Golden Jubilee Birthday Celebrations and Message of Sri Sathya Sai

Golden Jubilee Birthday Celebrations and Message of Sri Sathya Sai

The 50th Birthday celebrations were held at Prashanti Nilayam between 14th and 24th November, 1975. The All India Sathya Sai Seva Dal Conference (3rd) and the All India Bal Vikas Gurus Conference (3rd) were held at Prashanti Nilayam on 15th, 16th and 17th of November. The Rathotsavam started from Prashanti Mandir at 8.30 am on the 18th morning. Chandi Yaga was performed in the Divine Presence from the 19th to the 23rd of November. Swami performed the Poornahuti of the Yaga on 23rd morning.

The 2nd World Conference of Sri Sathya Sai Organisations was held in the Divine Presence at Prashanti Nilayam between the 19th and the 21st of November, 1975. A rally by the Bal Vikas students was held on the 22nd. At the conclusion of the World Conference on 22nd November, Swami nominated the following members as the Members of the Governing Body of the World Council of Sri Sathya Sai Organisations: Sri Indulal H. Shah, Dr. J. Hislop, Dr. K. Pani, Sri S. Sitaram, The Rajmata of Navanagar, Dr. Bhagavantam, Sri Sohanlal, Sri Balesingham and Mrs. Natalie Santos.

Swami blessed the devotees with His Darshan from a helicopter on 23rd morning. When the helicopter landed, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Sri Vengala Rao received Swami. Swami accompanied by the Chief Minister then moved in a procession to the Sarva Dharma Aikya Stupa. The Stupa was then inaugurated by the Chief Minister. On 23rd evening, Members of Sathya Sai Central Trust; the State Presidents of Sri Sathya Sai Organisation from India and all over the world; Sri T. A. Pai, Minister for Heavy Industries and Civil Supply; Sri Subbarayudu and Sri Sagi Suryanarayana Raju, Ministers of Govt. of Andhra Pradesh; offered their homage at the Lotus Feet of Swami at Poornachandra Auditorium. Swami then delivered His Birthday Message. He said: 

“A person who has mastered-Vedas (ancient spiritual revelations) and Vedanta (metaphysics of the Supreme Reality) might be honoured as a Pandit (learned scholar). Another might be praised for his brilliant writings in both prose and verse. But if such scholars have neither purity of consciousness nor elevating Ideals, their capacities will result in more harm than good. They will promote neither happiness of the people nor peace in society. They will pass through life without the awareness of its sanctity or sublimity. The Lord blessed the boy Dhruva, appreciating his Innocence and his steadfast faith in Him. The Lord saved Prahlaada from direct disasters planned by his own father, for the boy had surrendered to Him and placed unshakeable trust in His Mercy. The Lord showered Grace on Kuchela who suffered from agonising poverty because he never once faltered in his devotion to Him. The Lord is the refuge of all who seek refuge, the saviour of all who have to be saved. He is the Embodiment of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Being- Awareness-Bliss Absolute). He is now at Puttaparthi as the Effulgent Emperor over the region of Truth, Goodness and Beauty.

Today man’s behaviour is really artificial

Life sustained by food is short; life sustained by the Aatman (Divine Spirit) is eternal. Do not lay claim to long life, but to Divine life. Do not pine for more years on earth, but for more virtues in the heart. The Buddha knew and made known to the world the truths: Everything is grief. Everything is empty. Everything is brief. Everything is polluted. So the wise man has to do the duties cast upon him with discrimination, diligence and detachment. Play the role, but keep your identity unaffected. Have your head in the forest ashram (retreat), unaffected by the aimlessly rushing world. But it is your duty, a duty you cannot escape, to fully engage yourself in your work, unconcerned with loss or gain, failure or success, slander or praise. The Geeta instils this very lesson In you: “Whoever does Upasana with no thought other than Me, him I shall have with Me; I shall bear his burden now and forever.” The Geeta says, “Keeping Me ever in memory, engage yourself in the battle of Life.” 

