Time is the very form of God... Time wasted is life wasted...

Sri Sathya Sai Speaks at the Poornachandra Auditorium

All things happen according to the dictates of Time;

Both good and bad depend on Time;

Prosperity and poverty likewise depend on Time;

Time is the determinant of all things,

There is none who is not subject to Time

In this entire world; that's the Truth.

Embodiments of the Divine Atma! 

Time is the embodiment of God. Hence Time is called Samvatsara (year). The sages have described God as Kaalaroopaaya (the embodiment of Time). All things in the Cosmos, moving and unmoving, are permeated by God. Hence, God is characterised as Kaalagarbha (the One who holds Time in the womb). Sages have also described Him as Dheerothama (Supreme among the valiant). The term Dheera should not be understood as meaning one who is a great intellectual or highly intelligent person. Dheera is the appellation given by the Veda to a man who turns his Dhee (intelligence) towards God. The word Kaalam (Time) is derived from Kaa+alam. This means that God, embodiment of Time, is the One who rewards people according to their deservedness. God does not submit to worldly offerings, worldly authority or worldly power. He responds only to spiritual aspirations.

Realise the true goal of your life

In the world, we are continually experiencing the same round of days and nights. You perform the same ablutions and indulge in the same process of filling the stomach. Thus you go on from year to year. But what efforts are you making to lead a purposeful and ennobling life? You are going through the same mill of experiences again and again, doing the same things again and again. If you go on in this way, what is the worth of your life? What is the goal of life? What is its primary purpose? Few care to enquire into this basic question.

Hence what we have to examine is how we can lead an ideal, bliss-filled, spiritually-oriented life which will serve as an example to others. People are engaged in Sadhana. But when the outcome of these exercises is examined, it is found to be without meaning. All these exercises are purely designed to provide some sort of mental satisfaction and nothing more. 

In my view, neither Sadhana (spiritual endeavour) nor Sadhyam (fulfillment) exists independently and apart from each other. Sadhana and Sadhyam are one and the same. It is a trick of the mind to make Sadhana as the means to Sadhyam (the Goal). True Sadhana consists in giving up the Anaatma bhava (the idea that one is not the Spirit but the physical body). To turn the vision from the physical to the spiritual constitutes real Sadhana. 

Today, we have knowledge of many sorts in the world. All these categories of knowledge do not constitute what is regarded as Jnana in Vedantic parlance. Atma Jnana (knowledge of the Spirit) alone is true knowledge. Ordinary knowledge may be knowledge of material objects, sensory knowledge, or any other kind of knowledge acquired by investigation. But none of these can be Atma Jnana. In the highest sense Atma (the Spirit) and Jnana (Knowledge)are not two different things. They are one and the same. That is why the Vedas declared: Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam Brahma (Brahmam is Truth, Wisdom and Infinite). Truth, Wisdom, Infinity and Brahmam are all different names for the Paramatma (Omni-Self). They are synonymous. They are not different from each other. 

Jnana and Bhakti lead to the same goal

What is Jnana? The awareness of Swaswaroopa (one's real nature) is true knowledge. Devotion is the means to achieve oneness with this knowledge (when Self-knowledge becomes one with the Self). Jnana implies freedom from all thoughts. The Jnana-Marga (the path of Knowledge) calls for the control of thoughts by appropriate efforts. Whether one takes to the Jnana-Marga (the path of Knowledge) or the Bhakti Marga (the path of Devotion), the resulting illumination is the same.

For instance, the light of the sun is reflected by the moon. The light from the sun is warm and effulgent. When the same light is radiated by the moon, it is cool and soothing. It is the same light that is present in the sun and the moon. The principle that illumines both the sun and the moon is the Spirit (Atma-Tatwa). The sun's light has been compared to Jnana and the moon's light to Bhakti. Jnana is effulgent, while Bhakti (Devotion) is blissful. Thus Bhakti and Jnana are the beginning and the end of the same process.

God accepts all that comes from a pure heart

In the phenomenal world, we recognise three entities - Karta, Karma and Kriya (the doer, the act of doing and the goal of the action). This is characteristic of devotion. The Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) is the Karta (doer). The Sadhana (spiritual exercise) is the Karma (what he does). Getting the vision of the Divine is the Kriya (goal). The same process is described as Jnana (knowledge), Jneya (that which is to be known) and Jnata (the knower). In the highest sense all these are one. They appear in three different, forms at different stages. People are carried away by what they imagine are their spiritual experiences in their Sadhana. But what they should really seek is Anaatma Bhaava (the giving up of the attachment to the non-spiritual). You should not rely on the power and pelf of the world. God accepts only what comes from a pure heart. He does not yield to any mundane offerings. There is a historical illustration for this.

How Shiva accepted Parvati as Ardha

Both in the Vishnu Purana and the Shiva Purana, Parvati is described as the most beautiful goddess. Conscious of her own exceptional charms, Parvati desired to win Siva as her spouse. But all her efforts proved fruitless. Learning a lesson from this experience and shedding her ego, she embarked on a severe penance. Facing the rigours of heat and cold, wind and rain, she allowed her body to waste away by her penance. Her mind was solely concentrated on Siva. Seeing that she had completely got rid of her ego, Shiva agreed to accept Parvati as Ardhaangini (one half of Himself).

What is the inner meaning of this episode? Nature is symbolic of Parvati. It is exceptionally beautiful. Feeling proud about its charms, it seeks to attract everybody. As it succeeds in its attractions, its ego grows. Man, who is a child of Nature, also develops the ego and leads a life filled with egoism. The ego gets puffed up on the basis of knowledge, physical strength, power and position, handsome looks and such other accomplishments. Even the pride of scholarship takes one away from God.

Persons filled with such conceit can never realise God. Only those free from self-conceit can be God-realised souls. Valmiki, Nanda, Kuchela, Shabari, Vidura, and Hanuman are examples of devotees who realised God, but who could boast of no great lineage, wealth or scholarship. Their supreme quality was freedom from ego. Hanuman, for instance, was content to describe himself as a servant of Rama, despite his great prowess and knowledge. All the accomplishments and acquisitions in this world are transient and impermanent; lured by them, men get inflated and ultimately court ruin. Hence, giving up the notions of one's own doership, man must regard God alone as the doer. He is the giver, He is the recipient and He is also the object that is given.

Time is the very form of God. Birth and death are encompassed by Time. Everyone, therefore, should regard Time as Divine and utilise it for performing sacred actions. You should not waste a single moment. Time wasted is life wasted. The fruits of your actions are determined by Time. All your experiences are the results of your actions, whether it is happiness or sorrow, affluence or poverty. Hence, good and bad depend on what you do. As are your actions, so are the fruits thereof. The way you utilise your time determines the outcome.

God is the origin for all Yugas

Hence, this new year, which is a form of the Divine, should be put to right use. You have heard about the four aeons called Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. These are not distinct from each other. The divisions are based on experiences. Whether it be Krita Yuga or Kali Yuga, it has no separate form. According to the conduct of the people at the time, the name is given for the Yuga. Even during Krita Yuga there were people filled with attachments and aversions. There are even in Kali Yuga people wedded to truth and leading virtuous and peaceful lives For all Yugas, God is the origin. Hence one of the names bestowed on God is Yugadi (One from whom the Yuga begins). The Yugadi festival is celebrated for this reason. Everything is a manifestation of the Divine.

Not realising this, man becomes elated when he gets something and feels depressed when he loses something. You should develop the state of equanimity which leaves you unaffected by gain or loss...

Engage yourselves in godly actions

Atma is Time and Time is God. Therefore, you should not waste time. Fill your time with good actions. There is no greater Sadhana than this. Sanctify the time given to you by good thoughts and good actions. For this, you need to cultivate the company of the good, which will in due course lead you to liberation. Fill your mind with thoughts of God. Engage yourself in godly actions. This is true Sadhana. 

People claim to spend hours in meditation. But of what use is it if there is no concentration of mind? It is better if you engage yourself in your regular duties or render social service or participate in Bhajans. By these means try to bring the mind under control. Also, such work will be transformed into worship. Dedicate all your thoughts and actions to God. "Sarva Karma Bhagavat Prityartham" (All actions are done to please God). Then your acts get purified.

If you want to experience God, you have to do it through your duties and actions. This is not so easy. You have been listening to Me for many years. You take down notes and listen to tape records. Has there been the slightest change in you? Such is your life. Only when some change takes place in you, that alone is the fruit of your Sadhana. You go on spending your days and nights in the same routine, but are you making any efforts to sublimate your life? Endeavour to lead an ideal life. In the absence of any change for the better in your daily conduct, all your so called Sadhana (spiritual practices) will be futile. 

God resides in the temple of human body

Jnana is God. Jnana is Atma. Prakriti (Nature) is Jneyam (the thing to be known). Man is a combination of Jnana (God) and Jneyam (Nature). The Bhagavad Gita says that the Kshetra (the field, namely the body) and the Kshetrajna (the knower of the field, namely the Atma) together constitute the human personality Similarly, the scriptures refer to the human body as the temple and the indwelling Spirit as the God installed in that temple. Even a mere intellectual understanding of this fact will make us happy. But we shall be much more happy when we put this understanding into practice in our daily lives. However, it is a pity that we content ourselves with pious resolutions in such matters, without a strong determination to put them into actual practice. 

Have your hands in society and heads in forest

Without the courage of firm conviction and strong determination, no purpose is served by routine Sadhanas undertaken by aspirants who oscillate from moment to moment like the pendulum of a clock. On the contrary, a person who never swerves from his determination even under trying circumstances, is called a Dheera (a hero) and such a person wins the grace of the Lord. 

We should try to seek fulfillment in our day-to-day life by basing our mundane activities on spiritual values. As I have been telling you off and on, you must have your hands in the society and head in the forest. That is to say, whatever be the activities with which you are preoccupied in society, you must be steadfast in holding on to the spiritual ideal. This alone is the true Sadhana which will bestow lasting peace on you.

Whatever may be the change in the various Pratibimba (reflections) there will be no change whatsoever in the Bimba (Original). Remember that you are that changeless original - the Atma. All your Sadhanas should be directed towards establishing yourself in this firm conviction and unwavering faith, culminating in your life's fulfillment.

Bhajan and Japa are one and the same

All your sense organs should be sanctified offering all the actions performed through them as dedication to God. This is true Bhajan. "Bha" means that which is Bhavyam (sacred or holy). What is Bhavyam? The Atma Tatwa (principle of Atma) which is Divyam (Self-effulgent). The letter "Ja" in the word Bhajan connotes Japa (chanting the Lord's Name). Thus Bhajan and Japa are one and the same.

There is a Japa (which means constant remembrance of God) that goes on incessantly and automatically within you in the breathing process, whatever be the work in which you are engaged. And that is So ham. This is the real Sadhana, because it goes on without any conscious effort on your part, in the same manner as the process of breathing, beating of your heart and circulation of blood within you, which take place without any effort by you. These are all natural processes which go on without any volition on your part. In contrast to this there are some activities which also become involuntary or automatic but because of prolonged practice.

For example, the fingers of one who is in the habit of taking snuff, will unconsciously be moving towards his nose. Similarly, because of habit, some people will be engaged unconsciously in Japa, with their minds wandering somewhere. This is not real Japa. That alone is real Japa which goes on in the super-conscious (but not unconscious) state of mind. Do not entertain any doubt about your ability to reach that stage. You can surely attain that state beyond the shadow of doubt, provided you have a strong determination. Unfortunately, you do not evince such a firm determination and tenacity of purpose in respect of spiritual matters, as you do for the sake of mundane things. Man is prepared to put forth any amount of effort to undertake a journey of millions of miles into outer space but he hardly ever endeavours to go even an inch into his own inner Self. What is the use of all your intelligence and all your worldly acquisitions when they cannot give you Atma Santhi (the untrammelled peace of the Atma). God alone can confer such enduring peace on man.

Therefore, O Embodiments of Divine love! Recognise that the Samvatsara (new year) connotes God who bears several appellations relating to Time. Sanctify the new year by engaging yourselves in pure, selfless and ennobling activities. As far as possible, avoid causing harm or pain to others. As you sow, so you reap. Whenever you feel disturbed by a sense of anger, envy, pride, jealousy and the like, be alert and resort to the contemplation of the Lord.

Source: Divine Discourse on January 1, 1991 at the Poornachandra Auditorium, Prasanthi Nilayam

From Doubting Thomas to Sai Devotee - By M.K. Kaw, IAS (Retd.)

I first heard of Bhagavan in 1971, through an uncle. He was childless and it was the desire for progeny which had taken him to Puttaparthi. When Bhagavan called him for an interview and gave him Vibhuti, he thought he had got a son. Years passed and the state of childlessness continued. Much later, he adopted a child. Even today he speaks of Bhagavan’s interference with the Karmic law only now and then, when a devotee's love moves Him to confer His grace. 

Sri Sathya Sai in Shimla - 1973

I saw Bhagavan for the first time in 1973, when I was posted as Collector of Solan district in Himachal Pradesh. He was travelling to Shimla and He was to pass Solan en route. My wife joined the crowd of bhajan singers at the open area near the bus stand, while the Superintendent of Police and I stood on the road to look after law and order. 

Suddenly, a cavalcade was sighted. There was a pilot jeep, then a car, then other vehicles. I could see a saffron robe in the back of the car. Bhagavan was seated in the middle with one person on either side. The crowds milled around the car. Bhagavan opened the door and showed Himself for about fifteen seconds. People rushed to take Padnamaskar. Before we knew what was happening, He had gone back to his seat, the crowds had parted and the caravan had proceeded on its way. 

When my wife and I met, I chaffed her, "See, you were singing Bhajans and could not have Darshan. We sinners stood on the road and saw Him." She just smiled back. When we reached home, our orderly said that he had taken my son, then two years old, to see Bhagavan pass by. As they stood on the roadside, Bhagavan stopped His car and placed His hand on my son's forehead. We felt somehow singled out for a blessing. 

I continued to hear stories about Baba's miracles. Then I was posted to Delhi. My boss was a Bhagavan devotee. He told me of Bhagavan and His activities. I think that more than anyone else, it was he who prepared the ground. One day, he invited me to a Bhajan session at his house. There he introduced me to an IPS Officer, whose cancer had been diagnosed by doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Having heard of Bhagavan, he got in touch with him and then used the Vibhuti materialised by Bhagavan. The cancer just vanished. 

Try as hard as I might, this story shook me. How could cancer disappear without any treatment? It seemed impossible. It could not be magic. It was not something read in a book. Here was the beneficiary himself, to attest to the veracity of the story. 

Then my boss went on a tour to Bangalore. When he returned, he brought back a small vial full of Amrit. And the story he narrated was just unbelievable. It seemed that there was a man at Srirangapatnam, who had a ring given by Bhagavan. Day and night, Amrit oozed from the ring. Pot after pot, vessel after vessel was filled up and yet the limitless oozing continued. My boss had held that ring on his palm and soon his palm was full of Amrit. My defences started crumbling. Then I read Murphet's book. 

Sai Baba: Man of Miracles - Book by Howard Murphet

Now, for the first time, I had an inkling of the range and variety of Bhagavan's miracles and His influence over people spread over the globe. My attitude to Bhagavan started changing. I was prepared to explore for myself. 

While in Shimla, as Education Secretary, in February, 1985, I had the opportunity of getting in touch with Bhagavan's programme of Education in Human Values (EHV). This was an excellent opportunity to promote this innovative programme. 

Shortly before this I had published a book “The Science of Spirituality” in which my thesis was that there was a core to all religions which was more or less the same. I had pleaded that this was a science, a body of knowledge that could be tested on the anvil of logic and reason, that there were laws of the spiritual realm which were as real and immutable as the laws of physics and chemistry, and that spirituality should be a subject taught in schools. 

Here seemed an answer to my plea. The Sathya Sai Organisation had not only a similar approach, it had also created the pedagogy. Here was spirituality, cast in a secular mould, that could be immediately transmitted to children. There were precious nuggets to be found in the secularization of spirituality. "Meditation" was called "silent sitting". Mathematical problems, instead of asking how much a shopkeeper would gain by cheating, would now ask how much he should give away in charity. 

I was fascinated by the EHV programme. A five-day workshop organised in Shimla by the Government in full collaboration with the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation, EHV was formally introduced in the schools and a teachers' training programme launched. A batch of 100 teachers was deputed to a national conference being held at Puttaparthi. 

Professor Shyam Sunder, who was head of the Sai Organisation in Himachal Pradesh, wanted me to visit Puttaparthi too. I was reluctant, not sure whether an "official" trip would be in order. Then I learnt that the conference was to be inaugurated by Shri K. C. Pant, the then Union Minister of Education. I stayed at Puttaparthi for just three days - 1st to 3rd June, 1985. But these were days of transformation.

Bhagavan Himself was a surprise. He was so slight, so dainty and delicate. His smile was boyish; His eyes devoted to your welfare. When He came close, He was small and sweet and motherly. When He went after, His shoulders seemed broad and His face stern, and one could sense the aloofness and majesty of Shiva.

But the biggest surprise was myself. When Bhagavan came near me and said His first words "When did you arrive?" I found myself dumb. Professor Shyam Sunder mumbled something and Bhagavan moved away. But during those three days, my throat felt choked all the time, tears rose unbidden to the eyes and my heart was full. Bhagavan called me for an interview, told me about the monkey mind, materialised a ring and made me recite the Gayatri Mantra. I was in a group which was called for lunch and saw Bhagavan in the unusual role of a host, hovering around us, asking us to take more of a dish and generally behaving like an anxious housewife. 

Sri Sathya Sai with Educationists during a lunch session at Prasanthi Nilayam

I was asked to speak in one of the sessions. Something prompted me to speak each sentence in Hindi and English. This was appreciated by the audience. Then I had to chair a session. While this was going on, I found that the attention of the audience was wandering. They no longer stared at the speaker. They were looking towards me, but not me. This mysterious behaviour was explained, when I looked back and saw Bhagavan standing just behind my chair! 

When I returned from Puttaparthi, my attitude towards Bhagavan had changed. I could sense His Divinity, love and concern. Although I pushed the EHV programme in the State, I mentioned that we were collaborating with the Sathya Sai Trust as they had approached us with the complete pedagogy. 

Then in July 1987, I had a retinal hemorrhage in the left eye and my sight went down to 6/60. Doctors probing into my systems found no indication of hypertension, diabetes and so on. The problem was diagnosed as "idiopathic" which to my mind was "idiotic". But Bhagavan's blessing was obviously at work, and although I had to undergo laser surgery, the eyesight returned to 6/6, an almost unheard kind of cure. 

In January 1988 I visited Puttaparthi with the entire family, my parents, wife, daughter and son. Bhagavan showed complete knowledge about each one of us, our nature and temperament, dreams and desires, strengths and weaknesses. This time I was relatively calm but my wife wept continuously. 

Since then, we have visited Puttaparthi twice, in January 1989 and August 1989. The entire family has taken to Bhagavan. Each of us worships Bhagavan in his own way. Bhagavan's photographs adorn every room. My daughter, a hosteller at Kurukshetra, keeps a fast on Thursdays. My son, now in Moscow, writes letters to Bhagavan. So many miracles have taken place that it would be difficult to recount all of the them. Let me mention just one, to illustrate. 

On New Year's Eve, 1989, I was at Delhi Airport, waiting for the Hyderabad flight to be announced. The flight was late. I found a European youth pushing a wheelchair in which an old lady was seated. He was obviously worried about something, as he went from person to person, but without any success. I accosted him and learnt that the footrest of the wheelchair had broken loose. He wanted a mechanic, who could set it right, or perhaps if a wrench was produced, he could try to repair it himself. 

I approached the policeman near the X-ray machine, and meanwhile sent a prayer to Bhagavan. The cop looked sheepish when I told him about the trouble, but suddenly his colleague who was looking at the machine, asked us to wait. He said that a bag, which had passed through the machine immediately after I made my request, had wrench in it. The passenger who came to claim the bag turned out to be proficient in the use of the wrench. Very obligingly, he took out the wrench and repaired the wheel chair within a few minutes. 

But more than the miracles, it is the transformation of our personalities that is astonishing. In August 1987, I gave up smoking after 27 years. In August, 1989, the entire family gave up the non-vegetarian eating habit of a lifetime. We have become quieter, more introspective, less argumentative. We tend to pass on all our problems and worries to Bhagavan and He always helps. 

These days I am working on a book about Bhagavan. I am trying to read all that he has said and placing it in some kind of logical order. The writing of the book is itself a kind of Sadhana, for I find doubts dissolving and sudden flashes of illumination.

Now, at last. I have come to a stage where I am firmly convinced that Bhagavan is what He has proclaimed Himself to be — an Avatar. This has imparted a kind of serenity to me. Earlier, I used to fret and fume about what would happen to Punjab and Assam. I would wonder why tidal wave had killed a hundred thousand people of Bangladesh. Now, I know that Bhagavan is here, and whatever is happening is happening. That means it has to happen, due to the working of the karmic law, the entire ramifications which we are unable to see. So, I do not break my head against the seemingly insoluble problems of the universe. I leave them to Bhagavan Baba, who is infinitely more capable of sorting out the mess that we mortals create. 

Suffice it for me that I am privileged to live in the same country as Bhagavan, that I can see Him in human form with these eyes and visualize Him with my inner eye, and that His benedictory presence is always there to protect and guide me. 

M.K. Kaw (right) with Sri Sathya Sai at Delhi in April 2010

About The Author:

Maharaj Kishen Kaw joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1964; held several high positions in Himachal Pradesh. Collector and District Magistrate of Solon and Kangra Districts; Secretary of Finance, Planning, Personnel, Public Relations, Education and Culture and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister. He spent fifteen years with the Central Government and held the posts of Member Secretary, Fifth Central Pay Commission, Secretary Civil Aviation and Secretary Human Resource Development. After his retirement in 2001, Kaw has been the Dean for Sri Sathya Sai International Centre for Human Values, New Delhi. He has to his credit several books — Science and Spirituality; An Oasis of Solitude; Bureaucracy Gets Crazier: IAS Unmasked; An Outsider Everywhere, and others. 

Source: Sai Vandana (65th Birthday Offering - 1990)

Sri Sathya Sai Visits Trippunittura and Ernakulam in Kerala

December 20-26, 1966

Sri Sathya Sai in Kerala

Swami gave Darshan to the multitudes at Devi Vilas, Palghat and granted interviews to the sick and to the students on 20th and 21st. Swami laid the foundation stone for a Bhajan Mandir at the Sathya Sai Colony, Olavakkot on the 20th and visited Kongal village. Swami blessed the stones meant to serve as the foundation stones for the Sai Maharaj Paper and Pulp Mills, Chittore on the 21st at a special function held at Devi Vilas. Later, He left for Kollengod. He was accorded a traditional welcome at Kollengod Palace. Swami held in check the rain that was threatening to come down heavily until He finished His hour long Discourse. This miracle was reported in the Kerala newspapers the subsequent day. Swami blessed the children of Chinmaya Nursery School and Members of the Chinmaya Satsang at Kollengode Palace and left for Trippunittura. 

Sri Sathya Sai addresses devotees at Trippunittura

Swami visited the house of a Christian devotee and addressed a mammoth gathering from the 1st floor of that house. Later He laid the foundation stone for a Sathya Sai Mandir planned by this same devotee.

Sri Sathya Sai Darshan at Trippunittura

Swami proceeded to Ernakulam where many Judges of Kerala High Court and other government officials received His Blessings. Swami then left for Alleppey and reached there at 10.00 pm. Swami gave Darshan to hundreds of devotees at Saraswati Vihar, Allepey, on the 22nd, and on 23rd, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Swami created a charming idol of Murali Krishna and gifted it to His host. On the same day He left Alleppy and reached Palghat in the night and blessed the devotees at Devi Vilas with His Darshan. Swami left for Ooty on the 24th and stayed at Gita Bhavan until 26th December. 

Swami visited the Abhayaranyam forest along with His party on 26th. Swami reached Ooty on 27th, in time to bless the devotees with Darshan on the holy asterism of Ardra. Swami gave a Discourse and materialised a silver Shirdi Sai idol and gifted it to Smt. and Sri Mathan. Swami left for Madras on the 28th and gave Darshan to hundreds of devotees on New Year’s day.

Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam (1926-1985)

"Do you want diamond or Sai Baba?"

December 18,  1997

Swami asked a school student to remove his diamond ring, which He had materialised for him earlier. 

Swami : (To the student) What do you want?

Student : You, Swami.

Swami : Do you want diamond or Sai Baba?

Student : Sai Baba.

Swami : Why? Sai Baba is available for ₹ 2 outside (Referring to the rings with Swami’s photos in them sold on the footpath outside Prasanthi Nilayam Ashram). Diamond has very high value.

Swami blew on the ring thrice and changed it into a gold ring with an embellished picture of Swami showing Abhaya Hasta.

Swami : Sai Baba can change the sky into earth and the earth into sky in seconds, in seconds… (Giving the ring to the student) Now, no fear of diamond. You can wear it continuously.

Teacher : Swami can do anything. So please transform our minds. Swami, we need Your grace…

Swami : Capacity, capacity, sir.

Teacher : Even that comes with Swami’s grace. 

Swami : Yes, yes. I will do. But not now… at the right time. Time, time. Time is important, sir. Everything is time. 

Evening

This evening the school captains were sitting in the second block. The 12th and 10th class students were sitting in the fourth block. During Darshan, Swami spoke to the students sitting in the fourth block…

Student : Swami, please allow us to come for morning Darshan.

Swami : Every morning, I am coming to the ground. Stand along the roadside and have Darshan.

After interview, Swami came to the second block and spoke to the School captains…

Swami : (Pointing towards the lion) See, the lion is very hungry. I will give you all to the Lion (Smiling). (To a student) Do you participate in high jump?

Student : Yes, Swami.

Swami : How high can you jump.

Student : Swami, 5½ feet.

Swami : What only 1½ feet? Even a girl can jump that much. Do you participate in long jump?

Student : Yes, Swami.

Swami : How much can you jump?

Student : Swami, ten feet.

Swami : Even a cockroach can jump that distance. 

(Looking at a logo representing cycling in the card) What is this?

Student : Swami cycling.

Swami : It does not look like cycling, it looks like ring tennis. Who made this card?

Student : Swami myself.

Swami : (Looking at the picture, Swami commented humorously) You ride a cycle with hands or legs???

Student : With legs Swami. Swami… Padanamaskar.

Swami : How can I give only to you? So many students are there

Student : Swami please give to all students.

Swami : No time, flute will start.

Student : Swami Padanamaskar for captains.

Swami : How many?

Student : Fifteen Swami.

Swami : Fifteen captains??? How can there be fifteen captains in one game? It will create confusion; there should be only one captain. (Then Swami permitted them to take Padanamaskar. One of the students asked for morning Darshan) Study well… Second year. After this you have engineering and medicine, you should get above 85- 90%.

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

Sri Sathya Sai – The Sadguru - By Dr. D. K. K. Vamsi

DKK Vamsi with Sri Sathya Sai - March 2008

When I was asked to write about my experiences with Swami, I was in a dilemma, as I had never written any of my experiences before. Nevertheless, recollecting the beautiful moments with Swami rather than the thought of writing an article left me with an ocean of gratitude for the love He has showered upon me. On deeper introspection I realised that my life owes its existence to His Grace and Compassion. The important question that I should have asked is, “What is it that Swami has not done for my living as well as my life rather than, what is it that Swami has done for my living as well as for my life?” With these feeling, I would now try to recapitulate some of the golden moments of love that He made me experience Adharam Madhuram… Nayanam Madhuram…

The first thing that any devotee or a student comes across is the beautiful face, eyes and the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan. When Swami looks at us, I always feel that Swami looks at our past, present and future. When I look into in His eyes I always feel the love and concern of a mother. At the same time, there were instances when Swami would strictly warn me through His glance. All the lessons of discipline and feeling of love were experienced by me in just a single glance of His. Whenever I touched His feet I used to feel a great sense of relief. I knew that once we surrender to Him completely the problem becomes His. So the first lesson I have learnt is that we have to be very attentive when we are with Swami, as we may miss the important lessons of His life, in case we miss a single look of Swami. I have also learnt that it is only in the deep moments of silence and in a state absolute calm that we can communicate with God. Swami knows and owns everything and yet still He is so humble that He acts as if He knows nothing. We know nothing, but we act as though we know everything. We feel that we control things and it is because of us that things happen. I will recollect one incident that made me realise my ignorance.

DKK Vamsi with Sri Sathya Sai - February 2009

Once I was going to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur for a research presentation along with my friends. I was speaking to Swami in my mind, “Bhagavan, it is because of Your grace that we are happy; we have prepared well for the examination; You have to take care of us during the presentation…” Swami patiently listened for a while in my vision and after some time He looked at me and said, “Mee Duty Meeru Cheyyandi Chalu. Migilindi Nenu Chusukuntanu” (You do your duty. That is enough, the rest I will take care). The Registrar on a later date informed us that Swami had enquired with the Vice-Chancellor in Yajur Mandir about our travel and stay at the IIT, Kanpur. This made me realise that Swami is the one who had made this trip happen and Swami is the one who was taking care of us during the trip. On the other hand, we the ignorant ones, try to update Swami, about what He has planned for us. So the lesson is to always do our duty and leave the rest to Swami. Most of the time, we often get intensely worried about our career. We plan many things for our future without realizing that God has already planned everything for us and it is only that we execute His plan in course of time. In my life I am really wonder struck at the way Swami made me do M.Phil. and PhD. He even chose the topic for my research and post-doctoral study. He indeed has taken care of my entire career. I have understood, once we are His students, He indeed makes a unique plan for each of us. Let us endeavour to execute His master plan with humility and self-confidence.

Another important lesson that I have learnt is the supreme value of Bhajans. The one thing that keeps me going all along is Bhajans. Attending Bhajans every day gives me all the relief that even that best treatment in the world cannot give. It is only in the Bhajan session that we commune with God in the best possible way and obtain tremendous peace of mind and joy. This is the time for soul-searching and inner thinking, in an otherwise activity-filled day. These are the valuable lessons which have enriched my life and have elevated me. I express my deep thankfulness and gratitude to Bhagavan who is the very Light of my life. I pray to Him to make me a worthy instrument of His.

- Dr. D.K.K. Vamsi

Student and Research Scholar (2001-2013)

Currently, Assistant Professor

Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

Prasanthi Nilayam Campus

Source: Sai Nandana (90th Birthday Offering)

Sri Sathya Sai Visit to Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu

December 13 - 19, 1966

Swami reached Whitefield on the 14th December, 1966 and gave Darshan to the devotees gathered there. He left for Tiruchirappalli via Madras on 15th morning. Swami inaugurated the three day Session of the Prashanti Vidwan Maha Sabha in Tiruchirappalli on 16th December. 

Sri Sathya Sai Darshan at Tiruchirappalli

Mahavidwan Sri Arumuganavalar, Superintendent of the Institute for Training of Hindu Religious Teachers, Madras, addressed the gathering. Swami blessed the devotees with His Discourse. He said:

"There is a great deal of argument and agitation because the currency has been devalued; some say it is a good step, some say it had to be done whether good or bad, some argue it could have been avoided or postponed. But the net result has been anxiety and worry for all. More important, however, and more to be deplored is the devaluation of man that has been taking place systematically in recent times.

Man is held to be a tool, an instrument, and not as born primarily for his own fulfillment. Each man has to educate himself through trials and errors and attain graduation by reaching the full knowledge of his own reality. He has a great destiny and he is equipped with the skills needed to achieve that destiny. He is not a helpless victim of circumstances. But the tragedy is that he has allowed the equipment to rust through neglect and he has forgotten the goal. The road he has to traverse is also overgrown with brambles and the signboards have disappeared. That is why the person who laid the road has come again to lead man along it, after repairs and renewals.

Consider how man has been shaped since millions of years for this high destiny. During the primeval cosmic chaos, there were two phenomena struggling to overwhelm each other. On one side was the fiery lava flood vomited by the volcanoes and emanating from the crevices and chasms that scarred the horrifying face of the earth. The destructive conflagration swept in all directions scattering panic and death, heralding the end of everything. On the other side, scarcely noticed, microscopic amoeba floated furtively on the water's edge or clung desperately in the cracks of rocks, keeping the faint spark of life unharmed from fire and flood. Who could have predicted at that time that the future was with the animalcule or amoeba, whose appearance itself was due to an accident, and whose survival was an enigma? Who could have foreseen that these minute specks of life could hold out triumphantly against the devastating onslaught of heat and cold?

Man is the zenith of creation

But that speck of Chaitanya or Life-Consciousness won through. Sheer intelligence, adaptability and perseverance in 'willing' to live helped it to defeat the mortal fury of the elements. By the unfoldment of that Chaitanya, the amoeba blossomed into various species of living beings, gigantic and microscopic; at last, it grew into man; in man, it bore fruit as goodness and virtue, sympathy and sacrifice, oratory and music, song and dance, scholarship and Sadhana, martyrdom and sainthood, and as repositories of Divinity; nay, even divine Manifestations assumed the human form.

Sri Sathya Sai addresses the devotees at Tiruchirappalli 

This is the reason why man is said to be the zenith of creation. This is the purpose for which he has struggled through stone and grass, tree, bird and beast. Hence, man should not fritter away the precious prize he has won; he should not slide back into the beast; he must move forward into Divinity. He must become aware of his strength and weaknesses and become clear about his goal, his path and his potentialities. He must act up to his worth and capacity. 

Ego is the seed pot of down-dragging tendencies 

Man is endowed with the capacity to separate himself from his body and the senses and the mind and the intelligence. He feels and says, My eyes, my ears, my feet, my hands, my mind, my reason, etc. He knows, deep down in his consciousness, that he is apart from all these; that he is their user, owner and master. No animal feels itself different from the body; for them, they are the body. They do not know that they are occupants of the physical frames. Man can, by a simple exercise in silent reasoning, discover that the physical frame is unreal and temporary. This should lead to Vairagya (detachment), achieved through Vichakshana (analysis), the result of Viveka (discrimination).

Once man is free from undue attachment to the body and its appurtenances, he is liberated also from the pulls of joy-grief, good-bad, pleasure-pain, etc. He is firmly established in equanimity, fortitude, undisturbed balance. Then man discovers that the world is one kin, in God; that all is Joy, Love, Bliss. He realises that he himself is all this apparent world, that all the multifarious manifestations are the fantasies of the Divine Will, which is his own reality. This expansion of one's individuality to cover the ends of the Universe is the highest leap of man. It gives supreme Ananda (bliss), an experience for which sages and saints spent years of prayer and asceticism.

Egoism is the seed pot of greed, envy, anger, malice, conceit and a host of other down-dragging tendencies. They cloud his intelligence; they divert the attention from truth and make the false appear as real, the real distorted as false. So it becomes essential to cleanse the mind of these through regular Sadhana, to tune the little will to the Infinite Will of God, so that it becomes merged in His Glory. Scholarship or skill, however deep and varied, have no cleansing power. They only add the alloys of pride and competition. Learned men are not necessarily good, nor are men with spiritual powers over nature above pride, envy and greed. Satya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema are the hallmarks of a purified heart, a heart where God is enshrined and is manifest. 

Man today lives only at the animal level

The world is today in deep distress because the common man and his leaders are all distracted by lower desires and lower motives, which require only the lower skills and meaner impulses of man. This is what I call 'devaluation'. Though man is inherently divine, he lives only at the animal level. Very few live even in the native human level.

Instead of transforming his hearth, his home, his village, his state and this world into a Prasanthi Nilayam, the Abode of the Peace that passeth understanding, man has made the world an arena for the wild passions of anger, hate and greed. Instead of making the senses (which are after all very poor guides and informants) his servants, he has made them his masters; he has become a slave of external beauty, evanescent melody, exterior softness, tickling taste, fragrance. He spends all his energies and the fruits of all his toil in the satisfaction of the trivial demands of these untamed underlings. 

When the mind is controlling the senses, you have lasting joy; when the senses are masters, you are dragged in the dust. This is the most tragic result of devaluation. Every act which lowers the authority of Viveka and honours the siren-call of the senses devalues man. Intelligence must be the Lord, the Master. Whenever the senses demand anything, intelligence must start discriminating, asking the question, "Is this an act in keeping with the Divinity immanent in me?" That will prevent devaluation.

Tragic result of man's devaluation

To accept that man is related to the apes or that he is an animal made of mud or matter is to devalue him. Man or Manava, as he is called in Sanskrit, is a spark of Madhava or God. He can blossom into God. He is born to be perpetually happy, but is everywhere in misery. This is a tragedy; it is the like the Dhobi (washerman) who died of thirst though he was standing knee-deep in the running stream; or like the man who closed his eyes and stumbled along in the darkness. The source of happiness is in him; the source of light is in his eyes. Real education has to teach man how to tap this spring of joy and light. If this task is not undertaken by schools and colleges, it should be performed by parents and elders and all who are keen to prevent this devaluation."

Swami visited Budalur village to inaugurate the Sathya Sai Bala Vihar on 17th December. Swami proceeded to Pollachi on the 18th. Swami gave Darshan to the mammoth gathering at the godown sheds of the Cotton Mills on 19th morning. He left Pollachi at 2.00 pm and reached Perambikulam forest (the birth place of Sai Geeta, Swami’s pet elephant). After spending a few hours in the forest with His group, He returned back to Pollachi and proceeded to Palghat in Kerala State. 

Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam (1926-1985)

Sri Sathya Sai Inaugurates the Kurnool Cloth Market

Friday, December 04, 1964 to

 Thursday, December 10, 1964

On December 4th, Swami inaugurated the Sreenivasa Cloth Market at Kurnool, and gave some guidelines to the members regarding the administration of the market. He said:

"The opening of this Shrinivasa Cloth Market is just an excuse for My coming to Kurnool and meeting all of you, including the two ministers, Dr. Lakshminarasiah and Alapathy Venkataraamiah. Life itself is a market, where giving and taking, bargaining and speculating are part of the game. Life has its ups and downs, its profits and losses, its balance sheets and disappointments, its joys and sorrows. But the giving of Bhakti (devotion to God) in exchange for Mukti (liberation) is the most profitable business of all; and I am interested in telling you about that only.

Bhakti is not simply the worship of the Lord; it is much more than that. Primarily it is the control of the senses; for, when life is offered as worship, the senses do not run after transient things. They can be thus controlled, for man is not a weak animal; he is endowed with mighty spiritual power and he can learn to use it; he can tap this power through prayer, which brings down Grace to fill the reservoir of his heart. Man tames the lion and the elephant to obey his call; can he not tame his emotions and passions? Make your strength evident in the face of hardships; when all goes well, you become soft, the blows of defeat toughen you into heroes. The difficulties that the organisers of this market encountered, as described to us in the report, show that they but deepened the determination of Raamalingiah and others to plod on, until they won through.

Alapathy Venkataraamiah is the Minister in charge of temples in Andhra and the words of advice which he gave now are worthy of attention. He spoke of the culture of India and its excellence. It held up to mankind for reverence of not conquerors and millionaires but hermits and saints. He has also a great love for Sanskrit, the language of our scriptures, which give this land the inspiration to advance along the spiritual path of discrimination and non-attachment. The scriptures are so framed that they serve the highest needs of all classes of people, whatever their age, avocation or attainment. Like a loving mother the Vedas guide and guard all her children, wherever they may be.

The body is worn by the Jeeva to realise God

Venkataraamiah also said that the attitude of Bhakti is the important thing, not the name and form which has drawn it out. Yes; the Lord has a thousand names. In fact, all names are His; there is no name that is not His. Krishna, Shrinivasa, Sai Baba - all are names of the same entity. The body is worn by the Jeeva in order to realise God, the source from which the Jeeva came. That is why it is said that it is very lucky for living beings to get equipped with the human physique. To be endowed with a desire for things of the spirit is the height of fortune.

A grandfather was fondling his grandson, a little lad of four; the boy asked him his age; the grandfather said he was seven; the lad refused to believe; how could a boy of four have a grandfather of seven? But, the old man said, "My dear boy! I do not care for all the 63 years I spent in the darkness; it is only seven years since I came under the influence of a Guru, who opened my eyes and led me along the path to realisation. I have lived only seven years so far; the rest, I could as well ignore as wasted. I speak the truth always; this the truth."

That is the proper attitude. Do not admire and gape at the engineering achievements of countries that are able to shoot a rocket round the earth or over the moon or invent a bomb that can wipe out an entire city. That is the culmination of the strife for death and for mastery over other nations. That path leads only to misery, loss, hatred, and waste. The competition is about who will earn more in less time. All this comes about because man mistakes himself to be just a bundle Of the senses, packed into this body. Really speaking, he is a spark of divinity waiting to illumine the intelligence.

Man has to develop spiritual attitude

India has been announcing this Truth to the world since ages; this is the land where holy personages, divine personalities, saints and sages, Avatars, carrying the authentic stamp of God, have demonstrated that nothing else can give man the peace and joy that the contemplation of the Universal Atma can give.

The poor ryot who throws a paisa into the river Godavari when he passes over the bridge might appear to the half-educated boor, smoking in the comer, to have wasted a precious coin, which he could have put to better use, perhaps, buying a bidi! But, what he did is a spiritual act; he felt that the Godavari was a living mother, who gave food to men and cattle, and his paisa is not just a coin, it is an attitude of mind, a token of gratefulness, a flower of worship. He has the Atma Bhava (spiritual attitude), while the critic who sneers at him is suffering from Anatma-Bhava (un-spiritual attitude). Hindu Dharma teaches man to see and develop this Atma-Bhava not only with all mankind who are bound by the same tie of kinship, but, with all beings and all nature. Man is not isolated; he is one with all. All have to be served:, all have to be known, for he is this all."

The Minister for Panchayat Raj, Dr. M. N. Lakshmi Narasaiah; and the Deputy Minister for Municipality and Religious Endowments, Sri Aalapati Venkata Ramaiah, spoke on this occasion. Swami also presided over a function at the ‘Nataka Kala Parishad’ in Kurnool, and blessed the gathering with His Discourse. Swami left for Venkatagiri on the 10th after blessing the devotees of Kurnool at various functions.

Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam (1926-1985)