In plain words
Question: Must we recite the Gāyatrī mantra without fail in the Sathya Sai schools in Western countries?
This I do not say. Each may do as he wishes. Follow your heart. If you have faith that good comes from the Gāyatrī mantra, do it without fail. But Gāyatrī is not a woman. It does not belong to one country or one religion. The form of this mantra is in every human being. ‘Bhūḥ’: materialisation (the body); ‘Bhuvaḥ’: vibration (the life-breath); ‘Suvaḥ’: radiation (the Ātma). The principle of these three is humanness. So it is needed by the people of any country and of any religion. “Remove from my intellect the darkness called ignorance and give it light. Remove bad qualities from me and set me on the good path”: that is its meaning. People of any country can make this prayer, and people of any age can make it. I do not ‘force’ anything. Force belongs to the military. All of mine belongs to the ‘source’. That is Prema. So do it in whatever way gives you happiness.
There is still much of the programme to take place. There are many questions. The answers too are long. But for want of time I am cutting them short as I tell them. Above all, purify the heart. Bow to God's command. God is one. Think of Him as Allah, think of Him as Jesus, think of Him as Rāma..... There are no differences at all. Above all, in Swami's organisations you must not give room to differences. Keeping God in mind, shape your qualities into sacred ones. In this Sathya Sai there is no selfishness at all, from foot to head. So bow to Swami's command. Whatever I say is for your good. Follow Swami's command, be happy, and share that happiness with others. That is what I hope for.