REVERED FOUNDER CHANCELLOR

Revered Founder Chancellor

"Who is Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba?" is a question many people ask. To a spiritual aspirant, he is a Divine Master par excellence; to a rationalist, the greatest of humanitarians on earth; to the thousands of modern youth, a leader with a dynamic vision and a colossus of inspiration; to a devotee, he is simply Divinity in human form.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is revered in all spheres of society as a world teacher; a spiritual master. An unexcelled educator of the fundamentals of life, he is a spiritual master pressing an amazing variety of talent and capacity into service; the very embodiment of selfless love; the voice of one's own innermost heart speaking to each individual externally; a universal presence to be felt and known; and a promoter of the unity of the world religions. His philosophy embraces Matter and Spirit. He is easily the most multifaceted prophet that modern India has ever produced. Several antinomies met, mingled and reconciled in his personality - the most significant pair being one of solitude and multitude.

His greatest miracle is the power to transform. It takes ages even to bring about an iota of change in a person's attitude and vision. However, Sri Sathya Sai Baba could transfix and bring about a complete metamorphosis in the human personality in an instant through a mere smile, a word or a gesture. For over seven decades, he performed the same actions of walking amidst devotees, receiving their letters, and speaking a word of solace each time with renewed enthusiasm and joy.

His love and concern for mankind led to the establishment of phenomenal institutions in the field of education, healthcare and social welfare which now act as role models worthy of emulation, across the globe.

Among the many institutions established by him is the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed to be University), the 109th University in independent India. It provides a unique system of higher education called the Sri Sathya Sai System of Integral Education which is inspired by the ancient Indian system of education modelled to suit the needs of contemporary times. He has been the Founder Chancellor of the Institute since its inception in 1981, giving a unique vision, mission and philosophy to higher education; one that - over the past thirty years – has moulded generations of young men and women who would be responsible citizens with an ideal blend of the head (knowledge), heart (balance) and hands (skills).

His philosophy of education has been hailed as a landmark change in an era where education is an industry that is commercially motivated and focused on wealth creation and employment. His dicta, 'The End of Education is Character' and 'Education is for life, not merely for earning a living' are the watchwords which guide and inspire the staff and students of his institutions in their noble pursuit of higher learning.

In addition to the University, the Sai Educational Mission based on his philosophy of Educare has inspired nearly half a dozen Sri Sathya Sai Colleges, 99 Sri Sathya Sai Schools across India, and over 30 more around the world across all continents. Additionally, there are over 25 Institutes of Sathya Sai Education in different parts of the world for providing training to teachers and administrators in the Sathya Sai System of Education.

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (established in 1991 by Sri Sathya Sai Baba) are unique institutions providing medical care of international quality at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels (through both general hospitals and Super specialty hospitals), with absolutely no cost to the patients - a model of healthcare hitherto unknown to humanity. Medical care suffused with love and concern for the patients' welfare, not bound by monetary considerations alone, is the core of the Sai system of medicine.

The Sri Sathya Sai Drinking Water Supply Projects (established in 1995) provides drinking water facility to over two million people in the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India, and to over ten million people in the metropolitan city of Chennai in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. These projects are the largest of those undertaken by any non-governmental organisation anywhere in the world. He accomplished these tasks, not accomplished by the governments of the land for over half a century after Indian independence, thereby satisfying the basic requirements of millions in the parched dry lands in the Indian hinterland - pure drinking water.

The Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations established in the early 1960s, with its centres in over 130 countries of the globe is one of the largest socio-spiritual organisations in the world, dedicated to the cause of promoting selfless love and service without the barriers of religion, race, nationality and social status.

All these initiatives have been undertaken under the auspices of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, which was founded by Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1972, and for which he was the Founder Trustee since its inception. Through an outstanding personal example, he guided and spearheaded all the initiatives to fruition and enabled them to reach the exalted state that they have achieved today; thereby carving a special niche for India in the field of socio-spiritual activities in the comity of nations.

On October 20, 1940, at the tender age of 14 years, he declared his mission and the purpose of his birth. And since then, his relentless inspiration reaffirmed his dictum - "My life is My Message". By the sheer power of his conviction, he converted a small hamlet (not even visible on the district map) into an international spiritual center attracting millions from all corners of globe. He always led by precept and demonstrated through his actions and accomplishments that in this time and age, 'Love and selflessness in action can herald the revival of human consciousness – Godward'.

Today, we live in a time where we are misguided and enslaved by distorted ideologies; a time when nations are growling at each other. But it is also a poignant time when the universal message of 'Brotherhood of Man and Fatherhood of God' as propounded by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba stands, stands firmly as a beacon light of hope for mankind caught up in strife today. Never before has this message been more relevant.

"Love in Thought is Sathya | Love in Action is Dharma |

Love in Feeling is Shanti | Love in Understanding is Ahimsa"