Give Them Their Due

It is the bounden duty of every son and daughter of this land of Bharat to implant in the hearts of every child of this land the basic lessons held precious by the founders of Bharateeya Culture. This should be the very first vow to be carried out by every parent, every teacher, and every person who dedicates himself to the service of human welfare. For, Bharateeya Culture is the precious heritage of the whole world, and of every human community therein. The lesson that the Atma (Divine Principle), resident in everyone is the real core of the Universe and that It is the supreme sovereign of the Cosmos will certainly bring together all mankind and ensure Peace and Harmony among the nations. Of what avail is life when the Truth is not known? Why deprive children of this great treasure and look on, when they lead dry fallow lives? Every person has to try to know his own Truth and lead his child into that awareness.

What is happening today is quite the opposite! Parents, teachers, and leaders are inflaming the passions of young minds and encouraging them to indulge in violent deeds. The very people who preach the message of Peace, who talk of the basic principle of child education, who harp on love, harmony, and mutual love, and who elaborate on the principles of social progress and national uplift are themselves undermining these hopes by their example.

Elders Must Lead Exemplary Lives Of Simplicity

Bharateeya Culture emphasizing humility, sincerity, and unity is the best cure for such emotional errors. More than the pursuit of luxurious life or competitive comfort, the acquisition of wealth or power, which are all liable to quick decline, the ideal of simple living and high thinking laid down by the sages of India will lead to happy lives and greater social peace.

You must have experienced the thrill of witnessing the plays enacted now by the children of the Sri Sathya Sai Balvikas children. The plays were inspiring and instructive; the acting was appealing and attractive; the meaning has gone deep into the hearts of the children, as well as the elders who witnessed the plays. But, let me tell you, this is not enough. Along with the Balvikas, the elders too must experience Vikas (flowering or development), and lead exemplary lives of simplicity and sincerity, of spiritual discipline and steady discipline. Children are wayward and vile, today, since they have no other examples to follow. Learn the lessons of duty, devotion, and discipline from the lips of these children; let each child be a ray of sunshine in the home, shedding light and love. Let the child’s desire to serve other children and the defectives around be an inspiration to you. Children do not say one thing and do the opposite. They are very straightforward and innocent. Imbibe this nature now from them, for elders have strayed far from that ideal.

The signs are favourable. The fame of this country will not diminish; it will only grow, with the coming days; very soon, India will be free from fear, and will soon regain her old position as the preceptor for mankind.

New Delhi, 31-3-1975