Sathya Sai with Students: "Please Forgive us Swami!"

August 4, 1991

Today all the students went once again to pray for Swami’s pardon, with the II MBA students taking the lead. But, Bhagavan again said, “Why forgive you? You did not commit any mistake. You are all such good boys. Very, very, very good boys.”

But, all the students kept pleading that Swami should talk to them separately inside the interview room. Swami finally agreed and sent all the students inside, while He still stood outside. After all the students went inside,

Sri Sathya Sai at the entrance of the inner interview room in Prasanthi Nilayam

Swami : Come on! Now shut the door (interview room door)

Students : (From inside) No Swami, please come in!

Swami : Why? You wanted to go inside, didn’t you?

The boys pleaded and Swami smilingly went inside. Inside the interview room,

You boys are like small pots. How can you pour the ocean into the pot? Swami is hundred percent Divinity from head to toe. You can’t think of Swami as a physical entity. My relationship with all is only Atma to Atma. That is why I am taking care of your bodies, because only in a strong body (temple) can the deity reside in its full glory.

There is no selfishness at all in Me. I gave you all so much. What is the use? Even after staying for so many days with Swami, you have still not understood Swami even a bit. How can Swami get angry? If you cannot understand that, what can I do?

My only worry is about your future; that you should lead an ideal life. When a pot, that had buttermilk in it for many days, is washed and fresh milk is poured into it, the milk will get curdled. It happens because of the traces of buttermilk still left in the pot. I pour so much of Love on you, but there is no sign of any Love in you all. Only Contraction Love, no Expansion Love. Like a balloon that expands when filled with air, your love must also expand and finally merge with the infinite all – enveloping Love.

There is too much of unnecessary talk. Talk about Swami; At least it will be beneficial. There are some good boys as well. But, in a room, if one mosquito bites you, you spray ‘Hit’ (a brand of mosquito repellent) all over the room. Because of that single mosquito, all others also bear the consequences. Similar is your case, your company decides everything.

When Draupadi was dishonoured
in the Hastinapur Court...

When Draupadi was being humiliated, all the elders like Dronacharya, Bhishmacharya, Kripacharya, etc. were present. But, none of them did anything. They hence were also sinners, for having done nothing to stop the outrage. Bhishma suffered the consequence by lying on a bed of arrows for sixty-five days. Drona had to face death not in the contemplation of Atma, (Atma Chintana), but with his thoughts on his Ashwatthama. He was overcome by his attachment to his son. There are three main types of attachment that one has. Dhaneshana – Attachment to wealth; Dhareshana – Attachment to wife and Putreshana – Attachment to children; these are all dangerous.

What is that which is most important in life? Why has God given you eyes? The Pandavas gave first priority to God, next to the world and lastly to themselves. The Kauravas’ ranking of priority was exactly the other way around – first to themselves, next to the world and lastly to God. When you take your Degrees and leave, we must feel, “Oh! Such good boys of our Institute are going.” It must not be that we all feel, “Good riddance! Faster they leave, the better it is for all concerned.”

How many times have you all promised to follow Swami’s words? You are only asking for mud pots when I am ready to give you golden and diamond pots. But you do not understand it. Now you must all study well and get good grades. Always follow Swami’s words. Learn to discriminate if what you are doing is right or wrong and only then act. Follow your conscience always. What is past is past. Forget that now and be good in future. The whole world is in My Hands, but yet, all the 24 hours I am thinking about the students. I want you all to have a bright future.

Swami then narrated the story of Premchand (a famous Hindi poet).

Munshi Premchand (1880-1936)
Famous Indian author

Premchand’s elder son was highly cultured and would daily offer his Pranams to his father and mother in a respectful manner, but the younger son never really bothered to do anything about being respectful towards elders. It was not that Premchand cared for their Pranams, but he was concerned about their future, which was reflected in their behaviour. And it proved true when the elder son became a judge in the High Court, while the younger son became a clerk in the same court.

I am like the tank. Everything else is like taps and pipes. If you pour love into the tank, you get only love through the taps. But, you are all more concerned about the taps than the tank. You must remember that God is your only Friend, who is always with you, in you and around you.

To illustrate this, Swami narrated an event from the life of King Harishchandra…

A scene from the life of
King Harishchandra

When Harishchandra was looking after the crematorium, one day, a rich man’s body was brought to be cremated. His friends and relatives placed the body on the pile of wood, set it aflame and went away. After some time, the burning half got up and a little time later, collapsed back again. Harishchandra saw this and interpreted it thus; the rich man who was dead got up to see if his wife, children and friends were still around. But, seeing that they could not wait even till the burning embers had cooled down he was sorely disgusted and disappointed and fell back again! This experience taught Harishchandra that….

Wealth comes till the doorstep – no further. Family, friends and relatives come till the grave – no further. God alone stays by you all the way. He is the only friend.

Devotees come from so far way. They are used to the one man – one room – one bathroom system. But they put up with all sorts of discomforts here. When I ask them “What do you want?”, they cheerfully reply, “Only Your Darshan Swami!” They put up with all obstacles just for Swami. If Swami asks them once “How are you?”, they derive so much joy and satisfaction from it.

A devotee’s wife was recently unwell, Swami asked him, “What do you want?”, he said, “Swami, just Your word”. He did not say anything about his wife’s illness, for he was so confident that I would take care of her. That evening, when she became well, I told him, “It is only your confidence that cured her”.

Where there is confidence, there is Love;

Where there is Love, there is Peace;

Where there is Peace, there is Truth;

Where there is Truth, there is Bliss;

Where there is Bliss, there is God.

You must all have confidence in yourselves. Otherwise, how can you have confidence in Swami?

When the boys pleaded with Swami again, finally, He seemed to relent a little bit. “Okay. Study well. Get good grades. Follow Swami’s words. Always discriminate. Is it right? Should I do it? Follow your conscience.”

Students : Please forgive us Swami, we will not do such mistakes again.

Swami : All right, forgiven. Past is past. Forget the past. Be good.

Then all the boys came out of the Interview room feeling blessed.

Source: Students with Sai Conversations: Part 1 (1991 - 2000)