The Teaching
Sathya Sai Baba's message transcends all boundaries of religion, culture, and nation. It speaks to the universal longing in every human heart for truth, love, and peace.
Who Is
Sri Sathya Sai Baba?
Sri Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011) was a revered spiritual leader, educator, and humanitarian. Born on November 23, 1926, in the village of Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh, India, He dedicated His entire life to the upliftment of humanity through love, service, and the pursuit of truth.
Throughout His life, Sai Baba established hospitals, schools, universities, and drinking water projects that served millions of people free of charge, all guided by the principle that love is the foundation of all human endeavor.
His teachings do not ask followers to convert or abandon their own faith. Instead, He taught that all paths lead to the same divine truth, and that the practice of human values is the highest spiritual discipline.
The organization He founded exists for the purpose He gave it: to help the individual become aware of the divinity that is inherent in them, and to conduct themselves accordingly.
The Four Pillars of the Teaching
The Unity of All Religions
Sathya Sai Baba taught that all religions are rivers flowing toward the same ocean of Divine Love. He did not ask anyone to abandon their faith, he asked them to deepen it. The Sai Organization holds regular interfaith programs where devotees from all traditions come together in the spirit of mutual respect and shared humanity.
“All religions teach one basic discipline, the removal from the mind of the blemish of egoism.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
The Five Human Values
The cornerstone of Sai Baba's educational and social philosophy is the Five Human Values: Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Right Conduct), Shanti (Peace), Prema (Love), and Ahimsa (Non-violence). These are not religious prescriptions but universal human qualities that, when cultivated, lead to individual transformation and social harmony.
“These five human values are the very foundation of human life. Without them, man is no better than an animal.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Service as Worship
Sai Baba placed selfless service (Seva) at the heart of spiritual practice. He taught that serving others is the highest form of worship, that the divine resides in every human being, and to serve a human being is to serve God directly. This is why Sai Centers everywhere serve their neighbors, quietly and without charge.
“Service to man is service to God. You cannot love God and ignore man.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Education in Human Values
The Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) program, also known as Bal Vikas, is a character-building program for children, K-12. Through stories, songs, silent sitting, and group activities, children practice the five human values and grow into good human beings.
“Education must be for life and not merely for a living.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Unity of All Faiths
The Sarva Dharma symbol, a lotus bearing the emblems of all major world religions, represents the truth that all paths lead to the same divine source.
The original Sarva Dharma symbol drawn under Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s guidance, bearing the emblems of the world’s great faiths
Carrying the Mission Forward
The Sri Sathya Sai International Organization carries forth the mission started by Sri Sathya Sai Baba who, by His selfless love, universal spiritual teachings, and exemplary life dedicated to social service, touched the hearts of millions of people all over the world. Its goal is to help people realize the Divine Principle innate in every human being.
This is achieved by doing selfless service and achieving self-transformation by practicing the five universal human values of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love, and Nonviolence. This Divine Principle within is expressed by manifesting love in thought, word, and deed.
The organization promotes and practices harmony of religions and unity of faiths. It includes people from all religions, faiths, and nationalities.
The quest for knowing the ultimate truth about oneself, living in accordance with one’s higher consciousness, and serving society is the mission of all Sri Sathya Sai Centers and Groups spread in over 110 countries.