ARTICLES FROM DEVOTEES

 Miraculous escape and safe home journey


It was soon afterwards that I had miraculous escape from being very badly burnt. One day, I was deep frying pakoras in a saucepan. As I turned around to get some ingredients down from a shelf, the sleeve of my gown became entangled with the handle of the saucepan; at least, it must have, for I didn’t notice it then, and so turned around nonchalantly.

Imagine my great horror and utter consternation as I turned and saw that the saucepan full of boiling fat and sizzling pakoras was about to land right on me! I was petrified and stood rooted to the ground, unable to move.

If I had moved, I would only have hastened the descent of the saucepan, which was ominously sliding towards me.

I let out a terrific scream ‘Baba’. And then the miracle happened. The saucepan slid out of the sleeve of my gown, turned around all by itself, of it’s own volition, by 180 degrees and went and sat nonchalantly on the other burner of the stove; I stood for a while, utterly dazed, then came to and expressed my heart-felt gratitude to my Lord. How kind, how compassionate is my beloved Master. I bowed to Him in utmost gratitude and love.

Swami’s Quotation

“Be ever in consciousness that you are but a shadow of God, His image. Then, no harm can come to you. God walks along the royal road to Truth. The shadow holding to Him by the Feet, falls on hallow and hill, fire and water and dirt and dust. But, holding to the Feet, as done the shadow, you will be unaffected by the ups and downs of life”.

Baba

“Why worry about not having been able to touch these Feet? My Feet are within your reach, at all times, where ever you are.”

Sarvatha paani pada- hands and feet everywhere. Baba


SWAMI  AND  HIS STUDENTS   BY PROF. G.VENKATARAMAN 

(SAI VADVANDANA.)


Is there any particular reason why Swami appears to single out students for showering  His love in such abundance?

Speaking in Trayee, one elderly devotee reported that he once asked Bhagavan to explain this mystery according to this devotee. Swami replied that those who are today enrolled as student are really “RISHIS” of the past, receiving their due in this kali Age.

Hearing  this, Swami in Whose Divine presence this talk was being given, Some laughed as to if to say, " What are you suggesting that these fellows with whom, I am struggling all the time are 'RISHIS'? "

Swami may have made surprised of the devotee’s remark but there surely must be deeper meaning underlying Swami’s most compassionate relationship with the students, particularly when one recalls Krishna’s association with Gopala on the one hand and with Gopis on the other hand.

Quite possibly it is all a part of the same drama and extension of the glorious chapter of Srimad Bhagavantam, now being enacted in different format and under the setting in this Kali Age. It is my personal belief that this indeed is the case.

According to the Bhagavatham, not knowing who Krishna really was, Brahma the creator tried to embers Bala Krishna. But soon he learned his bitter lesson, and he was about to withdraw to celestial abode, Then he saw Krishna playing merrily with Gopalas.

Brahma then amused, “These little boys do not have any idea of how lucky they are to have the very Lord as their playmate.” Quite possible, Brahma is saying something similar even now. I hope our students do really appreciate, values and treasure the priceless gift of Divine intimacy that they are receiving, which is exclusively reserved only for them. Although Swami does not expect anything in return.

I believe students owe it to Bhagavan to be best exemplars of those we seriously put to practice Swami’s teachings. For Swami Aacharanam, or observance of His teachings in daily life is for more important than being able to discourse on them.

Students should unvaryingly aim at Trikaranasuddhi and under no circumstance, should they permit themselves to fall into the category of Aartha or Arbaarthee; instead they should constantly endeavor to be counted among those who have realized their Divine nature. having recognized this truth, they must gear up for the higher duty that beckons them.

They should appreciate that if twelve Apostles of the Son of God could do much to spread the Message of the Lord Himself. Humanity looks up them, and they should not disappoint humanity. To disappoint mankind would in certain sense amount to disappointing Swami Himself.

Before I conclude, it is appropriate that I call touching prayer once addressed to Bhagavan by Prof Sampath, and illustrious predecessor of mine. He said “ Swami it is my prayer that when I am reborn, I would be blessed to be a student of Your School and Your Institute, and one day receive my degree directly from your divine Hands It is only when I become a student of Institute that my life would be complete. ”

Those of us who have missed the opportunity of being a student of the Institute in this lifetime, might well consider addressing such prayer ourselves.


Prof Kasturi on "Why fear when I am here"

Prof Kasturi says that we not fear when Baba is here. He says you think that there is His assurance "Why fear when I am here"?...and you feel absolutely confident and try to break your neck, because He will save you !  

You neglect even the fundamental precautions ! If some one says, "Don't go there," but you go there saying "Ah! Swami is there ! why fear/ That kind of confidence neglecting the very principle of caution. 

 Swami is in this room, in that room ,in my pocket, in my ring, in my watch...He is everywhere and therefore no precaution! Swami's picture is in the car, why bother ? You look at it and go faster and fast until you meet with with some calamity...That is why Swami has said "Because I have said "Why fear when I am here. He said don't be over confident and foolish.. 

.If you don't follow my instructions you will be in trouble, and when you come back I won't talk to you then, I bypass you. I take diversion until the bridge is repaired... When you realize your mistakes and correct yourself, I will call you, I will talk to you again.

Again Swami remind us, to be careful. He said, don't be glad for having been close to me and near me, you may be pushed out!... Prof Kasturi say of course, I have been target a number of times! It is difficult thing to decide how near or how far one should be from Swami...It is something like fire. If you go too near, you get burnt! and if you keep too far you get cold!.. 

.Taking advantage of closeness to Him, feeling it is my due, because I am a big scholar, because I am indispensable to his glory. Such swelling of head will result in being sent out. Number of times this has happened and we have seen this. Swami Says:- Carry on your highest duty to yourself. Following the four F's: Follow the Master, Face the Devil, Fight to the end, and finish the game. Then you win My love, My Love in full measure. Love is my highest Miracle. Love can make you gather the affection of all mankind. Love will not tolerate any selfish aim . Love is God. Live in Love.

Then all is right ,all can be well. Expand your heart so that it can encompass all. BABA


Prof Kasturi account And Brindavan Boys experiences

The examinations were approaching, Swami said that if He was with us at Brindavan, we do not study. Finally He decided to leave for Puttaparthi, just to make us study for exams.  

The boys fell at His feet, pleaded with Him, but Swami insisted on going. He said that He felt that He was the cause of the boys neglecting their studies and that feeling gave Him much pain.  

It was Monday. Swami was preparing to leave by 8.30 A.M. The boys crowded round Him with sadness pain on their faces. Pleadings and prayers had proved fruitless. Swami was down on the ground floor. He got into the car, and the white vehicle glided away. 

 With heave hearts, boys walked slowly back into the Hostel. We tried in vain to concentrate on what the books had to tell us, so full was our hearts with the thought of our Lord. Barely 15 minutes had passed, when some one shouted "Swami has come!" and started running behind the car. I thought that the poor fellow was still dreaming and that his fantasy probably had given shape to that car. 

 But many more boys followed and I came out to ascertain for myself. What I saw, I could not believe. I saw the white car driving right up to portico. I rubbed my eyes once or twice to make sure for myself, and then I also ran . Swami walked up the stairs. Many of us could not believe what was happening. Swami said, "You boys were creating so much noise that I forgot to take the keys," ... Swami forgetting to take the keys!  

Our hearts were full,... no one spoke. The tears that rolled down were probably more eloquent in expressing what was in our hearts. Somebody had probably still some doubts that Swami may leave again with the keys. So he asked very wisely. "Swami! shall we start unloading the things back from the car? "... No I am leaving again in the evening." Swami said, in pretended anger.. 

.Then He broke into a beautiful smile, At this, a chorus of pleading voices followed, "Swami! Swami! And Swami decided to stay on. He told us latter, "You pulled me back here, just by your pure yearning. Now you must study well, if you want me to stay here. Trivial, insignificant instances these, do you say? And What have they got to do with spirituality, do you ask? But what else is spirituality than yearning for Him, pining for Him, suffering anguish for Him?  

What is spirituality but deserving to live in Him. This is made possible only by the form full God, the God without whom one cannot live. His benign smile, the loveliness of His Graceful Form His tender affection that flow when He enquires about your welfare, and above all, the nectarine sweetness of His childlike sport--these help us to fuse our heart with the Lord's and thus raise ourselves to the heights of Blessedness.  

Boys have made an unsuccessful attempt to put these in words, for, it is impossible to contain them in human language. They belong totally to the realm of experience which the heart alone can experience "Raso vai Saha" He is Sweetness itself. His sweetness is infinitely enhanced when He comes, Humanness enveloping His Divinity.

 


Prof Kasturi and his story (Control of Automatic  Lights)

1.      Prof. Kasturi throws light on the fact that Swami has revealed His Reality of being the Neumann that sustains and control of all Cosmic Phenomena.   Here is the anecdote in brief.

 

2.      Baba as usual began one of His discourses (While in Madras) with the recital of an extempore Telugu poem. The opening line that poem was “ Automatic Lights Adhipudevadu”. This line happens to be a strange mixture of Telugu and English.

 

3.      Our Lord Swami whom the scriptures describe as the Supreme Poet has the privilege of Divine license, beside the usual poetic license of an ordinary poet.  So He sometimes mixes up Telugu and English or some other language, thereby confusing His translator and enjoying the fun.

 

4.      This trait of confusing and confounding people is inherent in Divinity, especially when it manifest as an Avatar. We shall have a glimpse of this trait that seems to be more pronounced in this playful Avatar .

 

5.      Prof.Kasturi was bewildered and looked helplessly at Swami’s face, as he could not translate the line. Swami cast a mischievous look at Kasturi and repeated the same line again. Poor Kasturi was dumbfound. Neither Telugu was his mother tongue nor he had studied Telugu during his educational career.

 

6.      He learned Telugu only after coming to swami. Because he was mum SWAMI ASKED HIM TO SIT DOWN AND called upon Dr. Bhagawantham to translate. Late Dr. Bhagawantham was an eminent scientist and educationists. He had good knowledge of the Telugu language, he had studied during his formal education. He served as a translator to Baba during the decade of seventies.

 

7.      But this particular occasion, he too shared the same fate as Kasturi. As he also was non-pulsed and could not translate that line, Swami proceeded with the rest of His discourse.

 

8.      After the discourse was over Prof. Kasturi and Dr. Bhagawantham  met Swami in His room. They prayerfully requested Him to enlighten them on the meaning of the said line that neither of them could translate.

 

9.      With mischievous smile Swami asked them. “Have you not seen the automatic traffic Lights in Madras and other metropolitan cities. “ Yes Swami, we have seen.” They replied.  “ Is there not someone who controls the operation of these traffic lights and regulate the traffic on the roads, in order to prevent collisions and accidents? Queried Swami. “ Yes Swami, there is … answered both the discomfited translators.

 

10. Then Swami explained to them, “just as there is traffic of various kinds of vehicles in the city, there is a macro-level traffic of planets in this universe, each of them whirling at a tremendous speed. There are innumerable planets, so that each of them confines itself to the path ordained for it, thereby preventing clashes or collisions and the consequent cataclysmic disasters.

 

11. And there is ( ONE ) who controls those unseen automatic traffic lights, and that One in this ( ONE )! Saying this Swami pointed at (HIMSELF )

 

12. Then both Prof Kasturi and Dr. Bhagawantham  could understand that the line in Swami’s poem, which they could not translate, meant that Swami is the Almighty God who controls the unseen traffic lights that regulate the movement of the planets in the entire Universe, as to avoid accidents in the macrocosm.

 

13. Swami further told them that the codes of moral behaviors and social conduct, i.e. Dharma, in short were also traffic signals fixed by the Master to save humans from conflict and clash, from violence and war. Swami teaches us profound truths, through His inimitable fun and frolic dramatics and antics!!

 

Swami’s words -

14. In My present Avatar , I have come armed with fullness of the powers of formless God to correct mankind, raise human consciousness and put people on the path of truth, righteousness, peace and love, leading to divinity.

- BABA.

 

Jai Sai Ram    

 

 Ram.Chugani  Kobe.


EXCERPTS FROM STUDENTS TALK - SRI DEEPAK

Divine Concern (Study of Sathya Sai )


Each one of us is in the very same situation. Any little accomplishment, any little deed is always supported by the unseen hand of our Beloved Lord. When I look back into the face of time, I find a rainbow of memories flashing before me. There is one thing I never failed throughout.  It is the presence of Bhagavan, saturated by His Love. Every moment is filled with His omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience. However it is for us to recognize this truth

A couple of years ago, my parents along with my brother and I were taking a walk down the shopping lanes of London where we intended to make our purchases. On our way out one of the supermarkets, my father accidentally happened to put his hand into his hand baggage and to our dismay he found all our passports missing!

We were initially panic stricken, but our faith in Bhagavan removed all our fears. We searched all around the place, retracting our steps but there was no sign of any of our passports.

My father went down the lane making inquiries, but none of them brought us anywhere close to our passports. My father finally decided to register the problem with the police and started looking out for police officer.

As he proceeded, a young Englishman whom he saw for the first time came straight to him and said. “You must be looking for the lost and found department. Sir it is right over there,” and gave him some landmark.

My father walked into the office of the British cops, as he had been directed to. As he opened the door of the lost –and found department, he saw the officer in-charge just placing all our passports in a bag”Thanks God” His exclamation was enough to inform the officer that those passports belong to us.

Nevertheless  he looked at my father with a smile and asked, “Are these your passports? The answer of my father in the affirmative seemed to delight the officer and on being asked how the passports landed there, he said. “Didn't you meet anyone on the way up? My father said that there wasn’t any one he met.

But the officer was not satisfied. He went on and said that the man who gave the passports just left a few seconds before my father came in and he said that he was the owner of the shop. My father just posed one last question on his way out with passports. “How did he look like?

The reply to the question was enough to throw us back in our seats and start thinking. Every single description matched the splendor of our Beloved Bhagavan and we were deeply thankful for all that he had done for our family.

It was about nine months after that Bhagavan appear in the dream of my father and confirmed His presence at London in a very unique way.The amount of concern Bhagavan has for each of us in much more than what the word concern literally means. The unfathomable ocean of His love goes far beyond our mind’s comprehension's. There is lot we students to learn from His actions, from His words and lot to learn from His love.

We have to travel far beyond to be able to know actually how fortunate each of us is to be with Bhagavan. What we see of Him today is a very minute spectacle of what He actually is. Each one of us is on a long journey, “from us to ourselves” and we are immensely fortunate to have our goal. Bhagavan as our guide. And on this journey, it is my constant prayer to Bhagavan that He be with us and guide us throughout so that I may be an instrument in His hands. 

Jai Sai Ram  

(  Ram.Chugani Kobe Japan )


 

Revelations

 

Student  Sriram Parasuram Sri Sathya Sai Senior Boys Hostel & Sri Sathya  Sai Higher Secondary School Hostel Prashanti Nilayam.  


Bandipur forest , 1974    They had driven down from Ooty. They camped in a clearing in the forest, for the night. A student asked His permission to Photograph Him with a new Polaroid camera. Swami said, “ I will show you MY True form. Proceed.” They all waited with bated breath for photograph to come out.  THEY SAW THE TRINITY!

 

SWAMI SPOKE that night on the significance of the festival and its relation to the moon. He also said, “The scientists who have been up there, think that there is no water on the moon.

 

As always, they don’t know the Truth. “ He waved His palm casually and materialized a lucent disk, which just about happened to be the disk to the starry eyed audience of the Master said, “ This is the water on the moon, which tragically has been eluding the scientists.

 

”The list of such happening goes on and on….( But we are short of time and space ) The effects of the miracles, His visiting cards, as He calls them, are felt not only in the physical presence of the Lord, but all over the Cosmos.

 

Every act He performs has a Universal significance. In material science it is said, you can not move your fingers without moving the stars”. If this were for man,…. What then for GOD…?

 

Dig right here. Young Sai told of His more able-minded devotees. The task was carried out and from that spot was unearthed a number of Peethams (based of the lingams). The devotees asked, “The pedestals are here where are the lingams?  “

 

In my stomach” said Sai. They laughed. Some scratched their heads perplexed. Time passed…and then came Sivarathri.

 

The Bhajans were on. The young Sai was seated on the chair, tinkling the cymbals. Suddenly He stopped…clutched His stomach. Uneasiness. There was a frown on His serene face. He was in pain.

 

It appears as though spasms of pain had gripped Him. Subbamma immediately got some water. He sipped it. But, the pain was still there. It appear to increase with every passing moment, moving  upward…The chest …the gullet . The muscles of His throat tensed and then heaved…His mouth opened…and suddenly—from within came a “Brilliant ball of light.” Nay, a kind of smooth crystal…

 

He smiled. The relief was obvious as the tense contour of sweet countenance relaxed into Very Familiar Smile…He rose and held it up for all to see…IT WAS A LINGAM! The first ever!   

 

For years, the holy night has witnessed the Lingobhavam and plethora of Lingams emerging from the Lord's stomach. Sometimes only one Lingam is formed, the material being apparently Sphatika, or silver, or Jade, or even Gold (last year). Often, numerous- three, five, seven, or nine! Once the number of Lingams was surprising high number of eleven.

 

They come in different sizes, but the same shape-ellipsoid. At times the Benevolent Lord has created  them even with the Peetams and with Vibuthi smeared on the Lingam. The Night has witnessed even more…

Jai Sai Ram  

 

Ram Chugani

Kobe Japan

 

“All the festivals of Bharatiyas have been designed to promote Divine love among the people. It is to confer such love on the people that the Lord incarnates on earth. He Himself demonstrates how love should be expressed. He showers His love and teaches everyone how to love. Hence experience this love and joy in your life and live in peace.  ***BABA*** 


“JEWELS  FROM  AFAR”

Experience of Diana Baskin.

 

Diana Baskin and her story.  One evening in Brindavan, we were all gathered at Swami’s feet, listening with rapt attention as He told us a fascinating story of artisan’s love for Lord Krishna. 

He described a magnificent gold statue that the artisan had made of his beloved Lord . He said the statue had been designed by divine inspiration. Lord Krishna, Himself had guided every movement of artist hand during its creation.

 Suddenly, Swami asked us: “Would you like to see it? “Oh, yes!” we eagerly answered in unison. Swami waved His hand and in it appear a resplendent gold statue. Many brilliant precious gems adorned Krishna’s head and body.

The graceful figure sparkled and glowed as though alive. The precious statue was then passed around and each person was able to hold and admire it. When it returned to Swami, He held in it in His hand a moment. Then it disappeared. 

Swami then told us a story about treaty which India had made with another country. He explained that the entire treaty had been carved on a huge emerald that was presently being kept in the same museum as the Krishna statue.  “ I will get it for you, “He said.

When he stopped waving His hand, there appear in His palm a very large emerald. We were all breathless! What an extraordinary, magical evening this was.!. We passed the emerald among ourselves slowly, not wanting these rare moments to end.

“Pass it quickly, “Swami gently prodded us, “ I have to return to it the museum before the guard realize it is gone.

Jai Sai Ram

Ram.Chugani. 

Kobe Japan