Sri Sathya Sai visits Ooty and Kodaikanal - 1988

Monday, April 18, 1988 to Thursday, May 12, 1988

Sri Sathya Sai in Kodaikanal

Bhagavan visited the Vidya Vihar, Ooty on 16th April 1988. He gave a Discourse to the Institute students and devotees who had accompanied Him to Ooty at Vidya Vihar. Bhagavan visited the Devashola estate at Ooty that belonged to Sri G. Govindarajulu, one of the devotees from Kuppam. At the estate, Bhagavan selected an area consisting of 5 acres land in order to establish an International centre in Ooty, and Sri Govindarajulu endowed the selected land to Sri Sathya Sai Trust. Bhagavan left Ooty for Kodaikanal on 18th April.

Bhagavan stayed in Kodaikanal from the 18th of April to the 8th of May 1988. He spent long hours of time with the students and addressed them three to four times a day – giving them new insights into spiritual life. The Rajmata of Nawanagar had the privilege of attending Bhagavan’s Discourses along with the students.

Sri Sathya Sai in the backdrop of the Nilgiri Hills

In a Discourse given to students on 23rd April, He elaborated on the concept of Brahmacharya. He said:

“The edifice of life is a four-storied mansion. In this mansion the ground floor is most important one. The upper three storeys are based upon this. It is known as Brahmacharya (continence or celibacy). In everyone's life childhood and youth are extremely important. This period of life should be regulated by practising purity and tranquillity.

Brahmacharya means leading a life of pure thoughts, pure actions and pure aspirations. Unfortunately today people tend to regard Brahmacharya as living somehow in an unmarried state. The term Brahmacharya carries within it its sacred import. Brahmacharya means whatever thoughts we entertain, whatever actions we perform, whatever enterprises we   undertake, they should all be filled with the consciousness Brahman (the Supreme Omnipresent Divine). Conducting ourselves with the awareness that the Divine is present everywhere is 'Brahmacharya'.

The basic characteristic of Brahmacharya is that one should be full of pure thoughts, all one's actions should be sacred and one should be engaged in selfless service. Brahmacharya is not confined to the early years of one's boyhood and adolescence. Brahmacharya is a state that is implied in all the three other stages of life also (Grihastha, Vaanaprastha and Sanyasa). The base is Brahmacharya. The second stage or storey is that of Grihastha (the householder). The third is Vaanaprastha (retirement to the forest). The fourth is Sanyasa (complete renunciation of all attachments). Brahmacharya is present in all three other stages like an undercurrent: Brahmacharya in the Brahmacharya state, Brahmacharya in the Grihastha state, Brahmacharya in the Vaanaprastha and Brahmacharya in the Sanyasa states. In all four states, Brahmacharya is immanent in equal measure. It signifies purity in all the states. Only when there is purity, Brahmacharya has any meaning…

…Hence, in this sacred human birth, to lead a life filled with pure thoughts and pure actions is characterised as Brahmacharya. So the real meaning of Brahmacharya is not confined to the corporeal discipline of celibacy attached to it in the physical sense, but it implies recognition of the Divinity inherent in man and leading a life based on that recognition. Therefore, for the life of the householder, the recluse and the renunciant, Brahmacharya is the foundation.”

Sri Sathya Sai Darshan at Sai Sruthi in Kodaikanal

Venkatesh Iyer, a student of the MBA programme at Sri Sathya Sai Institute, who was a part of the entourage on this trip shares his experience in brief:

“I remember fondly and with nostalgia, the 25 days we spent with Swami at Ooty and Kodaikanal. This was the facet of Swami we had only heard about from old students, but had never an occasion to actually experience. The first two-three days were formal, when we were in awe of happenings around us. But from then on, it was sheer Bliss. Swami made us feel so comfortable with Him as though we were with our parents or close friends. At the same time, we got regular glimpses of His Divinity, when He used to authoritatively talk to us about the Bhagavatam and the life of Lord Krishna. There was one personal incident I will never forget in my life. Swami hurt the little toe of His right foot and the pain persisted for quite a few days. He used to have a slight feeling of discomfort while walking. He refused to take anything to ease the pain. Naively, one day, I sent a tube of ointment through Mr. Radhakrishna, who was staying in Swami’s room, requesting him that he must insist on Swami applying the same to His toe. In the evening, Swami came out of His room with the ointment tube in His hand and as soon as He saw me, gave the tube to me, saying “This body does not need any medicines, your prayers are enough for healing any wounds”. Such simple words, but so profound in meaning! What really moved me was that after a year, when Swami was again in Kodaikanal with the next batch of students and I again had the opportunity to be in Kodaikanal for a Darshan, Swami apparently remembered the incident and narrated the same to the students.”

Easwaramma Day Celebrations at Sai Sruthi, Kodaikanal

Easwaramma Day was celebrated on the 6th of May at Sai Shruti, Kodaikanal. Bhagavan inaugurated the Kodaikanal Sathya Sai Seva Samiti that day. Bhagavan appointed Sri Rajasekaran, Municipal Engineer, as the Convenor of the Samiti. The Coordinator of the Coimbatore Samiti and the Institute students gave speeches on this occasion. Bhagavan then blessed the devotees with His Discourse. In this landmark Discourse on Science and Spirituality, He said:

“If we examine the nature of the human state from the scientific point of view, it is found that the tissues of the human body are composed of the four elements: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon. The unified expression of these four elements is the human condition. Ignoring this unity, scientists today are seeking to explore the nature of matter by breaking up the Love principle. "The Spirit of Love is Spirituality." "Splitting of Love is Science." Scientists are exploring matter by dividing Love. They are unaware of the nature of Love. They are ignorant of Purity. Scientists are imbued only with a sense of enquiry into matter. Consequently, today there is a complete divorce between science and spirituality.

Scientists are not examining the relationship between matter and energy in the correct way. Scientists hold the view that matter is convertible into energy and vice versa. But, in fact, the two are not separate. They are inseparably interlinked and interdependent. The attempts to divide matter and energy have given rise to many doubts and confusions...

...The fundamental difference between science and spirituality is this: Science is concerned with investigating the external phenomenal universe. Spirituality is engaged in exploring the inner workings of the Divine. The scientist is one who has an external vision. The one who has an internal vision is a saint…

...What is beyond the senses has been called Adhyatmic (spiritual). What is below the senses has been called Bhoutik (elemental, constituted by the five elements). We are simultaneously below the senses and above the senses. Below the senses is the body. Beyond the senses is the Hridaya (the spiritual heart). The eternal Hridaya is encased within the perishable body. It is like keeping valuable jewels in a relatively cheap iron safe. Divinity is the valuable treasure kept in the iron safe of the body. This indicates our true form...

… If you wish to understand your true nature, you have to do three things: Bend the body, mend the senses, end the mind. The first step is to ‘bend the body’. That means, you should not allow the ego to develop within your body. Cultivate humility and do your duties sincerely. This is what is implied in ‘bend your body’.

‘Mend the senses’ calls for examining how the senses behave, whether they are tending to go astray, and correcting and restraining them when necessary.

‘End the mind’ calls for quietening the vagaries of the mind. How is this to be done? It is by turning the mind in a different direction. For example, there is a lock and key. When the key is turned towards the left, the lock gets locked. If the key is turned towards the right the lock is opened. Thus the key performs both functions of locking and unlocking. In man, the heart is the lock. The mind is the key. When the mind is turned Godward the heart develops detachment. When the mind is turned towards the world, the heart develops attachment. Thus both detachment and attachment result from the way the mind functions. When the mind is directed towards Prakruti (Nature or the phenomenal world), bondage ensues. When you turn your mind towards Divinity, you experience Ananda (bliss). ‘End the mind’ means turning the mind Godward. All you have to do is to dedicate every action of yours to the Divine. Then everything becomes easy and a source of bliss. Science can offer you only temporary worldly comforts. Spirituality alone can give you enduring bliss. All the amenities which provide temporary comfort also give rise to unhappiness. A person may be sitting in an air-conditioned room. But his mind is filled with anxiety and worry. His brain is heated. One who has peace of mind will experience no discomfort even if he is in a forest. Peace, therefore cannot be got through science. In fact, science and technology today are leading man away from peace. Is any scientist enjoying peace of mind? No. He is leading an utterly artificial life. He is filled with worries. His mind knows no rest. All the ills of man today are due to the fact that his mind is never restful and quiet. The mind is preoccupied with worries. Even an inanimate machine needs some period of rest. But no rest is given to the mind. 

If we desire peace for the individual, for the society and for the nation, it can only be achieved through spiritual means. Hence, recognising the truth, without attaching excessive importance to worldly comforts, we must make every effort to acquire peace of mind. No doubt physical comforts are necessary up to a point. But they should be limited to meeting the basic demands of nature. For instance man requires sleep. Similarly peace of mind should be got through natural means. The spiritual path is the only way to achieve "the peace that passeth understanding."

Sathya Sai with Students - Kodaikanal, 1988

Later in the morning, Narayana Seva was organised at Sai Sruthi. Prasadam was distributed to everyone. Bhagavan distributed clothes to the needy and the old.

Bhagavan visited the house of Sri Lingaraj, Convener of Gudalur Samiti, enroute to Brindavan on 12th May.

Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam (1986-2005)