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Editorial

The Religion of Love

The world today has many conflicts because people do not understand this profound message, especially the truth that there is only one God who is worshiped in many names and forms. The underlying principle of all religions and faiths is love, which transcends all barriers of ethnicity, nationality, and creed. But sadly, this has been forgotten.

Over the centuries, religions and faith traditions have been caught up in various dogmas, doctrines, and rituals. They were lost in the details, forgetting the big picture of the underlying unity of all faiths. This even led to many wars being fought, and, in the name of religion, bigotry, fanaticism, sectarianism, and hypocrisy are practiced. Thus, the very purpose of religion, which is the realization of Truth, is pushed into oblivion, and we are caught up in unnecessary distractions that lead us astray. 

But all these pitfalls should not get us disheartened. Why fear when Sai is here as an eternal companion to rescue us? Those are Swami’s own words in a letter to Smt. Subbamma which has been included in this issue. In fact, from time to time, great incarnations like Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Lord Jesus, the Buddha, Sri Ramakrishna, Shirdi Sai, and, of course, our own Swami have come to teach the path of love, which leads us out of ignorance and misery. Their teachings and presence also give us hope and inspire us in our spiritual journey, lifting our spirits and motivating us to continue on the path of love. 

Purpose Behind the Divine Descent

Every year, the 20th of October is celebrated as ‘Avatar Declaration Day’ by the devotees and followers of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba around the world. This is the day when, in His infinite kindness and compassion, Swami declared that He is Sai Baba come again after the Shirdi Avatar. He also proclaimed His divine mission and reassured the devotees of His protection. 

Avatarhood represents the descent of God for the ascent of man. Supreme God head descends as an avatar in a beautiful human form with a sweet name to convey the eternal message of divine love to humanity. In the historic letter He wrote on 25th May 1947, Swami says that He has come to bestow bliss on all beings and transform those who stray away from the right path, bringing them back again to goodness and saving them. On other occasions, Swami has declared that He has come for Vedasamrakshana (to protect, preserve, and propagate the Vedas), Vidwatposhana (nurturing the wise and spiritual people), and to teach man the universality and oneness of all religions. Swami conveys all these messages by example through His own life. 

Oneness According to Bharatiya Scriptures

Our focus on diversity rather than unity is the cause for forgetting the truth that there is only one religion - that of Love. The Rig Veda, the foremost and the most ancient among the Vedas, declares Ekam Sath Viprah Bahuda Vadanti (The Truth is One, though the Wise call it by different names). This is akin to water being called by various names, including H₂O, aqua, tanni, neeru, pani, etc.

The Vedas also talk about the aphorism Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the entire world being part of the same family. That is why the universal prayer taught from time immemorial is Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu. Swami emphasized that this prayer must be sung in all Sathya Sai Centers and meetings. It prays for the welfare of not just all humanity but also for animals, birds, plants, planets, stars, and galaxies. That is the broad vision–to see only oneness in all existence without any division whatsoever. 

The Purusha Suktam, an important hymn in the Vedas, describes the entire universe as the manifestation of divinity. But God is much more than just the universe. Precisely, only one-fourth of God manifests as the universe, while three-fourth lies beyond. 

One particular verse in the Bhagavad Gita (4.11) proclaims further the oneness of all ‘Gods’ and ‘Paths.’ 

This gives the wonderful message not to condemn different traditions or paths and to give up the ‘holier than thou’ attitude. Lord Krishna also states in another verse (Bhagavad Gita 6.30)

This shows that seeing the underlying oneness is the greatest spiritual practice. In fact, in yet another verse (Bhagavad Gita  18.20), Lord Krishna says,

The wise one sees unity in diversity, while the ignoramus sees diversity in oneness. Other Indian scriptures, too, are replete with statements that emphasize this oneness. One such proclamation says:

So, whenever we adore anyone or anything, we are adoring God. If we genuinely love Swami, we must respect and love all names, forms, and beings, for all are Him. This is verily the profound message Swami gives in His discourse on May 17, 1968, “This is a human form in which every divine entity, every divine principle, that is to say, all the names and forms ascribed by man to God, are manifest.”

