Written by Ambika Mohanji
Overview
Sri Sathya Sai Baba, born as Sathyanarayana Raju on November 23, 1926, in Puttaparthi, holds a special place in the hearts of millions around the world. From an early age, His compassion for the poor and abandoned was there. Despite his family’s limited means, young Sathya would often give away his own share to help others.
As He grew older and began attending school, Sathya’s abilities to lead and inspire others became evident. His playmates were fascinated by His extraordinary powers of creating things out of thin air and His deep understanding of scriptural wisdom. The inexplicability of His actions greatly disturbed His father, Sri Ratnakaram Pedda Venkama Raju. On May 23, 1940, filled with anger and confusion, Sri Ratnakaram confronted Sathya demanding to know His true identity. In response, Sathya took a few flowers and flung them down which miraculously arranged themselves to spell out “I am Sai Baba.” Later that year, on October 20th during a school day, Baba returned home abruptly and declared dramatically that He was no longer Sathya but now Sai Baba.
From that moment on, people from all walks of life started flocking to Him seeking solace. Baba’s fame grew rapidly as He canceled incurable diseases for some and resolved familial problems for others. However, along with this growing fame came rising ridicule from envious quarters. In response to his concerns about Baba’s activities, Seshama Raju wrote a cautionary letter to Him. In His reply, dated May 25, 1947, Baba emphatically stated that He had a ‘Task’ to foster all mankind with bliss, a ‘Pledge’ to lead all onto the path of righteousness, and a ‘Work’ of removing the suffering of the distressed. He assured that He would never give up on those who attached themselves to Him. To fulfill this mission, Baba founded the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations in India during the 1960s. This organization allowed people from different religions, classes, and castes to collectively engage in selfless service and promote eternal values such as Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love, and Non-violence for their own spiritual upliftment. The movement quickly spread globally to more than 126 countries with Prasanthi Nilayam serving as its epicenter. In addition to inspiring millions of individuals to practice selfless love, Baba established the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust in 1972. This umbrella institution is responsible for implementing various groundbreaking projects aimed at improving society’s quality of life through love, service, and universal brotherhood. These initiatives include free primary to tertiary-care hospitals, free education from primary schooling to doctoral research, free drinking water supply to remote villages, and housing rehabilitation programs. Baba lived an exemplary life for 86 years where the power of pure love was always in glorious action. On his 83rd and 85th birthdays in November 2008 and 2010 respectively, upon his devotees’ request, Baba rode on a golden chariot. Little did they know then that these moments symbolized the golden culmination of Baba’s earthly sojourn. Sri Sathya Sai Baba discarded His physical form on April 24th, 2011, leaving His devotees missing his physical presence. However, they continue to experience His guidance and grace in enigmatic ways. The Universal Consciousness that is Sri Sathya Sai Baba lives on eternally.
Mission
Swami had declared on October 20, 1940, at the tender age of 14, that He is Sai Baba without any family ties. This revelation marked a turning point in His life as He discarded His books and embarked on a spiritual journey that would transform countless lives.
In the subsequent years, Swami’s glory spread far and wide. People from all walks of life were drawn towards Him – royalty, scholars, the rich and famous, as well as ordinary individuals seeking solace and guidance. The holy abode of Puttaparthi became a magnet for those yearning for spiritual enlightenment. However, with fame comes jealousy. As Swami’s influence grew, so did the whispers of rumors about Him. Some people began spreading baseless allegations against Him. In the light of these developments, some individuals approached Seshama Raju with their concerns regarding Swami’s involvement in performing miracles and attracting people. Seshama Raju was worried about his intelligent younger brother’s future. He wanted Swami to finish college, secure a good job, and take care of their family responsibilities. With these intentions in mind, he penned a heartfelt letter expressing his concerns.
In response to his brother’s letter and addressing all His devotees, Swami wrote a historic, epoch-making reply. This letter contains invaluable messages and divine proclamations that hold relevance not only for the people of that time but also for generations to come. The first divine proclamation in Swami’s letter is “No one can understand Me, either today or after thousands of years, whoever he may be, whatever his method of inquiry is, and however long it takes.” This declaration reminds us that Swami is beyond the comprehension of the mind and intellect. His divine nature transcends human understanding. Swami’s letter was not just a response to His brother; it was a message meant for all His devotees. It serves as a reminder that trying to comprehend Him intellectually is futile. Instead, He urges us to experience His presence within our hearts and surrender ourselves completely to His divine will. Swami’s words resonate with profound wisdom – we should not waste our time attempting to understand Him through any method of enquiry. Instead, we should focus on cultivating love, compassion, and selflessness in our lives.
