Sai Pearls of Wisdom 43-B “LESSONS TO LEARN FROM AVATAR"  (With Subtitles).
Channel: Sai Pearls of Wisdom - Prof. Anil Kumar Kamaraju
Date: 2023-06-03

We all know that we have Education Wing functioning in our system of Sathya Sai Organization. The Education Wing comprises Balavikas or you may call SSE – Sathya Sai Education as in the West. And it also includes Study Circles, Educare, Education in Human Values, so on and so forth. 

I am not involved in any of these wings today as I retired long back. However, my 50 years of association with the Sai Organization forces me to share with you some of my views and ideas. 

The main purpose of Avatar is to set before us an ideal life by His own example - like Rama, like Krishna. All incarnations, all Avatars, noble souls, saints or seers or prophets, their lives are exemplary and we have to learn from their lives, from their biography, the way how to conduct ourselves, emulate their example and share the values that we learn from their biography. 

Perhaps it is not necessary to go in detail (on) all these aspects but I will only highlight the major points for those who are involved in Education Wing, (who) can elaborate, can dive deep into the subject, do some research and improve our quality in our presentation. 

Before I start, let me be very clear that today we have a generation of children who are quite different from the past; and two, we are one among the many of the contemporary spiritual organizations spread all over the world doing similar activity. Three, children today are very inquisitive, logical, rational, scientific in their thinking. 

During my travels abroad, I have learnt many things -- how sharp the children are, how intelligent they are! Therefore, our presentation should be in tune with the times that we live in. So it is completely left to you to elaborate every point that I would like to bring to your notice. The bottom line is that we have to learn, learn and learn, continue to learn from the lives of these Avatars or incarnations! 

The first and foremost point is Bhagavan laid emphasis on vegetarianism. He wants us to be vegetarians. This He declared in the Hill View Stadium on His birthday. 

Bhagavan had a natural aversion for non-vegetarian dishes from His childhood. Invariably, He would later repair return to His grandfather Kondama Raju and eat with him. The aged grandparents took great pride in feeding their saintly little grandson. The neighbours called Him ‘Brahma Jnani’ because of His aversion to violence and love towards all creation.

When the village urchins would carry a hen hanging upside down or kick a dog in Sathya’s presence, Sathya would feel miserable. Yet He would never complain to anyone about it. He avoided places of animal slaughter and fishing yards. When a bird was selected as a future meal, Sathya Narayana, the little boy, would run towards it, clasp it to His bosom and fondle it as if the extra love poured on it would induce the elders to relent and spare the fowl. 

So vegetarianism should be a discipline that’s followed by Sai devotees and this has to be further propagated.

And second thing, as I travelled with Him many times, I noticed that He cannot bear the sight of any person suffering. He cannot see a beggar. He cannot see any person suffering from hunger. This is the kind of response that everyone should have towards the community. 

Today in this mechanical world, most of us are indifferent, impertinent and concentrate just on our career, and life is more or less self-centred. But the lesson that we can learn from Swami is to respond, to react when we find suffering anywhere. 

His heart would melt at human suffering too. Whenever a beggar appeared at the door and raised his cry, Sathya would stop His play and rush in to cajole His sisters to give the beggar some food. The adults were not willing to put up with this endless kindness to beggars. 

Sometimes, Eswaramma would catch hold of Him and with a finger raised in warning say, “Look here! You may give him food, but mind You, You will have to starve!” 

That would not daunt the child. He used to run inside and bring out food to the hungry man at the door, and stay away from His meal. Nothing and nobody could persuade Him to come to His plate which was left untouched! .........

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