Teachings of Sai Babaसाईं बाबा की शिक्षाएँ

Sai Baba of Shirdi never wrote a book or founded a sect. He taught through short sayings, stories, gentle scolding and, above all, through the way he lived. His words were usually simple, often in a mix of Marathi, Hindi and Dakhni, and they were remembered and written down by devotees, most fully in the Shri Sai Satcharitra. The teachings below are the ones devotees return to most often. Where a saying is quoted, it is one that is widely attributed to him in devotional tradition.

Shraddha and Saburi: faith and patience

The two words most closely linked with Sai Baba are Shraddha (faith) and Saburi (patience, perseverance). In the Satcharitra (chapters 18 and 19), Baba tells the devotee Radhabai Deshmukh, who had vowed to fast until he gave her a mantra, that he gave his own guru only two paise as dakshina: firm faith and patience. In the text the first word is nishtha (steadfast faith); devotees today usually say Shraddha and Saburi, and these two words are written on countless pictures of Baba.

The lesson is that the guru does not need rituals or secret formulas from the disciple. He needs a steady heart that trusts and an attitude that does not give up when results are slow. Saburi is not passive waiting: it is calm, cheerful perseverance through good times and bad.

Sabka Malik Ek: one God governs all

"Sabka Malik Ek" (One God governs all) is the saying most widely attributed to Sai Baba, and "Allah Malik" (God is the master) was often on his lips. He spoke of God in the language of both Hindus and Muslims and refused to let his devotees quarrel over religion. A Hindu could worship him as the guru or as a form of the divine, a Muslim could honour him as a fakir and saint, and both were equally welcome in Dwarkamai.

Respect for all faiths

Baba lived in a mosque that he called Dwarkamai, kept a dhuni as Hindu ascetics do, allowed Hindu worship and aarti in the mosque, and celebrated both Ram Navami and Urs. According to the Satcharitra he encouraged each devotee to keep to their own path and their own chosen deity, and he discouraged conversion and argument. Devotees take this as a lesson for daily life: to respect the faith of others and to see the same God behind different names.

Charity and feeding the hungry

Baba begged for his food in the village, then shared what he received with visitors, the poor and animals. The Satcharitra also describes how he sometimes cooked large pots of food himself and served it to the people around him. He taught that one should never send away a hungry person, an animal or a bird without giving something, and that kindness to any living being reaches God. Many devotees follow this by feeding the poor, especially on Thursdays and at the udyapan of the Sai vrat.

Charity, in his teaching, also meant patience with people. He warned against harsh speech, quarrels and speaking ill of others, and asked devotees to bear insults calmly.

Guru bhakti and surrender

Devotion to the guru runs through all of Baba's teaching. In the Satcharitra he speaks of his own guru with deep love and describes the guru as the one who protects the disciple, as a mother tortoise is believed to care for her young simply by looking at them. Popular sayings attributed to him express the same trust, such as "Why fear when I am here?" and the assurance that if a devotee looks to him, he looks to the devotee. These are among his eleven sayings and similar words cherished by devotees.

Surrender here does not mean giving up one's duties. Baba encouraged devotees to work honestly, look after their families and keep their minds on God while doing so.

Dakshina

Baba sometimes asked visitors for dakshina, a small offering of money. He did not ask everyone, and the amounts were usually small. According to the Satcharitra, whatever he collected during the day he gave away, often by evening, keeping nothing for himself. Devotees understand his asking for dakshina as a way of teaching detachment and of cleansing the giver, not as a fee. The two coins of Shraddha and Saburi are the dakshina he valued most.

Living the teachings

• Keep faith steady and be patient when prayers seem unanswered.
• Respect people of every religion, caste and background.
• Feed the hungry and be kind to animals and birds.
• Speak gently, avoid quarrels and do not speak ill of others.
• Work honestly and remember God through the day, for example with a simple mantra such as "Om Sai Ram".