The Philosopher
Sai Baba
The face
The background
- Nationality:
- Indian
- Branchs:
- Sufism, Advaita Vedanta, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga
- Period:
- 19th century
The synopsis
Sai Baba of Shirdi (c. 1838–15 October 1918) was an Indian spiritual master considered to be a saint, revered by both Hindu and Muslim devotees during and after his lifetime. According to accounts from his life, Sai Baba preached the importance of "realisation of the self" and criticised "love towards perishable things". His teachings concentrated on a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and Guru. Sai Baba condemned discrimination based on religion or caste. He had both Hindu and Muslim followers, but when pressed on his own religious affiliations, he refused to identify himself with one to the exclusion of the other. His teachings combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name *Dwarakamayi* to the mosque in which he lived, practised both Hindu and Muslim rituals, and taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions. According to the *Shri Sai Satcharita*, a hagiography written shortly after his death, his Hindu devotees believed him to be an incarnation of the Hindu deity Dattatreya.
The works
The quotes
Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it.
Man learns through experience, and the spiritual path is full of different kinds of experiences. He will encounter many difficulties and obstacles, and they are the very experiences he needs to encourage and complete the cleansing process.
I give people what they want in the hope that they will begin to want what I want to give them!
You must be a lotus, unfolding its petals when the sun rises in the sky, unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it!
The life ahead can only be glorious if you learn to live in total harmony with the Lord.
The wretched and miserable would rise into plenty of joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of my mosque.
Man seeks to change the foods available in nature to suit his tastes, thereby putting an end to the very essence of life contained in them.
Let love flow so that it cleanses the world. Then man can live in peace, instead of the state of turmoil he has created through his past ways of life, with all those material interests and earthly ambitions.
I am the Attributeless, Absolute, Nirguna. I have no name, no residence.
I had a Guru. He was a great saint and most merciful. I served him long - very, very long; still, he would not blow any mantra in my ears. I had a keen desire never to leave him but to stay with him and serve him and at all cost receive some instruction from him.
What is new in the world? Nothing. What is old in the world? Nothing. Everything has always been and will always be.
Look out into the universe and contemplate the glory of God. Observe the stars, millions of them, twinkling in the night sky, all with a message of unity, part of the very nature of God.
If you seek my help and guidance, I will immediately give it to you.
Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy.
A house must be built on solid foundations if it is to last. The same principle applies to man, otherwise he too will sink back into the soft ground and becomes swallowed up by the world of illusion.
Man is lost and is wandering in a jungle where real values have no meaning. Real values can have meaning to man only when he steps on to the spiritual path, a path where negative emotions have no use.
My eye is ever on those who love me.
I shall be active and vigorous even from the tomb.
I am the protector of all lives. I am present even before the creation. I am prime God.
What matters is to live in the present, live now, for every moment is now. It is your thoughts and acts of the moment that create your future. The outline of your future path already exists, for you created its pattern by your past.
All action results from thought, so it is thoughts that matter.
Do not be misled by what you see around you, or be influenced by what you see. You live in a world which is a playground of illusion, full of false paths, false values and false ideals. But you are not part of that world.
I am formless and everywhere. I am in everything. I am in everything and beyond. I fill all space. All that you see, taken together, is Myself. I do not shake or move.
You must pass your days in song. Let your whole life be a song.
My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.