Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/86

There was a princess who was very pious, immersed in the contemplation of the glory of God; her father sought in all the quarters for a suitable partner for her, but, could not find one. Of course, many princes competed for her hand, but, they were all worldly minded and fond of royal luxury and the father knew that his daughter would not be happy with such a partner. At last, the king heard of a young mendicant, a devoted servant of the Lord, whose face shone with inner joy.

When the king met him he pleaded that he was too poor to confer any happiness on the princess, that he lived in a little hut, that he had barely three paise with him and that he would not receive anything from others. The king was overjoyed at his piety and the marriage was celebrated with three paise only, to the satisfaction of the groom and the bride and the king.

When the princess went into the hut to share her life with the mendicant, she was surprised to find on an earthen plate a bit of bread! She asked her husband why it was kept there and he promptly replied, “I felt it could be put to use today and so, I kept it on that plate yesterday.” On hearing this, the princess said, “Then, I have no place in this hut with you. I shall return to the palace where I came from.” The husband was very much confused at her behaviour, which appeared strange. He asked why the bit of bread should so upset her. She replied, “That bit of bread proves that your faith in providence is not rooted deep; The Lord Who provided for you so far, will He not feed for you this day too? Why this doubt, this hesitation about His mercy, His love and His care? Either this bit of bread that is kept for another day must go or I must go out of this hut,” she said.

The husband had his eyes opened by her remarks; he caught hold of her hands and pleaded her to remain as his guru, teaching him lessons on faith and devotion. He thanked her for her advice and promised to mend his ways. They lived together happily, encouraging each other in the path of sadhana, until they realised the limitless glory of God of which they were themselves minute expressions.

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/85

The 21st December was Vaikunta Ekadashi, a day sacred to all Hindus, a day of fasting and prayer; and the citizens of Trivandrum were delighted when the reception committee announced that Baba would be accepting their prostrations, that day from 9-30 A.M! It was indeed a moving spectacle, the long line of eager men, women and children, coming in an ever lengthening queue, to where Baba was seated in the Thevaram Palace Mantapam and prostrating before Him, with a glint of gratefulness in their eyes and a smile of satisfaction, lighting up their faces! Baba gave Vibhuti, to almost all the ten thousand of them, with His own hands. It was clear that He was very pleased with the cleanliness and godliness, the orderliness and devotion, of those who offered Him their homage that day.

In the evening, Baba arrived at Kovalam Beach, seven miles away from the City, accompanied by the members of His entourage, as well as many devotees from Trivandrum. At a quite spot on the seashore, far away from the noise and bustle of the capital, Baba gave those around Him, the unique pleasure of hearing Him sing a number of songs. Everyone joined in the Bhajan that followed; during the Bhajan, Baba ‘took’ from the sands a beautiful image of Murali Krishna and a gold ring with the Radha-Krishna motif embossed charmingly on it. Being Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Baba also ‘took’ Amrita, this time from His hands! The devotees who sat around Him could sense the captivating fragrance, long before the actual materialisation, and even as Baba was singing a song, He pointed His joint palms at a silver vessel and the ambrosial Amrita gurgled into it from His fingers! Baba then distributed the Nectar, Himself, to everyone pr esent, including a few fortunate fisher folk from the hamlet nearby.

From Kovalam, Baba proceeded to Cape Comorin, the sacred spot which marks the southern-most tip of the Indian Peninsula. On the 22nd, in the morning He strolled on the seashore and held religious discussions with His devotees at the Bungalow where He stayed. Here too, a large number of people from the town had His darshan, and received His blessings.

In the evening, when the sky was turned into a carnival of pink and purple by the rays of the setting Sun, Baba again proceeded to the shore and played with the waves of the three seas that mingle there. Each wave seemed to be more eager than the rest to wash His Lotus Feet, and to offer Him its individual homage! Suddenly, as if aware of the yearning of the waves, Baba stood facing the seas and said, to those beside Him, “See! The ocean is inviting Me, with a garland in its hand!” At that very moment, one could discern a beautiful wave forming itself a few yards ahead and soon, it swept majestically forward towards the group on the seashore. It rolled past Bhagawan, and quickly receded. But, imagine the surprise and joy of everyone there, when, lo and behold! There was a bewitching pearl garland, round Baba’s Feet, swaying and swinging with the waters of the sea! One hundred and eight translucent pearls, the Tribut e from Three Seas to the Avatar Of The Lord! Oh! How entrancingly charming Baba looked, when, at the earnest entreaty of the devotees, He condescended to wear the Precious Garland!

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/84

In this Iron Age, though there are many facilities to cultivate silence and discrimination, people are without peace of mind and happiness. The reason is they are not living according to the sacred teaching of Sanathana Dharma; they have lost faith in those teaching. Holiness is the basis of way of life which will make this exalted human birth worthwhile.

There are even today, just as there were in the past, great sages who can inspire people, pointing out the heights that man can attain and the vast potentiality that is embedded in the human body. Dwelling in the Divine is the very foundation of a genuine human life. It is the fundamental right of a man. The statements, Soham (He-I), Tattwamasi (That-thou-Art), Aham Brahmasmi (I-Brahmam-am) which are unexcelled expressions of Truth do shine as mantras in the Vedas. In the all too short period of his stay on earth, these mantras can win for man Divine bliss. We must consider all acts done from dawn to dusk as worship offered to The Lord. Every single act must be saturated with devotion and love for God. Man should endeavour to cleanse his heart of all impurities through righteous, truthful discharge of his duties. It is possible to realise God by means of the purified heart, purified by pure activities. Mere scholarship is of no u se. The teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads and Sastras must be brought into the fields of action. Faith and steadfastness—without these, however intense or manifold the activity, knowledge of the Ultimate Truth cannot be won. The Name of Hari must be ever on the tongue; it should ever be in the ear. To earn His Divine grace, devotees have to be constantly engaged in Sadhana and be ever vigilant.

It is no exaggeration to say that Prasanthi Nilayam is unfolding as Heaven on Earth. We devotees must, by our Japa, Tapas and Dhyana create here an atmosphere holier than that of the hermitages of the Krita, Treta and Dwapara Yugas, extolled in our scriptures.

Through our good fortune, we have the supreme boon of being contemporaries of Bhagawan. He is, for us, the visible God. The Sun who is the manifestation of part of the glory of God is the giver of this to all creatures, a giver whom we can see and comprehend. So, every day, we must remember these two with a sincere heart. We must frame a timetable that we can follow without much difficulty. As was declared by the sages, the night can be divided into four parts. During 6-9, restrained persons: 9-12 loose-livers; 12-3 thieves and 3-6 Yogis—these will be engaged in their diverse activities. For us , devotees, 3-6 is the holy period of the night. This period must be well utilised for one’s upliftment, according to the physical condition of each. One has to rise at least at 4-30 a.m. and after attending to essential physical needs, one must repeat Sai Ram, until the splendour of the Sun illumines the eastern sky. Then, it is good to recite the Suryamantram.

The Name ‘Sai Ram’ can be repeated a hundred times each minute. O, the sweetness and the joy that can be derived from that Name are beyond my power of description. You will not be content, however long you might be engaged in repeating it. It is possible to add to this the Mahamantram ‘Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare’. There are 16 Names in this Manthram. In 3 minutes, we can repeat a thousand Names through this mantra. In one hour 20000 Names can be uttered. Sri Namabari, a Bengali devotee, who lived at the same time as Sri Chaithanya Maha Prabhu used, it is said, to recite the Name of the Lord 3 lakhs of times a day! If one does it with single-minded attention, it would take at least 15 hours to reach the total of 3 lakhs per day. But, this is not a task beyond our powers.

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/83

Last Dasara, on the day when the poor were fed, I and few others were holding back the thousands, beyond the gate of Prasanthi Nilayam for over two hours, when suddenly, in obedience to some one’s orders, they broke all barriers and rushed pell-mell to the pandal, to the left of the Nilayam! I was very much annoyed that all our labour gone to waste; but, Baba called me towards the pandal saying “Menon! Go and see that all are seated in rows. I Am coming.” I went to the pandal and was surprised to see all that motley mass arranged in perfect rows. Baba came there in a few minutes. He walked along the rows, and turning towards me, said “Menon! Look at the wonderful variety of ceation!” That was a revealing remark. Those words opened my eyes. Yes, there must have been present in that pandal, at that time, many pious souls, sadhakas, saints, seekers, pretenders, penitents, idlers, idealists, castaways, moron s, misfits, and many other types besides, making up this vast multicoloured panorama of humanity. The scene was not something to be viewed with disgust, as I was prone to; it was something to be watched, and studied with sympathy and discrimination.

A few hours later when the feeding had started and Baba had served with His Hand the sweets to the poor, Himself to each and everyone. I was in the kitchen near the pile of the rice, straightening my back to relieve the strain. Suddenly, Baba appeared before us. He asked me, “Grand, isn’t it?” I replied, “Yes, Swami. There must be at least three thousands.” But Baba smiled and said, “Not that! The Shanti and the Ananda (Peace and Happiness) here now… How is that?” Significant words those two! Yes, they revealed to me my error, in getting disgusted with the noise and confusion all around me. I must have concentrated, instead on the Ananda that the poor got and the consequent Shanti that prevailed in their minds. These were more real, than the noise and confusion, certainly.

Thus does Baba, by a casual remark, a word or two, reveal to the ignorant the significance of things and events. He is The Sadguru, the Supreme Teacher.

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/82

My most memorable impression of Baba is that He is one of the freest and most spontaneous of human beings I have ever come across! He is not an inaccessible distant and forbiddingly solemn figure. The Divine has incarnated itself in Baba in its most engaging and at the same time its most compassionate aspects. These aspects of Baba were vouchsafed to me and members of my family and a few close friends during an almost unexpected visit of Baba to my residence.

It was an unforgettable experience for all of us. To have Baba so close to us in His beloved familiar form, full of laughter and fun, yet so thoughtful, considerate and loving was at first a bewildering experience. We were dazed for the first few minutes. But Baba soon put us all at perfect ease, and our joy knew no bounds.

It was ananda of the purest kind, overwhelming and indescribable, and we were simply swept away by Baba’s grace, love and benediction. It was as if some very dear friend and close relation was with us, intensely interested in our welfare and supremely happy to see us and be with us. With tender solicitude, He enquired about every one, advised us on a few important problems that troubled us, joked and laughed with us, ate the simple meal hastily got ready and left us, with our hearts full of indescribable joy. Yet the void in our hearts, when He left us, was painful, as if a dear one had left us on a long journey.

The resplendent figure of Baba, in bright orange robes, with a merry twinkle in His eyes, and a gracious enchanting smile on His face, His hands raised in benediction, remains in our minds with indelible vividness, and the sunset hour of that sacred day when He came to our home is still remembered with joy by everyone who had the privilege to have His darshan.

In Baba the Divine and the human are so harmoniously blended. He is the perfect Man, and yet an Incarnation of God. So, sometimes His inscrutability baffles us. He acts on a plane so high that ordinary people can hardly understand Him and His ways. Many people go to Puttaparthi hoping that He will cure their physical ailments. Others look upon Him as a fore-teller of the future. All this, people regard Him as simply a human being who has somehow acquired great powers. Baba often says that His cures miracles, and prophecies are part of His great mission to purify and exalt mankind and bring them to God-realisation. But Baba is greater than all that. To the true devotee, He is the Supreme Teacher and Guide whose love can convert and bring them nearer to their great goal of Self-realisation. Prasanthi Nilayam is a powerful spiritual center where a mighty power of healing and inner peace works without cessation. Indeed, Baba has charged that place with some wonderful shakti of His own, and no one who goes there can remain unaffected by this vast and powerful spiritual force.

New Year's Eve Dinner & Bhajan 2012

The year 2012 ended with a reunion potluck dinner held in the adjacent hall next to our NED centre beginning at 8.00pm on 31 December 2012.  It was a celebration filled with delicious vegetarian delicacies and happy interaction amongst all members.  This was followed with some karaoke singing and malay dances by our own members.  At 9.30pm, everybody adjourned back into the Sai center to watch an hour-long video entitled 'Hearing the Inner Voice' by Dr Srikanth Sola.  Bhajans began at 10.45pm and it was followed with Gayathri Chanting x 108 till past midnight.  Every member had an opportunity to carry the arathi light to usher in a new year blessed with Love and Grace from Swami.

Happy New Year 2013!


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New Year's Eve Dinner & Bhajan 2012