Last week, the world lost a truly remarkable personage, Shri Satya Sai Baba, someone who positively impacted and transformed the lives of millions.His followers viewed him as a godhead figure; his admirers as a great servant of mankind, exemplifying the core Hindu value and ideal of service to mankind is service to God, in essence a god-like man.I visited his ashram in 1986 when his acclaim was spreading worldwide and the area was now being developed and the only way to visit was by a lengthy and arduous road journey.The entire area has been transformed by his strategy that he would not travel out of India (it is reported that he made only one trip out of India and that was quite some time ago) and thus those desirous of visiting had to go to India.In this regard he was unique to other religious leaders who do travel and this makes the growth of his followership even more outstanding.
Many would attest to his influence in transforming their lives, in bringing them onto the path of spirituality and human development. By any index, he would be rated as an extraordinary agent of human transformation.This in itself would make him worthy of the highest accolade, regard and appreciation of the worldwide community. But he went beyond that.Man has both spiritual and material dimensions. Lord Krishna spoke of balance in life and Lord Buddha spoke of the middle path as they acknowledged that without material man there can be no spiritual man.Even ancient treatises on yoga (like the Shiva Samhita) speak of the yogi pursuing the path of spiritual realisation while still fulfilling the duties of a householder.
Classical Hinduism acknowledges material man by indicating that the path to the supreme goal of God-realisation and union (moksha) is through acquisition of material possessions and life experiences bounded by righteous conduct and infused with the ethos of spirituality.Lord Rama indicates in the Ramayan that this human body is the gift that allows us the opportunity for spiritual growth and self-realisation.In essence, then, all the above stress the duality of material man and spiritual man; that material man evolves into spiritual man.Shri Satya Sai Baba, in addition to proving spiritual guidance, provided facilities for the holistic growth of his followers and those inhabitants of the areas surrounding his ashrams and to India as a whole.
His insistence on staying at his ashrams resulted in tremendous growth and development to those areas. The rural communities were transformed, jobs were on offer and the standard of living rose.People now had easy access to university education and medical care.His taking care of the spiritual needs of well-to-do devotees worldwide improved the lives of the local devotees and inhabitants; a win-win situation.His example should be compulsory reading for secular leaders worldwide who preside over countries both rich and poor and who plunder and squander billions of dollars.
One can only wistfully imagine how much better their respective countries would be if this money was put to use in bettering the lives of their citizens.In fact in his own country, political and business leaders should hang their heads in shame at the revelation of the over US$1 trillion held in foreign accounts and the tens of billions lost to corrupt practices while so much need to be done to develop infrastructure and the lives of the poor and needy.
The father of modern India, Mahatma Gandhi, if he were alive today, would surely have embarked on one of his famous fasts to put to end this blight on national development and blot on the national character.In memory and acknowledgement of the life and accomplishments of Shri Satya Sai Baba, it would be highly pleasing if all religious leaders in India join the effort (like Yogi Ramdev Baba) to unite and raise their voices in concern over corruption and insist that public funds are not plundered or squandered.
For as has been pointed out so many times in so many places, corruption deprives innocent children and citizens from services and facilities to which they are entitled.To religious leaders worldwide, the example set by Shri Satya Sai Baba is tangible demonstration that the highest form of spirituality is in improving the lives of fellow human beings; one most worthy of emulation.
Prakash Persad is the director of Swaha Inc