Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

This great motherland of ours has earned reputation going far beyond our boundaries. This great country has defeated western rulers and acquired freedom. This country has been known for its art and culture. It is known for her traditions and Sastras. People who are born in this land have the responsibility of maintaining the traditions and dharmic reputation. Young students, this responsibility is on you.

Without Sathya, Dharma, Prema and Shanthi whatever education you may have, the value of that education is zero. Without Sathya, Dharma, Prema and Shanthi whatever gifts you may give, their value is zero. Without Sathya, Dharma, Prema and Shanthi whatever positions of authority you may occupy, the result is zero, For the mansion of Sanatana Dharma, Sathya, Dharma, Prema and Shanthi constitute the four pillars of foundation. What other truth can I convey to you good people, who have assembled here.

Dear Students, boys and girls, teachers, people in positions of authority in the field of education:

Today, many problems are confronting us, and there are very few amongst our leaders who can help us clear the confusion. Every aspect and every sphere of life is full of problems. Even education is not able to help in the solution of these problems. The ideal which education is demonstrating has taken a crooked form.

The creative ability that should exist in the field of education has broken to pieces. Man is performing his journey along a path where he is not able to recognise the true aspect of human nature. Today, the entire field of education appears to be covered with a rough blanket. While eating our food out of such a rough blanket, it is foolish of us to think that our food should not contain any bits and pieces of cotton or fibre. If we think so, it will be an illusory belief on our part. The human nature of today is such that we are not able to see any spirit of sacrifice or adherence to truth in it. In these circumstances, the students should enter into the spheres of worldly matters, ethical and spiritual, and set themselves as ideal examples. In fact, these summer classes are arranged with that objective and hope. Truly, the essence of the right type of education is that it should give you the ability to stand on your own legs. Good education is to enable you to get rid of servitude in all aspects. The very object of correct education should be to enable you to have a vision of your divine self. When man loses his ability to sacrifice and his ability to conduct himself in a selfless manner, the education he receives will become utterly useless. So long as we depend only on economic prosperity, this will be our fate. What cannot be achieved through work, what cannot be achieved through wealth, can be achieved through sacrifice. The immortality that you wish, and the divinity that you wish to reach, can be achieved through sacrifice.

In Bharath, hard work is the main Yagna. We need a large number of people who are willing to do hard work. The determination to shed laziness and take to hard work and accept divinity should sprout in all of you. The culture of Bharath and the traditions of our country should evoke a spirit of faith and belief in us; and, thereby, we should recognise the sacredness of our own self. The field of politics, or material prosperity or even education cannot offer a short cut for us. Man’s broad mind, sacred views and hard work are very necessary and constitute the only path to take us to our destination. We must push away ego. We must accept sacredness. We must recognise the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. Only when we can take such a path, this sacred country of Bharath will prosper and march into glory. Students have to make a long journey in their life. Students should take courage, should take the divine path and become broadminded with good and helpful ideas. They should become heroes and remove injustice, unkindness, and untruth from the society. Students should not become cowards. They should push away their weaknesses and take a leap forward with faith in God and help society. If we can light one bright lamp in one house, the entire street will be lighted. In a similar manner, if each student has in his heart a bright light, there will then be no doubt whatsoever that the whole community will be led from darkness to light. Today, either for the weaknesses or for the faulty ideas in the minds of students, they are not responsible. Because in the tender minds and soft hearts of these students, outsiders make politics enter and the students get so excited. Students should decide for themselves what path they would like to take and what destination they would like to reach. They should guide their own conduct in consonance with that decision. They should regard service to community as their main objective. Discipline and adherence to sacred work must be promoted by students. Discipline is the most important path for the students. They should respect their parents and their motherland. For one month, in this peaceful place, you have listened to sacred ideas given to you by learned and pure-minded elders. What you have learnt here and what you have experienced here and the bliss that you have enjoyed here should be recapitulated by you in all your life. Truly, if you have any problems, you should make an attempt to solve them peacefully. You should not convert every problem into a violent situation. By having individual ideas and selfish interests, you should not bring blemish to the whole country. The peace of the world should be in your mind. There may be some problems in the case of individuals. This is natural for students. Control of their senses is most important. In fact, this is the basic difference between a man and an animal. Only if man can control his senses, can he be better than an animal. One should not let his mind go uncontrolled. One should control and train the mind in such a way that it will be subservient to him. For the process, an amount of Yoga is necessary. Students like you should promote a healthy and sacred mind. Only if you are able to do this, will our country be able to move along a prosperous path. If you go along the wrong path, the motherland will suffer a thousand times more than what your parents suffer, if you do not progress in your education. Every student should shape himself as an ideal example. I have told you many times that a damaged car which comes for repair and replacement of various parts like nuts, bolts, screws, etc., should, after repair, be in a good condition when it is sent back home. In a similar manner, you have all come here with the need for repair. You have come here a month ago as a damaged car. You have been repaired in this workshop and your old and mean ideas have been replaced. When you go back to your homes, you should try to move the car of your life with clean ideas and good conduct. You should no longer have evil vision, faulty words or bad thoughts. You should do good work and set yourself as an example to others. If after going home, you still conduct yourself with the same old bad habits, what is the benefit of coming to the summer classes? You will also be setting a bad example to your friends. You will have lost all goodwill. Your time, effort and physical strength will have been wasted and become unsacred. Students, what you have learnt, acquired and seen here during the past one month should be put into practice for the rest of your life. Many things which you should know and which you should accept in practice for your daily life have been taught to you in the last month. You should not think that the summer classes have come to an end. The education that you have to get is a continuous and life long one. Do not have the thought that from tomorrow we are bidding you farewell. This place always welcomes sacred ideas and sacred thoughts. If you have imprinted in your heart, the experiences that you have had here, the good that you have acquired here will always be with you. Spiritual aspects are well above worldly affairs. Wherever you go, the experience that you have had here will come to you in good stead and help you whenever you need them. Many elders have told you about ideals, and you should attempt to put them into practice. I am hoping that you will do so, and I bless you that you may be able to do so.