Let Us Become His Big Instruments - By Dr. Deepak Anand

Dr. Deepak Anand with Sri Sathya Sai at Kodaikanal (2003)

The tender feet that Lakshmi Devi presses with utmost love, the all-pervading feet that measured the entire sky in one go, the sacred feet that released Ahalya Devi from the awful curse, the hallowed feet that are the destination for merger of all the saints and sages, the revered feet that are forever installed on the lotus of our hearts and those that we students of His always want to serve – to those Lotus Feet of our Sai Mata, our Mother Sai, I offer my most loving salutations.

Talking about the glory of those sacred feet, I am reminded of a small incident. The Paada Pooja festival was going on in the Divine presence in Prasanthi Nilayam. Bhagavan called a few of us to the interview room and spoke to us, immersing us in the Bliss that nothing but His proximity alone can grant. I need not elaborate, as at one point or another, we have all experienced this. Bhagavan prodded us to ask any question and we could not immediately think of one. The merciful Lord Himself asked us, “What is the meaning of Paada Pooja”? One of us said, “Swami, it is serving the Lotus Feet of the Lord and dedicating our lives to it”. It seemed like a reasonably good answer and Swami smiled too. We felt that Bhagavan was happy, but when the Lotus lips parted, to our surprise, the answer was judged wrong! But thanks to the question, a message to humanity for all times to come, was delivered in those sacred moments. Bhagavan said, “When the Avatar comes in human form, He keeps His steps on the sands of time. These steps are the steps of ever-expanding Love expressed as selfless service. Keep your footsteps on these footprints and become one with God – that is true Paada Pooja.” We were bowled over completely with this revelation. We need to delve deep into the significance of these words if we wish to be His students and instruments.

Sri Sathya Sai during the Paduka Pooja Festival with
Sri Subramanian Chettiar, the Head of the Paduka Pooja Trust

I use this metaphor, as we should not have any misconceptions or wrong notions about who is a student of Bhagavan? Those are not His students who have merely studied in Sri Sathya Sai Schools or Colleges, though they can claim to be the students of these Institutions. To become His students, we have to possess the qualifications that He expects and in the words of Bhagavan Himself, “A true student should be humble and loyal to high ideals - ‘Sreyaasthe Viswasreyah’. It is only when the individual succeeds in being good that the world too can become good. One who is eager to be a real student must place before him¬self the ideal of world peace and prosper¬ity. He has to be unpretentious. He must vow to be of service to others. This is the essence of true education or Vidya. He should have humility and devotion.” 

Thus we see that all of us have a chance to be His students by earning the above qualifications. But just being His students is, according to me, not the end of the road. We have to qualify ourselves as His instruments of change, to usher in a new era of love and peace upon earth. Taking the above as the base, I would now like to dwell upon some aspects and qualifications that Bhagavan has spelt out in addressing those who aspire to be His instruments in the Divine Mission. Bhagavan is waiting for us to shed the little coils of self-interest and make our lives His messages, in the spirit of self-sacrifice. Are we ready? 

Though the message implies that it is not possible while living in the world to be fully detached from it, it adds that it is not even necessary to be so detached. Thus, we have to be good doctors, engineers, lawyers, employees and businessmen and work as instruments of Bhagavan in discharging our duties with diligence. Hence what and where of the actions we are engaged in, Bhagavan says, is not as important as the spirit in which we carry out our designated roles. We can certainly be good cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tenduklar, but do our duty in the true spirit as service to the Lord, and reach Him. Thus, Bhagavan never asks His students to renounce the world and run away to the Himalayas, but prods us to live in the world and bring about a transformation by putting His ideals into practice. And as a rule, sooner or later, knowingly or unknowingly, those who have put these ideals into practice have found success, fame and fulfilment in life. This will become more than evident in the following passages. Now, let’s go into the brass tacks of the Divine Message, which I am not revealing at the moment, but it should become discernible progressively.

Dr. M. S. Swaminathan

The first aspect is the recognition that each one of us has to play a unique and valuable role in Bhagavan’s Mission in this lifetime. In this regard, let me tell you the story of Dr. M. S. Swaminathan. He is an agricultural scientist who was the first to recognise the value and the potential of Mexican Draft genes for Indian conditions. Acclaimed as the father of ‘Green Revolution’ in India, he now aims for an evergreen revolution through eco-technology that would give the maximum produce to the farmers from their land and help them alleviate themselves from hunger and utter poverty, directly benefiting more than 70% of our population dependent on agriculture and especially the 400 million people living below the poverty line. It was primarily due to his dedicated efforts that during the Bihar famine of 1966, against the predicted starvation deaths in millions, there were none as India’s wheat production jumped to 12 million tonnes in 1967 and to 20 million tonnes in the next two years reaching 72 million tonnes by 1994-95 due to the use of the new seeds! What made him and his team achieve which was herewith termed ‘impossible’? It was his non-believing in this word, something his father taught him in a tender age. Fighting politics, bureaucrats, lack of funds and above all the passive frame of mind, he attributed his success to principles of self-reliance, love towards all and community effort.

The students of SSSIHL have many such success stories to tell, because these are the very principles that Bhagavan inculcates in us. Ours should be a spirit of never say die, the spirit to succeed against all odds. The gigantic projects of Bhagavan, executed in record time, are living examples for the entire humanity, for all times to come. We, in our ordained area of operation, have to discover the gems of opportunities that lie beneath the hay of daily routine to carve out an image of Sai in the hearts of all those who see us work and achieve.

Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

Let me now tell you a story of how this love can move mountains and part oceans. This is the story of Mother Teresa who dedicated her life as a messenger of God’s Love for those who were forsaken by men. It so happened that one day, as she was travelling in a train to Darjeeling, she heard an inner call. Soon, she gave up her post of the Principal of the St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta and entered the slums alone, with only Rs. 5 in her pocket! With the touch of the philosopher’s stone of selfless love, her missionary zeal made that amount infinite, such that today the number of brothers and sisters who have received either a decent life or a decent death from her, exceeds 75,000. Once, Mother Teresa was asked the best moment of her life and she said, “One day we found an old man on the street in a pathetic condition, pus oozing from the wounds infected with worms; he was probably on his deathbed. I picked him up and after cleaning, lay him on a clean bed and fed him food. The man died, but moments before that, he smiled at me with love, and in that smile Lord Jesus Christ revealed Himself to me. That smile, that moment, is the greatest treasure of my life”.

Sri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa (1836-1886)

Thus, true love is that in which one sees oneself in others. Bhagavan says “The proper study of mankind is man”. Just as the hand instantly removes the thorn from the feet, knowing it to be its own part and feeling the same suffering as the leg, we too have to go forth and remove the suffering of those who are poor not just materially, but intellectually and spiritually. That feeling of oneness that Bhagavan exhibits in every action of His, is what we should aspire to acquire and grow in. This reminds me of the incident from the life of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, where he sees a master beating his servant black and blue. Ramakrishna falls down with pain and the marks of the beatings are seen on his back! That is true love. We have to question ourselves: To what extent we have this love bubbling in our hearts? I firmly believe that it is possible for you and me to practice this love in our lives. 

An incident in the life of Mr. Hal Honig exhibits this clearly. We have all heard of this incident, when, while travelling by a subway train he encounters a man brandishing a knife and making everybody part with their belongings. Mr. Honig determines to see only Bhagavan and His love behind that brutal face. Behold! The man accepts an offering of sandwiches offered with love and munching them peacefully besides Mr. Honig says, ‘thank you’ with a smile before leaving! This love, not only can make the most ferocious of animals to bleat like sheep, but can make others even ready to sacrifice their lives for our sakes. Sounds incredible? But was it not the case when the army of Rama captures two of Ravana’s spies and demands their immediate execution. But instead, Lord Rama treats them with honour, orders that they be ‘helped’ in their duty of spying by showing them around and then be deported to Lanka with respect. On being asked by Ravana to reveal the military strength of Lord Rama, the spies did not open their mouths even at the cost of their lives, for how can someone betray or be ungrateful to true Love? 

JRD Tata (1904-1993)

We may have got much from Bhagavan, but the process of gaining can never be complete without the process of sharing. Thus, Bhagavan calls upon us, His students to impart the love and purity in our heart towards all human beings. Let me, at this juncture narrate the story of JRD Tata. We know that he was a living legend. But you may be surprised that much of it was due to the implicit following of the teachings of Bhagavan, in his own way. Flying was the passion of JRD. In the year 1930 was organised the Aga Khan Trophy for solo flying from India to England and vice-versa. His main competitor in the race was one Mr. Aspy Engineer. During the race, when JRD landed at Aubokir Bay in Egypt, he found his contender stranded for the want of a spare spark plug. Instead of feeling that now his way was cleared, JRD promptly handed over to him his own spare plug, taking not only a risk of losing the competition, but also a risk to his life, as that was the only spare he had! JRD lost to Engineer by a few hours, but when asked, he rejoiced that now Mr. Aspy would be able to get into the Royal Indian Air Force and be of service to the nation which needed people like him. Such selflessness and keeping the interests of the nations before anything else made JRD the greatest businessman and visionary in the annals of Indian business. Are such acts not in the spirit of Tyagenaike Amrutatva Manashuhu, which alone can lead us from death to immortality? It is in the same spirit that we have to tread the path of life.

Azim Premji

Following this path, success we will get, no doubt, but Bhagavan warns that it would be sustainable only when we neither crave for the fruits nor claim to be the causes behind it. Bhagavan declares that when ego descends, we cease to be His instruments. Here is an example of how humility and self-effacement leads to even worldly success. I am talking about Mr. Azim Premji, Chairman of the Wipro Group of companies. Once he wanted to visit the Tata House to discuss modalities for establishing a Trust for poor children’s primary education – truly a selfless and philanthropic act. Once rich only next to Bill Gates, Azim Premji, wearing a simple pant and a half sleeved shirt stood in the queue and sent a note through the peon like any other person! In his office, he stands with his staff during lunch for eating the same food that a clerk in the company eats. These very lessons of selflessness and humility that can propel us to great heights, have been learnt by us at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan.

Vinoba Bhave (1895-1982)

The Mission of Bhagavan unfolds in silence. We as His instruments have to revolutionise everything silently. Vinobha Bhave, seeing the plight of the landless labourers and the skewed income distribution in the country, travelled 75 thousand miles on foot, across the length and breadth of this nation, and collected more than 4.2 million hectares of land for re-distribution to the landless! Silently, and single-handedly, he changed the then socio-economic structure of the country for the better. In such silence should Sai be installed in the hearts of all our brethren. 

In the end, I would conclude by stating only one thing. Our country needs us and true happiness lies in being a little instrument in the Hands of Bhagavan in making our country regain Her past glory as the leader of this world in all respects. Playing this part well will alone give us the fulfilment that we have been seeking for lifetimes, and break asunder the vicious cycle of births and deaths. 

- Dr. Deepak Anand

Student and Doctoral Research Scholar (1997 – 2004) 

Department of Management Studies

Currently, Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

Prasanthi Nilayam Campus

Source: Fragrance 2005 (80th Birthday Offering)

Conversation with Sri Sathya Sai on Jesus and Christianity

December 22, 2002 (Sunday) Evening:

Christmas season filled the air as a large number of overseas devotees arrived at Prasanthi Nilayam and choirs were practising hard to perform before Swami. Swami came to the lower portico at around 4 p.m. He looked at a card, which a group of boys were holding.

Swami : What’s that?

Students : Swami, the band. We want to play on Christmas.

Swami : I have already asked you to play the band. How many songs?

Warden : Six songs, Swami.

Students : Swami, boys will also sing carols on that day.

Swami : Having both the band and carols on the same day will be difficult. How many boys are singing?

Warden : All the boys are going to sing. Among them the Music group is having special training for carol singing.

The topic shifted to the life of Jesus. He narrated a couple incidents from the life of Jesus.

Sri Sathya Sai at Prasanthi Nilayam during the Christmas Celebrations

Swami : Jesus declared that every man is God. Atma is Brahman, Brahman is Atma, and the Atma is the Chaitanya Shakti (Supreme Consciousness). All have this Chaitanya Shakti.

Once a few fishermen were sitting near a lake depressed as they could not catch any fish. Jesus on enquiring about their condition told them to cast the net at a particular place in the lake. The fishermen were astonished as they could catch a lot of fish. Among these fishermen was Peter who later became the disciple of Jesus and spread the glory of Jesus. One day, the tax collector Matthew came to collect the taxes from the fishermen. Jesus told them not to tell lies as they had caught the fish and told them to pay the tax. Matthew who was listening to all this was moved and did not collect any tax from these people. Matthew also became a disciple of Jesus. Another day a person named Paul came and started a heated argument with Jesus. Later Jesus came in the dream of Paul and asked him as to why he was so angry with him. Paul was a changed person after the dream.

Jesus Christ

When Jesus was born, three people visited Him. One said that Jesus loved God; the second said that God loved him, while the third said that Jesus was God. Jesus always preached while on the move. Among his 12 disciples, Judas was a traitor. He took some money and agreed that he would help the soldiers in catching Jesus. Jesus and his disciples had the same type of dress, so it was difficult to identify Jesus. Judas went and kissed Jesus’ hand. Then, the King’s army apprehended him. When He was taken, all the remaining disciples escaped on one pretext or the other. Mary was crying when Jesus was being crucified. At that time Jesus said, “Mother, why are you crying? Death is the dress of life.” He also said, “All are one, my dear son, be alike to everyone.”

Mother Mary

Prof. A.K. (Anil Kumar) : Swami, some worship Mary as ‘Mother’.

Swami : In the same way as some worship this body’s mother, some worship Mary. This is done only out of respect for the one who has given birth to a Divine person.

Prof. A.K. : Swami, were there no sages in the Bible?

Swami : The persons whom you call sages are called saints in the Bible.

Prof. A.K. : Swami what are Father, son and the Holy Ghost?

Swami : They are nothing but the principle that you are not one but three. The one you think you are - the physical body. The one the others think you are - the mental body. The one you really are - the spiritual body.

Sri Sathya Sai and Dr. Hislop

Warden (Dr. Siva Sankara Sai): Swami had created a cross for John Hislop.

Swami : Yes, I gave a crucifix to Hislop on Shivaratri day in the Bandipur forest. Hislop was a very learned person.

Prof. A.K. : Swami, I heard him in Trayee speaking on the topic - Gita. With your permission, I would like to ask as to how Hislop came to Swami.

The Cross materialised by Swami
for Dr. Hislop

Swami : Hislop stayed 10 years in Kashmir but he could not find any sages or saints. In this search, he came down towards Delhi where I was camping in those days. Sarathi, the then Defence Secretary, was Hislop’s friend. So, he brought him to the place where I was giving Darshan. He saw Me and could find an answer to his spiritual quest. He could find an aura around Me and he found Me as the saint for whom he was searching. He came to Me and asked Me where I stayed. Then he followed Me wherever I went. One day, I was distributing sarees, and I always give big sarees. So I told that big sarees should be separated and small ones should be made as a separate bundle. After distribution of the sarees was over, Hislop found that there was water flowing slowly from the bottom of the sarees. I told him that the small sarees were crying, as they had not been accepted by Me for distribution. Hislop went near the bundle and inspected the sarees. If water were seeping, then it should be from the bottom most saree only. But Hislop found that the water was flowing from all the sarees.

Prof. A.K. : Do sarees also have Chaitanyam (Consciousness)?

Swami : There is nothing in this world which does not have this Chaitanya power. There is nothing non-living. Body-conscience, Senses-conscious, Atma-Consciousness. All the 5 senses have the Chaitanyam.

Prof. A.K. : Swami, then their misuse is but abuse. So it will be a sin.

Swami : That’s why I say, ‘Haste makes waste, waste makes worry. Don’t be in a hurry’.

Prof. A.K. : Swami has told us many things and we got to learn a lot of things.

Swami : What things?

Prof. A.K. : Many things which we thought we knew but did not know in essence; many things which we thought to be right are actually wrong. Swami very beautifully has interpreted the Christian teachings. We should learn all this.

Swami : You will not get these by learning, but by experiencing. (Looking at the students who were sitting in the front row.) Those who do not know the language did not understand. (As Swami spoke in Telugu without translation.)

It was 4:45 pm as Swami went inside the Mandir and the boys jostled to find a place in the Bhajan hall.

Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (2000-2004)

Sri Sathya Sai provides Values-Based Solutions to Financial Problems - Part 2

... Continued from Part 1

4. Education based on Indian Culture and Ethos

A large number of students are going to foreign countries for higher education. The education and skills they have acquired in that country might not be useful when it comes to practical business situation back in their homeland – meaning educational qualifications acquired in America are not totally relevant to conditions existing in India. The educational inputs received in USA could be relevant to American situations and requirements, but may not be relevant to the same extent in India. Besides, what one learns in overseas universities and business schools could even become barriers in Indian conditions and business environment. The basic reason for this is that the environment, values and culture in other countries could vary from that existing in India. As more and more money is amassed, the qualities and character are likely to take a beating. 

Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

We know of Churchill as a great leader. At the end of World War II, London was in a complex situation. After the war, he came to London to get a first-hand assessment of all that had happened. All the citizens gathered in a public meeting to felicitate Churchill for his great contribution. As part of the meeting he was required to address the gathering.  He addressed in a charged atmosphere thus: “I have not come here for celebrations but just to recall the sacrifices made by those for their motherland during World War II. I have come to commemorate the victory which we have won by making many sacrifices.” We have to thus foster and develop our own values. 

What is the meaning of the term ‘values’? It means that we would experience bliss only if we annihilate our ego. It should be remembered that only the one who can get rid of one’s ego would attain the strength of the Atman dwelling within one’s own self. The one who has conviction that he is essentially Atman alone can annihilate the ego. Therefore, first we should develop Self-confidence. Even in the small works that we may undertake, our conscience must stand as our own witness. If you undertake work with this spirit, you will succeed in all your endeavours. One should not exult to make an impression on the world in an artificial manner by means of figures and tabular statements (referring to statistical data). The same statistics have been described in Vedantic parlance as Sankhya Yoga. Sankhya refers to statistics and Sankhya Yoga conveys the import of the same in mystic phraseology. This Yoga has been developed based on Sankhya or numbers. You should not satisfy yourselves by merely multiplying some numbers and arriving at some inferences through some formula manipulation. These statistical figures carry sense and meaning only when we yield production results as reflected in statistical tables. 

5. Drawing Power from the Self

In every Jeevi (individual), God is residing in the form of Paramatman (Supreme Being). It is not possible to accomplish production results by just bringing together various factors of production (resources). People believe that human brain forms through a blend of different chemicals. It is not the mere mix of chemicals alone that form the human brain, but it is the presence of Universal Consciousness that makes it energetic and animated. We see through the eyes, hear through the ears and talk through the mouth. But these organs of perception function effectively so long as there is life in the body. If it were the mere ears or eyes that were listening or seeing of their own, then why do they cease to function in the unconscious state or deep sleep state or after an individual’s physical death? Before and after death too, these tools exist and if these tools are responsible for action, then they should be able to function before and after death in the same way. But behind these instruments there is a fundamental power, which empowers them to perform these functions. It is this fundamental principle of life that energizes these instruments and makes them perform their respective functions. The moment life departs the body, all the instruments / tools cease to function. In this case, how has life come into the body? From where does life enter the body and where does it go after death? Ordinary human beings may not be able to comprehend the secret behind this visible phenomenon in such a simple manner. 

6. Ethical Business Communication

Communication between a business organisation and the financial institutions should also be clear. This communication must be made clear not only in writing, but also through verbal and non-verbal communication. We have to develop a comprehensive and clear system of communication with workers. If this kind of communication has to take place, morality and truth would become essential.

Continued in Part 3...

Source: Values-Oriented Finance: Insights from Ancient Wisdom, Chapter 7, Man Management: A Values-Based Management Perspective

When Sri Sathya Sai Resurrected Walter Cowan on Christmas Day 1971

Saturday, December 25, 1971

Sri Sathya Sai with Walter Cowan and Elsie Cowan at Brindavan

On 25th December, 1971, Christmas, Mr. Walter Cowan, a devotee from U. S. A., died at the Connemara Hotel in Madras. He was declared clinically dead at a very reputed medical clinic in Madras. His ears and nose were plugged with cotton wool, and the body was shrouded up and put away.

At that very moment, Swami was telling the devotees around Him, “Ayyo Papam! It will be a great tragedy if the old lady loses her husband in India and goes back to America all by herself”.

Mrs. Cowan ran to Swami with the help of Mrs. Ratanlal. “I shall come to the hospital at about 10 o’ clock”, said Swami and sent them back. They returned to the hotel and reached the hospital exactly at 10 o’ clock. The doctors had gone back. One of the employees said, “Swami was here and has now left”.

Ruefully ruminating, ‘Oh God! Has He gone back so soon?’ they went to the ward where Walter Cowan’s body had been left. Wonder of wonders – It was not just a body, but the sentient, living Cowan! Swami, who had gone back to the Camp, told the devotees, “I have given re-birth to Cowan!”  

Mr. Cowan has given a detailed account, later, of how he was taken to the God of Justice, how all his Karmas of the past lives were read out there by a Superior being; and how Swami interceded at the time of judgement and restored him to life.   

         

On 26th December, 1972, Walter Cowan once again started sliding down to the other world. At that time, Swami was delivering the address to the Samiti members. After finishing the same He said, “In the middle of My speech, I got the call of Mrs. Cowan from the hospital, and I had gone there and done the needful”.

Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam (1926 TO 1985)

We Wish You a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

Sri Sathya Sai giving Christmas Darshan at Prasanthi Nilayam

We Wish You A Merry Christmas (3)

And A Happy New Year. (2)

May God Bless You Wherever You Are

May God Bless You With A Happy New Year (2)

We Wish You A Merry Christmas (3)

And A Happy New Year. (2)

May God Bless You Where Ever You Are

May God Bless You With A Happy New Year (2)

Felis Nevidad (3)

Prospero Anyo E Felicidad

We Wanna Wish You A Merry Christmas (3)

From The Bottom Of Our Hearts.

Source: Section 5, Christmas Carols, Vandana: Students’ Prayer Book

Three Defects of the Human Body

Sri Sathya Sai at Sai Kulwant Hall in Prasanthi Nilayam

The possession of this physical body is by the will of God. This body is completely inert. One might wonder as to how the body continues to grow if it is inert? The car has headlights, which function when there is power supply from the batteries. The horn produces a sound only when power is supplied to it. Thought the headlights and the horn, the nuts and bolts which constitute the engine are also inert, yet they enable the engine to start. All this is because of the power in the car. Inert objects perform their respective functions owing to the power supplied to them. Similar is the situation with this body. For all the organs to function there must be some current. That current is the Atma. This inert body is able to function only because of the Atma. There is a magnet and there are iron filings. The iron filings move in the direction of the magnet. Iron filings are inert, yet they move. It is only because of the magnet. In the same way the Divine Lord, who is dwelling inside the body, performs all the tasks. 

God is the basis of the universe. Whatever cosmetics or perfumes you may use, you cannot change your basic colour, which is given by the Lord. This is the truth. This physical body is given to you to perform different functions and duties. You should never believe that this physical body is permanent and that it never dies. 

There are three defects with this body. 

1. The first one is that it seeks ownership of things which are not its own. 

2. Next, it treats people as its own, who in reality, don’t even belong to that body. 

3. And finally, the body considers untruth as truth. These are the three defects of the body. 

Man believes that he is the physical body. If you are really the physical body then why should you say that it is ‘my’ body. When you say this is ‘my’ body, it implies that you are behind the body. Then how can you say that you are the body. The first defect is that you have already defined yourself as the physical body. In this world we keep on telling that this is ‘my’ body, ‘my’ field, ‘my’ wealth, ‘my’ money, etc. How long will it be yours? We have attachment to such transient things and we keep on claiming that they are ours. Nothing is yours in this world. You are not the body. How can this body belong to you? This is all illusion. You have possessiveness, which emerges from your mind. These are all passing clouds which come and go. Does anyone, before marriage, know who is the husband and who is the wife? So too, does anyone, before birth, know who is the father and who is the son? It is only after the birth that you say he is my son, and only after marriage you can say that she is my wife. These relationships, established during the course of life, are like passing clouds. There is no permanent relationship between these things at all. You go on telling ‘these are my people, my people’. This is the physical delusion of the body. When you came to this earth, you did not have a single piece of cloth. Nothing is yours. We are facing all these problems today only because we think that all these things belong to us. You belong to none of them. 

There is only one truth and that is that this body is not permanent. One person gets married and when his wife comes she addresses him as ‘my dear husband’. The daughter comes and addresses the same person as ‘my dear father’. His mother comes and addresses him as ‘my dear son’. If his son-in-law comes he addresses him as ‘my dear father-in-law’. All this relationships are related to the same physical body. The same body is the son, father, brother, etc. The fact is that there is only one truth and different people talk about it in different ways. 

Different types of relationships are established with this single body. I am one, but I have multiplied myself in many forms. The unity in everything is one. There exists, in reality, only one thing. That is the hero (God). Entire world is a big zero. When you keep this zero next to one it becomes ten. Another zero makes it hundred. Put one more zero it becomes thousand. How are these zeros getting their value? It is because of the hero that is one. If you remove this one then the value is only zero. Divinity, Divine power and God is the only hero. The delusion of this body, mind and intellect is zero. 

Source: The Human Body: A Temple of God, Discourse 10, My Dear Students - Volume 4

"Should I create something in order to show you a miracle?" - By Siddhanth Chandrashekhar

Siddhanth with Sri Sathya Sai - Convocation Drama 2009

We are always thrilled when we witness a miracle of Bhagavan or for that matter even hear about it. That is why whenever we talk about Bhagavan, the first thing that very often comes to our mind are His miracles. Miracles reveal His omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence and thrill us, fascinate us and leave us amazed. These ‘visiting cards’ of His have been drawing so many people to Prasanthi Nilayam from all parts of the world. In fact, how we came to Bhagavan is quite miraculous. Let me narrate to you how my father came into Bhagavan’s fold or rather how Bhagavan got him into His fold. 

It was way back in the year 1987 when my father came to know that there was a person by name Sathya Sai Baba. He knew nothing more and he never bothered to know anything more. One day, he was returning home in the train, as usual after the day’s work. A stranger, sitting opposite my father, for no apparent reason, suddenly took out a photo of Bhagavan and gave it to my father. My father did not understand but nevertheless he took the photograph. He enquired from my father, “Why don’t you attend Bhajans?” My father was taken aback because he had never attended any Bhajans till then. The man told my father that there was a doctor in my father’s locality who was a devotee of Swami and advised my father to go there. When my father’s destination arrived, this man who was supposed to go further down got down with my father. Even though he was a chronic asthma patient himself (as he mentioned to my father) he took the trouble of taking my father to the doctor’s place and introducing him to the doctor. My father didn’t understand what exactly happened and he took it lightly. The following Sunday my father did not go for the Bhajans. But the next Sunday, my father, out of curiosity, went for the Bhajans. At first, he felt it quit strange that somebody was singing and everybody was repeating, but nevertheless he liked it. From then on he started attending the Bhajans regularly and developed more and more interest in Swami and soon became an ardent devotee of Bhagavan. The whole incident is so mysterious and miraculous though the whole incident looks normal. The slow transformation and the difference in the outlook were greatly influenced by Swami’s impact. After all everything is His will. 

Speaking of miracles, I am reminded of what Bhagavan once said to Dr. Osis who had come to meet Bhagavan and to investigate into His miracles. This is what Bhagavan said: “I do not perform miracles to procure certificates from anybody. So it is not possible for Me to do anything just for the purpose of your investigations. I perform the so-called ‘miracles’ only to show My love, protect My devotees in distress and to reveal the extra-ordinary powers of the Supreme.” Many a time, we have seen our Lord creating material objects and presenting them to His devotees for their protection. But it does not necessarily mean that creation is necessary for protection. Let me tell you the experience of my mother in which the Lord proved to be her Saviour in dire need. The experience shows how Bhagavan responds to every little prayer that emanates from a pure heart.

My mother is a chronic asthma patient. It so happened that my grandmother, who stayed with us, wanted to meet a few relative’s and was quite adamant in wanting to go to those relative’s house. Now, she was dependent on my mother to take her to the relative’s house. But it was impossible for my mother to take her out because it would be quite a long journey and my mother already had a slight wheezing problem and over exertion would make it severe. But my other had no choice but to take her. So my mother went and prayed in front of Bhagavan’s photo and totally surrendered at His feet. When she left home she had slight wheezing which to her surprise stopped as she got down the stairs. She took my grandmother, left her in her relatives’ place and returned home after three hours and believe it or not, for the whole three hours she had no wheezing at all! 

There are so many people around the world who seek the Lord’s help in their dire needs and He readily responds. His is a 24-hour ‘Help-Desk’; you can call up anytime and He is there to respond in a flash. Bhagavan moves among us, talks to us, and laughs with us in such a humanly manner that we tend to forget that He is the Supreme One. But sometimes in order to reveal His supreme power, the Lord performs miracles, which stun the people who watch them and even those who hear of them. 

In those good old days, Swami used to go to the banks of the Chitravati with His devotees. One day, Swami was seated on the riverbed with His devotees. The sun had set and the full moon in the sky had filled it with its cool radiance. Swami looked at it for some time and asked if the moon looked like His face? As He moved His fingers on the Earth, an extra-ordinary phenomenon took place in sky. A halo appeared around the moon like Swami’s hair! That was not all. The pointed fingers of Swami wrote something on the dark dome. Then there appeared on that heavenly hair-do, a Shanka and a Chakra (Lord Vishnu’s conch and disc) streaked in lightning. With a further wave of His hand, the conch of lightning dived into Swami’s hand itself and converted itself into a conch shell as found on Earth. Swami then poured Amrit from it into the mouths of more than hundred devotees. All the devotees who watched the whole scene were stunned. 

All these miracles are very fascinating, but Bhagavan performs them with a purpose and not for our entertainment or to please us. Once, a group of college students had come from Bangalore to Puttaparthi to have the Lord’s Darshan. They all were pleading with Swami to take them to the hilltop near the Chitravati with the hope that Swami would perform miracles by materialising different objects from the Kalpavriksha. Prof. Kasturi was also there and he too joined in the plea. Swami was determinedly silent for a while. A little later He said sharply, “Do I require that particular tree? Any tree will do, will it not?” They were filled with the hope that Swami would give them objects from some tree. But no, instead He continued, “Why do you imagine that I want a tree? Is not the sand bed good enough?” They now thought that Swami would give them something from the riverbed as it was off-season and the flow of water was reduced to a trickle in the river. Soon they were disillusioned, for He continued, “Why do I need the sand of the riverbed? Will not any sand do?” At that time building construction was in progress in Prasanthi Nilayam and noticing a sand pile nearby, Prof. Kasturi suggested to Swami that they could sit on that sand pile itself. Swami retorted, “Do you think that creation out of sand alone is a miracle? Is sand so essential?” They were stumped and did not know what to say. Prof. Kasturi just then recalled that Swami had created objects from a wave of His hand. Meanwhile Swami continued, “Should I create something in order to show you a miracle. Is not your existence itself a miracle of Mine?” He then walked away leaving them stunned with the revelation that He is none other than the Supreme Creator Himself. Only mere creations are not revelation of Bhagavan’s Godhood; there is something deeper and that is His boundless love. His love is not only confined to Prasanthi Nilayam but envelopes His entire creation and that is why what we have to really try and understand and experience is His greatest miracle, His miracle of transformation. 

Siddhanth with His Lord - Sri Sathya Sai

Today the world has reached such a miserable state that love has dried up in the hearts of man. His mind is totally corrupt with ego and selfishness is ruling over him. Man is killing himself and that is why the Lord has to come to transform the whole world. Transformation is His mission and with His love He has been tirelessly transforming us every moment from bad to good, from good to better and from better to best and He will continue to do so till this world becomes the best place to live in. 

Oh Lord! Please bless us with Your grace and strength so that we may form ourselves into what You want us to be and thus experience Your greatest miracle. 

- Siddhanth Chandrashekar

Student (2006-2010), Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences

Sri Sathya Sai Institute Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam Campus

Currently, Scientist at GE Global Research, Bangalore

Source: SAI NANDANA 2005 (80th Birthday)

Sri Sathya Sai narrates Stories Galore - Bheema and Hanuman, Buddha and Rahul, Sita and Rama

Friday, June 21, 2002

Sri Sathya Sai at Prasanthi Nilayam

Today Swami came to Ganesh portico at around 3:15 pm. He then called a few students and asked them to bring mangoes. He went to the children sitting in the Mandir and distributed clothes to them.

Swami : (To a teacher.) Did you get mango? You did not get a ripe mango. (Swami asked another teacher to give ripe fruits.)

Warden : Swami, mangoes have been distributed to all the boys and devotees.

Swami : (To a teacher.) Do you know about the battle between Arjuna and Hanuman?

Teacher : No Swami, I heard about the battle between Bheema and Hanuman.

Bheema and Hanuman

Swami : The war between Bheema and Hanuman was totally different. One day Hanuman was sitting with his tail spread on the path and then Bheema came and asked Hanuman to remove his tail from the path. Hanuman told him that he was very old and did not even have the strength to get up and thus asked Bheema to move the tail so that he can proceed. Bheema tried to lift the tail with his left hand but failed. He tried again with his right hand and later with both hands. He could not move the tail. He realised that this monkey was very powerful. Hanuman was Bheema’s elder brother. They were both born to Vayu (Wind God).

Teacher : Swami, if both Hanuman and Bheema were brothers, then why was there such a difference in their strengths?

Swami : Though they were both sons of Vayu, Hanuman had greater faith and devotion.

Swami : (To a student.) Who was Bheema?

Student : Swami, he was one of the Pancha (five) Pandavas.

Swami : Who was Bheema’s brother?

Student : Hanuman, Swami.

Swami : Who told you?

Student : Swami, You told us just now.

Swami : Who was Rahul?

Buddha with his son - Rahul

Student : Swami, he was Gautam Buddha’s son.

Swami : What was Buddha’s actual name?

Student : Swami, Siddhartha.

Swami : When did he get the name Buddha?

Student : Swami, after Self-Realisation.

Swami : After Self-Realisation, there is no Buddha, only Atma exists. He said ‘I am Atma.’ Atma is everywhere. ‘I’ is everywhere. (Pointing to another boy.) What is your name?

Student : Swami, Mahesh.

Swami : What is the meaning of Mahesh?

Student : Swami, Lord Shiva.

Swami : (To Prof Anil Kumar) Once the five fingers started fighting amongst themselves about who was the greatest. The little finger said, “When we offer Pranams (salutations), I am the one in front, so I am the greatest.” The ring finger said, “I am the one who is decorated, so I am the greatest.” The middle finger said, “I am the tallest among all, so I am the greatest.” The forefinger said, “I am the one who indicates to all, so I am the best.” Finally, the thumb said, “Without me none of you can work, so I am the greatest.” Which is the greatest among them?

Prof A.K. : Swami, only if all of them are together, we can use the hand.

Swami : All are one, be alike to everyone.

Prof A.K. : Swami, when all is one, how does one progress? Unity in diversity and diversity in unity, aren’t these two mutually opposite?

Swami : They are like two sides of a coin. From a worldly perspective, you must see the diversity in unity. But from the spiritual point of view, you must see unity in diversity. You must realise the unity in creation. You say, “This is my leg, this is my hand”, but is anyone asking, “Who am I?” God is one and the world is zero. Only when you are beside God, will you have value, otherwise you are a zero. There is the number - ‘1’. If you add ‘1’ to it, it becomes ‘2’. If you subtract ‘1’ from it, it becomes zero. If you keep it beside itself it becomes ‘11’. But one is one and not eleven. ‘1’ is unity and ‘11’ is diversity. Light a candle. Keep a pot with 9 holes on that candle. Then, cover it with a Turkish towel. You cannot see any light. Remove the towel and you will see the light emanating from the 9 holes. Now, break the pot and you can see the one light from the candle. Likewise, this body is the pot with 9 holes. The candle is the Atma. Delusion is the towel. Remove the delusion and give up body attachment and then you can see the light of life. 

A husband doesn’t know his wife before marriage. They have no relationship with each other. The moment they are married, wife says that so and so is my husband. Not only that, she claims a right on his property too!

King Janaka offering Sita in marriage to Rama

During the marriage of Rama and Sita, Rama did not look at her. Janaka introduced Sita as "Iyam Sita, Mama Putri (This is Sita, my daughter). Then he told Rama that she was His wife. Still Rama did not look at her. Then, Vishwamitra asked Him why He wasn’t looking at her. Rama told him that since the wedding was not yet complete, she was still Janaka’s daughter and not His wife. One has no right to look at others’ property. Thus, Rama held the highest ideals.

Suppose there is a house. You won’t allow anyone to stick bills on the walls until the house is yours. Once you sell it, you will not bother about the house. As long as there is delusion (Bhrama), you cannot realise Brahma.             

Prajnaanam Brahma (God is pure awareness/consciousness). Tat Tvam Asi. (That thou art) Ayam Atma Brahma means I am Atma and Brahman. They direct you to unity in diversity. Bulbs are many, but the current that flows through them is one. Similarly, rooms are many, but the house is one. What separates each room is a wall. Remove the wall and there is no difference between the rooms. The world is like a big house. America, Pakistan, India, etc., are like the rooms. Remove the borders and there will be no more distinction between the countries and there will not be any more fighting. All are one; be alike to everyone. The differences between you all are like walls. They bring conflicts. Remove them. Give up the attachment. 

A mother calls her son - ‘my son’. This increases the attachment. As long as there is body, there is attachment. There is a 16-year-old boy. His mother is 40 years old. He addresses her as ‘Mother’. One day, she dies. The boy weeps on the dead body and cries, “Mother, you have left me.” But who has left? The body is still there. Even then, the boy says that she has left him. It is the light that has left the body. That light is the life of his mother. The body created the attachment towards his mother. As long as the body is there, there is attachment.

Prof. A. K. : Swami, then where does detachment come in?

Swami : You say that this is your shirt. If it is torn, will you throw it out or keep it with you? You have used it for a long time. Now, there is no relationship between you and the torn shirt. If it is useful, you claim the shirt to be yours. This attachment is delusion. For example, you are going towards the Hostel when it is pitch dark. On the way, you find a rope and mistake it to be a snake. You feel scared and fear comes in. Put on the torch and you will find the rope. All the time, it was the same rope. Only the feelings vary. Delusion is responsible for our fear. The body is only an instrument. Think thus and use it without getting attached to it. Do anything, but do it without being deluded. All these worldly pleasures are like passing clouds. Before marriage, there is no relation between the husband and the wife. After divorce, also there is no relation. All these relationships are like passing clouds. They are impermanent. Do your duty with detachment. Do not claim ownership of your body. The only owner is God.

Swami then retired, leaving one and all introspecting, after this enlightening session.

Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (2001-2004)