Sri Sathya Sai Baba is a God to many, a highly revered spiritual leader and world teacher to others. His life and message are inspiring millions of people throughout the world, to transform and lead a more purposeful and moral life.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born on 23 November 1926. The name of His ashram (spiritual base) is Prasanthi Nilayam which translates to ‘Abode of the highest peace’.
His numerous service projects, be it free hospitals, free schools and colleges, free drinking water supply projects, or free housing projects, all stand testimony to His selfless love and compassion for the needy and less privileged. True to His declaration, “My Life is My Message”, He has inspired and continues to inspire millions of His devotees worldwide by His personal example to live the ideal that “Service to man is service to God.”
Sri Sathya Sai on His mission
“For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of the evil-doers and for establishing righteousness on a firm footing, I incarnate from age to age. Whenever disharmony overwhelms the world, the Lord will incarnate in human form to establish the modes of earning peace, and to re-educate the human community in the paths of peace. At the present time, strife and discord have robbed peace and unity from the family, the school, the society, the religions, the cities and the state.
The establishment of righteousness, that is my aim. The teaching of righteousness, the spread of righteousness, that is my object.
I have come to give you the key of the treasure of ananda, to teach you how to tap that spring, for you have forgotten the way to blessedness. Very few of you desire to get from me the thing that I have come to give you: namely, liberation itself.
I have come to instruct all in the essence of the Vedas, to shower on all this precious gift, to protect the Sanathan Dharma (ancient wisdom) and preserve it. My mission is to spread happiness, and so I am always ready to come among you not once, but twice or thrice- as often as you want me. Many of you probably think that since people of all parts of India, and even foreign countries out- side India, come to Puttaparthi, they must be pouring their contributions into the coffers of the Prasanthi Nilayam. But let me declare the truth. I do not take anything from anyone except love and devotion. This has been my consistent practice for the last many years. People who come here are giving me just the wealth of faith, devotion and love. That is all.”
– Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s 48th birthday message, 23 November 1968.
The divine declaration
On 25 May 1947, Sri Sathya Sai (formerly Satyanarayan Raju) wrote an important letter to His big brother, Seshama Raju. In it, He explained something special. A few years earlier, on October 20, 1940, when He was only 14, Sri Sathya Sai told everyone that He was Sai Baba and that He didn’t belong just to His family – He belonged to the whole world.
Three wishes that changed the world
Sri Sathya Sai Baba fulfilled three heartfelt wishes made by His mother, Easwaramma, which became the foundation for major humanitarian projects:
1. Free education
Easwaramma wished for a school in their village. In response, Sri Sathya Sai Baba established the Smt. Easwaramma High School in Puttaparthi in 1972, offering free education to all students. This initiative expanded into a network of schools and universities across India, providing free, values-based education to thousands of students.
2. Free medical care
Concerned about the lack of medical facilities, Easwaramma requested a hospital for the village. Sri Sathya Sai Baba responded by establishing the Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital in Puttaparthi in 1956, offering free medical services. This effort grew into a global healthcare system, including super-specialty hospitals and mobile clinics, all providing free, compassionate care.
3. Clean drinking water
Easwaramma’s third wish was for clean drinking water in the village. Sri Sathya Sai Baba initiated the Sri Sathya Sai Drinking Water Supply Project, which began in the Anantapur district and expanded to provide safe drinking water to millions across India and other countries.
These three initiatives free education, free medical care, and clean drinking water – stand as enduring legacies of Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s commitment to selfless service and love for humanity.
Let’s take this opportunity
Indeed, once in a millennium does such a divine being walk the earth. For you and I, and all humanity, in spite of the dark clouds hovering on the world’s horizon today, there is a silver lining – rather a golden one.
If we seize this rarest of rare opportunities, world peace and harmony, along with our individual transformation, will no longer be a dream. It will become as real and universal as the morning sun.