33. Sathya Sai Baba on the teachings of Krishna
Sathya Sai Baba’s spiritual message is universal. He easily quoted, analyzed, and commented on the sacred texts of various traditions. Of course, first of all, in his lectures and books, he commented on the most significant Vedic scripture – the Bhagavad Gita.
In August and September 1984, Sathya Sai Baba gave a series of lectures on the spiritual heritage of Krishna. This course consisted of thirty-four lectures. In my opinion, these commentaries are the most important part of the philosophical heritage of Sathya Sai Baba. Over time, these lectures were published as a book.
This book is divided into three major parts. The first part is devoted to the «path of devotion,» the second part is devoted to the «path of wisdom,» and the third part is devoted to the «path of action.»
In the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, a large role is assigned to the performance of wise action. The spiritual path consists not only of the practice of meditation, prayer, and the study of sacred texts, it also includes actions performed in society as a service to people.
These actions have an important place in the spiritual life because it is in the performance of wise and noble action that a person reaches the highest point of the spiritual path. It is in action that a person becomes like God and becomes a Godman. Performing an action means the manifestation of one’s talents and the embodiment of one’s destiny.
Nowadays, generations of people are wondering what their purpose in life is? A successful person is one who has realized his destiny and organized his life in such a way as to actualize that destiny. Of course, an important element of a successful life is a good family, good health, and financial well-being.
There is a very important term in Sanskrit: Dharma, which has many meanings. One of the meanings of the word Dharma is «philosophical teachings,» another translation of the word Dharma is «righteousness.» What is righteousness? This is the fulfillment of the will of God and the correct disposal of the talents given by God. In essence, Dharma is the embodiment of one’s destiny. To live life in accordance with Dharma means to embody your talents and be a creator.
God is the Creator, but man is also a creator, only on a more modest scale. To fulfill one’s Dharma means to be a Creator and to become a worthy son or daughter of God, our common Heavenly Father.
If you do in life what corresponds to your genius, then this action becomes Dharma. Creativity can be any action that suits your talents. Quite often, creativity in our time is associated with the work of artists, poets, and musicians.
But in fact, creativity is any kind of activity that allows you to reveal your potential. It can be any scientific discipline, pedagogy, sports, finance, art, social activity and much more. This is one of the most important aspects of Krishna’s teaching, which Sathya Sai Baba constantly pointed out.