Let us learn the Five Human Values Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has expounded and their significance to the human society. The Five Human Values expounded by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, that have become the foundation of Sathya Sai Education are: Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteous living), Shanthi (Inner Peace), Prema, and Ahimsa (Nonviolence)
We often fail to understand our own inherent value as human beings. The reason is that we tend to identify ourselves as our body and getting unnecessarily attached to the physical structure, and its wants and desires. The extreme attachment to the body brings about several misfortunes. The first and foremost is losing peace in the life. Swami describes this lamentable wrong identification as “dehabranthi.” Swami explains that every human being aspires for peace, but the non-ending pursuance of sensual pleasures destroys the peace he aspires for. No amount of wealth, power, and mundane relationships can bestow inner peace.
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Dharma or righteousness as a human vale
Righteousness is right action. All animate and inanimate elements and beings of the universe perform actions, explicitly or implicitly. How do we judge whether their cation is right or wrong? The whole universe, born with the primordial sound of “Om!” as the basis, is in a gigantic process of evolution. If all actions and behavior of inanimate and living beings are not contradictory to this universal evolution, then such behavior or actions are termed, right actions.
The inanimate parts of the universe display righteousness. Perhaps the sun is the supreme example. Sun rises in the morning and the whole world is prompted into action. Plant growth, animals begin to start their day, and humans wake up and perform various actions. At night, people and animals rest and enjoy peace. It is very important to note that the sun does not do any of these actions. It only rises and sets. The sun does not expect any benefit from worldly elements. The gives us the best example of selfless service.
Sun also causes the evaporation of are from the seas and lakes which form water vapor n the sky. Water vapor, when it becomes cooler, falls back onto the earth as rain. Without this process, no plant or animal including humans can live.
The question now comes to the cases of animals and humans. Animals are less evolved beings and are not bestowed with a sharpened intellect. They act on instincts. For example, a snake when feared attacks a human. The snake’s action is based on instincts and emotions (fear) and that is its “nature”. However, man is at the apex of evolution, and this type of harmful action is against our right behavior. Swami announces righteousness for humans as, Help Ever – Hurt Never. In very simple terms, righteous living is “ensuring that our thoughts, words, and actions are beneficial to ourselves, others, and our environment”. Man is endowed with a sharp intellect to make judgments about whether our thoughts, words, and actions conform to the said requirements.
Thus, to preserve righteousness in life, we need to sharpen our intellect, not once, but throughout our lives. Dedication of thoughts, words, and actions to the Lord, constant remembering of the Lord’s name, singing the glory of the Lord (Bhajans), and chanting appropriate Manthras, Omkar, are very effective ways of sharpening our intellect, and thus improving righteous living.
Note: This website has a separate page for Manthra Chantin
Presented by Prof. (retired) Sunanda Degamboda
