Teachings of Sai Baba continue to reverberate in hearts of millions: Aishwarya Rai
Puttaparthi (Andhra Pradesh), Nov 19 (IANS) Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on Wednesday said that the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba continue to reverberate in the hearts of millions of people worldwide.
She called upon people to rededicate themselves to Baba’s divine message of ‘love all, serve all’.
“As we celebrate 100 years of Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s blessed advent, may we all rededicate ourselves to his divine message – love all serve all. There is only one caste – the caste of humanity. There is only one religion – the religion of love. There is only one language – the language of the heart, and there is only one God, and he is omnipresent,” she said while addressing the centenary celebrations of Sathya Sai Baba here.
Aishwarya, a former student of the Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas programme in Mumbai, said that though a century has passed since Baba’s divine birth, his presence, his principles, his teachings, guidance, and his compassion continue to reverberate in the hearts of millions worldwide
“As I stand here today, with all humility and honesty, I can say that I always kept his divine message close to my heart and put it into practice in life. Once a Bal Vikas student, always a Bal Vikas student,” she said amid loud applause by hundreds of devotees and students of Sathay Sai Baba educational institutions.
She thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his participation in the centenary celebrations, saying his presence added sanctity and inspiration to the celebrations and “reminds us of Swami’s message that true leadership is service and service to man is service to God”.
Aishwarya said Sai Baba often spoke about the five Ds, five essential qualities needed for a meaningful, purposeful and spiritually anchored life. “Discipline, a mark of true human being, dedication, whatever you do, do it as an offering to God, devotion, true devotion is flow of love towards God, determination, once you have chosen a right path never turn back and discrimination, as in the ability to choose between right and wrong, truth and untruth which is very heart of spiritual life,” she said.
Aishwarya recalled Sai Baba’s words that education should not be for living, but it is and should be life.
“Sathya Sai Baba educational system is a shining example of this truth, from Bal Vikas programme to value-based schools and colleges and even a multi-disciplinary university serving thousands of students free of cost every year without discrimination and rooted in values.”
She said Baba gifted India and the world an unparalleled healthcare model.
Aishwarya noted that super speciality hospitals in Puttaparthi, Whitefield, Kolkata and Navi Mumbai provide world-class treatment free of cost to lakhs of people, proving “five Cs he always spoke compassion, charity, character, calmness and contentment, not commerce must drive caring for all humankind”.
“From historic drinking water mission that brought potable water to millions in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to global disaster relief, rural service and youth empowerment programmes, Sri Sathya Sai organisation has served without seeking reward, guided by Swami’s immortal words – ‘hands that serve are holier than lips that pray’,” she said.
Aishwarya said Bal Vikas was not just a weekly gathering.
“It was a positive space where values were not just thought but joyfully experienced. Those years were a divine training ground that moulded minds, hearts and spirit. We learnt that practising sathya, dharma, shanti, prema and ahimsa in thought, word and deed set the very foundation of all practices in life. As swami said, you are not one person but three. The one you think you are, the one that others think you are and the one who you truly are. True self is the athma. The divine reality within. Realise it and live it,” she said.
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