Monday, February 12, 2001
Evening
Swami : (To all the students) Are you all happy?
Students : Yes, Swami.
Swami : (To the School students) Are the Secondary School boys happy?
Students : Yes, Swami.
Swami : Manchidi (Good). (Swami went towards the interview room and asked the same question to some more students. After the interviews, to Warden,
Dr. Siva Sankara Sai) Are all boys happy?
Warden : Yes, Swami. (Swami expressed appreciation for the programmes, especially the ‘Kavi Sammelan’.)
Swami : Are the School boys happy?
Warden : Swami, they are all happy. They also participated in the programme. Swami, it was a joint programme (of the Institute and Higher Secondary School students). Even during Sports Meet, School and Institute students jointly put up programmes.
Swami : Be like that always. Yesterday, I spent three and half hours in the Hostel.
Warden : Swami should give us more of such opportunities.
Swami : More opportunities means more expenditure for the Hostel.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, but the rice, sugar and dal were sent by Swami only.
Swami : This time, it was so. In the future…
Warden : Swami, we saved a lot because of rice and other items sent by Swami.
Swami : (Smiling) Whatever you had saved, you spent yesterday itself.
Warden : Swami, 40 boys wrote poems, but we selected only 20.
Swami : (Smiling) Even that, you should have reduced. Boys take the lines from here and there and make a poem.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, practical exams are starting for Class XII students from tomorrow.
Swami : Public exam… study well.
Prof. A. K. : (Regarding the Bangalore Super Speciality Hospital) Swami, are the Seva Dals also working there?
Swami : North and South Karnataka Seva Dals are doing Seva alternatively. What else is the news? (Prof. Anil Kumar told Swami about the work done by a group of people of Sai Organisation in the earthquake-affected villages in Gujarat and that the relief work undertaken by the Government is not sufficient.) In Government, people go behind position and authority (Adhikaram). They don’t work for public good.
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| Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialty Hospital, Bangalore |
Prof. A. K. : Swami, they say that the treasury is empty.
Swami : Treasury is also empty.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, people are spreading rumours that more earthquakes may come.
Swami : (Swami said that during the earthquake, the land tilts to one side. It will tilt again to other side so as to get back the original balance. This process of getting back the original balance may lead to earthquake and tremors.)
If people have good feelings, such problems will not be there. People have more desires. People exploit the Earth in an indiscriminate way. They extract too much of oil and other minerals. Anything done with Vyaktitwam (individualistic nature) is Aasha (desire). Things that are done for Samashti (society) is Aashaya (ambition). Selfishness is not Aashaya. Aashaya is positive. Aasha is negative. Individual discrimination leads to the negative Aasha. Fundamental discrimination leads to the positive Aashaya.
Warden : Swami, everyday lakhs of tons of oil are being drilled out of the Earth.
Swami : Not lakhs, crores of tons. Bad desires lead to disaster. Man’s desires have no limits.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, may be necessities have increased.
Swami : Necessities have not increased. Man is increasing them. A man can have one house. It is a necessity. To have four to five houses is Durasha (bad desire). Rich people have more desires. They want more and more. I don’t understand what they do with so much wealth. It should be spent for the sake of the nation, not for one’s individual self. If one has too much land, he is called a landlord. They call him Bhu-Swami. Saints are called Swami, like Swami Ramdas. For them, ‘Swami’ comes in the front. But for Bhu-Swamis, ‘Swami’ comes in the end. (Mentioning about the miserliness of a rich person from U.K.) He does not give even a little food to a dog. He sends his servant to drive it away. Money should be put to good use. It should be used for good work, for the people. He was asking Me, “Why such a big Hospital? Small hospital will do.” Small hospital won’t be enough. In a big hospital, many people will be benefited.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, if they need any medical help, the rich can go in a plane.
Swami : He was asking Me to build a small school in a village and give Rs. 2,000 for running it. How will that be enough? In this world, people close their ears, but not their mouths.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, in Britain, they give the title ‘Lord’.
Swami : During the British time, the ‘Lord’ title was not given so cheaply. Cotton Dora, built a dam across Godavari. He gave a guarantee of 100 years for it. 200 years are over, still it is very strong. He was given the title ‘Lord’. Nowadays, our people build bridges. They fall even before people walk on it. They take away the cement and other things.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, nowadays contracts are given by the politicians to their relatives and near ones.
Swami : Even if they give like that, at least they should build it strong enough. After independence (political freedom gained by India in 1947), selfishness has increased. Previously, they used to say that white people (foreigners) were exploiting the Indians. Now, we are exploiting our own countrymen. There is no unity among people. Unity is strength. For that, Aacharanam (practice of values) is the base. (To a School student) Where are you from?
Student : Swami, Bihar. (Swami expressed His anguish over the wide-spread corruption there.)
Swami : (In general) Animals don’t have so many wants. Being a man, one should be good and do good to at least ten people. Based on your conduct, people should tell that you are a good man. This should be told both in your presence and absence.
Prof. A. K. : For being a good man, one has to sacrifice.
Swami : There is no difficulty in sacrificing.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, but people find it difficult.
Swami : No, it should be done with Anandam (bliss). Doing with difficulty is not sacrifice. Sacrifice is easy.
Prof. A.K. : People feel that if they sacrifice, whatever they have would also go away.
Swami : It may go away, but it will come back again. One should not do it for name and fame. These are passing clouds.
Prof. A. K. : In those days, when kings were there, they might have done many good things. In today’s democratic world, such things don’t happen.
Swami : They (people) didn’t want them (kings) and they also don’t do anything. (To a student) Where did you study before joining here?
Student : Srisailam (Sri Sathya Sai School in Kerala).
Swami : Srisailam School. Very good education. I opened it 20 years back. It is spread over 100 acres of land with the ocean on the three sides. (Jokingly) Even if they (students) want, they cannot run away! They speak very good English. In Kerala, people are highly educated and are good in English. Once I stayed with Ramakrishna (Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, then Governor of Kerala) for 15 days. I asked a sweeper in his house in Malayalam, “What have you studied?” He replied in English, “I am an M.A.” They have good education. (Praising the Keralites) Wherever you go in this world, you will find a Malayalee. (On a humorous note) When Columbus first landed in America, he thought that he was the first to find out America. Soon he found a person coming towards him shouting, “Idli-Sambar, Idli-Sambar”. That was a Malayalee! Everywhere, you can find hotels run by Malayalees. They are very intelligent.
(To the student from Bihar) What is your name?
(To the student from Bihar) What is your name?
Student : Kunal Raj.
Swami : What does it mean?
Student : One with beautiful eyes.
Swami : Apt name. (Swami also added that some people have names that do not suit them. To another student) Where did you study previously?
Student : Swami, Alike (Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva School at Alike in Karnataka).
Swami : Alike is also a beautiful place. The hills there have paddy fields at the foothill, banana plantations in the middle, and betel nut plantations at the top. (To the Bihar boy) How many brothers?
Student : (He was about to say, “One brother…” but immediately corrected it)
Swami, all are brothers.
Swami : (Correcting him) You should have the feeling that all are brothers.
(To Prof. Anil Kumar) To some boys, if you ask, “How many wives”.
They will say, “All are wives”. (Swami laughed. To the student) How many wives?
Student : No wife.
Prof. A. K. : As of now, he does not have.
Swami : (To the student) What is the meaning of wife?
Student : I don’t know, Swami.
Swami : (Smiling) Worry Invited For Ever!! Before marriage there will be band (played during the wedding), and man will be full of excitement.
(Swami said that after marriage, one suffers.)
Prof. A. K. : (Smiling) Swami, before marriage, there is band. But after marriage, he (the husband) will be played upon, like in a band.
Swami : Marriage is like a mirage. Just a reflection. (To Prof. Anil Kumar) Not for you. I told them.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, I am already in Sanyasa (renunciation) stage of my life.
Swami : Donga Sanyasam (dubious renunciant). People who lack sense control, take to that path. If you have sense control, you can control the whole world. Otherwise, the world will control you. (Swami quoted a Tyagaraja composition, which meant that though one may be highly educated, what is the point if one becomes slave to a woman.) Kanti means light (illumination), Kanta means wife. (Then Swami spoke to a student from Italy in the Italian language. Suddenly to the student from Bihar) Where is your brother?
Student : Swami, in Bihar.
Swami caught him on the wrong foot because previously he had said that all were brothers. Then Swami narrated a story to drive home the point that in times of sudden shock, the truth comes out; one cannot hide the truth.
Swami : Once, a scholar was on a tour and had many followers accompanying him. A group of Brahmins of a particular place wanted to find out to which sect he belonged; to Shaivism (the sect that worships Lord Shiva) or Vaishnavism (the sect that worships Lord Vishnu). Decency did not permit them to ask him directly. One lady got an idea. They invited and treated him to a sumptuous meal. Then, she put a hot iron rod on his path. When he stepped on it, he shouted, “Hare Rama!” Then they believed that he belonged to Vaishnavism sect, because in times of danger, the truth comes out.
(Then Swami asked two more Kannada boys about their place of schooling. Both replied that they were from the Alike School.) Wherever the birds may fly, at last they come back to the tree! (Swami appreciated one of the students who sang a poem in Tulu the previous day. The boy was from Mangalore and Swami spoke to him in Tulu.) Tulu and Konkani are commonly used languages in Mangalore area.
Teacher : Swami, are there such local variations in Telugu also?
Swami : Not much. But the way people speak in different regions varies. Few words differ. The tribal people have their own language. (Commenting on the distorted Telugu spoken in Konaseema region) Konaseema is Koti Seema (monkey region). (After a while, to the teachers) Not all reach the goal in life. Everyone will not be able to follow Swami completely with confidence. Swami is waiting for just one or two on whom Swami can have full confidence. Hardly there may be one or two.
Sri Bhagia : Swami is an Avatar, then is it not possible to find many people who reach the goal of life during His Avatarhood?
Swami : See, in a race only one or two reach the final point and they win. But all who started the race would march forward with a progress towards the goal. So definitely all will progress, but the final goal will be attained by one or two.
Wonderful
ReplyDeletewow such strong words from swami
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