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A Special Talk Given by Prof. Anil Kumar

“Samadhi: Satsang with Spanish Group”

July 17, 2011

OM…OM…OM…

Sai Ram

With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Sai Ram to all of you! I consider it my sacred duty to be present here this morning. We are meeting all together here in a different context this time—in the physical absence of Bhagavan.

Whomsoever I meet these days, men or women, young or old, they are crying, with endless tears rolling down their cheeks. How am I to console them? How am I to say a few words to build up courage in them to withstand this tragedy?

Usually I see faces with beaming smiles. But this morning, I find long serious faces. It’s a frequent present-day mood. I can understand, brothers and sisters, why we have such a serious expression on our faces. It’s because of long, long decades of association with His physical form.

We dream and plan for a long time, thinking that we will see Him in the physical form. Every time we come, we see Him and His smiling face. We crave to touch His feet. We crave to give a letter or a flower. When I think now that the physical body is no more, it is agonising.

“Why should I be here? Why should I be here in Puttaparthi? What for? Why should I go to Prashanthi Nilayam? What is it that I am going to see there? Who is there to care for me? Who is there to shower love on me? Is there anyone to show equal concern as before? What is it that I get there?”

“What is Samadhi? Why should I see it?”

On Guru Purnima, we witnessed the Samadhi being opened to the public.

“What is the Samadhi? Why should I see it? Is it necessary to see it morning and evening, every day? It is just a physical structure made up of cement, sand, iron, marble and stone, that’s all. Why should I go there every day? Why am I here?”

We left our families long ago, so today we are foreigners in our own homeland! “There’s nobody to recognise me today, and nobody to talk to me today.” There is a generation gap: people of my age are either bedridden, or staying with their children, or going to hospitals for treatment. Still, this is not the time for me to take on any new project or adventure either. Also, having lost interest in money-making long ago, why do I need money now?

Having left my position and popularity back there, why do I need them now? Long ago it was said to everybody there back home, “I don’t want you,” and I came here. If I go back now, they may say, “We don’t want you!”

Now, the problem is that life is left without clear direction. It appears as if we have lost all our taste for life. There seems no hope in the near future.

“How ARE WE to spend the remaining period of life?”

So, how are we to spend the remaining period of life?

We cannot and we will not allow life to be spent in crying. We will not allow tears to be prolonged every day. It is foolishness to live in depression and frustration at the last moments of life. We are supposed to enjoy the gift of life. We have to smile, dance, and sing all the way—and in the coming years too! We have to laugh; we cannot be serious!

My friends, I have a few words to share with you. I never thought that I would have to talk on a serious topic like this, with a voice of this nature. We are singing in praise all along, singing and singing. From this sound of music, we should go and travel towards the stage of silence, which is samadhi. As you play on the piano, as you press one note, there’s a brief spell of silence—that is samadhi. So sounds come out of silence. Sound is the world, while silence is samadhi.

Silence is Samadhi

I speak using words I know, while you like using words known to you. Speech or poetry is full of words. These words take us to wordlessness or absence of words, which is samadhi.

We see so many forms around. Oh, so many forms are equal to the population, just like the stars in the sky. My friends, when sugar is mixed into water, the sugar disappears. There is no more sugar. When the sugar melts or dissolves, then the water is so sweat to taste. So, sweetness happens when the form of sugar is lost. Sugar has a name and a form, but sweetness has no name or form, my friends. I repeat: sweetness has no name and no form. So this sugar gives the ultimate state—the taste of sweetness.

Similarly, when the name and form vanish and disappear, the sweetness and bliss that are formless becomes our experience. That is samadhi. When mother takes the little child to her bosom, kissing the lovely chubby cheeks of the child, the child laughs and smiles because, in mother’s touch, there is love. The child has a name and a form. The child smiles and we see that smile. But the effect of the touch of the mother is not seen. That gentle motherly touch, the experience of that touch, that supreme love the child feels when the mother touches him. That is the effect of samadhi. (Applause)

When the life partner (either husband or wife) is away for a long period, then when they meet after a long gap of time, they look at each and tears start to flow. That is the joy of meeting after a long separation. That joy has no name and no form. When they look at each other after a long separation, those feelings of affection and love have no form. Such is the relationship between the Samadhi and a devotee.

When you listen to a song—a composition from Germany or from any other western country—the beautiful poetic composition makes your hair stand up, while listening to that music. The effect of listening is that the hair stands up. The hair you can see and the song you can hear, but the effect you do not see. Such is the relationship between a devotee and the Samadhi.

We have an electrical switch. Once I switch it on, the current then flows. That switch is the Samadhi. When I put the current on, the current flows unseen. Such is the relationship between me and the Samadhi.

With the body straight, when you sit for meditation, imagine Bhagavan for a moment at the centre of your two eyebrows. There is a sudden jump in the body! That vibration is the relationship between me and the Samadhi.

The waves of the mighty ocean surge up and down, coming towards the shore and then going back again. There in the deep sea, there are no waves at all. It is all silent and steady. That steadiness is samadhi, while the movement of the waves is the process.

I have come from the infinite. Now I am here in this world, but I will go back to the infinite. So currently, as this body, I am finite. That (pointing to a picture of Swami) is infinite. Coming out of the infinite, moving in this world (pointing to His body) as finite, and then going back to infinity—that infinity is samadhi. This finite is limited life. This is vibration, this is pulsation.

So my friends, we should necessarily come here and approach closely to the Samadhi, experiencing that state of silence which is the ultimate in meditation.

The Samadhi is a sacred place of worship. It receives all the devotion of the devotees and rises in its mighty power. Day-by-day the power increases due to the devotees who come here.

When I go to the Samadhi, I receive energy from Samadhi. I send my love to Samadhi and receive back energy in return.

Samadhi is a state of steadiness AND equanimity

Samadhi is a state of steadiness; samadhi is as a state of equality and equanimity. The Samadhi reminds everyone of the end of life, which is the ultimate—both unavoidable and inescapable. It reminds us how temporary life is, how ephemeral life is, how transient life is!

We have got a life message when we go to the Samadhi. The Samadhi of Sathya Sai Baba has got an extra point: when you go there with a wish, you return with a wish fulfilled! When you go there with an agitated, disturbed mind, you return in peace, stillness, and calm.

Bhagavan will certainly take care of us! When Bhagavan is resting in our hearts, nothing can shake us in our life. Bhagavan resting in my heart, and in the hearts of everybody, is inner samadhi, while the Samadhi that we see in front of us is the outer Samadhi.

Any father or mother will be there when the child cries like that, because the parent feels so badly! The parent does not wish their child to cry. Likewise, let us be reminded of what our Father, Sathya Sai Baba said: “Why fear when I am here?” Let me recall the promise He made, even to me: “You look to Me and I look to you.” So, you look to the Samadhi, and the Samadhi will look to you, forever and ever!

With all prayerfulness, with all religiousness and solemnity, I can guarantee every one of you that you will have many more experiences from that infinite Swami—even more than you had with the finite Swami, with His physical body amongst us.

When you go to Prashanthi Nilayam, when the cool breeze touches you, understand that Baba is touching you. When you smell the sweet fragrance of the flowers—the sweet aroma or scent that comes from the flowers there— it is the movement of Baba in His red robe, walking in front of us.

As we listen to the melodious bhajans there, let us feel that ‘I am listening to Baba’s bhajans, and Baba is talking to me’. When I go closer and closer to the Samadhi, let me feel that my Father wants to have a deep hug. Let me hug Him. Let me have that experience of a hug as I am close to the Samadhi.

So please keep singing and singing these bhajans. Keep on and keep on. “Let music be the food of love, play on!” said William Shakespeare. If bhajan is the food of love, sing, sing, and sing all the way! Attend satsang, listen to His message and be happy, and thus console yourself.

My friends, I am deeply grateful to Ruben for having invited me this morning. This invitation was sent to me two months ago! No such ‘advance reservation’ was ever made like that. Thank you! Because flight reservations made in advance are quite cheap, so you are sure of your seat! (Laughter) This is how you should smile from here on after!

And I thank my wife here for listening to my talk. It is difficult for the wife to listen to the husband. Is it strenuous and taxing to listen to a non-stop speaker like Anil Kumar? (Laughter)

There are certain countries I missed in the last visit to Latin America. Yesterday evening, John Banner, the zonal chairman said, “Anil Kumar, you should come to Latin America this summer.”

I said, “Yes!”

How nice it would be if summer begins tomorrow so that I can fly with you tomorrow! I really like Mexico. I love Argentina. I enjoy Brazil. Thank you very much!

Om . . . Om . . .Om

Asato Maa Sadgamaya

Tamaso Maa Jyotirgamaya

Mrityormaa Amrithamgamaya

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki Jai!