That is why whenever devotees have yearned for Him sincerely and called for His help anywhere in the world, at any time, He has responded readily. The fact that He is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient becomes clear from the experiences of Mr. Rajesh Thapa, Dr. Suresh Govind, and Ms. Anvitha, published in this issue. Swami has also given darshan as Ganesha, Shiva, Rama, Krishna, Jesus, etc., to many devotees as their ishtadevata (chosen deity). In fact, a few devotees have experienced that He is not just Sarva Devata Swaroopa (embodiment of all forms of godhead) but Sarva Devatatheeta Swaroopa (embodiment of that which is beyond all godheads). This further confirms that there is only one God who is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. 

Oneness According to Other Scriptures

The Jewish scripture, Torah, contains the Shema, the central prayer in Judaism, which is also considered the primary confession in the Jewish faith: “Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad!” which means, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” Islam also proclaims, “La ilaha illa Allah,” which means, “There is one God - Allah.” While these are statements of Truth, the problem arises when followers of different faiths make their own interpretation of the scriptures based on their personal dogmas and doctrines. 

That is why Jesus came to teach the path of love when the temples of God degenerated into houses of business. He emphasized that mere mechanical repetition of the scriptures wasn’t sufficient. One must focus on their essence, which is love. Hence, He declared, “The greatest commandment is to love thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Equally important is the second commandment to love thy neighbor as thyself. Vedanta clearly answers why one should do this by declaring that the other person is none other than oneself! 

Lord Buddha came when people were caught up in rituals, forgetting the spirit behind them. The true spirit behind the ritual is what makes it spiritual. Love for all and sacrifice of evil qualities are essential in all rituals. This is the true significance of ‘animal sacrifice’–the sacrifice of one’s ‘animal qualities.’ That is why Buddha preached the path of Ahimsa or nonviolence in His infinite compassion and advised all to stop animal sacrifices. 

Oneness According to Modern Masters

In recent times, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a great saint and incarnation, showed man how to practice spirituality and realize God. He taught that anyone could see God if one had intense hunger and love for God. He emphatically told his young disciple, Narendranath, that he saw God clearer than anyone else and even spoke to God! Born in the 19th century, he demonstrated that one could see and experience God by practicing any religion. He practiced Christianity, entirely focusing on Christ. Then, he practiced Islam with a one-pointed focus on Allah. He also worshiped various Indian gods and goddesses. In each case, he experienced the same ultimate bliss and attained the vision of God. He thus demonstrated that all forms of God are the same and emphasized the harmony of all religions. 

Swami Vivekananda, who witnessed his Master undertaking such intense spiritual practices, was naturally influenced by Him. It is, therefore, not surprising that he began his historic speech on September 11, 1893, at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago with “Sisters and Brothers of America…” In this landmark address, he emphasized universal tolerance because all paths lead to the same goal, just as all rivers merge into the ocean. He concluded by saying, “I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.” Swami Vivekananda had followers from all faiths because people witnessed his universal vision and large-heartedness. 

Next came Sai Baba of Shirdi. At a time when there was conflict between the Hindus and Muslims, He advocated the harmony of religions. Without identifying Himself as either Muslim or Hindu, Baba chanted the names of both Allah and Rama with equal fervor. He celebrated both Ramzan and Rama Navami, the holy festivals of Muslims and Hindus, to foster amity and love among the Hindus and Muslims. 

Simplicity and Clarity of Swami’s Message

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Avatar of the Kali Age, put all these teachings into a simple, pithy statement, “There is only one religion, the religion of Love.” He emphasizes that it is not enough just to have tolerance among religions; one has to bring about harmony between religions, learning from the best of each religion. In addition to supporting Hindu temples, He inaugurated a mosque for the Muslims of Puttaparthi in the early days. He always encourages the celebration of all religious festivals, Hindu festivals like Rama Navami and Dasera, and holy events of other world religions, including Yom Kippur, Buddha Poornima, Ramzan, and Nowruz (Parsi New Year). All festivals are celebrated with the same enthusiasm by the devotees of Sai because all religions teach the same principle of love. During Sai meetings and conferences, the Sarvadharma prayer is sung as part of the program, which adores all names of God, including Narayana, Buddha, Jesus, Allah, Vinayaka, Skanda, Sun, Fire, Ahura Mazda, Jehovah, Rudra, Vishnu, Divine Mother, and also includes the formless aspect of God, namely Brahman and Satchitananda (existence, knowledge, and bliss).

Swami emphasizes the need to see unity among diversity, which will help us live in peace and joy. To see the underlying unity in the apparent diversity, He says,

Sri Sathya Sai International Organization (SSSIO)–Swami’s Torchbearer 

Swami also encourages interfaith dialogues and conferences, which were conducted under His guidance in Prasanthi Nilayam and continue to be held all over the world today. There have been many successful and impactful multi-faith gatherings in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

The SSSIO participated in the Parliament of Religions in 2018 in Toronto, Canada. The organization members gave talks, participated in a panel discussion, performed a drama, and displayed an exhibition where Swami’s message that all masters proclaim the same Truth was reinforced. At this event, the SSSIO embraced all views of all faiths as long as they were based on love. However, other faith proponents, though tolerant of all religions and faiths, primarily emphasized their own path and practices! This was a striking difference between Swami’s messengers and the others. In practice, the SSSIO embodied Swami’s proclamation that all paths lead to the same goal. 

During the various interfaith meetings conducted by the SSSIO around the world, SSSIO emphasizes multi-faith prayers and invites various faith leaders to discuss the best practices of each faith to celebrate the common thread of love. 

When Baba returned from East Africa after visiting Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, the devotees celebrated this ‘overseas visit.’ Swami said during His discourse, 

“Your material eyes see countries as different; in reality, all countries are limbs of one organism; all bodies are activated by the same Principle. For God, the universe is the mansion. Each nation is a room, a hall, in that mansion. So, when I move from one room to another and come back, why do you indulge in all this commotion and celebration? I do not feel that I had been to another mansion; it was all so familiar to Me. You should not also emphasize the apparent distinction; for the Divine, all are the same.”

Practical Tips for The Aspirant

To see this underlying unity in diversity, Swami gives a few tips, the foremost of which is the practice of unconditional, selfless, and pure love. Adveshta Sarva Bhootanam, says Sri Krishna and Sai Krishna, exhorting us to hate no being. ‘Hatred’ cannot be a part of the vocabulary of the lover of God. We must nurture love as embodied by the various Masters over the ages. Following them, we, too, become harbingers of peace and harmony. This love cannot be intellectual and esoteric. It should be practiced so that people experience it. Such love in action is service. All the Masters have emphasized service. Lord Jesus said, “When you serve the least of your brethren, you serve Me.” Service of fellow beings is one of the mandates of Islam. The Buddha emphasized treating all beings with love and compassion. Swami simply says, “Manava Seva is Madhava Seva,” meaning that service to man is service to God. He further simplifies it by saying, “Help Ever, Hurt Never.”

We help (and hurt) through our thoughts, words, and deeds. So, we should be careful on all three fronts. One can provide food, water, shelter, education, medical aid, etc., to people in need. But even speaking kind words and spreading loving thoughts are also acts of service. Another common teaching across all faiths is the golden rule of ‘do unto others as you would have others do unto you.’ If everyone practices this golden rule, all will be happy and peaceful.

Seeing only oneness–Atma, Brahman, God, Consciousness–is possible only through love and service. This love and service will also sound the death knell to bigotry, fanaticism, sectarianism, and hypocrisy while ushering in the golden age of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, where the whole world lives as one family.

Let us pray to our Lord, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who has laid down the royal path of love, to guide us in being devout followers of this religion of love. 

Jai Sai Ram.