When They Played At The Lord's…

 

 

They were the best, the game could boast of…in the country and in the world.
They came to play a cricket match at the Lord's………..own playground!
The Sri Sathya Sai Unity Cup.

It all started on a day when Sunil Gavaskar and Alvin Kallicharan were speaking to Bhagavan. Sunil is, of course, a cricket legend while Kalli is a test star of distinction, hailing from the West Indies. Both are Bhagavan's devotees, and have been coming to Swami for many years.

On that day, both of them told Swami, "Baba, we see devotees doing so much for you all the time. We too love you very much and want to serve you. But cricket is our profession, and we cannot obviously serve you like doctors and teachers do. So, please guide us and tell us in what way we can serve you, because we both are very keen to do so."

Bhagavan smiled and said, "Well, why don't you arrange a cricket match for Me?"

The two cricket stars simply could not believe what they heard. "Was Baba really serious?" They wondered.

Soon they discovered that Swami was not joking but meant precisely what He said. And that was how the idea for the Sri Sathya Sai Unity Cup, a one-day international cricket match betweenIndia XI and the World XI, was born.

With their wide international contacts, it was not difficult for Sunil and Kalli to get in touch with stars from overseas. Getting the consent of the Indian board of control for cricket also was no problem at all.

As everyone knows, the schedule of cricket stars is packed. Yet, when Swami wills, things happen smoothly. It came as no wonder, that the overseas players invited for the Unity Cup match had no problem, in finding free time slots. In fact, 30th December, 1997, the day fixed for the Unity Cup, came right in the middle of the Sri Lankan tour of India. In spite of that, Indian and Sri Lankan players participating in this match could easily make it.

Now, an international cricket match requires a cricket field meeting international standards. When Gavaskar and Kallicharan came up with the idea for a one-day international, Puttaparthi did not have such a ground. So, where was the match to be played? In Bangalore perhaps? Bangalore had a full-fledged cricket stadium, and Swami also spent many months in a year at Bangalore. So, may be one could think of Bangalore as the venue for the match, since that also was Swami's town - so many thought!

But Swami had other ideas. He simply said, "The unity cup match will be played in the Hill view Stadium, here, in Puttaparthi!"

"Hill view stadium, Swami? But we don't have a cricket pitch there, in the first place. And, what about the galleries to accommodate the huge crowds that would turn up?"

Doubting Thomases had a field day, raising all kinds of questions. But they all forgot some basics. Who brought drinking water to millions? Who was it that had built an ultra modern hospital in a rural area, a hospital that was treating thousands of patients absolutely free? Compared to those achievements, a cricket ground was just chicken feed.

While the Thomases were busy with their doubts, others became busy with various details connected with the Unity Cup match.

The reputed, Larsen and Toubro, that had built the Super Specialty hospital and executed the Drinking Water project, was asked to get the stadium and the pavilion ready, in good time, for the match. E.A.S Prasanna, a great spin bowler of the past, became deeply involved with the preparation of the pitch, the outfield, and supervising all aspects of infrastructure development, including the pavilion and the scoreboard.

By the way, why was Swami particular that the match be held in Puttaparthi? There were many reasons. Firstly, it would enable rural cricket enthusiasts to get a chance to see an international sporting event in their environment. These young cricket fans could not afford to go to the cities and pay huge gate money. But they loved the game nevertheless, and Swami decided to make them happy. Swami also decided that there would be no gate fee for the match, something totally unheard of where such a sporting event was concerned. Not just that. On the day of the match, Swami even gave free breakfast and lunch to the crowd!
But this was not all. There was another and perhaps more important reason. The Unity Cup match offered yet another opportunity for Bhagavan, to grant the Blessing of Divine Intimacy to students. And to establish a basis for this, as if one were required (!), it was decided that the Unity Cup match would be played under the auspices of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.

How wonderful were those days were for the students! Practically every student and teacher of the institute got involved with some duty or the other, associated with the match. That is Swami's way of giving opportunities for spiritual development and advancement. Swami once said, "God does not ever want anything. But when He comes down as an Avatar, He sometimes pretends that He wants this or that. With much love, the devotee then tries to fulfil what he believes God wants. And in this manner, the devotee earns much merit, which he otherwise would not have."

An unprecedented event of this kind, that proclaimed global unity via sports, could not be allowed to pass without an appropriate chief guest. Therefore, with Swami's blessings, Sri. I.K.Gujral, the Prime Minister of India, was invited to be the guest of honour. The choice of Gujral was befitting, since he had personally done much to promote international amity.

D-day minus one. The whole of Puttaparthi was in the grip of severe cricket fever and there was tremendous excitement in the air. In the afternoon, the players all arrived by air, and went straight from the airport to the Hill view stadium. Almost all of them were coming to Puttaparthi for the first time; and when they saw the ground, they were overwhelmed. Such a beautiful setting, and so very different from the grounds they had seen the world over. Yes, is there any another ground in the world where Buddha, Jesus and a host of other Gods stood atop, as spectators?!

They went to the middle and inspected the pitch. It was unbelievable. Some of them said that this pitch looked far better than many they have played on. Prasanna who heard it all smiled. Yes, he had every reason to. What would these very people have said if they had come to the ground a few months ago?! Someone said, "How about checking in at the Guest House and having some lunch?" The players had other ideas. They wanted to see every inch of this wonder. And so they went to the pavilion, only to discover that it too was world class. And why not? Had not swami come there every day to supervise every little detail, including the chairs, the curtains, and the crockery? Meanwhile, a huge crowd of fans had already gathered on the field, and movement became somewhat difficult. The players were very happy. Nothing gives players greater happiness than to play before large crowds. They now knew that Puttaparthi was not exactly in the middle of nowhere, as the saying goes.

Shanti Bhavan, the guest house, was the next stop. My word, what a scene it was! Thousands milling around to catch a glimpse of the cricket stars! "If it is like this today, what would it be like tomorrow?" that was the question many had. It was time for the evening Darshan. Devotees made their way to the Mandir. But would the players come for Darshan? They did! Who would miss Swami's Darshan?!

Finally, the big day. Crowds started filling the stadium even before dawn. Villagers came from everywhere, and thousands perched on the hill by the side of the Gods there. All the Gods had plenty of company! There was a riot of colour all over, and the new stadium was grand and marvellous. And, what about the ground? The outfield was a wonderful green carpet, definitely world class. And all along the boundary line, there were hoardings carrying Swami's sayings. What a change from the ads that one sees in the usual cricket grounds!

Swami entered the ground in a ceremonial parade. He came in an elegant sports car, white in colour, and driven by His student. At the head of the procession was the popular favourite, Sai Geetha. This must have be the only cricket match where a caparisoned elephant formed a part of the opening ceremonies! Behind Sai Geetha came the institute brass band, in a smart turnout, followed by over a hundred students, in slow march, bearing the flags of all nations.

At the Dias, Swami was ceremonially received by the Prime Minister and other dignitaries. The Vice-Chancellor, then requested the Prime Minister, to hoist the unity flag, an impressive mosaic of the flags of all nations. The Unity flag was hoisted, to the tune of specially composed music played by the brass band of the Institute. The flag bearers, then ran towards the hill, and planted the flags in an impressive row, all along the road leading up to the Hanuman statue. As the flags fluttered in the morning breeze, it really was a sight to behold!

Swami and the Prime Minister then went down to the ground for the formal introduction to the players of the two teams and for photographs. As Swami, the Prime Minister, and the players took their seats, the camera men had a field day, clicking away. Yes, the media people were there in full strength, too. Doordarshan (the National Channel) was telecasting this match, not only all over India, but also to several countries overseas! Incidentally, this was one of the subtle aspects of the divine drama. Thanks to the match, there was a telecast. And thanks to the telecast, millions of devotees all over the country and even abroad, were able to get Bhagavan's darshan. Swami satisfies the aspirations of one and all, in numerous ways. However, very few take note of it.

It was time for the game to start. The rival captains, Sachin Tendulkar of India and Arjuna Ranatunga of world XI went out into the middle for the toss. India won the toss and elected to bat. Runs came briskly for India, and the score board, operated by the institute boys, incidentally, was moving at a good rate. And when Sachin enters, there were electrifying fireworks. The crowd was simply delirious with delight. The TV camera repeatedly swung from the ground to the dais, giving viewers a heady mix of sport and the Lord who willed it. It was just unbelievable! Swami was surrounded by Sunil Gavaskar of India, Clive Lloyd of West Indies, Hanif Mohamed and Zaheer Abbas of Pakistan; and all were absorbed, watching cricket! Meanwhile, in the commentary box, Syed Kirmani of India was going gaga, waxing eloquent on Baba's love rather than the game in progress!

India piled up an impressive score of 289 runs, in the allotted overs, bolstered by a blitzkrieg by Sachin. It was then time for lunch.

The children of the primary school came on to the field and presented a most colourful as well as impressive half-time show. For the institute students, it was their finest hour. They were on hospitality duty everywhere. In fact, everyone had been working throughout, and very have few have had the opportunity to see the match, though they all would have loved to. But, as Swami says, duty first! On the dais, Zaheer Abbas, a scintillating Pakistani cricketer of yester years, was amazed by the service rendered by the institute boys. Seized with curiosity, he wanted to know all about how Swami trains his students!

After lunch, it was the turn of World XI to bat. But, they were no match for India, and were scuttled out for 161.To the delight of the crowd, India won the Sri Sathya Sai Unity Cup!
Under Bhagavan's supervision, a simple but impressive ceremony had been arranged. The visiting dignitaries made speeches; among them was Clive Lloyd, former Captain of the West Indies. He said the he was thrilled to witness this great spectacle and to see the wonderful stadium come to fruition. He reminded the players that their talent was a gift from God; and what they did with their talent was their offering to God and gift to humanity. Words right out of the Bhagavad Gita. Yes, if one's heart is in the right place, as they say, then even without reading the scriptures, wisdom pours forth. It comes gushing straight from the source!

When the speech making was over, Swami gave a signal, and the Unity Cup was wheeled in from the Shanti Vedica. It was huge! And made of gold too! It could not be carried, and had to be brought in a cart!
Half a dozen people lifted the cup and held it up to Bhagavan, and He blessed it by touching it! Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian captain, was then asked to come forward and receive the cup.Sachin did. As Sunil Gavaskar said, Sachin's batting performance in the field earlier in the day was overshadowed by his weight-lifting performance when he received the cup all by himself!

It was all over. The unity cup match had not only become history but a part of His Story!
But why did Swami want to have a Unity Cup? What is the connection, between cricket and spirituality?

It is not only cricket, but in fact everything in this universe has a connection with spirituality. Five thousand years ago Krishna declared: "Any good act if lovingly offered to Me becomes sacred. This is the way to transform even ordinary work into Worship." Baba was reminding man of this timeless message by hinting that even a one-day international becomes spiritual, if it is played entirely for the pleasure of the Lord and offered to Him with Love.

