From Puttaparthi... Even a Blade of Grass Can't Move

December 14, 2008

This is about an experience that happened at PRASANTHI NILAYAM several years ago.

BHAGAVAN was going into the rows of devotees & he selected an Indian lady for interview who was sitting with a fairly 'grown up' child but she was sobbing inconsolably. It turned out that this child was not able to walk & must have been 10 years old.

I was standing at a little distance away from BHAGAVAN. This was in the olden days before the SAI KULWANT HALL was built.

When SWAMI selected this lady for interview, she just couldn't get up as she tried to 'lift' the child who was quite a weight! As she was struggling, I thought I would rush forward to help. As I tried to come forward, I saw SWAMI visibly angry & asked me to get back! I got taken aback & I moved away.

Then SWAMI turned to this child & said: " WALK " !!!

LO & Behold!!! The child started WALKING though not in a perfect fashion. This fairly grown up kid, who was on his mothers' lap, who had not been able to walk for several years NOW WALKED TO THE INTERVIEW ROOM!!!

The whole gathering burst into a loud applause & tears started flowing from my eyes. This is an experience that stands so vividly even today in front of my eyes.

Shows that SWAMY can do anything at any time but sometimes does not do so instantly. He has his own time table! He didn't even wait for an interview. He didn't wait for the vibhuthi to be materialized. He just COMMANDED the child to WALK in ENGLISH & the child started walking. It was truly a moving experience.

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

VIBHUTHI sent to CHENNAI (INDIA), MARYLAND & TEXAS in USA as per the last requests received by us.

There are no shortcuts in the spiritual field. As a matter of fact, the path of devotion is even more difficult than that of knowledge. The ego has to be fully curbed. The faith that 'Not even a blade of grass can shake in the wind without His being aware of it " has to be implanted in the mind.

Devotion is not an activity to be undertaken at leisure time. Erase sensual desires; clear the heart of all blemish. Then, the Lord will be reflected therein as a mirror.

- Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 5, Ch 16, 26-Mar-65