Having installed Sai in your village, you must grow in Prema, for Sai is Prema swarupam. Sa means, Sarva shakti: Sarva sakshi is the Witness in All; Aayi means, Mother; Baba means, Father. The Prema Sai is the Prema characteristic of the Father and the Mother; not the earthly father and mother but the Father and Mother who are the Witness of every Thought, Word and Deed in every being. (SSS Vol.2, pp. 133-134)
Sai Baba means ‘the Divine Mother and Father’. (SSSm Vol.4, p. 77)
The word ‘Sayi’, i.e. Sahi, means Prabhu, the Master. The word ‘Baba’ means Father. (Sanathana Sarathi (Kannada) Sept. 1972 - p. 24)
What exactly is the meaning of Sai Baba? Sa means Sahasrapadma, Sakshatkara, etc... Aayi means Mother and Baba means Father; it means, He who is both Father and Mother, and the Goal of all Yogic endeavour... the ever-merciful Mother, the All-wise Father and the Goal of Sadhana. (SSS Vol.2, p. 22-23)
Sai is Journey’s End, whichever path you tread. He is the Guide, The Goal, The God. (SBA, p. 103)
The Sai name is proclaimed by trees when they wave their heads. The birds in their chirping call upon man to remember Sai’s name, The flowers in spreading their fragrance declare the glory of Sai. The bees when they hum announce the bliss in Sai’s name. ‘Sai! Sai!’ is the sound that reverberates from the sky and earth. Sai can be experienced everywhere. ‘Sai’ is not one’s name. ‘Sai’ is the In-dweller reclining in the heart of everyone. (D3, p. I47)
Man needs three important capabilities. The first is that there should be spiritual transformation. After spiritual transformation comes social change. Then comes the individual transformation. There will naturally be social change with spiritual transformation. The individual will shine and blossom with radiance when there is peace and welfare in the society.
We make use of certain words to bring in such transformation. A small example. The letters S - A - I make Sai. S - stands for spiritual change. We should have such change now. A - stands for associational change. The third I - is for individual change. Sai symbolises here spiritual change, change in our association and change at the individual level. That is the essence of all these three letters. The whole world will be happy when such a transformation takes place. How do you expect spiritual change to take place without individual change and social change? The one common thing of these three letters is the nature of love. We should experience this principle of love.
(DTB Vol.2 -P2/3)
You must have observed in the morning the inner significance of the sacred name Sai. There is yet another significance. S Stands for service, A for Adoration and I for Illumination. These three signify Karma (action), Bhakti (devotion) and Jnana (wisdom). So, the first is service, second adoration that is devotion, viz, spirit of love. Illumination is spirit of enquiry, wisdom. Sai teaches these three. With any one of the three missing, it will not be Sai. All the three letters are very important. Sai is the combination of all these three, action, devotion and wisdom.
We say O M is Om. This word is a sound. This sound has a spelling. What is the spelling? A U M has become Om. Likewise for action, devotion and wisdom, the spelling is Sai. S A I is not merely Sai but it signifies action, devotion and wisdom. We have to take into cognisance all these three in the Sai Organisation whole heartedly. (DTB Vol.3, p.6)
As the mother of All: Sai is your Thai (mother in Tamil, Maai (mother in Marathi), and Aayi (mother in Telugu). This Saayi Mother’s advent is to give haayi (happiness in Telugu) to all Her children.
From the viewpoint of a sadhaka or practitioner: ‘S’ stands for Swami, Sathya, or Sai; ‘A’ for all others; and ‘I’: for small ‘i’ or ego. This is a Sutra (aphorism) to be remembered by any Sadhaka (aspirant), namely to give his first attention to Swami (God), next to all others, and keep ‘i’ (that is himself) last, so that it (the ‘i) may be lost ultimately.
If you want real joy, you should keep ‘J’ (Jesus or Divinity) first, ‘O’ (Others) next and ‘Y’ (yourself) last (to be lost finally).
From the standpoint of a Siddha (established in Advaita): ‘S’ means Swami or God, ‘A’ denotes And ; ‘I’ signifies the Self (not the small self). In other words, the Sadhaka has now become a Siddha and declares. ‘Sai and I are One’ (Aham Brahmasmi, and Tat Tvam Asi as the Mahavakyas in the Sruti proclaim). (NNSG Vol.1 p. 122)
My beloved teachers and boys!
Accept My Love and Blessings. In this world of change, we meet with various vicissitudes of life, both pleasant and unpleasant. We afflicted with disease, both mental and physical. The body is stricken with disease and the mind with worries. In this state of our unhappiness, turmoil and misery, there is only one way and that is to take refuge in Sai.
Sai alone can remove these difficulties and disease and bring us to health, peace and prosperity. He who has got Sai’s name on his lip is a Jeevan Mukta, because continuous remembrance of Sai eliminates the ego sense and grants him realisation of his immortal, changeless Self. The name is the link between the devotee and Sai. It brings the devotee face to face with Sai and enables him to attain knowledge of his oneness with Sai.
With Love
Your Sai, Your Own Sai,
Sri Sathya Sai. (23.3.1981)
(PD, p. 71)
The entire sky was covered with dark clouds at 7-30 a.m., a heavy downpour seemed imminent. (Fifth World Conference in Hill View Stadium on 24/11/1990) But instead of a downpour, the clouds ‘air-conditioned’ the atmosphere and left. When you have good thoughts and feelings, nature responds in the same manner.
There is an example in Ramayana. When Rama embarked on the search for Sita, the monkeys, the rocks and many other elements in Nature came to his help. As Sai is the very embodiment of Love, the entire Nature co-operated and helped. There was no hindrance to any of the activities. Nor was that all. All elements were in deed helpful. Even this morning, would it have been possible for so many to gather early morning but for the cool weather? In the carrying out of sacred tasks in the service of the Divine, the Vedic prayer has indicated the spirit in which they should be done. ‘Let us live in amity. Let us move together. In harmony and understanding let us live together. Let us promote unity and friendliness.’ If only we have unity, how much joy can we experience! Unity is strength. To develop unity you must have the consciousness of spiritual oneness. (SSS Vol.23, p.303)
The three paths of Sai
You have to engage yourselves in Seva (Service) Service does not mean mere rendering help to others one kind of another. True service means participation in social activities after ridding yourself of egoism and possessiveness and manifesting your qualities of compassion and kindness. The aim is the refinement of your own good nature rather than giving succour to others. There is a Sanskrit saying which declares that greater than penance or pilgrimage, meditation or worship, is service to good people.
In rendering service, there should be unity of heart, head and hands (three H’s). Only then service becomes sanctified. The significance of the three letters in Sai should be understood. ‘S’ stands for Service. ‘A’ stands. for Adoration. ‘I’ stands for Illumination. These three, represent Karma. Bhakti and Jnana respectively. S teaches these three. All the three concepts are equally important. Sai is a combination of the three spiritual paths of Action, Devotion and Wisdom. Just as the Pranava sound is made up of the three letters ‘A’, ‘U’,’M’ (Om), Sai stands for the triple forms of spiritual sadhana. In the Sai organization, this threefold exercise has to be properly understood.
Sai sevaks have to develop the love in them, share it with others and fill the whole world with love. True love should be distinguished from attachments of various kinds, That love is a synonym for God. Love is God. Live in love. The love of God comes from the depths of the heart. Sai sevaks should understand this love and render .service in the right spirit to all mankind. (SSS Vol.28, pp.308-309)