It has been over 3 decades since I left the portals of our beloved alma mater as a student of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.  What a wonderful life-changing period it was! I am blessed to have got an opportunity to spend seven years in the hallowed presence of our Master and build a strong foundation for my life.

I joined the Sri Sathya Sai School in Prasanthi Nilayam in 1982 as the first batch of CBSE students and graduated in 1989 with an MBA degree (second batch) from SSSIHL. Those years were full of learning that stands by me even today in life. The ability to live a simple life amongst brothers from various parts of the country and from diverse backgrounds is a life changing experience. The experience of a wholesome life full of activities from academics to sports, extra-curricular activities and of course the alchemic Darshan of our beloved Swami – these transformed my life forever.

The years as a Sai Student were full of experiences and chances with Swami that gave us lessons for our lives. Those days had a charm of its own with Swami involving Himself physically in every aspect of our lives. A veteran HR head of the Tata group told me that we boys have an unfair advantage over other contemporaries. We get 3 times the education at the same time every day – pedagogic education in the school/college, life skills learnt in the hostel and the wisdom gained at the Mandir. Therefore, we were learning daily for almost 17 hours a day continuously throughout our stay in the campus. The attributes learnt in Swami’s institutions stay with us for life as a part of our subconscious. I would like to share how life with Swami positively made an impact on my life and, I am sure, in all our lives. 

Ability to adjust 

Since we have brothers from across the country staying with us in the hostel, it helps us adjust with people of varying ages, backgrounds, personalities, etc. In our corporate and social life today, this ability to adjust and treat all people as brothers and sisters makes us successful human beings.

Virtues of hard work

In all the three temples of learning – the Hostel, Institute and Mandir – we had to do a lot of hard work to get our grades, or an all-rounder position or attention of Swami. Nothing ever came easy. So, a student of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, has always been used to hard work, with an eye on the end goal and not just the number of hours we put every day.

Equanimity

We have deeply ingrained in us the quality that it is our duty to put in the best efforts possible and not to worry about the results. This is very different from the common philosophy that results must necessarily come if efforts are made. This quality of equanimity helps us keep a balanced head over our shoulders, not being unduly affected either way about the results and focusing on the efforts instead. This also gives a signal to our teams that there should be no compromise on efforts, at the same time, no dejection if the efforts do not yield the results we expect.

Being a Giver

This is another unique attribute of a Sai student. We would prefer to be a Giver than a Receiver. I remember in 1989, after I secured a job, and came to Brindavan for Swami’s blessings. He called me into Trayee and asked me, my remuneration. He then told me, “Do not bother about the salary you get. Be more concerned about what you give back to the company. You should always give far more than you get. Resemble Swami, who only knows to give and never asks for anything. Your salary, promotion and so on is decided not in your company, but at Prasanthi Nilayam”.

I am sure many of us would have received the same message personally or in discourses and those of us who follow this principle in life have never been disappointed.

I believe that those who are able to follow these as part of their lives are Sai students irrespective of whether they have studied in Swami’s colleges or not. Swami has always been saying that His Life is His Message and now, it is all the more important that we make our lives His Message. It is not only our privilege, but also our duty to do so for all the love we have received from Him. 

Venkatesh Iyer High school Grade 11 & 12, B.Com., MBA, Prasanthi Nilayam, 1982 – 1989. Currently Regional Head (South and Central America) of the multinational pharmaceutical company, Mylan Pharma, based in Bengaluru. He is a Trustee in the Sri Sathya Sai Trust, Maharashtra.