“My dear One! I received the communication that you wrote and sent; I found it in the surging floods of your devotion and affection, with the undercurrents of doubts and anxiety. Let Me tell you that it is impossible to plumb the hearts and discover the natures of jnaanis, yogis, ascetics, saints, sages, and the like. People are endowed with a variety of characteristics and mental attitudes, so each one judges according to his own angle, talks and argues in the light of his own nature. But we have to stick to our own right path, our own wisdom, our own resolution without getting affected by popular appraisal. As the proverb says, it is only the fruit-laden tree that receives the shower of stones from passers-by. The good always provokes the bad into calumny; the bad always provokes the good into derision. That is the nature of this world. One must be surprised if such things do not happen.
The people have to be pitied, rather than condemned. They do not know. They have no patience to judge right. They are too full of lust, anger, and conceit to see clearly and know fully. So, they write all manner of things. If they only knew, they would not talk or write like that. We, too, should not attach any value to such comments and take them to heart, as you seem to do. Truth will certainly triumph some day. Untruth can never win. Untruth might appear to overpower Truth, but its victory will fade away and Truth will establish itself.
It is not the way of the great to swell when people offer worship and to shrink when people scoff. As a matter of fact, no sacred text lays down rules to regulate the lives of the great, prescribing habits and attitudes that they must adopt. They themselves know the path they must tread; their wisdom regulates and makes their acts holy. Self-reliance, beneficial activity –these two are their special marks. They may also be engaged in the promotion of the welfare of devotees and in allotting them the fruits of their actions. Why should you be affected by tangle and worry, as long as I am adhering to these two? After all, praise and blame of the populace do not touch the Aathma, the reality; they can touch only the outer physical frame.
“I have a “Task”: To foster all mankind and ensure for all of them lives full of bliss (ananda). I have a “Vow”: To lead all who stray away from the straight path again into goodness and save them. I am attached to a “Work” that I love: To remove the sufferings of the poor and grant them what they lack. I have a “reason to be proud”, for I rescue all who worship and adore Me, aright. I have My definition of the “Devotion” I expect: Those devoted to Me have to treat joy and grief, gain and loss, with equal fortitude. This means that I will never give up those who attach themselves to Me. When I am thus engaged in My beneficial task, how can My Name be tarnished, as you apprehend? I would advise you not to heed such absurd talk. Mahatmas do not acquire greatness through someone calling them so; they do not become small when someone calls them small. Only those low ones who revel in opium and marijuana but claim to be unexcelled yogis, only those who quote scriptural texts to justify their gourmandry and pride, only those who are dry-as-dust scholars exulting in their casuistry and argumentative skill –only those will be moved by praise or blame.
You must have read life stories of saints and divine personages; in those books, you must have read of even worse falsehoods and more heinous imputations cast against them. This is the lot of mahatmas everywhere, at all times. Why then do you take these things so much to heart? Have you not heard of dogs that howl at the stars? How long can they go on? Authenticity will win.
I will not give up My Mission, nor My determination. I know I will carry them out. I treat the honor and dishonor, the fame and blame that may be the consequence, with equal equanimity. Internally, I am unconcerned. I act but in the outer world; I talk and move about for the sake of the outer world and for announcing My coming to the people; else, I have no concern even with these. I do not belong to any place; I am not attached to any name. I have no “mine” or “thine”. I answer whatever the name you use. I go wherever I am taken. This is My very first vow. I have not disclosed this to anyone so far. For me, the world is something far apart. I act and move only for the sake of mankind. No one can comprehend My Glory, whoever he is, whatever his method of enquiry, however long his attempt. You can yourself see the full Glory in the coming years. Devotees must have patience and forbearance.
I am not concerned, nor am I anxious, that these facts should be known. I have no need to write these words; I wrote them because I felt you would be pained if I do not reply.
Thus, your Baba”
Swami’s historic letter teaches us several valuable lessons. It reminds us of the limitations of human perception when it comes to understanding the divine. It encourages us to let go of intellectual pursuits and embrace faith and devotion as the pathway towards spiritual growth. He emphasized that His teachings are timeless, with their relevance extending far beyond His physical presence on Earth. The wisdom contained within this letter continues to guide countless individuals towards self-realization and inner peace even today. Instead, attempting to comprehend Swami intellectually, we must focus on cultivating love, compassion, and surrender in our lives. The lessons learned from this letter continue to inspire and guide seekers of truth along their spiritual journeys.
