Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/81


I suddenly got up from a frightful dream. It was 15th November 1977. We returned a few days ago from Barrankula, a cyclone relief camp in Divi taluk. We went there in knee-deep mud, lived in tents surrounded by corpses, eating just to maintain the body. We spent nearly a couple of weeks. Bhagawan appeared in dreams silently on 3 or 4 occasions. But after returning to Visakhapatnam, melancholic thoughts haunted me. Even though I am accustomed to go to hospital in a car for the past 18 to 19 years I felt guilty of the same when thousands are not having any conveyance. Similarly, I was hesitant to put on a "T" shirt, thinking that many of my brethren are going half clad. The same is the case with food. On top of this, scenes of dead bodies, collapsing huts etc. began appearing in my dreams successively for 3 days and from one such dream I got up suddenly.
I know that I was suffering from 'reactive depressive psychosis'. I thought I must have a consultation with a psychiatrist or write a letter to Swami. I wrote to Bhagavan only on two occasions on purely official matters, which forced on me while discharging the duties of a district President, At that time I was working as Resident Medical Officer of one of the two mental hospitals in the State and treating several people counselling and administering drugs etc. As such I know swallowing a few drugs will improve my mental state without much ado.
Suddenly I went into a reverie: People are suffering from all sorts of miseries from times immemorial. Is there no way out of it? Lord Buddha pondered over it but not many were benefited out of his teachings. So is the case with every religious preceptor. The golden kingdom promised by Jesus has never appeared so far. Are they referring to a different plane of consciousness? Bhagawan must answer my questions and also show a solution. In all probability HE may not answer my letter. As it was my previous experience, I may get the answer in a book or somebody may pick a conversation with me without any relevance and answer all my doubts. So I wanted the answer then and there, remembering that HE is ANTARYAMI and not only Prasanthi-Nilayam-vihari.
Suddenly I heard a clear inner voice ask¬ing me, 'About whom are you lamenting? On whom are you relying to get the answers? And who are you'? Abruptly the three groups - suffering humanity, God and myself—appeared before me commandingly 'You know why all this misery is occurring'? I meekly said 'Yes, Bhagawan, because I feel instead of One, these three as different entities'. 'So when will this misery disappear'? asked the Divine voice. 'When I feel that I am one with God and with all beings, and not separate, then there is no more misery'. I could not help the feeling that Bhagavan is making me answer my own questions, in a vivid manner.
All of a sudden I remembered the sentences of Baba at Whitefield in the interview room one day during 1970. On that memorable occasion HE emphasised that the answers I am getting now and then are not emanating from my own thought process but are revelations made directly by Him. With a mischievous laughter, the voice asked me 'Is this all theoretical?' I said 'No Baba, we are not able to maintain that non dualistic state always and hence this suffering'. Absolute silence prevailed for some time.
From that very moment my depression vanished entirely and I could carry a new sparkling energy for days thereafter. So, let us always be aware of HIS presence within us, ready to give us unerring counsel, May HE bless us all to become that ONE REALITY.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/80


" Kasthuri has just now read from the Panchangam (almanac) for the New Year, the predictions of the astrologers about rainfall, the condition of the crops, the prices of articles in the markets, the rise and fall in the rates of gold and silver, the prospects of internal and external peace, the occurrence of natural calamities like floods, droughts, earthquakes, etc. But reading all this only increases your worries, your restlessness. Take things as and when they come. Do not try to peep too far into the future with the help of astrologers. They are mostly wrong, and the data you supply them are mostly unreliable.
Take care of the Panchangams (the five-limbed almanacs) within you; that is more vital. The Panchangams within you are the five senses; educate the mind to hold them in check - then you can have peace of mind, whatever the rise in the market rates or the quantity of rain. Do not get panicky over what the almanac says about the combination of many planets, the Ashtagrahakoota. They exaggerate the consequences; nothing much will happen; the Pralaya (destruction of the Universe) is more in the frightened mind than in external nature. If you earn the Anugraha (blessing) of the Lord, no graha (planet) or combination of grahas can harm you. If you learn how to secure that Anugraha, you need not worry about the Panchangam.
Today, you are celebrating the arrival of a New Year with a new name, a name that you will use for twelve coming months. But remember, it is not the year alone that is new once in 365 days. Every day is new, every hour and minute, every second is new. Do not celebrate only the New Year Day in joy; celebrate every second in joy.
Start from today, not that today is a New Year - there are so many New Years celebrated as such by one or the other community that every day is a new year to some one set of people - but because it is today and the matter brooks no delay, start from today a new chapter in your life, the chapter of Japam (recitation of holy name) and Dhyanam (meditation), Japa-sahitha Dhyaanam (recitation-oriented meditation) or Dhyaana-sahitha Japam (meditation-oriented recitation). In the Thretha Yuga, the Name was SeethaRama; in the Dwapara Yuga, it was RadheShyama; in this Kali Yuga, it is Sarvanaama, that is to say, all Names of the Lord; you can select any one that appeals to you.
Life is like a flight of steps towards the Godhead. You have your foot on the first step when you are born; each day is a step that must be climbed; so be steady, watchful and earnest. Do not count the steps ahead or exult over the steps behind. One step at a time and that well climbed, that is enough success to be satisfied with and to give you encouragement for the next one. Do not slide from the step you have got up on. Every step is a victory to be cherished; every day wasted is a defeat to be ashamed of.
Slow and steady - let that be your maxim! Adhere to a regular routine, a time-table. Just as the doctor prescribes a certain fixed measure or weight of the drug and warns you that anything less is ineffective and anything more is harmful, so too, have some limit for your spiritual exercises. Do not overdo them or do them casually and without care. The doctors tell you also about the hour of the day and the number of times the drug has to be repeated, for, the action of the quantity taken must be reinforced before it becomes weak. So also, you have to repeat the Japam and Dhyanam at regular intervals.
Millionaires who always go about in cars and aeroplanes and people of sedentary habits are advised by doctors to take a long walk every morning. The walk is called a 'constitutional', because it helps to build up the constitution. Similarly, to get over the mental ills consequent on too-long brooding over worldly affairs, the Guru will advise you to have a long spell of Dhyanam and Japam. Do not move so fast with the world; the cure for moving fast is to sit quiet. Do not get entangled in the vain hubbub of the world; the treatment for those who suffer from the after-effects of that is silence and meditation.
You will have observed that when your train is stationary, another train moving along another line gives you the feeling that it is your train that moves. If you watch your coach, fix your attention on your train, you know the truth. Similarly, as long as your attention is turned on "the other," "the outer," your knowledge is based on illusion. Once you divert the attention to yourself, you can discover the truth, viz., though the world moves, you are still.
In the Panchangam, as Kasthuri quoted now, it is also predicted that in the year that is born today, the number of people who deride God and who laugh at Him and hate Him will increase. Let Me ask, how can that happen, for that number has reached the maximum already! The cynical spirit of derision and ridicule is the bane of this age; but there is no reason for the godly to be down-hearted. At least the coming Ashtagrahakoota (conjunction of eight planets) will put some fear into people's minds and they will call on God to save them and they will do various acts to propitiate the divine beneficence in order to overcome the maleficence of the planets. Therefore, the prediction might prove incorrect, after all. Be assured that the Lord has come to save the world from calamity. Your duty is to keep calm, to pray for the happiness and prosperity of all. Do not pray for your own exclusive happiness, and say, "Let the rest of the worl d go to pieces." You cannot be happy when the rest of mankind is unhappy. You are an organic part of the human community. Share your prosperity with others; strive to alleviate the sufferings of others. That is your duty.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/79


It was a little over two years ago and we had recently lost our two pet dogs within a short time. One was aged fifteen, the other twelve. We decided to give an unwanted dog a home as we greatly missed our two pets. On enquiry at a local dog’s home we were given a list of available dogs. As an afterthought we were told ‘Then there is poor Emma…’ I asked if ‘poor Emma’ was also a dog, and was told she was.
“As soon as we saw Emma I knew she was special. Her hindquarters were very weak. She seemed terrified to move. We were told she had been very badly treated by her previous owner. She could not eat, and hardly lapped up milk – but we took her home with us.
“In due course of time she became a beautiful dog, physically. Mentally, however, the scars remained. If we had to leave her in the house she went hysterical, and would tear furniture, carpets, and even doors to pieces. Loud noises terrified her.
“We did everything possible for her and gave her all the love we could. But it seemed to no avail. She was so psychologically damaged that two years later we have to have her put to sleep.
“We were heartbroken. That night I mentally called Sai Baba and asked Him to let us know in some way if her tormented mind was healed. I fell asleep.
“Sometime later I became aware of a feeling like electricity flowing in the room. I then saw Sai Baba standing there with my dog by His side. He spoke softly to her and she ran to me, then back to His side. He spoke to her again, and this time she sat in front of me and I stroked her.
“I gazed into her eyes and she looked completely calm. After stroking her I noticed all the previous nervousness seemed to have disappeared. Sai Baba just smiled. Then He and the dog disappeared.”
Jean adds: “When I had tried to mentally contact Baba before, He had always replied. I am at first awoken by a feeling like waves of mild electricity flooding the room. Also He has provided the complete answer to whatever problem I am asking about. From these experiences I became convinced of His omnipresence and His great compassion.”

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/78


Sankara, when quite a boy, was one day offering Puja to Devi, in the absence, of his father and of his insistence. He placed milk before the image and pleaded that the Goddess should sip the cup and drink a little of the offered milk, as he thought She was doing when his father did Puja. He wept so sincerely and with such agony that Mother quaffed the entire quantity!
That set another problem before the boy, for, he knew that every day his father used to share the 'offered milk' with him. That day, since the cup was emptied, there was nothing for him; so, Sankara wept, complained and pleaded pathetically to the Devi, in the Image. The Mother felt great pity for the innocent helpless boy who had taken Her to be a 'Real Presence'; She did not "create milk and pour it out of Her palm" as I do. She just pressed Her maternal breasts and filled the cup. Sankara drank that cup and was happy beyond words. It was his Avedana, anguished yearning, that brought the response.