Lights of Today: Sai's Call to the Youth

“The entire future of a country depends on the good conduct of its students.”

— Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Summer Showers in Brindavan 1978, Discourse 1, “Opening Address”)

Centenary Celebrations Series 2026 – Article 5

A young person today can reach almost any piece of information in seconds, yet a simple question often remains unanswered: Who am I, and what is my life for? Anxiety, comparison and the pressure to keep up weigh heavily on many young hearts. Into this restlessness comes the voice of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It does not scold or lecture. It loves, and it reminds the young of the greatness already within them.

“My real property”

Swami placed extraordinary trust in the young. Where others saw inexperience, he saw possibility, and he once declared, “Students are My real property” (Summer Course, May 1974). Wealth, buildings and institutions were not his treasure. Young lives shaped by truth and love were. He believed that if the character of the youth is strong, the future of families, communities and nations is secure.

Strength begins within

Swami taught that real change begins inside each person: “Reform yourself; the world will reform itself” (Divine Discourse, July 1970). Before trying to fix the world, a young person must first become steady, honest and self-disciplined.

He also warned the young to guard their senses. Long before smartphones, endless feeds and online pressure, he cautioned that a mind pulled in every direction loses its peace and power. Simplicity and self-control, he taught, are not restrictions. They are the source of clarity, confidence and joy.

The cure for fear

Many young people today struggle with stress and self-doubt. Swami's remedy was to know oneself truly: “You are not just a body or a bundle of desires. You are divine” (Summer Course, May 1990). Once a young person knows that the Divine dwells within, fear begins to fall away and quiet courage takes its place.

This echoes the ancient call of the Katha Upanishad (1.3.14): “Uttishthata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata”, meaning “Arise, awake, and learn from the great ones.” Swami gave this call a living voice for a new generation.

Service that gives life meaning

For Swami, faith was meant to be lived, not only spoken. “Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray” (Divine Discourse, May 1976). He encouraged the young to serve without expecting anything in return, and many found their true purpose in doing so.

Across the world, from Asia to the Americas and here in New Zealand, Sai Youth run medical camps, feed the hungry, care for the elderly, teach values to children and offer help wherever it is needed. Many began with a single afternoon of seva and found it grew into a lifelong path. Some gave up well-paid careers to serve full time. Many more became quiet leaders in their own professions, bringing compassion into boardrooms and conscience into classrooms.

Education for life

Swami's vision of education was not about producing job-seekers. He wanted to raise whole human beings. “True education is not for a living, but for life” (Summer Course, May 1990). His approach brought together the Head, Heart and Hand: clear thinking, a compassionate heart and skilful service. A young person formed in this way leads by example rather than by authority.

Living in the world, wisely

Swami never asked young people to run away from the world. He asked them to master themselves while living fully in it: “Head in the forest, hands in society” (Divine Discourse, May 1984). The mind stays rooted in God, and the hands stay busy in the work of the world

The Centenary call to the youth

As the Centenary Celebrations continue through 2026, Swami's call to the young is not simply to remember him but to rise. He does not only want them to be leaders someday. He wants them to be lights of today, shining through honesty, kindness and selfless action right now.

Let this Centenary year be a turning point. Answer Swami's call not with words alone but with the way you live. Be the message. Be the change. Be the Sai Youth He envisioned.

Whenever one awakened young person walks the path of love, truth and service, Swami walks with them and lives through them.

In every heart where values shine,

In selfless acts, so pure, divine—

The youth arise, the world they heal,

Fulfilling Sai Baba's sacred will.

— Ravinder Grover

(Not from the pen, but from His Presence)

Sri Sathya Sai Global Council, New Zealand