Public meeting

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:

I offer my deepest thanks to Sri Sathya Sai Baba, My Spiritual Master for the opportunity to be here with you and for the honour of allowing me to speak about his Life, Works and Spiritual Message and how to apply these to our daily lives

I extend the warmest welcome to you and my appreciation for attending this meeting.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba's message is the clearest, most profound and brilliant explanation of what our life is, what our purpose is and how we can realize it.

Sai Baba - along with all great Spiritual Masters who have ever lived and are currently living on this planet - tells us that ALL IS GOD.

That the World is God's manifestation.

The word Universe itself contains the secret of this Truth - Universe means Unity in Diversity.

God is the Father of all men, and therefore, as sons of a single God, we are all brothers and sisters, so, it is appropriate for me to address you as: dear brothers and sisters.

This conference, then, is a family gathering!

Allow me to share with you a possible explanation of why we are gathered here today, over and above the obvious one that you have come because you were interested in the topic of this meeting.

On the path of Evolution, all beings arrive at a point in which they feel extremely dissatisfied with their lives. The mundane answers - based as they are, on a belief that their body and their mind are their true self - seem incomplete, and they experience a feeling of emptiness at the prospect of continue to base the meaning of their lives on satisfying the never-ending demands of sensual pleasures and enjoyment.

All individuals arrive at a point in which there is a feeling of rejection towards superficiality and a life based on the narrow confines of "me and mine", arising out of the deepest core of their being.

It is then that the search for answers begins - answers that are firmer, more complete and in synch with the clamour of their inner conscience.

This is the moment we begin our spiritual journey - when we begin to seek that which gives true meaning to our lives. It is at this point that we may define ourselves as Spiritual Seekers.

When we direct our search and our vision inward, when we understand that man's internal reality cannot be known by exploring the external world, then we become Spiritual Aspirants.

The time will come in our lives when we find our Guide and Master, when His message is the Light that shows us the way, and, trusting in Him, we surrender to His teachings and Guidance. This is the stage at which we may refer to ourselves as Devotees of God

Sai Baba tells us that what is important is not so much to love God or to say that we love God, but rather to live in such a way that we become deserving of God's Love. It is at that moment that we can truly call ourselves, Devotees of God.

We are all here today in this Theatre, because we find ourselves at some stage on this path, some more advanced than others, but all already firmly established on the spiritual path. We have arrived at this Theatre not in response to a friend's invitation or to the notices publicizing this event. We have arrived here brought by our souls' yearning for answers and to find the impetus that will bring us closer to the goal.

All the Great Masters are powerful magnets to which our souls are drawn by a force much more powerful than any earthly magnetism. This force is the power of Spiritual love, a pure and disinterested Love that our souls recognize well before our minds do.

When I first met Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1982, I had travelled to India motivated by curiosity and an interest in meeting a Spiritual teacher. When I first saw Him, my heart began to beat intensely, and I realized that my heart had recognized Him well before my mind did.

That is why the adage "Follow your heart" is so wise, because our hearts will never lead us astray. They are inspired in Truth and Love, while our minds waste time on superficial reflections and analysis.

Our hearts travel at the speed of Light, while our minds travel by cart.

These days, utilitarianism is the order of the day.

The unthinking indulgence in material pleasures and drugs, which exalt the ego only provide enjoyment to the senses and are slowly drowning the spirit. These are some of the traps that confuse human beings in this day and age.

But we are also witnessing a spiritual movement that is ever growing and advancing to the Light - a part of this which is gathered here today in this theatre, and is seeking answers to the age-old questions "Who Am I?, "Why am I here on this Planet?" "How can I realize the true purpose of my life?"

The teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba are a marvellous treatise on Practical Spirituality.

He tells us that true spirituality is not the sum of rituals and dogmas, but rather a way of life.

It involves freeing ourselves from bad qualities and adopting the Universal Human Values in all aspects of our lives.

The root of all problems facing human beings is selfishness. The cause of this selfishness is ignorance - ignorance of man's true identity.

