THE PROBLEM
What is true education?
True education shines in the beauty of the spirit and of highest wisdom. It is effulgence that permeates a full life and that which leads every human towards attainment of his real nature through purification and sublimation of his consciousness. The modern educational system is producing students with information – based knowledge, rather than transformational knowledge.
This has resulted in overt acts of violence; unrest; lack of peace and understanding, in the society. Thus, any amount of knowledge transfer will not be successful, if it does not help with translating values into a daily reality.
What the world needs today is neither a new order, or a new society, nor a new education. The remedy lies in a mind and in a heart filled with goodness. Research has shown that, the Spiritual Quotient and the Emotional Quotient are becoming equally important, if not more important, than Intelligence Quotient. We take this responsibility very seriously to help the child develop the right behaviour which would create joy and happiness in his or her own life and in the life of those around him or her.
Education experts define the most important skills for the twenty first century students of a global society, as the 4 C’s – critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. But, we consider the 5th C – character over and above the 4 C’s, and as the most important. Simply put, Character is the ability to do the right thing always.
Integral education
Our education system is based on the philosophy of our Founder, Sri Sathya Sai Baba who firmly believed that the integrated development of the child, with the right balance of academic, moral and spiritual education is to be achieved. The Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam, has a child-centric, balanced and insightful approach, where learning is truly a joy.
Since inception several decades ago, the objective of the Sathya Sai way of education has always been to impart free values-based integral education that helps build character in the children, who are dedicated to serving the society. There are four aspirational characteristics displayed by the individual who has passed through the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam system of education:
Core Principles
sarve jñānōpa sampannaḥ
सर्वे ज्ञानोपसंपन्नाः
Knowledge on all the matters of the world – a complete personality
- Academic excellence pertaining to subject knowledge
- Life skills like communication technology, inter-personal relations, cooking, maintenance, driving etc.
sarve samuditā guṇaihi
सर्वे समुदित गुणै:
Ever engaged in the welfare of the world
- Dedicated to society at large
- Using one’s professional skills and knowledge to help others
sarve vedavidaḥ dhīrāḥ
सर्वे वेदविदःधीराः
Repositories of all the good qualities that emanate spontaneously
- Love, kindness, compassion, dutifulness, discipline, patriotism, service-mindedness etc.
sarve lōkahite ratāḥ
सर्वे लोकहिते रताः
Knowledgeable about ancient Indian wisdom – the Bharatiya culture
- Study of spiritual texts and philosophies
- Discrimination between right and wrong
Categories
Intellectual
Academics
- The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) Curriculum.
- Largest open schooling system in the world.
- Recognition is equivalent to all other education boards of India.
- Flexibility and range of subjects for study.
- Options to choose subjects that are of interest and relevance for the student.
- English-speaking skill, soft skills and computer literacy.
Emotional
Moral and Social
- Grounding in moral values.
- Arts and creativity.
- Social service and self-reliance.
- Music and Fine Arts.
- Goshala Care .
Spiritual
Studies and Meditation
- Faith and Devotion to God
- Vedic Learning
- Prayers and Bhajans
- Bala Vikas and Values Education, Guru Vikas
- Upaniṣads, advaita, vedanta, ātma jñāna (Knowledge of the Self)
- Religious Harmony and Other Spiritual subjects
Physical
Fitness, Wellbeing and Control
- Yoga
- Outdoor Sports
- Indoor Sports
- Gymnastics and Adventure Sports
(e.g.: Horse riding and dare-devilry on motorcycles, aero sports etc.)
All the educational campuses are under Prashanthi Balamandira Trust, a public charitable Trust that was established in the year 1981, and the Sri Sathya Sai Saraswathi Education Trust which was instituted in October 2011.
The Trusts impart values-based education, without any discrimination, with greater emphasis on spiritual education. The Trusts work incessantly towards establishing world class educational infrastructure in rural India with first priority to needy rural children.
5,000 boys and girls from the rural strata of society are benefitting from free values-based integral education at top notch architectural edifices, absolutely free of cost across 28 Campuses in 20 Districts in Karnataka and 1 District in Telangana and 1 District in Tamil Nadu.
1961
Sathya Sai Vihar, Alike, Karnataka
1973
Sathya Sai Vihar, Muddenahalli, Karnataka
2012
Sri Sathya Sai Vidyaniketanam, Gulbarga, Karnataka
2013
Sri Sathya Sai Sharadaniketanam, Mandya, Karnataka
2013
Sri Sathya Sai Divyaniketanam, Jayapura, Karnataka
2014
Sri Sathya Sai Sriniketanam, Jayapura, Karnataka
2015
Sri Sathya Sai Premaniketanam, Bijapura,Karnataka
2015
Prashanthi Balamandira School, Chikkaballapura, Karnataka
2016
Sri Sathya Sai Sathyaniketanam, Hassan, Karnataka
2017
Sri Sathya Sai Vaniniketanam, Gadag, Karnataka
2017
Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Institute for Nursing & Allied Healthcare Sciences, Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh
2018
Sri Sathya Sai Prashanthiniketanam, Kondapaka, Telangana
2018
Sri Sathya Sai Karunyaniketanam, Tumakuru, Karnataka
2018
Sri Sathya Sai Sattwaniketanam, Karwar, Karnataka
2018
Sri Sathya Sai Sevaniketanam, Koppal, Karnataka
2018
Sri Sathya Sai Vishwaniketanam, Hampi, Karnataka
2019
Sri Sathya Sai Ananyaniketanam, Udupi, Karnataka
2019
Sri Sathya Sai Anantaniketanam, Mysore, Karnataka
2019
Sri Sathya Sai Nithyaniketanam, Belgaum, Karnataka
2019
Sri Sathya Sai Sarvaniketanam, Shimoga, Karnataka
2019
Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Gulbarga, Karnataka
2021
Sri Sathya Sai Vedaniketanam, Haveri, Karnataka
2021
Sri Sathya Sai Meenakshiniketanam, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
2021
Sri Sathya Sai Gayatriniketanam, Doddaballapur, Karnataka
2023
Sri Sathya Sai Anandniketanam, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
Campuses Overseas
Three campuses exist outside of India — namely, in Laos, Australia and Nigeria.
