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| Swami and the Divine Energy. Three insights |
| 11.30.04 (11:22 am) [edit] |
Swami and the Divine Energy. Three insights
Light and Love
An Estonian Sai follower, painter and painting teacher Margus Rump presented me this picture what I wish to share with you. He has been many times at PN, worked there voluntary and has received Swami's direct Darshans. Impressions inspired by Swami he expresses through painting.
Below are three insights I should wish to share.
1. We all know that information carries not only letters, words, colors, figures but also energy. Kirlian method grounds on the fact, that all material objects leave their "patterns" (information) to the environment that surrounded them. Kirlian method is one of the technical methods what permits to visualize this impressions in high frequency pulsate electric field using photography or various kinds of info-technology applies. The luminosity (aura) of living objects is radiant, varying, rich in color, irregular, but strictly individual, reflecting not only physical but also emotional state of men, animals, plants. (The aura of inanimate objects is stable, geometrically regular and as a rule one-colored).
To percept Swami's Omnipresent Energy there is no need to proof by Kirlian camera or by others methods. This energy is as a Divine fluid into devotees hearts. The results of this Divine flow can be observed in practice, be it is by spreading His Teaching and having experiences, composing paintings and books dedicated to Swami, obtaining the skill to meditate and listen to melody of silence within, or something else...
Avatars has incarnated with his devotees as one spiritual entity. Swami is not separated Avatar: all devotees are with Him and vice versa. For that connection nothing ecxept presence of the Divine love is needed.
"The cosmos cannot exist apart from the Divine. The Divine cannot divorce the cosmos. The devotee creates (his own image of) God. God creates the devotees. The common belief is that all beings including devotees are created by God. But this is not the whole truth. The devotee also by his spiritual sadhana creates God....
Wherefrom does this Divine form come? It comes from the devotee's intense feeling for a direct vision of God. Is it folly for anyone to go in search the God. When God is omnipresent, what is the need for a search? It is a delusion to imagine that man is in quest of God. It is God who is searching the true devotee." (Excerpts from the Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba at the Summer Course in Brindavan, 29 May 1991).
When one tries to look within and exclude all temporary frames of Maya reality, he/she can 'acknowledge' the reflection of the Self - bodiless, wordless, omniscient, omnipresent... and can fuse into oneness of eternal being... The last sentence is an imagination, it is impossible to describe the Self, descriptions try to express the bliss, eternal - where is no fear, no joy, no hope, neither bad and nor good actions... Probably everyone has own impulse for indirect expression the Self. For me is a special inner joy and radiant to reach closer to the Self through Cosmic Consciousness as Swami's Omnipresent Energy (Form).
"Truth is one. It is beyond mind and speech. It transcends the limitations of time and space. Innumerable seekers have pursued different paths to recognise this Truth. There are notable differences among the seekers of Truth. These differences do not affect the nature of Reality. On the contrary, it is the existence of these differences that has spurred the continuous search for a unifying principle." (Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. Thought for the day as written at Prasanthi Nilayam on 4 May 2004).
2. It has known by modern science that between the Earth and the cosmic Space is the energetic balance. Similarly, the maintenance of a human being's energetic balance provides the security and stability of all his systems as science declares. This energetic balance is also pictorially between physical and spiritual energies with high vibrations as Swami has through His Body and His Cosmic Forms. For most devotees and followers His first form is easier to percept. It is the cause, why millions of devotees desire to have direct Swami's Darshan.
Most of us are trying to acquire knowledge and understand the sense of living. We make numerous attempts that can often fail, but every endeavor is worth making. Each of us is a God’s creature.
"Every atom is permeated with Divinity. As the rays emanate from the sun, so does Nature originate from God. Nature is the reservoir of power and energy. When Nature, which is the creation of God, is so full of power, you may estimate for yourself the tremendous power of God! It is said that the workings of Divinity are most wonderful." (Excerpts from the Divine Discourse delivered by Sathya Sai Baba "Divine Origin of Five Elements." 15 May 2000 PM, Brindavan).
A person's physical body is less or more in balance with different physical cosmic energies. A human being has consciousness and it expects not only being in balance with physical but also with spiritual energies.
The impulses of spiritual energy, spiritual reality (what is possible to percept as indirect evidence of Atmic reality) contains in various aspects. The different cultures explain them differently; however, the initial source is the same they all are pinpointers of Atmic reality. For example, Russian thinker G.Gourdgiev (a disciple of the Sufism School) at the beginning of the 20th century has imagined the spiritual vibrations as a row of musical sounds. The Pythagorean School found the spiritual energy in using the concepts of the Universe-wide gold-section, Phi numbers and sequence of Fibonacci numbers. In the "Book of the Dead" spiritual cosmic energy is compared with the range of light. The Chinese "Book of Changes" the action of the vibrations has explained with the help of linear geometric symbols. Dao Schools use alchemical esoteric terms. Zen Buddhists create paradox verbal construction. Each of them describes some aspects of spiritual energy.
For Swami's devotees the spiritual reality is represented in His Teaching and His Omnipresent Energy, experienced by millions of his devotees.
However, "In this world, there are two types of intellectuals. The first type is the scientists who are totally materialistic in their outlook. They have in their mind only the physical and worldly goals and gains. They are fascinated by the external appearance of a gigantic tree with its numerous branches and twigs, but they are not interested in finding its "roots". Vedantins (philosophers) are the second type of intellectuals who are not fascinated by the external appearance of the tree but evince great delight in finding the "roots". People who are worldly in outlook waste their time in watering the 'branches', whereas, the Vedantins water the 'roots' and thereby enjoy the 'fruits'.> (Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on the 1st of January 2003 in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam ).
It is a human ego-self what prevents many human beings to acknowledge this truth. Spiritual energy what is perceptible with heart is as a personal inner feeling. A person or groups of people being not in balance with spiritual vibrations are capable to pollute the powerful energy of the Universe. The fact has known to all what concern to the global chemical, physical, biological and mental pollution of five elements creation today.
What exactly is ego-self? It is feeling that one is a separate unique individual, and shows whenever we boast our accomplishments, desire and fear the unknown. In Vedas has said that this is an illusion and you are not separate from others. The modern scientist agrees with Vedas that all objects are interrelated on all levels.
If we understand that consciousness is a field (energy, deeply intertwined with spiritual energy, "I") which is the new understanding of modern science. According to it there may be a hope for spiritual growth through unison science and spirituality. More than two thousand years ago, Buddha said that humans are inter-beings that inter-arise in the inter-richness and there is only the inter-richness. Today, scientists are declaring that our bodies are recycled stardust, our blood is recycled waters of World Ocean, our breath is recycled air, our emotions are recycled energies, our thoughts are recycled information, our personalities are recycled relationships, and our souls are reflections of every other soul what all together form the same Atman.
What then remains personally to us? Nothing except Atman expressed through Cosmic Order and Harmony. A human being can reach to these values through Love as Cosmic Order and Harmony is not possible to express by other way.
"If you want to experience true love, have full faith in God. God's love is steady. It never diminishes. You may undergo any amount of suffering, yet you belong to God. You are His and He is yours. No third person can come between you and God. You say, "He is my classmate; he is my sportsmate." But none of them can come to your rescue. You have to look after yourself. You should have faith in yourself. Only then can you realise the truth." (Excerpts from the Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Have Faith in God, the only True Friend" - 17th October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
"We have to love before we have to understand "- said Nikolaj Grundvig, the promoter the adult education two centuries ago.
What concern to knowledge, so often quoted as the chief value in human society, then I like to repeat the saying by Arthur C. Clarke, ”Let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all." However, when there is no Love all these qualities vanishes into whirl of delusion.
The Truth about the Nature (laws, orders and relations - expression of Atman in Maya reality is the same for all times and for all nations. The humankind is existing in the conditions of continuous Divine development.
"Although science and technology have made rapid strides, man has not acquired the divine qualities. Technology is the child of science. But very much anterior to science is the Veda. Science seeks to know all about creation, but the Veda reveals the knowledge about the Creator. All the natural sciences are concerned with knowledge about created things.
But there is a Creator who is the source of all them. In the quests for understanding the objects in creation, man is forgetting the Creator." (Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. SSS. Vol.18, Chapter 4).
The explanations concern to this development and to the eternal Truth in its various forms would be clear to the younger and older generations with the different basic knowledge.
The more understandable for human consciousness is the knowledge given through examples, pictures, performances and finally through scientific explanations. Swami's Teaching is understandable to all: from scientists to persons with primary education or illiterates. Human values are within everyone and the existence of Divine spark is not depending on the stage of education. It is one of features of universality of Swami’s Teaching.
Whatever area of science (or other human activities) we look: be it today's natural, technical, social, medicine, psychological, etc. sciences we are finding a lot of fundamental identicalness between modern science and Swami's Teaching. It is as an eternal Truth fused with Divine Energy for human beings to discover their real nature. Discovered it, Swami’s Teaching is a guide how to fuse into rhythms of harmony with laws of Divine Nature.
3. The third insight is the compilation from: http://www.hinduism.co.za/god.htm" title="http://www.hinduism.co.za/god.htm" target="_blank"http://www.hinduism.co.za/god... connected with own thoughts and Swami's quotations.
God is described as manifest and unmanifest. Know the Self as god what is within you before you decide about the nature of God and the world.
The Self is God. 'I am' is God. This question arises because you are holding on to the ego self. It will not arise if you hold on to the true Self. For the real Self will not and cannot ask anything. If God be apart from the Self he must be a self-less God, which is absurd. God, who seems that not exists, alone truly exists. Whereas the individual, who seems to be existing, is ever non-existent. Sages say that the state in which one thus knows one's own non-existence (sunya) alone is the glorious supreme knowledge.
"There are many in this world who do not understand what is true spirituality and thereby forget the reality. If someone puts a question, "Who are you?", say with firm conviction, "I am I." Never identify yourself with the body. He who realises this truth is a blessed one.
Worldly Gurus undergo change with the passage of time. God alone is changeless and He alone is your true Guru. Have total faith in God. Develop faith day by day. Only then can you be called a true Manava (human being). Daivam Manusha Rupena (God incarnates in the form of a human being). Hence, consider yourself as divine. Declare with total conviction, "I am I." When you lead your life with such a sacred feeling, divinity will certainly manifest in you. Never be under the mistaken notion that God is elsewhere. He is always in you. Your reflection is God's reflection. Your reaction is His reaction. Everything is basically divine in nature. It is God who makes you play your role in this cosmic drama. You may call Him by any name. But He is only one." (Excerpts from the Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Have Faith in God, the only True Friend" - 17th October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
Particles of God do not separate from Him and forms the universe. His sakti (power, energy) is acting. As a result of one phase of such activity the cosmos has become manifest.
"The Upanishads declare Isavasyam Idam Sarvam (the entire universe is permeated by God) and Easwara Sarva Bhutanam (God is the indweller of all beings). God is immanent in every being as "Nammakammu" (faith). Therefore, one has to cultivate faith in God, as his first and foremost duty. All the Vedas, Upanishads and scriptures emphasise this as duty of a man." (Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Have Faith in God, the only True Friend" - 17th October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
So the fact is that Brahman (Atman) is all and remains indivisible. It is ever realised but man is not aware of this. Knowledge means the overcoming of obstacles, which obstruct the revelation of the eternal truth that the Self is the same as Brahman (Atman). The obstacles taken together form your idea of separateness as an individual.
"The Divine is the basis of everything in the cosmos. The integral relationship between the Divine and the Universe should be properly understood.... The omnipresence of the Divine from a piece of stone and a mighty emperor should be recognised. Man should be grateful for the ennumerable benefits provided by the Divine... Self-realisation is the goal of every human being." (Excerpts from the Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba at Summer School in Brindavan, 21 - 05 - 1993).
Among the many thousands of names of God, no name suits God, who abides in the Heart, devoid of thought, so truly, aptly, and beautifully as the name "I" or "I am".
In the mere presence of God, who does not have even the least volition, the living beings, who are engaged in innumerable activities, are embarking upon many paths to which they are drawn according to the course determined by their own Karmas, finally realise the futility of action, turn back to Self and attain liberation.
The actions of living beings certainly do not go and affect God, who transcends the mind, in the same manner as the activities of the world do not affect that sun and as the qualities of the conspicuous four elements (earth, water, fire and air) do not affect the limitless space.
It is inscrutable God's Will that samsara- creation and manifestation is full of sorrow and evil.
No motive can be attributed to that power - no desire, no end to achieve can be asserted of that one infinite, all-wise and all-powerful being. God is untouched by activities, which take place in his presence. Compare the Sun and the world activities. There is no meaning in attributing responsibility and motive to the one before it becomes many.
It is not possible for anyone to do anything opposed to the ordinance of God, who has the ability to do everything.
"If you want to know God, imbibe the principle of oneness. When you have the feeling of oneness, you can see the direct manifestation of God. The sages of Vedic times adored the sun as the direct manifestation of God as described in the Gayatri Mantra. Consider God as your mother, father, friend and everything." (Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Have Faith in God, the only True Friend" - 17th October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
Iswara has individuality in mind and body, which are perishable, but at the same time he has also the transcendental consciousness and liberation inwardly. Iswara fot our generation is Swami. How easy to understand this outlook, when we have the living God as an example for His devotees.
Iswara, the personal God, the supreme creator of the universe really does exist. But this is true only from the relative standpoint of those who have not realised the truth, those people who believe in the reality of individual souls. From the absolute standpoint the sage cannot accept any other existence than the impersonal Self, one and formless.
Iswara (as Swami) has a physical body, a form and a name. Today Swami's darshans are the evidence of this. Iswara (Swami) can be seen in visions in the form created by the devotee. His essence is the same as ours, the real Self being only one without form. Hence, forms he assumes are only creations or appearances.
Iswara is immanent in every person and every object throughout the universe. The totality of all things and beings constitutes God. There is a power out of which a small fraction has become all this universe, and the remainder is in reserve. Both this reserve power plus the manifested power as material world together constitute Iswara.
Swami gives an additional explanations concern to the different Vedic schools.
"The Advaita (non-dualistic) philosophy of Sri Sankaracharya advocates the oneness of Jiva (individual soul) and Brahman (cosmic soul). The Visishtadvaita philosophy of Sri Ramanujacharya presupposes that Jiva and Brahman are different. Sri Madhwacharya explained that there are, in fact, three concepts, namely, Dehatma Bhava (body consciousness), Jivatma Bhava (individualised form of God) and Paramatma Bhava (the universalised soul or the Supreme self). Nobody need hold on to a particular school of thought or deride the others. The question of adhering to a particular school of philosophy depends upon the mental frame work of the individual."
“I am That” and “That I am”. When you are able to realise this truth, you will find that the principle “I” underlies everything in the universe as the principle of unity. The only aspect you have to realise is “I am Brahman”. “I am I”, “I am the word, I am the form and I am the name”. This “I” represents and explains everything.
The Vedantic concepts lead to endless arguments and counter-arguments. Do not enter into them. Always be under the awareness “I am I”. This “I” principle is beyond names and forms. It represents Brahma Tattwa, which is one without a second entity." (Excerpts from the Dasara Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Who are You? I am I" - 20th October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
Existence of Iswara follows from conception of Iswara. Let us first know whose concept he is. The concept will be only according to the one who conceives.
God, the creator, the personal God, is the last of the unreal forms to go. Only the absolute being is real. Hence, not only the world, not only the ego, but also the personal God is of unreality. We must find the absolute – nothing else.
"Make efforts to understand the principle of spirituality. Have firm conviction that you are the embodiment of Atma and there is no second entity in this world. Develop firm faith in your 'real nation' i.e., the Atma. Believe in yourself. Have firm conviction that God is everywhere." (Excerpts from the Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba "Have Faith in God, the only True Friend" - 17th October 2004. Prashanti Nilayam).
By such contemplation, God is as an idea.
If the individual is a form, even Self, the source, who is the Lord, will also appear to be form. If one is not a form, since there then cannot be knowledge of other things, will that statement that God has a form be correct? God assumes any form imagined by the devotees through repeated thinking in prolonged meditation. Though he thus assumes endless names, the real formless consciousness alone is God who does not reside in any place other than the Heart. It is due to illusion, caused by the ego, the 'I am the body' idea, that the kingdom of God is conceived to be elsewhere. However, God is within you. The unlimited space of Turiyatita (beyond the four states, i.e. the Self), which shines suddenly, in all its fullness, within the Heart of a highly mature aspirant during the state of complete absorption of mind, as a unknown experience, is rarely attained and true kingdom of God, which shines by the light of Self.
Usually it is said that the jiva (individual soul) is subject to the evil effects of illusion such as limited vision and knowledge, whereas Iswara has all-pervading vision and knowledge. It is also said that Jiva and Iswara become identical if the individual discards his limited vision and knowledge.
The Vedic saints' explanation concern to the relation between individual soul and Iswara (Swami) is following.
First get rid of your own limited knowledge. Why do you worry about Iswara? He will look after himself. It is indeed a great thing if we can take care of ourselves.
"The Atma is a synonym for Brahma which is nothing but the Chaitanya permeating every human being. Man has a name and form but Chaitanya has no form. The Chaitanya that is present in the human body is called 'conscience'. The all-pervasive Chaitanya is called 'consciousness'. When the individual understands the principle of unity in diversity, the 'conscience' gets transformed into 'consciousness'." (The Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on the 1st of January 2003, Prasanthi Nilayam).
To worship God with name and form is seems not wrong as that would be limiting the limitless, giving form to the formless. As long as a devotee responds to a name there is no objection worshipping a God with name or form.
It is difficult to believe in a personal God. Easier to believe in an impersonal God, a divine force and it would be a great help and source of faith and inspiration for many devotees. More easier to believe, imagine and try to follow Swami's explanations and directions.
"You are a part of Nature. So, you should strive to merge into Paramatma. There is nothing bad in the creation of God. Mistake lies in man who puts them to misuse. Change your attitude and you will see good in everything. Treat praise and blame with equanimity. By adopting this positive attitude, you will realize that there is no Yogi greater than you; there is no Thyagi superior to you; there is no one greater than you." (Excerpts from the Divine Discourse Sathya Sai Baba "Divine Origin of Five Elements." 15 May 2000 PM, Brindavan).
The most known famous physicist of our days Stephen Hawking (who's life is a legend itself), some years ago explained his outlook concern to the God. He reached to this fact through modern academic science.
"It is difficult to discuss the beginning of the Universe without concept of God. My work on the origin of the universe is on the borderline between science and religion... It is quite possible that God acts in ways that cannot be described by scientific laws." (Dr. Henry F. "Fritz" Schaefer, III, Stephen Hawking, the Big Bang, and god, http://www.origins.org/articles/schaefer_big bangandgod.html" title="http://www.origins.org/articles/schaefer_big bangandgod.html" target="_blank"http://www.origins.org/articl...).
Namaste - Reet
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| Events at Prashanti Nilayam - 1st November 2004 |
| 11.29.04 (9:19 am) [edit] |
Events at Prashanti Nilayam - 1st November 2004
This evening, Swami came out for Darshan as usual and sat down on the sofa. At 3.45 p.m., He asked Sri B.N. Narasimhamoorthy, the Warden of the Brindavan Campus Hostel, to give a talk. Sri B.N. Narasimhamoorthy, a very good orator as we know, kept us gripped in attention, with his most inspiring talk for around 45 minutes.
He started with the aspect of the Avataar and how He functions when He comes down on earth. Giving the example of Lord Sri Rama, he said that, at the end of 14 years of exile, when Rama was faced with the adverse situation of Mother Sita being kidnapped; He did not approach brother Bharatha for help - though this is what one would logically have done. Instead, He used most unexpectedly, monkeys as instruments to win over Lanka and bring back Mother Sita!! Such an event of monkeys being used as instruments had never occurred before.
Therefore, for Mahapurushas and Avataars, success comes merely by their Willpower (Sankalpa) and not by the efforts of their instruments. Instruments are used in their Mission only to Bless them and redeem them (to give them a chance)!! He said that the greatest miracle of Swami is 'Achieving perfect success with imperfect instruments'.
He also shared the happenings of the morning. This morning, after Bhajans, Swami went in the 'Prius Car' to the Super Specialty Hospital. The Nurses Quarters that is under construction, is about to be completed. Bhagawan went over there to Bless the workers with clothes and Prasadam. Around 20 senior students also followed Swami in a van to help in the distribution of clothes to the hundreds of labourers.
Once Swami reached the site, He got down from the car and stood on the scorching ground, bare feet, for more than 15 minutes, Blessing all the workers and talking to some of them! That is His Love! There is no difference in His Love, whether it is a Prime Minister or a labourer!
Then as the distribution was going on, Swami enquired, "We are giving them cloth, but are we giving them stitching charges? Go and tell them that we will be giving them stitching charges too."
Sri Narasimhamoorthy continued his talk saying that miracles are very natural in the Presence of Love. They just happen! No instruments are required for it. Quoting Prof. Gokak, the first Vice Chancellor of our University, he said that, as instruments, our only role is to make sure that we do not become obstacles in His work. We do not have to do anything else. Just let Him do everything!
Here, he narrated a very beautiful experience that happened during his tenure as the Warden of the Prasanthinilayam Hostel. This incident happened during the 60th Birthday celebrations of Bhagawan.
There was an Asthma patient named Narayan Sharma in the Hostel. This student happens to be the batch mate of Dr. Siva Sankar Sai - the current Warden of the Hostel. Narayan Sharma used to suffer from very severe attacks of Asthma. One morning, he became very serious and he had to be rushed to the hospital. By the time he was taken to the hospital, his body had become blue and was already cold. A lady doctor who was in charge, examined him and said that there was no hope of his surviving. They tried all means but in vain.
Sri Narasimhamoorthy said that he was shocked and did not know how to take this news to Swami. It was already 6.00 a.m. Meanwhile, Dr. Chary, the then Superintendent of the Hospital, came over and examined the patient. He declared the student dead. No pulse, no breath! But as the Warden was hesitant to go to Swami, Dr. Chary himself went and told Bhagawan about this case. Swami smiled and asked him not to worry as nothing would happen to the boy. Dr. Chary returned to the hospital amazed and once again checked the patient. Same status, no change!!
Now, Dr. Chary asked the Warden to go and pray to Swami. At 6.30 Sri Narasimhamoorthy went to the Mandir and submitted the case to Bhagawan. Swami again said, "Nothing will happen to him, he will be fine". Saying so, Swami thrust a flask with hot coffee into the Warden's hand and asked him to go and give the boy some coffee!!
Sri Narasimhamoorthy returned to the hospital with the flask in his hands. Seeing the flask, the doctors asked for whom it was. When the Warden said that it was meant for the patient, all of them were convinced that the Warden had lost his mind. There was the body on the bed, wrapped in a cloth, with no life and here was the Warden bringing hot coffee for him!!
As all of them prayed hard and watched. Slowly the feet of the boy started moving!! The lady doctor exclaimed and went to the boy. She held her fingers in front of his nose. Yes, there was slight breath! She whispered into his ears, "Boy, Swami has sent hot coffee for you, please have some." There was no __expression on his face, but he opened his eyes. Slowly, the coffee was poured into his mouth.
Just at this time, Swami arrived at the Hospital and entered. Moving towards the boy, Swami asked him, "Aye! all of them told that you were dead, how come you are still alive?" Bhagawan then asked Dr. Chary, "How did you declare him dead?" Dr. Chary said, "Swami, there was no pulse, no breath. According to medical science, this is defined as death."
Swami then asked, "In that case, how did he come back to life?" Dr. Chary exclaimed, "Swami, You can do anything!!" All were wonderstruck at this stunning miracle!
There were a number of boys who had gathered outside the hospital, hearing the news of the death of their classmate. Swami looked at them and told the Warden, "Go and tell them what happened here. They are very anxious."
It was wonderful to listen to Sri Narasimhamoorthy, a personal witness to this wonderful incident, narrate the entire episode in full detail. Subsequently, he started speaking about Sunil Gavaskar. Sri Narasimhamoorthy has been blessed by Bhagawan to continue the 'Satyam Sivam Sundaram' the biography volumes of Bhagawan started by Prof. Kasturi. In this capacity, Sri Narasimhamoorthy has interviewed a number of very great and longstanding devotees. He said that it was a very revealing experience for him and their devotion truly humbled him.
In this context, he shared the interview he had with Sunil Gavaskar. He narrated all about his life, how Swami was the secret behind all his successes....You must surely listen to this talk on Sai Global Radio or on the net. It's wonderful.
After Sri Narasimhamoorthy Garu's talk, Swami signaled to Dr. Siva Sankar Sai, the current Warden of the Boys Hostel, to address the gathering. Dr. Siva Sankar Sai, hesitantly got up and then praying to Swami to speak through him, began his talk with Vedic chants.
Being a batchmate of Narayan Sharma, about whom Sri Narasimhamoorthy just spoke, Dr. Siva Sankar Sai added his own comments about the episode. He also spoke about the visit of Sunil Gavaskar to the Hostel and the talk given by him to the boys. During their visit, Swami had asked Sunil Gavaskar to speak to the boys about Bakri Id as it happened to be Bakri Id that day. Sunil humbly submitted to Swami that he was totally ignorant of this topic and therefore Swami should excuse him.
Bhagawan replied, "You just go and stand over there, I will speak". Sunil did just that and for the next 10 to 15 minutes he spoke non-stop about Bakri Id and finally there was a thunderous applause!! Sunil says that to this day he does not know what he spoke on that day. On the other hand, Dr. Siva Sankar Sai who was among the audience that day, as a Research Scholar, recalled the wonderful talk given by Sunil Gavaskar!
It was very nice to hear such experiences being narrated from different people on different sides of the scene! Subsequently, Dr. Siva Sankar Sai shared an incident wherein a student who was very unwell in the Hostel was helped by Bhagawan in a very mysterious way.
The evening concluded with Bhajans.
Sairam
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| Bhagavad Geetha |
| 11.29.04 (7:30 am) [edit] |
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Bhagavad Geetha
Chapter 12
The Bhagavad Geetha is a celestial song rendered by Lord Krishna to
the warrior Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Although the
Bhagavad Geetha as we know is a part of the great epic Mahabharata,
there is no doubt that the principles and teachings of the Geetha
are ancient. In the first three slokas of the fourth chapter,
reference is made to the Lord instructing Geetha to Surya first and
later to Manu and to the fact that from Manu it reached Iksvahu and
thence to others in succession. So the Geetha is beyond the category
of time and it cannot be assigned to a particular point of time,
past or present.
The Bhagavad Geetha is the "milk" of the Upanishads, "drawn" by the
cowherd Krishna with the help of the "calf" Arjuna, for all mankind
to drink and draw sustenance from. It is a text book for all mankind
giving the secrets of spiritual science in clear and simple terms.
The Geetha is a text for spiritual practitioners, for it emphasizes
Sadhana and spiritual attitudes more than anything else. Every
chapter lays down means and methods of reaching the goal of peace
and harmony. Geetha is a boat, which can take man across from the
self-imposed state of bondage to the freedom, which is his nature.
But it will be useful only when the reader has as much detachment as
Arjuna had when Krishna started the discourse. If you have as much
Vishada as Arjuna had, you have the Adhikara to get the teaching,
which removed the Vishada. The Geetha will act on the mental system
only when the symptoms of Vishada are strong. Arjuna, the greatest
bowman of those days, anxious since years to destroy the wicked
Kauravas who had angered him by merciless and systematic vendetta,
suddenly gets disinterested in everything that he thought precious
until that moment. In short, his mind had become ripe for the
illumination. He has the Lord Himself as Guru by his side and he
knows it. He asks Him: "I am struggling in ignorance; I am confused;
I do not know which is Dharma and which is Adharma." He seeks
disciple-hood and lays himself at the Feet of Krishna in self-
surrender! Anyone anywhere who reaches that stage of spiritual
surrender will get the response from Krishna and He will teach the
Githa from the chariot which is driven by Him, that is his own heart.
Really speaking, man has come into this Karmakshetra (field of
activity) only to engage himself in activity, not in order to earn
the fruit of such activity. That is the teaching of Geetha, its
fundamental lesson. Arjuna, the great hero capable of great
renunciation and of great wisdom is deluded by the awful needs of
war and this grief handicaps his activity. He imposes on Atma (ever
untouched by the characteristics of the moving changing world) the
unreal and ephemeral nature of the world and takes this delusion as
true. This is the tragedy not of Arjuna alone but of all humanity.
Therefore the Geetha is of universal and eternal value. To study the
Geetha is to learn the art of swimming across the sea of delusion.
The Geetha is the very voice of Lord Krishna.
The way it begins and the way it ends gives the clue to the subject,
which it expounds. The very first verse starts with the
words, "Dharmakshethre Kurukshetre..", the word Dharma being the
leading word. The last verse speaks of "Yathra Yogeshwarah Krishna"
and this word "Yogeshwara" sums up the Dharma that is being taught.
Thus it is clear that the objective of the teaching in the Geetha is
just this: "Remember Dharma; practice Dharma". Bhagavad Geetha is a
textbook of Dharma in all its aspects. It discusses all the
principles underlying Dharma.
The Geetha, which begins with the Vishada Yoga, ends with Sanyasa
Yoga; Vishada is the foundation and Sanyasa, the super structure.
Vishada (despondency) is the seed and Sanyasa (liberation), the
fruit.
Complete surrender to the Lord, freedom from the shackles, which
bind one with the external world of objects, the observance of good
deeds and virtuous disciplines, these are the principal truths
underlined in the Geetha. The Lord holds forth these as the best
form of training in the deepest secrets of inner progress. The
Lord's command is that each should pursue the Dharma that is laid
down for him; each person should plan his life according to the
spiritual foundations of his culture; he should give up
the 'objective' vision and listen to the Voice of God.
The Geetha is the greatest harmoniser of all Yogas. As a matter of
fact, once the Geetha is made the guiding star of your life, the way
you act will be Karma Yoga, tile way you feel be Bhakthi Yoga, the
way you reason will be Jnana Yoga. It will become automatically so.
What you do must be in line with Dharma; what you feel must foster
Prema; what you think must reveal Sathyam. Then you will be blessed
with Santhi, with even Prasanthi.
The Geethabhavanam (mansion of Geetha) is the mansion of Sathya and
Dharma, erected for the benefit of the world. Study it with faith
and devotion. Experience the curative and restorative effects of its
teachings by actual practice. Understand the Geetha well and
observing its injunctions establish yourselves in the attitude of
Nishkaamakarma. Do all duties as acts of worship, Hari Prasadam.
That is the sole task. Leave the rest to Him: the fruit, the
consequence, the result. Then you receive the Grace of Hari and your
life on earth is sanctified and becomes worthwhile.
-Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
[Source: Geetha Vahini | Divine Discourse: 24 Jun 1961]
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| Parthi Update, November 23, 2004 |
| 11.29.04 (4:00 am) [edit] |
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Parthi Update, November 23, 2004
Bhagawan Baba’s 79th Birthday Celebrations
It was just 5.30 a.m. when the first line of students left the Hostel to the Mandir. Luckily it was not very cold this morning. We all rushed to the Mandir fearing the huge crowds. The queue for the gent’s devotees to enter the Mandir had reached till the Primary School and was growing exponentially!! We were struck by the devotion and inspiration of these thousands of devotees. Did they not know that their chances to even enter the Mandir were almost nill? But still, what drove them to undergo so much strain and stand all these long hours? That is the miracle!! His Love is a powerful magnet that just attracts!! Who can escape that pure Love?
When we entered the Kulwant Hall, of course through the Ladies side entrance as our side was fully blocked, we found that the Hall was already full!! My! What about all those thousands standing in the queue? With a silent prayer in our hearts for al of them, we went and occupied our places – privileged as we were!! But the question kept nagging us. How could Swami satisfy all these devotees? If they do not get something, how is it that they keep coming again and again? This means that they all are receiving something – something intangible that words cannot express!! We realized the power of our omnipresent Lord, seated in each one of our hearts and having His relation with us both from within and without!!
At 6.55 a.m., the base drum of the band gave its first beat, heralding the 79th Birthday of the Avatar of the age!! Soon a huge procession marched forward from the Poornachandra Compound. It seemed like a river in full spate making its way to merge with the ocean! The Anantapur band, the Primary School girls band, the Primary School boys band, the Institute Gents Band, the Vedam boys….O the list goes on and on. And there, behind all of them, in the Lamburgini vehicle, driven by our dear brother Satyajit, was seated our most beloved Bhagawan shining brighter than all suns put together, in His brilliant white robe!! Swami was looking too good! His flowing curly black hair falling over His white robe and His shining, brilliant face with that beautiful subtle smile…..Manda Hasa Vadani Manohari Sai Jagat Janani. You would have had to see it to believe it!!
At 7.15 a.m., after taking a full round of the Kulwant Hall, Bhagawan stepped down on the dais. He walked from one end of the stage to the other end, Blessing all and casting a glance at all. At 7.30 a.m., He sat down on the sofa. Meanwhile, all the bands were playing catchy tunes one after the other. Both the Anantapur and Prasanthinilayam bands played ‘Happy Birthday to You’ in their own unique styles. There was a loud applause after each piece. After a while, Bhagawan signaled to them to be seated.
At 7.35 a.m., Sri Sanjay Sahni, Principal of the Brindavan Campus of SSSIHL, made an introductory speech. He expressed his feeling that what sort of Birthday could one wish Bhagawan who is indeed the ageless and timeless, extolled as such in all our scriptures!! He also recalled several instances when devotees have wished Bhagawan a Happy Birthday and Swami has always replied, “I am ever happy, it is you who must be happy”. This indeed is the very purpose of our life and the journey goes on and on. Sri Sanjay Sahni introduced the two speakers for the morning.
The first speaker was Dr. Michael Goldstein, a physician by profession and Chairman of the Prashanti Council that oversees the service activities of the Sathya Sai Seva organizations around the globe. Dr. Goldstein began his talk by making an apparently surprising but very thought provoking statement. He said that we truly are not brothers and sisters as we normally think. We are indeed ONE. Then why call ourselves brothers and sisters? Again where is the question of sharing Love? Love is one undivided entity, which must be experienced and not shared. He said that we are not celebrating the birthday of the physical body of Bhagawan but we are celebrating the confirmation of Divinity in this Holy Form, which we can see with our physical eyes. He referred to Bhagawan as the cause of faith, reason for hope and the embodiment of Selfless Love!!
The second speaker for the morning was Padmashri Prof. G. Venkataraman, the well-known scientist, winner of several awards, former Vice Chancellor of our Institute and currently heading several projects under the direct guidance of Bhagawan – notably the Global Sai Harmony. He paid his obeisance to Bhagawan on behalf of every man, woman and child on this planet earth as, in his opinion, all of us are His children whether we believe in Him or not.
He spoke very highly about our Institute and it’s stress on moulding the character of students. He praised the boys, quoting several instances where boys had manifested in their behaviour the impact of this character building exercise. One incident was of one of our students, who went out of his way, even at the cost of arriving late to the Hostel, to help an old woman board the bus to her town – during one of the earlier Birthday celebrations of Bhagawan. That boy felt that this small service of his, was his offering to Bhagawan on that auspicious day.
Another instance was something that took place just a few days before. Old students of the Institute went to Penukonda (a close by town) in a vehicle and distributed blankets to all those sleeping on the streets, especially the children. This was very thoughtful of them especially given the weather conditions now. Prof. Venkataraman asked the audience whether there was any other University anywhere in this world, where alumni students would undertake such selfless service, even after five years of their passing from the college?
He also reminded us of the unique opportunity we have of being in the Divine Presence of the Lord. He gave the example of the ‘Lady statue of opportunity’ that he had seen in a museum. This statue had two wings and was blindfolded. On asking the curator the significance of this, the curator said that the blindfold implies that we often do not see the opportunity waiting at our very doorstep and the wings symbolized the fact that this opportunity would not wait for long, and if lost - would fly away forever!!
After the two talks, Bhagawan got up from the sofa. It was 8.15 a.m. The mike was arranged and Swami scanned the entire ocean of devotees and gave a Blissful smile!! He commenced His Divine shower of invaluable wisdom. Highlights of the Discourse follow:
Without Sathya, Dharma, Prema and Shanti, value of education is zero, acts of charity are futile and compassion is meaningless. These four values are the very pillars of human life.
Embodiments of Love, you are forgetting the very reason for your coming here. What would happen if we would post a cover, without writing the ‘from’ and ‘to’ address? It would be delivered to the ‘dead letter’ office. So too, you have come and fallen into this world without knowing your ‘from’ and ‘to’ address. You must necessarily recognize at least one of the three – Where have you come from, where are you going and where are you now. Otherwise life will be futile!
Bhagawan narrated the well-known story of the boatman, which He has mentioned several times before. A Businessman travels in a boat and in order to pass time, he keeps talking to the boatman. First he asks the boatman whether he is educated. The boatman replies in the negative. Then the businessman asks him the time, asks him about the newspaper, asks him about the prices of gold and silver in Mumbai and also the name of their destination. To all these queries, the boatman fails to give any answer, as he is illiterate in the very first place. Therefore, the businessman tells him that by not having a watch, he has wasted a quarter of his life. By not knowing how to read a newspaper and not even keeping one under his shoulder – as the fashion is these days, he has lost another quarter of his life.
Not being able to reply the query about the name of their destination, he had lost even the third quarter of his life, according to the businessman. Just then a severe storm sets in and the boat starts rocking. Then the boatman asks the businessman whether he knew swimming. The businessman nodded his head – indicating a ‘no’. Then, said the boatman, that his whole life was a waste!!
Bhagawan in detail, explained the experience of Dr. Goldstein in his encounter with the air hijackers. Many of us would have heard this from Dr. Goldstein himself. Once Bhagawan had asked Dr. Goldstein to postpone his return trip to USA. But Dr. Goldstein, worried about losing the money paid for the ticket, ‘sort-of’ disobeys Bhagawan’s command and proceeds with his plan. The result is that, he is caught in a major PanAm air hijack adventure.
Swami described in full detail as to what happened in the aircraft. How the hijackers opened fire with their guns and how almost all were killed but Dr. Goldstein and his wife were saved by Bhagawan’s Grace. Swami praised them saying that both were ardent devotees and kept on chanting ‘Sairam, Sairam’, in their heart.
Miraculously, both were spared by the hijackers and after the three day long ordeal, they were free and they caught another flight to USA. Bhagawan went into the further details and gave all the nuances of their adventure. Finally, Swami praised Dr. Goldstein’s wife and said that Ladies always had more devotion than men. Bhagawan said that ladies are able to manifest their devotion more easily than men.
He also praised Dr. Goldstein for taking up weight losing exercises seriously and burning away nearly 60 kgs of fat. Bhagawan said that growing physically is not so important, growing mentally is very essential. At this point, Bhagawan sang the Bhaja Govindam song.
Why are we born on this earth? Is it for Khana, Peena, Marna and Sona? (eating, drinking, dying and sleeping?) There is a lot that we have to do in between birth and death. There is a purpose for our coming here into this world. You all are forgetting that.
Premaswaroopulara, we are traveling in this ocean of the world. So many waves push us continuously. We must have the strength to face all these challenges. Iha Samsare Bahu Dustare Krupaya Pahe Pahi Murare. Is life merely about coming and going from the mother’s womb?
Human life is for liberation. We study to earn a lot of money and eke out a living. Even birds and beasts do this. What is the use of all this education unless it is used for noble purposes? We are here, not merely for education. A degree is necessary but not sufficient. Therefore, all must discharge their duty keeping the goal in mind. Boys say, I have done an MBA. What is the use? Degrees are just on a paper.
We must know why we have come here. Indeed, man alone has the power to know this. Being born, studying, securing a degree, earning money, going abroad – is this all life is about? No. At the end of our life, we must feel Blissful, happy and a sense of fulfillment!
Bhagawan then spoke about Mahatma Gandhi and gave several insights into his life and about the great sacrifices he made for the country. He also spoke very highly about Kasturba, the wife of Gandhi, who served the people lovingly, even when Gandhi was in prison. But then, though we won freedom ultimately, Swami said that this is not the true freedom. True freedom is that of the spirit. Mahatma Gandhi too strived very hard for this.
Swami also spoke briefly about Subash Chandra Bose, and how his wife and son had come and been with Swami for a long time, both at Ooty and Brindavan. He praised Subash Chandra Bose a lot saying that he had a very good mind. He said that these were people with great devotion. Those who have true devotion, will manifest the same in some way or the other.
Bhagawan again stressed that political freedom is only one level of freedom. True freedom is Svarajya – that of the spirit. There are many hundreds of people who have sacrificed their life for the nation and given up bodily attachment – promoting Atmabhimanam. The nation must be safeguarded by such people with Atmabhimanam – attachment to the Self. Body is merely an instrument. We must be ready to sacrifice at any moment. Body is like a dress; we can have it only till it is worn out.
Having been born as humans with this body, there may be many sufferings. But keep praying to the Lord and let the body go through all these sufferings. You will have no problem.
This body fell down in the bathroom. I have no body attachment at all. I told the doctors that they could do anything. I do not care for this body. Till this day I am walking happily. Many renowned doctors told me that I must undergo another operation. Prakriti itself did the operation for Me. My falling down and breaking the bone was an operation in itself.
I have no suffering or pain at all. Many devotees feel bad. But I have never known what pain is. Sacrificing body attachment in this manner, you can accomplish anything. I say and also act accordingly!! There is unity of thought, word and deed. I can stand for any length of time. Doctors told me not to stand for a long time. But I can stand however long I want. Even now I am standing and talking to you all. I have not resorted to any bandage or any tablet for all this.
Students, body is bound to suffer. Body is like a water bubble, mind is like a mad monkey. Do not follow the body, do not follow the mind, follow your conscience. Live with Atmabhimanam, then there will be no suffering. Swami’s programme will face no obstacles because of all this. Swami will keep moving all around the world; nothing can come in the way of His Plan!!
All this is being done to set an example to humanity. The human body is given to serve the Lord. This body must be offered to the Lord. By itself, this body is nothing but a bundle of bones and flesh, full of stench and dirt. It is not permanent. Surrender the body at the Lotus Feet of the Lord.
Serve your country as far as possible. To help an old woman in need is also an act of service. No service is too small. Even a small service will yield huge rewards!! To suffer in the process of serving others is good.
The lady devotees wonder how Swami looks so healthy and good inspite of all these problems!! You must understand this. My weight neither decreases nor increases. I can walk fast if I want. But the doctors have some fear and therefore to satisfy them, I am walking like this. The doctors have advised Me to have two boys on either side to help Me. Hence, I have these two boys over here.
I am not troubling them in any way. Arun and Prusty – both are serving Swami so well. I am not troubling anybody nor am I troubled. These boys go to their offices and do their work. In their free time, they come and serve Swami. I ask them sometimes for a glass of water, nothing more.
Today is the birthday of this body only. Do I look like a 79 years old person? Not at all!! People at this age get so many ailments. Their ears become weak of hearing, eyes develop cataract, wrinkles form on the forehead. For Me, all the organs are perfectly normal. You will not find any wrinkles on My forehead. Not just now, even at the age of 80 or even 90, I will be like this only!!!
You must have such courage and go about doing your work. But you are losing your strength by misusing the latent inner power. Otherwise, you can accomplish so much with Swami’s Grace!!
This human body must be maintained well for the purpose of serving, not for decoration or show. If anybody wants My life, I am ready to give that also immediately. You too must be ready like that. At the same time, you must also not neglect this body.
When there is smoke, there has to be fire behind; when there is a moving train, there has to be a driver responsible for it; having such faith, why not be courageous O Mind?
I see these boys sitting here. They may be just 20 to 30 years old. But look at them. They look so dull and old. No, you must not be like this. You must be ready for any task at any time. Be ever ready to sacrifice! You must always say, “I am ready, I am ready, I am ready!!” Mmmm….. Chala Santosham….
The purpose behind this Birthday celebration is to communicate the message that the body is meant for service to society. This is true Seva.
Bhagawan concluded His Discourse at 9.25 a.m. with the Bhajan, “Sai Bhajana Bina Sukha Shanti Nahin…”.
Prasadam Distribution began. Meanwhile, Swami called Sri Maharaja Rasagotra, the Chief Guest of yesterday’s Convocation and materialized some Vibhuti for him. Later, Swami called him again and materialized a ring and put it on his finger. Apples were the Prasadam this time. The distribution went on and on for a long time. Swami went into the interview room and retired by 10.00 a.m. However, the Prasadam distribution went on till 11.00 a.m. Thousands of devotees joyfully partook of the Prasadam!
In the evening, Bhagawan came out for Darshan at 3.20 p.m. Vedam chanting was going on and the students of the Music College were playing the Panchavadyam (Kerala equivalent of Naadaswaram). Bhagawan was in His normal orange robe and in the golf cart. He went straight into the interview room. He came out at 3.45 p.m. and gave some instructions to brother Nitin Acharya.
Immediately, there was lot of commotion - Sevadal people running around. We then discovered that Swami wanted a platform to be arranged on the dais for the singer. By 4.15 p.m., the platform was arranged with a beautiful velvet blue carpet spread on it. Bhagawan came onto the dais and sat down on the sofa. Few minutes later, Begum Parveen Sultana with her husband Ustad Dilshad Khan came over to the stage and took Bhagawan’s Blessings.
Begum Parveen Sultana was to be the singer for this evening. Accompanying her on the tabla were brothers M. Ratnakar and Niranjan Kanadia of our Institute. Dr. Shailesh Srivastava played the harmonium and Sanket Modi from the Music College played on the keyboard. All of them offered a bouquet to Bhagawan and took their seats.
The music programme began at 4.20 p.m. Bhagawan, the Master of all knowledge and art, had asked her to commence the programme with Raag Hamsavardhani. Therefore, as per Divine instructions, she started with a Tarana in Raag Hamsavardhani. This was followed by some Meera Bhajans and Sai Bhajans. We had - Mere To Giridhara Gopala, Payo Ji Mene Naama Ratana Dhana Payo, Bhaja Mana Nanda Nandana Giridhari, Sairam Sairam Sumirana Karo and Dayani Bhavani – all her top favorites!
Bhagawan took Aarti and got into the golf cart at 5.40 p.m. The ocean of devotees packed in the Kulwant Hall and also parked all along the lanes and pathways of the Ashram kept their eyes glued onto the golf cart as it slowly moved away towards the Poornachandra Hall carrying our dear Lord in it. Each one of us wanted just one more glance of His Divine Form before the curtain dropped on this most holy and auspicious day in our lives!
Let us all pray to the Lord to give us the strength to follow His command and rise up to His expectations, so that the next year when we assemble for the 80th Birthday, He feels proud of us – His children and takes us further on our journey towards Him!!
Let us wish each other a very Happy Birthday with the full knowledge that Bhagawan is residing in each one of our hearts. In fact that is what Bhagawan says about His Birthday. He says that His true Birthday falls on the day when we realize His presence in our heart!!
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| Parthi Update, November 22, 2004 |
| 11.29.04 (3:54 am) [edit] |
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Parthi Update
22-11-2004 (Evening)
Sairam. First of all let us wish a very Happy Birthday to our dear Alma Mater, our dear Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning!! This is the 23rd Birthday of our beloved Institute!!
By 2.00 p.m., graduates receiving their degrees and all other students were seated in their respective places in Sai Kulwant Hall. The Hall was jam packed to its brim. All were expectantly waiting for the arrival of Bhagawan. We could see the band boys preparing themselves to commence the procession near the entrance of the Poornachandra Hall.
This time, all the Governing Body members and the other administrators who join the Convocation Procession, assembled in the new building opposite PC, unlike they do every year inside PC. At sharp 2.50 p.m. the drum beat was given and the procession began. We could see Bhagawan coming in the SAAB car. He was standing in the rear with His normal orange robe. Brother Satyajit was driving the car and the VC, Chief Guest and other procession members were following the car.
The car stopped right at the centre of the Hall. Swami got down over there and went walking towards the dais. The two brothers holding the Shanka (Conch) and the Chakra (Disc) with the Registrar in the centre holding the maze were leading the entire procession. This time two brothers Pranav Verma and Shyam Ganesh, both from the II MBA(Fin) class were Blessed with the opportunity of holding the Shanka and Chakra masts.
At 2.55 p.m. Bhagawan stepped onto the beautifully decorated stage. A few words about the exquisite decoration. Is there any other heaven, we were wondering!! Even the heavenly gardens of Lord Indra would have been put to shame in front of the wonderful floral decoration that our Mudenehalli boys had made.
In the centre, around Ganesha there was a floral arch. The outer rim being stuffed with fresh rose buds of yellow, pink and red colour. The middle part of the arch had huge bunches of roses – red alternate with white. On either side of the stage were two huge peacock shaped floral fans with special type of flowers in all colours – blue, green, yellow. It looked gorgeous. The entire back of the dais was a curtain of flower garlands with two door like frames placed on either side, in case Bhagawan wished to go into the Portico or the Interview room.
At sharp 3.00 p.m. the nine selected Vedam boys chanted the standard Convocation Vedic Mantra – Vedamanuchyacharyo…. Prior to that the Vice Chancellor offered a bouquet to the Revered Chancellor and garlanded the Chief Guest – Sri Maharaja Krishna Rasagotra. This was followed by the talk of the Vice Chancellor. The VC prayed to the Revered Chancellor to declare the Convocation open!!
Bhagawan stood up and in His inimitable style said –“I Declare Convocation Open”. Instantly the series lights decorating the board adorning the centre of the dais with the letters “XXIII Convocation of SSSIHL’ written on it, went on!!
The VC spoke at length about the achievements of the Institute and its uniqueness and the golden opportunity of having Bhagawan as the Chancellor. He made his often-used statement “In Prasanthinilayam there is a place for everything and everything is in its place”. He highlighted the three semester - M.Phil. Course started this year in our Institute. He also touched upon the unique opportunity given to staff and students for chanting Vedic Hymns every evening in the Divine Presence and the project of Grama Seva.
Next, all the students repeating each line after the Vice Chancellor, took the pledge. It would be appropriate for us to recall this great pledge that we all have taken at one point of time. So here it goes…..
I hereby solemnly declare and promise that, if admitted to the Degree for which I have been duly recommended, I will, in my daily life and conversation and in thought, word, and deed, conduct myself as befits a member of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning; that I will, to the utmost of my capacity and opportunity; support the cause of sound learning, humanity, morality and spirituality; and that, as far as lies in me, I shall uphold and advance the social and, indeed, all round welfare of my countrymen and fellowmen.
Bhagawan lovingly gave away all the gold medals to the respective students. The All Rounder Gold Medal that goes to a person who has been an all rounder in the last five years during his/her stay in the Institute and Hostel – in terms of discipline, devotion, academics, extra-curricular activities, communication, etc.; was awarded to a Anantapur sister.
The All Rounder Gold Medal was awarded to Kumari Deepti Bhagia – the daughter of our dear Bhagia Sir. As soon as she went to the stage, Swami materialized a gold chain and put it around her neck and then also placed the gold medal around her neck. More about this fortunate sister, later in Swami’s Discourse!!
The VC then introduced and welcomed the Chief Guest to deliver the Convocation Address. Sri Maharaj Krishna Rasagotra was the High Commissioner of India in London. He has undertaken several diplomatic assignments in France, USA, Nepal and other countries. He has won the Padma Bhushan. Sri Rasagotra, true to his stature and experience, delivered a very scholarly address, touching upon various points. He referred to Bhagawan as the Messiah of change - through reform and reconstruction.
He highlighted two very important aspects of our Institution – the Grama Seva and the Hostel life, that make education socially relevant. He sketched a very brief but intellectually stirring picture of the status of the country today – in terms of the challenges to be faced both at the national and global level. He concluded his talk, highlighting the importance of faith in God and Discipline. Discipline must be at three levels in his view: at the level of the tongue, mind and the intellect.
At 4.15 p.m. Bhagawan stood up to give His Divine Discourse. Highlights of the Discourse follow:
The present condition of the world is known to all of you. There is no scope to speak about Divinity. Money is viewed as God, Dharma is lost among humans. Embodiments of Love, God can be found only through Love. There is no other path. God is Love – Love is God.
We always consider Love as worldly love. Worldly love is momentary and transient. Anyone who loves an object or a person, does so out of a selfish motive. How can such selfish love lead us to God? True Divinity is reflected as Selfless Love. Selfish love can be seen in a snake and even in a Paramahamsa. How can true Love be preached to such a person?
Bhagawan always preaches about Love. I do not know any other path. No one has any authority to decide as to who deserves love and who does not. How can you comprehend the nature of Love? If you ask a boy, ‘Whom do you love most?’ He will probably answer, ‘My Grandmother’. Now why must he love only his grandmother when so many other people and objects are there? God is everywhere.
You may give God a name, but He is unseen and formless. However, with determination and intense efforts, one can visualize the form of Love. When Love is equally perceived in one and all as the underlying current, how then can you differentiate this and that, as deserving of more or less love?
You all have Love in you. Love cannot be explained in words. It can only be realized through experience that leads to Bliss! Focusing our Love on a specific form cannot help us to realize Love in its holistic form.
We consider Love as Divine. Where is Divinity? Divinity percolates all over the human body enabling the limbs to work in perfect coordination and unity. Divinity can be seen in unity. On true and sincere enquiry we will realize that the same Love is present everywhere.
Truly speaking, Love exists in enmity too. But the most supreme form of Love is Divine Love! This Love can be experienced only by sharing it with others Blissfully. You may call it by any name but the essence is one. Gold is one, jewels are many. God is in every Human form. Daivam Manusha Rupena. Sahasra Sheerusha Purushaha….
Divine Love is transcendental. You can experience this Love in stillness, silence and solitude. There is sacred power in the depths of silence. The mouth has been gifted not merely for speaking. We must learn to maintain silence. In ancient times, all observed silence. However, true silence is not merely keeping the mouth shut. When we say ‘true silence’ does it mean that there is something called untrue also. No, everything is true. Closing our eyes, and conducting thorough enquiry in silence, can reveal the Truth to us.
Divine Love cannot be described. It transcends all descriptions and expressions. Our thoughts give a definite shape and form to an object. But God is beyond this. All that you see and hear is God. What name and form can we assign to Him? We have no authority to do so.
God is a word, but He has no form. Any amount of effort will not help us to know God. It is silence alone that can help us to realize God. Silence is Gold and Gold is silence. Many people have experienced Divinity in the past through silence. Diamond means ‘Die Mind’. Withdrawal of the mind will enable us to realize Divinity.
In My opinion, mere investigation is of no use. Have a specific form and let your mind merge in that form. The mind vanishes, reflecting the form of your taste! But make sure that the mind does not waver from one form to another. As you see a form, concentrate on it; initially it may move here and there, but finally it will come back to the same point. That is Divinity – the changeless and ever still!
As Swami was delivering this part of the Discourse, we could see Swami looking somewhere above, far far beyond the horizons, at something (or nothing???). We could possibly never comprehend the Truth! He was totally in a different dimension (if we may call it so…). Bhagawan continued the Discourse.
There you can see – 1000’s of heads and eyes. It is so clear!! Always keep Divinity in your view. It is beyond all Reaction, Reflection and Resound. Without knowing the underlying unity, you can never understand this diversity.
Nature is the true preacher. This preacher is born in us, is sustained within us and dissolves in us. This preacher can be seen through Preeti or Love. If you do not give up all your differences, you can never experience unity. You can actually experience God in a second!! But the problem is that you are not able to appreciate the fact that what you are seeing is verily God!
As is the colour of the glasses, so is the colour of the scene. Without wearing coloured glasses, see the reality as it is. (Again looking far beyond, Swami continued….)If you keep looking at it, you will keep on looking at it!! You just cannot take away your eyes from it. (At this point, we could see Swami totally lost in something far beyond our understanding. He would look at us for a while and then again switch over to see far beyond…!!)
First develop a stable mind. What we need is not physical eyes but the inner eye of wisdom. This comes from developing stability of the mind. Everyone you see is God. Mother, father, Brother, Sister, all are Divine!! Anyone you see is God. Do not give scope for any doubt. Have full Faith in the ONE!! Following such a spiritual practice, you can experience Divinity.
Have your chosen Form installed in your heart and keep it steady. This is meditation. Meditation does not mean closing your eyes and sitting in one place.
There is no spiritual practice beyond Love. Love should flow in one direction. The direction is in our hands. For this we need a steady mind. In this world, everything is based on the mind. The mind does not waver on its own. It is we who cause the mind to waver. See, it is being seen so clearly, so lustrous and brilliant!! (Swami was again looking at something beyond..…!!).
Our feelings must be our slaves. Not the other way round. Meditation is very simple. All we need is a changeless feeling. Today there is constant change in the mind. I am very surprised to see how we keep changing our mind. Mind by itself does not have this power. It is we who cause it to waver.
Why is this human life given to us? Is it just to eat and drink? It is only man who can experience the grand unity of existence through sincere efforts. You are born to verily experience this unity, not to get lost in diversity. This is what will give us fulfillment in our lives.
Bhagawan concluded His Divine Discourse at 5.05 p.m. with the Bhajan - Prema Mudita Mana Se Kaho..
After the Bhajan, again Swami started speaking. What we heard in the next 10 minutes was spellbinding!! Bhagawan was all praise for the sister who had just received the all rounder gold medal. Of course, she was none other than our dear Bhagia Sir’s daughter – Kum. Deepti Bhagia. Bhagawan spoke about her ailment – diabetes, from which she has been suffering since her childhood.
Swami said that her health was very bad and it was absolutely not under the control of any medicines or doctor. The sugar would rise up to abnormal levels at times and even her BP would go up. All diabetes-associated ailments would also trouble her. But all this did not bother her at all. In fact, her father and mother would feel very sorry for her and I would pacify her father, asking him not to worry.
Even the teachers at Anantapur were very worried and they would call up the father informing him about her condition. She was not able to attend most of the classes. But still she would study very well. Her devotion to Swami and steadiness is unparalleled. Even though her parents would feel very anxious, she would console them saying that she was very fine. She had no anxiety about her body at all. It is through her sheer will power that she is able to cope up with this problem.
All should take her life as a role model and develop such steadiness of mind. She just disregards her body and has surrendered totally to Bhagawan. It is purely by Bhagawan’s Grace that she is so healthy today and doing very well in all spheres. Be it academics, public speaking or any other activity. She is top in all. This is a matter for everyone to take note of and emulate!!
After this Swami pointed out to Mr. Bhagia who was sitting a little back, and said – See, her father is sitting here only. He is a faculty member in our Institute. He is so worried about her. Come!! Mr. Bhagia went running to Swami with tears in his eyes – tears of Bliss and gratitude to our dear Lord. He went and fell at Swami’s Feet. Swami patted him on his head and raised him up saying – Why do you worry – I am there to take care!!
Bhagawan also referred to Prof. Ramamoorthy of the School of Business Management at this point and said that he too has surrendered to Swami in a similar manner. We were all left dumfounded watching this scene of Love between a true devotee and the Lord. It’s a matter of great pride for all of us that one student among us has been able to rise up to this level, so as to please Swami and be worthy of being projected as a role model for all others!!
Prof. Anil Kumar took over then and made an announcement. He said that after half an hour break we would have the drama by the students of SSSIHL in the Poornachandra Hall. Swami indicated to him to mention that the drama was being enacted by all senior students from MBA, M.Tech., M.Sc….
The band played the National Anthem to conclude the afternoon proceedings. We all stood up and joined in singing the National Anthem. The Golf Cart meanwhile glided in, to the front of the dais – at the center. Swami signaled to Sri Rasagotra to sit down behind and Justice Bhagawati was asked to sit in the front. Swami then took His seat.
The band began and the procession went behind the band, while the golf cart went along the Ladies side and into the PC compound. We all got up and rushed towards PC to secure a good seat and enjoy the wonderful drama in the Divine Presence.
We’ll bring you the details about the Convocation Drama in our next mail.
Sairam
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| Spreading Swami's Message: The Digital Dimension |
| 11.29.04 (12:38 am) [edit] |
Spreading Swami's Message: The Digital Dimension
Dear Reader,
The 23rd of this November is the fourth birthday of Radio Sai. On this happy occasion, we take you down memory lane and recount the progress that has been achieved till now by the grace of Swami.
SPREADING HIS MESSAGE: THE DIGITAL DIMENSION.
In the Inaugural Issue, we wrote that things are beginning to happen that we never dreamt of. This article will take you behind the scenes and tell you how the Lord makes things happen, and quietly too, all in His own way of course. And there is a message behind it, which is that things will happen only when Samayam and Sandarpam are right, meaning the time and the circumstances must be right.
Many years ago, a devotee from America brought a team of about seven or eight people. The members of the team seemed to be important, judging from the attention given to them in veranda seating! They of course also got an Interview. At that time, we did not know anything else; it was only later we learnt that the group had come with a view to persuade Swami to give His blessings to put up a radio station here in Prashanti Nilayam, as a part of a chain of radio stations the world over, spreading religious and spiritual teachings. We don’t know if the general idea took off, but this we do know; no radio station came up in Prashanti following this visit, which means that Swami ignored the idea of a radio station at that time.
Meanwhile, there were constant attempts to “talk Swami into” agreeing to have a web site and make that the vehicle for the dissemination of His Message. People said, “Swami, this web business is a great thing. All spiritual organisations have it. You must bless one for us also.” Swami just smiled. But Internet addicts would not take the hint; they started their own web sites, many of which often became gossip and rumour sites! So much so, in one Discourse, Swami went to the extent of saying what we need is INNERNET and not Internet.
Many grumbled saying, “Swami does not understand how useful the Internet is. Why is He so much against computers?” Is Swami against computers as such? If so, how come there are so many computers in His hospitals? How come the Central Trust uses computers extensively for its administrative and accounting work? Would these computers be there without His permission? How come there is even a Master of Technology [M.Tech] Course on Computer Science in Swami’s University, the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning? The answer is loud and clear. Swami is not against computers as such but their irrational and irrelevant use.
We come now to September, 2001. One afternoon that month, a group of four people came from Bangalore for Darshan. Two were from overseas and two were from India. They seemed like important people because they were seated right in the front. Swami came out for Darshan, and these people were duly granted an Interview. Nothing very special in that, since this sort of thing happens from time to time. But this time, there was something different. That became known a few days later when Bhagavan Baba announced that one of those who came earlier was Dr. Samara, Chairman of the World Space Corporation, and that he had offered free a radio channel on his satellite Asiastar, for digital broadcast of Swami’s Message, 24 hours a day. It happened just like that – no one here asked for it or even dreamt about it, and yet it happened because the time had come!
It was decided that the radio service would be up on Birthday, 2001, and that Swami would inaugurate the service that morning. All this was fine but no one here knew anything about broadcasting, and much less digital radio broadcasting via satellite! But now, we had to know all that and there was so little time left! That is how He always tests us; as He says, “Test is taste for God!” We sure know what that means here!
So a radio team was hurriedly formed with just two people to start with, and hardly any equipment dedicated for this purpose. But living in Prashanti, we know how to improvise and come up with something or the other in the last minute. And thus it was on 23rd November 2001, RADIO SAI came on the air for the first time when Bhagavan pressed a button in Sai Kulwant Hall, as a part of the Birthday celebrations. When Swami pressed the button, a message was flashed from the Mandir to Melbourne in Australia by cell phone – we had two cell phones just in case one of them failed! – and the person in the Melbourne uplink station of World Space switched on the computer which then started sending a pre-recorded programme to the satellite. That programme was received by a receiver we had set up in the Mandir, and this signal was fed to the public address system. Thanks to all this, the people assembled in the Sai Kulwant Hall heard the inaugural programme, which lasted seven minutes – we had arrived! By the way, when Swami pressed the switch, a big board that was kept in the Hall lit up and that was the symbolic inauguration.
In spite of all the announcements made, few really understood that the programme that they heard that morning actually came via satellite from Melbourne and that it was a Radio Sai broadcast. In fact, even after a year or so, many still did not have the foggiest idea about Radio Sai, though they had witnessed the inaugural function.
Going on the air seemed difficult, but once we were up, that looked like child’s play; it was staying on the air 24 hours a day that proved difficult. In those days, we did not have a studio for recording or even proper microphones, and many would not believe that we managed by using just a tie clip mike! But we went past this seemingly impossible difficulty of staying continuously on the air, and believe it or not, to celebrate our 100th day, we had a marathon 20 hour programme covering Swami’s entire Life. This programme was entitled “Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram” and Swami heard a part of it on the radio installed in His chamber, the African trip, to be precise!
Looking back it all seems amazing and unbelievable, even to us. It just goes to show, that somehow things fall into place and start happening, though we do not know how.
We now move to the summer of 2002, and Swami in His own way, was bringing some of His other instruments into the picture. The instrument that helped us to take a giant leap forward was Mr. Gopal Srinivasan, Director, TVS Electronics, a leading hardware manufacturing company in India. Brother Gopal is not only an ardent devotee of Bhagavan, but also an audio-video buff, and blessed with a keen desire to make his knowledge and resources available for the benefit of Swami’s Mission. God has a way of recognising selfless desire calculated to bring Ananda to all, and pretty soon, with Swami’s blessing, the building previously known as the EHV Building [where Mr. Hejmadi had his office and morning talks used to be given], was taken over for conversion into a modern digital studio.
Gopal and his dynamic team now swung into action. During the whole of the summer while Bhagavan was away in Brindavan, carpenters, electricians, air-condition mechanics, sound engineers and what have you, transformed the old EHV Building into not a just modern but a dream studio! And we, who had worked earlier with just one computer and two tie clip mikes, were knocked out flat.
You wouldn’t believe this; once a listener asked us, “Why don’t you give a postal address? Some of us do not have computers, e-mail and all that. How do we communicate with you?” We replied by saying, “Sir, even people here do not know we exist! We have no room of our own. If we give a postal address, the postman would not be able to find us!” We don’t know if the listener was satisfied with the answer, but that was the truth!
On 29th August, all that changed. At last, thanks to Brother Gopal, Radio Sai had a home! In the morning, after Darshan, Swami accompanied by Gopal, drove to the new Studio. There He was lovingly and ceremoniously received, and walking up the entrance, Swami set His Divine Feet in the Studio premises. We felt truly blessed, and it was a wonderful moment for all of us. We can’t exactly convey to you how exactly we all felt, but you can get an idea of how happy we must have been by looking at the pictures that accompany this story. Swami was so relaxed and happy! He took His time to tour the facilities, asking questions here and there, and patiently saw all the things we were eager to show Him. It was funny, when you come to think of it – He it was who had made it all happen; and yet here we were trying to show Him what “we had done”! The Lord in His Infinite Love puts up with all this and allows us to imagine we are the doers!
After walking round, Swami went to the main recording hall where He sat down on a chair that had been specially placed for Him. He then conversed in a most leisurely manner with one and all, in the process drawing attention to how Mr. Gopal had worked tirelessly to create these wonderful facilities. All this was being done in order to spread Ananda; spreading Love and Ananda must be the aim of one and all, and Gopal had shown how everyone can use their skills and endowments in their own way to be part of the Lord’s Mission. As a sign of Divine Blessing, Bhagavan then materialised a Rolex watch for Brother Gopal! Some more remarks and advice, and it was time for Arathi and departure. Swami had spent a full forty minutes but it seemed like just forty seconds!
So finally, we had a wonderful Studio. With Swami’s blessings, it was named the Prashanti Digital Studio. Nice place, wonderful air-conditioning and facilities. But we could not relax! More work and more challenges lay ahead! The Birthday was fast approaching, and it was decided that we would broadcast live for the first time on 23rd November 2002, the first anniversary of Radio Sai! When we decided to go live on the Birthday, we had little idea of the problems involved. Gopal and his team worked closely with us, as did Mr. Venugopal and his team from World Space and Mr. Madhava Murthy and his team from S.N. Informatics [with whose help we are running the Radio Sai web site and our audio download cum streaming service].
Many things did not quite go the way we wanted, and our BP was going up all the time. We prayed furiously of course, but glitches kept popping up. On the morning of 22nd November, things seemed to work out well, and we did a successful trial “live” broadcast. But that afternoon, when we went live with the Convocation Function, the broadcast had hiccups; it was not 100 % OK. A sleepless night followed, even as phone calls flew all over the place; from here to Bangalore, from Bangalore to Melbourne and to other places.
Birthday morning. We assembled in the Mandir, where the Bhajan Hall had become our studio. 6.15 a.m. and the hiccups were still there. Swami was due shortly and how we could we have this problem when He was giving His Discourse? We simply did not know what caused the problem, much less the way of fixing it. We just prayed. Swami came, gave Darshan and went to the dais. He started speaking. Believe it or not, the broadcast went through perfectly, not one single problem! Truly, it was miracle! The world simply did not know how thrilled we all were!!
More miracles followed and are still happening. Radio Sai now has two satellites; Asiastar and Afristar, beaming Swami’s Message to Europe, Asia and Africa. And for the American continent, where the World Space digital signal cannot be received and for others who do not have the satellite radio, we have a web radio at www.radiosai.org. In effect, you can listen to Radio Sai wherever you are in the world!
Then there is this monthly e-journal Heart to Heart. Started in August 2003, this e-magazine has become immensely popular with Sai devotees all over the world.
On the Sivarathri of 2004, by Swami’s Grace, the Studio along with TVS Electronics, brought Swami’s Message live to millions of people in India on the Sanskar television channel (did you read the article that appeared in Vol. 2 Issue 6, Prashanti Diary?). Sanskar channel also carries videos of the latest events at Prashanti Nilayam and other rare footage of Bhagavan three days a week. We hear that things really come to a standstill in Sai devotees’ homes, when these programmes are on the air! Now, other popular TV firms too are vying to telecast Swami’s Message on their channels! The idiot box, at last, is being put to some good use!
Recently, TVS Electronics has helped the Studio to expand and created a new facility exclusively for video recording, editing and live broadcasting of events from Prashanti Nilayam. Swami has most graciously consented to visit the new facility and all of us at the Studio are eagerly awaiting our Divine Lord to sanctify this place.
There are several other projects in the pipeline that are aimed at taking Swami’s Message of Love to every nook and corner of the world by His 80th birthday.
Blessed are all of us here on the SGH Team, who have been given a chance to be associated with all these momentous events. We offer our reverential and most grateful salutations to our Beloved Swami for blessing all of us in this manner and giving us all a chance to serve the world in many different ways, using the tools of modern technology.
Jai Sai Ram.
SGH TEAM.
http://www.radiosai.org" title="http://www.radiosai.org" target="_blank"http://www.radiosai.org
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| Karunyananda's Story |
| 11.28.04 (10:56 am) [edit] |
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Karunyananda's Story
Prasanthi Nilayam, India
The anecdotes from Swami Karunyananda's experiences with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba are collected from several interviews between 1994 and 1997.
Karunyananda passed away in August 1997, under the auspicious celebrations of Dassara.
I have the good fortune of being the first person to greet Bhagavan in the morning. I go upstairs, and open the door of Bhagavan's room and have darshan and padnamaskar of Bhagavan. There is Sakthi in the feet of Swami. There is power in the glances of Swami. His body is not like ours, it is a Chinmaya Sareeram (divine energy form). Ours is a body made up of dust, which dissolves finally, into the primordial elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether.
He is not limited to one form. He is the form of all deities worshipped by religions. He is the very embodiment of Chaitanya (energy, force). He is the embodiment of all Gods. We cannot probe into Him. Have you not seen Him during the mornings? He has a special effulgence in Him; sometimes this effulgence is frightening. On the last day of Devi Navaratri (Dasara) when Poorna Ahuti is performed, His body temperature becomes hot. I have touched His feet at such times and found that they were very hot.
I saw Bhagavan for the first time in Bhadrachalam in the year 1936. Bhagavan was ten years old at that time. That means that He started His mission even earlier to the fourteenth year, although the manifestation of the Bhagavan was not announced in 1936. People who saw Him felt He was the Son of God. Bhagavan's sister Venkamma, and uncle brought Bhagavan to Bhadrachalam during their pilgrimage trip. Women were already worshipping Bhagavan as the Son of God. I saw Him casually, and they were saying He was the Son of God. I thought, "Who is not a child of God?"
I was a member of a spiritual organization called Jeevakarunya Sangham in Rajahmundry. There was a meeting in 1956 when Bhagavan came to Rajahmundry. My Malayala Swamy and myself then had the darshan of Bhagavan. Bhagavan called me by the name "Karunyananda," and spoke to me as if he knew me very intimately. I turned and bowed down to Bhagavan. It was night time, about 8:00 p.m. Bhagavan said, "Will you come to Kakinada? We will go together."
I replied, "As you please, Swami."
I went to Kakinada with Bhagavan and during the car journey Bhagavan recounted my entire past history. He gave very intimate details of my conduct when I was young. Bhagavan was born in 1926. He was not even born yet when I was young, but all the same, He gave all the biographical details correctly.
In 1959 I came with the Jeevakarunya Sangham [a spiritual organization] to Puttaparthi for Shivaratri celebrations. We had two jeeps, one van, and a car with a driver with us, and a lot of other paraphernalia. We had an office in Chittur also. We first went to our Chittur office and then departed for Puttaparthi to obtain Bhagavan's darshan. Facilities for travel were very unsatisfactory at that time. I traveled by bus. It was too cold to travel by bus. The bus came to Horsey Hills area, beyond Madanapalle, and then went out of order and broke down! It was evening and it was getting very cold. It soon turned into dark night. The women and children were shivering due to the cold. I then thought, "These so called Baba's—why do they put us up to this trouble? Why do they reside in the hills? Why can't they set up residence in a place accessible to common people? How many people are suffering!"
I was thinking this way but did not mention these inner thoughts to anyone.
The bus was repaired and after many trials it started again and reached Mudigubba at 2:00 a.m. I had to stop there until morning, took another old rattling bus to Bukkapatnam, and reached there with great difficulty. At Bukkapatnam I hired a bullock cart and reached Puttaparthi after even more difficulty. Puttaparthi had scarcity of water at that time. I kept my bedding and luggage in the residence of one Sathyamma, bathed somehow, and then went to the Nilayam. Mr. Kasturi then summoned Bhagavan, and Bhagavan sent word for me and I went up to His room. One Veerabhadra Sastry [a scholar] and several other people were present with us. I paid my obeisances to Bhagavan, when He asked me, "What Karunyananda! What is the news? How many cars do you have?"
I wondered why Bhagavan had interest in the number of cars! I bowed to Him and I replied, "Swami, why should you talk about cars now?"
Bhagavan insisted, "No, no. How many cars do you have?" Veerabhadra Sastry then asked me, "When Swami asks you, why do you not reply?"
I thought there was no escape and replied, "Swami, I have two jeeps, one car, and one van."
Then Bhagavan asked, "When you have four vehicles, why could you not come by one of them? Why come by that bus, and blame later 'All these Babas reside only in the Hills!'?" Then I realized that Bhagavan knew what I had thought miles away as if a telegram had been sent to Him.
There are many such incidents. Even now, Bhagavan would be hearing all the words in our conversation [during the interview].
We would be sitting with Bhagavan at times, and He would be found as if He was somewhere else. He would later say, "I have just returned from Madras. Papum (Alas)! Vijayalakshmi is suffering very much. I went to the hospital. I gave her prasad and there is no problem with her now. She will be all right."
Thereafter confirmatory telegrams or letters would arrive adding that, "Bhagavan was here but He went away without taking [food or offering] anything." Take the incident at Tirupati, which happened around 1989-90. It was 10:00 a.m. in the morning and Bhagavan was very much in Brindavan at Bangalore. Yet, He was simultaneously seen at Tirupati! He was given a chair; He was seated. All this happened. Should Bhagavan put on dramas like others? No, it is all the grace of Bhagavan. [A similar incident has happened in Tirupati again in 1998]
In 1971, as we had returned from Ooty to Brindavan, Swami asked a schoolboy to take a photograph of Him, and lo!, He appeared as Lord Dattatreya in the photograph. Everyone saw this miracle and was astonished. Gangadhar Shetty wanted the photograph and I gave Him the photo. He then asked me if it would be all right if he printed it in the Sanatana Sarathi. He wanted everyone to see this beautiful picture. Swami took the photograph and tore it into pieces as He did not want publicity.
Gold remains gold wherever it is thrown. One day Swami asked me, "Karunyananda, from the beginning I have always been simple, have I not?"
Swami was then wearing a torn dhoti that day. I did not like this. So, I asked Him, "Swami, why do you wear a torn dhoti when you have so many good dhotis?" I tried to prevail on Swami for removing the torn dhoti. Swami smiled and then pleaded, "Oh? Will you tear it up? Was it not my leela that day when I sought for a handful of atukulu (beaten rise) from Kuchela? [A story from Krishna's life] Are you not seeing me for the last thirty six years like this?"
Once Suri Bhagavantam's wife had paralysis, which Bhagavan took on Himself to alleviate her distress. We were going in a car after the birthday festival of Bhagavan. Bhagavan, Bhagavantam, and I were in the first car. Several cars followed us. We crossed the borders of Andhra Pradesh State and entered Karnataka State when Bhagavan fell ill in the car. On the advice of Bhagavantam I got up and Bhagavan was laid upon the car seat. I got into the next car. Bhagavan got up after sometime. He stopped the car and made me sit again by His side in His car. He then asked me, "Did you worry about me? There is fifty to sixty years more time for this body!" Bhagavan will incarnate Himself as Prema Sai. I will also be there before Him. Bhagavan showed me also the place in which He will take re-birth.
Bhagavan eats only a few morsels of Ragi balls (a minor cereal eaten by the poor, prominently in Rayalaseema of Andhra Pradesh). His dining is only a drama, a mere pretence, as He takes very little food. He however, sees to it that people seated by Him are fed well. This He does Himself; it is all the mother's affection. Some people bring and offer sweets and curries to Bhagavan, but Bhagavan does not even touch these foods.
I keep telling Him to eat more because between dinner and breakfast, there is a gap of 15 hours. But, Swami always replies that though He eats lesser quantity than we do, He is more active and does not become tired and weak like we do. Divinity—that is the secret! It is divine energy. You and I would be worried if our food were delayed even for a few minutes. But, He is above all this.
Some people bring Him and offer sweets and curries to Bhagavan, but Bhagavan does not even touch these foods. I said once, "Why should they carry all these food stuff here? We have two cooks. All the items are offered to you. They have to be taken back without you tasting iit. Then why should they be brought upstairs?"
Bhagavan replied, "What is your objection? They bring the food here. Those who bring it, take it back again and it gives them satisfaction to offer food for me." He is verily the embodiment of compassion!
Once when I was returning from Kakinada in 1956 Bhagavan said, "Karunyananda, you are clapping in union seated before me now. A time will come when you can see me only from a distance." He told me again in 1970, "You are able to sit and see Bhagavan now. A time will come when you have to see Swami from a hill only."
On His 60th birthday in 1985, many devotees could only see Him from the distance of a hill.
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| Parthi Update - Bhagawan Baba's 79th Birthday Celebrations |
| 11.28.04 (9:31 am) [edit] |
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Parthi Update - Bhagawan Baba's 79th Birthday Celebrations
It was just 5.30 a.m. when the first line of students left the Hostel to the Mandir. Luckily it was not very cold this morning. We all rushed to the Mandir fearing the huge crowds. The queue for the gent's devotees to enter the Mandir had reached till the Primary School and was growing exponentially!! We were struck by the devotion and inspiration of these thousands of devotees. Did they not know that their chances to even enter the Mandir were almost nill? But still, what drove them to undergo so much strain and stand all these long hours? That is the miracle!! His Love is a powerful magnet that just attracts!! Who can escape that pure Love?
When we entered the Kulwant Hall, of course through the Ladies side entrance as our side was fully blocked, we found that the Hall was already full!! My! What about all those thousands standing in the queue? With a silent prayer in our hearts for al of them, we went and occupied our places - privileged as we were!! But the question kept nagging us. How could Swami satisfy all these devotees? If they do not get something, how is it that they keep coming again and again? This means that they all are receiving something - something intangible that words cannot express!! We realized the power of our omnipresent Lord, seated in each one of our hearts and having His relation with us both from within and without!!
At 6.55 a.m., the base drum of the band gave its first beat, heralding the 79th Birthday of the Avatar of the age!! Soon a huge procession marched forward from the Poornachandra Compound. It seemed like a river in full spate making its way to merge with the ocean! The Anantapur band, the Primary School girls band, the Primary School boys band, the Institute Gents Band, the Vedam boys....O the list goes on and on. And there, behind all of them, in the Lamburgini vehicle, driven by our dear brother Satyajit, was seated our most beloved Bhagawan shining brighter than all suns put together, in His brilliant white robe!! Swami was looking too good! His flowing curly black hair falling over His white robe and His shining, brilliant face with that beautiful subtle smile.....Manda Hasa Vadani Manohari Sai Jagat Janani. You would have had to see it to believe it!!
At 7.15 a.m., after taking a full round of the Kulwant Hall, Bhagawan stepped down on the dais. He walked from one end of the stage to the other end, Blessing all and casting a glance at all. At 7.30 a.m., He sat down on the sofa. Meanwhile, all the bands were playing catchy tunes one after the other. Both the Anantapur and Prasanthinilayam bands played 'Happy Birthday to You' in their own unique styles. There was a loud applause after each piece. After a while, Bhagawan signaled to them to be seated.
At 7.35 a.m., Sri Sanjay Sahni, Principal of the Brindavan Campus of SSSIHL, made an introductory speech. He expressed his feeling that what sort of Birthday could one wish Bhagawan who is indeed the ageless and timeless, extolled as such in all our scriptures!! He also recalled several instances when devotees have wished Bhagawan a Happy Birthday and Swami has always replied, "I am ever happy, it is you who must be happy". This indeed is the very purpose of our life and the journey goes on and on. Sri Sanjay Sahni introduced the two speakers for the morning.
The first speaker was Dr. Michael Goldstein, a physician by profession and Chairman of the Prashanti Council that oversees the service activities of the Sathya Sai Seva organizations around the globe. Dr. Goldstein began his talk by making an apparently surprising but very thought provoking statement. He said that we truly are not brothers and sisters as we normally think. We are indeed ONE. Then why call ourselves brothers and sisters? Again where is the question of sharing Love? Love is one undivided entity, which must be experienced and not shared. He said that we are not celebrating the birthday of the physical body of Bhagawan but we are celebrating the confirmation of Divinity in this Holy Form, which we can see with our physical eyes. He referred to Bhagawan as the cause of faith, reason for hope and the embodiment of Selfless Love!!
The second speaker for the morning was Padmashri Prof. G. Venkataraman, the well-known scientist, winner of several awards, former Vice Chancellor of our Institute and currently heading several projects under the direct guidance of Bhagawan - notably the Global Sai Harmony. He paid his obeisance to Bhagawan on behalf of every man, woman and child on this planet earth as, in his opinion, all of us are His children whether we believe in Him or not.
He spoke very highly about our Institute and it's stress on moulding the character of students. He praised the boys, quoting several instances where boys had manifested in their behaviour the impact of this character building exercise. One incident was of one of our students, who went out of his way, even at the cost of arriving late to the Hostel, to help an old woman board the bus to her town - during one of the earlier Birthday celebrations of Bhagawan. That boy felt that this small service of his, was his offering to Bhagawan on that auspicious day.
Another instance was something that took place just a few days before. Old students of the Institute went to Penukonda (a close by town) in a vehicle and distributed blankets to all those sleeping on the streets, especially the children. This was very thoughtful of them especially given the weather conditions now. Prof. Venkataraman asked the audience whether there was any other University anywhere in this world, where alumni students would undertake such selfless service, even after five years of their passing from the college?
He also reminded us of the unique opportunity we have of being in the Divine Presence of the Lord. He gave the example of the 'Lady statue of opportunity' that he had seen in a museum. This statue had two wings and was blindfolded. On asking the curator the significance of this, the curator said that the blindfold implies that we often do not see the opportunity waiting at our very doorstep and the wings symbolized the fact that this opportunity would not wait for long, and if lost - would fly away forever!!
After the two talks, Bhagawan got up from the sofa. It was 8.15 a.m. The mike was arranged and Swami scanned the entire ocean of devotees and gave a Blissful smile!! He commenced His Divine shower of invaluable wisdom. Highlights of the Discourse follow:
Without Sathya, Dharma, Prema and Shanti, value of education is zero, acts of charity are futile and compassion is meaningless. These four values are the very pillars of human life.
Embodiments of Love, you are forgetting the very reason for your coming here. What would happen if we would post a cover, without writing the 'from' and 'to' address? It would be delivered to the 'dead letter' office. So too, you have come and fallen into this world without knowing your 'from' and 'to' address. You must necessarily recognize at least one of the three - Where have you come from, where are you going and where are you now. Otherwise life will be futile!
Bhagawan narrated the well-known story of the boatman, which He has mentioned several times before. A Businessman travels in a boat and in order to pass time, he keeps talking to the boatman. First he asks the boatman whether he is educated. The boatman replies in the negative. Then the businessman asks him the time, asks him about the newspaper, asks him about the prices of gold and silver in Mumbai and also the name of their destination. To all these queries, the boatman fails to give any answer, as he is illiterate in the very first place. Therefore, the businessman tells him that by not having a watch, he has wasted a quarter of his life. By not knowing how to read a newspaper and not even keeping one under his shoulder - as the fashion is these days, he has lost another quarter of his life.
Not being able to reply the query about the name of their destination, he had lost even the third quarter of his life, according to the businessman. Just then a severe storm sets in and the boat starts rocking. Then the boatman asks the businessman whether he knew swimming. The businessman nodded his head - indicating a 'no'. Then, said the boatman, that his whole life was a waste!!
Bhagawan in detail, explained the experience of Dr. Goldstein in his encounter with the air hijackers. Many of us would have heard this from Dr. Goldstein himself. Once Bhagawan had asked Dr. Goldstein to postpone his return trip to USA. But Dr. Goldstein, worried about losing the money paid for the ticket, 'sort-of' disobeys Bhagawan's command and proceeds with his plan. The result is that, he is caught in a major PanAm air hijack adventure.
Swami described in full detail as to what happened in the aircraft. How the hijackers opened fire with their guns and how almost all were killed but Dr. Goldstein and his wife were saved by Bhagawan's Grace. Swami praised them saying that both were ardent devotees and kept on chanting 'Sairam, Sairam', in their heart.
Miraculously, both were spared by the hijackers and after the three day long ordeal, they were free and they caught another flight to USA. Bhagawan went into the further details and gave all the nuances of their adventure. Finally, Swami praised Dr. Goldstein's wife and said that Ladies always had more devotion than men. Bhagawan said that ladies are able to manifest their devotion more easily than men.
He also praised Dr. Goldstein for taking up weight losing exercises seriously and burning away nearly 60 kgs of fat. Bhagawan said that growing physically is not so important, growing mentally is very essential. At this point, Bhagawan sang the Bhaja Govindam song.
Why are we born on this earth? Is it for Khana, Peena, Marna and Sona? (eating, drinking, dying and sleeping?) There is a lot that we have to do in between birth and death. There is a purpose for our coming here into this world. You all are forgetting that.
Premaswaroopulara, we are traveling in this ocean of the world. So many waves push us continuously. We must have the strength to face all these challenges. Iha Samsare Bahu Dustare Krupaya Pahe Pahi Murare. Is life merely about coming and going from the mother's womb?
Human life is for liberation. We study to earn a lot of money and eke out a living. Even birds and beasts do this. What is the use of all this education unless it is used for noble purposes? We are here, not merely for education. A degree is necessary but not sufficient. Therefore, all must discharge their duty keeping the goal in mind. Boys say, I have done an MBA. What is the use? Degrees are just on a paper.
We must know why we have come here. Indeed, man alone has the power to know this. Being born, studying, securing a degree, earning money, going abroad - is this all life is about? No. At the end of our life, we must feel Blissful, happy and a sense of fulfillment!
Bhagawan then spoke about Mahatma Gandhi and gave several insights into his life and about the great sacrifices he made for the country. He also spoke very highly about Kasturba, the wife of Gandhi, who served the people lovingly, even when Gandhi was in prison. But then, though we won freedom ultimately, Swami said that this is not the true freedom. True freedom is that of the spirit. Mahatma Gandhi too strived very hard for this.
Swami also spoke briefly about Subash Chandra Bose, and how his wife and son had come and been with Swami for a long time, both at Ooty and Brindavan. He praised Subash Chandra Bose a lot saying that he had a very good mind. He said that these were people with great devotion. Those who have true devotion, will manifest the same in some way or the other.
Bhagawan again stressed that political freedom is only one level of freedom. True freedom is Svarajya - that of the spirit. There are many hundreds of people who have sacrificed their life for the nation and given up bodily attachment - promoting Atmabhimanam. The nation must be safeguarded by such people with Atmabhimanam - attachment to the Self. Body is merely an instrument. We must be ready to sacrifice at any moment. Body is like a dress; we can have it only till it is worn out.
Having been born as humans with this body, there may be many sufferings. But keep praying to the Lord and let the body go through all these sufferings. You will have no problem.
This body fell down in the bathroom. I have no body attachment at all. I told the doctors that they could do anything. I do not care for this body. Till this day I am walking happily. Many renowned doctors told me that I must undergo another operation. Prakriti itself did the operation for Me. My falling down and breaking the bone was an operation in itself.
I have no suffering or pain at all. Many devotees feel bad. But I have never known what pain is. Sacrificing body attachment in this manner, you can accomplish anything. I say and also act accordingly!! There is unity of thought, word and deed. I can stand for any length of time. Doctors told me not to stand for a long time. But I can stand however long I want. Even now I am standing and talking to you all. I have not resorted to any bandage or any tablet for all this.
Students, body is bound to suffer. Body is like a water bubble, mind is like a mad monkey. Do not follow the body, do not follow the mind, follow your conscience. Live with Atmabhimanam, then there will be no suffering. Swami's programme will face no obstacles because of all this. Swami will keep moving all around the world; nothing can come in the way of His Plan!!
All this is being done to set an example to humanity. The human body is given to serve the Lord. This body must be offered to the Lord. By itself, this body is nothing but a bundle of bones and flesh, full of stench and dirt. It is not permanent. Surrender the body at the Lotus Feet of the Lord.
Serve your country as far as possible. To help an old woman in need is also an act of service. No service is too small. Even a small service will yield huge rewards!! To suffer in the process of serving others is good.
The lady devotees wonder how Swami looks so healthy and good inspite of all these problems!! You must understand this. My weight neither decreases nor increases. I can walk fast if I want. But the doctors have some fear and therefore to satisfy them, I am walking like this. The doctors have advised Me to have two boys on either side to help Me. Hence, I have these two boys over here.
I am not troubling them in any way. Arun and Prusty - both are serving Swami so well. I am not troubling anybody nor am I troubled. These boys go to their offices and do their work. In their free time, they come and serve Swami. I ask them sometimes for a glass of water, nothing more.
Today is the birthday of this body only. Do I look like a 79 years old person? Not at all!! People at this age get so many ailments. Their ears become weak of hearing, eyes develop cataract, wrinkles form on the forehead. For Me, all the organs are perfectly normal. You will not find any wrinkles on My forehead. Not just now, even at the age of 80 or even 90, I will be like this only!!!
