Discussion with Sri Sathya Sai on Budget and Politics...

Wednesday, February 28, 2001 

In the morning, Swami had gone to the Hanuman temple (at the end of the Gopuram Road) for the installation of the Navagraha idols. After the evening interviews, coming towards the Ganesh portico, Swami saw the School and Institute students sitting together.

Entrance to the Hanuman and Navagraha Temples at Puttaparthi

Swami    :    Today, they (students) are sitting together.
        (To Prof Anil Kumar) What is the news?

Prof. A. K.    :    Swami, today, it is fully about the budget.

(Regarding the criticism and counter criticism in politics, Swami remarked that people who committed mistakes always talked about others’ mistakes and not their own. He also narrated the story of the barber who did not have any work and so shaved the head of a cat; similarly people who don’t have work, go on criticising others.)

Prof. A. K.    :    Swami, I heard that some function took place in the village.

Swami    :    Yes, it went on very nicely. All people could come. The flooring was of mud. I told them to cement it. Navagrahas were exhibited.

Prof. A. K.    :    Swami, is there enough space?

Swami    :    Yes, enough space is there. People can go round the Navagrahas and enough place is there to accommodate many people.

Prof. A. K.    :    After how many years did you go to that place, Swami?

Swami    :    I went after 60 years. What else is the news?

Prof. A. K.    :    Swami, is our Hospital running well? (Swami said that because of the personal care He took, the cost of running the Hospital had reduced.)

Swami    :    (Mentioning the name of one of the Hospital members) He was telling, “Swami, because of You alone, the Hospital is running so well. Swami, You know the rules which we do not know.” In case of medicines too, the same thing happened regarding the dealership. There are no dealers for our Hospital. Medicines come directly. We called up to America and confirmed that medicines will come to us directly (hence, dealer charges are avoided).
We should not spend anything unnecessarily.

Prof. A. K.    :    In Summer Course also, one senior devotee mentioned that for a good cause, Swami spends crores; but for anything unnecessary, Swami does not spend even a rupee.

Swami    :    I am telling all these things because the time has come to tell these things. (To a teacher) Where is Ramakrishna Reddy (Faculty Member, Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, and alumnus of the erstwhile Sri Sathya Sai Arts, Science and Commerce College at Brindavan) going? Is it for spot valuation? Tell him to correct properly.

Teacher    :    Not for spot valuation, Swami. He is going for invigilation.

Prof. A. K.    :    Swami, they (Central Board of Secondary Education) send people from good schools to oversee the examination.

Swami    :    He should do it properly. (Swami blessed Sri Ramakrishna Reddy with Padanamaskar).

Prof. A. K.    :    Swami, people say that there are many Buddhas and Vyasas.

Swami    :    Many people with those names are there. But they are not them. Even our students have names like Siddhartha, Buddha. Will they become Buddhas? The Vyasa who categorized Vedas is only one and the Buddha who got wisdom in Bodhgaya is also only one. (After that Swami spoke about many old devotees.)

Prof. A. K.    :    Swami, when did You first go to Delhi?

Swami    :    I went in 1962, and from there, I went to Badrinath, Kashmir and other places.

Prof. A. K.    :    Swami, Sheikh Abdullah (Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir) used to come?

Sheikh Abdullah and Begum Abdullah with Sri Sathya Sai at Kashmir - June 1980

Swami    :    Yes, he used to come very often. (Then Prof. Anil Kumar asked Swami about many other people.) Why are you asking Me all those things? (Catching a bunch of His hair) I have seen so many people. So many leaders and kings have come.

Prof. A. K.    :    I find one thing unique in all works of Swami. All works of Swami are for the use of poor people.

Swami    :    Yes. (Mentioning the name of a person) He asked Me to come to his place and said that he would give thousands of acres of land for Swami to build an Ashram and stay there. I did not agree to it. A plant should grow where the seed is sown. I am also like that. I have also grown in the place of My birth. Now, I am giving shadow to everyone.

After sometime, Swami went back to the interview room.


Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (2000-2001)