KANSAI LIGHT FOR FEBRUARY 2009 ISSUE N0.38

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Ramchand Chugani <rgcjpFw: KANSAI LIGHT FOR FEBRUARY ISSUE NO. 38...2009"OMSAIRAM..RAMCHAND GHANSHAMDAS CHUGANI" <rgcjpFriday, January 30, 2009, 11:30 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KANSAI LIGHT FOR FEBRUARY 2009 ISSUE 38 ---------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KANSAI LIGHT , FOR FEBRUARY 2009. ISSUE-38

News letter of Sri Sathya Sai Organization Japan

address: I.S.S, 2nd Fl, 1-3, Kumochi 5-Chome, Chuo Ku Kobe

Tel: 078-222-1885, Email: rgcjp

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PLEASE PRINT COPY FOR YOUR EASY REFERENCE

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Thought for the Day

 

 

 

Even pure desires are a bondage. But they are not hindrances, however many they may be. The purest of desires, the craving for Moksha or liberation, has also to disappear in time. Only then can you become one with the Divine. One attains a stage when neither good nor bad will attract or repel.-----------------

Sathya Sai Speaks The Mighty Spiritual Activity - Service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where and when does ‘service’ in our lives start? And how can it be a true spiritual activity? Is it more, or less important, than meditation or chanting His name? Swami beautifully explains all these and more in a discourse delivered to the delegates of a Sevadal Conference on November 19, 1981. Here are excerpts from that profound message.

 

 

 

 

Society is the coming together of people. Cooperation among people in a society, motivated by spontaneity and pure intentions, is the hall-mark of seva (service). Seva can be identified by two basic characteristics - compassion and willingness to sacrifice.

 

 

 

 

 

History tells us that in all countries and in every age, man is a social being. Man is born in society; he grows in and through society, and his life ends too in society. His songs and speech, duties and diversions, are all determined by society. Seva can be identified by two basic characteristics - compassion and willingness to sacrifice. Society for man is like water for fish: if society rejects or neglects him, he cannot survive. What a single individual cannot accomplish, a well-knit group or society can achieve. A man walking alone may feel tired and miserable at the end of five miles; but, walking with ten others as a group he would find the five miles a jaunt; he will arrive refreshed and strong. Social living contributes increased happiness and efficiency in efforts among birds and beasts. When they act as a group they are able to defend themselves from enemies, secure food and shelter, travel great distances and migrate to far away locations. The Liberating Chain of Service

The first lesson in service has to be learnt in the family circle itself. Father, mother, brothers, and sisters - in this limited group which is well-knit, one must engage in loving service and prepare for the wider service that awaits outside the home. The character of each individual member determines the peace and prosperity of the family; the character of each family is the basic factor that decides the happiness and joy of the village or the community.

 

 

 

 

 

And, the nation's progress is based on the strength and happiness of the communities which are its components. So, for the welfare of the country and of the entire world, the spirit of service, vital enthusiasm, constructive imagination, pure motivation, and unselfish alertness are all needed urgently. For the welfare of the country and of the entire world, the spirit of service, vital enthusiasm, constructive imagination, pure motivation, and unselfish alertness are all needed urgently. Take Hanuman as your example in service. He served Rama, the Prince of Righteousness, regardless of obstacles of all types. Though he was strong, learned and virtuous, he had no trace of pride. When asked who he was by the demons in Lanka into which he had entered so daringly, he described himself, in all humility, as the 'servant of Rama.' That is a fine example of uprooting of the ego which service must bring about in us. No one can serve another while his ego is rampant. The attitudes of mutual help and selfless service develop the 'humanness' of man and help the blossoming of the divinity latent in him. Krishna was known to all as almighty, all-knowing, all-encompassing and all-fulfilling. Yet, the enthusiasm to do service prompted Him to approach Dharmaraja, the eldest of the Pandava brothers, on the eve of the magnificent Raajsooya Yaaga he had planned to celebrate, and offered to take up seva of any kind. He suggested that He might be given the task of cleaning the dining hall after the guests have partaken of the feast! Krishna insisted on outer cleanliness and inner cleansing. Clean clothes and clean minds are the ideal combination. The Lord Sets the Example…

The Lord sets the example for the devotees to follow. He teaches that service done to any living being is offered to Him alone and is accepted by Him most joyfully.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service rendered to cattle, beasts, and to men is laudable spiritual practice. Keeping the environment of our residences clean, providing help to those who live around the place, going to hospitals and serving the patients who are in the wards – it is such acts of service one must take active part in. Many undertake such activities now as 'social service,' not as a spiritual practice in a full-hearted manner. Through the spiritual practice of service, Hanuman attained identity with Rama, as the river attains identity with the sea. Arjuna too considered every act as a spiritual act to attain the grace of Krishna, for Krishna directed him to fight on, ever keeping Him in memory -"Maamanusmara Yuddhyacha."

Offer service to someone in need, with a full heart and experience the bliss that results. It need not be something big; it can be a small act, unnoticed by others. But it has to be done to please the God within you and the other person.

You too should keep God ever in your mind as the pace-setter, whether you are serving patients in the hospitals or cleaning a drain in the bazaar. That is the thapas (penance) – the highest form of spiritual practice. More than listening to a hundred lectures or delivering them to others, offering one act of genuine service attracts the Grace of God.

The body has to be utilized for service to others. Activity is its main purpose. Lord Krishna says, "I have no need to be engaged in work, but I do work in order to activate the world." More bliss can be gained by serving others than what can be got by merely serving oneself. Offer service to someone in need, with a full heart and experience the bliss that results. It need not be something big; it can be a small act, unnoticed by others. But it has to be done to please the God within you and the other person. Eliminate the Ego

We need today those who take delight in selfless service, but such men are rarely seen. You, who belong to the Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, every one of you, must become a sevak (volunteer), eager to help those who need it. When the sevak becomes the nayak (leader), the world will prosper. Only a kinkara (servant) can grow into a Shankara (Master).

 

When the sevak becomes the nayak (leader), the world will prosper. Only a kinkara (servant) can grow into a Shankara (Master).

 

Of course, one has to eliminate the ego totally; even a trace of it will bring disaster. However long you may do meditation, or how constant maybe your japa (chanting His name), a little ego will render them barren of results. Bhajans done with egoistic pride will be as harsh as the crow's caw. So, try to avoid the ego marring your spiritual efforts, even to a small extent. What God Will Ask You

 

 

 

 

 

The Sathya Sai Seva Organisation has laid down service as spiritual activity, in order to uproot from your mind this evil trait; service helps you to remove the ego. So, do not pay heed to what others might say when you engage in service activities. When you are doing good acts, why hesitate, feel ashamed, or fear?

God will not ask you, when and where did you do service? He will ask, "With what motive did you do it? What was the intention that prompted you?"

Let Compassion and Sacrifice be your two eyes; let Egolessness be your breath and Love be your tongue. Let Peace reverberate in your ears. These are the five vital elements you have to live upon. God will not ask you, when and where did you do service? He will ask, "With what motive did you do it? What was the intention that prompted you?" You may weigh the service and boast of its quantity; but, God seeks quality, the quality of the heart, the purity of the mind, the holiness of the motive. ~ Divine Discourse during Sevadal Conference, 19-11-1981 -----------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let Exam Dates Pass Away - Sai Baba of Shirdi

 

 

 

 

In an earlier post it was narrated that Kakasaheb lived in Shirdi leaving behind his family and children in Vile Parle in Mumbai. Kakasaheb was engrossed in Baba's company the whole day. The only aim of Kakasaheb's life was to serva Baba whole heartedly and thus proceed to the path of Sadgati.Kakasaheb's son Ramkrishna was not well in Mumbai. A letter informing this was sent to Kakasaheb in Shirdi. Kakasaheb wished to go to Mumbai, but Baba said,"What's the use of going to Mumbai? Instead call your son to Shirdi."Kakasaheb sent a letter to Mumbai to bring his son to Shirdi as per Baba's orders. Kakasaheb's brother Rajaram Dixit was present in Mumbai after hearing about his nephew's illness. He opposed saying, "Why should this poor boy be taken to Shirdi?" But Kakasaheb's wife had strong faith in Baba's words and she was determined to go to Shirdi with her son.They hired a tonga from Kopergaon. As soon as the tonga reached near Nandram's shop, the boy jumped from the tonga with fullest energy. The fever had vanished and he was hale and hearty as before. What the power of Shirdi's soil was!!! He had grown much weaker due to his illness, but he gained a new stock of energy as soon as he breathed in Shirdi and his feet touched the soil of Shirdi.All sorts of medicines (allopathy and homeopathy) were given to the boy, but he was cured by a special type of medicine 'Namopathy'. As per

Kakasaheb Dixit, 'Namopathy' was the best medicine to cure any disease. Namopathy means remembering Baba's name with complete faith. Such was Kakasaheb's devotion and faith towards Baba.Ramkrishna and his mother passed twenty days in Shirdi serving Baba in their own way. Meanwhile a letter addressed to Kakasaheb was received from Mumbai. It was advised to Ramkrishna to immediately return to Mumbai as his exams were starting from November 3, 1913.Kakasaheb went to Baba with the letter. Baba said, "There is no need to go to Mumbai".Kakasaheb was very learned and intelligent person, still he never agrued in front of Baba. Kakasaheb followed the practice of following the words of Baba, considering it as 'Brahma Vakya' meaning words of Lord Brahma.But it was the question of his son's future. Once exam dates are announced there was no possibility of its changing. Thus Kakasaheb's devotion also started doubting at such words of

Baba. At last, Kakasaheb came to the decision to behold Baba's words with complete faith and left the responsibility of his son's future on Baba's shoulders.The date of examination i.e. November 3 passed away. Again a letter from Mumbai was directed to Shirdi. The exam was postponed as Cholera epidemic had spread and so exams were starting from November 6. Hence it was advised to Ramkrishna to reach Mumbai before exam date.Now only one day was remaining for the exam, so Kakasaheb went to Baba to take permission to leave.Baba answered, "Let the exam date pass away. You don't worry, you stay in Shirdi calmly. Allah is Malik, He will take care".Baba was fully aware of happenings in Mumbai. To save Ramkrishna and his mother from the epidemic, He did not allow them to leave Shirdi. Again a letter from Mumbai was sent to Kakasaheb informing the final dates of exam i.e. November 13. This time Baba allowed them to go to Mumbai.

Due to illness and stay in Shirdi, Ramkrishna was not well prepared for exams, but he passed with outstanding result with Baba's grace.Thus this was a story of a student whom Baba helped, in next post there is one more interesting story where Baba helped so many students to pass examination without any prepartion and also blessed the teacher immensely.--------------------------.

CONVERSATIONS WITH SAISatyopanishad - part 12:Direct Directions from the Divine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In response to your positive feedback to this section where we have a conversation with the Divine, we continue with Prof. Anil Kumar’s ‘Satyopanishad’ following Dr. John Hislop’s series ‘Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’ that ended in January 2008.

 

 

This series is also is in the Question-Answer format that many devotees prefer, and has answers from Bhagavan on topics as wide ranging as the origin of evil, the goals of human life, and aspects of God – embodied and formless, to price hikes, women’s liberation, vegetarianism, and the generation gap among people of the present times.

 

Published in two parts by the author, these volumes have 270 questions in all, which are neatly grouped under separate chapters. In this issue, we continue the fourth chapter: The Outer Door. ------------------

 

CHAPTER 4 - THE OUTER DOOR (Continued from the previous issue)

 

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! We are engrossed in worldly problems and responsibilities. We get deeply involved in self-­centred activities. Yet, we pray to God. In a sense, our minds are fully occupied with mundane thoughts. What is to be done?

 

Bhagavan: The Mahabharata explains this aspect clearly. The righteous Pandavas, the five brothers who spent their time in exile, never lost their devotion. Everything in life depends on priorities. They kept God first, others next, and considered themselves the last. Therefore, they were successful, and are remembered till this day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the contrary, for the Kauravas (their cousins), the priorities were different; they kept their comfort and selfish interests in the first place, others next, and God last. What happened? They lost the battle and received a bad name. Since they placed God last in their priorities, they lost the battle.

If you have God with you, you don't need to worry. You will be successful in all fields. After all, in this world nothing is permanent; all are passing clouds. Not even one is permanent. Know that whatever happens in life, it is for your own good.

A human being walks on his two legs. So he is erect, unlike the four legged animals: After marriage, man loses some of his freedom with increasing responsibility, and becomes “four legged" and his walking pace slows down. With a child born to him he has “six legs" like those of a scorpion, and with another child he turns eight legged like a cockroach, and his movement further slows down. All this bondage and attachment is of your own making; no one made it for you.

In spite of all your riches and positions, remember that true happiness lies in the company of and nearness to God. You may keep a fish in a gem studded golden vessel; it will never feel comfortable there. It freely swims only in water. Bliss lies in your true self. The rest, however valuable it is, leads only to unhappiness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A simple example for you: Here is a glass of water, with sugar at the bottom. If you taste the water on the top, it is tasteless; and it is the same with the water in the middle of the glass too. But, get a spoon and stir the water in the bottom well until the sugar gets totally dissolved in the water. Now you taste it, either at the top or in the middle of the glass, the water is sweet.

If you exercise your intellect in the right direction, you will experience the sweetness of divinity everywhere.

So also in your life, 'the glass' is your 'body', 'water' is your life', the 'spoon' is your 'intellect' and 'sugar' is 'divinity'. If you exercise your intellect in the right direction, you will experience the sweetness of divinity everywhere.

What you need are peace and happiness. You should pray to God for these two essentials. You worship Him and serve Him; you aspire to be happy and peaceful, no doubt. But, your prayers to God are for worldly possessions. So, aspirations and prayers are at variance with each other. This is your weakness.

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! Today, Sai glory brought almost everybody from all parts of the world to Your feet. People from many countries, whose names we had never heard before, are coming to You. People of almost all linguistic groups of the world are here. We have representation from all walks of life. It is unfortunate that we, who have been here with You, find ourselves less devoted to You than Your overseas devotees. We see them practice Your teachings with much more sincerity of heart than us! Why is this happening?

Bhagavan: The experiences of the devotees depend on their sincerity, steadfastness, devotion and faith. Nearness, in one way, is responsible for not realising the actual value of Divinity. Don't you find a shadow under a lamp? Similar is the case here. As the light of the Avatar spreads everywhere, there is shadow underneath the light.

You also know that honeybees come from a distance to suck the honey out of the lotus flower, while frogs, snails and fishes so near the lotus flower do not know the taste of honey. The same thing happens when God incarnates in human form. People who are very near Him will not to be able to realise His divine splendour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you hear of a mango fruit, you feel like eating it. But when you go to a market and see fruits there, you take a fruit close to your nose and start smelling it. Why? You doubt if it is a ripe fruit or not. The very mention of the name of the fruit made you long for it. But when you near it, you doubt. Isn't it so? Why go for such a farfetched simile?

Just as darkness is dispelled by a flash of light, the darkness of ignorance should be dispelled by the light of wisdom. If you have full faith and love for Swami, you will follow His teachings.

Well, you speak ecstatically to everyone saying that Baba appeared in your dreams and that you experienced His presence at your place. But, when you are in the immediate presence of Baba, you are not even thrilled and excited. You, people who are so near me, don't know the tremendous and magnificent experiences of devotees all over the world and their magnitude. A frog in a well cannot know the outer world, you see!

It is not the length of time or the number of years you are with Swami that matters! Bus drivers come here and go from here daily. What experience do they have? You may keep an iron ball in a water tank for any length of time. What happens? It undergoes absolutely no change in any way!

Just as darkness is dispelled by a flash of light, the darkness of ignorance should be dispelled by the light of wisdom. If you have full faith and love for Swami, you will follow His teachings. You find a spectacular transformation in the life of umpteen numbers of people everywhere.

Why? It is because of their implicit faith in the teachings of Swami. I don't send invitations to anybody to come over here. There are no welcome boards nor do I say goodbye to anyone. But people come in large numbers everyday. Why? This is the love of Divinity that attracts and draws people to this Prasanthi Nilayam.

It is only God whom you respect, love and worship. You respect your boss, administrators, elders, etc; you love your parents, family, and friends. All the same, you don't worship your officers, or the members of your family. Isn't it so? But you respect, love and worship only God.

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami, devotees come from far off places like Argentina, Philippines, Guatemala, Russia and many other countries from all over the world. They return from here with heavy hearts, not able to leave You. How should they take it and what exactly do You want them to do in such circumstances?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bhagavan: You should experience the omniscience of God. God is always with you, around you, below you, above you and in you. In fact, you are God. Devotees come to Swami to charge their batteries.

Always remember this: 'Near' is not important to Swami, 'dear' is important. The flame burns brilliantly when the breeze blows. Two wooden pieces are close to each other; this is 'nearness'. As you light and burn them, you also fan them, so that the flame rises upwards. This fanning is 'dearness'. Mere nearness is not enough.

Always remember this: 'Near' is not important to Swami, 'dear' is important

Suppose there is a lotus flower in a lake. There are a number of fishes and frogs in the same lake that do not know the value of the flower. But honeybees come from long distances and suck nectar from the flower. Bees represent dearness, while frogs and fishes stand for nearness.

Similarly, you know the lighthouse from which light spreads all around guiding the ship's voyage. But, under the lighthouse, it is dark because of the shadow. So, light around is dearness, while the shadow underneath is nearness. So, devotees, who go from here, should understand this. They should strive to be dear to Swami and not merely near to Him.

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! It is our common experience that some of us are quite good for sometime - devoted, disciplined and dutiful, especially when we are here in Your proximity. Then, why do we change when we are somewhere else? What happens to all that we learn here? Why do we lose sacred qualities like sincerity, devotion and steadfastness when we are away? Kindly pardon our mistakes and let us know the causes of our downfall?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bhagavan: This is a wrong statement. Sincerity, devotion, discipline, steadfastness and all the noble qualities that you claim to have possessed while you are here are not true and natural; they are artificial. They are like plastic flowers that are not fragrant, and cannot attract bees. It is all your show or trick. God is never carried away by these artificial, temporary, and external features. God looks into your heart and internal nature.

You say that circumstances change you. If noble qualities were really present in you, you wouldn't change due to the change of circumstances. No change in the environment will ever affect you. Truly, the mistake lies in you alone; you don't have strong faith and conviction. In fact, the seeds are there lying underground and are waiting to sprout at an appropriate time. Environment has no legs, hands and life to move about like you!

You are now here in Kodai Kanal. You are fully clothed, with sweaters and shawls, rugs and blankets and all the woollen stuff to keep you warm in this cold place. If you don't have warm clothes, whose fault is it?

Whom would you blame then? Similarly, you know how challenging and testing life is in the world today. It is your own responsibility to carry with you the blanket of duty, the rug of devotion and wear the sweater of discipline whenever you are exposed to the severe cold winds of neglect of duty, disobedience of God's commands, and vagaries of ego and disbelief. If you wear this warm woollen clothing, you will not be affected by the cold climate.

You have to protect yourself, and blaming the environment is of no use. If good thoughts and good behaviour are in you, you will remain unaffected, whatever be your surroundings.

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami, we are here by Your sheer grace and mercy. You say that You spend three-fourths of Your time on Your boys. What do You want us to do?

Bhagavan: There is nothing you can do for Me. I don't need anything from you. I only give and never receive. I do not accept or receive anything from anyone. I never stretch My hand before anybody in order to receive something. I have never asked anybody for anything till now. In fact, all things happen according to the will of Swami.

But, I ask you to give Me only one thing, and that is enough. What is it? It is your love. Your parents sometimes stay away from you. But I am always with you, in you, below you, above you and around you. I am indeed yourself. If you remember this always, that is enough. [To the students] You follow Swami, and you will shine like a precious gem in the future.

 

But, I ask you to give Me only one thing, and that is enough. What is it? It is your love. Your parents sometimes stay away from you. But I am always with you, in you, below you, above you and around you. I am indeed yourself. If you remember this always, that is enough.

You will be highly respected and will get a good name in society. Whatever you have learnt here in the hostel and the college, and on top of all this, the love of Swami you have received should never be forgotten. Get for yourselves a good name. Follow Swami's teachings.

Once King Janaka put a question in the open court, "Is there anyone who can teach me Brahmajnana, knowledge of the ultimate reality, within the time it takes to place my foot in the stirrup and ride on the back of my horse?" His preceptor, Yajnavalkya said, “Oh King! I shall teach you. Follow meâ€. King Janaka accordingly got up from the throne and started following him. After walking some distance, Yajnavalkya asked the King to stop and sit on the ground in the middle of the royal highway. Janaka obeyed and sat down accordingly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone was taken aback on seeing the King sitting on the ground. They prayed to him to go back to the palace, but in vain; he would not respond to any of his citizens. The army chief and the ministers heard the news; they rushed to the spot and pleaded with the King to let them know what had happened. Janaka did not open his mouth.

The Queen came out of the royal palace, sat in front of him, cried and begged him to let her know what had happened. The King did not speak to her too. Soon everyone came to know that Sage Yajnavalkya was responsible for the present plight of the King. They went out in search of him, and finally got him. They questioned him as to what he had done to the King that made him sit on the ground in the highway. Yajnavalkya replied that he did not do anything to the King, and that he never asked the King to keep silent.

Followed by all of them, Yajnavalkya came to the King and asked him why he was remaining silent without replying to any of the queries made by those visiting him. Janaka said, “Swami! You asked me to follow you. I did so. You made me sit on the ground in the highway. I obeyed you. But you never asked me to reply or talk to anyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I needed your permission to do anything other than what you had told me to do. The moment you wanted me to follow you, I was no longer my own. I had to wait for your instructions, isn't that right, Sir?" This kind of strict obedience to his Guru made Janaka a Rajarshi, a saint among kings. What is expected from all of you is following the teachings of Swami.

The Pandavas were acclaimed as the noblest of kings since they followed Lord Krishna unquestioningly. You follow Swami's command; that is enough. Since Hanuman followed the command of his chief Sugriva, he could come so close to Rama and do the duty assigned to him successfully. This is why he is remembered today as a great devotee of Rama.

There is nothing that you can't achieve if you follow Swami's teachings. There was a Muslim devotee by name Mansoor. He always used to repeat 'analhak', which means 'I am God'. Hearing this, the King of the place was very furious and forbade him to repeat these words. But still Mansoor did not stop saying 'analhak'.

The king became so very angry with him this time that he got Mansoor's hands and legs chopped off. Yet, Mansoor didn't stop repeating 'analhak'. The blood that was oozing out of the wounds started saying 'analhak'. Finally, the King got Mansoor burnt alive. Then the ashes from the burnt body started rising, echoing 'analhak'. This is an eloquent example of a devotee's staunch and unflinching faith in God. He may choose to die, but he would not under any circumstances lose his faith in God.

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! How can we develop confidence in ourselves?

Bhagavan: By discrimination if you eliminate all doubts and confusions, you can develop confidence in yourselves. Today no one is exercising this faculty of discrimination, a gift from God. You have buddhi, the intellect, which discriminates. Since you don't discriminate, you are full of confusion and doubts. Hence, modern youth are not able to accomplish anything worthwhile. For any human attempt, confidence is absolutely necessary.

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! I am interested in philosophy. Do you advise me to study philosophy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bhagavan: Many read books on philosophy. What is the use? Their reading of philosophy brings them down to “full lossâ€. It should be the other way round. Philosophy should "fill loss" in our life; only then is its study useful.

Go through the book of your heart. It is not enough if you merely repeat mantras. You will never be able to experience their efficacy by doing so. You have to know what you are repeating. In other words, you need to have practical knowledge.

Take for example, the Bhagavad Gita, where in the first verse, dharmaksetrekuruksetre…; the king wanted to know from Sanjaya what was happening there in the battlefield. Does it not look silly and meaningless? In a battlefield what else can one expect other than fights and killing. Did King Dhritarashtra expect a dinner or a football match in the battlefield?

Then, why did he put that question to Sanjaya at all? Well, it is not as simple as it sounds. Dhritarashtra wanted to know from Sanjaya if his sons, the Kauravas, had undergone any transformation in the last minute before the war started, which possibly could lead to a compromise between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

So, mere reading is not enough. One must know the inner significance and subtle meanings of the text for a clear understanding. This is "Fill loss", which is true philosophy.

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! How are we to believe that all this is happening everyday in Kodai Kanal? Can we estimate our good luck that is responsible for the golden opportunity of sitting at Your lotus Feet and listening to five discourses a day? How are we to retain this privilege?

Bhagavan: As you rightly deserve, you get this opportunity. But you need to note one important point. The Bhagavad Gita says, ksinepunye martyalokam vis'anti, which means that the merit accrued is exhausted with the passage of time. You will have to return to the earth, even from the highest of heavens.

One example: you know that some of your representatives are elected as legislators and some as members of the parliament. How long does their term last? Only five years. Does it not? Their term is for five years after which they have to go back to their constituencies.

But as legislators, parliamentarians and people's representatives, if they frequently visit their constituencies, meet the electorate and render service to the voters who elected them to those positions, they can contest elections again and return to the assembly or parliament as the case may be for another term. Similarly, while enjoying the present golden opportunity you can still work for its continuity by satkarma, doing good deeds, sadalocana, entertaining good thoughts, and satsang, joining good company.

(To be continued)

- Illustrations: Ms. Vidya, Kuwait

 

 

 

 

 

A MOTHERS SMILE ...TOUCHING SHORT STORY

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"OMSAIRAM..RAMCHAND GHANSHAMDAS CHUGANI" <rgcjp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Young Friends,Here is a touching short story contributed by one of our readers, Aswin,…. A MOTHER'S SMILE

 

 

This happened a long time back. I used to be only a doctor then.As soon as I entered the Mother Theresa Memorial Hospital, the smell of disinfectants greeted me. The familiar scenes - nurses and the ward boys hurrying about their daily duties, sick people sitting patiently, waiting to meet the doctors - filled my mind. Cries of some patient crying out in pain in some ward welcomed me to the day's work.Within six months of joining the Hospital, I had got used to all these smells, sights and sounds. They seemed normal to me. They no longer disturbed me as they had during my learning days. Yet in the six months there was one thing I had not got used to. It was the framed photo of Mother Theresa that hung from the wall opposite the entrance of the Hospital. It was the familiar photograph of the Mother that smiled at all who came to the hospital. Yet there was something more to that wrinkled, smiling face. Perhaps it was something in those eyes that had caught my fancy. Certainly there was something in them. Were they tears? No ….not possibly. Or maybe they were, because the eyes looked so sad, ..so…I can't express that feeling in words. Just that they made me feel uneasy. But I could not avoid them. Every time I entered the hospital, inspite of myself, my eyes would fall on the framed photograph and my eyes would meet those eyes. And then the same feeling of …of… yes, maybe guilt would overcome me. Perhaps I was imagining. But those eyes continued to haunt me for all those six

months. That morning it was no different. I came to the hospital and as soon as I entered, I saw the photograph. I shook off that uneasy feeling and walked to my office. I put on my white coat, placed my stethoscope around my neck and went towards the wards.I went about my daily business - seeing the patients, checking their progress, telling the nurses the prescriptions, encouraging the patients, talking to the patient's family members - and returned to my office. Then there was a bit of paperwork to finish. After that I had to handle the outpatient department for the rest of my workday. At the end of the day, I was a bit tired. As I was preparing to go home, a ward boy came to my door with an envelope. Inside was my cheque for the services that I rendered to the hospital. With the envelope in my hand, I walked out of the hospital. And as I walked out, I could somehow feel those eyes gazing at

my back. As I was driving home, I was contemplating on my life. Since childhood I wanted to serve the society. So I worked very hard and overcame many obstacles to become a doctor. I had accomplished my dream, for I felt that there was no better way of serving the society than curing the sick. I was doing well as a doctor. I was serving a lot of people. At the same time I was able to keep my family happy. What more could anyone ask for?Yet something was missing in my life. I could not tell what it was. But somewhere deep in my heart, I knew that I was not really happy. As my car turned into the National Highway, I could hear someone shouting. A little further I saw a group of people standing while a woman was running up and down the road, shouting something at each vehicle as it passed her. As I slowed down, she ran up to my open window. She was a poor woman, possibly a beggar. She wore a dirty and torn sari. Her dry hair fell over her eyes,

which were filled with tears that flowed down her soiled face. As she came towards my window I could hear her crying out something I could not understand. She was pointing towards the group of people standing nearby. In the fading light I could make out the body of a young boy lying sprawled beside the road, near the onlookers. As I went near, I saw that the boy was bathed in blood. I guessed that some speeding vehicle would have hit the boy and the culprit would have driven away in haste leaving behind the poor victim to die. Those standing around were poor people who could not have helped. And those who could have were too busy. And here was a poor mother begging of me to save her child.I looked at the boy who was in great pain. Possibly he had some broken bones and some internal bleeding. I could see that his situation was critical. And if he did not receive medical attention immediately he would die here on the road, with his mother looking

on helplessly. I could feel the poor lady's agony as she wailed, beating her chest and head with her hands. I knew that no hospital would readily accept this case, as the boy was in a very critical condition. And it would involve the police too. I also knew that if the boy were not admitted, he would surely die. I still don't know what made me do that, but in a few minutes I was driving back to my hospital with the boy and his mother in the back seat.When I reached the hospital, the nurse and the doctor on duty were shocked to see the condition of the boy. As they stood there speechless, I told the doctor, "Admit him.""Sir,…." ,he mumbled. He looked at the boy and then at me and said, "Sir, I do not think it is advisable."I looked straight into his eye with my anger rising inside me. "Give me one good reason why."He avoided my

eyes and said, "Sir, … this boy…. This boy will die … and ….It is a doctor's duty to see that he does not", I told even more angrily than before. This time it was the nurse who spoke. "But sir, … who will pay for the treatment?" I sharply turned towards her and said, "I will. Admit him. Now" They did not have anything more to say. They mutely followed my orders. I personally attended to the boy. After we had done the first aid, and given him blood, I had the other tests carried out. All that took a lot of time. It was well past midnight when I administered some medicines and had the boy put to sleep. The whole thing had taken several hours but I was not feeling tired. I fact I was happy to see the boy resting peacefully.I was about to leave the ward when the boy's mother came to me. She was saying something. There were still tears in her eyes. I told her, through gestures that her son was now fine and out of danger. I told her not to make noise as the boy was sleeping. She stopped weeping and wiped her tears. I gestured as I told her that she could take him home in a few days. But she was not looking at me. She was looking at her son and wiping her face with her soiled sari. As I walked away, she just looked at me and smiled. There was something in her smile. I could not understand it. It was beautiful

beyond description… I managed to smile back. As I was going, I just looked back, once more, to see the sleeping boy and his mother, who was now at the door of the ward, looking longingly at her son. When I got to the entrance of the hospital, I wished the nurse a good night. She wanted to say something. I waited."Sir…" She was groping for words. "Sir, Doctor … asked me to tell you about the bill…" I silently walked out to the car, picked out the envelope that I had received in the morning, and went back and gave it to the lady. She stared at the envelope."Take the whole amount of the treatment from here."She looked at me with remorse in her eyes. "Sir!", she said. I smiled in reply and turned and walked away.As I was about to leave, something made me turn back. And my eyes fell on the photograph of Mother Theresa.And there she was. And on her face was an unmistakable

smile. Well, the tears too were there. But that smile… It was beautiful beyond description. That night changed my life. I could not be just a doctor from then on. Today I am trying to be like the Mother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volume 01: PDS / 08

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Date : DEC 15 2003

 

 

 

EntHralling Reminiscences of the Days of Yore

From the mental diary of Mrs. Karunamba Ramamurthy - Part 1

 

 

Extremely fortunate to come to His lotus feet when she was just a tiny girl in 1940s, Mrs. Karunamba Ramamurthy, lovingly addressed as Kannamma, has a priceless treasure trove of incredible memories of the yester years. She is also the author of the famous book "Sri Sathya Sai Anandadayi - Journey with Sai".