You must have such courage and go about doing your work. But you are losing your strength by misusing the latent inner power. Otherwise, you can accomplish so much with Swami's Grace!!
This human body must be maintained well for the purpose of serving, not for decoration or show. If anybody wants My life, I am ready to give that also immediately. You too must be ready like that. At the same time, you must also not neglect this body.
When there is smoke, there has to be fire behind; when there is a moving train, there has to be a driver responsible for it; having such faith, why not be courageous O Mind?
I see these boys sitting here. They may be just 20 to 30 years old. But look at them. They look so dull and old. No, you must not be like this. You must be ready for any task at any time. Be ever ready to sacrifice! You must always say, "I am ready, I am ready, I am ready!!" Mmmm..... Chala Santosham....
The purpose behind this Birthday celebration is to communicate the message that the body is meant for service to society. This is true Seva.
Bhagawan concluded His Discourse at 9.25 a.m. with the Bhajan, "Sai Bhajana Bina Sukha Shanti Nahin...".
Prasadam Distribution began. Meanwhile, Swami called Sri Maharaja Rasagotra, the Chief Guest of yesterday's Convocation and materialized some Vibhuti for him. Later, Swami called him again and materialized a ring and put it on his finger. Apples were the Prasadam this time. The distribution went on and on for a long time. Swami went into the interview room and retired by 10.00 a.m. However, the Prasadam distribution went on till 11.00 a.m. Thousands of devotees joyfully partook of the Prasadam!
In the evening, Bhagawan came out for Darshan at 3.20 p.m. Vedam chanting was going on and the students of the Music College were playing the Panchavadyam (Kerala equivalent of Naadaswaram). Bhagawan was in His normal orange robe and in the golf cart. He went straight into the interview room. He came out at 3.45 p.m. and gave some instructions to brother Nitin Acharya.
Immediately, there was lot of commotion - Sevadal people running around. We then discovered that Swami wanted a platform to be arranged on the dais for the singer. By 4.15 p.m., the platform was arranged with a beautiful velvet blue carpet spread on it. Bhagawan came onto the dais and sat down on the sofa. Few minutes later, Begum Parveen Sultana with her husband Ustad Dilshad Khan came over to the stage and took Bhagawan's Blessings.
Begum Parveen Sultana was to be the singer for this evening. Accompanying her on the tabla were brothers M. Ratnakar and Niranjan Kanadia of our Institute. Dr. Shailesh Srivastava played the harmonium and Sanket Modi from the Music College played on the keyboard. All of them offered a bouquet to Bhagawan and took their seats.
The music programme began at 4.20 p.m. Bhagawan, the Master of all knowledge and art, had asked her to commence the programme with Raag Hamsavardhani. Therefore, as per Divine instructions, she started with a Tarana in Raag Hamsavardhani. This was followed by some Meera Bhajans and Sai Bhajans. We had - Mere To Giridhara Gopala, Payo Ji Mene Naama Ratana Dhana Payo, Bhaja Mana Nanda Nandana Giridhari, Sairam Sairam Sumirana Karo and Dayani Bhavani - all her top favorites!
Bhagawan took Aarti and got into the golf cart at 5.40 p.m. The ocean of devotees packed in the Kulwant Hall and also parked all along the lanes and pathways of the Ashram kept their eyes glued onto the golf cart as it slowly moved away towards the Poornachandra Hall carrying our dear Lord in it. Each one of us wanted just one more glance of His Divine Form before the curtain dropped on this most holy and auspicious day in our lives!
Let us all pray to the Lord to give us the strength to follow His command and rise up to His expectations, so that the next year when we assemble for the 80th Birthday, He feels proud of us - His children and takes us further on our journey towards Him!!
Let us wish each other a very Happy Birthday with the full knowledge that Bhagawan is residing in each one of our hearts. In fact that is what Bhagawan says about His Birthday. He says that His true Birthday falls on the day when we realize His presence in our heart!! Sai Ram to All.
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| Water released from Kandaleru to Chennai |
| 11.28.04 (9:30 am) [edit] |
Water released from Kandaleru to Chennai
Nellore, Nov 23 - Water was released from Kanadelu reservoir to Chennai on Tuesday after a brief puja ceremony at the head regulator by the Telugu Ganga Chief Engineer Vijayakumar Reddy.
According to information, directions were given by higher officials to release the water on Tuesday to coincide with the birthday of Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi who was instrumental in sanctioning Rs 200 crore for the lining works of the Kandaleru-Poondi canal, now known as Sai Ganga canal which carries water to Chennai.
Though the initial release was 200 cusec there are possibilities to increase the quantity, the SE said, and noted that it would take three days for the water to reach Poondi reservoir, near Chennai.
Pointing to the water reserves of 8.965 tmc in Kandaleru balancing reservoir and dead storage limit of 4 tmc, the SE indicated the feasibility to supply upto 5 tmc to Chennai. TGP SE Rajagopal Reddy was also present among other senior officials of the project.
Source: http://www.sunnetwork.org/news/regional/andhra/ andhra.asp?id=10867" title="http://www.sunnetwork.org/news/regional/andhra/ andhra.asp?id=10867" target="_blank"http://www.sunnetwork.org/new...
November 23, 2004
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| Conversations with Sai |
| 11.28.04 (8:35 am) [edit] |
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Conversations with Sai
SAI: …….When you have deep love for God, then concentration on Him will come automatically.
H: But that is the point, there is the whole point.
SAI: In all these experiences we must hold to the Truth, to life. You love life. We have all these experiences because of life. So we are clinging on to that sort of pillar which is life; for we know that without life we don’t have experiences. Life gives so many things externally but life does not change; life is the same. That life is Truth and that is God. The unchangeable is Truth.
H: Since we are that Truth, we would like to have love in our hearts and flow naturally with life and not according to our arbitrary wishes. Yet we don’t. Swami says we do not, because we lack the intensity. So we say to ourselves, “Well I must get that intensity.” So we strive towards that goal, and striving towards that goal makes the thing stronger – that prevents the desired intensity.
Translator: I don’t follow that.
H: We are selfish and greedy naturally. If we substitute a spiritual goal for a physical goal, then we are still engaged in the same greed. One has just changed the physical greed to a spiritual greed. A further point. If one does not love, as indeed one does not, then one says, “I must get love”. Then love is over there and oneself is here.
SAI: Who are you? Who are you?
H: I am the accumulation of all my past, all my ideas.
SAI: Who is that ‘my’? Who is that ‘my’? Who is claiming? Between the love and yourself there is this claim. What is love and who are you?
H: I am that which I am, the accumulation of all these…
H’s Wife: The accumulation is the idea that you have, but according to Swami you [Atma] and the love are the same thing. You [ego] are the one who puts the separation.
H: Yes, I am the one who puts the separation between us. I am the ego.
SAI: Ego is untruth.
H: Ego is untruth, then I…
SAI: But you are not ego. You are Truth. Ego is not Truth. Any amount of arguments and discussions like this are just words. You will not get this without spiritual practice, without Sadhana. An example: someone asks us what sugar is. We say it is brownish and sort of sandy, because we know sugar. But the sweetness has no form. You can describe sugar like this, but you cannot picture the taste, because the taste has no form.
Even pertaining to the world there are so many things we do not know, and we don’t imagine or worry about. If we only feel intensely for God instead of much discussion and reading books. We must get into the field and try it out. Even if someone writes a book it is his spiritual experience.
You love your wife and she loves you. But if she is hungry you cannot eat for her. And if you are hungry she cannot eat for you despite the fact that you love each other dearly. Spiritual hunger is like that. Each man must seek and appease that hunger according to his faith. Even though
Swami tries to explain, you do not grasp it. It is only through experience that you can come to it.
When you start to learn to drive, you must have an open space for practice; but once you learn, then you can go confidently even on a narrow road. It is just like in a school. Gradually you go and you understand. If big words are used when the child is still learning ABC then the child does not understand.
In the beginning, we do not understand the things of the world, and do not even understand ourselves; so how can you understand that which is beyond you? So, first you try to understand yourself by doing spiritual practice, by doing Sadhana. First ‘I’ next ‘you’. ‘I’ plus ‘you’ equals ‘we’. Then ‘we’. Then ‘we’ plus ‘He’. Then only ‘He’.
H: No, I don’t understand that.
SAI: First ‘I’ then ‘you’. First ‘I’ that is life. Next ‘you’ that is the world. ‘I’ plus ‘you’ is ‘we’. ‘We’ plus ‘He’ is God. Only ‘He’. There is love, the person who loves and the person you love. And when all get together it is bliss.
You see there are three blades in the fan. The three Gunas are represented by the three blades. Only when the blades circulate together in harmony do you get the air. When they move in the same direction then they bring the cool air. The three Gunas within us are going in different directions. When you turn them in the same direction all going round together then you will have one-pointedness and you will be enabled to know.
A Visitor: Could it be like this? It is the experience of a number of people including myself that gradually one does Sadhana, but then comes such an experience that would have taken an immense time to gain, but through your Grace one has the sudden experience.
SAI: Another example: in a house, each one does a particular job and divides the work. In the evening when the family has finished the work nobody says, “Father, I did such and such a work and you must pay me.” It is one house. So you don’t ask for payment you just do the work. But when someone from outside comes you fix up the rate and pay accordingly. When you pay them that shows that they are outsiders. But when they become your own you don’t have to pay them. They work with interest and no pay is expected. Similarly with God. When you think God is the nearest and dearest to you, like one family, you don’t ask for pay. The one who surrenders like that, he is My own, he does not have to look for payment. But the one who says, “I have done so much Sadhana” and barters with God and says, “I have done so much Sadhana and you give me such and such a reward”, then that is the difference; he is the outsider.
The child who is so small does not ask the mother “I want milk. I want to be changed” and so on, but the mother looks after every need of the child without its asking. When you have surrendered yourself completely to God and become God’s child, you don’t have to tell God what you want. He will give even more than you have asked for. But it is only by love that He is your dearest. Do Sadhana and there is a closeness to God; then you don’t have to tell Him that you want this or that. Because you are like a little child, He will come and give you more than even what you ask for. Ego is what prevents us from becoming close to God. It is that ego, ‘I’ have to do this, ‘I’ have to get all this. You must see that ’I’ is only the instrument of the Lord. Like the fan is an instrument, you are an instrument of the Lord. Now is the fan making the fan rotate or is the current making the fan rotate?
H: The current is making the fan rotate.
SAI: The current is God; so you are only the instrument. Even the fact that we think that our eyes see things and that our ears hear things is not correct. My eyes are here but the mind is in Bangalore thinking of this or that. My eyes are seeing, but my mind is somewhere else. Mind is important. Body is like a torch; eye is like the bulb; mind is the battery cell; intelligence is the switch. Only when the four work together do you get the light. The body is only like a torch.
H: Surrender to God is everything of course but…
SAI: The word ‘surrender’ in English is not quite correct; it is not the right word. Because, when you say ‘surrender’, you are separate and God is separate. That is the meaning you get. But God is not separate.
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| The Ideal of Womanhood |
| 11.18.04 (11:11 am) [edit] |
The Ideal of Womanhood
"The Feminine Principle is spoken of as the illusion imposed on Himself by the Lord, as the Energy with which He equipped Himself out of His own will. This is why Woman is considered to be an embodiment of the Supreme Shakti. She is the faithful companion of man, his fortune; since she is the concretisation of the Will of the Lord, she is Mystery, Wonder, the representative of the protective Principle. She is the queen of man's home, his beneficence, the illumination of his house. Women are in now way inferior (to men) for they are the repositories of the divine Force." Sathya Sai Baba (Dharma Vahini, ch 4)
One may well be wondering what Sai Baba means when He says that women "are repositories of the divine Force", that they are the "embodiments of the Supreme Shakt". We are apt to equate force with physical strength, but that is not the force of which Baba is speaking here. It is rather the energy of patient perseverance, of idealism, of inner wisdom, the life-force that propels things towards greater fulfilment. I has been said that the woman is the force behind man’s forcefulness. Baba continues to say, "How full of fortitude, patience and Love is their nature! Their self-control is seldom equalled by men. They are the exemplars and leaders of men in treading the spiritual path. Pure, selfless love is inborn in women. Women who are full of knowledge, who are cultured, who are bound by love and who are keen to discriminate whether their words are in conformity with righteous living (Dharma) – such women bring joy and good fortune to the home." (Dharma Vahini, ch 4)
Sai Baba asks that "men should realise the high status of women and honour and respect them accordingly." (discourse of 19-11-1995) But, as women, perhaps we need to appreciate our own high status too, and fully understand our role as women. Right from the first incipient beginnings of civilisation, we have been the Yin to man's Yang, the inspiration that turns the practical into the beautiful, and, above all, we are the makers of a home. A home is not a house – that is just the shell that may, or may not, contain a home. "What is a home? How is it different from a house? A home is filled with love, and with the sacrifices that love involves, the joy that love radiates, and the peace that love imparts. The brick and mortar structure where parents and children spend their lives is not necessarily a home. Children do not yearn for it and parents do not find peace therein." (discourse of 26-7-1969) A home is a place in which its members feel welcomed, accepted and loved. It is a place of nurturing – nurturing not just of the body but of the spirit. It is the place from which one derives the strength to face the world.
He says too, "Countries are in a state of chaos today, therefore we must see that an atmosphere of peace prevails. For both peace and joy, it is the home that is most important. If there is no joy in the homes, how can there be joy in the nations? How can persons who are unable to set right their own homes, ever succeed in setting right the nation? We say that the world is full of discord, but from where has this discord come? It has come from within us." (discourse of 19-11-1995)
Homes are the basic units of any nation, and only a woman can produce one. As Baba says, a woman is the "wealth of the home, as man’s faithful companion in the pilgrimage towards God and self-realization, and as the mistress of the house. If the women of a country are happy, healthy and holy, the men of that country will be hardy, honest and happy." (discourse of 9-9-1958) In today’s world, there are many women who resent being seen as ‘only’ home-makers. They feel that to dub her thus is to relegate her to the kitchen sink. Not at all. There are many other areas in which women can usefully contribute to the wellbeing of society, but we should not do so at the expense of our one greatest contribution, that of producing a home for our family.
To again quote Sathya Sai Baba, He says, "I do not declare that women should not be educated or that they should not move in society. Wherever they move, if they are endowed with good qualities, and if those good qualities are accompanied by good actions and good habits, then their study will have been worth while and society has indeed benefited." ("Dharma Vahini" ch V) He says too, "You may also take up jobs, but you should not give up the obligations of womanhood. The first title given to a woman is ‘goddess of the home’. A woman is expected o confer all prosperity, honour and good name on the home and on the family. . . . The home and the family is the basic social institution, everywhere in the world." (discourse of 19-11-1996)
There is something that I think we women do not always realise. A woman is in no way inferior to a man, but she is different, and her role is different. A woman has her own nature, her own talents, her own strengths and her own weaknesses – and, above all, she has her own role to play. Instead of that, modern woman feels that, in order to proclaim her equality with men, she must be like a man. She feels that, in order to fully express herself, she must give priority to her job or profession, dress in the feminine equivalent of a business suit, hug a briefcase under her arm, and tackle the world of business head on.
In doing all this, she proudly asserts that she is man's equal, but her slavish emulation announces to all the world that she considers womanhood to be an inferior state. It is said that "imitation is the sincerest form of praise", and, by aping men in nearly every field of activity, all that modern woman has succeeded in proclaiming, is that to be a worth-while person one has to act and work like a man. Let us women be in the work-force if we have to – and many of us do have to – but let us not forget that no one else can do our job of producing a home and bringing new lives into the world. To the extent that we have to neglect that primary duty, the world is that much poorer. "The home is the . . . beacon which illumines the world and sustains it. Women should realize that, irrespective of their education or position, their foremost duty is to protect the home." (discourse of 19-11-1996)
We all know that only a woman can bear children, but bringing a new life into the world is only half the job. There are creches, there are play-centres, there are schools, but none of those can replace the vital role of the mother. There is a subtle link between the child and the mother, and that link is not broken when the umbilical cord is cut. To develop properly, a baby needs the caring love of the mother, and continues to need it well past the time when it begins to walk. Care-givers can give physical care, but only the mother can give the child the sense of security born of love for which it craves. As the years go by, that ‘mother-love’ needs to manifest as a nurturing of the spirit, not just as a bodily nurturing, but the need for it always remains. For the growing child, it spells ‘home’.
And who, apart from the mother, can teach her daughters how to manifest the true qualities of a woman? "Modesty is essential for a woman; it is her priceless jewel. It is against the Dharma of a woman to overstep the limits of modesty; crossing that limit bring on many calamities. Without modesty, a woman is devoid of beauty and culture. Humility, purity of thought and manners, meekness, surrender to high ideals, sensitivity, sweetness of temper – the peculiar blend of all these qualities is modesty. It is the most invaluable of all jewels for women. The modest woman will ever keep within limits, through her innate sense of propriety. She becomes automatically aware of which behaviour is proper and which is not. If a woman has no modesty, she is injuring the interests of womanhood itself, besides undermining her own personality. She becomes like a flower without fragrance, which the world does not cherish or honour, and of which it cannot approve. The absence of modesty in a woman, makes her life a waste and a vacuum, however rich she might be in other accomplishments. Modesty lifts her to the heights of holiness, giving her authority in the home as well as outside, in the community as well as in the world." ("Dharma Vahini" ch IV) Who else but the mother can teach her daughters that?
http://www.sathyasai.org.nz/IdealWomanhood.htm" title="http://www.sathyasai.org.nz/IdealWomanhood.htm" target="_blank"http://www.sathyasai.org.nz/I...
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| Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s birthday celebrations commence |
| 11.18.04 (3:29 am) [edit] |
Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s birthday celebrations commence
PUTTAPARTHY: The 79th birthday celebrations of Sri Sathya Sai Baba will begin a Prashanti Nilayam here from Thursday.
Already scores of devotees have landed from various places to take part in the celebrations, for which the APSRTC is running special buses from Tirupati, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bangalore and Chennai.
The festivities will begin with Venugopalswamy Radhotsavam on November 18, while November 19 will be observed as Youth and Women's Day. On November 21, students of Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions will present cultural programmes.
On November 22, the convocation of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed University) will be held. Former union secretary for external affairs Maharaj Krishna Rasagotra will attend the convocation.
On November 23, the birthday of Sri Sathya Sai Baba will be celebrated. Congress leader Digvijay Singh, Animal Husbandry Minister G Surya Rao and others will attend the birthday celebrations, while Tourism Minister Gita Reddy will participate in the Women's Day celebrations.
Already noted pop singer Tona Guilepsi has reached Puttaparthy and more VIPs are expected to arrive here on November 22.
The district administration is making all necessary arrangements for the devotees arriving here from abroad and all over the country.
sourced:
http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEA20041117091755& amp" title="http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEA20041117091755& amp" target="_blank"http://www.newindpress.com/Ne...;Title=Southern+News+-+An dhra+Pradesh&Topic=0
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| Seva - the Lowdown : the how/why/when/where to do? |
| 11.18.04 (3:23 am) [edit] |
Seva - the Lowdown : the how/why/when/where to do?
Om Shri Sai Ram
Before one reads, one should take note that this is some heavy stuff
coming up and requires much study.
Seva (selfless service) can be done in many ways. We all generally
are exposed to the physical aspect such as Grama Seva (village
upliftment), hospital visits, medical camps, feeding schemes, etc.
One gets joy out of physically participating in these activities.
Notice that these activities are bound within a certain time limit.
Example : You with a group leave for Grama Seva in the morning and
return in the evening. This is the physical type of seva. This in
itself must be done with pur intentions without seeking of reward.
There is another aspect to selfless service and can be done all the
time wherever u are, in whatever situation regardless of time. This
is keeping GOOD THOUGHTS ! simple as might seem, but more complex to
implement than meets the eye. Does one simply say, i shall have good
thoughts and then it simply happens. we all know this simply does not
occur. Lets investigate further.
What generates thoughts ? An example. One a hot day one see an advert
on TV for a cool drink. Then one gets a thought maybe to go to the
fridge and drink something cool or go buy a cool drink. What has
happened in this instance is that a sensory input (sight) generated a
thought. Then followed action.
another example : One is walking through the streets of Puttaparthi.
One may notice the cars honking, poor kids begging, the buffalo doing
its thing merrily and then sudeenly you hear a catchy tune or bhajan.
You think of Swami during Darshan that morning and how graceful He
looked. Again here another sensory input (Ears) generated a thought
and what followed was maybe a good feeling or such.
The point here is that thoughts are generated by what we take in
through our senses. We have Five of them.
1.Eyes
2.Ears
3.Nose
4.Touch
5.Tongue
Out of these the tongue is paramount. TO control this is to control
the other senses. You see tongue can take in and give out too. Here,
diet plays a crucial role. Very bluntly put, if one is serious on
this spiritual path with the goal of merging with God, a satwic
(pure) diet is non-negotiable. Diet here refers to all sense also.
Tongue : Ofcourse vegetarianism for starters. But i'm sure you've
come across some vegetarians who can act like demons :-) So, what
plays critical role here? This area of diet is extensive and is
paramount for study, experimentation and implementation by every true
sadhaka (spiritual aspirant). This is described in detail at
www.srisathyasai.org.za - click on health & diet on the left. This is
not an attempt to promote this website. It simply contains the most
researched information (both from scriptures & medical science)
geared towards spirituality. Study this.
So what's all this got to do with SEVA ? Simple as this brother &
sister. The Seva activity by DEFINITION is to be SELFLESS. One's
thought process needs to be in pristine check if the Seva activity is
to be of benefit. Now this is not saying, "Oh i have some negative
thoughts, i can't do Seva." No, this is a defeatist attitude.
Refining this activity on an individual basis is a challenge for all
of us. I doubt if there is a single one among us all that does not
have negative thoughts at least some of the time. But we should
aspire to have none as Swami expects nothing but excellence from us.
The above was written in response to a question of how to do Seva at
1. home with chores or
2. if one does not have these opportunities one feels guilty/useless.
I am sure many have been in this quandry.
1. Well at home, always do the chores with excellence. If you are
washing the dishes, wash it as if Swami where going to physically eat
of it. When cleaning your toilet, wash it as if Swami where going to
use it. You see, if these home activities where done with such
THOUGHT processes, then automatically it becomes a service activity.
2. Having no seva opportunities ?? With due respect, this IS the Kali
Age after all. Suffering is abound. Go FIND the opportunities. A
small story i heard to illustrate.
Once at Kodai-Canal (a place in India Swami has often visited) Swami
was doing some distribution of food, clothing & blankets. So all
these poor people from around the area queued up near the ashram at
Kodai to receive the distribution. Students, Teachers & Officials
were very happy towards the end of the day having served so many
people. Swami however, did not seem entirely satisfied. He signalled
to one of His drivers and soon he disapeared around the back only to
come out in His car about to go out. Well!. Many thought," Ah Swami,
after a wonderful day of Seva, is going for a relaxing evening drive.
Splendid!"
After some time Swami returned. Many Students had gathered around but
dared not enquire how Swami's evening drive was. So, Bhagawan in His
Mercy revealed. He said " You have served many people here today. but
what about the people who are disabled, who are destitute, who are
sick and can't move, who are not able to travel here to receive these
items. I went to seek and find them and distribute these items to
them Myself."
wonderful story. Swami does not waste a single utterance or action
of His. He has come to teach us.
" My Life is My Message" - have you not heard ? We need to go find
these opportunities as Swami Himself has shown us. Swami has more
recently endeared us to say, "YOUR life is MY Message." What
responsibilty we have !
It all starts on individual level. One should understand how the
internal administration of man works. how your mind works. why we
react, respond in different ways at different times.
The book every Sai devotee should STUDY is Summer Showers 1990. In
fact all Summer Showers are intense and should be studied in general.
(Summer Showers is generally a two-week long "concentration camp"
where Spirituality & Culture is studied by Students with them
receiving lectures from many reknowned speakers from India & the
World as well as Swami giving Divine Discourses every day!!)
This together with the web link (above) to the health & diet stuff is
a powerful tool for transformation. And as Swami has stated, "Without
information, there can be no transformation."
Jai Sai Ram
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/mes sage/4892" title="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/mes sage/4892" target="_blank"http://groups.yahoo.com/group...
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| Kali Yuga, Golden Age, Swami's and Krishna's predictions |
| 11.18.04 (1:25 am) [edit] |
Kali Yuga, Golden Age, Swami's and Krishna's predictions
Light and Love
(My article is devoted to Swami's 79th Birthday).
In Sai literature and in sites dedicated to Swami have various explanations concern to the Golden Age, noted by Swami in His interviews, talks and discourses. Among the Vedic saints, also various opinions exist.
The article shares some frames from this huge study. There are many references. Mainly they are as the sources for additional information for them, who is more deeply interested in this topic.
Probably Swami thinks under Golden Age not sudden becoming the age of global happiness and prosperity in the beginning of 21st Century, but something else. (There is nothing has to be gained by self-effort). Some of His explanations were pictorial as lessons for His devotees.
Swami addresses the Golden Age as an age of better opportunity to humanity for the spiritual growth in the conditions of the Kali Yuga. As Swami stresses many times, His Avatar's (the word "avatar" derivatives from Sanskrit root Avitr, i.e., to descend) incarnation is for the benefit of humanity to establish the righteousness (Dharma) and to direct His devotees towards anyone's inner golden age to study the art of discrimination.
"Many people are scared because they believe that the Kali Yuga in which we live will witness the ultimate Deluge. Others call it the Kalaha Yuga, the Age of Conflict, for it is now well-nigh omnipresent. No, no. This age is the Golden Age for the seekers of God, for earning and learning viveka." (Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 15, Chapter 30). /Viveka -discrimination/.
How is possible to obtain skill for discrimination?
By Swami and Vedic wisdom, there are three stages: Dvaita, Vishishtadvaita and Advaita (Dualism, Trained, Qualified Dualism and Non-Dualism). By Dvaita individuals accept each other as separate from God. By Vishishtadvaita individuals accept themselves and the God as a real person, very dear and close to them. They worship the image of God (Swami), feel His help, and support everywhere. The most devotees can tell many wonderful stories and experiences connected with faith to Swami, His image. Here still Swami is as a separate Divine incarnation and a devotee is the other person. By Advaita an individual realizes that the God is everywhere, in every atom and galaxy, in human being, and in fly...
It is the third stage towards what Swami leads the humanity. It is His Divine Duty, purpose of His incarnation. When human beings have realized the third stage in practice, the Golden Age can arrive step-by-step inside the Kali Yuga as a beautiful flower in desert of ignorance.
In the light of the Vedic scriptures Swami's notes, predictions, sayings concern to the Golden Age is easy to understand.
Ancient Vedic scriptures revealed a conception of cycles of the Yugas alias Cosmic Ages regulated by the Light of the Galactic Center. Cycles of cosmic creation (Sarga) and cosmic dissolution (Pralaya) dependent on the Brahma, the Creator, one cycle of His existence is a hundred years of Brahma. This concept is presented in the Mahabharata (III, 12, 826) and the Vishnu Purana (I, 8 and VI, 3). One Brahma's cycle is Maha Yuga or Divya Yuga which consists of four Yugas - Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali. One Maha Yuga is 12,000 years of the demigods (4,320,000 human years). At the end of a Maha Yuga after 4,320,000 years there is a universal cataclysm will happen when everything will destroy by the cosmic whirl of recreation, fire (1, 2). A Brahma's day is followed by a Brahma's night of equal length. Then, a new cycle of Satya Yuga will develop out of the previous Kali Yuga. The ratio between the Yugas is as 4:3:2:1 by duration.
By Swami and Vedic literature, Kali Yuga began 20 December 3102 BC, on the day when Krishna attained mahasamadhi, 5106 years ago.
The period of existence the Yugas by Vedic scriptures are Satya Yuga or Krita Yuga - 1,728,000 years, Treta Yuga - 1,296,000 years, Dwapara Yuga - 864,000 years and Kali Yuga - 432,000 years.
According to the modern science, the Universe is expanding, after the 'Big Bang'. It will continue to expand until reaches a maximum stage when starts to collapse reaching eventually a zero size again, the 'Big Crunch' (3). It is easy to notice that the 'Big Bang' theory is near to Vedic concept of beginning of creation (Sarga) of Maha Yuga. The 'Big Crunch' can be considered as the dissolution (Pralaya). Sarga and Pralaya are nothing more than a Divine play of Time. No one knows where Time began and where it ends, and it is Time only which plays with cosmic creation, maintenance and destruction of the material manifestation.
Bhagavad-Gita (9.10) confirms this conclusion as follows: “This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.”
Swami Yuteswar and some other Vedic saints found the incorrect calculations of Yugas in Vedic scriptures. Yuteswar represented the other dates for Yugas with motivated explanations in his book "The Holy Science" (4). According to his book, written in 1894, the Sun is a part of a binary system, orbiting another star, with an orbital period about 24, 000 years. (The modern astronomy has recently recognized that many stars are parts of stars gravitational/orbital systems, for proper study - www.binaryresearchinstitute.org). As the Sun moves through this orbit, our solar system is periodically closer and further from Center of Galaxy (called by the author 'Vishnunabhi'. This center is responsible for the creation of some kind mental, spiritual power Brahma. His Yuga Cycle ("Electric Cycle") is based on the movement light through declining and ascending cycles. From practical side such theory is closer to explain the opportunity to have a Golden Age within Kali Yuga. Some Vedic scholars propose that humanity is experiencing the 10,000-year period known as The Golden Age within Kali-Yuga. Present time is an upward cycle of Galactic Light. At that time, the Avatar has incarnated. Swami is with our generation.
By the Bhavishya Purana global changes and tribulations will begin around the year 2000 AD alongside a continuous upswing in spiritual consciousness due to the influence of the Golden Age of Kali Yuga, which began around the year 1500 AD. (The Bhavishya Purana is said to be one of the oldest and reliable Vedic scriptures on prediction and accurately predicted the coming of Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha). This lesser cycle of light within a greater cycle of darkness will only last for 10,000 years and then the full effects of Kali Yuga will ensue. The Golden Age that we are now experiencing is considered a very important time for humanity’s spiritual growth and evolution. Stephen Knapp the author of “The Vedic Prophecies” writes, “During the period within the Golden Age of Kali-Yuga, the spiritual opportunity for people increases, although we can plainly see that the standards for moral and spiritual principles also continue to decrease at the same time amongst most people, but not quite as rapidly.”
The predictions to the 10, 000 years of Golden Age inside Kali Yuga are represented in Brahma-vaivarta Purana* Part 4, Krishna-janma-khanda. Chapter 129 is called Golokarohanam, because it describes how Krishna returns to His abode. There is a specific dialogue is between Lord Krishna and Mother Ganga. Verse 49 is a question by Ganga, Verses 50-60 are Krishna's answers. (*When "Purana" is used alone it refers to Bhagavata Purana. Otherwise, it will specify Skanda Purana, Visnu Purana, etc.).
Below are the Verses in short, without original text. For me seems that these verses are very important, they serves as an additional explanation to Swami's predictions concern to the Golden Age. The verses consists the advices for devotees who are the roots of the Golden Age in the middle of the Kali Yuga.
Verse 49. "Ganges said: O protector, Supreme enjoyer, on your departure for the perfect abode, Goloka, thereafter what will be my situation in the age of Kali?"
Verse 50. "The Supreme Personality of Godhead (Lord Krishna - R.P.) said: On the earth 5,000 years of Kali will be sinful and sinners will deposit their sins in you by bathing."
Verse 51. "Thereafter by the sight and touch of those who worship Me by My mantra, all those sins will be burnt."
Verse 52. "There will be chanting of the name of Hari and reading of the (Bhagavata) Purana. Reaching such a place, attentively hear.
Verse 53. "Sinful reactions including the killing of a brahmana can be nullified be hearing the Purana and chanting of the names of Hari in the manner of devotees."
Verse 54. "Just as dry grass is burnt by fire, by the embrace of Vaisnavas all sins are burnt."
Verse 55. "O Ganges, the whole planet will become a pilgrimage sight by the presence of Vaisnavas, even though it had been sinful."
Verse 56. "In the body of My devotees remains eternally [the purifier]. Mother Earth becomes pure by the dust of the feet of My devotees."
Verse 57. "It will be the same in the case of pilgrimage sites and the whole world. Those intelligent worshipers of My mantra who partake My remnants will purify everything."
Verse 58. "They are more dear to Me than My life, who everyday meditate only on Me. Those intelligent worshipers of My mantra who partake My remnants will purify everything."
Verse 59. "For 10,000 years of Kali such devotees of Mine will fill the whole planet. After the departure of My devotees there will be only one varna (outcaste)."
Verse 60. "Devoid of My devotees, the earth will be shackled by Kali. Saying this, Krsna (Krishna -R.P.) departed."
As a conclusion to of these verses by the words from Padma Purana, Svarga Khanda 61.5 that in the Kali Yuga, a person should accept only one process, which is devotional service.
More clearly, Swami says the same:
"Though the evil is thickest in this Kali Age, the remedy is the simplest." (Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 8, Chapter 22).
As predicted several millennia ago in the By Bhagavata Purana, written thousands years ago, the present Dark Age of Kali is the time of increasing destruction, disorder and decline. The most people are aware only of the physical aspect of existence, the predominant emphasis of living is material survival, and power is mostly in the hands of men. According to the Vedic scriptures, Kali Yuga, is the age of total spiritual darkness and violence.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 12.2 tells that during the 432,000-year age of Kali, humanity deteriorates and falls into barbarism. Humans begin to kill animals for food. They fall under the spell of intoxication. They lose all sexual restraint. Families break up. Women and children are abused and abandoned.
The Vedic saints and sages of ancient India describe the people of this age as greedy, ill behaved, and merciless. By Srimad-Bhagavatam in this age merely possessing wealth is considered a sign of good birth, proper behavior, and fine qualities. Law and justice are determined by one's prestige and power. Marriage ceases to exist as a holy union - men and women simply live together on the basis of bodily attraction and verbal agreement, and only for sexual pleasure.
Women wander from one man to another. Men no longer look after their parents in their old age, and fail to provide for their own children. Filling the belly is said to be the only purpose in life. Cows are killed once their milk production drops. Atheism flourishes.
The new leaders emerge from the laborer class and begin to persecute religious people, saints, teachers, intellectuals, and philosophers. Children are killed in the wombs of their mothers. Women who have relations with several men are numerous. The Linga Purana says that in Kali Yuga, young women freely abandon their virginity. Women, children, and cows - always protected in an enlightened society - are abused and killed during the Iron Age. Thieves are numerous and rapes are frequent. There are many beggars, and widespread unemployment. Merchants operate corrupt businesses. Diseases, rates, and foul substances plague the populace. Water is lacking, fruits are scarce. People in this age eat their food without washing beforehand. Water is scarce. Many people watch the skies, praying for rain. No rain comes. The fields become barren. Men are without virtues, purity or decency. (Visnu Purana 6.1).
The men of Kali Yuga seek only money. Only the richest have power. People without money are their slaves. Farmers abandon living close to nature. They become unskilled laborers in congested cities.
However, it is the time when the spiritual growth is possible to realize most easily and quickly.
"This Kali Yuga is praised in the scriptures as incomparably conducive to the salvation of man, for he can now attain the Highest through the mere thought of God and remembering His Name. So of all the Yugas, this Yuga is described as the most holy, the most beneficent. Dhyana (meditation) was prescribed as the means of liberation for men in the Kritha Yuga, Ascetism as the means during the Tretha Yuga and ritual worship for the Dwapara Yuga. But, for people of this Yuga, the simple remedy prescribed is just Namasmarana, the constant awareness of the Name." (Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 11, Chapter 28).
What is the result of spiritual experiences? They are bringing the seekers of God closer the Advaita, recognition the God within. The Enlightenment of devotees is the first condition for realization the ‘customs’ Satya Yuga.
The scriptures write that the Golden Age i.e. Satya Yuga is time when many people can experience spirituality intuitively. Maybe, at that time people also can communicate telepathically. (Even the modern science does not deny such possibility). The Golden Age will begin when Swami's devotees and followers will grow spiritually towards acknowledgement the Truth, Righteousness, Love, Peace, Nonviolence and Right Conduct (Five Human Values). Temples and idols are unnecessary, as people feel the Omnipresence God, (Cosmic Consciousness) and the matrix of the whole Universe within and in every human being and everywhere. No external ritual is necessary, when one acknowledged this Advaitic truth. Swami on this Atmic level is as a Omnipresent and Omniscient Cosmic mirror what reflects as a witness the aspirations of His devotees and followers.
I selected some excerpts as examples of Swami's predictions concern to the Golden Age.
In the Introduction of the book "The Golden Age of Sai” compiled by Nirmal, 1997 (2nd edition) the author writes:
"Sri Sathya Sai Baba has declared that He will usher in a new era of Love, Peace, Righteousness, and Truth. This "Golden Age," as He calls it, is destined to begin soon with an event (or series of events) that will draw world attention to His Divinity. Many of Baba's devotees wonder what these events will be like, what the Golden Age represents, and what our duty is towards it, Bhagavan, and each other."
The Golden Age is begins now, when the number of Swami's devotees has increased to the cosmic numbers. During the recent years, Swami stresses to the Advaitic stage of spiritual development. His recent discourses (October 2004) are the bright examples of His advanced approach to rule the humanity closer to divinity.
Anil Kumar (Questions and Answers, 05.01.2003) answered to the question 35 "What is known about the Golden Age that Swami often talks about? When will it begin?" (http://www.internety.com/anilk-q&" title="http://www.internety.com/anilk-q&" target="_blank"http://www.internety.com/anil...;a/ ) Excerpts from the answer.
"The Golden Age began when Bhagavan took birth...Then, why am I not aware of it? The reason is that the Golden Age was my dream. If the Golden Age had been my vision, then I would have been awakened by this time. That Golden Age should have already kindled in my heart the light of wisdom within me, awakening the third eye of vision."
Swami has assured us that there is no reason for humankind to be extremely worried about the future, for the Golden Age of humanity is soon dawning. He has assured that Satya Yuga shall start from 1999 and during the days of His next Avatar as Prema Sai which will be from 2030 onwards, the world will see the best period of human civilisation. (“Pralaya 1999”, by M. R. Narendra), http://www.geocities.com/priyasai108/cd/prophe cy.htm" title="http://www.geocities.com/priyasai108/cd/prophe cy.htm" target="_blank"http://www.geocities.com/priy....
David Jevons in his talk at Sai Summer Picnic held in Langley, British Columbia, Canada on Sunday July 9th 2000.(http://www.ramalacentre.com/newsletter09_00_01.htm" title="http://www.ramalacentre.com/newsletter09_00_01.htm" target="_blank"http://www.ramalacentre.com/n...) indicates to Swami's words from his Discourse before His 75th birthday. “Many events are going to take place very soon. Many mega projects are going to come up. The time is not far off when people will see me at different places at the same time. I may be travelling in a car, but at the same time I shall be giving darshan at Sai Kulwant hall and at the same time I shall be speaking at the Hillview Stadium.”
It is real, as all who recognized the Self within are potential carriers the same divine energy, vibrations as Swami. It is Swami's Omnipresent Divine Energy what spreads everywhere and 'fills' even the deepest holes and the darkest humans' minds. As we can read from Puranas and other scriptures from Vedic saints, the Golden Age is the Divine Will and it begins from recocognition of Self through communion of spirituality and science with human values as a Cosmic Conscience, awareness of Atman and afterwards spread to the society as experience, cosmic experience of the Divine Will among humanity. How humanity responds to it depends upon the readiness of humans free will to fuse into vibrations of the Divine Will. The way to the global Golden Age of humanity seems to be long jet. This is the purpose why Swami predicted His third incarnation.
Swami answers to the question what sign will He gives that the Golden Age is beginning that the glory of Sai will spread to every part of the world. It will increase a thousandfold (Sanathana Sarathi, 36, December, 1993, p. 333). This time is arrived.
References:
1. Eliade, M. Aspects du mythe, Gallimard, 1963, p 83.
2. White D. G., The Alchemical Body, Chicago, The University of Chicago, 1996, p. 46.
3. Penrose R., The Emperor's New Mind, Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 418 -419.
4. Yutesfar, Sri. "The Holy Science." Los Angeles, CA. Published by Self-Realization Fellowship, 1949.
5. Knapp, Stephen. The Vedic Profecies: A new Look into the Future. Detroit MI. World Relief Network, 1998.
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Yuga" title="http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Yuga" target="_blank"http://encyclopedia.thefreedi...
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/kaliyuga.htm" title="http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/kaliyuga.htm" target="_blank"http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/...
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| When in Despair |
| 11.18.04 (1:16 am) [edit] |
When in Despair
Om Shri Sai Ram
Many times in our lives we go through trials and tribulations.
Sometime they seem unbearable and torturous. However, we are all here
to wipe of karma & being contemporaries of the Avatar this process is
sometimes somewhat accelerated. This story below better explains.
Many years back a devotee from India once went to Swami with his
family. While at the ashram Swami graced them with an interview &
they thoroughly enjoyed the experience with Swami saying Very Happy &
I Bless You, I Bless You, I Bless You.
The gentleman & his family returned home very inspired and full of
that Divine Energy. During the first couple months and returning,
things on the man work front started getting shaky. Not worrying too
much the man put his faith in Bhagawans triple blessing, " I Bless
You !" x3. Because of the pressure at work, there was some friction
at home. The kids also were not on best behaviour & the like. this
went on for a year.
The next year this family returned to Bhagawan only to be totally
ignored. not only that, it so turned out that even they couldn't even
get a close Darshan line. So, they returned dejected.
As soon as the returned home the man lost his job. Soon the trouble
at home hightened with serious problems in the marriage. The kids
barely doing any justice in their studies. No matter where this man
went no-one would give him a job. The household managed on the meager
savings they had over the years. Still remembering Bhagawan's words &
yet at the same time having some questions, after a year the family
made another trip to Swami just to experience the same trouble, this
time strangely being always harassed by Sevadals on something or the
other during their stay at the ashram.
Once again returning seriously doubting the authenticity of this God
who blessed them. Things becoming unbearable financially, they lost
their house, car & all their material possesions. Having to sell what
jewellry they had to survive they had to impose upon some relatives
for shelter. Husband & wife were always squabling and it came to the
point of divorce. What kind of God would do this to His devotee was
the question in the mans mind. By some stroke of luck, they decided
to go one more time to Swami & after that to call the marriage quits.
They arrived at the ashram & again expreince the same hardships &
total ignoring leela again. On the morning they are to leave,
miraculously they are called in for an interview. The man asks
Swami, " Is the result of Your Blessings. We have lost everything. We
are having problems." Swami smiles at him and says,"My Dear, in these
past three years of your life, these past three years of hardship,
My Grace in these three years has wiped out THREE LIFETIMES of your
karma."
Dear sister/brother, we don't know what the Master Planner has in
store or how He is Gracing us. Let us be grateful just for the simple
knowledge that we know He is here. We are with GOD. Wow. Sit and
think about that for a while. Just that we blessed with this
opportunity makes one shed tears of joy. Contemplate on this in
silence. We are not here to get possesions, earn degrees or any other
things that today's society dictates one to do. Millions own houses,
millions have degress, millions have millions. How many have the
chance to serve in this mission actively? We are here to return to
Him. THAT IS ALL. only by Namasmarana (constant contemplation on the
Lords Name) & Seva (Selfless Service) can we achieve this goal.
How to do? Simply doing bhajans, attending Sai activities wont
achieve this goal. Only by doing service to fellow creation whilst
constantly having His Name in our hearts, minds & lips will this move
us forward. Everything whether at home, work, school or at an
organised Sai Seva activity is a Seva opportunity. Grab it and make
full use of it.
Sorry for this long Mahabharata. Maybe it was part of your Karma to
be tortured thus. After this very holy weekend, njoy :-)
Jai Sai Ram
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/mes sage/4853" title="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/mes sage/4853" target="_blank"http://groups.yahoo.com/group...
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| My own Personal Experiences - Part 2: Prof Anil Kumar |
| 11.09.04 (11:35 pm) [edit] |
My own Personal Experiences - Part 2: Prof Anil Kumar
Anil Kumar's Sunday Satsang at Prasanthi Nilayam
December 8, 2002
My Personal Experiences
Part Two
OM… OM… OM…
Sai Ram.
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Sharing Some More Experiences
Today I'll divide my talk into two sections. In the first section,
due to the request of some friends, I'll share with you more of my
experiences. In the second part, we'll have questions and answers.
It was back on the 25th of October that I shared with you Part One of
my personal experiences. I thought that was the end of the matter.
But I have received a series of letters and demands, (Laughter)
saying that you want to know more of my personal experiences.
Really, I love to do it, except for the simple fact that I'm afraid
that people may mistake this as some sort of advertisement or
publicity-seeking, which I'm totally against. But because of the
spiritual pestering from my friends, I'll share certain experiences
with you this morning.
As I said in my last lecture on October 25th , I was in a period
of 'exile', receiving total silence from Bhagavan, without any
recognition of this human being by the name of Anil Kumar (Laughter).
For seven to eight long years, I was non-existent, a non-entity, and
almost in a vacuum wherever I sat. It went on for a very long period -
from seven to eight years. Later in the talk on October 25th, I
mentioned how things went following this long period of waiting.
Very Busy Teaching Students
During that long period of waiting, certain things happened
mysteriously, which were not understandable, beyond all explanation
and expectation. It was the year 1975 when I was very, very busy
during the summer teaching. I was preparing students for the medical
entrance examination, which is an annual feature. During this period,
we make some money too – unaccounted for, so it is all the more
welcomed! (Laughter)
I was extremely busy preparing students until 10 o'clock at night.
The program commenced at 6:30 in the morning, and went on until 10
PM. It depended upon the star value of the person, the magnitude of
attraction and presentation, to the taste of the students. Depending
upon the demand, you would be given as much workload as possible.
There were times when I taught for 13 hours a day because the star
value was such.
An Interview Conducted By Rotary International
Here it was the last hour, around 9.45 PM or so. Suddenly, I received
a message from some of my friends, asking me to appear for an
interview at 10 o'clock in the night. What interview I did not know.
I said, "I shall meet you afterwards."
But they all went and met the Principal, C.V.N. Dhun, of a reputed
college by the name of Ravi Tutor College at Guntur.
The Principal himself came and said, "I could not risk my reputation
when your friends came here. Better you cancel this class and oblige
them."
Then I asked my friends, "What is it that you want of me?"
They said, "An interview is going on. You should appear for that
interview."
"What interview? What am I supposed to do?"
They did not tell me. They pushed me into a big building very close
to this college. Finally I found out that it was an interview
conducted by Rotary International, which selects a team of five every
year to go abroad to study the social and educational aspects of that
country. The visiting team is called the Group Study Exchange
program, GSE. Under the GSE program, five are selected every year --
one representing agriculture, one representing engineering, one
representing medicine, one representing education, and so on -- one
from each walk of life. Except for the condition that you cannot be
related to members of the Rotary Club, it is an open competition.
Well, I didn't have face powder; I had chalk powder instead, having
taught until 10 o'clock that night. You can imagine me - my
personality - at 10 PM: totally tired, after having taught 13 hours
that day. As I could not say 'no' to my friends, somehow I went
inside. My turn was last, as interviews had started at 8 o'clock.
Good! I could say 'goodbye' to them and run away from there!
Well, when I went in there, the President, who happened to be a
doctor, a secretary, and a senior lawyer said, "We don't have to ask
you any questions."
"Then why did you call me for an interview?" (Laughter)
They said, "It is just a formality. Our children are your students,
so you were selected at the regional level."
I simply laughed at them, "Oh, things go like that? Okay!"
The next morning, they sent me an application form to fill out --
selection first, application next -- just the reverse order.
(Laughter) That's how Sai started working in His own way.
Going To The Final Interview At Hyderabad
Then I was to appear for the final interview in Hyderabad at the
Riggs Hotel, one of the prestigious hotels in those days. Later, many
other costly hotels were built. But in those days, Riggs was the
costliest.
Somehow I was tempted to attend the final interview that included
contestants from three states. The interview spread over five days.
Many people attended. Somehow I simply decided to attend the
interview. But I had no time to prepare or read anything because of
my tight schedule, teaching botany to my students and preparing them
for the medical entrance examination. The number of seats that my
students would get would decide my fate for the next year. (Laughter)
Therefore, I had to be very, very careful, and highly competitive.
As I sat in the train, which was speeding up towards Hyderabad, I saw
many youngsters preparing for the interview. I found out that I was
the only married man with four children, while many of the others
were eligible bachelors. Anyway, I was just relaxing because there
was no investment. There was neither profit nor loss. Since I had not
prepared for anything, there was nothing to lose!
Having just come into the Sai fold, being in that fresh period, I was
humming Sai bhajans, as most of us do. I never realised that I would
be disturbing some of these people who were preparing for the
examination. (Laughter) One or two got down from their berths and
gave me some books to prepare with. (Laughter) They did not ask me
not to sing. In a polite, refined, cultured way, they wanted me to
read instead of sing. (Laughter) Maybe it was for two reasons: my
voice was not that good, and they could not concentrate.
Then I realised my mistake and said, "What are the books you are
giving me?" The title of one book was "India, Who is Who?" That book
is published every year. It covers all the latest developments in the
country, plus national and international coverage of personalities
figuring in the newspapers, particularly on the front page. Expecting
that questions would be asked on this, some people were preparing. As
one chap completed reading that, he passed it on to me. Another man
gave me "Manorama", which also covers all the latest developments.
Because I was sufficiently matured, I told these gentlemen, "I
understand your problem. I am disturbing you. Don't worry. I have
nothing to read because I have never read anything along these lines
to prepare for an interview. So why should I read them now?
Either "India Today" (a popular national magazine), India yesterday
or India tomorrow, India is India. I have no time to read. Please
leave me alone," I said. (Laughter) They were happy with my silence.
Anyhow, a cardio-paediatric surgeon, a doctor by the name of
Balakrishna Murthi, who deals with the heart ailments of children,
was sitting just opposite me along with his daughter. His daughter
was staring at me, I didn't know why. I told her and her father, "I'm
not a mad person. (Laughter) I'm not going to bite you. After all,
I'm just humming some Sai bhajans. Don't be afraid of me." They just
laughed
Little did she realize that after three or four years, she would
become my student. Now she's happily married and settled in the USA.
Even to this day, whenever they happen to see me, they laugh
wholeheartedly recalling my comments that I was not a madcap. So,
that was the situation.
Nothing To Lose Or Gain
Another gentleman, an elderly man, very well known to me, came and
said, "What is it you are doing? Why don't you read? I appeared for
this interview last year and the year before last. I was not
selected. It calls for preparation. Then why are you doing like this?"
I told him, "My sister lives in Hyderabad. They sent an invitation,
asking me to attend their house-warming function, which I could not
attend because of a busy medical entrance coaching program. Now, in
the name of this interview, as a plea, I'll go and have nothing to
lose or gain. Sir, please busy yourself, I pray that you be
selected." And thus I silenced him.
Then I got ready to appear for the interview. My wedding suit was
still so nice in those days (Laughter). I picked up that dark blue-
coloured suit with an orange-coloured shirt, a dark blue tie with
stars on it, and well-polished shoes with spray applied. I then went
to Hotel Riggs, where I was to appear for the interview.
The Questions Put To Them
Many youngsters, after completing their interview, were talking among
themselves about the questions they were asked. Because of curiosity,
I wanted to know the questions, though I had no answers for any of
them.
It was the year when India launched a space research project
called "Arya Bhatta", which landed a space satellite. People were
asked some questions relating to "Arya Bhatta" -- about the launching
of this satellite by Indian scientists. I was wondering, "If that
question was asked of me, what answer would I give?" A nice big zero!
(Laughter)
Some other gentleman was asked a question about a treaty between
India and the Soviet Union. This was a time when India and the Soviet
Union had entered into an agreement. "India, being a non-aligned
country, how was it that it could enter into a treaty with the USSR?"
That was the question. I didn't know that there was an agreement at
all, let alone justifying it! (Laughter)
It was also a time when a very big person, a big black marketer, was
arrested. There had been a thorough search all over the country.
Ultimately, the government succeeded in arresting him. Some questions
were asked about that. I didn't know such a gunda (bandit) existed,
nor did I know about the subsequent arrest of that person.
It was also the time of a national emergency declared by Indra
Gandhi, who happened to be the Prime Minister. There were some
questions on this. "India, being a secular, sovereign, democratic
republic, how could a state of emergency (which is not a democratic
act) be declared in this country?" Well, emergency or non-emergency,
I wasn't bothered because I just did my duty. I'm the least affected,
being a teacher, by emergencies. Maybe those in the field of politics
are affected by an emergency. But most of us are employees. We are
not at all affected. So there's nothing to worry about. But I had no
answer, if the same question were asked of me.
I prayed a silent prayer to Baba: "Swami, see that I'm not exposed to
such questions." (Laughter)
"Swami, Save me From Insult!"
My second prayer was this: "Let them not ask certain questions of
general knowledge such as, 'What is the capital of Norway, of Sweden,
of Denmark, of Guatemala, or of Argentina?' (Laughter) I may not have
immediate answers."
"Once they know that I am a student of biology, don't have them
ask, 'Name a frog without a tail. Name the frog with a tail, with a
head, and without a head.' Finally, lifting their eyebrows, I'm
afraid they may say, 'What kind of teacher are you if you do not know
these things?' My job would be in disrepute. I would be defamed, and
I'd feel personally insulted if such questions were asked of me."
"Swami, save me from that insult and save my job as a professor, so
that we will not be a laughing-stalk in the sight of the public,
particularly the members of the interview board."
Anyway I went and sat relaxed, cross-legged, with my arm on the chair
behind, totally free, because I had nothing to lose and nothing to
gain. (Laughter) I was fully aware that I was speaking in the Divine
Presence of Baba, not only there, but here in your hearts, too. And
everything is subject to verification at any moment because Bhagavan
is a silent listener to every one of our conversations. I have had
many bitter experiences too, in this regard. (Laughter) He gives no
scope for any exaggeration or under-estimation, but only statements
based on facts and not fiction.
All Questions Centred Around Sai Literature Only
So, in full understanding of this, I'm telling you -- believe me or
not – all the questions were centred only on Sai literature!
(Exclamations of "Oh!" from the audience, and applause) That's all!
In my bio-data, there was no mention of Sathya Sai Baba -- nothing
whatsoever! Yet all the questions were on Sai literature.
That period I was fresh to the Sai movement, and was very familiar
with Sai literature. Going around to every village (in Andhra Pradesh
state) in those years, I was quite conversant with the teachings of
Sai. So I could answer every question. I think you'll be interested
to know some of those questions. They will be of interest to every
one of you.
There were 12 members of the Rotary International -- past district
governors, who asked these questions, one-by-one. It was something
like Abhimanya surrounded by so many people in Padmavyuha (a
formidable military formation) – such was the interview hall.
"God Is One And The Same"
The first question asked was this: "India is thickly populated, not
only with people, but also with many gods. How do you justify the
number of gods and the number of people there are in your country?"
That was the first question.
The answer was quickly available from Sai literature, which Bhagavan
prompted from within. What did Bhagavan say in this direction? "There
may be many different names and forms of Divinity, based on our likes
and dislikes and on our whims and fancies; based on our intensity of
devotion and on our concentration. The names and forms may be varied,
but Divinity is One and the same. You may give Him any name, but God
is One and the same. You may think of any form, but He's the same."
That's what I said, just as I also quoted Bhagavan's famous poem:
Flowers are many, but worship is one.
Forms are many, but God is One.
Cows are many, but milk is one.
Jewels are many, but gold is one.
Paths are many, but goal is one.
I repeated the famous quotation, and they seemed to have been
satisfied.
"It All Depends On You"
Then came the second question: "If God is the same, why is one God so
tall, like Rama, while one god is so short, like Ganesha? (Laughter)
Why should there be differences in the height of the gods, if all are
the same God?"
The answer was also available from Sai teachings. I remembered very
well Bhagavan saying that you get your dress stitched according to
your measurements. You don't wear the same shirt as the one worn by
King Kong! (Laughter) No! Or you don't give your shirt to that boxer
man. A shirt for a thin man cannot be given to a fat man. You cannot
wear a shirt stitched for a fat man because three of you could fit
into it! So, a garment or a dress is made as per your measurements.
Similarly, depending upon your choice, depending upon your
temperament, depending upon your background, your level of
comprehension, understanding and experience, the deity is designed in
that form. Some can easily concentrate on Rama. Some can concentrate
on Krishna. So it all depends on you. That was the second answer.
"You May Give Any Name Or Form"
Then came the third question: "If that's so, why should there be so
many names? How can there be Siva? How can there be Rama, or Krishna,
or Durga, or Lakshmi? Why so many names? Why?" That was the third
question.
Bhagavan had given an example: It seems on one day, a hotel-keeper
and a medical shop owner both got headaches on the same day. The
medical shop fellow went to the hotel for a cup of coffee. The hotel-
keeper went to the medical shop for a pill or a tablet. So he had
faith in the tablet. This other man had faith in the cup of coffee.
Both of them had a total cure of their headaches.
Similarly, you may give any name or any form to God. Water is called
neeru in Telugu. In Sanskrit, you may call it vaari; in Hindi, paani;
in Tamil, tanni; but the water, H2O, continues to be the same.
That's the example given by Baba, which I could also give because of
His Divine Grace.
Vast Spiritual Literature
Then there was a question like this: "India, being the land of rich
spiritual cultural heritage, how is it there is illiteracy? How is it
there's poverty? How is it there is corruption? Why? What answer can
you give?"
There was an answer, which I thought of at that moment. What did Baba
say? "Where do you find the doctor? You find the doctor where there
are patients. So, you get what you really seek. There are several
countries that have sought physical comforts -- countries that want a
daily life full of comfort and conveniences, luxury and extravagancy.
But Bharath has always been in search of God. This country has always
been in search of the experience of Divinity. There has been a
constant search for this by sages and saints, seers, aspirants and
seekers."
"There is so much spiritual knowledge today. In addition to four
Vedas, you have 108 Upanishads, 18 epics, Brahma Sutras and Yoga
Vasishta. So much vast spiritual literature has grown in this country
because of the selfless service and the penance undertaken by sages
in those days for the welfare of mankind. They prayed for the
progress of mankind without any trace of selfishness. So,
spirituality has grown here, not the electronic gadgets, not the
physical, mundane comforts and requirements." That answer seemed to
have satisfied those people.
50% Answered
Then came a final question, which was really amazing -- nay,
unbelievable! "Who is the Prime Minister of Israel?" (Laughter) This
question had nothing to do with the questions asked before. Well, I
had to put on a blank face. I fully realised at that moment that
Bhagavan was telling me from within, "All these questions I made them
ask you. Now you tell how much you know! (Laughter) Come out of your
emptiness and nothingness. I am exposing you now."
"Swami, it is a serious test! I am not such a fool to think that it
is for my glory. I'm not so stupid to think that I am a wise man. No!
I know every second that You have been prompting me."
Then immediately I said, "Sir, I know Goldameir has been the Prime
Minister of Israel until now. Now she is out of power. A man has come
in her place whose name I do not remember." (Laughter) Then one of
the persons said, "50% answered. You can go." (Laughter)
My situation was like a child in elementary school, who runs out of
school hearing the final bell, carrying his bag of books, running
happily! I was so happy and gay, dancing, coming out of the interview
hall because nothing had happened to me. Nothing happened to my
prestige whatsoever. Then I returned home happily, not expecting
anything.
There was some pressure from my friends, who were asking me to find
out the results. I was afraid to find out the results because I was
not prepared to accept failure. Success I didn't expect. There were
no expectations at all. I thought to myself, 'Let things come in
their own time, but let me not advance it.'
I said, "I'm not going to find out. No!"
Why? Because I had made no preparation, no investment and no training.
"Leave me alone," I said.
I Stood First!
After a month, the results were announced. I stood first on the list
of people selected to go to Southern Indiana in the United States
that year. I have been to a lot of places in the United States: (in
Indiana) Brazil, Corydon, Alora, Columbus, Indianapolis, New Albany,
and Terrehaute. All those places I have visited under the courtesy of
the Rotary International.
After my return home, I received a letter stating: "You are to attend
a meeting where you will be given some training before you go to the
United States. We will give you some training on how to answer
questions, how to meet people, and on certain requirements."
Suddenly, on the day of the training, the college where I was working
was to have the College Annual Day Celebration. I went to the
Principal, Dr. Isaac, at that time, and told him, "Sir, kindly grant
me leave on that day, so that I can attend the training before I go
abroad."
That man immediately said, "Who are they to give you training? I will
give you training here!" (Laughter)
"Sir, when they are spending their money, how can you give me
training here?"
He said, "Nothing doing. It happens to be the College Anniversary
Day. Therefore, I cannot grant you leave."
I said, "The College Anniversary is not based on me, Sir. The college
has 5,000 students and 300 faculty members . I don't think that
anything would happen if I go on leave."
He said, "Nothing doing!"
Then I returned home and prayed to Baba, looking at His
picture: "Baba, You are really fantastic. You made me stand first in
the list, and now I am the last to go. Whether I can go or not, I do
not know. But anyway, it is a question of Your prestige and Your
Name -- nothing to do with me, please remember! (Laughter) Because
You selected me, alright, You take the credit or discredit. The whole
world knows that I had not made any preparation. So what do I care
about it?"
College Anniversary Is Postponed
The invitations for the College Anniversary were ready and sent.
Refreshments were also ready. Students were given badges. All the
preparations for the College Annual Celebration were ready. Collector
Chandrayya, an IAS officer, was to be the chief guest.
Please believe me. This is subject to verification because I'm giving
the date and also the names of the people involved. I'm not here to
concoct or fabricate or imagine. I'm against such silly things. I'm
giving you all the details, being a student of science. Just 24 hours
before the Annual College Day, the Principal, Dr. Isaac, came to me
and said, "Anil Kumar, please leave this place tonight." (Laughter)
I said, "Sir, why do you want me, to go? You said you wouldn't grant
me personal time-off. You didn't want to give me personal time-off!
Why do you want me to go?"
He said, "The College Anniversary is postponed."
It was a college of 100 years standing. Now it must be 130 years --
one of the oldest premier institutions in the State of Andhra
Pradesh, managed and monitored by the Lutheran Church of America. It
is a very big college. The College Anniversary had never been
postponed in all of its history.
Our Baba is an excellent manager and a manipulator! (Laughter) He had
just got the Anniversary postponed for one bloke by the name of Anil
Kumar!
The Five Of Us
So, I went there, attended the meeting, and everything was checked
for my travel to the United Sates. I met my other colleagues, who
were eligible bachelors, quite handsome, occupying very high
positions, coming from medicine and engineering fields. I was the
only non-gazetted government officer with four children. So, what was
to be done?
They were talking among themselves about what they would do in the
United States. Finally, one of them ventured to ask me, "Anil Kumar,
would you like to have a sip of alcohol?"
I said I would like to have any number of sips of coffee, but not
alcohol.
Everybody laughed at me and said, "Five of us are going, but only
four will be returning."
They thought that once I was over there, I'd be finished (Laughter)
They said, "Do you eat meat or anything like that?"
"No, no, no, I'm a total vegetarian."
Just like that, I became an untouchable among the five of us!
(Laughter) A Godforsaken creature! Nobody was prepared to talk to me
or exchange any views because there was nothing in common.
Once we were there, oh! There were so many things that were served to
us! But there was nothing for me to eat. Though I mentioned that I
was a vegetarian, what is it that they brought for me to eat ? Boiled
potatoes made into chutney, like a paste. (No doubt Anil Kumar means
mashed potatoes.)
They said, "This is vegetarian. Why don't you eat it?"
Ah-re! Potato is no doubt vegetarian, but I don't eat it that way,
made into a paste or gum like that! So I didn't relish it, but
courtesy made me silent. I wore a broad smile on my face, "Fine,
fine, this much is enough."
But smart people they are, the Rotarians! The USA is a great country
of hospitality. The United States of America is a country where there
is the synthesis of religions. They are ready to invite new
ideologies. It is a country of friendship, where the people are full
of smiling faces.
They could understand my diet problem, and at the next session, I had
a number of things like peanuts, cashew nuts, ice crèmes, cakes,
biscuits, and so many such things! While the non-vegetarians had only
one or two dishes, I had so many. (Laughter). I was more energetic
than all of them, even without eating rice.
Pets Were Pestering Me
All right, I was quite fine. But here's another thing that I should
also share with you, though it is quite embarrassing. I'm not used to
pets, like dogs and cats -- no. At the residence of every American,
to my surprise, I noticed these pets, these dogs and cats,
everywhere. I used to check to see if my room were dog-free or cat-
free. (Laughter) Only then would I go into the room!
Unfortunately, at 11 o'clock in the night, I heard some sound --
"Purr, purr" -- like that. (Laughter) What happened? Immediately I
got up. I noticed one cat under my cot. (Laughter) I shouted to my
American friend. He came in immediately. "Anil Kumar, what happened?"
"Ah-re, what is this cat? Please take it out!"
"No, no, Anil Kumar! It is a Burmese cat -- so sweet!"
I said, "No! Burmese or Chinese, I don't want it here! (Laughter)
Please take it out. I can't sleep!"
That was the only problem I had.
I also remember in New Albany something happened. A gentleman
introduced me to his sons. "Oh, Mr. Anil Kumar, here is David and
Nelson." All that was fine. Finally he said, "Caesar, come along!"
I thought Caesar was a third son. Caesar was the name of their dog,
and he was my size (Laughter) and ready to climb up on me like an
expert in mountaineering! I am not Mount Everest -- to be climbed
upon! I was very much afraid.
This man said, "Say hello, Anil Kumar! Caesar is very friendly!"
"Sir, I'm not friendly. Please!" (Laughter)
As my legs were trembling, well, the dog came closer and closer, and
then started touching me.
"Sir, would you like me alive or not? Please take it away!"
That was my problem, and I didn't know what to do. I was about to
move to the next place -- some other residence. Instead of being
curious about the family with whom I was supposed to live, I was
curious about the pets there (Laughter) because the pets were
pestering me! Well, I had no alternative.
So, helplessly I told the gentleman, "This is my problem."
Then they started taking care of their pets and made me quite
comfortable -- such kind, nice people.
Singing Baba's Bhajans
Then one day, while speeding along in the car, I was just singing
Baba's bhajans and the American thought something was happening to
me. He said, "What's wrong with you?" (Laughter)
Well, I said, "Nothing is wrong with me. I'm quite hale and healthy,
and I hope to live for a couple more years! But the thing is, I'm
humming Indian bhajan songs -- Indian hymns or prayer songs."
The American said, "Would you do it at my residence this evening?"
I had been waiting for that opportunity! I said that I would be happy
to and would also give them the English translation to the songs. But
only on one condition -- they should invite their friends also. They
should not restrict this to only their family."
He said, "OK. Why not?"
Every day they invited their family and friends in the neighbourhood
to come. The result was that 30 or 40 attended the Rotary meetings
and 300 or 400 attended my evening bhajan programs! (Laughter) Since
that day, I became more and more popular. I was the 'most wanted'
person – 'most wanted' in a desirable way.
Interviewed by The TV People
The TV people and news reporters also interviewed us. My other Indian
friends were in search of good cameras and other things. I did not
have any kind of desire like that. I had a deep feeling that Swami
had sent me and that I should speak about Him everywhere. That was my
only mission. I had no other desire.
"How Is It You Don't Eat Beef In India?"
Some questions were put to us like this: "Why is it that you don't
eat beef in India?"
Well, I could not answer straightaway because there were five of us
seated in the television studio. One man said, "We don't eat beef.
Cows are sacred."
Then they asked another man, "Why are you eating beef here?"
(Laughter)
They were all very intelligent fellows. The third fellow
said, "Indian cows are sacred, not other cows!" (Laughter)
Then I raised my hand and said, "Sir, I'll give you the answer. That
was just a kind of joke -- that American cows are not sacred, no.
Cows are sacred, revered like a mother. There are many we revere like
a mother. One is the Motherland, Desha Matha. Another is Mother
Earth, Bhu Matha. The third one is Go Matha, the cow, as mother. A
fourth is the Scripture, Veda Matha. These four are respected, adored
and worshipped like the mother. That's all."
"Oh, that seems to be sensible," someone said.
"How Is It There Aren't divorces In India?"
Then they asked another question: "How is it that there are no
divorces in India? How is it that you live with the same person
throughout your lifetime, even though you don't agree?"
One man, by the name of Raj Kumar, was newly married. He was working
in the Union Corporation. He gave the answer: "Why marry a number of
times? You have to sit in front of a fire and smoke for long hours!
(Laughter) We don't want that tedious process to happen again and
again!" (Laughter)
Another man said, "Marriage is an expensive process. Why pay for it
more than once? We don't want to."
They all enjoyed these jokes. I said, "Sir, there is an answer.
Marriage is only an institution. Marriage is only a vehicle. Marriage
is only a transport to move from one end to the other end, to move
from one shore to the other -- the shore of life on earth to the
shore of life thereafter. I travel by car, but I don't live in the
car. I go across the bridge, but I don't stay there on the bridge my
whole life. So, marriage is an institution -- like a bridge, like a
boat, like a ship -- taking you from the shore of this life to the
life thereafter, to Eternity and Immortality."
That seemed to have been satisfactory to them.
"How Is It there Is A God Who Wants Human Hair?"
There was another question, "How is it that there is a god in your
country who wants human hair?" They meant Lord Venkateswara of
Tirupathi.
Another person laughed and said, "God can grow hair by Himself! Why
does He want your hair?"
A very pertinent question! Bhagavan spoke about this a long time ago.
The answer is simple and straight.
Bhagavan said, "Hair symbolizes animality or the bestial temperament,
the thamasic quality, the darkness of ignorance. When you remove your
hair, when you offer your hair, you make an attempt to be free from
the thamasic quality of dullness, of ignorance, of darkness, or
ignorance of the Self. That's why the hair is offered."
"Secondly, if anyone stands in front of the mirror just combing his
hair, everyone thinks that he is a film star -- most handsome, though
the next person tells him, 'You are not.' It is very different if one
is ugly when standing in front of the mirror. So once you offer your
hair, there is no more decoration, no more attempt to look
handsome. 'I disfigure myself.' This is self-effacement. There is
nothing like projection. This is the symbolic expression of offering
hair to God."
This made some sense to them. Somehow we came out of that television
program and all of them seemed to have been satisfied with the
answers. So, we began to disperse back to our destinations.
A Bag Of Pickles
The others, being rich, wanted to stop on the way back and visit
London, Amsterdam, and other places with the extra money in their
pockets. Since I was a teacher, I did not carry anything at that
moment.
I was to visit a close relation there. My father-in-law gave me a big
bag of Andhra pickles, hot stuff, to be handed over to her.
(Laughter) I was carrying this bag for one month -- a horrible
burden! The American brothers were good to me. The sisters over there
didn't allow me to carry anything. They carried all the things for
me. It must have been a headache for them to carry this big package
of Andhra pickles, such hot stuff. It will help you to land on the
moon straightaway -- straightaway, with no expenditure! (Laughter)
One mango pickle, one piece is enough -- you can try this afternoon!
(Laughter) Of course, you should write your will in advance!
(Laughter)
So, I was carrying these pickles all along. But how was I to reach my
relatives? When all my friends had dispersed, the Rotary governor,
someone named Clark who lived in New Albany, came and said, "Anil
Kumar, what are your plans now?"
I said, "I have no plans except to go home."
He said, "What is this bag?"
"That bag is full of pickles, which I have to hand over to my
relations."
"Where are they?"
I gave their address.
"How do you plan to go?"
International Sai Service
Should I say that I didn't have enough dollars to get there? Or
should I tell them, 'You fund my trip'? I didn't say anything.
"I don't think I have sufficient time to go there. I'll just bring
the pickles back."
Then he said, "No, no, your tickets and visa will enable you to stay
here for some more time. Why do you want to leave like that? No!
We'll see that you get to see your relations there."
They were staying in Hamden, Virginia. Immediately they made all the
flight reservations. My other friends were traveling by the Greyhound
bus service. Being sent by Sai International, Inter-continental Sai
service, I could fly all the way on Northwest Airlines, without a
single paisa (penny) in my pocket, through the courtesy of Rotary
International, unasked and unsolicited.
They also telephoned my relations and told them that Anil Kumar had
taught them many things about India, Indian philosophy and culture,
and that they wanted to visit that country some day. They said that
it had been an honour to have me there. They asked my relations to
please be there at the airport half an hour before my arrival time to
receive me. Then they put down the receiver. (Laughter)
By the time I landed there, my relations were waiting for me as if
they were receiving Clinton or Bush! (Laughter) That is the dignity
and the position one has with Sai's Grace, which has impressed me
very much.
The College Declared A Holiday
That is how my trip went. After my return, I was obligated to go
around to different Rotary clubs in India and share my experiences.
Many people don't do that because they don't travel everywhere here.
But I wanted to go everywhere because that gave me an opportunity to
share the Grace Bhagavan Baba showered upon me with everybody, along
with spreading Sai's message everywhere.
It so happened that I was invited to speak by the Rotary Club in
Nagpur. Eduljee was the Rotary governor. I addressed Nagpur
University and the official Rotary Club and shared my experiences.
I began my return journey. I was traveling by Dakshin Express, which
was to connect with another express. Due to my bad luck, Dakshin
Express was running late. I could not report to the college in time --
that was the magnitude of the emergency.
The Principal had been very angry with me because I had gone against
his wishes. I was expecting that he would be ready with a dismissal
letter. I was thinking and praying to Swami, "You have sent me on
this trip, so You cannot kick me out of the college, which is my only
means of livelihood."
Having arrived back home, I heard that the college had declared a
holiday that day because our students had won the state-level cricket
match. I congratulated the students, not for their performance, but
for getting the day declared a holiday! (Laughter) I wanted all the
players of the college to play like that and win many times so that I
could have a holiday -- so I could go on my trips like this, sharing
the message of Sai Baba with as many people as possible.
Questions
Within the time left, let me cover some questions given to me, as
those who have asked questions will be anxious about the answers. I
shall try to deal with some of the questions to the best of my
ability within the rest of the time.
"What Is The Origin Of The Mind?"
One question sent to me is this: "What is the origin of the mind? The
answer is simple. There is no mind, so there is no origin! If there
is a mind, you have to trace out its origin. The mind is non-
existent. The mind is only a bundle of thoughts. The mind is only a
bundle of desires. In the deep sleep state, there is no mind at all.
The mind is there in the dreaming state; the mind is there in the
waking state. But the mind is non-existent in the deep-sleep state.
When thoughts are withdrawn, when desires are given up, there is no
mind. Withdrawal of the mind or annihilation of the mind is called
amanaska or manolaya. So, the question of the origin of the mind does
not arise at all.
"What is The Significance Of New Moon And Full Moon?"
Another question: "What is the significance of the new moon and full
moon?"
Whether it is a new moon, a blue moon, or a full moon, a moon is a
moon. (Laughter) The answer is: The moon is the presiding deity of
the human mind. That's the reason why on a full moon day, mad people
are full of activity! (Laughter) On the dark night, they will also
full of activity. They may even resort to violence. So, the moon
controls the mind. The mind and the moon go together.
But spiritually speaking, there is another interpretation. The full
moon stands for wisdom, knowledge and awakening. It was on the full
moon day that Buddha was born. It was on the full moon day that
Buddha was enlightened. It was on the full moon day that Mahaveer was
enlightened. Purnima is the full moon day, which is the day of
enlightenment. Moonlight is like the awakening of the inner Self. The
full moon represents the knowledge of the Self. That is the meaning.
"Has Not My Karma Been Cleared?"
Another question asked of me is this: "You said," (he meant me) "the
very Darshan of Bhagavan will clear you of your karma. But I'm still
suffering from my karma. Has not my karma been cleared?" (Laughter)
That is the question. The answer is this: One will be cleared of
karmic effects if there is deservedness, if there is eligibility.
When I look at Bhagavan -- when all of us look at Bhagavan, all of us
will not have the same feelings. There are many people who tell me
that when Bhagavan passes by, they receive some vibrations. There are
many people who tell me that they are charged with energy. There are
many people who tell me that they feel a cool breeze when Bhagavan
passes by. So, experiences differ based on the nature of the
individual, their devotion or path and the intensity of their sadhana.
Therefore, I may not be cleared of karma because I'm not ready. I
have not done enough work. Though the teacher is excellent, when the
student is not able to follow the lesson, it only means that the
student has not done enough homework. The student has not the
required foundation to receive and appreciate the knowledge given to
him in the classroom, even though the teacher is an expert. In order
to be cleared of karmic effects, we should do some homework.
What is that homework? Intense devotion, total faith, complete
surrender and the sadhana of service -- these four are sufficient
physical practices on the spiritual path. Doing (practicing) these
four is sufficient homework for us to get ourselves ready and
prepared, so that we can be free from the karmic effects.
"Are Countries Also Bound By Karma?"
Then I received some more questions: "Karma, is it individual? Are
countries also bound by karma?"
Perhaps like 'wholesale' and 'retail'? This gentleman must have been
a top businessman! (Laughter) Very good!
Kind friends, do not misunderstand me -- I'm just joking. I don't
mean any disrespect to those who have asked these questions. I really
bow down in all humility to the people who have asked these questions
because they are all spiritual seekers. They are exemplary. They are
noble and role models for me in particular because these questions
help me to go into detail, into the depth. So, I thank them very much.
The question is this: Are countries bound by karma? In the Holy
Bible, there is a mention of two cities -- Sodom and Gomorrah. The
inhabitants of these two cities mentioned in the Holy Bible were
drowned. The inhabitants were totally punished by God. That's what
the Holy Bible says. When people are unrighteous, naturally the whole
place is condemned.
A country is not only a geographical location. A country is not only
dust, mud and sand. A country is a collection of people. When the
people are unrighteous…For example, just think of Afghanistan, where
ancient Buddha statues of 200 or 300 feet in height were bombed and
totally demolished by dynamite. So many Buddha statues were
demolished there in Afghanistan. What later happened to Afghanistan?
You all know that. When people are unrighteous, naturally they will
have to face the reaction. That's the answer I can give you.
"What Shall I Do To Dine With Bhagavan?"
The next question: "What shall I do to dine with Bhagavan? To sleep
in the room very close to His bedroom? (Laughter) To go with Him in
His car? To have a peaceful end of life, like His mother and
grandfather had? "
These are the questions put to me. Here is the answer, brother. Going
in His car, dining with Him or sleeping in the room next to Him are
all physical activities. You have the driver also in the car. I don't
think the driver is a saint or a sage. There in the dining room, you
also find cooks and servers. I don't think they are saints and sages.
I don't think so. In the building, there is the watchman. I don't
want to bow down to his feet.
So, these are all physical acts of Grace. They are privileges. They
are grand, golden opportunities. I don't underestimate them. But if
they lead to pride, if they make you egoistic, if they are acts of
publicity or advertisement, they will really take you to doom. No! If
these help you to be more spiritual, if these help you to do sadhana
with higher, greater or deeper intensity, then that is a boon. But if
it turns you into an egoistic man, then that is a curse. These
physical acts should take you to a psychological (mental/emotional)
level of togetherness with Bhagavan all through your life, wherever
you may go.
If you feel that the next man is Baba, it is living with Him. If you
offer prayer to God and start eating, it is dining with Him. If you
listen to Baba bhajans as you travel in your car, you are traveling
with Him. Baba said, "Wherever My glory is sung, I install Myself."
Whenever we sing bhajans, we are with Him. Whenever we think of Him,
we are by His side. Whenever we offer food, we are dining with Him.
That is the spiritual, psychological, metaphysical, mystical
experience one should have or one should crave for. (Applause)
"The Wife Is An Obstacle -- What Should the Husband Do?"
Another question: "The husband is very much interested in Baba, but
the wife is not. The wife is an obstacle. So, what should the husband
do?" He also has given three alternatives: (Laughter) "One -- should
he get divorced from his wife? Number two -- should he continue along
the spiritual path? Number three -- should he give up the spiritual
path? (Laughter) These are the alternatives – maybe it is like a
multiple-choice question. (Laughter)
My friend, this is an exceptional case! A husband finding his wife a
problem along the spiritual path is an exception. Usually the husband
is the problem for every wife! (Laughter) 90% of Sai devotees are
here because of their wives. Let all husbands be ashamed to declare
it in public. This humble self (Anil Kumar refers to himself) is also
one and the foremost. So, this case is not a matter to be ashamed of.
It is a matter to feel proud of.
If the wife is an engine, very good -- the family will be very fine,
peaceful and there'll be no problem. But here is an exceptional case
where the wife seems to be the problem. Wife or husband -- one of the
two partners will not totally agree with the other. So, what is to be
done?
My friend, the answer is simple. If one is totally worldly and if the
other is totally spiritual, we'll be nowhere. But in co-existence,
one takes care of the family, while the other takes care of the
spiritual end. The wife taking care of the family is the root. The
husband thinking of God is the fruit of the same 'family tree'. The
one (wife and mother) thinking of the family is the root, while the
other (husband and father) thinking of God is the fruit of that same
tree of life. So, let us not consider the life partner as an
opposition party leader! (Laughter) Certainly not! Certainly not!
To give you my own tale -- for 25 years, I went around the whole
state of Andhra Pradesh. I visited thousands of Sai centres -- at
least thrice on the average -- spread over those 25 years. My wife
stayed back at home, taking care of the children, my in-laws and my
parents, ours being a joint-family (an extended family, all living
under one roof together). Suppose that she had also become a
competitor. What if she had said, "If you go towards the north, I'll
go towards the south! (Laughter) If you go and start addressing
people in the east, I'll have audiences in the west." Then the
children would be on the streets!
Therefore, it is the pure and logical dynamics of life that one will
be at the 'grass roots' while the other will be 'in the air'. It
happens like that. Nowhere do the husband and wife agree 100%. They
may agree before TV news reporters. (Laughter) They may agree for the
television reporters, but not in reality. The family 'Korean War'
certainly happens once in a blue moon, without which there is no
melody in life at all.
Let us not worry if the wife is not sailing along with the husband,
or if the husband is not sailing with the wife. The husband will make
the wife follow him one day. Just as husbands are following their
wives, in such cases as this one, the wives will also follow the
husbands someday. It all depends upon one's own life example.
For example, in a crisis, if the husband is peaceful, the wife will
learn from him. If the wife is peaceful in the worst moments of life,
the husband will learn from her. By our example, we can certainly
carry on with the other life-partner without any sense of opposition
or critical attack.
"Are All The People I See False?"
Another question: "I am a teacher of yoga. I know God is One. But do
you think all the people I see are false? Do you think it's all maya,
illusion? Do you think they don't exist? Do you say it is all a
dream?"
The answer is simple: Yoga is a connecting link with God. The meaning
of 'yoga' is 'connecting or uniting with God'. So when you are
connected with God, you experience Oneness. You experience unity.
You'll see God everywhere -- in the animals, in plants, in mineral
matter. Everywhere you will experience God.
It will be just as Jesus Christ said, when He saw a dead, stinking
dog on the street. Everyone said, "Burn it! Take it away!" Jesus
smiled and said, "How bright the white teeth are! How bright are the
white teeth of that dead dog."
It means you'll see the best in the worst. If it is the true path of
yoga, you'll see unity in diversity. Yoga should give you unity. But
that does not mean in practical life we can be untidy, no! In our
practical life, diversity is there.
Suppose a student comes to me and says, "Sir, please teach me."
I cannot tell him, "You are God, I am God. So, there'll be no class
today!" (Laughter)
Suppose a patient comes to a doctor and says, "Sir, I am suffering
from excruciating pain."
Will the doctor say, "You are not a patient and I am not a doctor.
You are God and I am God. So there is no question of surgery!"
It is all nonsense! From a practical point-of-view, there is
diversity. From an ideological point-of-view, there is unity.
Ideologically, let us experience unity. Spiritually, let us
experience unity. Physically, let us operate at the level of
diversity. It is necessary to be practical, to be fundamental, to be
realistic. That is the best answer I can give.
"Can I See Baba In Different Forms?"
There is another question from Canada: "Can I see Baba in different
forms?"
Why not? Baba appeared in the form of a postman. Baba appeared in the
form of a watchman. Baba appeared in the form of a monkey to His
sister. Baba appeared in the form of a cat. Baba appeared in the form
of a bird. Baba can appear in any form. Why do we go to that extent?
All forms are Baba's only. We should pray and try for that
experience -- for the awareness of that experience.
Why should He appear in a separate form? All forms are His -- it only
appears to be many. It is something like a person in the midst of
several mirrors all around. That experience of seeing the One in the
many (forms) is the culmination of spirituality.
"What Are The Steps To Merge In Him?"
Next question: "What are the steps that I should take to merge in
Him?"
There are not many steps. No! The steps are of our own making. The
steps are created in our own imagination. Merger happens at once.
What are the steps that you should take to mix sugar into a glass of
water? How many steps are there? No, no! One spoon and stir it – you
get immediate results!
Similarly, for an aspirant to merge with God, there are not many
steps. Use a spoon of viveka or discrimination, plus a spoon of
vairagya or renunciation – totally stir this, which is the process of
sadhana. That is enough for total merger. There are no steps. "How
many lives are required? How many years are required?" No, no, no,
no! Merger is immediate, all of a sudden, instantaneous, spontaneous
and natural. It happens in a moment!
Merging is our original state. We only got ourselves separated. In
fact, we were all One, but we became separated. Example: here is
fire. Out of this fire, many sparks and pieces come. The pieces at a
distance turn black and become coal. So, originally it was fire. But
at a distance, it becomes coal.
Similarly, originally we were One, but later we got separated. To
know that we are One (though appearing in different forms) is called
realisation. Realisation is nothing but thinking of our original
Oneness -- getting back to that original Oneness or unity with God.
The reason that we separated from that Oneness is only due to having
taken a name and form. That is the secret of merger with God.
I should not detain you further. I beg your pardon for keeping you
for extra time this morning because of the tempting questions. I hope
you enjoyed those questions too!
May God bless you!
Sai Ram!
Om Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya
Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Thank You!
Anil Kumar's Sunday Satsang at Prasanthi Nilayam
November 4, 2001
Talk by Prof. Anil Kumar
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's English Translator Shri Anil Kumar
Kamaraju Professor of Botany S.S.S.I.H.L., Prasanthi Milayam and
Former Principal of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning,
Brindavan Campus, Kadugodi, addressed the devotees of Bhagavan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba, at Sathya Deep - Dharmakshetra, Mumbai on Sunday
4th November, at 4.30 pm.
Anilkumar shared his personal experience to the vast crowd who had
gathered at Dharmakshetra, Mumbai. It was the first time he ever
spoke about his personal life, which he had never uttered in public.
He began his discourse with an old Sai Bhajan " Sathguru Nathanee Vaa
Vaa Vaa, Satchithanandane Vaa Vaa Vaa...." While singing he was
highly inspired, as if powered with a Sai turbo engine and started
the Bhajan directly in the supersonic speed. He was so excited while
singing that he demanded the "Dafli" from us and started playing
while rendering the Bhajan."
He said that he was born in Guntur which is almost like a furnace
during summer and to cool down, they ate "green hot chillies" ! He
was born to a Brahmo Samajist. His great grand father was a Brahmo
missionary in Calcutta and his father too was a staunch "Brahmo" who
never believed in rituals and idol worship.
His mother is the first Andhra lady post graduate and that too with a
gold medal. Because in those days girls were not sent out to schools
and colleges. If they did, they were ostracised from the community.
All his brothers along with him were the most eligible bachelors,
because "Brahmos" did not believe in dowry !
His wife was born in a devout hindu family and would attend the
temples regularly. However Anilkumar never went to any temples being
a staunch Brahmo. He had hired a rickshaw for her to go to the
temples. They would both go in the same rickshaw. His wife would go
to the temple and he would stand outside the temple for temple visit
was forbidden to Bramhos.
Then his wife fell sick in 1970s. All the 13 doctors whom he met
advised them to undergo surgery for a growth found in her stomach.
That was the end to all the delicious chilly food. She was only
allowed to take curd rice.
Soon after she came back from the hospital while returning from the
temple one day, they heard a Bhajan and they both visited the place.
It was a Sai Bhajan and after returning home, Anil Kumar says "my
plight was that of Dasharata confronted by Kaikeyi. She said if you
want me to be alive, you must take me to "Puttaparthi' " He agreed on
two conditions that she will never force him to come inside the
asharam premises and the second was that they will return after one
week. And so they both went to Puttaparthi. She would go inside and
Anilkumar with his two children would be roaming around outside the
ashram premises.
After 3-4 days he was curious to see what was happening inside so he
came and stood outside the gate to have a peep of what was going on.
It seems Swami came directly to him and just looked at him, he also
stood and stared back without offering pranaams. Then he saw Swami
was distributing Ladoo prasadam to the workers who were then building
the Poornachandra Auditorium. That's the time he saw the first
miracle. He saw the plate with Ladoos appearing in his hand and
mysteriously disappeared after distribution of the Ladoos. He wished
Swamy gave ladoos to his children but then that did not happen.
Since he was a voracious reader, he bought Sathya Sai Speaks volume-5
and went back home. When he started reading, he found that it was all
the Bhramha Samaj principle, the Sarvadharma and the Universal
fatherhood of God and Love etc.. He soon went back and bought the
rest of the volumes. Next day Swami again came near him. This time
his hands and legs were shivering He offered his pranaams and Swami
gave a nod and left immediately. It seems Swami did not talk or
acknowledge his (Anilkumar's) presence for nearly seven years. He
said it was like university exams. Appear for exams, if you fail
appear again in September and even that failed again reappear in
April and this went on with him for nearly seven years!
Because he loved debates and lectures, he would always snatch the
available opportunity and speak. Once he was invited to speak on Sri
Ram. Most of the other speakers were eminent scholarly persons. "So
amongst the list of eminent professors of literature and philososphy,
there was my name in between Mr. Anilkumar without any titles!"
When he saw the invitation he rang them up to say that he wanted to
be "dropped" as he did not find himself to be the right person
amongst those scholarly people. The organisers turned down his
request saying that they have already printed and posted the
invitations to everyone. So just like the way he would prepare for
the lectures, he would sit with Swami's "Rama Katha Rasa Vahini" and
prepared himself which turned out to be the best.
The following month he heard that Swami was in Hindupur and so he
took a bus to go there. On his way to Hindupur, he saw Swami's red
car going towards Ananthpur. He alighted from the Bus and took
another Bus towards Ananthpur. He says being from a Co-ed school and
college I did not know at that time that, at Ananthpur Girl's college
no males were allowed, not even a male mosquito!! And without knowing
this he barged into the campus where he was duly stopped by the
watchman and was asked to stand out.