Also read Sunil Gavaskar’s experiences with swami. - http://saicharan.blogspot.com/2008/04/realizing-supreme-beatitude.html

Our time is fast approaching

 

Well, I just wish to share something regarding this - a hint given by Bhagvan earlier that Bhagvan shall become very distant and HIS Darshans would become rare. So many books stand testimony to the fact and the incident I am about to share was told to us in the hostels Parayanm session by one teacher whose colleague was involved in this, it approves the fact that its true.
In the year 2000 when there was Purna Kumbha mela held in Allahabad [Purna kumbha mela/fair is the most holy ceremony takes place once in 12 years on earth according to the Sanathana Dharma] Swami came in the evening for Darshan and had been speaking to the students and staff as usual. Suddenly the course of talks lead to the then ongoing Kumbh mela, and Swami very seriously asked 2 of the teachers present there to go and attend it. To which the teachers replied saying Swami when You in Your Physical form are here, I don't see any need to go there at all. But Swami pressed hard on it and they agreed to it saying they don't wish to stay there for long.
They went there, bathed in the Holy Ganges at Sangam and were returning. Just while strolling back, they let there eyes wander at the surroundings. They saw many ascetics and holy men gathered there, and deliberately the thought crossed their mind that not all of them can be fake but if it is so then how come they are not there in Parthi where God Himself has descended. Are they even aware of it? - they wondered. Suddenly then they heard somebody calling out to them by name (to one of them of course). They spun and saw that one Sadhu Maharaj, whom they had seen seconds before - lost in deep meditation, had summoned them. As soon as they went near him, he said - "Beta! Haven't you been coming from Puttaparthi? Don't you ever underestimate HIM. He is THE Direct descendant of Shiva-Shakti...!!!" One of the teacher said - Pardon me Maharaj! But if you are aware of this then what purpose does it serve you to be elsewhere but in Parthi?" That holy man replied firmly - " O' you dear! HE hasn't allowed us to come there. The day HE Does so, this Kumbh mela would be held in Parthi....But our time is fast approaching. You! (he pointed to that teacher) Are you not the one who sits right next to HIS chair? Soon you shall find me there instead and you would be meters away, along with others. For that would be the closest for you to get ...."

Abhishek Narayan Acharya 

Prasanthi Nilayam.

An Amazing Experience to Cherish

 

For all students who worked at the Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium weeks and months before it was to be opened in 1982 will never forget Bhagawan's Love showered upon them every day, Apart from the L&T Engineers, the people who worked the Hardest were Swami's Students because Bhagawan always drilled the fact into them that It would they who would be using the Staduim the most, So they should work more on it.

Apart from Bhagawan's daily trips to the stadium, his giving of sweets and other presents to the boys, which were imprinted on the minds of everyone concerned,

One incident happened which left an indelible impression on everyone concerned. There was a dog which used to follow Bhagawan from a distance everyday, It never interfered with anyone, after bhagawan left it used to go and sleep in front of the High School. Swami never even looked at it even once, As days passed, One day before Bhagawan was about to get into his car, He sudenly stopped and walked a few metres, and stood for a few minutes facing the high School Building, Everybody was surprised at seeing Swami standing alone and looking into the distance, then the Dog appeared from behind the School building and statred running towards Bhagawan, Bhagawan bent down, patted and carressed the dog, gave it a few eatables and after a few minutes, left the dog and went away.

Nobody ever saw the dog after that, After a few days someone mustered the courage to ask Bhagawan about the Dog, Bhagawan said that immediately after it left me it jumped into a well and died because it as Swami said "It did not want to touch anyone after I had touched it". We sometimes look down upon creatures down the line of species as very inferior to us, this incident proves that everyone and everything has a consience and every one are equal before Bhagawan.

Bhagawan's Love is for everyone to experience, it is how we experience it is the Question.

Bhagawan is closer than your Mother

 

Once Bhagawan was to give a discourse in the S.A.P. Kalyana Mandapam in Madras, now Chennai. Thousands of eager devotees gathered to have His darshan and to hear His inspiring words.  His divine form filled them with bliss.  After Darshan, Swami spoke in Telugu.  Chithoor Nagayya, the celebrated actor and devotee of Swami, was standing by Swami and translating His discourse into Tamil.  The audience was spellbound and enjoying every word of Bhagawan.

