Swami teaches... For protection and treatment of the adherents

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

Light and Love

Swami teaches.... (30 June -1July 2005)

 

For Protection and Treatment of the Adherents

During His lifetime Swami has saved the devotees' lives many times.

Usually we like to share the recent events and to contemplate that Swami's

physical happenings with the body are as a reflection the pain of World

including the humanity and wild Nature. (Today’s ecological disasters and

spiritual delusion of the people is known to everyone). Swami through His

physical sufferings as asks to pay attention to the global distress caused by

the wrong inner values of humans' delusive mind. Today the spiritual values are

losing their importance and the consumer-society’s values are increasing

the importance. The result of this leads to abyss all humanity. Swami’s

cosmic duty is to avoid it. This duty is integrated into His Nature. Swami is

the best reflector of the World. All worlds’ sorrow and happiness is

reflected in Him. But He is not only the reflector. He is also the Great

neutralizer of all what has gone astray from the Order and Harmony of the Great

Oneness. He does not tire to teach people through His own imaginative examples

equally as through His Teaching. It is psychological proof, known from ancient

times that human consciousness can obtain clearer awareness by integration of

logical (abstract thinking) and intuitive, emotional possibilities of brain.

Maybe through Swami's body experiences the spiritual reality of humanity

reaches more easily to the human mind and ‘asks’ to put into

practice the sacred directions and share the own experiences with others when

there the inner motivation for this is illuminated.

 

On sixtieths Swami was brought down the winding stairs into the Private Room

on the ground floor,because He insisted on giving Darshan to the thousands of

devotees who had come on that auspicious day. He had an attack and was in bed

for eight days. His left hand, leg and eye were affected; His right hand had

also slight palsy; the tongue was indistinct and the face was twitching. As

soon as He was seated, He gave a discourse with the explanations about His duty

before the devotees, adherents.

Before it He signed for water and when it was brought, He sprinkled a little

with His shaking right hand on the stricken left hand and on His left leg.

Immediately, He used both hands to stroke His left leg; that touch was enough

to cure it. He doffed the disease in a thrice and started to speak with the

same musical voice as usually.

For those who have no refuge, God is the refuge. That is the reason why

Swami had to take on thedisease that one helpless Bhaktha was to get. He had to

suffer this dire illness, as well as the four heart attacks that accompanied it;

and he would not have survived it. Swami explaines that according to His Dharma

of protection of devotees He had had to rescue him. This is not the first time

that Swami have taken on the illness of persons whom He wanted to save. He

notices that the same actions were done in the previous sareeram at Shirdi.

Dhadha Saheb, Nandharaam, Balawanth, all were saved by these means by Shridi

Sai.

The Swami's suffering was too much for this particular devotee who had to

save by Himself going through it. This is His Leela, His nature. It is part of

the task for which He has come: protection of disciples. At that time Swami

told that persons who were near Him during the last week were asking to give

them the name of the person whom He had saved. He told them that it will make

them angry against that person, forSwami they would say, "had to undergo so

much of pain in order to save that one person." Then, they replied, that they

would honour the person, because of the extraordinary Bhakthi that persuaded

Swami to run to his rescue.

Some people even asked Swami whether it was this person or that, giving

names of those who had attacks of paralysis, especially on the left side. This

is even more ludicrous, because when He saves a person, He saves him

completely. He does not wait until he gets the disease and He does not leave in

him a fraction of the disease, so that he may be identified later.

 

Swami was seriously ill eight days. This is perhaps the longest period

when He kept the devotees wondering and worried. That was because of the heart

attacks which had to come later on the bhaktha, from which also he had to be

saved. Then, there is another reason too, why the 8-day period had to be

observed. Swami told to devotees something which He was keeping within

Himself, for the last 37 years.

Swami declared on the very day when He decided to disclose His Identity, His

Mission and His Advent, that He belonged to the Aapasthamba Suuthra (Code of

conduct) and the Bharadhwaaja Gothra (lineage). This Bharadhwaaja was a great

sage, who studied the Vedhas for full one hundred years; but, finding that the

Vedhas were anantha (endless) he did thapas for prolonging life, and from

Indhra he got two extensions of a century each. Even then, the Vedhas could not

be completed, so, he asked Indhra again for another hundred years.

