by R. D. Awle
[Copyright 2001. Dated August 2001.
This material may be downloaded, reproduced and distributed
freely, as long as the source is
clearly attributed.]
Baba’s teachings cover many viewpoints, and seem to primarily be a
resounding, world-emboldening ‘Yes!’ to all legitimate spiritual
paths and the basic truths of all religions. Most of Baba’s
teachings focus on love - love for God and for all beings - as the
essential core of spirituality: “Start the day with Love. Spend the
day with Love. Fill the day with Love. End the day with Love.
This is the way to God!” And this Love is to be given
to everyone, always, without exception: “Love all, serve all! Help ever, hurt
never!”
Yet as I explored His teachings more deeply, I found that He is
also a Master of advaithic philosophy, and a strong
exponent of the jnana path (the path of Atmic wisdom). “The main aim of human life is to
acquire the knowledge of the Atman.
This is the true Purushartha
[goal of life]. Human life will find fulfillment only if this
goal is attained.”
1
The
various approaches are beautifully balanced in His discourses,
with devotion and Atmic abidance given equal importance.
Baba also
stresses the practice of what He calls the five primary human
values, namely, Love, Truth,
Peace, Righteousness, and Non-violence. In many of His discourses He asks us to
dedicate all our actions to God and live in tireless selfless
service to humanity. He also lays importance on the
practice of kindness, and the use of sweet speech under all
circumstances, saying, “You
cannot always oblige; but you can always speak obligingly.” Baba
advocates daily meditation for all, as well as repetition of God’s
Names with love, devotional singing, and the practice of seeing
and serving God within everyone, laying particular emphasis on
continual remembrance of the Divine Reality. “Spirituality means constant
integrated awareness.”
Interestingly, He does not encourage His non-Hindu devotees to
become Hindus, but rather, to use His teachings to become the best
Christians, Jews, Muslims or Buddhists they can be.
Many of the devotional songs sung at Baba’s ashrams contain the
names of Allah, Jesus, Zaroaster, Mahavir, Moses, Guru Nanak and
the Buddha, in addition to the Hindu Avatars. It seems to be a clear a way of saying,
‘Hear, O world! The Lord is One!’
“There is only
one Religion, the Religion of Love.
There is only one caste, the caste of Humanity.
There is only one language, the language of the Heart.
There is only
one God, and He is omnipresent.”
As an aid to the
realization of His primary teaching - that we are God
- He often recommends use of the mantra ‘So Ham’ (meaning
“I am He”, or “I am God”). He has also offered His devotees the
following maha-affirmation:
I am God! I am
God! I am not different from God!
I am the
eternal undifferentiated Absolute!
Grief and
anxiety cannot effect me.
I am always
content. Fear cannot enter me.
I am
Satchidananda! I am pure Existence, Knowledge and Bliss.
I am Omnipotent!
I am all-powerful; nothing is impossible for me!
I am Omniscient!
I am all-knowing;
there is
nothing which is not known to me.
I am
Omnipresent! I am present everywhere. I pervade this universe!
I am Krishna!
I am Christ! I am Buddha!
I am Sai! I am
Sai! I am Sai!
I am God! I am
God! I am God!
(Try saying
that ten times a day, and see how fast your life changes...!)
1 Guru
Poornima Sandesh (a discourse by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai
Baba, given on July 28, 1999 at Prashanti Nilayam); Sai
Towers Publishing, Bangalore; p. 2.