PART-2 PROF ANIL KUMAR AND BABA'S CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS

[Guest guest]

The role of the intellect “Swami, that was good. Now, what is the role of the intellect in this process? Bhagavan, You are so kind -- You explained what the Self is, what the Self can do, and the mind and its vagaries, its whims, its fancies, and the troubles that the mind will create. Now, what is the role of the intellect?” Bhagavan said, “The intellect will take you towards the spirit.” Something like Northwest Airlines or Trans World Airlines -- it will take you from Chicago to Los Angeles. So similarly, it will take you from this to that place, from the realm of the mind to the realm of the spirit -- from the airport gate #1 of Hong Kong to that New York Kennedy Airport of the spirit. (Anil Kumar says to the audience, “Not that I’m partial to the United States but it’s the only country I visited, so I’m giving these examples. That’s all. Had I also been given the chance to visit other countries, I would have used examples such as Moscow and Leningrad enthusiastically. I pray for a chance someday. I have every hope, you know. I’m not hopeless yet!) “So, the role of the intellect is to guide you, to take you, to transport you, to establish communion with the spirit. Up to now, there has only been communication. No more communication; the topic should be communion because communication is time-bound. Communication is limited. Communication is between two. In communion you become one with the two. So, the role of the intellect is to establish this connecting link of communion between the mind and the spirit.” “Swami, only You can explain things like that.” I have got this weakness where I cannot control my emotions, particularly in appreciation. Sometimes when Bhagavan speaks, I may look odd to the students, or ill- mannered to some of the devotees, or uncultured to some others. But I am not under my own control. “Swami?” “What?” “Only You can explain like that. “Manchadi -- good, good.” When milk is boiling, some water has to be added, so it calms down. I can tell you, my friends, no one can explain these subtle things in a simple way. Because we went around so many temples, we went on so many pilgrimages, we heard the talks of so many gurus, now we are confused, confounded, totally mad and vexed with spirituality. So that topic has become a ‘God-forsaken’ topic. But here is Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who can explain the most difficult things in a simple way, certain that we can understand it. That is the purpose of the Avatar. The purpose of the Avatar is to make complicated things simple, while the purpose of the modern man is to make simple things complicated! Modern man complicates things. The Avatar simplifies things. In such a simple way, Bhagavan explained this.

September 16th, 2002 the compassion of Bhagavan Bhagavan’s compassion is so deep that sometimes He goes out of His way to bless people. He forgets His position and He comes down to bless His devotees to any extent. Here is an incident narrated by a student in the Divine presence on the 16th of September. Bhagavan said that He would see an old lady while He was in Bombay. This happened some time ago. Bhagavan went all the way to see this old woman who was seriously ill at the time. Even though she was lying in her bed, Bhagavan went out of His way to bless her. To help her take padanamaskar, you won’t believe what He did. He got a footstool from the drawing room and put His feet on it so she could take padanamaskar. He placed both of His feet on the footstool so that she would be able to touch His feet while she was still lying on the bed. That is the compassion of Bhagavan. Thereafter, she began to recover and she got well. After some time, she came to Prashanti Nilayam with her three-year-old grandson. Bhagavan blessed the grandchild and the grandma. The student who was telling this story said: “I am the same one who was blessed by Bhagavan at the age of three, who was carried by my grandmother.” Then he went on telling more about his grandmother’s miracle. Sometime later, his grandmother fell sick once again when she was in Bangalore. The doctors said she must be operated upon. She refused, “No, you can’t do it. “ The doctors said, “Why not? You need this emergency operation.” She said, “Until Bhagavan says it’s alright, I am not going to be operated upon, okay?” “How do you plan to contact Swami? You are bedridden. You are here in Bangalore. How will you do it?” “No, nothing doing. Contact Bhagavan on the phone.” Immediately the boy called Bhagavan on the phone and got a reply. It was Bhagavan’s voice saying, “Don’t worry. Why fear when I am here? Ask your grandmother to have the operation. I will take care of her. But give the receiver to her now. I want to talk to her.” When the phone receiver was given to his grandmother, what happened? Vibhuthi started coming out of it! (Laughter) This is an exception. This is a miracle I hadn’t heard of before -- vibhuthi coming out of the phone receiver! That is Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Before I say anything more, I should also let you know that Bhagavan never speaks to anybody on the phone. There was no phone connection physically. How could that old lady’s grandson speak to Him on the phone? He is Divine. Without having to go anywhere, without having to move to the other room to speak on the phone, His Will, His thought, His grace must have done it. He called there in the form of sound, in the form of conversation that could be heard. He could send vibhuthi too. Her grandson, who is now in the MBA class, narrated this miracle and all of us were very much amazed to hear the story. My friends, Bhagavan’s miracles are meant not merely for amusement or entertainment, but for enlightenment. Sai miracles are for enlightenment.

spirit of sacrifice What happened, what happened? The boy mentioned another miracle in the Divine presence of Bhagavan on that same day in the hall. It seemed that a boy was to come to Prashanti from Bombay, along with the Youth Wing to give some sort of performance in front of Swami. Unexpectedly, the boy could not come because he could not get any more vacation days from his office. To get vacation time in a private company is difficult. His vacation days were already exhausted because he had had to attend to a close relation who was hospitalised in Pune. So he had no vacation days left to come to Prashanti Nilayam along with the other members of the Bombay Youth Wing. He was helpless. At that time another man, a Sai devotee working in the same office, went to him and said, “I will work on your behalf. I will work my six-hour duty and I will also do your work for six more hours. Let’s go to our boss and convince him.” The boss was very much surprised. Here is a person who was prepared to work for six hours more in addition to his regular work. This is what that boy said in the presence of Swami. This is the spirit of sacrifice. If we submit our wills to Him unconditionally, this is the art of transformation in the Divine hands. This was the miracle mentioned by that boy on the 16th of September. Bhagavan is THE master of the whole universe

The boy concluded his speech by mentioning one other miracle. It was during a visit by Bhagavan to Bombay. I don’t know how many of you have visited Dharmakshetra. Most of you have visited Bombay because all the international flights take off from there -- British Airways or American Airlines, for example. Bhagavan was there in Bombay. Large crowds came to have His Divine darshan and to listen to His discourses everyday. One evening, the whole Dharmakshetra was full of devotees all round -- a sea of humanity, vast humanity – all heads, that’s all! Not even an inch of space to move. All heads looked up. It was very cloudy as it is now, with just a slight drizzle. Bhagavan’s discourse was still planned. The convenor and the office bearers of the Sathya Sai Organization of Dharmakshetra started shivering in their shoes. What will happen to the public? What will happen to the ladies who came with their children? How can we still have Bhagavan’s discourse? Then one gentleman said slowly, “Swami, why can’t we have your discourse now instead of at five o’clock? Let us have it at four.” Bhagavan said, “Since the announcement has already been made, nothing doing. You keep quiet.” So this man had no choice. He returned. Then what happened? Swami opened His windows, looked at the sky full of dark clouds and lightening. It could shower anytime. And Bhagavan said, “That’s all.” He waved His hand like this. Believe it or not, within ten minutes it was clear. Everything - the whole sky was clear without any clouds. And Bhagavan’s discourse went on as scheduled, uninterrupted, without any disturbance. This miracle shows that Bhagavan is the Master of the whole universe. He is the Master of the five elements. He can control anything. This is what happened.

September 15th, 2002 “The giver is Bhagavan, so I want it.” I’ll move on now to the 15th of September, 2002. (I am trying to keep in sequential order.) While Swami was sitting there that pleasant evening, He looked at one boy, “Hmm, what class are you studying?” The boy said, “Swami, the 11th class.” “Come on.” He came. “Why did you not go home?” “Swami, why should I go home?” “Your father met with an accident. Why did you not go home?” The boy said, “You did not ask me to go home, so I didn’t go.” Then Swami smiled. “Because of your faith, I can tell you nothing has happened to him -- just a small little accident. Everything will be all right. Don’t worry,” Bhagavan said. And then immediately Swami said, “This afternoon you got the phone call from your mother telling you there was nothing to worry about.” “Yes, Swami.” “Why didn’t you tell Me? I know. I know what your mother told you on the phone.” This was a miracle to everybody there. Swami knew what had happened and He also knew about the phone conversations between the son and the mother. Then Swami said, “Boy, you have strong faith. Do you want a chain from me? Shall I give you a chain?” He said, “Swami, yes I want a chain.” (Laughter) “You ask your mother-in-law! She will give you. Why should I give you? (Laughter) You ask your father. He will get it done for you.” “No, no, Swami! I don’t want one from my mother-in-law or my father. Since You are giving, I want to have it. The giver is Bhagavan, so I want it, Swami.” “Oh, I see.” He immediately materialized the chain and gave it to that boy. Everybody was very, very happy. September 14th, 2002 self-respect Now, I will take you to the 14th of September. Bhagavan made this statement: “Never beg from anybody. Don’t be a beggar. Don’t ask for anything. Things will come to you. If your thoughts are selfless, if your motive is selfless, and if your activity is charged by love, things will come to you. You don’t need to ask for them. Self-respect has got to be maintained. Self-esteem is very important.” That’s what Bhagavan said. Bhagavan said, “Look at Me. I have not asked for anything. I have not stretched My hand to anybody, but things come on their own. Why? I am selfless. I am full of Love. If you are also like Me, everything will be perfect and proper.” And another thing He said, “Never be after show. Never be after exhibitionism. Never be after publicity. Never be after vainglory. Never be after self-aggrandizement. Never be after self-praise.” My friends, you should excuse me for using so many words. All my attempts are only a struggle to make myself clear to you. Then He gave an example. Bhagavan went to Delhi sometime ago. There, a beautiful car -- car number one, owned by the President of the country -- was sent to receive Bhagavan at the airport with the request and prayer that He could use this car wherever He went. But you know what Bhagavan said? “Nothing doing. This is a government car. This car belongs to the government. You are the head of the government. You have no right to loan that car to Me. I am not going to get into that car.” Instead, He got into a small Morris, old model car. Why? Self-respect is more important than a gorgeous car or the latest model car. It is a lesson for all of us. It is better to stand on our own two legs than ‘shine with borrowed feathers’ – that was the lesson of Bhagavan. Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan