An addiction called God - experiences of Navaneeth Kumar_Part 1

"Of all the insanities that harass man, God-madness is the least harmful, the most beneficial.  The world has suffered untold damage due to its "mad" rulers and "mad" guides; however, nothing but harmony, peace, brotherliness and love have come out of the 'God-madness' of man!”

- Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Prasanthi Nilayam, MahaSivarathri 1955

The earliest memory Navaneeth Kumar has of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is as a 4-year old child in 1990. His mother had brought him along with her for darshan at Prasanthi Nilayam. He had been patiently sitting by her side waiting for ‘Swami’ to come. His mother was gently whispering things in his ears,

“He is God... Pray to Him... When he comes close, take this letter, go to Him and offer it... Life will be set after that... Sit silent till then... “

Soon, the orange-robed form of Baba was in the darshan hall. As He came close, Navaneeth’s mother gave him the letter and a pat on the back. Like an adrenaline-loaded Olympic runner who receives a baton in a relay race, Navaneeth clutched the letter in his hand and rushed towards Swami. It appeared as if Swami was gently gliding towards Navaneeth who was running madly towards Him. His mother had told him to be careful of volunteers who would enforce discipline and pull him back to his seat. As he reached his goal and came face to face with Swami, the little boy was struck dumb. He was overwhelmed at the huge halo of black hair and the majestic presence of the ‘person’ in front of him. He stood transfixed for a while and Swami gently passed by him. Navaneeth then returned to his mother, the letter still clutched in his hand.

That was it for the next 15 years or so. As Navaneeth got into school and pursued academics (which he was the least fond of), Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba became his God no doubt, but He was not more than a venerated photograph at home. Though a born Hindu, Navaneeth was more keen about another religion that is opium to the teenaged masses in India - cricket! He loved the game ever since he was a 5-year old and he developed into an all-rounder, bowling and batting well against seniors double or triple his age. Cricket is what Navaneeth remembers most about his childhood and teenage years.

Illusion or Maya - Is this true or is that true?

The Janaka story

There is a famous story of the wise king Janaka which is simply the perfect recipe to understand the illusory nature of the world. In the Sanathana Dharma (the Eternal Way of Life - which has been carelessly translated as ‘Hinduism’), there is a special term to denote this illusory and temporary nature of the world - Maya. The impact of Maya is tremendous; in fact it is the cause for everything that we see, hear and feel in the physical world. To understand what is Maya better, I would direct the reader to the introductory paragraph in the story of the squirrel helping Lord Rama and to that occasion when Maya made me negate my own Master (Guru), Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The story of Janaka is yet another lovely illustration.

One fine day, as Emperor Janaka sat on the throne in his palace, enjoying a dance by a bevy of beautiful damsels, he dozed off! Seeing this, the courtiers and dancers wondered what they should do. Lacking the temerity to wake him up or disturb him, they all slowly slipped away to their respective rooms, leaving the king alone in the massive hall. In the meanwhile, the emperor had a dream.

He dreamt that rival kings had joined forces and invaded his dominion and captured his capital and that, to save himself from them he ran into a forest. Fleeing from his foes, he had no food for days together. He was too exhausted to move. But, hunger dragged him on. When he came to the outskirts of a tribal village, he saw a man washing his plate after taking food; he shouted to him asking for a few particles. The man gave him a small morsel, but, as bad luck would have it, a crow flew in at that moment and snatched it away! In that pathetic plight, he began to scream in agony. And suddenly, he woke up!

Even as he opened his eyes, he saw that he was surrounded by his queen, his maids and personal attendants. They were awaiting his slightest indication so that they could rush to serve him. He saw large trays and bowls of the choicest fruits. His cook too was in a corner, and he would surely whip up mouth-watering delicacies at the slightest wish of the emperor. But Janaka was in a daze. He looked at his queen and asked,

“Is this real or is that real?”

"Why fear when I am here" - the story of Anantappa and Sathya Sai

The relationship between God and the devotee is the relationship between God and God!

God and devotee

It was one of those famous ‘Trayee sessions’ at Brindavan, Whitefield (Bangalore). Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, ‘Swami’ as He is affectionately called, was seated on the ornate swing in the jhoola room and all around were the students who had decided to stay back in the ashram even during the summer vacations. This was a ‘sacrifice’ that they had gladly made for they knew for sure that they would receive much more than they had ‘given up’. Nothing is greater than being near and dear to the Master, their Swami, whom many even considered as their Lord. I too was among those students who considered Swami as his Master and Lord and so, for me, every word that fell from His lips and every action that He did was of great significance.

That day, Swami asked one of the senior teachers, Sri.Sanjay Sahni, to address the boys. As always, Sahni sir had a unique style of blending stories with messages. That day, he chose a very reassuring theme - that God will never sit quiet when a devotee is harmed or subjected to injustice. He narrated the experience of a devotee who was not ‘worldly-wise’ or ‘smart’. Thus, he was naturally exploited by many in different ways - especially emotionally and financially. During the narration, I was lost in my thoughts of Swami as I was sitting quite close to the swing. So, I am unable to remember the details of the experience he narrated. However, I cannot forget the ending statement that Sahni sir made,

“If you criticize the Lord or even harm Him, God will forgive you but just touch His devotee and you are finished!”

I remember that statement because there was a spontaneous applause and Swami looked at Sahni sir as if asking him to repeat the final statement. Sahni sir repeated the statement with greater volume and greater emphasis and that message got firmly reinforced in my heart.

In times of trouble

Many have been the instances in life when I know that people are being unfair to me or are trying the cheat/harm me. Sometimes, these ‘people’ have been those who are apparently very influential, powerful and wealthy. What I mean to say is that when they decide to put you into trouble, it looks like nobody can save you. You feel a great fear in the heart and think that maybe the best way out would be to compromise your stance and bend in front of them. At such times, it feels as though it does not matter what is ‘RIGHT’ or ‘WRONG’. Might automatically becomes right and since you are a weakling, you just have to shut up.

It is precisely in those times that I always recollect this episode at Trayee Brindavan. There is definitely a reason why Swami made Sahni sir repeat that statement. He wants it to be drilled deep within me that come what may, when I am right, the greatest power in the Universe is on my side. And that is the power of goodness or the power of God. So, all that I have to do is ensure that I am good and on the right path. The Lord may be loving and forgiving enough to suffer pain and ignominy. But He will not tolerate it if such pain and ignominy befalls the one who is dear to Him; the one who is on the path of goodness and love. Before I dilate further on a few other points, I must relate the powerful experience of Ananthappa’s daughter. This has been recorded by the legendary Prof.N.Kasturi in his autobiography, Loving God.

Anantappa’s problem

Anantappa was one among the sixteen peons at the college in Davanagere, Karnataka, where Kasturi was the College Head. He was slow in his thinking and considered by everyone as a dullard. He had difficulty carrying out the simplest of commands and any shopkeeper who was unscrupulous could cheat him with the greatest ease. He slept when he was supposed to be on guard-duty and did not seem to understand whether he was being scolded or praised.

And yet, Kasturi employed his services because he was a very pious soul. He seemed to have all his mind and heart dedicated to Swami. He spent hours of sincere efforts when it came to things related to Swami. Kasturi felt that Anantappa would surely lose his job if he was in the service of any other. Kasturi felt redeemed in his choice when Swami reciprocated Anantappa’s love. Swami showered him with grace divine and, on one occasion when Kasturi had taken him along to Puttaparthi, told Kasturi that Anantappa was not an ordinary soul. In his slum dwelling surrounded by drunkards, drug-addicts and vagabonds, Anantappa was like the saintly Vibhishana in Lanka, Swami had said. Numerous were the miracles that Swami performed to safeguard Anantappa and his family. That was the reason why the world could not take him for a ride even though he was a dullard - Swami would never allow that!

Anantappa’s younger daughter was wedded to an employee of the Mysore Railways(which has today been replaced by Southern Railways). This son-in-law, though a smart and intelligent man was of a highly suspicious nature. He always felt that his wife was flirtatious and even suspected that she kept the window of the house to ogle at men on the streets! In spite of all her explanations and pleas, he did not listen to her and often locked her within the home without even allowing a window to be opened. He even beat her at times based on his suspicions. Anantappa tried a lot to convince his son-in-law that his daughter was chaste and pure but it was all in vain.

Doubt is such a deadly demon and there is absolutely not cure for it! And before we start to criticize Anantappa’s son-in-law for his dastardly acts, we should examine our own selves to realize how often we fall prey to this demon called doubt. As Swami says, when things do not ‘seem’ to be going our way, we begin to doubt even God! We wonder at times whether God, in His ultimate knowledge, actually knows what is good for us? The demon of doubt can be defeated only by the angel of faith. But hey wait! Faith is so ‘unscientific’ right? Faith implies taking things at face-value without deep inquiry. Faith is only for those that are irrational!

Please allow me a much-needed detour before I get back on track to Anantappa’s son-in-law’s story.

Faith is about being rationally irrational instead of being irrationally rational

A simple case to point here. How do you know that you are your father’s child? Isn’t it because your mother told you that and you have faith in her words?

“Nah! I have a birth certificate issued by the doctor in the hospital that I was born. So, its not as if I am my father’s child because of faith.”
That means that you have faith in the doctor and the hospital where you were supposedly born. How are you sure that the doctor is not lying? Or that he is hand in glove in a nefarious scam with your ‘alleged’ mother/father?

“I see where you are going. But don’t think that proves me to be unscientific in my conviction about my parents. There is this thing called parental testing which is scientific. I can get that done.”
But hey! Wait a minute! You mean to say that you have faith in the instrument that does the test? How are you sure that there is no malfunction of the instrument? Worse still, how do you know that the method works? Isn’t that confidence based on faith that every hospital in the world is using the method and so it must be true? How can YOU be sure? Have you personally checked it?

If one goes on this way, one will realize that the only way one can be scientific is to have all the knowledge in the world - biological, engineering, medical, chemical etc. Then alone one will not need to take anything on faith. Else, somewhere along the line, one would have to have faith. There is no other choice. Now, here is the ‘faith way’ of parental testing. It works this way - Accept the person as your father/mother and the way he/she treats you in life will prove to you that the person has to be a parent to be so loving and sacrificing!

That is why, when science screams, “Seeing is believing”, Faith softly but firmly proclaims,
“Believing is seeing.” All said and done, faith is the only cure for doubt.

Swami cures the doubt of Anantappa’s son-in-law

Frustrated with her imprisoned life, the wife told her husband,

“Take me to Puttaparthi and ask Baba about me. He will vouch that I am a faithful wife to you. Else, I shall put an end to my life by jumping into the well there and you will be rid of me forever.”

Hearing the drastic words, the son-in-law agreed to accompany Anantappa and his family to Puttaparthi. With great love, Swami immediately granted them a personal audience. Without even being updated of the state of affairs, Swami told the doubting son-in-law,

“Your wife is as pure as Mother Sita (consort of Lord Rama). She is as noble and loving as Mother Parvati (consort of Lord Shiva). Take care of her.”

The son-in-law was struck by Baba’s omniscience and he nodded. Swami told Anantappa,

“Don’t worry. He is a good fellow. They will live happily from now on.”

But Swami’s words somehow seemed to be going wrong as the son-in-law was again caught by doubts. He wondered whether Anantappa and Baba had conspired to create this drama of ‘omniscience’. He charged his wife of infidelity and said he would take revenge. He got up and stormed out of the room, without bothering about Swami’s presence. Swami just smiled.

