"Do You Eat Almonds?"

November 30, 1997

After interview, Swami came out and distributed clothes to the group of children from Zambia.

Swami: (To a hospital boy – the former students of Bhagavan working in the Super Speciality Hospital are referred to so) One doctor tells that almonds have cholesterol and another tells that almonds remove cholesterol and that he even eats ten of them daily.

Hosp. Boy: Swami, north Indians are used to it.

Swami: One doctor says that even having one is not good. Ten grams of energy is needed everyday. One almond has only 2 grams of energy and hence two to three of them can be taken per day. You can soak them in water at night and have them in the morning.

Hosp. Boy: Lot of heat, Swami.

Swami moved to the U.G students sitting with the card for the table tennis matches, which were beginning in the evening.

Swami: (Looking at the card) What is this? (Pointing at the table drawn in the card) What is this?

Students: Table, Swami.

Swami: Ping-pong?

Students: Yes, Swami.

Swami: I used to play it before. I played with Krishnan. He was an expert in that game. (Swami indicated to show that Krishnan was fat now.) I defeated him 3-0.

Hosp Boy: Swami, there is a photograph also. (Swami acknowledged the fact that there is a photograph of Him playing table tennis.)

Sri Sathya Sai playing Table Tennis

Student:  Swami, You played.

Swami: Yes, I played and I won too. Now, no touch.

Student: Swami, Padanamaskar.

Swami: Padanamaskar, that I will give. (Then Swami moved and suddenly turned back and removed the buds of roses from the card and threw it to the students.) Chinna buds Edusthai. (Small buds will cry.)

Swami: (To two teachers) Is there cholesterol in Badam (almonds)?

Teacher 1: Yes, Swami it is there.

Teacher 2: No, Swami.

Swami: In olden days doctors used to tell that there was cholesterol in Badam (almonds), but  nowadays doctors tell that there is no cholesterol. One doctor eats 10 Badams daily.

Teacher 1: Swami, if Badam is soaked in water, kept overnight and eaten in the morning, it is good.

Swami: You should also remove its skin.

Teacher: Yes Swami, the skin should be removed. It should be soaked in water, so that there is no oil in it.

Teacher 2: Swami, daily I eat Badam.

Swami: You eat?  How many?

Teacher: Daily 8.

Swami: Very good boy. Live a happy and long life. (To the hospital boy)  He eats 8 per day.

So saying Swami moved to the portico.

Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (1991-2000)