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Human beings see themselves as their bodies and minds, completely identifying with their external selves. Their true inner nature remains hidden.

According to Sai Baba, those who chase after sense objects and are slaves to their passions have not attained true status as human beings. They may have a human form, but in reality, they are still at an evolutionary level more akin to animals than humans.

The journey of human evolution takes us on a path from an animal state in its initial stages, where a person has no sense of morality, to a state of being like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, with no concern for personal interests, who only lived to serve her fellowman.

Who is truly a human being in Sai Baba's eyes?

Those who live with coherence between their words, thoughts and actions.

Those who feel others' pain as their own,

Those who have a compassionate heart and a helping hand ever ready to serve.

His Message about the spiritual path can be summarized in a single phrase:

"Love All, Serve All" or also: "Hands that serve are more sacred than lips that pray"

Sri Sathya Sai Baba is a Spiritual Master who lives in Southern India, and who, over the last 64 years, has lived an exemplary life of service and disinterested love.

His Life is truly His Message.

His Works, His example, His messages are simple and perfect.

He speaks to our hearts and our hearts respond.

He tells us that Love must be put into action, that the best way of worshipping God is to serve our fellowman in need, in whom God is manifest.

Through His Life, His Works and His Teachings, Sri, Sathya Sai Baba gives us the answer to our question regarding the meaning and purpose of life and how to achieve it.

He tells us that we are all Divine, that Divinity is the essence of our being.

We are suffering from a very peculiar amnesia. Not knowing who we really are, we chase after mirages, believing that they will give us lasting Happiness.

But, just as the thirsty traveller in the desert runs after a mirage only to be disappointed upon discovering that it was not the spring he was expecting, so too we chase after unending desires, only to end up disappointed time and time again.

We have all experienced how these desires fail to quench our thirst. Barely moments after having attained them, we lose interest in their appeal and chase after new ones.

Why is this so? The answer is simple. What we find on the outside can never appease the yearning within.

The true objective of the search all humans are engaged in is Eternal Happiness, Peace and Unconditional Love.

We are all really looking to know ourselves. What are we doing here? What is our objective? What is the way out of this labyrinth?

All the teachings of the Great Masters are maps en route for the journey of life. All of them show us the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba has not come to start a new religion based on adoration of Himself.

He has come to inspire us, to give us the courage to put into practice in our daily lives, the teachings of the Masters whom we say we follow.

He has come to help us be better Christians, better Jews, better Muslims, better Hindus, better Buddhists, better devotees of the religion we say we profess.

He has come to helps us all live by following the Religion of Love, which is the basis for all Religions.

He tells us: "There is only one Caste, the Caste of Humanity, there is only one Language, the Language of the Heart, there is only one Religion, the Religion of Love, there is only one God and He is Omnipresent".

Sai Baba says that His Mission is that of lighting the lamp of Love in the hearts of all human beings and getting get that Light to melt the armour of separateness, thus allowing us all to recognize each other as brothers and sisters.

This new spiritual fraternity will be Paradise on earth.

Each one of us has to make a decision.

We have to assume our life's destiny,

We have to decide whether we are capable of finding meaning in our lives and succeed in making this human experience count.

The last day of our lives, we will all have to pass through a Final Judgement, the Judgement of our conscience, where we will receive the answer to the question of whether our lives had meaning.

Then, we will no longer be able to deceive ourselves, nor hide the truth. We will know whether we progressed in this school of life, whether we are closer to being like Mother Teresa or to a selfish being who only thinks in himself.

In our last moment, we won't be concerned with our bank accounts, nor with the fame we may have accrued. When our soul is face to face with itself and evaluates this opportunity it has had to live on earth, donning a human body, it will only find satisfaction if it feels that this experience has served to advance on the path of Goodness, which is the only true path of progress.

We are all born crying, but we have to live in such a way that at the last second we feel our soul's smile, telling us our Mission has been accomplished. We have graduated. Congratulations!

How do we achieve this progress?

All the Masters tell us that this is within everyone's reach. It is very easy. We only have to put Love into Action in our lives.

