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August 30, 1997: Al (Seral) Rahm
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Sai Ram. First you heard Rick call me Al and you heard Uma call me Seral, so Dennis would probably term one or the other as crazy. I want to clear that up for you that Al is the name that this body was given at birth by its biological parents and later in my life I chose a different name when I took my spirituality more seriously and I wanted to be raised in a Christian family. I noticed that the priests and the nuns, they changed their names. And so I thought it might be a good idea to do so it would help me to make a change in my life. And I did that for some years. But recently I started using Al again. However, my close friends call me All. So, and I like that better actually. So, I say it this way, I used to be Sir All and now I'm just All and but I promise to answer to any name that you call me. So please don't feel, I'm inconveniencing you by changing my name back and forth, so it's o.k.
I think what Uma was asking me to share with you is the fact that when she says that we have raised our children in an unusual atmosphere. For those of you who don't know, we live in a community, a small community, in Northwest Arkansas on top of a mountain. I could relate very well to what Victor was saying when he said he had to drive to go buy some bolts and some screws because thats what its like where we live. If you don't have everything you need its a major trip to go to town to get it.
From a very young age I was attracted to developing and being a part of a spiritual community. I think the seed was planted by the fact that my grandfather and grandmother gave 8 acres of land to each of their children and I was raised next door to all of my uncles and aunts and cousins. It was like a big commune and all of my uncles and aunts would help each other. They would bring in the crops, whatever task that would need to be done. So maybe that seed was planted as a young child and as I developed in my spirituality with Swami it was continuing feeling to be naturally in a spiritual community.
[Ref #1] So by the grace of Swami and through time we met, Marisa and I met some other devotees, who had the same vision and we joined together and we have this community in Northwest Arkansas. It's very remote. We are about 35 minutes, 40 minutes from town of any size that counts. The school is quite a bus ride and similar to Victor's situation we are in a fundamentally Christian area, Southern Baptist. [Relevance: Family isolation.]
So initially we started out home schooling our children with our neighbors, with the other devotees that live there. In fact Alaya, many of you know and have seen Alaya, he's this tall, he's 6'6", he's this boy that was here earlier and he is now with the young adults. He was home schooled until freshman in High School. He started out first grade; second grade in Dallas went to 4th grade in public school. [Ref #2] Then we started to home school him and we home schooled he and Athena along with Ned's children, Meg and Ben, up until the age of high school. Athena also coming into 8th grade, our daughter, at that point they, you know, some of the thoughts that we would go through as well are they being too isolated, should they go to public school and so forth. At that point they wanted to have a little more social interaction so they went to public school. Alaya wanted to play basketball. Athena wanted to be involved in drama, acting. [Relevance: Family isolation; Children wanted social interaction.] And this has been the process of their education.
But the main thing is that when we were home schooling them we imparted the Bal Vikas of the Sai education and human values to the children. We made meditation and prayer a part of the school. We focused on family and community values with the children. We did the things that we felt would be difficult for them to get at the school. It might not be the same for everyone but in the area that we lived the schools are quite limited.
Once they started going to the public schools a whole new set of challenges came up, because now they were confronted with their feelings that they had been raised with over these years, towards Sai Baba and their family and their community. Now they were confronted on a daily basis by the children from the Baptist families where we live and they had to learn to deal with, with our help, how they can have Swami in their heart and not wear him on their shoulder like a badge. And to live his principles in their daily life with other children, and they did quite well with that.
[Ref #3] Recently we were in India, and we just returned as a matter of fact. And I have to tell you, Rick mentioned that we were graced with many interviews with Swami and I have to tell you that the majority of those interviews with Swami were about family. He just went on and on about education, family, what He expects of his devotees, the children, the relationship that He wants between the children and the parents. He said to us at one point, because, you know you are always thinking, well am I, Marisa and I would have this conversation, she would be in a conversation with Alaya, maybe he wanted to go to town and he wanted to see a movie and she wasn't in favor of it, and I might say to her don't be too restrictive. [Relevance: Al Rahm was not inclined to be too strict with Alaya. After going to see SSB, he became stricter with Alaya.]
[Ref #4] Freedom is parents mistake, He says don't give too much freedom, He says, parents mistake. He says the end of wisdom is freedom. And to summarize for the time being, we can share more with you later tomorrow evening, but to summarize the various interviews and conversations we had with Swami, the one thing that has become clear to us, in the past and I've had this conversation with many different parents and friends, that when Swami gives directives that seem strict and He is speaking to the students in India or the parents of the student in India I've heard numerous times and we have even ourselves said "oh, He means that for Indians, that's a different culture. He doesn't expect that of us here in the United States because it wouldn't work here." He does. There is absolutely no question in our mind that He expects; it's a straight and narrow path. In the Bible it says the way is wide but the gate is narrow. And Swami made it so clear that He expects, He said to Marisa and I, He said, "be strict, very strict" and he was very clear with our children. [Relevance: Al Rahm explains why he and Marisa became more strict with the children.]
[Ref #5] As a matter of fact He turned the whole thing around. He talked about each of their education, we have three children. Shanti is 9, she was going to public school for the last year. Athena is 16 now she is a junior in High School and Alaya just graduated High School, he is going into College. This is his first year. Marisa, my wife, asked Swami about our daughter Athena's education, "Swami do you want her to go to a public school or home school?" and Swami said "no public school is not good, home school." And she said well Swami we will need money for a teacher and Swami said "I will send money for tuition." And we didn't know exactly what tuition meant at the time because she was talking about a teacher for home schooling. But in fact it turned out after some other interviews with Swami that He now has us sending our daughter to a school in California that is a community, its actually a Yogananda community, known as Ananda. We asked Swami about it and he said "yes, name is different" He said" but spirituality is there, there are some problems but school is good." [Relevance: SSB makes mention of providing money for Athena's education.]
And she happens to be one of eight girls in this school there and its interesting because the quote : "education is not for living, education is for life." It just dawned on me when I heard that here a few minutes ago that when I made out the check for the tuition, the first check, I had to call the principal of the school and ask him who do I make the check out to, he said make it out to: Education For Life. That's the name of their school. And He told us to home school Shanti again for two more years and then He said after that maybe she can go to public school again.
[Ref #6] But He was very specific about the strictness and the straightness of the path that they should follow and hopefully Alaya will share some of it with you later. But I will just briefly tell you now that He wants them focused on their education and their family and not to think about girls and not to think about boys. He wants them to be exemplary students, exemplary individuals and after education they can marry. But before that time put your thoughts out of your mind, focus on Swami, get good grades and in sharing this with some of the devotees already they said, " oh, my God how do you get your children to accept this." Well, that's the challenge. That is definitely the challenge. We had the good fortune of having Swami right there in person say it to our children. [Relevance: If it was a challenge for the Rahm's to discipline their children so rigidly, how much more of a challenge it must have been for Alaya to accept this discipline when he just became an adult and was attending a public college.]
It was part of our prayer going there that He would help to make this shift because you know, you are never exactly sure, how does He want us to behave. Now we are sure. Its very straight, its very simple. He wants us to think about Him all the time. All the time. And He wants our children to think about Him all the time. [Ref #7] And He wants us to be very straightforward about living and practicing. He said to our son, He said to us, "If you follow my rules, if you follow my orders and my teachings, your life will be blessed with happiness and prosperity and goodness. You will have a good name, everything will be good. If you don't, your life will be full of pain and suffering." [Relevance: This comment pertains directly to SSB's teachings and instructions. Later, was changed to a threat, by Alaya.]
So, I feel more inspired than ever to continue with the community and as a matter of fact being there in India the inspiration came over me to actually, the feeling that at some point we would start a school there. We have a school, we built a small schoolhouse, its capacity is for a few children. And we continue to be involved in that. But I think that its very possible that in the future a larger school would be developed that is based on the principles and teachings of Sai and the education in human values. And that it could be set up to where other people would be able to send their children there, other devotees could send their children. There could be some facilities for room and board. These are just thoughts and ideas at this time.
But I think, in my heart I feel, that its not the same for everybody. Some children perhaps it's the way they need to go through a certain school system. Or maybe they have a different work. But I think that there is more and more need and value for this kind of a situation. And those are the challenges that we have been faced with and that we have been dealing with. And now I know that Swami is behind everything and He is blessing everything and all we have to do, it's the challenge is really, you know he says to us.
I'll tell you one other small story, finish this. While we were in India, Swami would come out. Alaya and I would be sitting next to each other and if Alaya happened not be there, if he was late for Darshan or something, Swami would come out, He would look at me and He would say "Where is your son?" And I'd say,'" Swami he is your son " and He would say "Where is that boy?" And on this particular day Alaya was sitting in the back because he didn't get up when I told him to come on it was time to go and he got there late he didn't get inside the line so he had to sit in the back. But he had walked over with me because I had gone back to the room to get something and then return to my seat. And so he walked over with me, so I said "Swami he is in the back" and Swami said "he didn't come with you?" So I tried to cover for him and said, "well Swami he walked over with me but he ended up in the back". And Swami looked over at me and said "lazy". But He would always say, "Where is your son or where is that boy.?" Any other time he would come out and He would talk to me, He said , "Where is that boy, where is your son?" I would say, "Swami he's your son."
One day Alaya was seated to my right, it was before evening bhajan. Swami came out, he was walking down along the group of students and He had his back to me as He was speaking to the students. And I could see Him in the distance and Alaya right next to me and suddenly I had this intense feeling of love for Alaya, for my son. It was a very strong beautiful feeling and at one moment I even felt like reaching over and putting my arm around him or something. But before I did I just looked at that feeling and I asked inside "What is this? What kind of love is this, What is this feeling that I have?" And just why do I want to reach and grab him and what kind of vibration or feeling of purity is this that is happening. And at that moment I could see the back of Swami's head clearly inside of myself. I heard Swami's voice say "Will you give me your son?" And inside of myself I responded by saying "how can I give you what is already yours, what has always been yours." And Swami's voice responded and said "will you give me your attachments?" And inside I responded by saying "take them." At that moment Swami turned and He walked up past the students and He walked over to where we were sitting. Now the day before we had had the good grace and the good fortune of being able to sing for Swami personally in the Mandir and Alaya had played this little percussive instrument that you just hold in your hand and go chi chi back and forth. Swami walks right up to us and He looks at me and says "that was very nice yesterday." He says, "new tunes, new tunes, very nice." And I'm still feeling this inner communication that I've had with Him. We smile and we laughed. And He looked down at Alaya and looked back at me and He said "my boy, also very good " and He went chi chi chi. But it was a total confirmation. This is the first time that He had ever said " my boy." And from that moment on the rest of trip He always referrd to him whenever He would speak to me, He would always say "my boy." First, He asked us to be involved in action. Then He asked us not to have any attachment to the fruit of the action. To offer every act, thought, word and deed to Him. To think of Him always and I think that with that kind of, once we surrender our attachments to thinking that these are our children and we understand and we recognize that these are Sai's children, they always have been and they always will be, and we have that kind of faith that Victor is talking about. That faith in knowing that He will take care of everything. Even physically when we were there He was arranging their education, where He wanted them to go, how many years He wanted them to study and do this, talk to Alaya about what he should specialize in. These are just symbols. These are opportunities to be with Him physically but these are just symbols of how He is doing it all the time anyway, through every form and every person. And with that kind of faith everything flows much more easily. Sai Ram. [Relevance: A testament to Al Rahm's faith and devotion.]
August 31, 1997: Al (Seral) Rahm, Marisa Rahm and Alaya Rahm
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Let's start off with 3 om's together.
MARISA RAHM: Dearest Bhagavan Baba, we thank you for so much joy that you have shed through all of us at this retreat. We know that you are in us, with us and around us. We are so grateful for this and now we offer this evening to you. Let our voices be voices of love and peace and blessings. May our hearts be open to one another in your name. Sai Ram. [Relevance: A testament to Marissa's Rahm's faith and devotion.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: On this last trip (did he knock his water over? God I've been covering for this guy I'm telling you. We won't tell you about that.) On our last trip we were fortunate by Swami's grace to have the opportunity to, (she wants to play.) By Swami's grace we were blessed with the opportunity to sing for Him which is something that we wanted to do, and to be able to sit right at His feet. He let us lead bhajans in the mandir and to be able to sit right at His feet and just stare into His eyes and sing the songs that we have been signing for so long directly to Him was such a joy. So we want to sing just a few songs tonight along with sharing some stories and these are some of the songs that we sang for Him in the mandir:
(Song)
Sai you are in my heart as I am in your heart
Forever we're one heart called soham, called love
Sai you are in my heart as I am in your heart
Called soham, called love
Sai hrudaya vihari you're dharma and shanti
You're sathya, you're prema, omnipresent one
Soham
You are the ocean Lord, I am your wave
You are the mountain Sai, I am your cave
You are the blue sky, I am your star
Sai divine mother, one we always are.
[Relevance: The Rahm's
eulogize SSB as being divine, ominipresent and love.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Wow, we were with Swami for six weeks on this trip in Puttaparthi and so many beautiful and incredible experiences took place that to even try to begin to find a place to start to share with some of you some of that is difficult. [Relevance: Time frame. Spent 6 weeks with SSB.] But in juicing the thing down we especially considering how much about family has been discussed and taken place here at this conference we thought that we would share some more stories and experiences that for sure relate to family and children and parents and school and also some other beautiful experiences that have meant a lot to us and have helped us to realize the depth of who Sai Baba is and the reality of who He is and what He is in our life. You know its interesting that while all of the physical things were taking place, whatever it might have been, in an interview or if He is materializing objects or if He's talking to you or discussing various paperwork that we brought to show Him and get His approval on. [Ref #8] Over time with Him you begin to realize that all of that is just an excuse for this incredible divine sweetness and love to gradually saturate and penetrate so many layers of your being until you are intoxicated. And we just became intoxicated with His love and His sweetness and I think Marisa, don't you have a story you want to share? [Relevance: A testament to SSB's divine and intoxicating sweetness and love.]
MARISA RAHM: Well you know before this summer took place we had been last fall planning a trip for the whole family to go see Swami in India. [Ref #9] We knew Alaya was graduating from High School and we thought you know I could start to see his ideas clicking in his head, well I could go do this and I could go do that. And they were sort of sprouting you know and I was feeling a little bit of anxiety separation setting in, like well you know he could just go off to College very soon and what does it mean to family. How do we all change and grow with Alaya and his new liberties and we were getting to points where I would say well, Alaya be home at such and such a time. And you sort of just see him just puffing up and saying well, maybe. [Relevance: Alaya expressing an asserting his independence.]
So you know we had a little bit of taste of this coming and Al was saying you know it would be beautiful, this is the perfect time in summer to go and have this experience and lets go off and do a whole trip. We have all been to see Swami, and we thought it would be wonderful to go and see India so we planned a trip. We went and got maps, we planned a trip to the Himalayas and the place we took our family was to Gamuk which is where the flow of the Ganges river, the source of the Ganges, so you know this trip was planning and we came to the point where we needed to make reservations.
And Alaya at this point was considering basketball camps all summer so you know we were, we didn't want to push him and say oh you really should do this, this is a family trip, we're all going to go do this, hike through the Himalayas and you know, come.
Al and I had talks alone about this saying well lets not push him lets let him make this decision where he wants to be this summer. So at one point:
AL (SERAL) RAHM: I told him he was going.
MARISA RAHM: No, no you backed off and we gave him that space to decide.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: No, I didn't. With her I did but with him I said you are going. [Relevance: Alaya was not given a choice. He was told what to do. His basketball camp was cancelled.]
MARISA RAHM: Well that's not quite how I remember it. But I remember at one point Alaya coming up to me and saying well what do you think I should do. You think I should go to my basketball camps or on this trip and I remember having to take a lot of deep breaths that morning and saying "well you know Alaya life is like that. You know you have a lot of choices coming up and you have to find what you want to do so I just want you to know we want you to come along, we really want to be part of a family together but if you decide to stay and go to basketball camps we are with you. Whatever your choices." And it didn't take long. That night as a matter of fact, he came home, and as I remember it and he said aw, I decided to go. So we were all so happy.
It started out so beautiful, we were going as a family. And then we did this gorgeous hike, I'll breeze over it because I know we all want to talk Sai. But I must tell you I really didn't want to go on the whole journey all the way around. I didn't want to have to push myself on this hike and hike. I was rather lazy about the whole thing. So little challenges, but I am so grateful that I followed through with this family and saw some of the most beautiful visions that, as I said to somebody today, ten story books, the most beautiful painters could not have given this being the gift of seeing nature like this. Way back where the Mount Shiva Ling is there is incredible.
So leading on to the story we took this hike home and it was quite a hike and we all did it. We had two donkeys and on the way back Shanti picked up some sort of a dysentery bug. You know where she started the typical throwing up and diarrhea and we were only half way back to the nearest town which was Gangotri so we had quite a long hike yet. And she got sicker and sicker and sicker and rode the donkey most of the way.
We eventually got to Rishikesh where the Sai Baba Ashram is so we had a chance to go there. Where they are preparing for Swami to come in a couple of years. And there we met a Doctor and he took a look at Shanti and he immediately said "Oh this child is full of worms, we need to get her on some medications." So we got her on very strong medication to knock this out and she wasn't really getting better. As a matter of fact when we left his home we were heading for Delhi. In that period of only a few hours of being on this medication all these spots developed all over her body so now she's like limp and no energy and all of this and she's got spots everywhere.
So by the time we got to Delhi we needed to see another Doctor. This Doctor took her off everything and said "who is this Doctor" and he was a Sai Baba Doctor, which is so sweet, "who is this Doctor that would put a child on medication like this, she needs to do all the proper tests, you know the blood tests etc." So we had all that done and he said "we need to put this child back on that medicine." So it was it was very sweet. She stayed on this medicine.
The plan was to go and see Swami now from our walk. So part of our group, there were 9 of us, went on and our family stayed in Delhi with some beautiful friends who took care of Shanti and our family while she was recovering until she was well enough for us to go and see Swami. It took about 7 days
AL (SERAL) RAHM: She got really sick in Delhi. I mean she got so sick. She didn't eat for over a week. She had a fever of over 100 degrees for a solid week. She got so thin that she just looked like skin draped over her bones. She couldn't get out of bed. She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep. This is on this medication even. And the Doctor wanted to put her in the hospital to feed her intravenously. And we prayed to Swami and we asked Him to please help and we just waited for signs for her to get better and after staying back a week finally there was a glimpse of her getting well enough to travel so we left for Puttaparthi.
MARISA RAHM: Yes, she was bouncing around a little bit and had a meal and we were so anxious, we knew that if we just got to see Swami things would probably improve a great deal so we got to the Ashram. As matter of fact they improved a lot and in that first day she was running around the Ashram making friends. And I thought,"oh, great, the medicine finally worked and she's on the road to recovery." And I believe it was about two mornings later Swami called us in for an interview. Now she completed this medication, she was finished with this medication. We all thought she had great signs of improvement. So when Swami called us in it never dawned on me to say "Swami is Shanti o.k., will you bless her." I just assumed she was better so it never came to my mind and some beautiful experiences happened in that interview but to stay to this story, I'll just breeze over that.
After that interview, by the next night, she had all the reoccurring symptoms hit so fast. She was vomiting again. She was down in bed and she just like went into such a fast downward thing again that through the night I was up with her and by the next morning I said well I guess I'll miss darshan this morning. And I looked at Al and Alaya as they were leaving and said, "please if you have an opportunity ask Swami for a blessing for Shanti." And they said,"yea o.k., we'll do that" and so they left and I was there and Shanti was sleeping and I sat down next to her.
Oh, I want to go back to the interview just for a moment. The one thing that stood out for me is Swami looked at me and said, "you are always worrying." How many people has He said that to "You're always worrying. You worry about your children, don't." It was so clear "Don't worry about your children, I'll take care." And I was oh sure Swami I won't worry. Well now it was two days later and there was Shanti laying there again and I can't tell you how overwhelmed I was with worry. I thought my gosh she has taken the strongest medicine for parasites there is. She can't even look at another pill without just falling over, so I sat there and I said o.k. Swami, you told me not to worry. So what do I do. I'm asking you now for a sign, a complete sign that you are with me in this little room on your Ashram that lets me know that you are taking care of this child. So I don't have to worry, you prove it to me. And in my mind I thought well I'll put Him to the test, tell Him you want vibhuti for her so I did I said "Swami there is no reason in the world why you don't walk up to Alaya and Al and give Shanti some vibhuti. To cure her to heal her. If you're really God and you really hear me and you don't want me to worry you'll do this, even though in the back of my mind I'm thinking: I've come here the past three times, Swami's never looked at me in darshan. I see the crowds. I see this is a rare thing I'm asking for but I really sort of put Him on the line. I said "I'm not in America Swami, you can do this."
And I fell asleep and the next thing I know, Alaya and Al came into the room and Alaya came walking towards me like this and I said "is that vibhuti" and they went "yes." Swami stopped and asked how they were and Alaya said my sister is sick and He said "oh." Please bless her and Swami said,"yes, I bless" and then walked away and then stopped again and then said "come over here for some vibhuti" so she got some vibhuti. But I tell you as a mother that was, my heart the key I could feel it click in my heart, that he stopped and did this for me, for my faith, to let me know. And so we gave this vibhuti like it was the most treasured gift to her. And still she lay there that day and He said that she would be better by night. So she lay there most of the day and slept, but I felt great. I was just so overjoyed with this. By evening darshan I stayed back in the room with Shanti, and Swami did come up to Alaya and Al again and said, "how is your sister" and Alaya said "I don't know Swami I haven't been there today" and Al said "she's not good Swami she is sleeping." And He said "no not sleeping, weakness" and He gave some more vibhuti. He said take half tonight, half in the morning. She will be better." [Relevance: Alaya was not spending much time with his family.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: No, He said "in water". In water, and they came back and I didn't even know what to make of it, but they came with this vibhuti again.
MARISA RAHM: We couldn't get her to take that vibhuti for two hours because it smelled so much like penicillin, so much like medicine.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: It wasn't like normal vibhuti, it was kind of yellowish color.
MARISA RAHM: She said, this is just medicine I can't take it.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: No it smelled like penicillin, it was really a strong smell.
MARISA RAHM: So, finally after a lot of encouragement and Al having to say if you don't take this I'm sending everybody out of the room and it will be you and I and she was just like, gulp.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: An effective threat.
MARISA RAHM: It had to come down to that you know we were all going "but God made this for you." She wasn't phased in the least.
So within an hour she was out of bed at the canteen, eating food, running around the Ashram. It was incredible, it was so much of a healing. So I thought, oh well this is it. She had her vibhuti, we can move on with this trip. Swami said she would get better and she was and every day for a couple of days Swami took the time to come ask them "how is she doing?"
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Every day for a week, every darshan for a week. [Relevance: SSB's constant concern for Shanti.]
MARISA RAHM: "How is she doing?" And they could say she is doing much better Swami, much better and then we were called in for another interview and Swami asked her "how are you doing?" And she said "much better Swami," and Swami said "very good" and the interview went on and not much else was said about that and on the way out I thought Oh, we were actually walking out and when the interview is over its over you know with Swami. He's at the door and if you have a last word He may give you one more word and I said "Swami is Shanti going to be o.k?" And he went "for now," and then I was out the door. And what does that mean, "for now." So days went on and she was fine and she was fine and we really didn't think more about it. Then she started coming to me and saying "my stomach is hurting, my stomach is hurting". And I thought oh, my gosh "for now" and so...
AL (SERAL) RAHM: No, but wait the days weren't just going on, Swami came out every single darshan and He asked, He would always ask Alaya "how is your sister." [Relevance: SSB's constant concern for Shanti.]
MARISA RAHM: [Ref #10] Always Alaya too, this was interesting, as if He wanted him to care about her. [Relevance: Implies that Alaya did not care much about his sister before this time.] It's very beautiful.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: And we would tell Him "well, Swami she has some stomach pain, or whatever. And He would always comment a little bit about it that was food change or digestion or this or that or the other. But He never missed a darshan asking about her. If we were ten rows back, He would stop and He would have either Alaya come up or myself or He would talk over people. He would ask about her. Every single darshan, without a miss. [Relevance: SSB's constant concern for Shanti.]
MARISA RAHM: Then He stopped for a while because I remember her stomach ache got to a point where I kept saying to her "Shanti, you know Swami has given His vibhuti to us we have to have faith. You're going to get better don't worry." She would walk away like this then she would come back and I hear that she was going to tell other mothers that her stomach hurt but her mom wouldn't do anything. And one day she said "I really think you need to take me to the medical camp." And I said, "No, no, honey you have to have faith, we have to have faith."
She walked to the medical camp by herself, I know, and she said she only got her blood pressure checked. But when she came back and told me that I was starting to freak out a little bit so I said "o.k. Shanti this is what we'll do", it was two days before Guru Pournima and there were so many crowds but I said, "let's write Swami a letter and tell Him what we're doing." In my letter I said "Swami I don't mean to be asking for more vibhuti but I just don't know the proper protocol, I mean, is it now am I to have faith that she will get better with the vibhuti or do I do the practical thing now and take her to the Doctor. I mean, I just really want to know what my role is. And Shanti was writing her letter: Dear Baba if you're God you'll take away my stomach ache. So we sealed up the letters and put them on the altar and in the morning since Swami was coming so often to these guys we handed them the letters. And Swami came over to him and we're only watching on a television screen the next morning at darshan because the women in our group couldn't get into the compound, there were so many people.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: It was Guru Pournima. [Relevance: Time frame. Guru Purnima fell on July 20th 1997.]
MARISA RAHM: The day before right, and so there I was watching and I thought I could see Swami coming up to Al and Alaya and it looked like He was talking to them and then it looked like He did this motion and I was so overjoyed, I said "Shanti as soon as darshan is over we are going to run back to the room because I think Swami made you vibhuti." So we did that.
Darshan was over, we went right back to the room. We were just waiting there so anxious and there was a knock at the door and I went over to the door and there was this sweet beautiful lady standing there in a white sari and she said "excuse me is somebody sick in here?" And I said, "yeah there is" and I didn't quite know what to say, but then she said, "well I'm Swami's Doctor and Swami has sent me over to examine the patient." I know it was amazing so I opened the door and I let her in and she's talking to Shanti. Then Alaya comes in and Swami had made vibhuti so I have a Doctor and the vibhuti. Right here it was wonderful and Shanti was getting to talk to the Doctor and asked the Doctor a lot of questions and the Doctor was so sweet she said well first let's work with your diet. You need to eat lots of sugar and you need to have a lot of bread which were the two things I had been telling her she could not have because I thought these were worms. So Shanti was just delighted and she really got into this.
And then there was another knock at the door and it was Mr. Chirinjivi Rao who is the head of the ashram, secretary, he runs everything. He sits up there Swami makes an order, he runs off the veranda and he's there and he says "excuse me is there a Doctor in here?" And I say "yes" "Well Swami is waiting for what the Doctor has to say, we need a message." And I go back in there and she says, "well its my opinion that Shanti should go to the Super Specialty hospital and have a full scan done of her body." So this message was directly taken and Shanti is sitting there like this, just smiling away and the message was taken there. Now there was just some talk to the Doctor. While this is happening Mr. Chirinjivi Rao went to speak to Swami. Swami then goes back out, its before bhajans only and he goes to find Al, and you can tell them what He said. [Relevance: SSB put the Rahm family in contact with his doctor and the head of the ashram. All contact with Alaya originated from public darshans, in front of thousands of people, trust members, security officers, VIPs and innumerable other high ranking witnesses.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Well no, after she saw Him make the vibhuti and she took off, see Swami came out when He walked by, He made the vibhuti and then He left and she must of seen that on the screen and took off for the room. As Swami got about ten feet away and He turned around and He came back and He said "you see I'm sending this one lady doctor to your room, what is your room number?" And I said, Swami, "R1-A7." "R1-A7, I'm sending a lady doctor there." So that's why this doctor showed up there. Swami went right up to Mr. Chirinjivi Rao and said go over there with this Doctor and that's why they showed up. And we would stay and wait before bhajans because often Swami will walk back out after darshan and after the interview He'll come back out occasionally if you're lucky and walk around. And he came back out that morning and He walked over to me and He said "at 9 o'clock I want you and mother and child I want you to go to the Super Specialty hospital, not that other hospital, Super Specialty hospital." Swami is very proud I mean His Super Specialty hospital. And so I said "o.k. Swami." He said "I'm sending a car with my driver at 9 o'clock you go. I want full picture, full picture of the body." I said, "x-ray." He said "yes, yes, x-ray. So I went back to the room. At 9'o'clock a car shows up with a driver that I recognized. He used to drive Swami's car and still drives the shuttle busses and things. He took us to the Hospital and they did a full scan, a picture of Shanti's body and then we took the results back to the woman doctor who had been to the room right? You can finish.
MARISA RAHM: And so we went in and I was feeling a little nervous because I knew she had a stomach ache but these tests didn't show anything. So right away I said well the tests were fine but I still think she had some problems, I wanted a cure. You and she said "no, you are not to worry, Swami has given these two packs of vibhuti and said she should start taking a pinch of it three times a day. She will be fine Swami said He will take care of her." So I was overjoyed. I had some more vibhuti to go home with and we started her on it and her stomach aches started to disappear.
But it was very sweet that night before evening darshan another doctor came to the room and he said, "I've heard there was a patient here and I want to talk with her." He was so sweet, he was the doctor who actually taught this other doctor so he was very old and beautiful. He said "Shanti I'm going to go see Swami and I wondered if there was anything you wanted me to ask Him for you?" And Shanti said "Yes, would you ask Him for another interview." And he laughed and said, "is there anything else?" And she said,"yes, would you please ask Swami what I can eat because my mom says I can't have this but the doctor says I can and I want to eat this." So he said "o.k., I'll do that." So he did ask Swami that and he did come back out and talk to Al that evening darshan and I'll let you quickly tell them what He said. [Relevance: SSB's constant concern for Shanti.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: After I guess the results of the x-rays and everything had come in Swami came out that evening as a matter of fact this is James sent me a really sweet present he had this all on video tape, this dialogue with Swami, its really sweet and when I got back from India it was waiting in the mailbox, he had edited it out and he had sent it to me. Thanks for that James. But Swami stopped and He said "pictures show she, stop all medicine. No more medicine." He said, "you see, the mistake, there was… "And He did the same to me in '74 when He told me there was "mystic" in my body and I said "a mystic?" Well, and then I realized He was saying mistake. He did the same thing He told me the problem was from a "mystic" in Delhi. And I thought oh my gosh and then He goes "no, mistake, mistake' He says "mistake in Delhi, too strong of medication" He says, "from a doctor, not from here from before." He says "stop all medicines."
He says "only use my vibhuti, I will take care, no medicine, no butter, no sweets we'll use food to heal." Also, He said "She's a girl" and He said "girls have too much psychological imagination." And so I said "O.k. Swami make sure I have it right, no butter, no sweets and only Your vibhuti." And He said "yes."
He told me "take padnamascar". I took padnamascar and then when I sat back down and He started talking to me again. Now He had been telling Marisa not to worry, so I knelt back up and He said,"also mother is very worried." So I said, "no, Swami just a little bit." He said "no, even from before, for years. This is not only from now. He said, "This is from years, this illness 5 years back." And I said, "yes Swami its true" because it is true. You see Marisa and I we have been concerned about Shanti's digestion for years. It wasn't just right and it just never seemed to be right and there was always some concern and we could never get a clear answer from any doctors or from anything we'd done. And Swami pinpointed that, He said "no, from 5 years back." He says, " I'm taking care of this. Mothers been very worried." And I said, "yes Swami" and He says "she's also a girl."
MARISA RAHM: So Al came back to the room and he sat down and we would just wait so anxiously for these two to return because they always came back with these incredible stories. So we were waiting there and Shanti was there and he looked at Shanti and he said "Well Shanti Swami stopped and talked to me and He did talk about what you could eat and what you couldn't eat. And she was waiting there and he said "Shanti you can't have any butter and you can't have any sweets" and she went, and she started crying and said "I can't, I can't, I can't do that." And about five minutes of this went by and there was a knock at the door and it was Swami's doctor and she said, "Swami has sent me over to say she may have some sweets." It was unbelievable. It was unbelievable. And she just lit up her and her Swami.
So we gave her this vibhuti for a few days and then Alaya had the grace of having some time alone with Swami and he came from his interview and said Swami asked about Shanti and said that He would heal her. He would take care of her and that he would call us in again as a family and that He would take it away permanently.
And so when that interview came that was one of the first things on His agenda. We didn't say anything but He said "And how are you?" and she said "much, much, much, much better." And He goes "much, much, much, much better, not much better. Better." And so He did this with His hand and He called her up and He materialized a beautiful little silver casket, or a little you know box and it was so beautiful. Wasn't that the interview that Genevieve was in? I think this was the interview your wife was in Victor.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Yes, this was the interview that Victor's wife, Genevieve was there with 4 of the boys from the school, some of which you saw in the video, Thomas.
MARISA RAHM: Because she saw some of the things and she filled me in. She said that Swami actually rubbed His hand over this little chest and chanted something, mumbled some mantra, and then tapped it a couple of times and He goes "smoke is coming." Smoke is coming, He gets so excited. Yeah the vibhuti in this little casket overflowed...
AL (SERAL) RAHM: no, wait, wait, wait it doesn't look like a casket.
MARISA RAHM: That's what they call them.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: But it's round.
MARISA RAHM: What do they call them? A case a little case.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: No, its like a little vibhuti container.
MARISA RAHM: The old traditional word is casket, it's a case a little box.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Round one with a lid you know...
MARISA RAHM: Its not a coffin that's right.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Well I'm just picturing their vision of this thing. You know it wasn't lined with felt and there was no body in it.
MARISA RAHM: I'm sorry, I think that's the traditional word though. Anyway it was really neat because when He opened it, the vibhuti was standing straight up above it about by a quarter of an inch just up. It didn't fall and its very lightweight. So He took some and He rubbed it on her hands and He was so motherly so sweet and He said "no more diseases."
AL (SERAL) RAHM: He said no more doctors, no more diseases. And He told her to give it to her mother and that she should have a pinch in water every morning after breakfast.
MARISA RAHM: Which we do and if she misses she still gets a little stomach ache or she has a lot of psychological imagination. I'm not sure. Anyway that's the end of the Shanti story. It was so amazing to have been see a Divine Mother take care of His child like that. I never dreamed in a million years to see such intricate care. [Relevance: Primary interview discussion was about family; SSB's constant concern for Shanti.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: We found out at one point that this doctor this woman doctor that she had a surgery, she told us later, she had a surgery planned one day. And Swami sent her a message that He wanted a report on Shanti and she was preparing for surgery and she said yes I have a surgery and the message was no you're to give, Swami wants a report right now. So she had to delay her surgery by half an hour to prepare a report for Swami to be sent back.
MARISA RAHM: You just never think that during Guru Pournima. Anyway that's the Shanti story. Thank you for letting me share that. It's lovely. Its great.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: But really its so beautiful because when Swami would come out and He would ask about Shanti. He would, I mean unless Alaya wasn't there and on these specific occasion when He would talk to me about the car. If Alaya was there sitting next to me Swami might not say anything. He might just look at us and smile. But if Alaya wasn't there, He would come up to me and say "where is your son?" [Ref #11] Immediately and we finally got the message that He wanted us sitting together. He wanted us being together. But He would always come to Alaya. When He would make vibhuti He would put it in Alaya's hand. When He would come out and ask He would say "how is your sister?" And the one day when He asked Alaya "How is your sister?" and Alaya hadn't seen her she had been in bed it was after He made the vibhuti and Alaya said "I don't know Swami" and then Swami looked at me and I said "Swami she has been sleeping all day" and that's when He said "not sleep, weakness." But He would always ask him and through all of it, you know Alaya turned to me and said, "you know I think I better stay in touch with how Shanti's feeling because Swami. And it was so beautiful to see from my perception of how Swami was teaching him how He wanted him to care for his sister. How he wanted him to be in touch with that and care for her. He was showing all of us how He cared for her and how He wanted him and all the rest of us to care for her. [Relevance: It is implied that Alaya did not care for his sister or liked to spend much time with his family and SSB was subtly directing Alaya to be more family focused.]
ALAYA RAHM: [Ref #12] Not just my sister so much. If I would get a personal interview with Swami, He would always ask me "how is your sister, and your mother is o.k. and give this to your mother." He would always talk about my parents and my family and I sometimes I wasn't really up to date on it because I was hanging out with friends from different parts. You know the youth conference was going on. I had friends all over the United States that were there. And I kind of, He would ask me something and I wouldn't know I would like "Ah, I don't really know." So I ended up understanding that He wanted me to spend more time with my family, and just always touch base. And He later made, put a lot of emphasis on that was all He wanted me to hang out with was my family and you know not just in India at home too. He's just wanting me to stay home, do service with my family and be home, help out my sisters which sometimes isn't always fun, but I really learned that my parents and my sisters are the biggest part of my life. And they are the most important part of my life other than God. And Baba told me mother is God, father is God, treat them like God. So it's the same, so I really have lately been staying home a lot more, not going hanging out as much as I used to, because I've really become to understand that it's the most important thing in my life is my family. [Relevance: Alaya tells us what SSB talked to him about in his private interviews: Family! SSB encouraged Alaya to be more family focused. Alaya also admitted he was "hanging out" often, until SSB helped him realize the importance of his family.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: share something from when He...
ALAYA RAHM: O.k. we all, I think, are questioning sometimes Baba's omniscience. I know I was. You know, I would think I'm sure He knows some of the big stuff that happens but the little stuff you know, how can He possibly know everything. He said we can't fathom what He experiences. But I was just like, well, I've only taken other peoples' word for it. I've never experienced it. [Ref #13] So in every interview that I would have or that I would be included in He would always look at me and say "don't talk so much," you know, especially to girls "don't talk to girls." You know, and I'm a very outgoing, flirtatious person. I would be talking to a lot of girls and guys and He would always scold me every time we got an interview He would go "hey, stop talking" and I'd say "o.k." and He'd say "no, no stop talking to girls, especially girls." And so I would, but it is kind of hard, there were a lot of beautiful girls there. [Relevance: SSB disciplined Alaya. Alaya describes himself as "outgoing" and "flirtatious" and was obviously very social. Alaya felt that SSB was "scolding" him.]
[Ref #14] Walking through the canteen. They made a mistake in the canteen when they separated men and women in the Western canteen where the wall is about 5'11" you know five feet 11inches and I can see over it. And I would always tell my friends they should make this wall higher. How do they expect me to be, how I'm supposed to be, I walk through the line with my head turned and they're like well we walk through the line with our heads turned. So there were two or three girls that were kind of looking at me and smiling saying hi and I was really trying my best to say "hi" and just walk on. Every once in a while they'd say "where are you from" and I'd tell them. We just talk two seconds and I'd say well, I have to go and I'd leave. And next day in an interview Baba would look at me and "hey, talking to girls. Stop talking." And you know I was like, you know, gee, I felt I've been the best I've ever been and He's still scolding. I can't believe He wants me to be impeccable and I can't. Well, one night it was probably about 9 o'clock 9:15 and lights out at 9'oclock usually and a couple people still walking around. But there weren't many people around and there was this one girl from Spain who had been looking at me a lot and we'd been making eye contact. And she'd just say hi and I'd just like hi. [Relevance: SSB disciplined Alaya. Alaya expresses consternation at SSB's discipline. Another example of Alaya's "flirtatious" behavior.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: You know how that goes.
ALAYA RAHM: [Ref #15] He says first a look, then a smile, then you write a note, then you talk, then it leads from there to you know marriage and everything else. But I see her standing, like nobody is around, and she's just standing under this tree. And like she's waiting for someone. And I walk up to her and she's from Spain and I know just barely a little bit of Spanish and so I went up and said "Hola,como esta?" I talked to her for a little bit 10, 15, 20 minutes. [Relevance: Alaya goes against SSB's instructions and talks to a girl a little after 9pm when the lights are supposed to go out!]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: 10, 15, 20, 25
ALAYA RAHM: It might have been 25.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: 30 maybe.
ALAYA RAHM: [Ref #16] So, um, It wasn't like just innocent like talking to my sister you know. But I thought nobody is looking at me. I was really concerned about that, being that I did get up in front of a lot of people and talk to Swami. It seemed like I was kind of in the heat. People were looking to me to do the right thing all the time. I wasn't always the right person to give an example but so I was always trying to make sure that I wasn't being seen doing anything wrong. So I was looking around, are there any people watching me talk to this girl. Anyway I found out you can't sneak around Baba. So then my conscience kind of set in "oh gosh what am I doing, I'm talking to this girl and Baba is going to nail me. So we, I, we went and we sang bhajans and I thought we'll reduce this karma you know and we went and sang bhajans for a little bit. And all through bhajans we were looking at each other and I was like, oh my gosh. I can't do this. [Relevance: Alaya expresses consternation about people looking for him to do the "right" thing. Alaya expresses his "flirtatious" behavior.]
So the next morning I was talking to my friends in darshan line, some of these boys and I said I talked to Nadia for 10 minutes, 20 minutes last night and they are like "oh, what are you doing that for man, Baba's going to bust you." And I said no, nobody was there nobody. "Man Baba's going to bust you, Baba knows." And I said no, I don't think so." [Relevance: Alaya expresses doubts about SSB's omniscience.]
Baba called us in for an interview and I hadn't told Al or my mom or anybody about it you know that I talked to her. And I didn't really think much about it. I was just kind of feeling guilty but like I think I slid by. So He right away looks at my little sister Shanti and He says, "Who is that boy?" And she says "it's my brother." And He goes "no, not brother, who is that? And she says "its my brother." And He goes,"no not brother, bad boy." And she kind of smiles and He says "has your brother followed Swamiji's words?" And she says, "I think so." And He says "No, not following Swamiji's words." And He asked her again "what has he done." And she says, "I don't know." He said, kind of looked up as if He were contemplating how to say it almost I think He looked at you didn't He look at you Marisa? He looked at my mom and he said "last night he was by the tree talking to this one girl from Spain" and I was like oh, I wasn't going to tell anybody you know. And I didn't see Seva Dal hiding behind a bush taking notes ready to go report to Baba. So I was pretty informed that He knew what was going on and I think then that was in the outside room. [Relevance: A first-hand experience of SSB's omniscience.]
In the personal room He mentioned,"you're talking to girls Russia, Mexico." He named a couple and nothing stood out in my mind cause I thought I was doing a pretty good job you know. And I could picture two or three girls that I said a little more to than all the others: hello, where you from, and how are you. And after the interview I saw a girl whom I had talked to just slightly and I didn't know where she was from but all of a sudden noticed she was wearing a Russian flag. I was like man He knew where she was from and I didn't know. And another girl was from Mexico and I thought, "this guy is on top of it, you know." [Ref #17] So I found He was a step ahead of me. So that was like enough, I'd done enough at that point. So I really focused on just staying home cause I couldn't control it enough so I just stayed where I couldn't see anybody. [Relevance: Alaya expressing his inability to control his flirting and social behavior.]
QUESTION (from crowd): Where did you eat?
ALAYA RAHM: That was hard walking in and out of the canteen so I basically really worked on it and I got to the point where I would just walk to the canteen. My friends would come up, say you know cause when I just got there I was just loud and talking to everybody and they, "What's up Alaya?" "Hi how are you doing" and I would just keep walking. They're "what's wrong with you?" "Swami said I shouldn't talk too much" "O, yeah, o.k." and...[Relevance: Alaya talking about what must have been a very difficult time in following SSB's discipline.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: That's always a good out.
ALAYA RAHM: Yeah, I felt I was really on the right track. Not talking, I especially wasn't talking to girls you know. Cause some of the girls, Nadia, the Spanish girl I had to go up to her very reluctantly and actually talk to her and say Swami told me I shouldn't talk to girls and she's like "Oh, did I do something wrong." Believe me it's me. But so just to make her didn't feel like I brushed her off then. [Ref #18] I was walking around trying not to talk to as many people as possible. [Relevance: Alaya expressing his attempt to follow SSB's discipline.]
[Ref #19] We got, I got, well the young adult group after it slimmed down to a certain amount of people got an interview and I was also a part of the young adult group earlier on. But this was about a week and a half after the actual conference so every day I would slip the young adult scarf in my pocket and if they got called in I think I could just switch my scarves cause I was also part of that group. Well this day I forgot the scarf and they got called in. And I'm looking around and everybody like "come on Alaya come on." So I slipped the scarf off and I didn't have the other one to put on so I just walked up there. Nobody stopped me but so I got up there. So I guess Baba stopped by you so go ahead and tell them what He said. [Relevance: Alaya divulges the various methods he used to get interviews with SSB, even in groups that he did not belong to.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: No, Swami, anytime that Swami wasn't happy with something that Marisa had done or Alaya had done He would tell me about it. So He's walking up in darshan and He looks out and says, "where is your son." and I said "Swami he's your son." He says "where's is that boy?" and I said "Swami he went up for an interview." And Swami said "that's not his group." He says "mad boy" like this is crazy and I just went "I don't know." [Relevance: SSB calls Alaya a "mad boy".]
ALAYA RAHM: [Ref #20] See, I was blocked by the pillars. I couldn't see what was happening. So He walked straight up to the veranda and I'm sitting there. "Do you think He's going to let me in this interview'? Yeah no problem, we'll vouch for you. I was like I forgot my scarf. A couple of people didn't have their scarves you know there were 5, 6, 7 people that didn't have their scarf. So I was like, well, I'm in the clear if they get in I'll get in. Baba walks right up and looks at me and I kinda hid myself back in the middle just ducking down and He looks right at me and says "all U.S.A. delegates?" and I said "yes Swami," and He says "acha acha." So I thought, "oh cool, I'm in." So He opens the door and He lets us all in. We sit down. He closes the door and I've had the privilege of some other interviews so I let everybody sit all up front and I sat in the very the back wall against the corner. He comes right up and He looks at me and He goes "hey why are you here? And I said "Swami I'm a U.S.A. delegate." And He goes "Delegate? No, not delegate, other group." And I said, "no, Swami I'm a U.S.A. delegate." And He goes "where is your scarf?" And I said "Swami its in the room" and He goes "Why?" And I said "I left it" and He goes "no, this is not your group." And I said, "I know but." He said,"no, other group, family, parents." I said," I know Swami but". He goes "Hey, not this group, my group" and He goes " stay, stay". He leaned over me and turned the fan on and I lost my train. [Relevance: Alaya plans on sneaking into the interview undetected. Then Alaya pleads with SSB to stay in the interview.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Yeah, we can catch another train.
ALAYA RAHM: We, we can ah.
MARISA RAHM: Shall I tell the one about going off the Ashram. Since we're on the omniscience stories you know this is a pretty good one. We got the blessing first of all of being asked to get a hotel room outside the Ashram when the crowds were getting really large and we were out there for about 5 days. And then Swami allowed us to come back in. He actually gave us a room which is a really great story I don't know if we'll have time to tell them all but we were back in the ashram with certain specific things Swami said.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: I can condense that story. This will be a short condensed version of that story. When we first got there we got a room for the first four days. When we went to renew the room they sent us to the sheds. Shanti was very sick so we didn't stay in the sheds, we got a room outside as close to the Ganesha gate as we could so that we wouldn't have to walk far. And in an interview Alaya, Swami had asked, where we were staying and Alaya had said, "Swami we're staying outside, could you give us a room in the Ashram?" [Relevance: Alaya asks SSB for a room inside the Ashram.] And Swami said, "yes I will give." And He came up to us, He actually came up to us outside, and He had asked us where we were staying and Alaya said "Swami were out, down the Chitravathi road." And Swami said "no, no I want you on the Ashram, not outside. Haven't you seen this one little man, I sent him to talk to you?" and so Alaya says "no, one little man."
ALAYA RAHM: I'm thinking littler than You, how can he be littler,You're like 5'4" and He goes "this one little man I have sent him." And I was like, little.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: It turned out to be Mr. Chirinjivi Rao and we had some friends, Michael and Lorraine Dave, who had a room in Round House One and I had called them and asked them to send us a fax so that we could use the room. So after that darshan I went to Mr. Chirinjivi Rao and said, "you know I've got a fax coming if we could use this room." He said "No, Swami told me to give you a room, but you can't have that room, you know this is not proper procedure a fax and all that." And I say "o.k., well whatever room Swami gives us we'll be very grateful." He says "I'll go and talk to Swami about which room that you should have." So he goes up to the veranda and Marisa and I go off to begin getting ready and He calls Alaya up from sitting in the crowd and He calls Mrs. Chirinjivi Rao over and He says to Alaya "this is the one little man that I told you about." And He said He wanted him to give us a room. And Alaya said "Swami we have some friends that have a room and they are sending us a fax." And Swami said "and they are not using it?" You know because its Guru Pournima and its really busy and Alaya said "no, they're not using it." And Swami says "No, fax is not necessary, I give you the room." And He says to Chirinjivi Rao "give them the room." And Mr. Chirinjivi kind of hesitated a little bit.
ALAYA RAHM: He goes "but, I" and Baba says "give them the room."
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Like this is not proper procedure and Swami said "give them the key." So we went, Mr. Chirinjivi Rao came over and asked us to come to his office and when we went in the office he just gave us the key. No passports, no registration, no money, just gave us the key.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: The room had been mopped, cleaned. It had two cots in it with sheets, pillows everything was ready. And here's the fun part, our friends, the other part of our group that we had gone with, their room was right next door and they said that, that room was being prepared at one o'clock that afternoon. Here it was after 5. Now Swami is acting like this is all news, this fax and everything and whether or not we can use this room. He had that room prepared that afternoon.
ALAYA RAHM: I think the part you wanted to share was that when Baba said stay inside He goes "outside is not good, stay inside more peaceful, canteens, be with your family." I said "its much more peaceful." He said, "Ashram is much better, food, its clean." He was really emphasizing that the Ashram is a much more sathwic place to stay.
MARISA RAHM: Quickly tell them about the lock.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: O.k., so we get inside this room and I said wow this is great because I remember Michael's combination, he's got a kitchen. This room has a kitchen and its locked and I said I remember his combination from like ten years ago when we were there. Something to do with nines yeah, that's it, 9999, so I roll...
MARISA RAHM: So we all gather around him now because we get the use of this kitchen.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: So I roll up 4 nines now and it's a very good heavy duty Master lock from the United States. Its got 4 dials on the bottom. So I roll up 4 nines and this lock pops open and everybody goes "oh, great, this is great we'll use the kitchen the whole time we're there." When it was time to leave I went to close the kitchen up and I could not get this lock to open. I roll up 4 nines and it wouldn't open and I thought well maybe I have it upside down. I tried 4 sixes and 4 sixes wouldn't work so then I tried 6699, 9966, 6969, I tried every combination. I even tried meditating and asking Swami "is there some other combination?" And I would get a number and try it and nothing would work. So I eventually ended up taking the hardware off of the door, putting a different lock on there and I stuck their lock in a cup. When I got back to the States I called Michael and I told him the story. He was so thrilled to hear that Swami had actually said his name three times I think "Michael Dave's room, right." And I said Michael I have to tell you about the lock so when you go over there you know how to get your kitchen open. I rolled up 4 nines and it opened but when it was time to leave the lock is broken I couldn't get it open. He said no, the combination is not 9999 its always been 3636.
MARISA RAHM: It's a sweet one. Getting back to this other little omniscient story now. We're on the Ashram now. A whole month enjoying the beautiful ashram food and just being inside and the kids would come to me every once in a while and say "we really want to go and get a pizza at Sai Towers outside the ashram or we really want to go and get some good food out there in that hotel." And I go "no, no Swami said we should stay here, eat together at the canteen, this is a real privilege getting a room, we really need to listen to Swami." And they're like "o.k." and they did this a few times. After about a month went by I had this idea that I wanted to get a book but this book was only obtainable out at Sai Towers. [Relevance: Time Frame. This incident occurred after about a month's time, or in early August.] So I went to Al one night and I said,"hey, would you mind going with me to Sai Towers with me to get a book?" And he said, "you don't need a book. Don't go out there. Swami said not to go outside and do the shopping and things like that." And I said, "oh, He doesn't mean a book. No. I'm going to go. If you don't want to go fine." And he says,"I don't want to go."
So that next morning after darshan I thought o.k. this is a good in between bhajans to go get a book. So I left the ashram and went over to Sai Towers but I got there so early the book store was closed but the restaurant was open. So I thought oh, I'll just have a quick cup of coffee, a little fruit, and as I'm walking closer to the restaurant I thought "should I be doing this." Getting that feeling, naw, I'll be fine. So I went in there and I sat down, and of course there's a lot of other devotees there and I order my little continental breakfast and I'm saying well I'll really bless the food and I'll be really conscious of Swami when I eat, you know really making up for it. And I'm eating a couple of bites and all of a sudden you hear this whistle and it was unfamiliar to me but I saw all the devotes in the restaurant jump up and I put two and two together and I realize Swami's car is going to be driving by any minute so oh, I'll go out there and get Swami's blessing. So I go out there and I'm standing in this row of devotees and I'm like "oh, He's going to come and He drives by and He's driving and He spots me and He goes…( ). I was so stunned, so stunned and all the other devotes look at me like...
ALAYA RAHM: Like I don't think He was pointing at me. He's pointing at you.
MARISA RAHM: So I go back into the restaurant. I look at the food. I can't eat, you know. But the book store is open so I waste a little time and I'm just trying, "did He really shake His finger like that," I was feeling pretty miserable, so I waited around, I got a book but I couldn't take my mind off it.
I headed for the Ganesha gate and as I'm coming up to the Ganesha gate I see Alaya running out of the Ganesha gate. I go "hey Alaya where are you going?" He goes "Swami's car is coming, I'm going to get a blessing." [Relevance: Alaya was seeking SSB's blessing. He even ran to get it.] I said "o.k. I'll stand over here with you and get a blessing." So we both stand there and Swami's car goes by and He gives us a little flick of His hand when He goes by and we go back in and I'm feeling pretty heavy inside. So I go over to the girls side and apparently Swami's car drove in.
ALAYA RAHM: Well, what happened is, after darshan was over this friend of mine from Australia, Justin, was sitting next to me and I said "Hey, Justin lets go get something to drink in between darshan and bhajans. And Swamis left, so we went out there and got a Merinda, a cold drink, and after that we walked out and I said "well Baba is going to come by within two or three minutes, we should just hang out and wait for Him to come back and we'll wave at Him." He's like "yeah, cool man." And I'm thinking He told me before in an interview not to run after His car and be outside and stuff so I was kinda thinking maybe we shouldn't do it. He's like "no, no, let's do it." So I said "o.k." We are waiting out there and I thought "oh, my mom's here so its alright. [Relevance: Alaya was socializing with friends, obviously unable to maintain the discipline SSB expected him to follow.]
MARISA RAHM: And I'm thinking oh, Alaya's here so it's alright.
ALAYA RAHM: So we're all standing there and Baba just flicks His wrist, then we all bolt inside and get in into the Kulwant Hall before Baba gets out of His car so then.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: So then the whole time I'm sitting inside waiting for Him to come back and Alaya comes in and sits down and says "hey, I just saw Swami you know we were out at the Ganesha gate and we saw Swami's car drive by." And I thought o.k. I'm picturing that he's standing inside the ashram by the Ganesha gate watching Swami walk by and did you tell me that Marisa was there too? No, he didn't tell me anything about Marisa. So Swami's car pulls back in He gets out of His car. He walks up on the veranda. He's there for a little while. He turns around, He comes out, before He gets of the veranda, now we are a good 25 feet from the veranda at the front line, before He gets off the veranda He starts saying something to me. And He's going like this, He's got this a little bit of a scowl on His face saying something. I'm trying to understand Him so I get up, I go forward, He says "your wife and your son" He says "out there" and Alaya told me that he had watched Swami and I thought oh He's talking about Marisa and Alaya watching His car go by. And I said "oh, looking Swami?" and He goes "no, not looking" He says "out there." And I mean He's saying as if I'm supposed to have them under control and I thought "oh, o.k."
MARISA RAHM: I felt miserable and I must of gone over by His house and "please forgive me, please forgive me." And by the next morning darshan or next day afternoon darshan He walked out and He walked straight over to me.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: First He went to Alaya.
ALAYA RAHM: He comes up to me and He says "what were you doing?" and I said, He said, "did you purchase something." And I said, did like I had a drink "ah, cold drinks, not good, why waste money on cold drinks in the morning when its not even hot?" He said, "afternoon was o.k., morning is waste of money, not good, not good." And I was feeling terrible you know and Justin my friend looks at me and he goes "man you're getting me into trouble." [Relevance: SSB scolding and disciplining Alaya.]
MARISA RAHM: And so the very next day, afternoon darshan, I guess He thought I sweated it out long enough and He came out and He walked right over to me and He started from far away "you, out there, eating, drinking." I said "Swami I won't do it anymore." And He smiled and He walked back in. Cause He didn't actually see me eating or drinking I was out there going like that outside the restaurant.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: He said on several occasions inside the interview room when He would make a comment about something that had happened in the United States. He would get so happy, He would say "I'm seeing from here, I'm seeing from here." "I know, I know" He's so proud and so happy about all that. He's just so joyful.
ALAYA RAHM: Well I remembered what I was talking about when that young adult interview how I thought I was doing pretty good not talking. Well we sat down. He came out of the little, He came out of the personal interview room and I had just at that second turned to this guy who I was almost sitting on top of because there were 50 people in that little room. And I look and said "are you o.k." and I started to scoot over and Baba yells from across the room "hey, stop talking, you're talking too much." And I was like He was basically like He doesn't want me to talk. You know? [Relevance: SSB again scolding and disciplining Alaya. Alaya expresses his displeasure.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Do you want to hear any more music or would you like to hear more stories? Its almost 10, we're finished at 10 right? Because there is a really good story about our return trip which I wanted to share with you guys. The reason that its so special to me is that you know we all know in our hearts somewhere maybe a little hidden underneath our minds sometimes that Swami knows everything and that He's in control of everything. And listening to Victor today talk was the same affirmation to me that once you know and well my experience is we will never have proof of anything in our mind, not in our mind, no matter what. Swami doesn't want us to believe in Him because we see Him materialize objects and all of those kind of things. Our mind is the battlefield of the Bhagavad Gita, it's the battlefield of the Gita and we have to battle the emotions of all of our kinsmen and all of these fondnesses that we have in our mind just like Arjuna had to come to the realization and battle his kinsmen. And go against his emotions and but in the heart if you put everything else aside, forget the materializations forget any of it. If you watch Swami's life and you see the giving, its all giving, every single thing is giving. Everything that He does this beautiful new covering that He has over the area where we go for darshan, its magnificent. Many of you remember the days in Puttaparthi where we sat out on the hot concrete getting blasted by the sun, just drenched. And now you go in, it's a smooth black floor with white marble walkways and you sit in the shade. Everything He does is for the comfort of His devotees. [Relevance: Al Rahm praises SSB as selfless and always giving.]
ALAYA RAHM: He's even said it, He said from morning to night I'm serving, serving, not taking anything. [Relevance: Alaya praising SSB.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: And they have a western canteen, they have a north Indian canteen, a south Indian canteen, everything. We were there in the days, we spent, in '79 we were in Puttaparthi, Marisa and I took turns when Alaya was 8 months old, his first trip to India. It was so hot, there were no fans in the room. We took turns fanning each other to sleep. She would sleep for an hour, I would fan with a plastic plate then I would sleep, she would fan. Now there's fans in all the rooms, everything. All of His time, all of His money, everything is given to others. He told us that in 72 years, He has never slept one second not one second. And we asked Him "Swami what do you do at night, with your body, what do you with your body." And He said "the bathroom light is on and I am reading letters from my devotees, all night. Not for me, its not necessary." He says, "but it makes them happy." [Relevance: Al Rahm praising SSB.]
MARISA RAHM: And then He went "Dear Baba, I am having this problem.
ALAYA RAHM: He points at me and says "this boy has even given me two letters". [Relevance: Alaya even wrote letters to SSB.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: So you begin to see that beyond the thoughts and beyond the mind there is this incredible love and giving that just saturated your being and you know in your heart that there is no other love like this. I've never experienced in any person that I've ever met anywhere, I've never experienced the kind of love and sweetness that He has saturated my heart and my being with and that's the proof. You want proof of Sai Baba just close your eyes and open your heart because that's where you'll find it. He never takes, He only gives. But first to give us those gems of proof of his omniscience one particular situation that came up for us. [Relevance: Al Rahm eulogizes SSB as being incredibly sweet, loving and omniscient.] That really showed me it was very strong for me was that He had told us. When we first got there He asked us when we were leaving and we told Him that we had reservations on the 16th. And then after several interviews when He had addressed the education of our daughter Athena who is not here right now because she is in California, it became a thought that she was going to go to this school in California and that on our way back through San Francisco we could go there and meet with the principals and arrange these things. But in order to do so we would have to leave a few days early, otherwise we would pay a stiff penalty on our domestic flight from San Francisco back to Arkansas. So we had applied for reservations on the 13th and all of the airlines, all the travel agents, everyone said impossible, you're wait listed you are never going to get the flight, they are all over booked. And for over a week, we had waited, two weeks went by and still they said there is no way. Now in the meantime Swami had asked us when we were leaving again and I said "Swami we have reservations on the 16th but we are thinking of leaving on the 13th. Would the 13th be o.k.?" And Swami says "yes 13th is o.k., also 14th is o.k.." O.k. 13th, 14th so time goes by, we still can't, the reservations nothing is coming about. Alaya has an interview with Swami and Swami asks again asks Alaya when we're leaving and Alaya told Him that we were wanting to leave on the 13th but we didn't have reservations yet. Should we drive to Bangalore and take a plane from Bangalore to Madras and Swami said "no, don't drive to Bangalore and take a plane to Madras. Fly from Puttaparthi directly to Madras." And there was some confusion because He said something about Bombay, there's a flight to Bombay and we weren't going to Bombay so there was a little confusion. [Relevance: In this private interview, with Alaya, SSB discusses family and their travel plans.]
Some days go by, Swami comes out comes from the veranda and calls me up and I run up to the veranda and He says "when are you leaving?" and I said "Swami we have reservations for the 16th out of Madras. We are wait listed trying to get reservations for the 13th. And I said, no He says and He gets this scowl on His face and He looks around me (Alaya is sitting out there cause I'd run up to the veranda). And he looks out at Alaya and He says "bad boy, no confidence, I told Him, don't ask airport just ask me." [Relevance: SSB calls Alaya a "bad boy".] And I said "Swami I'm just asking you right now. What do you want us to do?" And then He got real proud, no words just the vibration, well o.k. now we're getting somewhere. And He turns and says "fly from Prasanthi Nilayam on the 13th to Madras." And I said "o.k. Swami we'll fly on the 13th to Madras but what do you want us to do in Madras spend 3 nights in a hotel because we only have reservations on the 16th." And He says "I will take care." And that was that. Then He comes out after He goes around and He walks up and now His car is coming and He's going to take a ride to look at the cricket field they're building, something like that. He calls me up to the veranda again and He says "how many on the 13th from Madras?" I said "Swami there's 10 in our group." He says "10 from Prasanthi to Madras on the 13th." I said "yes Swami, I'll buy the tickets today." He said "no, don't buy, I will give." [Relevance: This suggests that money was possibly given to the Rahm's for their plane tickets.] I said "o.k. Swami." So I go and sit back down. Now this is about 4 days, 5 days before we are leaving and we have another interview. He never says anything about the tickets, we're just waiting and waiting nothing is happening. O.k. we're leaving on the 13th, so then about 2 days before we're supposed to leave He walks up to me in darshan and He looks at me and says "tickets, did you purchase? And I said "no, Swami you told me not to buy them, you told me you would give them." He says "yes, yes. Did you make reservations?" I said "Swami do you want me to make reservations?" He says "make, I will see you tomorrow."
So after darshan that evening Alaya and I go over to the Indian Airlines Office on the ashram and we sit down and said "we would like to make reservations for 10 from Prasanthi to Madras." And the guy says, "You want to buy the tickets?" And I said, "no, I don't want to buy them Swami told me not to buy them I just want to make reservations." He says, Oh...
ALAYA RAHM: These two guys just look at each other and smile.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: They just look at each other and smile he says, "from the United States?" We said "yeah" He says "from Prasanthi to Madras on the 13th right?" We said "yes". He says, "Swami has already blocked your seats." So but He still hasn't given us any tickets or anything. So now the next day He calls us in for an interview. We don't say anything, He doesn't say anything about the tickets. We get back outside and I'm thinking, "hum, this is interesting, we're leaving the next day." He calls Alaya in the next morning the day we're supposed to leave and He says, "tell your father to buy the tickets, this is government, not my connection." He says, "tell father to buy." [Relevance: In this private interview, given to Alaya, SSB talks again about travel plans.]
ALAYA RAHM: I said, "you want him to buy?" He says, "yes, this is government thing, not my connection."
AL (SERAL) RAHM: So, we go over. Immediately after Swami leaves in His car the man from Indian Airlines comes over to me and says "Swami has told me to have your tickets ready and everything Swami told me to come talk to you." So we went and we bought the tickets. All we know is we're getting on a plane that morning and we're going because Swami said to. Now the thing is, is that when He said to me "don't ask airport, just ask me," something went so deep into my being, He wants us to ask Him for everything. Here in our life, not just there in that physical form, I mean any business that we're doing, anything that we need, anything that's happening in our life. He wants us to see that the person that we are really asking is Him. He is in charge of our life and every single detail of it. And even though we may be dealing with the clerk across the counter, that's Swami, and we're always asking Him.
We flew into Madras, went directly to the office of Singapore and they said forget it, you're going to be here till the 16th, you're not getting on that flight. There is 23 people over-booked. And we said, I told the lady "Sai Baba told us we can come over here." And she just looked at me she's "Oh." So then this guy walks to the counter and he starts asking me "what's going on here?" We said "well, you know, we want to get on this flight." He said "well let me put your names down here. Call me back about 6 o'clock. I'll tell you how its going." So we went to the Trident hotel and worked out a little bit and called him at 6 and he says "no, there's no change it's 23 over-booked." I said "well, what do we do next, I think we're on this flight, so what do we do." He says "well the only thing I can suggest is that you show up here at 8:30 and get all your luggage scanned through the scanner and just stand here by the counter. But I don't think there is any chance." Now we had 23 bags, we're a group of 10, we're not just looking for one seat or 2 seats we need 10. We get into that counter at 8:30 and we're sitting there and 20 minutes before that flight left they handed us 10 boarding passes. And we got on that flight to Singapore. But we didn't have any tickets from Singapore.
We got to Singapore, we went up to the flight and we said "we want to be on this flight" and they said, "forget it."
ALAYA RAHM: They went "ha, ha".
AL (SERAL) RAHM: So we checked into the transit hotel there and we went back for that flight that afternoon, that morning. No, we didn't get on that flight it was booked, not one opening. So we hung out at the airport. Now they have an afternoon flight that you can also get that goes through Hong Kong so we said well, we'll try that one. Now it's the 14th its that time of the day right, it's the 14th now. We come in that afternoon and they say sorry 17 over-booked and we said well we'll just wait here.
MARISA RAHM: I walked up to the counter and this lady is doing something and there's Al and another guy and they're both like this, could just see them asking Swami.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: And 20 minutes before that flight left they handed us 10 boarding passes. And we got to San Francisco. We went up to the Ananda community we met with the principals we got our daughter all set up to go there. Now we caught our flight back to Arkansas on the 16th as it was always planned without a penalty. We get back, we have the first day back. [Ref #21] Alaya comes over to me and he says "man today" cause Swami had told him to register in this College right near our house, the Community College for one year and He had told him that He would give him a seat in this school. So Alaya comes up to me and say's, its what 2 o'clock in the afternoon, one o'clock in the afternoon he comes up and we've got a whole group of Bill and Ned and Jaya and all the children were all there meeting with the community sharing stories. He says "we have to go right now, today is the last day I can register at the College... [Relevance: It was implied, earlier, that SSB might have possibly given Alaya money for his education.]
ALAYA RAHM: 4 o'clock
AL (SERAL) RAHM: 4 o'clock that's it. They shut the door. So we jump in the car, we race over there, and we register him for all these classes. We hadn't registered him for a class, nothing. We had been gone all summer. And he got all the classes that registered. And had Swami not done it that way it couldn't have worked. We wouldn't have been on time. And this is the kind of energy and power and omniscient grace and protection and guidance that we have with us all the time. The only thing, in looking at it, that I realize in my own life is that the times when I don't feel it and I don't recognize it is only the time I think I'm doing it. That's the difference. If we think we're doing it and we're making these plans, we probably are.
ALAYA RAHM: And they won't work out very well.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: But when you know where its coming from and you have that faith and that conviction and that confidence, anything can happen, anything. Swami can do anything and that's what He was saying to me on the veranda that day when He said, "don't ask the airport just ask me." He'll do it all. [Relevance: Al Rahm eulogizing SSB.]
Want to hear another song? So after we sang for Swami, He came walking out the next day and said "that was very nice yesterday" and He said "new tunes." Like that with a big smile and I think not only did He mean some of them that we had sung but He was letting us know that He was sending us some new ones. And this is one of the new ones that came out:
(Song)
Look into you're your sweet eyes
danced on the rhythm of your voice
one thing that I know Sai, in your heart there is no choice
but to love and give happiness in the life we live
yes, we know your will, river flowing on into
every thought we feel everything we say and do
Sai Sankalpa, Sai Sankalpa
River of love
River of bliss
River of Om
In you and with you and around you
Sathya Sai Sankalpa
[Relevance: Rahm's
eulogizing SSB.]
MARISA RAHM: You will honor your mother and your father and respect them.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: He said this is what Swami likes.
MARISA RAHM: [Ref #22]And He said to Alaya and Athena, no not too many friends. He said, "you can tell mother anything. You can tell father anything. You can tell God anything. These are your only friends." [Relevance: SSB told Alaya and Athena to limit their friends. SSB also specifically tells Alaya and Athena that they can tell "anything" to their parents.] It was so important and for me, it was so shocking, because I was one of those American mothers who would read, the "Sanathana Sarathi" and it would say dear boys, this is how I want the school children to behave, and I'd say, I'd read it and it sounded wonderful, but I never thought it applied to us American people. I always used that as an excuse and now I know that's not at all what it means. He wants everyone to behave like this.
ALAYA RAHM: Yeah, like even during the Young Adult Conference there, we would discussions with U.S.A. groups there and people would there, you know this book and this teaching was written with the Indian culture in mind and the culture back in the United States is so different. We can change this a little bit to fit our needs. I found out, you know, from Baba, that He's God, He knows what the cultural differences are, He knows that there is not so much emphasis on boys and girls dating in the Indian culture and its so hard in the United States. But He doesn't care. He expects us to be that way, every human being He expects to abide by the same rules no matter where you are. You know, and it might be more of a test for us, but that just strengthens our will so much more. [Relevance: Alaya eulogizes SSB as "God" and talks about the discipline that SSB demands.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: You know when He came as Krishna and He was giving a teaching to the people at that time, if you noticed, the teaching is the same now. With Swami here in this Yuga so why should it be different from one country to another. I mean, it's the same from one Yuga to another. [Relevance: Al Rahm expresses his belief that SSB was Lord Krsna.] And He doesn't see us as Indians or Americans or anything like that. I mean this is just clothes, just different colored clothes on the outside, makes no difference to the atma. It's the atma that He's talking to. And it was so obvious that the path that He wants us to walk is straight and narrow, very straight and very narrow and but that if we'll walk that path we'll find that its filled with happiness and joy. And I'll tell you one thing that happens in India is, you know, you're going to darshan every day. And so if your attitude slips a little bit, if you have an argument with your wife, or you're not as kind to your children as you think you should be, or you say a little more than you think you should say to somebody, and you kinda let your ego get out of control and you're blabbing, well it's a check point because you know you're going to see Swami for darshan the next morning or that afternoon. And you go wow, I better get it together, you know, and you start praying and you start looking at your actions and you start maybe doing three gayatris and just get yourself in line, you know. But there is a subconscious thing that sets in sometimes when you come back to the United States.
Like well, you know, maybe, we'll let our anger hang out an extra day or we might not resolve it as quickly. But He made it so clear to us on this trip, that every single thought, every single action that we go through, He's right there, right with us, and we don't have even one second to spare, not one second to waste. He made it so clear that He wants absolute harmony and peace and joy in the family. The husband and wife should love and respect each other and you should never go to sleep at night with anything unresolved.
MARISA RAHM: He knew everything about us. At one point He started talking to us about our finances or whatever and He looked at Al and He goes, "she hides money on the side. You don't know, I know." And then I caught my breath because I make jewelry and every once in a while I give him 9 pairs of jewelry worth and I keep one pair of, you know money, and He looks at me and goes, "isn't that right." "Yes, Swami a little, but." And He goes "I know, I know." And I said, "but Swami I put it right back into the house and the family." And He goes "yes, she puts it right back in, she's good with money."
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Yes, she's good with money, He told me.
MARISA RAHM: So He caught every little slick that went by.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: He told Alaya, He says, because Alaya works with me building houses and when...
MARISA RAHM: You don't want me to tell. You can tell one about me.
ALAYA RAHM: I will.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: So He said, He says, "you sometimes, your father is up 7:30, 8 o'clock he's at work. 9 o'clock you're still in bed" And Swami imitates Alaya. He's got His arms over His head, "blankets over your head like this." He couldn't have described how Alaya sleeps better if He was right there with him. I said, "yes Swami, I have to punch him to wake him up." Swami said, "yes, I know and then He goes right back to sleep."
ALAYA RAHM: He says, "he rolls other direction."
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Its so true.
ALAYA RAHM: I just wanted to comment on that ring, I thought it was kind of funny. After He gave it to him, or a couple of times after, we asked when can we come back and He said "yes come back, responsibilities or some money problem." "But Swami, you said everything would come with this ring, you would give us everything." He goes "I know, everything is there. I can do anything, even change him into a girl." And my dad's like well I better watch where I point this thing, you know.
I would always watch Baba manifest things closely. I enjoyed it, it's really fun to do. He called me in for an interview one time with these English people, this one piano player, professional piano player. And we were in the interview and the larger one, he looks at me and we're all in there and He sits down and He looks around the room and He looks at me and He says "how old are you boy?" And I said, "eighteen." And He goes, "Ah eighteen." And He looks at everyone and He goes "my boy is eighteen. Today is his birthday." It was July 27 and my birthday is January 8th. And He goes "today is his birthday." And He looks at me kinda like shh and I'm like "cool I'll play along." So I'm like o.k. this is going to be good.
So He goes, "today is his birthday, what should I give my boy for his birthday." And everybody's like I don't know and He's like what should I give him, what should I give him and He says, "what do you want for your birthday." [Ref #23] And automatically I thinking, o.k., lets see, I've already got a ring and all the material things and I said, "I don't know Swami, a necklace." And He says "don't ask outside, ask inside." And so I realized He wanted me to ask for more of a deeper meaning, you know liberation and things like that, and so I was thinking, i'ts a good thing to ask for. He actually told me He would give it to me, o.k., so I was asking please help me to realize who I really am and He goes, "I'll give you a good gift." And so He starts waving His left hand here up like this and I was sitting there ducking down watching to see what would come out of His hand, and all of a sudden, as He's waving His hand there is this large round yellow object in His hand like a big ball and it was just not there and then there in one second he was just waving and like this. And there was this large yellowish ball and I was like "wow that is interesting I haven't seen that before. And He says, "come here, come here." So I go up there and He gives it to me and it was this large piece of fruit, probably the size of a grapefruit or a large orange. And it was shaped exactly like a lingam, you know, perfect lingam shape. And it was huge and He has these itty bitty little hands. So watching Him make it was really cool. And it almost looked like after He made it He was trying to hide it, He had His hand all cupped around it. And you could see it sticking out the bottom. And everybody's like "aah" like that and He says "eat it, eat it." And I say "now, here." And He says "yes, here what do you think, not later." And I said "o.k.," and I went to the back and I smelled the peel. It was a really gold color, and I smelled the peel and it smelled like a tomatoe or a tomatilla or something like that. And ever since I was little I've hated tomatoes, I mean just hated them terribly. And I was thinking oh, my gosh, I'm going to have to tell Him you know I'm going to have to tell Baba that I don't like tomatoes. And I thought, well I'll just eat it so I took a bite and to my surprise it was a plum and it was a delicious ripe plum. And He looks at me and He goes, "how is it?" And I go, "Swami its delicious, it's a plum." "Yes, very nice plum. Other plums ugly little black and red. This very beautiful, large golden color plum." And I said "yes, thank you." And He goes "yes, yes." Like that. So I ate it, and savoring each bite. And He took in somebody for a personal interview and I got to the pit and I finished it off and I asked this English lady to give me a piece of paper and I wrapped up the pit. [Relevance: Alaya's first hand account to SSB's miraculous powers.]
And then He came back out and He talked to, He cracked a joke, He talked to this English pianist who was sitting there and he's this very large man, overweight. He's such a nice guy and Baba had given him so much grace. Baba cracks a joke and he starts laughing and when he laughs his whole body is jiggling up and down and Baba says "when you laugh your whole body jiggles." And the guy just starts laughing, even harder, you can't believe and then everybody's laughing and Baba is almost concerned that everybody's laughing at him and He goes "no, no, but he's a very good boy." And He grabs his hand and He says, "I see I've made him this ring, and this ring, and this bracelet and necklace and he's a very good man." And He goes, "o.k. London people go." And you know He stands up and He goes, "London people, what is the meaning of London?" And the lady had heard this joke I guess before and she goes, "bathroom." And He goes, "yes, London is a bathroom." And so they were going into the personal room and the man was going in last and so Baba slaps him on the back and makes this loud pop and Baba looks at everybody and He says, "he has no bones." It was pretty funny.
[Ref #24] And so in the personal interview room, I got a personal interview in that particular time and Baba was sitting on the chair, and I knelt on the left side of Him, and the left side is the girls side in that room. The right side of His chair but if you're facing Him it's the left side. So I knelt on that side and it seemed like for some reason every time I'm in there I kneel on that side. We'd start talking and He'd say "move over here, move over here." So I moved over there, I moved over to the right side and He goes "no, no sit on Swamiji." So He's sitting back like this and He said "sit on Swamiji." So I said "o.k.," so I get up and I sit down right on His lap and He grabs like my shoulder just like this and I'm sitting on Him like I was a little baby sitting on my mom's lap. And you know, He's so small. Both my legs are up over one arm rest and I was leaning back up against the other arm rest sitting right on His lap. And He was holding me like this and patting my legs, "good boy, good boy." I felt so awkward and then I was just like why should this feel awkward, you know, I'm sitting on God's lap, and so I just laid my head down on His shoulder and my face is in His hair and He was just stroking my shoulder and I was just in ecstasy, you know. [Relevance: Alaya relates this intimate experience freely and had nothing to hide. Alaya enjoyed this experience and said he was in "ecstasy".]
And we got up and He was standing there and having talked about the necklace, I'd brought up the necklace. All the students, all the Baba students, were starting to call me a form boy. When you play cricket, if a guy is hitting pretty good, and playing good they say he's in form, he's playing in form. So they figured I was doing everything right and getting grace from Baba. So I was hence a form boy, and so they would say, "how is the form boy today, did he get anything new from Baba." And I would say no, and they'd "oh, look, all you need now is a necklace. You'll complete the grand slam set." And so I was like, what is this, is this is something I have to accomplish. So it was kind of on my mind, well gez, a necklace is this a thing that Baba does. [Ref #25] I didn't know so, I asked Baba in the interview. I don't know why, I said, "Swami when we go out in the big room, can I have a necklace, will you make me a necklace?" Cause He usually likes to manifest things in front of everybody, I've noticed, and He says, "no, no I will give you necklace when family is here." And I said "o.k." and I just forgot about it. I felt bad about asking in the first place. We walked out there and I sat down and He says, "what do you want boy." And I said "Swami I just want you." And He goes "no, you were saying in there what do you want?" And I said, "oh, Swami a necklace." And He says, "ah, yes he wants a necklace." And He looks at everybody, He goes "do you want Sai Baba locket?" and I said, "no" And it was kind of interesting you know, I had thoughts does He just kind of carry this stuff around in His pocket inside and then just have it. Cause I've never heard of anybody asking for a specific thing and Him give a specific thing. You know, He just basically gives you what He wants and so I said, "no I don't want a Sai Baba locket, I want a gold om." And He goes, "ah, a gold om." And so He materialized a necklace with a gold om on it. So I was really impressed, you know. It wasn't like I was trying to pin Him down, but it was a confirmation. [Relevance: Alaya's first hand account to SSB's miraculous powers. Also expresses doubts abouts SSB's materializations.] So that's that. I guess I have a new birthday now, so I don't know what kind it is.
MARISA RAHM: He brought the pit home and I got to suck on it. Pit of the plum, and he said here you want to suck on it. We saved it. Yeah we have our master gardener, Nez, who is going to help us plant it, this divine plum tree out there. So it's getting late we were thinking of singing one more song and then we'll say good night.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: We could do one that everybody could join in on. Do you all know Ave Maria? Do you like that song? So then we don't have to show you how it goes right? One thing I will say though, in closing, is that after all the things that happened and whatever Swami materialized, whatever He did. Near the end of the trip, we realized that those situations are joyful and we're very grateful for them but we all realized that Swami is the only jewel that we really want that has any value. We would gladly pile everything up on a table and give it back if we couldn't have His love and we couldn't feel that sweetness with us, in us, and around us all the time. And it got to the point I could tell that Swami wanted us to go to the next level. He knew where we were from physically, the U.S.A. I mean. He knew our family intimately. He knew everything about us and yet He would come out. One day He came out and He said, "where are you from?" And I looked at Him and I was like, I can't believe He was asking this question. This must be the fifth time He's asked this question. And you never quite know what game to play along with in some ways, you know, and I said o.k. "U.S.A." And He looked at Alaya and He said, "where are you from?" And Alaya looked at Him kinda funny too and he said, "U.S.A." Swami looked back at me and said, "from U.S.A., not from me." And I said, "yes Swami, from you, you are everything." And He got this bright smile on His face and He says, "very happy," and He waved His hand and He made some vibhuti and He put half in my hand and half in Alaya's hand and we ate it.
And then as you could tell the shift that He wanted from us. It got to the point that no matter what He would ask, I mean He made it so clear that He was everything. If He came up and said, "where is you wife?" I just looked at Him and said, "Swami you're my wife." He was always asking me what am I doing and in several, in interviews, He asked me what I was doing. Finally He looked at me and asked, "what are you doing?" and I said, "Swami I'm loving you." And He said, "no, no what are you doing?" I said, "Swami I'm loving you, I'm serving you." He says, "but what?" I said, "I don't care what anything you give me that's what I'll do." And that's how we all got. He would say "who's boy are you?" and Alaya would say, "I'm you're boy Swami." What did He say to you that day something about where are you from? And she said, "I'm from you Swami." And that's what He wanted to hear. And I feel that He wants all of us to. I mean, we all know who Swami is. We all know who we are, it's the same person. He wants us to take our life to that next level. Wants us to graduate from this level and go to the, He wants to remember that He's in us, with us and around us all the time. And all we have to do is think of Him all the time. Dedicate every thought, word and deed to Him. That's the safest, fastest, cleanest way is just to think of Him always.
He told us to contact Him anytime we needed to and Marisa said, "how shall we contact you?" He said "call me on the phone." And she said "the telephone Swami," and He said, "yes, there is two kinds of telephones, there is the number phone where you do the number, and anybody might answer when it rings and then there is person to person phone. This is divine phone. Call me person to person." And another friend of ours who was in the group said, "Swami, what is the best way to call you person to person?" He says...
ALAYA RAHM: You get a good connection.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: Yeah, He said "with love." And that's it. You just get in the heart, focus on that love, keep that connection dedicate every thought, word and deed to Him and He'll take care of everything.
ALAYA RAHM: There is in an interview if I would be in there with any of the boys. I was in there a lot with some of the students from Zambia who you have heard Victor talk about and I got to know them fairly well. If Baba would look at me and kind of give me a look like don't talk, and almost look unhappy with me. And He would walk into the personal interview room I would sit there depressed and I'd say "gosh I can't believe He's like mad at me." And they'd say how can you say that you're wearing your ring, Baba like approves of you, I'm like man, I would give this up like in one second just to have His grace. You know that's so much more important than having a ring, a watch, anything like that. You know I love having it, don't get me wrong, but just one second I would hand it back to Him and just say please, grant me with your grace at all times, its so much more powerful you know, you can't, its immeasurable and that's what I really realized that's all He's here to give and that's all I want. Ask Baba and if He wants me to give it to you, you can have it. [Relevance: Alaya eulogizing SSB. Alaya said that all the gifts SSB gave to him were not important. Later, however, when Alaya claimed the gifts were cheap, he placed plenty of emphasis on their monetary value. Here is an example on why Alaya looked sad or disturbed coming out of the interview room. He felt that SSB was upset with him!]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: He told him to give me his watch.
ALAYA RAHM: You don't want to get into that.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: That's another time.
(SONG)
We are one in the heart of the mother
We are one in the heart of love
We are one in the heart of the father
We are one with God
Ave Maria
MARISA RAHM: Sai Ram everyone.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: How much more time do we have. We'll do this one, this is another one that we got to sing for Swami and its a bhajan style so you can all sing and repeat.
(SONG)
Engrossed is the bee of my mind
On the blue lotus feet of my Divine Mother
Divine Mother my Divine Mother
Divine Mother my Divine Mother
[Relevance: Rahm's
eulogizing SSB as the Divine Mother.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: This one was the most fun when we did this song Swami started tapping and rocking and to sing it right into His eyes was such a joy.
(SONG)
Oh Baba you are my dearest friend, Sai Baba
By the cosmic hand you lead me
To the sea of love
You are the one I've been looking for
You are those years of pain and pleasure, Lord
You set me free, In Your heart
I will always be
Forever Babaji
You set me free, In Your heart
I will always be
Forever Babaji
[Relevance: Rahm's
eulogizing SSB as the Lord.]
AL (SERAL) RAHM: You know, He really paid attention to the words. He really did. You could tell He was listening to every word and He would get these beautiful smiles and He would twinkle in His eye and He just loved. He loved the English. When we were rehearsing to do this, we had asked Him He said, "yes you can sing, practice." And when we were practicing we had added a few other people who were there to help have more voices and there was some concern in some of the people, like no, we should be doing Indian bhajans no, this would be the most proper thing to do and it got a little confusing. And so one day we had an interview before we were going to sing and I asked Swami, I had a list ready of all the English and Indian bhajans we had planned and I showed it to Swami and I said "Swami here is the list." He looked at every single one. He took His time and He went to every song and He sang the first line of the song even if He didn't know the melody. He would just make one up, "He'd go "Oh Baba. Sai you are in my heart." The most sweetest, most beautiful voice and then I said, "Swami is it o.k. English songs?" because it's the Mandir right. I mean its bhajans and there's thousands of people outside that want to sing bhajans and I said, "is it o.k. if we do English songs and Bhajans" and Swami says, "yes, any language, language of the heart." You wanted to share the story about I love you.
MARISA RAHM: You know, of course its been really sweet to share the fun and light stories but we also are there because it's a hospital and we're all undergoing some form of heart surgery of the lovingness kind. But there were those lessons that were coming daily of how we can grow, how we can come more to the love that we want to have in our lives. And in one particular interview those lessons came pretty strongly for me and I'd like to share them with you. They are pretty personal and very sweet yet I think a lot of you will be able to identify with them, so I want to share it with you. At one point He made me something and I went up to Him and I said, "thank you Swami." And He said, "don't say thank you, thank you is third party. There is only one." Is that how He said it?
AL (SERAL) RAHM: He said, "not this third person, one person."
MARISA RAHM: Anyway I didn't quite know how to take that, but the bigger lesson was coming. So, for some reason, well know He usually takes certain groups into the inner room. And that's what He did. He collected everybody but our family and told our family to stay In the outer room and He ushered the other ones into the little room and usually He follows them but He stayed out there with us. And I don't know how it was, but we were all very close to Him at that point and we thought we were going to have our private interview out here. None of us can remember anything occurred except I remember this. I found myself up on my knees and I was very close, like probably only this distance, and I was unprepared for what I was going to say but I went, "Swami, I love you." And He just sort of turned His head like that and I went...
AL (SERAL) RAHM: He didn't say anything.
MARISA RAHM: and I went, "Do you love me?" And He went, "yes I love you." And that was the whole interaction. But I must tell you from that point how I thought, well He sure could have said that more convincingly, was the first feeling that came over me. Then a lot of other things happened in the interview and we left and on the way back to our room, Al and I were going over this. Ah, He said this and He said that and a lot of other things and then I said, "wasn't that strange how He said He loved me?" And he said well I thought it was kind of strange that you asked Him." He said, "don't you know God loves you. Look, I mean He has given us this room and these beautiful children" and on an on and on. And I said, "I know, I don't know why I did that."
And so as the day went on, all I could replay in that whole interview was me going, "I love you do you love me." and hearing His voice. And I started to feel pretty bad. Like I had almost done something wrong. Like it was really a stupid thing to do, ask God, "do you love me?" And I couldn't get this off my mind and I couldn't think of anything else and I was starting to feel almost like a worm for doing this. And how I wished I could go back into that interview and never say anything like that. And so finally I brought it up to somebody and I was saying you know you wouldn't believe it, I asked God "Do you love me?" And they went, "oh, that's incredible, and what did He say." And I said, "well, He said He loves me to. And he goes why do you feel down about that, that's incredible, its wonderful. And I thought, you really think so? Well, then I started to feel a little bit better and then I happened to mention it to somebody else and her response was "oh, incredible, that's the ultimate, the Divine romance. I love you, do you love me. Its so Divine, its unbelievable. How can you be down on yourself. This is the ultimate, do you realize how much its done for me?" I felt a little better but I still didn't feel like that was the answer.
So I slept that night and the next morning I got up to shower for bhajans, for darshan, and there it was again and I started to feel awful. And I finally said, "Swami whatever it was about you certainly didn't want me to feel this bad, about love, about asking this question. Please help me out a little bit here." And all of sudden, I heard as clear as being right with Swami this answer: "This miserable little prison of an ego must die." And I got it all of a sudden, I was looking down at the shower floor and all that ego was just a small little facet of the incredible love that I had come to feel in Swami's presence. This little box that I had approached Him with, "Do you love me?" And how many times I've been back in America, praying at my altar. Forget praying at the altar, getting involved in any relationship, oh, I love you, I love you, I love you. Do you love me? I mean isn't it about you loving me too and then going to my altar and saying oh Swami, all I want to know is if you love me. I wonder if I ever actually had a chance to ask Sai Baba, if He loved me and if He answered me yes, I love you. I wonder if I'd believe Him and I thought no, I probably wouldn't. And so I had this chance to play out this dialogue that I've played out over and over and over back in America about love. And I got it that you can never satisfy that little prison no matter how many times its said that its loved, cared for, and appreciated. Its not made of the same stuff I was searching for in that question, it was just inside the walls of that little prison. It was just remarkable it was one of the most beautiful lessons I learned. And Al pointed out to me that He was also showing me that when I thanked Him, and He said "no, not this third party, one." So I think that was probably one of the greatest treasures that I brought home. Just all that yearning had to stop now and I had to be the love. Can no longer want it. You'd never trust it anyway. You'd never get the right answers so I wanted to share that with you, hope it applies. No its not necessary.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: It's interesting, isn't it. If you think about it, how is it that we feel love. If someone loves us, unless we are loving we can't feel the love. Love is not something that we feel that is given to us. We feel love when we're loving, when the love is flowing, when it's a giving and a flowing space. Its impossible to feel the love unless you're giving the love at the same time. And in Swami's presence it became so obvious that He wasn't interested in words cause He knows your heart. There's only one heart and He's there all the time and its not necessary to thank. And I thought about how often we would go somewhere with the children and maybe we would go shopping or something and we'd come home and they say "oh thanks, thanks" and we'd always say to them "No, don't thank us . If you want to thank us help out without being asked, show it in your life, let it be something that is in your being, let your life be an example of that thanks but not the words." It's the same thing, its our life. Swami says, "my life is my message, expansion is my life." Alaya wants to share a story about...Rick want to hear the huddle.
One thing I wanted to share because you were talking about anger earlier tonight. And I had an opportunity to talk to Swami about that. I had a conversation with Swami where He was talking about anger and I asked Him what was the best way to go beyond anger and Swami said, "when it comes up, break it." That was His response. He said, "When it come up, break it." And then I said to Him, I said, " Swami is it just too much ego?" Cause I know it comes from attachment, but what is this attachment, its just ego. And Swami said, "No, its not ego. Where is ego? Where is it. In this universe it's a vast ocean this universe, its very big and in this universe the earth is very small, on this earth the country of India is very small On this country of India now Andhra Pradesh is very small. Now in this Prasanthi Nilayam is very small and in Prasanthi Nilayam one little room one little house is very small and in that house you are very small." He says, "Where is the ego? No ego." He said, "ignorance, its ignorance."
And I said "Swami what is the best way to go beyond ignorance." And He said, "be in the present. Past is past and future is uncertain. Be in the present, not ordinary present, omnipresent." And He said, "if the present is good, the future is also good." And I know we have all heard that before. But for me to hear that from Him at that time, something really sunk in. Because I realized that even in the times when the mind is battling us and we may be having a thought, or a judgment about another person or a situation or whatever it might be, if you look at it its either in the past or in the future. Its either something that happened before or that you are concerned or worried about how it will come out. And if you look at what He's saying, number one, how many times are we concerned or worried about what might take place in our future. Its uncertain, its entirely out of our control except for the present. That this present moment is the seed of our future. And if we're worried in this moment about finance, or children, or health, or whatever the case may be, no matter what the excuse, if we're concerned, or worried or thoughtful, or judgmental or whatever that is the seed of our future. You can't expect to get an apple tree from a weed seed. You won't get. Whatever you're focusing on right now, that is our future. And that is what He was showing us, thoughts are things so you can just. It was so helpful to me because as soon as any other thought would come up ,I would see that it was either past or it was future, and you just come right back to the present and be in the moment, and just think of Swami, and feel that love and the bliss and the joy. No matter what, its just controlling the mind, its all it is. And that if we're feeling love and joy and peace and happiness, even if our life is falling apart around us, we're still planting a good seed for our future. What can we do better than that?
So that was very significant to me and when Swami said "break it." it was like there was no analyze it, dissect it, figure out where it comes from, just break it. Just when you see it, when it comes up in that moment, break it. And maybe if you break it 10 times a day, or 30 times a week, or whatever, eventually it just doesn't have the same strength anymore.
The huddle. At one point in the private interview room there was Marisa and Alaya and Shanti and Athena and myself and Swami was seated in His chair in the corner. And He reached out His arms like this and He pulled us all really close until all of our heads were almost touching. He like "come here, come here family come here." He pulled us all really close and He just started whispering and talking to us. He says, "happy, no arguing, no more arguing, no more fighting, happy, peace, holy family." And He just put His arms out around us like he just huddled us all together and He was just going through this, "be a happy family, be holy, love, care, joy." [Relevance: SSB still talking about family in this interview.]
Is that what you wanted? You want me to tell them about the ring? O.k. I will. So He wants me to share a story with you about when Swami made this ring, and I'll do that. So Swami held His hand out like this, and all our heads are right there in front of it and He...
ALAYA RAHM: He looked at me and He said, "What is in my hand?" No, first He looks at me and says, "What's in my hand?" And I thought I'd be smart and say, "everything." And He goes, "not artificial answer, nothing is in my hand."
AL (SERAL) RAHM: He says, "nothing is in my hand, everything is nothing." And then He's like this, "see look come here, come close." And pulls us close, here's His hand I mean here's my head and here's Alaya's head and here's Athena, Shanti and Marisa and we're all in this close thing and He says "you see, nothing, nothing is in my hand." And then He went like this and turned it over and there was this big diamond ring, just beautiful diamond ring and He called it a talisman. [Relevance: First hand account to SSB's miraculous powers.] He started to put it on my finger and then He stopped. He said, "no, I will change it, keep it here." And He put it in my hand he told me to keep it. So we continued with that interview and some time went by. Then we went out into the other room and I was sitting back in the corner next to Alaya and Swami called another group into the small room and Alaya came over to me and said, "hey, come on see what finger it fits." I said no way man I'm not putting this on my finger, He told me to hold it here." So I just kept holding it, and then Swami came back out of the room with the other group. And He called me up to His chair and He said, "let me see the ring." And I showed it to Him and He's holding it up and He telling everybody, "see what is this, what is this?" And He's so proud, He's so happy you know. He goes around "see perfect diamond , Swami only makes perfect diamond." And He's showing everybody and He throws it to some guy you know and this guy drops it and it bounces and its bouncing around on the floor and he picks it up and hands it back around and Swami says, "see diamond, diamond, give it to me give it to me." He took it back, He held it in His right hand and He put His left hand up like this and He goes (Swami blows nine times). He said nine breaths, nine planets. He said and then He held up this ring and as He put it on my finger, He said, "I'm putting nine planets on your hand." And he told me that it was a talisman that would provide everything that we needed in our life. So, but you know the truth is that Swami is the talisman. Everything else is just a symbol. I'm sure of it. But then He would check on it in other interviews. He'd call me and say, "let me see the ring, where's the ring?" And I'd hold my hand up and He'd say, "come here." So I'd walk up like this and He'd look at it, He'd tap it and say, "o.k. good boy." And then, go sit back down. In another interview we were sitting there and I was holding His hand and He'd pull my hand up like that. And He'd look at it and He would look over at me, and He would go like that. He's always checking. I don't know what He's looking for, but. Oh, the actual planets are, its nine stones, its an emerald, a diamond, a pearl, a white sapphire, a ruby, corral, cats eye, blue sapphire and a stone that I don't remember the name of. It only has a name in India something like kotaz. And the cats eye and the kotaz have to do with two planets from Indian astrology. Rahu and Ketu they call the shadow planets. The ruby is representative of the sun in the center and then the other ones are all except for Pluto and Uranus which aren't included in it, you know the planets.
MARISA RAHM: No, really we must tell you that the amount of attention that we were given was really based around the family and what is expected of the family being together. [Relevance: Marisa talks about how the interviews pertained to family.] And I know Alaya got a chance to talk with the young adults today, right? Or yesterday.
ALAYA RAHM: Yesterday, no it was group 3.
MARISA RAHM: [Ref #26] And it was really very strong advice about what was expected, how they should listen to their mother. Alaya will you tell them what He said about if you follow His teachings.
ALAYA RAHM: [Ref #26] He said if you follow my teachings your future will be great. I will give you a good name, good reputation . He says, If you don't your future will be bad.
AL (SERAL) RAHM: [Ref #26] Pain and suffering. [Relevance: The "pain and suffering" quote was made in direct reference to what happens when one does not follow SSB's teachings. Later, Alaya changed the context to mean a personal threat.]
MARISA RAHM: He looked at each of the children. Even with my 16 year old daughter. He surprised her greatly when He said, "you're arguing with your mother. At home I hear you, argue argue. Here you're arguing, there you're arguing. No more arguing. Peaceful family." It was amazing. It was as if He gave the whole family unit back to us as parents. So I know this was so important for us to come, because we knew this was about the Sai education and it seemed like this was what we kept hearing over and over with all the speakers about discipline. He was so clear with us that it was the parents mistake to give the children too much freedom. He said when...
ALAYA RAHM: Freedom is the end of wisdom.
MARISA RAHM: [Ref #27] Yeah, and He looked at me and He said "you be strict, be strict with them." And I said, "be strict with Alaya and the kids?" He said, "yes, be strict, very strict." [Relevance: SSB's insistence to discipline their children and be "strict".]
ALAYA RAHM: Bummer. [Relevance: Alaya's obvious displeasure.]
MARISA RAHM: So they got to hear this first hand from Swami and I just know that Alaya and Athena will be able to share this with the young adults and the Bal Vikas children. That this is what Swami wanted of them, it wasn't just from the parents. (end of recording)
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