Satyopanishad – Upanishad Of Sri Sathya Sai – Part 2

Sathya Sai Baba

Satyopanishad – Upanishad Of Sri Sathya Sai – Part 2
Anil Kumar Kamaraju Questions Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! We heard about King Dasaratha, the yoga called ‘putrakameshti’, and so on. Kindly tell us something about King Janaka.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Janaka was a Rajayogi, a man of great wisdom, utterly devoid of the sense of the body. Therefore, he came to be known as videha, one without attachment to the body. As the daughter of that King, Sita came to be known as Vaidehi. Janaka was an ideal king possessing immense devotion to the preceptor, extensive knowledge of the Sastras, and the spirit of renunciation. He performed Sita’s marriage as his duty. Later on, Rama left for the forest along with Sita and Lakshmana. Though their stay in the forest stretched into years, Janaka never set foot in the forest. Such was Janaka’s abounding wealth of jnana and vairagya.

Question) Swami. We hear that Adi Sankara died at a young age. What could be the reason?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: It is true that the founder of the doctrine of advaita, nondualism, died young. He wrote commentaries on three important sacred texts known as Prasthanatraya, viz. the Upanishads, the Brahmasutras and the Bhagavad Gita. Besides, emphasising jnana, he composed a large number of hymns on bhakti. He travelled all over the country and established pithas centres of worship and spiritual learning. He symbolises Sanatana Dharma, the ancient, timeless spiritual culture of this land.

Adi Sankara went to the ancient pilgrim centre, Kasi where he prayed to the presiding deity, Visvanath to pardon him for the three mistakes he had committed. The first mistake happened to be his behavior contrary to what he had been stating all along. While saying, “Vasudevas sarvamiti”, God is everywhere, he had come to Kasi to see God. The second mistake was that even while knowing that God is beyond our comprehension and description, “yato vaco nivartante”, he tried to write books on divinity. The third mistake was that while knowing that one God manifested Himself as many, “ekoham bahu syam”, and that the same God is present in everyone, “atmavat sarva bhutani” and that awareness is in everyone, “prajnanam brahma he organised mathas”, centres of learning considering his disciples separate from him.

You may also have heard another episode connected with his life. He prayed to his mother for permission to become a Sannyasi, a lifelong celibate. She didn’t accept the proposal initially. One day Sankara went to a nearby river to have a bath. Suddenly a crocodile caught his feet. Then he started crying, “Mother! Mother! This crocodile is pulling me into the water. It is not going to leave me until you permit me to become a sannyasi”. His mother at last gave her permission and Sankara was released by the crocodile. The inner meaning of the episode is that the river is comparable to samsara, worldly life in general, and the crocodile to visaya, sensual pleasure. Man is dragged into the river of life by the crocodile of worldly pleasure. Release is renunciation or detachment.

Sankara shuffled off the mortal coil soon after completing the tasks he had set for himself, because he was sure that his mission would be carried further by his disciples, the torch-bearers of his philosophy and that his theory of advaita, nondualism would be widely spread and propagated. His disciples too were of the stature and eminence to carry on his mission successfully.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Tyagaraja, very well known as a devotee of Rama, composed kritis (hymns in praise of the Lord) which are sung even today. What is special about them?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: There are many names of devotees who composed devotional songs all over the world. God also responded to them. Those songs make you ecstatic and sublime. But the hymns of Tyagaraja have a specialty about them. Every song of his is related to an incident in his life.

For example, when the King of Tanjore sent him jewels, provisions and costly presents, Tyagaraja mildly and politely rejected them and put to himself a question in the form of a krti, “nidhi cala sukhama ramuni sannidhi seva sukhama”, is it money that makes you happy or is it nearness to God? Once his brother threw all the idols worshipped by Tyagaraja into the Kaveri river. Tyagaraja cried and cried for this loss. One day when he was taking his bath in the Kaveri, by the grace of Rama he found those lost idols, and holding them in his palms he brought them home singing, “rara ma inti daka raghuvi ra sukumara”: “Lord Rama! Please come home.” In a music concert in the court of a king, he sang paying obeisance to all the distinguished people present in the assembly, endaro mahanubhavulu andariki vandanamulu, “there are many noble and great people here, my humble pranams to all of you.” Like this, every song composed by Tyagaraja is associated with some real life occasion or incident. The hymns of Tyagaraja reflect practical devotion and surrender.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Right now, we are in Kodaikanal. Tamil Nadu is known for its renowned devotees. We often hear about Manikya Vachakar and Tiruvalluvar. We want to hear from you about these two illustrious sons of Tamil Nadu.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Manikya Vachakar is the personification of forbearance, forgiveness, patience, and devotion. One day the son of a very rich man came to him. You know, Manikya Vachakar was selling saris and maintaining his family. This boy who came to him was a pampered spoilt child. Picking up a sari there, the boy asked, “What is the price of this sari?” Manikya Vachakar said, “Twenty rupees, sir”. The boy tore the sari into two halves and said, “What is the price of this half sari?” The sari seller said, “Rupees ten, sir”. The boy tore it further into two halves and asked, “Now what is the price of this quarter sari”? The former patiently replied, ” Rupees five sir”. The mischievous boy was very much taken aback by Manikya Vachakar’s patience. He then asked, “How is it that you are so patient in spite of my mischief?” Manikya Vachakar smiled and said, “I am a devotee of God and I have full faith in Him. He is responsible for my peace and calmness”.

In Tamil Nadu there was one devotee by name Tiruvalluvar. He was highly reputed and is known even today for his devotional composition, Tirukkural. In those days, the Pandya king had youngsters serving him as ministers. Tiruvalluvar was one of them. The Pandya king had a great liking for horses. He liked to have a number of horses of different breeds from all parts of the country. He called Tiruvalluvar, gave him some money, and sent him to get new breeds of horses from all places. The latter agreed and proceeded.

On his way, Tiruvalluvar found a temple in a dilapidated condition. He decided to renovate it. In so doing, he had spent all the money he had with him. Having come to know what he had done, the king became very furious and wild. He kept Tiruvalluvar in prison as a punishment. There in the prison Tiruvalluvar composed his famous Tirukkural. The king repented later for his hasty and wrong decision. He requested Tiruvalluvar to come back and resume his duties as a minister. However, Tiruvalluvar politely refused to take up any responsibilities in the kingdom. He spent the remaining part of his life wholly in spiritual pursuits.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! God is attributeless. He is above sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika qualities. But, we are bound by these three attributes. How can we realise God, then?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: The Divine has two aspects. He can be experienced as the one with attributes and also as beyond them. You should know one thing chiefly. God is in the attributes. But, the attributes are not in Him. Attributes or traits cannot function and operate without divinity in them. Gold is in the jewellery. But, jewels are not in gold. Pots are made of clay, but not vice versa. Silverware, like a glass or a plate, is made of silver. But, the glass and plate are not in silver.

Another example: You know, an electric bulb illumines, and a fan revolves. Radios, TVs work by electricity only. They are electrical gadgets. Electricity is the main cause of their functioning. But, none of these gadgets are there in electricity. Likewise, God is present in the attributes. They are not present in God. So in a way we can say that He has attributes and at the same time He is attributeless, saguna and nirguna.

Every man has three qualities sattva, rajas, and tamas. But, the one that dominates the other two decides his thinking, feeling and action. But, unless we transcend these three qualities, we cannot experience divinity in the true sense. Here is an example. If you want to see your own chest, what should you do? You should first of all remove your coat, then your shirt, and finally even your banian, to look at your chest, isn’t it so? So also, to see the chest of divinity you should first remove the coat of tamasika quality, the shirt of rajasika quality and the banian of sattvika quality.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! We pray to you to tell us about the two aspects of God, with form and without it?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: It is here that many are confused. Without a form, from where do you get the formless? How is it possible for you to visualise the formless? Since you have a form, you can only think of God with a form. For example, if a fish is to think of God, it can visualise God only in the form of a bigger fish. So also, if at all a buffalo thinks of God, it can think of God only as a bigger buffalo. In the same way, man can think of God only as existing in human form, the form of an ideal man.

Even the formless aspect of God can be meditated upon basing on the aspect of God with form. You cannot derive the formless without a form. Here is a small example. You are all here seated in this hall in front of Swami today in Kodaikanal. You are listening to Swami’s words. This is an experience with a form. Later, you go home and after a few days you begin to reflect on what had happened here. You recall the entire scenario. In fact, has Swami come to your place physically? Would you find this room at your place? Have all of you gone there? No. But this direct experience is pictured mentally, which gives you the indirect experience of being here. What you see here is the sakara and what you experience there is the nirakara. So, the formless is based on the aspect with form. One cannot exist without the other.

Another example. Here is milk. You want to drink it. How do you drink? Don’t you need a cup or a glass? Similarly to worship God (milk) you need a form (cup).

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami, of these two ways of worship, the aspect with form and the other, the formless, which is greater?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: In my opinion, both are equal. One is not in any way greater than the other. Now you are in Coimbatore. Here the land is plain, without any ups and downs. The level of the land is the same throughout. Nobody levelled it. Nobody prepared the ground like this. The form of Coimbatore is like this. Its design is like this. But Kodaikanal is located on the hills. Nobody assembled hills there. Its form is of that sort. Coimbatore and Kodaikanal are different from one other. Each one is full, but in its own way.

So also, the two methods of worship one with form and the other formless are equally beneficial to the seekers of truth and aspirants of spiritual enlightenment.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Scriptures declare that God is omnipresent; God is everywhere. Kindly explain this aspect of Divinity? How are we to understand this?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: The Bhagavad Gita says, “bijam mam sarvabh utanam, God is the seed of this entire creation. God is the seed of all beings.” For example, you see here a mango seed. You sow it in the ground. The seed, as days pass, germinates. In the process, the seed produces a root, then a stem, a leaf, branches, and flowers gradually. The seed is latent in every part of the plant, as all parts directly or indirectly emerge from it. Finally, in the hard seed of the fruit also the initial or the original seed is present. So, God is present in the entire universe. The whole world is a tree, God is the seed, and fruits are the beings or creatures born of the tree of the world.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! When the same divinity is present in everyone, why should differences exist? Divinity being the same, why are we so different from each other?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Ekamevadvitiyam brahma, “God is one without a second”, says the scripture. Then, how do we account for the variety, diversity, differences, and so on? A small example to understand this. Power supply being the same, don’t you find the difference in the voltage of the bulbs that illumine? A bulb with a low voltage gives you light of low intensity and a bulb with a high voltage illumines more brightly. Don’t they? But, at the same time, electricity is one and the same. Bulbs are different in their voltage and this determines the intensity of light. Similarly, our bodies are like those bulbs with the inner current of the same Divinity.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! You said that divinity is in everyone. Then, before we were born where had it been? Does divinity exist even after our death?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: The Divine exists. Divinity is imperishable, pure and unsullied. It has neither birth nor death. It is eternal and stable. It is beyond time and space. Divinity transcends all physical laws.

Now, your question is: where did divinity exist prior to your birth and where will it be after your death while it is in you during this lifetime? You see, there is an electrical wire on the wall, and also holders here and there to which bulbs are fixed. You get light only if a bulb is fixed to a holder and not otherwise. Why? The current passes through the wire that enters the bulb fixed to the holder. If you hold the bulb in your hand, it does not illumine, as there is no power supply. What you have to understand is this. The current has not been newly produced to get into the bulb. It was already there in the wire. If you remove the bulb, what will happen to the current? It will be there in the wire only. The only difference is that you will not experience its presence as illumination. Similarly, the bulb is the body, the current of divinity flows into it as the illumination of life. When this bulb of the body is removed, even then, the current of divinity persists hidden or latent, so much so divinity has all along been there before you were born, during your lifetime and will even be there after your death like the current of electricity.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! It is said that God is hrdayavasi, dweller in our heart. Is it the same heart, which is on the left side in on our chest?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: No, no. That is the physical heart. But the seat of God is the spiritual heart, which is also called hrdaya. It means hr + daya = hrdaya. The one filled with compassion is hrdaya, heart. Today compassion is a matter of fashion. People put on kasayavastra, ochre robes but they have kasayihrdaya, hearts of butchery.

The physical heart is on the left side while the spiritual heart is on the right side. The spiritual heart is the temple of God. In the Gita, Lord Krishna says, isvarah hrddese arjuna tisthati which means God resides in the altar of your heart. Knowledge, be it physical, secular, scientific or technological, relates to the head and not to the heart. But love, compassion, truth, sacrifice and forbearance concern the heart.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Can divinity be probed into? Is it possible to know it by reasoning?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: All worldly experiences are bound by time and space. Your senses help you to experience all that is in the outer world. Science and Technology investigate the five elements, make certain combinations and permutations, and provide certain additional conveniences and comforts for mankind to lead a better life. These include electronic gadgets, computers, and so on. A scientist conducts an experiment, but a spiritual aspirant’s experiences of divinity cannot be conducted in a laboratory. How do you expect to convey anything about divinity, which is beyond expression? How do you imagine divinity, which is beyond comprehension? How do you investigate and experiment upon divinity which transcends all your reasoning and senses? Science is based on experiments and religion on experience. In science, you analyse, but in religion, you realise.

Upanishad means the “inner” or “mystic teaching”. The term Upanishad is derived from “upa” (near), “ni” (down) and “shad” (to sit), i.e., sitting down near. Groups of pupils sit near the teacher to learn from him/her the secret doctrine. In the quietude of the forest hermitages the Upanishadic thinkers pondered on the problems of deepest concerns and communicated their knowledge to fit pupils near them. The most well known Upanishads are: Aitareya, Brihadaranyaka, Taittiriya, Chandogya, Kena, Isa, Svetasvatara, Katha, Mundaka, Mandukya, Prasna, Kausitaki, Maitrayani, Kausitaki, Muktika and Shakta. The Satyopanishad is the Upanishad of Truth (Sathya) but more specifically the Truth as revealed by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Anil Kumar questions the illustrious Guru and provides us with Sathya Sai Baba’s answers to ponder, ruminate and derive ananda.

Twenty Seven Pages Of Satyopanishad:
01 – 02 – 03 – 04 – 05 – 06 – 07 – 08 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19 – 20 – 21 – 22 – 23 – 24 – 25 – 26 – 27

Celebrating The Birthday Of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba

Celebrating The Birthday Of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba

In a Most Wonderful Divine Discourse on September 28th, 1991, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba says about Shirdi Sai Baba:

Sathya Sai Baba: In the former Nizam’s dominions, there was a remote village called Pathri. In that village there were a couple named Gangabhavadya and Devagiriamma. They were grieving over the lack of children. In answer to their prayers a son was born on September 28, 1835.

Today is the anniversary of that day. The child was Sai Baba.

His Samadhi (death) occurred on Vijayadasami day in 1918. September 28, 1835 was his date of birth. On Vijayadasami day, he gave up his body. Although this year Vijayadasami falls on September 29th, in the year of Baba’s Samadhi the date was different.

“The first advent of Sai was in Maharashtra. The second advent will be in Madras,” Shirdi Baba said. It should be noted that when this form (Sathya Sai) made its advent, Andhra Pradesh was part of Madras Presidency. When he was asked, in what form the next advent would take place, Shirdi Baba told Abdul Baba alone: “I will give darsan in the name of Sathya for upholding Truth.” That is the present advent.

The two bodies are different, but the Divinity is one. The first advent was revealing Divinity. The second advent is to awaken the Divinity (in human beings). The next advent is for propagating Divinity. The three Sai’s are: Shirdi Sai, Sathya Sai and Prema Sai.

So let us celebrate Sri Shirdi Sai’s 174th Birthday on September 28th.

Om Sai Ram

Kumar Mahadevan

Sathya Sai Baba Critic Turned Psychic Medium Exposed For Fraud

Sathya Sai Baba Critic Turned Psychic Medium Exposed For Fraud

The following admission came from an e-mail that Sai Baba critic Conny Larsson personally sent to Robert Priddy (which was forwarded to Kevin R.D. Shepherd; a caustic critic and defamer of Sathya Sai Baba) in which Conny Larsson explicitly DENIED that he is a psychic, medium, channeler and/or clairvoyant.

kevinrdshepherd.info/internet_terrorist_gerald_joe_moreno.html
Conny Larsson: “I could keep on interpreting the texts for hours, and in that sense people sometimes make their own opinion that I’m channelling, but in fact it is only me speaking out what is in my own intuitional knowledge.”
(Kevin R.D. Shepherd: This quote appeared in an email to myself from ex-devotee Robert Priddy dated December 2008.)

Kevin R.D. Shepherd: “The same qualifying source also relayed that Larsson has denied being clairvoyant, clairaudient, or telepathic.” (View Screencap Reference)

Therefore, Conny Larsson’s explicit DENIAL of being a psychic, medium, channeler or clairvoyant is now a documented, substantiated and irrefutable fact supported by an email sent to Robert Priddy (and viewed by Kevin R.D. Shepherd) by Conny Larsson himself. Since Robert Priddy is a known defender, supporter and associate of Conny Larsson, this information is a first-hand source that cannot be considered biased, distorted or irrelevant.

Needless to say, Moreno wrote an extensive article fully documenting and fully exposing Conny Larsson’s pervasive Trance Channel & Psychic Medium claims in an article entitled Kevin Shepherd & Psychic Medium Conny Larsson.

It is an irrefutable fact that Conny Larsson widely solicited himself as a Trance Channel & Psychic Medium on numerous New Age websites, including his own domains! The most damning evidence against Conny Larsson was published by an independent National Swedish Newspaper (Norrlandska Socialdemokraten) that wrote an article about Conny Larsson entitled “Medium Draws Full House” (Swedish: “Medium Drog Fullt Hus”) in which it was published (with Conny Larsson’s knowledge) that:

Norrlandska Socialdemokraten Published That Conny Larsson Was A Psychic Medium

1. Conny Larsson personally claimed he is a psychic trance medium.
2. Conny Larsson performs spirit seances.
3. Conny Larsson personally talked about “protective spirits” on the Astral Realms and claimed he was protected by them.
4. Conny Larsson went into a trance and channeled the dead dog of a woman in the audience, claiming the dog still barks and stands at her house.
5. Conny Larsson channeled an astral message for Gun Isaxon (a Communist party leader in Sweden) from her deceased father, warning of health problems and not to take any office.
6. Conny Larsson gave a demonstration of aura cleansing on an elderly woman in the audience by using a crystal pendulum.
7. Conny Larsson claimed that body piercings affect acupuncture and meridian points and are harmful on the “cellular level”.
8. Conny Larsson claimed he has 10,000 devotees / students in Sweden and around the world.
9. Conny Larsson attracted “large numbers” of women (judging from the picture in the article, 100% were women).
10. Many people remember Conny Larsson as the clown “Beppo”.
11. Conny Larsson claimed that “Words have power. Together we can bring peace and love.”
12. Conny Larsson warned his audience about “charlatans” who charge money for their services. Nevertheless, participants paid 100 kronor (US $14) as an entry fee (the article claimed over a hundred women were present, meaning that Conny Larsson grossed US $1,400+ just on admission fees). The weekend meditation fee is 400 kronor (US $58) and individual psychic healing sessions are 500 kronor (US $72). The article also claimed that over 400 people were learning meditation from Conny Larsson (meaning that he grossed US $23,200+ on his meditation classes alone).
13. Conny Larsson also sold books and CDs about himself at the lecture (notice the money-making trend?).

After promoting himself since the year 2000 as a Vedic Master, Meditation Master, Mantra Acharya, Aura Cleanser, Chakra Aligner, Crystal Power Promoter, New Age Adept, Psychic Medium and Trance Channel for Maharishi Vyasa, Conny Larsson sent an email to Robert Priddy in December 2008 stating he is NOT (and never has been) a Psychic Medium or Trance Channel! Therefore, Conny Larsson’s previous claims about being a Psychic Medium and Trance Channel are entirely FALSE, FABRICATED and FRAUDULENT! Thank you Mr. Conny Larsson for coming clean and acknowledging your deceit, deception and fraudulence after a gap of eight years.

Conny Larsson should publicly recant and publish a statement on his official domains stating he is NOT (and never has been) a psychic, medium, channeler and/or clairvoyant and that his former claims of such were not true. Conny Larsson should stop hiding behind private emails and should vindicate his so-called dedication to the “truth” by coming clean in the open (just as he demands of Sathya Sai Baba, Sai Devotees and Pro-Sai Activists).

Robert Priddy believes that psychics, mediums and channelers are “absurd charlatans”. Obviously, Conny Larsson is no exception. Robert Priddy’s condemnation is also directed to all of the alleged psychics, mediums and channelers that Conny Larsson promotes, endorses and associates himself with on his vedicmasterclass.org and heartandsoulexpo.com domains.

Nice friend you got there, Mr. Conny Larsson!

These are the laughable fools who are attempting to “expose” Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Reference

Satyopanishad – Upanishad Of Sri Sathya Sai – Part 1

Sathya Sai Baba

Satyopanishad – Upanishad Of Sri Sathya Sai – Part 1
Anil Kumar Kamaraju Questions Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! India (Bharat) is the land of religion and spirituality. All the incarnations have taken birth in Bharat. What is the reason behind this?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Bharat is yogabhumi, the land of spirituality. Bharat is punyabhumi, the sacred land. Bharat is karmabhumi, the land of sacred activity. Bharat is tyagabhumi, the land of renunciation. Here saints, sages, seers, aspirants, seekers and devotees pray to God to enjoy His proximity. This necessitates the descent of God in human form or incarnation. In response to their fervent appeals and prayers, God, out of His grace and compassion, descends on Earth or incarnates and moves amidst us. Devotees then experience bliss and follow Him.

Here is an illustration. You asked why Bharat alone has always been the birthplace of the incarnations. You know that the train has an engine in the front with several carriages connected to it. The power or energy generated there in the engine pulls the carriages forward. Where do you find the driver? Naturally, he sits in the engine monitoring the train, does he not? Similarly, in the train of the world, Bharat is in the position of an engine and the carriages are the several countries attached to it. God is the driver. The engine is His place. Just as we find heat and power generated there, we also find the same elements produced as a result of sacred rituals such as yajnas and yagas performed from time to time in this land of Bharat.

In the great epic, the Mahabharata we find Arjuna and Bhima always following Dharmaja. Here, Arjuna stands for intelligence while Bhima symbolises physical strength. Now, Bharat is in the position of Dharmaja. America is Arjuna, while Russia is Bhima. Just as you find Bhima and Arjuna obeying the command of Dharmaja, America and Russia should follow Bharat.

In the very name “Bharat” we have three letters. (Written in Telugu, “Bharat” comprises three letters). Bha, the first letter stands for bhava or feeling, ra, the second signifies raga, tune, or melody, and ta, the third indicates tala or beat. Thus, Bharat is the country where the glory of God is sung with bhava, raga and tala. This country has another name Hindudesam which means a country that shuns violence, ‘Him’ himsa or violence, ‘du’ du ra or shuns. For these reasons God has chosen to incarnate or descend in human form in Bharat.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! We find people of every religion following a specific sacred text and a particular path. But in Sanatana Dharma, we have numerous paths, texts, and procedures such as dualism, qualified non-dualism and non-dualism, the nine paths of devotion, the six Darsanas, the four Vedas, numerous Sastras, and so on. How are we to understand these and practice the principles of Sanatana Dharma?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Sanatana Dharma is the most ancient spiritual way of life. Its diversity matches the spectrum of human behavioral tendencies, temperaments and mental attitudes. It is practical and confers divine experiences.

A small example. You buy a piece of cloth and give it to a tailor to make a suit for you. The tailor will get your suit ready according to your measurements, does he not? You cannot wear a dress made for someone else. It may be too loose or too tight, too long or too short. Therefore, your dress must be according to your size. Similarly, some may like Rama, some Siva, Krishna, and so on. They find it easy to concentrate on the deity of their choice, whereas the followers of other faiths may have to wear one dress of one and the same size.

Another example. You may know the nadasvaram, the South Indian musical instrument required to be played on every auspicious occasion. To maintain srti or rhythm by way of an accompaniment, one person plays an instrument in the same way all through. On the other hand, with nadasvaram you can play any number of ragas or tunes. Sanatana Dharma is like the nadasvaram.

Another example: Whatever, the combination of optional subjects you may take in Science during your undergraduate programme, be it ‘M.P.C.’ (Maths, Physics and Chemistry) or “C.B.Z.” (Chemistry, Botany and Zoology), you get a B.Sc. degree. Similarly, in the university established by Sage Vyasa, you can opt for any course like the Sastras, the Vedas, the Upanishads, etc. This is the significance of our ancient Sanatana Dharma, which gives ample freedom for you to select and follow.

Another example: A pharmacist and a cafe owner got headache on the same day. Seeking relief, the pharmacist went to the cafe for a cup of coffee, and the cafe owner to the medical shop for a tablet. So one has faith in a cup of coffee while the other trusts a tablet. In the same way, you should follow the spiritual path you believe in, and the text that is convincing and appealing to you.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Muslims go to a mosque every Friday to pray (namaj), and Christians go to a church every Sunday. Then, how is it that Hindus do not meet in a temple like other religious groups?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: You are wrong if you think Hindus should. They are not required to specially meet on a specific day like others. Why? Every Hindu has a puja room or an altar in his home particularly meant for worship. He prays there every day. So there is no need for him to assemble for mass prayer or to pray on specific days like people belonging to other religions.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Since God is omnipresent and omniscient, do we need temples and should we go on pilgrimage to holy places like Shirdi, Puttaparti, Tirupati, and so on?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: This is a foolish question. You are exhibiting your ignorance and your ‘fashionable’ way of thinking, which, more often than not, is incorrect. There is no relationship between what is said and what is experienced. You say that God is everywhere. But it is merely an expression, vocal and verbal. Do you really have strong faith that God is present everywhere? Do you have that experience of the divinity, which is all pervasive? You are simply speaking like a parrot.

I give you here a simple example. Blood circulates throughout the body of a cow. But you can draw milk only out of the udder! You can’t squeeze the ear or twist the tail of a cow to get its milk, can you? Therefore, the all pervading God can be visualised and experienced in a temple and at a holy pilgrim centre.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Why did the ancient rishis, sages and saints, choose forests to undertake tapas or penance? Why did they prefer solitude?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: There is significance undoubtedly. Why did they choose forests for penance? Here is an example. Suppose an exhibition is organised in a city. Naturally, the stalls there and the articles kept there for sales attract you. The music, eatables, clothes, etc., draw you. The exhibits attract your senses since you find them right before you. But in a forest, there is nothing to attract or distract your attention.

Solitude helps you to maintain the inner peace and tranquility needed for meditation. It provides a congenial atmosphere for spiritual life. So, saints and sages always did penance in forests. In other words, “forest” is “for rest” spiritually.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! We don’t find any understanding between any two persons, but only mutual bickering and differences. We hardly find any unity or brotherhood between man and man. What is the reason?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: There is one thing you should clearly know when you think of unity and differences among people. What is the reason? Today there is no understanding between any two persons. The absence of understanding is the main cause of all the conflicts, enmity, and differences. Therefore, people do not adjust with others. Adjustment is possible only when there is understanding. But, today you are moving in the opposite direction. You think that you can adjust first and then understand each other. But, that is wrong. You must first understand and adjustment then becomes easy.

Here is a small illustration. When there is perfect understanding between you and your wife, she does not mind if you return home late from your office. She pities you and sympathizes with you. With all her concern and love, she brings you a cup of coffee. But, if by any chance, there is a slight misunderstanding, and your return from office is delayed even by five minutes, there will be a civil war at home. Why? Misunderstanding is the cause of her inability to adjust. It makes her put questions like: “Where have you been till now? Where did you go? With whom did you spend the time?” etc. So understanding is very necessary for proper adjustment. Many problems of society today can be solved if this is realised.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Hindus are criticised for worshipping idols, trees, etc. Many think that this is all superstition and blind faith. What do you feel about this, Swami?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Bharat is the spiritual centre of the world. This is the country that practised, preached and propagated that divinity exists in all the living and the nonliving, right from an atom to the entire cosmos. You will notice that here, in this country, putta, anthill, gutta, mountain, chettu, tree and pitta, bird are objects of veneration and worship. An anthill is worshipped as the abode of Lord Subrahmanya, a bird is respected as the vehicle of Lord Vishnu, a mountain is spiritually important as it is viewed as Govardhana lifted by Lord Krishna, and a tree is worshipped as the asvatthavriksa. All objects are divine according to our scriptures. This is not superstition. This is not in any way blind faith. Sanatana Dharma wants us to view, feel, and experience divinity everywhere. This is the spiritual path. This is the highest and noblest experience.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Kindly tell us what is to be done in our country now?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: You don’t have to protect your country now. You should protect and uphold Sathya and Dharma. You should of necessity follow these twin principles. They will protect the entire universe. You should develop love for the Universe in all its vastness and magnitude.

Love all and serve all. You should rise above the narrow limits of caste, creed and nationality. You should believe in the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. You should never waste time. Gratitude must be expressed by rendering service to the society in which you are born, grew up, made money and earned reputation. Be patriotic and strive for integration, harmony, peace and security in society. You should follow and uphold the great and unique Indian culture.

Cultivate human values and realise the divinity within you. Politics without Principles, Commerce without Morality, Science without Humanity, and Education without Character are not only useless, but also dangerous. You should be a perfect, ideal man. You are from God. You are the spark of the Divine. Hence, your qualities should be daiva, divine and not dayyam, demonic. You say, “I am a human being”. This is only half a truth. The other half is, “I am not an animal”. You should give up animal qualities. If you have both bestial and human qualities, it means your mind is dual. The man with a dual mind is half blind.

If you place a ceiling on your desires, you will be happy. He who has many desires is the poorest man. The man with contentment is the richest man. Guna, virtue is more important than ana, wealth.

You should know the purpose and the goal of life. Life is not for eating, drinking, and sleeping alone. Animals also do the same. What is your specialty, then? God has gifted you this life in order that you may know, experience and realise the divinity within you. Morality and integrity are very important. Nitiye jati, morality, indeed, is national character. A Telugu verse runs as follows:

adi vadalitiv o kotikante hinud avu,
jati gauravamu ni tipai nilucunu
ni ti kalugu jati nijamaina jati

Without character, you are worse than a monkey. The prestige of a nation depends on its morality. That nation alone deserves to be called a nation when it truly maintains high standards of morality and individuality.

You should always remember these three important points. The first is: do not trust the way of the world. Sometimes it not only deludes and distracts you, but betrays you also. The second is: never forget God who is always with you, in you, above you, below you. Nay, you are God. The third is: do not fear death, as it is sure to take place. In fact, death is the dress of life. Follow the sacred path in life by maintaining unity in thought, word and deed.

There is one more thing I want you to note. Open your heart and close your mouth. Today, people speak what they don’t really mean; their hearts are full of jealousy, pride, envy, and what not. I want you to open your heart and be free from all those that pollute it and close your mouth. Dedicate your life to service. Keep God as your ultimate aim and goal. This is what I mean when I say, “Hands in society and Head in the forest”.

You should share your precious knowledge and valuable experience with others. You should share Sai’s message with others. Have faith in yourself first and then you can trust God. The real cause of the problem of the present day lies here. You don’t have faith in yourself. You have no self-confidence.

Consider gramaseva, rural service as Rama Seva, service to God. Explain clearly to the villagers issues like hygiene, health, cleanliness, and organise medical camps. Ensure to everyone water supply, especially drinking water supply. Tell them about the evil effects of smoking and drinking. Help them to get rid of these bad habits. If you work and serve mingling closely with the local people, in course of time, they will be able to work independently and become self reliant. Service to man is service to God. Service is a greater and higher spiritual path than meditation, penance, worship and chanting. Serve the poor and the needy.

Don’t be selfish. Don’t give any scope for jealousy, pride and attachment. Develop virtues like devotion, adherence to truth, discipline, broadmindedness, and never yield to pomp, pride and egoism. Bad qualities are like tigers while noble qualities are like cows. Will tigers allow cows to live? No. So, don’t have any evil tendencies in your heart. You should imbibe human values more and more, and live up to the ideals you cherish.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Kindly tell us about Vasishtha and Visvamitra the two sages who are very prominent in the Ramayana?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: In ancient days, kings were always guided by their preceptor. They consulted him on all major issues. That was how satya and dharma were maintained and upheld. History shows instances when kings approached their gurus for blessings and guidance, and thus became great. You know how King Krishnadevaraya was guided by his mentor and preceptor, Vidyaranya, and Emperor Sivaji by Samartha Ramadas.

Rama and Lakshmana followed Sage Visvamitra, learnt archery from him and killed demons like Khara and Dushana who were obstructing and desecrating Vedic rituals like yajnas and yagas in the forest. Thus, Visvamitra was instrumental in demonstrating to the world at large the valour and expertise of Rama and Lakshmana. Visvamitra also taught Rama the most sacred mantra, the Gayatri. Visvamitra was also responsible for the divine wedding of Sita and Rama, which was in essence a union of prakriti, matter and purusa, energy, the Absolute one. He was and is the mitra, friend, of visva, the entire Universe, and so the name of the sage has been so apt and befitting.

Visvamitra was the one who gave Gayatri Mantra to mankind. As he was growing in spiritual stature, he wished to be called Brahmarshi by Vasishtha. He was always competitive and envious of Vasishtha to the extent of even resolving to kill him. On a full moon day he planned to kill Vasishtha and was holding in his hand a big stone to be thrown on his head. Meanwhile, he heard Vasishtha tell his wife Arundhati how bright and beautiful the moonlight was and how it was equal to the power of the penance of Visvamitra. His mind immediately changed and he fell at the feet of Vasishtha and the latter addressed him as Brahmarshi since he had conquered his ego.

Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Among the sages, how is Valmiki noteworthy?

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: The Ramayana was both composed and recited during the time of Rama’s incarnation. As for the great sage and ascetic Valmiki, besides being a contemporary of Rama, he, as the author of the Ramayana, is the very first poet. He gave shelter to Sita, renowned for her virtue and chastity, brought up her sons, Lava and Kusa, and taught them archery and all the arts. Thus, he played a vital role in the Ramayana.

Having completed the Ramayana, he thought deeply about popularising such a great work. At that juncture, Lava and Kusa came forward and took a vow in the presence of Valmiki and other distinguished sages that they would themselves sing the Ramayana and offer its nectar to people all over the world. Thus, Valmiki has the unique distinction of composing the divine Ramayana as Rama’s contemporary and having it sung in Rama’s presence. Valmiki proclaimed to the whole world the ideals and divinity of Rama, the protector of the world and the inspirer of His muse. Thus, it was only from the Tretayuga that the divinity within humanity began to shine forth.

The purpose of the incarnation of Rama was to pass on to mankind the whole duty of man. What is happening today is exactly the same phenomenon. You would have noticed how in the present avatar too, biographies are written by contemporaries and the Divinity is acknowledged, worshipped, experienced, and celebrated all over the world. That all this is happening during the time of the incarnation is another parallel to Rama’s descent. The same Ideal! The same Love! The same Message, viz., the practice of Sathya and Dharma.

Upanishad means the “inner” or “mystic teaching”. The term Upanishad is derived from “upa” (near), “ni” (down) and “shad” (to sit), i.e., sitting down near. Groups of pupils sit near the teacher to learn from him/her the secret doctrine. In the quietude of the forest hermitages the Upanishadic thinkers pondered on the problems of deepest concerns and communicated their knowledge to fit pupils near them. The most well known Upanishads are: Aitareya, Brihadaranyaka, Taittiriya, Chandogya, Kena, Isa, Svetasvatara, Katha, Mundaka, Mandukya, Prasna, Kausitaki, Maitrayani, Kausitaki, Muktika and Shakta. The Satyopanishad is the Upanishad of Truth (Sathya) but more specifically the Truth as revealed by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Anil Kumar questions the illustrious Guru and provides us with Sathya Sai Baba’s answers to ponder, ruminate and derive ananda.

Twenty Seven Pages Of Satyopanishad:
01 – 02 – 03 – 04 – 05 – 06 – 07 – 08 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19 – 20 – 21 – 22 – 23 – 24 – 25 – 26 – 27

Fill Every Moment With Quality

Sathya Sai Baba

Fill Every Moment With Quality

In March this year I was privileged to be in the residence of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba along with devotees. As we waited eagerly for the sudden flash of the Red Robe, He appeared beaming with a smile; his eyes flashed “Vidyullekha”. I waited in grateful expectancy for events to unfold themselves. In Baba’s Presence we learn the art of waiting for things to happen; anything unexpected can and will happen!

He suddenly turned towards me and said: “So, you have been transferred to Bangalore!” He was asking me this question after several months of my transfer even after I had first reported to Him before taking charge of my assignment! Like others I have also wondered why Baba the ‘Omnipresent’, the ‘Omniscient’, asks such questions and sometimes even feigns ignorance! I have found an answer which I believe is true.

Supposing Baba starts telling in front of everybody about us, what is in our mind and all our deeds and misdeeds, how many of us will have the courage to go to Him again? If He reveals all the time His Divinity and the attributes of “Omnipresence” few of us will dare go to him; the skin-deep facade of a devotee which we all maintain even in His Presence, is so fragile that it will be shattered and there will be no scope for improvement and the ‘transformation’ for which He has incarnated. So, in His mercy He gives us the impression that He is merely human and envelopes us with this Maya that is essential for our transformation which, unfortunately, is slow. ‘Kramakramena’, ‘gradually’ you will have to give up your undesirable habits, He says in His infinite patience!

Returning to the occasion when He asked me the question, I said, “Yes! Swami” and I thought that was the best occasion to volunteer additional information. “Swami I have only 71 days more before I retire.” I hoped that He would say, “Yes! Bangaroo! Time will pass and you will join Swami’s service.” He suddenly turned round and looked at me with those penetrating eyes. Out came the Sadguru’s mantra: “Whether it is 71 days, 71 hours, or 71 minutes or 71 seconds, quality is most important” and in His characteristic style. He turned round and conveyed the same message to all. “Quality is important, isn’t it?” He asked them, His way of confirmation.

This is Sathya Sai Baba’s method; He uses all occasions to convey important lessons of spirituality in daily living by such mantra. He aims the mantra not only at the direct recipient but also at others who might care to learn the lesson. One will miss the import of His statements if one thinks that it was meant only for the individual who happened to be the target..

Sathya Sai Baba shook me from my stupor. He has repeatedly said that all work is His; there is nothing like Sai service and government Service.. All that you do is for Sai only; in fact it is for yourself, for awakening the Sai within you. Not that I did not know these teachings of His. But again I had forgotten the lesson and the ever vigilant Sadguru had given me the lesson again at the right moment.

What a great formula for Ananda! What is important is not what happens after 71 days. What is important is that till that last second we do not forget that it is His work and that we should carry out the work assigned with the highest quality since it is His Worship through whatever He has assigned. “The past is beyond recovery. Those days are gone. The future you are not sure of. The given moment is NOW! Sanctify it with holy thoughts, words and deeds,” He has declared. “Quality” means sanctifying every moment with holy thoughts, words and deeds. “The most important thing in life is not doing what you like, but liking what you have to do”, Sathya Sai Baba has told us. These are the keys to spirituality in daily living.

Can we do this in the office, in the factory, in the kitchen or in any other vocation and avocation? Yes! We can; we should try to bear in mind some of the other mantras He has given us. We can sanctify our thoughts, words and deeds if they are not motivated by the six enemies which the ancients had correctly identified, Kama (passion), krodha (anger), lobha (greed) moha (attachment) , mada (pride), matsarya (envy). Difficult? Yes but not impossible if we try. Read any book on modern psychology; you will learn that all our diseases are due to these six enemies; our diseases are psychosomatic caused by these passions.

There is another aspect to filling every moment with “quality.” We must be fully involved in enjoying the quality of the work we do! That itself becomes “fulfillment” rather than the fruit of the act. In fact the real fruit of the act is the sweetness of the process. The game is more important than whether we win or lose! That is the real meaning of the Lord’s statement, “Work alone is thy concern; not the fruits thereof.”

Knowing that we are all forgetful I pray: “Baba give me the wisdom to remember your mantra when it is most needed and fill every moment with the highest quality, for which you have endowed me with abilities..”

(Extracted from an article by M.V.N.Murthy, published in Sanathana Sarathi, June, 1981)

A Prayer Answered

Sathya Sai Baba Hands

A Prayer Answered

Hospitals may provide the facilities for treating a patient but in the ultimate analysis, it is God who really cures. There are innumerable instances of how Sathya Sai Baba intervenes, when the doctor feels that the situation is hopeless. Here is just one example, an episode narrated by Ravi Mariwala, which proves the point. Ravi Mariwala is one of Sathya Sai Baba‘s students; a graduate of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration. The Super Speciality Hospital in Puttaparthi came into existence just at the time he was graduating. Many boys, especially with MBA degrees, volunteered to serve in the hospital, and Ravi was one of them. Ravi Mariwala operates the Heart-Lung machine, the vital instrument in cardiac surgery. This is what he had to say:

A patient being operated for a congenital defect was unable to recover heart function sufficiently, to come off the heart-lung machine and generate adequate systemic pressure. We tried everything but nothing seemed to work. Everyone was beginning to despair. We discussed the matter, rested the heart again, and added some more drugs. We only failed once more. We were absolutely helpless. It occurred to me that we had tried everything but prayer.

Prayer for a person not known to me? Would it work? I think that is why it did.

As I had been in the theatre for five hours already, I was briefly relieved by a colleague. I came into the corridor outside the theatre and stood silently for a minute, trying to recollect Sai’s face in my mind’s eye. I said a silent prayer for the patient’s recovery.

Immediately thereafter, I returned to the theatre. The situation had changed completely. The blood pressure had improved, and the heart had recovered! Strangely, no one knew how or why; I did not say anything to anyone.

The incident passed. The patient’s recovery was smooth. On the Sunday that followed, Swami came to me, created vibhuti, put it into my hands and lovingly said, “This is for the prayer that you said for that patient.” He then proceeded to describe the incident to others. Here was Sathya Sai Baba rewarding me for the miracle.

Buddha Shaped Pears – Pears In The Shape Of The Budha

Buddha Shaped Pears – Pears In The Shape Of The Budha

Buddha Pears - Pears In The Shape Of The Budha

Gao Xianzhang (an indigenous farmer hailing from the village of Hexia in Northern China) has managed to mould juicy pears into little Buddha figurines. Gao Xianzhang worked six years to perfect his Buddha-Pear-Growing technique and has grown over 10,000 Buddha-shaped baby pears with amazing and inspiring results. The pears are grown in an aerated plastic Buddha mould, each painstakingly attached to baby pears during the growing phase. Many people purchase Gao Xianzhang’s Buddha Pears as soon as they are picked and the mere sight of the Buddha Pears hanging from the trees induce a sense of the surreal and meditative. People believe that the Budha pears will bring them good luck and have been willing to pay upto US $7 for each pear.

Sai Miracle Children

Sathya Sai Baba

Sai Miracle Children

A completely new and fascinating phase of Sathya Sai Baba‘s work for mankind has been launched. He is bringing to birth in different parts of the world, what I have termed ‘Sai miracle children’. He is reported to have told a Sai devotee who has spent a long period with Sathya Sai Baba at the ashram in India that there will be thirteen of these children and I understand that there are five of them in incarnation already. One of the five is in Holland, another in India, two of them in countries that I am not certain of and a fifth one in Australia. Of the latter, I am quite certain, as I have spoken to his mother and had reports from several of my close friends who have been to visit him and I have a photograph of the little boy himself.

The story of his birth, which was related to me by his mother and the account of his subsequent miraculous manifestations are of such an outstanding nature that they would perhaps sound incredible to any but Sai devotees of long-experience and deep understanding, yet there are many unimpeachable witnesses to them. First then, the birth. When she was six and a half months pregnant, and certainly not expecting the birth of the child, she was having a meal one day in a well-known restaurant with her husband and possibly some friends. She told me that during the meal, she suddenly had a vision of a group of monkeys standing in front of her making excited noises, while the one who appeared to be leader came close and was talking to her in some language that she did not understand. She could make nothing of this vision of excited monkeys. Although a Sai devotee, I expect she had not read about Lord Rama and his army of monkeys led by the great devotee, Hanuman but to me it seems that the child in the mother’s womb has some close connection with Lord Rama. At any rate, on the following day, the mother was rushed to the hospital as the birth of the child was imminent. She told me that while she was getting undressed to go to bed in the hospital, she saw Vibhuti oozing from her body, particularly around the stomach area. Immediately she felt it must have a connection with the child she was carrying. She did not feel that she, herself, was worthy of such a manifestation, so the child within her must be very holy indeed. She felt some worry however, that he was arriving so prematurely. He arrived that day and was very small indeed, weighing only a kilo and a half. He was put into a crib and at this particular hospital it was customary to write the religion of the child just born, on a label to be put on the crib, in order that ministers of religion visiting the newborn babies could give their blessings to any child born into their religious flock. This mother and her husband were close followers of Sai Baba, so on the label for religion, she wrote ‘Sai Baba’. She was somewhat surprised and very pleased that all the religious leaders who visited the hospital that day, including a Buddhist priest and several from Christian denominations, as well as giving their blessings to the newborn children of their own religious denominations, all came and blessed the little boy under the label ‘Sai Baba’. On this first day of his life, something else surprised her when, going to look at him lying in the crib, she saw a gold cross lying on his forehead. It had just appeared there as he lay asleep so she took it off and hung it around his neck.

Although so tiny at birth, the little boy was perfectly healthy and grew quickly to normal size. East and west met in the two parents. The beautiful and spiritually advanced mother was Singhalese, from Sri Lanka, while the tall, handsome father came from Greece. They named their Sai miracle son, Alexander Saisha. He is generally called Alex. I know, as I have a photograph of Alex, taken when he was between two and three years old that he is a very handsome little boy indeed.

The account of the miracles that flow from him was given to me partly by his mother and completed by my close friends who have visited him. I think the Vibhuti must have been manifesting on his skin while he was still a baby-in-arms. I know the Vibhuti appearing on his face and head could not have been such a nuisance to him as it was to the little Vibhuti baby-in-arms that the Indian parents brought to Sathya Sai Baba over twenty years ago. I saw it appearing immediately after the mother had wiped it off him, she, and the baby’s father had brought him to Prashanti Nilayam to beg Sathya Sai Baba to make the manifestation of Vibhuti less frequent. I write about it in my book entitled Sai Baba Avatar. I would say that little Alex of Australia is not a fallen Yogi reborn, as Sathya Sai Baba said the little Indian child was. Alexander Saisha is one of the group being sponsored into incarnation by Sai Baba for a particular purpose of which I will say something later on.

Sometime after the manifestation of Vibhuti on his skin, Amrita began to flow at about the third eye area. This is sometimes called ‘the nectar of the Gods’. Then a healing oil bearing a wonderful perfume, started to flow from the crown of his head. This oil, of which I have been given a little myself, is reported to have cured cases of cancer. Of course, neither the Amrita nor the oil are flowing constantly, which would be too much for the child to bear. They flow intermittently, sufficient for quantities of each to be kept in bowls by the parents, for gifts to some of the lucky visitors. I, myself, have also received a little of the Vibhuti and can say that it’s taste is not like any other Vibhuti I have ever had. It is sweet with some indefinable pleasant flavour.

Another outstanding phenomenon manifested by this little Australian boy who is not yet quite three years old, is the production of Shiva lingams. They do not come up from within his interior or by the wave of his hand, as do those of Sai Baba, but simply appear in the palm of his little hand as he lies asleep in his bed. He may be either asleep or awake when they appear but they are of remarkable size, some larger than a duck egg, his mother tells me and they are all made of beautiful crystal of glorious colours. Sathya Sai Baba, himself, who is frequently in the house tells the mother to whom these sacred symbols of Lord Shiva should be given. It is really a great honour to receive one.