 

Indhra showed him 3 huge mountain ranges and said, "What you have learned in

3 centuries form only 3 handfulIs from out of the 3 ranges, which the Vedhas

are. So, give up the attempt to exhaust the Vedhas.Do a yaaga (ritual

sacrifice), instead, which I shall teach you: that will give you the fruit of

Vedhic study, full and complete." Bharadhwaaja decided on performing the

yaaga; Indhra taught him how to do it. The sage wanted that Shakthi must

preside and bless the yaaga. So he went to Kailaasa but, the time was not

opportune for presenting his petition. Shiva and Shakthi were engaged in a

competitive dance, trying to find out who could dance longer. Eight days passed

thus, before Shakthi noticed Bharadhwaaja standing in the cold. She just cast a

smile at him and danced along as before. The sage mistook the smile as a

cynical refusal to notice him; so he turned his back on Kailaasa and started to

descend. To his dismay, he found his left leg, hand and eye put out of action by

a stroke. Shiva saw him fall; He came up to him and consoled him, revived and

cured him, sprinkling water from the Kamandalu. Both Shiva and Shakthi granted

the sage boons: They would both attend the yaaga, they said.

After the yaaga was over, They were so pleased that They conferred even more

boons on the sage. Shiva said that They would take human form and be born in the

Bharadhwaaja Gothra (lineage) thrice: Shiva alone as Shirdi Sai, Shiva and

Shakthi together at Puttaparthy as Sathya Sai and Shakthi alone as Prema Sai,

later. Then Shiva remembered the illness that had suddenly come upon

Bharadhwaaja at Kailaasa on the eighth day of the waiting in the cold on the

ice. He gave another assurance. "As expiation for the neglect which Shakthi

showed you at Kailaasa for 8 days, this Shakthi will suffer the stroke for 8

days, when We both take birth asSathya Sai and, on the 8th day, I shall relieve

her from all signs of the disease by sprinkling water, just as I did at Kailaasa

to cure your illness."

It was the working out of this assurance that devotees witnessed. This had

to happen, this stroke and the cure. The assurance given in the Threthaa Yuga

had to be honoured. Swami told that the poor forlorn bhaktha who had to get the

stroke which Swami took over, was a convenient excuse, which was utilised. The

disease had to be gone through, the Bhaktha had to be saved, the assurance to

be carried out, the mystery had to be cleared, the Divinity had to be more

clearly announced by the manifestation of this Grand Miracle.

 

The splendour of this Avathaara will go increasing, day by day. Formerly

when the Govardhanagiri was raised aloft by the little boy, the gopees and

gopaalas realised that Krishna was the Lord. Now, it is not one Govardhanagiri,

a whole range will be lifted, you will see! Have patience, have faith.

 

There is no Sathyam (Truth), without Shivam (Goodness); there is no Shivam,

without Sundharam (Beauty). Truth alone can confer Mangalam (Auspiciousness) and

Mangalam alone is the real beauty. Truth is beauty; Joy is beauty; falsehood and

grief are ugly, because they are unnatural. Buddhi, chittham and hrudhayam

(intellect, subconscious mind and heart) - these are the three centres in the

individual where reside jnaana, karma and bhakthi). The effulgence of Sathyam

will reveal Shivam; do karma (action) which is approved by the higher wisdom,

not karma which is born of ignorance. Then, all karma will be Shivam

(auspicious, beneficial, blessed).

The experience of that Shivam is what is called Sundharam; for it confers

real Aanandha. That is Swami's Reality. That is why Swami's Life is named

"Sathyam Shivam Sundharam." Do karma based on jnaana, the jnaana that all is

One. Let the karma be suffused with bhakthi; that is to say, humility, prema,

karuna and ahimsa (love, compassion, non-violence).

