A devotee from Greece - Prof. Anil Kumar's talk -

[Guest guest]

This has been EXTRACTED from PrOF. ANILKUMAR'S PEARLS OF WIDOM.  GOOD TO READ

AND LOT OF MESSAGES FOR ALL OF US IN THIS

 

aT HIS LOTUS FEET

BHARADHWAAJ RAMASWAMY

 

A Devotee from Greece

Now I come to the 1st of November and also on the 28th of October. These two

days are important in the sense that Swami spoke to a gentleman from Greece.

The gentleman’s name is George. Swami stood there and just called, "Hey,

Greece, come here."

The gentleman came crawling forward. I wondered if something was wrong with his

feet, or something like that?

Swami said, "See how he’s coming?"

"Swami, he’s crawling on his knees."

"Out of devotion. He's not like you - to walk like rowdies. No, no. You see, he feels devotion."

"Oh, I see, Swami."

The fellow came forward and Swami asked, "Boy, what’s your name?"

"George, Swami."

"Oh, George, hmmm. What do you do?"

"Swami, I run a bookstore."

"What is the name of the bookstore?"

"’Ananda’, Swami, ‘Ananda’."

"Oh! Who else assists you?"

"Swami, my sister helps me."

 "Oh, I see. What do you do?"

 "Swami, bookstore cleaning, selling and all that."

 "Oh, then what else?"

 "We sing, Swami."

 "What do you sing?"

 "Sai bhajans."

 "When do you sing?"

 "Throughout the day."

 "Where do you sing?"

  "Everywhere."

 Swami said, "See his devotion. You’re not like that, mmm – that fellow from

Greece -- see there’s devotion."

And then He said, "Oh, I see. Last time how did you come to Prashanthi Nilayam?

How did you reach here?"

"Swami, I walked from Bangalore airport to Puttaparthi."

"Oh, how many miles?"

"180 miles, Swami."

"How long did it take?"

"Four days, Swami."

"Oh, did you just walk like that?"

"No Swami, I carried 18 kilos of luggage on my back."

He walked for four days to reach Prashanthi Nilayam.

Swami said, "Anyone of you like this? See, see his devotion."

Then Swami said, " How long have you been coming to Puttaparthi?"

"Swami, 29 years. I’ve been visiting here for 29 years."

"Ah, what did you do in those days?"

"Swami, I used to collect sand from Prashanthi Nilayam and put it in a bag.

Wherever You walked, I collected the sand. I collected it in bags and took it

back to Greece. I kept it there in my puja room at the altar," he said.

"Did you hear that, boys? You see Swami every day. See that Greece man."

He teased them like that.

And then Swami said, "Marriage, are you married?

"No, Swami, no."

"No? For some help with cooking, why don’t you marry?"

"No, Swami. I don’t want to marry."

"Why?"

"No, Swami," he cried. 

Then Swami looked at me and said, "Why does he cry?"

I said, "Swami, those who got married cry, and I am happy this fellow, who is

not married, is also crying. So, both of us cry - no difference. Because of the

fear of marriage, he is crying. Because we got married, we are crying. Alright,

let us cry in chorus!” That’s what I said.  

He said, "Swami, no marriage."

And then Swami said, "You are the only fellow who came here?"

"No Swami, my friend is also sitting there."

"Your friend?"

"Yes."

"Who is he?"

"Swami, he is an international Olympic champion."

"Olympic champion?"

"Yes, the high jump -- number one in the world - from Greece. He is also here, Swami."

"Oh, I see. Come on, boy." He called him. That fellow came forward, a very tall man.

"Mmm, what? Tell your experience to these boys."

He shared that he got married, and when he and his wife were expecting their

first child, they consulted many doctors. They all said his wife would deliver

a male child. All tests, scanning tests, confirmed that a male child would be

born to them. But both of them prayed to Swami, "Swami, we want a baby girl --

not a boy."

Swami said, "All doctors said you would have a male child."

 "No Swami. You can change it."

 "Do you have faith?"

"Yes."

"You go."

They went, and the wife delivered a female child, just as they wanted. And Swami

said to the boys, "Takka, I changed it. If you boys don’t behave properly, I

will change you into girls immediately! Behave yourselves properly."

That’s what Bhagavan said. (Laughter)

Then Swami said, "Hey George, all your relations are in Greece. Why do you come

here when all your relatives are in Greece?"

"No Swami, I have no relations."

"You have no relatives?"

"No."

"It’s strange. You have no relations?" Swami asked again.

"Swami, Sai devotees are my relations. I don’t have anybody else."

Bhagavan was happy.

"George, are you going to stay here for the Birthday?"

"No Swami, I must go back."

"You must go back? Why?"

"We celebrate Your Birthday there in Greece."

"I see. How do you celebrate? How?

"Swami, with balloons and lights - lights, illuminations, balloons, distribution of sweets."

"Oh, I see. How many devotees are there in Greece?"

"Swami, ministers, officers, educated - many people are Your devotees."

"Oh, good, good, all right. You go to Greece and celebrate Baba’s Birthday.

Swami went inside and gave him new clothes as His Birthday gift. That’s what

happened on the 1st of November and the 28th of October.

Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!