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Published: 29-Apr-2011
Updated: 29-Apr-2011
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| It is with great sadness and deep sorrow, we inform you that our beloved Swami, Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has left his mortal coil on Easter Sunday 24th April 2011 at 7:40 am at the Sathya Sai Super Speciality Hospital at Puttaparthi in India. Even though he may not be with us in his physical frame, he will continue to guide us in realising our innate divine nature, the Atmic Principle which unites us with everyone and everything else in this universe. Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born as Sathyanarayana Raju on November 23, 1926 in the village of Puttaparthi, in the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India. Even as a child, His spiritual inclination and contemplative nature set Him apart from other children of His age. |
Alarmed by his strange behaviour, his brother Venkama Raju confronted him with a stick in his hand and asked: "Who are You? Are You God, ghost, or devil?" The little Sathya calmly replied: "I am no longer your Sathya. I am Sai. I don't belong to you. I have My work. My devotees are calling Me. I am going. I can no longer stay here." When asked for proof, Sathya threw some jasmine flowers on the floor neatly marking the word “Sai Baba” in Telegu. “I have come to light the lamp of Love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added lustre. I have not come on behalf of any exclusive religion. I have not come on a mission of publicity for a sect or creed or cause, nor have I come to collect followers for a doctrine. I have no plan to attract disciples or devotees into my fold or any fold. I have come to tell you of this unitary faith, this spiritual principle, this path of Love, this virtue of Love, this duty of Love, this obligation of Love. –Swami on 4th July 1968.” On October 20, 1940, He made the historic declaration of His Avatarhood, (‘Avatar’ means ‘Divinity Incarnate in Human Form’) that the world at large learnt of this divine phenomenon. Walking up to a neighbour's house, He sat on a rock in the middle of the garden there while people flocked, bringing flowers. And then, most lovingly and compassionately Sathya at the age of 14 led the congregation in a bhajan (devotional song) that has now become very familiar to us. He sang: Manasa bhajare Guru charanam Dustara bhava sagara tharanam O mind! Meditate on the Lotus Feet of the Lord! That alone will help you to sail across the turbulent sea called life. It is said that God descends in Human form and acts like a human so the humanity can feel the kinship and aspire to reach those heights. When society was on the verge of being torn apart by sectarian violence, hatred and intolerance, he gave us the simple yet powerful message of the unifying and underlying current of love as the essence of all religions. There is only one religion, the religion of Love; There is only one language, the language of the Heart; There is only one caste, the caste of Humanity; There is only one God, He is Omnipresent. “One has to develop love in order to get peace. First and foremost, one has to develop love. “Love is God, God is Love.” “Truth is God, God is Truth.” Truth and Love are the embodiments of Divinity, verily. Though God is one, people ascribe different names like Rama, Krishna, Govinda, and Narayana to God. The different names and forms ascribed to God are the outcome of the imagination of poets and painters. For example, Ravi Varma portrayed God in different forms based upon his imagination. But God cannot be limited to a particular name and form. All names and forms are His, and He transcends them too! God is immanent in all living species including the human beings. The entire creation is the manifestation of Divinity.” – Swami 30-Dec-2009 He proclaimed “I have come not to disturb or destroy any faith, but to confirm each in his own faith - so that the Christian becomes a better Christian, the Muslim, a better Muslim, and the Hindu, a better Hindu.” His formula for man to lead a meaningful life is the five-fold path of Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanthi (Peace), Prema (Love) and Ahimsa (Non-Violence). Love for God, fear of sin and morality in society – were His prescriptions to cure our ailing world. His numerous service projects, be it free hospitals, free schools, free drinking water or free housing projects, each one stands as a 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 people worldwide. His stood as a personal example, to live the ideal that service to man is service to God. He gave us the universal message of “Love all Serve all” and “Help ever Hurt Never”. He once said to his devotees that from now on “Your life is my message”. It is now our duty to assimilate his teachings in our daily lives and conduct ourselves in a manner which is worthy of the privilege of taking human birth in the same era and knowing him in this life time.
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