But Anilkumar wouldn't give up.He requested the watchman, that all
that he wanted was a mere glimpse of Swami. At last the watchman told
him. OK keep your luggage here and you may go up to the tree, that's
all..not even an inch further. After keeping his luggage he went near
the tree to have a closer peep. He was not aware that there was a
meeting of all central trust members going on there comprising of Dr.
Goldstein, Mr. Craxy, Mr.Subba Rao, Mr. Gokak etc. etc.
Then after sometime, he saw Swami coming out of the complex and he
waved out " Hey Anilkumar Come here". Anilkumar it seems thought that
Swami was calling the watchman. And Anilkumar asked the watchman,
what's your name. He replied his name was "Chellaiya". Then Swami
again called, "Hey Gunturkara Anilkumar, ikada raa" (hey Gunturman
Anilkumar come here). And so Anilkumar was called by Swami for the
first time and was introduced to other trust members. "This is Prof.
Anil kumar. A good Botany teacher, He also conducts special classes
for aspiring medical students and all his students have become
Doctors. He is also a good orator and recently enthralled a jam
packed audience with Raamkatha !!" Anilkumar says I was flabbergasted
beyond words to see my bio data coming out from the Lord.
After the lengthy introduction, Swami created Vibuti and said this is
for your wife who is sick and not for you!!. Anilkumar was wondering
Where was Swami all these years ?" Then Swami told Anilkumar that you
will speak on Dassera Day.And he spoke. Next day when he came out for
Darshan, Swamy told him to go and sit in the veranda, "Which was then
heavily guarded by huge sized Delhi Sevadals" Swami came closer to
him at the veranda later and put an envelope into his pocket and
Swami said stitch a pair of pants and shirt and this money includes
the stitching charges as well. Come for the birthday wearing the new
clothes. Then it seems Anilkumar told Swami that his birthday was
over. Then Swami told him, "for my birthday"!! And ever since I have
been asked to speak and translate on many occasions.
It seems on Novemeber 1st Anilkumar was sitting on the veranda, when
Swami showed an article in the newspaper. Swami knows that Anilkumar
reads newspaper and listen to news and so swami gave him the
newspaper. The news item was as follows: INDIA NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE
BABA: GERMAN LEADER
Apart from this another incident he narrated was of The Nobel Prize
Trust chairman who is also the grandnephew of Albert Nobel. He had
come to Puttaparthi. Soon after visiting the Hospital he asked for
the feedback book and wrote that "Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is a
Gift to Humanity". I am so fortunate to be here.
Finally Anil Kumar went on to say that Sri Sathya Sai Organisation is
no more a provincial organisation, its no more a state organisation,
its no more a national organisation, but it is an international
organisation and he quoted the above two instances. He said it is not
enough that we share the joys of Swami with our members of the
family, but we must share this with our other friends who do not know
about swami for their happiness. For this he said that more and more
people must join in the Sai Organisation a
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| My own Personal Experiences - Part 1: Prof Anil Kumar |
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My own Personal Experiences - Part 1: Prof Anil Kumar
Anil Kumar's Sunday Satsang at Prasanthi Nilayam
October 27, 2002
My Own Personal Experiences
Part One
OM… OM… OM…
Sai Ram.
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
The Completion of Sixty Years
There have been repeated requests from friends -- in fact they have
been demands, so I can't just say requests -- asking me to share my
personal experiences with devotees, which I have not done so far.
(Applause) I feel that it amounts to self-praise and I am hesitant
that it may not help others. My experiences may not help others and
it may also exhibit my vanity or ego. These have been my misgivings
or misapprehensions regarding the subject of sharing my personal
experiences.
There is one milestone in each individual life. It is clearly stated
that one has to totally dedicate himself to his own liberation, for
his own salvation. One lives for a job; one struggles hard for money;
one strives very much to settle his children; but after sixty,
completing sixty, the scriptures clearly say, "My dear boy, it is
time to retire. You can no longer involve yourself in avenues of
income, and it's not proper to think of professional promotions. It
is absolutely foolish to think of your name, fame and esteem because
after sixty, the time you have left is to live for yourself. You are
no longer going to live for your family; you are not going to be
interested in wealth or name, dignity or prestige - nothing! It is
time for you to meditate, to reflect, to go within, to turn inward."
The completion of sixty years in our scriptures is called 'Shasthi
Poorti'. 'Shashti' means 'sixty' and 'poorti' means 'completed'. As I
have completed Shasthi Poorti, I take this opportunity today to share
my experiences in all humility and in all reverence.
First, let me express my gratitude from the bottom of my heart. I
really mean 100% of what I say. I'm grateful to every one of you for
all the encouragement that you have given me, for all the support you
have extended to me, for all the rapt attention with which you have
heard my talks. You have made me go through Sai literature in depth.
You have helped me to just reach across the shores of Sai literature.
You have helped me to go into the depth of Sai philosophy. Therefore
kindly accept my grateful thanks each and every one of you.
Had there not been this satsang, this assembly of noble souls, it
would not have been possible for me to come out with these topics of
immense interest. Because there have been continuous requests, even
demands, from friends, this morning I seek your permission to speak
on a personal note. I'm sure that you must know me by now, that
you'll never misunderstand me. In all humility, I submit to you my
own experiences.
My Grandfathers
I came to the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan in the year 1970, thirty-two
years ago. To tell you honestly, I belonged to a family of Brahmo
Samaj. Brahmo Samaj happens to be an improvement, if I am to say, or
the modern presentation of Hindu faith. Raja Rammohan Roy founded
Brahmo Samaj. He was very much interested in woman's emancipation and
very much interested in a classless society. Brahmo Samaj doesn't
believe in idolatry; it does not accept worship. Brahmo Samaj's
emphasis is on meditation, on God who is attributeless and formless,
who has neither a beginning nor an end. Brahmo Samaj believes in the
fellowship of faiths, the equality of all religions. It does not
accept yagnas, yagas, worship or pictures or incarnations - nothing
whatsoever.
I belong to the third generation of Bramo faith. My maternal
grandfather and my paternal grandfather, who were classmates, later
became related. Both of them were Brahmo Samaj missionaries for sixty
years.
My maternal grandfather served as editor of one magazine, a spiritual
magazine, with all the details of philosophy, by name 'Darshan
Sadhani', which means 'The Spiritual Path along the Path of Dharma'.
For forty-five years, he was editor of that magazine.
My paternal grandfather served for fifty years as editor of another
magazine, 'Dharma Jyoti' -- 'The Light of Righteousness'. Both of
them were married by Sri Kandakuri Veresharam Pantulu, a great
reformer from the state of Andhra Pradesh. Both of them happened to
be Brahmo Samaj missionaries.
In our homes, we did not have any pictures of Rama, Krishna - nothing
whatsoever - no formal worship, no ritual, nothing except prayers and
meditation. I belonged to that kind of family.
My Mother and Father
A matter of personal note I should also tell you: My father, late Sri
K. Bappayya did his MA in English literature, MSc honours in physics,
BEd diploma in library science. He was an outstanding student and a
gold medallist. He retired as the Deputy Director of Higher Education.
Then there is my mother: I want to tell you two points in this
connection. In those days, it was a matter of sin for a girl to go to
school or to college. No woman had any higher education - none. Every
girl got married below the age of eight. That was the horrible
situation of the society here in this country.
My grandfather, being a Brahmo Samaj reformer and missionary, had my
mother educated up to the post-graduate degree, MA English literature
from Queen Mary's College, Madras. She was the gold medallist in
English literature in the former Madras State.
When my mother used to go off to college, it seems that most of the
people came out of their houses and watched her proceed into the
college. They condemned my grandfather, as he was the man who sent a
daughter off like this. That was the condition then. The fact is that
she was the first lady graduate from the state of Andhra Pradesh.
(Applause) She retired as the District Education Officer. My father
is no more, but my mother is eighty-six, still hale and healthy, a
very honest officer. (Applause)
Naturally, there are very few Brahmo Samaj families today. We are
three brothers and a sister, so it was difficult to get us married to
those belonging to the Brahmo Samaj. It was not easy because we do
not have enough Brahmo families. However, there was some attraction
because the Brahmo Samaj does not accept or approve of any dowry.
That was a matter of attraction for perspective brides to visit us.
(Laughter) So there was no dowry and only a few people there to offer
their daughters in marriage to all three of the brothers. Some of
that was the only incentive for them, and somehow, by God's Grace, we
got married. (Laughter) Or else it would not have been possible!
It really is a matter of surprise when I look at my only three
wedding photos. I see my mother-in-law with a long face and my father-
in-law with no cheer on his face. They look very worried about their
daughter. This girl would be stepping into a family where there is no
worship, where there is no puja, no Rama or Krishna pictures. 'Is she
going to live or not? What are these fellows going to do?' I read
that expression on their faces. Even today, I amuse myself by looking
at the photographs taken in those days.
My College Days
I very well remember my college days. One day I attended a thread
ceremony, upanayanam, of one of my classmates. It was lunchtime and
suddenly word was sent to me, "You'll be served food on the veranda."
(Laughter) Everyone else could fit inside. The only reason for this
was that I happened to be the son and grandson of Brahmo Samaj
followers, who don't believe in idolatry, who don't have a thread
ceremony, who don't observe the caste system, who believed in
reforms, who believed in woman's emancipation. So they said, "You'll
have your food on the veranda."
I was studying SLC at that time, in 1957. Immediately I said, "Don't
take the trouble of serving the food on the veranda. I'll have my
food at home." That's one thing I very much remember. Since then, I
have never visited their home.
I also remember another incident of one of my classmates who
celebrated Sita Rama Kalyana, the holy wedding of Rama and Sita. It
is performed annually by some of the families. I went there. When
they served special sweets and other items, they asked me to go on
the veranda, saying they were serving food to me outside the house. I
said, "Please keep it for yourself, thank you very much." I left the
house.
Then I started to imagine the face of my parents. If that was the
situation in the 1950's, you can imagine the position in the 1930's.
Both grandfathers were not allowed by their parents to be with them
because they did not approve of idolatry of anything whatsoever. That
was my position in those days. Somehow things went on like that.
My Wife's Operation and Temple Visits
To cut the story short, in the year 1970, we had a problem. I have
four children. They are all happily married and well settled, but in
those days, in 1970, the eldest was seven years old, while the
youngest was a few months old. My wife had a problem. People said
that she had developed an ulcer on the uterus. I consulted about
seven doctors all over Guntur, some of who were returning from
foreign countries. I spent a lot of money to have a second opinion, a
third opinion -- like that, repeated opinions. Everyone said that she
must be operated upon immediately because the ulcer might turn into
cancer. That's what they said. Even professors of gynecology said the
same thing.
It was a hot summer. Left with no option, I got her operated on and
it was a success. Later she was psychologically upset. She felt that
something was wrong with her; and she could not eat anything, but
only drink buttermilk, that's all. She said that she felt a burning
sensation. Therefore, I took her to about thirteen doctors, all over
Guntur. Today whenever I meet a doctor, he says, "How is your wife?"
I feel very much embarrassed. I wish that I could avoid all these
doctors because in those days, that situation had become the talk of
the town.
All of them said, "She's fine. Nothing is wrong with her." We became
a laughing stalk to our own parents. "When doctors say nothing's
wrong with her, why is she complaining of burning sensation and why
is she unable to eat anything?"
At that time someone said, "Why don't you take her to a temple?" As
Brahmo Samaj's do not visit temples, what could we do? Then I told
her, "Since you come from a traditional orthodox Brahmin family, and
as I am a democrat, I don't mind taking you to the temple."
(Laughter) So everyday we used to visit a temple, accompanied by our
four children
There was one condition -- I would always remain outside the temple.
She would go inside. I didn't want to be transformed or converted!
(Laughter) I wanted to stick to my own guns. She was quite happy that
she was going to the temple everyday. I made my children play there
and I played with them. That was my part during that time.
"Why Don't We Go To Puttaparthi?"
Finally, one day when we were returning, we heard some bhajans
somewhere. My wife said, "Why don't we go there?" Immediately we went
there and heard bhajans. For the first time, I saw Bhagavan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba's photo. I had not seen His picture before. I had
only heard about Him.
In college I used to speak -- not positively -- about Bhagavan. In
fact, one day a girl was wearing a locket with Bhagavan's picture, so
I sent her out of class!
"You have no business having Baba's picture in my class." (Laughter)
And, when a student wore a ring, I asked him to get out of the
classroom, I used to say, "Don't ask me important questions for the
examination because I'm not Sathya Sai Baba."
In addition, if anybody came with a mop of hair, I used to
joke, "Would you like to imitate Sai Baba?" (Laughter)
In those days, that was my pitiable, shameful, meaningless prejudice
and bias, an inexcusable, unpardonable frame of mind.
After attending the bhajan, my wife said, "Why don't we go to
Puttaparthi?" (Laughter)
The family that does not approve of Rama, Krishna or Venkateswara,
now we are to go to Puttaparthi! It was something like the boon that
Kaika asked from Dasaratha, which eventually lead to Dasaratha's
death. (Laughter)
I said, "You have been so good until now. I don't know why you have
become Kaika. How can I take you to Puttaparthi? Impossible! My
parents won't approve."
I came from a joint family, where parents and grandparents all live
together. "They won't approve. "
She said, "Would you like me to survive or not? Can you give me a
guarantee that you will take care of these four children, thank you?"
(Laughter)
Then I started shivering in my shoes.
I said, "All right, I'll take you, but on two conditions. The first
is that you do not ask me to go into Prashanti Nilayam. The other is
that you don't ask me to do namaskaar to Baba. (Laughter) Point one,
don't force me to go into Prashanti Nilayam; point two, never ask me
to do namaskaar to Baba."
Another situation was that I taught at a Christian college, where it
was very difficult to get personal leave. The Lutheran Church in
America sponsors the college, where I had served for twenty-six long
years. They were a very strict and very disciplined institution. It
was impossible to get personal leave.
So I made another condition. I told her, "I can only give you four
days. Beyond that, I'm not going to stay. Better you stay, that's
all."
Somehow we came to an agreement. There is only a gap of one year
between us, so she understood that I was just compromising to find a
solution. That was the situation.
So we came here! Really, I did not step into Prashanti Nilayam during
all those days. I stayed away, that's all, making the children play.
That was my condition. I did not want to displease my parents and
grandparents. They were staunch followers of the Brahmo faith and
they had sacrificed their lives. Their parents and society had
forsaken them. I was their son; I could not betray them.
At lunchtime, my wife and I would have heated arguments, as in the
Parliament. She always used to say, "What is wrong if you come and
sit?"
I said, "You said 'Yes' at home. (Laughter) Why don't you keep the
promise you gave me? Don't do this!" (Laughter)
"No, no, you can sit!"
"No, no, I won't sit."
This was the heated discussion, morning and evening, everyday.
I Did Namaskaar to Him
On the final day, I was to leave here to go home. I was standing with
our four kids near the Gopuram gate, which is now closed. In those
days, the Gopuram gate was always kept open. I was standing with the
children at the gate. It was bhajan time. Swami was seated in a chair
in the bhajan hall. Suddenly He left His chair and walked towards me,
the whole way. (Laughter) He stood in front of me. I felt like
running away! (Laughter)
I stared and, praying to the formless, attributeless God, asked that
He make Swami leave -- that was my silent prayer. However, Swami
stood in front of me and just looked at me from top to bottom, "Hmm,"
Swami said, and then left. I did not do any namaskaar at all.
(Laughter) Good! That was the agreement -- we can't break the
agreement!
Swami went back and sat. While bhajans were going on, I kept standing
in the same spot. Again, Swami came down and walked towards me, all
the distance, which does not usually happen. He stood in front of me
and did not leave until I did namaskaar. (Laughter and applause) He
did not leave that place at all. What was I to do? Hopelessly, with
hands shivering and folded most unwillingly -- but out of fear,
nothing to do with love or devotion -- it just happened like that! Or
I should say, Bhagavan saw to it that I did namaskaar to Him. He did
not leave until then.
As He was walking away, suddenly a plate appeared in His hands with
laddus. Ay-ree! I saw Him just walking like that.
I was wondering, "Where did the plate come from? Who gave Him the
plate with laddus?"
Then He started distributing those laddus to some of the laborers
working there. It was during the construction of the Poornachandra
Auditorium and He distributed laddus to everybody.
Then I thought, "More than You, Your laddus will be helpful to my
children. (Laughter) They would like them very much."
Well, I didn't have any faith in Him, but let me see, I had total
faith in laddus! (Laughter) I knew the taste of them. So, along with
the children, I went there. But when the last laddu was given to the
last worker, the plate vanished. That was the first miracle I
experienced.
"Why Don't You Call Me?"
The next morning around 10:30 AM, I went to catch the bus. I was
sitting by the station. A man, whom I had never met before, by the
name of Naidu, introduced himself. He said, "I am the Headmaster of
Easwaramma High School."
I said to myself, 'So what if you are the Headmaster or Director! How
am I concerned? I'm waiting for my bus. I must go.'
I was also feeling within myself, "Oh God, You have been picking out
people for an interview. Why don't You call me? Why not? I am in no
way a rowdy. I'm not a bank robber. I'm not a reactionary. I'm not a
Naxalite - I'm not a man of violence. Besides, my parents and
grandparents are very great. I'm trying to live up to their
expectations, though I am sure I can never equal and excel them for a
lifetime. But, I know this -- I should not bring a bad name to them.
That is enough. Why don't You call me?" That was my feeling.
Then this man said, "Anil Kumar, are you feeling sad that Swami is
not calling you?" I did not tell him anything. (Laughter)
Then I thought, 'Prashanti Nilayam as a place is sufficiently
dangerous, and fellows like this are much more dangerous. (Laughter)
Better I leave this place!' That's what I thought.
Then the man said slowly, "Please don't go. Sit down; sit down. Don't
feel sorry for not being called for an interview. Swami calls many
people. Some Naxalites, men of violence, from Calcutta were given an
interview. Why an interview is given is best known to Him. One
patient is just asked to go home and another patient is operated on.
It does not mean that the doctor loves only the fellow on whom he
operates. No, no, no! One patient requires an operation, while
another patient just requires some liquid, some mixture. That's all.
Baba knows what is best. Don't worry." That's what he said.
I also suspected that he might come out with some other statements
because my brain was full of dirt and dust, which should not be
shared with anybody. So, "Thank you, sir," I said and I left that
place.
After leaving him, I began looking at a Swami book, Sathya Sai
Speaks, Volume V. While I was reading two talks, I became very much
interested. Immediately, I purchased the whole set of books that were
available at that time. I think there was up to Sathya Sai Speaks,
Volume XII then. After I returned home.
Back home, believe me, my wife's health picked up. She was perfect,
hale and healthy - no complaints thereafter. It took just a mere
visit to Prashanti, that's all. (Applause) No interview, no smile, no
conversation, nothing -- and with her husband, this bloke, totally
negative! (Laughter) Totally negative, that was my position. Anyway,
she was all right and I started reading Sai literature.
I Was Just a First Class Student
Here I should tell you that I never got less than 60% in my subjects
throughout my student career. I took care to see that they would not
be less than 60, and they have taken care to see they would not
exceed 70! (Laughter) So I was always between 60 and 70, that's all.
I never stood first in the class. I never got any gold medal - no,
no, no, I was not an outstanding student, just a first class student -
65, 68, that's all. That was my student career.
But right from childhood through high school level, college level and
university level, I always stood first in inter-collegiate, inter-
university elocution competitions --debating competitions. I always
stood first there, but in study -- only first class, that's all.
Otherwise my parents wouldn't allow me to participate in elocution.
They would say, "Unless you get first class, we won't send you to
compete."
So, I did it only for that fulfilment. I was very much interested in
public speaking right from childhood. That was my condition.
Later, after completing my MSc degree, my mother wanted me to be a
class one IAS officer, but I did not apply. I did not fill out the
application. My mother wanted me to at least be a radio announcer. I
did not do that! She wanted me to become a bank officer. I did not
apply!
I told her, "Mother, I want to be a teacher."
She said, "I don't want you to be a teacher because your parents and
grandparents, all of us are teachers. We want to have some officer
now. I don't want you to do that."
But I said, "I want to be teacher." So she could not help it.
I Became a Teacher
When my mother went to some place on inspection and my father was
also out-of-station, I got the job and began immediately. I did not
want to face them and have them say 'no' to me. By the time they
returned from their camps, they saw me getting ready to go to the
college. It was too late and somehow they compromised.
But my friends, I tell you that I have no regrets for having become a
teacher. Given a chance, in the next life I also want to become a
teacher. (Applause) The reason is that the 'bank account' is the
heart of my student. The 'entries in my passbook' are the feelings of
love and affection that my students have towards me. I have completed
forty years as a teacher. I have no regrets. I love this profession.
Just for a change, my younger brother became a doctor and my mother
was happy. But then that fellow became a professor of pathology and
principal of a medical college. (Laughter)
Then my mother wanted at least the son-in-law of the family to be an
engineer from an institute of technology. But he became a professor
of mechanical engineering at an engineering institute of technology.
So what is destined, no one can change. The entire family had the
genes for teaching, that's all. We cannot help it.
When my grandfather wanted me to become a Brahmo Samaj missionary, my
mother said, "Nothing doing. He should be a normal householder. We
have seen you suffer from this. Please leave our son like this."
But no one can say what is in store for us. I became a Sathya Sai
Samaj missionary right from 1972. (Applause) Who can stop it?
Later my mother wrote an article in a magazine: "What I never wanted
happened in this fellow's case." That is destiny. We cannot change
it.
I Was a Non-Entity for Eight Years
As things went on, (I'm telling you my friends, please believe me)
for eight years Bhagavan never looked at me - no smiles, no
padanamaskar and no interview. I was miles away from Him. I always
got in row thirty through thirty-five! (Laughter)
Because of my speaking ability -- I should say speaking -- which was
a virtue at one time, later became a vice. Even then (as now), I went
on speaking a lot and some of the office-bearers became acquainted
with me. Then, when I had just managed to sit in the front row or
third row by maneuvering, manipulating and managing the people there
because of my familiarity and acquaintance with them, Bhagavan used
to completely cancel darshan towards that wing! (Laughter) Other
times, if I managed to sit where He came, He would see everybody
except me.
"Get up, get up," He would say to others. It was as if I was in a
vacuum.
I was a non-entity, a non-existence - not even the size of a mosquito
or an ant! (Laughter) He used to call everybody. This type of 'Divine
Romance' went on for eight long years, I tell you!
In those days, many people used to ask me, "When Swami does not look
at you, when He does not talk to you, why do you keep coming like
this?"
I said, "We are teachers. If a fellow fails in a March examination,
he will appear for a supplementary September examination. (Laughter)
He'll get through then. So, He may not talk to me now. But what if
next life we will meet?"
All through that time, this is what I was feeling.
After eight long years, during Dasara a sudden message was sent that
Swami wanted me. "Anil Kumar should come to the Auditorium
immediately."
'Why?' Well, I have my own luggage. I have my own worth, not anyone
else's. 'There is no reason to call me all of a sudden. How does He
know me? Baba, how do You know me? First, is it this Anil Kumar or
somebody else?' (Laughter)
So I went there and the Seva Dal told me to sit in the front row.
Swami came! He looked at everybody except me! (Laughter) I see! Okay,
as usual, eight years! "Once bitten, twice shy." Okay, that's how I
felt. Then I went to Kasturi's house to seek his clarification, "Sir,
is it true that I was wanted here?"
He said, "Yes."
"How is it that Bhagavan did not look at me?"
"I do not know."
Either he must be bluffing, or I must be under misapprehension, or my
destiny must have been like that.
Anantapur Campus
Somehow, utterly disappointed, telling myself, 'Anyway, it doesn't
matter', I just returned and participated in a Ramayana seminar in
Hindupur, very close to this district. After participating in
Hindupur, I wanted Bhagavan's darshan, so I came to Puttaparthi.
Suddenly, as I was coming on the bus, I saw Swami's car going in the
opposite direction.
The driver said, "Sir, Swami is leaving for Anantapur."
'Oh-ho! Swami, so far You have avoided me. Now You are avoiding
Puttaparthi also. (Laughter) I'm so great as to make You move and
shift, very good!' (Laughter) I see. Then I thought, 'I should also
go to Anantapur.'
I got off this bus and got on another bus. I requested this driver to
stop the bus near the Anantapur Campus College gate. I had no idea
about Swami's institutions and Swami's discipline. I had no idea at
all.
I got out there and the gateman said, "Who are you?"
What am I to say? I have no answer. I simply said, "I want to see
Baba."
He said, "Impossible."
"Why?"
"This is a girls' college." (Laughter)
"Ah, so what? I have not come here to see girls. I have come to see
Swami! (Laughter) So there are girls! It doesn't matter. I want to
see Swami. I teach at a Christian college, where we have two
thousands girls. I can see them there. It is not necessary to come
here. Why?" (Laughter) What he said made me conclude that the
Anantapur Girls' College would not permit even a male mosquito to get
in, (Laughter) let alone a man! That's what I understood.
Then the gateman said that somehow his heart melted watching my
pitiable face. Perhaps, he was sympathetic. He said, "Put your
luggage there and stand here. If you move even an inch, I'll throw
you out." (Laughter) This much was good. I was standing there. By
that time, Bhagavan had completed the governing body meeting at the
Anantapur campus. The members of the governing body happened to be
V.K. Gokak, Mr. Craxi (a well-known Italian devotee), the late Dr.
Bhagavantham, and S. Naidu - great people in those days, great
scholars.
"Anil Kumar, Come Here!"
Swami came along with all the people, proceeding towards the dining
hall. He stood there on the veranda and shouted, "Anil Kumar, come
here!" (Laughter) It was the first time, and after eight (long) years.
Then I thought, 'It must be the name of the watchman and not my
name.' (Laughter)
So I asked the man next to me, "Hey, is your name 'Anil Kumar'?"
"Oh no, sir. No, I'm not 'Anil Kumar'."
Then I didn't want to take the chance. So I kept quiet.
Then Swami shouted, "Oh professor, come here! Come here, Anil Kumar!"
There was not another person there, and the guard was not a
professor, I was sure. (Laughter) 'Swami must be meaning me!' So, I
went running all the way.
Bhagavan introduced me to everybody. "He's a professor in botany from
a Christian college. Last night he gave a lecture in Hindupur and
many people participated. His talk was very well received by
everybody - men, women and children." He went on giving details of my
speech.
'What happened to You, Swami, all these eight years?' (Laughter) When
You can repeat verbatim the highlights, the important points, from my
talk, why did You not look at me earlier?' I could not reconcile that
feeling - it was so bad. Immediately He materialized vibhuthi, gave
it to me and said, "Give it to your wife. She'll be all right. She
brought you here." (Applause)
Accommodation Inside
Then He said, "Come and attend Dasara."
I had never wanted to attend Dasara. I was not sure of accommodation.
I didn't know what to say.
So I said, "Dasara, Swami?"
"Yes, Dasara," He said.
So, I attended the Dasara festival. Because I could not get
accommodation inside, I stayed in a room outside the Mandir. In those
years, the rooms outside had no doors and no windows (Laughter). They
were all collapsible, replaceable doors (Laughter) -- everything was
like an open-air university system. (Laughter) Open air, that's all.
So, oh, I see. One had to sleep in tune to the lullaby -- the music --
of the mosquitoes. Plus there were no fans there. Then at 4:30 in
the morning, for twenty-five paisa, they would supply hot water. Then
that was the rate. Somehow, I went on like that.
After three days, Bhagavan came close and said, "Where are you
staying?"
"I'm staying outside."
"Why? Stay inside."
"Inside where? Who will give me an accommodation? Where, Swami?"
"Inside! Don't you understand Me?"
'Inside? Inside the Mandir or what?' I had no idea.
Then I said, "Swami, I paid in advance to that man." (Laughter)
"No, No, No! You go to that man and ask him to return the advance.
He'll give it to you. Don't worry. You say My name, that's all," Baba
said.
I didn't know about these things then. "Oh Swami, will he return the
money? In this Kali Yuga, who will return money?" (Laughter)
"No, No, No! They will give it to you. Go and tell them," He
said. "It's all right."
"Ah, Swami, You said, 'inside.' Where is inside?"
Then Swami called Kutumba Rao, who was there at that time, and
said, "Kutumba Rao, give him accommodation immediately. I am telling
you that whenever he comes here, give him accommodation totally free-
of-cost." (Applause) Since then, I have never paid money for my
accommodation. That was a permanent agreement between the Divine and
me. (Laughter) I love it!
Give a Talk
One day it was Durgashtami. Swami called me and said, "You give a
talk."
I see. "When?" He told me in the morning.
As I was about to get up, "No, No, not now! In the evening," He said.
(Laughter)
Oh, I see! In the evening, I went there and stood. Two of Swami's
students spoke ahead of me and then I gave a talk. Somehow, it was to
my satisfaction.
Next morning Swami came and said, "It was a very nice talk. Everybody
liked it. I'll give you another chance on Vijayadasami. This time you
speak in Telugu," He said.
"Okay Swami, by Your Grace."
On Vijayadasami Day, again He asked me to speak in Telugu. It also
went well and Swami said to everybody, "This boy has learnt Swami's
literature and he can speak in English and in Telugu fluently." He
was speaking to them about me.
'Swami, why can't You tell me directly? (Laughter) When I'm here, I
don't feel happy. Wouldn't I feel happy if You talked to me? What is
all this 'romance'? There should be a limit to it!' But He was
talking to them about me. All the while, He didn't look at me. See
the romance? This is how it happened! 'All right,' I thought. 'This
is the procedure of this God. We have to fit in, reconcile and
adjust. He won't adjust according to my demands. OK, thank You!'
The next morning, I was about to leave this place. Suddenly some men
said to me, "No, no, no! You should inform Swami before you go."
"Inform Swami and then go? No, no, that's not possible because I'm
sure to lose my job. For eight years, I never informed Him. He never
looked at me. Don't force me to do that now. I have no property.
Please let me go."
"No, no, you should inform Swami," one man said.
"Oh, where do I inform, where?"
He said, "You go sit on the veranda."
'Veranda! That heaven - that's unthinkable! (Laughter) Not in this
lifetime, no, no, no! Or, onto the road with you! That's all
impossible. Then too, the Delhi Seva Dal are in charge of the whole
thing.' (Delhi people, you know, have well-built bodies -- they eat
wheat and all that. They are unlike Southern people, who eat sambhar
and rice. Not that, no! The North people are strong people because of
the wheat -- they are well-built.) 'Who will allow me to go there?
What do I do?'
They were holding their arms like this. (Anil Kumar demonstrates by
placing his arms across his chest). While they were like this, what
did I do? I just ran! Whoooooosh! (Laughter) I ran there and sat on
the veranda. 'They can't pull me out now because this is a safe zone.
(Laughter) It is a Divine, protected area - nobody can come!'
You Are a Pundit
When Swami came, He called me into the interview room and gave me an
envelope. I put it in my pocket. I didn't know what it was. Then He
said, "Get a new dress for the Birthday,"
I said, "Swami, my birthday is October 25th."
Swami said, "Not your birthday! (Laughter) MY Birthday!"
Then I said, "Swami, why should I get a new dress for YOUR Birthday?
(Laughter) Why?"
"Chi, chi, chi! You don't know anything!"
"I see! All right!"
"In that envelope, there is enough money to have two dresses - one
for your birthday and one for My Birthday. (Laughter) All the money
is there. It is enough for the stitching charges; is it all right?"
Oh, I see. Now I understand. So I returned.
During the next year's Dasara, again Swami asked me to give a talk.
At the end of the talk, He called me upstairs in the Mandir.
Upstairs! In those days, there were winding steps, so I climbed them
and waited for Swami. Suddenly He called me and gave me a silk dhoti
as pundits wear. I don't wear dhotis or anything like that.
"Swami, silk dhotis! Why for me? No, no, no! They're given to
pundits."
"Since you are a pundit, I want to honour you."
"Since when?" (Laughter)
"Since you gave a talk here, you are now a pundit."
"Oh, I see Swami." Then He gave me a shawl. "Shawl, Swami, why? No,
No, No, a shawl is given to scholars." Oh, I see.
He said, "You don't understand anything."
Then He gave me a safari suit. "This is the dress for a special
occasion," He went on explaining.
Propagate the Message of Sai
Then my friends, with a great sense of satisfaction, gratitude and
thankfulness, I tell you this: He kept both of His Hands on my head
and said: "Go all over the State of Andhra Pradesh and propagate the
message of Sai -- talk to the devotees." That was the blessing He
gave me. (Applause)
Since then, I never spent any Sunday, any festival day or any
vacation at home. I toured to about a thousand Sai centers all over
Andhra Pradesh. On the average, I must have visited every center at
least thrice, spreading over a period of twenty years. I went all
over the State. During that time, I never purchased any provision
with these hands and I never took care of my children. I did nothing
because I was the 'Minister of Sai External Affairs'. That's all.
(Applause)
I'm really grateful to Bhagavan: He has given me enough strength and
courage through my wife, who could manage the children and could
serve my parents and grandparents. The credit for the family's
success is entirely, totally, wholly, purely and religiously hers. I
have acclaimed the platform performance, whereas the home affairs,
that goes to her.
Let me honestly confess that this has been my life since then. Swami
has given me a number of chances to talk in the Poornachandra
Auditorium every year, twice or thrice.
In the year 1989, Swami suddenly sent a message that I should come to
Bangalore, Whitefield College to serve as the Principal. I stayed in
Bangalore, Whitefield College as the Principal for six years. Then,
during His 70th Birthday Celebration in 1995, Bhagavan transferred me
to Prashanti Nilayam. I have been spending all these days here since.
I'm very grateful to Bhagavan for all the wonderful experiences that
He has given me because that will go on and on for any length of time.
In brief, this is how I came to Bhagavan. Before I pass on to Part
Two of this morning's talk, I again want to thank you for your
patient listening. I thank Bhagavan for having brought me to His
Lotus Feet. My only prayer is that some day, when I am to leave this
body, I should leave speaking like this and not on a bed, no!
(Applause) I want to leave this body while talking to people, while
sharing the joy of Sai's message, that's all. That is my only prayer,
nothing more!
I pray for Bhagavan to bless me. I pray that all of you bless me, so
that I'll have many more occasions of sharing the Divine message, His
mission and leelas with everybody in the years to come. (Applause)
Not to Put Personal Questions
I shall not break my promise to answer some of the questions that I
received, some of the questions that were sent to me. A formal
request has been made to our friends not to ask personal questions.
Questions which are of general use, questions which are of common
interest, questions which would help us to grow spiritually are
welcome, but not personal questions.
I received some personal questions: "We want to go to Canada. Will
Swami permit us or not? Please find out from Him." (Laughter) Nobody
can find this out for you from Swami!
Then somebody said, "We want to settle in Australia, but my wife
says 'no'. My son says 'yes'. What does Swami want me to do? Find out
from Bhagavan." (Laughter) We don't need to find out from Bhagavan!
All of you need to meet and settle the matter between yourselves and
Swami.
I request you again not to ask personal questions. I have no solution
to my own personal problems. (Laughter) How can I give you a solution
to your problems? Impossible! Here everyone has a head-load of
problems. Who am I to give a solution to you? I am not competent
enough to give you any solution to your problems and I would not take
the Divine risk of bringing these problems to Swami's notice. That
would be the last and final day. Well, that I don't want to happen.
(Laughter) Kindly bear with me and do not ask such questions. No
personal questions!
"Are Baba and Jesus the Same?"
Here is one question: "I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Are Baba and
Jesus the same? Or is this form the Christian concept of the Trinity?"
The answer is simple. Bhagavan said, "All names are Mine. All forms
are Mine. I respond to your prayers that are offered to Me in any
name, in any form. I'll answer your prayers. Let the prayers be said
to the God of your choice; they will reach Me. You may pray to Rama,
Krishna, Jesus or Allah - all those prayers will reach Me."
"Swami, how? When I say Rama, how does it reach You?"
Swami gave this example: "You may write a letter to somebody in
England or USA or Delhi or Hyderabad. When the letter is put in the
letterbox or post box, it will reach the addressee. Similarly all
your prayers come to Me. Don't worry, because I am in all forms. All
forms are Mine. All names are Mine," said Bhagavan. Jesus is no
exception.
I'll give you one instance. A doctor from Rome came here as a
participant and delegate for the International Cardiac Conference
held in Prashanti Nilayam. Catholicism is very rigid, very strict. He
was doing his daily prayer to Jesus and going through the scriptures.
He was given accommodation in the North buildings. One day before
dinner, while he was reading the scripture and meditating on Jesus
Christ, suddenly he noticed a hand lying on his shoulder. He looked
back and saw Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Now he says, "Baba and Christ are one and the same. This I declare at
the cost of my reputation, at the cost of my Catholic faith. My
relatives and friends may forsake me, but I declare that Baba and
Christ are one and the same."
Baba is the Cosmic Christ. Bhagavan is everyone for that matter,
Sarva Devata Swarupa. He represents all deities, all gods -- that is
the answer I can give you.
"Why Should I Suffer Now From Previous Karma?"
Then I received another question. "It is said that, due to one's
karma carried from previous births, he or she suffers in the present
birth. Because of our past karma, we are suffering in the present
life. In my humble belief, to suffer one should know what he or she
has done. Why not suffer in the present birth for the current karma
instead of it being put off till the next birth?" Very good!
"Why should I suffer my karma now from a previous lifetime?"
What did Bhagavan say? My friends, these answers are picked from Sai
literature only. They are not based on my imagination because I'm not
capable of it. I'm supported by Sai literature. If I run short of
answers, I'll seek your forgiveness on the matter. I don't bluff, no!
What does Swami say about this karma aspect? He said, "Some actions
give immediate results." Suppose there is a cut here. (He shows his
finger.) When you are sharpening your pencil and the blade cuts your
skin by mistake, what happens? It bleeds immediately. It is a
reaction - a result of the action then and there! You drink milk and
you don't feel hungry anymore - for an hour anyway. When you take
food, you don't feel hungry for four hours. For hunger to return, it
requires four hours. So, some actions cause immediate results, while
some actions call for an hour or four hours.
If you sow the seed now, you can have mango fruits next year. Why
next year? That's all. For the seed to germinate, for the seed to
sprout, for the tree to grow, for the seed to bear fruit, it will
take a long time. Similarly, some actions give immediate results.
Some actions give result leisurely, slowly. That is how we have to
understand karma.
"What Is 'Bad Company'?"
There's another question put to me. "What about the company we keep?
What is 'good company'? What is 'bad company'? What if I am fooling
myself?" Good, we often do that!
They want a definition. What is 'good company' and what is 'bad
company'? It is a very clear question. To Sai devotees, let us be
sure of the answer. What is good company? Good company is the kind
that will keep us holding onto His Lotus Feet. Good company is that
which will strengthen our faith. Good company is that which will
encourage us to do service. Good company is that which will draw us
closer to His mission. Good company is that which will help us to
withstand the bumps and jumps in life. Good company is that which
will help us not to have too much attachment to money and family.
That is good company.
The company which will help you to run away from here, the company
which will cause you to lose your faith, the company which will make
you go to anybody, anywhere, anytime for any reason, the company
which will make you depressed and frustrated, the company which will
turn you into being an atheist, a non-believer, is horrible,
terrible, bad company.
Being in good company, we find satsang. 'Satsang' means good company.
Bhagavan gave a few examples. The sand in the company of air will go
up. The sand in the company of water will go down. Similarly, in the
company of noble people, we come up in life -- our paths are noble.
In bad company, our thoughts are negative. That is bad company.
Beware of bad company. Baba said, "Run away from bad company."
Tyaja Durjana Samsargam.
Bhaja Sadhu Samagamam.
Be in good company. Run away from bad company.
Smara Nityam Anityatham
Think of what is temporary, what is permanent.
Kuru Karma Ahorathram
Do good deeds day-in and day-out.
These are the dictates of Bhagavan. These are the teachings of Swami.
The people who will help us to proceed in this direction constitute
good company.
The Inner Voice
We have another question: "How does a person know if the voice inside
is God?" A very good question! How do you know if it is the 'inner
voice'?
Point one is that the inner voice is independent; whereas the voice
of psychology - the reflection of psychology, meaning the preferences
and choices, the likes and dislikes of the mind, are never
independent. The psychology - the reflection of psychology, the
preferences and the choices, the likes and the dislikes of the mind -
all of these are never independent.
Here is a simple example: "I want to go to a cinema to see a
picture." That is from the mind.
"Don't go to the picture." That is the inner voice. Am I clear?
Suppose I want to have a bottle of Scotch whiskey. That is the mind.
"If you drink, don't come to Puttaparthi." That is the inner voice.
(Laughter)
"I want to enjoy the weekend in Miami Beach, why not! In a Holiday
Inn, we can enjoy ourselves." That is the mind
"Don't go there! Go to a Sai Centre." That is the inner voice.
The inner voice is not ambiguous -- it gives no scope for doubt. It
is straight. It has nothing to do with your preferences, your likes
or choices. It is always direct. It doesn't give you an option
like, "Do this or that." "Shall I go to this place or that?" "No, No!
Stop and be here, that's all."
So, the inner voice is very clear. It gives you no scope for choice.
The inner voice is instructive. The inner voice is affirmative. The
inner voice is not ambiguous. The inner voice is independent. The
inner voice comes from the Love centre. The inner voice is Truth-
based. The inner voice is peace-directed. The inner voice is non-
violent. The inner voice is based on all these values. The inner
voice is Divine. The inner voice is spiritual. The inner voice is the
conscience, nothing less than that. That is the answer.
How does a person know what is right action? What is right action? To
quote Bhagavan:
See what is good. Don't see what is bad.
Hear what is good. Hear no evil.
Do no evil. Do what is good.
Think no evil. Think what is good.
See no evil. See what is good.
This is right action. This is the way to God. So right action is
service; right action is selfless; right action is holy; right action
is Divine. Right action should be our life goal. That is the answer
to this question.
"Why Is a Person Born and Born Again?"
Here is another question: "Why does a person die and die again? Then
he's born and born again. Why does this happen?"
The answer is simple. There is a simple meaning from Sai literature.
Individually, it is impossible for us to answer. We are reborn again
and again - why? We aren't able to come out of the cycle of birth and
death - why? Why birth? Why death?
Birth and death are due to thoughts or sankalpa. Thoughts and counter-
thoughts are responsible for our birth and rebirth. When we are
thoughtless, when the mind is withdrawn, when the ego is totally
gone, when there is no thinking process, when we turn inward, when we
experience the soul, the spirit, the consciousness, we are not born
again.
Because we don't experience the 'conscience', we don't experience
the 'consciousness'. We are attached to our thought. We are attached
to our body. We are attached to our ego. Therefore, we are reborn
again and again. I think I'm clear.
Another point is that, truly speaking, there is no birth and no
death. There is no birth; there is no death. The one born is the
body; the one dying is the body. But the 'I' is still there.
A simple example: I remove this bulb here. Does this mean there is no
current? There is still a current, but the bulb gave an expression to
the current by shedding light. Once the bulb is taken out, there
still is a current!
Similarly, you and I exist as current. The body is the bulb. Whether
the body is there or not, the current is still there. Similarly,
there is no birth; there is no death. It is only changing the dress,
the nightgown, the evening gown, the swimsuit, or the golf dress,
that's all, right? Therefore, we change our dress, but the 'I'
remains the same. Truly there's no birth and no death whatsoever.
Examples of Reaction, Reflection, and Resound
My friends, I'm happy to receive all these questions. There is one
last question today. "Can you give some examples of reaction,
reflection, and resound?"
We have any number of examples. Stand in front of the mirror -- it is
reflection. If I stand in front of the mirror, I see my own
reflection. But there is philosophy behind it. The object is God; the
mirror is nature. The reflection is the individual, the main object
is Divine. The mirror is the world; the mirror is nature. That is the
example for reflection.
Second, reaction: Because of good thoughts, a positive mind, we have
positive results. Swami was telling us the other day, "If you love
everyone, God will love you. If you serve everyone, you will be
served. See the reaction! If you hate everyone, everyone will hate
you. If you love all, everyone will love you." So this is reaction.
As is the action, so is the reaction.
Then, resound: If I am here and shout, "Sai, Sai!" I get the same
sound, "Sai Sai."
"Sai, Sai," I get the same resound.
That's what Baba said. If you say 'yes', Baba will say 'yes'. If you
say 'no', you'll get the answer 'no'. 'Yes', 'no', belong to you; but
Swami says, 'Yes, Yes!'
"Swami, I want to die now."
"Yes, Yes!" (Laughter)
"Swami, I got my leg fractured."
"Yes, Yes, very good!" (Laughter)
"Swami, my grandmother died."
"Nice, Yes, Yes, Yes!"
"I want to get married."
"Yes, Yes, Yes!"
"I don't want to marry."
"Yes, Yes, Yes!" (Laughter) This is resound.
These are all examples of reaction, reflection and resound.
Thank you very much for being with us this morning!
May Bhagavan be with you forever and ever!
Thank you!
(Applause)
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Om Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya
Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Thank You!
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| Report on Dasara Celebrations |
| 11.06.04 (1:55 am) [edit] |
Report on Dasara Celebrations
October 17th - 23rd 2004
The word ‘Mother’ immediately conjures up images of love and warmth in every person’s heart. If this be the love of a human mother that we have experienced, then how much more love, care and compassion would a Divine Mother shower on her children. To experience this very love, thousands of devotees gathered at Prasanthi Nilayam, the abode of our Divine Mother Sai, to celebrate the festival of ‘Dasara’ or ‘Devi Navaratri’ and offer their obeisance.
Over the past many years the festival of Dasara in Prasanthi Nilayam, has been closely associated with the ‘Veda Purusha Sapthaha Jnana Yagna’, the week-long sacrificial ritual conducted in the Divine Presence, for the welfare of the whole world. But in addition to this Yagna, another Yagna was also undertaken, that of the ‘Grama Seva’ (Village Service), where the students of Bhagawan’s School and University visit villages around Puttaparthi and distribute Bhagawan’s Prasadam consisting of food and clothes, as a symbol of Bhagawan’s love and blessings to the people.
On the morning of 17th October, thousands of devotees and students assembled in the Sai Kulwant Hall to have Bhagawan’s Darshan. Bhagawan arrived at 7.20 a.m. amidst vedam chanting and the auspicious tunes of the ‘Nadaswaram’. Later, eighteen pundits (Vedic scholars) followed by the students of Bhagawan clad in saffron silk dhotis and white angavastrams (traditional Indian attire consisting of a cloth wrapped around the shoulders) marched in procession to the Poornachandra Auditorium, the venue of the Yagnam. At 9.00 a.m., the Yagnam commenced with the ceremonial churning and rubbing of wooden blocks to produce fire in the most natural way. Thereafter, the sacred fire thus produced, was placed in the ‘Yagna Kunda’ (sacrificial altar into which oblations are offered).
The most important component of the Yagnam is the Rudra yagam where the oblations are made in the Yagna Kunda to Lord Shiva while chanting hymns from the ‘Sri Rudram’. In addition to this, other rituals like – Surya Namaskar, Sahasralinga Archana, Srimad Bhagavatha Parayana, Ramayana Parayana and the Devi Mahatmyam are simultaneously performed. Amidst these rituals, a few pundits continuously chant various hymns from the Vedas, joined by Bhagawan’s students.
The evening programmes were held in Sai Kulwant Hall, under the auspices of the Prasanthi Vidwan Mahasabha, where many speakers, primarily students and functionaries of Bhagawan’s institutions, addressed the august gathering on many topics like spirituality and philosophy, Bhagawan’s teachings and experiences of devotees. Following these talks, heeding to the prayers of the devotees, Bhagawan would bless everyone with His Divine Discourse.
On the evening of 18th October, the Bal-Vikas children from Hyderabad presented a drama entitled “Ashtaguna Pushpamulu”, the eight flowers representing eight virtues that are to be offered to God as mentioned by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Bhagawan has often stated in His discourses that the flowers that are to be offered in worship to God are not those that grow on plants, but the virtues like non-violence, control of senses, love and compassion towards all beings, forbearance, truthfulness, austerity, meditation on God, peace and equanimity, that one must cultivate in one’s heart. The children expatiated on each of these virtues by depicting scenes from mythological stories where the characters embodied these virtues, practised them in their lives and thus attained ever-lasting fame and honour.
On 22nd evening, there was a panel discussion where a six-woman panel comprising of teachers and alumni of Bhagawan’s educational institutions, dilated on the sayings from the Vedas and the Upanishads and correlated them with the teachings of Bhagawan. They said that the Vedas were not only a source of spiritual wisdom, but also a treasure-house of worldly knowledge pertaining to day-to-day life of man, encompassing the entire gamut of subjects like physical sciences, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, law, political administration, art, linguistics, etc. They amply corroborated their statements by quoting extensively from the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagawan’s discourses. They concluded with a note of gratitude to Bhagawan for leading us on the path divine and for giving us the profound teachings of the Vedas and the Upanishads in simple terms; for without Him, the vast knowledge of the scriptures would have remained completely beyond our ken of comprehension and assimilation. Following the panel discussion, there was a Carnatic music recital by Mrs. Anuradha Krishnamurthy. She began with a rendition of the famous composition of Saint Thyagaraja – “Endaro Mahanubhavulu” in Sree Ragam, and thereafter sang two more songs and concluded with the Bhajan – “Koti Pranam Shata Koti Pranam.”
The Dasara Celebrations came to an auspicious close on 23rd October. That morning, the Poornahuthi or the concluding ritual of the Yagnam took place at 8.10 a.m., when Bhagawan himself was seated in front of the Yagna Kunda amidst the priests. After the seeking the blessings of Bhagawan, the priests made the final offering of clarified butter into the fire while chanting hymns from the ‘Chamakam,’ praying for the physical and spiritual welfare of all the beings of the world.
In the evening, the Youth Wing of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organizations, Andhra Pradesh presented a play entitled – “Lakshala… Lakshyaala?” (Money … or Ideals?) that highlighted the dilemmas faced by the youth of today. Ravi, who has just graduated winning a gold medal, is troubled by the question whether career, money, etc could grant him lasting happiness or is there something higher in life. His teacher then guides him that true happiness lies in serving one’s fellowmen. The play brought out some finer aspects of Seva – that it has to be rendered selflessly and with a heart full of love. At the same time, one must offer Seva only where it is required, and without being attached to the results or the fruits thereof. At the end of the programme, Bhagawan granted photographs to the participants.
Jai Sai Ram!
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| Parthi Update Nov 1st, 2nd 2004 |
| 11.05.04 (11:26 pm) [edit] |
Parthi Update Nov 1st, 2nd 2004
Parthi Update
01-11-2004
This evening, Swami came out for Darshan as usual and sat down on the sofa. At 3.45 p.m., He asked Sri B.N. Narasimhamoorthy, the Warden of the Brindavan Campus Hostel, to give a talk. Sri B.N. Narasimhamoorthy, a very good orator as we know, kept us gripped in attention, with his most inspiring talk for around 45 minutes.
He started with the aspect of the Avataar and how He functions when He comes down on earth. Giving the example of Lord Sri Rama, he said that, at the end of 14 years of exile, when Rama was faced with the adverse situation of Mother Sita being kidnapped; He did not approach brother Bharatha for help – though this is what one would logically have done. Instead, He used most unexpectedly, monkeys as instruments to win over Lanka and bring back Mother Sita!! Such an event of monkeys being used as instruments had never occurred before.
Therefore, for Mahapurushas and Avataars, success comes merely by their Willpower (Sankalpa) and not by the efforts of their instruments. Instruments are used in their Mission only to Bless them and redeem them (to give them a chance)!! He said that the greatest miracle of Swami is ‘Achieving perfect success with imperfect instruments’.
He also shared the happenings of the morning. This morning, after Bhajans, Swami went in the ‘Prius Car’ to the Super Specialty Hospital. The Nurses Quarters that is under construction, is about to be completed. Bhagawan went over there to Bless the workers with clothes and Prasadam. Around 20 senior students also followed Swami in a van to help in the distribution of clothes to the hundreds of labourers.
Once Swami reached the site, He got down from the car and stood on the scorching ground, bare feet, for more than 15 minutes, Blessing all the workers and talking to some of them! That is His Love! There is no difference in His Love, whether it is a Prime Minister or a labourer!
Then as the distribution was going on, Swami enquired, “We are giving them cloth, but are we giving them stitching charges? Go and tell them that we will be giving them stitching charges too.”
Sri Narasimhamoorthy continued his talk saying that miracles are very natural in the Presence of Love. They just happen! No instruments are required for it. Quoting Prof. Gokak, the first Vice Chancellor of our University, he said that, as instruments, our only role is to make sure that we do not become obstacles in His work. We do not have to do anything else. Just let Him do everything!
Here, he narrated a very beautiful experience that happened during his tenure as the Warden of the Prasanthinilayam Hostel. This incident happened during the 60th Birthday celebrations of Bhagawan.
There was an Asthma patient named Narayan Sharma in the Hostel. This student happens to be the batch mate of Dr. Siva Sankar Sai – the current Warden of the Hostel. Narayan Sharma used to suffer from very severe attacks of Asthma. One morning, he became very serious and he had to be rushed to the hospital. By the time he was taken to the hospital, his body had become blue and was already cold. A lady doctor who was in charge, examined him and said that there was no hope of his surviving. They tried all means but in vain.
Sri Narasimhamoorthy said that he was shocked and did not know how to take this news to Swami. It was already 6.00 a.m. Meanwhile, Dr. Chary, the then Superintendent of the Hospital, came over and examined the patient. He declared the student dead. No pulse, no breath! But as the Warden was hesitant to go to Swami, Dr. Chary himself went and told Bhagawan about this case. Swami smiled and asked him not to worry as nothing would happen to the boy. Dr. Chary returned to the hospital amazed and once again checked the patient. Same status, no change!!
Now, Dr. Chary asked the Warden to go and pray to Swami. At 6.30 Sri Narasimhamoorthy went to the Mandir and submitted the case to Bhagawan. Swami again said, “Nothing will happen to him, he will be fine”. Saying so, Swami thrust a flask with hot coffee into the Warden’s hand and asked him to go and give the boy some coffee!!
Sri Narasimhamoorthy returned to the hospital with the flask in his hands. Seeing the flask, the doctors asked for whom it was. When the Warden said that it was meant for the patient, all of them were convinced that the Warden had lost his mind. There was the body on the bed, wrapped in a cloth, with no life and here was the Warden bringing hot coffee for him!!
As all of them prayed hard and watched. Slowly the feet of the boy started moving!! The lady doctor exclaimed and went to the boy. She held her fingers in front of his nose. Yes, there was slight breath! She whispered into his ears, “Boy, Swami has sent hot coffee for you, please have some.” There was no _expression on his face, but he opened his eyes. Slowly, the coffee was poured into his mouth.
Just at this time, Swami arrived at the Hospital and entered. Moving towards the boy, Swami asked him, “Aye! all of them told that you were dead, how come you are still alive?” Bhagawan then asked Dr. Chary, “How did you declare him dead?” Dr. Chary said, “Swami, there was no pulse, no breath. According to medical science, this is defined as death.”
Swami then asked, “In that case, how did he come back to life?” Dr. Chary exclaimed, “Swami, You can do anything!!” All were wonderstruck at this stunning miracle!
There were a number of boys who had gathered outside the hospital, hearing the news of the death of their classmate. Swami looked at them and told the Warden, “Go and tell them what happened here. They are very anxious.”
It was wonderful to listen to Sri Narasimhamoorthy, a personal witness to this wonderful incident, narrate the entire episode in full detail. Subsequently, he started speaking about Sunil Gavaskar. Sri Narasimhamoorthy has been blessed by Bhagawan to continue the ‘Satyam Sivam Sundaram’ the biography volumes of Bhagawan started by Prof. Kasturi. In this capacity, Sri Narasimhamoorthy has interviewed a number of very great and longstanding devotees. He said that it was a very revealing experience for him and their devotion truly humbled him.
In this context, he shared the interview he had with Sunil Gavaskar. He narrated all about his life, how Swami was the secret behind all his successes….You must surely listen to this talk on Sai Global Radio or on the net. It’s wonderful.
After Sri Narasimhamoorthy Garu’s talk, Swami signaled to Dr. Siva Sankar Sai, the current Warden of the Boys Hostel, to address the gathering. Dr. Siva Sankar Sai, hesitantly got up and then praying to Swami to speak through him, began his talk with Vedic chants.
Being a batchmate of Narayan Sharma, about whom Sri Narasimhamoorthy just spoke, Dr. Siva Sankar Sai added his own comments about the episode. He also spoke about the visit of Sunil Gavaskar to the Hostel and the talk given by him to the boys. During their visit, Swami had asked Sunil Gavaskar to speak to the boys about Bakri Id as it happened to be Bakri Id that day. Sunil humbly submitted to Swami that he was totally ignorant of this topic and therefore Swami should excuse him.
Bhagawan replied, “You just go and stand over there, I will speak”. Sunil did just that and for the next 10 to 15 minutes he spoke non-stop about Bakri Id and finally there was a thunderous applause!! Sunil says that to this day he does not know what he spoke on that day. On the other hand, Dr. Siva Sankar Sai who was among the audience that day, as a Research Scholar, recalled the wonderful talk given by Sunil Gavaskar!
It was very nice to hear such experiences being narrated from different people on different sides of the scene! Subsequently, Dr. Siva Sankar Sai shared an incident wherein a student who was very unwell in the Hostel was helped by Bhagawan in a very mysterious way.
The evening concluded with Bhajans.
02-11-2004
This evening, Swami came out for Darshan by 3.15 p.m. and went straight into the interview room. Brindavan students have their classes in the afternoon as usual, until 4.00 p.m. Therefore, we from Parthi were seated in the Kulwant Hall. In a short while, we saw a number of boys running into the Bhajan Hall and a lot of activity was going on there. Naturally, it had to be distribution of something. What could it be, we were wondering. Clothes? Pens?....At around 3.45 p.m. the distribution began. Guess what?? Tetra Packs – chilled, straight from the fridge!!
It was a new brand named ‘Miruna Yo’. It was a light Yoghurt Drink with Mixed fruit juice. The manufacturer is ‘Balan Natural Food (P) Ltd.’ from Bangalore and marketed by the same company from Hyderabad. Obviously, it appeared that the company was launching the product. What a noble way of launching!! Incidentally, the manufacturing date on all the packs was 20-10-2004. Does it strike a note? 20th of October is the Avataar Declaration day!
Well, there was so much of commotion. Primary School children were there too and they were so excited!! In a short while all of us were sipping away to glory! Possibly it is the first time, as we remember that Tetra Packs have been given as Prasadam in the Sai Kulwant Hall. After drinking the juice, all started chanting Vedam even louder!!
Swami was standing near the interview room and guiding the distribution with great concern. That is His involvement! Has He ever touched, even once, any of the Prasadam that He distributes to all of us? We would have eaten hundreds of them but He has not touched even once! That is His selfless Love and Sacrifice!!
Bhagawan retired to Poornachandra by 4.45 p.m. Thereafter, Bhajans commenced at 5.00 p.m. and went on till 5.30 p.m.
The new building opposite Poornachandra Hall was made ready even before Dussera festival. But it has not yet been inaugurated. The building looks beautiful. Of course it’s a temple, the abode of the Lord and fits that description very well. It’s positioning on either sides of the Sarva Dharma Stoopa is so natural that it looks as though it has always been there and was meant to be there.
We have three photos of the completed temple. We are sure you would be very eager to have a look at them. But you will have to wait for our next mail for that. Till then hold your breath to witness the glorious abode!!
Sairam
A Anantha Vijaya
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| Sai Baba on Bhajans |
| 11.03.04 (2:35 am) [edit] |
Sai Baba on Bhajans
http://www.vahini.org" title="http://www.vahini.org" target="_blank"http://www.vahini.orgYou receive joy when you sing and clap together with similar devotional feelings in your hearts"
- Baba -
"Music is the instrument by which passions are sublimated, emotions are tamed, impulses directed to higher purposes"
- Baba -
"Bhajan (devotional singing) is one of the processes by which you can train the mind to expand into eternal values. Teach the mind to revel in the glory and majesty of God; wear it away from petty horizons of pleasure. Bhajan induces in you a desire for experiencing the Truth, to glimpse the Beauty that is God; to taste the Bliss that is the Self. It encourages man to dive into himself and be genuinely his real Self. Once that search is desired, the path is easy. One has only to be reminded that he is divine..."
- Baba -
"You should sing wholeheartedly with the desire to please God. God makes no distinction between a proficient musician and a beggar in the street. It is the devotion and sincerity that matter. Merge your soul in the Bhajans you sing. Spiritualize your Bhajan singing. Then you will experience real bliss..."
- Baba -
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