He Knows Every
Letter To The Letter
By Sri K. Suresh- A Former Student
of Swami’s Institute.
Source
acknowledgement - copyrights: Sri Sathya Sai Media Foundation -
h2hsai.org . |
| Web layout & Photo graphic design : saibabaofindia.com "SBOI"
More Sri Sathya Sai Baba Experiences
It was a serene evening
in the Mandir during the rainy season of 1990.
Sathya Sai Baba had completed His usual
Darshan rounds and had called some devotees for interview. All the
students were eagerly waiting for Sathya Sai Baba to come out and spend
some time with them. They were surprised by the sudden brush of a cool
breeze that heralded soothing showers.
It was the time when the Sai Kulwant Hall
had not yet been built. To those directly exposed to the scalding rays
of the sun, the rain was a welcome relief. To the students it meant a
blanket permit to rush forward and occupy the front portico of the
Mandir. It was a vantage spot as it gave us the advantage to be very
close to the interview room door so that when Swami came out, His gaze
in our direction was guaranteed. I was then in my second year of the MBA
programme. Along with another brother of mine I was blessed to secure a
strategic spot in the front portico. From here we had a clear view of
Sathya Sai Baba’s throne in the Bhajan Hall.
As the rain persisted without any respite, I
began reading a book on Sathya Sai Baba’s miracles in Africa. I was
particularly drawn to an incident where two of the devotees who were
driving a car on an express way at speeds over 110 km/h suddenly met
with an accident. Their car was thrown out of the express way and into
the bushes. The car was totally smashed and there was no chance that its
occupants would survive such a crash. The devotees in the car however
had taken the Lord’s Name on their lips at the critical juncture and had
escaped unscathed. They were nonplussed and thanked Sathya Sai Baba for
His Omnipresence. I was quite overwhelmed by this incident and happened
to share it with the brother beside me. I couldn’t but help remark –
‘Look Swami is in Africa also’.
African Avatar
Some moments later the interview room door opened. Sathya Sai
Baba came out and stood on the upper portico of the verandahh in the
Mandir. He paused and looked at me and my brother for a few seconds. I
looked at Sathya Sai Baba with reverence. Suddenly Sathya Sai Baba asked
the students sitting in front of me to make way. A path was made for
Sathya Sai Baba in the tightly packed verandahh. Before I could realise
Swami walked straight up to me and then paused. Gazing into my eyes He
remarked – “Dunnapotha! You are talking in the verandah.”
Then after a small pause He continued,
“I am here. I am in Africa. I am everywhere.” Saying this, He
walked away with a nonchalant gait. Do I have to say anymore?
Six years later while I was in search for a
job, a Singapore based multinational company hired me and sent me on my
first assignment to guess where: West Africa ! It has been six sweet
years in Africa. I have been blessed to get involved in the Sri Sathya
Sai Seva Organisation here as an office bearer. I try to serve the Lord
in my own little way, feeling and experiencing His constant Presence and
Guidance.
One important truth
that we, His students, must cherish always in our hearts is His
Omnipresence. Wherever we are, we need to conduct ourselves accordingly.
Sathya Sai Baba is our Inner Soul. He is always with us, in us and
around us. The awareness of this truth suffices to boost our confidence
and help mould our lives in the right direction.
Heart to Heart
During my student days at Sathya Sai Baba’s Lotus Feet, I learnt a lot
through innumerable such instances. Many times it happened that Sathya
Sai Baba would refuse to accept a letter from me and I used to feel
completely dejected. On one such occasion, Sathya Sai Baba gave me the
‘cold storage’ treatment by not accepting my letter for many
days at a stretch. One fine day, He suddenly called me and literally
grabbed the letter from my hands. Even without opening the letter, He
went on to reveal its contents and concluded with a great revelation,
‘I need not go through your letter to know its contents. The prayer
in your heart reaches me instantaneously, even before you pen down your
thoughts.’
To be frank, after
this incident I reduced the ‘written mail’ and instead
concentrated on heartfelt prayers. This is what Sathya Sai Baba implies
when He exhorts us to develop ‘a heart to heart relationship’ with Him.
I Shall Write Anew
On another occasion, Sathya Sai Baba walked up to where I was seated,
looked into my eyes and said ‘Faithkaawali raa’ in Telugu,
which means – ‘You need Faith’. Putting His hand on His
forehead He went on ‘If you have faith in Me, I shall wipe out your
old Karma and write a new one. But faith is required.’
Sathya Sai Baba is Premaswaroopa. Just pure,
unsullied Love on two Feet. He loves His students so much. His love for
us is unfathomable and indescribable. Let me share a very cherished
incident in my life.
Baba’s
Bangra Boys
It was the time of Sathya Sai Baba’s 60th Birthday in the year 1985. A
group of 25 boys, which included me, were selected to perform the
Bhangra dance before Sathya Sai Baba’s chariot as it made its way from
the Mandir to the Shanti Vedika in the Hill View Stadium. We had
practised more for a stage performance rather than for a procession in
front of Sathya Sai Baba’s chariot. But then, Sathya Sai Baba’s message
came on the evening of November 22nd that we need to be prepared for the
procession the next day. All of us were too tired because of various
activities on 21st and 22nd November. But we had Sathya Sai Baba in our
hearts.
Though we slept very
late on 22nd night, all of us got up by 3 a.m. on 23rd morning and
managed to reach Mandir before 3.30 a.m. Even at that time, all the
streets of Puttaparthi were overflowing with devotees moving towards the
Mandir. We managed to squeeze through the crowd. We were tired and by
the time we reached Mandir we were already feeling drowsy. But
nevertheless, we started dressing up and were ready by 6 a.m. for the
procession. The procession was scheduled to commence at 7 a.m.
Students Come First
Sathya Sai Baba had already come out at 6 a.m. He then summoned all of
us, the Bhangra group boys, into the Bhajan Hall. We were quietly
dressing up at the car shed behind the Mandir when we received this
message. We rushed into the Bhajan Hall. Sathya Sai Baba then enquired
from us whether we were ready for the procession and we replied in the
affirmative. Then Sathya Sai Baba said ‘Oh no! You boys did not have
anything to eat or drink since morning and you need to be in the
procession for at least one and half hours.’
While everybody including the VVIPs were
waiting for Sathya Sai Baba to come out for Darshan, Sathya Sai Baba was
inside the Bhajan Hall, catering to the little needs of His little ones.
Sathya Sai Baba then sent someone to bring breakfast for us from the
canteen and ensured that we had had our fill. He also went into His room
and got apples for us to partake. All the while Sathya Sai Baba was
waiting for us to say, “We are ready Swami, we can start”. At
about 7 a.m. when all of us were ready, Sathya Sai Baba put on His white
robe and walked up to the chariot and stood on it while the first golden
rays of the rising sun fell on the Divine Lotus Feet. The procession
started with us performing ahead of His chariot. By His Grace everything
went on well. In that huge crowd we were thrown around like puppets. But
for Sathya Sai Baba’s Love and Grace in the morning, we could not have
performed the dance. That is the Love of Sathya Sai Baba for His
students. Students always come first for Him.
Spiritual Practice in Business
Such incidents are unlimited. Each one of His students have baskets-full
of such stories to narrate. The underlying theme is Love, Love and Love
alone. Sathya Sai Baba loves us so intensely and expects us to share
this love with the people around us in the same way. He wants us to look
at the unifying principle that binds us all. We need to start in our own
little way to practise what Sathya Sai Baba says. I would like to state
how this has helped me in my day to day business.
When I deal with my customers I feel that it
is the same Sathya Sai Baba who is also in them and that I need to
approach them with the right attitude and love in my heart. This has
always given me an upper hand to solve the most difficult issues which
could not be handled by others. When I am at peace, have Sathya Sai Baba
in my heart and look at my opponent as a reflection of the same Being,
positive vibes are generated and that gives me a cutting edge. While
other preparations are definitely required for a good negotiation,
positive attitude and good vibes can change the whole negotiating
atmosphere. In the corporate world, my company calls negotiation and
wheeling as dealing skills. I am ranked highest on these skills in my
company. But for me the real skill is ‘Love in the heart’.
I end this article
here with a small prayer to Swami……
“Dear Lord, Let
our Hearts overflow with Divine Love for Thee at all times.”
Source acknowledgement -
copyrights: Sri Sathya Sai Media Foundation - h2hsai.org . |
| Web layout & Photo graphic design : saibabaofindia.com "SBOI"
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