The Avatar’s Attraction This happened in the mid-forties. Once a lady, a friend of mine, from Bangalore wrote a letter to us stating that Bhagavan had come to their house, and asked me to come over for His darshan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Karunamba Ramamurthy

 

 

 

In that letter she said, “We have read about Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and felt very sorry about our misfortune of not having had his darshan as he had already entered Samadhi years ago. However, the same person has reincarnated as Sri Sathya Sai Baba, hence, please come!†After receipt of that letter we proceeded from Mysore to Bangalore. We had His darshan in a devotee’s house. Incidentally, the day happened to be Bhagavan’s birthday. After the function, Bhagavan told everyone present to partake prasadam. “I will then answer your questions,†He said. The owner of the house instructed us, “Whomsoever Swami calls, alone should go to the corner room and ask their doubts and desires. Swami will give instructions and clear any doubts you may have.†It was our good fortune that Swami called us first. My mother instructed me that as we had already received one Mantra Upadesha (divine injunction to chant a particular name) from a guru we should only ask for the grace of the Lord. Swami, being omniscient, showed that He knew about this and told us, “You already do japam (chanting) and other spiritual activities, hence don’t worry, I will look after you.â€

The Divine Invitation Following Bhagavan’s darshan at the friend’s house, my mother had His darshan in two other occasions at the residences of other devotees. It was during one of those darshans that Swami told her “come to Puttaparthi.†You can imagine that by this time we were rather enamoured by our sweet interactions with the Lord, and it took only those words for my family to resolve to make the arduous journey to His abode. Soon, my father and his sister visited Puttaparthi for the first time, in 1946, when Swami was barely 20 years old! In those days, only the old Mandir existed; even today it stands close to the Sri Venugopala Swami temple in the Puttaparthi village. At that time, it had just been constructed. My family stayed in an open space beside this old Mandir. As Brahmins (belonging to the priestly class), we cooked our own food, which was done in the open. During her visit my mother respectfully asked Bhagavan, “Swami, will you accept the food that we cook and bring for You?†And to her abounding joy, Swami said, “Yes!" Since then, due to His grace, she was able to cook and serve Him food on many occasions. “Will you accept mantra upadesham from Me?†Once when my mother was serving Him food, He lovingly asked her, “You have already been given mantra upadesham, however, shall I initiate you again? If you are particular to receive it through Me, just add Sai before the mantra, that’s all!†My mother had only been initiated (given mantra upadesham) a year before she had her first darshan of Bhagavan. However, she was very devoted to Bhagavan and asked Him for anything and everything. In those days there were not more than 35 devotees; in fact, that was a big figure then! A respectable lady, Mrs. Sakkamma, well-known as a coffee-estate owner in those days, used to come often from Bangalore (Kodugu District) and stay for about three to four days. She was the one who used to take upon herself the task of arranging everything for Bhagavan, be it His bath, water, food, or anything else. The Magnificent Jyothi Darshan One day, Swami blessed all of us in Puttaparthi by partaking meals in our house. Sakkamma, who was present then, asked Swami if she could return to Bangalore. Swami, however, did not grant her permission. But Sakkamma insisted that she had to leave. My mother also tried to dissuade her. Finally, Sakkamma boldly said, “If Swami shows His darshan in a miraculous way, only then will I stay back.â€

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those who are not aware, Bhagavan has stated that the first period of His divine life was characterized by leelas – the sports of the Lord. It was because this aspect was prominent then, and also because Sakamma adored and related to Swami as a young boy that she could at times take the liberty to make such demands. And Swami too was very ready to grant Sakamma’s prayer in a spectacular way on that occasion. The next evening He took all of us along with Him to the Chitravathi River, which was a copious flow during those days. At about 6.30 p.m., Swami suddenly told us all to follow Him, and He walked up a hillock and stood there. He showed His empty hands and then asked us if we were all ready to see what followed. We waited with bated breath to see what would unfold… There, suddenly appeared a brilliant light, and in the middle of that sublime brilliance stood Swami! All of us assembled there, at the foot of the hillock, saw this Divine spectacle and were dumbfounded in awe. A Divine aura had completely surrounded Swami as He stood there on the hillside. The light was a pulsating brightness, so dazzling that it was overwhelming. But at the same time, the luster was so soft and gentle, because of which we could withstand the purity of its luminescence.

 

 

 

 

All of us assembled there, at the foot of the hillock, saw this Divine spectacle and were dumbfounded in awe. A Divine aura had completely surrounded Swami as He stood there on the hillside. The light was a pulsating brightness, so dazzling that it was overwhelming. But at the same time, the luster was so soft and gentle, because of which we could withstand the purity of its luminescence.

 

 

And then, Swami slowly came down a few yards, but the effulgence continued to surround Him. When He further descended, the aura was still there around Him, undiminished. We were stunned and speechless. How can one describe that unprecedented event? We were just shocked with delight and overjoyed at the divine gift bestowed on us. After this historic event, we all returned to the old Mandir and sang bhajans. At the end of this session, we offered Him arathi. Swami then told us the significance of the darshan He had bestowed on us just then. He explained that there are many types of devotees and everyone worships God in the form they like the most; the choice is totally up to them. Each one will become aware of the brilliance of the Divine in the form they worship and that is dear to them. It is interesting to know that this very same miracle occurred when Jesus walked the earth as recorded in the gospel of Matthew:

After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James and John, the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There, he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the Sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Just then, there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

(Gospel of Matthew, chapter 17, v1-8)

Worshipping the Lord’s Lotus Feet

The old Mandir was built in the year 1945. During this period, the unique opportunities devotees had for divine conversation with Bhagavan were absolutely amazing; no one has enjoyed such opportunities later. Swami used to come and just sit with us and talk. There was not even a time limit then!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The old Mandir was only a small shed, and needless to say there wasn’t ample space there. It was built by a devotee, Mr. Devaraj. The hall was shared by all, ladies on one side and men on the other. In fact, Bhagavan Himself used to sleep in the hall on the floor; there wasn’t even a cot! We were very fortunate to perform Pada Puja (worship of the feet) to Swami in the old Mandir; it was performed with devotional songs. During the puja, we were allowed to sing any song we liked. “Pesara Pappu Kosamu Poena…. (I went to bring Moong Dal…)†is one of the songs we used to sing. Swami used to like Moong dal cooked and served in the meals those days. Mrs. Sundaramma, a devotee from Karnataka, used to sing that song beautifully. During the puja, we used to spread a white cloth on the ground. Over that we placed castor oil and haldi (turmeric) powder. These two were then mixed and the paste applied to the soles of Swami’s Feet. After gently pouring scented water (panneer) over His feet, we offered our salutations and touched His feet in reverence. Swami would leave the puja only after we all had taken padanamaskar. Of course, when He walked over the white cloth, His feet made impressions (Pada mudralu) on the cloth, and these became prized objects of devotion. Sometimes, we used to place a pad on the floor. When Swami stood over this, we poured scented water and washed His feet, and then, wiped them with a towel. After this, we applied turmeric powder and vermillion on His lotus feet. Finally, we placed a flower garland around His neck and sang bhajans. This is how we performed Pada Puja in those bygone years. Dassara with the Divine

 

 

 

 

 

 

People of great social stature such as the Maharaja of Mysore and Basavaraj Urs used to visit Swami frequently those days. All these important people used to sit around Swami, who was just a young boy. During Dassara and other such festivities, all of us got together, with great love and devotion, arrayed Swami in fine garments. We used to assemble elaborate carriages for Him such as the Swan Vahana (vehicle in the form of a swan) and Nandi Vahana (carrier in the shape of the sacred bull, Nandi). Flower decorators from Bangalore often brought varieties of blossoms that were placed on these Vahanas and used as palanquin for Swami. During Dassara, Swami used to visit the village in a different Vahana each day. The decoration for Swami was based on the Dasavatharam (ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu). Swami’s Vahana was followed by a band and a Shehnai (folk music) party. And behind this was the concourse of devotees. Arathi was offered to Swami once the procession returned. Then, coconuts too would be broken and we all offered salutations. The programme would conclude by 9.00 p.m. Again, by 2.00 a.m. we would gather around the Mandir. Residents from the hamlet used to attend all these festivities regularly without fail. Interview Room on the Sands Swami used to take us all to the Chitravati River every afternoon. We used to return to the old Mandir only by about 6.00 p.m. As the old Mandir did not have extra space, the bank of Chitravathi was the interview room. Swami used to answer all our questions on the sands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those who had unfulfilled desires in their lives, such as not being able to have children or were troubled with material constraints, prayed to Bhagavan to bless them. He often materialised many idols of deities. He also used to create fruits and flowers, which He distributed to everyone around. When the Lord Wills Abundance On one occasion, He created an apple which He cut into small pieces and passed around to all of us. The wonder was that every devotee got a fair share of the same small apple! His will produced surplus (Akshayam) so that all could partake of the divine prasadam.

 

 

 

 

 

On one occasion, He created an apple which He cut into small pieces and passed around to all of us. The wonder was that every devotee got a fair share of the same small apple! His will produced surplus (Akshayam) so that all could partake of the divine prasadam. Another feature of the apple was the blemishless texture of its skin; it was absolutely smooth and shiny. When we asked Bhagavan about the wonderful quality of the apple skin, He replied that blemishes represented strife in life, which resulted in rebirth. To drive this lesson home, He had created such perfect apples.

 

Another feature of the apple was the blemishless texture of its skin; it was absolutely smooth and shiny. When we asked Bhagavan about the wonderful quality of the apple skin, He replied that blemishes represented strife in life, which resulted in rebirth. To drive this lesson home, He had created such perfect apples. One day, due to some reason, the fire in the kitchen was not lit. Swami, then, went inside this room, and taking a cloth, wiped all the cooking vessels thoroughly clean. He then placed lids on all of them and left the scene. At about noon, Swami told us to open the lids of the vessels. When we did that we were shocked to find a variety of cooked delicacies! We served this delicious food to all the devotees present, which was no small number. But the vessels never became empty! He had willed all the containers to remain full till all ate to their heart’s content! In those days there was never enough rice or paddy stock in the kitchen. However, none remained hungry; there was food for all and in abundance! It was a simple leela for Bhagavan to ensure this. This Leela from Bhagavan, which by the way He repeated many times to assuage the needs of His devotees, can also be seen mirrored in the divine life of Lord Jesus as we read the Bible:

 

…the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."

Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

"Bring them here to me," he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

(Gospel of Matthew, chapter 14, v13-21)

 

“Sing Bhajans wholeheartedly, that is enoughâ€

In those days, my mother used to stay in the kitchen of the old Mandir to cook for Swami; that was a tiny room. Devotees used to come from all over the country at all hours of the day to see Bhagavan. Once a group of devotees of the popular Tamil saint, Sri Ramana Maharishi, came to see Bhagavan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They had arrived at dusk, when the village was enveloped with darkness. Navigating down the road was a problem, and to compound the issue, they did not understand the local language, Telugu. However, one villager thought of my mother and directed the visitors to her as she knew Tamil. They informed my mother that they had come all the way from Thiruvannamalai hearing that God had incarnated here. They had come to have His darshan, offer their prayers and perform puja to Him. And then, they questioned her on the modalities of performing such a puja. She replied that there was no such worship necessary, and that devoted bhajans alone were enough. When this group saw Bhagavan, He was very happy. Swami told them to stay with their guru (Sri Ramana Maharishi) and to sing bhajans with devotion and dedication.

That alone is enough to earn merit, He conveyed to them. Hearing this, my mother was ecstatic as Bhagavan had given the same upadesam (advice) to my father too. Diesel Generator Runs on Water!

During those days, there were no street lights. The roads were dark and uninviting in the evenings. A couple of bulbs glowed powered by a diesel generator for which devotees procured the fuel.

 

 

 

 

 

Devotees started complaining that there was no light. Hearing this, Swami asked for water in a bucket from the nearby well. He then directed them to pour the water into the generator tank. Wonder of wonders! The bulbs lit up and burned beautifully throwing bright light all around!

 

One evening, during a celebration, when the procession was about to start, the bulbs failed to light up! At that time Swami was sitting in an old room at the rear of the old Mandir. Devotees started complaining that there was no light. Hearing this, Swami asked for water in a bucket from the nearby well. He then directed them to pour the water into the generator tank. Wonder of wonders! The bulbs lit up and burned beautifully throwing bright light all around! This amazed everybody, but maybe there were still a few doubting thomases. Swami again asked the devotees to fetch another bucketful of water and directed that it be poured into the generator – the bulbs continued to burn beautifully. Nobody had any doubts about His divinity that evening! Bhagavan is Sakthi Swaroopini

Swami used to sit along with devotees and discuss with them various topics. Many came to Him for advice, which He offered with the greatest of concern. The number of devotees in the Mandir in those days often did not cross single digits; even ten people on normal days were a big number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyday, turmeric powder and vermillion was placed on the deities who adorned the altar. Incense sticks and lamps were also lit, and all these duties were done in turns by the ladies staying in the Mandir. One day, it was my mother’s chance to decorate the idols and light the lamps. While she was busy doing this, Bhagavan was actually standing right behind her. Swami made a few remarks expressing his apparent displeasure in the way the idols were being adorned. When my mother heard this, she immediately turned around and what did she see? In stead of Swami, it was the Divine Mother! The form of Sakthi Swaroopini!

She was decked in a red silk saree; Her face was shining turmeric powder and vermillion; beautiful gold jewelry adorned Her neck. What a divine blessing Swami has conferred on her! It was just heavenly. She often recounted this glorious darshan with great fervour. In those cherished days, I was awed by the glory of Swami. We have not seen Lord Rama or Lord Krishna, but the present Avatar is living with us, amidst us! What a great opportunity! (to be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The loving blessings at the end of the day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An interview with Sai Baba: "I see only Light and Love"

By PF Sloan

It was on my second visit to see Sai Baba that I was granted a private conversation with Him. These are called interviews. Almost everyday Baba would choose a group of people to talk to in a small room. Baba chose all kinds of people from all walks of life and all different countries. You couldn’t make an appointment to speak with Him. Presidents and movie stars. He did the choosing! Everyone wanted this interview, but I was very frightened by the thought of it. Baba usually asked people, "What do you want?" and I really didn’t know. I knew I didn’t want to be forced into a situation where I would talk like a parrot out of fear and say "I want Enlightenment! Enlightenment over good health or wealth." I didn’t know what I wanted. That night he came to me in a dream and said "I know you're frightened, don’t be. I will show you right now everything that will take place in the interview. And I won’t ask you any questions!" He told me

two people were flying in from Los Angeles, Dave and Barbra Lambert. After they had been there for a few days, he would ask our group in for a talk! True to the dream - that’s what took place.

I held the door open to His little room and let everyone in the group go in first. It numbered around forty or so. I sat in the back of the small room, hiding myself. He sat on a chair and sang a song to us, 'Love is my Form, Truth is my name, Bliss is my food'. He called me to come sit in front of Him. Then He asked me if I would please massage His feet for Him. I began to gently massage His feet while He told stories and asked questions of certain people. I watched as He waved His hand and a gold pen appeared. He showed it to me and asked if I liked it. I said it looked like good workmanship. He agreed. He gave it to an Indian student that sat at His left, and smacked him on the face. He ‘created’ a packet of blue pills that he threw to one of the ladies in our group. He told me she didn’t know it, but she was going to have terrible stomach pains later in the day, and we should give her these pills along with fresh mango. "After 3 days she

will be alright", He told me. About ten minutes after the interview, Jenny collapsed.He invited a small group of 6 people, not including myself, to go into another adjoining room. While the larger group waited, Baba pulled open a curtain and we sat down in a smaller room. He sat on an old chair, and this was where He usually asked people what they wanted. The group, 3 women and 3 men, sat quietly. I suddenly remembered this part in my dream that I had had with Baba. He was staring at me like an impatient schoolteacher waiting for me to say something!

I asked Baba, "May I ask you a question?" He said, "Yes, what is it?" It looked like relief flashed across the expression on His face. Like he was saying to me, "It’s about time, Phil!""What do You see when You see me?", I asked.

Baba looked at all the people sitting there in a state of semi-frozenness and said, "I see only Light and Love". His reply seemed to warm everyone up and I went into another state of mind, and didn’t hear anything else till we rejoined the larger group.

Baba gave me 18 packets of Vibuthi, and everyone else received handfuls of it. Everyone walked out the door but me. I stood there alone with Baba. I was just looking into His eyes and He into mine. When suddenly he said, "Yes, what is it?"

I didn’t want any material thing from Baba at that moment, I realized. I just wanted to know He was for real! "Yes," He said to me. I smiled and showed him this small silver ring of Shirdi Sai Baba that had recently broken.

Not knowing how to ask him directly if He would fix it for me, I said instead, "Baba, look at this ring, what shall I do with it?" He looked at it and delivered a punch line I never expected. "If I were you I’d keep it", He said.

I nearly exploded in laughter, but contained myself as He walked me out the door, and I felt the warm sunlight disappear into a greater sunlight within me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A woman from Australia and her two children

Here is an interesting tale which one of the devotees send to me from Mumbai. This was a story narrated to this devotee when he visited Parthi for Paduga Pooja. Some devotees from south India started Paduga Pooja, where a lot of devotees get silver forms of foot prints(called Padugas) and keep this in Parthi for Bhagwan for blessings. After swami blesses these Padugas they take back the same to respective places. This started in 1995 by a person called Subramanyam Chettior. After his father passed away in the early part of this year Sri Srinivasan Chettior has taken the responsibility of this program.Bhagawan in His 1996 Padhuga Mahotsav had given a divine Proclamation that wherever Sai Padhugas are worshipped, Swami Himself would be there, in their homes. The Sai Padhuga Family members feel the divine presence of Bhagavan Baba in their Pooja room blessing

them!Sri Srinivasan Chettior narrated a miraculous incident happened Signifying the glory of Padhuga, which he claimed to have told Bhagavan Baba personally.One lady from Austria was pregnant. But she was feeling uneasiness in her abdomen and consulted her doctors. On examination the doctors told her that she was bearing two children but the children were disproportionately grown and they were not equal in size, One child was very big and the other child very small! In the circumstances, normal delivery was impossible.The only remedy available was to take away the two children, terminating the pregnancy as otherwise the lives of children and as well as the lady were at stake. All the expert doctors gave the same opinion. But the lady wanted to have her children alive in good shape and the doctors reiterated that it was absolutely impossible. She developed an urge in her to rush to

Puttaparthy to touch the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan Baba and place her Prayer.But her health did not permit her to do so. Now she remembered that one of her friends was having Sri Sai Padhuga in her home given by Sri Chettiar. She requested her friend and brought the Sai Padhugas to her home. She did some thing strange. She tied both the divine Sai Padhugas on her Abdomen and constantly Prayed Bhagavan to give her children intact, healthy and equal in size. Her prayers continued for 20 days. Her prayers were deep from her heart and sincere. After some time, she had a comfortable feeling in her abdomen; her breath was uniform and comfortable. She immediately Consulted her doctors. The doctors were taken aback with unbound surprise (with a trace of confusion also ) and informed her that the children are now safe, equal in size and in good shape. Ultimately the delivery of the twin kids was safe and normal delivery was possible. Both the children are

now healthy, cheerful and proportionate in size. He further announced the lady showed her twin children to his beloved father when she had visited Prasanthi Nilayam during the last year Sri Sai Padhuga Pooja! His father very glad and informed the lady that her deep devotion and sincere faith in Sai Padhugas had saved the lives of the mother and children.

The devotee's father explained this to my friend in Parthi and he sent a mail to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Expansion of Love

…in the United States and in our unique personalities

By Mr. Robert A. Bozzani

 

 

 

 

One among the few devotees from the western hemisphere who came to recognise Baba’s divinity way back in the early seventies, Mr. Bozzani was a forty-five year old flourishing businessman from the USA when he came to Baba for the first time.

For more than thirty five years since then, he has visited Puttaparthi at least once every year and has been a hand-picked instrument of Bhagavan in His Divine Mission. Currently, he is a Trustee of the Sathya Sai Book Center of America, California, USA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Robert A. Bozzani

 

One of the more beautiful aspects of my relationship with Swami is the complete care He took to ensure that I received not just His teachings, but also the ambience to practice the same. What I refer to here is the blossoming of the Sai Movement that America was witnessing just about that time, when I came to see Him first in the early 1970s. [Read “How Swami U-turned My Life from the December 2008 issue]. And I can only thank Swami not just for initiating me into the Sai-ward path, but also for fostering my spiritual growth in the company of like-minded spiritual aspirants such as Dr. John Hislop, Charles Penn and a few others - all of whom were early comers to Sathya Sai Baba from the West. It felt like we were all classmates in the ‘ Divine School’, and to me, that was a great relationship. Not just that, each one of them, in their own way, was a sterling example of the goodness and godliness that Baba taught, and that provided me with the necessary motivation and impetus to trudge on my newly chosen path. Dr. John Hislop – The Pioneer of the American Sai Organisation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swami with His loving devotee, Dr. John Hislop

 

America saw its first Sathya Sai Organisation centre under Dr. John “Jack†Hislop. He was a staunch devotee of Baba, and played a premier role in the expansion of Sathya Sai Organisation in the USA. Dr. Hislop embodied Swami’s teachings to the fullest, as I saw it. It was he who inculcated a strong sense of discipline amongst us as a very necessary step for the organisation to get started and running. Indeed, Swami knew whom He was appointing for the task! For, the Sai Organisation rests on the bastion of a spiritually synchronised code of conduct, and we, in America, owe that to Dr. Hislop.

In 1975, there were only about three to four Sai centers. I was, supposedly, one of the region coordinators along with two others. The main Sai center was in Mrs. Elsie Cowan’s house in Tustin, California. There was one centre in Sandweiss' house. So, those were the two important ones. Apart from these, San Francisco and New York had one Sai center each. It was at these Sai centers that I got to know more people.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Hislop embodied Swami’s teachings to the fullest, as I saw it. It was he who inculcated a strong sense of discipline amongst us as a very necessary step for the organisation to get started and running.

The Penns – The “Love†Messengers

Charles and Faith Penn were among the most wonderful people I met. I got to know them because they would come to the Sai get-togethers when we would have retreats and conferences. And all they would talk about was Love. They would have a meditation, and then they would get up and talk about the Love of Sathya Sai Baba and the poor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Charles Penn

 

 

 

 

Listening to the Sadguru's instructions

I still remember distinctly, that first time at the retreat; I was very disturbed. I said, “What is this talk about love? Let’s get to work and make the changes necessary!†I really laugh at myself when I think of it now, because I’ve understood over the years that it was the Penns’ message which was the most important of all! And understanding that message of Love was crucial to the perception and implementation of Baba’s teachings. In fact, Charles Penn was really the first in the United States to introduce Sathya Sai Baba to the United States, because he had come to Swami as early as 1969.

The Movement Gains Momentum…

 

 

 

 

Talking of the seventies, word was spreading progressively of the ‘holy’ man and teacher in distant India. And there were a host of others apart from Dr. Hislop and the Penns, who pitched in their bit to spread that word. People like Walter and Elsie Cowan, Indra Devi, and Mrs. Raja Gopala in Ojai did a lot for His mission.

Talking of the seventies, word was spreading progressively of the ‘holy’ man and teacher in distant India. And there were a host of others apart from Dr. Hislop and the Penns, who pitched in their bit to spread that word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swami with Ms. Indra Devi

 

People like Walter and Elsie Cowan, Indra Devi, and Mrs. Raja Gopala in Ojai did a lot for His mission. Then, there was another lady, Hilder Charlton in New York. She served as a catalyst to the Sai Movement in New York. Once a week, she would organise a bhajan-cum-speech session wherein she would talk about Sathya Sai Baba, His life and teachings. And these sessions would attract a lot of young people who were seeking meaning in their lives. Many of those early youth hitch-hiked to see Swami in the early 70s and He let them live in His ashram.So, she too played a crucial role to introduce Swami to United States. The Cowans – The Chosen Instruments

The Cowans were yet another important link in the network of Sai devotees in the America of the 70s. They were important to me, personally, because, when I returned to America from my first visit to Puttaparthi, I just felt that I had to go to a Sai center. And so, I drove a long way to Tustin at Elsie’s house, just to enjoy bhajans for an hour or so; this gave me enough ‘charge’ to ‘return’ to the world for another week. Elsie was always so loving and sweet to everybody; but at the same time, she was very dynamic when it came to her devotion to Swami. A lot of people would come to them; in fact, more so, when they heard the story of Walter Cowan’s resurrection by Swami. Walter Cowan had been declared clinically ‘dead’ by the doctors in Madras (now Chennai). But Swami brought him back to life, saying that he still had a role to play in His mission; that’s when the Cowans started the Sai Book Center in Tustin. They sought permission to reprint the first “Sathya Sai Speaks†because back then, in America, it was difficult to get them. And so, they reprinted these books and set up a process to distribute them in the United Sates - all in the backyard of their house and in their garage. And, when Walter passed away, Elsie built the book center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swami with Walter and Elsie Cowan

 

 

 

 

Swami materialises a gift for Elsie while conducting their Spiritual remarriage ceremony

Even today, the book center runs on a purely honorary basis, with no salaries. We do our best to sell the books on Swami at the lowest price possible, on a “No profit, No loss†basis. And that is a very important thing for the people too, to realise that around Sai activities there is no money collected, and that the Sathya Sai Organisation works purely out of love and service, never for any monetary gains. Thus, the Cowans too, through their book center, played a decisive role in disseminating Swami’s message and glory. It is also interesting to note how a lot of people got to know Swami through Indra Devi and Hata Yoga coevally.

Sai Movement in the USA on a Strong Footing in the 80's

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gradually, the Sathya Sai Organisation began to take deep roots in America, thanks to all the travelling that Charles Penn and Dr. Hislop did, to spread His word. And Swami was ensuring all the time that He prepared more and more ‘instruments’ for the American chapter of His Mission.

 

 

 

 

The Sathya Sai Organisation grew in its reach and magnitude, and transformed the lives of the people it touched. Not just that, it also engineered the spiritual progress of the individuals who were already part and parcel of its fabric.

 

Next into the picture, came Dr. Michael Goldstein and Dr. Samuel Sandweiss. In fact, Sandweiss probably has the oldest center running in United States at the same place. I was quite fortunate to interact with all these stalwarts. For, they were Swami’s instruments to begin to let people know that He was here, in the United States. Over the years, more Sai centers sprang up. And then, later on in the 80s, when brothers and sisters from India, who were in the United States, started coming to the Sai centers, these centers blossomed really faster. The Sathya Sai Organisation grew in its reach and magnitude, and transformed the lives of the people it touched. Not just that, it also engineered the spiritual progress of the individuals who were already part and parcel of its fabric. I, as a person, felt its deep and abiding influence in my life too. It not only gave me the ambience to practice Swami’s teachings, but also helped me to understand and unravel Swami’s message better, especially Swami’s message of Love.

Making ‘Love’ Work

The greatest problem of humanity today is poverty of love. And I’ve always felt that a lot of unhappiness and agitation we find in the world today has to do with just that – want of love. So, I feel very fortunate when I know that Swami has been grasping my heart and opening it more and more – to encompass all that I can see and feel. And love is not limited to our family or workplace. It is not enough if we merely kindle the ‘feeling’ of love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For instance, when we tell ourselves – “we are going to love our familyâ€, or that, “when I am working in Sai organisation, I should practice love there†That is not right. Wherever we are, every single moment, we must be ‘love in action’. Love is best expressed when put in action. And it is just that. The best way to do it over and over again is watch how we act; there is no other way. When we are faced with, what we think is a hostile person/situation, we tend to go with it, and attack. But what we all need to learn is to go the other way around, through the path of love, instead of finding fault with the ‘other’ and taking an offensive stance. That’s because, ultimately, everybody is looking for Love; that ‘lovelessness’ is the real problem. I have had moments when I have experienced the extra-ordinary power of Love even in the most mundane of things. For instance, when I go out to do an errand on certain mornings and I find a clerk who is simply unhappy, I do my best to smile and send love by how I act, rather than complain about things. And that action of love generates an aquifer of energy that keeps me going cheerful and buoyant the whole day. I sometimes think how wonderful it would be if we all had the ability to address the other person as “My dear embodiment of love…†instead of “Mr. So-and-Soâ€. Just the way Swami does! The mere act of addressing someone with love, generates so much of happiness and good-will that there can be no trace or scope for ill feelings. And that is exactly what Swami wants us to do – to give Love.

 

 

 

 

 

When we are faced with, what we think is a hostile person/situation, we tend to go with it, and attack. But what we all need to learn is to go the other way around, through the path of love, instead of finding fault with the ‘other’ and taking an offensive stance. That’s because, ultimately, everybody is looking for Love; that ‘lovelessness’ is the real problem.

There are times when we just can’t do that. But it is at such times, if we really open our hearts, we can feel Swami at that moment! Even if we can’t ‘feel’ the love, we can, at least ‘think’ it, saying mentally to the other person, “Although you upset me, personally, I love you.†And when we do that, we feel His presence! Even if we get angry, Swami is there; He is a good witness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Phyllis Crystal

The incident of Phyllis Crystal and the hijacker is a perfect example of the sort of magical effect that Love can have. A long-standing devotee of Sathya Sai Baba, Phyllis Crystal shares the message of love with youngsters and adults alike, even today, in her talks. She tells people – “If you can’t love, ask God to help you.†For that is what she did once, when hijacked on a plane. Threatened at gunpoint, and probably counting what were the last moments of her life, Phyllis Crystal mentally prayed to Sathya Sai Baba for succour. In that moment of intense prayer, she felt Swami telling her to ‘Love those people’! But the hijackers were people who were mean, angry and upset. Distressed and angry herself, Phyllis realised she just couldn’t do that.

Being honest to herself, she started praying to Swami again, “Swami, ‘I’ can’t send them (the hijackers) love, these people are cruel… but Swami, please send ‘Your’ love through me to them.†And she prayed that way, over and over again. When she did that, peace came to the aeroplane, and they weren’t harmed!

[Read this entire episode in the November 2008 cover story] It does not end there. Later on, Phyllis Crystal verified that incident with Swami in her next trip to Puttaparthi. And Bhagavan confirmed that when she had prayed for His love and opened her heart, it was that Love which had changed the hijackers’ hearts and transformed the whole situation. Living a Life of Love…

We need to feel and express Love; a love that stems not merely from the lips, but from our hearts, a love that is felt from the depths of our beings rather than recited in a humdrum fashion. For instance, we chant the Universal Prayer of Peace – ‘Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavanu’ (May all the worlds be happy), thrice, at the end of bhajan sessions.

 

 

 

 

“Swami, the world is in deep trouble due to absence of Love. Please, may this prayer of mine move You, and quell, to some extent, the agitation in the minds of the people, so that there is greater love†– it would naturally have a greater and long-lasting effect. For Love and beauty lie in the eyes of the beholder, not in the beheld; in the Drishti (Vision), not in the Srushti (Creation).

We do it pretty routinely like a tape recorder. If, for a moment, we did it with an intense feeling, and with the thought – “Swami, the world is in deep trouble due to absence of Love. Please, may this prayer of mine move You, and quell, to some extent, the agitation in the minds of the people, so that there is greater love†– it would naturally have a greater and long-lasting effect. For Love and beauty lie in the eyes of the beholder, not in the beheld; in the Drishti (Vision), not in the Srushti (Creation).

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we see something that we don’t like or relish, the fault lies in our outlook. And we must rise above that. This is what Swami means when He talks of ‘Reflection, Reaction and Resound’, and the need to put our perspective in place. There is no right or wrong. Everything is God.

I have asked Swami, for years, to make me rise above my judgmental point of view, which we all, as humans, are prone to take. And I can, with all my heart, say that, fortunately, I am getting there, even if I am not there. I can truthfully say that when I am not comfortable with a particular situation or somebody, I can, in my heart, send them Love, Swami’s Love, which is God’s Love. I can do that, and I can pray for them hoping that all is well with them; that they finally will get the message, whatever be the outcome, as long as I am Loving rather than Complaining about their actions. Because when we complain about something, that something is within us. That has been my experience, and to me, it’s gotten right – ‘What I See is what I Am’.

What is more, I have never felt better or younger in all of this life as I feel now. And I can only express my gratitude to Swami for His beautiful message of Love, and the opportunity to share my experiences with that message of love. Not only because I am the one who is most benefited in recounting my stories and experiences, but also because, when we share our experiences with each other, we are transported to an ineffable state of Love, Happiness and Bliss, that is verily, the nature of God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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From Puttaparthi... Two & A Half Year Old with Swami

 

Mr Howard Murphet writes, "At Prasanthinilayam in 1967 I met Mr. Russi C.Patel, a Parsi of Bombay, and his wife. From them I learnt the story of their little daughter, Ketu."At the age of 2.5 years Ketu, could not speak, walk or even stand. She had been given various kinds of medical treatment, including modern drugs and physiotherapy. But nothing seemed to have any effect. The source of the trouble was mystery. Some thought it was a matter of mental retardation; others said that it was some kind of unknown deep seated nerve trouble."This was the state of affairs in Feb 1965 when Mr. Patel decided to go to Parthi and see Sai Baba. His wife, who was a very orthodox Parsi, was not in favor of the idea, thinking it a waste of time and money.Sivaratri festival was on when Mr. Patel arrived at the ashram and huge crowds were there. Several times he wrote a note, intending to hand over the note to Baba as the

latter passed through the crowd near him, but each time, when he saw the little figure with the luminous face, full of light of understanding, he decided that it was not necessary and tore it up. "When Baba wants me He will call me up" Patel told his friends.But the days passed and Baba never called him. Streams of people were going in to see SWAMI but not Patel. Then one morning, a few days after the creation of Sivalingam, it was announced that there would be no personal interviews. However Baba came over to the balcony and gave blessings to all the devotees before they went home. Mr. Patel felt the great compassion pour onto the crowd and into his own heart.Yet in the train on the homeward journey his faith and spirits sank to a low level. He thought of the time he spent there and the chances of speaking to Baba he missed. He thought of his poor little daughter still unable to stand or utter a single word. He imagined his wife's

reproaches about the time and money he had wasted. He arrived at the door of his house very depressed.When he opened the door, the first sight his gaze met was little Ketu, who could not even stand when he had left, walking down halfway to meet him, calling out "Daddy, Daddy". He picked her up and embraced her, and then he embraced his wife, while both of them wept with joy over the miracle that had somehow taken place!!!On checking the facts with his wife Mr. Patel found that Ketu had first begun to walk and speak on the day before he arrived home - just after Sai Baba had given his blessings from the balcony to the assembled devotees!!!Some time afterwards Mr. Patel took his wife and daughter to see Baba when SWAMI was on a visit to Bombay. In the midst of the many thousands that crowd around Him in that metropolis, Sai Baba saw them, and in the words of Mr. Patel, " greeted the little girl as if she was an old friend returned

after a long absence" He took her on His knee, materialized some vibhuthi, and put it in her mouth. After that her speech improved greatly and she began using longer words!!!All this narration underlines the basic concept that He is not in Parthi alone and He does understand our problems without them being physically expressed. A sincere prayer would certainly move Him to make wonders.From 'Man of Miracles' written by Howard Murphet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Puttaparthi... How to Summon God

 

Moorthy, Sri Kasturi's son was doing research in Geology, when he had to tour forest areas in Assam, India. (North-East) On one occasion when he was alone, a wild bear noticed him & started closing in on him!Moorthy started running but the animal continued to chase him. As he ran faster over some rocks in his desperate flight to safety, he tripped & fell down but continued to cry loudly, "BABA, BABA."Within moments, a truck appeared there from nowhere & Moorthy found safety by getting into it. After a few months he happened to be in Prasanthi Nilayam when SWAMI told him, "I received your phone call & dispatched a truck. Did it reach you on time?!!!"One night Pedda Bottu, (As she was affectionately called) a great devotee of SWAMI was sleeping under a tree opposite Swami's residence. As it prepared to drizzle, she went to the verandah outside Swami's room & prepared to sleep there.As she was making her bed, she was muttering to herself, 'OM SRI SAI RAM' as a matter of habit. Swami came out & asked her, "Why won't you allow me to sleep?"Pedda Bottu said, "SWAMI, who stopped you from sleeping?"SWAMI retorted, "When you're summoning me, how can I go to bed & sleep?"The poor lady explained, "But I was in the habit of doing NAAMA SMARAN , whispering to myself & didn't intend to call you."BHAGAWAN told her, "What does that JAPAM mean? It amounts to

calling me only!!! NAAMA SMARAN is no different from summoning GOD!!!"PS: Incessant NAAMA SMARAN of a deity filled with longing, anguish and love for GOD elevates the devotee to a level that he attains the form of that deity itself!!! – SATHYA SAI BABAREF: SRI SATHYA SAI SATHCHARITHRA

 

 

EXCERPTS FROM Ms Peggy Mason

 

 

 

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How often do you get to ask Bhagawan some of the most intricate questions seeking clarification? Late Ms. Peggy Mason, an ardent devotee of Bhagawan from the United Kingdom had an opportunity to seek Divine clarification on some of the most intricate things about Jesus in a series of three consecutive interviews granted by the Lord. …and thus after 2000 years of his advent, humanity got to hear the Divine Whispers revealing the truth …Excerpts from Ms. Peggy Mason’s article The Interviews, published in Sanathana Sarathi, Sept 1980. The Questions

I wished I had asked Swami more questions. Yet when one really thinks about it, many questions which leap to mind regarding past events are of academic interest compared to the here and now, and the living reality of the divine principle incarnate in Sai Baba at this most crucial period of the planet's evolutionary history. There was, however, a question which was most vital to us - to hear from Swami's own lips - and Ron "plucked up courage" to ask it. "Swami, you are reported as saying, on Christmas Day 1972, that Jesus said: 'He who sent me among you will come again. His name will be truth. He will wear a blood red robe. He will be short, with a crown (of hair).' Does this mean that it was you who sent Jesus into incarnation?" With ineffable simplicity, never moving his eyes from Ron's, and in his soft, gentle voice, Swami nodded and said, "Yes." Ron took a deep breath. "Then, in that case, are you what Western Christians call `The Cosmic Christ'?" (the Cosmic Christ spirit) Again came that simple, gentle reply, "Yes." As long as I live I shall see His face as He gave this answer in a manner no ordinary human being could assume—so direct, so simple, so gentle, and completely egoless. For a few moments we said nothing, overcome by the impact of His reply. Everywhere men and women of goodwill are expecting and praying for the Second Coming of the Cosmic Christ spirit. But whether they recognise it or not, it is here amongst us in the embodiment of selfless love. Carols in the Rain

The most touching darshan I have ever witnessed took place this Christmas Eve, in the late afternoon. Thousands of devotees from all over the world had gathered to spend Christmas with Bhagawan Baba. It had been threatening rain all day and by darshan time there was a steady drizzle. I gazed across the darshan line and saw a sea of people sitting in the rain. There was absolute silence; no one stirred. They all sat, soaking in the rain, as water dripped from their heads to their faces. Each one was determined to have Swami's darshan. Their love seemed to touch the heart of Swami. He came out on the verandah, looking at all these apparently "God-Crazy" people sitting in the rain. Bhagawan moved from beneath the sheltered verandah, walking ever so slowly in the rain, giving us darshan, and letting us know' by His action that He is always experiencing every thing in life with us. Not once but twice He walked past - showing us that for each deed we do for Him, He blesses us twice. The wet crowd all dispersed after darshan, and re-appeared in clean clothing for bhajans. The rain had stopped in the interval. The Overseas Devotees' Christmas Choir sat in front of the Mandir prepared to sing carols during the allotted Bhajan time. All the overseas devotees sat together next to the choir. Swami filled the verandah with all the boy students and placed His red chair amongst the children, at the western edge of the verandah facing the choir. It began to rain. The more it rained, the stronger the voice of the choir determined to go on with the programme. Swami swayed and tapped with His hands to the rhythm of the songs. He seemed to enjoy us all sitting in the rain at His Divine Lotus Feet. When the choir finished their programme, Swami signalled us to continue by singing Bhajans. After arati, one person said, "We have had a complete Baptism!" In between darshan and bhajans my eyes fell on this quote: "When I sprinkle your face with rain and wash the earth, the first smell of clean rain, I am cleansing you - THINK OF ME!"-----------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In how many ways and in how many forms does Bhagawan come to us? We know not, we recognize Him not, and only after the event we realize that we missed the opportunity of our life...writes Chandrahas Shah narrating an unusual encounter he had, presenting valuable divine prescriptions to the humanity in general, as published in Feb, 1997 issue of Sanathana Sarathi. Read on...

 

 

Encounter in a Train

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was Thursday, May 23 1996. After work I was returning home riding the train. I was reading intently the latest issue of Sanathana Sarathi (April, 1996). I was oblivious to the surroundings. Suddenly a gentleman, a passenger, from behind, asked: "Are you reading a Hindu religious book?" I replied: "No. It is a monthly and it does not deal with Hinduism, it deals with humanism.†He observed: "Such journals should be available in U.S.A." I continued: "You can from here, you can get an address.†I was thinking glibly that he may get interested. Out of curiosity I asked: "What is your profession?" He answered: "I teach mathematics." I asked: "Where?" And he politely mentioned: "I teach in Harvard, MIT, Brandeis. I teach when I have something to teach." I was impressed. I was still dazed and I continued: "Mathematics would have a close relationship with philosophy.†He seemed to agree. At the next suburban station, he turned to me and

said: "This is my stop.†I did not pay much attention and said "Thanks.â€

Well, he did not get down! He accompanied me to the terminus (Alewife). We got down together and walked several steps together. We continued the conversation. He finally mentioned, "Please open the page you were reading in the train.†I opened it and he pointed to Swami's declaration: (p.97)

"Sathya and Dharma are the two rails on which the locomotive of the nation runs; when Sathya is given up, chaos prevails; when Dharma (righteousness) is discarded, might becomes right."

"Unfortunately India today is affected by consequences of seven grievous sins.

1. Business without morality (2) Politics without principle (3) Education without character (4) Worship without sacrifice (5) Acquisition of wealth without hard work (6) Human existence without regard for ancient Scriptures (7)Devotion without austerity."

Immediately he said rather forcefully: "Let me add", and he added in Swami's inimitable style:

1. Money is less important than honour; 2. Honour is less important than life;3. Life is less important than thought;4. Thought is less important than freedom!

"Let me add" I said: "You mean not freedom, you mean liberation.†He said: "No. freedom.†And he turned back, walked a few paces, and disappeared. I could not believe it.

Such a thing has not happened in years. I could not sleep the whole night, yet in the morning I was still fresh. The message in the four lines composed impromptu was important for me. I could read a special meaning into them during the night.

All professionals care more for honour than for monetary rewards but they neglect life, theirs and of those around them. They may tend to be oblivious to the humanness or human element while engaged in their profession. Besides, in their pursuit of perfection they tend to regard others less knowledgeable as less worthy. They then become unmindful of the purpose of life on this planet, viz., to realize the Self that is beyond senses, the mind and the intellect. Their narrow pursuit often results in pride and frustration. Ego rides over them. The word freedom is pertinent. Swami has emphasized it in His discourses to students. Students claim they are free or they deserve freedom. Swami reminds them, "You are not free, you are bonded slaves to your senses. Till that bondage is got rid of, you are not free.†Good thoughts are valuable for the individual and they make a precious contribution to the welfare of society. But such good thoughts can be

bondage if viewed and pursued rigidly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read together, the two messages of Swami seem to be closely linked. The message quoted in Sanathana Sarathi is aimed at the entire humanity. Swami's main mission is spiritual regeneration of humanity and the quote provides a prescription. The individual has to follow these injunctions to help His mission. This quote is general and applies to all sections of the community; businessmen, politicians, scholars and common men. The base of the society is the individual. His renewed emphasis on students and young ones whom He repeatedly chastises for yielding to the pressures of the world, instead of being steadfast to the values of life, adds meaning to the aphorism. (In Sanathana Sarathi of May 1996 Swami's address to students on March 31, 1996, is reproduced. The address reemphasizes the need for students to stand up against the temptations of the world including jobs with high salary and dowry that brings wealth in exchange for what Swami calls 'sale'

of the groom.)-----------------------

 

 

 

The First Temple

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas, the most special time of the year, is when we remind ourselves of the birth of Lord Jesus into the world. Christ brought with Him a new dispensation of Light and Truth to humanity through His Love and Teachings. Possibly His most profound, yet unheeded, divine teaching is ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.’ J esus urged us to look within ourselves for the inherent divinity in us and experience the beauty of a heaven nestled within our hearts. We often spend time concentrating on a God as an entity separate from ourselves when in reality He can’t get any closer than where He always resides. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, God asked one of His chosen saints to find a suitable place where He could build the First Temple. God stipulated that the local people should be virtuous and good, and that they should be in contemplation of the divinity within themselves, thereby, keeping the temple sacrosanct.

 

 

 

 

 

The saint did not search for long when he found a village where all seemed peaceful. The place was immaculate, the well was clean, people were polite and civil to one another, and the beggars received enough to eat from kind strangers. It seemed the perfect place to build the first temple. The disciple went to the Lord to say that he found a place, after all. Of course, the Omniscient Lord knew what was missing in the seemingly perfect place, but He wanted to teach a lesson to His devotee. God lovingly told his disciple, “Look closely, child, can you not see that there is an absence of love in that small village? Though everything seems fine on the surface, I find no love within the hearts of those villagers.†And sure enough, when the disciple returned and made a deeper inspection, he heard arguments from behind closed doors, saw that the cleanliness of the place was more due to fear of punishment than real care, and that beggars existed only because of broken families and an obvious lack of empathy. God asked the saint to continue his search relentlessly for the ideal place. And so, the disciple wandered from pillar to post, trying to find that elusive sublime quality of love blossoming within the hearts of the people. His search took him to places far and wide, but it was all in vain. There wasn’t a single place in sight that exuded pure love, compassion, and generosity. After several weeks of futile attempts, the disciple began to become quite despondent. He did come across people speaking nicely to one another and practicing charity where needed, yet there was no evidence of that spontaneous, absolutely magical presence of selfless love, no signs of joy, not a single trace of humility anywhere, no witness of hearts aflame with devotion. He was about to give up, and then, one day he came upon a quiet farm nestled in a serene valley. The two farmers there looked like brothers and they seemed to move about with a sparkle in their eyes and a spring in their steps for no apparent reason at all. They wore the warmest of smiles, and seemed to revel in their chores. The disciple was certainly curious now, and needed to know the secret of the spectacle of bliss. The devotee approached the brothers and asked them why they appeared so joyful. “Oh, he’s my good brother who looks after me so well. There is no need of mine that is uncared for, I have so much to be grateful for and happy about,†effusively replied the one who seemed to be the older brother. Almost immediately, the younger brother looking on gushed, “My brother takes wonderful care of me day in and day out. I couldn’t ask for more from life! Please do come in and share a meal with us, for you must have walked many a mile and must be weary by now.†The disciple soon realized he had found the place indeed. Here he was in the company of two brothers who knew nothing other than perfect harmony, love, graciousness, noble spirit, caring, sharing, and peace, and if that’s not enough, they even had the time and inclination to welcome a passing stranger in their midst and treat him with utmost warmth and hospitality. It was nothing short of heaven in those moments. After a few hours of spending time in the delightful company of the two blessed brothers, the disciple decided to take leave of them to go back to God with the wondrous discovery. He couldn’t wait to ask God if his find was the right choice. The Lord was indeed very pleased and congratulated His disciple on finding the correct place to build the first temple. “Yes, you have come to the place. This is the place I wanted you to see. Let me tell you a touching tale about those two loving brothers.â€

 

 

 

 

 

God began the beautiful story. “You must have observed that they work on a common piece of land and share the produce equally. Well, the older brother has no family of his own, whilst the younger brother has a wife and children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“One day, the older brother thought to himself, ‘I live alone and my needs are few. Whilst I have only myself to feed, my brother has a family to take care of. Surely, he must live with great difficulty. It is unfair on my part to claim equal share of the produce.’ With this thought, he decided to secretly transfer some of the grains from his stock to his brother's storehouse. He carried out his plan every night when everyone in the house was asleep. It made him immensely happy at the thought of his younger brother having enough for his family.†“About the same time, the younger brother suddenly realised that his older brother was getting old, and thought to himself, ‘I have my sons to look after me when I grow old. Who is there really for my elder brother? There will be no one to support him when he grows old . He can’t work forever to feed himself; there will come a day when he can’t carry out the tasks of the day.’ So, he decided to secretly transfer each night some stock of grain to his older brother's granary.†“This went on for some time till one night they came face to face, sacks of grain on their shoulders, on their way to the other’s granary. As a result of their comical but startling encounter, they confessed to each other about their similar surreptitious transfers. Overwhelmed by their mutual unconditional love, tears flowed down their cheeks. They embraced each other in the dead of the night in quiet acknowledgement for what they received from each other. The bond that had tied them together over the years became known to them in those few minutes.â€

God went on, “This rare scene moved me deeply.†God, then, looked at His disciple, beaming a radiant smile, and said to him with untold joy, “Yes, this is where we shall build the First Temple for they have already built the Kingdom of God within themselves. They alone can preserve the sanctity of the new House of God. Now, get some stones and wood together. It is time to start! Illustrations: Ms. Lyn Kriegler Elliott

- Heart2Heart Team

-----------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Narayana Seva preparation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SATHYA SAI SEVA ORGANIZATION IN KOBE REPORT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------This New Year's day was holy Thursday and on this day was also Narayan Seva.

Devotees from Sri Sathya Sai Baba's center in Kobe, came to help for preparing

some dishes, for many hundreds Homeless people gathered at the usual place

in flower road in lines to enjoy Japanese DISHES and Miso soup, rice bolls etc.

 

Weather was very very cold 2C in open place without any heating, but looking

at the crowds many joined this program and Sai volunteers were ready to help to

homeless to enjoy food .

 

Swami teaches us with examples so we devotees can serve the needy people

and feel that every seva we do is grace of swami and we feel fortunate to be Sai

devotees and enjoy His love and His blessings.

Jai Sai Ram

 

 

 

 

Developing attachment to persons and possessions is the cause of all sorrow. By reducing attachments and developing love for God, one can reduce misery and experience more happiness. The more one loves God, the more the bliss one experiences. Men are plunged in misery because they hanker after the physical instead of yearning for God. If men transform their desire for material objects into the desire for the Supreme, they will enjoy immense happiness. All that is necessary is to see the Divine in everything. This is true devotion. Work will then turn into worship and every act rendered holy.-----------------

Sai Ram Report From Saitama Center

Devotees from Sri Sathya Sai Baba's center in Saitama celebrated on Baba's

83rd Birthdays Bhajans and also Christmas Bhajans in the Center. The Chairman also

directed for devotees for the 'MOCHI-TSUKI' that is traditional ceremony of

Japan in the first day of New Year sharing their love and doing Seva for the people

gathered in the center.

 

The New year started with holy vibrations and volunteers were eager to play their

part in various Sei activities.

 

Here are some of the pictures of these activites..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

サイズダウン版2.JPG

 

 

sizedown.JPG

 

 

コピー ～ CIMG4021.JPGJai Sai Ram========================================================KOBE CENTERS PROGRAM SCHEDULE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place : l.S.S. 2nd Fl. 1-3, Kumochi 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Kobe (Tel: 078-222-1885) Home Page MAP

 

 

Bhajans

 

Bhajan Practice

 

Study Circle

 

 

every Sun 4:00-5:00pmevery Thur 7:30-830pm

 

1st,5th Sun 2:00-3:40pm 2nd Sun 2:00-3:20pm3rd,4th Sun 2:30-3:40pm every Thur 7:00-7:20pm

 

2nd Sun 5:30-6:30pm (English)4th Sun 5:30-6:30 (Japanese) 2nd Sun 3:40-3:55 (Gayatri Chanting)

 

 

Ladies Programme

 

3rd,5th Sun 5:30-6:30pm

 

 

Youth Programme

 

3rd Sun 0:30-2:20pm 2nd Sun in odd months 5:30-6:15pm(Study Circle)1st Sun in even months 0:30-1:50

 

 

Seva

 

Aisei-en (Orphanage home): 3rd Sun 9:30-11:30amNarayana Seva: 2nd,4th Sun 10:00-11:30am, 1st, 3rd Thur 9:00-10:00pm

 

 

Veda Club

 

Veda clup is held on every 4th Sunday after Bhajans.

 

Study Circle in (Japanese) is held on every 2nd Sunday on 1st fl.

Subscribe/Un information: (Free copy)

To , please send your request to rgcjp

To , please type “REMOVE†on the subject line and send to rgcjp

----------------------- SAI CENTERS: KOBE, YOKOHAMA, OSAKA, SAPPORE,HAMAMATSU

OKINAWA, CHIBA, NAGOYA, TOKYO & KYOTO.'

 

SAI BHAJAN GROUPS.: OBIHIRO, SAITAMA, SHIZUOKA, KITAKYUSHU, MORIOKA

TAMA, NARA, FUKUOKA, TOHOKU, NAGANO, IWAKUNI,

HIROSHIMA, KAGOSHIMA, GUNMA, KANAZAWA, KAGAWA.

 

Note: Some schedules are subject to change.

Please contact respective centers and groups for information.

.....................................................................................................

Inside This issue...

 

INSIDE THIS ISSUE1,THOUGHT FOR THE DAY...BABA

2.SATHYA SAI SPEAKS"THE MIGHTY SPIRITUAL SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES

3.KAKA SAHIB STORY "SHIRDI BABA"

4.PROF ANIL KUMAR "CONVERSATION WITH SAI" PART-12

5.MOTHERS SMILE"TOUCHING STORY"

6.MRS KARUNAMBA RAMAMURTHT WITH SAI

7.AN INTERVIEWS WITH SAI BABA:"I SEE ONLY LIGHT AND LOVE"

8.A WOMAN FROM AUSTRALIA AND HER TWO CHILDREN'S

9.EXPANSION OF LOVE"BY MR.ROBERT A.BOZZANI

10.FROM PUTTAPARTHI...TWO & HALF YEAR OLD WITH SWAMI

11.HOW TO SUMMON GOD

12.EXCERPTS FROM Ms PEGGY MASON

13.THE FIRST TEMPLE

14.SATHYA SAI SEVA ORGANIZATION IN KOBE REPORT NARAYAN SEVA

15.REPORT FROM JAPAN SAITAMA CENTER

-------------

 

OM SAIRAM DEAR BRO.CHUGANI

Thank you very much for sending me KANSAI LIGHT'

Wishing you a very happy New Year to you, your family and Japan

from Kamlesh

--------------

 

SAI RAM

My loving prannams and your various articles including "KANSAI LIGHT"

Which we very much enjoy. I really endorse your views that there are several

enlightened devotees of Bhagavan Baba, Swami is guiding and uplifting them depending on their samskar, the level of spiritual evolution they have achieved,

 

With Love & Regards

BOMBAY SRINIVASAN

----------------

 

Sai Ram Shri Ram

 

Happy Sai Year 2009 which is starting on Sai day Thursday

 

Thank you very much for sending 'KANSAI LIGHT' w enjoy very much

Sai ram

Chandragupta poddar

---------------

 

SAI Ram,

I am grateful to you for sharing the 'KANSAI LIGHT' ISSUE. It is truly a "Light"

that illuminates The heart of Sai devotees...The photographs and illustrations are most beautiful. Many thanks for the wonderful service!

 

With Humble Pranams

Subramanian

USA.

 

----------------

 

Sai Ram

Thank you very much for sending me 'KANSAI LIGHT" which we very much

enjoy and read. Please keep on posting me new issue.

 

Thanks

Radha

----------------

 

Sai Ram,

Thank you for the thoughts for sending me 'KANSAI LIGHT'. Where we are we

feel His magnitude and love thoughts the selfless actions of people like you.

 

Thank you once again.

Ranjani N

--------------

GLOBAL KANSAI LIGHT READERS CORNERS

 

In this issue we share our readers responses received from our readers

Since we have allotted a limited space for the acknowledgments, we can

print a few of these letters in every issue.

Sai Ram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

puttaparthilive.com_apr_8_3.jpg

 

 

puttaparthilive.com_apr_8_3.jpg

 

 

puttaparthilive.com_apr_8_3.jpg

Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan