KANSAI.LIGHT FOR DECEMBER 2009 ISSUE # 48

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KANSAI LIGHT FOR DECEMBER 2009 ISSUE NO.48------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KANSAI LIGHT FOR DECEMBER ISSUE NO.48

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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To enjoy peace, mankind must be directed by the ideals of Dharma. This depends on the mutual toleration in the family. That is again based on individual conduct that is sathwik (pure and righteous), and aims at pleasing everyone. Such conduct has a charm, all in its own. Avoid in your behavior, actions, and in your speech, all trace of pain and desire to hurt others, to insult others or to cause misery to others. Find out the best means of reforming yourself and thus practice this type of living. Desist from injury to yourself and for your own good, walk always in the path of Truth. That is verily the path of Beauty, that is the conduct that is really charming.

-Divine Discourse, Prasanthi Vahini ---------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MUSINGS ON AVATARS PART 5 (Continued from the previous issue)

By Prof. G. Venkataraman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Readers, for 40 previous issues – from October 2004 to February 2008 - we brought you a spiritual feast in the form of the "Gita for Children" in a serialized form. Prior to that, we had started our first series entitled "Shirdi Sai – Parthi Sai" which is continuing till date. The "Gita for Children" series was taken from the book "Krishna - Arjuna Dialogue" authored by Prof. Venkataraman. As we concluded the final segment of this book in February 2008 issue, from March 2008, we started a new series on "Avatars" or Divine Incarnations. The articles in this series are actually adaptations of talks delivered recently on Radio Sai by Prof. G. Venkataraman, and are based on the book "Message of the Lord" authored by him a few years earlier. We hope H2H readers will relish the spiritual insights this series offers.

 

 

 

 

Previous Articles In The Same Series

 

 

Part - 01

 

Part - 02

 

 

 

Part - 03

 

Part - 04

 

The Story of Krishna (continued)

Loving Sai Ram and greetings from Prashanti Nilayam. We resume this journey through the Avatars, by continuing from where I left last time. If you recall, I was telling you about the early years of the Krishna Avatar.

Lord Krishna Despatches Several Demons

Years rolled by and Krishna grew into adulthood. Numerous were His experiences, but His encounters with the evil ones did not cease. One of those with whom He had frequent brushes was Jarasanda, the father-in-law of Kamsa. Enraged that Krishna had made his two daughters who were married to Kamsa into widows, Jarasanda repeatedly attacked Mathura where Krishna had established Himself. As many as eighteen invasions were attempted, and this led Krishna to create far away on the western coast, a new city called Dwaraka.

Once Dwaraka was ready, Krishna instantly transported all His people from Mathura to Dwaraka by the use of His Yogic powers. Eventually, Krishna used Bhima as His instrument for killing Jarasanda. By the way, the Dwaraka of today is a town created later in history; the Dwaraka of Krishna is supposed to have gone under the sea a long time ago. Recently, underwater explorations off the sea coast of Gujarat revealed what seemed like ruins of an ancient town. Maybe those are the remains of the Dwaraka of Krishna; however, more work is needed to confirm that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jarasanda meets his end

A parenthetical remark here about the mysterious ways of the Lord is also in order. You might legitimately wonder why, if Krishna was indeed the Lord of the Universe, did He put up with eighteen invasions of Mathura by Jarasanda? Why did He, who used His Yogic powers to transport all the people of Mathura to Dwaraka in an instant, have to use Bhima to get rid of Jarasanda? We will never know! As Swami says, God's actions can never be understood; He moves in mysterious ways and performs His wonders - that is all! Indeed, this is true of the current Avatar as well.

One day, after the Pandavas had established themselves at Indraprastha (that story will come later), Yudhishtira decided that the most auspicious Rajasuya Yajna should be performed. Invitations were sent to all leading kings, princes and chieftains, and there was an overwhelming response. At the conclusion of the rites, homage had to be paid to the foremost among the guests gathered and the question was who should be so honoured?

The name of Krishna came up and Yudhishtira jumped at the idea. However, the idea did not find favour with many and Sishupala, until recently the commander-in-chief of Jarasanda’s forces, rose not only to make his objection but also hurl abuse at Krishna. The latter did not react but merely kept on smiling because He had given His word to Sishupala's mother that He would put up with insults - up to a point that is. Seeing Krishna smile made Sishupala even more furious and the abuse now poured out in a torrent.

Eventually Krishna decided that Sishupala had exceeded all decent limits (including in the number of abuses hurled) and that He was no longer bound by the pledge given to the misguided one's mother. Calmly He beheaded Sishupala. (Tradition has it that Krishna launched His Divine Chakra or discus, but Swami has clarified that Krishna merely flung a plate He was holding and that acting like a spinning wheel, cut Sishupala's head off). And lo and behold! A glow left Sishupala's body, flew towards Krishna and merged with His Feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krishna beheads Sishpala

Yudhishtira, who was a witness, was both amazed as well as dismayed. How could such an evil one obtain merger? Seeing his confusion, Narada who was among those present, drew Yudhishtira aside and quickly narrated the entire history of Jayan and Vijayan and their indiscretion. He added, "This Sishupala is none other than Jayan reborn. No doubt he hated Krishna but he was always thinking of Him. Curiously and strange as it might sound, one who constantly hates the Lord is also a Yogi. Obviously, practice of this kind of Yoga is very rare; and it is the practice of that Yoga that gave Sishupala his liberation; needless to say, this type of Yoga is not recommended!â€

Narada continued, “With Jayan gone, Krishna would now have to tackle Vijayan, that is Dantavakra, and that day was not far off. Meanwhile, do you realise, O Yudhishtira, that this Krishna with whom you and your brothers move so freely and casually is none other than Narayana Himself and that this sort of privilege is not available even to those who have spent long periods in Tapas (penance)?†That in brief is what Sage Narada told Yudhishtira.

Shortly after the extermination of Sishupala, Dantavakra, the incarnation of Vijayan, also met his end at the hands of Krishna, precisely as Narada had foretold Yudhishtira. One would have thought that with “mission accomplished†Narayana would have returned to His base; no, He did not. For, there was a much greater job awaiting Him, namely the proclamation of His Divine and Eternal Message.

Krishna now became increasingly involved with the Pandavas and their affairs, and I shall be describing that in detail soon. For the moment it suffices to say that after the great Kurukshetra war, Krishna ruled for many years in Dwaraka.

Lord Krishna’s Sneha Bhava (divine friendship) for Sudhama

Once during this period, there came one day to the court of Krishna, a Brahmin named Sudhama (also known as Kuchela). Sudhama and Krishna had studied together in the Gurukulam (school) of Sandipani but later their ways parted; while Krishna became a ruler, Sudhama lived in poverty. One day his wife persuaded Sudhama to go to Dwaraka, call on Krishna and seek some help. For a variety of reasons, Sudhama was most reluctant to do so, but finally had to yield to the pressure of his wife.

Hesitantly he started his journey to Dwaraka, but just before he set out he told himself: “I don't know if Krishna would recognise me; after all, He is a big ruler whereas I am only a poor Brahmin. But anyway, if He is still like He once used to be, then I should take for Him some puffed rice for He used to love it so much in those days. True, it is a trivial gift to offer to a King but then I am poor, and in fact I am going there precisely for begging!†Thus excusing himself, Sudhama took with him a small bundle of puffed rice to be given as a humble offering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krishna and Sudhama fondly rekindle past memories

Sudhama slowly trudged to Dwaraka and, after successfully negotiating various royal guards, eventually made it to Krishna's presence. This was the moment of trial - would the great Krishna recognise him or throw him out? What actually happened was something that Sudhama was totally unprepared for. Krishna not only rushed to welcome Sudhama and fold him in a tight embrace, but he extended all the traditional honours due to a guest, including the washing of the feet! And then came the fond reminiscences – “O Sudhama, do you remember†“O Krishna, do you remember†– that sort of thing that happens when old friends meet after a very long time.

This went on for a while and Sudhama cleanly forgot about the "gift" he had brought; but would the compassionate Lord let a slip like that happen? So suddenly, Krishna took hold of the bundle containing the puffed rice and said, “O Sudhama, how could you have forgotten to give Me the loving gift sent by My sister (Sudhama's wife)?!†So saying, He took the puffed rice and not only ate it by the handful, but shared it also with His consort Rukmini. Sudhama was thoroughly overwhelmed and choked with emotion.

Soon it was time to say goodbye, and after a tender leave-taking, Sudhama left for his village. Only much later did he realise with a start that he had completely forgotten to ask Krishna for help. Now what on earth was he going to tell his wife? She would be hopping mad for having blown away the opportunity of a lifetime. Wondering how he would negotiate the storm waiting for him at home, he returned feeling sad. But when he approached his house, a strange sight greeted him. In the place where his pathetic hut once stood, there now was a great mansion; and as he entered, his wife greeted him with huge smiles, draped in jewellery and the costliest of clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krishna knows of our wants even if we do not speak of them

Sudhama quietly reflected: "Krishna certainly knew about my wants. He gave me an opportunity to give expression to them but I, swept by Him in all respects, spent my time in adoration totally forgetting my wants. That, I suppose is what Bhakti or devotion is all about; and of course, Krishna cares only for Bhakti; even the most insignificant offering of a Bhakta or devotee is to Him a great thing! For Him, a Bhakta comes above everything else and once a Bhakta wins a place in His heart, he does not even have to ask; every need of his is taken care of, as if automatically."

Realising the profound significance of the fortune that had befallen him, Sudhama advised his wife not to be swept by the worldly aspect of Krishna 's largesse but pay more attention to the Divine Grace received. Thus, Sudhama and his family, though now affluent, spent all their time thinking of Krishna.

And his story became an eternal example of how the Lord cares not for the material value of what is offered to Him, but for the feeling with which the offering is made. (It is pertinent in this context, to mention in passing an incident recounted in one edition of the Sanathana Sarathi, about a young boy who gave a small contribution to the hospital fund from the money he had saved, and how Swami declared that contribution to be more valuable than a million dollars!)

Years went rolling by and up in Vaikuntam, everyone was beginning to feel the prolonged absence of Narayana (rather like what the inhabitants of Puttaparthi feel when Swami is away for an extended period as He sometimes is). On behalf of the pining celestial denizens, Brahma came down along with the Devas to make a plea to Krishna. He said, "O Lord, You incarnated to destroy the human forms of Jayan and Vijayan. That was accomplished a long time ago. You then stayed on to give Arjuna (and humanity) Your priceless jewel, the Bhagavad Gita. Is it not time now for You to return to Vaikuntam? Please do so immediately, for without You we are so lonely."

