Educare and Five Elements

SSEHV Exposition on Five Elements conducted on April 14, 2002 (Earth Day)

Education is collection of worldly information; educare is to bring out what is within. Education is for a living while educare is for life. Educare is for reaching our ultimate goal of life.

Five elements are in perfect harmony and balance, due to the full expression of the inherent values in creation. They follow perfect discipline, righteous conduct, and as such there is always peace in nature. When the Creation exhibits inherent peace as a consequent of the innate discipline, there is non-violence.

As a product of the same five elements, which constitute the Creation, these elements in man should be in balance and harmony. If man is not able to experience bliss and happiness, there must be some cause that obstructs him from experiencing this on a constant uninterrupted basis. The answer to this given by Sri Sathya Sai Baba is the mind. Man alone is endowed with the power of mind.

However, when the strong inputs from the senses blur the mind with images and thoughts, the mind blocks the constant flow of Divine Energy from within. This creates desires and ultimately leads man to deluded actions upsetting the balance of the five elements within. As man is a part of the entire cosmos, this in turn affects the balance of the five elements in nature. This causes the earth to rumble, the waters to rise, the fire to flare up, the winds to blow unnaturally and the ether to get polluted.

It is said, "Less luggage more comfort, makes travel a pleasure". Hence, you should make a sincere endeavour to decrease your burden or desires. It is only then that you cease being a burden on the earth. Any increase in your burden adds to the burden of the Mother Earth. In fact, it is not God who carries your burden; He makes each one carry his own burden.

Make Proper Use of the Five Elements

"Trees also teach the lesson that you should always do good to others. They take carbon dioxide from the environment and give out oxygen, which sustains life on the earth. Though born as humans, you do not bother to imbibe this noble message that the trees silently preach"

"The sun vaporizes ocean water. Though the water of the oceans is saline, the rain water that falls from the clouds taste sweet. Similarly, the saline water of bad conduct should be transformed into the clouds of truth by the sun of intellect. Then alone will the sweet water of Love fall from the clouds of truth and virtue"

"Man's misadventures have created several problems for the entire mankind. He has polluted the five elements causing havoc on the earth. There is pollution everywhere - in air, water, food and so on. His misdeeds coupled with his evil thoughts and feelings have degraded human life on the earth. If man acts in the righteous way, there will be no pollution at all. The water level under the surface of the earth is depleting because noble virtues like love and compassion have dried up in human heart. The five elements are sore with the offensive conduct of man" - Sai Baba

Environmental disasters

Human greed has created havoc in the ecosystem. Human-induced climate change is the most serious problem facing the world in the 21st century. The increasing amounts of oil, coal and other fossil fuels being burnt as a result of our development priorities are emitting more and more heat trapping gases - principally carbon dioxide - while simultaneously destroying the forests that normally absorb them. The result; a greenhouse gas overload in the atmosphere - trapping solar heat and causing surface temperatures to rise. Average global temperatures have already risen 0.6 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial average. Twelve of the hottest years in recorded history have occurred since 1980. But this is only the beginning. Scientists expect average world temperatures to rise by over 3 degree Celsius by 2080.

The consequences of this warming are likely to be highly destructive. With more energy driving the Earth's climatic systems and more heat affecting the polar ice caps, the frequency and severity of storms, floods and droughts will increase. Sea surges, crumbling coastlines, saltwater intrusion into groundwater, failing crops and the spread of endemic diseases such as malaria and dengue fever will take a heavy economic and social toll. Let us see some facts:

• In 1999, a super-cyclone tore through the Indian state of Orissa with winds 73 per cent faster than past cyclones in the region; it killed more than 10,000 people and destroyed the crops, cattle and livelihoods of millions more.
• In South Asia, where sea level is expected to inundate much of Bangladesh, parts of India and Pakistan and islands such as Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the lives and livelihoods of at least 50 million people are at risk.
• In Africa, 92 per cent of the Lewis Glacier, the largest on Mt. Kenya, has disappeared over the past 100 years. Glaciers in India's Himalayas, e.g. Ganglotri Glacier is losing some 30m every year. If melting continues at this speed, there may be no glaciers left in the central and eastern Himalayas by 2035.
• In the Indian Ocean 70 per cent of coral reefs - the second richest type of ecosystem in the world, appear to have died.
• Will cause animal migration.
• Food crops will decrease.
• Risk to one-third of the world's forests.
• Future is uncertain for many species - many will be extinct.
• Mosquitoes are expanding their range, carrying with them into new areas deadly diseases such as dengue fever and malaria.

Let us see some other interesting facts of consumption patterns.

• In Canada, one person drinks each year 90cans, 107 bottles and jars, 70 food cans and 45 kg plastics which is equal to 10 times his/her own body weight in household waste, and his/her consumption translates into cutting of 2 trees worth of paper.
• In Canada, average consumption of water is 340 liters. In many countries of Africa, daily water consumption is 10 liters. Imagine yourself living with 10 liters a day for washing face, brushing, cooking, toilet flushing and bath.

For the last 30 years, Sathya Sai Education (SSE) children have been learning five human values of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Non-violence through various activities. Now the focus has shifted to integrate five human values and five elements. This will be creating an awareness of the importance of harmony between five human values and five elements. We cannot live without even one element.

Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) program displayed various exhibits - on Five Elements, i.e. Air, Earth, Fire, Space, and Water; Quotations from Swami, Our Beautiful Mother Earth, etc. on April 14, 2002. World is beautiful. We have polluted air, space, and water. Our Mother Earth has been crying for help for long time. Let us do our part. These exhibits explained briefly how we can help at an individual level, family level and community level. Can you think how can you help? Let us see:

• Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Take public transportation whenever you can.
• Walk or take a bike if the distance is ten blocks away.
• Think of "disposable" as unacceptable and try to avoid disposable things, if possible.
• Pesticide-free backyard.
• Plant a tree every year
• Start an environmental group in your school, community or office.
• Stop water leakage from your home faucets.

Multi-Dimentional Application of Sai Teachings for Transformation of Global Society (diagram 68 kB)

Insight into Sathya Sai Educare (presentation 1788 kB)