ANIL KUMAR’s SATSANG:
BABA’s CONVERSATION WITH STUDENTS
“Sai Pearls of Wisdom”
Part Twenty Seven
March 5th, 2004
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
PRESENTATIONS OF THE STUDENTS
I would like to share with you a few of the presentations made by the students of Sri Sathya Sai Education Institutions. You would have seen the children from Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School doing their presentations, and undergraduate and postgraduate students also offering their presentations to the Lotus Feet of Swami.
As some of the points are quite interesting, I wanted to share them with you. I am glad that you could be here with us this morning. I will choose some points at random rather than report in verbatim. I will bring to your attention, therefore, those points which are valuable because of their general interest.
Most of the students were involved in every presentation. Some were busy with the script writing, some composed and played the music, and others participated in the small skit enacted in front of us all. The result was a mass participation, almost all the students being involved.
These students will be leaving the Institution. This is the last chance given to them to perform in front of the Lord, and it is most precious. The good Lord was also photographed with their group, something that they will cherish for all their life. Added to that, prasadam distribution also made their mouths sweet, while they sweetened our ears and eyes with their presentations.
THE PRESENTATION OF THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
This is the presentation by the undergraduate students of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, on the 29th February 2004. Mind you, all these presentations were made by different students.
One student began, speaking like this: “We started searching for God on the mountaintops; and we thought God was in the heavens; and we searched for Him in the valleys and in the caves. But where is God?”
Immediately the answer came from another student who said, “God is now here, God is now here. So you don’t have to search for Him anywhere.”
Then another boy asked, “Why do you need God? Let’s leave God to Himself in comfort. Why do we need Him? Are you expecting boons to be granted?”
The answer came: “No, no, no, no. Only two things are most precious for humanity, which God alone can give. What are they? Peace and bliss.”
These boys have been listening to Swami’s talks since their childhood. Every student is fully aware and knows Swami’s teachings; here it is not as the fashion is elsewhere, where boys make jokes about spiritual matters.
Immediately the reply came from another student: “Why do you say that God should give you peace? No, no, no! Why do you expect God to grant you peace? No, no! You are wrong. Is it not Swami who said that peace is within you? It is Swami who has said, “Everyone prays to God, ‘I want peace.’ What you should do is drop the ‘I’, the ego, and drop the ‘want’, desire, and peace is already there.” That’s what the other boy said -- a good answer indeed.
What is it that Bhagavan expects from us?
Then he was asked, “Alright, what is it that Bhagavan expects from us?”
The student answered this way: “Bhagavan wants us to give up our bad habits, so that we personify goodness. We should not have any bad habits.” That’s what one boy said.
Another replied this way: “Habit -- H A B I T; you cannot throw away bad habits bit by bit, no. Throw the habit away at once, once and for all.”
The student started making fun of this word. “H A B I T = Habit. Remove ‘H’ – ‘A’ and a ‘BIT’ remains; remove ‘A’, there is ‘BIT’; remove ‘B’, ‘IT’ remains; remove ‘I’ – ‘T’ remains. And the habit of drinking ‘tea’, give up this habit also!”
It was a really good joke. Everybody, including Swami, smiled.
How can one express gratitude to parents?
Then the boy started recalling Bhagavan’s discourses: “Swami said that one should serve one’s own parents. You should make your parents very happy, please them, and do whatever you can for them. After all they have taken all the trouble to bring you up until now. Naturally you should be very grateful to your parents. You can never pay your debt of gratitude to your parents -- impossible!”
Another student asked, “How can one express gratitude to parents? What did Baba say?”
“The mother bears the pain of suffering while the child is in the womb for nine long months. It is the duty of the child to see that she doesn’t have to shed a single tear later in her life. Every child should see that the mother should never cry; that the mother should never suffer; that the mother should never shed tears. We should make her happy. That is the only way of expressing gratitude.”
MASTER THE MIND AND BE A MASTERMIND
Then another boy said, “Swami has spoken on another point. What is that?”
“Having been born in this life we should lead our life in such a way that we should not be born again, and die again. We should lead our life in such a way that this life is final. We should not repeat this cycle of birth and death. That’s what Adi Shankara said in Bhaja Govindam.
Punarapi Jananam, Punarapi Maranam
Punarapi Jananeejathare Sayanam.
Man is born again and again and again.
Birth is followed by death.
“So what should you do? Remember one thing. It is the mind which is the cause of bondage and liberation. If you master your mind and be a mastermind, you don’t have to get into this cycle of birth and death. Master your mind and be a mastermind.”
Then another boy laughed and said, “I am reminded of one incident that happened in Brindavan. You know Brindavan and Puttaparthi have many monkeys, a menace to the place, robbing you of coconuts, fruits or the plantains that you carry. Sometimes you can’t get out of the corridors.”
“It so happened in Brindavan that one seva dal man was trying to chase these monkeys away with a stick. Suddenly he felt a gentle hand on his back. He turned to find Swami there. He was taken aback and very surprised.”
Swami said to the seva dal person, “What are you doing?”
“Swami, I am driving out all the monkeys.”
“Oh, where are the monkeys?” Swami asked.
“Swami, there so many monkeys…”
“No, no, no. The monkey is your mind. It is within you. Try to drive out that monkey. That is more important. Tame the monkey mind. Train the monkey mind. Master the mind so that you can be a mastermind.”
OCCUPY THE MIND WITH THE LORD’S NAME
Then another boy said, “Oh, I see. I am reminded of what Swami said in another story. What is this story?”
A demon granted a boon to a poor man. The demon sympathised with this poor beggar, “I am touched and moved by your poverty. I will do whatever you want. But you must give me commands continually. If you don’t keep asking, I will kill you.”
This beggar thought, “I will never stop asking…I have so many things to ask for.” So he went on asking, and the demon went on granting. Finally the whole list was exhausted: a building, comforts, luxuries, furniture.
Finally the demon said, “Ask me for what you want, or I will strangle you now.”
This fellow ran away and fell at the feet of a yogi. “Swami, you must save my life!”
The yogi said, “Don’t worry. We have an electric pole here. Ask the demon to go up and down it, and to continue doing that until further orders. Then it won’t chase you.”
“This is the story narrated by Bhagavan. The body is the electric pole. Up – ‘So’ (God); down – ‘Ham’ (‘I’). ‘Soham, Soham’. (‘I am God’). Repeat it continuously; chant His Name continuously until further orders. That’s liberation.”
It is important to participate in His mission
A student immediately asked, “Is it enough if you chant and repeat His Name?”
Another boy said, “No, no, no, no. It is not enough to repeat His Name. It is important to participate in His mission, to do seva (unselfish service). One should participate; that’s what we are all doing. I tell you, the greatest service is in sharing Swami’s message with everybody, to share Baba’s message with as many people as you can. That’s what we are doing, and that’s why Bhagavan has blessed our service activity for so long. That’s what I believe.”
And then a boy started narrating, “In the Ramayana (the story of Rama), Vibhishana (the younger brother of Ravana) always chanted the name of Ramachandra.”
“Once Vibhishana was in the presence of Hanuman (a great devotee of Rama) who said to him, ‘Vibhishana, you chant Rama’s name as I do, but you have not yet seen Ramachandra. You chant, but you are not participating in the mission of Ramachandra. Have you made any attempt to find out where Sita is? (Rama’s wife, who was abducted by Ravana). Have you consoled Sita, whom you know is in Lanka (the country belonging to Ravana)? Vibhishana, chanting His Name is not enough to gain the vision of Rama. It is equally important to participate in His mission.’” That was the discussion.
What kind of work should we do for Swami?
Then another boy asked, “What kind of work should we do for Swami? What work does He expect from us?”
The other boy said, “Baba will never go by quantity; He thinks of quality. Quantity is not at all important; but quality is most important. A spoonful of cow’s milk is nourishing enough, whereas barrels of donkey milk are useless. Your motive, your intention and your spirit are more important than the quantity of service. That’s what Baba says.”
Then another boy added, “Oh, my dear friend, when you refer to quality being more important than quantity, I am reminded of an incident that happened at the time of the construction of the Super Speciality Hospital in Puttaparthi. Funds were pouring in from all corners of the world. People responded to the call of Bhagavan, listening to His message that medical care is to be given freely.
Some time later, a boy wrote a letter which he gave in an envelope to Swami. Swami opened the envelope and read the letter. What was in that letter?
“Swami, I’m washing my own clothes and thus saving laundry expenses. Out of my small savings, I’m giving a contribution to your hospital project.”
Swami said loudly, “Look here, this small amount is more important to me than the crores and crores of rupees (the equivalent of many thousands of dollars) I receive from all over the world.” So it is the quality that’s important, and not the quantity, as the boy said.
God decided to move His ‘Head Office’ to Prashanti Nilayam
Then there’s the small drama enacted by the boys. Swami also enjoyed it very much.
One boy said, “I have come from heaven.”
The other boy replied, “Oh? How is everyone there?”
“God can’t be found.”
“Not found there?”
“God is missing. Let the newspapers report that God is missing.”
Then another boy came and said, “Not only God, the five elements are not in heaven.”
“The five elements are gone? So what happened to the people? Are there no people at all?”
“A-re, a-re! Nothing there!”
“And there’s a mountain; did you find that in heaven?”
“What mountain?”
“The mountain of gold, called Meru.”
“No, sir, it is also gone.”
“I see. Is the army there? No army? I see heaven is in hot water. Heaven is in trouble now!”
A boy then said, “Don’t worry, my friends. There are no flowers either in heaven.”
“Why?”
“God is missing in heaven because He decided to move His ‘head office’ to Prashanti Nilayam.”
“I see.”
“There are no clouds in heaven.”
“Why?”
“The clouds have decided to be the crown, the halo of hair, on the head of God, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. There is no moon in heaven. You cannot have moonlight because the moon decided to be on the head of Baba. There is no mountain there. The mountain reduced its size and decided to be a mole on the cheek of Baba today. There is no fire anywhere in heaven. The red robe He wears is the very fire, worn on His body.”
“I did not find Anjaneya Maruti (Hanuman) in heaven because he wanted to be in the stadium. Maruti has also shifted his headquarters.”
Everybody appreciated that small skit presented by the students. There were peels of laughter and applause all around.
“YOU ARE THE WORLD TO US, SWAMI”
Now we switch to another episode, which took place on the 14th February 2004. This began with a poetic exposition in Telugu language. I have selected certain things which will be of general interest and use to everybody.
Sai’s Name is so sacred and matchless that the boys started speaking like this: “Swami, we had lost our way in life; we had lost the very meaning of life. We were away from parents, having come long distances. We were caught by fears, misapprehensions, worries and anxieties. As we were going on our way, there have been obstacles in the flow of our life.”
“We were so weak, Swami. At that moment, You stepped into our lives. At that moment of desperation and helplessness, You visited our lives. You have touched our lives. You are not only our Father, Mother, and God. Above all, You are our only true Friend. You are the best Friend, the only Friend. When worldly friendships were meaningless, when friendship had no relevance at all, in those times You stood by us, a real Friend, Swami.”
“Swami, we can never forget those moments when You bestowed on us the Love of a thousand mothers, on each and every one of us. When we miss our mothers, You are there in front of us as a thousand mothers, Swami.”
“When we think we are far from the world, You become our world. You are the world to all of us, Swami. Bhagavan You are our breath, You are our life, You are our ambition. You are everything, Swami.” That was the prayer in Telugu of one boy.
WHO ELSE CAN BE OUR HOPE BUT YOU?
The second talk was by a boy from Karnataka and was rendered in the Kannada language. I shall try to give you the English translation.
“When the bond between hearts is becoming diluted, when the earth is being burnt in sadness, You are the One from whom flows the Ganges of Love. I salute You, oh, source of confidence.”
“When man is forgetting brotherhood and behaving like a demon; when countries and religions are fighting because of jealousies, envy, pride and hatred; when the world is drowned in the poison of chaos and confusion; when youth, supposed to be the source of inspiration and courage, deviates into the darkness of ignorance, lacking the knowledge of life’s purpose; when life is like marching towards the burial ground in a procession; when great Mother India, considered to be the force for bringing Oneness of humanity, has been cut into pieces and fragments because of Her own ignorant children, Swami, other than You, who else can be our hope? Who pours down the water and nourishes the trees on the mountaintop? Who looks after the birds and animals in the forest?”
“Swami, other than You, who can be our Guide, Master, Friend, and Light in the path of darkness? Therefore, for all our prayers, You are the way; You are the aim; You are the idol; You are the inspiration; You are our supporter; You are our foundation. You are the Guru who taught us Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema, Ahimsa – Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love, Non-violence -- the Human Values of life, Bhagavan.”
HIGHER LEARNING, NOT HIGHER EDUCATION
The next presentation was made by another student in Hindi. This is the translation.
“The name of this Institute is not the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Education, no. It is the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. What is this ‘Higher Learning’?”
“This Institute, gifted by Swami, not only provides secular knowledge par excellence, but He has bestowed on us Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema, and Ahimsa, which constitute the five human values necessary for achieving world peace.”
“Swami, You have taught us the great dictum:
There is only one religion, the religion of Love.
There is only one language, the language of the Heart.
There is only one caste, the caste of Humanity.
“Swami, in this Institution, each lives for the other, and all live for You. Swami, in the Bhagavad Gita (‘The Song of God’, Krishna’s spiritual teachings), You have promised Arjuna (brother-in-law and friend of Krishna) and humanity at large, that we should all rely on You; that we don’t have to depend on anybody. You are our Refuge. Swami, bless us that each and every moment of our life be dedicated to You. Then our life will be redeemed.”
YOU ARE ONE NOT MANY
Another presentation was in the Tamil language. I am giving you the English version.
“Oh Lord of lords, we are dependent on You. With the help of Your Name, even a weak person will become strong.”
“People say that You are equivalent to crores of suns. But Lord, the sun burns the skin, whereas You make us feel calm and serene. People say that Your Love is equivalent to that of a thousand mothers. But Bhagavan, You are not crores of suns, not thousands of mothers; You are One, not many. You, the One, are really unique.”
“People say that Your leelas (Divine plays) cannot be written. Are they Your leelas, Swami? No, it is Your life, which is the message for all of us.”
“People say that we are lost, seeing Your beautiful face. By loving ourselves, where is our love? Where can we be? Lost? No, Are we not the reflection of You, Swami? How can we be lost? We are the reflection of Your beautiful Face.”
“People say that You are the Embodiment of all gods, saying that the other gods are no longer seen. How can they say that? But we can surely say that we are Yours and You are ours.”
“So much is heard and so much is said that nothing is left to listen to. There is nothing I’m able to understand or to say, except, ‘This is only Sai; there is only One within the heart, only One.’ Oh Supreme Lord, if You permit me, can we say that?”
Bhagavan composed this song for devotees
Then they all joined in singing a Telugu song, which was written by Bhagavan sixty years ago. I’ll try to give you the English translation.
Oh devotees, come listen, partake of these sweets:
It was Lord Rama who redeemed the life of Ahalya, who was cursed to be a stone.
The Lord made the stone come to life, come back to her original form.
God’s Name is sweeter than coconut milk, and God’s Name is more valuable
than all the gems, diamonds or precious things of this world.
No king can grant you anything more than God’s Name.
God granted bliss to birds, monkeys, squirrels.
Don’t you think that He will bless you?
The only thing you need to do is to give up bad thoughts.
God will grant you good thoughts and God will atone for your sins;
God will pardon all your sins.
Come here and partake of this feast of Sai’s Name.
That was the song composed by Bhagavan. He composed both the lyrics and the tune.
That’s in brief, the presentation made by students in different languages on the 29th of February.
“Your Lotus Feet are the only refuge for all of us”
Now I pass on to the presentations made by students on 10th February 2004. The song is composed by the students. It’s in Telugu, so I’ll give you the English meaning:
Sai, Lord Sai,
O God Sai, You have showered Love on us.
You have shown compassion to us.
O Lord, You are our heart. You are our life, Swami.
You have consoled us; You have cajoled us.
You are the Personification of all kindness and compassion.
You commanded us to “Love All and Serve All.”
Sai, You are Love, Love is Sai.
Sai is the Avatar of this Kali Age.
You are everything for us.
We pray that You guide us.
Your Lotus Feet are the only Refuge for all of us,
O Indweller, O Lord Sai.
There was a poem composed by a student in Hindi. I will try to give you a small English translation.
O Lord, our Lord, our God, with the deepest and purest of feelings,
we pray that You fill our hearts with Righteousness.
We worship Thee with rising hope.
“O Lord Sai, lead us to liberation”
Then all of them joined in chorus, singing a song in Telugu, written by Bhagavan sixty years ago. He also composed the tune.
Those old-time songs written by Swami in Telugu are all available on cassettes in our bookstore. However, you cannot enjoy them unless you know their English meaning. I understand that the Book Trust will be bringing out an English translation of these songs, including the music, for musicians to play. I’m a member of the Book Trust and we reviewed and recommended the book, so that devotees all over the world will have the benefit of this interpretation. We get the preview of everything here. Being here, on the spot, we have the information beforehand -- before the world knows.
Anyway, this is the song in Telugu, which I will translate into English:
Oh Lord Sai, You are our Divine Energy; lead us to liberation.
Many devotees, in trouble and turmoil,
could seek Your help in the past,
and be free from their chains of bondage.
The devotee Nandana, the devotee Sakubai, and other devotees all prayed,
and they were liberated by You, Bhagavan.
Swami, we are here because of the merit of our past lives,
which makes us want to chant Your glory,
to chant and sing Your matchless Name time and time again.
We are in Your company, Lord. Swami, bless us, be with us.
Swami, You are so great, so compassionate,
giving us darshan day-in and day-out.
We pray only to change our minds,
to be free from the weaknesses of anger and attachment.
Lord, see that we are not pushed into the darkness of illusion.
SAI’S LOVE IS SO WONDERFUL
And then another good song followed:
Sai’s Love is so wonderful, oh wonderful!
It is so high, we can’t get above it.
It is so deep, we can’t get under it.
It is so wide, we can’t get around it.
Oh, wonderful Love!
Lord, I offer my life to You.
Use everything I have been through for Your glory.
Lord, I offer my days to You,
lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice.
Lord, I offer You my life.
THE POWER OF Sai’s NAME
This song of only four sentences was written by Swami. You may be wondering why Anil Kumar laughs to himself; you can be reassured that I am not mad yet. The reason is because, as I am from this area, I know the Telugu language. So, I appreciate the literary beauty of this song, besides its meaning. The meaning is this:
‘We, the devotees, are extremely lucky to have Baba’s Name, which acts like a sword with which we can cut anger, lust, and greed to pieces. Sai’s Name can control all the five senses and confer bliss to all of us. Sai’s Name speaks of the Self, which is the combination of the five senses, the five elements, the five life sheaths, the five life breaths, the five senses of cognition, mind, intellect and Atma (Spirit). All these are embodied; all these are encased, encompassed by Your matchless Name, oh Sai!” That is the meaning. Finally, there was another speaker.
So, how do you like the presentations of these boys? The boys’ compositions at that age -- what lofty principles, what great ideas they have! They are not asking for worldly things. They are still young. By the time they grow older and get married, they will have a list of things to demand and ask for. Now they are still young, the beautiful flowers in a garland blossoming with all the fragrance of virtue, with all the beauty of surrender and dedication.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: How can one tell if Swami is pleased?
A: You can read Baba’s feelings in two ways: one is verbal and vocal; the second is facial and body language. This is according to my understanding, which is subject to correction if you find anything different. Then you are welcome to share that with me.
Suppose there is a song, where He does this (Anil Kumar beats time on the table) – He keeps taala, the rhythm. It means He likes it very much. When there is no taalam (beat), the music is only so-so.
When He stares at the speaker during a speech, and when He starts laughing, it means He likes it. When He closes his eyes and just looks somewhere else, the speech is so-so.
These are some of the indications which I tell my boys, so that they will be careful, because when we make our presentation, it is most essential that God should be pleased. When God is pleased, the whole world is pleased. Don’t you think so? And when God is displeased, we are not bothered about world opinion at all. So we should be constantly watching. That’s what I do. You must have this understanding. You are not ordinary people, I know. You are also smart enough to know these secrets of Divinity, even if it’s just the facial and body expression.
The other thing is vocal or oral expression: “Very nice, I’m happy. My boys, I’m happy, very happy, very nice, very nice.”
Another thing is this: When those boys come, He will pat them on their backs. When He agrees to having a group photograph, it is an indication that the program was a grand success. If He says, “We’ll see tomorrow”, it means the program was so-so, and that tomorrow will never come.
It is good that Krishna has put these questions for the benefit of everybody. These are the signs of Divinity; these are the expressions of Love, in appreciation of the programmes done by children or by distinguished guests coming from time-to-time in the Kulwant Hall, or anywhere else, for that matter.
Q: Would you give some information about the boys’ birthday occasions?
A: On birthday occasions, irrespective of the presentation, the birthday boys are permitted to bring with them sacrificial rice and photographs. Swami will naturally bless them and sign their photographs. It’s the birthday boys, you know.
Q: Swami does not talk to me or give me an interview. Why?
A: He doesn’t do it, yes, I know. Everything is a bonus, sir. So let us not have any expectations. Whatever He does, it is good.
As far as I am concerned, I won’t have any expectations. If He talks to me, it is “Very good, Swami.” If He doesn’t talk to me, I know that at least He will talk to me tomorrow. If He looks at me, it is “Very good, Swami.” If He doesn’t look at me, well, I am looking at Him.
If He doesn’t grant me an interview, I look at those who are granted an interview, and I find myself in them. I really feel that. I’m not making any speech here; I’m telling you truthfully. There’s no disappointment in life here because, when someone is given an interview, I feel I have a permissible share in their happiness. The person Swami looks at is happy. Then when I look at both of them, my happiness is doubled, don’t you think so? That’s how I really take it. I don’t feel sorry. We feel sorry when we project our individuality, when we think of our individual self. It’s unnecessary, unnecessary.
When He gives a talk in the Sai Kulwant Hall, we see Him, hear Him, and sing with Him, joining in the bhajans. Three experiences at one time -- seeing, hearing, and singing. What more do you want? For just a simple audiocassette, they charge about 50 or 60 rupees, and that is only hearing. A videocassette, which is only seeing, is priced at 250 rupees, whereas there in Kulwant Hall, there is seeing, hearing and singing at no charge, free -- so cheap, very cheap. So we are happy, that’s all. We are happy for everything because we have no preferences.
“Oh God, You are happy talking to me today. Oh God, You are happy avoiding me today. All right, I make You happy in both instances.” Yes, I’m being honest, why not! Don’t you think so?
Q: Is it because of our ego that we want His attention?
A: Yes, because of ego, we want His personal attention. What is it that seeks attention? Ego. What is it that suffers when attention is denied? Ego. What is it that enjoys attention? Ego. What is it that makes everybody declare loudly that he received Swami’s attention, that he is the only fellow during this Incarnation who has drawn His attention? Ego.
The aim of spirituality is to kill the ego. So by avoiding you, He is giving you the better treatment, as you, yourself, are not helping to kill your ego. He is killing your ego. So He is serving and helping you in that way. Talking to you, what does He talk about? How to avoid ego, to kill ego, is what He talks about. By avoiding you, your ego gets killed naturally, on its own. In either way, we have to lose our ego.
This has been my experience for the past thirty years. I was successfully avoided totally for seven years, but I did not stop coming here and I didn’t cry before everybody. I didn’t make this world miserable. “All right, if not this life, You will talk to me in the next life.”
Please believe me, sir, one day He asked me, “Anil Kumar, what do you want? What do you want?”
I said, “Swami, what is it that You have not given me till now, without my asking? Why should I ask? Without asking, You have given everything. I know that I am in front of God, who knows what to give and what not to give; why to give, when to give and when not to. I don’t want anything.”
moksha
A long time ago, in Bangalore, somebody was speaking about moksha, liberation. Suddenly Swami asked, “Anil Kumar, do you want moksha?”
I said, “Swami, I don’t want it.” Everybody stared!
“You don’t want it, useless fellow! You pray as everybody else does. Why don’t you want it?”
I said, “Swami, I don’t know about the others; I am speaking about myself. I don’t know what moksha is! How it looks, is it very beautiful or ugly, is it sweet or hot, tall or short, eastern or western? How is it? What is it? Why do I want it? I do not know. Nobody has returned from moksha and reported, “You’ll find it so beautiful! Please join me there.” Nobody has reported to me. So instead of desiring what I do not know, I have only one desire, because I know the taste of that. You can desire only that which you know already. How can you desire that which you do not know? So I desire only that which I know the taste of.”
He said, “What is it?”
“Spreading Your message, spreading Your message everywhere, to small groups and big groups, as many times as possible, as long as possible, till my last breath. And if You’re kind enough, in the next life also.” Yes, because I know the taste of sharing Swami’s message.
“Swami, You are the light of my life”
Anyway, my friends, this is enough of an aside. Coming back to the 10th February session, this is a composition of a student which I’ll render in English.
“Oh Maa (Maa means ‘mother’), we know that there is no thanking you for a mother’s love, so all that we can say today is that we love You, Swami. We live for You. On this very special occasion, we, Your children, as an expression of our heartfelt gratitude for all that You have done for us, offer these songs of love and happiness at Your Lotus Feet.”
“They say that school days are the happiest days of one’s life; but when our days are with Swami, they become not only the happiest, but also the holiest.”
“When the world seemed to be a playground, and the meaning of life was fun and frolic, and all I could think of was play, it was at this time that I saw a Light. As I grew up, this Light was guiding and guarding me throughout. Swami, You are that Light in my life.”
“You have been there to hold my hand, to show me the way, letting me walk beside Your footsteps, footsteps which walk with me, footsteps that I cannot see. For every move I make and every step I take, I know You are there with me, Swami, from the first day in the first grade till today.”
“The joy, happiness and Love that You have showered upon me cannot be expressed; it can only be experienced. And not even once in my stay with You, for all these twelve years, have I felt that I was away from home, for I regard You as my Mother, Father, and all.”
Bhagavan’s vibhuthi gIVES an immediate cure
The next composition is in Telugu. I will convey the highlights in English to you.
“Swami, Your Love is beyond the language of expression; Your Love is beyond all estimates, all measure. The drops of sweet Love, the moonlight of Your Light, are beyond words.”
“Swami, let me narrate an incident that happened to an 11th year student. He was suffering from arthritis, with acute pain in the legs and the joints. The pain was so excruciating that he could not even come for darshan. Then, after some days, with great difficulty he came for darshan, and You, Bhagavan, out of compassionate Love, walked straight to him.
The boy said, “Swami, this is my problem.”
“And Swami, You said with total Love, ‘Boy, why did you not tell me days ago? My child, why did you keep quiet for so long?’ That boy experienced immediate relief.”
“Swami, I have this to ask: Who taught You the lesson of Love? Who gave You the looks of Love? Swami, who taught You? Who gave You that power to draw the whole world towards You, Swami? What is the secret behind the Light that passes into our body by Your gentle look, Bhagavan? We wonder.”
And the boy spoke further. When Swami said, “Why did you not report your problem to me earlier?” the 11th year student was so happy.
He asked Swami, “Give me some prasadam, Swami.” Bhagavan immediately materialised vibhuthi, and gave him some extra packets also.
This may be a small incident, but the vibhuthi immediately cured the boy, who had been suffering from joint pains or acute arthritis for thirty days.
“Swami, what words have I, what can I give You, when everything belongs to You? Swami, what should I ask for, when You have given me everything? What should I tell You, when You know everything?”
“Swami, all our praises are for You. Swami, Your beautiful darshan left footprints on the sands of our mind. Your beautiful bewitching, magnetic smile has left an indelible impressions on our heart. Your sweet and gentle talk will be remembered in our breath, day in and day out, Swami. We are Your servants, Bhagavan. We are all the recipients of Your Love, Swami.”
“Your gentle look is like a veena, a beautiful instrument played in our hearts. Swami, Your beautiful eyes are the tunes for the hymns of life. Swami, Your hair that moves with the movement of the wind is really the wind that sustains our life. What a beautiful smile, as beautiful as is a chain of birds, like a necklace, Swami. We pray that You be with us throughout our life.”
“It is nothing else but His never-ending Love”
The next one was rendered in Hindi, which I give you here in English.
“What is it in Him that brings tears from of my eyes, every time I think of Him with Love? What is it in Him that fills my heart with joy and expectation, every time the darshan music plays? What is it in Him that fills and overwhelms me, every time I see Him? What is it in Him that pulls me towards Him like a magnet? It is nothing else but His never-ending Love.”
“Our loving Mother Sai showers us with grace and paints us anew with Love. We are the fortunate ones. We are the roses present in this garland. We are His humble children. Even though He is the King of the world, He comes down to our level and speaks to us.”
“However big our mistakes, He forgives us with a smile”
“However big our mistakes may be, He forgives us with a smile. This happened last year when I was in my eleventh year. I remember Bhagavan had not been speaking to us for quite some time, as He was upset with us for some reason. After the fourth day, we made every attempt to draw His attention.”
“One day, we started singing; but our good Lord went straight into His interview room and did not come out. We started crying, though we went on singing; but there were no signs of Grace or forgiveness. Suddenly the warden was summoned. He went into the interview room.”
“When he came out afterwards, he stood joyfully in our midst and announced, ‘Boys, don’t cry. Swami will be visiting our hostel tomorrow!’ That made everybody jump in joy. We forgot all our suffering. Swami, that was Your response.”
“we are Your children, Swami”
Then another speech was made in Hindi. This is the translation in English.
“When we left our mother’s hand and came here, we knew that You were there to hold us. When we left our playthings and came here, we knew that You were there to play with us. When we were at times alone and depressed, we knew that You were there to console us. When we were filled with joy and happiness, we knew that You were the one responsible.”
“For every single step of ours, we found footsteps near, and knew they were Yours. For every single shortcoming of ours, there was someone correcting us always, and we knew that it was You. When the world taught “Baa-baa, black sheep”, it was You who initiated us into the Vedas. When the world presented many challenges, You helped us to overcome them.”
“It starts as a small bud, and if it blooms into a beautiful flower, the credit goes to the gardener who nurtured it all its life. If a small calf grows into a healthy one, the credit goes to the mother who cared for it all its life. Dear Lord, if we are what we are today, it is because we have studied under Your care and have grown under Your nourishment. Most importantly, we are Your children, Swami. For all the support You have given us, directly and indirectly, we would like to say that our heart beats for You!”
“YOUR NAME IS SO BEAUTIFUL”
Here is a small poem rendered in Telugu by a small child of the eleventh class:
“We are so happy, Swami, that we have Your Name. With the sword of Your matchless Name, we cut our animal qualities into pieces. We are very fortunate. Oh God, Your Name is as beautiful as a rainbow. It is infinite; it has the fathomless depths of the ocean. It confers peace and bliss. It is really more fragrant than jasmine flowers. It is tastier than cheese. It is more beautiful than the eye of a peacock. It is more beautiful than moonlight. It is more rich than the love of the mother, so soft, so tender, Swami.”
“YOU ARE MY MOTHER, SWAMI”
This boy said with tears, “Swami, I never saw my mother because she died soon after my birth. I never saw her, Swami, but I have seen my mother in You, all these years. You are my Mother. I lost my physical mother, but you are my true Mother, Swami. I received all my mother’s love from You.”
“You are my life, and hence I dedicate my life unto You. Bhagavan, You are the tree, and I am the creeper. Swami, You are the flower and I am the honeybee. You are the sky and I am the star. You are the ocean, while I am the wave. You are the mountain, while I am the waterfall. Swami, You and I are inseparable. You and I are One.”
OUR SAI MOTHER’S LOVING COMMAND
The next composition was in Tamil, so I’ll give you the English version.
“Swami, we are Your children. You are our Mother, our God-Mother. My mother gave birth to me, fed and sang lullabies to me, whereas this Sai Mother brought me up. You gave us Love and blessings, a code of behaviour and schooling. You conferred grace on us, gave us devotion and strength, and worldly things. These are the ways in which You brought us up, not simply bathing us or giving us food. Ah, how fortunate we are!”
“You gave us a mind which thinks only of You and You alone. We sing and sing in praise of You. We only speak about You, Swami. Our hearts pray only to You, and love only You. How can we express our gratitude to this Mother, this God-Mother? Ah, a voice speaks in my heart. Yes, what is it? That we all live for You, that we love You. Bhagavan, we live for You.”
“A mother feels happy when she begets a child, but she will feel much happier when she hears that the world calls her son ‘a noble son’. Yes, today, let us take an oath -- that we take care and protect our parents. Let us make our parents happy. This is our Sai Mother’s command, our God-Mother’s command, a loving command. We’ll never forget this one thing. We’ll not forget what Baba, our Mother, has said. We will not forget Your sound, Swami, Your sweet lips, Your sweet words. We’ll never forget Swami, forever and ever.”
“Lord, ONLY YOU CAN EQUAL YOURSELF”
Then there was an English composition by another student:
“Swami, years have rolled by; time has passed. People have changed; the world has changed; everything has changed. But for me, Lord, You remain unchanged: those tender footsteps, those compassionate looks, those touching words, those innocent questions. ‘What did you eat at breakfast? How many spoonfuls of sweet did you eat? How big was the chapatti?’ Those questions never change; everything remains the same.”
“Oh Lord, my God, You nurtured me, shaped me, sculptured me. You nourished us; You designed us; You caressed us and loved us. And most important, Lord, You cherished us. You mean to us much more than a father, much more than a mother, brother, sister, teacher -- more than anybody at all. Lord, only You can equal Yourself.”
“Yes, Lord, only You can equal Yourself. You have shown that to us many times. I shall recollect one instance. Once it so happened that prasadam distribution was going on, and suddenly Swami went up to a boy and asked him whether He got prasadam.”
The boy said, “No, Swami.”
Bhagavan immediately said, “Your brothers may forget you, but your Mother will never forget you. I know that you have not received prasadam. Come on, take it.” That’s what Baba said.
“We are what we are because of You”
“If we are what we are today, it’s all because of You, Swami. It’s all because of Your unconditional Love and grace. Bless us and keep us with You always. You have made us climb the highest peak, so that we stand tall and proud today.
“You are the one who walked into our lives when the world walked out. When the world walked out on us, You walked with us, Swami. You are the one who suffered for us. It was You who restored me when I fell sick and said, ‘You are Mine - nothing can happen to you without My Will.’”
“Swami, You are the one who put the light into our hearts, which makes us go on and on. We are like violins and You are the musician. It is only when You take us in Your arms and play a melody that a masterpiece is created. We are what we are because of You, and we owe our lives to You, Swami.” That was his prayer.
“I want you to live for Me, NOT DIE FOR ME”
He continued, “Once it so happened that when Bhagavan came out for darshan, He approached a boy and asked, ‘What will you do for Me?’”
The boy said, “Swami, I will do anything for You. I will even die for You!”
Swami turned back to the boy and said something that will ring in our ears forever. What did Baba say? “My son, I don’t want you to die for Me. I want you to live for Me, not die for Me.”
“Swami, we are Yours! Make us like the Hanuman of Rama, and like the Arjuna of Krishna.”
STUDENTS’ QUESTIONS AND BHAGAVAN’S ANSWERS
Q. Bhagavan, my cousin went around several pilgrim centres, visited many gurus and many ashrams, but he could find peace and happiness here only. Please comment.
A. Because he went around, because he moved along the roads, he came here to the road where the search ends. The road ended here. This the fruit of his entire search, so naturally he found peace and bliss. There’s nothing wrong or strange about it.
Q. How is it that some people have experiences and others do not? Why?
A. The answer is simple. You are not sufficiently mature, your heart is not full of Love, and your mind has become a ‘doubting Thomas’, so you are not experiencing.
Q. How and why do I feel that I’m weak at times, that I cannot achieve anything worthwhile in life like my friends?
A. The answer is so simple. It is your psychological weakness; it is your hysteria; it is your monkey mind. When others could achieve, why not you? With God’s Name, you can achieve better things in life than all your friends.
Q. I want to do one thing, but my parents insist that I should do something else. What should I do?
A. Do according to your parents’ wishes. You do not know what you are supposed to do. Your parents are elderly people, so they are selfless. They know what you should do, because your life is not for you alone. Your life is for your parents, for your family, for your country, for society, and for God. You are not living only for yourself. Know the priority and then decide.
Q. When desires are not to be entertained, is it wrong to desire to see You, Swami?
With a smile, the answer comes, “Nothing wrong. To see Swami is not a desire, because you and Swami are one.”
Q. I have no friends in this world. What shall I do?
A. No, why do you say that? Other friends may leave you one day or another. A friend can’t be with you 24 hours a day; but there is one Friend who is always in you, with you, and that is God. That Friend is enough. Why do you need other friends?
Yes, these are the students’ questions which I wanted to share with you. If I have anything else, I’ll let you know later.
OM…OM…OM…
Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya
Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
I thank you very much. When I was witnessing all the presentations, I wondered whether this message would reach everybody or not. I wanted to share this with everybody. The reason is that, as devotees, we’ll be wonderstruck to see this dimension of Swami -- how He is influencing the young people and children.
What wonderful sentiments and feelings have been coming through in these presentations as a reflection, as a reaction and resound from the presence of Swami in their lives.
This dimension of Swami – how He is influencing the children and youth of this country -- is a very, very important facet of Divinity, which I am sure we, as devotees, are interested to know. It is with this intention that I have decided to share this with you.
Thank you all for your time and your company. I hope you all have enjoyed it. Thank you very much.