This ‘Me’ to which Krishna refers is not something outside you or extraneous to you. It is your own Divine Reality which you can cognise in the silence of your own Dhyana (meditation), when you shut out of your awareness the distraction of the senses, the mind and the ego. You can take refuge in the calm coolness of your heart where He has installed Himself as the Charioteer. You must only engage yourself in work that is purifying, with an attitude that sanctifies. Most people do not know how to set about on this most rewarding adventure. They waste their lives in sorrow, wading through disappointment and despair, for they cling to something as theirs and treat something else as belonging to others. They grab and grieve, and labour to acquire and lose. Desire multiplies desire, and man sinks deeper Into discontent and distress. The behaviour is really artificial; it does not conform to man’s real nature, the prompting of his Atman, which is Divine. In the universal, eternal sea of change, the Atman alone is above change.

All differences are apparent, not real

In creation, in the objective world, no one article is like any other. No two human beings are similar in every respect; there is some twist or turn which distinguishes one from the rest. Each has his own peculiar experiences. Immense diversity prevails. Nor is an individual the same for any length of time. The infant changes into a child, then into a boy, an adolescent, an adult, and soon becomes middle-aged, old, decrepit and, finally, senile.

In one single day the Individual Is changed into a wakeful person, a dreamer and a sleeping log! So man must seek refuge in the changeless, the Paramatman (Supreme Reality), from which all variety emerges, and into which it merges. Then only can be secure peace and contentment. The past is past; do not lose time looking back on the road you have traversed. Look forward, deciding to march on with confidence and courage. Take the first step NOW. Tomorrow may be too late.

Repeat to yourself the truth that the world is as much God as heaven is. There are no two distinct entities or categories called material and spiritual. All distinctions are apparent, not real. Sai has drawn the old and the young to Himself and every one of them has Sai in his heart. The scriptures of different creeds – the Bible, the Quran, the Upanishads (philosophy of the Vedas, the Zend-Avesta, appear different, but their aim is the same: to establish the Brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God as the basis for the peace of mankind. No creed need put on airs of superiority as each is shaped by the compulsions of time and space, of language and levels of experience. You are all members of the Sai Family, bound by the religion of Love. Though ostensibly you profess to belong to different faiths, faith in Sai has removed the barriers in your minds. Love is God. Live in Love.

Love must express itself as service

Your Atman, which you mistake to be your body, your senses, your mind, your intellect, etc., can have no sorrow or Joy. It has no death, no birth. It is eternal and unchanging. What you judge as joy or sorrow is only like a passing cloud which cannot affect the splendour of the Sun or Moon. Know that such emotions follow one another when the wheel of life turns round from moment to moment. The sea has water that cannot quench thirst, but it has also pearl and coral. You have to get toughened by the hammer strokes of Joy and sorrow until you are unaffected by the vicissitudes of fortune.

This year you have named My birthday the ‘Golden Jubilee’ of the Avatar (divine Incarnation), and gathered in vast numbers from all parts of the world. I am sure you have benefitted by the Satsang (holy company). I do not accost one particular date in the calendar as My birthday, for I consider the day when Divinity blossoms in your heart as My birth-day in you. Therefore each of you should individually celebrate such a day as My birthday. The day when you resolve to practise My advice, to follow My directives, to translate My message into acts of service, and to engage in Sadhana, that day is My birthday for you. The 23rd day of November which you now honour as the day on which I was born, is only like any other day if you celebrate it in a routine, ritual fashion. Adore man; the adoration reaches Me. Neglect man; you neglect Me. Of what avail is it to worship the Lord and to suppress man, His counterpart? Love for God must be manifested as Love for man, and Love must express itself as service.

Through Love alone, Love acquired through Sadhana, and shared with all as Sadhana can peace be attained, by the individual as well as by the nation. My Life is My Message and My Message is Love. That explains why you have gathered hither in hundreds of thousands.”

Swami gave Darshan seated in the Jhoola on the 24th night. It was during the 50th Birthday celebrations that Swami most graciously permitted the Sathya Sai Organisation worldwide to hold the 24 hour Akhanda Bhajan on the same day at the same time globally. It was to commence at 6.30 pm on the second Saturday of November and end at 6.30 pm on Sunday. 

-Devotional India

Golden Jubilee Birthday Celebrations and Message