Sathya Sai Baba's 83rd Birthday Today!

Today, 23rd day of November, 2008 marks the 83rd Birthday of this Saint from Puttaparthi, India. The celebrations took place in his ashram center named "Prasanthi Nilayam".

On his 81st Birthday, Sathya Sai Baba addresses the following messages to students. Though it was directed to young students, it has a lot of message even the adults could use.

Here goes the 81st Birthday message to students:-

"It is not possible to describe how fortunate a human being is. Jantunam nara janma durlabham (of all living beings, human birth is the rarest). Man is not able to realise the value of humanness and is deluded by the sight of ephemeral and transitory objects of the world. The basis of man's life is not the transitory and ephemeral world. His life on earth is a synthesis of moral, ethical and spiritual values. Man, in fact, is the image of divinity. Mamaivamsho jivaloke jivabhuta sanathana (the eternal Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). "

"All of you are a part of Myself, you are not different from Me. Unable to realise the value of his humanness, man becomes a victim of his many delusions. All your learning and your strenuous efforts should be directed towards realising this truth. You don’t need anything else after realising this fundamental truth."

"All the material possessions of this world are a cause of bondage for man and so long as man is in bondage, he has to suffer. Therefore, man should try to achieve freedom from this bondage. He should get rid of the feeling of attachment. Nothing is ‘mine’ and ‘thine’, everything is one. Develop the feeling in your heart that all are one. Only then can you experience truth, peace and bliss."

Check your desire levels....

"Embodiments of Love! Your life is full of ambitions and desires. You have to enquire whether you are making appropriate efforts to attain fulfilment in life. First search your heart to know what your thoughts and feelings are - whether they are pure, steady and selfless or are they tainted with desires. Desires are like luggage which is a heavy burden in the journey of life. Less luggage more comfort makes travel a pleasure. Therefore, gradually reduce your desires. If you have less luggage, you will be more peaceful. On the contrary, man today is increasing his baggage of desires instead of lightening it."

Ekatma Sarva Bhutantaratma...1 atma dwells in all beings....

"Thousands of people have assembled here. Heads are many, but the feeling is one. Ekatma sarva bhutantaratma (one Atma dwells in all beings). Because of your body attachment, you are subjected to too many troubles. Today you are a single person. After completing your studies and securing a good job, you will try to get married. Then you become two. When one wears one bangle, no sound is produced. Only when one wears two bangles sound is produced. After marriage, you are inclined towards worldly acquisitions. You will have children and your family will expand. With this type of ‘progress’, how can you have peace? All these worldly attachments are the result of your deluded thinking. There is no reality in them. When your thoughts and feelings are not in the right direction, you are bound to suffer.

Love brings peace of mind.....

"Once you take to the path of service, your problems will gradually decrease. Love All, Serve All. Do not consider anybody as other person. Develop the feeling that he and you are one. The entire mankind is one. What you see in this world is only the reaction, reflection and resound of the reality that is one. Once you understand this truth, you will be peaceful. Only then will your mind be steady and one-pointed in the pursuit of your study and profession."

On the importance of service towards society...

"Therefore, first and foremost, engage yourself in the service of society. What is society? Society is your own reflection. Therefore, do not distance yourself from society. Keep yourself always engaged in the service of society. Why has God given hands to you? They are not given to scribble something on paper. They should be fully engaged in the service of God. Work is worship. Duty is God. Do your duty."

The Body-Senses-Mind-Intellect-Atma Relationship.

"You are now young and all your limbs are healthy and strong. First is the body. Next come the senses. Higher than the senses is the mind, and the intellect is higher than the mind. The Atma is the highest. When you understand and contemplate on the principle of the Atma, you will be free from all suffering and bondage. It is the perversion of the mind that is the cause of all your sufferings and bondages."

On accepting the beliefs of diverse religion...

"Gradually, My name is spread far and wide. This created jealousy in some people. In spite of the jealousy of people, people from many countries of the world representing various faiths started coming to Prasanthi Nilayam in large numbers and started celebrating their festivals here. Now December is coming and Christmas is approaching. Christians from all parts of the world will assemble here and celebrate this festival. Likewise, Mohammedans also came to Prasanthi Nilayam and prayed for My permission to celebrate their festivals. As I have always been telling you, “All are one.”

His Teachings....

Religions are many, but the goal is one.

Clothes are many but yarn is one.

Jewels are many but gold is one.(Telugu poem)

The essence of Truth....

"Who is God? Truth is God. Truth is unshakable. Sathyannasti paro Dharma (There is no Dharma greater than adherence to truth). It is Dharma that leads man to peace. Without peace man cannot live. Saint Thyagaraja said, “One cannot have happiness without peace.” When you attain peace, you will experience love and bliss. Truth is the origin of bliss. Non-violence also emerges from truth. A man of love will not entertain even a thought of violence. Sathya (truth), Dharma (righteousness), Santhi (peace), Prema (love) and Ahimsa (non-violence) are like the five life-breaths of man. These are the prime qualities of a human being. The need of the hour is to develop these human values. Only when these values are developed can there be peace in the country. Wherever you see today, you find limitless desires in people."

The final reminder...

"The worldly pleasures are no pleasures in the real sense of the term. Today you may enjoy pleasure, tomorrow you may experience difficulties. You may be happy when a son is born, but you will be grief-stricken when some mishap occurs to the son and he dies. One day you smile, another day you cry. There is only a little gap between happiness and sorrow. Everything in man’s life is transient and temporary. Ma kuru dhana jana yauvana garvam, Harathi nimeshath kalah sarvam (do not be proud of your wealth, progeny and youth; the tide of time may destroy them in a moment)."

That was the message Sri Sathya Sai Baba had for young students on his birthday 2 yrs ago. I cannot dismiss his "final reminder" of his birthday message: "Everything in a man's life is transient & temporary...the tide of time may destroy them in a moment". Currently, recession is taking place globally. Ask a man who has just lost his job of 10 to 20 yrs old due to downsizing or retrenchment & he will tell you how right is that statement!