<p>As the ninetieth birth anniversary celebrations come to an end, it is worth recalling the teachings of this mighty Mahatma, whose life was an eloquent testimony of selfless service to humanity. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The only human quality of this avatar was his body. Everything else about Him was divine. Sri Sathya Sai Baba taught that all human beings were divine but attachment to the body obfuscates this truth.The vehicle to experience divinity is love. <br /><br />This is the primary requisite: “Man can experience and enjoy divinity only by treading along the path of love. Love is God; God is love. So, live in love. 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. The best sadhana: love everybody the cause for man’s suffering is that he has constricted his love to himself and his family. He should develop the broad feeling that all are his brothers and sisters. Expansion of love is life; contraction of love is death. All are the children of God. All are sparks of the Divine.”<br /><br />Love is even more powerful than spiritual austerities: “Ratnakara, a robber,” said Sathya Sai, “on the advice of Sage Narada started chanting the name of Rama incessantly, as a result of which the radiance of Rama was seen on his countenance and he became sage Valmiki. The Vedas declare that the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman himself.”<br />What is the lesson that humankind needs to learn from Sri Rama in these times when man is human only in form but not in behaviour and has degenerated to the level of an animal as a result of excessive desires? One quality stands out. According to Baba: <br />“Rama stood as a shining example of upholding moral values in society. Even when he was asked to leave for the forest at a time when he was supposed to be crowned, he was not perturbed in the least. He treated the dualities of life - pain and pleasure, victory and defeat, gain and loss - alike. Rama displayed the virtue of equanimity. Today, man aspires for positions of authority though he does not deserve them. But Rama relinquished the position even though He deserved it.”<br /><br />Further: “Rama was courageous in the face of adversities. The same applied to those in His company. Hanuman, by contemplating on Rama incessantly, was imbued with courage. He displayed this quality of courageousness in the court of Ravana. But the same Hanuman stood in deep humility and devotion in Rama’s presence. This drives home the point that we should humble in the face of divinity and courageous one in the face of evil.”<br /></p>
<p>As the ninetieth birth anniversary celebrations come to an end, it is worth recalling the teachings of this mighty Mahatma, whose life was an eloquent testimony of selfless service to humanity. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The only human quality of this avatar was his body. Everything else about Him was divine. Sri Sathya Sai Baba taught that all human beings were divine but attachment to the body obfuscates this truth.The vehicle to experience divinity is love. <br /><br />This is the primary requisite: “Man can experience and enjoy divinity only by treading along the path of love. Love is God; God is love. So, live in love. 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. The best sadhana: love everybody the cause for man’s suffering is that he has constricted his love to himself and his family. He should develop the broad feeling that all are his brothers and sisters. Expansion of love is life; contraction of love is death. All are the children of God. All are sparks of the Divine.”<br /><br />Love is even more powerful than spiritual austerities: “Ratnakara, a robber,” said Sathya Sai, “on the advice of Sage Narada started chanting the name of Rama incessantly, as a result of which the radiance of Rama was seen on his countenance and he became sage Valmiki. The Vedas declare that the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman himself.”<br />What is the lesson that humankind needs to learn from Sri Rama in these times when man is human only in form but not in behaviour and has degenerated to the level of an animal as a result of excessive desires? One quality stands out. According to Baba: <br />“Rama stood as a shining example of upholding moral values in society. Even when he was asked to leave for the forest at a time when he was supposed to be crowned, he was not perturbed in the least. He treated the dualities of life - pain and pleasure, victory and defeat, gain and loss - alike. Rama displayed the virtue of equanimity. Today, man aspires for positions of authority though he does not deserve them. But Rama relinquished the position even though He deserved it.”<br /><br />Further: “Rama was courageous in the face of adversities. The same applied to those in His company. Hanuman, by contemplating on Rama incessantly, was imbued with courage. He displayed this quality of courageousness in the court of Ravana. But the same Hanuman stood in deep humility and devotion in Rama’s presence. This drives home the point that we should humble in the face of divinity and courageous one in the face of evil.”<br /></p>
