December 3rd, 2006
“Parallels between the Teachings of Sai Baba and Jesus”
(Part I)
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of our Beloved Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Christmas season has already started. December is a month of celebration and festivity, and people all over the world are very joyfully celebrating Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. Well, there are two more Sundays to go before we are ready for Christmas in Prashanti Nilayam. I would like to make it clear, my friends: I will be talking about Christmas on each of those Sundays. For instance, what is Christmas? What does it mean? What is Christ to me as a Sai devotee?
The theme of the talks will be the parallels between Christ’s teachings and Baba’s teachings, and the parallels between their missions. This also gives me the opportunity to study in depth the Holy Bible and the Sathya Sai discourses. The identity of these two Incarnations and the similarities between the two may be thus revealed to us – Jesus of those times and Sathya Sai Baba of today.
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
In preparation, I would like to draw your attention to a few points made by Baba.
One: God is formless — nirakara. God has no attributes — gunatheetha. God is formless and attributeless. There is no doubt about it. All religions concur. The Puranas (ancient Indian scriptures) like Ramayana, Bharata, and Bhagavatham have a mythology that represents God with a form and a name. It is a mythological approach to see God with name, form and attributes. But an in-depth spiritual approach such as is in the Upanishads, textbooks of the study and practice of Truth (the quintessence of Vedanta or Divine knowledge) states that God is formless and attributeless: nirakara and nirguna.
EVERYTHING IS DIVINE
Two: Another point I want to make clear to you is that everything is totally Divine, whether it is mineral matter, a plant, an animal or a human being. The difference is in awareness. The difference arises in the expression of consciousness, the manifestation of Divinity. But basically, it is only the Divine which exists. It is Divinity which operates.
People say that mineral matter is lifeless. But matter also has God at the micro-level where the smallest particles, electrons, neutrons and protons are highly energetic. In splitting an atom (as can be done in the field of science and technology), much energy can be generated. The splitting of the atom can be immensely useful both for destruction and construction. So I cannot say that the smallest particles like protons and electrons are just inanimate.
We also know that these smallest of electric particles revolve in different orbits. They are not static. Why do they revolve and how do they revolve? It only means that there is Divinity in the smallest of particles. So what I want to drive home to you is that everything is Divine, totally Divine. There is absolutely nothing like lifeless matter and living beings. The difference, as I said earlier, lies in the manifestation, revelation and expression. But basically, everything is Divine.
Some mythological stories relate that birds or certain animals represent Divine qualities. We heard in the story of Ramayana how Rama touches on a stone and the stone is transformed into a woman, Ahalya. Most of you know that story. So I can say that the woman is a stone, and the stone is a woman. How can I say both are different? We are all essentially Divine. The sooner we understand that, the sooner we experience it better as a seeker or aspirant.
RELIGION AND RELIGIOUSNESS
Three: And my friends, here lies the difference between religion and religiousness. All people of religion are not necessarily religious. All religious people need not follow a particular religion. When you follow a particular religion, you narrow your approach, you limit your understanding, and you restrict your being. You are confined to a particular idea or a concept. Religion restricts confines and limits you; religion sometimes obstructs you. Religion wants you to observe rituals because every religion is ritualistic. But religiousness is synthesis and awareness; it is consciousness and unity.
So what Baba is trying to do is to make every one of us religious, if not followers of a religion. Baba successfully makes His devotees religious. You may ask me, how can I say that? I say that emphatically because we respect all religions; we respect all prophets; we respect all sacred books; and we respect all noble souls. It is this tolerance, forbearance and receptivity to the teachings of everybody that makes us religious, that makes us broad-minded.
THE MESSAGES OF JESUS CHRIST AND SAI BABA
So it is in this context that we will make a start on the teachings of Jesus Christ, His vision and teachings. The mission of Jesus Christ is service. Jesus Christ did not allow anybody to serve Him. He served everybody. When anybody came to serve Him, Jesus Christ said, “I have come to serve and not to be served.” And if we look at Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, He told many people repeatedly, “I don’t want your services. If you serve anybody, understand that it will reach Me. Service to man is service to God. I don’t need your services. When you serve your fellowmen, when you serve your community, understand that it is service to Me.”
And it was again Jesus Christ who was seen always in the company of different types of people. He did not restrict His company to the elite. He was not so particular that He had to be surrounded by men of eminence, prominence and importance. No. Jesus Christ was surrounded by very ordinary people . . . sometimes people of questionable character. He was surrounded by sick people.
We can also say that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, in Prashanti Nilayam, and wherever He goes, has crowds and masses attending His talks. Crowds are being benefited by His Divine darshan. All surround Him. There are big crowds wherever He goes. They may be illiterate or literate, millionaires or paupers, even beggars; employed or unemployed, young or old, men or women. That is what is happening today; and that is how it was with Jesus in those days. Wherever Jesus attended, thousands and thousands of people gathered around Him, irrespective of their background. And Jesus, wherever He went, started giving sermons and directions to humanity. He started telling people how to be closer to God. That was His message.
SAI DEVOTEES AND JESUS
The message of Jesus is universal. I strongly believe in it. There are others who may say that Jesus is for Christians. We can say, “Thank you, but Jesus is equally important to me, though I am not a Christian.” When Sai devotees think of Jesus Christ, they look at Him with adoration and respect, and all praise Him.
The way Christmas is celebrated in Prashanti Nilayam is unique. The Christmas celebration here is one of solemnity, dignity, prayerfulness, and full of praises to Lord Jesus, the like of which is rather rare, even in a church. This is because of the spirit and reverence with which we celebrate Christmas in this place. The manner in which the Prashanti Nilayam college students sing Christmas hymns would be the equal of any Christian congregation or any Christian assembly anywhere. The hymns are all sung in traditional style and tempo.
At the Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium, there is a statue of Jesus Christ. Just look at it; it is a sight: He has both arms stretched out, beckoning everyone, showering love and blessings on everybody. It is a statue of grace; one that represents mercy and Divine Love. And in the Poornachandra Auditorium, on the wall there is a huge painted fresco of Jesus surrounded by special lamps of a type not usually seen. Therefore, my friends, it is a duty, even a matter of pleasure, for all Sai devotees to know about Jesus, His mission, His teachings and His life. So I have decided to spend the coming two weeks, God willing, speaking about Jesus Christ, His mission and teachings.
Therefore Jesus is very important to all of us. His message and teachings are very, very important to every one of us.
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS?
When we think about the birth of Jesus Christ and His mission, we find so many parallels between Jesus and Sri Sathya Sai Baba. But first, a few points: Why should Jesus be born at all? Why should Baba be born at all? Why? Why is there a celebration of Sathya Sai Baba’s birthday every 23rd of November? Why is there a celebration of Jesus Christ’s birthday on the 25th of December? Why celebrate the birth of Sri Rama, Sri Rama Navami, in the month of April? Why celebrate the birth of Sri Krishna, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, in the month of August? Why should we celebrate the birth of Buddha, Buddha Poornima, during the full moon in May? Why? The answer is this. Baba also gives a few illustrations in this context.
Point 1: Regardless of how you travel, as you speed along in a car (or whatever conveyance you have), you should know the direction to take. Does it take you towards Bombay, does it take you towards Madras, or does it take you towards Hyderabad? Therefore, there is a guidepost at every crossroad. If you go this way, you will reach this city. If you go that way you will reach Hyderabad. The guidepost guides you in which direction you should be travelling. Similarly Jesus, Buddha, and Nanak are all people who act as guideposts on our spiritual journey. (Of course there are those who say, “I don’t want any guidepost.” You know where you will land up eventually!) So we need some guideposts to direct us where to go, how to go. So the gurus and Jesus, Nanak, Buddha and Baba are guideposts to guide us. These are things that Baba said.
Point 2: If you happen to go a crowded city which you have not visited before, a city like New York, Washington, or London, you need a guide to show you the interesting places. You need a guide. Why? That guide knows where the interesting spots are located — the Tower of London, the River Thames or the Buckingham Palace. They can take you to these places because they are residents of London. Similarly these preceptors, these gurus are guides. They are the guideposts to show you the direction, and they are the guides who teach you as they take you along the spiritual path. That is the second point Baba mentioned.
Point 3: Here is the light, and those under it will be able to receive the light. But those who are not near cannot be benefited by the light as they are at a distance. Therefore, if you carry a torch, you can go anywhere because the light is with you. The street light will help you for a certain distance; floodlights will help you a little more. But a torchlight will help you anywhere. Therefore a guru is a torchlight who will guide you anywhere you go, wherever you go. That is the third point Baba made clear. (Am I clear please? Good, good. I am so lucky that I have very good devotees with whom to share these things. I am very lucky.)
So the bigger the problem, the greater will be the use of force. A single man cannot solve the problem. Similarly, when society is afflicted by problems such as injustice, falsehood, illusion, attachment, possessiveness, or the craving for power, these problems cannot be dealt with by individuals. It is not possible. We want a greater force. We have so many problems today.
When the problem is at low ebb, God sends a few teachers like Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekanada, Aurobindo or Dayananda. These gurus go to different places and solve the problems, setting people right. When it is a universal problem — a world problem — God Himself has to come down. There has to be a President to rule. The state government cannot do it; the central government cannot do it. The President will say, “Come on, I will take over.” That’s all. Therefore God takes over the problem. God takes over the problem when it is has gone beyond all dimensions; when we cannot solve the problem by ourselves.
Today we are passing through a very, very severe problem because of the loss of human values. There is no value to human life at all. We see that there is value for money, but there is no value for man. We don’t understand that it is man who makes use of money. If there is no man, what will happen to money? So man is more important because he uses money; but we have given importance to money, not to man.
We have also lost the use of our brain because of the use of calculators and computers. Multiply two by two? Let me take the calculator. What happened yesterday? Let me browse my computer. So we are passing through a mechanical life, a life that has lost its taste.
There are no human relationships also.
“I want to see you tomorrow. Can I come?”
“No, I have an appointment. Would you mind coming this weekend?”
So he’ll meet me only during the weekend, though it is urgent and I need to see him by tomorrow. But he agrees to see me only on Sunday.
Even if it was Baba who said to you, “I will come to your place now” you would say, “Swami, it is better if You come on Sunday.” (Laughter) We have only weekends to receive God also, because we have no time. Life has become so mechanical; life has become a matter of business. If we say, “Hello, how are you?” we expect something from you; and if we say, “Sai Ram” we expect something from you. Life has become a matter of business.
The home has lost its peace, safety and security. Under the influence of the generation gap, youngsters pay no heed to the words of the elders.
If I say to any young man, “You do that,” he will ask, “What do you know?”
“Will you read engineering?”
“No, I will read medicine.”
So the youngsters have started questioning elders. I don’t know; it seems to be all in the name of the generation gap. There is no harmony at home now. Nor is there safety and security in society; then there is no respect for elders. Denial of God has become an ultra-modern fashion, while life in pubs and life in clubs is the latest fashion. The social life, the official life, the family life are totally confused. Human values have lost their value because we are no longer human. At least among animals there is unity. There is no unity amongst humans. There is a discipline among animals which we don’t have.
Therefore, in order to make us live as humans at least, (the humanness, that human quality, that human nature has been lost in our lives), God chose to be born on earth . . . back then as Jesus Christ . . . and now as Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. In such a helpless situation, they came to put us back on track, to instil human values in each and every one of us. Locally, governments failed; people from all regions have failed. So a global approach was necessary. And that global approach is made possible by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba today. The problem is not local; it is global. If it was local, gurus would have solved the problem. As it is global, He Himself has to intervene.
Somebody said, “Why should God be born as a human? Can’t He ask somebody to take care of it?”
“You do it.”
“OK.”
He can sit comfortably on His throne, and delegate powers to somebody else to work on His behalf. But He does not do that. Why does He Himself take on the job, and deliver the goods?
Baba gave this example. Akbar the Great was travelling on a boat with Birbal, his minister.
Akbar said, “Look here Birbal, you are a wise and intelligent man, and you have been at my court for a long time. I have a doubt.”
“My Lord, what is your doubt?”
“Why should God be born as a human being at all? Why can’t He get things done through somebody? Why should He be born as a human? It seems foolish. Why should He come down?” That is what Akbar the Great said.
And Birbal said, “My lord, give me some time. I have no immediate answer.”
The next day, both of them were on the same boat going along the river Yamuna. Birbal suddenly said, looking into the river, “Oh King, your son is drowning! He is nearly sinking!”
Akbar the Great looked and saw his son, drowning and sinking in the river. Immediately he jumped into the river and rescued his son. But it was not his son — it was a model, a wax figure made to resemble his son, like those in Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. Birbal had made an idol in the form of Akbar’s son, dropped it into the water and said, “Oh lord, your son is sinking.”
Akbar was very angry and said, “Birbal, why did you say that my son is drowning?”
Then Birbal said, “My lord, you could have asked me to save your son. I know how to swim. You did not say, “Go, go save my son!” Why did you jump into the river all by yourself? Because it was your son, whom you love! This is the answer to your question. God can send anybody on His behalf, but because of His love and compassion, He has taken upon Himself birth as a human, to save drowning humanity.”
The advent or birth of Jesus Christ, and the Avatara or birth of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, can be understood from this viewpoint: That out of compassion, consideration, and infinite Love for sinking humanity, God has chosen to come down on earth in a human form. Let us be very, very clear about it. We cannot underestimate the event, because it reflects the abundance of His Love for His children . . . for erring humanity. This is common to both of them.
Jesus was born in an ordinary family. He was not born in a royal family of princes and kings, in a palace. Jesus was born in a very poor family, in a manger. Baba too took birth in a very poor family. His birth place is still preserved. (There is a Shiva Temple there now.) Baba is Gopala, the cow herder, while Jesus tended sheep. Our Baba preferred a place where cows were kept. And both of them were born in very poor families. See that! Both of them were born in the late hours of the night. In the early hours of the morning Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born. It was almost midnight when Jesus was born.
And both of them faced so many problems, right from the start. King Herod wanted to kill Jesus. When Lord Krishna was born, His uncle Kamsa was ready to kill Him. And a cobra was found lying under Sri Sathya Sai Baba after His birth. Throughout His life, Baba faced so many challenges. Many people opposed and criticised Him. Baba said, “Every time that happens, it only leads to a greater number of devotees.” If anything happens, ten thousand devotees are added to the list.
Please check this. My friends, since we are of the same (Sai) family, as I love you and as you know me, I can afford to be very frank. Though Baba has been using a wheelchair for the past three years, though He is not collecting letters from the number of people He used to, though He is not granting interviews to as many people as He did in the past, this year’s birthday was attended by lakhs (tens of thousands) of people. There were devotees from all over the country and abroad, the number of which I have not seen for the last ten years. A record total of people attended this year’s Birthday! (Applause)
Therefore, it matters not at all to a devotee whether Baba is in a wheelchair or in a golden chariot. It is all the same. This demonstrates the evolution of the devotees; it shows the numerous experiences devotees have had everywhere of Baba.
I am very much thrilled and amused when I think to myself, ‘Swami, You do Your mission silently. You maintain Your popularity; You don’t lose Your devotees; You have a total hold over everybody. You see that Your sheep are not lost; You see that Your lamb is not dropped; You see that Your cow is not left alone. As Krishna, You were a cowherd boy; You kept all the cows together. As Jesus, You were a shepherd; You kept all the sheep together. As Baba, You are maintaining the sheep, your devotees, as a flock, as a group, so none of us will ever slip.’ Instead, more sheep are added to the list. The Sathya Sai mission is continuous. The Sathya Sai mystery, the mystical experiences, the Sathya Sai gospel will be growing eternally, stage to stage. At every stage, it is growing at a higher speed than ever before.
A man met me yesterday morning and said that he is suffering from acute cancer. He is here in our midst this morning. I know him. I don’t want to make him get up because it will embarrass him. The doctors declared that his days were numbered. This man kept on praying to Swami, “Baba, You have said to many people, “Cancer cancelled.” Can’t You cancel in my case?”
Then in a dream, Baba said to him, “You will be all right. Wait forty-one days.”
Yesterday he met me, and I wanted him to attend this morning’s talk. He is here now. (Applause) Forty-one days passed and the doctor was surprised to find him alive . . . it must be a posthumous appearance!
The doctor said, “I thought you had already died. How is it that you are alive?”
The man replied, “There is a Super Doctor taking care of me.” (Laughter)
Forty-one days since yesterday, and he is here now. What do you say about that, my friends? Sathya Sai Baba has His own unique style; Sathya Sai Baba has His own Divine fashion of communication. We may take it this way and that way, and we may talk this way or that way, but He keeps doing His things, uninterrupted. He is not bothered about what you say, because what you say today and what you are going to say tomorrow may be different. But what He does is continuous and remains the same, because changelessness is Divine. Constant change and changeability is human. So change denotes the human temperament; changelessness is proof of the Divine.
THE FIRST CITIZEN OF INDIA
Here is a spectacular story. The world recognises this man as topmost in his field. People all over the world said there was no one to match him. That man is the President and first citizen of India — and here he sits on the ground. (Applause) Nowhere else would this happen, I tell you. He is pre-eminent because of his position, and top in intelligence as a scientist. Nobody can match him in regard to the laurels and titles he has won. He received the highest award, the Bharat Ratna.
And when he came to visit Baba, and people offered him a chair he said, “No.” Someone gave him a cushion to sit on and he said, “No.” He squatted on the ground, on the floor. (Applause) Would that happen elsewhere? Would he bow down anywhere else? Would we expect the President of India to sit on the ground if Sathya Sai Baba was a human? Then in his talk, he explained the beauty and importance of the 81st Birthday in terms of nano science and technology. The words and terms used are the latest in the field of science and technology. I could not believe it was happening, though I saw it happening in front of my eyes.
The last time such a thing happened was when Abdul Kalam, the President of India, came here five years ago and addressed Convocation. After dinner, he came out of his building and started walking around. The security staff ran behind him and said, “Why are you going out on your own like this?” He replied, “I am only a devotee. I am not the President. I am a devotee.”
What power makes people submit or surrender like that? What power can make people gather in lakhs and lakhs to come to this place? People from all fields, jobs, professions, and from all age groups. That is the Divine power; that is Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Wherever Jesus went, thousands and thousands of people followed Him. Jesus was not an educated man. He had no PhD or DSc. He was not knowledgeable. He was veritable Knowledge. Similarly, Baba left school in the 7th class. Yet topmost scientists fall at His feet because He is the very Wisdom; He is the very Knowledge, which is not acquired. He was born with it. Understand that.
Some people ask, “Does Baba perform miracles?” I tell them, “Please correct your English: He does not perform miracles. Miracles happen.” A miracle is a happening not a performance. All things that are done will come to an end; all those that happen are endless. All that happens is Divine; all things done are totally human. Baba was born with that Divine power; He has not acquired it.
Some people ask me, “Where did He acquire it? Who gave Him the powers?” No, the moon has light because of the reflection of the sunlight. But who gave light to the sun? The sun is light and the light is the sun. That is all. The mystery is Baba and Baba is the mystery. Divinity is Baba, Baba is Divine. So we have to view miracles like that — He was born with the power.
Jesus Christ was born with miraculous powers. They were not learnt or acquired. A simple example: The compassionate Lord, the kind Lord Jesus was passing along the street in red robes, looking at all his devotees gathered there. A woman from a long distance away came running to have a glimpse of the Lord Jesus Christ. She had a gynaecological or abdominal problem and was suffering with unbearable, excruciating pain. That lady could not touch His feet. She could not see Him completely because of the huge crowds. She was successful only in touching His gown. That’s all. When she touched the gown of Jesus Christ, what happened? She was completely cured from all her suffering.
I have a friend who served as a Principal. He is not here this morning, but he is still here in Puttaparthi. He is a retired head of the department. He had a handkerchief from Baba and he preserved that handkerchief carefully. Unfortunately, he had a knee problem which required an operation. He told the doctor, “Please give me some time.” He put the handkerchief on the spot where there was pain. He kept on saying, “Sai Ram, Sai Ram.” The pain is now gone forever. (Applause) It is Jesus who cured from the mere touch of His garment. It is Sathya Sai Baba who cured through the gift of His handkerchief.
THE TEACHINGS WILL MAKE OUR LIVES BLESSED AND WORTH LIVING
There are many, many things to speak of. I am just giving you a glimpse. We will be learning more and more as there are two more Sundays to come. I would like to speak on the teachings of Jesus and Baba, and their parallels, plus what Baba has to say about it. This helps me to read the Bible more thoroughly. This helps me to go through the Sai literature more seriously. These satsangs (spiritual gatherings) profit me more than all of you put together, because these are the only chance to dive deep into the fathomless depths of the Sai gospel and Sai literature.
It was Jesus who explained the depths of philosophy in simple terms, in ordinary folk language. What a profundity each statement of Jesus conveyed. The unlettered shepherd from Bethlehem, the unlettered Sathya Sai Baba from Puttaparthi, could speak of things in such a simple way that even scholars have to prostrate in front of them. The doctors and engineers have to declare that Baba is the better engineer, that Baba is the better doctor, that He is the superior scholar by all standards, when compared to anybody. How is it possible? Because all that you know, is already known to Him. I stand for the process of knowing, while He represents the very Knowledge itself. I go along the way, while He is Himself the goal. Jesus is the goal, and the devotee the way; Jesus is the Wisdom, and the devotee the wise.
Therefore, my friends, the kind of teachings, the kind of illustrations and examples that both of them have given are so great. They are worth remembering for a lifetime, so that we can practice them and make our lives blessed and worth living.
THE POWER OF PRAYER
I will tell you this: I went to Montreal, Canada last summer. Most of the people in those countries . . . Mexico, Canada and Brazil, are Catholic Christians. The bhajan (devotional singing) was held at the residence of a Catholic Christian, and she herself is a National Coordinator of the Sai movement.
She said, “Anil Kumar, would you mind visiting our church tomorrow morning?”
I said, “Yes, why not? I will come.” She took me to the church next morning. We had to climb the mountain. On the mountain top is the Catholic church. I went deep into the church and she showed me a number of callipers (support crutches for the handicapped). I thought they were for decoration. She said that many patients with these callipers had climbed up the mountain. After praying in the church, they threw them away and could walk down safely without them. (Applause) The power of hope there, the promise, the power of resurrection, the power of solace, health, comfort and support to humanity, thrilled me very much.
There are hundreds of instances, my friends. I will certainly share them with you in the coming two weeks. And I will speak on the mission, teaching and life of Jesus, and the similarities between Jesus and Sathya Sai Baba. Thank you very much for being here.
OM…OM…OM…
Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya
Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki!
Thank you for your time. Thank you.