Message given to graduates and Alumni of the Institute of Sathya Sai Education

My humble pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Dear graduates and alumni of the ISSE,

Tehseen and I and all the faculty of the ISSE are very happy that you are graduating today with the Diploma of the Institute of Sathya Sai Education in Human Values. Bhagavan has blessed your certificates and He is looking forwards to your onward journey to Divinity in which He will guide your every step, taking a hundred steps for every single small step that you take. By committing yourself to the Diploma Course you have chosen to be His direct messengers and you have pledged not only to take the royal road to Divinity but to guide many young and tender lives that will come to you for counsel, guidance and advice.

In one way you have come to the end of one episode of your life. You commenced the Diploma with some goal in mind. You have to introspect to see whether you have achieved what you had hoped you would be able to achieve by undertaking the course. At the same time you are starting a new chapter in your life as an almunus of the ISSE. We are hoping that there will always a place in your heart for the staff of the ISSE and that in finishing the course you will not cut your ties with the ISSE but taken a giant step forwards to now begin to actively contribute to the fund of wisdom, expertise and Sai love that the ISSE is based on.

Bhagavan has said that for the teachers there is no other Sadhana that is needed, This is because you are the human models of His Divine teachings and will show by your example, by your life and character, your choices and values what it is to be a teacher of spirituality. Your life will be the message that Bhagavan has come to give humanity. This carries enormous privilege of proximity to Bhagavan. But it also carries equally weighty responsibilities. He has said that to those He gives much He also expects much. You have today to make a solemn pledge to Bhagavan about your mission in life based on your learning of His Divine teachings that you have have got through the Diploma Course. You have to reflect deeply in what way will you make a contribution to further the spirituality of humanity - not only in the Sai Centres but in the wider world.

The world today needs authenticity, it needs loving kindness and most important of all it needs people who will be activists in advocacy of the Five Human Values. These values are called by Bhagavan "human" but in fact they are Divine Values. It is these values that distinguish humans from other creatures and are the link of nature with the Divine. is is these values that will continue to give you closeness to Bhagavan and at the same time give you real handle on social relationships, creating as they do stable societies, stable homes and stable and responsible commerce and good governance of all institutions.

We, at the ISSE, hope that today will be the beginning of a dedicated, happy, fulfilling enriching life. it is appropriate that you graduate on the day we are celebrating Deepavali ---- the victory of light over darkness. May your future be filled with Divine Light that will take you ever closer and closer to the Divine Bliss that you really are. Receive our love from the ISSE.

Dr Pal Dhall
Dr Tehseen Dhall
Dr Mohan Bhullar