Sathyam Sivam Sundaram - Part I

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precept and example that the little joys of this limited world were quite

inferior to the Supreme Bliss attained through prayer, concentration,

renunciation and contentment. He delighted only in stories of saints endowed

with these qualities. As Kondama Raju's sons and one of his daughters shared

the same home, Sathya grew up in the midst of about twenty children. It was

necessary that a child be clean and honest in order to win Sathya's approval

and get the peppermints he "took" out of empty bags. Sathya was always the

example they sought. Kondama Raju once said that, when the tailor called to

make the children's shirts out of various types of dyed cloth which had

been brought from a Bukkapatnam market, Sathya would say, "Let each one be given

the cloth he selects; what remains is good enough for me." In later years at

the Prasanthi Nilayam, where Sai Baba lives when at Puttaparthi, He said, "I

have no lands to call My own and on which to grow My food; every bit is

registered already in the name of someone else. Just as landless people wait

for the village tank to get dry so that they may scratch the bed with a plough

and quickly grow something for themselves, I too grow My food, namely, joy in

the dried tank-beds of afflicted hearts." Kondama Raju did not realize at the

time the significance of Sathya's attitude of renunciation; he just felt proud

of the boy! Even as a child, Sathya was against all sports and games which

caused cruelty or pain. He would not allow his companions to witness the annual

bullock cart race held on the sands of the river bed during one of the village

festivals. He objected to the twisting of the

tails of the bullocks and the flaying of their backs with sticks for the

vicarious glory of the owner. Years later Sai Baba summoned back to the

Prasanthi Nilayam, a party of devotees who had left by bullock cart. They were

proceeding across the river to their cars which were parked at a village on the

other side of the bank. Sai Baba waved His Blessings when they got into the

cart; it crept out of the main gate into the road beyond. Suddenly he sent

someone running to bring the devotees back to Him. He commanded them, "Listen!

When you reach the sands, you must all get down and walk across. The bullocks

should not be

forced to drag all your weight through the sands; do you understand?"

Bear-baiting, cock fighting, and other similar village entertainments Sathya

condemned, and his group of boys did not attend such activities. Whenever a

touring "talkie picture show" pitched its tent in those days at Bukkapatnam or

Kothacheruvu, it caused a stir for miles around.

Village folks sacrificed their small earnings to meet the expense of seeing as

many films as they could. Pedda Venkapa Raju often tried to take Sathya,

together with the other children, but Sathya protested and refused. He spoke of

the degraded standards of the films, how they vulgarized the Gods, and made a

muddle of music. He said they only exhibited the seamy side of family life and

praised cruelty, cunning, and crime. Even to this day, Sai Baba is a

relentless critic of the arts, especially of literature and films which

willfully drag ideals down in order to make money. (The Rhythm of His Feet To

be continued..) SaiRam.