1. Belief in God, for there is only ONE GOD for all mankind, though He may be called by many names.
Sai Baba has declared that we must have full faith in God. Whatever deity we worship, adore him with a sense of Oneness. This is the feeling with which God should be worshipped. Only then can we reach the state when we can declare that we are one with God, which is the sole purpose of our existence.
Sai Baba has further stated a spiritual aspirant's spiritual belief is purely a personal matter between God and that individual and as such no one has a right to question the belief of another person.
2. Follow sincerely the respective religions we are born into or we have chosen and to live our daily lives in. The principles and teachings of all religions are based on good behavior and morality.
Each of us should practice our own religion sincerely. A Christian should be a good Christian. A Hindu should be a good Hindu. A Muslim should be a good Muslin and so on. Let each one be a true practitioner of our religion. All are One. Be alike to everyone declared Jesus. The one God is common to all.
The Hindus have the Vedas and Upanishads. The scriptures lay down with great elaboration the eternal values of life .....The Holy scripture of the Christians is the Bible, particularly the New Testament, the section of it which tells the story of Christ and his Ministry .....The Zoroastrians sacred scripture is 'Zendavesta'. The Hebrews sacred scripture is called 'Torah' and the 'Talmud'. The Sikhs sacred book is called the 'Adi Granth'. The sacred scriptures of the Buddhists are called 'Pitakas' and the sacred scripture of Islam is called the 'Koran' all of which proclaim Gods message to love one another.
All should develop the awareness that though names and forms may differ, the essential truth is one in all religions.
3. To respect all other religions - for no religion advocates the negative and low qualities of man. All urge mankind to follow the ideals of high Human Values.
Let the different faiths exist, let them flourish and let the glory of God be sung in all the languages and in a variety of tunes. That should be the ideal. Respect the differences between the faiths and recognize them as valid as long as they don't extinguish the flame of Unity. True spirituality emphasizes the truth 'that is common to all religions. We must recognize the unifying truth in all religions.
The truth proclaimed by all religions is one and the same. All religions have a common ultimate goal. All religions aim at promoting righteous conduct by transforming the mental attitude of man, thereby bringing about harmony of body, mind and intellect. The foundation of all religions is morality. Morality is equated with selfless love. Religions were thus instituted to foster the well being of society through the promotion of love for all beings. All religions advocate their votaries to seek eternal peace within oneself. No religion approves the use of violence. Every religion recommends the cultivation of tolerance and respect for other religions, thus paving the way for non-violence.
4. Perform selfless service to the poor, the sick and the needy, without thought of reward or fame.
Sai Baba has stated many times that ‘Service to man is service to God’. Man is not merely a human being, he is the embodiment of Divinity. All acts of service done to others are to be treated as service rendered to God. Since God is the indwelling source of all living beings, doing service or good to a person is in reality worshiping God. Realize the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. Through selfless service and love we can realize the unity in all.
Love is God, God is Love, where there is Love, there God is certainly evident. Love more and more people, love them more and more intensely. Transform the love into service. Transform the service into worship.
The purpose of life is to grow in love, expand that love and to merge with God who is Love, and this is best done through service. That service should be rendered selflessly in a spirit of sacrifice.
5. Cultivate in our lives the values of TRUTH, PEACE, LOVE, RIGHT CONDUCT, and NON-VIOLENCE and to promote these among all.
Truth
God is the embodiment of Truth. Truth is the foundation of the Universe. This Truth transcends the mind and speech and is beyond the categories of Time and Space it has been has described it as Spiritual Truth. It is also called Transcendental Truth. Truth is that which remains unchanged over time. We must aspire to live up to this Truth. We must also realize that the Divine is present in everything. Only when you can recognize the omnipresence of the Divine will you be able to experience the Divine.
Peace
The treasure that is unmistakably precious is the quality of Peace, equanimity, unruffledness. Purify your hearts, your thoughts, feelings, emotions, speech; strengthen your nobler impulses; then, no panic can unnerve you; nothing can shake your stability, your Inner Peace. Sow the seeds of Love, after preparing the soil of your heart, removing the weeds. Let them grow, watered by faith, and yield the blossoms of fortitude; later, you are assured of the fruit - Inner Peace. This is the task; this is the duty; this has to be the vow.
Love
Love is like a most precious diamond. Love binds one person to another; Love attaches one thing to another. Without Love the Universe is naught. The highest Love makes us aware of the Lord in every one. The Lord is equally present in all. Life is Love; Love is Life. Without God, deprived of God, nothing and nobody can exist. We live on and through the Divine Will. It is His will that operates as Love, in each of us. It is He who prompts the prayer, "Let all the worlds be happy". For, He makes us aware that the God we adore, the God we love, the God we live by, is in every other being as Love. Thus Love expands and encompasses all creation.
Right Conduct
Character, conduct, daily behavior, attitude towards others - these are all important, for right conduct is essentially social morality. Every being in the world, whether they are aware of it or not, is dependent on right conduct for peace and happiness. All triumphs, whether acknowledged or not, are earned only through right conduct.
'If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be Peace in the world.' It may thus be seen that the first link in the chain leading to world peace is righteousness.
Non-Violence
Non-violence is the highest form of right living, the divine Law which is the highest of all virtues. The principle of non-violence means the promotion of mutual love along with achieving and maintaining goals of peace and unity. That is the main feature which is a recognizable sign of being human. Non-violence means refraining from violence released by passionate feelings and controlling oneself. The non-violent are recognized by their patience. The only way in which one can take the path of non-violence is to recognize Oneness of the soul that is present is all living beings and regard them as equal.
(Extract from : http://www.meditationclub.com/babateach.htm)
