Peace is his mission

by Nagalingam Ponniah

Sai devotees all over the globe celebrate together their Lord's 76th birthday with pomp and pageantry. Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born on November 23, 1926, in the village Puttapatti. This village has now improved much, due to the efforts of Lord Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Sai Baba is considered by his devotees as an Avatar on earth.

Today, let us devotees reassimilate some of his phenomena which He repeatedly stresses at his discourses and pronouncements at Pirasanthi Nilayam, which are worthy of being reiterated.

The meaning of the name Sai Baba is considered in the first instance. As Sa - meaning Divine; ai - means mother and Baba means father. Therefore the name described Divine mother and father. Sawamba-Siva, our parents on earth prove love with selfless sacrifices and Sai Baba as Lord represents or depicts Divineness as mother and father who shower real love and affection towards us.

A small-made man with a thick set of curly hair, a smile remarkable at all times on his face, he walks with dignity and authority performing miracles, definitely above all other super being, and is beyond the concept of an ordinary man on earth. Sai Baba lives in Pirasanthi Nilayam at Puttapatti, India. He gives discourses to his devotees who throng "Pirasanthi Nilayam" to seek his blessings.

Sai Baba the Avator came to earth with a view to achieve the supreme task of uniting the entire mankind into one family, through the bond of brotherhood, affirming and illuminating the atomic reality of each being in order to reveal the divine, which forms the base on which the entire cosmos rests thus ordering all to recognise the common divine heritage that links man to man, so that man could supersede the animal and emerge into the divine which is His ultimate goal. Satya Sai Baba is the embodiment of love.

Love is his instrument. He says that there is no creature without love 'the lowest lover itself and itself is God'. He believes that all roads lead to Rome. In the same manner all religions pave way for that ultimate truth. This phenomenon is amply and largely evidenced by the emblem used by the Sai organisation all over the world.

Power of Sai Baba

The powers of Sai Baba is limitless. It manifests for ever, for he has forms of power which are resident in the Sai palm. His power is immeasurable, his truth is inexplicable and unfathomable. Baba solves all forms of problems.

However difficult they seem. He is beyond the reach of the most intensive inquiry and the most meticulous measurement.

Only those who have recognised his love and experience can assert the glimpse of his reality.

The path of love is the royal road that leads mankind unto him. We as devotees are aware of the least important, the casual external manifestations of that power, namely the miracles by materialising Viputhi (Holy ash), fruits, wrist-watches, golden chains etc. to his devotees as a token of love and affection. Sri Sathya Sai Baba also materialises Lingam and gives to his most loved devotees.

It is most apposite and interesting to real off here that a few Sri Lankan devotees are also in receipt of "Lingams" from the Lord, which can be seen at the residences of those devotees.

God is within you

Sri Sathya Sai Baba proclaims that "God" is in the depths of oneself and the human body is granted for this high purpose of accommodating the Creator God. Man extols God as omnipresent, ominicient and omnipotent, but ignores God's presence in himself.

God cannot be realised in the outer objective world.

He is in the very heart of every being. Sri Sathya Sai Baba explains the truth that gemstones have to be sought deep underground, as they do not float in the mid air.

Religion defines God within the limit, it demarcates and then claims to have grasped him, like the story of the seven blind men who spoke of the elephant as a pillar or a fan or rope or a wall and so on, because they contacted but a part and could not comprehend the full animal.

So much so the religion too speaks of a part and assert that its vision is full and total.

Each religion conveniently forgets that God is all forms and all means, all attributes and all assertions.

The religion of humanity is the sum and substance of all these partial faiths, for there is only one religion and that is the religion of love.

Four steps to liberation

If man knew the purpose and plans of life, he would not waste his years and skills in the pursuit of more time-bound joys. Man has lost faith in himself and therefore there is no wonder that he has lost faith in God.

Only those who themselves and have confidence in themselves can acquire knowledge of God and confidence in God. Know thyself first, then your attempt to know the world will be rendered simple.