Epilogue

On 20th October 1940, Sathya Narayana was fourteen years old when He made the monumental statement, to His brother, Seshama, that his mission was to begin. Returning from school to His brother's house, throwing His books aside and stating, to His astonished sister-in-law, "I do not belong to you. I am leaving. I have work ahead. Those devoted to Me are calling Me. The task for which I came is yet unfinished. I am starting now." He continued, later, "The illusion has gone. I am no more yours. I am Sai Baba, remember." With that, He left the house and proceeded to a neighbour's garden, and sat under a tree, thus marking the start of His Mission as the Avatar of the New Age.

Sathya's brother expressed loving concern for Him, wrote telling Him of the ways of the world, the weaknesses of people, about the dangers of fame and its attandant evil.

Sathya wrote the following historic response:
"My dear One! I received the communication that you wrote and sent; I found in it the surging floods of your devotion and affection, with the undercurrents of doubt and anxiety. Let Me tell you that it is impossible to plumb the hearts and discover the natures of jnanis, yogis, ascetics, saints, sages and the like. People are endowed with a variety of characteristics and mental attitudes; so, each one judges, according to his own angle, talks and argues in the light of his own nature. But, we have to stick to our own right path, our own wisdom, our own resolution without getting affected by popular appraisal. As the proverb says, it is only the fruit-laden tree that receives the shower of stones from passers-by. The good always provoke the bad into calumny; the bad always provoke the good into derision. This is the nature of this world. One must be surprised if such things do not happen."

"The people too have to be pitied, rather than condemned. They do not know. They have no patience to judge aright. They are full of lust, anger and conceit to see clearly and know fully. So, they write all manner of things. If they only knew, they would not talk or write like that. We, too, should not attach any value to such comments and take them to heart, as you seem to do. Truth will certainly triumph some day. Untruth might appear to overpower Truth, but its victory will fade away and Truth will establish itself."

"It is not the way of the great to swell when people offer worship, and shrink when people scoff. As a matter of fact, no sacred text lays down rules to regulate the lives of the great, prescribing habits and attitudes that they must adopt. They themselves know the path they must tread; Their wisdom regulated and makes their acts holy. Self-reliance, beneficial activity -- these two are their special marks. They may also be engaged in the promotion of the welfare of devotees and in allotting them the fruits of their actions. Why should you be affected by tangle and worry, so long as I am adhering to these two? After all, the praise and blame of the populace do not touch the Atma, the Reality; they can touch only the outer physical frame."

"I have a 'Task': To foster all mankind and ensure for all of them lives full of Ananda. I have a 'Vow': To lead all who stray away from the straight path, again into goodness and save them. I am attached to a 'Work' that I love: To remove the sufferings of the poor and grant them what they lack. I have 'reason to be proud', for I rescue all who worship and adore Me, aright. I have My definition of the 'Devotion' I expect: Those devoted to Me have to treat joy and grief, gain and loss, with equal fortitude. This means that I will never give up those who attach themselves to Me."

"When I am thus engaged in My beneficial task, how can My Name be ever tarnished, as you apprehend? I would advise you not to heed such absurd talk. Mahatmas do not acquire greatness through someone calling them so; they do not become small, when someone calls them small. Only those low ones who revel in opium and ganja but claim to be unexcelled Yogis, only those who quote scriptural texts to justify their gourmandry and pride, only those who are dry-as-dust scholars exulting in their casuistry and argumentative skill, will be moved by praise or blame."

"You must have read life-stories of saints and Divine personages; in those books, you must have read of even worse falsehoods and more heinous imputations cast against them. This is the lot of Mahatmas, everywhere, at all times. Why then do you take these things so much to heart? Have you not heard of dogs that howl at the stars? How long can they go on? Authenticity will soon win."

"I will not give up My Mission, nor My determination. I know I will carry them out; I treat the honour and dishonour, the fame and blame that may be the consequence, with equal equanimity. Internally, I am unconcerned, I act but in the outer world; I talk and move about for the sake of the outer world and for announcing My coming to the people; else I have no concern even with these."

"I do not belong to any place; I am not attached to any name. I have no 'mine' or 'thine'. I answer whatever the name you use. I go wherever I am taken. This is My very first vow. I have not disclosed this to any one so far. For Me the world is something afar, apart. I act and move only for the sake of mankind. No one can comprehend My Glory, whoever he is, whatever his method of enquiry, however long his attempt."

"You can yourself see the full Glory in the coming years. Devotees must have patience and forbearance."

"I am not concerned nor am I anxious that these facts should be made known; I have no need to write these words; I wrote them because I felt you will be pained if I do not reply."

" Thus, your Baba."

Sathya Sai Baba Spoke Thus:

Fate:
The sacred Scriptures of this land loudly proclaim that the individual is the architect of his fate; high or low status in society, luxury or poverty, liberty or bondage. Whatever form the person craves for now while alive in this world, that form he attains after death. Therefore, it is clear that Karma decides birth, and that luxury or poverty, the character and attitude, the level of intelligence, the joys and griefs of this life are the earnings gathered during the previous life. The inference, therefore, is inevitable that the next life of the individual will be in consonance with the activities prompted by the level of Karma in this life.

Sadhana of Love:
You wear coloured glasses and see everything through these glasses. Correct your vision; the world will be corrected. Reform yourselves; the world will be reformed. You create the world of your choice. You see many, because you seek the many, not the one. Try to subsume the many in the one: the physical bodies of yourself and others, the family, the village, the community, the state, the nation, the world. Thus, you will progressively march on towards more and more inclusive loyalties and reach the stage of unity in thought, word and deed. This is the Sadhana of Love, for Love is expansion, inclusion and mutualisation. The individual has to become universalised, expanded until he embodies the entire creation.

In pursuit of Money:
Man has been enslaved by money. He lives a superficial, hollow, artificial life. This is indeed a great pity. Man should seek to possess only as much money as is most essential for his living. The quantity of riches one earns, must be compared to the shoes one wears; if too small, they cause pain; if too big, they are a hinderance to physical and mental comfort. When we have more, it breeds pride, sloth and contempt for others. In pursuit of money, man descends to the level of the beast. Money is of
the nature of manure. Piled up in one place, it pollutes the air. Spread it wide; scatter it over fields, it rewards you with a bumper harvest. So too, when money is spread in all the four quarters for promoting good works, it yields contentment and happiness in plenty.

The Sai "Religion":
The Sai "Religion", is the essence of ALL faiths and religions including those like Islam, Christianity and Judaism. The motive behind the foundation and propagation of all these different faiths is the same, in all cases.

When each Religion plans to extend its influence, it has to resort to vilification of others and exaggeration of its own excellences. Pomp and publicity become more important than practice and faith. But, Sai wants that the votarees of each must cultivate faith in its own excellences and realise their validity by their own intense practice.

All of you who have entered the Sathya Sai Organisation, if anyone asks you what is the Religion of Sathya Sai and of the Sathya Sai Organisation, you must have the courage and the determination to say with one voice, that "the essence of all Religions, is the Religion of Sathya Sai Organisation."

Let the different faiths exist, let them flourish and let the glory of God be sung in all the languages, and in variety of tunes. That should be the Ideal. Respect the differences between the faiths and recognise them as valid as long as they do not extinguish the flame of Unity.

God Is Love:
Start the Day with Love; Spend the Day with Love; Fill the Day with Love;

End the Day with Love; That is the Way to God.

Love alone can reveal the Divinity latent in all. Love is God. Live in Love. Love lives by giving and forgiving; Selfishness is lovelessness. Do not waste your life pursuing the narrow interests of the self. Love! Love! Become what you truly are, -the embodiments of Love. No matter how others treat you or what they think of you, do not worry. Follow Jesus christ. Love for your own evolution and not for what others say. Do not imitate others. Cultivate your own life.You have your own heart, your own opinion, your ideas, your own will. Why then imitate? Imitation is human, they say; but Creation is Divine. Follow your chosen path. Let your own Experience of God be your guide and master. Do not go into the grave, weakly copying others. You won't find God if you search in the outside world. Your own heart shining with Love is God's Love. Follow the Master, face the Devil, fight to the end and finish the game. You are God. The true you is God.