Social Consciousness
In the following thought Swami talks about social consciousness and the transformation of all human. He says:
The rich as well as the poor come to Sai Baba to seek love, peace, and liberation from their problems or troubles. My prescription to them is absolute selflessness and desirelessness. To the poor, this is a natural state or condition, so My love flows to them to embrace their devotion. Thus they obtain My grace. The rich, on the other hand, cannot secure this grace without surrendering their materialistic outlook and selfish attachments. So it becomes obligatory for them to sacrifice material greed to receive spiritual grace.
Digest 2, p. 247
It is so easy for the poor to stay poor, to eat with the poor and play with the poor and continue to take on the suffering and problems of the poor. And it’s so easy for the rich to be with the rich and eat with the rich and play with the rich and forget about the poor. It is uncommon and very difficult for the rich to live with the poor, to eat with the poor, to take on the problems and sufferings of the poor. But this is what I’m telling you to do. Go to the poor, live with the poor, be with the poor the helpless, the suffering, and serve them.
Digest 2, p. 239
Every individual must be taught to think and work in the broader concept of society and its needs. Once that is done, there will be less talk, more work. Here again, it is the spiritual path that can save the world from the wrongs of a materialistic order. What we need is a synthesis of the spiritual and material aspects of life. That will provide man with social consciousness and cooperative spirit imperative to the creations of national wealth and prosperity through selfless, cooperative labor.
Digest 2, p. 225
A revolution, more powerful and pervasive than any that man has undergone so far—political, economic, scientific, nor technological, but deeper and more basic, is now on. It is the spiritual revolution; the revolution has love as both its means and end. It will awaken the springs of love all over the world in the fields of education, morality, law, politics, commerce, and science. It will inspire man to do loving service, revealing the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. Everyone, of whatever faith, status or where he lives, can share in this revolution an instrument for the liberation of mankind from its own ignorance. It sharpens the inner vision of man so that he can see his atmic reality. Its impact will surely envelop and enrich all human communities and transform mankind into a stream of sadhakas [aspirants] flowing smoothly to the limitless sea of divinity. India was for centuries teaching the world the ideals of unity, peace, and tolerance, and once again, she has to take the lead in this spiritual revolution.
Digest, p. 278
