"I have come to light the lamp of Love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added luster. I have not come on behalf of any exclusive religion. I have not come on a mission of publicity for a sect or creed or cause, nor have I come to collect followers for a doctrine.

I have no plan to attract disciples or devotees into my fold or any fold. I have come to tell you of this unitary faith, this spiritual principle, this path of Love, this virtue of Love, this duty of Love, this obligation of Love." -  Sai Baba

Who is Sai Baba?

To a spiritual aspirant, He is the divine master par excellence; to a rationalist, He is the greatest humanitarian ; to thousands of modern youth, He continues to be the leader with a dynamic vision and a colossus of inspiration; to a devotee, He is simply divinity who was in human form; and to everyone who has had the opportunity to behold Him, He is Pure Love who walked on Two Feet.

When Bhagavan Baba was asked, “Are you God?” He said:

“Yes, I am God and so are you.  The only difference between you and I is that while I am aware of this fact, you are not.”

And this is no casual remark. Indeed, inherent in this small, but extremely significant statement, is the fundamental truth of humanity’s divine nature - its true reality; and revivifying the heart of every human being to this salient truth is the mission and message of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Very aptly, Baba begins His every discourse, addressing the gathering as, “Embodiments of the Divine Atma”.

All who listen to Him, experience His unconditional love, benefit from His caring counsel and witness His supernormal supremacy over mind and matter, get a real glimpse of the glory and majesty of God, and therefore, of the infinity that each human potentially and inherently is.

His Birth and Childhood

Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born as Sathyanarayana Raju on November 23, 1926 in the village of Puttaparthi, in the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India. Even as a child, His spiritual inclination and contemplative nature set Him apart from other children of His age, and He was known as ‘Guru’ and “Brahmajnani’ (knower of Brahman or Godhead) among His peers and others in the village.

However, it was not until October 20, 1940, the day He made the historic declaration of His Avatarhood, (‘Avatar’ means ‘Divinity Incarnate in Human Form’) that the world at large learnt of this divine phenomenon.

Mission

“I have a task,” he said, “To foster all mankind and ensure for all of them lives full of bliss. I have a vow: To lead all who stray away from the straight path again into goodness and save them. I am attached to a work that I love: To remove the sufferings of the poor and grant them what they lack.”
Baba

Every Avatar has a Mission. In 1958, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba revealed that His Mission would unfold itself in stages. The first sixteen years would be dominated by contact with individuals. Following this, attention would be given to groups. In the  next phase, spiritual exhortation would be the dominant feature, after which service to humanity at large would become the principal focus.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba believed that it is the duty of every person to ensure that all people have access to the basic necessities for sustenance of life. Indeed, no spiritual leader could achieve so much in one life in terms of serving people through developmental work.

Sathya Sai Baba's trust has presence in 186 nations and operates about 1,200 organizations worldwide. The Sathya Sai Central Trust owns or manages colleges, schools, publication houses, general as well as super-specialty hospitals, women's welfare and many social service organizations.The Anantapur drinking water project has piped water that has benefited 750 villages in the dry and barren district of Andhra Pradesh. His divine legacy continues to inspire millions.

Bhagawan Sri Sai Baba left His mortal body on April 24th, 2011, on Easter Day. His extra-ordinary Love (Prema), lives on in the hearts of His devotees throughout the world, forevermore.