part-3 Prof Anil Kumar & Swami's conversations with Students (Transformation)

[Guest guest]

transformation And then He said, talking to somebody there, “Look here, how many people are inspired?” There on the veranda was a boy. “Anil Kumar, do you know him?” “Yes Swami, I know him.” “That boy is an engineer. His younger brother is also an engineer. And both of them have settled here and are serving Swami. Their parents are alone now in Bombay. Both the sons are here. But seeing Swami’s service here, the parents are now taking care of two orphan children. They have adopted two children. They are taking care of them now, drawing inspiration from Swami. There is transformation taking place all over the world.” That’s what Bhagavan said.

find happiness in doing

Then He asked the other boys what they were doing for Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chathurti -- the Ganesh Puja. All of you know about that festival. They said, “Swami, we are doing this or we are doing that.” “Oh, very good.” He heard from everybody what they were doing — the Primary School, the Higher Secondary School, the College, the University -- everybody. Finally He said, “Look here, my boys. I find happiness in doing, not simply hearing, not simply saying. More than saying, more than hearing, more than declaring -- what you do is more important. Doing is more important than saying and declaring. My boys, I like it if you tell Me what you have done. I like if you tell me, ‘This thing I have done, Swami’ rather than, ‘I am going to do this or we are planning that.’ That is all declaration. Do it and then tell me about it.” This is a lesson for all of us. The planning stage is not for announcement. There is nothing great about scheming or planning. Execution of the plan -- action is more important. That is the lesson that was conveyed that evening. Then He said, “You must have noticed that on the 3rd day after Vinayaka Chaturthi, the boys will bring so many idols of Vinayaka -- chariots from the different institutions. You must have noticed, didn’t you?” “Yes, yes.” They were telling Swami, “Swami, we are bringing this.” “Uh huh.” “Swami, we are doing this, we are making this.” “Very good.” Bhagavan is an ideal parent also. He is so happy to hear from the boys about what they are doing -- how they will come here with the chariots so nicely decorated, with music, dance and all that.

All will have to reach here someday But what is the message? “You may make any number of things at your place, but all of them will have to reach here someday or other.” Here I want to explain what Swami said. “Someday or the other, all ratha (ratha means ‘chariot’), all chariots, will have to come here.” That’s what Swami said. This statement has a spiritual inner significance for a man of awareness. All the people may laugh, but Bhagavan’s outer words are not merely for laughter. What is the message? For your information, ratha is also the name given to the human body. The human body is ratha — a chariot that moves. So, “All chariots will have to reach here someday” means that all people will have to come here someday. All roads lead to Rome. All rivers merge in the ocean. So, all of you had to be here! That is what He conveyed. (Whenever He conveys certain statements like this, I get these electric shocks.) “What a statement that is, Swami! Ah, oh, oh!” That is what I think. When we read literature that has some scriptural background, we can understand the true spirit behind His utterances.

September 1st, 2002 God is everywhere Now we go to the 1st of September: “Boys, how have you fared in the examination?” One 10th class boy got up and said, “I have written very well, Swami.” “Are you sure?” “Yes, Swami, I have written well.” “No -- you spoiled (answered incorrectly) two questions, right?” “Yes, Swami.” “I know that you have spoiled two questions.” “Swami, I am sorry.” Then He asked another boy, “How have you done today?” “Very nicely, Swami.” “Mhmm. Are you confident? How are your marks today?” “100 percent.” “Ah, good. But yesterday in your science subject, you did not do well.” “Ah yes, Swami.” “I know, I know.” Here is an important statement. Swami said, “Being here I watch everywhere -- I watch everywhere. Moving here, I talk with My devotees all over the world. My devotees are present everywhere. I talk with them.” This only means God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. God is everywhere. It’s a nice statement He made with depth and profundity, which needs our immediate attention. Then there was a time when the boys staged a drama in front of Swami in the College Auditorium. On the previous night, He called me and said, “You go and see the rehearsals.” I’ve got this if-you-want-to-call-it weakness, or virtue (if you want to say that) or emotion (if you so prefer) of talking about Bhagavan with any number of people. Yes, any number of times I talk because I want to end my life speaking about Swami only. I have no other desire, nothing. ‘Swami, please make me an effective instrument in spreading Your message. In spreading Your mission, please make me an instrument. I have no other desire.‘ So that day I had an appointment with some Spanish-speaking group or some group. Since I was talking to them, I could not attend the rehearsals. But to mark my attendance, I went there because I knew that Swami would check the next morning. I didn’t want to take a spiritual risk. So I went there at nine o’clock. They had already completed two rehearsals by that time. But I said, “Come on boys, redo it once again. Tomorrow Swami may ask me.” The boys love me because I am quite free with them. All children come to me. You see, I love them and they love me. So I asked them and they said, “We don’t mind doing the rehearsal once again.” I advised. “You do this; you do that.” I made some suggestions because the next day Swami might ask me. Next morning Swami called a few of the drama boys, “Drama boys, come on! Did Anil Kumar attend last night’s rehearsal?” “Swami, he attended.” “No, he only came at nine o’clock, by which time you had already completed two rehearsals. He was giving some lecture somewhere. He is always like that. So he was delayed. Did he give you any suggestions?” “Swami, he did.” “How can he give suggestions? He was never an actor. He never acted in any drama. How can he give suggestions? It’s all an act, that’s all. Because he knows that I will check with you.” (Laughter) Then He said, “Hey actor, big actor -- come here.” I thought that He was calling somebody else. “How did you like the drama?” “Ah, very nice, Swami.” “Did you see it?” “Very nice.” “You went there at seven o’clock, right?” “No Swami, I went at nine.” He said, “I know, I know. Be ready. Later on today I will come and see the drama.” That’s what Bhagavan said. Now this is the serious point I want you to know. He called one boy with a well-built personality — a hefty person. “Boy, you played the role of Ravana. Ahbah! Character fitness very good.” (Laughter) And He called another boy. “You played the role of Hanuman, very nice. But where is the tail? You don’t have a tail. Hanuman has a tail.” Then He called another boy. “Boy, you forgot your dialogues last night.” “I know.” Then He called the music boys. “In song number three, you did not pronounce properly.” And then He called me and said, “Did you notice these mistakes?” “Swami, I know that You are God. You know everything, so I don’t need to know everything.” (Laughter) “Hey, hey, smart one! Smart one, huh?” Then He smiled. Then Swami said, to another boy, “How is your mother?” And then He called another boy and said, “How is Raman?” “Raman is my grandfather, Swami.” “Oh yes, how is he?” “Swami, he is not fine” “That’s why I am asking.” Then I put a question, “Swami, you asked about the children’s grandfathers too? Oh, You were saying what happened last night in the rehearsals at the College Auditorium. It is not just surprising, but shocking.” Then Swami said, “People know that I know everything. That’s why they are coming here. People are coming to this place because they know that I know everybody -- that I know their fathers and grandfathers too. That’s why they come here. That is Divinity.” That’s what Bhagavan said. Then Bhagavan called one gentleman who did his MPhil Degree - Master of Philosophy. One has to first get the MPhil degree to enrol for the PhD or Doctoral program. He called him. “On the MPhil you got an ‘O’ (for outstanding) grade, very good. Come on.” He gave him prasadam. Then He looked at me. “Do you know that he did his MPhil?” “I didn’t know, Swami.” Then he asked that fellow, “Did you tell me that you were doing your MPhil?” “No, Swami.” “Did you get your results?” “No, Swami.” “I’m telling you -- you will get an ‘O’ grade tomorrow evening.” Believe me, the next morning he got the results, and he got an ‘O’ grade on the MPhil Yes! Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan