me detractors say tha slelght of hand and magic
‘rick’ won him flower. The devotees say tat
‘physical manifestations’ earned him de-hard
cats wi were cose-minded, The life and history of Sr
Sathya $0 Baba reminds one ofthe proverbial frutladen
tree.Soma cast stones to pluck thefts others because
teem soterptingjusttod tt
Cities do not accept him asa prophet. They ask— What
religion or movement did he estabish? He did not
fexeaQsh parca fh, but infact brought together
‘humanity under the principlesofthe brotherhood ofan
and the fatherhood of God He exhorted a Hindu tobe 2
Detter Hindu, 2 Muslim to be 2 beter Musim and 2
Chriian to be a beter Chistian. The symbol of his
‘otgpisation has representations from majorrelgons.
Everyone from Tibetan monks to islamic scholars, Hindu
pundits to Christian cleray, Sikh gurus to Buddhist
preachers Viste him and were receved warm. They
\wereamaned at his deep understanding oftheir relious
tenets and often
‘admed the Insigts he
provéed. The "Vahin
sees of books that he
authored convey the
sreatest spiritual truths
In easy and practical
tems
‘The world applauds him
for bis massive socal
welfare projects
Drinking Water schemes,
Super Specialty hospitals
and free Higher
Education, The crites
ako acknowledge tat fact while his followers parade'tas
2 proof of his dvr. But both seem to miss the point.
Sathya Sa Baba never balieved that afew more buildings
(owever big or grand) would make the world a beter
place asindeedafewideas would transormmankind.
The schools and university were a result ofthe dea that
‘eduaition is process of drawing out what is already
Tater in an inavidl. And that latent teseur ilove,
truth, fight conduct, peace, understanding and
‘compassion which he advocated al sf The Sathya Sl
Grama Seva or vilage service, wherein evry student of
the Sal University spends 2 fortnight going to viloges