PROF ANIL KUMAR & SWAMI...NOVEMBER 5TH,2002 TRADITIONS & CULTURE IN HIS CHILD DAYS

[Guest guest]

Part Three

November 6th, 2002 OM…OM…OM…

Sai Ram

This is the third session of ‘Sai Pearls of Wisdom’. During the two previous sessions we completed all of the September conversations that Bhagavan had with the students and the teachers on the verandah at Prashanthi Nilayam. Now today, we pass on to the third session. And, as we did previously, I’ll go in reverse order to cover the earlier portions also.

NOVEMBER 5th, 2002 Traditions and Culture in His Childhood Days

It was on the 5th November that in the afternoon Bhagavan was talking about His childhood days. I have not told anybody yet because this conversation happened just yesterday afternoon. You are the first people to hear it. He was speaking of His childhood days, and the traditions and culture of the villages in this part of the State (Andhra Pradesh).

The culture in the villages signifies and testifies to the unity among the folks. They all lived in the spirit of unity, and they cooperated with each other, particularly during this season following Deepavali. This November is called Karthika. During this month, people would take cold-water baths in the early hours of the morning, around 5 o’clock. Also during this time, on the weekends, people would go on retreats to sadhana camps, spiritual camps. There they would enjoy some fun and frolic. All the villagers would go to distant places where they would sit under trees. They would dine and exchange all the food they brought from their homes. They would sing, and dance, and play and enjoy the festivities. Such festivals brought people together, creating an understanding and opportunity to exchange views. These gatherings promoted fraternity and

unity among the inhabitants of the villages.

Bhagavan said, "By 5 o’clock in the morning, we would complete our bath and return during this season."

"Swami, this cold season?"

"Yes, why not? When you just jump into the Chitravathi River, you don’t feel the cold anymore. As long as you stand on the sand, you start shivering. Once you jump into the river -- no more cold."

"Oh, I see, Swami, nice to hear. I won’t venture to do it anyway for myself."

And then Bhagavan said, "Weekends we would go to a place and we would sit under the trees. You must have heard of pearl millet? It is millet grain that looks like pearls. There’s a meal made out of pearl millet and chilies. It is very tasty, I like it even to this day - and also ragi malt, a little bit of ragi malt. It’s very delicious, I like it very much." That’s what Bhagavan said.

People would also dance; they would sing; and they liked to swing. One of the dances, called Kolakam, uses wooden sticks that are hit together…tak-tak (Anil Kumar sings Govinda, Govinda, Gayiye, as he demonstrates with his hands a criss-cross movement of the sticks…Bhajo Radhey Gopala, Krishna Gayiye.) They would hold two sticks and do that…tak-tak. In the Kolakam dance, it seems they would jump between the moving sticks. Bhagavan said His grandfather Kondama Raju used to do this.

"Oh Swami, very interesting. And, what did You do? Did You also do that Kolakam? Did You also jump along with them?"

He said, "No, no. No, I didn’t do all that."

"Then what were You doing, Swami?"

"I collected all the urchins, the young boys of the village, and started singing bhajans. ‘Panduranga Bhajana Mandali’ - Panduranga Bhajana Mandali - the first congregation for music." That’s what Bhagavan. So, Bhagavan started devotional songs during that time.

For Me, All Are One

Then Bhagavan also recalled a visit to the house of an untouchable. It seems there were untouchables in those days, and they lived in the outskirts of the village. Today it’s not like that -- today the privileged class lives in the outskirts.

Once it seems that Swami promised He would visit one of the untouchables, a gentleman by the name of Madhiga Narayana. He said, "I will come to your house."

Swami went, and He was followed by a Brahmin woman named Karanam Subbamma. In those days, Brahmins did not visit untouchables, even in their dreams. If they saw one face-to-face, they would have to bathe immediately. That was the situation in those days; but this lady followed Bhagavan anyway.

And Swami said to her, "Don’t do that. All the villagers will feel so badly. For Me, all are one -- I will go to anybody. But it’s not proper for you."

She said, "Swami, I don’t care for the society. I am not bothered by what others think of me. I want You. Wherever You go, I will follow You."

That’s what she said and that’s what Bhagavan said. He also recalled that the villagers never locked their houses. No -- no locks, no lock and key system, just the doors open, that’s all -- no thefts, no keys in those days.

And, all the people would go to the outskirts of the village to celebrate all the festivals during this season. They would sit under the trees and have fun there and nothing would happen to the village during that time. That was the level of honesty and integrity in villages in those days, Bhagavan told us.

And then, after playing the whole day, what did they do? They would just lie down on the sand. They would enjoy a beautiful sleep -- without a foam bed or cushions or anything. They would just lie down on the sand and sleep well. That’s what Bhagavan said about those days.

Experts in swimming And then, He recalled another story. It seems His mother, Easwaramma, and His two sisters Venkamma and Parvatamma, were all three experts in swimming. They taught swimming to the children of the village in those days. It seems they would carry the small, small children and help them to swim - initially. And then later, they would just leave them alone, so they learned the art of swimming by themselves. That's what Bhagavan said yesterday.

NOVEMBER 1st and OCTOBER 28th, 2002 A Devotee from Greece Now I come to the 1st of November and also on the 28th of October. These two days are important in the sense that Swami spoke to a gentleman from Greece. The gentleman’s name is George. Swami stood there and just called, "Hey, Greece, come here."

The gentleman came crawling forward. I wondered if something was wrong with his feet, or something like that?

Swami said, "See how he’s coming?"

"Swami, he’s crawling on his knees."

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

"Oh, I see, Swami."

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

"George, Swami."

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

"Swami, I run a bookstore."

"What is the name of the bookstore?"

"’Ananda’, Swami, ‘Ananda’."

"Oh! Who else assists you?"

"Swami, my sister helps me."

"Oh, I see. What do you do?"

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

"Oh, then what else?"

"We sing, Swami."

"What do you sing?"

"Sai bhajans."

"When do you sing?"

"Throughout the day."

"Where do you sing?"

"Everywhere."

Swami said, "See his devotion. You’re not like that, mmm – that fellow from Greece -- see there’s devotion."

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

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

"Oh, how many miles?"

"180 miles, Swami."

"How long did it take?"

"Four days, Swami."

"Oh, did you just walk like that?"

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

He walked for four days to reach Prashanthi Nilayam.

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

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

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

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

"Swami, I used to collect sand from Prashanthi Nilayam and put it in a bag. Wherever You walked, I collected the sand. I collected it in bags and took it back to Greece. I kept it there in my puja room at the altar," he said.

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

He teased them like that.

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

"No, Swami, no."

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

"No, Swami. I don’t want to marry."

"Why?"

"No, Swami," he cried.

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

I said, "Swami, those who got married cry, and I am happy this fellow, who is not married, is also crying. So, both of us cry - no difference. Because of the fear of marriage, he is crying. Because we got married, we are crying. Alright, let us cry in chorus!” That’s what I said.

He said, "Swami, no marriage."

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

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

"Your friend?"

"Yes."

"Who is he?"

"Swami, he is an international Olympic champion."

"Olympic champion?"

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

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

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

He shared that he got married, and when he and his wife were expecting their first child, they consulted many doctors. They all said his wife would deliver a male child. All tests, scanning tests, confirmed that a male child would be born to them. But both of them prayed to Swami, "Swami, we want a baby girl -- not a boy."

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

"No Swami. You can change it."

"Do you have faith?"

"Yes."

"You go."

They went, and the wife delivered a female child, just as they wanted. And Swami said to the boys, "Takka, I changed it. If you boys don’t behave properly, I will change you into girls immediately! Behave yourselves properly."

That’s what Bhagavan said. (Laughter)

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

"No Swami, I have no relations."

"You have no relatives?"

"No."

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

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

Bhagavan was happy.

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

"No Swami, I must go back."

"You must go back? Why?"

"We celebrate Your Birthday there in Greece."

"I see. How do you celebrate? How?

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

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

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

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

Swami went inside and gave him new clothes as His Birthday gift. That’s what happened on the 1st of November and the 28th of October.

Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan