Sri Sathya Sai Addresses Anantapur Engineering College and Vidwan Mahasabha

Sunday, July 30, 1967 to 

Tuesday, August 1, 1967

Swami visited the College of Engineering at Anantapur on the 30th of July, and inaugurated the students union. The President of the Union Sri M. Ramesh, the Principal of the College Sri P. N. Damodaran and Prof. Gokak addressed the gathering. Swami then blessed the students with His Divine Message. He said:

“Bharat is the sovereign of all nations, so far as spiritual dominion is concerned; and which dominion can be richer than that? She alone is capable of scattering the clouds of doubt, anxiety and fear that darken the minds of men and turn them to competitive adventures in the realm of material gain and glory. These clouds have appeared over the Indian sky also; people here too are admiring darkness and slighting daylight. They blindly imitate the manners and morals of the West and open the doors of their hearts to the flood of greed and discontent. Of course, the material world which science analyses and studies, and provides the means to control and regulate, is necessary for fulfilling the demands of living, but, it is wrong to imagine that world can give us lasting peace or joy.

The Vedas and Shastras of India were not collected or compiled by fools or knaves, they were put together by people, who gave up the attractions of comfortable life, as so many heroes of scientific discovery like Edison do now: they retired into the forests, so that they could concentrate on the solution of the problems that challenged them. In every statement in the Vedhas and Shaasthras, you get the genuine ring of actual experience and personal thrill.

Do not sit on the bank of the river and pronounce judgements of the depth of the waters, or their taste to potability. Step down and examine for yourselves; that is the sign of the sincere seeker of Truth. If you do not, you can be rejected as a prejudiced or perverse witness. Those who pronounce My act of creating Vibhuti (holy ash) as 'magic' are also of the same category, for they talk without any qualification. They cannot tolerate the splendour of the Divine to disturb the darkness they have learnt to like. The impact of material civilisation has hardened their hearts, softened their brains, and made their lives hollow and vain.

Search for comfort will make a man egoistic

The rulers who frame and foster the educational system of the country are responsible for the discontent, disillusionment and consequent delinquencies and disturbances of the students. They pay attention only to the physical and intellectual training of the youth; they forget the attention must also be paid to mental, moral and spiritual development, so that an integrated personality can emerge. Now, a child is put to school so that years later he may get a cushy job! Schooling is for gaining a living, not for gaining the ultimate in life. In all countries, it is the same.

Nowhere is youth trained to earn Shanti (equanimity, peace); everywhere, the aim is a comfortable life, not a life of peace and undisturbed joy. Comfort is a passing phase; it is a relative stage, between two discomforts. The search for comfort, for riches, for fame, for power over others - these will make a man so egoistic that he is a danger to himself and others. The only safe path is to seek Ananda within oneself, not in or through others. There is great joy awaiting the person who radiates compassion, truth and patience, humility, reverence and piety.

Mind soaked in desire cannot receive wisdom

Students must demand a revision of the system on these lines; they must demand that they be equipped better to meet the challenge of life. They must convince the administrators that this is essential. After all, they are your own people, interested in your welfare. They must listen and carry out suggestions. Zoroaster, one day, asked the Prince of Iran, "Go, light this lamp, from yonder flame." The lamp could not be lit; for the wick was soaked in water. Then Zoroaster said, "Your mind is so soaked in desire that it cannot receive the wisdom it needs; dry it in the sun of detachment." When teachers and the taught are immersed in worldly desire, how can light be transmitted or kept alive?

There was a mother-in-law once, who declared with evident satisfaction, "My daughter-in-law passed away, no doubt, but, what a wonder, the terrible fever she was suffering from disappeared in a trice." The fever is not the prime thing; her life is the crucial object to be cared for. So too, the student should know how to live a contented, peaceful, happy life; that is more important than a degree or a class in examination. The journey into the inner consciousness to calm the storms that rage there is more important than the journey to the Moon or Mars. The latter may be more spectacular, but, the former is the more beneficial. Life without goodness, good thoughts, good actions, good words, is like sky in the night, without the moon or stars. It is like a wheel without hub or spokes! No one can push a boulder away while standing on it; you cannot be free from anxiety, while all the entrances through which it sneaks in are open. Stop catering to the senses, and feeding the desires that haunt you.

Let the name of the Anantapur Engineering College reverberate all over the country, as indicating an earnest desire to serve others, as suggestive of sweet talk, and sweeter hearts. I am always happy among students, especially when they are full of love and joy, high ideals and heroic determination. I had met the students of the Kakinada Engineering College, while this same Principal was working there. They did fine voluntary services for the meetings there, which attracted lakhs of people from all over the area. I am happy that this College too has the same tradition of intense study, combined with excellent social service.”

Swami inaugurated the Andhra Saraswata Sangha at the Girl’s High School on 30th evening. He then inaugurated the three-day sessions of the All India Prashanti Vidwan Maha Sabha at Anantapur. Swami addressed a mammoth gathering of 40,000 people at this function. Sri Srinivasan, D. I. G. of Police, presided over the deliberations of the Sabha on 31st July.  Swami blessed the gatherings with His Message. He said:

"Man alone has the chance to liberate himself from the wheel of birth and death, through the most pleasant means, that of serving God. But, as a result of ignorance or what is worse, perversity, he lets the opportunity slip from his hands, and suffers grief and pain, fear and anxiety, ad infiniturn. By escaping from the clutches of the fascination exercised by material objects and physical pleasures, man can succeed in his efforts to liberate himself. He has travelled long enough on the wrong road; it is time now to turn back and move steadily towards the goal. The love that he has cultivated for men and things has to be sublimated into pure, divine worship. Then it gets transmuted as Bhakti (Love of God). Convince yourself that the Lord is in you, as the charioteer, holding the reins of the five horses (the senses) and giving you constant counsel, as He did when Arjuna prayed to Him, to lead and guide. Then, it becomes easy for you to convince yourself that the self-same charioteer is leading and guiding all other men and even all other beings. When you are established in this faith firmly, you become free of hate and malice, greed and envy, anger and attachment.

Pray to the Lord to strengthen this conviction and this faith; He will open your eyes to the Truth and reveal to you that He is the Sanatana Sarathi, in all. That revelation will confer on you incomparable Ananda, and grant you kinship with Creation's manifoldness. That is the reason why Krishna told Duryodhana, who pleaded with Him for help against the Pandavas, on the eve of the battle, "If you hate the Pandavas, you are hating Me, for, they have recognised Me as the Breath of their Life." Know Him as your strength, your breath, your intelligence, your joy - He becomes all that and more. No more can any faculty of yours hinder your progress. He will direct all of them towards the highest Goal; the senses, the mind, the subconscious, the unconscious, the intelligence - all. Grace will confer all you need.

Seek Grace, it confers all else

A mother-in-law was complaining against the new daughter-in-law that she consumed stealthily quantities of milk, curds, cream, butter and ghee. The girl's brother who heard this story from the lips of the old lady, called her into the presence, and after reprimanding her for her malfeasance, advised her to give up stealing all the items, except milk. "Milk, you can drink any, quantity you like; but, why steal these other by-products?" The mother-in-law, it is needless to say, was not very pleased with advice! So, seek Grace, that is enough; it confers all else.

You must cultivate love towards every one, however distinct the character and capacity of each may be. Though the same blood flows through the entire body, the eye cannot smell, the ear cannot taste, the nose cannot see, do not over-emphasise the distinctions and quarrel. Emphasise the basic brotherhood and love. As sugar that has dissolved in the cup of water is invisible, but patent to the tongue in every drop, so too the Divine is invisible but immanent; capable of being experienced, in every individual, whether he is at bottom or on top. Do Namasmarana (repeated remembrance of the Lord); taste the sweetness that is in the heart of every one; dwell on His Glory, His Compassion, which those names summarise. Then, it will be easier for you to visualise Him in all, to love Him in all, to adore Him in all."

Swami inaugurated the Saraswata Sangha at the Sai Baba National Higher Secondary School on 1st August and addressed the gathering. On the same evening, the Collector of Anantapur, Sri V. Narayana Rao, presided over the concluding session of the Prashanti Vidwan Maha Sabha. Bramhasri Bala Viswanatha Sarma spoke on this occasion. Swami then delivered His Valedictory Discourse. Swami also gave a Discourse to the members of the Sathya Sai Seva Samiti of Anantapur before leaving.

Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam (1926-1985)

When Sri Sathya Sai inaugurated the first Telephone Connection in Puttaparthi

Wednesday, July 29, 1964

On this day, Swami inaugurated the first telephone connection at Puttaparthi and also spoke on the instrument for the first time. 

Sri Sathya Sai inaugurating the telephone line in Puttaparthi

On that occasion, He gave a Divine Discourse:

“The first among the nine forms of devotion is Shravana (hearing) and today, we have installed here at the Prasanthi Nilayam this instrument for Shravana, namely, the telephone. I am used to hearing not the talk that comes through this instrument, but the cries of agony; the call of pining hearts hungering for grace. Still since it gladdens the hearts of devotees and I am never against anything that makes them glad and full-hearted, I have agreed for this installation. Just now, sitting in this hall, on this chair, you heard Me speak to Kanjilal at New Delhi and only he and I know how happy he is at the present moment, for he was able to speak to Baba direct and to hear My voice, while in his own house.

Just see how this telephone itself came to be installed. The engineering staff were working day and night to fix it, but heavy rains interfered and even this noon, they were afraid that a connection with Delhi had become next to impossible. I had fixed the time as 5-30; but they pleaded with Me to postpone My coming into the hall for a few minutes at least, so that they could make sure that Delhi was coming through fine and clear. I said that we could speak to Delhi later, if they felt that would be better.

Shravana can transform the individual

But, you saw how, as soon as I sat on this chair, Kanjilal could be heard clearly and I could inaugurate the service. It is given to these men who are here today to share in this achievement and this joy; they have the luck, the chance. Many times, people search far and wide for a groom for their daughter; but all the while, the young man might be in the neighbouring house itself. The engineers may say that they only did their duty and they might not look for any gratitude; but I am sure, you will thank them for the service they rendered, in these rains and under high pressure of work.

Shravana, hearing the voice of God, hearing about God, these are important events in life, events that transform the individual. Arjuna "heard" the Bhagavad Geeta; Pareekshit "heard" the Bhagavata; both were liberated from bondage thereby. In the Mahabharata, Karna, meaning the Ear(!) is the most outstanding character; it is called Karnarasaayana, (sweet medicine to be "heard") and assimilated into daily life. The Shabda (sound), the Pranava (Om) are all very important keys to bliss; the Vedas are to be "heard" and "recited." They are Shruti, that which was heard, in moments of supra-conscious ecstasy, by purified scholars doing Sadhana. I am reminded of all this in the presence of this contrivance for Doora-shravana, hearing people who are far away.

Bhagavata-Shravana (listening to Bhagavata) leads to Bhagavata-Smarana (the constant remembrance of the Lord), and detachment from the ties of the objective world. There was famous dacoit once who advised his son while initiating him into the ancestral profession, never for a moment listen to stories of the Lord. "Do not stay to listen to any Purana (mythological stories) or any reading of the Bhagavata," (tales of incarnations of Vishnu), he exhorted the young aspirant. The son scrupulously observed this injunction for years and amassed a good fortune.

Effect of hearing the Bhagavata

One night, however, while running with his loot on his shoulder through a side lane of the city to avoid the police, a piece of glass cut into his sole; he sat for a while to pull it off and stop the flow of blood. He was then behind a house, where some one was reading and explaining the Bhagavata to a small group of listeners; he listened perforce for a short two minutes. The spark fell on the heap of cotton. During that short period, he heard the Pandit explaining the nature of God. He has no ears, no eyes, no limbs; He has a thousand forms; He is without form. "Sarvatah Paani-Paadam", (with hands and feet every here) as the Geeta says. That description got fixed in his heart. He could not shake it.

A few days later the police came to know of the depredations made by him as well as his associates and kinsmen. In order to know more about their activities they entered the area incognito, one constable as Goddess Kaali and some others as the worshippers and priests. They shouted and yelled, cursed and terrified the dacoits and called upon them to come out of their homes and fall at the feet of Kaali.

Many did so, but the son who heard the Bhagavata albeit for two minutes knew just enough to save his skin. He was not terrified at all. He challenged the constable who was acting the role of Kali and tore off his makeup and exposed the plot and instilled courage into the hearts of the gang. Then, when the police left discomfited he argued within himself thus: "If two minutes of the forbidden fruit could help me so much, what can I not gain if I devote myself entirely to the stories of the glories of God?" He left off the evil path and became a Sadhaka (spiritual practitioner).

Tongue is man's biggest weapon of offence

The grace of God descends upon the eager Sadhaka, who listens attentively to the story of that grace. The name of God, if recited with love and faith, has that power. Once the mother of Agastya boasted that her son drank all the waters of the ocean; but the mother of Hanuman, who was there, said: "Why go to that extent? My son leaped over it in a trice." But there was the mother of Rama with them. She said, "Your son leaped over the ocean, uttering my son's name. Without it, he was helpless." The name has that overmastering power. It can award unheard of, unimagined strength and courage. The other two women disputed the fact that it was Rama Naama that strengthened Hanuman for the enterprise. So, Kaushalya asked Rama Himself. He said, "Why, it was because this body was called Rama, the name that combines the Beejaaksharas (mystic letters) of both Shiva and Vishnu, that I Myself was able to conquer Ravana and his hordes!"

The name has much efficacy. By repeating the name, the Lord and His attributes can be easily identified. The tongue must be sanctified by the repetition of the name. It has also to use sweet expressions which will spread contentment and joy. Be very careful about your speech. Animals have horns, insects have stings, beasts have claws and fangs. But, man's biggest weapon of offence is his tongue. The wounds that his tongue inflicts can scarce be healed; they fester in the heart for long. They are capable of more damage than even an atom bomb.

When Bheema went to bring the Saugandhika flower for his beloved, he saw Hanuman with his tail lying across the road. Bheema talked rudely to Hanuman, ordering him to remove the tail, for he thought it mean to walk over some one else's appendage. The rudeness made Hanuman refuse the demand and so, Bheema was humiliated for he could not lift the tail and set it aside. He learned the need for politeness in conversation.

Bheema attempting to lift Hanuman's tail

Speak so that your language is as sweet as your feelings are. Make the words true and pleasing. (Satyam Bruyaat; Priyam Bruyaat). But, for the sake of pleasing another, do not speak falsehood or exaggerate. Cynicism which leads you to speak about a thing in a carping manner and in order to bring it into disrepute is as bad as flattery which makes you exaggerate and cross the boundaries of truth.

Bliss is man's native character

You can give Ananda by your speech, only if you have attained the state of Ananda yourself. A lamp burning under a pot with five holes: that is the symbol of man, who has the Flame of Wisdom shining through five senses. Cover the pot with a thick cloth and no light emerges. The cloth is the cover of Ajnana (ignorance), of Tamas (inaction). Remove it; it shines feebly through the senses, that is the symbol of Rajas (passion and activity). Remove the pot itself, that is to say, remove the identification with the body, (the Dehaatma-Buddhi); then the Atma Jyoti (light of the Sell) shines full and bright. The Jyoti or Ananda (Divine light or Divine Bliss) is ever there but, it was obstructed by the pot and the cloth. Ananda is your native character, your real stamp, your very reality.

The patient must himself drink the drug. There is no vicarious cure. The balm must be applied where the pain is. The cause of the illness and of the misery is in your mental vision, for, you see many, when there is only One. You say "My God," "Their God," "Your Baba," as if there are so many Gods existing to help you quarrel and right among yourselves. Ask the Lord for the removal of your earthly troubles; there is no mistake in that. It is much better than asking other men, and losing self-respect and honour. For the sake of votes, people catch hold of the feet of all and sundry; if they fall at the feet of the Lord, that will bring them more votes, for the people will plead with Him to lead them as a great servant of God.

Communicate from heart to heart

You can call Me on the phone, but I will not be available for all those who do not have the sincere and steady yearning for the Lord. For those who say "No! You are not my Lord," I say "No." For those who say, "Yes," I too echo "Yes." If I am available in your heart, I will be available over the phone. But, remember, I have My own special postal and telephone systems. They operate from the heart straight to the heart. There are rules and regulations for the operation of that system, which the Shastras (scriptures) declare. You can find them there. I am glad that devotees have today acquired this new convenience at Prasanthi Nilayam. 

Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam (1926-1985)

Leadership Training for Sathya Sai Students - By Lt. Gen. (Retd) Dr. M. L. Chibber

After forty years in the Army, during peace and war, crying does not come easily to me. And yet I sat there watching Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba and cried. It happened at Prasanthi Nilayam in November 1989 and again at Brindavan in January 1990. On both the occasions, it was bhajan time and the melodious voiced student Ravi Kumar was rendering the lilting tune addressed to Bhagavan as the universal mother "O Ma Tu Kitni Achhi Hai" - O mother how good you are - and then goes on to describe her sacrifices, her sleepless vigils and the boundless love she showers on her children. 

I cannot rationally explain why I cried. However through my tears, I could read the real meaning of a 'Mahamantra' on leadership which I have been teaching for years. It was perhaps the culmination of my ten years of apprenticeship which is the way Bhagavan hopes His devotees on the spiritual path to make them fit for Seva in his Divine Mission. What was my apprenticeship about? 

Bhagavan has obviously made a 'Sankalpa' to rectify the current state of affairs in India, and ultimately the whole world. He intends to knit all mankind as one family with the bond of love. To achieve this goal, He has launched an educational system aimed at training generations of young men and women who will ultimately become India's future leaders thus injecting spirituality into the whole secular scene. The mission of the Sathya Sai educational system is quite clear - TO GROOM EVERY SATHYA SAI STUDENT TO BECOME A LEADER WITH HIS FEET FIRMLY PLANTED ON THE FOUNDATION OF SATYA, DHARMA, SHANTI, AHIMSA AND PREMA. It may be worthwhile to briefly describe my apprenticeship and the holistic and practical approach to leadership that has emerged for leadership training in Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. 

Two things happened in 1979 when I was commanding India's counter offensive force against Pakistan. I was asked to examine if we could achieve better results with the resources allocated to my force and about the same time, my wife and I came across some books about Bhagavan which made a tremendous impact on us. Soon thereafter, Col. Subba Rao, a devotee of Bhagavan in my headquarters helped my wife to organize a Bhajan in the Army "Flag Staff House" at Chandi Mandir. This was really the starting point in my apprenticeship. 

My examination of our counter offensive plans revealed that we could certainly achieve very substantial goals if we could somehow improve the leadership of our officers — right from generals down to lieutenants. Thus started the quest and experiments to find a structured way to improve the effectiveness of leaders appointed at junior, middle and higher levels of responsibilities.

From 1979 onward we started getting Bhagavan's grace and in 1980 we went down to "Prasanthi Nilayam" for our first Darshan. At the same time my quest and experiments to improve leadership in the Army continued, including a five year stint, at the Allahabad University for a PhD in this subject.

Years rolled on and when I retired from the Army in 1985, I got involved in running the prestigious Management Development Institute at Delhi. It was Bhagavan's way of launching me on another phase of apprenticeship to study and teach leadership to a cross section of government officers and managers of public and private enterprises. Needless to say, His love and grace for us continued unabated.

Management Development Institute, Gurugram - Delhi NCR

At the Management Development Institute during study of syllabi of all leading Management Institutions in the world, to structure the curriculum for the prestigious National Management Programme, I discovered an interesting feature. Sri Sathya Sai University was the only one in India, and possibly in the world, where the MBA programme had a full credit course on "Leadership". It was during a visit in July 1988 that Bhagavan in His own way, conveyed to me that I should lecture to His students. He perhaps sensed that the apprenticeship on which He launched me in 1979 had reached a stage where I was approaching fitness for Seva in His Divine Mission. 

My contact with Sai students has been a most rewarding experience. I have never come across a finer group of young men in my life. They are alert, well mannered, intelligent, well adjusted, and possess an excellent presence. 

The final shape of the leadership course that emerged is based on the discussions with Bhagavan. It reflects the emphasis He places on 'action' in His maxims like "Mukh Mein Ram; Haath Mein Kaam" - the name of the Lord on lips and dedicated work with hands. Or the one He articulates to explain the secret of invincibility of "Hanuman Namasmaran plus action leading to divinity".

The importance Bhagavan attaches to leadership is echoed in a recent finding by the Stanford Research Institute, USA, that "12% of effective management strategy is knowledge and 88% is dealing appropriately with people". It is, indeed, a good leader who gets the best out of people. The essential features of the leadership course developed over the years and now in use at the Sathya Sai University may be of interest to the reader. It runs uniformly as a thread through-out an undergraduate or a graduate programme and integrates the entire curriculum. 

Sri Sathya Sai University, Prasanthi Nilayam

There are more than 350 definitions of the word "leadership" which reveals the complexity of this phenomenon. The most practical definition of the word is the one coined by Lord Moran — a medical doctor. The following definition which we have adopted is based on what he evolved: 

"Leadership is the capability to frame plans which will succeed and the faculty to persuade others to carry them out in the face of all difficulties- even death"

In simple terms leadership means "knowing what to do plus GETTING THINGS DONE". Getting things done by dealing appropriately with people is eighty-eight per cent of leadership. To be a good leader an individual has to be a "Stitha Prajnya". In the West, it is a common advice that 'you have to be a gentleman before you can be an officer'. And the substance of a gentleman has been explained in words as though taken straight out of Bhagavad Gita: 

"An honest man, a man with a sense of duties and obligations of his position, whatever it may be; a man who tells the truth; a man who gives to others their due; a man considerate to the weak; a man who has principles and stands by them; a man who is not elated by good fortune, and not too depressed by bad; a man who is loyal; a man who can be trusted". 

If we put together the universal truths which are common to all good leaders, then an integrated framework emerges. Selflessness is its very hub and heart, with knowledge and character as the two main components. There are hundreds of qualities, traits, theories and styles that research scholars on leadership have identified - they have unfortunately counted all the leadership trees and missed the wood! It is important, therefore, that Sathya Sai students fully understand the holistic and practical approach to leadership and realize that there is in fact a 'universal inner structure' which is common to all good leaders. Also, that on the STRENGTH and BALANCE of this structure depend the effectiveness of a leader. Knowledge of the job helps a leader to know what to do in any given situation. The strength of his selflessness and character enables him to handle people appropriately and get things done. 

In today's self-centered pursuit of careers and cut throat competition, the potential leaders are reluctant to accept selflessness as the very core of leadership. It needs patient persuasion to make them realize that selflessness is a relative virtue, but the truth about it is almost mathematical - that the potential for good leadership is directly proportional to the degree of an individual's selflessness. Indeed, selflessness is composed of all that is noble in human personality.

The German General Staff - the most effective group of leaders ever created in history by any society - had adopted selflessness as the cardinal virtue for its officers. This philosophy was reflected in their motto "TO BE THEN TO SEEM". Any officer who was perceived to be a "climber" (a person interested only in his own advancement) was promptly and unceremoniously thrown out. The most potent example of total selflessness, of course is Bhagavan Himself. His authority, consequently, is derived from love rather than from the orthodox headman ship. 

Bhagavan is also the most vibrant personification of the 'Mahamantra' which enables a leader to deal with people and inspire those to great heights - 'a good leader knows his people better than their mothers do and cares even more'. These are simple words but embody a profound meaning- If a leader handles people with the deep knowledge and selfless love of a mother, then he gains their utmost strength - indeed they would be willing to die for him. 

The operative part of the leadership training is what Bhagavan emphasizes the most - Action. Indeed, it is not theory but action that produces results. The action part of the training is woven around the goal that every Sathya Sai student should reinforce his universal inner structure of good leadership' during his stay in Bhagavan's university. Two techniques of self -development are used, and both are spread over the entire period of undergraduate and graduate studies. 

The first technique is derived from the Indian experience of thousands of years of Sadhana (persistent effort to reprogram one's personality). Bhagavan declares — "examine every day what you do and with what motives; then you can yourself pronounce judgement on your progress it all looks so easy, but it is one of the hardest assignments". The technique of maintaining a self -development diary is aimed at reinforcing one's virtues and eradicating weaknesses through the process of a daily check this concept was expounded by Swami Sivananda as the spiritual diary for aspirants who came to him for guidance. His experience was that anyone who used the diary with sincerity and honesty for three months or more, meet with 'unfailing success' to improve his character. Benjamin Franklin, the well-known American President, also used the diary as a friend and a whip to improve himself and achieved commendable results. I had encouraged officers in the Army to use this technique and those who honestly persisted did succeed in reprogramming their personalities.

The second technique in use is the time-tested method of self-development by studying the lives of great leaders in history. At "Prasanthi Nilayam", the lives of selected spiritual leaders like Lord Rama and Krishna, Swami Vivekananda; social leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Mahatma Gandhi; political leaders like Shivaji, Abraham Lincoln, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose; scientific leaders like Einstein; enterprise leaders like Jamsetji Tata and many others are carefully studied and analyzed by the students. They make presentations in the class, and each life is then discussed in detail. Bhagavan Himself takes considerable interest in imparting deep insight about these leaders to the students. With His inimitable universal and timeless awareness He explains to them numerous facets of their character which are not to be found in books. 

Leadership training at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning is an exciting part and unique aspect of His educational system. It is to prepare students to shoulder leadership responsibilities as teachers, executives, managers and officers in various fields, and become spiritual warriors of the twenty first century to unite humanity with the bond of love. 

About the author:

Lt. Gen. (Retd) Dr. M. L. Chibber retired from India's Armed Forces after a long distinguished career and was awarded PVSM and AVSM for his outstanding distinguished services to the country. Later he was the Chief Executive of Management Development Institute, New Delhi till January 1990. He has been a Jawaharlal Nehru Fellow and a member of the Academic Council of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. Has a number of publications and research work to his credit- including the book “How to be a Successful Leader” and "The Mahavakya of Leadership".

Source: Sai Vandana 1990 (65th Birthday Offering)

A Roadmap for Sathya Sai Educational Institutions and Sai Students

The College is celebrating its First Annual Day today. It is now a year-old baby. A baby that has grown one year is more difficult to manage than a new-born child! For, it starts to toddle around and is subject to slips, falls, and straying into danger spots and accidents! The mother, aayahs and nurses have therefore to be more vigilant hereafter. The child may wander on to the road, and get hit by scooters, cycles, cars and trucks. So too, this College may meet all kinds of distractions and diversions, like envy; pride, prejudice, which will ruin its health. The Mother (The Managing Committee), the Aayah (The Principal) and the Nurses (The pupils) have to be extra careful, for, any negligence on their part, any licence, will mar the future of this Institution. They have to serve the College in full co-operation with each other and with a sincere desire to build up fine traditions.

The Himalayas, which form the bastion of Bharat, are symbols of its might and majesty; they remind us of the purity that we should develop in ourselves; they teach us that we should be as firm, as unshaken as the snow-clad peaks, as unaffected by the noise and turmoil of the bazaars of mankind. The Ganga that originates from these ranges is the symbol of the rectitude that is the basis of Indian culture. The Yamuna, which also rises in the Himalayas, is the symbol for the sense of justice, that is a valuable element in its make-up; the Saraswati is the symbol of the sincerity that is the very basis of spiritual discipline, recommended in the scriptures. The Saraswati is the subterranean river that joins the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayag. Bharatiya culture will remain strong and sustaining so long as the Ganga flows. Even if the Ganga dries, the culture will remain fresh and fulfilling. For, the world needs it and it is charged with eternal values.

Character is more precious than wealth

Children of Bharat have a great responsibility cast upon them. The wish to develop faith in the culture and encourage its practice arose in Me recently and I felt that students have to be the pioneers in this renascence. So, this College was founded and is being run on proper lines. Special emphasis is laid here on the fostering of character, which is more precious than wealth or physical strength or skill or scholarship. You may have millions; but that will not ensure mental peace. You may have strong physique; but, ask the sturdy men in the entourage of the Governor who is here whether they have mental peace. They will reply, no.

We are also giving in this College instruction on the fundamental principles of all faiths, from the sacred books, like the Geeta, the Quran, the Bible, the Dhammapada. The feast of Ananda that is thus provided to the young minds is being relished with great satisfaction. This evening, the students are putting on stage a play from the Mahabharata, named, Krishna Rayabaara, the "Peace Mission of Krishna," written, taught and directed by Me, instilling in them, as well as those who witness the play, the great lesson that joy is the: interval between one stage of grief and another! The grief of exile was followed by the triumph on the battlefield and that was overshadowed by the heart-rending grief of Draupadi, at the slaughter of her five children by the vengeful Aswatthama, son of the Brahmin Preceptor, who taught the Pandavas the art of archery. This is the theme of the play.

Peace springs from the heart within

Endurance, with joyful resignation, of the ups and downs of life is the royal road to peace. Every one craves Sukha and Shanti (happiness and peace); but there is no one to instruct youth how to win them. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are reservoirs of knowledge for the seekers of peace. They are replete with examples and precepts which are inspiring and timely. By taking the teachings to heart purity can be attained. The pure heart directed towards God and reflecting His Image is indeed Heaven, Vaikuntha or Kailasha.

It is a national disgrace if the sons and daughters of India (which was for centuries the Light of Asia and the Guru of the West) grope in the dark, blinded by the scintillation of the scientific inventions of the West. But Peace does not drop from outer space! It springs from the heart within.

College education gives you the chance to earn a few rupees and live thereupon. But, unless it destroys certain illusions that are nourished by the common level of mankind, your lives will not be happy. One illusion which is basically undesirable is: living under the impression that you are the body and that you are destroyed with the death of the body. Another illusion is happiness consists in accumulating money or knowledge or comforts or reputation. Trying to be happy through such accumulation is like getting into the Madras Bus and hoping to reach Bangalore. What is happiness? It is the state of mind, which is unaffected by fortune, good or bad. By systematic education, the mind can attain that state. If activity is done as worship, then, the mind will be steady and free from anxiety.

Mind control is the fundamental need of everyone

The Governor of Mysore was saying just now that students must keep away from the controversies of politics and not get distracted from studies by them. I advise you to concentrate on study; for, politics at present and perhaps always is a sordid game, where passions run high and prejudices are cultivated, as a respectable policy! Raajakeeya is the word in Telugu for politics; but, it is more correctly described as Raaja-kayya, kayya meaning "factional right!" You must all learn to become a new type of leaders, leaders who have passed through the crucible of Seva (selfless service) as Sadhana; leaders who have passed through school and college and mastered the problems of the present and future, in the light of the past; leaders who appreciate the traditions and culture of this country.

This is the job for which you have to prepare yourself. The Telugu word for job is Udhyoga. Mark the word Udh-yoga; 'ud' means upward, rising, emergent. So, it is the progress in yoga that defines the nature and purpose of the job. And, what is yoga? Yoga is, as Patanjali says, Chitta Vritti Nirodhah - the control of the agitations and anxieties and fears of the mind. The people in charge of administration are devising various controls and conducting propaganda for popularising them. They have Food Control, Gold Control, Birth Control and various other plans, but, the most fundamental thing needed, namely, Mind Control is absent! You may sit in an air-cooled room, but if your mind is agitated by anger, envy, greed or fear, you will find the room pretty hot.

Dress should be decent, not outlandish

Education must also remove hatred between the pilgrims on the various roads to God. There is only one God, one Goal, one Law, one Religion and one Reason. You have come to Kadugodi, from a hundred different villages and towns, but you have all come to have Darshan of one Swami.

This College will pay attention to providing a complete education, namely, Karma Marga, Dharma Marga and Brahma Marga (path of dedicated action, of righteousness and of spirituality), all three. You may continue in this College or join some other College later on or go home after finishing your studies, but, wherever you are, you must shine forth as recipients of this special attention. You are sure to inspire others by your example of integrity, sincerity and spiritual yearning. Dr. Gokak mentioned externals of modem living like foppish shirts and sideburns. Yes; I like simplicity, I like dress that will not discourage people from approaching you for a kind word, a bit of service, a helping hand. It must be clean and decent; not outlandish and queer. It should not be worn to attract attention.

Just as you desire to wear clean comfortable clothes for the body, desire also clean consoling exercises for the mind, like Japam, Dhyanam (repetition of holy word and meditation), etc. Use the eyes to watch wholesome things, the feet to proceed to the House of God, the hands to serve the embodiments of God moving around you as men, the tongue to soothe pain, praise virtue, and glorify God. Do not use the eye to vulgarise your brain, the feet to stand in queue for deleterious films. You saw now Sudhir, the blind boy, carrying away a number of prizes for his pre-eminence in studies and in general performance at College. Blindness has deprived him of one route towards degeneration. Of course, I do not say that one should lose his eyes in order to be perfect. The greater heroism is to have eyes and not use them for one's downfall.

The fault for students vagaries lies with elders

Sathya Sai College, Whitefield - early 1970s

The arrangements for the College Day were all made by the boys themselves; they have been at it for days; and, today, they have not had a moment's rest; though I asked them to take an hour off for lunch, they said, they would much rather finish the decoration on the dais and keep the area clean and charming. Boys are really good, willing to do their duty and shine well in studies as well as in the field of service. The fault, for their vagaries and waywardness and for their occasional sprees of indiscipline, lies with the elders who set before them poor examples of truth and self-control. Urged on by the atmosphere of false values and fake activities, they become infected. The boys of this College will exercise a healthy influence on their kith and kin, as well as on the villages to which they belong. The towns have become, as a result of the incompetence and intrigues of elders, hotbeds of restlessness; that is why this College has been established in rural surroundings.

Sri Sathya Sai College, Whitefield - present day
(now Brindavan Campus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning)

Character is the most precious gift of education. I consider gratitude as the chief component; gratitude above all, to the parents, for this gift of life. Revere the parents, who are sacrificing their comforts in order to give you this College education. If any parent bewails, "I sent my son to Sai Baba College and, he has turned against me, he has no respect for my wishes, he is as good as lost to me," it will cause the College great grief. If on the other hand the parent says, "I sent my son to Sai Baba's College and my son is now so obedient, so willing, so eager to respect my least wish; of course, my wish is ever his prosperity. But, yet, previously he used to grumble a lot, and do things under protest and in a half-hearted way," this will be the prize you give to the College.

You got prizes today from the College for proficiency in sports, studies, elocution, essay writing, etc. You must give the College a prize, and do you know what that is? When your parents shed tears of joy when they see you healthy, happy and good, that is the prize the College gets, leading useful honourable lives, they are full of joy. That joy is the prize you give your College!

Source: Divine Discourse at the Sri Sathya Sai College, Whitefield, Bangalore, July 23, 1970

In Conversation: What is Rural Development?

July 23, 1998

Coming towards a student …

Swami: Do you want sports?

Student: No, Swami.

Swami: (Pointing to another student) He is a dancer. He danced in Brindavan. He was young then. But now he has grown like giraffe. (To that student) Do you dance now also?

Student: Yes, Swami.

Swami: In the Hostel? Boys will be frightened to see you dancing. (To the School hostel Warden) Today is your Hostel Anniversary, is it not?

Warden: Yes, Swami.

Swami: Anniversaries come and go.

Warden: Swami, please talk to the students.

Swami: (To the Institute students) When is your Hostel Anniversary?

Students: 25th December, Swami. (Bhagavan had inaugurated the Senior Hostel at Prashanti Nilayam on Christmas Day, 1980)

Sri Sathya Sai Hostel decorated on Christmas Day - its anniversary

Swami: How do you know? Hardly any of you were here then. It is 20 years now. You were not even born then. See, on the coming Sunday you cannot come to Poornachandra. They are making the sets for the serial. The scene depicts Shiva and Parvati coming down the Himalayas and performing a Shiva Tandavam (the cosmic dance). If they build it outside, there are chances that it will get spoilt when it rains. So I told them to do it inside.

Students: Swami, please come to the Institute or to the hostel.

Swami: In the Institute, you will be sitting on chairs. It would not be like coming to Poornachandra. In Poornachandra, you will sit down and your mother-in-law will serve Pakodas! (To a student) You have not yet come for a Poornachandra session, is it not?

Student: Yes, Swami.

Swami: (To a teacher, referring to his shirt) What is this cloth?

Teacher: Swami, Khadi.

Swami: What colour is this? It is like bathroom cloth!

Teacher: Swami, it was nice when it was new. Now it has faded.

Swami: What is this dress? Is it a Safari suit?

Teacher: Swami, it is Khadi Safari.

Swami: Where did you get it stitched?

Teacher: Swami, it is from the Muslim Weavers’ Association, Anantapur. We had undertaken a project, I purchased it then.

Swami: I am asking as to where you got it stitched?

Teacher: Sai Tailors.

Swami: The stitching is not good.

Teacher: Swami, nice Khadi cloth. Gandhian.

Swami: How is teaching going on? What subject are you teaching?

Teacher: Integrated Rural Development.

Swami: What is Rural Development?

Teacher: Developing the villages… SAI is the starting point.

Swami: Rural Development is about providing drinking water and sanitation to the villagers. Health will come along with good sanitation. The villagers must also be taught to grow drumsticks, coconut trees along with coriander plants etc., near their houses. This can help them to be self-sufficient. 

Teacher: Also, they must be taught to be united.

Swami: You are not telling these to the villagers.

Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (1991-2000)

Inauguration of Sathya Sai College at Anantapur

Monday, July 22, 1968

Swami inaugurated the Sri Sathya Sai Arts and Science College for Women at Anantapur on 22nd July, 1968. The public meeting held in connection with the inauguration was presided over by the Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education, Sri T. V. Raghavulu. Dr. S. Bhagavantam explained in full length the administrative setup of the Institution. Sri Raghavulu acknowledged with gratitude the concern that Swami exhibits about the progress of women. Swami in His Discourse explained the role of women as mothers and teachers of the coming generation. He said:

Sri Sathya Sai presides over the inauguration

“This is a day full of significance, not only for Anantapur or this District or this State, but, for all other States also. On the occasion of the School Day of the High School for Girls in this town, as early as 1964, I had announced that what this town needed most was a College exclusively for Women. That Sankalpa (resolve) has today realised itself. Very soon, this will become a full-fledged completely equipped educational institution, with a status peculiar to itself. The prompting behind this college is not the search for reputation, or the desire to propagate a cult, or the hope of monetary profit. I know that fame is a fickle figment, that reputation is something that rots, that profit is defiled when it is measured in terms of cash.

I have allowed this college to rise, because it will instill in the minds of the students the ancient ideals of Sathya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema, ideals that are delineated in the Vedas, described in Shastras, illustrated in the epics, practised by countless generations of the men and women of this land and confirmed as best suited for individual and social progress by its saints and sages, law-givers and leaders, for centuries.

All are eager to learn the secret of peace

Every student born and bred in this land is the inheritor of this precious heritage and has a right to know it and benefit by it. Agriculture is for living; mind-culture is for life. Skills are for shaping material things so that they cater more for the comfort of man; studies are for shaping attitudes, feelings, desires, emotions and impulses of man, so that they may confer more peace, more joy, more fortitude on man.

Prahlada told his father that "the father who leads the son to God is the only father who deserves the reverence due to that status." Fathers who lead their sons into the vortex of sense pleasure, the volcanoes of physical passion, the boggy marsh of pride and pomp are unaware of their duties and responsibilities. So too, an educational system that keeps children away from God – the only refuge, the only kinsman, the only guide and guard is really a system where the blind are engaged in blinding those who depend on them.

India has forgotten its real source of strength; it is seeking strength in the debilitating hunt for cankerous comfort. This college will feed the roots of that genuine culture of Bharat, which alone can revitalise the people of India, and through them, of the whole world. My visit to East Africa has shown that people there are eager to know about the culture and philosophy of India so that they may learn the secret of peace and joy.

Women, who were all these centuries, the bulwarks of Indian culture, the guardians of Indian spiritual wealth, are fast succumbing to the flimsy attractions of foppish culture, as is evident from the modes of living and the social behaviour of many educated women. This is the result of the artificial and empty system of education, as well as the subtle pulls of cheap literature and shoddy films. Women are the mothers of the coming generation; they are the teachers of that generation, during the first five years of life.

The mother’s responsibility is most crucial

The mother is the first of the five Matas (Mothers), that the Indian child encounters: Deha-mata (the mother that gave birth to this body); Go-mata (the cow that gives sustaining milk); Bhoo-mata (the land that grows the crops which feed the body); Desha-mata (the native country that gives protection, care, love, rights and chances to serve and elevate oneself to one's full height), and Veda-mata (the heritage of spiritual treasure that reveals the aim and purpose of human life and takes one step by step, towards the Goal of Self-realisation). 

The Deha-mata must reveal to the child the glories of all the other four; so her responsibility is the greatest and most crucial. That is the reason why it has been resolved to start a women's college, in every State, in order to promote the Dharma, which I have come to establish. This is part of the general task. Every act of Mine, every word, will have only that goal in view.

Atma-vidya (science of the Self) alone can fix the mind in Dharma. The students here will be given a glimpse of that Atma-vidya; they will develop a keen desire to know about it - knowledge and desire that will stand them in good stead, when they encounter the problems of life. The war of Kurukshetra, for which the Mahabharata is the background and the stage, lasted for 18 days; other wars have lasted longer, 7 years' 30 years and even 100 years! But, however long, they ended! They had a finish, some time!

But the battle between Jeevi and Maya, the individual and the fascinating, deluding wiles of the really unreal Nature with its enticing multi-fariousness - this battle is continuous; the earliest man got entangled in it; the last man on earth will have to fight it. It can bring victory to the Jeevi (individual) only when, like Arjuna, he chooses the Lord as his charioteer and surrenders his judgement, his desires, to Him. Maya can be conquered only by allying yourselves with the Master of Maya, Madhava. This is the lesson that Atma Vidya teaches, this is the lesson that children in India have a right to imbibe; children from all over the world can benefit immensely from it.”

Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam (1926-1985)