YOUR MONEY IS EVER YOURS

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YOUR MONEY IS EVER YOURS

Baba said, "I take nothing from anybody" in Sri Sai Satcharitra, ch. XXXVI.

Sri R. Subramaniam, Lakshmipuram colony, Villivakam, Chennai, and his friends

visited holy places of North India and Nepal in March 1986. The group

comprising ladies and gentlemen, purchased sarees, electronic goods, other

items at Nepal which were cheaper than in India.

On their way back from Nepal at Sowali, Gorakpur District Customs Authorities

verifying the purchases made, charged a duty of Rs. 4000.00 on the items. Sri

Subramaniam who happened to be the only Hindi knowing person in the group

pleaded with the authorities to reduce the duty, which was reduced to Rs 1000.

But the group members out of greediness or out of ignorance of law said that

they could pay only Rs 500 in total.

Sri Subramaniam who had not made any purchases, but was only pleading for his

friends was aghast at the adamancy of his groups. Unless the duty is paid, the

Customs authorities would not allow the bus to proceed. Sri Subramaniam was

embarrassed to meet the Customs officer to say that the group would pay only Rs

500/- as duty. Sri Subramaniam silently prayed to Sai Baba to get him out of

this embarrassing predicament.

At this time an officer arrived in a jeep and entered the Customs office. Sri

Subramaniam was called inside the Customs office. This officer told him that he

is a Supervisory Customs Officer for Gorakhpur District, that he is a Sai

devotee and that he had seen Sri Subramaniam in the Shrine at Shirdi on 2nd and

3rd February 1986. The officer apprised of the predicament being faced by Sri

Subramaniam, suddenly produced from his pocket and asked him to pay the Customs

duty and obtain receipt. He even said that "this Rs 500/- is your money, you had

given me earlier." Sri Subramaniam was perplexed, as he had not met this

gentleman earlier, much less paid him Rs 500/-. The officer on special duty got

into his jeep and was off. The Customs officer now became very cordial and said

that his boss usually does not visit on Sundays!

When Sri Subramaniam reached Chennai at the conclusion of the trip, his landlord

handed over to him an envelope from Sri D Sankaraiah of Hyderabad, which

contained receipt for Rs 500/- which money was earlier collected by Sri

Subramaniam and sent to Sri Sankaraiah for Akhanda Sai Nama Saptaham. Sri

Sankaraiah had mentioned that since he did not know the addresses of the

individual contributors, he had requested Sri Subramaniam to pass on the

receipts on his behalf.

At this it flashed to him "Remember you had given me Rs 500/-. This is your own money."

(from the book ‘The Eternal Sai’)

Thought for the day

Use your humour to please, never to hurt.

Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya.......

Question: If God cannot be realised through sadhana, then why waste time in

sadhana? (Why not just wait for his Grace?)

Answer: Sadhana should concentrate on purification of heart, Its objective

should be God-realisation. The Grace of God shall reveal itself according to

the devotee’s conception. Since God is not a distant goal He is Omnipresent.

Therefore He is not to be seen through making efforts. The more desires you

have the more distant is He. The moment you are without desire and just pine

for Him, He will be there in front of you and the entire world of desire shall

run after you. With our back to the Sun we see the shadow cast before us, and

the faster we run after it, equally fast it moves away. Face the Sun and the

shadow shall tamely follow you. Turn your face towards God, that will lead to

chitta-shuddhi. We have to do sadhana to realise what IS, by understanding the

reality of what IS NOT.

(-Swami Premanandaji Saraswati )