Another remarkable production recently begun by the little miracle boy is items of jewellery. Although a few of these have been medallions, the great majority have been rings golden rings. Between thirty and forty of these have come from Alex up to this time of writing which is May, 2001. Some of the rings have borne precious stones, and all appear of first class quality, “The kind you would find in the best jeweller’s shops,” remarked an observer friend of mine. The rings may appear in his little hand partly buried in Vibhuti, or they may be lying beside the sleeping child. Rose petals are often found, strewn by some unseen power, on each side of the little sacred form. Sometimes, the shining gold rings are found among the rose petals. Who receives these beautiful and valuable rings? Once or twice the little boy himself has handed a ring to some lady among the daily visitors, but generally I understand, the oft present Lord Sai in subtle form tells the mother for whom each of these rings is intended. Some of the ladies who receive the jewellery, are overwhelmed at the receipt of such a precious gift. The reader may well guess that this little Australian member of Sathya Sai Baba’s miracle team receives plenty of visitors. The fact is, that although no publicity, bar that of word of mouth, has ever been given, people from all over Australia and many from abroad come daily to see him. The house where he lives is a small one and only thirty people at a time can sit comfortably there. The generous hard-working mother books people who apply by phone, allowing for thirty each day, six days of the week. Sunday is a rest day. Applications have been on such a scale that she is always booked out for some nine months ahead. They certainly cannot cope with more than this number and that is why the parents have asked me not to give any indication of the location of the little boy and his unnamed parents in this chapter.

These young parents are not rich, just the reverse in fact, yet they give food as Prasad to all the daily visitors. My Carer, Sita Iyer, along with two good friends of mine, had the blessing and the great joy of visiting the home recently on a day when mainly friends of the family were present. They described the food served as, “More like a banquet”. In the main, the mother cooks the meal herself with some help from a member of her family. One of my friends heard the mother say, “I cook for Sathya Sai Baba, and he is often here while I’m cooking to direct me. Then I serve it as Prasad to my little son’s visitors.” I know personally, from long experience that only the best quality food is served in Sathya Sai Baba’s presence and that when visiting friends to have a meal He usually goes to the kitchen first and either helps cook Himself, or gives advice to the cook. So I understand that when he supervises the cooking for the visitors of His miracle child and perhaps He stays there some of the time when it is served, the little mother considers that nothing but the best is good enough. But, the question is, how does a young couple on a small income provide such expensive food for so many people six days in the week? I know that some of my friends think of the ‘loaves and fishes’ when Jesus fed the multitude. I feel myself that something like this must be the answer. I have known cases in India where Sathya Sai Baba has multiplied the food and I think of Jack Hislop’s remarkable and story about how when he was on a visit with Sathya Sai Baba and the hostess was overcome with embarrassment because she did not have the food to serve them dinner, Sathya Sai Baba said to Hislop, “Go and get the food in the car, Hislop.” Jack knew full well that there was no food in the car but he went anyway. He found, standing near Sathya Sai Baba’s car, two Angels holding a tray of food between them. A big tray it was, but Jack managed to carry it inside, his face still stamped with a look of amazement, at which Sathya Sai Baba said, “You can shut your mouth Hislop, They are always there but you just don’t see Them.”

The parents of little Alex do not say how this miracle is achieved. It, like so many other things of which they do not speak, are private matters between them and Sathya Sai Baba. And so, for their comfort and indeed for the little boy, I can only say that their location is somewhere in the vast continent of Australia. Furthermore, I know nothing of the other four miracle children except that they exist. As they are all Sai-sponsored children I presume their miraculous powers must be the same as, or similar to, those of little Alexander Saisha. Anyone may hear by word-of-mouth, of the location of any one of the team of Sai miracle children, but if it is the Australian one, please remember that the parents who are true Sai Baba devotees will not accept a donation in the form of food, money or in any other way.

Now, let us consider briefly, what Sathya Sai Baba may have in mind in initiating this new and unexpected phase in his mission. Sathya Sai Baba has not told anybody to my knowledge about any special reason he may have so I can only give my own opinion here. I have stated in a number of places in my writings that Sathya Sai Baba has said, in fact he said it as early as the 1960′s, that the Golden Age will begin before he leaves this body, which will be in 2021. So, I expect that every well-informed Sai Devotee is aware that this is the culminating point of his mission to mankind. It is a greater mission than any Avatar has attempted before, but as I heard Sir George Trevelyan state from a Sai platform in Rome, “Avatars do not fail, it is not in the nature of an Avatar to fail in his mission,” or words to that effect. We know if we read the sacred writings with a little insight that the Avatars who have gone before have not failed in their main mission to mankind on earth. And so, I have great confidence that this living Avatar will not fail in his mission.

No doubt many of my readers have heard about the big propaganda campaign against Sai Baba that was launched in recent times. The dark or backward-pulling forces were undoubtedly aiming to ruin the Avatar’s mission once and for all. But, did they ruin it? The strong wind that blew away the chaff leaving only the grain behind may have helped rather than hindered his mission. Perhaps he intended for this wind to blow for what was the chaff but those of little faith and less understanding. In the words of the old hymn, those, “Who never loved him well, and those who had lost the love they had.” Of what value is such windblown chaff in the building of the critical mass that Sai Baba must create in the very short span of years that he has at his disposal. If the Golden Age is, as he has stated, to have it’s initiation in the few years between now and 2021, what is the function of the critical mass, as it is called in science. A good homely analogy is the small amount of leaven or yeast required to raise the flat loaf of unleavened bread to the level of the baker’s loaf. In the same way, the present level of the consciousness of mankind can be lifted by a quantum leap to the level required for the Golden Age by the power of the critical mass. What must this critical mass consist of in numbers and in quality? We do not know the numbers required but no doubt God does. We may, perhaps, have some thoughts about its quality, about its content; surely it must be the true grain without any admixture of chaff. It must be those devotees of God who have deep understanding, firm faith, those who are striving with all their willpower to live according to the highest values of truth and the Divine Love. In short, those devotees who are firmly on the journey home.

So it may well be, I think, that this team of thirteen miracle children are meant as a strong weapon in the building of the critical mass and thus help to bring about on time, the greatest miracle ever. That is, raising the mighty loaf of human consciousness and thereby bring about that new world of peace, contentment and joy for which we are all longing. At least, that is my opinion and my great hope.

Reference:: “The Lights of Home” by Howard Murphet

Sai Avatar And Mysticism

Sathya Sai Baba

Sai Avatar And Mysticism

I would like here to draw an interesting comparison between the teachings and missions of Sai Baba Avatar, who walks the earth today and those of Mysticism. Mysticism began as a powerful spiritual movement about one millennium ago affecting all the monotheistic religions. Whatever the founders of these religions may have taught, the ordinary members of Church, Synagogue, Mosque and Temple worship a God ‘out there’ somewhere, somewhere beyond the bright blue sky. The Mystics however, arising from the membership of the various religions found a God within themselves, deep within, seeming closer to them than breathing, nearer than hands and feet.

It may be that the fathers of the Mystic movement in each religion had an intuitive sense of the inward divinity; or it may be that the movement was born with those who had meditated deeply and discovered the inner presence. In any case, the movement grew in some religions rapidly, in some slowly. In most of the religions it was not welcomed, in some it was condemned as blasphemy to bring the austere, judgmental God from his pure throne far beyond the earth, into the intimacy of one’s personal body, into the body of sin, as thought many. This was not acceptable to a large number of the orthodox religionists, yet in spite of this opposition, the Mystical movement grew apace and eventually had a good influence on each of the monotheistic religions.

For some reason, it grew most strongly and rapidly in the Muslim religion and a good proportion of the followers of Allah became Mystics or Sufis as they were called. In the Jewish religion also, Mysticism was, and is, a strong movement; it is known as the Cabala. It had no particular name in the Christian religion but those individuals who followed the mystical path of close inner union with God were often called Saints. Some who responded to the divine voice within themselves, such as Joan of Arc, were martyred and then later canonised as Saints.

There was, moreover, a vast difference between the God of the ordinary religionist as taught in the religious institutions and the inner God of Mysticism. The former was a judgmental God giving the heavenly rewards to those who kept his Commandments; and terrible punishments, often everlasting, to those who disobeyed his laws; whereas the inner God of the Mystics seems to have been a close and loving friend, leading his human children along the pathways of love and deep understanding back to their spiritual home. It seems strange that a greater proportion of people is not attracted to the intimate God of the Mystics away from the judgmental tyrant resident in the remote skies. Perhaps it is because it is not easy for most people to find the inner divinity, maybe many more would, if they were given leadership.

When, in my student days, I was researching all the churches of every denomination to find the one that appealed to me most, I heard no mention from the pulpit of the God who resides within the heart of man. Indeed, I had to live through many decades and travel through many countries before I met the One who revealed to me the great secret, which is the secret of life itself and is so simple that it should be made known to every child.

The time was the mid sixties of last century. The place was a small garden at Brindavan, near Whitefield. I was strolling in that garden with a few men of varying ages; we were waiting for Sri Sathya Sai Baba to appear through a doorway. When he did appear, one who must have been the youngest among us, accosted him with the pointed and important question, “Are you God?” It was then that we received from the divine lips of Sathya Sai Baba, the great revelation. Perhaps it was the matter-of-fact tone of the stupendous statements that made me accept them immediately without question. He told us that we were all Gods, we were, indeed, Avatars of God, having brought God to earth within us, each one of us, when we were born, but we had forgotten this great truth long, long ago. The purpose of our lifetimes on earth, he said, was in order to remember the great truth of our own divinity. It took many lifetimes to re-discover and experience this one great truth of our identity. To help mankind in this task, Avatars with full memory of their divine identity come to earth from time to time. He, himself was one of those; he had known it from his early childhood in the remote village of Puttaparthi. “God is everywhere,” he said, “But the easiest place to find Him is within yourself.”

