed that
he was the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi. This Sai Baba of
Shirdi, although a Brahmin by birth, lived the life of a Muslim fakir
in the village of Shirdi until his demise in 1918. He is revered as
a Saint or God-man by millions in the northern states of India.
Sai Baba of Shirdi laid the foundation of Hindu-Muslim unity in
northern India by the example of his life and activities. Before his
death he prophesied that he would be reborn 8 years later. After Sathyanarayana
Raju disclosed that he was the same Shirdi Sai Baba, he threw down his
school books and told that He was leaving as His devotees were calling
for him. Cutting the familial cords of attachment, the young Sai Baba
commenced fostering his devotees.
Sai Baba’s Ashram
In 1945, devotees began the construction of a temple and residential
buildings for an ashram, about a mile away from His village. Sathya Sai
Baba named this ashram, Prashanti Nilayam. Today thousands of Sai
devotees converge at Prashanti Nilayam. Sathya Sai Baba has come for
mankind and not for any other particular peoples, faith or interests.
His teachings are universal, and not exclusive toward any one religious
or cultural group. Devotees, seekers and adherents of all faiths, from
all nationalities and countries find their way to Prashanti Nilayam
driven by a quiet conviction that they have to encounter Sai Baba,
attend Darshan, and learn more of Him and His teachings.
Hospital Opening Day, Puttaparthi, 1957
Free Feeding of Poor (Narayana Seva)
to celebrate opening of Hospital
The small village of Puttaparthi now has Sathya Sai Schools and
University, a spiritual museum, and a Super Specialty Hospital equal to
any facilty in the world. Sathya Sai Baba’s hospitals provides free
medical treatment and all the Sathya Sai schools from kindergarten to
Post Graduate provide free education. Sathya Sai Baba has also auspiced
and provided several clean drinking water projects, providing water to
in excess of 1000 villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh. A new Super
Specialty Hospital was recently opened in Bangalore.
Sathya Sai Baba says I have come to reconstruct the ancient
highway to God”. His task and mission is to revive the spiritual
fervour of humanity through Truth and Love, whereby mankind will seek
to live with love and cooperation instead of hate and competition.
Sathya Sai Baba has come to unite the entire mankind as one family in
the bond of brotherhood.
Human Life - Human Values
Humanity is blessed with the means of creating a lifestyle in
accordance with personal choice. Those choices are governed by values,
what is important. Sathya Sai Baba teaches that humankind, in order to
be truly human, ought be guided by the transcendent values of Love,
Peace, Non-Violence, Right Conduct and Truth. These values are found in
all the major religions of humanity, and exist in all times and in all
places. It is the practise of these values that make man truly human.
Thus, one is able to recognise the Divinity within oneself and one’s
fellow man.
Respect all Religions
Sathya Sai Baba has not come to establish a new religion; neither has
He come to convert people to any one faith. Sathya Sai Baba says “Let
the different faiths exist. Let them flourish. Let the glory of God be
sung in all languages and in a variety of tunes”.
Character and Integrity
Devotion, Discipline, Devotion, Discrimination and Determination are
the character of the truly noble human person. Sathya Sai Babas teaches
that the true human following human values always acts with thought,
word and deed in alignment. This makes for a life of peace, truth,
love, right conduct and non violence. This creates good character and
integrity, thus ennobling the doer. Sathya Sai Baba says “Education
without character, science without humanity, politics without
principles and commerce without morality are not only useless, but
positively dangerous”. What humanity needs now is examples of good
character and integrity, particularly among the youth of the nation.
Guidelines for Goodness:
While Sathya Sai Baba is concerned with the soul of man. He recognises
that man is a social person as well and has obligations to society. He
requires all His devotees to undertake the code of conduct for their
spiritual development and observe the 10 principles to ensure a
fruitful and harmonious life in society.
Sathya Sai Baba is the Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient One. As
such, His nature is unfathomable. He has this to say of the world:
'There is only one religion - the religion of Love. There is only one
language - the language of the Heart. There is only one caste - the
caste of Humanity. There is only one God - and He is Omnipresent.