Living and Learning in the Umbrella of Sai

 Prakash Srinivasan

(Prakash is a student of Swami who did his B.Com(Hons) in Brindavan campus and then his MBA and PG Diploma in Indian Culture and Philosophy in Prashanthi Nilayam. During his student days, Prakash had the good fortune of being a Mandir bhajan singer and has enjoyed singing for our Lord many times. A passionate lover of music, food and nature- Prakash is currently heading the European system operations for Hewlett Packard(HP) from the Bangalore office. His enthusiasm, humour and cheerfulness are contagious. In this article, Prakash shares his insights on cinema and how movies can deeply affect our daily life).

One of the best things to happen to me was that I got an opportunity to study in Sri Sathya Sai University.  I learnt a lot of things during my 6 year stay there and I will briefly recollect as to how it helps me in life (not just worklife) everyday. It has completely changed the way I look at things and has given me a lot of self-satisfaction and made life more fulfilling.

1.      COMMUNITY LIVING: One of the greatest lessons that Swami taught us was to live in unity and to live as a large family. The adage “Vasudeiva Kutumbakam” is practiced in its own unique way in all Sai institutions. Right from the hostel dormitories where 8-12 of us share the room to the self-reliance activities, we are taught to be part of a team where we work with many hostel mates. The best practical education is what you learn by seeing others. it is very tangible and directly registers in our brains without us needing to remember anything.  Moreover the environment is such that there is a lot of knowledge-sharing and people are more than willing to help you to learn. Be it organizing a music program, Ganesha chariot making, Sports Meet practice - we can learn so many things by working in wonderful teams. I feel that was a perfect team because all of us had a common objective of pleasing Swami. In a corporate context, we never feel out of place and we are able to contribute to the “teamspirit.”

2.      HUMILITY: There is no better place to learn humility. We may be very talented and accomplished but we learn to keep ourselves grounded and be thankful to God for He chose us to showcase that talent. However talented or accomplished one maybe, all are treated with equal respect and everyone moves with you irrespective of the tags attached to you.  This lesson is extremely important for life because ultimately we should not let the accolades and achievements affect the person that we actually are. We also need to respect others for what they are. This lesson also ensures we do not get carried away and work on constantly improving ourselves.

3.      RESPECT FOR THE ARTS: Being an amateur singer, this had a fantastic impact on me. In Sai institutions, all kinds of arts are encouraged and there are ample opportunities for talented artists (music/fine arts etc) to display their talent. Personally for me, it has helped me appreciate music (my first love) much better. It has ingrained in me such a fine music sense that I am able to appreciate many genres of music and derive great joy! I have also seen such extraordinarily talented musicians, artists that it has helped to benchmark myself much higher rather than being content with mediocrity.

4.      THINKING OF SOCIETY: This is related to the first point but also has a larger perspective. Swami has set such a precedent in this area that its quite impossible for any human to equal it. Every action that we take, we need to see how we can do it in such a way that it helps the larger interest of society. I am able to practice this almost on a daily basis, starting from mundane activities like buying something to more complex ones. For e.g. I like to buy vegetables from poor vegetable vendors whose margins are pretty slim compared to the super market and I do not bargain much. Also, I read a lot about some corporate doing some significant activities (like Birla foundation of Aditya Birla Group or Tatas building a free Cancer hospital) and I try to ensure I can give them some business. This may sound a little funny and may look like too much extrapolation but psychologically I feel more satisfied in contributing to someone who is trying to do some good. Also it has helped me to count my blessings because now I know that I have SO MUCH that most others don’t have at all. There is no reason for me to be unhappy when God has given me everything I need in life and I also recognize that I may need to sacrifice some of my wants so that I can help someone else fulfill their needs.

5.      ACHIEVING BALANCE IN LIFE: Swami has taught us to lead a balanced life which I understand as doing everything in moderation and giving things the place they deserve. For e.g. money is a very important thing but not as important as ethics and values. The integrated education program has taught me the importance of being fit (though people seeing me now would dispute it), of controlling our emotions and not jumping to conclusions. It has immensely helped me in becoming a better person (not allowing my office frustrations to reflect at home). I have also learnt to respect the other person’s point of view though I may not agree with them fully. I have learnt patience (extremely important today) and I recognize that there will be moments when I have to be very patient as things are not in my control.

6.      RESPECT FOR NATURE: This is extremely important but grossly undervalued. In practical terms, it has helped me live in a more “ecofriendly manner.” I ensure that I do not waste any resources and I am extremely careful about using water and electricity as we cannot take them for granted. I also avoid using plastics, practice better garbage management thro composting etc.

To sum up, I feel very humbled and fortunate that I was able to live in an ecosystem that fostered the best things that one can ask for and it has helped me in becoming a better human being (one who tries to be the best he/she can in all areas of life).