Love Is The Force Behind Compassion – By B. Shashank Kumar

Our Lord Sai is the most compassionate one. To Illustrate this I would like to narrate an instance.

On the 7th of September 2005, a man had a severe heart problem and was admitted to the hospital. He asked his nephew who was the student at the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, to pray to Swami and September being festival time in Puttaparthi the nephew forgot about his uncle. Soon after Darshan the boy received a call stating that his uncle had been admitted to the ICU. The boy felt really bad for not having prayed to Swami.

The next day was a special day indeed as the boy saw Swami himself distributing clothes and other items. Taken away by the love and compassion the boy hardly prayed to Swami to take care of his uncle.

When Bhagavan was about to go back, he suddenly recollected what his mother had told him. He immediately joined his hands and prayed in his mind, ”Swami please help”. Bhagavan with a smiling face looked at him and the boy felt assured. On the 10th of September the boy was assured that his uncle was out of danger.

We often feel that our prayers are being answered but so intricate is his web that we often tend to loose track and get disconnected from him. The ever compassionate Sai’s life is His message and its our duty having received the bounty of his proximity, to follow His message.

One day as I was going to the Mandir, I saw a very poor and helpless woman with her child. The mother went on asking for alms from a man besides her and to give her something to eat from what he was eating. The man gave her a frustrated look. This touched me. It is quite easy to blame God, for not having given us the riches but I said to myself think of the one’s who did not have a morsel of food to eat.

The day was quite bad as I had scored very badly in physics . This fact soon overpowered me and I soon forgot about the mother and her child. In Mandir my whole attention was riveted to a drama which portrayed the need to serve the poor and needy. After the programme was over I received the coconut sweet which I used to cherish a lot and given an opportunity was ready to eat even three at a time. That day I thought that I should give the Prasadam to the crying mother. So I controlled all my senses and began walking out of the Mandir fighting the rising desire to eat that sweet. I saw that poor lady went to her and called out, “Amma”. She immediately spread out her hand and I placed the packet of the Prasadam in her hand. The child smiled seeing this, the mother too gave a beautiful smile and all of a sudden I felt light at heart.

Well, being from a scientific background which demands rational thinking I am clueless and conclude my revere with regard to this incident with the following statement, "Giving away is not only good for the spirit but it is also a beneficial heart stimulant. Health is to a great extent conditioned and controlled by the circulation of blood. That important little circulatory heart I believe is influenced to a greater degree than we realize by the other heart, the seat of affections, the seat of beloved Mother Sai."

Swami often tells that we must love everyone, and be compassionate towards everyone, not so that we are acknowledged but importantly he, on whom we pour our compassion, feels that he has been acknowledged.

Swami loves people who perform selfless acts. In the old Mandir an eye camp was conducted. Soon after the camp was concluded an old man came to the doctors and pleaded them to examine his eyes. Two of the doctors said that the examination was not possible as they had packed their instruments. The old man went to the third doctor and pleaded to him to check his eyes. The doctor took pity on the patient, examined his eyes and gave him medicines. He also asked the patient to chant, “Sairam”.

The next day all the doctors and assistants were seated together. Swami came directly to the three doctors. He asked them what they had told the old man who had come for the treatment. Two of them said that they had sent the old man away without examination as their instruments had already been packed. The third doctor said that he had examined the old man and had given him the necessary medicines. Swami added, ”You also told him to repeat ‘Sairam’, is it not?” Swami asked the doctor to take Padanamaskar. He materialized Vibhuti and applied it on the doctor’s forehead. He also materialized a ring and put it on the doctor’s finger. Swami then told the doctors,” Who do you think that old man was ? It was me!”

Swami appreciates those who really love people and give away everything. In one of his discourses while speaking about sacrifice Swami said that sacrifice is giving away something which both the giver and the acceptor are in need of.

Einstein once stated that, a human being is part of the whole world we call the universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest-a kind of optical illusion of his consciousness. This illusion is a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires  and showing affection to the people who are nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison, widening our circle of compassion, embracing all living beings and all of nature.

Compassion is the attitude of the heart and this must be learnt from within. Loving our fellowmen brings us closer to God and makes us dearer to him.

- B. Shashank Kumar

Alumnus, Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School

Prasanthi Nilayam

Source: Sai Chandana 2010 (85th Birthday Offering)