Prayers galore
The 27th of April 2011
saw poignant scenes - the like of which have never ever been witnessed on the
face of this earth. As the Mahasamadhi of an Avatar was witnessed the world
over by a number unmatched in human history, tears flowed unbounded. Being in the
world at this point in time was such a cleansing experience for the whole
atmosphere was washed with tears - pure, selfless, love-filled and grateful.
They were sufficient to wipe out all sins committed by all humanity it seemed!
A lot has been written about the Mahasamadhi of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
and a lot more will be written for this is ‘His’tory! But here is a little
thought I thought I would share.
The amount of prayers
that have gone on in the world had been tremendous. The name of Sai filled
every conceivable space for it had been enshrined in a billion hearts. Bhajans,
service activities and spiritual sadhana of unprecedented proportions pulsated on
Mother Earth. At the physical level, the best man and the best machines worked
tirelessly day and night at the temple of Healing that He Himself had built.
His most dear students constantly were by His side and aware of every breath He
was taking. The sheer magnitude of the combined effort of every devotee was
enough to bring life into an inert stone! And yet, the Lord took Mahasamadhi.
This thought had plagued
me when I realized that prayer is not an act of asking God or telling God. It
is silent communion with Him. When we either ask or tell God, we make the
preposterous and utterly foolish assumption that we know better than Him. Swami
often tells us the story of two farmers - one who prayed for rain for his
crops, the other who prayed for a dry day so that his daughter’s wedding could
go on uninterrupted. Whose prayers should God listen to?
Should He listen to the
one who cries more? Or to the one who pines more? Should He give precedence to
age or should He give precedence to status and influence?
Of course! He will
listen to the one who loves Him truly. And who is that? Naturally, the one who
has surrendered to His will. When one has surrendered to His will, is not
prayer redundant? Our definition of prayer changes as we realize that the one
who is always in sync with the Lord has his prayers answered for he always
prays for what the Lord has already willed! This is indeed a very different way
of thinking. If my prayer is answered, it is because I was in sync with God; I
was in communion with Him. If my prayer has not been answered, I was not in
sync with Him; I have to make efforts to be in communion with Him.
It is everyone’s
experience that we feel some intuitive urges. And then, these urges just
manifest themselves. Let us know that these are instances when we have been in
communion with Him. And when these intuitive urges have manifested for me, I
have felt the thrill of experiencing Him. I see Him, hear Him and feel Him and
He speaks to me! I feel the thrill because I ‘know’ His plan. And I know His
plan because I have been able to be in sync with Him for those precious
moments.
A part of the greater plan
That is why, when I
found some instances in my life where Swami indicated His Mahasamadhi, I felt
so relieved. It felt wonderful to ‘know’ that it’s all part of His Masterplan.
In the pages of my diary I discovered a dream where months before, He indicated
that He would be leaving soon. Just like someone with white hair dyes it, or a
person who loses teeth puts dentures, I too covered up my knowledge of the
dream and went about my life. And then, Swami gave the most poignant
indication!
It happened on the
evening of 20th of March. Swami had not been ‘keeping well’ if I may use that
term. His darshans were few and spaced between. And yet on this day, He took
two darshan rounds. He called all the students who were seated for blessings
and poured grains on their head. (About 40 students were blessed that day). He
distributed a few sweets and smiled at all present. He even called the tiny
tots from Primary school and blessed them. In the words of a very senior
singer, “Today Swami seems so hyper active!!” There was rejoicing. And when He
received Aarthi, everyone was thrilled with His tapping His hands rhythmically.
And then it happened...
As the Samastha Loka
chant filled the air, Swami raised His hands. But it was not the familiar Abhayahastha.
He had FOLDED HIS PALMS IN SALUTATION!
He seemed to send a
beautiful message, “Salute all for God is in all”. The Vedic chant “Sahasra
sheersha Purusha” resounded in my heart. ( That hymn says that God has
thousand limbs, heads and sense organs symbolic of the fact that God is in
all.) In the Bharatiya custom, this is how one takes leave after a visit!
My hairs stand at their
end and I have goosebumps when I realize how Swami had indicated the
Mahasamadhi. But I did not see! Swami says, “Pashyan Api Na Pashyati Moodho”
(You fool! You see and yet do not see!) That was the condition. But I took
pictures that day.
And today, just seeing
the pictures is so relieving and enthralling for it told me that Swami knows
His plans. Even when He was fine and was a week away from being ‘admitted’ to
the hospital, Swami had made shown us His decision. And in showing us this
decision, He also showed us His expectations. He wants our lives to be His
message and one of His final acts of benediction teaches us that we should see
Him in all just as He saw Himself in all. We should bow to Him in all just as
He bowed to Him in all. we should love all and serve all just as He did.
And in order to share the experience, ins(a)ight and blessings from Swami that day, I post the following five images. Let us pledge to Him that we will in our lives imbibe His message of pure Love for all. And as a teardrop makes its way down my cheek, a firm resolve forms in my blood - a resolve to Love Him and see Him in all!
A footnote
As a footnote, I must add that there is a wonderful 'Masterplan' as to how I happened to carry my camera on that day when there was no other camera in sight almost! I will definitely share that story too in due time. It is so marvelous that am in search of a proper occasion to share the same! :)
However, this much I shall say that my intention in clicking the images on that day was to get a 'direct look' blessing photo of Swami. And when Swami did the 'namaskar', my thought was,
However, this much I shall say that my intention in clicking the images on that day was to get a 'direct look' blessing photo of Swami. And when Swami did the 'namaskar', my thought was,
"Oh! Unique images... But no blessing today!"
Even as that thought flashed in my mind, Swami turned to me. He looked deep into my eyes. And soon, a thrill ran down my spine! He gave a 'direct look' blessing pose which got captured. That was direct proof that He knows every single thought that goes on in my mind. My heart rejoiced. He knew that I would be needing that assurance in the days to come. Ah! How loving my Lord is! How He plans everything. God has a plan for us... And that is all we need to know!
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