Narrating a Wonderful Instance from a drama which was enacted on November 22 , 1980 , one of Swami's Oldest Students and now a Professor in SSSU, Dr. Ravi Kumar says,
“I had the opportunity to act in the play ‘The Kingdom of Heaven.’
This was a drama on the life of Jesus Christ, written and enacted by former students, who prayed to Swami to permit them, and the Kind Lord had agreed. Swami then looked through the entire list of actors, picked up one particular role, and said, ‘Ask Ravi to do this role.’
"At that time, I had finished my education in Swami’s College and was doing my post-graduation at Anantapur, about 80 kms from Puttaparthi. So they said, ‘Swami, Ravi is not here, he is studying there.’ Swami then said, ‘No, he comes on weekends, he can practice at that time.’ I, therefore, was given that role, and it was only much later did I realize how so beautifully Swami had indicated to me what was to come later in my life.
“The role was that of a blind beggar, who is cured by Jesus Christ. And during one of those days, when we were having practice sessions, as Jesus was curing me in the drama, Swami entered through the side, and remarked: ‘See! Sai Baba came and this fellow got his eyesight!’ And we all laughed. The next day, the same thing happened, and again Swami remarked: ‘See, Sai Baba came and he got his vision back!’
“The normal tendency after the rehearsal session was to rush to Swami, and He would make a few comments about the drama, ask us to repeat certain dialogues, tell us the correct emotion which should animate the scene, and so on. While this interaction was going on, Swami suddenly asked, ‘Did you hear the applause during Darshan?’ We had heard the clapping sitting inside the green room, so we said, ‘Yes Swami, we heard the applause.’ And then He looked at me and said, ‘You know, I gave vision to an 18 year old girl who was born blind!’ And, with His Eyes riveted on me, He immediately continued, ‘And, I will give you also!’ We all laughed because we thought Swami was making a joke, since I was a blind beggar in the drama. But we never realized that Swami was actually indicating to me what was to come in the future - that I would lose my eyesight, and He would give it back! It was five years later that I burnt my eyes completely while doing an experiment in the Chemistry lab and gained my vision back only by His Grace.”
Every session with Swami before the actual performance, therefore, was a boon to the students. Because the Supreme Teacher would take that opportunity to instill attitudes and behaviours, knowledge and wisdom, faith and conviction into the hearts and minds of His wards, which could mould them into masterpieces of men. And to this end, He would invest any amount of time and exert Himself to any length.
Om Sai Ram