That night itself, the son-in-law said that they should leave Puttaparthi. At Penukonda railway station, the four got into the Bangalore-bound train. The son-in-law, by virtue of being an employee of the Railways, could get a first-class seating for his family. However, doubts and thoughts of revenge made him place his in-laws and wife in the wooden-seater, third-class compartment. He himself got into the empty first-class compartment. Now, he could plan the remaining part of his revenge in the solitude of luxury he thought.

The next morning, Anantappa was shocked to see a completely transformed son-in-law. He spoke humbly and sweetly and treated his wife with the greatest dignity and respect. In fact, he never locked her up ever again and almost worshipped her. Every month, he even submitted his entire salary to her to use for the house as per her discrimination and just sought a paltry sum of 15 Rupees as his pocket expenses! And Anantappa’s family indeed lived happily after that, just as Swami had said.

The consequences of ‘touching’ a devotee

What had actually transpired was something that Kasturi got to know later in a strange sequence of events. When he was waiting for a bus, his student came along in a horse-carriage and offered him a lift. Then, this sworn athiest of a student asked Kasturi about Puttaparthi and Baba. He was actually eager to meet him. When Kasturi asked him the reason for such sudden spiritual thirst, the student, a Railway Guard by profession, related the happenings of that fateful night when Anantappa’s son-in-law was transformed. He had been a personal witness to the events as they transpired.

Anantappa’s son-in-law was deeply lost in his plotting and planning in the late hours of the night in the first-class compartment. When the train was about 10 kilometers from the Thondebhavi railway station, all the lights in the compartment suddenly were ablaze and turned deep red. Suddenly, he saw Swami. But there was not one Swami. There were Swami’s everywhere and He seemed so angry. Blows began to rain on him from all sides and he was wondering how could Baba get on to a speeding train? How did He multiply Himself and how did He know what he was planning to do? But all those thoughts soon vanished as the pain from the blows hit him. Swami said,
“Won’t you believe me when I say she is innocent? Stop beating her! She is my child! In fact, all those who suffer are mine…”

Such was the impact and pain from the blows that the son-in-law rushed out of the compartment at Thondebhavi seeking solace and protection. His face and body were badly battered and he complained to the Railway Guard. Moments later, the compartment was completely empty and there was not a single red light therein. Anatappa’s son-in-law had experienced a transformation, albeit a forced one.

Months later, Kasturi was with Swami when He said that in His previous Avatar at Shirdi, He even beat people with sticks in apparent ‘bursts of anger’. Kasturi asked,

“Swami, in this Avatar, have you hit any one?”
“No. This Avatar is all love.”
“Still Swami, if not directly, have you hit anyone indirectly?”
“That is also out of love”, replied Swami with a twinkle in the eye.
Kasturi also just smiled in understanding as his heart completed,
“Love showered on a poor, hapless daughter!”

Concluding thoughts

“Why fear when I am here”.

Swami’s statement takes on new meaning for me here. All that I have to do is ensure that I am on the path of goodness and purity. Swami’s protective bubble is around me always when I do that and I have nothing to worry. Great forces in the universe may conspire against me but they are no match to the greatest force in the Universe that is protecting me. That is why the ancient Indian scriptures emphatically stated,

“Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha. Dharma Eva Hatho Hanthi.”
(Righteousness/Goodness protects those that protect Righteousness/Goodness. Righteousness/Goodness destroys those that destroy Righteousness/Goodness.)

Now that gives us reason to be good and fearless. It gives us reason and need to realize the importance of being good. Right? And while I am being good and following righteousness, those that wish to malign, criticize or torment me, beware! I have a great good wonderful Lord watching over me! Hehehehehehehehehe!

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:

1. An amazing experience with Sathya Sai and the Suka Nadi

2. Sathya Sai fulfills a promise He gave as Shirdi Sai

3. Being an apple of the eye for God

4. The Sri Sathya Sai Education revolution sweeping across Karnataka

For all readers:

(If you enjoyed this and wish to subscribe to this blog, please go to the right hand side and choose the last 'box' which says subscribe. Also explore the 40-odd 'previous articles' listed month-wise on the top right here. Another blog which I maintain with more than 225 articles on it is at http://aravindb1982.hubpages.com. If you wish to be added to my mailing list, please email me via this page with the subject "ADD ME TO MAILING LIST".

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Begging for change

Caught between the horns of a dilemma

It was a fine day, the 21st of February, 2008, to be precise. It had been nearly eight months since I had been employed at Radiosai Global harmony (at Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi) through an amazing sequence of events. I was happy and contented, enjoying the transition from a student’s life to working man’s life. Completing my work that morning, I set out for lunch in the South Indian canteen. I bought some coupons and was about to enter the canteen, when I was accosted by a blind person.

“Sairam sir. Could you help me?”

I told the others who were with me to continue without me and then held the hand of this person.

“Tell me, how can I help you?”

“My name is Raju. Here are all my certificates that prove it...”

So saying, he began to dig into the shoulder bag to pull out several sheets of paper. I was taken aback. Why was he showing me proof for his name? Why didn’t he just state what he wanted?

“Raju, please, I do not need proof for your name. Is there someplace where I can drop you off at?”

“Sir, I have to go to Karimnagar. I am a poor person and I have completed my high schooling. I cannot afford university education though I have a strong passion for academics. I was told that there is a free University in Puttaparthi. So, I have come here with all my certificates. But people here say that I cannot join the University because admissions do not open till April and they do not have facilities to serve my special needs.”

“ I am very sorry to hear that, but I am afraid that is the case.”

“So, I want to return home now. But I have no money with me... I am stuck here. Can you help me?” Raju trailed off.

And in an instant, I was between the horns of a dilemma.

Should it be "Guilty till proven innocent"or
"Innocent till proven guilty"?

“Either Raju is really in trouble or he is a wonderful actor and con artist who plans to swindle me”, was my first thought. The subsequent thoughts too were all along those lines. I did not know what to do. Should I walk away and risk being a heartless person? Should I help Raju and risk getting swindled? My mind was a whirlpool of such thoughts.

For those that are a little lost at my predicament, let me take you through the reasons behind these thoughts.

The problem of beggary in India

Begging and beggars are rampant in many countries of the world. India, my motherland, boasts of being home to the maximum number of beggars in the world. That is definitely not a statistic that I am proud of. It pains my heart and I want to do something for them. However, beggary is not a straightforward problem which can be eradicated. Please allow me to present a few points which highlight the ‘controversy’ in the problem.

1. When people are not willing to work hard, ‘help’ rendered to the beggars might be actually encouraging people to be lazy! In fact, in the tenfold path to divinity, Bhagawan Baba stresses,

“Do not throw coins when beggars stretch their hands for alms; help them to become self-reliant. Provide food and shelter, love and care, for the sick and aged.”

2. There are studies which show that in many cases, beggars earn more than workaholics! Beggary is a lucrative and easy ‘profession’ which is being forced upon many children too. It is run like a business with many mafias being the stakeholders.

3. Swami has often stressed that apart from the person who actually does the sin, there are four others who also share the burden of the sin - one who is the cause, one who encourages the act of sin, one who shows the ways and means to commit the sin and one who witnesses it. I have myself observed how a lady with a starving child pleaded for some milk powder in Puttaparthi. One person’s heart melted and she purchased a box of milk powder from a medical store. Once she left, the begging ‘mother’ returned the box to the story in return for a few rupees. Both the beggar and the shopkeeper had made a neat swindle!

So, you see, when it comes to serving beggars, it is not a simple issue. One has to be diligent and vigilant like the devotees in Chikmagalur (Karnataka) are.

And now, you will also understand the cause of doubt in my mind and my hesitation when it came to helping Raju.

My solution

My first thoughts were to take Raju to the security office or the PRO (Public Relations Officer) office and let him seek help there. I suggested this to him and even accompanied him to those offices. But there was nothing they could do. I told Raju to sit on a bench and told him that I would be back soon. I went to the other end of the bench and sat down. I closed my eyes in my attempt to shut down my mind which was speaking both ways - for and against Raju. I tried to get in touch with my Swami in my heart.

My experience has been that Swami always answers when one seeks. I got the answer almost instantaneously and I ‘knew’ that this was Swami speaking. I ‘knew’ because my thumb rule in distinguishing between the voice of the mind and the voice of the heart never fails me. I got up with a smile in my heart and went to Raju. I told him,

“Shall we go to the bus station?”

“Whatever you say...”

“I will buy you a ticket to Karimnagar.”

“Will you? Really? Wow...” Raju was so happy.

We went to the APSRTC bus stand in Puttaparthi. I made Raju sit on a bench there and went to the counter. There was a bus for Karimnagar in a few hours time. I asked how much the ticket would cost. The reply was that it would be about Rs 350. I shuddered for a moment. That was almost 8% of my monthly salary! The mind immediately jumped into play,

“I think that Raju guy is a fraud. Don’t simply give away your hard-earned money!”

But then, the soothing yet firm voice from deep within seemed to speak through my mouth,

“One ticket for today evening’s bus please.”

Within moments, I was with a beaming Raju who was thanking me. Seeing his joy, I was sure that he was not any kind of scamster. I took his hand and placed a 100 rupees note in it. I told him,

“Here. This is 100 rupees okay? I am telling you so that you should not get cheated by anyone. Use it for your food during the long journey.”

Quickly, I bid him goodbye and returned to the South Indian canteen for lunch. I somehow felt so full without even eating.

The doubts come tumbling back

I don’t know how it happened or why it happened, but, my doubts about Raju came rushing back in the darshan that evening. Maybe it was because Swami did not even look at me and I had felt that I would receive a special blessing because of my ‘good deed’. Today, thanks to Swami’s love and grace, I know a few things about the way karma works which I did not know then. So, I felt a bit discouraged. A sad and confused mind is a fertile breeding ground for the devils called doubt, disillusionment, disappointment, discouragement and ‘dis’ease.

Within moments, I was feeling terrible that I had not only bought Raju a ticket but I had also paid him an extra 100 rupees.

“10% of my salary down the drain because of my stupid sentimentality”, I thought and felt more horrible. Such thoughts ruined my whole day and Swami, on His part, did not do anything to assuage me of my doubts or reassure me in any way.

Isn’t it funny how fast we forget the wonderful experiences and get mired in doubt? I had experienced joy that had made me almost give up my lunch and yet, here I was, hours later, brooding and repenting!

The dream

That night I had a dream. And that changed everything. My doubts melted and the joy returned to my heart because I know that dreams of Swami are always true. The dream was like this:

Swami came in the car and He stopped it in the porch of the and He wanted me and me alone to help Him come out of the car to sit on a wheelchair. However, when I went near Him, I felt that He needed no help. So, I just stood, waiting and watching. He proceeded to get up but then, all of a sudden, He collapsed back into the seat of the car!That shocked me and with both my hands, I plunged into the car. I helped Him up like I would help a baby. Then, the wheelchair was brought in by somebody. As I was going to seat Him on the chair, I again had a thought that my help was not needed. I just let go and again, He  fell down next to the chair. I was horrified this time. More than me, Swami seemed horrified and there was pain in His eyes. That pain was surely due to my doubting mind that had made me ‘let Him down’ for a second time! I rushed on to my knees and then the way I held Him, it was to ensure that He would never fall again. I was hugging Him and I helped Him sit. As He sat, I went to His ear and apologised. He seemed to say that it didn't matter.

As I woke at 4:00 am, the first thought in my head was, "Oh my God, Swami needed help yesterday and I made Him suffer only because I kept doubting whether He really and genuinely needed my help or not."

Due to some hard experiences, somehow I do not trust people that easy. They are under suspicion till they prove to be good. That is not good, I learnt. I should give everyone my love like I give it to Swami. He will take care of me to ensure I do not suffer for He is always there with me, guiding me from within.  All I need is the courage to follow the guidance from within.

And so, when it comes to people begging or seeking anything from me, I seek an answer from my heart. It may seem unbelievable, but every time, the answer is there. After that, I pray for the courage to follow what the heart is saying and go ahead.

That, I feel, is what we must do when someone begs for change. ‘Beg for a change’ in them! And then be ready to assist them in that change. For, every time we beg for a change and achieve it, Swami’s face will light up in joy. He will know that He can rely on us. Isn’t that fantastic? Trusting in God is one thing, but God trusting us! Amazing right? Those are my two cents on the topic of begging and beggars.

If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy:

1. Faith and self-confidence - Story of the little bird

2. Love is My Form: Most comprehensive biography of the early years of Sri Sathya Sai

3. Blessing two birds with one stone

For all readers:

(If you enjoyed this and wish to subscribe to this blog, please go to the right hand side and choose the last 'box' which says subscribe. Another blog which I maintain with more than 200 articles on it is at http://aravindb1982.hubpages.com. You may visit that at your leisure. If you wish to be added to my mailing list, please email me via this page with the subject "ADD ME TO MAILING LIST".

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A real 'God of small things'

The God of small things

“Why is Sathya Sai Baba God for you?”

This is a question that people are often asked when it is discovered that they have placed their faith in a contemporary ‘God’, a being who seems as human as any of them. The answers the issue forth range from a grateful silence to a verbose chatter where the devotee seems to credit everything in life to his/her ‘Swami’ (as Sri Sathya Sai Baba is called lovingly). For a ‘rational’ mind and heart that has not yet been touched by the divine alchemy, any answer seems incomplete. While the stories of cancers being healed miraculously raise interest and curiosity, the narratives of Swami’s hand in the day-to-day affairs of His devotees seem to just be brushed off as figments of the devout’s imagination.

But those little instances; those small things are what make Him the personal deity for millions. If I am allowed to modify the statement of Henry Royce, an English engineer who is believed to have said,

“Small things make perfection but perfection is no small thing”, I would say,

“Small things make Divinity but Divinity is no small thing.”

Mr. Royce sure knew what he was talking about. He went on to become the co-founder of the Rolls-Royce company along with Charles Stewart Rolls. I sure know what I am talking about because I have met at least a hundred people who have their faith firmly entrenched in God and in Swami as their god because of the small things He does for them. These acts might mean nothing for the world but they mean the world to the people who experience them!

Henry Royce and his 'perfection' - the 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom

This conviction of mine got added strength when good fortune made my path cross that of Mrs. Poongody Ratnam from Canada (originally a native of Sri Lanka). She is a regular reader of my blogs and, out of motherly affection, took time out to visit me at my workplace, Radiosai studios. It was captivating to listen to her narrative of how Baba was and is her God because of the small things He did and continues to do for her.

Strength to brave a tsunami

The 26th of December, 2004 saw a major disaster strike several nations lying on the Indian ocean. The tsunami that hit the Sumatra-Andaman region was of such historic proportions that, as far as I remember, it was for the first time in my life that I heard the word ‘tsunami’! Though the ocean waves from the earthquake did not directly affect Mrs.Ratnam’s family house in Sri Lanka, the havoc wreaked all around was sufficient to cause a massive heart attack to her father.

It was at her home in Canada that she received the news of her father’s passing away. She was halfway across the globe and it was near impossible for her to be at her home in Sri Lanka for the funeral ceremony. But suddenly, she had a wishful thought.

Mrs.Poongody Ratnam at Prasanthi Nilayam
July 2013

She regularly sent greeting cards to her father, and that too ones which she procured specially from Prasanthi NIlayam, bearing Swami’s picture and message on it. Since these cards had Swami on them, her father had preserved each and every one she had sent. She had sent a card on the 23rd of December, just 3 days before. Since it usually took the mailman at least 15-20 days for delivery, there was no way that the card had reached its destination.

“If only the card reaches my father, it could be given to him. That would be like an assurance that Swami is ‘traveling’ with him. That would also give me solace because, as a daughter, am not physically there for the ceremony.”

That was her wishful thought.

Since she had not used a courier service, there was no way to track the card or hurry it to its recipient. Mrs. Ratnam did the only thing she knew for such times - she prayed to her Swami,

“Swami, please reach in time for my father’s ‘journey’. And let me know that you have reached via this card!”

We not only pray to God to grant our desires, but also pray for the desires to be granted in a way want!

What happened was simply unbelievable according to her.

“Just as the ceremonies were completed and the coffin was being moved out of the home for the funeral, the mailman arrived at the door in Sri Lanka! He had just one post for that address that day - it was my card... Swami’s card rather! The card was placed beside my father before the final cremation rites.”

That ‘small’ act by Swami, gave her the strength to bear the force of the emotional tsunami that hit her when she lost her father. She knew, he was ‘safe, happy and peaceful with Swami’.

The mother’s journey

The 27th of April, 2013 saw Mrs.Ratnam facing another emotional storm in Canada as her beloved mother in Sri Lanka breathed her last. Once again, she was not in a position to make it for the final ceremonies. In fact, she told me that she was on her way to her ancestral home in Sri Lanka having had the darshan of her Lord at Puttaparthi.

“Whenever I travel, it is only to India, to Puttaparthi and to my parent’s place. I am at home at these places and that is why I always wish to be here. Few months before, when my mother passed away, I could not travel to Sri Lanka. I felt very bad about it.”

Once again, she just prayed to her God.

“Swami, you showed me that you are with my father. In some way, you have to show me that you are with my mother too. You must.”

This time, she gave freedom to Swami regarding the way to show the same!

Nothing happened for a week after the funeral but she held on. Her prayers did not cease, nor did her determination. On the morning of the 5th of May, she had a dream.

In the dream, she walked into her ancestral home and saw her mother lying down on a platform. She was ‘dying’. Then, before her eyes, her mother’s body vanished and it was Swami lying down there. He spoke to her and though she was seeing Swami, she was hearing her mother. Swami said,

“I have completed all my duties. I am happy and satisfied. I feel free and am ready to go.”

“Yes Swami”, she said because she was seeing Swami in her mother’s place.

Then, her mother told a strange thing. She pointed out to a bell in a temple and said,

“That is broken. Replace it.”

The dream concluded with that.

When Mrs.Ratnam woke up, she contacted her sister in Sri Lanka. She knew that her mother always worshipped the ‘Mother’ aspect of God in the nearby temple of a local goddess. She wanted her sister to go to the temple and see the bell in there. Though intrigued by this request, the sister did as she was asked nevertheless. She visited the temple and then called up her sister in Canada.

Mrs. Poon Ratnam just had tears in her eyes as she heard her sister say,

“I visited the temple. There is indeed a bell where you said it would be. It is broken.”

A broken bell at the temple indeed did ring bells for Mrs. Ratnam

She managed to say,

“Please tell the concerned people there that I would be grateful for the opportunity to replace the bell.”

She had purchased a special brass bell from India and when she met me, she told that she would be taking it to that temple in Sri Lanka.

Thanking the God of small things for the small things

Well, replacing a bell in a small temple tucked away in a corner of Sri Lanka may not mean anything at all to the world. It definitely means a world to Mrs.Poon Ratnam. She did not stop with these incidents. She went on to narrate a few more. I too can go on writing about them.

However, that is not the intention of the post. The intention was to provoke in each and every one of us, memories of the many times when God showed that He was always there, taking care of us and loving us. Did we express our gratitude to Him/Her on all those occasions? If we start expressing our gratitude to God for every small thing that we are blessed with, will we ever have time in this life to complain? These ‘small things’ stand in good stead in our lives when we are faced with tough times. It will do us good to remember these ‘small things’ during the hard times.

After all, life is always made up of ups and downs. If it was a flat line, any doctor would call that as ‘death’ and not ‘life’! 

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