We have to fight against are internal enemies, against those expressions of basic ignorance where we feel that we are our bodies and our minds, and therefore, we are separate from others.

We must overcome lust, anger, attachment, greed, jealousy and the ego.

Then we will be truly victorious in life's struggle.

To find the strength that will allow us to emerge triumphant from this mammoth, most important task in our lives, Sai Baba recommends different spiritual practices:

*Meditation, service to our fellowman in need, remembrance of God's name, working to awaken Human Values in children and adults, and studying the Lives, Works and Teachings of the Great Masters of Humanity.

But, if we cannot do any of these things, Sai Baba tells us that, at least we must lead a life of righteousness and morality, applying the Universal Human values in all aspects of our lives.

We must live with truth, Love, Peace Righteousness and Non-Violence in thought word and deed.

These values are the most important vitamins that we must take every day.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba tells us that today man's values are inverted and that is why he cannot find Peace in his life.

Today, man loves sin, and fears God, while in reality he must fear sin and Love God. In this way he will have morality in this life and peace of mind.

If we only remembered more often the Omnipresence, Omnipotence and Omniscience of God, then our decisions would be wiser and more beneficial for us.

Swami says that to be saved on our spiritual path we must swim upstream, against the current. The current of the world draws our attention only to physical wellbeing, sensory pleasure and social prestige.

The spiritual current takes us to the source of our being.

Sai Baba urges us to live with our feet firmly on the ground and our heads high in the sky, i.e., He has not come to preach that we abandon our worldly responsibilities and retreat to a hermitage to meditate.

*He tells us to assume our responsibilities to our family, our friends and to society, but without forgetting God, without forgetting the basic Human Values.

*He tells us that material wellbeing is not an end in itself. It must be placed at the service of our spiritual needs.

Many ask themselves, "What is sin?" "What constitutes meritorious activity?"

Sai teaches us that any action, word, thought or feeling that delays our awareness of God in the World, and the Advance of Goodness, which is another name for God, that is a sin.

And, on the other hand, any action, thought, word, or feeling that promotes awareness of God, and Goodness and Love in the world, that is meritorious!

When a doubt arises in our lives as to whether our actions are proper or not, we can put them through this sieve, and ask ourselves these questions: Will it benefit everyone? Will it cause any harm? Is it worthy of being offered upon the altar of God who dwells within the other person?

In answering these questions we will have a practical and simple guide for living correctly.

Another fundamental principle Sai Baba recommends that we follow in order to develop Love in our Lives and our hearts, is as follows:

We must look at the other person's faults - no matter how large - and see them as insignificant and we must consider our own faults- no matter how small - as enormous and place all our attention, energy and effort to change them. If to this we add always remembering God's Omnipresence, Sai Baba assures us that each day we will feel more love in our hearts.

In this way we will progress on our Spiritual paths, the true path of life, and the day will come when we will feel our neighbour's joy or pain as our own.

Sai Baba urges us to consider each minute of our lives as a precious and sacred Gift of God, which we must put to greatest use and longest-lasting benefit.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba says we must never waste time in useless chatter, talking ill of others, reading debilitating novels or listening to terrible news in the newspapers, watching movies that disturb our peace of spirit and purity of mind or associate with bad company.

* Sai Baba tells us that we were born in Love, we must live in Love, and expand the limits of our Love day by day to include ever more people, until one day we include all of Humanity.

• Sai Baba assures us that when we understand the meaning of our lives, each step will be the right step that takes us closer to our goal.

For Sai, Righteousness is broadening the horizons of our compassion, which will, of necessity, promote the sum of all Human Happiness.

Let us be a positive force on this Planet, this is Sathya Sai Baba's request and advice to us.

Many ask themselves about the announcements Sai Baba may have made about the future of Humanity.

There is nothing to worry about. Sri Sathya Sai Baba has announced that NO nuclear holocaust or ecological disaster awaits Humankind that would end life on this planet as we know it.

On the contrary, he announces a bright and luminous future where the Human values will prevail in the relationships of all beings.

Sai tells us that the solution to all the social, political, and economic problems facing our Planet today, will not be achieved by a new political, social or economic system, but rather by the awakening of a new consciousness, which is already being seen in all countries, and which usher an Era of cooperation and Unity.

This new consciousness is increasing day by day, and very soon will achieve critical mass sufficient enough for the change to be felt by all and that will allow us to see and live this new era of love and brotherhood.

This era is much closer than we can imagine and each one of us will be participants, witnesses and instruments in this venturous change - this marvellous process of transformation of the Humanity's consciousness.

Throughout the Eras, Humanity has witnessed the manifestation of beings who were born among men and brought peace and harmony to a world full of tension.

They preached and practiced a simple life and elevated thinking, giving us the Answer to man's eternal quest.

Why do so many people come to Sri Sathya Sai Baba?

He is know world-wide as the Man of Miracles, for His materializations, which I have witnessed on numerous occasions. These are His "calling cards", as Sai says, His the way of calling and getting people's attention, so that they can become interested in what he really wants to give them, i.e. Spiritual Knowledge!

He is also known for His healings, which I have also witnessed, (He even cured me on more than one occasion) and for his Omniscience of the lives of those who come to Him.

Many approach Him, motivated by curiosity for the materializations, others due to health concerns, still others attracted by His Wisdom, but the essential reason is that each soul finds different excuses to get close to a true Master who will guide it from Darkness into Light, from the Unreal to the Real and from Death to Immortality.

Why does Sri Sathya Sai have so many followers in all countries of the World?

Simply because He lives the Love He preaches, because His Actions and His Message reach the hearts of sincere spiritual seekers who, upon getting in touch with Him, either with His physical form or with His message, begin an irreversible process of spiritual transformation. Very few of His followers have had the opportunity to travel to India and be in the physical presence of Sai Baba, but practically all of them have felt his Presence, Guidance, Protection and Love in their lives. These manifest in different ways, but they are very evident to the persons receiving them, and for that reason, their hearts open and a determination arises in them to change for the better.

When people get to know Sathya Sai Baba, they receive His Divine Touch. They have that direct experience, which, when it reaches us, changes our lives. Our minds and hearts get purified and the highest ideals and values arise in us.

This is the power of Sai, His greatest miracle, that of transmuting the minds and hearts of so many beings, who, once they know Him, yearn to be better people, to make their lives meaningful, using their time to serve their fellowmen and thus live in a more humane manner.

Thus, He changes our sense of values, and spiritual values become our practical way of living our lives on a day-to-day basis.

Sai Baba impels us to live spirituality as a practical, simple, concrete way of life.

Sri Sathya Sai is an incredible force of Love, that is taking us towards kindness, and inspiring millions all over the world, increasing in them the determination to be forces of good in the world, both for themselves and others.

I always like to use the metaphor that Sai Baba pays, ("Paga" in Spanish) because the P stands for constant Protection , A stands for constant Learning, G stands for constant Guidance, and A stands for constant Love,

My wish is for all of you to experience this Pay of Sai in your lives.

Sai does not ask anyone for anything - neither their devotion, nor their money nor their obedience. He only asks that we be loving to one another, that we live according to the dictates of our conscience, that we be Light of the World.

He has undertaken magnanimous Works of Service to Humanity, setting an example for us to emulate,

showing us that it is possible to have a different way of living in the world,

That which seems impossible to us, is not. That which our souls have always yearned for, is within our reach.

It only requires a personal decision on our part. God will take care of the rest.

Let us take one step towards Him, and God's Eternal promise to man will be fulfilled: He will take 100 steps towards us and walk by our side. He will not miss that appointment!!!

Distinguished audience, dear brothers and sisters, thank you for your attention. I ask God:-

-that we may all fulfil our destiny and collaborate to ensure that all beings reach theirs;

-that our true nature is expressed in the brilliance of our eyes, in the smile on our lips and in our works, thoughts and actions.

-that each of your lives be filled with Happiness and that you feel God's constant presence in your lives.

May God Bless You!

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