Sri Sathya Sai Conversations on Food and Finance, Dharma and Spirituality

July 20, 1998

Swami: (To students) Still, it is not raining much. (To a teacher) An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Patients should not take any other fruit. Even watermelon has 4 % sugar, but apple has only 3%. Apple does not increase diabetes. It gives vitamins and minerals. Two spoons of Viva powder in warm water is better than taking the same in milk for diabetics. Rice is good because starch content in it will mix with blood fast, whereas ragi and wheat take around three hours. South Indians are rice-eating people and North Indians are wheat-eating people.

Teacher: Swami, please speak to students.

Swami: What is the meaning of ‘Akshara’?

Teacher: Word, letter…

Swami: No. ‘A’ means Atma, ‘Kshara’ stands for ‘Deha’ and ‘Akshara’ means the combination of Atma and body. It is Unity in Diversity. What are ‘Swa Dharma’ and ‘Para Dharma’?

Teacher: ‘Para Dharma’ means worldly duty.

Swami: ‘Swa+Dharma’ means listening to one’s conscience. When you fulfill Swa Dharma, Para Dharma is also taken care of. Similarly, ‘Swechha’  means – ‘one related to Atma.’ Freedom outside is going on bikes and scooters. Such freedom is deaf and dumb. It does not mean freedom of going here and there and doing whatever comes to mind. See, these things should be made clear to the students.

Teacher: Swami, please come and talk to the students.

Swami: But students are not asking for it.

Teacher: Swami, students are good. They are interested to know more and more about Swami.

Swami: Interest is there in Swami but it is 'Into-Rest', it is not 'In-Trust'. It should be 'In-trust'. Vice Chancellor (VC) is changing on 10th August. New VC is coming on 8th. (The outgoing Vice Chancellor was Prof. G. Venkataraman, a renowned Physicist and the incoming Vice Chancellor was Sri S.V. Giri, Former Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Government of India. The details of the event and Divine Discourse can be read here.)

Teacher: Swami always welcomes everyone, no goodbye.

Swami: Yes, but we have to function according to the customs. VC is a good scientist. He will be given an assignment in the administration.

Teacher:  Yes, Swami. It is very nice of Swami to take care of every one of us.

Swami: Where should we have the function? Here, or in the Institute?

Teacher: Wherever Swami suggests.

Swami: It is purely an Institute function. So let it be held in the Institute.

Teacher: Swami, will Brindavan and Anantapur students also be called?

Swami: No. Only Prashanti Nilayam Campus and Higher Secondary School boys.

Teacher: Swami, last year, students were given chance to participate in a question-answer session with Bhagavan. Kindly allow the same thing now also.

Swami: But boys should have interest, isn’t it? How is Re-engineering?

Teacher: Yes, Swami. I heard that you had given a Discourse on Re-engineering in Kodaikanal.

Swami: No. Boys had a debate and from debate they went to Tibet! (Smiling)
Teacher: Swami, it will be nice if Swami speaks on Re-engineering.

Swami: I will see. (To students) How are the MBA boys doing? Are the subjects being taught well? (To a teacher) In my opinion, you should give some special inputs on important subjects like Marketing, Finance, Banking and International Finance. 
(Swami explained how Indian rupee keeps fluctuating with respect to US dollar and British pound).

Teacher: Yes, Swami had spoken about it 4 years back.

Swami: Yes. Banking, Finance is all-important. From August onward, financial position will improve.

Teacher: Swami, after 75th Birthday, will there be improvement in our country?

Swami: See, towards the end of this month, 500 youth are coming from London to be here with Swami and present a drama.

Teacher: By 75th Birthday, the whole world will know about Swami.

Swami: But I have no desire for that.

Teacher: But Swami, we need You. With Swami’s Grace, everything is possible. Presently, the condition of the world is very bad. Has the mankind stooped so down?

Swami: No, not mankind, man has gone down. Mankind does not go down. What is mankind? What is man?

Teacher: Proper study of mankind is man. It is unity between thought word and deed.

Swami: No. Answer is there in the question itself. Kindness of man is mankind. He should have compassion in his heart.


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