Duty towards Motherland

Dear Child,

In this sacred country, the quality of forbearance has been the greatest of our traditions. Adherence to truth has been one other important ideal. What can be sweeter than the widely accepted custom in this country according to which, we respect those loving us more than even our life. We are prepared to give up our life to protect our honour. Alas! We are forgetting these ideals today and accepting in their place, foreign ideals! We have forgotten our own culture. What else can I tell the citizen of this country? Like an elephant which does now know its own strength, the citizens of this country do not know their own strength.

Good ideas, good conduct, and adherence to truth should result from our education. That which promotes these aspects is indeed true education. Only those who acquire these qualities can be called truly educated people.

Educators, authorities of education, patrons of education, students and teachers! Today, in our country, spiritual values have disappeared, dharma has declined, adherence to truth is not found anywhere, demonic features like cruelty, unkindness, lack of truth and egoism have spread everywhere. At one time, this country was known all over the world for dharmic conduct. Like the parents who feel sorry when they look at the improper educational attainments of their children, the motherland of India feels very sad when she looks at us, who have lost faith in our spiritual traditions.

In order to pacify this motherland of ours, it is the duty of the young student to do service to the community and learn the right things which education is expected to teach them. The country does not merely consist of dust and land. It consists of people who live in it. Students should recognize that setting right the country means setting right the people and putting them on the right path. The firs natural outcome of education should be the ability to do some service to the country and re-establish the spiritual values in the country. We should thus prove our leadership to the world in this aspect.

The value of an individual depends on his culture. One’s culture is a very sacred aspect and has been inherited from our ancestors. We cannot interpret of understand culture superficially. It has a very deep meaning. It is the first duty of every individual to give up bad conduct in his daily life and improve his daily habits. The deservedness by which you can be entitled to become useful citizens of the country should be acquired while you are students. Of the entire life of a human being, the most important period is the period of being a student. A student is like the root for the trees of his life. Recognizing such truth, you should lead the life of a student happily and learn good lessons from it.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba