tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25738626200105626382024-03-18T11:28:32.277+05:30Sai Student: Experiences and MusingsBhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has been extremely kind and loving in giving me the chance of being a student in His Institute (and hopefully for life too). I would like to share personal experiences with Swami and thoughts that He has inspired via many episodes through this blog.Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-56100638613647223162023-06-02T23:03:00.006+05:302023-06-02T23:07:32.733+05:30Who Is Sathya Sai Baba?<h2 id="who-is-mr-swami" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 22.8px; line-height: 1.44em; margin-top: 30px; max-width: 100%; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">"Who is Mr.Swami?"</h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333;">An interesting thing happened some years ago. As I was furiously plodding away at the keyboard, reliving my beautiful memories with Swami, I got a gentle prod. The prod came in as a message from Mr.Happy. He wrote in all sincerity and love - “Thank you for writing this. It was interesting and I can certainly appreciate your devotion for the Man in Orange. He does seem to command power.This was a great blog. I am not sure who Mr. Swami is - that is why I wanted to read more because I keep seeing his photo around lately …”</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">I was very touched with his interest. And I stopped typing, pausing to think. “I keep writing about the object of my love, adoration and worship. I bring Him completely into my conversations with my readers. But I do the error of not introducing Him! Many do not require an introduction and still many do need one. I must write about who Mr.Swami ( </span><a href="https://discover.hubpages.com/entertainment/Sathya-Sai-Baba-1926-2011" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">) is.” And thus this venture. It is really so easy to say who He is - God. And yet so difficult, for the term “God” has different meanings for different people.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">Before I begin, let me tell the readers that due to a wealth of information that can be provided, I stick to a skeleton framework providing links wherever necessary. You can, of your own volition choose to dive to the depths you want! Happy diving and splashing! Now, let me begin.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">Sathya Sai Baba was born as Sathyanarayana Raju as the eighth child in a poor family in the village of Puttaparthi, Andhra pradesh, India on the 23rd of November 1926. (He shed the mortal coil on the 24th of April, 2011.) </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_01/06NOV15/SaiStory/saistory.htm." rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">His early life</span></a><span style="color: #333333;"> was one that was filled with miracles and experiences galore.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsiynGqnpPY5PqqYJYSEzn0-TziGQoLG8CWEL8n29O92OdT7Ls7yYyhMgLtRtEpNytG0yaUSLAD2_Jspu1FuNycAPce8NlBI9LQh10DFGrj0RXKAYEI66hkSizsM4RIu6mzQ1pNfVcCwENr3Y2NlciT2nNJxDaUOwsIHOw6sARTQi3yGTlpVp9mLR/s908/Swami%20in%20old%20brindavan.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsiynGqnpPY5PqqYJYSEzn0-TziGQoLG8CWEL8n29O92OdT7Ls7yYyhMgLtRtEpNytG0yaUSLAD2_Jspu1FuNycAPce8NlBI9LQh10DFGrj0RXKAYEI66hkSizsM4RIu6mzQ1pNfVcCwENr3Y2NlciT2nNJxDaUOwsIHOw6sARTQi3yGTlpVp9mLR/w634-h640/Swami%20in%20old%20brindavan.webp" width="634" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="hero-new, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.04px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">Sri Sathya Sai Baba at His Brindavan residence ( Bangalore) in the 1960s</span></td></tr></tbody></table><h2 id="the-two-voices-waiting-to-talk-aloud" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 22.8px; line-height: 1.44em; margin-top: 30px; max-width: 100%; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">The two voices waiting to talk aloud...</h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333;">In the 86 years on earth, what He has achieved is monumental to say the least, Divine to say the Truth. And as I start to write about Him, I witness</span><a href="https://discover.hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Heart-vs-Mind" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: black; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;"> </a><a href="https://discover.hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Heart-vs-Mind" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">two voices within me</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">. Both want to be heard. And I shall give them both an opportunity. The first voice is that of the head and the second is that of the heart.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">Over to the head now.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">Swami believes in the unity of all religions. He says that He has come not to start a new religion but to make a Hindu a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian and so on. He says that there is only one caste, the caste of humanity; only one religion, the religion of Love; only one language, the language of the heart and only one God though God responds to whatever name you call or form you ascribe.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">He says that the summation of all the scriptures is contained in the phrases, “Love All, Serve All” and “Help ever, Hurt never”. And so, He exhorts one and all to serve for service to man is service to God. In accordance with these, He has pioneered some breathtaking service projects.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-weight: 700;">1) </span><span style="color: #333333;">Starting small with</span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_06/01OCT08/03-coverstory.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: black; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_06/01OCT08/03-coverstory.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a free general hospital</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">, Swami has started two general hospitals and two super speciality hospitals which are absolutely free. The super specialty hospitals in Puttaparthi and </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_04/01JAN06/coverstory_sssihms_wf.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Bangalore</span></a><span style="color: #333333;"> provide tertiary care to one and all - absolutely free of cost! And the response, especially from the poorest sections that earn less than a dollar a day has been one of unimaginable gratitude.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">This has inspired medical service activities in over 120 countries of the world and healthcare is being provided to millions around the world. Some of the most amazing service has been carried out in the poor </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_04/01May06/Africa_seva.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">African continent</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">! It has brought light to the dark continent!</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">But as I said, this is only a drop in the ocean. There is </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/journals/archives/Sai_Seva_Archives.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">magnificent service going on in all countries</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">. I have personally witnessed some, like this mind-blowing and heart-touching </span><a href="https://discover.hubpages.com/politics/Building-homes-the-Sathya-Sai-way-An-unbelievable-service-of-love-in-Trinidad-Tobago" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">one in Trinidad and Tobago</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1WTZx-BrzuScYq8Ra0FiVy1KRLYYrwpMix8BoRcjI9UC0A09_B2hO3LTcIaKjBBii36x2x7rVtFO6Vcl63dzXuYlMYK7nIEIV44g9UBA2WLLjcIMRcDEGoEmczN0mrmWk--gptP4pdRifj7hNyZyQU9uKlf4WYgqCThxQLgg0aa7SYCGV6CQ_1J8/s1100/SSSIHMS%20Bangalore.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1100" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1WTZx-BrzuScYq8Ra0FiVy1KRLYYrwpMix8BoRcjI9UC0A09_B2hO3LTcIaKjBBii36x2x7rVtFO6Vcl63dzXuYlMYK7nIEIV44g9UBA2WLLjcIMRcDEGoEmczN0mrmWk--gptP4pdRifj7hNyZyQU9uKlf4WYgqCThxQLgg0aa7SYCGV6CQ_1J8/w640-h294/SSSIHMS%20Bangalore.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="hero-new, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.04px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">A view of the edifice of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Bengaluru. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3UWg0KKyyFG1xNFnA-EGUWrEELfi3mKNdVt60yNetocUSCrBnFWLZGs8MZml94CCiRkTJa4CuwjedBikMrHW2C-4kBMUsZetA7_h1-IZTfZ5hl6RIWqLR3MGIcjTAQ4bjuB6AJyLBqKKP--exDIVvQFOi0Jl6fUW5Nj9qTaZmcLZVUOH_5f3BUSe/s600/SSSIHMS%20Parthi.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3UWg0KKyyFG1xNFnA-EGUWrEELfi3mKNdVt60yNetocUSCrBnFWLZGs8MZml94CCiRkTJa4CuwjedBikMrHW2C-4kBMUsZetA7_h1-IZTfZ5hl6RIWqLR3MGIcjTAQ4bjuB6AJyLBqKKP--exDIVvQFOi0Jl6fUW5Nj9qTaZmcLZVUOH_5f3BUSe/w640-h320/SSSIHMS%20Parthi.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="hero-new, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.04px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">A view of the edifice of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Puttaparthi </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-weight: 700;">2)</span><span style="color: #333333;"> Swami has always defined education as something that brings out from within what is latent in a person. He says that education is not simply stuffing things external into a person! To achieve this, Swami has built schools and a university. And again, from the nursery to post graduation, the education is offered wholly free of cost! Mind boggling isn’t it? But Swami says, “When one has the pure intention to do good, there will be no shortage of men, materials, resources, money and good wishes. This is not miracle of God, but the miracle of Love. After all, Love is god and God is Love!”</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">The various </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_04/01NOV06/CoverStory_SSSIHL.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">temples of Education</span></a><span style="color: #333333;"> that He has started have inspired many others to do the same in His name and with His principles. A </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_06/01JUL08/03-coverstory.htm." rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">primary and higher secondary school</span></a><span style="color: #333333;"> also have begun at Puttaparthi. But that is not all!</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">The philosophy has inspired schools and educational institutions the world over like in </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_03/12DEC01/fiji-sai-school.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: black; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank">Fiji</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">and </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_05/01JUN07/03-coverstory-final.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Canada</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;">There are many more and I feel a sample should suffice.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm79unYG6W2IXmIjzXxk0F1M5VvgAg354w-F9LtLe0DU2ZNGgAbGy_e-_VuLdkn5ifh3v18C4J3rrt-nvgyxKKdNUwmDE7vRFYKrCOTpcrkJqr7XoTW3m7p2IF4k6ynxLLroXJQqOHgBYbC2qc1QctlufCI_ZOo5EhkeNsZOz-xyLDdekXe0s-4E5/s1100/SSSIHL.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1100" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm79unYG6W2IXmIjzXxk0F1M5VvgAg354w-F9LtLe0DU2ZNGgAbGy_e-_VuLdkn5ifh3v18C4J3rrt-nvgyxKKdNUwmDE7vRFYKrCOTpcrkJqr7XoTW3m7p2IF4k6ynxLLroXJQqOHgBYbC2qc1QctlufCI_ZOo5EhkeNsZOz-xyLDdekXe0s-4E5/w640-h358/SSSIHL.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="hero-new, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.04px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">The Puttaparthi Campus of the Sri Sathya Institute of Higher Learning</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">3) </span><span style="color: #333333;">India is a huge country with many places lacking access to good drinking water. Swami built </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_01/07Dec01/02_COVER_STORY/mainstory.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">massive water projects</span></a><span style="color: #333333;"> to provide safe drinking water to over 700 villages in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, spending about 300 crores Indian rupees to millions of people in </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_03/12DEC01/cover_story_godavari.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Medak & Mahboobnagar</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">, to millions in the E and W Godavari districts and </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_05/01MAR07/03-coverstory.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank">drinking water to the entire city of Chennai</a> </span><span style="color: #333333;">in India for which all the citizens and politicians came forward to express gratitude to Swami.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwbHE9kZ2v3wTWA4DxlGaULYCoBo3-uCpnYGKgdcDNe6NIybhgEFt52PmEVOyCKsxRiSspqr_OhyqJImbhMWvUVnEj7wK-1rM46TD_dH2TVu9Ax1RZXQsO7oHbZ-EnH48HUVuSaHRvJW3crVX-zn1f3DSfKclH-0aN1_GPS_LwHc00DIenJjGSf9g/s1000/Chennai%201.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1000" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwbHE9kZ2v3wTWA4DxlGaULYCoBo3-uCpnYGKgdcDNe6NIybhgEFt52PmEVOyCKsxRiSspqr_OhyqJImbhMWvUVnEj7wK-1rM46TD_dH2TVu9Ax1RZXQsO7oHbZ-EnH48HUVuSaHRvJW3crVX-zn1f3DSfKclH-0aN1_GPS_LwHc00DIenJjGSf9g/w640-h396/Chennai%201.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="hero-new, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.04px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">The pipelines being laid. ( More than 2000 kms of pipes were laid)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgavoP_-EKI5IONwLbjujcXeCgOr-6_upNAj-rc-vLqQdiaZvsTE9r0jCgUaPzEUsuzfBFsy7pTKDHMhMP_fcvE81v4mq4-fG8DxtTH0X4ZECFqadeueh52qlBPQNYk2UgrGq_uRyWozkjrtQUpMuU2rH5Y1GZsbgYwF0AbRvu5Y34oDc538aa4RK/s900/Chennai%202.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="900" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgavoP_-EKI5IONwLbjujcXeCgOr-6_upNAj-rc-vLqQdiaZvsTE9r0jCgUaPzEUsuzfBFsy7pTKDHMhMP_fcvE81v4mq4-fG8DxtTH0X4ZECFqadeueh52qlBPQNYk2UgrGq_uRyWozkjrtQUpMuU2rH5Y1GZsbgYwF0AbRvu5Y34oDc538aa4RK/w640-h278/Chennai%202.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="hero-new, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.04px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">Water flowing out of the Kandaleru reservoir towards the city of Chennai.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyB-h4A4Fn-Xtq4xMhyhgJq2cSNexrthU4cBi381Rm-IdHuq9uhKnIDp1T_zxYyOxjBpuIwApuQ8W2Aj2_Eqkkfwxi8mzhsR3EZ1d5KHmVJ4h4anzClNSBHdAl4bRrGwQ463RyEpSh9aNHBk17U6DUC2hJyGYt_sAH122eK-9ncb13xWvxu0dvcwi/s1100/Chennai%203.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="1100" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyB-h4A4Fn-Xtq4xMhyhgJq2cSNexrthU4cBi381Rm-IdHuq9uhKnIDp1T_zxYyOxjBpuIwApuQ8W2Aj2_Eqkkfwxi8mzhsR3EZ1d5KHmVJ4h4anzClNSBHdAl4bRrGwQ463RyEpSh9aNHBk17U6DUC2hJyGYt_sAH122eK-9ncb13xWvxu0dvcwi/w640-h380/Chennai%203.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="hero-new, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.04px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">The grateful villagers - beneficiaries of the massive Sathya Sai Drinking Water project</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-weight: 700;">4) </span><span style="color: #333333;">Service to the villages in making them self sustaining and happy has been another major effort from Swami. As in the other projects, starting small, He has achieved tremendous results. Among the hundreds of success stories, </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_04/01OCT06/CoverStory_Grama_Seva_Hyd.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank">a sample</a><span style="color: #333333;"> would suffice to understand this.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">That is quite a lot of talk from the head. I request the head to stop here and allow the heart too a fair share of talk time. So dear heart, start speaking now...</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">Talking of Sathya Sai Baba as a great humanitarian is like calling Lord Krishna a cowherd, Lord Jesus a Shepherd, the Buddha a prince and Prophet Muhammad a trader! Of course, He is a humanitarian, but He is much more.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">He has taught me the greatest lesson of my life - the purpose of human life! I went to Swami seeking God. And then I heard him say, “</span><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/The-Inconvenient-Truth" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Yes, I am God and so are you</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">. The only difference between you and I is that while I am aware of this fact, you are not. </span></em><span style="color: #333333;">“</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">I saw Him perform miracles - heal cancer, tuberculosis and blindness with a mere glance or a touch; create objects from thin air and heard about how He brought the dead back to life. But as I pondered on all these, I heard Him say that His greatest miracle was Love and that if one imbibed pure selfless love, anyone can do these so called miracles. And he said that truly everyone is nothing but love. Whenever He speaks, He addresses all as the embodiments of Love!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxTj37Ze38YpoViMGn2qpNBXfFK7o1ZNkUFtvqW8CXxzHmKkZOfA3172br6QhiW2bBR6b4IeYa-pf4ymYceID_hvgSHz2CrUk_ogOf3JRvjme2y9LIfhLJbvnzWyS1nK2Kd8HgrneLMz-rPds92ZqkTOXj503Rtn6gW_3v5ZerdlIjsi_P1kpNxNa/s800/Swami.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxTj37Ze38YpoViMGn2qpNBXfFK7o1ZNkUFtvqW8CXxzHmKkZOfA3172br6QhiW2bBR6b4IeYa-pf4ymYceID_hvgSHz2CrUk_ogOf3JRvjme2y9LIfhLJbvnzWyS1nK2Kd8HgrneLMz-rPds92ZqkTOXj503Rtn6gW_3v5ZerdlIjsi_P1kpNxNa/w640-h426/Swami.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333;">I stayed with Him and saw Him daily. It's more than 2 decades now and I cross my heart and say that He is my best friend who has showered on me the love of a mother, father and teacher, all rolled into one. He taught me that the individual is a part of society. Society is a part of nature and nature is the part of God! So if one claims to love God then one must love one’s fellow beings, serve the society and preserve nature. Reading what </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Portal/On-Himself.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank">Swami has said about Himself</a> </span><span style="color: #333333;">tells us a lot about who He is.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333;">Whenever I felt alone and lost, He came to me, not only physically but even metaphysically too! I have seen so many coincidences in my life and I know that a coincidence is also a miracle; just that God chose to remain anonymous! He found for me the love of my life and He has made me love life to the fullest. He taught me that Joy and Bliss is the nature of every soul and so we must be happy always. He made me realize that whatever is happening to me is for my good alone and therefore there is never the need for me to be sad. He has filled my life with love and taught me that everything I encounter in life is nothing but a reaction, reflection and resound of me. He has taught me to love me and therefore the whole world along with that! He is my world, nay my Universe. He embodies the most powerful force ever - that of Love - and so He is the most powerful. If you call that God, yes, He is my God!</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">How much ever I write on what He means to me, I shall never be satisfied for how can paltry words ever substitute an experience? But yet, like the salt doll that went to measure the depths of the ocean, I try to describe who He is with the hope that like that salt doll, I too shall dissolve in Him.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" /><span style="color: #333333;">Millions are the ones who have experienced Him. And </span><a href="http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_06/01NOV08/03-coverstory.htm" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a few eminent people described Him variously</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">. That should be an inspiring read in itself!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: hero-new, sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></p>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-6850795998882500152021-03-31T06:02:00.003+05:302021-03-31T06:12:22.850+05:30His Boys His Voice - Part 1 - Parting the veil of Maya<p style="text-align: center;"><i> <span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">“In this Avatar (Divine Incarnation), the wicked will not be destroyed; they will be corrected </span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">and reformed and educated and led back to the path from which they have strayed. The white-ant infested tree will not be cut; it will be saved.” </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Mahashivarathri 1955)</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ec3b4c69-7fff-6d97-40a9-eb5309c11753"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ever since the start of the colleges at Anantapur, Brindavan and Prasanthi Nilayam, Swami started spending increasing amounts of time with His students. On many occasions, He remarked to different people that seventy five percent of His time would be spent for the students. That was evident as Swami poured His time on His students, be it in the interview room, the bhajan hall, the hostel, the institute auditorium, the Trayee sessions or the ‘PC sessions’ (private sessions in the Poornachandra auditorium). </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every visionary needs good succession planning to carry on the envisioned mission. Swami’s succession planning can be understood from His shift in emphasis from “My Life is My Message” to “Your Life is My Message”. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FtZdg5Fpt_k/YGNHHcxydOI/AAAAAAADL4c/65yyLJcEw8AwncMj9vbsvlNTWJ3WU129wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Boy%2Bcheeks%2Bbeing%2Bpulled.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sri Sathya Sai pulling the cheeks of a little boy" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1270" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FtZdg5Fpt_k/YGNHHcxydOI/AAAAAAADL4c/65yyLJcEw8AwncMj9vbsvlNTWJ3WU129wCLcBGAsYHQ/w508-h640/Boy%2Bcheeks%2Bbeing%2Bpulled.jpg" width="508" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The students were both near and dear to Him.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It appears as if Swami chose the students as the working sample to signal this shift in emphasis</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In many private interviews and interactions, Swami told the devotees that His life was His message. It was during the First World Conference, on the </span><a href="http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume08/sss08-19.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">17th of May 1968</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, that Bhagawan decided to probably publicly announce the same.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>“Many of you plead for a 'Message' from Me, to take to the Samithi of which you are members. Well. My life is My message. You will be adhering to My message if you so live that your lives are evidence of the dispassionate quiet, the courage, the confidence, the eagerness to serve those who are in distress, that My life inspires you with.”</i></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that is why, all His life, He ate as we do, moved about like us, spoke in our languages, behaved in a manner that we recognise and understand - so that we feel kinship with Him and submit ourselves to His alchemical love. His plan is to transmute the seeker of the world into a seeker of Sathya (Truth). However, even as He sang along, spoke and engaged with everyone, He would part the clouds of </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maya</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to reveal His divinity and ultimate objective.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Lord Rama's actual birthplace</b></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The students were blessed with a number of such opportunities of spotting the Divine behind the veil and, at the same time, developing a kinship and friendship with the Universal Sakha. This would happen after the darshan and interview sessions when Swami would come ambling towards the students and interact with them, the teachers and others. These interactions could be casual or formal, jocular or serious but they would always contain profound lessons and insights. For instance, one morning, Swami was speaking to a group of high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Education from the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In the full view of the students, Swami said,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>“All parties have their eyes only on votes but are not genuinely concerned about the welfare of the nation. Everybody wants to be a leader today but no one wants to accept the responsibilities. A leader must lead and not push. But today’s leaders simply push from the back.”</i></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the torrent of Truth seemed to have subsided, one of the officials mustered the courage to ask Swami about a burning social issue.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Bhagawan, You must be knowing where </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rama Janma Bhoomi</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (birthplace of Lord Rama) really is, don’t You?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes! I do”, was the reply. With great excitement and anticipation, the official asked,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Please tell us then - where is </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rama Janma Bhoomi</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Where else - it is the womb of Kausalya!” Swami replied with a smile. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everyone including the questioner had a smile. It was evident that a nation had forgotten this important Truth and was bickering and fighting over a piece of land. Swami also showed the students that speaking with tact was as important as speaking the Truth. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HhXp92hQB58j8Nf9zRD5H7AIkcu0VUtN67x0dJ7y15kFeZgdVMWZxgh2U5nGtLjxviArWowkpc13F4ThMvkJ_8fClJA4anD4atwhm3OFfvKojJa9eQz_e0MIM-TdHoGLddUha6nz-PI/s679/sathya-sai-baba-lord-rama.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sri Sathya Sai Baba carries a bow like Lord Rama" border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HhXp92hQB58j8Nf9zRD5H7AIkcu0VUtN67x0dJ7y15kFeZgdVMWZxgh2U5nGtLjxviArWowkpc13F4ThMvkJ_8fClJA4anD4atwhm3OFfvKojJa9eQz_e0MIM-TdHoGLddUha6nz-PI/w424-h640/sathya-sai-baba-lord-rama.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Who better than Sai Rama to reveal about Rama!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></b><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Truth in moments</b></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On another occasion, Swami was speaking to a professor from the MBA department. Then, He turned His attention towards the students and began to speak to them. As He did so, He held the professor’s hand and was playing with the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ring</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> he wore. After a few minutes, Swami looked at the professor who said,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Swami, You only gave that.” (An obvious reference to the ring.)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pointing to the professor’s body, Swami asked instantly,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“And what about this?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He then walked off to allow the profundity of what He had casually remarked to seep into the witnesses. Being the embodiment of Sathya, it is hardly surprising that Truth came so naturally to Him. And He used that Truth to constantly chisel the devotee. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One day, the boys prayed that Swami bless the hostel with His visit. Swami asked,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Why? What will you give me?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We will give ourselves Swami...”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“That you can do here itself. Why go to the hostel?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Swami, we will give you whatever you want...”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Is that so? Then, I want fish sambar!”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All the students started laughing. Swami added,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes! I want ‘fish’ and not ‘selfish’. Fish can at least clear the dirt in water. But selfishness only adds to impurities.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many were the ‘excuses’ Swami would give for not going to the hostel. They were only to increase the pining in the students and also shower wisdom through His words. On another occasion when students prayed for the same, Swami said that there was no need for the additional burden of His visit to the hostel when the students had exams. But when the students persisted, Swami called an elderly devotee and told him to drive some sense into the boys.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Boys! You are now having exams and it will not be right for Swami to come to the hostel now.” Instead of stopping at that, the devotee continued,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Anyhow, you must develop the feeling that Swami is with you wherever you are. Else, what is the use?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swami now stopped him and asked,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“These boys want to know that if you have already developed that feeling, then why have you come here at all?” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was a mild laughter and the devotee presented his defence,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Swami, what I meant was that I discharge my responsibilities wherever I am with full knowledge of Swami in my heart.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Lord doesn’t need clarification on what one meant. He always understands and replies to only what one means irrespective of the language or choice of words. Isn’t He the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bhavapriya</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">? Swami’s reply was meant for everyone.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Is Swami in your heart or are you in Swami? If I am holding this kerchief in My hand, My hand is bigger than the kerchief. In the same way, if i am in your heart, you are big and I am small.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>The travel beyond everyone's imagination</b></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were many such gentle reminders of who He is so that the students remain focussed. On the 13th of October 1992, Swami came to the students and said,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“This afternoon, we got a phone call from Bangalore. Col. Joga Rao has been admitted in the ICU of Apollo Hospital. He is serious and they want Swami to come. Actually, I need not go there to save him. I can do it from here itself. But I am going there to teach you all how to show gratitude. Joga Rao is 86 years old and yet works like a young man. It is My duty to go and see him.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The students asked when He would return.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“After one year!” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the students stared incredulously, Swami smiled and said,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I will go and come back immediately.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next day, rumours ran high regarding Swami’s expected time of departure to Bangalore. But Swami appeared least perturbed as He granted morning and evening </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">darshans</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as usual. During the bhajans, He revealed,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Poor boys! They thought that I was going to Bangalore in the morning. They thought that the car would be brought and they would come for morning darshan. But I went to Bangalore last night itself. Within five minutes, I was inside Joga Rao’s room in Apollo. Joga Rao was excited and he said,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Swami has come - get a chair!” But nobody else could see me. I sat with him the whole night. His blood pressure was fluctuating wildly and so was his pulse. Soon, his pulse stopped and his body became cold. But I revived him though the doctors said he was gone. Good man! He works a lot. He is a Karma Yogi. By morning, he had recovered completely. By 4 am, he started eating normally and wanted to come back to Puttaparthi at once. But I advised him to rest for a couple more days and then return. Swami has cured him.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-v4LczddtzZUQj9JE-2ujFprmpYToYZhv1ufYjsk2VAEoEOMzDFBjg3VIUq4Ia3fbcaG5IpuaUW9J4A1Puva9_EFBLjTPtOQU2A6PIiN-usXZfyaPNZUo03oSBLQoU6tkZ-eENz_NGYM/s750/Jogarao+with+Swami.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Colonel Jogarao" border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="750" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-v4LczddtzZUQj9JE-2ujFprmpYToYZhv1ufYjsk2VAEoEOMzDFBjg3VIUq4Ia3fbcaG5IpuaUW9J4A1Puva9_EFBLjTPtOQU2A6PIiN-usXZfyaPNZUo03oSBLQoU6tkZ-eENz_NGYM/w640-h408/Jogarao+with+Swami.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Col Jogarao's life was indeed a blessed one</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God walking and talking spreads such a magical world of sweetness around, that the devotee hardly bothers about the inner world. Swami’s extended tours, His ever increasing personal involvement in the lives of devotees through many service projects and individual ministrations, His eloquent talks, and of course the incredible miracles flowing from His Presence opened a new era of faith and devotion which mankind had lost in building up a material civilisation. His purity, His simplicity and universality created such an aura around Him that whoever was touched by it felt blessed. He gently showed the scientists and intellectuals that there is a more humbling dimension to human understanding, that omniscience and omnifelicity is a reality, that all the religions have a much greater universal face than we wanted to believe, that the globe can become a single home for the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Homo sapiens</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> if we dare to take God’s hand and walk with Him. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All this He achieved by just being what He was, a very loving, caring, unpretentious God who loved to share our lives. Humanity needed a palpable God, and He was that.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">to be continued in Part 2</span></b></span></p></span>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-75685423709022882942021-03-18T09:01:00.002+05:302021-12-28T17:48:16.328+05:30Prasanthi Nilayam Is In The Heart<p> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another day in the office?</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e9fd21f1-7fff-5199-2fc7-0d06de4e638b"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I completed my second day at my new workplace. The '</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dwitiya Vighnam</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">' (obstacle that arises because of not doing something newly started on the second consecutive day) had been cleared in that sense. However, I had a feeling of slight sorrow in my heart. I was missing Puttaparthi. I was missing my Radiosai days which had come to an end on my birthday, the 24th June 2020, when that divine name that Swami (Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) had bestowed was replaced with a more corporate 'Sri Sathya Sai Media Centre'. It had taken me 9 months after that day to bid goodbye and the indications which Swami gave me during those months to take the ultimate step can be the subject of another separate post. </span></p><div><span><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMO_C55jkX5bkgpMNR-Pv7zCLTQq7kduyCvmZZ21KI6zRgz4DCn1dEebBcvwRwp_Rw4Qz6aAyA_NGjvDlHP_MfYWHF2ZgJFWViRtVaK-ajeO2BiAA0Xlv6nb37DiuYWOKDzc2HOfo8CYo/s1170/RIP+Radiosai.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""I will miss you Radiosai"" border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1170" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMO_C55jkX5bkgpMNR-Pv7zCLTQq7kduyCvmZZ21KI6zRgz4DCn1dEebBcvwRwp_Rw4Qz6aAyA_NGjvDlHP_MfYWHF2ZgJFWViRtVaK-ajeO2BiAA0Xlv6nb37DiuYWOKDzc2HOfo8CYo/w640-h381/RIP+Radiosai.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">I will miss you Radiosai. It was divine while it lasted.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My mind wandered to the beautiful days spent in contemplation of Swami and sharing His message and love in the digital dimension to the world at large. I remembered my dear brothers and the wonderful time we spent together under the fatherhood of our Swami. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"It was such a beautiful 13 years Swami. Why did it have to end like this?" I wondered.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I picked up my phone and called a few of my former colleagues. So happy they were for me, encouraging the blogging and vlogging which I had restarted, that I myself wondered what I was feeling bad about!</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"It's just your attachment", I told myself, "the very fact that something has happened is proof that Swami wants it that way. Why do you associate Swami with Puttaparthi alone?"</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was 10 pm. It was time to hit the sack. The past few nights before sleeping, I had been reading a chapter from 'God in Action' which is a collection of talks delivered by the revered Prof. Kasturi, Swami's biographer. Today, I thought of a change and had kept aside the book 'Sri Sathya Sai Anandadayi' to read at night. Strangely, the book was missing and was nowhere to be found. That seemed to add to the general low that I was feeling and I decided to go back to just reading another talk by Prof. Kasturi.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He is everywhere</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I flipped open the book and went to my bookmark. I turned the page to the next chapter and it read, "He is Everywhere."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJ9LfFDV5HbvxLu19D_sj6P46EoMVXJ6dcbLuAfMMOooViLaANwlAZvca3FNPyFxPxz-LJNpiBb1Kr0fNpjRDh8GkEyEOq1Zz0RQzGAdngK-0fXcVfJESasFSqekvzuQLv1OUK6co1ZQ/s2048/IMG_20210318_081138904.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1532" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJ9LfFDV5HbvxLu19D_sj6P46EoMVXJ6dcbLuAfMMOooViLaANwlAZvca3FNPyFxPxz-LJNpiBb1Kr0fNpjRDh8GkEyEOq1Zz0RQzGAdngK-0fXcVfJESasFSqekvzuQLv1OUK6co1ZQ/w640-h478/IMG_20210318_081138904.jpg" title="Sathya Sai Baba God In Action by Prof. N Kasturi" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">The chapter that opened up perfectly for me...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wow! That little phrase used as the heading was itself enough to make me feel better. As I read on, I realised that this was the perfect antidote for my sad disposition. Prof Kasturi emphasized on the truth that every country in the world and every part of every country was His Prasanthi Nilayam. Just reading that portion made a fraction of Prasanthi (supreme peace) descend in my being. Then, to elucidate further, Prof Kasturi narrated an incident of a lady devotee from Kerala. Most probably, the incident is set in the 1980s. </span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though she was devoted to Swami, her son wasn't and he often made fun of Swami. In due course, he got married to a girl who was also devoted to Swami and the couple shifted to Calcutta (Kolkata today) where the husband's workplace was. Over time, the son was frustrated with his job. Piling on his misery was the accusation of fund-misappropriation that was cast on him by the office. Totally defeated and dejected, he left a message for his wife,</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Please don't wait for me. I shall not be coming home."</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, he decided to commit suicide. The worried wife immediately called up her mother-in-law, the boy's mother and informed her of the bizarre message. Not knowing what else to do, the mother wrote a letter, unburdening all her fears and worries to Swami. She placed the letter under Swami's photograph which was on her altar. Her faith and feelings instantly converted her home into Prasanthi Nilayam and the photograph into Swami! </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back in Calcutta, the son was simply not able to take his life. He lacked the courage to attempt a few methods and always had a worry at the back of his head that in case his attempt failed, he would be jailed by the police as an attempt to take one's own life would be considered a crime. Thus, he spent the whole day trying to die but was simply 'not allowed to'. When he climbed the Howrah Bridge to jump into the gushing waters below, he clearly heard a voice which said,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Don’t jump. Don’t die. Come to me. Come to Puttaparthi."</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The perfect sync of the lad's story with mine</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The son was now convinced that going to Puttaparthi alone would solve his problem. His focus on Puttaparthi was much greater than his focus on Swami Himself! He later told Prof. Kasturi that he could not sleep in the train nor think of anything else except Puttaparthi. In fact, when the wheels of the train were moving, he could hear, “Puttaparthi! Puttaparthi! Puttaparthi!” </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He got down from the train at Bangalore and went to the ticket clerk and asked for a ticket to Penukonda (from where he would take a bus to travel to Puttaparthi). The clerk asked him,
"Why are you going to Puttaparthi? Sathya Sai Baba is here in Whitefield." This was because the Summer Course was on and Swami was in the Bangalore Ashram. But the lad insisted on going to Puttaparthi only! Realizing it was futile to reason with him, the clerk issued him a ticket to Penukonda. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I paused reading the story at this point because something hit me in my face. I began to relate strongly with this son and my situation was no different from his. I was so obsessed with Puttaparthi that it seemed to have become a greater focus than Swami Himself! By divine 'coincidence' my new workplace was just beside Swami's Ashram at Whitefield! AND the company employing me was 'Sai Lakshmi Industries'. That is not all. Swami had physically visited the office premises more than a dozen times. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swami then delivered the 'knockout punch' when Prof Kasturi suddenly revealed that the son's name was - hold your breath - <b>Arvind</b>! </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I froze. Indeed, why was Arvind more obsessed with Puttaparthi than Swami? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeCXtqffUBRHvkxIpfvBYfXHlVVGLiVrPTCPsMyjFVSMT2aM5i4wZSLDgO3IpJsUv75Pnog3DCt44zub9J0v2__HB4nos4kwpIxscinDST6L6ScY5v7oVJDKJrm-Etu9spDXZPeJDVrU/s3472/Arvind+in+the+book.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="3472" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeCXtqffUBRHvkxIpfvBYfXHlVVGLiVrPTCPsMyjFVSMT2aM5i4wZSLDgO3IpJsUv75Pnog3DCt44zub9J0v2__HB4nos4kwpIxscinDST6L6ScY5v7oVJDKJrm-Etu9spDXZPeJDVrU/w640-h104/Arvind+in+the+book.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">The name of the lad in the story!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swami's compassion</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prof Kasturi chronicles the Lord's compassion on Arvind. Exactly on the same day that Arvind travelled to Puttaparthi, Swami, who was in Whitefield, suddenly travelled to Puttaparthi (where Prof. Kasturi was), reaching there at 6:30 pm. Everyone, including Prof. Kasturi and Sri Kutumba Rao rushed up to Him and sought the reason for Swami’s unscheduled arrival. Swami said that He had come to take a few bags of rice to Bangalore for the Summer Course. Musing on this, the professor states that there was no reason why this little task couldn't have been assigned to anyone else. But then, it was not for the ‘rice’ that Swami was going; it was for Arvind's ‘rise’! </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next morning, this man, Arvind, was in the darshan lines. Swami walked up to him and said, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ay Calcutta! Go in!”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the interview room, Swami chided him.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What is this foolish thing you have done? Do you know the feeling of your mother and wife? I will see that nothing happens to you. I will get you transferred. You need not go back.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swami then told him that He would be going back to Whitefield. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“But you stay back for 9 days before travelling out of Puttaparthi”, He instructed.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swami’s Divine plan was wonderful. Arvind had very little money and so, he sent a telegram to his friend in Delhi asking for money, giving his address as “Arvind, Big Shed, Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi.” In the meanwhile, the mother and wife were in anxiety and gloom and had called all known friends to enquire about Arvind’s whereabouts. The friend in Delhi who received the telegram immediately called and informed the mother and wife who travelled as soon as possible to Puttaparthi. In 9 days time, Arvind was happy, his family was happy and everything had transformed for the better. </span></p><div><span><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNaVG-WN51xgLFNGKF3bwaS9WBVjQH1IHiUFrc1EUz-aauafnpKd7es4VChyphenhyphenDe3o9PpFFF4PrPeJA6HS3w5igdoMUOS6mdmF1BmaeVvaM3YHcY7QDSAr8bhmryhObKeUuiOOPjK135S8/s2048/IMG_20210318_081107935.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1532" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNaVG-WN51xgLFNGKF3bwaS9WBVjQH1IHiUFrc1EUz-aauafnpKd7es4VChyphenhyphenDe3o9PpFFF4PrPeJA6HS3w5igdoMUOS6mdmF1BmaeVvaM3YHcY7QDSAr8bhmryhObKeUuiOOPjK135S8/w299-h400/IMG_20210318_081107935.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">The collection of Prof. Kasturi's talks.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">His love for Ar(a)vind</span></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It became difficult to read any more with the tears blurring my vision. I have experienced <a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2013/06/blessing-two-birds-with-one-stone-sathya-sai-student.html" target="_blank">Swami strike 2 birds with one stone of grace.</a> This was yet another such occasion where the ‘birds’ had the same name and were separated by decades. That is Swami’s infinite love and omnipotence. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My wife and mother too had gone through so much anxiety and gloom on account of me being low for 9 months in a row. And I felt Swami was directly telling me, an Aravind from 3 decades later, the same thing He had told Arvind,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">““What is this foolish thing you have done? Do you know the feeling of your mother and wife? I will see that nothing happens to you. I will get you transferred. You need not go back.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With joy and gratitude oozing from my heart, I looked forward to my third day in my new workplace gifted by Swami. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Please subscribe to the <a href="http://aravindb1982.blogspot.com" target="_blank">blog </a>to receive updates. You can also follow me on my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUqq3YFvli01AzGHu8Ixr5g" target="_blank">YouTube Channel</a>. </p></span>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-15255532016021907682019-02-19T07:30:00.001+05:302020-06-11T17:30:03.668+05:30Making God our first resort - an experience with Sri Sathya Sai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>The first resort - God</b><br />
<br />
We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but I think God wants it to be our first line of defense. To better understand that, we rewind the beautiful story of the sweet relationship between Swami (<a href="https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Sathya-Sai-Baba-1926-2011" target="_blank">Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba</a>) and His students right to the very beginning. It was in the late sixties and Swami would spend most of the year at His ashram in Bengaluru (Bangalore then), in Brindavan, Whitefield. The reason for that was obvious - on 9th June 1969, a men's’ college had been started at Brindavan and Swami had decided to spend more than 75 percent of His time with the students in whom He placed His faith for the building of the golden Sai era.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20-aVsv2_tV9pFjRHquep6ZfdkjOFRuD2eGNlKbBAg4JU2LJXmZwkW-SmfbJg22EM3vCN49_-X_-gbAhBXL57DftkwaI4QdQILW3D9bfUb1UMR7vwOT3vtCZBp-7HAhEiF0wyAiFteJQ/s1600/Old+Brindavan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="1071" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20-aVsv2_tV9pFjRHquep6ZfdkjOFRuD2eGNlKbBAg4JU2LJXmZwkW-SmfbJg22EM3vCN49_-X_-gbAhBXL57DftkwaI4QdQILW3D9bfUb1UMR7vwOT3vtCZBp-7HAhEiF0wyAiFteJQ/s640/Old+Brindavan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The old Brindavan was a haven of divine proximity for Swami's students. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Like the spring which is the beginning of every great river, the Sathya Sai educational mission too began in a small and humble manner. The classrooms were small and cramped and the shed beside Swami’s bungalow served as the hostel for the boys. Swami lived so close by that He would often walk into the ‘hostel’ on surprise visits and spend time shaping and chiseling the heart and minds of the boys. On many occasions, He would Himself walk amidst the sleeping boys and wake them up for Suprabhatam (early morning prayers) and guide them in everything - from tending to cows and rolling chapaties in the kitchen to gardening and taking care of the deer in the compound.<br />
<br />
The number of boys enrolled was very small but it began to grow soon. Who would not want to live with the Master of masters? The classrooms and hostel became woefully inadequate and Swami decided to get a college building built. Once Swami makes a will, nothing ever changes it. Soon, a magnificent edifice shaped like a gigantic dam, probably symbolic of the potential it held within its walls, came up in months. It was late Col. Joga Rao, an ardent devotee and a retired civil engineer, who supervised the construction.<br />
<br />
This is the setting for our current story.<br />
<br />
<b>Prayer is NOT a sign of weakness</b><br />
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A little detour from our main story in order to delve on the theme of this essay!<br />
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When a patient is in admitted to the hospital, the doctor examines him, finds out the problem, offers a solution and even gives a timeframe for the recovery. But then, things always do not go along the timeline - they go awry. How often have we come across situations where the same doctors raise their hands helplessly and say,<br />
“We have done everything possible. Now its all left to God!”<br />
<br />
A wise doctor knows from the beginning that he only gives medicines while it is God who heals. That humility makes him turn to God right in the beginning and he himself functions simply as an instrument. He chooses God as the first resort rather than the last one! While it is easy to understand the doctors’ example in terms of how they turn to God as the last resort, we do not realize that we often commit the same blunder in our lives too.<br />
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Whether it is the decision of making a financial investment or choosing a relationship; picking the right career or dealing with an illness we consider it as a sign of strength to march ahead without seeking help. We do this without realizing that when we seek God’s help, we are actually tapping into an infinite resource within ourselves. Prayer is definitely not a sign of weakness. It need not be the last resort. And yet, time and again, we turn to God after every effort made has failed. It is akin to offering the leftovers of a feast to the Lord where the food is comparable to our skills, talents, energies and finances. No wonder then that Swami always has taught us to do Brahmaarpanam (food prayer) before partaking any meal.<br />
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Please do not mistake me. I am not in the least suggesting that we do not put in our effort. Rather, the focus is on the attitude behind the effort!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKaYGBv8pDnQ9wL1OzGb8mx7fL7Xc6RCzMLfWosnRNOcFk2XONYP-W7sBRfR0zkHSSTtpyQXWeYLTWiN-Yr_QdBlemn_064Hz8cVJDT125K5U2Y-7MMoK1WZMeqfACeUW5dUXmPrwuZ8/s1600/Brindavan+college.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKaYGBv8pDnQ9wL1OzGb8mx7fL7Xc6RCzMLfWosnRNOcFk2XONYP-W7sBRfR0zkHSSTtpyQXWeYLTWiN-Yr_QdBlemn_064Hz8cVJDT125K5U2Y-7MMoK1WZMeqfACeUW5dUXmPrwuZ8/s640/Brindavan+college.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The magnificent, dam-shaped, college building that was constructed to serve the students at Brindavan.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>A heartfelt plea from a student</b><br />
<br />
Now I continue where I had left off. Swami got the college building constructed and instructed the same engineer to come up with a proposal for a hostel building also. Col. Joga Rao implicitly obeyed the instructions and drew up all the plans for the construction of the hostel building. The shed in which the boys were staying was too small and right next to it was a huge water tank. The only possible place where the hostel could be constructed was in an empty plot of land adjacent to the new college building. Having made all the plans, he approached Swami and sought a date for the laying of the foundation stone.<br />
<br />
The evening before the actual ‘ground-breaking’ ceremony could take place, Swami arrived at the shed where the boys were staying. He informed them about a new hostel coming up with all the comforts and conveniences. There would now be ample space to stay for each student. Even as Swami told all this with sparkling eyes and a heart that rejoiced at the fact that the boys would become comfortable, the boys themselves were downcast - a new hostel near the college building would mean that they would be staying at least 300 meters away from the beloved Swami. That would reduce the frequency of all the sudden Divine visits they now enjoyed.<br />
<br />
But what could be done? There was no other space available for construction and the shed was indeed getting crowded. One of the boys promptly wrote a letter to Swami, pouring out his heart. Swami accepted the letter from him and even as He read it, He looked at the boy and asked him,<br />
“Shall I read out this letter to the boys assembled here?”<br />
“Swami it is all your wish.”<br />
And so, Bhagawan read out the letter. The spirit of the letter is outlined below:<br />
<br />
<b><i>Swami, we do not want any new hostel. We can always adjust in this space as long as we are assured of proximity to you. If we go to the new Hostel, we would be far away from Swami’s home. We just do not want to go away from Swami! If Swami is so particular about the new hostel building planned next to the College, then Swami should have a new home constructed right next to the proposed new hostel.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwd6E2JTcQ0Zox5O9vDAs8uGmNqcVynptKReRDSwa731nQTiocMmXAuX56yi1l8W5QDFusDc2Z9qHvuODDO2iAZSmj9fs8_jb_Wqb2RKjoxaLujx4zcy4wV3zyi7AqeIub1_ReOOs6Pwg/s1600/Swami+letters.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwd6E2JTcQ0Zox5O9vDAs8uGmNqcVynptKReRDSwa731nQTiocMmXAuX56yi1l8W5QDFusDc2Z9qHvuODDO2iAZSmj9fs8_jb_Wqb2RKjoxaLujx4zcy4wV3zyi7AqeIub1_ReOOs6Pwg/s640/Swami+letters.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Among the thousands of letters Swami receives, there are a few that have changed the course of 'His'tory! </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Swami looked at the principal, Sri Narendar and asked him what he thought about the letter. He replied that Swami knows the hearts of the boys. They had left their parents and had come only to be with Swami.<br />
<br />
A decision was then made on the spot. Swami sent for Col. Joga Rao. He then asked him,<br />
“Joga Rao! The boys want to stay near Swami. They do not want to go away. Can the new hostel be built next to the mandir here?”<br />
“That is impossible Swami! There is a huge ground tank here. How can we build anything here?”<br />
<br />
God, though allergic to the word ‘impossible’, merely smiles at those who use it. Swami simply said that a hostel could easily be built in place of the tank that existed there! He then went on to explain to an amazed Joga Rao as to how the construction should proceed.<br />
<br />
And today, the hostel stands over the same land where a huge tank existed. And Swami has visited the boys at the Brindavan hostel on a number of times!<br />
<br />
With God as the first resort, there is no need to resort to anyone or anything else!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BXK3_NzX_L0/XGrqwP4Ln9I/AAAAAAAAGuY/pkW-1GlL7Bwk0aGgsJkM9j3C0FVHXv5zACLcBGAs/s1600/Brindavan%2BAshram%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BXK3_NzX_L0/XGrqwP4Ln9I/AAAAAAAAGuY/pkW-1GlL7Bwk0aGgsJkM9j3C0FVHXv5zACLcBGAs/s640/Brindavan%2BAshram%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;">An aerial view of the hostel that stands right next to the darshan hall in Brindavan. The hostel has a huge basement floor, a reminder of the tank on which it has been built. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Concluding thoughts</b><br />
<br />
Prayer is not something that is to be made only in times of trouble or distress. There is the story of a ship captain who used to pray daily as he steered his ship. Everyone often wondered as to why the captain used to pray so much when the sailing was so smooth. The captain said nothing but continued his practice of regular prayer.<br />
<br />
And then, one day, there was a huge storm at sea. So terrifying and deadly it was that everyone on the ship got on their knees to pray. In the middle of all this chaos, the only person not praying was the captain! The surprised passengers on the ship asked him to join them in their prayers. The captain’s reply was,<br />
“This is not my time to pray. I have a job at hand. The prayers I make when the sailing is smooth gives me the strength and mental calm to steer the ship in these times.”<br />
<br />
A person who has got the priorities right prays in times of joy, comfort and peace. The prayer then gives the same joy, comfort and peace in troubled times. This is what the message of Kabir Das is when he asks the rhetorical question:<br />
<br />
<i>Dukh Mein Sumiran Sab Karein; Sukh Mein Karein Na Koi.</i><br />
<i>Jo Sukh Mein Sumiran Karein; Dukh Kahe Ko Hoi?</i><br />
<br />
(Everyone thinks of the Lord in difficult times while none think of Him in time of joy. Those that think of Him in times of joy, why will they ever have difficult times?)<br />
<br />
Making God the first resort is possible only through humility and surrender. And this is because though things seem to be under our control, in life everything is ultimately in God’s hands. Why don’t we follow what Swami tells us in this most beautiful ‘Prayer of Surrender’? (See video below.)<br />
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Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-23021755794501830592019-02-04T07:32:00.000+05:302019-02-04T07:39:31.080+05:30The best gift to seek from God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The PC session </b>(as narrated by Sri Ashok Sundaresan - 1st batch MFM 1993-1995)</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTWzX1QVVWqJ0XjyZS5eOAO7n-Qs2YVLdKmw4ViaRIal80kXsG4zzSMLWuESlhOK2zUs8nwaSJ0Yr44kiyMqzwtGVNGs6NyP_24qTxwyY_MmzkIWa5jX6yl3Z4ruUYI14E9W5xC4RmhA/s1600/PC+session+in+1999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1408" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTWzX1QVVWqJ0XjyZS5eOAO7n-Qs2YVLdKmw4ViaRIal80kXsG4zzSMLWuESlhOK2zUs8nwaSJ0Yr44kiyMqzwtGVNGs6NyP_24qTxwyY_MmzkIWa5jX6yl3Z4ruUYI14E9W5xC4RmhA/s640/PC+session+in+1999.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">A picture of a Poornachandra Session in progress in the 1990s. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was sometime in the year 1994 or 1995. All the students in the Institute boys’ hostel were excited. Swami, as they lovingly called Sri Sathya Sai Baba, had agreed to grant them all a “PC session.” The term PC stands for “Poorna Chandra”, the auditorium (one of the largest pillarless ones in Asia) at Prasanthi Nilayam ashram. The PC session, like the Trayee session, was a special session which Swami granted only for the students and teachers of the University. And just like in the Trayee session, many interesting things would happen in a PC session and Swami would speak ‘informally’. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That PC session turned out to be unforgettable in terms of the lessons it provided.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the boys entered the auditorium, they saw multiple piles of so many things heaped up. They quickly took their places to sit on the carpets spread on the floor. And then began the excited talk. Apparently, Swami had decided to gift all the boys with something. Everyone was discussing about what the gifts probably might be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Swami arrived on the dais and there was a hush that fell on the entire gathering. He gently glided to the end of the stage and descended. Moving to the first pile, He picked up the first thing that His hand could get hold of and threw it to the boy nearby. It was a canister of shaving foam. Then, He summoned some boys and told them to simply give away one each of the items to all the boys gathered. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The heaps of objects turned out to be toiletries and each boy was getting something at total random. While one got a toothbrush, one got a shampoo while yet another got a deodorant stick. The ‘luckier’ ones got perfume bottles and electric shavers. Within moments, the silence was gone and there was loud murmur that developed in the auditorium as each student looked at what the other got and compared gifts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Naturally, those that got ‘mere toothbrushes’ envied those that got the electric shavers. But those boys too were not free of envy - they longed for the perfumes. It was not as if those that got perfumes were happy. The bottles were only 100 ml and would soon get exhausted. So, they had gifts which they could not use if they wanted to preserve the memory. In short, though all were happy in some way or the other, all were sad too in a way! </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br>
</div></div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-best-gift-to-seek-from-god.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-60396838030983720792019-01-12T05:46:00.001+05:302020-06-11T17:31:09.999+05:30How I got wedded to Sathya Sai for life...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.75em;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Footprints in the Sand?</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.75em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Early into my teens, I had read the famous story of the footprints in the sand. For those who are not familiar with it, let me recall it briefly. A person dreams about his life as a walk with God on a beach. He therefore notices two sets of footprints in the sand. But to his dismay, he sees only one set of footprints in those parts of the beach which represent the most difficult times in his life. He asks God,</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.75em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Why did you abandon me when I needed you the most?"</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">God replies lovingly</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Child! Those times when you see only one set of footprints are actually the times when I carried you!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In spite of knowing this story, there were times when I was convinced that I was absolutely alone in life. And I felt that the single set of footprints were definitely not of His lotus feet, but of my own weary soles! I prayed to God,</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Swami, I just do not believe that you are carrying me now for I feel so much pain and depression. Is that how one feels when one is carried?"</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8Rvf0hp95cxlFvKVF4M0oF9-RHQsFyz7_CGmZHn1dW3Q9s4wXnWtndgvLNS-an609_w83Kd09ARhraQ0GV873S5bOwVS7eBHVA4vA4epSjdsbav-9rfR-iLKhnPsvxaBrnELn9_TapY/s1600/DSCN2377.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8Rvf0hp95cxlFvKVF4M0oF9-RHQsFyz7_CGmZHn1dW3Q9s4wXnWtndgvLNS-an609_w83Kd09ARhraQ0GV873S5bOwVS7eBHVA4vA4epSjdsbav-9rfR-iLKhnPsvxaBrnELn9_TapY/s640/DSCN2377.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">This is the story of the speech of my life... the story of my life with Sai in fact! </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.75em;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">The setting</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This happened many times but like the proverbial passing clouds, everything would soon clear and days would get brighter. But then came the mammoth cloud, so huge that I felt this time the clouds were there to stay! It is about this 'climactic' period which I was made to weather that this story is all about. More than anything else, this episode seasoned my life with the realization of God's omnipresence and Swami's (Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) love for me.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.75em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was when I was doing my Masters programme in Chemistry at Puttaparthi that Swami gifted us students with opportunities to put up programs in His Divine Presence. These programs were mostly in the form of speeches (compilation of His teachings), spiced up here and there with songs, skits and dances. Some programs were<a href="https://hubpages.com/holidays/The-Independence-Day-drama" target="_blank"> based on special events</a> while some others were actually <a href="https://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Seek-God-and-the-rest-will-be-conferred-upon-thee" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Swami's special way of teaching some important lessons to us.</a> Swami's encouragement was tremendous, so much so, that on one occasion I remember Him telling our warden,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Why should I come and sit outside? There is no program today!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And so, in that academic year alone, we had put up about fifteen program. In fact, it was Swami's enthusiasm towards us that ignited the large number of <a href="https://letterpile.com/personal-essays/Dreams-of-Swami-are-True" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">programs that were presented </a>(and continue to be presented) in the divine Presence by various Indian states and other countries during their respective <i>Parthi Yatras</i> or pilgrimages. This was the setting for my life-changing episode.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">Sorrows and disappointments galore...</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since I love public speaking and was involved in dramatics, I was often part of every cultural program that was being presented to Swami. I was doing well on the academic front and I was quite popular among my friends in the hostel. I did fairly well in games and was the shuttle badminton champion for that year. Why I am telling all this is just to show that one may seem to have everything in life and still be unhappy. My God! Why was I unhappy?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.75em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I think back today, I cannot put a finger on the exact reason but I used to be very sad most of the times. And the major reason for this was my attachment to friends.What do I mean by that? Well, I thought that I was a fast friend to quite a few people. I went out of my way to help them and make them feel special. That was fine. The problem came when I expected them to treat me in the same way - that too in a manner I was expecting them to! And this expectation was very very strong. As a result, I used to feel very bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At this time, I decided that since God was my only true friend, I would look to Him for solace and support. I wanted to extend my arm of unconditional friendship to Him and wanted Him to extend His. I began to curb all my feelings and interactions with friends as much as possible and confided everything to Sai,the resident of my heart - my joys and sorrows, my successes and defeats. This came as a relief but still the disappointments and hurts from my friends continued.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.75em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Today I know that it is not anyone's fault. The nature of the world is thus and<a href="https://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Heart-vs-Mind" style="text-decoration-line: none;"> the nature of the mind</a> is thus! Nobody will ever understand me fully! How can they when they do not read my mind?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Life went on this way and I am sure many of my friends wondered what on earth was I sad about. And I myself had no answer. The sadness was deep within and it was a kind of dissatisfaction in the search for some permanence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile in the mandir, speeches, songs and programmes by the students were on regularly. I even got two chances to speak in Swami's presence. They were like bright spots in the dark skies but I was in search of my sun - Swami as my dearest friend. One day, Swami asked in the mandir,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Are there any boys who wish to speak?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I raised my hand and warden told Swami that I was prepared. When I went ahead to take his blessings, I overheard Him ask the warden,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Aren't there any other boys? This boy alone speaks always!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That made me feel very bad. I was hurt. I gave my speech that day but resolved never to raise my hand to speak in His presence. I told my Swami in the heart,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"This is the last time I'll raise my hand. I extended my hand in friendship to you and you do not want me to speak in your presence!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A childish reaction indeed, but that was what I felt then.</span><br>
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</div></div></div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-i-got-wedded-to-sathya-sai-for-life.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-78130013149233366242018-12-24T07:26:00.000+05:302018-12-24T07:27:39.359+05:30The Second Coming - Jesus Christ and Sri Sathya Sai Baba<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jlyEIS78VTE/XB-AVo80HRI/AAAAAAAAGp8/XcoUTTum8qAT95y9l3N9J30oGgdupJitQCLcBGAs/s1600/JM239_Second-Coming-of-Christ---__16257.1460475316.1280.1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="1280" height="514" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jlyEIS78VTE/XB-AVo80HRI/AAAAAAAAGp8/XcoUTTum8qAT95y9l3N9J30oGgdupJitQCLcBGAs/s640/JM239_Second-Coming-of-Christ---__16257.1460475316.1280.1280.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">An artist's impression of the second coming of Jesus Christ</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Christianity is a fascinating religion in many ways. One of the special things about Christianity is that a lot of it is derived through the writings of the apostles of Christ. The religion offers the aspirant different perspectives or views of the same master, Jesus Christ, through the eyes of many. Thus, we have the Gospel according to Mark, Gospel according to Matthew, Gospel according to John and so on. Each is the Truth in itself and we battling by quoting one against the other would be akin to blind men fighting over their respective descriptions of the elephant!<br>
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“<i>Munde Munde Matir Bhinnah</i>”, says my Master and Lord, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. In spirit, this translates into ‘there are as many interpretations of the Truth as there are heads’ because everyone is allowed an opinion. And so, when I read through the description and interpretation of the same master through ‘different heads’, rather than get confused and upset at things that do not match my perspective and opinions, I celebrate the grand diversity and beauty of the Master. The Master’s concern is always for the individual and therefore, there are as many ways to God as there are individuals. The Master allows the aspirant to seek a path most suited for him/her to progress spiritually. Thus, I try to enjoy the perspectives and interpretations for none of them are wrong - all are right in their own sense because, ultimately, there is only One Truth and nothing else.<br>
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Among the different things I was reading, one subject that interested me tremendously was that of the second coming of Christ. Why did that interest me? Simple. I would love it if God were to come on earth in physical frame once again! I have been blessed to have enjoyed the proximity of dear Swami and I know how wonderful, holy, elevating, uplifting, sanctifying and fun Divine company can be.<br>
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{By the way, my notion that the 24th April 2011 (Easter Sunday) is a day of Swami's‘departure’ was shattered through <a href="https://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/24th-April-2012-The-Day-of-His-Arrival" target="_blank">a miraculous experience that happened exactly a year later</a> - on the 24th of April, 2012. Swami showed that it is a day to mark His ‘arrival’ into our homes and heart(h)s!}<br>
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You just have to search the term, “The Second Coming” on the internet and, in a span of seconds, you will see nearly a billion results hit your computer screen! That should suffice to say that it is an intensely debated and discussed topic. There are interpretations galore. So abundant were the interpretations offered that I decided to go to the actual Christian ‘Book of Revelation’, the final book of the New Testament, credited to the apostle, John. Again, there are so many versions and I referred to the <a href="http://www.o-bible.com/cgibin/ob.cgi?version=kjv&book=rev&chapter=19" target="_blank">King James’version of the Bible, chapter 19</a>. What I found there simply thrilled my heart. The reference to the descent of the “King of Kings and the Lord of Lords” was so wonderful.<br>
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And here, I shall present these as stated in the Bible along with my interpretation and understanding. (The relevant passages from the Revelations have been presented in bold.)<br>
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<b>19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.</b><br>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YT8duDyrEK8/XB-Asm8RafI/AAAAAAAAGqE/ChiUVHoLwbQHSOnENylN1dHLpsRCca27gCLcBGAs/s1600/thetenthavatar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1032" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YT8duDyrEK8/XB-Asm8RafI/AAAAAAAAGqE/ChiUVHoLwbQHSOnENylN1dHLpsRCca27gCLcBGAs/s640/thetenthavatar1.jpg" width="412"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba as the Second Coming - an impression<br>of the artist </span>-<a href="http://www.alexprowse.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Alexander Prowse</a>. </td></tr>
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According to the Hindu concept of time and ages, God incarnates from age to age to establish righteousness on earth. In the present Kali age, the incarnation is that of Kalki, a Kshatriya riding a white horse. The similarity of the description struck me and I remembered that one of the photographs Swami materialized was of Himself riding a spotlessly white horse! Many artists and painters have depicted Him that way too! Also, "faithful and true" indeed seems like a translation of the word "Sathya".<br>
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Swami indeed is here, waging a war - a war like one that the world has never seen before. Just like a buffalo imagines God to be a large buffalo, we imagine war to be one with destruction and demolition. But Swami says that the weapon He has come armed with is that of Love. As He revealed during His Shivarathri 1955 discourse<br>
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“<i>In this Avatar, the wicked will not be destroyed, they will be corrected, reformed and educated and led back to the path from which they have strayed. The white ant infested tree will not be cut: it will be saved.</i>”<br>
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</div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-second-coming-jesus-christ-sathya-sai-christmas.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-57902849102158815772018-10-17T21:48:00.000+05:302018-10-17T21:48:07.321+05:30What is the distance between God and devotee? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>The elephant's discovery</b><br>
<b><br></b>
The legend of Gajendra, the elephant king, from the 8th Skanda of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bh%C4%81gavata_Pur%C4%81%E1%B9%87a" target="_blank">Bhagavatha Purana</a> offers us a very interesting answer to how far God is away from us. The story goes that the bull elephant, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, once entered the waters of a cool lake on Mount Trikuta. A crocodile which lived in the same lake caught him by the leg and began to drag him into the deeper parts of the lake. Gajendra fought with all his might but a crocodile's strength in the water is ten times greater than its strength on land! As Gajendra was dragged in, he began to fight with all his might. Legend goes that the battle went on for a thousand years at the end of which, Gajendra trumpeted in pain and helplessness until he was hoarse.<br>
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Then, he remembered his Lord and called out to Maha Vishnu. Instantly, Vishnu arrived on His mount, Garuda, decapitated the crocodile with the <i>Sudarshana Chakra</i> (the discus) and liberated Gajendra.<br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WGlgOqj16I0/W8dfdymAOfI/AAAAAAAAGk8/w_8f20NPAhU7DrN5DqkTpxTvrv89JHUkQCLcBGAs/s1600/Gajendra_Moksha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="847" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WGlgOqj16I0/W8dfdymAOfI/AAAAAAAAGk8/w_8f20NPAhU7DrN5DqkTpxTvrv89JHUkQCLcBGAs/s640/Gajendra_Moksha.jpg" width="528"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The moment Gajendra called out to his Lord, Maha Vishnu was there in a trice.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br>As long as Gajendra fought on, Vishnu watched on, respecting the elephant-king's choice to use his own strength. But the moment he surrendered, Vishnu was there in a trice. That story teaches us that God is just as far as our call can reach! That was the discovery of a little boy too. Amey Deshpande realized that, </span>no matter what, his God, his Swami is always within earshot of his cries.<br>
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<b>Shattered pride</b><br>
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Amey was devoted to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba since his birth as he was born into a family devoted to Swami. He was enrolled into the Bal Vikas classes and he became a role model for all the other children - He would sit straight for hours, chant all the <i>shlokas </i>and <i>mantras,</i> participate in <i>bhajans </i>and play the tabla. Such was the praise heaped on the child by the elders that he sincerely felt that he was several cuts above the rest when it came to discipline if not devotion!<br>
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In 1984, as a 5-year old, Amey came on a pilgrimage to Prasanthi Nilayam, the abode of supreme peace. Like Amey's understanding of Swami, Prasanthi too was very different back then. The schedule revolved entirely around Swami's routine. The most sought-after times were the <i>Darshan</i> times when Bhagawan would gently walk, nay glide through the seated devotees, ladies on one side and gents on the other. He would speak to a few, take letters from some others and call the lucky ones for an 'interview'. An 'interview' was not a Q&A session though it could be that also. It was a personal interaction between the devotee and Swami in the interview room where healing, transformation, miracles and counselling took place.<br>
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</div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/10/distance-between-god-and-devotee-sathya-sai-gajendra-moksha.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-16116851179969264612018-07-25T07:58:00.000+05:302018-07-25T07:58:34.895+05:30Why being spiritual requires one to be environment-friendly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vNi6Fmu1A6g/W1dhaNOHAXI/AAAAAAAAGhE/zfpTIBMnBSMGWOdvKmBjRcWf-FuMQSRrQCLcBGAs/s1600/Sathya%2Bsai%2Bkodaikanal%2Bnature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1392" height="422" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vNi6Fmu1A6g/W1dhaNOHAXI/AAAAAAAAGhE/zfpTIBMnBSMGWOdvKmBjRcWf-FuMQSRrQCLcBGAs/s640/Sathya%2Bsai%2Bkodaikanal%2Bnature.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Nature is divine... Our nature is divine... See the connect? (Pic of Sri Sathya Sai in the sylvan settings at Kodaikanal).</span></td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A mouse trap in the house</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-52b90f6b-cd36-d2d9-e5e1-8ad6c4729ee1" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></b><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-52b90f6b-cd36-d2d9-e5e1-8ad6c4729ee1" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a popular story of the mouse trap in a farmhouse. A mouse saw it through the crack in its hole and got very worried. It ran all around the barn shouting,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“There is a mouse trap in the house! There is a mouse trap in the house!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, none of the other animals and birds cared about what appeared to be the end of the world for the mouse. The hen, pig and cow actually told the mouse not to bother them with its flimsy problems. That very night, the trap clicked shut and the farmer’s wife went to discard the dead mouse. But in the darkness, she didn’t see that it is a venomous snake that is trapped and thus got bitten! </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though the farmer administered her with first aid, she came down with a high fever.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J3Ikn3eHTzk/W1diGLOWGHI/AAAAAAAAGhM/02GlfQqEM-UQkJmmd2Lzeq6LspdmvppjwCLcBGAs/s1600/farm-tales-the-mouse-trap-1-638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="638" height="282" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J3Ikn3eHTzk/W1diGLOWGHI/AAAAAAAAGhM/02GlfQqEM-UQkJmmd2Lzeq6LspdmvppjwCLcBGAs/s400/farm-tales-the-mouse-trap-1-638.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">To help her recuperate, the farmer culled the hen at home and prepared chicken soup. Days passed, the lady didn’t recover and the farmer’s house was filled with kind and worried neighbours. Now, to feed them all as an expression of gratitude, the farmer butchered the pig and made stew. In spite of the doctor’s best efforts, the farmer’s wife succumbed. The cow was slaughtered for meat to feed all the guests at the funeral! The mouse survived and wondered how things would have been different had the barn cared about the mouse trap in the house. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This story made me pause and ponder about how connected the universe is. However, since it did not indicate the basis for the connect, it felt like a random story constructed to inspire a point. Therefore, I ended with the thought,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Interesting indeed! But this is probably just a story.”</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The connection became evident only when I came across</span><a href="http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume05/sss05-56.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the 40th Birthday discourse of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">A toe-crushing story with far-reaching implications</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is another story now. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The little finger on the right hand got to know that the little toe on the left foot had suffered a crushing blow. It did not bother about the toe because, c’mon, why should that problem which was so far away affect the little finger? </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As time passed, the neglected toe grew from bad to worse. The injury got infected and, in fact, became gangrenous. The gangrene spread from the toe to the foot to the leg. Finally, the badly infected leg affected the body itself which died. When the body died, the little finger too suddenly found itself in the throes of death. Before it knew what was happening, it too died. </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That is the story of connectedness with an evident basis of connection. The story was inspired from Swami’s statement in His Birthday Message.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“When a thorn pricks your foot, you get tears in the eye, for, they are of the same body. So too, when a worm is crushed, your heart must react to its pain.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">School biology teaches us that a cell is the smallest structural and functional unit of life. Though it can function independently and has it’s own life cycle, it is always a part of a tissue. The tissue too has its unique function, purpose and existence but it always is part of an organ. Once again, the organ is an individual in every sense and yet, it is always a part of an organ system like the circulatory system, digestive system and so on. Even the systems are not completely independent because they come together harmoniously to form the organism. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is puzzling question. Why do we assume that the organism is a completely independent unit? Going by how it is built, is it not logical that the organism is probably the ‘cell’ of the Universe? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0QeUPSSDzx0/W1deeTZdvUI/AAAAAAAAGg4/Y52NoggHAXQV7BzuUu1oPS2q73N3Ay4WgCLcBGAs/s1600/Gaia%2BHyptothesis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="960" height="512" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0QeUPSSDzx0/W1deeTZdvUI/AAAAAAAAGg4/Y52NoggHAXQV7BzuUu1oPS2q73N3Ay4WgCLcBGAs/s640/Gaia%2BHyptothesis.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Swami had expounded this in a practical manner long before the actual theory was published in 1979. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">That gives us the basis of the connectedness. We are independent yet connected to each other the way cells in a body are! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Vyashti to Parameshti journey</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During His </span><a href="http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume32/sss32p1-12.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Divine Discourse on the 27th of April 1999</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Swami dilated on the cosmic connection.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Though lakhs of years have passed since the advent of man on this earth, yet he does not know his real Self even today. The entire creation has divine origin, and the Creator is God. He willed: ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ekoham Bahusyam’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (I am One, let Me be Many), and the creation manifested by His Will. Srishti (creation) has its origin from </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Parameshti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (supreme power). </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Samashti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (society) is a limb of srishti. Similarly, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vyashti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (individual) is a limb of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Samashti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Without </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Srishti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Samashti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has no existence, and without </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Samashti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, there can be no </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vyashti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since man has limbs such as hands, feet, head, etc., which constitute his body, likewise man is a limb of society and society is a limb of creation/nature (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Srishti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). Man is therefore not separate from </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Samashti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Srishti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Parameshti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. All human beings are just the limbs of the same body of God.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WqSomXH6l3Y/W1ddc4-SNyI/AAAAAAAAGgs/rKnSovz3w20UwTBFYK6mO8MXFiRGg56aACLcBGAs/s1600/Go%2BGreen%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WqSomXH6l3Y/W1ddc4-SNyI/AAAAAAAAGgs/rKnSovz3w20UwTBFYK6mO8MXFiRGg56aACLcBGAs/s640/Go%2BGreen%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yyx2jTfasM0/W1ddc2kEimI/AAAAAAAAGgo/hxmZfqUAhJk37bSY73K3nmL-KLptjAaUACLcBGAs/s1600/Go%2BGreen%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="849" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yyx2jTfasM0/W1ddc2kEimI/AAAAAAAAGgo/hxmZfqUAhJk37bSY73K3nmL-KLptjAaUACLcBGAs/s400/Go%2BGreen%2B2.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a recurrent theme in many of His other discourses too. Among the many other implications that the message has, one thing becomes very clear - that serving the society and the environment is an absolute necessity for one to be spiritual or devoted to God. Not serving society or ignoring the environment calling them ‘worldly’ or ‘non-spiritual’ is ignorance and foolishness. It is akin to the little finger not being concerned about the palm or hand of which it is an integral part. If the little finger seeks to serve the body, it has to love and serve the palm and hand. If the devotee seeks to love God then society and nature too have to be loved and served. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And that is why being spiritual requires us to be environment-friendly. That is why the Indian culture (and many other cultures too) worshipped nature as God. That is why it makes absolute sense for an ashram like Prasanthi Nilayam to hold an international Go-Green conference.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us protect and show love to Mother Earth and Father universe. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; max-height: 1e+06px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For all the readers:</span></b></span></div>
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Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-71806467538230248492018-06-12T07:43:00.002+05:302018-06-12T09:46:25.609+05:30Sai Thy Kingdom Come - Thoughts on the Second Appearance of Sri Sathya Sai Baba<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Can we understand His words?</b><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba left His physical frame on the 24th of April 2011. When that happened, there was widespread disbelief among the devotees. According to various public instances and references, Baba had said that He would be in His physical frame till 92, 94 or 96 years of age with the ‘96-years’ concept being the most popular version. How then, could He leave at 85? Thus, came the ‘theories’ of a second coming, a return to the physical of Bhagawan Baba. Then came the compilation -<a href="http://www.saikingdom.com/" target="_blank"> Sai, Thy Kingdom Come</a> - by S.Narayan which brought together all the different things Bhagawan had said about the ‘length’ of His life. It presented evidence from the various scriptures, Nadis and the like while proposing a second coming. It also presented dreams and visions of different devotees that suggested Swami's second appearance as evidence. I must say, it felt really wonderful reading the same.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, whenever I read, heard or came to know about different accounts regarding His second coming, a voice from within kept persistently throwing up a single statement which Bhagawan often made - a statement so poignant and profound that one could meditate for long just on it. This was the statement of Baba that my heart kept showing me,</span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“When you cannot understand my silence, how will you understand my words?”</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Mahasamadhi was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory" target="_blank">black swan event </a>and it was chosen by the Avatar of the Age definitely to communicate several messages of wisdom to mankind. One of those, I firmly believe, is to prod us to start listening to and understanding His silence. Instead of doing that, if we start discussions and debates on when and how He will start 'talking' again, aren't we missing the whole point?</span><br>
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<b>The Divine Word is the Veda Vakya</b><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">God’s words are always the TRUTH. In fact, a Vedic scholar was once asked,</span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Swami keeps telling various things about what is in the Vedas. Are those things really present in the Vedic texts?”</span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The scholar, Sri Kamavadhani, replied emphatically,</span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Fool, Swami’s Word itself is the Veda!”</span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">According to him, Swami’s word defined the Vedic word and not the other way around. It was not the case of checking whether what Swami spoke was the truth or not for His speech defined the Truth. His first name, Sathya, means Truth and the Universe realigns itself to follow His every utterance. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, don't get me wrong. I am not disregarding even slightly the words spoken by Swami. What I am pondering is simply about our ability to understand those words. There is the story of a sage undertaking a penance for centuries in an attempt to understand the Vedas. At the end of it, he realizes that if the Vedas were the four mountains, his understanding has been equivalent to a grain of sand! These are metaphorical stories to indicate that when it comes to divinity, the intellect and the mind are grossly inadequate in imparting an understanding. That understanding lies in the realm which is beyond the mind and the intellect. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The debate here is not about what Bhagawan said, but of our understanding of what He said. </span><br>
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<b>Bhagawan's startling declaration in the interview room</b><br>
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The drama ‘<a href="http://media.radiosai.org/journals/Vol_05/01MAY07/11-prasanthi-diary.htm" target="_blank">Daivam Manusha Roopena</a>’ (presented by the 11th grade students on March 29, 2007) was on the life of Shirdi Baba. When the scene of Shirdi Baba leaving the body for three days came, Swami went into the interview room. There, He made a revelation that literally left the students, Divij Desai and Harish Krishan. dumbstruck.<br>
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</div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/06/sai-thy-kingdom-come-thoughts-on-second-appearance-of-sathya-sai-revelation.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-22389210666870223192018-06-08T08:46:00.001+05:302018-06-08T17:22:47.196+05:30Handling Criticism, and Abuse - Wisdom from Sri Sathya Sai Baba<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqKqCZg7OqbHonfQ6SPPHfrv2ZChk_j49sIeH-tkqxXTSqYITYnHcJuPlvz5NWn0qL9Tx2qZoQhYCgfiMIByNIodLxSMrxAMwgAbGGpbxaRbU0XJqZaUdAQBKWHbUEjkQG8vdFhzBGrY/s1600/Swami+smiling+joking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="528" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqKqCZg7OqbHonfQ6SPPHfrv2ZChk_j49sIeH-tkqxXTSqYITYnHcJuPlvz5NWn0qL9Tx2qZoQhYCgfiMIByNIodLxSMrxAMwgAbGGpbxaRbU0XJqZaUdAQBKWHbUEjkQG8vdFhzBGrY/s640/Swami+smiling+joking.jpg" width="420"></span></a></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-79b35f68-dd34-7871-f6d8-5f21cedd5561"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sathya Sai Formula while facing criticism</span></span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Everyone faces criticism. Even the Gods themselves are not spared of criticism. But then, how one faces the criticism determines what one becomes.That’s what the popular story of a donkey that fell in the well tells us. When the donkey fell in the well, it brayed out loud. To ‘bury’ the irritating sound, everyone came and threw mud into the well. The donkey however kept shrugging off the dirt from its body and did not allow itself to get buried under it. Finally, it made use of the mound of mud which had collected in the well to actually get out of the well! Criticism can be used constructively! In fact, ‘constructive criticism’ actually depends on the attitude of the one being criticised and not on the attitude of the one criticising. </span></span><br>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Swami as He is reverentially and endearingly called) says,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Let us say somebody has criticized you. You get angry/upset. When you get angry/upset, do not react immediately. Think to yourself, </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Do I have in me the defects that have been pointed out by them? If in case, those defects are there in me, then, is it not my mistake to get angry/upset with them? However, if the blemishes pointed out by them are not present in me, then why should I get angry/upset with them?’</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you thus give an opportunity for such an enquiry and spend time in introspection, your anger will subside.” (From public </span><a href="http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume25/sss25-15.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">discourse on 24th May 1992</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Swami, in that same discourse, gives a personal example to make it clear. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“When people call Me </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Buttatala </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sai Baba (Sai Baba with a basket-like head), it may seem insulting. But, I do have a basket-like head! Therefore, I must accept this is true. But if they call Me </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pattatala </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sai Baba (Sai Baba with a bald head), then this is not true; so why I should I accept it? Therefore, if blemishes that are not there in me are mentioned right in front of me, even then I will not accept it. That is the right kind of determination. You must have self-confidence.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Extrapolating the same logic, if the criticism is only partially true, one can accept (and correct if necessary) that part alone, letting go of the rest.</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a </span><a href="http://sssbpt.info/summershowers/ss1990/ss1990-04.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">public discourse</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> during the annual Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality held at Bangalore in 1990, Swami said,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Saint Tukaram had good feelings and so, he gave a favourable interpretation to even the rude and negative behaviour of his wife. His senses did not stand in the way of his spiritual progress and equanimity, despite trying circumstances in his family. Likewise, Sant Kabir was always engaged in remembrance of God. So his wife’s behaviour was harmonious and conducive to his spiritual advancement, Einstein, too, had the quality of equanimity in him and was therefore not at all upset by the boisterous behaviour of his wife. From all these instances, it is evident that what you need to do is to harmonise your own thoughts and feelings through proper </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sadhana </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(spiritual discipline), rather than blame the environment or other persons for your shortcomings.”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break"></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, that sums it all up and highlights the truth that whether criticism is constructive or destructive depends on the attitude and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sadhana</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of the one facing criticism. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A special case: Criticism of one’s Guru</span></span><br>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For many Sai-devotees (and I presume it is the case for devotees/followers of other Gurus/Masters as well), there is one criticism that is hard to overcome - the criticism of one’s Master/</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guru</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">/God/Religion. I remember how my blood has boiled whenever I have read heavily concocted and hastily written articles on my Swami by half-baked journalists whose sole goal seems to be capturing eyeballs at any cost. There are also some people on the internet (I will not name them and pollute my blog or the readers’ minds) who make ad-money and build a reputation for themselves by specifically targeting Swami using hook or crook (mostly crook). They doctor images, quote media out of context and spit venom camouflaging it as scientific journalism. And I get angry and upset. I can possibly learn to stand criticism when it concerns me but when a being that I have personally experienced for two decades to be an epitome of love, sacrifice and selflessness is unfairly criticised, righteous anger wells up within. It is almost like I am unable to bear it if someone unfairly abuses my father or mother! What should I do then? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Prof. Nanjundaiah’s experience with Swami regarding this is very enlightening and liberating. </span></span></div>
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</div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/06/handling-criticism-and-abuse-sathya-sai-baba-wisdom.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-86341640286327537252018-05-30T08:43:00.000+05:302018-05-31T11:02:34.990+05:30When Sri Sathya Sai Bled to Keep His Children Safe and Happy...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXI-GuhZGxEx4rbmMOaJyAL2D_Ezo1wQc_MoRnnfwvpOcrO7tJYcTxGyHt62QXJK_zyHHfaqku3MmKYqLCXqe8Or4OukLgEX-Qqg7eKtBvsCxUcqzmAEXsfPeE88B8q5exgInYVFKnnI/s1600/Sports+meet+fall+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="496" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXI-GuhZGxEx4rbmMOaJyAL2D_Ezo1wQc_MoRnnfwvpOcrO7tJYcTxGyHt62QXJK_zyHHfaqku3MmKYqLCXqe8Or4OukLgEX-Qqg7eKtBvsCxUcqzmAEXsfPeE88B8q5exgInYVFKnnI/s640/Sports+meet+fall+1.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">He rose after the fall as though nothing had happened. It was 3 days later that the actual damage was made public.</span></td></tr>
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"Jesus Christ, the saviour, bled to save mankind from its sins."<br>
I have heard this story many times when I studied in a Christian school as a child. Though I knew the story by heart, it never touched my heart because it remained only in the realms of the head. I understood the meaning and significance of Christ bleeding for His children when I experienced the supreme love behind such an act on the 11th of January, 1999. That is a day etched in my heart coupled with mixed emotions. It is a day whose memory makes me smile and cry at the same time. It is a day when my dear Swami, my God and Master <a href="https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Sathya-Sai-Baba-1926-2011" target="_blank">Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba</a>, bled so that one college student could be safe and all the students of the educational institutions could be happy!<br>
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<b>The Annual Sports and Cultural Meet</b><br>
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I had joined as a student of the XI class in 1998 and I was very excited about participating in my first ever Sports and Cultural Meet of the Sri Sathya Sai Institutions. Each passing day, my relationship with Swami was growing in different dimensions. Ever since that first memorable experience where He accepted my love, I looked forward to each day for events to add to my experience-bank with Him. The Annual Sports and Cultural Meet is a time when the students from all the different campuses of the Institute - the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus and Puttaparthi, the Brindavan campus at Bangalore and the women’s campus at Anantapur - and the schools at Puttaparthi - Primary school and Higher secondary school - join together in a mass effort to please their dear Swami with a display of physical prowess and mental magnificence.<br>
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The significance of the timing of the Sports Meet, 11th January, is very profound. It is the time of the <i>Uttarayana </i>or the northward movement of the sun. This is considered as a very auspicious time for contemplating on the Lord and it is said that such contemplation leads to oneness with the Lord. In fact, the grandsire in the Mahabharatha, Bheeshma, who had a boon that he could die only when he willed, decided to do so in this period of the Uttarayana. For the students studying in Swami’s schools, thinking of the Lord becomes an automatic affair as they plan and prepare in full gusto for the Sports Meet. As Sami puts it, this is a time when the students bend the body in an attempt to mend the mind and end the senses.<br>
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Well, delving into the Sports Meet would be a matter of an entire article. It would suffice here to say this much that students do all sorts of activities - dangerous stunts, dances, drills, displays and, at times, death-defying acrobatics. And they do it with full faith in Swami. It is their way of showing how much they love Him and all that they are ready to do for Him. It is not that Swami ever asks for these expressions of their love. In fact, He is always concerned about their safety and well-being. And that is why He chose to bleed for them...<br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IoruUph6jUg/Wwz1tVPg8yI/AAAAAAAAGcw/XbVlsppufjEYcEIxY0oS8VKyGlHkBlAJACLcBGAs/s1600/Sports%2Bmeet%2Bfall%2B0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="400" height="432" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IoruUph6jUg/Wwz1tVPg8yI/AAAAAAAAGcw/XbVlsppufjEYcEIxY0oS8VKyGlHkBlAJACLcBGAs/s640/Sports%2Bmeet%2Bfall%2B0.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"This body has come for the sake of devotees and shall be utilised for doing anything and everything for their welfare." </span></td></tr>
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<b>The Sports Meet of 1999</b><br>
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I remember that day very vividly. As soon as Swami arrived at the Sri Sathya Sai Vidyagiri stadium, a beautiful music theme filled the stadium. (This was a theme song from a famous movie that had been just released then.) I was seated near the <i>Shanti Vedika</i>, the stage on which Swami would ascend. When Swami’s chariot entered the ground, 150 metres away from the <i>Shanti Vedika</i>, I could feel the electric waves of excitement flowing through the atmosphere.<br>
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</div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/05/when-sri-sathya-sai-bled-to-keep-his-children-safe-happy.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-90134560260973410512018-05-23T07:45:00.000+05:302018-05-23T07:45:02.657+05:30Coping with the physical absence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba - two stories and an experience<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;"><b>The day after which everything changed</b></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">For the followers of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the 24th of April 2011 marks the end of an era and (naturally so), the beginning of another. It is a day on which everything changed forever because the Swami that they so dearly loved discarded the lovely form that He had donned for nearly 86 years. Having painstakingly taught them for decades that He would always be in them, around them, beside them and with them, He decided that it was the time for the practical examination. </span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwevhDwxfElVcu50WkGmntfKHoRU3ZBMHQN84nrZzxLRo2gUfg8TATdb781ZC5nV7eqrP2OlidwSHcbLe-cbdBmwwA2F8v-Y6N9HxfEvYRWUt8nDDLuhl9E5DbeF68fG_TpKOKS4A5aQ/s1600/sathya-sai-aradhana-day-wallpaper-2016-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwevhDwxfElVcu50WkGmntfKHoRU3ZBMHQN84nrZzxLRo2gUfg8TATdb781ZC5nV7eqrP2OlidwSHcbLe-cbdBmwwA2F8v-Y6N9HxfEvYRWUt8nDDLuhl9E5DbeF68fG_TpKOKS4A5aQ/s640/sathya-sai-aradhana-day-wallpaper-2016-2.jpg" width="640"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">When my mind goes back to the period after that, it just becomes numb. It is hard to remember anything 'memorable' after that 24th. Yet, His word can never fail. It is possibly with this faith or maybe hope that I stay on, doing the things that I feel will please my Swami. It is this faith (or hope) that keeps the millions of His devotees going. Lucky are those with that hope; luckier still are those with that faith. But for those like me, who have bouts of doubts and sadness at missing His lovely form, here are a couple of stories that Swami would narrate which give us a solution and thus solace. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">It was the 22nd of August, 2011 - the first <i>Krishnashtami</i> (birthday of Lord Krishna) that we would be celebrating at Prasanthi Nilayam in the physical absence of Swami. I suddenly felt a pinch of emptiness in my heart. My mind raced to the years before when He would feed the animals so lovingly. It especially raced to the </span><a href="https://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Krishna-Janmashtami-2004" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">the most memorable Krishna Janmashtami of my life </a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">when Swami showed</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">me that though He seems to be absent, He knows everything that goes on everywhere and at every time!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">And soon, there were tears in my eyes. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">This is the irony of life - we laugh remembering the moments we have cried in the past and we cry remembering the moments that we have laughed and been happy in the past!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;"><b>The form of God can be matched by ONLY one thing</b></span><br>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">I closed my eyes visualising that beautiful form of Swami. It was so hard to stop the tears. Possibly in a bid to bring some solace to my heart, I began chanting His name - the Sai Gayatri. The solace actually came! Why would it not? Hadn't Swami Himself promised it? Here is the story that He would often narrate to emphasize on remembrance of the Lord's name. It is </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">popularly known as </span><em style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">Krishna Tulabhaaram.</em></span></div>
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</div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/05/coping-with-physical-absence-of-sathya-sai-baba-krishna-stories.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-52312195874733901782018-05-14T15:23:00.000+05:302018-05-14T17:05:49.238+05:30The Newsweek (1969) editorial article on Sri Sathya Sai Baba <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vtzci8M3jAs/WvQ1el7FMoI/AAAAAAAAGaQ/n0BbxK5yB0gangSeMxFqIjygn3UNfcmlACEwYBhgL/s1600/God%2BPossessed%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="501" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vtzci8M3jAs/WvQ1el7FMoI/AAAAAAAAGaQ/n0BbxK5yB0gangSeMxFqIjygn3UNfcmlACEwYBhgL/s640/God%2BPossessed%2B1.jpg" width="440"></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">The picture that accompanied the article on Sri Sathya Sai Baba in the Newsweek,<br>November 1969. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #4b4949;">Published in New York City from 1933 to 2012, the </span><em style="color: #4b4949;">Newsweek,</em><span style="color: #4b4949;"> </span><span style="color: #4b4949;">(according to</span><span style="color: #4b4949;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsweek" rel="nofollow" style="color: #e25e2b; text-decoration-line: none;">info on Wikipedia</a><span style="color: #4b4949;">) was a weekly magazine with the second-largest print-edition circulation, only behind the iconic</span><span style="color: #4b4949;"> </span><em style="color: #4b4949;">TIME </em><span style="color: #4b4949;">magazine. During its prime, it had a worldwide circulation of over 4 million and it published in Japanese, Korean, Polish, Spanish, Rioplatense Spanish, Arabic and Turkish other than English. (</span></span><span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: inherit;">By the way, December 2012 was the last print-edition of the </span><em style="color: #4b4949; font-family: inherit;">Newsweek.)</em></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4949;">Imagine my joy when somebody forwarded by email, a scanned page of the 'religion' section of this magazine which carried a story about my dear Lord, Master, Best Friend and Guide - </span><a href="https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Who-is-Sathya-Sai-Baba" style="color: #e25e2b; text-decoration-line: none;">Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba</a><span style="color: #4b4949;">! I searched for the soft copy of that article everywhere on the world wide web but, sadly, it wasn't there. That is why I decided that I must type out from the image and post it for all to read. The original image of the scanned page is also posted in its full resolution in the article.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The article has been presented below after its scanned image.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2htCFjK5zpXbGltWw21ErO5mk8YTMEcaSJEiRsBHxdRYW8-ntlWYt5ZQ0Izcw_-CTGh2-woX8F3dqsEu31Q3o44YSkSnnRCE_BcF5S86x1OuTTmeRvK2h-E1RV1oDu-im-KmNi9voYdA/s1600/God+Possessed+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2htCFjK5zpXbGltWw21ErO5mk8YTMEcaSJEiRsBHxdRYW8-ntlWYt5ZQ0Izcw_-CTGh2-woX8F3dqsEu31Q3o44YSkSnnRCE_BcF5S86x1OuTTmeRvK2h-E1RV1oDu-im-KmNi9voYdA/s640/God+Possessed+2.jpg" width="570"></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6ea6af; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sathya Sai Baba: The God Possessed</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When Sathyanarayana Raju was born, his mother recalls, the family tambura twanged of its own accord and a cobra appeared mysteriously beneath his crib.As a child, he showed mystic powers and a love of sacred verse. And one day when he was 13 years old, he returned home from school and told his mother, a well-to-do matron in the village of Puttaparthi: “I am no longer your Sathya, I am Sai Baba. I do not consider myself related to you. My work is waiting. My Bhaktas(devotees) are waiting. Good-by. Worship me every Thursday.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With that, Baba left home to begin the life of a god-possessed holy man. His mother pleaded with him to come back, but it was too late: throngs of Hindus were already crowding around the youth calling him “tiny prophet”, “mysterious prodigy” and “God on earth.”</span></div>
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<strong>Divine:</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Such events are not unusual in India, where thousands of self-proclaimed gurus and holy men roam, begging for a living and teaching their faithful. But Baba, the god-possessed is unique. He claims to be “the Lord come in human form,” a reincarnation of Krishna, one of the major Hindu gods. And thousands of devout Hindus believe that the 42-year-old, bushy-haired holy man with flashing eyes, and a voice “like the sound of a bell” can perform miracles, heal the sick and project his mind through time and space. Each November, 50000 Indians trek to Puttaparthi to celebrate his birthday. The former chief scientist in the government’s Ministry of Defence insists that Baba is “beyond the laws of physics and chemistry, a divine phenomenon, an incarnation.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since he began leading the life of a holy man, Baba’s miracles have become legend throughout India. A leading lawyer swears that Baba cured him of Parkinson’s disease with a wave of his hand, and Baba is said to have walked along the seashore at Cape Comorin in South India with prayer beads forming magically at his feet after each step. He reportedly produces the Bhagavad-Gita and sandalwood statuettes of Krishna from the sand by magic, and once, when traveling in a car that ran out of gas, is said to have turned a bucketful of water into gasoline. When a murderer appeared at his religious school disguised in a holy garb, the story goes, Baba detected the villain immediately and told him:“Confess your crime. There is no escape.” And Charles Penn, an American pilot insists that Baba miraculously appeared at his side during a crash landing in India.</span><br>
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</div></div></div></div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-newsweek-article-sathya-sai-baba-the-god-possessed-1969.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-2260765185110304872018-05-09T08:04:00.000+05:302018-05-09T08:04:21.630+05:30How God helps in our Karma - the fruits of action.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;"><b>Fluctuating fortunes</b></span><br>
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.8px;">It was the summer of 2002. Like some of the special summers before that, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had decided to conduct the Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality. The venue, as in most cases, was the Whitefield Ashram in Bangalore. It turned out to be a most unforgettable one for me because of an experience it gifted me. Swami used that period to teach me a powerful lesson about Karma and the way Guru/God deals with it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.8px;">For those that are unaware of what a Summer Course with Sri Sathya Sai Baba is, here is a brief description. It had started off as a study of the Indian scriptures and value systems for a period of 15-20 days for the youth from various parts of India. Swami would take active interest in it and would address the students on a daily basis. The students were also blessed to hear talks by many scholars and erudite speakers. As years passed by, attending a Summer Course was made a special privilege of only the students studying in the various educational institutions started by Swami. The format and schedule remained the same. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.8px;"><span style="font-size: 13.8px;">It was the 26th of May, 2002 to be precise. </span>The Buddha Poornima celebrations overlapped with the concluding days of the Summer Course that year. </span></span><span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">The programme was by devotees from Nepal who had filled the Brindavan Ashram.</span><span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;"> </span><span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">I was part of the audio team that controls and takes care of the sound system during the programmes in Sai Ramesh Hall. As part of my duty, I was seated right in the front of the hall, walkie-talkie in hand, with the bhajan group. I had to give real-time updates and feedback about the microphone volumes to the team.</span><br>
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">I also was assigned another job. This was a time when Swami had suffered a fall and had difficulty walking up the stairs. As a result, two lifts had been erected - one on the ladies’ side and one on the gents’ side - for Swami to move up and down.</span><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ICNe45pajxs/WvF6_ZthIgI/AAAAAAAAGZQ/xFgsTVuPlUolH53QrKlOQC7NX5OxHa16wCLcBGAs/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1024" height="436" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ICNe45pajxs/WvF6_ZthIgI/AAAAAAAAGZQ/xFgsTVuPlUolH53QrKlOQC7NX5OxHa16wCLcBGAs/s640/01.jpg" width="640"></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Those were the days when Swami, at times, would come for Darshan in the golf-car and return by walk...Some days, He chose to walk both ways...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">I was told that if Swami used the lift on the gents’ side of the hall to go up the stage, I should send the ladies’ side lift also up, so that both lifts are available for Swami in case He wishes to descend. It had to be done manually as this synchronicity of the lifts had not yet been automated. Swami, on that day, completed His darshan rounds and moved up the lift from the ladies’ side. The lift on the gents’ side stayed down. Over the walkie-talkie I got an instruction,</span><br>
<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">“Move to the gents’ side and raise the lift up.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.8px;">I was in a dilemma because, as Swami sat on the dais, I was right in front of Him. I also had my Nikon SLR camera in hand. Would it not be conspicuous if I got up and went over to the lift? Would not Swami get upset at my ‘indiscipline’ of moving about during a programme?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.8px;">Even as I was lost in thoughts, I got another message,</span></span><br>
<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.8px;">“The warden is here. He says that you better go and raise the lift up. Otherwise, in case Swami wants to go down the gents’ side, He will be made to wait.” Now, the warden of our hostel in Brindavan also happened to be sort of an administrative head of the Brindavan Ashram. He was considered as Swami’s ‘right hand’ to execute various activities. If he was saying, I better do it, I thought. (That is a fatal mistake. To allow anyone, however high or powerful he might be, to come between you and your Guru/God). So, I just got up and walked to the lift. I pressed the green button that took the lift up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.8px;">Immediately, I felt a hand pull me down. It was a teacher and he seemed upset. He said, “You fool! Why did you get up and move? Swami was going on seeing you. He does not like such indiscipline. Now, just sit here and don’t do anything foolish.” I sat down at the lift, a little scared about facing Swami’s ‘irritation’. But my attention was on my Nikon 801s camera that was on the floor, right in front of Swami. The bhajans were on and everyone were singing out loud. The Buddhist devotees sitting there were lost in the ecstasy of devotion and I was worried. One swipe of an excited limb and my camera would be history! I sat with bated breath, waiting for the programme to conclude.</span></span><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nRze2spHdmSrblHM00g6qydorAra9ompRHhvOHNCNZX63rq2wVB0ZQzIKrsV6Px5ESWkFeDIFLIgGlv_hfcnuc0-STrX4mZhn7JdeqBJ2QUsLwlYeOF13LEb8qIgEe3ivx0-2B9r0LU/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1024" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nRze2spHdmSrblHM00g6qydorAra9ompRHhvOHNCNZX63rq2wVB0ZQzIKrsV6Px5ESWkFeDIFLIgGlv_hfcnuc0-STrX4mZhn7JdeqBJ2QUsLwlYeOF13LEb8qIgEe3ivx0-2B9r0LU/s640/02.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">One of the few pictures I took before I went over to the lift on the gents' side of Sai Ramesh Hall. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">About half an hour later, Swami gently rose and received Aarthi. Then, He again moved towards the lift on the ladies’ side. As He moved down, in accordance to the policy, I lowered the lift on the gents’ side also. Swami began to walk in the opposite direction towards the ladies’ side exit of the hall. At this time, I got up and rushed back to my placein order to safeguard the camera. </span><br>
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<span style="color: #4b4949; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px;">And then, it happened...</span></div>
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</div></div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-god-helps-in-our-karma-fruits-of-action-sathya-sai.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-64797696644004985642018-05-01T07:53:00.000+05:302018-05-01T07:53:58.962+05:30Lucid dreaming about Sathya Sai Baba? What does it mean? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Lucid Dreams</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I met a person in Singapore (let us call her Lakshmi because she doesn’t want her identity revealed) who had a very interesting experience with </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">lucid dreaming</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. For those that are wondering, in a lucid dream, the dreamer is aware that he/she is dreaming! In many cases, the dreamer may be able to exert some degree of control over the dream characters, narrative, and environment. Thus, the dreamer is not just a participant of the dream but also, to an extent, the controller and decider of the destinies of everyone and everything in the dream. In short, the dreamer is almost the God of the dream! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">A lucid dream can allow you to control and also shape your dreams because you 'know' that<br>you are sleeping! </span>(Artwork by <a href="https://johnsontsang.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Johnson Tsang</a>)</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was very keen to know more about her experiences because I felt that lucid dreaming is such a spiritual phenomenon. Vedanta says that life itself is a dream - just that one isn’t aware of it. “What better analogy to find in ‘real life’ about awakening and awareness than lucid dreaming?” I thought. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were many interesting insights that I got from her but the most striking one was about visiting Prasanthi Nilayam and seeing Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who we lovingly call Swami. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dream or a nightmare?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lucid dreaming is something that one can train oneself to do and there are lots of resources on the internet on how to become a lucid dreamer. Lakshmi however, discovered that she had a natural ability to lucid-dream. (Statistics show that about 10-12% of the population has this ability naturally.) The discovery came late in life in an interesting manner. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lakshmi would dream that she was lying on her bed with her head in the opposite direction of which she had actually slept. She would be paralyzed and stuck. And she would know that it was a dream! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“All that I have to do”, she would tell herself in her dream, “is wake up. Then this paralysis will be gone.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A normal dreamer can only wonder at how such an experience feels. But for Lakshmi, it was very frustrating. Though she knew that the solution to her paralysis was waking up, she did not know how to wake up! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She discussed her strange plight with her family and close friends. She also received a very interesting solution.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Lakshmi, you are getting frustrated because you don’t know how to ‘wake up’ though you are aware that you are in a dream. Don’t try to wake up. Just exploit your awareness...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What do you mean by that?” asked Lakshmi, a bit confused. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Well, you know that it is a dream. Thus, you can easily convince yourself that you can walk in it. Spend time walking till you are able to wake up!”</span></div>
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</div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/05/lucid-dreaming-about-sathya-sai-baba.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-75862334419111737562018-04-17T10:26:00.003+05:302018-04-17T17:12:48.185+05:30Sri Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam - Importance and Significance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A day of celebration or mourning?</h2>
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The 24th of April every year is significant for those who love or revere <a href="https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Sathya-Sai-Baba-1926-2011" style="color: #e25e2b; text-decoration-line: none;">Sri Sathya Sai Baba</a>. It is on this day in 2011 that He 'died'. The quotes for that word are because someone who embodied eternal values of Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non Violence can never 'die'. He continues to live on in the hearts of people who hold Him dear. However, the Sri Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam, as the day is called, often brings pangs of pain and tears of lamentation for many because they miss their Swami in their midst.</div>
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Strangely, this anniversary of His ‘passing’ has been termed a 'Mahotsavam' which translates into 'great festival'. Why this irony? Isn't it sprinkling salt on a wound by terming a day of mourning as a day of celebration? What is one expected to do on such a day and how should one celebrate it?</div>
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In 2012, exactly one year after that earth-shattering day, I got ready and prepared myself for the solemn ceremony at Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi.</div>
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Sri Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam experience of 2012</h2>
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Waking up early in the morning, I got dressed in the traditional white shirt and white trousers after a bath. It was already 7:00 am and I had to hurry to mandir. As I served some <em>Semiya </em>(Indian vermicelli) for myself, my mother called out,<br>
“Have you kept breakfast for Swami?”<br>
It had become a practice at home to offer food and water to Swami's photograph in the altar in an attempt to feel His presence at home. So, I took the special silver plate and served vermicelli on to it. As I placed it at the altar, I noticed the silver tumbler there had water from the previous day. I took the consecrated water, poured it into my glass and filled the tumbler with fresh water for Swami. That was when a thought crossed my mind.</div>
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When people invited Swami to visit their homes, Swami would often say,<br>
“You want me to be at your home but you do not give me food and water!"<br>
That was His way of reminding people that His was a constant and unseen presence in every home. Desperately hoping to feel that in my home, I told Him in my head,<br>
“Swami, keeping food and water for you is a maintenance job. It is noticed only when it is not done! There is no appreciation if food is kept daily, but if it is missed, You complain!”</div>
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I smiled to myself as I said this. Since Puttaparthi summer temperatures get searing, I added half a glass of chilled water, placed the silver tumbler at the altar and said,<br>
“There, cool water for a hot day.”<br>
I then gobbled breakfast and soon, the four of us, my mother, my father, Pooja and I, left for the mandir. The other three planned to have breakfast after the morning programme in the mandir.<br>
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Being part of the <a href="http://media.radiosai.org/www/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #e25e2b; text-decoration-line: none;">Radiosai </a>team, the official media coverage unit for the mandir in the Ashram, it was also my professional duty to cover the day’s proceedings. The governor of Andhra Pradesh, Sri E.S.L.Narsimhan was the chief guest for the day which had a ‘Guru Vandana’ music programme by the students and the release of a book titled ‘The Miracle of Pure Love’ authored by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganeshan_Venkataraman" rel="nofollow" style="color: #e25e2b; text-decoration-line: none;">Prof.G.Venkatraman</a> scheduled.<br>
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The students’ music programme brought copious tears in my eyes. They were singing all of Swami’s favorite songs and there were beautiful visuals of Him on the TVs and giant screens. Seeing it was such nostalgia that one wished to keep one’s eyes fixed only on the screen and forget everything else. But sadly, I could not do that for I was manning a camera! Those beautiful 30 minutes were followed by the book release and then the governor’s speech. His speech took everyone by a storm almost.</div>
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He simply discarded the speech paper which had been prepared and spoke straight from the heart. He made it clear that he had not come as the governor but as ‘an admirer of Swami’. He said, “I am ashamed that whole governments are not able to do for the people what a single individual did. Swami is such a positive force that He gave a fantastic meaning even for vices. He said that one must have <em>Kama </em>(desire) for service, <em>Krodha </em>(anger) if one is not able to serve and <em>Lobha </em>(greed) to serve more and <em>Matsarya </em>(jealousy) towards those who are able to serve more!<br>
Shedding tears he recalled how Swami cured someone very dear to him with just one statement, “Don’t worry! Nothing will happen.” And as the governor choked, the ruthless press photographers clicked away, firing flashes into him.<br>
“I am sorry I am getting emotional” the man apologised, “I simply cannot help it.”<br>
I was in tears. I was thinking that Swami is a real silent worker. Without the slightest announcement or advertisement He was transforming and changing lives everywhere. And I missed Him!<br>
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I missed Him with all my being. My heart pined and ached for Him. Ah Swami! How much I desire to see you...<br>
And then, the governor said, “Swami should not be seen! He should be experienced!”</div>
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</div></div></div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/04/sri-sathya-sai-aradhana-mahotsavam-importance-significance-akshaya-tritiya.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-35322456980830698012018-04-10T07:46:00.000+05:302018-04-10T07:54:27.357+05:30The importance of loyalty to the Guru<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Sathyam Shivam Sundaram! Truth Auspiciousness Beauty!</span> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The vacuum of the Omnipresence compared to the Presence</b></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br>What happened on the 24th of April, 2011 when Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba left the physical frame is inexplicable for anyone who considered Him as Guru or God, Master or Mentor, parent or pal. All devotees were heart-struck at this act of their Swami. And the question that arose in all was,<br>“What next now?”<br><br>The Bharatiya scriptures have always accorded a very special place for the Guru. It is said that the mother points out the father to the child. The father points out the Guru and the Guru points out the Lord. <br><br>The term ‘Guru’ is loosely translated as the ‘preceptor’ for want of a better word just as the term ‘Bharatiya’ is often loosely translated as ‘Indian’ for want of a better word. <a href="http://aravindb1982.hubpages.com/hub/Who-is-Sathya-Sai-Baba">Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba </a>says that the term ‘Bharatiya’ is made up of two Sanskrit roots - Bha meaning God and Rathi meaning lover. A person who has love for God is a Bharatiya and the land in which such people reside is Bharat. Since India has been the birthplace of many religions, prophets, men of God and the incarnations of the Lord, it is referred to as Bharat. Thus, when Swami refers to the glorious Bharatiyas in His discourses, He is referring to the people who love God and not exactly to those that reside in the geographical boundaries of India.<br><br>In similar vein, Baba says that Guru is made up of two Sanskrit roots - Gu which stands for Gunateeta (beyond attributes) and Ru which stands for Rupavarjita (beyond form). A famous Sanskrit verse says,<br>“Acharya Devo Bhava” which translates into, “The Guru is God”, because the Guru shows the way to God. In this scenario, one can only imagine the good fortune of having the Lord Himself come as one’s Guru as I strongly believe happened with the advent of Bhagawan Baba.<br><br>But having a Master / Lord / Guru in human form has a big disadvantage too as I learned on that fateful day in April. The physical human frame is temporary in its nature and has to go one day even when it is occupied by the Supreme Being. And when that happens, the devotees and followers are totally at a loss as to what to do. The form that they love and adore has departed and they are drowned in sorrow. <br><br>And while some decided to wait for Him to take up the promised form as Prema Sai Baba, some decided to seek Him within. Some, in their desperation, began to seek Him in other Gurus, in other objects of faith (like the house of some particular devotee which is ‘specially blessed’ with manifestations of Grace like vibhuti) or in the company of people through whom they believed their Swami 'talks’. <br><br><b>The special blessing and a very significant lesson</b></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am honestly not waiting for Prema Sai. I am trying to connect with Swami in the form that my heart loves and longs for. This divine hide and seek is a game and I shall not change whom I am seeking simply because He has managed to hide well! My heart races back to an episode during <a href="http://media.radiosai.org/journals/Portal/pd-articles/PD-04_07_2009.htm">the Ashadi Ekadasi celebrations in 2009, the 4th of July </a>to be precise.<br><br>The children of the Bal Vikas programme from Mumbai had put up a drama on the life of a saint, Gajanan Maharaj. Swami was very happy with their performance and as the drama concluded, He decided to move down the stage and grant them group photos with Him. I was seated on the stage, behind Swami, from where I was photographing the drama. As He was wheeled down the stage, He looked at me and said something.</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I could not make out what He was saying and so I went close to Him. He was pointing to something behind me. I turned and saw that He was pointing to a cutout which had been placed on the stage. It was a large wooden frame on which there was a collage of all the saints from the land of Maharashtra. The frame had been placed on the main stage as part of the Ashadi Ekadasi decorations. <br><br>As He pointed to the frame, Swami asked me,<br>“Are you sitting along with your Gurus?”</span></span><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_rX1XTbzfwkTAuXeZ8Jt38a1wVfqyonQV1cVpV686MSKOCZIpbc_1cJbPjwDyV_iPahwP8grPBDm92SKK7kBKqYKy79e59qxzaUoFUCFJP7862coVPNT4aLhMiwkMlJxc24xTqT_xV0/s1600/Ashadi+2009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_rX1XTbzfwkTAuXeZ8Jt38a1wVfqyonQV1cVpV686MSKOCZIpbc_1cJbPjwDyV_iPahwP8grPBDm92SKK7kBKqYKy79e59qxzaUoFUCFJP7862coVPNT4aLhMiwkMlJxc24xTqT_xV0/s640/Ashadi+2009.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The collage of the various 'Gurus' which had been placed on the stage for Ashadi Ekadasi. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I turned around, saw the wooden frame with the many masters painted on it and smiled.</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-importance-of-loyalty-to-guru.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-28388938343457725192018-03-20T07:19:00.001+05:302018-03-20T08:46:21.369+05:30Ugadi 2018 Divine Omnipresence of Sathya Sai at Prasanthi Nilayam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samvatsara">Samvatsara </a>with the name Vilambi arrived on the 18th of March 2018, marking the beginning of a new year in the 60-year cycle. The festival of Ugadi was celebrated by the people of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as the people of Maharashtra celebrated Gudi Padwa and the Parsi people prepared to celebrate Navroz. In Prasanthi Nilayam, the abode of highest peace of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Puttaparthi, Ugadi is celebrated with great fervour and tradition every year in accordance with the precedent set by Swami Himself. This year was no different. However, it was also quite different in the sense that Bhagawan chose to show His loving omnipresence in a unique manner. <br><br>That revelation of His Presence started on note of apparent failure!</span><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The beautifully decorated Sai Sannidhi at Prasanthi Nilayam on the Ugadi day in 2018.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>When the discourse went into mute mode...</b><br><br>The morning dawned with the myriad hues and colours of the Ugadi decorations unfolded as the curtains of the Sai Sannidhi were drawn open. The customary Panchanga Shravanam, listening to the annual forecast based on the Panchanga, was delivered by Brahmasri Kuppa Siva Subramanya Avadhani Garu of Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams. The most anticipated part of the proceedings however was reserved for the last. The customary prayer to bless the gathering with His Divine Discourse was made and, as always, the Radiosai team played an appropriate discourse clip that had been prepared almost a fortnight before. It was an audio clip and as Swami and the translator spoke, the text of the message was projected onto the giant screens as well. <br><br>A few sentences into the discourse, ‘failure’ struck! The audio suddenly went off and there was absolute silence in the Sai Kulwant Hall. However, the display of the text of the discourse progressed. A few people ran up and down frantically trying to fix the situation as the silence in the hall continued beyond a minute. What had happened was a terrible mistake.<br><br>Whenever there is a programme scheduled in Sai Kulwant hall (other than the daily Veda chanting and Bhajans), the systems in the hall are always run on generator power. This is to ensure that the programme goes on smoothly without even the 15-seconds no-power time that is necessary for the generators to kick in. Even on the programme days, to minimize fuel consumption, the generator is put on after the Veda chanting, just before the programme begins. A mix-up or miscommunication had occured because of which the generator-guy had assumed that the programme is beginning at 9 am and had promptly switched the load from raw power to the generator! That had resulted in a downtime when there was no power available for Sai Kulwant Hall. In the meanwhile, the projectors that run on UPS continued to work. Thus, this strange situation cropped up wherein it felt as if the discourse had been ‘muted’. <br><br>However, before the blame-game could begin, Swami revealed His masterplan and there were goosebumps instead of annoyance!<br><b></b></span><br>
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</div></div></div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/03/ugadi-2018-divine-omnipresence-at-Puttaparthi-Sathya-Sai.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-68110571278992914152018-02-08T10:34:00.003+05:302018-02-08T10:56:57.360+05:30101 reasons why you are my best friend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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These were the contents of a huge greeting card that I gave the best friend of my life! That is a lovely story in itself and you can read it at:</div>
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<a href="https://hubpages.com/relationships/God-is-the-best-friend-in-life-Sri-Sathya-Sai-Baba-student-experience" target="_blank">And the best friend award goes to...</a></div>
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And here goes the 101 reasons why I tell my best friend that He is my best friend!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5u_aeoUHXh0/Wnvfh2xgylI/AAAAAAAAGUI/8b0QnStoKOoG0FYeGa-ueFBtzgrTMrLiACLcBGAs/s1600/Best%2Bfriends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1300" height="472" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5u_aeoUHXh0/Wnvfh2xgylI/AAAAAAAAGUI/8b0QnStoKOoG0FYeGa-ueFBtzgrTMrLiACLcBGAs/s640/Best%2Bfriends.jpg" width="640"></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1. I can't spell friendship without you</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">2. You’re the most beautiful flower in the garden of my life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">3. You can easily tell a lie for my convenience.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">4. You understand when I’m too busy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">5. You know me better than my siblings.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">6. You don't necessarily support my decisions.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">7. You go an extra mile when I need help.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">8. You tolerate my bad moods and still speak to me when you are in one of your own such one. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">9. At others expense, you make a great laughing partner.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">10. You walk in when others walk out.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">11. I can speak my heart out to you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">12. You openly discuss a disastrous date/crush.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">13. You fall for the same junk as I do.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">14. You help me to choose the right thing for my heartthrob.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">15. I can throw my tantrums on you. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">16. I can rely on you to post my letters.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">17. I know I needn't look my best when you’re around</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">18. I can discuss my creepy fantasies with you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">19. You motivate me to exercise.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">20. You’ve got sense of humor.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">21. You hand me your handkerchief when I’ve conveniently forgotten mine</span></div>
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</div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/02/101-reasons-why-you-are-my-best-friend.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-26938662224214939662018-02-06T09:10:00.000+05:302018-02-06T11:59:57.787+05:30Where to find Sri Sathya Sai Baba?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>The life-changing day</b><br>
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The 24th of April, 2011, changed life for millions of people around the globe. It was the day when Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba took <i>Mahasamadhi </i>( For those considered as Spiritual Masters, the term 'death' is never used for they are beyond birth and death. The term <i>Mahasamadhi </i>literally means 'Great Samadhi'. 'Samadhi' refers to the realized conscious departure from the physical frame.) Needless to say, it was an earth-shattering event for me. I seemed lost and the world seemed to come to a standstill. Considering everything in life as temporary and transient, I had held on to my God and Master. But now, He Himself was gone! What was I to hold on to now?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The earliest unveiled form of the Mahasamadhi structure of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.</span> </td></tr>
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I had always delighted in my work at Radiosai, spreading Swami's message of love and selfless service. But now, I was not able to do any of my work. I was known as a person who kept cracking jokes and making people laugh. There is nothing that satisfies me more than to know that I have been the reason for someone's laughter, someone's joy. Now, I no longer felt the need to make people laugh and happy - how could I when I myself was poverty-stricken in that respect? There were no smiles on my face nor was there any joy left in my heart. The pain was so much when I saw my Master lying in state for the 'funeral' that I did not even have the guts to go again to the Sai Kulwant hall where the mortal remains of beloved Swami had been buried.</div>
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The days passed agonizingly slowly. I don't remember much about those days except the fact that I just kept breathing on when I wanted to actually let go of everything and allow my breath to travel with Swami's. However, I remember one incident that Swami seemed to have especially planned to kick me out of my stupid stupor and kick-start my life again. </div>
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<b>An impulse that overruled a decision</b></div>
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It had been just a couple of months since I had been engaged to Pooja. It now became clear that Swami would not be present for my wedding. In fact, I realized that He would not be there for any of my life-events from now on. I wasn't ready to accept that. In an attempt to forget the Mahasamadhi, I decided that I would not go anymore to the Sai Kulwant Hall, the temple where I had spent hours daily for more than a decade! Later in the day, when I mentioned this to my fiancée, she did not seem surprised but she told me that Swami would miss me if I did not go there. </div>
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"I don't think so Pooja. I will meet Swami daily in my workplace for, thankfully by His grace, my work involves seeing Him, hearing Him and writing about Him."</div>
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"Your wish. It is your journey to Him. I can only pray and pray hard for you... Pray for me too okay?"</div>
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I realized that, lost in my sorrow, I had forgotten that it was equally sorrowful for Pooja too to have lost her Swami.</div>
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"Yes! Absolutely. I shall pray for you. Let us pray for each other..."</div>
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</div></div></div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/02/where-to-find-sri-sathya-sai-baba-address.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-45626200185683881902018-01-29T08:57:00.000+05:302018-01-29T17:30:26.451+05:30Power of the Gayatri Mantra is beyond imagination<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-small;">The beautiful Panchamukhi Gayatri idol installed in Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><b>Gaayantham Thraayathe Ithi Gayatri</b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">The Gayatri mantra is considered as one of the most powerful, all-encompassing and comprehensive mantras. Commonly, it is said,</span></div>
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<i style="text-align: start;"><i>Sarva Roga Nivaarini Gayatri </i>(Gayatri Mantra is the reliever of diseases),</i></div>
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<i style="text-align: start;"><i>Sarva Duhkha Parivaarini Gayatri</i> (Gayatri Mantra wards off all misery),</i></div>
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<i style="text-align: start;"><i>Sarva Vaancha Phalasri Gayatri </i>(Gayatri Mantra is the fulfiller of all desires).</i></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Those apart, the mantra also ensures that bad thoughts do not arise in one’s mind. It filters thoughts to allow only good and noble ones. It also increases one’s focus and concentration abilities. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">The Gayatri Mantra was discovered by Sage Viswamitra. It was the same Sage Viswamitra who initiated Sri Rama. It is a Universal Mantra and can be chanted by anyone, irrespective of religion, nationality, gender, caste, creed or race. In fact, as Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Swami) puts it, this mantra can be chanted at any place and any time. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">There are innumerable instances, public and private, where Swami has dilated on the power and potency of the Gayatri Mantra. One thing He always says is,</span></div>
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“Gaayantham Thraayathe Ithi Gayatri. (Gayatri is that which protects and redeems the chanter of the mantra.)”</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Though I have heard and read this multiple times, the enormity of that statement hit me when I read an incident from the book, “Avatar’s Prescription” by Dr. M. Vijai Kumar (MD, DA). This book is a collection of experiences of this venerable doctor who has done free medical service for over four decades. It is the story of his association with Swami and the guidance he has received from his Guru and God. It is on page 109 of the book that he reveals this incident which makes our jaw drop in awe about the power of the Gayatri Mantra. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;">Bhagawan Baba chanting the Gayatri mantra. Play </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;">it as you read the article. You will get the merit of</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;">hearing the Gayatri Mantra a few times atleast! :)</span></div>
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<b>The accident in 1985 that could have a different ending</b><br>
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In the year 1985, Dr. Vijai Kumar and several others were with Swami in an interview. Swami was speaking to all the assembled people. However, He seemed to evince lot of interest in talking with a six year old girl seated on her mother’s lap. The girl was asking Swami many questions in rapid succession and Swami was answering all of them with great patience and love. After a while, Swami gifted her with a photograph of Himself. Now, the girl wanted to know whether to put the picture in a big frame and hang it on the wall or put it in a small table-top frame. <br>
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“Put it in a small table-top frame...” Swami answered.<br>
“Swami, where should I keep it? Should I keep it in my bedroom or in the living room?”<br>
“Dear one, keep it on the window sill in your house - the one where there is direct sunlight. Then you can view it from your study table and well as from the living room,” Swami revealed in His omniscience. <br>
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The conversation went on and soon, the child seemed to be the sole focus for Bhagawan. All the while, the mother was sobbing silently but uncontrollably. Swami allowed her to cry. Everyone in the interview room were amazed at this unique interaction and were wondering why the mother was crying. <br>
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As if to appease everyone’s curiosity, Swami informed them in a very soft voice that the girl’s father had traveled on board “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_India_Flight_182">Air India Kanishka</a>”. <br>
</div></div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2018/01/power-of-gayatri-mantra-is-beyond-belief.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-16930963665695577222017-12-18T09:04:00.001+05:302020-06-11T17:37:43.804+05:30Jnana and Dhyana also need Bhakti - Ram Mohan's life experience_Part 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The magazine of God, for God, with God</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was almost instantly that Ram Mohan decided to make everything he did as an expression of his love to Swami. In 1984, he encouraged the students to produce a hostel magazine as an offering to Bhagawan on His Birthday on 23rd November. A number of hand-written articles, hand-drawn sketches and original poems landed up in his room in the weeks leading to the birthday. With the permission of the Controller of Examinations, Prof. Nanjundiah, Ram Mohan got multiple copies made from the University </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclostyle_(copier)" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cyclostyle </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">machine. Then, getting all the pages bound, Ram Mohan offered the magazine to Swami for His birthday. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swami placed the bulky book on His lap and leafed through all its contents. He was visibly happy and He blessed the effort. From then on, there was no looking back for Ram Mohan. He ensured that a copy of the magazine which was released for every major festival - Guru Poornima, Krishna Janmashtami, Dusshera, Christmas etc. - made its way to Bhagawan. After that, a copy of the magazine was also delivered to each and every room in the hostel for the students to read. Swami would go through the magazine and send His feedback on different articles, poems, sketches and paintings. Even when Swami had suffered a fall and a fracture, He went through the magazine, sending feedback via the editor of the Sanathana Sarathi, Sri V.K.Narasimhan. Swami conveyed to Ram Mohan, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Why has the boy drawn Garuda’s nose so long? Tell him to shorten it...”</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Ram Mohan offering the initial version of the hostel magazine, Sai Chandana, to his Swami in the Mandir portico. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Years later, in 1989, Swami Himself christened the magazine as ‘Chandana’. The next issue onwards, the magazine carried the name ‘Sai Chandana’ in bold letters on the front. Ram Mohan could not think of Chandana without the ‘Sai’ coming first! Thus, not only did Ram Mohan make the hostel magazine a vehicle for his devotion, he made it the carrier of all the students’ love too. In the later years, the magazine grew in size and significance and had multiple editors. Even then, when Swami referred to it, He always fondly remembered Ram Mohan. In fact, going through the 60th Birthday issue, Swami looked at Ram Mohan and told him,</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I know that you only have written all the articles in here.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That thrilled the devoted heart. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">{This is the concluding part of the 3-part story of Ram Mohan. To ensure you get the best of the story, read this part only after reading the first two parts at the links below: </span><br>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2017/12/how-to-get-devotion-and-increase-it.html" target="_blank">How to get devotion and increase it? - Life experience of Ram Mohan Rao - Part 1</a></span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-easiest-way-to-increase-devotion-to-God-Sathya-Sai-Ram-Mohan.html" target="_blank">The easiest way to increase devotion to God - Life experience of Ram Mohan Rao - Part 2 </a>}</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sai Chandana became a passion and obsession with Ram Mohan. He fervently worked for it with the feeling that this magazine of God should record the heartbeats of His students. The contributions were from students as young as 12 years of age right up till the research scholars in their mid twenties. Ram Mohan considered Sai Chandana as a legacy of the present to the future, a gift and treasure trove of Divine Love. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The lines of dedication from the first issue of the hostel magazine (that Swami named as Chandana) says it all.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the revered Sri Gandikota Subrahmanya Sastry passed away, a list of names was taken to Swami to name his substitute on the board of reviewers of the Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust alongside Prof. Anil Kumar, Sri Ramana Rao and Sri Prahlad. It was possibly as a reward for his purity, patience and perseverance that Swami selected Ram Mohan as a member of the book-review board. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This attitude of doing everything as an offering to Swami began to pervade Ram Mohan’s ‘translator-abilities’ too. In the 1990s, Swami brought Prof. Anil Kumar from the Brindavan campus of the </span><a href="http://sssihl.edu.in/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SSSIHL </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to its Prasanthi Nilayam campus. That was when Ram Mohan’s opportunities as a translator declined drastically as Prof. Anil Kumar took over that divine task. However, that did not sadden Ram Mohan or dampen his enthusiasm for Swami’s voice and words. He would sit in his spot behind the Ganesha idol in the Mandir portico, recording Bhagawan’s discourse on tape, in his diary and his heart. Then, he would transcribe the entire discourse in his beautiful Telugu handwriting after which, he would add his comments and appreciation of the different points made by Swami in the discourse. Having done that, he would make copies of his work and send the originals to Swami in a sealed envelope! </span></div>
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</div></div></div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2017/12/jnana-knowledge-or-dhyana-meditation-need-bhakti-devotion.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-48273993215951542672017-12-09T09:03:00.001+05:302020-06-11T17:36:00.099+05:30The easiest way to increase devotion to God - Life experience of Ram Mohan Rao - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Lord always encourages the devotees’ test. But then, repeated testing is harmful for the devotee! If the mind is allowed to tug at the sapling of faith on a daily basis to check whether the root - God - is there, the sapling may never grow into a mighty tree. Swami had already faced the ‘Hyderabad test’. Now, he had been thrown the ‘Bangalore test’. His love is such that He would definitely respond. But this time, it would involve a ‘Madras test’ for the devotee.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The route to his destination in Odisha involved travelling via the city of Madras (Chennai today). In the Madras railway station, Ram Mohan discovered to his horror that he had lost his tickets! He did not have sufficient money to purchase the tickets afresh. Soon enough, the TC (ticket collector) came and evicted him from the train. Stranded and stuck, he was at his wits end. He closed his eyes and prayed to both the Babas he knew - Shirdi Sai and Sathya Sai. The train would be leaving soon and he wondered why had he got into such a predicament. But wait, hadn’t he himself prayed to Swami to demonstrate His divinity?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[If you are wondering when did Ram Mohan make such a prayer, it becomes evident that you missed reading the first part of this article. For better understanding and greater enjoyment, read ahead only after having read the first part which is at the link below:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2017/12/how-to-get-devotion-and-increase-it.html" target="_blank">How to get devotion and increase it? The life-experience of Ram Mohan Rao - Part 1</a>]</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">God recognizes us irrespective of the 'costume' we put on outside. Are we able to recognize when God comes to us in<br>His many costumes? (Sri Ram Mohan Rao with Swami in Kodaikanal, 1987)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ram Mohan Rao... Who is Ram Mohan Rao?”</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He turned around to see a couple of gentlemen walking towards him. One was tall, about six and a half feet, while the other was short, about five feet. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I am Ram Mohan Rao...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ah! There you are. Does this belong to you?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was his ticket! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Thank you so much. You are lifesavers!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Words will not suffice sir... Give us our </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">dakshina</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (an offering made usually to one’s Guru or God only)...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ram Mohan had only a few Rupees left on him. He gave them ten and they seemed happy with whatever he gave. Taking his ticket, he managed to board the train just before it’s scheduled departure. But still, making the 3-day journey with barely a few Rupees in pocket was a tough ask. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That was when a gentleman from Masulipatnam, who was sharing the same compartment offered to help. Handing over 30 Rupees (the amount that Ram Mohan said would suffice), the gentleman said,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You can take this now. But please return the money to me. Here is my address.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ram Mohan thanked his godsent saviour and promised to send the money as soon as he was at his destination. </span></div>
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</div></div></div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-easiest-way-to-increase-devotion-to-God-Sathya-Sai-Ram-Mohan.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573862620010562638.post-27773008187484482932017-12-04T08:44:00.001+05:302020-06-11T17:33:05.718+05:30How to get devotion and increase it? - Life experience of Ram Mohan Rao - Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A persistent Presence</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-38b1979d-1d6a-bcaf-75a7-759e789c5989" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first time that Ram Mohan Rao heard the name of Sathya Sai Baba was in the coastal city of Vishakpatnam. The schoolboy was passing by a photo-framing shop when he chanced upon the image of a man in a saffron robe sporting a thick, curly mop of black hair. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Who is that?”, he asked the shopkeeper in curiosity.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“That is Sai Baba... He is the living God”, answered the shopkeeper casually.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“God!” Ram Mohan’s jaw dropped down in disbelief. He paused for a moment to take a second look at the ‘Sai Baba’ and then returned home. </span><br>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYS-O3dvUuAyFCzkUgUcKaDfgHamGt_c-y0-wv4Eu1K0nHbbAAUPIF_H8SQcnfAPnKhH9b-M0PiT2M1ZLGJY953-B57TipdKweDUInYCVim_rrniNo6P-7DegG4SxVcM-QHWqMQCO8Y8/s1600/PHRR_033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYS-O3dvUuAyFCzkUgUcKaDfgHamGt_c-y0-wv4Eu1K0nHbbAAUPIF_H8SQcnfAPnKhH9b-M0PiT2M1ZLGJY953-B57TipdKweDUInYCVim_rrniNo6P-7DegG4SxVcM-QHWqMQCO8Y8/s640/PHRR_033.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Sri Ram Mohan Rao with the love of his life, the meaning of his life and the goal of his life<br>- his God and Guru, Sri Sathya Sai.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After that day, however, there were at least a dozen occasions before he graduated with honours in English literature when he came across the name and form of Sathya Sai Baba. The most bizarre experience occurred when he left for the sleepy town of Jaleshwar in Odisha, in search of a job as a lecturer in English. When he met Mr. Chittaranjan Sahu, the Principal of the Deena Krishna College, for the interview, the first question almost took Ram Mohan’s breath away.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Do you know Sathya Sai Baba?” the Principal asked.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I have heard the name sir and have also seen pictures of him...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Have you been to Puttaparthi?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I haven’t even heard that name in my life...” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Principal smiled and said,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It is He that has prompted you to come here. I am certain of that because today is the 23rd of November - His birthday! You are appointed. Congratulations...”</span></div>
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<br>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ram Mohan was in a daze. What he was hearing seemed so strange. It was as if Sathya Sai Baba was following him ever since he saw Him in that picture-framer’s shop! </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the one year he spent at the DK College in 1971, Ram Mohan learned many things about Baba from the Principal. Mr.Chittaranjan would speak very highly of the discipline and devotion that ‘Swami’ demanded from His students in the newly opened colleges at Bangalore, and Anantapur (The Puttaparthi college had not yet come into existence then). He would want the same kind of discipline at DK College as well. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 1972, Ram Mohan Rao took up a job as a lecturer at the Science College in the large town of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhatrapur" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chhatrapur</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, in the state of Odisha. Swami followed him there too in an almost shocking manner. Ram Mohan had a very jovial colleague, Prasanna Misra, in the college. He was a happy-go-lucky person whose easygoing nature bordered on the recklessly casual. He was deep into the smoking habit. Thus, though he was a pleasant conversationalist, nobody would want to visit his reeking room. However, Ram Mohan, who was the antithesis of Prasanna Misra, developed a liking for him. That is why they probably say - ‘opposites attract’. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One day in the winter of 1975, Ram Mohan was shocked to see Prasanna early in the morning in the staff room without a cigarette in his mouth for the first time ever! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Didn’t you sleep at all last night Prasanna?” Ram Mohan could not accept the fact that he had woken up so early. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I slept like a baby Ram Mohan”, he responded with a serene smile.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What had happened to his colleague? He seemed to exude some ethereal happiness and peace. The thought expressed itself directly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What happened to you man?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I saw God”, he answered simply. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You?”, Ram Mohan stared at him in disbelief. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes! Me... With these eyes of mine...” , Prasanna said, “Come home in the evening and I shall tell you everything about it.”</span></div>
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<br>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That evening, when Ram Mohan went to Prasanna’s room, he was pleasantly shocked to find it pervaded with the fragrant smoke from incense sticks instead of the usual tobacco smoke. Prasanna was dressed in a silk dhoti and he welcomed Ram Mohan to join him in the evening worship. The altar was filled with pictures of Sathya Sai. It was Swami again! </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the worship, Prasanna explained how he visited Puttaparthi for the golden jubilee Birthday Celebrations of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. What he experienced within was an insatiable thirst for God which was slaked only when Swami gave him two </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">vibhuti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> packets. From that day, he lost all urge to even pick a cigarette. After narrating his incredible tale of transformation, Prasanna took a tiny pinch of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">vibhuti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from the packet and giving it to Ram Mohan said,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“God has given this to me with His own hands. You eat it. It will surely do you good.” </span></div>
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<br>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Holding the pinch of ash gingerly in his palm, Ram Mohan returned to his room. As prescribed by his friend, he ate it and applied a bit to his forehead as Prasanna had done. Then, he went to sleep. The next morning, he made his way to the well in the backyard to draw water for his ablutions. His eyes fell on something shiny beside the well. He picked it up and it was a pair of cymbals! Not knowing what to do with it, he placed it in the room and promptly informed Prasanna about it. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ram Mohan, you will surely become a devotee of Swami”, said Prasanna, “because Swami wants you. He sent you these cymbals which are symbolic of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bhakti</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> or devotion. These are His visiting cards.”</span></div>
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</div><a href="https://aravindb1982.blogspot.com/2017/12/how-to-get-devotion-and-increase-it.html#more">Click to read complete article »</a>Aravind Balasubramanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053197579712922104noreply@blogger.com14