Living with God is True Education

Prof. G. Nageswara Rao, was a student and Research Scholar (from 1982 to 1988), and currently heads the Department of Chemistry at the Shri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus.

Sri Sathya Sai University is a center for the learning of academic knowledge and yearning for spiritual wisdom. In this Institute, we learn both secular and spiritual education. Both are required like the two wings of a bird to fly safely and comfortably at any altitude. One is for living and the other is for life itself. Sri Sathya Sai, the sadguru, [true teacher] teaches us this right type of education ‘educare’, by His practice and precept.

Bhagavan says, “Sadgunambulu Sadbuddhi Sathyanirati Bhakti Krama Shikshana Kartavya Palanambulu Nerpunade Vidya.” (Education is one that imparts virtues, good intellect, and adherence to truth, devotion, and discrimination, discipline, and duty consciousness.)

Furthermore, good education confers humility, humility ensures credibility, credibility brings wealth, wealth induces charity, and charity confers peace and joy here and hereafter.

Sadgunambulu (virtue)

Among the virtues, forgiveness (kshama] is a noble one. Swami showed this when a lady devotee invited Him for lunch/ tea to her house and served poisoned vadas [dumplings]. Swami partook and came back home, His body became blue, and He vomited the eaten vadas as a whole. The lady followed Swami and observed this. Swami’s reaction to the lady was one of love. She realized her mistake and asked for forgiveness. The Lord forgave her, and later she became a devotee.

Once Swami procured a bus. The dealer took money but supplied a substandard bus. The bus was not worth the money paid by Swami. In His large heartedness the Lord did not take any action against the supplier.

Sadbuddhi (good intellect)

Cultivation of discrimination between good and evil, truth and untruth, is culture. It is also the removal of one’s evil thoughts, evil feelings, and evil qualities. Culture is the realization of the inherent Divinity in man and making it manifest in one’s way of life. Swami gives us the example of Dattatreya. Lord Dattatreya went to the seashore. He observed the ocean throwing out any leaf or particle (falling into the ocean) on to the shore. When asked, the ocean replied, “If it admits dust into it, in course of time the entire ocean will be filled with garbage, changing its very face.”

Sathvanirati (adherence to truth]

It was in the summer of 1989 that Swami took some of us to Kodaikanal. One day Swami was talking about hostel food and the kitchen. He asked me, “What is the monthly expenditure on milk, and daily how much milk is procured for the hostel?”

I told Swami, “I don’t know.” Swami said, “That is good. If you don’t know something you can state that you don’t know. One should not pretend as if one knows.” Adherence to truth also means to keep the word one has given.

Once a lady whose husband had been killed by Naxalites [Communists] came to Swami. Swami gave her solace during the interview and assured her that he would take care of her children. Swami gave seats in the college for her two sons. They completed their MBA in Swami’s Institute and currently are settled in good jobs. Once anybody says, “I am yours”, the Lord will take care and protect him wherever he is. The Lord speaks the truth. To be more precise, whatever the Lord speaks, is the truth.

Bhakti (devotion)

Devotion is love for God and love for the self within. It means that we should see God in all beings and love them as manifestations of God by showing compassion. Bhagavan fosters love in us. At first, He gives us what we want so that, in course of time, as we develop love for Him, we love what He gives us. . His protection and assurance in times of difficulties and adversities give us hope and we develop love for Him. Once in Kodaikanal, as usual, all students sat with Swami and had food. One of the students was suffering from fever and did not eat his food. Swami observed this and asked him about his health. Swami then went to the kitchen, brought a glass of milk, and asked him to drink.

As one develops devotion to God, one sees God in all beings and loves them. This is the real attitude of spirituality. This love must manifest as service to our fellow beings. We can see His spirit of service for His entire life is spent in the service of mankind. The Lord wants or does nothing for Himself. Whatever He does, speaks, or thinks is for the good of the entire humanity. All the service activities and projects undertaken by Swami are expressions of His Divine love. He demonstrates and shows us His ideals, so that we can follow His example.

Love is sacrifice. The, spirit of sacrifice is very important. As it is said in the Vedas [sacred texts] ‘Nakarmana Naprajaya Dhanena Thyagenaike Ammritatwamanashu’ (Not by action, progeny, or wealth, but by sacrifice alone one can attain immortality) Real sacrifice is giving up bad qualities—like desire, anger, etc.

The Lord is absolutely pure and selfless. As Swami says, “I have no selfishness. I am selfless from top to toe.” Out of His love and compassion for His devotees, He takes our suffering upon Himself and undergoes that suffering. A student was suffering from asthma. He was called for an interview and during the course of the interview, the boy prayed to Swami to relieve him of his pain. Swami looked at him. His eyes were filled with love and kindness. The student started feeling that his breathing problem was decreasing, but now the Lord was breathing with difficulty. The student prayed to Swami, “Please don’t take my disease; I can’t see You suffering like this.” The Lord said, “What you have to suffer for years, I can take upon Myself and finish the suffering in a few minutes.”

Swami’s compassion is not limited only to humans but also to animals and birds— like Sai Geeta (Swami’s pet elephant), Sai Kishore (Swami’s pet camel), deer, pigeons, parrots, etc. and to all beings in this world, which is possible only for an Avatar.

Krama Shikshana (discipline)

A fence is required around a sapling for protection. Swami says discipline is like the fence to the sapling of spirituality. As He puts it: in the army, firing and parade are common and everybody has to learn these two activities. Similarly, for members of Sai Organization, discipline and devotion are a must. Like a physical director, He demonstrates and teaches. Earlier, when any program was announced, Swami used to come half an hour before the time.

Kartavya Palanamu (duty)

In the Gita, Lord Krishna says, “I have nothing to gain in the three worlds. Still I act and do things to set an ideal, for common people look up to great ones.” Lord Sai also has nothing to gain but He is always engaged in activity for the welfare of the society. He diligently and lovingly performs actions that are divine. Years ago, Swami sent word that He would speak to the members of the faculty of the University. On the appointed day, He was not feeling well. The late Sri Radhakrishna, who was helping Swami in His room, requested that Swami postpone the trip as He was not well. Swami said that He had given His word and accordingly He would go and speak to them. He came to the college five minutes before the scheduled time.

Thus, the Lord sadguru teaches us by precept and example and gives us the right education (spiritual education). Likewise, a Sai student is one who imbibes all these qualities and shines forth as an example to humanity.

~Prof. G. Nageswara Rao
Source: Sai Nandana 2010 (85th Birthday Offering)
Sathya Sai with Students