Krishna smiled and replied, "True, I have done all that you have said but there is still one more massive task left. My own clansmen, the Yadavas, have, over the years, become lustful, conceited and arrogant. Right now I am exercising control over them, which is why they have not wrought as much havoc as they are capable of. Once I depart, they would go on the rampage, which is unacceptable. So I have to take care of the Yadava problem before I return. But be not anxious for soon I would be back."

Uddhava Elicits Lord Krishna’s Final Glorious Teaching Krishna is Love personified, and it was His Love for Arjuna (and humanity as a whole) that made Him give the glorious and timeless message. Understandably, the Gita is truly famous but Arjuna was not the only one to be favoured with direct Divine teaching; there was another equally fortunate, namely Uddhava. Uddhava was one of the Yadavas who was deeply devoted to Krishna. Shortly before the curtain was to be rung down, Krishna acknowledged Uddhava's devotion or Bhakti by favouring him with special advice, sometimes referred to as the Uddhava Gita. Unlike the dialogue with Arjuna that was severely curtailed by the impending battle, Krishna's conversation with Uddhava was more relaxed. Uddhava wanted to know many things and Krishna patiently obliged.

The Lord said, “Uddhava, I am pleased with your spiritual thirst. Let Me quench it with some advice. First, I shall briefly recall what Dattatreya told my ancestor Yadu. In his wanderings, Yadu came across Dattatreya, around whom there was the aura or glow of inner peace. When asked about the secret, Dattatreya replied,

“O King, Nature is the best teacher. My teachers have been the earth, the sky, water, the Moon, the Sun, a pigeon, a python, the ocean, a moth, the honey-bee, the keeper of a beehive, an elephant, a deer, a fish, a woman named Pingala, a squirrel-like animal called Kurari, a child, a young girl, an archer, a snake, a spider and a wasp.â€

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wise man studies Nature to become Divine

Seeing the puzzled look on Yadu's face, Dattatreya continued, “I shall explain myself with a few examples.

 

I saw that the earth bears all loads silently. This taught me forbearance and the need for being firm like a mountain.

Next the sky. When the sky is overcast, we think it is covered with clouds; but that is not true because there is no contact between the clouds and the sky. From this I learnt that though the Atma is enclosed in a body which is made up of the five elements, it (the Atma) is not involved with the body; in other words, the Brahman is always apart from His manifestation.

The water of a river is pure and sweet and it purifies those who come to it. In the same manner, good men serve to purify humanity with their presence (Darshan), their touch (Sparshan) and words (Sambhashan).

What about the python? As you know, the python never goes out of its way to obtain food; it is content to eat whatever comes its way, be it big or small. Sometimes it even starves for days together but it always waits patiently. This taught me that man should accept with fortitude whatever life offers, be it favourable or otherwise.

The moth, as you know, is attracted by flame to which it later falls a prey. It is a victim of the sense of sight which beguiles it. From this, I learnt that unless a person controlled his senses, he runs the danger of being destroyed.

Turning to the bee, I noticed that it does not hurt the flower it sucks nectar from. Also, it does not take more than just a small amount. Even so, a renunciate or Sannyasi must accept from a householder just so much and no more.

Next the Kurari. Once it had a piece of meat. Large birds then surrounded the Kurari and attacked it fiercely. The Kurari suffered much and could not ward off the attackers. Finally, it let go the piece of meat and instantly the attack stopped. To me this was a lesson that renunciation leads to peace.

The snake avoids company and lives by itself in a hole in the ground. Likewise, a renunciate or Sannyasi should shun company and live by himself in a secluded cave or hermitage.

 

The spider taught me the final lesson. One day I was watching this spider sitting on a branch. Suddenly he spat saliva and began to weave threads, which he made into a nice web. Later he ate the threads and soon nothing was left of the web. Even so, at the beginning of an aeon or Kalpa, Paramatma or the Supreme Lord manifests Himself as the phenomenal Universe which, later at the end of the Kalpa, He withdraws into Himself.â€

 

“This, O Kingâ€, Dattatreya concluded, “should give you some idea of how to learn from Nature, shape your life and derive inner peace.â€

Krishna then said to Uddhava, “See Uddhava, everywhere there are lessons to learn from. These lessons would become apparent only if you train yourself to look beneath the surface and search for a meaning. Creation is beautiful but don't be dazzled by it for that is what Maya (illusion) is all about. Look beyond and you will see the Creator who is much grander!

[speaking in a similar vein during His Divine Discourse delivered on February 13, 1997, during the first-ever celebration of the Chinese New Year at Prasanthi Nilayam, Bhagavan Baba described the lessons one could learn from the cow, the snake, the donkey, the dog and the parrot.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krishna shares with Uddhava His secrets

 

Starting thus, Krishna in essence repeated to Uddhava the teaching He had earlier imparted to Arjuna. Uddhava listened intently as Arjuna had done before, and asked many questions. Finally, he said, “Krishna, this Bhakti (devotion) seems to be most wonderful. Please tell me more about Bhakti and Your Bhaktas (devotees).†Smiling broadly Krishna said, “Uddhava, you certainly seem to know what I like best!†and then went on to expound the greatness of Bhakti as well as how He adores His devotees.

Uddhava then asked, “Krishna, can you please describe Your Bhakta?†Krishna replied, “Gladly. My Bhakta is easily recognised by his compassionate nature and the softness of his heart. He loves to talk about Me and sing My praise. He never eats or drinks anything without first offering it to Me. If other Bhaktas are talking about Me, he pricks up his ears. As he goes about his work, his body functions like a robot while his mind is totally absorbed in Me. For him, nothing else exists in the Universe except Me, and wherever he turns, he sees nothing other than Me.

Tears of joy come to his eyes when he thinks of Me, indeed even when he merely hears My name! A Bhakta is mad about Me, but believe Me Uddhava, God-madness is better than anything else you can think of. And let Me tell you one more thing. To Me, My Bhakta is more precious than anything in this world. I don't mind or care if people insult or abuse Me, but take it from Me that I shall not tolerate in the least bit any calculated injury to My dear devotee.â€

Uddhava was the last one to receive the benefit of Krishna's Divine teachings. He was then sent by Krishna to Badri Ashram on the banks of the Ganges to meditate and spend the rest of his life. With Uddhava gone, Krishna could now attend to the remaining unfinished business, namely the elimination of the Yadava clan.

The Yadava Clan Attract a Terrible Curse

Being the masterly playwright that He is, the Lord had already scripted the destruction of the Yadavas and His own exit as well! Much earlier, Krishna once created an urge in some great sages to visit Him. Thus, it was that a group led by Sage Vishwamitra made a pilgrimage, which included a visit to Dwaraka. As they entered the palace gates at Dwaraka to pay their homage to Krishna, a group of Yadava boys decided to play a prank. They dressed a young lad as a girl and taking him before the sages asked, “O Wise Ones, this girl is with child. Will she give birth to a boy or a girl?â€

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krishna and the Yadavas arrive in Prabhasa to offer sacrifice

The Rishis saw through the game and pronounced a curse, “An iron pestle would be born which later would be the cause of destruction of the entire Yadava community.†Intensely scared, the pranksters fled from the place.. Later, when the female disguise was removed, an iron pestle was found in the garment. The elders who came to know of the incident were alarmed and ordered that the pestle be ground into fine powder and the dust thrown into the sea.

This was duly done but one sharp piece of the pestle remained which could not be powdered; however, that too was flung into the sea. The Yadavas now breathed easier, confident that they had circumvented the curse. It was not as if the Rishis had spontaneously pronounced the curse; rather, the Lord had willed that they do so as a part of His Master Plan. Could that be thwarted so easily?

The iron powder scattered into the sea was washed ashore where it sprouted as reeds which grew tall, waiting to play their role when the time came. And that came thirty-six years after the Kurukshetra war when one day Krishna summoned all the Yadavas and said, “Lately, many evil omens have been appearing. We must therefore pray, practice austerities and offer sacrifices. I suggest we all go out of Dwaraka for this purpose. The women and children may go to the nearby spot of Sangotra, whereas we might proceed further to Prabhasa on the sea coast.â€

Soon after, the male members, led by Krishna and Balarama reached Prabhasa for performing the various rites. One day, along with the meal, the Yadavas partook rather generously of wine. In no time at all they became intoxicated, and friendly arguments transformed into quarrels and later into physical fights. Looking for weapons to use, they saw the tall reeds that were as strong as iron rods. Everyone grabbed the reeds and soon the Yadavas were smashing each other to death.

It was a gory sight but standing quite aloof, Krishna watched it silently; after all, was it not a part of His play? Balarama too watched from a distance but unlike Krishna, he was totally disgusted. Silently he walked away to shed his mortal coil. In the end, the Yadavas were all dead and only Krishna was left. It was now His turn to go and He had scripted his own exit too! But before I get on to that, there is something I must mention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krishna reveals the Truth to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra war in the Bhagavad Gita

In my next talk, I shall tell you something about the Kurukshetra war at the commencement of which the Bhagavad Gita was given by the Lord to humanity. But here I would like to state the following: Soon after the Kurukshetra war, Krishna went to Hastinapura to console Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, the bereaved parents whose sons had all died in the war. The latter was fully aware that her sons were unadulterated evil but even so, as a mother who had lost all her sons, she would not be consoled. To Krishna she wailed, “O Krishna, You could easily have averted this tragedy but You did not do so. Just as my sons have been completely annihilated, I curse that your Yadava clan be similarly wiped out and You too along with them, thirty-six years from now.â€

Krishna smiled and replied, “Venerable aunt, I know how you feel and gladly accept your curse. But you must concede that I did try My best to avert the conflict. I warned Duryodhana so many times but he would not pay heed. Anyway, the past is past and there is not much point in brooding over it. Console yourself with the thought that it was after all the Lord's will.†Krishna recalled that scene enacted over three decades ago. The Yadavas were now gone and one more scene remained to be enacted before the curtain could be rung down upon the DwaparaYuga, and that was His own exit.

The Elegiac End to Lord Krishna’s Earthly Life

Krishna now withdrew to a forest, selected a nice tree, sat under it and went into meditation; as usual, He was dressed in yellow silk. Some distance away, there was a hunter passing by. Seeing the yellow dress through leaves, he mistook Krishna to be a spotted deer and shot an arrow, which pierced Krishna's heel. Krishna uttered a cry and hearing it, the hunter rushed to the spot. Instead of a deer, he saw Krishna lying on the ground and bleeding profusely. Stunned and horrified, he fell at Krishna's feet and begged forgiveness. In reply Krishna said, “Don't cry or be sorry. I am not angry with you. It was not your fault at all; let us just say it was God's will and that you played your part admirably in the Cosmic Drama, for which heaven would be your reward. Be at peace.â€

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krishna is mortally wounded by a hunter in His last Divine leela

Meanwhile, Daruka, the charioteer of Krishna was searching for his Master. He knew Krishna had walked away from the carnage by the sea-side towards the forest. Guided by the scent of the Tulsi leaves which Krishna wore as a garland, he eventually came to where Krishna was lying mortally wounded. Overwhelmed with deep anguish, he cried, “O Lord, how did this terrible thing happen?â€

In a matter-of-fact tone, Krishna replied, “Daruka, there is no time now to discuss all that. Let Me quickly give you a few instructions. Firstly, you must return immediately to Dwaraka and gently break the news about Me and also the end of the Yadavas to My parents. They would no doubt be heartbroken, but you must console them. After My end, the waters of the sea would enter Dwaraka and the city would be submerged; so the women and children must not return to Dwaraka from Sangotra. Ask Arjuna to escort them to Hastinapura where they could live. And now if you please, pull this arrow out before you leave.â€

Weeping like a child and with trembling hands, Daruka did as instructed. The arrow­head which Daruka extracted had been shaped from the piece of the iron pestle which could not be broken up earlier. While in the sea, the piece was swallowed by a fish. Later, the fish was caught and when it was cut open, there was the iron piece. The hunter used it to make an arrow-head and eventually by Divine design, that very arrow-head helped Krishna shed His mortal coil while respecting at the same time the curse laid upon Him!

The fatal arrow having been extracted from the foot, Krishna asked Daruka to hurry back.. Tearfully Daruka went round Krishna three times and hastened to Dwaraka to carry out the assigned tasks. Mission over, Krishna smiled for the last time and then went into a Yogic trance. In that state He separated from the body which had served Him for over a century and returned to Vaikuntam, much to the great delight of all the celestial beings.

The Dwapara Yuga had ended, and mankind would have to wait five thousand and odd years before the Lord deigned to come down again as a Poorna Avatar.

(To be Continued...) --------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE DIVINE STORY OFSHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI - Part 5(continued from the previous issue)

 

 

 

 

[ This page has lots of Graphics. Allow time for the images to download. ]

 

ACT IIISCENE I

 

 

After the death of Patel, his wife struggles hard to bring up her boy. Young Sai continues to be a ‘problem child’. One day, Sai and His friends are getting ready to play a game of marbles. They are choosing the order in which the boys would play. The game involves placing some marbles within a circle drawn on the ground and knocking this collection with another marble thrown from a distance, somewhat like in modern bowling.

 

 

 

 

YOUNG SAI: I am the first striker. A BOY: I am second.

ANOTHER BOY: I am third.

YOUNG SAI: Hey Krishna! Each will play with five marbles; winner takes all!

KRISHNA: O.K.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The game begins. Young Sai is the first striker.

 

 

 

 

YOUNG SAI: [Counts] One, two, three, four, five…..[throws His projectile; scores a hit and shouts] I have won all these marbles! I have won all these! A BOY: Hey Krishna, you strike next!

Krishna throws and scores some success.

KRISHNA: [counts the marbles he has won] One, two, ….. I have won these.

ANOTHER BOY: Move over, I’ll try.

After some time, the game is over. Young Sai has won everything, leaving the others empty handed. He is dancing with all His winning in His hand.

YOUNG SAI: All these marbles are mine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCENE 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Altar room of a house in the village. The lady of the house is preparing for Puja or ritualistic Hindu worship. She is being assisted by her younger sister named Bhavani. LADY (to girl): Hey you! Don’t touch that!! That is a SALIGRAMAM [a Lingam].. It is very sacred. It must be cleaned only with sacred water.

GIRL: When does one do that?

LADY: Every Monday, Siva is worshipped by pouring water over the SALIGRAMAM. At that time the water becomes holy; that water is used for subsequent cleaning. Right now you can clean all these. After that, go and fetch fresh water from the well. Meanwhile, I shall get kumkum, sandal paste, and the various other things needed for the worship.

 

 

 

 

SCENE 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The scene of the earlier marble game. The boys are talking amongst themselves. Young Sai has moved off some distance away, to count His winnings.

 

KRISHNA: That fellow [Young Sai] has taken away all our marbles.

SECOND BOY: We now have no marbles at all to play with!

THIRD BOY: Our pockets are all empty!

KRISHNA: Let us ask him to return our marbles.

 

 

 

 

 

BOY: Let’s go!

BOY: Let’s go!

Some distance away, Young Sai is seated, happily looking at His winnings. He is counting the number of marbles He has won earlier..

YOUNG SAI: One, two, three, four, five ….

KRISHNA: Hey you fellow! Give me back my marbles, and we will play again.

YOUNG SAI: Really?! You must be joking! Who will return what has been won? These are all mine.

KRISHNA: I agree you won but we played only for fun. Give those marbles back, we shall play again. Otherwise I’ll pelt marbles at you.

YOUNG SAI: Oh yeah? I won’t be idle and just sitting while you are throwing things. If you really want to play, go get fresh marbles; then we can play.KRISHNA: So, you won’t give back what you took?

YOUNG SAI: No I will not, will not, will not!

KRISHNA: You fellow! I’ll tell you something. I shall bring a magic marble and win back all those you have.

YOUNG SAI: Really? Go ahead! Can you get back the mango or the banana that has been eaten?! How is it possible?

KRISHNA: He is mocking at us again. I’ll go this minute to my house, bring that magic marble, and fix him! YOUNG SAI: Go ahead and try!

 

 

 

 

SCENE 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krishna is the son of the lady who was preparing for Puja earlier. He sneaks into the Puja room. No one is there, and Krishna looks for the sacred SALIGRAMAM, without realising that it is not a marble but a sacred object of worship.

KRISHNA: [to himself] Where is it?

Locates the white SALIGRAMAM. Picks it up with joy. KRISHNA: This marble is great! If I play with it, I’ll surely win!!

KRISHNA: I’ll now fix him!

Walks out of the house with the SALIGRAAMAM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCENE 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The scene of the marble game again. No game is in progress, but everyone is waiting for Krishna to appear and challenge Young Sai again.

BOY (to Young Sai): Do you think he will come?

YOUNG SAI: He will certainly come; after all he lost all his marbles, didn’t he?

KRISHNA: I’ve brought it; see! [shows the SALIGRAMAM] White marble!!

YOUNG SAI: Great! Nice-looking marble. Shall we play with this one?

KRISHNA: Not only will I play but also win back all the marbles I lost.

YOUNG SAI: Don’t just talk; show it in action.

KRISHNA: If you can’t strike this marble, you have to return all the ten marbles you took..

YOUNG SAI: Yes, but in case I strike, this white marble becomes mine.

KRISHNA: O.K. Place all the ten marbles.

YOUNG SAI: Will do, but if after I strike the white marble you hem and haw and don’t give it to me, I shall swallow not only the marble but also you!

KRISHNA: Bet now.

YOUNG SAI: Done.

KRISHNA: Place all your ten marbles.

YOUNG SAI: You too, place that white marble.

 

 

 

 

KRISHNA: This is no ordinary marble for you to swallow just like that. It is a magic marble!

YOUNG SAI: Your Mantras and tricks won’t work with Me. But My Mantras can do wonders.

KRISHNA: We shall see; play now.

YOUNG SAI: Since you lost earlier, you strike first.

KRISHNA: Now watch my aim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krishna throws and misses. KRISHNA: [to Young Sai] Now you play.

YOUNG SAI: Yes, I’ll play now.

Young Sai strikes and scores a bulls-eye. Dances with joy. YOUNG SAI: This white marble is mine! It is mine!!

 

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Tuesday, September

 

I will carry your burden-Shri Sai Baba

 

 

 

 

sai Abode of Mercy and is affectionate towards His devotees.We,who are weak and without any merits, do not know what Bhakti is and how to please our Sai but we all very well know this much, that though all others may leave us, Sai won't forsake us.He is with us always and takes care us irrespective how we are.Here Sai Baba's intimate and close bhakt Mhalsapathy relates such leela about Baba's intense love and

caring for his Bhaktas.In the Sri Sai Satcharitra chapter 7 the leela of Baba taking upon Himself the Bubonic plague of Balwant Khaparde is already given.Here is a very strange incident which left Mhalsapathy speechless..Mhalsapathy's wife had once gone to visit her brother in Nadur Singota .As usual Mhalsapathy was sitting close to Baba, and doing his seva.Suddenly Baba said." Arre one of my Bhaktas has developed an abscess, and is in great deal of distress. I too have developed an abscess on my buttock .Soon I will feel better.â€Mhalsapathy could clearly see that Baba had developed an abscess on His buttock. And was having a great deal of pain and discomfort in sitting .Mhalsapathy was very concerned about this.. But Baba said,"Bhagat don't worry after two or three days it will heal, and I will feel better".Mhalsapathy did not know at that time whose abscess Baba had taken upon Himself. Though he knew that Baba would readily take the illness of His Bhaktas on Himself. And relieve them of their pain and suffering. Two days later the abscess did burst and Baba was relieved of the pain.Three days after the incident Mhalsapathy received a letter from his wife. She wrote how she had developed an abscess on her buttock. As the pain was unbearable she prayed to Baba for relief. Immediately she got relief, and two days later the abscess burst and she felt alright.It was then that he realized that Baba had taken abscess upon Himself when his wife prayed to Him for relief .Overwhelmed by Baba's love and compassion Mhalsapathy said "Look Marthand (to his son)to give your mother relief Baba took upon Himself the pain and abscess .Hence, your mother became alright and our GOD mother suffered so much."It is so very true and we all Sai children at some point of our life have witnessed this how Baba runs for His children and help them overcome their problems be it of any type,physical,material ,spiritual etc...any type He is always

there for US.Jai Sai Ram.© Shirdi Sai Baba Sai Babas Devotees Experiences Sai Baba Related all Details

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PROF ANIL KUMAR....CONVERSATIONS WITH SAI -PART-21

Wed, November 18, 2009 12:38:36 PM

 

 

 

 

 

View Contact

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or Gayatri.

 

 

CONVERSATIONS WITH SAI Satyopanishad - Part 21: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 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 chapter seven, “Sadhana, The Inner Doorâ€.

 

CHAPTER VII: Sadhana, The Inner Door

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! The Gayatri mantra is being chanted over many ages here in this holy land. But, we hear that women are prohibited from chanting Gayatri and so are non-brahmins. Should we chant that mantra at specific times and not at anytime of our choice and convenience? What is the importance and significance of the Gayatri mantra? We shall indeed be very fortunate to hear from Your divine lips about this subject.Bhagavan: Everyone must chant the Gayatri. It transcends the barriers of caste, community, gender, nationality, time and space. It is the one mantra that all should repeatedly chant. There are three main things in the Gayatri mantra. First of all, you should know that Bhur Bhuvah Suvah in the Gayatri

are not separate worlds. You think they are three different worlds. It is a mistake to think so. They are within you. Gayamulu means senses. Since Gayatri deals with sense control, it is called so. The body has senses of perception and action. This first aspect of Gayatri is called materialisation

 

 

 

 

 

The body can function only if there is life in it. The pulsatory activity is due to life. Therefore, the life principle vibrates in the body, which makes it functional or operational. This second aspect of Gayatri, which is the life force, is called vibration or Savitri..

The third aspect of Gayatri is the primal sound Omkar, which springs upwards from the navel. Om is a combination of three sounds, 'A', 'U' and 'M'. 'A' is uttered as it starts from the navel. 'U' starts from the throat. 'M' comes out of the lips. 'Soham ' is chanted in our breathing process though we are unaware of it. This is called 'Japa Gayatri'.

As we breathe in, we make the sound 'so' and as we breathe out the sound 'ham' is made. The ‘soham’ mantra is repeated everyday 21,600 times in our respiratory process. In the mantra, ‘soham’, the second sound in 'so', i.e., 'o' and the second sound in 'ham', 'm' together constitute 'om'. This soham is repeatedly chanted in all the three states; waking, dream and deep sleep. The entire alphabet is formed out of the mother of letters, the primal sound 'OM'.To illustrate this, let me give you a small example. In the English alphabet, we have 26 letters from A to Z.. All words and sentences are spoken and written using these letters only, aren't they? You notice that the harmonium has reeds. As you press the bellows the air gets in and as you press the reeds, you get musical notes like sa re ga ma pa dha ni. By means of these seven sounds only, different tunes or ragas are composed.

Are they not? You know the violin. It has strings on which you can play any tune. So also, omkar is the primal, primordial sound out of which the rest of the sounds originated.

 

 

 

 

God desires from you only one thing, and that is love. This love is not your property either. It is not your ancestral property. This love is not gifted to you by anyone. It is not a commodity to be manufactured by any company. It is not to be acquired from a guru.. You are born with love. It is the gift of God. Therefore, it must be given to Him. It is His and so you should return it to Him by loving Him incessantly.

When you close both your ears tight, you will listen to the Pranava, the Omkar within you. You go very close to an electric pole and listen with your ear touching it; you will hear that primal sound Omkar. This is the sound (internal) in silence (external). This is the divine sound heard in the depth of silence, (nissabdamu loni sabdabrahmam, in Telugu). You can hear the footsteps of God only in silence. This third aspect of Gayatri that pertains to this Omkar, the primordial sound, the speech faculty and the chief source is known as radiation or Saraswati.

Therefore, at the body level it is Gayatri, materialisation. As the life principle, it is Savitri, vibration, and finally as the chief source of sound, it is Saraswati, radiation. These are the three aspects of Gayatri mantra. In other words the atmic power, divine source, is radiation (Saraswati) that enters the body as vibration or life principle (Savitri), so that this body made of material becomes functional which is called materialisation (Gayatri).

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! How should we adore You? How should we serve You? Kindly show us the way?Bhagavan: God does not need your service. He does not require your worship. God desires from you only one thing, and that is love. This love is not your property either. It is not your ancestral property. This love is not gifted to you by anyone. It is not a commodity to be manufactured by any company. It is not to be acquired from a guru. You are born with love. It is the gift of God. Therefore, it must be given to Him. It is His and so you should return it to Him by loving Him incessantly.Take a small example. On occasions like a wedding ceremony, many people are invited. So, in order to prepare food on a large scale you need very big utensils. You hire them for a day or two and return them after use. But they should be returned safe, cleaned and in

perfect condition without any damage. Is it not so? Similarly, the human heart is a vessel filled with love, gifted by God, and has got to be returned intact to Him. This is the true form of worship.

 

 

 

 

Pluck the flowers of virtue, character, and love from the garden of your heart and worship God with flowers of value.

How to love God? The best way to love God is to love all and serve all. When everything is His, and He being the giver of all that you need, what is it that He wants from you other than love? A pure heart is the temple of God. Then, where is it? I always tell the students that there should be perfect harmony between thought, word, and deed. Today, we find selfishness at all levels. In whatever is said and done, there is an underlying selfishness. But true worship is a selfless act of service with love. Do your duty sincerely. Service to man is service to God. You don't need to worship God with flowers that fade and decay. Pluck the flowers of virtue, character, and love from the garden of your heart and worship God with flowers of value. Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! Kindly let us know how we can achieve anandaprapti, permanent happiness, and removal of suffering,

dukhanivrutti.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bhagavan: These two levels of consciousness are not separate from each other, as you have stated. When suffering is removed, you derive happiness. Absence of happiness is the cause of misery. Both are interrelated. Absence of light is darkness: Where there is light there is no darkness. Absence of one of the two is the presence of the other. So, if you explore the methods of removing suffering, happiness naturally and automatically dawns. If you investigate the reason for misery, you will know that ignorance is the cause of all misery. What is responsible for ignorance? It is the ego. What is ego? It is attachment. What is attachment? It is the body, consciousness. So, misery occurs due to attachment to the body. But, one can be happy physically as well as spiritually if one's senses are under one's control. In fact, sadness is not natural to man. Therefore, methods have to be found out to remove sadness, which is

artificial. Misery can be removed only by prayer and by following the spiritual path. If idle horses are overfed, they will be still lazier. Similarly, if you act according to the whims and fancies of your senses, your senses will get strengthened day by day and ultimately you will cease to be a human being.Man faces three types of miseries - adhyatmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika. Adhyatmika miseries are physical and mental. Physical suffering makes you mentally sick. Your mental irregularities add to your physical sickness. Therefore, physical and mental sufferings are branded as adhyatmika. The second one is the suffering called adhibhautika, which is caused due to a snakebite or a scorpion bite or injuries inflicted by animals and other creatures.. The third type of misery called adhidaivika befalls due to cyclones, floods, earthquakes, fire accidents and various other natural

calamities.

Primarily you should know that the mind is the cause of both pleasure and pain. If your mind is positive, it doesn't matter if you are either at your home or in a forest. You should fill your mind with love. With constant thought of God, developing more and more of faith in Him, and following the spiritual path, you can undoubtedly remove your suffering. Of course, control of senses is absolutely necessary..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you understand your true self, atma, you will have ananda, bliss. Bliss is the state, which is above pain and pleasure - bliss is non-dual. This is also called prajna. Since prajna is vast, the scripture says, Prajnanam Brahma. Prajna is divine. Prajna is uniformly present in the body, the mind and the intellect. Prajna is also known as antarvani, the inner voice. By exercising control over external and internal sense, you can listen to your antarvani. If you follow and act according to your Inner Voice, you will be blissful.Janma or birth is responsible for all misery. Where there is no janma there is no chance for either pleasure or pain. However, janma is due to karma, the consequence of past actions. For karma, the causes are raga, attachment and dvesa,

hatred. You take to an activity only if or when you like it, or prefer it to some other activity, otherwise not. Isn't it? So all actions are born of either of these two states of mind, raga and dvesa. They in turn arise out of ahamkara, ego and ajnana, ignorance... Ajnana is the main cause of misery. Ignorance goes away only if ego is given up. For ego to be dropped one must rise above attachment and hatred; for these two to vanish there should be akarma, inaction, because these actions and their consequences lead to punarjanma, rebirth. As the Bhajagovindam of Adi Sankara states: Punarapi jananam punarapi maranam punarapijanani jathare sayanam, "one takes birth life after life, lying in the womb of the mother, again and again after deathâ€. Birth and death are responsible for all the misery. In fact, one should follow the spiritual path in life not to be born again.

Instead of consuming sugar, you can become sugar itself! This is the sugar of ananda, bliss. This is the sugar of liberation. This is the sugar of sayujya, merger with God. Therefore, mukti, liberation, is the only solution for the alleviation of suffering.The happiness that you get from listening to a person whom you like, or hearing about an article that you wished to acquire is described as priyam, pleasure.. When you actually get what you really want, that is called modam, joy. The experience of joy after acquiring what you want is called pramodam, supreme joy. If anybody starts talking to you about what is dear to you, you will be happy. So it is called priyam. If you see or meet those who are dear to you, you will be extremely happy. This is called modam. On receiving and possessing what is dearest to you, your experience is described as pramodam.When

you hear of the divine power from great epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and of the leelas of God incarnate and devotion celebrated in Bhagavata, and other texts, you will be very happy. This is priyam. If you practice all that you have heard from these immortal books, you will derive a kind of joy described as modam. If you identify yourself with the divinity and merge in it, the supreme bliss you get out of it is called pramodam.

 

 

 

 

 

You do not have to sacrifice the world, You have to give up worldly thoughts and feelings.You do not have to sacrifice your properties, but you must establish proper-ties with God.

So one has to hear about God, priyam in the first stage, practice all that is heard, modam in the second stage and finally experience the bliss thereafter, pramodam in the third stage. This is anandaprapti, the way to be blissful. Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! What is it that we should renounce? What is that we should sacrifice?Bhagavan: You do not need to renounce the world. Many people commit a mistake here. You do not have to sacrifice the world. You have to give up worldly thoughts and feelings. You must have heard of Ramananda Tirtha, a renunciant. He was married, and also had a son. He renounced his family. One day when his wife visited him, he refused to see her and turned his head away. Watching this, the wife said to him, "Swami! Since you have the feeling that I am your wife, you did not look at me and turned away your face. I

do not have that feeling, not in the least". It was then she gave him the ochre robes. So, you need not renounce the world. You need to shed worldly thoughts. You do not have to sacrifice your properties, but you must establish proper-ties with God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! What is true happiness? How are we to acquire it?Bhagavan: You should first of all know what happiness truly is! I want you to be blissful and not simply happy. Happiness, as you understand it, is not truly happiness. In fact, true happiness lies in union with God. This you can develop by establishing contact with the Divinity within you. In other words, being aware of the Divinity within you, you can also make yourself happy in the world. Happiness lies in liking what you should do and not doing what you like.Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! We meet some people who are not happy, as if they are denied happiness once and for all. Why should it happen like that?Bhagavan: For all this, understand that the mind is the main

cause. If you turn your mind Godward, you will be happy. If you turn it towards the world, you cannot be happy for long. See, here you turn the fan towards you. Then you get the breeze. If you turn it the opposite way, you won't get any breeze. Your getting or not getting the breeze depends upon the direction in which you turn the fan.Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! You want us to look for unity in diversity. You expect us to be aware of unity in diversity. How is it possible?Bhagavan: It is certainly possible. Everything in this world has five aspects. Among them, three are changeless while the other two change. The three are asti, being, bhati, awareness, priyam, bliss - these are immortal. They may also be termed as sat, cit and ananda.. Then there are two more aspects that change. They are

rupa, form and nama, name. Name and form depend on the three changeless and permanent aspects mentioned above, viz., truth, awareness and bliss, sat, cit, ananda. For example: you observe the sea, its waves and its foam. They are interdependent; one cannot exist without the other. Waves come out of the sea. Waves are not independent. We find foam collecting on the surface of the waves. When there are no waves, there can be no chance for the foam to collect on the surface. However, apparently, we have three forms in different names - sea, wave, and foam. But essentially, all the three show the same water by different names. Don't they?

 

 

 

 

 

Being aware of the Divinity within you, you can also make yourself happy in the world.

The sea represents paramarthika satya, Spiritual Truth; the waves stand for pratibhasika satya, superimposed or mistaken identity, while the foam is the vyavaharika satya, worldly or physical truth.Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! Is sadhana a must in everyday life? Is it compulsory?Bhagavan: Yes, it is very necessary that you should do it everyday. Don't you wash and scrub utensils everyday to keep them clean? Until you become steady, develop unwavering faith and total surrender, it is most necessary to do sadhana everyday.You see that the paddy fields are watered everyday. Otherwise, the crops dry up and die. But tall trees like eucalyptus, banyan, neem and so on, do not need to be watered everyday. Why? The reason is simple. Their roots go very deep, up to the groundwater level; and draw nourishment for the entire tree.

It appears surprising that small tender plants need water everyday while huge trees do not. Roots of small plants go a few inches deep and cannot draw water, from the depths. But trees have roots that spread and go deep to draw, ground water. Similarly, until the roots of your faith go deep into the ground of your heart, you have to do sadhana everyday. Your faith today is like the root of a small plant that has not yet gone deep into your heart and so you should do sadhana everyday.Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! Much emphasis is laid on sadhana, spiritual practice. But we find it tough to do any sadhana. What is the solution? Bhagavan: For achieving or attaining anything in life one needs to do sadhana or practice. Walking, talking, reading, eating, writing, everything in life you learn by practice. How does a

child walk? It is clearly by practice only. Singers practice a lot! Driving a motorcar for that matter has to be practised. You have the steering at one place, the brake at one point, the clutch elsewhere and so on. Yet, you will be able to drive a car by practice only. So also, one has to do sadhana in the spiritual field.

 

 

 

 

 

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! What is the role of a Guru on the spiritual path?Bhagavan: One should have total faith in the Guru. Suppose you wish to go to a city on a picnic. You do not know anything about that city, as you have never been there before. What you do is to take the help of a guide to go round the city. You do not question the guide at any point since you are totally new to the place.. So also, a Guru who has vast knowledge and experience has to be scrupulously followed. He should not be questioned, doubted, or disobeyed on any grounds.You also find signboards at crossroads indicating directions to different places. This is your common experience. To reach the place of your choice, you must follow the directions in the signboard and reach the destination. You don't expect the

signboard to carry you or lift you to that place. You have to go along the way as directed in the signboard. A Guru similarly shows the spiritual path, teaches you the techniques to be followed, and explains in detail all that you need on the spiritual path. You have to work for it and achieve it all by yourself. No one can do that on your behalf.'Guru', is a two letter word in Telugu 'Gu' and 'ru'. The word has two meanings. 'Gu' is darkness (ignorance), 'ru' is the light (wisdom) that dispels this darkness. The second meaning is 'gu' stands for gunatita, one beyond attributes and 'ru' for rupavarjita formless. So, Guru is one who teaches you about divinity which is both attributeless and formless.

A true Guru wishes the best for his disciples. He tells them what is hita, good and not ista, that which is liked. A true disciple follows the master implicitly.

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! We feel that results are delayed in sadhana. We do not get quick results, at least according to our expectations. What do you say, Swami?Bhagavan: You do not have proper, understanding of sadhana. See, in this world, you begin your studies from childhood. After the primary school, you go to the secondary school, college and then to the university. After fifteen years of intense study and hard work you get a degree. This is your experience. How much have you worked to get a degree? Have you not taken a long time to get a degree? For this education and a degree, and to earn your livelihood you strive so much.. Then how long should you take, how much of effort should you put in to earn God's grace which is the eternal spiritual truth? Just think for yourself. It is a big

mistake to expect quick results in sadhana.

 

 

 

 

 

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! Are you pleased with our dhyana, meditation?Bhagavan: Do you call what you do every day meditation? No, you are not doing it properly. It may be anything but certainly not meditation.. It is all right that you sit down to meditate. But your mind is in the market, you will be thinking of what you are going to eat for lunch. Or you will be thinking of your dhobi, when he would bring your ironed clothes. Is that meditation? Certainly not.

A small example. You are seated here waiting eagerly and anxiously for the arrival of Swami. Any sound of a door or a car will draw your attention as Swami might come any time. Your mind is fully concentrated on Swami and you begin to view everything in terms of Swami's arrival. Do you not? On the other hand, if you are mentally engaged otherwise and not alert, even if Swami comes and stands in front of you, you will not notice Him.So, in meditation the most important thing is to have a full cent percent concentration on God. You should be fully alert, without any diversion of attention. So, what we need is an unwavering steadiness of mind. Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami, how many things should we study and learn in order to take to sadhana? How many details should we know from the sacred texts to

start our sadhana?Bhagavan: Many things or details are not necessary. We see most people reading books. They listen to discourses for a number of years. But, what is the use? They remain where they have been in the spiritual path. What is the reason? It is lack of practice that has detained them, retarded their progress. In fact, you don't have to read so many books. You don't need to learn many things. If you clearly and thoroughly understand one thing, it is enough. If you practice one thing, that is enough. Why learn many things and don't practice even one? To commit suicide a small pin or a needle is enough. But to kill others you require a pistol or a revolver or a knife. Similarly, to teach others you need to learn and know many things for which you have to read a lot. But to work for one's own liberation, redemption and emancipation it is enough if one

thing is practiced sincerely. So, practising is more important than knowing and learning in life.

 

 

 

 

To feel God in you is upavasa and not mere fasting as the literal meaning goes: Upa, near, vasa, living: In other words, upavasa means living close to or near God.

Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! We are indeed very fortunate to have been listening to You. We are in a blissful state. You alone can answer our questions like this, out of Your infinite compassion for us. None can do that. Swami, pardon me for this question. It is now very clear to us what enquiry is. But why am I unable to do so? Why is my mind not steady? Is it the nature of the mind to waver? Is it the natural quality of the mind to remain unstable and unsteady that prevents me from concentration on enquiry?Bhagavan: You complain that your mind is unsteady and that you are not able to concentrate. This is not true. In fact, there is no mind as such. It is nothing but a bundle of desires. It is a bundle of thoughts. It is like a piece of cloth with yarn closely interwoven. When you separate the yarn or threads one

after another, the cloth does not exist any more. So also, when the desires are gone and the thoughts withdrawn, the mind does not exist anymore. This is called amanaska, withdrawal of the mind, or manolaya annihilation of the mind.You say that your mind wavers. This is also not quite true. You see a tree here. The leaves flutter. Why? It is the wind that makes the leaves of the tree flutter. But when there is no wind they do not move. So, the movement is due to the wind and not due to the quality of the leaves or the tree. The tree of life like leaves of the human mind flutters as the wind of desires blows.

 

 

 

 

 

You also say that you are not able to concentrate your mind. This is not true again. How are you riding your bicycle or driving your car without concentration? Is it not dangerous? Will it not lead to accidents? How could you concentrate in order to drive your car or ride your bicycle? As you read a book, a paper, or a draft, how are you able to concentrate? Without concentration, how could you grasp all that is mentioned in a book? In your profession are you not doing your job with full attention and concentration? Are you doing this with your mind engaged elsewhere or absentminded? If you do so, don't you spoil the work assigned to you? You would have been summarily dismissed from your service had you been doing your job without concentration. Are you not concentrating your mind on every activity of your daily life? Yes, you do it beyond doubt. But, concentration of mind becomes a very difficult task

only in respect of God. Is it not a misfortune? The mind is stable and it concentrates easily and naturally. The loss of concentration with respect to God implies that you do not have as much love for and interest in Him as you have in worldly matters. Concentration, hence, depends on the degree of your interest. You can't blame the mind. It is like a mirror. It only reflects what is kept in front of it. So I often lay stress on good and pure thoughts. As is the thought so is the mind. You know one who has manas (mind) is manisi, a human being. The most valuable thing in this world in your estimate is a diamond. But 'diamond' means 'diemind' or withdrawal of mind.

 

 

(To be continued....)

 

Dear Reader, did this article inspire you in any way? Would you like more of such conversations with the Divine? Please share with us your reflections by writing to h2h mentioning your name and country. Thank you for your time.

 

 

 

 

An Awesome ‘Hand’iwork of God

 

 

 

 

Photo...By: mahadevan12

The story of how Mr. Narayana Reddy, an adult breadwinner of an underprivileged family, who had almost become an invalid because of a fateful accident and the resultant terrible damage to his right hand, received virtually a new lease of life, thanks to Divine Grace and the ingenuity of the doctors at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthi gram. This tale will open your eyes to the wonders that silently unfold every single day in Baba’s Hospital, where the subtle ‘hand of God’ is always at play in so many mysterious ways.

It was twilight when Narayana Reddy, a resident of Surarana Palli, a village on the side of the highway connecting Anantapur to Bangalore, started for Penukonda on his scooter. Just a few kilometres from his home, he witnessed a van coming from the opposite direction lose control and come right at him. Reddy in a last ditch effort to save himself screeched his scooter to the left, but the van seemed to follow him. Eventually the van crashed into the handle bar of his two-wheeler, throwing Reddy off the vehicle. When he came about, Reddy realised he was in an ambulance and an excruciating pain shot up from his right hand.

When Disaster Struck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hand of Narayana Reddy after a preliminary stitching done in a local hospital

Reddy’s right hand was an awful sight. The palm was detached from the wrist, hanging to his hand only by the skin.The bones had pierced the flesh and were protruding, while blood flowed in streams. Walking away from a deadly crash with some bruises but a broken wrist, Reddy thought he was fortunate. But it was not all that simple. Reddy was rushed to a Penukonda hospital.“They did the dressing and told me that everything will be fine. The wound also healed. But when they removed the bandage I saw that my hand looked almost as grotesque as it was immediately after the accident. "There was a gap between the wrist and the palm. It looked terribly awkward and revolting; my palm almost dangled from the end of my wrist. It was only then that I realised that I could not use my hand any longer,†averred Reddy. Most of the chores that people do naturally, he could

not. “I am a farmer and with the right hand rendered useless I could not carry out my work. I could not take a bath properly. I could not even eat with my right hand.†Reddy would hide while taking food in any social gatherings. “I could not hold a tumbler or even soap with my right hand. I felt miserable and was worried about the future of myself and my family.†It was Reddy’s committed wife who helped him to carry out his every little duty, personal and otherwise.

Neck Deep in Distress and Debt

Now, Reddy was not only an invalid but soon was in serious debt too. He owed Rs.80,000 (approx $1740) to many people, and his land lay fallow. Once a breadwinner, he now had become a burden on his family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier Narayana Reddy's life had come crumbling down when he lost the functionality of one hand

 

“My dream has always been to be a good father and a husband, and to be able to amply provide for my two sons and my wife. When the accident happened, my elder son was studying in Grade 10 and the younger one was in Grade 4. I could not work on my farm; therefore could not earn a penny, yet I did not compromise on the future of my sons and my family. I took loans and sent them to school. Soon enough I was in deep debt. There seemed to be no way out.â€

Most of the doctors Reddy visited gave him little hope regarding the recovery of the damaged hand. A majority of them gave him a curt ‘no’, while the rest reluctantly accepted that even if he paid them the fat amount needed for the surgery there was only a slim chance that his right hand would become as good as it was earlier.

A person known to Narayan Reddy then told him about the Department of Orthopaedics at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (SSSIHMS), Prasanthigram. He came to this Hospital, with only a faint hope that he would hear something different than what he had heard from many other hospitals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Formidable Challenging for the Committed Surgeons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dedicated completely to His work - Dr. Kailash Rao, Head of Department, Orthopaedics, at SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram

According to the Head of Department, Orthopaedics, at SSSIHMS, Dr. Kailash Rao, Reddy’s wrist was completely flexed in one direction and his hand was totally stiff. “It being his right hand, he was unable to do any activity,†he said.“He had intense pain in his hand and he was urging us when he came here, to help him out so that he could use his right hand and earn his living. Moreover, with him being the only earning member in the family, his family was completely dependant on his income. "The accident and the deformity it left him with, had made him totally disabled. He could barely open and close his right fist,†he added. ‘Handing back’ what Reddy had lost was going to be an extreme challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The greatest asset here is we do not have to worry about monetary aspects; our complete focus is on the best recovery of the patient" - Dr. Kailash Rao and Dr. Vasuki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very happy to serve in Baba's hospital - Dr. Vasuki, Orthopaedic surgeon at SSSIHMS

 

Another Orthopaedic surgeon at SSSIHMS, Dr. Vasuki explained, “This was a really challenging case for us. In fact, we had seen very few cases of such variety. "Even the visiting experts who were here were flabbergasted when they saw this case. They said to give a working hand to this man would be a real test of our skills; some felt it was simply impossible."During the discussion, one doctor suggested that we fuse the wrist in a fixed position. Though the patient would not have any mobility, he may get a part of the functions of the hand.â€The Effective Ilizarov Method Comes to the RescueHowever, hope came in the form of the Ilizarov method. Both Dr. Kailash Rao and Dr. Vasuki were interested in this Russian way of treatment.“Where the rest of the ideas fail,

this indigenous Russian system comes to the rescue; this method is completely different from the Western system,†Dr. Rao stated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How the Ilizarov method was applied with great precision to achieve credible results by His Grace

In the Ilizarov system, invented by Prof. Gavril Abramovich Ilizarov, the treatment involves the use of rings, which are stationed by means of wires. These wires are passed through the bones and they hold the bones to-be-corrected by means of a ring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staying at SSSIHMS, Narayan kept his hand in a fixed position for weeks together for the Ilizarov method to work

 

Providing the background of this ingenious method, Dr. Rao said that the Ilizarov method was an accidental discovery made by Prof. Ilizarov, and therefore the system was named after him.

These rings and the wires will create a sort of tension on the bone as well as the soft tissues. So by manipulating these rings, the surgeons can correct the deformities gradually. The tissues that would then form would be of right biological nature. According to Dr. Vasuki it is something like the formation of a baby in the womb of a mother. “Similar to the way a tiny one develops, the tissues in this method too develop. The process is called Neo-Osteogenesis, literally meaning, formation of new bones.The blood vessels grow, the nerves populate, the tendons multiply; every tissue originates and develops in the body. The distance between the rings can be differentiated by 1 mm a day. If we do it that way, all the body tissues grows automatically into that pathway,†Dr. Vasuki elucidated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We absolutely feel His presence in the operation theatre" - Dr. Kailash Rao and Dr. Vasuki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dedicated twosome who enjoy working with each other to serve the Lord in every patient

Another advantage of this method is that it is a minimal invasive surgery. “We are not entirely cutting the body open to perform the surgery. We are introducing the wires through a very small stab incision in the tissues, which come out through the bones and then we tie them onto the ring with a certain amount of force.It distracts the tissues slowly, so when these tissues are slowly deflected, the natural formations of tissues occur. When the deformity is corrected, it is permanent with a natural formation,†Dr. Vasuki added.. Talking about the efficiency of this procedure, Dr. Rao mentioned that an Olympic athlete who had fractured his ankle, received treatment by this method and went back to win the Olympic gold! “Most of the cases, which are dubbed untreatable, could be treated by this method,†Dr. Rao expressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We enjoy when we see the smiling faces of the children who could not walk earlier and the immense satisfaction in the faces of their parents" - Dr. Kailash Rao

 

“The Department of Orthopaedics at SSSIHMS has been utilizing the Ilizarov method extensively. We have been doing this regularly, where a lot of deformed hands have been corrected, children with deformed feet have been set right; the limbs rendered defunct as a result of fractures, refusing to join, have been stitched; hands and feet, which have been short, have been lengthened, and the cases, which have been declared as ‘cannot be treated’, have been corrected,†said Dr. Rao, the committed HOD of Orthopaedics at Baba’s hospital.

“In children, where there is a non union – where the bone that has not united with the leg by birth – you can give the child his/her arm and the leg only by this system. And those are golden cases for us because after the treatment the child comes running to us.†Dr. Rao is now visibly moved as he narrates this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Kailash Rao explaining the problem and the progress of the patient through the films

 

 

 

A man whose palm had almost fallen off from his hand can now conjure a tight fist

To the question how this method came to be used so extensively at SSSIHMS, Dr. Rao answered: “I am lucky that in 1997, by Bhagawan Baba’s grace, I was able to go to the place where this system was started. I was in Russia for about 10 days for an International Course. But by sure Divine Intervention, I was given an extension for three weeks and I stayed back. It is only Baba’s Grace that made me learn all this,†submitted the humble surgeon. All’s well that ends well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A prayer in folded hands to the Lord who virtually handed him over a new hand

 

“It is the sheer grace of Bhagavan Baba that I could get back my hand†– Narayan Reddy

Reddy’s hand is now working fine. With a beaming face Reddy attributes the success of the procedure to the benediction of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. “We are indebted to Sai Baba for setting up such a Hospital. The greatness of Baba’s Hospital is that irrespective of patients’ social standing, race and religion, all are treated equally.

Everyone, the doctors, nurses and sevadal (volunteers), take excellent care of the patients. Their affectionis just like the love of one’s parents. Without any hesitation I can boldly say that one may go to any private hospital and pay money through their nose for the treatment but he/she can never get the care and attention rendered by the doctors and staff of this hospital. The doctors here are liked gods,†Reddy expresses emphatically and emotionally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The doctors here are like Gods" - Narayana Reddy is overwhelmed with the love and concern of the doctors and hospital staff. He shares in Telugu.

 

When his hand was out of action, Reddy was unable to go to work for almost one year and as mentioned earlier, his debts only continued to multiply. “I was worried that I might have to go on like this forever. But the doctors at this hospital have given me a new life. Now I am able to lift 5 kilograms with this hand! I am able to bathe myself. Soon I will be able to carry out farm work as well without any difficulty.†Reddy’s joy knows no bounds as he smiles heartily at the opportune turn of events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Narayana Reddy feels blessed and overjoyed as he can now hold a tumbler, write, wear his shirt, work in the fields and do everything else like any other adult; he can now fulfill his dream of being a good father and husband

“It is the sheer grace of Bhagavan Baba that I could get back my hand. I am eternally grateful to Swami for establishing such a fantastic Hospital which is a lifeline for less fortunate people like me.â€

 

 

 

 

 

 

The eloquent Reddy is at his best when sharing his experience in the Hospital. This sacred home of healing has transformed his life totally and he is only filled with joy when asked to share his story. He thought he would be handicapped for life, but now it was as if God held his hands in the darkest hour of his life and has carried him from hopelessness and dejection to delight and a brand new life. He is simply overwhelmed with gratitude. - Heart2Heart Team----

 

 

HOW MY HEART WAS HUMBLED AND HEALED BY HIMBy Mr. P. V. Krishna Mohan

 

Mr. P. V. Krishna Mohan is an alumnus of Sri Sathya Sai University who completed his Master in Business Administration in Prashanti Nilayam in the year 1994. Currently he works as a department head in Tata’s Telco Construction Equipment Company based in Jamshedpur in the state of Bihar, India. An active Sai worker, he is also presently the Sai Youth Coordinator of Jamshedpur.

When people ask me, “What is your qualification?†I always respond saying I am a Sai Student. I strongly believe that this is the only true qualification that I have. I treasure the fact that I am a Sai Student, and cherish every moment of the years spent at Bhagavan’s feet. For, being with Swami was, verily, a rebirth to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was born in Hyderabad but had never known of Sathya Sai Baba until 1992. I had heard of Shivam (Swami’s Mandir at Hyderabad), but had never made an attempt to visit the place.

My first memory of Swami is of a fleeting moment, when I was travelling with my parents. We were in a bus stand near Shivam. In front of us, there was a motorcade passing, and people said - Sathya Sai Baba is going by.My second remembrance of Bhagavan is seeing a cover story on Him in the Illustrated Weekly of India. I only remember a few things I read about Swami in the article, for instance, His materialization of Vibhuti. Those were really vague memories as I was a mere schoolboy then.Becoming a ‘Proud Atheist’It was during college days when I became alienated from God. My parents were very pious and used to visit temples. But somehow I developed a distorted perception that questioned the very existence of God. “When there is so much suffering, how can there be a God?†I asked myself. I

stopped praying, even thinking about God. I even remember an instance, when I saw an article in the newspaper that announced a provisional change of routes to divert the traffic in lieu of Sathya Sai Baba’s visit. I recollect commenting to my friends – ‘These Babas keep coming and needlessly disturb everybody.’

 

 

 

 

 

Swami said, “See, all animals like elephants and tortoise have a very low pulse rate, and they live very long. And people who have a high pulse rate, don’t live long. But you are My student. You will live long.â€Bhagavan then asked me to open my shirt buttons. He put His hand on my heart, rubbed His hand on my chest, and said, “Okay. Nothing will happen to you. You are My student.†And He sent me away.

So here was I, a regular college-going youngster, studying engineering from Hyderabad, scoffing at any form of association with anything godly.. I made a visit to Tirupathi along with my parents in my third year of engineering. But it was one of those stand-alone instances for me as well as for my brother, who also like me professed a hearty disbelief in God. In fact, we took a pervert delight in calling ourselves atheists and boasting about it to friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could not have fathomed at that point in time that the mighty wheel of change was heading in my direction. Immediately after engineering, I decided to pursue Masters in Business Administration.I applied for admission to various institutes, posting my application to any college that put up an advertisement in the newspaper. But it so happened that I would invariably qualify in the written test and the Group Discussion round. But when it came to the final interview, I found myself getting eliminated each time. This happened in almost five cases!

So I took up a job in Hyderabad itself. There, for the first time in the factory premises, I saw an advertisement of the Sathya Sai University (it was the Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning then) for the MBA degree, in a small Telugu newspaper. I told my father about the poster, asking him to find out more about the institute. My father learnt that the university was highly reputed for its academics and discipline. We were thrilled.My father received the application and even filled it out on my behalf and sent it, but as time elapsed, I totally forgot about it. Suddenly, one fine morning, my father informed me that my written test and interview at Puttaparthi were lined up for the forthcoming Sunday and Monday. So I packed my bags and first set foot here (in Prasanthi Nilayam) on a Saturday evening. The Sublime Attraction of the Abode of Supreme

Peace

The moment I had my first glimpse of ‘The Abode of Peace’, I fell in love with the place. The ashram, the university, even the hospital which I first saw while coming from Bangalore, whispered a gentle serenity. My first reaction was to admit to myself, that deep within, this was the sort of a place I had always longed for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took a room in the ashram. I then purchased a book on Swami, because my father told me that I might be asked some questions on ‘Sai Baba’ in the interview next day. On the flip side, we also happened to interact with a couple of people who told me that I stood no chance of getting in the institute as I was not a devotee of Sai Baba. Nevertheless, I wrote the written test the next day. I remember one of the questions was, ‘Which of the teachings of Sai Baba have influenced you?’ Here I was, totally unaware of any of Swami’s messages, but then I remembered a sticker pasted in the room where we were put up the previous night, which said ‘Start early, Drive slowly, Reach safely’. So I simply wrote that down. I did not even know what Swami meant by that saying. Nevertheless, that was a lesson, the first teaching from the Lord. I

qualified in the written test and also in the Group Discussion. The final interview was scheduled for a day later. My father left as he had to join his office and I stayed on, awaiting my interview. In the interview, Professor Sampath asked me a question. “The students herein Prashanthi Nilayam will be interacting with Swami on a regular basis. And Swami too interacts often with the students. So how will you take this?†The answer which I gave then sends shivers down my spine when I think of it now. I blatantly told Prof. Sampath – “No, I have come here for my MBA studies and not for Swami!†I said this in my ignorance, not knowing that Swami would hold me unto Him for the rest of my life. This is how my journey to Swami began. Selected for Sai by Sai

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found to my delight that I was selected and was asked to report immediately to Brindavan campus for the Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality. When I showed up at the counter, I was allotted a room in the third floor, where all the MBA boys were put up. Even before I could pick up my belongings, two boys came to carry my luggage upstairs. Completely taken aback, I demurred and hesitated. But, to no avail. “No, sir, come,†they gently persuaded. They were actually my seniors; they gladly carried my luggage all the way upstairs to the room and made me comfortable.That evening I had my first darshan of Bhagavan. It was May 20, 1992. I strongly believe - that day was my date of rebirth. I remember we were all seated on the lawn. And lo! The doors of Trayee Brindavan opened and Bhagavan came out. That evening, Swami distributed diaries and pens for the Summer Course.

That was a beautiful moment in my life.Those two years of my life in Prashanti Nilayam campus were truly wonderful. Though it took me a little while to fall in rhythm with Swami’s teachings, I loved the place and the ambience. The routine didn’t seem daunting either, as I was used to a tougher schedule at home. And deep in my heart, I always felt this was the right place for me, where I always wanted to be. He Whom the Rain Clouds Obey!

 

 

 

 

 

A few students and lecturers were still waiting. Ten minutes elapsed. Swami came for the third time again and said, “See, I have already warned you. I can’t hold the rain back. Now I am calling the rain.†Swami looked at the sky, beckoned it with His hands, and went inside. Swami only took one step inside, and the heavens opened! We broke into a run. By thetime we reached the hostel, we were all thoroughly drenched. This was myfirst experience of Swami.

Slowly yet surely, unbeknown to myself, I began to accept Swami. My first encounter with His Divinity materialized in the Summer Course itself. One afternoon around 3:00 p.m., there was heavy rain. We students were all relaxing in the room after the lunch. People said there would be no darshan because of the downpour. All of a sudden, the shower ceased. We all went to Trayee Brindavan waiting for Bhagavan.

Swami came out and said, “I stopped this rain. It is better you go back. All the devotees will get unnecessarily drenched. They will be waiting for Me. If you sit inside, they will all be there. So it will be good if go and tell them that there would be no darshan today. It is going to rain heavily now. I have just stopped it. Please go now.†And Swami went inside.

In implicit obedience to the Lord’s words, some of the students and lecturers did go away. But the rest of us waited. After ten minutes, Swami came out again and said, “You all are not listening to Me. It is going to rain heavily. I am telling you to go back.†Reluctant to leave His presence, we implored in unison – “No Swami, no Swami.†Bhagavan insisted – “This is Swami telling you. Please go away.†And He went inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few students and lecturers were still waiting. Ten minutes elapsed. Swami came for the third time again and said, “See, I have already warned you. I can’t hold the rain back. Now I am calling the rain.†Swami looked at the sky, beckoned it with His hands, and went inside. Swami only took one step inside, and the heavens opened! We broke into a run. By the time we reached the hostel, we were all thoroughly drenched. This was my first experience of Swami.In Awe of the LordAfter this incident, I took a keener interest in Swami, listening to His glory from several people and reading books on Him. Soon I got hooked onto Swami’s little poems, which He often recited before a discourse. I imbibed more in little doses, as I

sincerely relished His Chinna Katha stories, the melodious bhajans, the profound truths He expressed in the simplest of manners, His voice, His discourses, verily, His teachings. In the month of August that year, Swami called us – the first and second year MBA students - and spoke to us. He gave a wonderful discourse on production management. The session went on for about an hour or so after which Swami said, “I will bring prasadam for you all†and went inside. My friend and I were almost literally at the end of the room. Swami came up to my friend, and spoke to him in soft words, meant only for his ears. He said, “I know, you smoke. You do it in Delhi. Stop it.†Then Swami went inside as if nothing had happened and distributed prasadam to all of us. Only my friend and I knew what had transpired. It was a gentle but powerful reminder of

His omniscience and one could not but feel awed.Onset of Mysterious Sickness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My very special moment with Bhagavan came when I was one among those fortunate to be chosen to go to Kodai Kanal with Him. This was in April 1993. It so happened that I was very sick all through my second semester examination. I still vividly remember; the exams started on March 17, 1993, and I fell sick on the 18th. That illness so weakened me, I couldn’t sleep for days. Worse still, I couldn’t study, and was simply unable to concentrate. So I went to a teacher Dr. Bhagia and he sent me to the Super Specialty Hospital. They checked me and said that I was perfectly normal, and that any symptoms of ailment were purely because of my examination fear. But I knew that I could pass even without studying; that my sickness was genuine, as was my unusual rate of palpitation in my chest. I made up my mind to go back to Hyderabad after the exams, and get a proper medical checkup

done. It was with tremendous effort that I sat through the tests. And now I was all set to go home, even having booked my tickets in advance.Kodai - To Go or Not to Go…On March 31, on the morning of the last exam, the registrar of the University came to the hostel and called all the boys selected to accompany Bhagavan to Kodai Kanal. I was one among the boys selected! I did not know what to do!I was not well and I thought to myself that I should not be a problem to Swami in Kodaikanal with my ill health. I wrote my exam and was walking back to the hostel; we had been instructed to be ready by 11 o’clock as a bus would come to take us to Brindavan soon after lunch. As I was returning, I saw Dr. Bhagia a few feet ahead of me, walking towards the hostel. I approached him and laid my predicament before him. “Sir,†I said, “you know I am not well, and Swami has

selected me for the Kodai Kanal trip. So what should I do? Should I drop out?†Bang came the response – “No! What are you thinking? You are going with God. So why have second thoughts? Please go.â€

 

 

 

 

 

What gratitude can I express to Bhagavan, that Compassionate Resident in the hearts of all beings, who has not just cured me of an ailment of my physical heart, but has so touched my spiritual heart that I can think of no other refuge than Him and Him alone.

His words did the magic. I immediately packed my luggage. Later, Bhagavan called all of us, the Kodai Kanal boys, into the interview room. He asked each one of us how we had done our exams, viva voce and the like. All except me; He did not ask me any questions. I was just sitting there, listening and praying all the while, as I had not done my exams well. Seeking the Divine Health Assurance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every moment in Kodai Kanal was a precious moment. I had never dreamt that I would be blessed with such a unique opportunity. But then I was not particularly well either through the entire trip.I was unable to sleep, even in Kodai Kanal. When a couple of days went by in this manner, I wrote a letter to Swami saying – ‘Swami, I am not well and I am unable to get sleep. My palpitations are increasing. Please help me.’

That morning, when Swami came out of His room, I showed the letter to Him. Swami read the letter, tore it into pieces, and put it in my pocket saying, “Bahut sochtha hai tum (You needlessly think a lot)â€.

Our routine in Kodai Kanal was such that we would wait for Swami to come out of His room. Once He was out, we used to have breakfast with Swami. And then he would speak to us for 10-15 minutes, after which He would leave for the morning darshan. In that interval, we lecturers and students would go for a morning walk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That day, April 27, we seated ourselves in front of Swami. I was at a distance. Then, much to my surprise, Swami called me and said in Telugu, “Eh, boy, etla unnavra?†(Boy, how are you?)I replied, “Bagunnanu, Swami (I am fine, Swami)â€. Swami then beckoned me inside and asked, “How is your heart?†“Bagane undi, Swami (It is fine, Swami),†I replied.

 

The Gift of a New HeartDr. Alreja was present there as a guest. Swami asked him to check my pulse. So Dr. Alreja held my pulse, took his watch, timed the pulse rate and said, “Swami, 88-87 undi, Swami (It is 88-87)†Then, Swami Himself checked my pulse and said, “Ha, 86-87 undi (It is 86-87.) See, I don’t have a watch but still I am correct.â€

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then, Swami said, “See, all animals like elephants and tortoise have a very low pulse rate, and they live very long. And people who have a high pulse rate, don’t live long. But you are My student. You will live long.â€Bhagavan then asked me to open my shirt buttons. He put His hand on my heart, rubbed His hand on my chest, and said, “Okay. Nothing will happen to you. You are My student.†And He sent me away. This was in the morning, before darshan. Swami then sent us for our morning walk. When we returned and seated ourselves at His feet, Swami called me saying, “Come here, boy. What do you want?†I said, “Swami, naku emu vaddu. Swami, meere kaavala (Swami, I do not

want anything. Swami, I want only You).†Pat came the response, “This is all stunts, stunts.†Swami then created a ring, and gave it to me saying, “Wear this. See, Swami is always a perfect fit.†And the next moment, He put the ring on my finger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a beautiful heart-shaped ring, but the size was a little big. I nearly lost the ring that afternoon, when we went touring Kodai Kanal with Swami. That whole night, I could not get a wink of sleep, afraid I’d lose the ring for good.

The very next morning, when Swami came for darshan, I said, “Swami, this ring is very loose.†Swami promptly said, “Why did you not tell Me yesterday? You thought that I will take it away? Give Me your ring.†Swami took the ring and blew thrice on it. The ring became smaller, and Swami put it back. The shape on the ring now resembled that of ‘Aum’.

The summum bonum – I never got my heart checked after that incident. Till date, I am perfectly hale and healthy. What gratitude can I express to Bhagavan, that Compassionate Resident in the hearts of all beings, who has not just cured me of an ailment of my physical heart, but has so touched my spiritual heart that I can think of no other refuge than Him and Him alone.

source:h2hsai.org

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By: mahadevan12

 

 

 

Swami's wonderful ways touches each and everyone of us, each and everyone of us who have come into Bhagawan's Divine Fold have been touched by Swami's Divine leela's one way or the other, everyone of us have been Touched by Swami's Divinity, that Divine spark is enough to make all of us be with Swami throughout our lives and Beyond.In 1982, when I was a Student in Swami's college in Prasanthi Nilayam, Swami had hardly spoken to me even once, But Sitting in the Portico of the Prasanthi Mandir(Before Kulwanth hall was built) and having Swami's Darshan's everyday was a wonderful experience out of the world, During the start of that semester, My parents had come toPrasanthi Nilayam and Swami out of the Blue called them for an interview, Swami told me to "Sit where I was" when I got up to go with my parents, In the interview, Swami said that "I will always be with you always, Don't worry", wonderful Soothing

words from Swami.Just before my parents were leaving the Next day, Swami called me in front of the Portico and gave me Vibuthi Prasadam and specificaly told me that "Give it to your father", As My parents were leaving immediately after evening Darshan, I disastrously kept that Vibuthipacket in my pocket and did not even recognise it the next day. My parents suffered a disastrous accident just on the outskirts of my town where I lived ,Although my Mother survived with minor Bruises, my father suffered major head and leg injuries, I got the news in the Morning via telegram and was devastated.As I sat for darshan asking for permission to go to my place, Swami did not even glance at me even though I sat in the front of the Portico, That night I hardly slept, My parents were in hospital and here Swami did not even look at me forget about giving permission togo home and be with my parents, the next day I took special permission from my

warden to go for morning darshan, Swami did not even look at me even though I got up twice, I thought that I should leave in the afternoon bus, I lied to the warden that Bhagawan hadgiven me permission and that I have to leave, the bus was at 05.00 P.M in the evening, just as I took my luggage to board the Bus in the Bus stand, one of the Students ran towards me saying that "Swami was calling me", I ran to the Portico of the mandir immediately,Swami was in the interview room then, Just before bhajan Swami came out and said" Where is the Prasadam that I told you to give your father?, where is it?, Did you give it, No. you think I tell you something simply, If you would have given the Prasadam to yourfather, Things would not have come to this stage, Why are you leaving without telling me?, You think I do not know,It paines Swami a Lot, seeing his Boys lying to him, If something happned to you, what should I answer your parents, I told them

yesterday that I willtake care of you. See I had to give the Prasadam to your father myself"(These are the exact words of Swami as I remember them word to word even today and also I wrote them in my diary). So saying Swami told me to go and then said "Don't worry tell your Amma and Nanna to come for the Birthday", Swami gave me Namaskar and then put His handon my head. I left For my place, when I reached there in the night, My father was consiuos but both his legs were fractured, He told me that "A Person whom I knew" had come and given the Doctors Prasadam to give it to Him an said that "He should take it everyday". Myfather recovered and came for Swami's Birthday,Swami gave my Father namaskar and Prasadam.That is the will of the Lord, that is How Swami touches Lives, that is How Swami's Love touches us and everyone. Can anyone tell me that if one is touched by Swami's Grace in such a way like Me as mentioned above and as

many of you have also experienced how can anyone of us say that one should leave those people who try to malign Swami'sname, Of course none can do so but I feel that It is the duty of all of us to try to do something in our own small way to show our Gratitude and Love for Bhagawan who has given us so much Love in our lives.Om Sai Ram...Source Kumar Mahadevan-12

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CHINNA KATHA- A Little Story from Bhagavan

Sincere Yearning and Sure Grace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Chinna Katha' stories,

There was once a Sultan, ruling over the region of Mathura, Brindavan and other places, situated on the banks of River Yamuna. During his reign, the emperor of Vijayanagara (a kingdom in the South of India), came on pilgrimage and stayed at Brindavan for a few days to pay homage to Lord Krishna in the temple there. The Sultan understood that the Emperor had come only to pay respects to that One in the shrine at Brindavan, and he decided to himself, come what may, he would too have that spiritual experience.

So late one night he went and called out before the closed doors of the temple, “Who is inside?†He heard a voice, which gave the reply. “Govind Maharaj and Radha Rani (The Lord Krishna, the King, and Radha, the Queen)!†The Sultan was now sure that there were two persons living inside, a Super-Emperor and His Super-Empress. He was filled with an agonizing yearning to see the distinguished occupants of the temple. He waited outside the door, without food or drink for three full days. He was overcome with hunger and thirst; but he did not stir, for he was afraid the Imperial Couple may emerge any moment and he might miss the Darshan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That night, when the town was asleep, just before midnight Govind Maharaj and Radha Rani emerged from the shrine. They signed to him to follow him. They were magnificently dressed and had elaborately bejeweled headgear, necklaces, wristlets and ornaments for the hands and feet. They moved on until they reached the banks of the Yamuna, where thousands of Gopas and Gopis (cowherd devotees) were gathered to welcome them. There was music and dance in the bright moonlight, heavenly joy shone on every face. At 4 a.m. they returned to the temple and before they passed through the closed door, they gave into the hands of the Sultan the kankanas they wore on their wrists, for safekeeping. Before he could say anything, they had gone.

A party of priests came along at that time, in the morning hour, and seeing the Sultan there, asked him as to why he was standing there and what he had in his hands. They had come to open the locks of the inner doors and inaugurate the ceremonials of the day, with Suprabhatham and Nagarasamkirtan (morning prayers and chantings).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sultan said, “Govind Maharaj and Radha Rani have just gone in; I was with them at the Yamuna Bank from midnight till a few minutes ago. They gave me these kankanas for safekeeping. I don’t know why.â€

They surmised he was a thief who, caught in the act, was spinning a yarn and so bound him to punish him. But they found the locks unbroken, everything intact. Only the idol of Lord Krishna had no gold kankanas! Now they were convinced that the man outside was a great Bhakta (devotee), who had the unique vision of the Lord. They honored him and craved pardon for the wrong perpetrated in ignorance. Such is the reward for sincere yearning; unlimited ananda (bliss) can be earned through implicit faith in God.

~ Baba

~ Illustrations: Ms. Vidya, Kuwait

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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

 

 

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Note: Some schedules are subject to change.

Please contact respective centers and groups for information.

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

In this issue.

1.Swami's Message

2.Mushing on Avatar Part-5 By Prof G.V

3.The divine story of Shirdi Sai Parthi Sai...P-5

4.Shirdi Baba's story

5.Prof Anil Kumar Satyopanished...P-21

6.An Awesome Hand work of God by Mr Reddy

7.How my heart was humbled & healedby Him

8. Swami's wonderful ways.

9.Chinna katha By Bhagavan

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Sai ram

Story is so wonderful The Rhythem of my life, remind us

Swami's love .This story is really touching as well your

many messages and Kansai Light is inspiring.

Thank you again

Sai Ram

Mrs Anisha

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Sai Ram

The entire contents in Kansai Light were interesting, illuminating

and instructive.

May Sai Bless your seva with His Divine Blessings

Sai Prem

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Dear Uncle Ram

Aum Sri Sai Ram

Already a month passed, and we are very delighted to

receive "Kansai Light" November issue filled with Swami's

love, to be connected with you.

May Swami's light shine ever more brightly through you!

Jeff & Fusako

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Sai Brother Ram

Just finished reading the entire articles in K.L issue...Amazing

I just wish that and we will be indeed blessed, if these nobles souls,

one day visit Singapore and share their experience in our sai

centers

Thank you and loving Sai Ram

Ravi Rangathan

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Please write us at rgcjp mentioning your name

and country. Thank You for your time.

Sai Ram

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Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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