Wednesday, February 14, 2001
Swami: People who went to Gujarat (for relief work) are coming tomorrow. The military people are very happy. They were saying that many others have sent old clothes and spoilt rice, but Swami has given everything new. They also gave the rice bags to the military people serving there. 4,000 families got the benefit.
Prof. A. K.: Swami has sent rugs and other things also.
Swami: We have sent stoves and tents also. While giving, our people tell ‘Sairam’. The people who receive also tell ‘Sairam’. From Hostel, you people wanted to send old clothes. (In their enthusiasm to serve, the students from Swami’s Hostels had gathered old clothes for the benefit of the earthquake victims. However, Swami refused to send them and said that it was not correct.) They are not poor people. Circumstances have made them dependent on society. (Swami always emphasized on the need for doing service with the right kind of feelings, with the understanding that the recipient is also an aspect of Divinity who is giving the giver an opportunity to serve.) (Changing the topic) What happened in College today?
Prof. A. K.: Swami, there was a meeting regarding the Awareness course.
Swami: It was started by Venkataraman (Former Vice-Chancellor). They are planning to standardise it.
Prof. A. K.: Yes, Swami. They are also taking suggestions from all.
Swami: Do properly. (To a teacher) Where was the crown made? Hyderabad!
(To Prof. Anil Kumar) Diamond crown for Shirdi Sai Baba (statue in the Bhajan Hall). Due to the knot of hair at the back, the crown does not remain steady.
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| The Shirdi Sai Statue in the Prasanthi Nilayam Bhajan Mandir |
Warden: (Mentioning a name) He used to say that he had seen Shirdi Sai Baba.
Swami: All say like that. They have not seen. Shirdi Baba took Samadhi in 1918. At that time, they were very small children. Upasni has seen.
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| Upasni Maharaj |
(Editor’s Note: Upasni Maharaj (1870 – 1941) was considered by his disciples to be a Sadguru. He lived in Sakori, Maharashtra and is said to have received God-realisation from Shirdi Sai Baba. Sakori is located in Ahmednagar District, about five kms from Shirdi.)
Warden: Swami, today being Saint Valentine’s Day, students wrote letters and made them into a card and sent it to Swami.
Swami: You all have sent a card! I have not yet received it. (Changing the topic)
In Gujarat, it is too hot. They called Me. I didn’t take the phone. Others gave Me the message. A contagious disease is prevalent there because of water pollution caused by earthquake.
Prof. A. K.: Swami, nowadays, if something goes wrong at home, they say that something is wrong with the Vaastu of the house and ask us to modify the house.
(Editor’s Note: Vaastu Shastra, science of construction, is an ancient doctrine which consists of precepts born out of a traditional view on how the laws of nature affect human dwellings. The designs are based on directional alignments.)
Swami: Till now, it was the same house and nothing happened. How does Vaastu change suddenly and something goes wrong because of it? They suggest such things to make money.
Prof. A. K.: Swami, even in astrology, while seeing the horoscope, they say that something is wrong with the horoscope. If we pay them some money, they say that they will rectify the effect of the wrong positioning of the planets (Graham). If you pay ₹50, they nullify the bad effect!
Swami: It is all madness. They correct the bad effect with ₹50! Is it possible? (Then Swami spoke about the mind) Mind may go anywhere, but man should not go behind it. If man remains steady, irrespective of where the mind goes, then it will come back to its origin. Mind and man give rise to action. It can either be positive or negative. Whenever mind goes somewhere, man should discriminate whether it is good or bad. If it is not good, then man should come back and not contemplate on it. When there is a difference between what mind says and what intellect says, there will be a conflict (Sangharshanam). When there is no difference, it is a pure mind. As such, mind does not have any fault (Dosham). Even Dhairyam, Saahasam (courage, valour) and other things are not related to the mind, but they are related to the intellect (Buddhi).
Prof. A. K.: Swami, but people mention Manodurbalam (weakness of the mind).
Swami: Those are people who don’t go till the intellect level. They have Manodurbalam. Mind has neither Dhairyam nor Adhairyam (courage nor weakness). (To a School student) What is your name?
Student: Swami, Kunal Raj.
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| Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) |
Swami: (Changing the topic) Aurobindo’s wife’s name was Mrinalini. (Swami described that Sri Aurobindo was a political activist during the Indian Independence movement and was arrested by the British. He later escaped from jail and lived in exile in Pondicherry, which was a French territory. There, he started his spiritual life. Later, Swami elaborated on the principles of Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati as present in the Gayatri Mantra.)
Prof. A. K.: Swami, people say that he (Sri Aurobindo) did research on the working of the mind.
Swami: No, nobody did research on the mind. It is not possible. There is no end if one studies the mind. It can be used for both good and bad. Manah Eva Manushyanaam Kaaranam Bandha Mokashayoh (It is the mind of man, which is responsible for both bondage and liberation). Mind is the key to man’s life. If you turn it to the right, the lock opens, leading to liberation. If you turn it to the left, on to the wrong path, it will lead to bondage.
Warden: Swami, are the mind and brain same?
Swami: No, they are different. (Changing the topic) In Bangalore Hospital, Heart-Lung machine is not being used for by-pass surgery. They make the heart beat as slow as possible without stopping it. Then they do the operation. It has to be done fast. Previously, they used to take the veins from the leg and use it for replacing the vein near the heart. But nature has provided an extra vein near the heart itself. Therefore, now they disconnect the old vein and connect to the extra vein. Hence, the operation gets over faster and there is no need for a Heart-Lung machine.
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| The Cardiac Surgery Section at Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialty Hospital |
Teacher: Swami has told this to the doctors much before.
Swami: Yes, I only told them. Some people have the heart on their right side. Then it has to be rectified and put back on the left side. It takes lot of time for heart transplant too. In that case, one has to use the Heart-Lung machine.
Warden: Swami, nowadays, they do brain transplant also.
Swami: All these transplants are not good. At most, they live five to six years more. What is the use?
Prof. A. K.: (Joking) They can eat little more!
Swami also laughed. Swami went back to the interview room. Swami again came back after the music started. Swami kept asking Prof. Anil Kumar whether He has grown fat. Prof. Anil Kumar kept telling that Swami looks the same and has not put on any weight. Then Swami made a remark that if people have too much of panting for breath (Aayasam) just after a light work, it indicates that they have some heart problem.
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