 

Let bhakthi be filled with jnaana; otherwise, it will be as light as a

balloon, which drifts along any current of air, or gust of wind. Mere jnaana

will make the heart dry; bhakthi makes it soft with sympathy and karma gives

the hands something to do, something which will sanctify every one of

theminutes that have fallen to your lot to live here.

This is why bhakthi is referred to as upaasana, dwelling near, feeling the

Presence, sharing the sweetness of Divinity. The yearning for upaasana prompts

you to go on pilgrimages, to construct and renovate temples, to consecrate

images. The sixteen items of Upachaara (honouring) with which the Lord is

worshipped satisfy the mind which craves for personal contact with the Supreme.

All this is karma of a high order; they lead to jnaana.

In the sathya (truth), there is no mithya (illusion); but, in the mithya

jagath (illusive world) you have to search for sathya and experience it. You

can do it if you rid your mind of all modifications and modulations. Let it be

transformed from its present complex confusion into something like the sky,

which does not bear any mark though millions of birds fly through it and

thousands of planes move across it. Be unaffected, untouched, unattached. That

is the spiritual discipline which will reveal the Reality, and which will

ensure both physical and mental equanimity.

When the mind is immersed in Aananda,(bliss) the body will not suffer from

illness. The body is the vehicle which you have to use for attaining the state

of bliss and so, it has to be kept safe and strong for that high purpose. Tend

the body as an instrument, use it as a boat, as a raft.

You can get real urge and inspiration to serve others only when you get rid

of the identification with the body. When one suffers, your eyes must shed

tears and you must be urged to alleviate it. This will happen if you know that

you and he are limbs of the self-same Divine Body.

The sick human, the poor human, the suffering human, the illiterate human,

the wicked human, are all limbs of the same body, of which we too are parts.

The same current activates all. To realise this and to merge in that Unity is

the purpose of this life in the human body.

When you cultivate the attitude that you are the body, the body will demand

from you more food, more variety in food, more attention to appearance and

physical comfort. A good deal of effort and expenditure now spent to cater to

taste and to social pomp can be given up, and health too will improve thereby.

Moderate food gives excellent health. Eat to live; do not believe that you live

in order to eat. One of methods to avoid illness is to diminish mental worry.

Now, I find people are increasing their worries, and getting anxious about

things that they do not understand; nor can they correct them or reform them.

Often people as are in two minds, like a human who had to leave the shoes

outside the temple. One mind stood before the shrine with folded hands,

muttering a sthothra, but the other mind was filled with anxiety about the

safety of the shoes what was placed outside.

Some people have a custom to chat, "I am low, mean, small, useless, poor,

sinful, inferior" - such feelings are also egoistic; when the ego goes, you do

not feel either superior or inferior. Why to spread the negative information

what worry the mind? This is the source of worry and distress.

 

Remember, that fear is the biggest cause for illness. When you have slight

temperature, you start imagining that it is the beginning of some serious

fever. You say to yourself someone whom you knew had also a slight increase of

temperature, which later became serious and led to complications and so, you

become more prone to illness than formerly. Think rather of the instances where

fever was prevented or overcome; think of the Grace of the Lord that restores

and saves. Resolve that relying on His Grace, you shall be free from illness

from this moment. Resort to prayer, to saadhana, japam and dhyaanam. They are

the vitamins you need; they will restore you. Swami will give you real (or

vitual) Vibhuthi (sacred ash) and that will cure you.

For many illnesses, filling the mind with the thought of God is the curative

drug. For the rest, regimented diet, sleep, pastimes and activities are

effective cures. The Shaastras (scriptures) taught this regimen and the proper

mental attitudes and their teachings are invaluable at the present time.

To avoid illness start with the idea, "I am in the Light;" then the feeling

"the light is in me" becomes established. This leads to the conviction, "I am

the Light." That is the supreme wisdom. (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai

Speaks. Vol. 3. "Shiva Shakthi," Chapter 15; Sathya Sai Speaks.Vol. 5. "Well or

ill," Chapter 38; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 3 "Protection of devotees," Chapter

16).

PS: As a rule, the spelling in this and previous contributions as in

original texts. I shall follow this custom in the next contributions also and

do not indicate this note on the future.

Namaste - Reet