Today is the remembrance day of Sathya Sai.

A great event happened five years back on the same date. It was on 24^th April, 2011; Sri Sathya Saibaba left his mortal coil at Puttaparthi. The world of Sai devotees fell in deep gloom. The TV and news media started inventing many theories and they wanted to benefit from this event. In fact, the entire event was broadcast live by many TVs nonstop till his body was interned in the Mahasamadhi in Prasanthi Nilayam. None can estimate the grief of real devotees who felt that their own life has left them.

Many devotees felt that it is only an interregnum and Sathya Saibaba will revive himself soon. Five years passed. No such incident happened but the devotees have not lost their faith. But, many of his devotees got the taste of future events long before he left his body. He forewarned many devotees about the future course of events. Many of his devotees got dream experiences in which Saibaba has clarified certain happenings in future. But, at that time, Saibaba was alive and the devotees have not treated those dreams as real. Subsequent events proved that whatever Saibaba has told them, had come true. But what makes them believe that he will come back? His likely reappearance has been dealt in one Sai forum ‘Sai Thy Kingdom Come”

Subsequent to his Mahasamadhi, many happenings in many homes of devotees indicated his ‘subtle presence’ everywhere. Yes, holy ash started forming in the photographs and statues of Sathya Saibaba and other forms of god. These events have been chronicled in many Sai news letters published by many Sai groups. Even while he was in physical form, Sathya Saibaba has clarified to the devotees, “I am not Sathya Saibaba! The name has been ascribed to this body; subsequent to its birth” He affirmed “I am I’. He said that the identity of all human beings is one and it is not the name or form. The inner reality of each is “I am or I’. This “I” represents the Self within each individual and all beings in the creation. It is the eternal Truth. The Self alone is. The rest is illusion created by the deceptive mind. From the beginning, he was always telling that the body is a temple in which God is installed as a self” (Deho Devalaya Proktham, Jeevo Deva Sanathana)

What distinguished him from others is the fact that “His Life is his message to humanity! He was never a preacher. He practiced what he preached. He proved to the world that “selfless actions will never face any defeat or disruption! When he was young and renounced the family ties, his mother requested to him to stay in Puttaparthi where he was born. He accepted his mother’s request and choose Puttaparthi as the central headquarters of Sathya Sai Mission! His mother requested him three things when he was known as “Bala Sai”. She was the embodiment of compassion. She felt that the villagers are walking many miles to seek medical help from the adjoining Taluk headquarters. Hence they needed a primary health center in the village itself.

Saibaba has accepted her request and established a GeneralHospital with ten beds. The villagers got the basic medical care and deliveries were made easy with the care provided there. Now it has developed as a full fledged hospital with many departments added. Also, a super specialty hospital was founded in Puttaparthi which caters to the needs of all the poor villages around. All treatments are rendered fully Free including major surgeries which may cost few lakhs elsewhere! There is no billing department in this hospital. Every thing is FREE. The Doctors, Nurses and other employees of the hospital have fully realized that they are but ‘instruments in the Divine hand” and hence the rate of recovery is more than 90% as per the records.

The second request was that the boys of the village have to tread many miles to get basic education. An elementary school is the minimum requirement. Saibaba has accepted this and established a primary school there. The beauty is “Sri Sathya Sai University”, a deemed university was established in Puttaparthi several decades back which fully takes care of education from undergraduate, Post graduate, MBA, MFM and most advanced courses in Mathematics, Science and Arts stream. Several years back Sathya Saibaba has founded a beautiful collage exclusively for girls in Ananthapur District and one men’s collage at Whitefield, Bangalore. All these are part and parcel of SathyaSaiUniversity at Puttaparthi. Several youngmen and women have brought laurels to the education system adopted by Sathya Saibaba which includes an ‘integrated approach to education. Besides secular education, all the students have to undergo spiritual education with more emphasis on service to humanity. It is a wonder that all the education is offered FREE to one and all, who are selected based on a competitive examination. Now, the campus of Muddhanahalli is a part of SathyaSaiUniversity. The boys and girls from rural house holds are fortunate to get education in many campuses/

The third request made by the mother is ‘drinking water’. Though there was a river flowing by the side of the village, due to severe draught and seasonal flow, the villagers suffered much for potable water during off season. The entire district suffered due to brackish water in the available wells with high bromide content. For generations, the villagers suffered from many diseases by consuming the toxic water. Even those wells were far off. They have to wade for miles to get one pot. Sathya Saibaba was considerate and he has planned a comprehensive potable water scheme for the entire district and all villages around. Several hundred crores were spent to fructify the wish of Saibaba. Several years back, Saibaba has made the dream real and all the 700 and odd villages got potable water near their homes with piped water flowing through the taps. No government in the past could execute such mammoth project with the funds.In addition; he made it possible for provision of drinking water in a hilly region of West Godavari miraculously. A great city Chennai today is free from drinking water problem due to the timely assistance of Sathya Sai Trust in providing more than 160 Kilometer of lining to dilapidated channel bed long neglected by the government. He never took any financial assistance from the governments. He proved to the world that Free education, Free healthcare and drinking water supply is possible by selfless efforts!

It is no wonder that Sai system of education is adopted all over the world by many third world countries. Free, quality education is offered to the boys and girls who are economically deprived. Free mobile medical service is offered to remote areas. Free food to many poor citizens are offered once a week in many Sai centers around the globe. He said, “My life is My message! Help Ever! Hurt never! Every one possesses love in their heart. But that love is misplaced on the material world. Since all are one, we should render the possible service to society within our means! None is aware when he will come back. But let us honor the spirit of Love and service founded by Him!