I give people what they want in the hope that they will begin to

In the radiant wisdom of Sai Baba, we find a truth both subtle and profound: “I give people what they want in the hope that they will begin to want what I want to give them.” These words are not a riddle of the mind but a revelation of the heart — a teaching on compassion, patience, and the divine art of guidance. It is the way of the sage, who does not command but awakens, who does not impose truth but nurtures the soul until it thirsts for truth itself. This saying is a mirror of the ancient principle that the teacher must stoop to lift the disciple, that the healer must touch the wound before offering the cure.

To give people what they want is to meet them where they are — amidst their desires, fears, and illusions. It is the way of understanding before transformation. For the wise know that the human heart is not conquered by force but opened by love. Just as a child reaches for sweets before he learns the nourishment of bread, so too do men and women chase pleasure before they awaken to peace. Sai Baba’s teaching reveals that the path of enlightenment begins not with denial, but with compassionate meeting — to draw near to another’s longing and gently guide it toward something higher.

Consider the life of the Buddha, who, after attaining enlightenment, did not withdraw into silence but returned among men. He spoke in parables, offered practical teachings, and met each listener at their level of understanding. When asked about wealth, he spoke of generosity; when asked about sorrow, he spoke of mindfulness; when asked about power, he spoke of compassion. In this, he gave people what they wanted — answers, comfort, guidance — but through those gifts, he led them to what they needed — the path to liberation. His words, like Sai Baba’s, reveal that the true teacher gives not to indulge but to elevate, not to please but to purify.

This wisdom also lives in the way of every parent, every leader, every artist who serves humanity with purpose. The parent gives the child toys, knowing that through play the child learns life’s rhythm. The leader offers security, that the people might one day value justice. The artist paints beauty, so that eyes accustomed to color might one day recognize the beauty of truth. In each case, what is given is a bridge — a bridge from the temporal to the eternal, from want to wisdom, from hunger to understanding.

Sai Baba’s quote also reflects the divine patience with which the universe itself teaches us. It gives us success, only for us to discover that achievement alone does not satisfy. It gives us love, only for us to learn that possession cannot replace connection. It gives us pain, only for us to awaken to compassion. Life gives us what we think we want — until we begin to desire what it truly wishes to give us: awareness, serenity, and unity with all beings. The journey from wanting to wisdom is the path every soul must walk.

And so, the saying is not merely about giving — it is about transformation through love. The master’s generosity is not the indulgence of weakness but the patient strategy of truth. He knows that to plant a seed of light in the soil of desire, one must first touch that soil without judgment. Slowly, through the sweetness of experience, the heart turns from craving to clarity. It begins to hunger not for more, but for meaning — not for possessions, but for peace.

Let this be the lesson to those who listen: Do not scorn the desires of others, nor your own. Instead, understand them, and let them become steps on the ladder of awakening. Give to others with empathy, not pride; guide them by the path of their own longing until they glimpse the higher joy that waits beyond. In your relationships, your work, your art — begin where others are, but lead them gently toward where truth resides.

And finally, remember this: what you give in patience will return in transformation. To give people what they want is the art of love; to inspire them to want what you wish to give is the art of wisdom. Practice both. Be like the lamp that burns silently, giving light to those who seek warmth — until, one day, they too learn to kindle their own flame.