Suddenly, a small baby, barely a year old and lying in his mother's lap, began to wail loudly.  All eyes turned towards the crying baby who was the cause of the disturbance.  A few seconds passed.  Everyone saw Swami on the dais gently smiling.  He extended his open palm towards the crying child in the 'abhaya' mode , but suddenly closed it into a tight fist!  That very moment, the child fell silent.

None could gauge the reason why the baby suddenly started wailing and why he, equally suddenly, stopped crying.  Swami extended the closed fist now towards Nagayya, opened it and said, "A small 25-paise coin got stuck in that little baby's throat and I have removed it.  Here it is!"  Sri Nagayya was completely overcome by emotions or surprise and happiness and immediately announced it over the microphone.

The enraptured audience exploded into wild applause.  Even though the little baby was right in her own lap, the poor mother did not know what had gone wrong with her child.  It is obvious that, more than even one's own mother, God is much, very much, closer.

Sai Ram

Swami Karunyananda with Swami

The following anecdotes from Swami Karunyananda' s experiences with Bhagavan are collected from several interviews between 1994 and 1997.Karunyananda passed away in August 1997, under the auspicious celebrations of Dassara :

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.

--------------

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 Divine Power 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.

Deer released from its cage

In 1976, a small number of deer were brought from the Madhumalai forest to Brindavan, and the grounds were cordoned off for the deer cage. Everyday, Swami would feed the deer with apples. A small cage inside also had a few partridges and parrots. Some students were blessed with the opportunity of maintaining the cages.

One day, as Bhagavan was coming towards us after feeding the deer, looking at our faces pressed against the mesh, with a twinkle in His eye He indicated the students and told an elderly devotee, "These are two legged 'dear'. Those are My four legged deer. All are dear to me." We were thrilled by His statement.
Years later, it was a hot summer day in 1988. The time was around 2:30 p.m. In the place of the old bungalow, now stood the new Trayee Brindavan. A few boys observed a strange spectacle. A female deer was looking longingly up at the window of the rooms on the first floor, where Bhagavan lived. There is only one language - the language of the heart. What prayers the deer (which was among the first deer to come to Brindavan) addressed to the Lord, we shall never know. But the response was swift.

The doors of Trayee opened, and Bhagawan walked quickly down the marble steps, across the hot marble floor, instructing the students to get some apples. He entered the cage and patted the deer affectionately. As the fruits were brought on a tray,
Swami fed the deer with His own hands. The deer ate the apple pieces quickly.

Swami finished feeding it, and after patting it lovingly, He left. After a few minutes the deer collapsed. Its hour had come. The Lord had entered the cage to release the soul encaged as a deer. Had he not said, "All are dear to me."

Om Sai Ram

85th B’day Celebrations– Program List

 

November 2010 Fireworks fly in Prashanti

Diwali used to be a very special event in Prashanti Nilayam. An evening discourse would be followed by a burst of activity as the students would rush to gather on the stupa lawns opposite to the Poornachandra. Then there would be fireworks, the beginning of which would happen with Swami triggering a garland of fireworks through a switch. With the construction of the Yajur mandir, the lawns have almost disappeared. For the past few years, a few children would burst a few firecrackers in Swami’s presence in front of the Residence. This year however, Swami had a lovely surprise for all. Diwali celebrations restarted with a ‘bang’ literally in the Sri Sathya Sai Hill view stadium!

Announcements were made that all devotees assemble at the Vidyagiri stadium instead of the Kulwant hall. Swami would be arriving at the stadium shortly before 6pm. And so, the entire schedule was shifted to the stadium. Veda chanting began at 4:30pm and the bhajans began at 5:30pm. Special stands had been erected in the grounds and the galleries which would be hosting the fireworks. Sharp before 6pm, Swami arrived to the ground and He was accorded a grand welcome by children bearing lamps and lights. At the Shanti Vedika, Swami moved up the stage via the lift and lit the lamp to mark the beginning of the celebrations.

