Professor Anil Kumar Questions and Answers in Illinois...P-1

[Guest guest]

Professor Anil Kumar Questions and Answers in Illinois

 

(Video Conference Talk with Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio)

 

May 28, 2009

 

OM…OM…OM…

Sai Ram

With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Sai Ram! Good to see you all here. Pranams to Swami and dear friends, I thank Swami for this opportunity to talk to you on this pleasant evening. I know most of you--the faces seem to be quite familiar. I am also sure that you can see me from there as I see you from here.

 

I recall the year 1975, when I visited Cincinnati, Ohio, under the international understanding scheme, sponsored by the Rotary International Foundation. I visited Cincinnati University and I have happy memories of the university campus. I am so happy when I think of those days. I also recall my visits to Aurora, Indiana, Bloomington, Corridon, and Teravut in that same year, 1975.

 

We are so fortunate to have come to know Bhagavan today. All of us should be highly grateful to Him. Had we not been exposed to Baba, we would be nowhere. We follow this tradition and culture of Sanathana Dharma because of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

 

I see children sitting there, listening to my talk. Here is a question, who will tell me now? Raise your hands, children. I will ask a question. Who will give me the answer? Raise your hands.

 

OK. Good.

 

INDIA IS THE COUNTRY WHERE THE LORD’S GLORY IS SUNG

First question: To which country does Bhagavan Baba belong? Who will tell me the name of the country? Anybody? Nobody?

 

Children: India!

 

Good. Come on, clap! Now for my second question, what is the other name of India? India has another name. What is it? Who will tell me?

 

Children: Bharat!

 

Good answer! Come on, clap!

 

In the word ‘Bharat’ there are three letters, bha, ra, and tha. Bha means ‘feeling’, ra means ‘raga or tune’, and ta is ‘tala or the beat’. And so Bharat is a country where people sing the glory of God with all the bhava, feelings, sentiments, and emotions, in the correct tune, and according to the beat. Bharat—a very good answer.

 

INDIA’S NATURE IS TO STAY AWAY FROM VIOLENCE

India has yet another name. Who will tell me? What is the other name?

 

Children: Hindustan.

 

Very good. Now I see you clapping. Here there are two letters, hin and du. Hin means ‘himsa or violence’, and du is doora, which means ‘away from’. Hindu means ‘the country that is away from, or does not accept, himsa or violence’. So Hindu means ‘non-violence’, or ‘one who hates violence’. That is what Hindu is.

 

PUTTAPARTHI, LAND OF ANTHILLS

Good, children. So after ‘Bharat’ and ‘Hindu’, another question: What is the name of the place where Baba stays?

 

Deepa: Puttaparthi!

 

A very good answer. Come on! Clap! Puttaparthi means ‘land of anthills’. You know anthills, or putta, have been associated with many gods in the past.

 

Another simple question, what do you find around Shiva’s neck? Anybody?

 

Alekhya: Snakes!

 

Good. Clap for her! Snakes stay in anthills, and anthills are associated with Lord Shiva, because the snakes which adorn his neck stay in anthills or putta. Very good.

 

Another simple question: what is the name of the God of Tirupati? Who will give me the name of the God of Tirupati?

 

Children: Balaji.

 

Very good. And Balaji has another name, Lord Venkateshwara. Lord Venkateshwara or Balaji stayed in an anthill for a long time, secretly drawing milk from the udder of a cow every day. Therefore, Balaji is associated with anthills or putta, as well as Shiva, who is also associated with anthills.

 

How many of you have heard the name of Subramanya? Anybody? What is the other name of Subramanya? Who will tell me?

 

Children: Murugan.

 

That’s the correct answer. Come on, clap! There is one special festival called Nagula Chavithi. On that day, people offer milk; they pour milk into anthills on that festival day. So Lord Murugan is also associated with anthills.

 

So children, there are three forms of God closely associated with anthills. Who will tell me all three names now?

 

Children: “Shiva, Balaji, and Subramanya.â€

 

Good! You said it. Clap! (Applause) So we have three god-forms now—Shiva, Subramanya, and Balaji—who are closely associated with anthills.

 

Have you heard of the Ramayana? How many of you have heard of it? Very good. Who composed the Ramayana? Who wrote it?

 

Children: Valmiki.

 

Correct answer. Valmiki means ‘anthill’. The very meaning of Valmiki is ‘anthill’. The reason is that this Valmiki did tapas or penance for a long time, and during that period of penance, an anthill formed around him. That’s how he got the name Valmiki.

 

Do you understand? Good! Valmiki is also associated with anthills.

 

Baba stays in Puttaparthi. Putta means ‘anthill’. Just as Shiva, Subramanya, Balaji, and Valmiki are associated with putta, Baba is also associated with putta or anthills. Is it clear now? Very good.

 

PRASHANTHI NILAYAM, ABODE OF DIVINE PEACE

What is the place in Puttaparthi where Baba lives? What is it called?

 

Children: Prashanthi Nilayam.

 

Very good. Clap. Who will tell me what shanthi is?

 

Children: Peace.

 

Very good. Now, children, shanthi means ‘peace’, but the name of the place is ‘Prashanthi’. What is the meaning of prashanthi? What is prashanthi? Can anybody tell me?

 

Peace is shanthi, but prashanthi has pra, an extra letter. The meaning of prashanthi is ‘supreme, permanent, Divine, spiritual peace’. That is prashanthi. Am I clear? Raise your hands those that follow me. You are great, smart Americans, I know—naturally active and smart! So Prashanthi Nilayam is ‘the place of supreme peace’.

 

And inside Prashanthi Nilayam, immediately as you enter the gate, what do you see? Anybody? What or who do you see just inside the gate?

 

Children: Lord Ganesha.

 

Very good. Ganesha is the god who is there at the entrance. Whose son is Ganesha? Anybody? Who can tell me? What is the name of Ganesha’s father?

 

Children: Shiva.

 

Correct answer. So, Shiva is the father of Ganesha. Father Shiva is Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and Ganesha is in Prashanthi Nilayam today with His father Shiva, who is Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Do you understand? Raise your hands.

 

Who is Shiva in Prashanthi Nilayam?

 

Children: Swami.

 

Why do you say that? How else can we say Shiva? Anybody? Just now I said it.

 

Children: Ganesha’s father.

 

Good answer. His father, Swami, is there in Prashanthi Nilayam.

 

SWAMI IS MYSTERIOUS, DIVINE, AND SPIRITUAL

All right. What is Swami’s full name? Who will tell me? Come to the microphone and tell me.

 

Children: Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

 

Very good. Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Bhagavan means Divine, it means God. Bhaga means ‘mystery, miraculous, mysterious, totally Divine, the one with Divinity’. So Bhagavan means ‘Divine’ or ‘Divinity’.

 

SWAMI IS THE BESTOWER OF ALL PROSPERITY

What is the next word?

 

Children: Sri.

 

‘Sri’ means ‘wealth, property, name, reputation, power, knowledge, and wisdom’. All of them together constitute the meaning of the word ‘Sri’. So Sri means wealth, reputation, knowledge, and wisdom.

 

What are the next two letters?

 

Children: Sathya.

 

Good. I see the children, but I don’t see them giving the answers. I am afraid the adults are giving the answers. It generally happens like that. What to do?

 

Moderator: Sir, we are not telling them the answers. The children are behind, so they have to come in front to answer.

 

Anyway, I have been a teacher for the last forty-five years and this habit of being a teacher shall continue till my last breath in this life. Old habits die hard, you see. A teacher naturally believes in questioning and eliciting answers from students. That is what I am doing now.

 

Who will tell me what Bhagavan is? Just now I told you. What is the meaning of Bhagavan? Come on get up. Yes?

 

Bhagavan means ‘mystery, mysterious, Divine, spiritual, God’. Bhagavan means God. Is it clear now?

 

The next word is ‘Sri’. Can anybody tell me what ‘Sri’ means? Come and tell me what ‘Sri’ is.

 

Children: Sri is Lakshmi.

 

And what does Lakshmi mean? Wealth, reputation, grain, milk, prosperity, plenty, money—that is all Sri or Lakshmi.

 

TRUTH IS GOD

So after Bhagavan and Sri, what are the next two words? Who will tell me? Come on.

 

Children: Sathya.

 

Good. What does sathya mean? Can anybody tell me?

 

Children: Truth.

 

Good. Sathya means ‘Truth’. What kind of truth? Permanent, changeless Truth. Truth is changeless, permanent existence. Truth is God and God is Truth. Do you follow me? Do you understand?

 

That girl is moving here and there. Look at me and I will look at you. Ah! Don’t I look good! Why don’t you look at me now? No? Yes or no?

 

Audience: Yes!

 

Naturally I look good to you, but how about the children? (Laughter) Of course I was quite presentable twenty-five years ago! (Laughter) I was so handsome then!

 

Audience: You are still handsome!

 

Is that so? You better put it in writing and pass it on to me! (Laughter)

 

SAI IS THE DIVINE MOTHER

Now Bhagavan, Sri, and Sathya, I explained the meaning of these first three words. What are the next two words? Who will tell me?

 

Children: Sai.

 

Good. Sa means ‘Divine’. Aayi means ‘mother’. And so Sai means ‘Divine Mother’. God is your Mother; therefore Sai means ‘God, who is your Mother’.

 

Mother is God, God is Mother. Baba loves you so much. Your mother loves you, doesn’t she? Your mother serves you, combs your hair, helps with your homework, washes all the dishes and prepares your food, dresses you, and gives you some snacks for lunch and all that. She also sends you to school. Your mother loves you, doesn’t she? Is this right or not?

 

Children: Yes.

 

Right! So Sai is your Divine Mother. Just as your mother loves you, God as your Divine Mother loves you a thousand times more than your physical mother. Do you follow me?

---------------Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan