Nobody ever makes a sacrifice for God - an epiphany at Dubai airport

Sacrificing for Swami

It was after a roller-coaster journey that my dream of working for Swami came true when He blessed me to join Radiosai. No doubt that I was happy and thrilled to get this opportunity of a lifetime. In fact, I could barely sleep after my first official day at office (I had unofficially worked for several days at Radiosai). I lay on my bed contemplating on the great good fortune that had been bestowed on me. That got me excited enough to prevent me from sleeping and I began to think of the future that lay ahead of me. That got me even more thrilled and I just kept tossing from side to side in my bed.

And then, the mind struck.

The mind has this ability to release a little worm into the dessert plate of happiness that our heart enjoys. It puts in one little “if” and another little “but” which takes all the peace and joy of the heart away. That is exactly what the mind did to me at that moment. It brought up what seemed like a very valid point.

“Aravind... you are getting excited because you are thinking of all the things that you have gained... Have you thought about all the things that you will be losing? Every decision has its pluses and minuses. I just hope you have thought this out well enough...”

In an instant, my chest which was heaving with excitement, began gasping in worry and serious thought. I continued tossing around on my bed as I realized that by saying ‘Yes’ to Swami, I had kissed goodbye to all my aspirations and ambitions. I would no longer be climbing up a career-ladder nor would I be focusing on making lots of money. There would always be enough for my needs but my wants would always remain unfulfilled. I would also have to give up on my desire to travel extensively in the world. Finally, because of meager finances, I might be forced to choose a life of a bachelor...

I cursed the mind for having ruined my party but I could not help but fret and fume. Finally, unable to take it anymore, I got up and sat up on my bed. I looked at Swami in the eye in the picture that hung in the room. Summoning all my devotion, determination and dedication, I said,

“Swami, I know that I have ambitions and desires. I would love to have money, roam the world, get married and raise a family. But, none of those are as important as You are for me. And so, for Your sake, I am sacrificing all of them. I shall not care for them and in case they happen to bother me in the future, You please take care...”

Never even dreamt that I would be seeing places like this because I foolishly thought I had "sacrificed" it all for Swami...

That single prayer made me feel much better. (Isn’t that what prayers are for - to make us feel good? Foolishly, we think that prayers are for pleading with God, informing God or thanking God. Prayers are healing medicines, balms for our crying souls.) From feeling like a victim, I began feeling like a martyr at worst! I was glad that I spoke to Swami and then, sleep overpowered me.

Landing in the 'middle of a desert' - October 2014

The Grand Mosque at Abu Dhabi with its golden towers is an impressive sight.

".... مرحبا بكم في دبي. درجة الحرارة في الخارج 40 درجة.الوقت هو الساعة 13:00. شكرا للطيران الإمارات ..."

“.... Welcome to Dubai... The temperature outside is 40 degrees... The time is 1 pm. Thank you for flying Emirates...”

Those were the announcements that I woke up to in the Boeing-777 that landed in Dubai from Manama. As the four of us - mom, dad and my wife Pooja, and I - walked into the Terminal 3, we were hit by a blast of opulence. The might of money and the ingenuity of intelligence had created a magic fairyland in the middle of a desert; at least that is what appears on the face of it. All of us were silent in awe and wonder as we stood on the dozens of escalators and moving walkways that took us through alleys and thoroughfares of ultimate luxury.

We were in the second leg of our holidays to the Middle-East having completed the first part in Bahrain. Beautiful Bahrain had thrilled us and filled us with delights galore. The impressive sight of the Grand Mosque, the peaceful walk along the corniche, the drives through the southern desert and the tasty Arabian cuisine (especially with the spice Zator) had made our days there memorable. However, what really clinched our hearts was something deeper - the warmth, love and affection that we received from the ever-welcoming Sai family there.

The term “Sai-family” will be a familiar one to anyone who has been following Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It is an instantaneously and spontaneously created family consisting of people from all races, nationalities and ages based on just one common ground - love towards Swami, Bhagawan Baba! Such was the overwhelming love that we never felt that we had left home. We were in a home away from home because though we had left Prasanthi Nilayam thousands of kilometers behind, these people recreated that exact Prasanthi Nilayam in Bahrain. (btw, Prasanthi translates to “Supreme Peace” and Nilayam translates into “Abode/Home”.)

From Bahrain we had landed in Dubai and my ‘brother’ was coming to receive us at the airport. Why the ‘quotes’ for ‘brother’? Well, because you see, he is not actually my brother in the sense that he is not a child to either my parents or their sisters or brothers. And yet, he is as loving, caring and affectionate as any other brother because of the common bond that Swami creates. He has not met us ever in his life but he meets and greets us as though he has known us for ages.

“Wow! What Swami does is magic right...” I gently told Pooja.

“Only He has the ability to conjure a family for us literally in the middle of a desert... We have known Swami and that is enough for this life...”

As Pooja made that statement, my mind rushed into a flashback - one that hit me like a truckload of bricks - to the day when I had told Swami that I would be sacrificing my desires for Him.

Dubai shows the power of man's intelligence. While Nature destined it to be a desert,
man had turned it into an oasis of luxury, opulence and comfort...
The image on top is a sweeping view of the city taken from the top of the Burj Al Khalifa,
the tallest building in the world.

Rabindranath Tagore’s beggar

In the 50th stanza of the Nobel-Prize-winning Gitanjali, Acharya Rabindranath Tagore writes the profound autobiographical story of a beggar. Here is my prosaic rendition of what he writes:

“I had gone begging from door to door in the village path, when the Emperor’s golden chariot appeared in the distance. I wondered at the sight which was like a gorgeous dream. Such was the majesty of this King of all kings! My hopes rose high and I was convinced that my days of misery were at an end. I stood waiting for alms to be given unasked and for great wealth to be scattered on all sides.

The golden chariot stopped where I stood. The emperor’s  glance fell on me. There was a benign smile on his face and I felt that the luck of my life had come at last. Then, all of a sudden the Emperor stretched out his right hand and said,

“What have you got that you can give me?'

Ah, what a kingly jest was it to open His palm to a beggar to beg! I was confused and stood undecided, and then from my little begging bag, I slowly took out the least little grain of corn and gave it to Him. He received it with a smile and raced away. How insensitive of Him to demand even from a beggar I thought!

But how great my surprise was, when at the day's end, I emptied my bag on the floor. Among the other things, there was one corn grain of GOLD! I bitterly wept and wished that I had had the heart and intelligence to give Him my all...”

The myth about sacrificing for God...

This was the story that accompanied the flashback as I was received by the Sai-brother with a warm hug. I thought of that day when I told Swami that I would be ‘making sacrifices’ for Him and my situation today -

I had money sufficient for a happy living in my wallet and bank account. My wife was by my side expressing gratitude to Swami and we were standing amidst the grandest opulence that money could buy in an overseas land!

The irony struck me. What had I ‘sacrificed’ for Swami? I realized that it is indeed a myth to think that one makes sacrifices for the Lord! Whatever I had thought that I had given up for Swami, I had received manifold in my life even without my knowledge.

The picture shows Swami Karuunyananda holding the umbrella over Bhagawan Baba during the Birthday Celebrations in 1975.

The same thoughts pervaded my being three days later when we were leaving for Bengaluru from Dubai. The Sai-brother came to drop us off. He stood at the gates till we crossed the immigration and security check areas. He waved to us till he could see us leave. This time I was in tears. Swami had also given me a loving family in every and any part of the world I had visited. It had been the same story in Abu Dhabi... and the same story in Bahrain. There had been so many beautiful brothers.... mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, sisters and little ones! I felt so overwhelmed at the way God gives. All one has to do is to choose Him. That is the only decision that is to be made in life. And that decision is not a ‘selfless’ one. It is a ‘selfish’ one because choosing God, one receives all that one needs in life and much, much more.

Even the Burj Al Khalifa, the tallest building in the world is an earthly toy,
isn't it??

In the 7th Chapter of his masterpiece, Autobiography of a Yogi, Sri Paramahamsa Yogananda records a very interesting conversation between a disciple of Bhaduri Mahasaya and the great master himself.

"Master, you are wonderful,” a student, taking his leave, gazed ardently at the patriarchal sage. "You have renounced riches and comforts to seek God and teach us wisdom!"

It was well-known that Bhaduri Mahasaya had forsaken great family wealth in his early childhood, when single-mindedly he entered the yogic path.

"You are reversing the case!" The saint's face held a mild rebuke. "I have left a few paltry rupees, a few petty pleasures, for a cosmic empire of endless bliss. How then have I denied myself anything? Is that a sacrifice? The shortsighted worldly folk are verily the real renunciates! They relinquish an unparalleled divine possession for a poor handful of earthly toys!"

That, I think sums it up more or less. As my flight took off towards India from the land of plenty and opulence, my heart had a prayer,

“Swami, may I never relinquish you for the sake of a poor handful of earthly toys...”

If you enjoyed reading this, you might also enjoy the following:

1. Beautiful Badrinath 

2. No reason for love; No season for love - but are we happy?

3. Why are some prayers not answered? - A theory

For all readers:

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