And then started the fireworks that lit up the skies. A cyclone was predicted by the meteorological department but it was evident that it had been cancelled by the HOD of all these departments! There was not a single cloud in the skies and the darkness that seemed to envelope earlier than usual, added to the glory and brightness from the fireworks. The skies were soon lit up and a plethora of flower pots sprayed colourful sparks on the hillside. Adding colour and gaiety to the event were groups of students who danced to the lively tunes of some devotional songs. Commentary was made available in Hindi, English and Telugu and through the words of these student commentators, flowed the meaning of the festival of lights and its inner significance. The stage was filled with VIPs and everyone seemed to be enjoying the light of the fireworks and the warmth of Swami’s hospitality.

The event that took the cake however, was when separate triggers lit up the letters, “85 YEARS OF LOVE” that got boldly emblazoned across the night skies. The sounds of the fireworks were drowned by the applause and joyous cheers that went around the stadium. All the students now gathered in the front in a formation singing out to Swami. “Swami, to live in your love is what our life is all about”, rang out the chorus and at the end of the song, Swami clapped and was so happy. The boys thundered, “We Love you Swami!” Swami was moved as He responded, “I love you all!” This was conveyed to the commentator who announced it over the mikes so that all could drink deeply into this statement of pure love! Students came forward and gave roses as the Aarthi was taken. Blessing everyone along the way, Swami descended the stage and then slowly got into the car. Waving to all, Swami left from the stadium at about 7:50pm.

You will never be abandoned

Bhagavan narrated this experience which happened 30 years ago. A devotee from East Godavari had come to Bhagavan and prayed to Him to come for a house warming ceremony. Swami consented to his prayer and fixed a date when He would be there. He even said, “I will be there on that day at 9:00 a.m.”

Given this Divine assurance, the devotee made all preparations for Bhagavan to visit his home in East Godavari. As usual, the yearly rains came and played havoc with the lives of the people. And that year too a cyclone hit East Godavari. As the Godavari River began to swell, so too did the hearts of the devotees with prayer. But God had given them His word and assured them that He will be there.

Swami says: “There may be people who suffer because they do not have Faith, but there is no one who will be let down if he has Faith..” Based on this assurance, they made ready to receive SWAMI in East Godavari.

Nature continued to pour down relentlessly on East Godavari and the only connection East Godavari had with the rest of the world was the old bridge at Rajahmundry. For obvious reasons, the district officials closed the bridge and no transportation was now possible across the river.But SWAMI had said He would go. And so, on the due date, He set forth with a few dignitaries to East Godavari. When they approached the river it was in full spate.

The district officials tried to dissuade the party from attempting to cross the bridge.They insisted that Swami had to give a declaration that He is taking the journey at His own risk. Consider the irony of the situation where God had to assure them of what He does!!!

Bhagavan wrote there: “Nothing will happen to anyone who is with me!”

Who else can give such an assurance except the POORNA AVATAR? And so, a small boat was arranged to ferry Bhagavan across to the other side. And it was in such a position that it had to go under the bridge to reach the shore.

The devotees gathered on either side of the river to see what would happen. By now the water level had risen so high that when the boat reached the bridge it was lashing the roof and there was absolutely no space for the boat to pass beneath it. The people waited eagerly and anxiously wondering what would happen.

Bhagavan instructed the people in the boat, “Close your eyes. Do not watch what will happen.” Then, in a fraction of a second, the boat suddenly disappeared and appeared on the other side!

Imagine the roar of the devotees on both sides drowning out the roar of the river. And as promised, Bhagavan reached the home at exactly 9:00 a.m.

During a public meeting SWAMI said, “When I came as Rama, the ocean gave way; it had to give! When I came as Krishna, Yamuna gave way! When I came as Sai, what is Godavari? This Lord of Puttaparthi will never give you up – He will never forsake you. This ocean of mercy will take you by His hand and guide you across. You will never be abandoned.”

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