(Sai Spiritual Showers 1) << Back

Who on earth understands the Supreme Divine descended as Sri Sathya Sai??? Bhagawan Himself asserts that He Is beyond the reach of the most tintensive inquiry and the most meticulous measurement… Yet, out of His infinite love, time and again Bhagawan has spoken about Himself, revealing interesting facets of His Supreme Avataric Mission. Excerpted from Bhagawan’s Divine discourse delivered on June 19, 1974.

God Is inscrutable. He cannot be realised in the outer objective world; He is in the very heart of every being. Gemstones have to be sought deep underground; they do not float in midair. Seek God in the depths of your self, not in the tantalising, kaleidoscopic nature. The body is granted to you for this high purpose; but, you are now misusing it, like the person who cooked his daily food in the gem-studded gold vase that came into his hands as a heirloom.

Man extols God as omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, but, he ignores His Presence in himself! Of course, many venture to describe the attributes of God and proclaim Him to be such and such; but, these are but their own guesses and the reflections of their own predilections and preferences.

Who can affirm that God is this or thus? Who can affirm that God is not of this form or with this attribute? Each one can acquire from the vast expanse of the ocean only as much as can be contained in the vessel he carries to its shore. From that quantity, they can grasp but little of that immensity.

Each religion defines God within the limits it demarcates and then claims to have grasped Him. Like the seven blind men who spoke of the elephant as a pillar, a fan, a rope or a wall, because they contacted but a part and could not comprehend the entire animal, so too, religions speak of a part and assert that its vision is full and total.

Each religion forgets that God is all Forms and all Names, all attributes and all assertions. The Religion of Humanity is the sum and substance of all these partial faiths; for, there is only one Religion and that is the Religion of Love. The various limbs of the elephant that seemed separate and distinct to the eyeless seekers of its truth were all fostered and activated by one single stream of blood; the various religions and faiths that feel separate and distinct are all fostered by single stream of Love.

The optical sense cannot visualise the Truth. It gives only false and barren information. For example, there are many who observe My actions and start declaring that My nature is such and such. They are unable to gauge the sanctity, the majesty and the Eternal Reality That Is Me. The power of Sai is limitless; It manifests for ever. All forms of `power ‘ are resident in this Sai palm.

But, those who profess to have understood Me, the scholars, the yogis, the pundits, the jnanis, all of them are aware only of the least important, the casual external manifestation of an infinitesimal part of that power, namely, the “miracles”! They have not desired to contact the Source of all Power and all Wisdom, that is available here at Brindavan, They are satisfied when they secure a chance to exhibit their book learning and parade their scholarship in vedic lore, not realising that the Person from Whom the Vedas emanated is in their midst, for their sake.

This has been the case, in all ages. People may be very near (physically) to the Avatar, but, they live out their lives unaware of their fortune, but exaggerating the role of miracles, which are as trivial when compared to My glory and majesty, as a mosquito is in size and strength to the elephant upon which it squats. Therefore, when you speak about these ‘miracles’, I laugh within Myself out of pity, that you allow yourself so easily to lose the precious awareness of My reality.

My Power is immeasurable; My Truth is inexplicable, unfathomable. I Am announcing this about Me, for, the need has arisen. But, what I Am doing now is only the gift of a `Visiting Card’! Let Me tell you that emphatic declarations of the Truth by Avatars were made so clearly and so unmistakably only by Krishna. In spite of the declaration, you will notice in the career of the same Krishna that He underwent defeat in His efforts and endeavours, on a few occasions, though you must also note that those defeats too were part of the drama which He had planned and which He Himself directed.

When many Kings pleaded with Him to avert the war with the Kauravas, He confessed that His mission to the Kaurava Court for ensuring peace had ‘failed’! But, He had not willed that it should succeed. He had decided that the war would be waged. His mission was intended to publish the greed and iniquity of the Kauravas and to condemn them before the whole world.

But, I must tell you, that during this Sai Avatar, there is no place for even such ‘drama’ with scenes of failures and defeats! What I Will, must take place; what I Plan must succeed. I Am Truth; and Truth has no need to hesitate, or fear, or bend.

’Willing’ is superfluous for Me. For, My grace is ever available to devotees who have steady Love and Faith. Since I move among them, talking and singing, even intellectuals are unable to grasp My Truth, My Power, My Glory, or My Real Task as Avatar. I can solve any problem however knotty. I Am beyond the reach of the most intensive inquiry and the most meticulous measurement. Only those who have recognised My Love and experienced that Love can assert that they have glimpsed My Reality, for, the Path of Love is the Royal Road that leads mankind to Me.

Do not attempt to know Me through the external eyes. When you go to a temple and stand before the image of God, you pray with closed eyes, don’t you? Why? Because you feel that the Inner Eye of Wisdom alone can reveal Him to you. Therefore, do not crave from Me trivial material objects; but, crave for Me, and you would be rewarded. Not that you should not receive whatever objects I give as sign of grace out of the fullness of Love. I shall tell you why I give these rings, talismans, rosaries etc. It is to mark the bond between Me and those to whom they are given. When calamity befalls them, the article comes to Me in a flash and returns in a flash taking from Me the remedial grace of protection. That grace is available to all who call on Me in any Name or Form, not merely to those who wear these gifts. Love is the bond that wins grace.

Consider the meaning of the Name, Sai Baba. ‘Sa’ means `Divine’; ai or ‘ayi’ means `Mother’ and ‘Baba’ means Father. The Name indicates the Divine Mother and Father, just as Sambasiva, which also means the Divine Mother and Father (Sa-ambasiva). Your physical parents might cultivate Love with a dose of selfishness; but, this Sai “Mother and Father” showers affection or reprimands, only for leading you towards victory in the struggle for self-realisation.

For, this Sai has come in order to achieve the supreme task of uniting as one family the entire mankind, through the bond of brotherhood, of affirming and illumining the Atmic Reality of each being in order to reveal the Divine Which is the Basis on which the entire Cosmos rests, and of instructing all to recognise the common Divine heritage that binds man to man, so that man can rid himself of the animal, and rise into the Divinity which is his goal.

I Am The Embodiment of Love; Love is My Instrument. There is no creature without Love; the lowest loves itself, at least. And its self is God. So, there are no atheists, though some might dislike Him or refuse Him, as malarial patients dislike sweets or diabetic patients refuse to have anything to do with sweets! Those who preen themselves as atheists will one day, when their illness is gone, relish God and revere Him.

I had to tell you so much about My Truth, for, I desire that you should contemplate on this and derive joy therefrom, so that you may be inspired to observe the disciplines laid down and progress towards the Goal of Self-realisation, the Realisation of the Sai that shines in your hearts.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavnatu II

The Company You Keep…

Friday, September 12th, 2014

Where world becomes a stage and the body a costume to deliver the alloted role man should tread with atmost caution reminds Bhagawan…delivering a discourse on the importance of The Company desired to keep… Bhagawan says, The company you join must be qualitatively and quantitatively greater and higehr than the one in which you are now caught. From Bhagawan’s Divine discoures at Brindavan, Whitefiled, on 7 July 1975.

Kamal Sahani, of the Second B. Com. class of the College spoke now, using fine simple appropriate words, on the human body and the purpose for which it has been given to you. He said that the world is a stage and that the body is a costume that one has to wear in order to act the role that God has allotted to you in the play produced and directed by Him.

This is a correct interpretation. But, when you are allotted a part, your duty is to do it well and earn the appreciation of the Director.

The stage on which you play your role is an infinitesimal dot when compared with the vast unlimited Cosmic space. The time when you strut about the stage in this costume or in any other is also infinitesimal. Deepak of this College acted as Sankaracharya on the stage at the Shanmukhananda Hall, Bombay. But, his Deepak-ness was not lost thereby; even while he was Sankaracharya, he was Deepak. His Sankaracharya-hood was but a temporary phase. So too, the Atma is the Eternal Truth; the body which it dons is temporary and the role it induces is also short. Or, to illustrate this in another way—the time spent in dreams is infinitesimal, when compared with the time spent awake. The ‘waking’ stage is the representative of the stage of wisdom and illumination, of the Atma; the dream stage is the representative of the ’ignorance wisdom’ hazy stage of human life.

The question may legitimately be asked, why or how did this eternal universal Atmic principle take up residence in this temporary, particularised body box? Well. You do not keep diamonds in a diamond casket, do you? If you do, the robber would be doubly benefitted. You keep it in an iron box only. Of course, the iron box or safe will be artistic and charming, for, the container is chosen, to suit the value or sanctity of the thing contained. To drink milk or some such beverage, you select a clean attractive tumbler or cup. But, for a spittoon, inferior metals or mud is felt ample.

The body is a chalice, wherein you collect the nectar of Divine Grace. That is the prime purpose for which it has been gifted, to you. For, without a cup or chalice, casket or jug, how can the nectar be taken? Raso Vai Sah: say the Vedas; “He Is Sweet-Nectar, no less.” And when His Graces is showered, the body is thrilled. The Body has to be kept ever clean and pure, unaffected by dirt, disease, distress, or defeatism. Nara and Narayana, man and God are like iron and magnet. God by His very nature attracts man near, for in man, there is the Divine. When the magnet fails to attract the iron piece, the iron foolishly concludes that the magnet has lost its power! The real fact is: the piece of iron is too thickly covered by rust and dust. It does not realise its own defect; it rushes to blame God (the magnet) or even to deny Him!

The easiest and the most fruitful method of keeping yourself free from dust and rust is the Satsang. The company of the good and the godly will slowly and surely chasten and cleanse the persons prone to stray away from the straight path towards Self-Realisation. Care has to be taken to see that you select and stick to the proper company. A cup of water has no cash value; but, if it is poured into ten cups of water, it acquires the value that people attach to milk! If on the other hand, one cup of milk is poured into ten cups of water, it loses the value it had and is condemned as useless. So, the Satsang you join must be purer, more venerable, and sticking to higher ideals of virtue and truth than you yourselves. When a smoker joins a group of non smokers, there is every likelihood of his giving up that bad habit; but, when a non smoker falls into a den of smokers, he is certain to become a victim soon! Such is the subtle influence of the company one keeps. The company you join must be qualitatively and quantitatively greater and higher than the one in which you are now caught.

There are precious gems of wisdom within your hearts, which require excavation, in order to be of any benefit to you. Intelligence is the instrument you have to use, in order to gain them. At the very start, you will encounter a boulder barring your way—that is the Body Consciousness, the Ego. Desires are the loose rocks that have also to be dug out and kept aside. Then, you come to a bed of sand—good thoughts, good words, good deeds; when this stratum is reached, you are nearing success. If you keep on in Satsang, every day, your hearts will maintain their purity unimpaired; but, if you seek one, only off and on, it will be difficult to win grace or partake of it, for, the vessel will be tarnished and untidy. In your own households, you must have noticed that a vessel in daily use is bright and clean; but, vessels stored and used only now and then will have to be scrubbed with great vigour to become bright.

You must take all the trouble and welcome all the patience needed, to seek Satsang and remain therein. For, it is not being born a man that is the sign of the glory; it is living as a man that confers the dignity.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Idle curiosity and vain words are of no use to an aspirant. Try to know yourself. When you realise who you are, you will realise Who Sri Sathya Sai Baba is!”  said the Great Jnani Nisargadatta Maharaj to a devotee of Bhagawan revealing that Sri Sathya Sai Baba is Paripoorna Parabhrahmam…an episode from Sathyam Sivam Sundaram – Part 6.

Once there was an interesting dialogue between a well-known jnani of our times and his disciple about Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. One of the disciples of Sri Nisarga Datta Maharaj was a frequent visitor to Prasanthi Nilayam and he became an ardent devotee of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in course of time. One evening while serving his Guru, who lived at Kethwadi in Mumbai, he submitted his question, “Maharaj, who is Sri Sathya Sai Baba?”

Instead of answering the question of the curious disciple, the Guru asked him, “What does Baba say about Himself?”

The disciple, who did not expect that question from his Guru, said what he could remember at that time, “Maharaj, Baba has revealed that He is the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi!”

“When did Shirdi Baba shed His mortal coil?”

“In 1918.”

“When did Sri Sathya Sai Baba make His advent?”

“In 1926”

“Baba is what He was between 1918 and 1926!”

The disciple could not comprehend what the Jnani had meant by that; he was also not satisfied since the answer was not what he had expected. He pleaded with his Guru, “Maharaj, I cannot understand what you said about Baba…”

“Sri Sathya Sai Baba is Paripoorna Parabhrahmam!” declared the Jnani. The disciple was very happy with that answer since that was what he wanted to hear from his Guru! But the Guru was not satisfied; he wanted to teach his disciple a higher lesson. He asked the disciple, “What do you understand now about Baba?”

The disciple was baffled by the question; he kept silent. Then the Guru told the bewildered disciple, “Idle curiosity and vain words are of no use to an aspirant. Try to know yourself. When you realise who you are, you will realise Who Sri Sathya Sai Baba is!”

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Swami Shradhanand, a disciple of Swami Nithyananda of Ganeshpuri (or Vajreshwari) near Mumbai, attended one of these programmes in 1962. Soon after the Arati, he went into meditation. Later, he came to us and said, “My Guru has suggested that I should have the Darshan of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba only with Dr Gadhia”. So, we proceeded to Puttaparthi on the very next day.

A very memorable incident happened in the interview room. When Swami started waving His right hand to materialise Vibhuti, Swami Shradhanand caught hold of His hand! All devotees in the room were stunned. I was utterly shocked because it seemed to me that Swami was insulted by a person that I brought.

This was the right time Swami taught us the lesson as He used to teach often, “My Life Is My Message.” He was not offended and on the contrary, He smiled and spoke softly and with loving care, “Why did you hold My hand?” Swami Shradhanand replied, “I have not come here to see peppermints and chocolates You distribute everyday to these children; I have come with a very great expectation from You!”

Bhagawan replied, “Swami knows that you recite Gayatri Mantra everyday and your Sadhana has reached up to the point of saturation so much so that you are going to get liberation soon. So, continue with your Sadhana.” Nobody was aware of this. Swami Shradhanand was surprised and became happy and apologised for his mistake. Then Swami said, “Don’t worry, mistakes are like passing clouds. Let Swami distribute peppermint and chocolates to these children.” He waved His hand and materialised Vibhuti and distributed to all, except Swami Shradhanand!

Bhagawan then asked Swami Shradhanand, “Would you mind if Swami gives interviews to these children first?” When I was granted interview, Swami assured me by saying, “Don’t worry, Swami will give him (Swami Shradhanand) realization.”

When Baba granted him a personal interview, Swami Shradhanand started shedding tears of joy and prostrated at the Lotus Feet of Bhagawan, saying, “Oh my Master! You Are residing here in the form of Sri Sathya Sai. I am very grateful to You for granting me this Vision!” Swami Shradhanand would just not stop crying.

Having come out of the interview room, Swami Shradhanand gave a vivid description of his wonderful experience. He said, “Baba did not ask me anything nor did He give any opportunity to ask questions, but straightaway said, `Look here!’ and opened His gown (Kafni), revealed His chest and gave a vision of my Guru, Swami Nithyananda! I am really fortunate for having had such a realisation. I am also grateful to you, Gadhia, for having brought me here!”

We learnt a great lesson. Swami can give realisation of any form or Guru or any incarnation to anyone deserving, and that is the reason why He is known as `Sarva Devata Swarupa’.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Baba was involved in a criminal case. He had to give evidence in a case which related to the theft of some valuables from a rich man’s house by a gang of thieves. The police caught the thieves and questioned them about the stolen ar­ticles. The thieves said that the valuables had been given to them by a fakir.

Searching for the fakir, they came to Baba. They asked Him: “Fakir, did you give these articles to them?” “Yes,” He said. “Wherefrom did You get them?” was the next question. Baba replied: “They have come from the same place from which all things come.” “Who gave them to You”? “I gave them to Myself.”

Baba gave such intriguing an­swers, which the police could not understand. “I Am the giver of every­thing. How can anyone get anything without my sanction?” declared Baba. Feeling that it was futile to question him further, the police prepared a report. Baba received a summons from the magistrate to give evidence in the case. Chandubhai Patel did not want Baba to go to the Magistrate and so arranged for Baba being examined on commission (in Shirdi itself). During the examination on commis­sion, Baba was asked: “What is your father’s name,” He replied: “Baba.” (Baba means “Father” and the reply meant that the father’s name was “fa­ther.”)

Q. “What is your religion?”

A. “The religion of God”.

Q. “Wherefrom did you come?”

A. “I have come from the Atma.”

Q. “What is your caste?”

A. “The caste of the Divine.”

Baba answered all the questions in this manner. Earlier He had been hailed as “Sai.” In his examination, He had given his father’s name as Baba. By the combination of these two names, he was therefore called “Sai Baba.” No one knew when and where Sai Baba was born and who gave Him that Name.

Later, many persons began to have doubts about His transcendental powers. One day, the birth anniver­sary of Dattatreya was to be celebrated (in the month of Margasirsha on Pan­chami day.) Several devotees had assembled in Shirdi. Among them was a wealthy man, a great scholar called Kaijack. He is not to be confused with Hijack!” His name was Balwant Kaijck. As he was approaching the Masjid, Baba took His stick and waved it at the devotees, asking them to get away. He even beat some of them, shouting, “Saitan! Saitan!” No one could understand why Baba was be­having like this. “I Am suffering labour ­pains. Get away, all of you!” He shouted. In those days, Baba not only used to shout at people, but also wield the stick on them on occasions. He used even to throw the stick at fleeing persons. Every one used to be afraid of him. They all fled from the place.

Some time later, He called all of them to come. “Balwant Kaijack, come!” He said. When Balwant came, Baba went inside the Masjid. Balwant went in and found that Baba was not there. He found a three-headed baby on the floor. Baba had declared that He was suffering from labour pains and there was a baby there. The three­ headed child appeared to represent Dattatreya. It was a small baby with a number of hands. Balwant recognised the child as Dattatreya and called other devotees to come inside. They went in and on seeing the child closed their eyes. At that instant Baba reappeared there. From that time onwards, people started looking upon Baba as the incarnation of Dattatreya.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II