Living with Purpose: Lessons from Sathya Sai Baba
By Mahesh Mahadevan
Life is a Challenge, Meet It; Life is Love, Enjoy It; Life is a Game, Play It. – Sathya Sai Baba
Being a big sports lover, I instantly connected with this quote from Sathya Sai Baba inspiring us to play the game of life in the right spirit, but what is this spirit?
Sathya Sai Baba is one of the most revered spiritual teachers in the world, who has inspired millions to live moral, purposeful lives rooted in the practice of unconditional love and selfless service to all. I began diving into Sathya Sai’s teachings more than 20 years ago through my participation in the activities of the Sri Sathya Sai International Organization (SSSIO) – a spiritual and humanitarian organization founded by Sathya Sai Baba with presence in over 110 countries, that engages in a wide range of service and spiritual activities.
From Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings, I have understood that selfless service is the noblest path to spiritual growth. No matter how small the act of service should be performed with the right attitude and without any expectation of reward. He tells us: “This is my duty. I am born to serve – it is with such an attitude that we should take up service.” An act of service may seem small in itself, but it should be carried out with complete sincerity. Just as a cow turns everything it eats into sweet and nourishing milk, any service performed with a pure heart brings about the dual benefits of personal transformation and community upliftment.
Living by these ideals, Sathya Sai Baba’s own life was dedicated to the service of others through a wide range of humanitarian projects, all completely free of charge, such as: Hospitals providing world-class medical care; educational institutions offering outstanding academic and character-based education; clean drinking water projects serving millions of people; provision of essential services such as food, clothing, shelter and supplies to communities in need; and disaster relief support for those affected by natural calamities.
So, what is the spirit that we should foster as we play the game of life? The answer, I realized, lies in the quote itself; Life is Love, Enjoy It – through the very principle of LOVE.
Sathya Sai Baba further tells us that “Love lives by giving and forgiving; self lives by getting and forgetting. Love is self-lessness; selfishness is Lovelessness. Do not waste your life pursuing the narrow interests of the self. Love! Love!” Our love should not be confined to our kith and kin. It must extend beyond the family to society as a whole, then to the nation at large, and finally embrace the whole world. Leading a life free from self-interest, with a spirit of sacrifice and full of expansive love, ultimately leads us to true lasting happiness through the realization of oneness – the awareness that the same Divinity lives within each and everyone of us.
Sathya Sai Baba declared His mission as the spiritual regeneration of humanity: “I have come to light the lamp of love in your hearts,” he said, “to see that it shines day by day with added luster.” Through his own life as an example, Sathya Sai Baba has created a spark in many around the world who are striving to follow his message to “Love All and Serve All.” “Sai Centers” (groups), including the Sri Sathya Sai Center of Austin serve as a spiritual hub where attendees have the option to participate in a variety of service, devotional, and spiritual-study activities, among others.
This November the Sri Sathya Sai International Organization (SSSIO) commemorates the 100th advent year of Sathya Sai Baba, honoring His life, message, and work. For more information about Sathya Sai Baba and the SSSIO, visit www.sssiousa.org, or contact the Sri Sathya Sai Center of Austin at saicenter.austin@gmail.com , (512) 8278187.