At later times through the years I spent with him, he frequently reminded me in many different ways of that God within, who is our true identity. Once he said, “My job as your Guru is to lead you to your inner Guru.” Then many years later he said, “I have brought you to your inner Guru or God and there is no spiritual reason why you have to come to me again.” Then he added as an afterthought, “But in a human way I always like to see you, of course.” So here was Sathya Sai Baba revealing to me, very soon after I had come to him, the reality of the inner God discovered by the Mystics through inner search, but never mentioned in Sunday School or Church. Surely every child should be told this magnificent truth about themselves.

So it is that I see Sai Avatar as a super Mystic and I ask myself what is the difference between an Avatar and a Mystic are their teachings different or the same? Is their mission on earth different or the same? Considering their earthly mission first, I see that of the Avatar today, as of all former Avatars, to be vaster, more expansive than that of a Mystic. Sai Baba, Sai Avatar, has the charisma necessary to attract huge crowds from all parts of the world and the teachings to change the consciousness of millions. He has said that he is the Avatar of the masses, whereas one such as Aurobindo is the Avatar of individuals. Unlike Aurobindo, Sai Baba’s teachings are put in simple language that does not require a philosophical bent of mind to appreciate and understand.

To all people of deep spiritual perception, the signs in the world today are not those of doom and destruction as might appear on the surface, but of a great change. A change that could be described as the death of the old world, or of the old world order and the birth of something that is entirely new, stupendous, wonderful, in fact what has been termed the Golden Age. The present Avatar has said, and I have often heard him say it, that the Golden Age will be born before he leaves his present body in the year 2021. In support of this, two of the leading ascended Masters have predicted that this new age will begin in a little over a decade from now, from this time of writing; it is now early in the year 2001. Other great workers in what Sir George Trevelyan called the ‘Force field of Light’ are working for this new age and know that it is not far distant.

No Mystic, be he Christian, Sufi, or Jewish, ever came to the world with such a mighty mission as this. The Mystic’s aim, in whatever century he was born, was to teach as many people and change the lives of as many people as he could in his lifetime. But he thinks in terms of individuals, or perhaps hundreds, and eventually maybe thousands of individuals, but his mission is not to raise in a few decades, the level of the consciousness of the whole of mankind.

One of them whom I feel to be among the greatest, that is, Rumi of the Sufi order of Mysticism must have brought many to the light through the Dervish Dancing he started in Turkey, through his poetic teaching and his great influence on the world of art, but his ambitions fell far short of bringing a quantum leap upward to the world consciousness. So, while the Avataric mission and that of the Mystics is different, their teachings in general are much the same. The differences are few, mostly a matter of degree and can be related to their missions.

While I have through the years read something of the writings of the Mystics, particularly of the Sufis, and some of the Christian Saints, the one I have studied more thoroughly is a modern Christian Mystic named Joel Goldsmith. Although he would be classed as a Christian Mystic because the Master he followed was Jesus the Christ, he was Jewish by birth and lived in our modern age from approximately 1890 to 1964. To what might appear to be a coincidence, though I believe when on the spiritual path, there is no such thing as a coincidence, most of his books and a large quantity of his audio teaching tapes, suddenly became available to Sai friends of mine. Together we studied his books and his tapes. The most remarkable thing about them is the way they fit into the Avataric teachings. Put in different words and language, style, they make an excellent supplement to what Sathya Sai Baba has taught about the relationship of man and God and, while giving a different reason for the great illusion of separateness, teach the truths of Adwaitha or the essential oneness of all mankind beneath the veil of illusion. The only difference in the teachings of the Mystic and the Avatar that I have noted, is in the matter of prayer or man’s verbal communications with God.

The Mystic, Goldsmith, follows closely his understanding of the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament which says such things as, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the rest will be added unto you.” His Master, Jesus, also says in other places that the Kingdom of God is within you and that God himself is within you and in prayer we should ask, he says, for further understanding and enlightenment and for help in living the Spiritual life of compassion, forgiveness and so on. If we do that, Joel Goldsmith points out, there is no need to ask God for any material advantages, such as a better job, a higher salary or anything else of a worldly nature, because God has said through Jesus, that all such things will be given to you if you concentrate on using prayer for the advancement of your spiritual evolution. Sai Baba, on the other hand, encourages his devotees to ask for whatever they want, whether it is material or spiritual. He says that he will give people what they want if it will not bring them any harm, in order that they will, in time, ask for the things he wants to give them. Those things are of course the spiritual treasures. So Sai devotees happily petition God for material things that will help them in their daily living. Many even ask for simple things like a parking place for the car and believe that Sathya Sai Baba helps them.

Perhaps this wider latitude granted by Sai Baba is that he calls people to him at an earlier stage in their spiritual development, earlier in their spiritual journey homeward, than those who would be attracted to the Goldsmith teachings. People have to be ready, Sathya Sai Baba says, before he calls them unto him, but they are ready at an earlier stage than they would be for the Mystic’s teachings. And so, they have analogically, the easier kindergarten or primary school privileges. Furthermore, by giving them the material trinkets they love, he establishes more firmly, their love for the living Avatar, placing their feet more firmly on the spiritual path. Interestingly I discovered, when much later he told me that he was now in my heart and visits to him physically were no longer necessary, that the material things such as rings and watches and the many other trinkets, do work as a kind of talisman in helping to bring the student to his inner God.

In speaking about the Vedic chant, the Gayathri, I have heard Sathya Sai Baba praise it because it contains only one petitional prayer and that is the request for spiritual Light. As our footsteps advance along the pathway home, our petitions to God will automatically become spiritual requests and not those of a worldly nature.

The other types of communication between man and God, those we generally call meditation or contemplation, Joel Goldsmith teaches that they should be carried out at least twice a day for a period of a quarter of an hour or more each time, and then throughout the day whenever possible, if it be only for a minute or more. This, in a sense, is like the ‘receiving’ practice in Subud, by the Master, Pak Subuh, who said that we should endeavour to receive the spirit and grace of God while we are occupied in our daily task, particularly when cooking or preparing food. Such divine blessings, he said, would be tasted by those eating the food.

Joel, like Sathya Sai Baba, gave specific instructions in different forms of meditation and said that each student would, in time, discover the best form and the most fruitful technique suitable to himself. These teachings are really no different in essence from those of Sai Avatar, except that the latter perhaps adapts the instructions for the type, manner and periods of meditation to the needs of the individual, but he does encourage all of his devotees to interweave in their daily lives, communications with God such as repetition of the divine name, quiet moments of meditation and sweet loving interchanges with the divinity. Whatever can be fitted into the necessary worldly tasks of one’s life, helps to increase the strength of one’s divine life along the pathway home.

It is interesting to note that the modern American Mystic gives as much emphasis to love or prema in the development of the divine life as does Sai Avatar. Joel is sterner than Sathya Sai Baba in condemnation of human love as being too tainted with selfishness or the element of self-interest, to equal the selfless purity of divine love. Man must be satisfied with nothing less than the attainment of this pure, selfless love. Sathya Sai Baba, while saying the same thing in principle, is a little more tolerant and understanding towards certain kinds of human love. Mother love, or more correctly, parental love, is closest to the pure love of God and in some cases where a parent is prepared to give his own life to save that of the child, love reaches its highest level. As Sathya Sai Baba said when he was on earth as Jesus the Christ, “No greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.” And there have been examples among world explorers, among warriors on the battlefields, and among members of families, of those whose love has been so great that they have willingly given their lives to save that of others. Here, the greatest of all human values reaches its zenith in the pure Divine Prema.

It is, indeed, heartwarming to know through study and experience that the stupendous mission of the world Avatar is being supported, if in a humbler and relatively modest way, by the Mystics of the world both present and past.

I would like to conclude this chapter by stating that I personally have found great joy in the realisation that Mysticism is giving its unqualified support to the work of Sai Avatar, as we workers on the divinely human path must strive to do.

Reference:: “The Lights of Home” by Howard Murphet

A Million Mother’s Love

A Million Mother’s Love
By Mr. Rakesh Menon

An alumnus of Sri Sathya Sai University, Mr. Rakesh Menon joined the Brindavan campus in the 1994 for his Bachelors in Commerce. After this he pursued his Masters in Business Administration in the Bharatiya University in the state of Tamil Nadu. He began his professional career in 2000 and since then has served in the banking industry in India as well as in other countries in various positions. Until recently, he was in the UK working as the Global Product Risk Manager in JP Morgan, Europe. Currently, he is the Vice President, Risk Management, in JP Morgan, India and is based in Bangalore. This is the adapted version of a conversation with him in the studios of Radio Sai for the radio series “Fleeting Moments…Lasting Memories” in July 2008.

Sathya Sai Baba

“God could not be everywhere, therefore He made mothers.” But I had the unique fortune of having the Lord Himself as my mother.

Enraptured by the Sublime Sai Ambience
I was blessed to be at Swami’s feet between the years 1994 to 1997. I was not a devotee before I joined Sathya Sai Baba’s University, neither was anybody in my family. But we had heard of Baba’s college as a unique institution which imparted human values. One of my uncles got me the application form and brought me to Puttaparthi, where I wrote the entrance examination. Swami, at that time, was in Kodai Kanal. Nevertheless, the general ambience of the ashram kindled in me the urge to learn more about Swami.

I was fascinated by the discipline in the ashram; how things happened in clockwork precision, right from the stroke of the bell at five o’ clock at dawn. It felt wonderful to be a part of the Omkaram, Suprabhatam and the Nagar Sankirtan, and feel those positive vibrations. Furthermore, everybody maintained silence irrespective of whether Swami was physically in Prashanthi Nilayam or not. That made a deep impact on me.

Thus, in the summer of 1994, when I stepped into the portals of the University at the Brindavan campus in Bangalore, I was yet to physically see Swami. Now I was not a devotee but already a Sai student. And I was very eagerly looking forward to the ‘Big Change’ that was to manifest in my life.

I hailed from a village in Kerala and now a higher education in a different sort of institution in the city of Bangalore really appealed to me. It seemed exciting, but I was not aware of what I was actually in for.

The first step to the change lay in my acceptance of Swami as God. But how could I accept someone as my guru and God, when I had not even seen Him? Wasn’t it foolhardy to invest my faith on a person, of whom I had only learnt from hearsay? So I decided to test Bhagavan!

Testing Divinity and What an Answer!
We were a group of three boys from the same place who wrote the entrance examination together. And all three of us had got through the test! There was one amongst us who had the habit of smoking. And as the hostel and ashram rules strictly forbade this habit, this boy would go out on the sly, unknown to anybody else, to take the vital puff!

I was aware of his furtive habits and so was the other boy. And we both advised him against persisting with his covert ways, knowing fully well that it might result in his expulsion from the institution altogether. But he remained adamant. Instead, he pointed a finger at a photograph of Sathya Sai Baba in the Sai Ramesh Hall and said, “Let Him say and I will stop.”

I looked at the hall; there were at least 5000 devotees seated there, waiting for Swami. It seemed Swami now had two more tasks to accomplish in such a massive crowd before two Doubting Thomases could accept His divinity. First, to censor the cigar boy and second, to trigger a Big Change in me.

Two days later, this boy got the chance to wave the arathi to Swami. I was sitting close to him. When the bhajans ended, Swami picked up the match box, lit the arathi, and told him in Tamil, “You said that if I ask you to stop smoking, you would do that.” He put the match box back into the boy’s shirt pocket and then continued as if nothing had ever happened. I was flabbergasted! Nobody else knew about that conversation except the three of us.

And I can never forget the expression on this boy’s face – of utter disbelief, shock and fear. Sathya Sai Baba’s words were also heard by the third boy. And we all looked at each other, astounded beyond words. In a crisp one-liner, the Omnipresent Lord had neatly packaged the lesson of a lifetime; it was powerful and unforgettable. This was my first direct experience of Swami’s omnipresence.

‘I will give him a thousand mothers’ love’ – Baba

More was to come. Nine days later, I received a letter from home. It was from my sister and the contents went thus, “We were very strict with you because we wanted you to grow up in the right way and become a respected individual. Now that you are far away, we do miss you.” My sister and I were very close to each other ever since my mother died when we were very young.

The letter made me homesick. And when, in the evening, there was a soul-stirring bhajan extolling Swami as Sai Ma (Mother Sai), I was reminded of my mother and was actually in tears. Soon, I was convulsing hard, with my head bent down I was trying to stem the cascade of sorrow that streamed down my face.

A few boys nudged me during the bhajans saying that Sathya Sai Baba was looking at me. But I did not believe them. The Trayee Session followed soon after the bhajans. These sessions are close interactive sessions wherein Swami would give discourses and move closely among us, interacting and sharing valuable insights peppered with humor. It was a great opportunity for us to listen and learn both from Satya Sai Baba and as well as from the elders.

That evening, I was sitting quite far away from the jhoola (the swing on which Swami generally sat). When Swami came, He looked around, searched among the boys, spotted me and then He asked me to come towards Him. Had I committed a grievous mistake I wondered, as I went up to Him?

But when I came closer, Swami pulled me towards Him, held me in a warm, loving embrace, and said, “This boy lost his mother. This boy lost his one mother but I will give him a thousand mothers’ love.” And then, He created a ring for me.

I was too overwhelmed, lost in His love, lost for words. And I was wondering how Swami knew my story; He was mentioning so many facts of my life to people nearby. This was the first time He spoke to me. That day, He touched my heart with His love. And I accepted Him as my Mother.

Sai’s Simply Amazing Care
His love was as tender as a mother yet strict like a father. And since I had no exposure to Swami and His teachings prior to my Brindavan years, He took upon Himself the task of ensuring that I was moulded into a Sai student. There were times when a Father’s guidance surged along with a Mother’s concern.

One such day in Brindavan, I was sitting for darshan. It was a cold winter morning. Satya SaiBaba walked by me, stared queerly at my face, and then went on His usual round of darshan among devotees, accepting letters and blessing them. I was perplexed, praying and hoping all the while that I had not upset Swami in any way, in thought, word or deed.

As I sat on after darshan, I was a troubled bundle of anxiety. And then I saw my commerce professor running towards me, holding something in his hand. As he came to me, he said, “Swami has sent this for you,” and handed me a Ponds cold cream! Apparently, Swami had noticed that I had dry skin because of the weather, so He sent the cream for me in His boundless concern.

Even as I stood there choked for words, I learnt from Swami that day something which I consciously try to apply in my daily life – attention to detail! Swami attended to thousands of devotees that day – collecting letters, conferring blessings, bestowing guidance – and yet He had borne in mind my dry skin and sent the cream! What was a parched epidermis in front of a million other pressing concerns for Swami? But that was the affection of the Divine Mother.

Surprise Gifts of Grace for Sisters
Another of my memorable experiences happened when I was in Kodai Kanal with Sathya Sai Baba. Kodai Kanal is a place where one can witness the parental aspect of Swami like nowhere else. I am reminded of an evening when Swami actually gave money to all of us, students, and asked us to go and buy something for ourselves. I went along with Prof. Anil Kumar to the shop. On the way I thought to myself that here I was with the Lord, pampered with His love, and absolutely taken care of, while my family back in my hometown was still facing life in its coldest.

So I thought I should buy something for them; that was the least I could do with the money Swami gave me. Therefore, as the professor shopped for something for his wife, I bought two pairs of earrings, one each for my two sisters. These were not very expensive, but I thought this was the minimum I could do.

So I had these earrings packed and put them in my shirt pocket. When I returned, Swami instantly started looking about as if He was searching for something. He then came to me and asked, “What did you buy?” and before I could reply, He put His hand in my shirt pocket and took out the earrings.

There was a look of dismay on His face when He saw those jewels, as if to say that they were not really of a good quality. And I was very disappointed, that I had not bought the right gifts for my sisters; that Swami had not approved of them. If Swami did not approve, then surely these are not really good, I thought to myself. That evening went by. That night even after everyone had retired, I was still ruminating over what had happened, and praying for my family.

At breakfast the next morning, Sathya SaiBaba went around looking to everyone’s needs like He did everyday. And when He came to me, He started waving His hand. Out came two identical sets of earrings from the Divine Palm! Swami said, “Those were not good. Give these to your sisters,” and humorously added, “I gave you two identical ones because they might fight.” That was one unforgettable instance of pure maternal affection that stands evergreen in my memories!

Success in the Corporate Space – The Sai Way
Time went on and I was not fortunate to secure an MBA admission in Sathya Sai Baba’s University and I was not sure about my future, because I was going to leave the protected shelter where I was so comfortable. This indeed was a huge transition and the following year I returned five times to Swami for support and strength which I desperately needed. And only Swami could have made that possible.

When I completed my MBA in another institution, I started my career with HSBC Bank. The corporate environment was cold, emotionless and unforgiving. Although the stress levels were critical, it was to percolate, at least through team work. But the fact remained that it is mostly every man to himself, so completely different from the brotherhood I enjoyed in Swami’s hostel. And in this new scenario, one didn’t have any choice but to dive within and look for inner reservoirs of courage and strength.

That is when I realized that whatever Swami has been teaching works in the corporate environment, that values gives one the growth. And practising Swami’s teachings did wonders for me – His directions on the right attitude towards work, dignity of labor, the right man management through leading by example, and practising what one preached.

These simple messages of Swami actually helped me move ahead in my career right from HSBC in India, to the Middle East with Standard Chartered Bank and Citibank where I was handling quality assurance and operation risk audit, to the UK where I am currently managing quality assurance for risk, globally, for JP Morgan.

A common thread runs through all these career positions. And it had to do with my values. Initially people didn’t understand why I behaved in a way which was totally different from the entire team of people around me. Nevertheless I clung on to the values I had imbibed as a student, especially the qualities of patience and perseverance. That helped me win the trust and credibility of the people I reported to, of my peers and my subordinates. I lead by example such that my subordinates were always willing to go an extra mile for me.

I remember an audit wherein my team worked round the clock to turn around a weak control situation into a strong order success. Even though there was no overtime, they worked day and night because they did not want to let me down at any cost.

The highlight was this: one of my subordinates came on the morning of his marriage to finish off a task! That was what I consider as success in a corporate environment. The challenge to manage the people and all the functions become more or less achievable.

Tackling different individuals, impressing them by being a silent worker and leading by example – that is something which I really learnt in Swami’s college and I still hold on to it. And when people ask me about my personality and the secret of my professional growth, I only talk about my University, the ashram in Puttaparthi and my Guru and my Mother, Sai. What I am today is only because of Sathya Sai Baba.

What words of gratitude can I have for my Swami, who, time and again, showered His love on me, treating me more like a son than a student? He has given me the love of a mother and the guidance of a father – a love that keeps me joyful and brings me back to Him, a love that gives me strength in my career and helps me face life and all its challenges. And I know that I never need to worry, for my Mother’s watchful eyes are always on me – caring, protecting, guiding, comforting and loving.

RadioSai Reference