Sri Sathya Sai School in Laos
Toogoolawa School in Australia
Embodiment of Love Academy in Nigeria
Sri Sathya Sai School in Laos
Toogoolawa School in Australia
Embodiment of Love Academy in Nigeria
Bringing Balance into Education
Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Kalaburagi
Inspired by the ancient Indian way of education that caters to all aspects of human development with spiritual evolution at its very core, the Prashanthi Balamandira Trust®, Chikkaballapur has established the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence at Navanihal Village, Kamalapur Taluk, Kalaburagi District in Karnataka (a Private University established under Karnataka Legislative Act 2018). The University encapsulates values-based integral education in a unique residential environment, with the core idea to create individual excellence in all fields of knowledge with spirituality as its foundation. Based on the ancient Indian Gurukulam System of Education, the University shall promote and propagate the fields of Science, Humanities, all forms of fine arts, and the supreme knowledge derived from the field of spirituality, all completely free of any charges, to all students without any discrimination.
ब्रह्म वेद ब्रह्मैवभवति
brahma vēda brahmaiva bhavati
– mundaka upaniṣad (3.2.9)
Meaning: The one who knows Brahman (the Highest Self) becomes Brahman (that Self itself)
This upaniṣadic thought is the fundamental principle of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, based on which sciences are taught alongside spirituality, humanities are taught alongside divinity, and excellence is taught alongside enlightenment.
Personal and professional development
Institute of Human Values
The Institute of Human Values, a first of its kind, offers tailor-made online courses totally free of any charge, curated by experts from around the world. The institute’s vision is to make people better in their personal and professional spheres by sensitising them towards society’s needs. More importantly, it encourages them to explore ways to meaningfully and selflessly contribute to society, thereby creating a sense of global citizenship and responsibility in them.
Free Medical Education
Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research
The Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence by Prashanthi Balamandira Trust, India has established the World’s First Totally Free Medical College, in Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, Karnataka, India.
Nestled serenely by the ancient Nandi hills, this first of its kind endeavour guided by the vision : IN RURAL – FOR RURAL, will nurture medical doctors with noble values, who will dedicate themselves to serve the underserved, particularly in rural India.
Guided by the norms of the National Medical Commission (NMC), the apex steering body for medical education in India, the Medical College shall comprise of one academic block and two teaching hospitals, which shall provide quality medical care to All, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, and financial status, all Totally Free of Cost. The College commenced in the academic year of 2023 with an intake of 50 medical students.
Promoting Vedic Studies
Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Veda Gurukulam
Vedas are the mother of all the s´a¯stras. It emanated from God Himself as His inhalation and exhalation. The word ‘veda’ means knowledge and is derived from the sam. skr. ta root ‘vid’ which means ‘to know.’ vedas are the basis of everything one does in their daily lives and they serve as the guide post to righteous living. According to the ancient wisdom, vedas are the ‘revealed sounds’ that are self-evident and self-authoritative and was heard by the great sages by s´ravan.am, thus getting its other name – s´ ruti. r.s.is or the ancient seers were called as mantra dr.s.t.as, as the distilled wisdom of cosmic knowledge was not composed by them, but was rather visualised and heard by them. That is why vedas are called apaurus.eya – that which is not composed by man. r.s.is in turn handed this down from one generation to another by verbal transmission. The sacred teaching would be taught at a gurukulam with the vision to contribute to the revival and proper understanding of sana¯tana dharma globally; and to spread the advaitic message that unequivocally states ‘All is Divine’.
With this lofty purpose of rejuvenating and enlivening sana¯ tana dharma and taking it to all parts of the world where it truly belongs to, the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Veda Gurukulam at Sathya Sai Grama in Muddenahalli has been established.
The purpose of the gurukulam is to promote learning and research in vedic studies, and disseminating its priceless wisdom to all, without any discrimination, while also relating it to the contemporary context. Students, who will be trained in the karma, upa¯sana and jña¯na ka¯n.d.as of the vedas, will be encouraged to travel across the globe to spread vedantic teachings to all.
Spread across 2.5 acres of land, the veda gurukulam at Sathya Sai Grama exudes the symphony between the beauty of nature and the quaintness of the gurukulam style of living, the effect of which is accentuated by the positive sounds of the vedic mantras. a¯cha¯ryas who are adept in the r. gveda and yajurveda from the Sri Venkateshwara Veda Vijnana Peetham, Tirumala, impart the wisdom of the these vedas to the students. Students are admitted into the gurukulam after their upanayana or initiation ceremony, and are provided accommodation (boarding and lodging) and education – both para¯ vidya (spiritual knowledge) and apara¯ vidya (secular knowledge), completely free of all costs.
vedic and vedantic studies is the prime focus of the gurukulam alongside academic subjects, with special attention to English speaking skills for effective communication and computer skills to cope with the modern times. Secular education through the NIOS Board is imparted to the students to make them eligible for Grade 10 and 12 board examinations, after which they can pursue Bachelor of Arts in Vedic Studies and Master of Arts in Vedic Studies.
