HE HAS COME - THE LORD SATHYA SAI BABA - IV

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HE HAS COME - THE LORD SATHYA SAI BABA - IV

By Patrick Gallivan,

CHAPTER SEVEN

Anyone who has the opportunity to visit Sathya Sai Baba, in Puttaparthi or any

of His ashrams, will not only be blessed, but will experience a great spiritual

change in their lives. It is a truly spiritual experience!

My own pilgrimage to the Lotus Feet of Sathya Sai Baba, took twenty one years,

from the time I first heard His name in January 1974. Why the delay I hear you

ask?

I would think my journey was marked out at an early age. When I was quite young,

not yet into my teens, I heard a voice say, "You have a destiny!". At least I

think it was a voice or perhaps not a voice at all, but a loud "knowing"

within, but then again perhaps from some source outside of myself. It was so

quick and unexpected. Anyway, when you are about 9 or 10 years of age, one

cannot be expected to go too deeply into analyzing the source of such a

momentous incident. What I can say is that for many years afterwards, I never

ceased to wonder if this or that, was my destiny. When I left my home town of

Killarney,

Ireland, to take up a position in Dublin, and later to London, I would

invariably ask myself, "Is this my destiny?", becoming, now, like a mantra over

the years. I would eventually reflect, "No, it doesn't seem that important to be

a destiny!"

Marrying, setting up home, starting my own business, none of these, important in

themselves, would never measure up, I thought to myself, to such a fate as

Destiny. So, I waited. Until I began to forget that fateful voice.

I had always had an interest in the Spiritual, having been reared in the Irish

Catholic tradition. However, events such as deaths in the family, sent the mind

searching for some truth, some logic, to our existence, eventually leading me to

the Psycho/Spiritual study in 1973, and in turn, to the study and practice of

Spiritual Healing, a year later.

My wife, Geraldine, and I belonged to a group which met in our home once a week,

to talk about and practice healing and generally enquiring into esoteric

studies. Using the "in" phrases of the psychic groups; charkas, Kundalini,

vibrations, karma, -these flowed so easily from our lips. It was at this time

that someone from the healing group, made reference to an Indian, asking, "Did

you ever hear of Sai Baba?” I had the unsavory image of a U.S. west coast,

Californian guru, highly popular back in the 1970's, and dismissed any

interest. However, when the questioner repeated the question, some weeks later,

adding, "He is a healer", naturally my curiosity was awakened. This time a

little more was offered, like the fact that this Indian did healing,

materialized objects, and was known to have raised people from the dead! This

was too much! I had to find out more, but how? Where does one start? Find a

book that was the answer!

I managed to acquire a copy of Howard Murphet's book Sai Baba, Man of Miracles,

and obtained, ironically enough, further information about Baba, from a Sai

centre in California! (One of Swami's Leelas, I'm inclined to think!) There and

then I was hooked! I acquired a list of books, audio tapes, (no video tapes,

then!) and purchased some delightful pictures of Sai Baba. Now events started

to develop quite quickly, and my interest in healing grew also, but it was as

if Swami sent me on a journey of change, smoothening out my orthodox Catholic

thinking, a process which helped to open a window in my consciousness, allowing

through a beam of radiant light, which continued to grow brighter and more

radiant

during those years of diligent study of other spiritual teachings.

My interest in spiritual healing laid the foundation for a spiritual quest, my

Holy Grail! So many changes were wrought in my thinking, commencing with the

understanding and acceptance of the long-forgotten philosophy of Reincarnation.

When I was able to embrace this teaching, I give a public talk on the subject,

at Stansted Hall, outside London, in 1979, and I started to talk on Sathya Sai

Baba in 1985 to several groups in Dublin, including the Theosophical Society,

and would speak of Him at our regular healings evenings, in our home. So much

more opened up

to me, rather like opening boxes within boxes, each containing a truth which

lead me to a further, deeper discovery of my own long-lost Self. All this was

in preparation for deeper wisdom that Swami was later to present to me through

His discourses.

Interest in this "Spiritual Phenomenon", began to grow and I felt it was time to

establish a Sai Centre in Ireland, and in company with other devotees, the

Sathya Sai Organisation of Ireland, held the Inaugural meeting with 40 people

attending.

Although initially set up in the Republic of Ireland, it was later enlarged into

the all-Ireland fraternity that exists today. And in early 1995, I was blessed

to go to India, to visit the source of my spiritual renewal.

Having read so many books and articles, seen umpteen videos, on the most loving,

powerful, yet gentle Being to walk upon this earth, to actually see Him for the

first time, was such a shock that I actually hoped He would not stop and talk

to me! This is totally opposite to the hopes and wishes of thousands of others

who visit Him again and again, and dare to hope for private interviews. I

simply was not prepared for the enormity of this visit. As the Americans would

put it, "It was awesome!" Fortunately, I had a chit which permitted me a

front-line position, at Darshan, without queuing. There were occasions when I

felt it was not right for me to have this privilege, then I would feel the

strongest of impressions from Swami, encouraging me to use that which He gave

to me. Not to be meek about it, but be courageous. "If you want to be meek,"

I felt Him saying, "You can be meek. If you want to be a stone, be a stone. But

I want people of confidence and courage". He gave me so much during my stay

there. No interview but lots of inner views, as they say!

I was further graced by Him, to have the comparative comfort of an apartment,

offered to me by Jean and Lucas Ralli, long-time devotees of Baba. Indeed,

while Lucas was Coordinator of the UK. Sai Organisation, he and Jean very

kindly joined us for that first official Sai Satsang (meeting) in Ireland.

Later affiliating us to a full Centre status. (I'm grateful to Lucas, also, for

his assistance in editing the early stages of this manuscript.)

In Baba's ashrams one has the distinct impression of being inside His womb-like

aura, and being in constant communication with Him. Everything in the general

area of this vast ashram is under His control. He organises, unseen, everything

in that vast ashram. Seated in the Darshan line, waiting for Sai Baba's

appearance, one has time to think and, perhaps, meditate. Or just talk mentally

to Swami. He knows everything that happens, thought, or said, by those present.

A sudden hush is the signal that He has appeared from His rooms, in the

distance. A flash of orange and you know He is coming. Slowly stepping His way

along the pathway between the lines of thousands of seated people, accepting

letters and raising His right hand in blessing, or sprinkling them with His

sacred Vibhutti. Hardly a sound is to be heard, other than the caw of the crows

and the flapping of pigeon's wings, as He seems to float through the

congregation, patiently looking at the upturned smiling faces, with their hands

joined prayerfully.

On one occasion I raised up a bunch of letters from devotees back home, with the

words, "Letters from Ireland, Swami." He reached towards me and with a

scissors-like movement of His fingers, grabbed the bundle and moved on.

As an example of His omnipresence, I saw, on another occasion, His lotus feet

being touched by eager devotees some distance from where I was seated, in a

painful cross-legs position, on my cushion, and I thought how wonderful it

would be if I too could touch the feet of the Avatar (called Padnamaskar). No

sooner had I thought this, than He turned and came across and stood in front of

me. I reached out and touch the hem of His orange robe, receiving the feeling of

being ennobled. At another Darshan I had even greater good fortune when He stood

slightly to my left, I hesitated momentarily to touched His feet, but He slowly

extended a small brown foot towards me, as if to say, "Go ahead, you may touch

it!" These are prized and treasured moments for the devotee. Explaining the

importance of Padnamaskar, Baba said to Dr. John Hislop, "God is

positive, man is negative, If contact is made, the Divine current flows from

positive to negative. For this reason the Indian tradition of touching a Divine

person. But without some form of discipline and limitation, people would be

touching face and body. Hence, the custom of touching the lotus feet".

The enormous Poornachandra Hall, built in 1973, is 220feet long by 140feet wide,

with a floor capacity to seat about 15,000 people. Its unique feature is that it

has no inside supporting columns in the middle, and is the largest free-standing

auditorium in Asia. What a joy to be there on the most auspicious festival of

the Hindu calendar, Mahashivratri, the festival of the New Moon. About twelve

hours before, I collapsed with heat-stroke, and was delirious all that night. I

awoke during the night with the impression that it was raining heavily, and I

thought how awful it was going to be for everybody, next day, with the

rainwater turning the dust into mud. When I finally woke at dawn and raised

myself up in my bed to look

out of the window, I could see the usual dusty dry ground that I was now

familiar with. The "rain" sound I had heard was in fact the overhead fan,

swishing gently.

My Sai colleagues, Dr. Jal Fanibunda and his brother Dr. Eruch B. Fanibunda,

(author of Vision of the Divine), brought me an Indian dish in a Tiffin, which

had been flavored with ice cream. This did the trick in reducing the fever! I

was well enough to get up the following day and attend the festival and was

amazed that I could sit without discomfort for over five hours. I am sure it

was Swami's wish that I did not miss this occasion.

That evening I had arrived rather late, but still in time for the opening

speakers. Presenting my chit, and my apology to a tall Indian gentleman, in a

well-cut cream suit, he seated me at one of the openings, right under the steel

roll-up shutters, open to allow a good flow of fresh air into the auditorium. It

was an excellent position, giving me an clear view of the stage and Swami's

chair. However, a moment later, I felt a tap on my shoulder by my tall Indian

friend, who told me to get up and follow him. Taking my hand and leading me,

like a school-boy, into the main hall, I was graced to be put sitting in a row

by myself! -indeed, in front of the front row! And directly in front of the

stage where Swami sits listening to talks by visiting speakers.

At the conclusion of the twenty four hour festival, the multitude gathered there

received Prasadam (blessed food) served by the young male students, who handed

the thousands of people present, a "plate" made up of large green leaves

stitched together by tiny twigs. On this was ladled rice and vegetables, from

enormous shiny urns. Not being sure of the protocol, I hesitated to commence

eating and also wondered to myself what the vegetable dish was. At this point

in my reflections Baba arose from His chair on the stage above me, where He

oversaw everything, walked slowly down the side steps, and across to where I

was seated on my cushion, and said, "Sweet-and-sour! Eat up. Eat up!",

graciously answering both my thoughtful questions with one sentence!

After Darshan one should sit quietly, no talking, as Baba says; "Always find a

quiet corner after My Darshan where you may enter the stillness and receive the

completion of My blessing. My energy goes from Me as I pass you. If you proceed

to talk immediately, the precious energy is dissipated and returns to Me,

unused. Rest assured that whatever My eye sees becomes vitalized and

transmuted. You are being changed day by day. Never underestimate what is being

accomplished by the act of Darshan. My walking among you is a gift yearned by

gods of highest heavens, and here you are daily receiving this Grace. Be

grateful. These blessings you receive will express themselves in their perfect

time. But also remember, that to whom much is given, much will be demanded."

So, it is advisable to find a quiet place to meditate, or sit silently for a

while in this glorious blessing. His grace, or spiritual energy, stays with you

and is a truly uplifting experience. After all, that is why one goes to see Him,

to be changed!

Once you make contact with Sai Baba, whether it's through a book or through

personal contact, He will never let you go. He has said, "You may leave Me, but

I shall never leave you. You are Mine forever!" What a glorious connection!

Despite the vast crowds in the ashram, particularly during religious festivals

commemorating those of all major religions, it is still easy to find a quiet

spot to sit and meditate, such as in the gardens. Statues of the spiritual

deities of all religions are there to sit and pray silently before, to the

sound of gurgling waters from the tiny garden waterfall. It's a haven within a

heaven.

On the occasion of the last Darshan of my stay in Prashanthi Nilayam, I waited

until the very last minute to see if I would be granted the much valued

interview. It was not to be. Most of the devotees had left to get tea, etc. I

stayed seated and turned around to find an Indian gentleman and his young son

still seated immediately behind me. Without prompting they offered me Vibhutti

and said, "Swami will see you soon." This came as a surprised, and I thought

did they mean that very day, but when I turned around again to ask them, they

were no where to be see. It was now time for me to move and catch the bus to

the airport outside Puttaparthi. The bus was about to leave so I tossed my

apartment key into the desk and boarded the packed bus. I had to sit on bags

near the door and hoped my baggage had been placed on board. Earlier I had

taken them to

the bus terminal inside the ashram and was told to leave them by the wall

outside the small bank building.

On arrival at the airport I discovered my bags were nowhere to be found. The

baggage handler took me to the baggage trolly which was parked on the runway,

but there was no sign of them! I could only conclude that they were not put on

board the bus. The baggage handler suggested returning with me to the ashram by

taxi, and collecting them. We sped through the gates and drove to where I had

previously placed the bags, to find them still there, untouched! All this time

I had no fear or worry as to their loss. I was perfectly calm and absolutely

certain everything would be alright. It was all in Swami's hands. I felt

certain it was Swami's Leela! We retrieved the bags and return to the airport,

when the flight that was to take me to Bombay, had just landed. To this day I

have no idea what the "play" was about. Perhaps a test of my faith and trust in

Swami. However, I still hear the voices of those Indian devotees saying, "Swami

will see you soon". Let's hope it will be really soon!

Returning home to Ireland, after three weeks at the Lotus Feet of Sathya Sai

Baba, I was sure then that this was my Destiny; to have had contact with this

Glorious Being, this Avatar of our time!

Darshan: To see a great spiritual Being and receiving His Blessing.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The two most prominent activities dear to Sathya Sai Baba's heart, are health

and education. In Andhra Pradesh, the poorest state in India, Baba has

established models for both, to be examples for the rest of the country. He has

said that the young boys and girls in His schools and colleges, are the future

politicians, business leaders and professionals, for the New Age India. They

are given this education free, in the first, second and third level schools and

colleges, which teach not only the general educational subjects, but also Human

Values, which are essential to the character- building of the students. Baba

says, "Education must equip man to live happily, without making

others unhappy...Education can yield peace and prosperity only when, along with

technical skills and objective information, students are equipped with moral

ideals, righteous living, and spiritual insight."

Sathya Sai Baba continues on the subject of education, "Students of today must

act. They must realise that the moral strength in them is being sapped by

Western culture and education. Western culture is the culture of the

metropolis, where the multiplication of individual desires has led human beings

to misery and unhappiness. The present education system does little for

enrichment and spiritual unfoldment. It has merely brought society to the brink

of disaster. We therefore require today students with broad minds, people of

action capable of selfless service. Simple living and high thinking should be

the ideal, not high living and low thinking, which seems to be the maxim of

modern education."

In June 1966, Baba was at the High School for Girls, at Anantapur, the biggest

town in the District, and its capital, sixty miles from Prashanthi Nilayam, at

the invitation of the students there. The plight of the girls, who wanted

higher education, was required to travel long distances, needing time and

money. This affected Baba and He resolved there and then to establish a Women's

College at Anantapur, as soon as possible. This would be the beginning of an

Educational Revolution, with long-term ramifications for future students and

families.

Sai Baba gives urgent priority for education of women. He has stated in His book

"Dharma Vahini", -"No nation can be built strong and stable, except on the

spiritual culture of its women. This generation is full of unrighteousness and

injustice, malevolence and greed, falsehood and cruelty, because the mothers

who brought it up were not vigilant enough or intelligent enough, or because

they were not trusted enough by men with the responsibility of chastening and

fostering their children. What is past is past. To save at least the next

generation, women have to be educated in a well-planned manner and endowed with

the wisdom, fortitude and faith that can equip them for greater responsibility

that rests upon them."

The first College for Women was built and inaugurated by Sathya Sai Baba in

Anantapur, on July 22nd 1968. This gives young women in India, the same

educational opportunities, to qualify as doctors, surgeons, business people,

with equal status as their sisters in the West. Few Colleges opened with the

imposing array of equipment, books, furniture, and a skilled and enthusiastic

band of teachers.

The Minister in charge of Education in the Government of Andhra Pradesh,

presided over the public meeting, and stated that the occasion was not only for

the inauguration of just one College, but the beginning of many to come; a new

chapter in the annals of Women's Education itself. He knew that Baba had

announced the establishment of one or two Colleges in every State of India,

later to be knit together into a University. Sai Baba stated, "The prompting

behind this College is not the search for reputation or the desire to propagate

a cult, or hope of monetary profit. Fame is a fickle figment! Reputation rots

quite soon. Profit, when it is calculated in terms of cash, defiles. I have

allowed this College to rise because it will install into the minds of the

students the ideals of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and Prema, -- ideals delineated

in the

Vedas, described in the Sasthras, illustrated in the Epics, practiced by

countless generations and confirmed by experience, as best suited for

individuals and social progress. Every child born in Bharat (India), has the

right to know and benefit by this precious heritage. Agriculture is for living;

Atma-culture is for success in life. An educational system that keeps children

away from God, -the only Refuge, the only Kinsman, the only Guide and Guard, -

is a system where the blind are engaged in blinding those who long for Light."

"Women are the bulwarks of spiritual culture. But, as is evident from the

attitude and behavior of educated women today, they are fast succumbing to the

flimsy attractions of froth and frippery, cheap and shoddy literature and

sensual films."

So the race is on to establish new Colleges, as Baba views this project with a

sense of urgency. For the consequences of starving the spirit, when boys and

girls are preparing for the struggle that is life, are serious.

Addressing students, on one occasion, He said, "You may continue in this College

or leave and join some other one, returning home after completing your studies,

but wherever you are, I desire that you should shine forth as recipients of the

special attention we bestow upon you. Do not enter the fray of political

controversies. Politics at present, and perhaps always, is a sordid game, where

passions run high, power is sought through devious ways and prejudices are

fanned into hatred. You must become a new type of leader. Shaped in the

crucible of Seva (service), march into the future with the Light of the past,

as one who appreciates the wisdom that has been garnered through the ages."

He further stated in the Prospectus of the College, "Now that you have earned

the privilege of being students of this College, under the direct guidance and

fostering care of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, make up your minds to be worthy

students, remembering Baba's exhortation, 'Education without character is a

great danger'."

The day begins in the schools and colleges with Bhajans, meditation and prayer,

for which students and members of the staff, have to be present. The boys and

girls love Baba so much that they obey Him implicitly. They are afraid of His

neglecting or ignoring them, even for a moment that they are constantly

vigilant of discipline. The result is that all students of the Colleges

established by Baba, revere qualities of goodness, heights of sympathy, depths

of learning and shining devotion which few would believe they possess.

Equal devotion and dedication, is dispensed by Baba for the health of the

nation. He enjoins all devotees to keep their houses clean, being essential to

healthy living, and free of disease. Diet also contributes to the physical

well-being of mankind; it is important to be cautious of what we eat. He

advocates the non-eating of meats, indeed a total vegetarian diet. Equally,

non-smoking and no alcohol. In many ways we are all aware of the righteousness

of these restrictions, but find it difficult to come to terms with the

"giving-up", even when we accept the validity of the advice. There need be no

sacrifice in this effort, as a programme of gradual withdrawal is recommended,

should an immediate stop to the practices be too harsh and difficult to

attempt. However, the physical and spiritual rewards are great!

One October day in 1957, a hospital was inaugurated on the hillside behind the

Nilayam, commanding a magnificent panoramic view of the mountains sweeping down

to the banks of the Chitravathi. It consisted of six beds for female patients

and six for men. It was fully equipped for surgery and maternity needs, with

even an x-ray unit installed; rare indeed for a hospital of this size and at

that time.

Sai Baba chose the site, in spite of murmurings from the construction engineers.

Speaking at the opening, He said that there were no unbelievers, only those who

did not know nor had the opportunity to experience the Lord. "Everyone, rich

and poor, pious or not pious, was subject to disease." He said, He planned the

hospital for those who had no hospital for miles around, and that those who

came to the hospital for their physical ills will naturally turn to Prashanthi

Nilayam for treatment and cure of their spiritual ills.

At the Annual Day of the hospital, the Medical Officer in charge spoke of the

many miraculous recoveries that had happened through the Blessings of Baba.

Baba responded that it was more due to the spirit of Love and Service with

which every stone and brick of the building was saturated. The great Teacher

had now become the great Healer!

Thirty five years on, the Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medicine, known

generally as the "Super-Specialty" hospital, consisting of 300,000 sq. ft., was

built in record time on a 105 acre site, at Prashanthi Gram, 8 kilometers from

Prashanthi Nilayam, was inaugurated on November 22nd 1991. It was twelve months

to the day since Sathya Sai Baba announced at His 65th birthday celebrations,

before more than a million devotees, including 10,000 from 98 countries, that a

new unique hospital rose above the parched, dusty plains of South India. It was

an amazing feat by any standards of the West, but an even greater one

considering the limited resources of that area. Today a pink and blue

apparition, offering hope and comfort to

the poor of Andhra Pradesh, stands like a vast cathedral in the shimmering

sunshine. All treatment at the hospital is free to all patients, be they local

or foreign, regardless of race or religion, rich or poor. Who could have

dreamed that such a poor South Indian village of modest huts would boast a

modern hi-tech hospital?

Work started immediately after Baba made His fateful announcement. The finance

for the project was forthcoming for the most part, from the American

millionaire and founder of the Hard Rock Cafe chain of restaurants, Isaac

Tigrett. The next person to join the team, on the invitation of Tigrett, was

the British architect Keith Critchlow, a professor at the Royal College in

London, as well as director of the Prince of Wales' Institute of Architecture.

Critchlow, and his team of 15 architects, were presented with the daunting task

of designing a unique building which was to be completed and opened on Sai

Baba's birthday the following year! A mere twelve months! Several meetings with

Sai Baba ensued, whereupon initial designs were finally agreed and Keith

Critchlow's Triad Architects, working seventeen hours a day, had complete

working plans in an

amazing five months!…leaving the Indian construction company seven months to

complete it! A similar hospital complex would have taken seven years to build,

elsewhere in the world!

The challenge was also to construct a hospital which would have the effect of

welcoming and reassuring those who entered its portals. The heart-shaped

building is indicative of the care and love dispensed with the medical care,

and becoming a large tender heart-shaped building, pointing back to the heavens

with a flowered lotus on top, and as Keith Critchlow said, "Itself a symbol of

the completed consciousness. Because the symbol of health is the symbol of

wholeness and unity, the central feature of the hospital should be a symbol of

unity. In the human body, the heart, which is shaped like one's hand pointing

downwards, corresponds to the physical incarnate state. In the symbol of

architecture, we turn the heart around and point it back to God."

When the World Health Organisation learnt of the hospital project, it said it

was impossible, that it would not work, for several reasons. The main objection

was having a hospital in the middle of an arid desert which would create

problems of infection at the possible rate of 20% to 30%, because operations

required a totally sterile environment. But the WHO had not reckoned on the

Grace of Sai Baba and the devotion and energy of the team involved. At one time

as many as 2,000 - 3,000 craftsmen and laborers were employed on the scheme. A

senior physician stated at a meeting convened by the Sri Sathya Sai Institute

of Higher Medical Sciences, "This institute was born in the lap of Divinity

itself. It is therefore permeated with the fervor and fragrance of

spirituality. The practice of medicine in this hospital has a spiritual

dimension, a

breakthrough in the conceptual aspects of medicine." As Baba has often stressed,

"The doctor should think not only of the body, but the mind and conscience

also."

Despite its magnificence, the hospital echoes the best in Indian traditional

architecture, and is equally functional and solid. "Even the colonnaded end

pavilions are designed to be used as sleeping quarters for patients’

relatives," Critchlow said, and continues to point out that the hospital aims

to make patients and their families feel psychologically and spiritually, as

well as physically healed. "An example of this," he said, "is the placing of

wards in curved wings, doing away with the dreary hospital corridor. Courtyards

on either side of the wards bring air and sunlight into the building, as well as

keeping patients in touch with the natural world."

Sai Baba boldly champions the full integration of Ayurveda - India's ancient

healing science, based on subtle remedies, when most Indian medicine has

totally abandoned Ayurveda in favour of western allopathic medicine. He states,

"It is necessary to understand the difference between Ayurveda and allopathy.

Though it is not bound by time and space, Ayurveda is bound by mind, intellect

and self. Hence, mind, body and Self play a very important role in Ayurveda.

While allopathy is an external science, Ayurveda relates to the inner feelings.

Doctors have to integrate the essence of the two."

He continues to add that we have to observe more, the laws and the soul of

nature to ensure both a healthier body and planet. "The air we breathe is not

pure. The water we drink is not pure. The food we eat is not pure. The sound we

hear is not pure. All the five elements of nature are polluted. This pollution

has caused diseases never heard of before. Any violation of the law of nature

leads to sickness. There is a teacher for nature. That teacher is God. We

should know the teacher of nature."

An interesting statistic on the hospital is the extremely low mortality rate of

2% and an infection rate of under 1%, which speaks highly of the caliber of the

skilled and experienced specialists employed at the hospital. The current

capacity is 350 inpatients and up to 600 daily outpatients, with plans to

expand. There has been as many as 17,000 heart, kidney and brain operations.

Many western doctors and specialists give their services free on vacation trips

to India, and others have taken early retirement, leaving home to take up

positions at this remarkable "Palace of Healing".

At a public discourse in the enormous Poornachandra Auditorium, on July 14,

1992, Sathya Sai Baba said, "We have built the Super-Specialty Hospital here.

Why did we start it? Many people suffer from many diseases. It is difficult to

expect everyone to develop Divine feelings of devotion and surrender. Some

people have faith in medicines, some in operations and some others in doctors.

Whether it is a verandah or a choultry, it is enough if one sleeps. Similarly,

here our purpose is that people should get rid of their ailments, given good

health and live happily. Further, many experts like Dr. Venugopal and his team

from Delhi, and the team from Hyderabad are performing the

operations with great devotion and dedication. What is the reason for all these

people to come here and carry on the operations? Apart from their faith and

devotion, they have the good aspiration to give joy to one and all. They do all

this keeping Swami in view.

"Earlier, the heart operation was a very frightening thing and people would

shudder at the prospect of this operation. They would be afraid of the

consequences. The patients would cry and make their kit and kin cry. But in

Prasanthi Nilayam today, heart operation has become an easy thing like removing

the thorn from one's foot. None has any fear. There is fearlessness! Even little

children come to our Hospital with a smile on their face. When Swami went to the

Hospital a little child in the cot who was operated, saluted Him with a broad

smile on her face. Neither her parents not relatives were there but she was

full of joy. What is the cause? It is because of the environment. Their faith

is mainly responsible for this. All the things are going on very joyfully.

Everyone thinks of God's work. There is no trace of ego in those who work

here.

"Faith is most important for success or failure. It is faith or lack of faith

which is responsible. Without this faith if you get into argumentation in the

name of devotion, it is only the effect of ego and ostentation.

"If you want to understand Divinity, you should have firm faith that Divinity is

everywhere. There is no place or object without Divinity. Gurupoornima

(festival) means full moon without any defect or lacuna. Moon is nothing but

mind. When the mind is completely perfect, it sheds light. Gurupoornima is not

performed by circum-ambulation and offerings to the Guru. What is the real

offering? It is the offering of one's love. To know that God exists everywhere

is circumambulation. If you understand these terms, everyday is Gurupoornima.

There is only one Guru, that is God, and there is no other Guru. Contemplate on

that Guru."

To facilitate patients coming to the Hospital from long distances, Sathya Sai

Baba had an airport constructed adjacent to it. This is also a boon to

travelers to the ashram in Puttaparthi, thus avoiding the long bus or taxi

journeys, in the heat, from Bangalore or Madras. The plane journey between

Mumbai (Bombay) and Puttaparthi, takes about one and a half hours and is a

great energy

saver.

A planned innovation is a railway station constructed between Penukonda and the

village of Puttaparthi with the first train expected in April 2000. On the 19th

October 1999, the foundation stone for the College of

FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Music (International) was laid next to the Prashanthi Nilayam

Campus, and it will be ready on October 2000!

Referring to the Music University, Sai Baba stated that it will be a synthesis

of ancient and modern art forms. The building complex will have the shape of

several musical instruments such as the Mrudangam, the Tampura, a conch in the

middle, and a Sitar, etc. Just the mere sight of the building will convey to

the viewer that it is a centre of musical excellence!

In the meantime, a generous offer was extended to Sai Baba, by state officials,

in handing Him the titles to 70 acres of land for the construction of another

Super- Specialty Hospital, this time in Bangalore city, where they will supply

water and electricity. Upon hearing they plans, a

wealthy American Sai devotee came forward and offered the necessary funding for the project.

Another example of Sathya Sai Baba`s benevolence to the millions of poor people

in South India, was demonstrated when He announced the immense task of

constructing a free fresh water supply for the drought prone area of Anantapur

District. This was inaugurated on the 70th Birthday of Sai Baba, on November

23rd. 1995, and the President of India, Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma, started the

flow of drinking water with the words, "Today, we see before us testimony of

what can be achieved by commitment to service and dedication to the people's

welfare. A year ago Baba had referred to the acute water shortage in Anantapur

District, which is a chronically drought prone area of the State. In providing

relief, He was veritably giving a gift of life, for without water, there can be

no existence. Quenching the thirst of a people is an act unsurpassed in its

nobility."

He continued, "The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, rose magnificently to meet the

challenge of Baba's call. With His blessings, a monumental endeavor was

undertaken to provide water to 802 villages in a district covering more than

19,000 sq. kms. and a population of 3.5 million. The enormity of the task was

only matched by the speed and efficiency with which the Sri Sathya Sai Drinking

Water Project was executed. The entire Anantapur District now has access to

drinking water.

I congratulate all those who, inspired by Baba, have given their time and effort

to realise this dream."

To alleviate the severe hardship of acute water shortage and arsenic poisoning

of wells, the construction involved hundreds of miles of pipe lines, summer

storage tanks, reservoirs, canals, and infiltration and collection wells. The

total cost of the Project was US $70 million!

CONTINUED…

Sent with Sai love by Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

/

Courtesy and Source: www.geocities.com/gallivanpatrick