February 9, 1997
Swami: Do not give so many letters, there is no time. There is lot of rush. Five buses full of people have come. I am very busy.
(In the middle portico, to a student) Emi? (What is the matter?)
Student: Swami, what course to take in the Institute (for further studies)?
Student: Should I take B.Com. or MES (Maths Economics Statistics specialisation)?
Swami: No, take ‘Mrs’. (Swami jokingly punned on the word MES as Mrs. Indicating marriage)
Student: Swami, please tell, what to take?
Swami: No…no, whatever you like to take.
Student: You know better, Swami.
Swami: Oh, is it so! Sit down, Dunnapotha.
(To a group of former students who were leaving after they had done service in Appalavandlapalli, a nearby village…)
Swami: Students are not understanding. You are doing good work, but doing all the work in the same place is not good. Because of this, people from the nearby villages are feeling jealous. In fact, students should render services in their own places. Bombay students in Bombay. Madras students should work in Madras itself. Unlimited opportunities are there. Work is only an art but education is for the heart. You should educate people about cleanliness and healthy habits. Spread your service activities to all those in need. You all merely work, but not with heart. First, you must purify your heart. First self, then only help. Isn’t it? Have I told correctly or not?
Student: Swami, please come to Ooty.
Swami: I will, I will. I am everywhere.
Swami: Students are talking more. Talk less. Yesterday you all had invited Me to come to the village but half the students were talking so much without doing any work. How can I come to such a place? Work whole-heartedly. That automatically creates the suitable atmosphere where I shall come even before you call Me. God comes very slowly. His footsteps are very soft. Unless you maintain silence around you, you cannot hear His footsteps. That’s why the sages and saints of Himalayas maintained silence. Students should be very careful about their behaviour. They should never develop ego, while doing any work. Don’t think that you are helping some villagers. In truth, you are Lakshmi Narayana and they are Daridra Narayana. Both are Narayanas. If you work with this feeling, you will get real happiness.
(To a teacher) Three-fourths of these students are M.B.A students. Believe in Divinity and Understand Divinity. See, so many overseas devotees are there. They have left their countries and come here. They lead a very comfortable life in their native places. There, they have separate bed-rooms, bathrooms, etc, whereas here, common hall, common food. Everything is adjustment. Because they have understood, they adjust very easily. But, our students try for adjustment without understanding. This is wrong. If there were a good understanding between wife and husband, the wife would understand and adjust even if her husband came late by an hour. On the other hand if there were a lack of understanding between them, she would start suspecting him even if he was late by ten minutes. Doubt enters her mind. So, perfect understanding is needed. Believe in Divinity. This whole body (Swami pointed to His own body) is Divinity. Realise that.
Student: How to improve understanding, Swami?
Swami: Start feeling Divine. There is no difference between this body (Swami’s) and your body. Ishwara Sarva Bhutaanam (The Divinity in all is the same). Don’t give scope for selfishness when you do work. Even fish is better. It purifies the water. But selfishness is bad. It spreads to the entire body. Then it spreads to the entire society. So, remove selfishness first. Your hand, your leg, your entire being becomes pure and Divine, once you remove selfishness. You all receive so much of money as salary, but are you all working in proportion to the amounts you are accepting?
(To an old student) Ay! How much is your salary?
Student: Swami, ₹25,000.
Swami: Are you all working in proportion to the money that you are accepting? If not, then it’s a sheer waste! You must work in proportion to the salary you take. Then only will self-satisfaction come. It doesn’t matter even if the salary is less. But, achieve self-satisfaction. You take two hours to reach your office and two hours to go back to your house. In between, three more hours are left. What great work can you do in that short span of time? Practice at least one of My teachings. Your life will be sanctified. Always talking, talking, but no work. Talk less and work more. I shall give you an example. This happened, last year, while I was returning from Kodaikanal. One of the devotees could not get a car. So he requested a van driver for a lift. The van driver was very happy to help him and his wife. All through the journey the driver was talking something or the other. But the devotee never opened his mouth. Then the van driver asked his wife, “What Madam, your husband doesn’t talk at all! What’s the matter?” His wife answered. “We follow Sai Baba’s teachings, and hence we talk less.” After coming back home, the devotee was very angry with his wife for talking unnecessarily in the van. How many people are following My teachings like that?
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