Always believe in Truth at all times

I always say that everyone should speak the Truth and believe in it.

Thirty years ago, I traveled the length and breadth of the country to propagate My message. I would visit Bombay four times a year. Now, Bombay has changed a lot. Sai Institutions have multiplied. In every nook and comer Sai's name is heard.

During one of those days, the headlines of some leading newspapers carried an open challenge by a Hatha yogi. He dared to challenge Sathya Sai Baba to perform some absurd feats like swallowing a living fish, eating glass pieces, drinking acid and walking on water. He claimed that he would perform the above-mentioned feats with ease. This angered and pained the Sai devotees all over. The devotees requested Swami to give a fitting reply to the challenge. I answered, "Foolish fellows! It is not mandatory to reply to his challenge. In fact, replying only shows one's weakness." The devotees said, "Swami, if you don't reply, we shall do it." Ramana Rao was on his toes to reply.

I went to Madras from Bombay. At Madras, the Maharajah of Venkatagiri was fuming. The furious Raja asked me, "Swami, who is this wicked fellow? For earning his livelihood he is tarnishing the image of Swami. I shall reply to him." I said, "Raja, do not react to it."

A week later the Raja convened a huge gathering. The meeting was attended by many sanyasins from Ramakrishna Mutt and Sivananda Ashram. The sanyasins discussed this matter. They were convinced that only people jealous of others' fame and name would indulge in such cheap activities. The Raja considered Swami to be the very breath of his life and loved Swami very much. I tried to pacify him, but he would not stop. When one of the sanyasins asked me, I replied, "Friendship or fight should be between equals. He should be my equal to challenge me. I do not accept challenges from any person roaming on the street. My dear son, the cow eats grass, the pig eats excreta and man eats rice. It makes sense when a man challenges another to eat as much rice as he can. If a pig challenges a man to eat excreta, should he respond? Therefore, I will not respond to the challenge." This reply delighted the gathering.

A week later, the Hatha Yogi came to Bangalore. At that time I was at Nandanvanam, in Ooty. He wanted to meet Me and seek pardon. I sent word to him that he need not beg pardon or repent. I also advised him to tread the path of Truth. He had announced that he would walk on water on a particular day. People flocked to buy tickets for this show. The people of Bombay have too much of money. I told them, "Misuse of money is evil. Do not waste your money." On the scheduled day lots of people thronged the venue. Our Sai devotees too waited near the gate with sticks. Were he to fail, they were ready to even kill him. Immediately, I sent a telegram telling them not to involve themselves in this matter.

The Hatha Yogi placed his feet on water and he sank. The police fished him out and with great difficulty managed to get him home through the back door. For the sake of earning money, some people indulge in challenging well-known people. They think that they can attract the attention of the world by doing this.

That is why always believe in good things and always have love for your fellow Beings and above all Believe in God

- From Swami's Dasara Discourse on October 5th '2000

Faith - Our Divine Lord takes care of everything

A couple of incidents which showed me what kind of faith Swami expects. It was one Dasara day like this; I had just joined Brindavan College as a student of the pre-University class in the year 1974. One day before the Narayana Seva, normally the students know - we take out the bundles of dhotis which come in pairs and we cut them and pack them in bundles of twenty five or so.

A few of us were doing this upstairs in the Mandir here. Swami was walking around and talking to us. He came to me and asked, "Has your father come?"
I said, "No Swami."
He then asked, "Is your father coming?"
I said, "No Swami."
He said, "Ah! How can you say that?"
  I said, "Swami, he is scheduled to have an operation today in the morning; so I am sure he won't come." Swami said, "No, No. He is coming! And when he comes, ask him to stay with you in the hostel."
I am talking of the time when there were hardly any buildings; there was only one row of buildings here. When the work upstairs got done I came down. When I came he had reached Prashanti – my father was walking in with his luggage! I was stunned. I asked him, "How is it that you are here? What about your operation? Did you not have your operation?"
He said, "No, No. I had my operation today in the morning!" I asked, "Then how is it that you are here?" He said, "I couldn't miss the opportunity to have Swami's Darshan, so I got discharged and came straight from the hospital."
I was stunned and asked him, "Father, there is no accommodation here. Don't you think you will get infection?" He said, "Infection? Swami's Darshan will take care of everything! He will provide me accommodation." Then I remembered and I said, "Yes! He has provided you accommodation. He has told me that you were coming and He has told me to take you with me and make you stay in the hostel." When we have Faith in the Lord; the Lord is the most faithful. He takes care of us so much.

There was another instance which I remember – this happened in the year 1971 – even before I joined here. I was in the bal-vikas of a Samithi (centre) called Ulsoor Samithi and they wanted to have a drama in Swami's presence. So they had asked me to be a part of it and I was getting trained. One week before Dasara, when our half- yearly exams exams were announced, I noticed that all the exams were exactly during the Dasara time. So I told the Bal Vikas teachers, "I will not be able to come for the drama."
They were very shocked! When I went home and told this to my father, he said, "No! You are going for the drama!" I said, "Father! I have exams!" "Exams don't matter – they keep coming every year," my father said and continued, "But this chance to go near Swami comes rarely. Don't miss it – go ahead! This is the most important thing; have faith in Swami and do what He tells you."
We are a joint family and nobody else knew much about Swami at that time – many of them were teachers and they told my father, "No! You are spoiling his education." My father said, "No! This is the true education! The more closer you go to God; that is true education. I want him to go closer to God."
So we came to Prasanthi Nilayam. I would just like to tell you one instance of how things were in those halcyon days. When we landed at 2:30 pm in what was called the `pata-shala' block at that time, the bal-vikas teacher called me after a few minutes and said, "Go to the Mandir and find out what time is the Darshan."
When I opened the door; Swami was standing outside! Swami had come to see whether all the bal-vikas children were housed properly. I was so stunned! Swami came inside and sat and spoke to us for forty five minutes! So we finished our drama in Prashanti Nilayam; and Swami blessed us and sent us back.
When we returned home after Dasara, I went to one of my classmates and said, "Please tell me what exam we have today so that I can read and come." He said, "What do you mean exams? All exams have been cancelled! The government has sent an order that they want to have some Dasara sports – so all exams have been cancelled." – Not even postponed!

So this is the way God takes care of you. And when He takes care of you;

- From a Wonderful talk delivered by Dr. T. Ravi Kumar in the Divine Presence During Dasara Celebrations on October 1, 2006.

True spirituality

Once Swami had called us for an interview. One of the brothers said to Swami, "Swami, Please define Spirituality in one sentence."

Swami replied, "True spirituality is to love all and serve all"

Not Satisfied as everyone felt it was a Routine one. Then Swami said suddenly, "But, before loving others, You have to Love yourself. This means that you should not have any bad habits and bad thoughts about yourself & you should be very much self confident that you Love yourself to the fullest. For that, You should be perfect in everything. This is Sadhana.

Sadhana doesn't mean namasmarana, offering worships etc.. If You could love Yourself completely, You can love others also completely.This is so called Sadhana."

What an answer! Do we really love ourselves fully? Are we sure that there is no quality in us which we detest? Think about it! Let us all think about it.

Every act of Swami is pregnant with meaning

 

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

Service – Wholehearted Sadhana

 

The Below wonderful incident was told by Shri.Anil Kumar in a wonderful talk on September 20th 2002 :

Once Swami Was serving Food to some poor people to start Narayana Seva, Suddenly stopped at one spot, noticing a lady who was carrying a little, small child in her arms. Swami stopped there and called to one Seva Dal boy. "We are serving food to these people; how about that child?"
The Seva Dal Boy had no reply. "Swami, what should I do?"
"Bring a glass of milk for this child."
So the Seva Dal boy went all the way to bring one tumbler of milk.
Swami went on moving around the lines, serving food. From a long distance, He stopped and shouted, "Did you give milk to that child?" 
That boy said, "Yes, Swami."
Swami said, "Nothing doing!"
Swami went all the way back to that lady and touched the glass. "It is very, very hot. How do you expect the child to drink the milk? No, bring another glass."

He started cooling the milk -- pouring it this way and that, pouring it from one glass into the other. He made it cool and offered the milk to the child and only then left.
This shows the personal care He takes and the sprit that He wants us to maintain while doing seva. Seva or service is not a routine; it is not mechanical, no! It is not a schedule. We have to do it wholeheartedly.

Divine Will

Swami has many times said, whether during discourses or during private sessions with devotees, that HIS will is infinite. Baba takes many of His students to Kodaikanal with HIM. Likewise He has taken some students to Mysore sanctuary once in their summer vacations. Devsen sir was lucky to be one of them.

The students had already reached the sanctuary and it was nighttime. Swami was discussing the secrets of nature with students assembled at HIS feet. He was talking about the start of creation from the primordial sound OMKAR, the emergence of the MILKY WAY, PLANETS etc. He was describing in detail as to how the clouds got formed and the emergence of the SUN, the MOON etc.

As Swami was explaining so, He suddenly looked around and said, "Isn't the night beautiful today.". "Yes, Swami" replied the students " It is blissful here in your immediate presence. Even the moon seems to want to make his presence felt here in your physical proximity". As soon as this was mentioned Swami looked upwards at the moon. He kept looking for sometime and then started explaining the different features of the moon -- that there were so many craters on it, He even mentioned that there were rivers flowing on the moon.

As He said this, students started asking "Swami.... Rivers on the moon..." "Yes, Why not, don't you know rivers existed on moon" asked Swami. "But Swami" students questioned "Something of this sort has never been mentioned in any of the documentaries recorded by astronauts who have visited the moon.". "Oh that...." replied SWAMI "How can they see ... They saw with physical eyes ... Can their eyes see all that divinity has created? They did not see ... but it is there." So saying Swami stopped.

As Swami stopped speaking, there was silence for while but the friction in the minds of students persisted. Fully aware of this, Swami asked, "Would you all like to see all that I mentioned were present on the moon?" "YES SWAMI" replied the students in one voice. Swami immediately got up from HIS seat and pointed towards the moon and waved His hand. In a moment the moon disappeared from the sky.

Shocked at what they saw, the students wanted to ask Swami as to what had happened to the moon but before they could they saw a circular object appear in HIS hands. "This" Swami said, "is the moon ... (Silence for a while) ... now clear all your doubts about the feature of the moon". So saying He started showing the craters and the rivers on the moons surface. As long as the 'moon' was there in Swami's hand there was no 'moon' in the sky. When asked what would happen when anyone looked up and did not find the moon present as usual or questioned the disappearance of the moon all of a sudden, Swami said, "Nothing happens without my will. As long as the moon, which I have reduced to a size enough to fit into my palms, is in my hand, no one in the world will dare look up in the sky. I have willed that".

There was silence for a while as the students tried to grasp the phenomenon they had just witnessed. Swami then asked" Has everyone seen it. Ok, come closer and see. Ask for doubts if any". All those present came closer and looked ... they were all there. The craters, the rivers, the mountains.... All in the miniature form of the moon in swami's hand.

Swami then said, " OK, now I shall send it back". So saying Swami let go the 'moon' from His hand by thrusting it upwards. In a moment it was there ... again resplendent as before.

As students retired for the day, they reminded themselves of an important lesson they learnt that day. Everything in this universe is functioning in full awareness of Swami as per His will.

All we see is HIS will... What doesn't seem to be is so simply because HE hasn't willed it that way.

- Narrated during the summer course 2000, by Mr.Devsen, Faculty Member of the Sri Sathya Sai University

Om Sai Ram

Raso Vai Saha

 

The examinations were approaching, Swami said that if He was with us at Brindavan, we do not study. Finally He decided to leave for Puttaparthi, just to make us study for exams.

The boys fell at His feet, pleaded with Him, but Swami insisted on going. He said that He felt that He was the cause of the boys neglecting their studies and that feeling gave Him much pain.

It was Monday. Swami was preparing to leave by 8.30 A.M. The boys crowded round Him with sadness pain on their faces. Pleadings and prayers had proved fruitless. Swami was down on the ground floor. He got into the car, and the white vehicle glided away.

With heave hearts, boys walked slowly back into the Hostel. We tried in vain to concentrate on what the books had to tell us, so full was our hearts with the thought of our Lord. Barely 15 minutes had passed, when some one shouted "Swami has come!" and started running behind the car. I thought that the poor fellow was still dreaming and that his fantasy probably had given shape to that car.

But many more boys followed and I came out to ascertain for myself. What I saw, I could not believe. I saw the white car driving right up to portico. I rubbed my eyes once or twice to make sure for myself, and then I also ran. Swami walked up the stairs. Many of us could not believe what was happening. Swami said, "You boys were creating so much noise that I forgot to take the keys," ... Swami forgetting to take the keys!
Our hearts were full,... no one spoke. The tears that rolled down were probably more eloquent in expressing what was in our hearts. Somebody had probably still some doubts that Swami may leave again with the keys. So he asked very wisely. "Swami! shall we start unloading the things back from the car?"... No I am leaving again in the evening." Swami said, in pretended anger...

Then He broke into a beautiful smile, At this, a chorus of pleading voices followed, "Swami! Swami! And Swami decided to stay on. He told us latter, "You pulled me back here, just by your pure yearning. Now you must study well, if you want me to stay here. Trivial, insignificant instances these, do you say? And What have they got to do with spirituality, do you ask? But what else is spirituality than yearning for Him, pining for Him, suffering anguish for Him?

What is spirituality but deserving to live in Him. This is made possible only by the form full God, the God without whom one cannot live. His benign smile, the loveliness of His Graceful Form His tender affection that flow when He enquires about your welfare, and above all, the nectarine sweetness of His childlike sport--these help us to fuse our heart with the Lord's and thus raise ourselves to the heights of Blessedness.
Boys have made an unsuccessful attempt to put these in words, for, it is impossible to contain them in human language. They belong totally to the realm of experience which the heart alone can experience "Raso vai Saha" He is Sweetness itself. His sweetness is infinitely enhanced when He comes, Humanness enveloping His Divinity.

-- Brindavan boys experiences

The Gift of Darshan

 

“Always find a quiet corner after my Darshan. My energy goes from Me as I pass you. If you proceed to talk immediately, the energy received by you is dissipated and returns to Me unused. Rest ...assured that whatever My eyes see becomes vitalised and transmuted.You are being changed day by day. Never under-estimate what is being accomplished by the act of Darshan. My walking amongst you is a gift yearned for by the Gods of the Highest Heaven and here you are receiving this grace. Be thankful. But also remember that to whom much is given - from him/her much will be demanded”. - BABA.

Sai “Pitha” Aur “Matha” Sai

 

Kumar was a student in the Sathya Sai College in Puttaparthi.  Swami allotted his parents ground floor accommodation in the eastern block close to his own residence.  At the evening prayer one day, Kumar sang a bhajan, "Sai Pitha Aur Matha Sai" ("Sai is the father and Sai is the mother"), as Swami sat on his throne quite close by and nodded His head in tune with the song.  Swami's eyes were swimming with kindness and compassion.  No sooner had the first stanza of the song ended, than Swami abruptly got up and hurried out.  The boy felt that his singing was not probably to Swami's liking.  Swami walked into the residence of Kumar's parents.  Devotees who watched the scene were surprised.  In recent times, no one had seen Swami thus leave His residence and proceed beyond its precincts.

In the residence of Kumar's parents, his mother had a heart attack and was struggling for life.  Baba hastened into the house, gave her a glass of water and materialized vibhuthi for her.  After a few words of solace and encouragement to the lady, He returned to the bhajan hall and resumed His throne; just then, Kumar's bhajan song was coming to a close.  When it was over, Swami spoke to Kumar, "Do you know why I hurried out?  Your mother was on the verge of dying and I went to save her.  Here you were singing : 'You are the father; You are the mother'.  How could I sit here enjoying your song when your mother was in agony there?  I had to reach her urgently and save her."

The lady's husband was all the time present in the bhajan hall among the devotees.  His son too was there singing.  All the same, only God could rescue the suffering lady.  God, undoubtedly, is the closest and the most intimate of one's kith and kin - closer than even husband.

MAYA, THE TERRIBLE DOG

 

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba once described the power of Maya in a metaphorical way. He said, “God is the Master of maya (delusion; illusion; ignorance). Maya is like a terrible dog standing guard at the entrance of the God’s home and does not allow outsiders to come near Him. If you are earnest about reaching God, there are only two ways. The first course is to put on the form of the Master. Then the dog does not harm you at all. This is known as saroopya, that is, assuming God’s form. But you should not make the slightest mistake; otherwise the dog will not spare you.

“The second course is to cry out for the Master in a loud voice. He will hear your cry. He comes  to you, receives you with open arms and, holding your hand, leads you inside with overflowing kindness. This is called sameepya, that is, being in closest company with God. The dog will not do any harm to you, as you are with his Master. Being God’s pet dog, maya obeys Him. If He Wills it not to give you trouble, you will not be touched; you will know no fear.”

What a simple and beautiful parable Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai has given us! He has revealed how He, of His own violation, surrenders to His devotee. How easy is the second course! The devotee has only to call God most earnestly, with all his heart, with agony in his voice, with yearning suffusing his whole being. This is nama smaran. Millions of Sai devotees have found through personal experience that God responds to nama smaran and presents Himself before His devotee with boundless mercy and compassion.

Baba’s exhortation is that incessant nama smaran of a deity so elevates the devotee that he attains the form of that deity. Bhagavan says that incessant smaran of Lord Sri Rama’s name by his brother Bharatha, resulted in Ramayana, in the latter looking like Sri Rama to all. A similar thing happened with Uddhava in Sri Maha Bhagavat who did uninterrupted smaran of Lord Sri Krishna’s name.

-- Book Tapovanam – Chapter 16

ONE OF THE FINEST EXPERIENCE !!!

It was 1 week before SWAMI's proposed visit to CHENNAI (Several years ago) & I found that I had to make an urgent business trip to CHICAGO just for 1 meeting. In those days, BHAGAVAN was staying in the old Brindavan building in BANGALORE & I had to go & take his permission for the trip.

So when I went to take his permission, BHAGAVAN graciously  said, "Yes, you can go & come back. Anyway I'm coming to Chennai only after a few days." I was to leave that night from Chennai. I waited there with my folded hands & SWAMI asked me to stop at a particular place during my return journey & meet a particular person. I said, "Yes SWAMI, I'll do that".

There were no further instructions!!! I was thunderstruck since I was going to travel 1000s of miles to meet a person without knowing why I was going there & what I was supposed to tell him. Anyway I thought BHAGAVAN would sort out everything & flew that night to CHICAGO.

After finishing my official meeting in Chicago, I called this person (Name withheld) whom SWAMI had asked me to meet & said, "I'm coming to your city to see you".

He sounded a bit curt on the phone & said, "Why are you coming?"

I said, "I'll tell you when I get there!" He sounded curt once again but I said, "SAIRAM" & told him that I was coming by such & such flight. It was a 14 hours flight with a stopover for re-fuelling & I simply had no idea why BHAGAVAN had asked me to meet him!!!

I was quite tired when I came out of the customs area & this particular gentleman was waiting for me. He appeared to be very wealthy & quite aristocratic. He said, "SAIRAM" & we went to the parking lot where he had his Rolls Royce parked. There was 'dead silence' during the car trip & we reached his palatial house at about 2.30AM in the morning.

He straight away took me to his drawing room, shut the doors, sat facing me & asked, "Now, why have you come?" I told him, "I came because SWAMI asked me to meet you & I've no other message!!!"

He said, "What man, you've come such a long distance without any message & without knowing why you're supposed to see me. Are you sure or are you hiding something?"

He repeatedly quizzed me & grilled me but I told him that I had absolutely no idea why I was asked to come & see him!!!

Then he relapsed into dead silence & was lost in thought for about 15 minutes!!! Suddenly he bent forward, reached towards his right shoe, withdrew something from his socks & I saw a glinting blue steel revolver!!!

To my shock, he said, "This is a fully loaded revolver & just tonight I was going to shoot myself!!!" Then he told me how he had got into enormous debts in his business & that he just wanted to end his life! He also said, "BHAGAVAN knew what I was going to do & that's probably why he sent you to meet me!!!" I told him that SWAMI was coming to Chennai in a few days & he said he would be there!

Later in Chennai, first SWAMI never looked at him & later when we thought he's not going to see this person at all, suddenly he called him into the interview room & asked me also to come in! Then BHAGAVAN started really to castigate this person & I was feeling very embarrassed to translate some of SWAMI's words!!!

SWAMI then got very angry with me & said, "YOU'RE JUST A LOUD SPEAKER. YOUR ROLE IS TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT I'M TELLING YOU TO SAY. NO EDITING WHATSOEVER." Then I exactly followed SWAMI's instructions & this man started weeping like a baby.

Finally SWAMI in all his mercy said, "Past is past, forget the past. Everything will be alright for you."

This man had a lot of properties that could not be sold due to the crash in the prices that took place at that time. But then buyers came mysteriously from somewhere & he was finally able to raise enough funds to meet all his obligations!!!

BHAGAVAN'S ways are mysterious. How, where & when he would come to protect you, you don't know!!! BHAGAVAN knows the PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE of every devotee under his care & even though this gentleman had not come to BHAGAVAN for quite some time, SWAMI remembered him & saved him!!! "I WILL NOT LET YOU GO" is what SWAMI SAYS.

PS: Excerpts from an interview with Sri V. SRINIVASAN, ALL INDIA PRESIDENT, SRI SATHYA SAI SEVA ORGANIZATIONS broadcast on 6th OCT '02 & on 10th APRIL '03 on RADIO SAI GLOBAL HARMONY.

Prayer of Surrender

Why get agitated? Let Me take care of all your business. I shall be the one who will think   about them. I am waiting for nothing else than your surrender to Me, and then you do not have to worry any more about anything. Say farewell to all fears and discouragement. You demonstrate that you do not trust Me. On the contrary, you must rely blindly on Me.

To surrender means: To turn your thoughts away from troubles, to turn them away from  difficulties you encounter and from all your problems. Leave everything into My hands saying "Lord, Thy will be done. Thou think of it." That is to say: "Lord I thank you for you have taken everything in your hands, and you will resolve this for my highest good."

Remember that thinking of the consequences of a thing is contrary to surrender. That is to say, when you worry that a situation has not had the desired outcome, you thus demonstrate that you do not believe in My love for you. You will prove that you do not consider your life to be under My control and that nothing escapes Me.

Never think: How is this to end?... What is going to happen? If you give into this temptation, you demonstrate that you do not trust Me. Do you want Me to deal with it...yes or no? Then you must stop being anxious about it! I shall guide you only if you completely surrender to Me and when I must lead you into a different path than the one that you expect, I carry you in My arms.

What seriously upsets you is your reasoning, your worrying, your obsession, your will to provide for yourselves at any price. I can do so many things when the being, as much in his material necessities as in his spritual ones, turns to Me saying: "You think of it." then he closes his eyes and rests quietly. You will receive a lot but only when your prayer will rely fully upon Me. You pray to Me when in pain so that I intervene, but in the way you desire it. You do not rely on Me, but you want Me to adjust your requests.

Don't behave like sick ones who ask a treatment to the doctor, all the time suggesting it to him. Do not do that; but rather, even in sad circumstances, say: "Lord I praise and thank You for this problem, for this necessity. I pray You to arrange things as You please for this terrestrial and temporal life. You know very well what is best for me."

Sometimes you feel that disasters increase instead of diminish. Do not get agitated. Close your eyes and tell me with faith: "Thy will be done. You think of it." And when you speak thus, I accomplish a miracle when necessary. I only think of it when you trust me totally. I always think of you, but I can only help you completely when you rely fully on Me.

—Sathya Sai Baba

Surrender to God Is Your Destiny

 

On another day, Bhagavan turned to me and asked, "How did you like My discourse?"

God wanting human comment on His discourse! Well, it is really a matter of fortune, a matter of good luck, to be privileged to comment on the Divine discourse to God Himself.

Well, then I said, "Swami, Your talk was fantastic! All our doubts are dispelled. All our doubts are clarified. It was a beautiful discourse."

Then Bhagavan said, "Hmmm, you want Me to believe that all your doubts are now dispelled? No! Your body is full of doubts, top to toe. They will never be clarified." (Laughter)

Then I said apologetically, "Swami, if my body is full of doubts that can never be clarified, what am I to do? What is my fate? What is my destiny?"

Destiny in Sanskrit is called gathi. I said, "Swami, what is my gathi, what is my destiny, what is my fate? If I'm full of doubts that cannot be clarified, what am I to do?"

Then Bhagavan said, "What? Repeat your question!" (Laughter)

I said, "Swami what is my gathi? What is my fate?"

He said, "Sharanagathi is the solution." (Laughter)

Sharanagathi means, surrender.

"You surrender to Me. Sharanagathi, that is your gathi. That is your destiny."

That's what Bhagavan has said. So my friends, the only gathi or destiny for all of us is Sharanagathi, surrender to God. This is a nice statement that I wanted to share with you.

-- Professor Anil Kumar

I am everywhere

It was a serene evening in the Mandir during the rainy season of 1990. Swami had completed His usual Darshan rounds and had called some devotees for interview. All the students were eagerly waiting for Swami to come out and spend some time with them. They were surprised by the sudden brush of a cool breeze that heralded soothing showers.

It was the time when the Sai Kulwant Hall had not yet been built. To those directly exposed to the scalding rays of the sun, the rain was a welcome relief. To the students it meant a blanket permit to rush forward and occupy the front portico of the Mandir. It was a vantage spot as it gave us the advantage to be very close to the interview room door so that when Swami came out, His gaze in our direction was guaranteed. I was then in my second year of the MBA programme. Along with another brother of mine I was blessed to secure a strategic spot in the front portico. From here we had a clear view of Swami’s throne in the Bhajan Hall.

As the rain persisted without any respite, I began reading a book on Swami’s miracles in Africa. I was particularly drawn to an incident where two of the devotees who were driving a car on an express way at speeds over 110 km/h suddenly met with an accident. Their car was thrown out of the express way and into the bushes. The car was totally smashed and there was no chance that its occupants would survive such a crash. The devotees in the car however had taken the Lord’s Name on their lips at the critical juncture and had escaped unscathed. They were nonplussed and thanked Swami for His Omnipresence. I was quite overwhelmed by this incident and happened to share it with the brother beside me. I couldn’t but help remark – ‘Look Swami is in Africa also’.

Some moments later the interview room door opened. Swami came out and stood on the upper portico of the verandahh in the Mandir. He paused and looked at me and my brother for a few seconds. I looked at Swami with reverence. Suddenly Swami asked the students sitting in front of me to make way. A path was made for Swami in the tightly packed verandahh. Before I could realise Swami walked straight up to me and then paused. Gazing into my eyes He remarked –“Dunnapotha! You are talking in the verandah.”

Then after a small pause He continued, “I am here. I am in Africa. I am everywhere.” Saying this, He walked away with a nonchalant gait. Do I have to say anymore?

By Sri K. Suresh
- A Former Student of Swami’s Institute.

Closer Than Our Mother

 

I would like to share with you a very prized possession from the museum of my recollections, one of the channels of Bhagavan’s Love, of which we students are recipients of. These are at the dear hostel where the entire atmosphere is permeated with brotherly love. Whenever there is a rainfall there is a brother coming up from the dispensary department with a homeopathy pill saying:

“Brother, it has rained. Tomorrow you may catch a cold, you may catch fever, please take this.”

So one day, in that hostel, due to some reason, there was a 2-hour delay in my lunch. In spite of being in that kind of an atmosphere, I was missing that love saturated motherly enquiry as to ‘why you didn’t have your food?’ (“Bhojan Cheyi leydemi? Bhojan cheshnava?”). I was missing that motherly element and with these thoughts, I had a very absent minded lunch session.

Then after a bath, I came to Mandir. Swami came, graced the cushionsimhasana (Throne), there was a nice Darshan, and as He was going back, He turned towards me and said: “Yemi ra, bhojan cheshnava? (Did you have your lunch?”) That is the Divine Mother! He whispered a thundering truth into my ears that He is the Nearest of the Near, the Dearest of the Dear.

By Bharat Kumar S S
- A Former Student of Swami's Institute.