Guest guest Posted August 21, 2004 Report Share Posted August 21, 2004 Om Sri Sai Ram Ganesha Mantra: AUM Gung Ganapathaye Namah Ganesh Gayatri Tat purushaaya vidmahe Vakratundaaya dheemahi Tanno dhanti prachodayaat Mushikavaahana Modaka Hastha, Chaamara Karna Vilambitha Sutra, Vaamana Rupa Maheshwara Putra, Vighna Vinaayaka Paada Namasthe MEANING: "O Lord Vinayaka! The remover of all obstacles, the son of Lord Shiva, with a form which is very short, with mouse as Thy vehicle, with sweet pudding in hand, with wide ears and long hanging trunk, I prostrate at Thy lotus-like Feet!" SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM The Life Stories of the Two Avatars of the Age – [48] SHRI SAI SATCHARITA The Life of the Divine Avatar Sai Baba of Shirdi By Hemadpant Sainatha Sainatha Sainatha Sadgurum Yogiraja Yugapurusha Bhaktakoti Vanditham Kripanidhim Tapodhanim Sainatha Pahimaam Divyateja Bhavyamoorthi Punyacharita Poojitam CHAPTER XLVIII Warding off Devotee's Calamities - Stories of (1) Shevade and (2) Sapatneker At the commencement of this Chapter, some one asked Hemadpant whether Sai Baba was a Guru or Sadguru. In order to answer the question Hemadpant describes the signs or marks of a Sadguru as follows: - SIGNS OF SADGURU He who teaches us Veda and Vedanta or the six Sasthras (systems), he who controls the breath, or brands his body with Mudras (metallic marks of Vishnu's weapons) or gives pleasing discourses regarding Brahma, he who gives mantras (sacred syllables) to the disciples and orders them to chant the same a certain number of times, but does not assure them any result in a definite time, he who by his spacious wordy knowledge explains beautifully the Ultimate Principle, but has himself got no experience or self-realization, is not a Sadguru. But he, who by his discourse creates in us, distaste for the enjoyments of this world and the next, and gives us a taste of self-realization, who is well-versed in both the theoretical and practical knowledge (self-realization) deserves to be called a Sadguru. How can he, who is himself devoid of self-realization, give it to the disciples? A Sad-guru {Sadguru} does not, even in his dream, expect any service or profit from his disciples. On the contrary he wishes to serve them. He does not think that he is great and the disciple small. Not only he loves him as his son but regards him a equal to himself or as Brahma. The main characteristic of a Sadguru is, that he is the abode of peace. He is never restless nor ruffled. He has no pride of his learning. The poor and the rich, the small and the great, are the same to him. Hemadpant thinks that on account of the store or accumulation of merits in his past births, he had the good fortune of meeting and being blessed by such a Sadguru as Sai Baba. Even in full youth, He hoarded nothing (expect perhaps chillum). He had no family, no friend, no home, nor any support. Since He was eighteen, His control of mind was perfect and extra-ordinary. He lived then fearless in a secluded place and always abided in His Self. On seeing the pure attachment of His devotees, He always acted in their interests, and hence, He was in a way dependent on them. What experiences He gave to His devotees, while he was living in flesh, are even today, after His Maha Samadhi, felt now by those who attach themselves to Him. What the devotees have to do is this-They have to trim their heart-lamp, of faith and devotion, and burn in it wicks of love, and when this is done, the flame of knowledge (self-realization) will be lit up and shine brighter. Mere knowledge, without love, is dry; nobody wants such knowledge. Without love there is no contentment; so love? How can we praise love? Everything is insignificant before it. Without love our reading, hearing and the study are of no avail. In the wake of love, follow devotion, dispassion, peace and liberation with all their treasures. We do not get love for anything, unless we feel earnestly about it. So where there is real yearning and feeling God manifests Himself. It includes love and it is the means of liberation. Now let us revert to the main story of this Chapter, Let a man go to a true Saint with a pure mind, even otherwise (fraudulently) and hold his feet; ultimately he is sure to be saved. This is illustrated by the following stories. MR. SHEVADE Mr. Sapatneker of Akkalkot (Sholapur District) was studying for law. A co-student Mr. Shevade met him. Other fellow students also gathered together and compared notes of their study. It was found, by the question and answers amongst themselves, that Mr. Shevade was the least prepared of all for the examinations, and therefore, all the students derided him. But he said that though he was not prepared, he was sure to pass the examination, as his Sai Baba was there to get him through it, successfully. Mr. Satnekar was surprised at this remark. He took Mr. Shevade aside and asked him, who this Sai Baba was whom He extolled so high. He replied- There lives in a Masjid in Shirdi (Ahmednagar District) A Fakir. He is a great Satpurush. There may be other Saints, but this is unique. Unless there is a great store of merits on one's account, one can't see Him. I fully believe in Him, and what He says will be never untrue. He has assured me that I will pass definitely next year and I am confident that I will get through the final examination also with His grace. Mr. Sapatnekar laughed at his friend's confidence and jeered at him and Baba. SAPATNEKARS Mr. Sapatnekar passed his examination settled at Akkalkot and practiced as a pleader there. Ten years after this, i.e., in 1913 he lost his only son on account of a throat disease. This broke his heart. He sought relief by making a pilgrimage to Pandharpur, Gangapur and other holy places. He got no peace of mind. Then he read Vedanta, which also did not help him. In the meanwhile, he remembered Mr. Shevade's remarks and his faith in Baba, and he though that he too should go to Shirdi and see Baba. He went to Shirdi with his younger brother Panditrao and was much pleased to see Baba from a distance. When he went near and prostrated himself and placed a coconut before Baba with pure feeling (devotion), the latter at once cried out "Get away." Sapatnekar hung down his head moved back and sat aside. He wanted to consult somebody, who would advise him how to proceed. Somebody mentioned Bala Shimpi's name. Sapatnekar saw him and sought his help. They bought Baba's photos and came with them to the Masjid. Bala Shimpi too, a photo in his hand, gave it to Baba and asked him whose photo it was. Baba said that this photo was the 'Yara' (Lover) of him, pointing to Sapatnekar. Saying this Baba laughed and all other joined. Bala asked Baba the significance of the laugh and beckoned Sapatnekar to come forward and take Darshan. When Sapatnekar began to prostrate himself, Baba again cried "Get out". Sapatnekar did not know what to do. Then they both joined their hands and sat before Baba, praying. Baba finally ordered Sapatnekar, to clear out immediately. Both were sad and dejected. As Baba's order had to be obeyed, Sapatnekar left Shirdi with a heavy heart praying that he should be allowed to take Darshan, next time. MRS. SAPATNEKAR One year lapsed. Still his mind was not a peace. He went to Gangapur, where he felt more restless. Then he went to Madhegaon for rest; and finally decided to go to Kashi. Two days before starting, his wife got a vision. In her dream she was going with a pitcher to Lakadsha's well. There a fakir with a piece of cloth round his head, who was sitting at the foot of the Neem tree, came close to her and said -My dear lassie, why get exhausted for nothing? I get your pitcher filled with pure water. She was afraid of the fakir and hastened back with the empty pitcher. The fakir followed her. At this, she was awakened and opened her eyes. She told this vision to her husband. They thought, that this was an auspicious sign; and they both left for Shirdi. When they reached the Masjid, Baba was absent. He had gone to Lendi. They waited, till His return. When he returned, she was surprised to see that the fakir she saw in her vision resembled exactly Baba. She reverentially prostrated herself before Baba and sat looking at him. On seeing her humility Baba was much pleased and began to tell a story in his peculiar characteristic fashion to a third party. He said- My arms, abdomen and waist are paining for a long time. I took many medicines, the pains did not abate. I got sick of the medicines as they gave Me no relief, but I am surprised to see now that all the pains have disappeared at once.' Though no name was mentioned it was the story of Mrs. Sapatnekar herself. Her pains, as described by Baba, left her soon, and she was happy. Then Mr. Sapatnekar went ahead to take Darshan. He was again welcomed with the former "Get out". This time, he was more penitent and persevering. He said that Baba's displeasure was due to his past deeds and resolved to make amends for the same. He determined to see Baba alone and ask his pardon for his past actions. This he did. He placed his head on Baba's Feet, and Baba placed His hand on it, and Sapatnekar sat stroking Baba's Leg. Then a shepherdess came and sat massaging Baba's waist. Baba in His characteristic way began to tell the story of a bania. He related the various vicissitudes of all his life, including the death of his only son. Sapatnekar was surprised to see that the story, which Baba related, was his own, and he wondered how Baba knew every detail of it. He came to know, that He was Omniscient; and knew the hearts of all. When this thought crossed his mind, Baba still addressing the shepherdess and pointing to Sapatnekar said-This fellow blames Me and charges Me with the killing of the son. Do I kill people's children? Why does this fellow come to the Masjid and cry? Now I will do this, I will again bring, that very child back in his wife's womb. With these words, He placed His blessing hand on is head and comforted him saying-These feet are old and holy, you are care-free now; place entire faith in Me and you will soon get your object. Sapatnekar was much moved with emotion, he bathed Baba's Feet with his tears; and then returned to his residence. Then he made preparations for worship and naiveidya and came with his wife to the Masjid. He offered all this to Baba daily and accepted prasad from Him. There was a crowd in the Masjid and Sapatnekar went there, and saluted Babu again and again. On seeing heads clashing against heads Baba said to Sapatnekar- "Oh, why do you prostrate yourself now and then? The one Namaskar offered with love and humility is enough". Then Sapatnekar witnessed that night the Chavadi procession described before. In that procession Baba looked like a veritable Panduranga (Vithal). At the parting next day, Sapatnekar thought that he should first pay one rupee as Dakshina and if Baba asked again, instead of saying no, he should pay one more, reserving with him sufficient amount as expenses for the journey. When he went to the Masjid and offered one rupee, Baba asked for another as per his intention and when it was paid, Baba blessed him saying- Take the coconut, put it in your wife's oti (upper fold of her sari), and go away at ease without the least anxiety. He did so, and within a year, a son was born to him and with a infant of 8 months the party came to Shirdi, placed it at Baba's Feet and prayed thus- "Oh, Sainath, we do not know how to redeem Your obligations, therefore, we prostrate ourselves before You, bless us poor helpless fellows, henceforth, let Your holy Feet be our sole refuge. Many thoughts and ideas trouble us in waking and dream states, so turn away our minds from them to Your Bhajan and bless us". The son was named Muralidhar. Two other (Bhaskar and Dinkar) were born afterwards. The Sapatnekar pair thus realized that Baba's words were never untrue and unfulfilled, but turned out literally true. MIRACLES OF SAI BABA The villagers of Shirdi and afar soon found out that this was no ordinary fakir but an avatar (incarnation) of a very high order. He demonstrated through his miracles and utterances, the purpose and intention for which he had come. He would often say, "My Leela is inscrutable". To each one he met, he imparted knowledge according to the capacity of the recipient to absorb it. Baba's Leela's (miracles) were plenty and varied, and we recount just a few which occurred during and after his lifetime. LIGHTING LAMPS WITH WATER Long before Sai Baba's fame spread, he was fond of burning lights in his Masjid and other Temples. But for the oil needed in those little earthenware lights that he lit, he depended on the generosity of the grocers of Shirdi. He had made it a rule to light earthenware lamps in the Masjid every evening and he would call on the grocers for small donations. But there came a time when the grocers got tired of giving oil free to Sai Baba and one day they bluntly refused to oblige him, saying they had no fresh stocks. Without a word of protest Sai Baba returned to the Masjid. Into those earthenware lamps he poured water and lighted the wicks. The lamps continued to burn deep into the midnight. The matter came to the notice of the grocers who now came to Sai Baba with profuse apologies. Wouldn't Sai Baba kindly pardon them? Sai Baba pardoned them, but he warned them never to lie again. "You could have refused to give me the oil, but did you have to say that you didn't have fresh stocks?" he admonished them. But he had made his point. PREMONITION OF BURNING FIELDS Once, harvesting in Shirdi had been completed and the food grains of the entire village had been stored in a yard. The summer was on. The heat was intense as only those who have lived in Shirdi know. One afternoon Sai Baba summoned Kondaji Sutar and said to him: "Go, your field is on fire" Frightened, Kondaji ran to his field and. frantically looked around for any sign of fire. There wasn't any. He returned to the Masjid and informed Sai Baba that he had looked everywhere but had found no trace of fire and why did Baba have to frighten him? Unfazed, Baba said: "You better turn back and look again." Baba was right after all. Kondaji noticed that a sheaf of corn was indeed on fire and smoke was billowing from it. A strong wind was fanning the fire and word had gone round to the villagers who now came running to the scene. "Sai Baba," the people shouted "help us; help us put the fire out!" Thereupon, Sai Baba walked casually towards the yard, sprinkled some water on a stack of sheaves and said: “There now! The fire will die down!" And so it happened. STOPPING THE RAIN There is the story of one Rao Bahadur Moreshwar Fradhan who had come to Shirdi to take Sai Baba's Darshan along with his wife. As the couple were about to leave, it began to rain heavily. Thunder and lightning rent the air. As the Pradhan couple looked round in dismay, Sai Baba prayed. "Oh Allah!" he intoned, "let the rains cease. My children are going home. Let them go peacefully!" The storm thereupon ceased, the downpour reduced to slight drizzle and the Pradhans were able to reach their destination safely. RAISING THE WATER LEVEL IN WELL When Sai Baba first came to Shirdi it had of no basic facilities. There was a well put only in name. It had no natural spring water and if ever there had been one, it must long ago have dried up. Water had to be fetched from a distance. When, therefore, Sai Baba gave his permission to the villagers to celebrate the Ram Navami Fair, (Baba's Birthday) the big problem facing the organizers was one of water supply. So What should they do but go to Sai Baba with their problem? "'Oh yes," said Sai Baba, 'so you want plenty of water, do you? Here, take this and drop it in the well and wait and see.'This," turned up to be a platter of flowers on which some prasad (blessed food) had been placed along with the remnants of alms Baba had received earlier in the day. The villagers had no qualms about doing as they were did. Their faith in Sai Baba was total. No sooner had that platter of leaves been dropped in the well, it is said, water rose from the bottom as if by divine command and completely filled it. And great was the rejoicing of the people. SAVING A CHILD FROM DROWNING One report has it that word had spread that the 3-year old daughter of a poor man called Babu Kirwandikar had fallen into the well and had been drowned. When the villagers rushed to the well they saw the child suspended in mid-air as if some invisible hand was holding her up! She was quickly pulled out. Sai Baba was fond of that child who was often heard to say: I am Baba's sister!" After this incident, the villagers took her at her word. "It is all Baba's Leela", the people would say philosophically. They could offer no other explanation. FLOW OF GODAVARI (RIVER) FROM BABA'S FEET These were instances of things they had seen with their own eyes. It was not secondhand information they had gathered. Sai Baba was to them as real as their homes and their fields and their cattle and the distant hills as Ganu once had an unforgettable experience. On a festive occasion, he sought Baba's permission to go to a place called Singba on the banks of the Godavari to have a bath in the holy waters. "No," Baba replied resolutely, "where is the need to go all the way when the 10pt">Godavari is here right at my feet?" Das Ganu was vexed. He was willing to concede that Ganga the holy river (Baba frequently referred to Godavari as Ganga) rose from the feet of Sri Narayana (one among the Hindu trinity of Gods) himself, but his faith was not deep enough to believe that the waters of the Godavari could spring form the feet of his master, Sri Sai. Baba who was reading Das Ganu's mind decided that this was the time to strengthen Das Ganu's faith. He told his devotee: "come closer to me and hold the hollow of your palms at my feet!” As soon as he did so water flowed freely out of the toes of the master's feet and filled the hollow of Das Ganu's palms in no time. His joy knew no limits. He sprinkled the water on his head and his body and distributed some more among the assembled devotees as tirtha (holy water). OTHER MIRACLES There was that other occasion when many thought that the Masjid which housed Sai Baba itself would be consumed by fire from the flames which leapt up from the Dhuni. All that Baba did was to take some swipes at a wooden pillar in front of him. With every blow the flames subsided and the fire died down. "Miraculous," said his devotees. Often they would notice him stirring some hot concoction over the kitchen fire, not with a ladle but with his bare hands. There never was a time when his hand was scalded. What supernatural powers did he have? On yet another occasion, Sai Baba was partaking of food with three of his devotees in the Masjid when, without any cause for provocation, he exclaimed- "Stop!" Then, as if nothing had happened, the four continued with their meal. Lunch over and the dishes cleared, they stepped out of the Masjid, when large chunks of the ceiling fell on the very spot where they had been seated only a few minutes earlier. Did Sai Baba's powers extend even to inanimate matter, the devotees wondered. Instances have been quoted by his devotees as to how Sai Baba commanded the rains to stop and the winds to cease. UNDERSTANDING SAI BABA Baba always maintained the "Dhuni" or the perpetual fire. The realisation that all the phenomenon of the nature are perishable and unworthy of our craving, is signified by "Udi" which Sal Baba distributed to all. Baba never left Shirdi. He talked to people who came to see Him. Sal Baba would often speak in symbols and parables leaving his devotees to work out the answer - such as, "A man had a beautiful horse, but no matter what he did, it would not run in harness. An expert suggested that it should be taken back to the place from where it had come. This was done and it becomes traceable and useful". The explanation of this story is that the horse is the Ego. As commander of the physical and mental powers of man, it is useful but self-willed and therefore causes endless trouble. Taking it back to its source is re-absorbing it in the spirit source which it arises. It is the return to the source which purifies and enlightens. From there the ego issues forth again, no longer an ego, but a conscious agent of the spirit. Baba would ask for Dakshina (money offered with respect to the Guru) from some of those who came to see Him. This was not because he needed their money. This was one of Baba's methods for testing out the devotee's attachment to worldly things and willingness to surrender his ego. Once one has surrendered himself totally to Him, Baba takes care of all His spiritual and temporal needs. Baba regarded money like everything else, in a symbolical manner. He once said, " I ask only from those who the fakir (God) points out and in exchange I give them ten times as much". By the end of the day, all the money Baba had earned was distributed to the destitute, poor, sick and the needy. Baba used to feed the fakirs and devotees and even cook for them. For those who were accustomed to meat, he cooked meat and for the others vegetarian fare. The Dwarakamayi of Sai Baba was open to all, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Among those who came to see him and got his Darshan (establishing spiritual contact with the Guru) and blessings were ministers, government officials, business people and village folk. He was the common man's God. He stayed with them, he joked with them, He slept and ate with them, he smoked a chillum (pipe) with them, he sang and danced with them, having no pretensions of a God. But all of them knew that He protected them. Even today, though He has left his gross body, they feel his presence and realise his worth all the more. Baba would also refer to the sounding of the drum of the beginning of eternity within the soul. This "anahat" sound emerged from Baba's heart from every limb, every bone and pore of his body. It was permeated with divine essence and Baba claimed that though one day his physical body will not exist, his remains will communicate with from the grave. Therefore, the most important place in Shirdi is Baba's temple - the Samadhi Mandir is his grave, which literally millions have visited and still continues to draw many more. BOW TO SHRI SAI - PEACE BE TO ALL ***** SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - PART III [12] – Concluding of Part-III The Life of the Divine Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba - [1969-1972] N. Kasturi M.A., B.L. LIVE IN LOVE 'Come with empty hands and carry away My Love' "Some wear a provocative twinkle of a skilled dialectician, or have a raised brow of pedantry. They are too keen to decry others advertising themselves. They are like vultures flying high only to seek carrion over a wider circle," writes an aspirant who went around India seeking a Guru. Paul Brunton was advised to pray every day to God so that he may be led to the Man in whom God is at present incarnated. The Incarnation comes down through Love, and so, the mark of the Incarnation is above all, Love. Try and see yourself in all, then you will not love one person more and another less, realizing that they are both yourself. When love is shared peace reigns. All worldly relationships are based on the principle of give and take. The highest form of love is expressed between a devotee and God, the devotee being intent on merging with Divinity. Thereupon love flows towards everything and every being. According to Baba, God is Love; the lover is the individual, and the beloved, is nature. Knowing fully well that nature is under the complete control of God, why be under its spell? Realizing God's prevalence everywhere let us learn to love the Creator, since creation is nothing but His manifestation. Baba says that we should direct all our thoughts towards God. But we cannot do so until our minds are under control. It is only through protracted practice that we can succeed in living in God, that is, in Love through His Grace. Almost everything that goes wrong in the relationship of man with man, goes wrong because the self-impulses outweigh the altruistic impulses, or because we overvalue the satisfaction of appetite and undervalue the satiation of our spiritual hunger. True happiness for human beings is possible only to those who develop their Godlike potentialities to the utmost. This is the way to God, known as the path of Love. In the Gita, the Lord said, "The Lord, O Arjuna, is seated in the hearts of all beings; fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, prostrate before Me, so shall you come to Me." You have no reason to fear God, for love transcends doubt and fear. Love God as a companion, and respect Him, as a devotee must. Baba becomes childlike in the company of children, a scholar among scholars, a doctor among doctors, out of His Love, for He wants to put everyone at ease. Feeding the poor, service to those in jails, visiting the deaf and the dumb, the blind, leprosarium, mental hospitals, these have been laid down by Him as the highest Sadhana. "When you sit for Japam or Dhyana, if you hear one groan, rise and investigate. Helping the person to get rid of the pain gives you more spiritual merit than the Dhyana you miss." Baba's love for his devotees is expressed in many ways. Once at Dharmakshetra there was a gathering of teachers of the Bal Vikas in Sathyadeep. After the meeting commenced, the Bhajan party from below the hill was also invited to join. Hurrying up the steep incline many were short of breath, but one elderly lady seemed to suffer a great deal. Baba made her sit down leaning against the wall, under a fan. Then He disappeared for a moment, only to reappear with a glass of water, which He gave the lady to drink. He cannot tolerate any one standing in the sun waiting for Darshan and is bothered when, due to rain, devotees are drenched. During the hot summer months, Baba allows the Prayer Hall at the Nilayam to be used by old or sick women to sleep in. It is Love that prompts Him to distribute sweets to each individual Himself, though there be thousands present, and to eat ever simple food, so that even the poorest person may offer Him hospitality. The practical application of Love is clearly seen also as Baba walks gracefully between lines of people, who wait patiently, to be selected, for a private interview. Ailing children are picked out for a special blessing; they are spoken to or given Vibhuthi! The sick, the aged, the socially spurned and economically backward are all dearly loved by Him and cared for. He uses a Telugu proverb to assure you that however far you may sit, or however many the number of people around you, He will spot and bless, provided your prayer is sincere. He says, "You are of the Sai Body - be happy that you are a limb - do not complain that you are only the foot, or be proud that you are the head, for it is the same blood stream of Love that circulates and sustains both!" When people come to Him, pathetically crippled, unable to bend and touch His Feet, He raises a Foot so that it can confer the healing balm of peace! "I always anticipate the prayer, the moment of calamity for my Bhaktas, and I intercede in time to help them or save them," He says. He has spoken of the Seed of Love planted in the heart of men, sprouting in the family, spreading over kith and kin, the village, the community and finally bringing under its shade the whole of mankind. When teaching meditation, He directs the concentration on the flame or candle or lamp as the best. "Imagine the flame in the middle of the brow; imagine the light entering the cave of the heart and illuminating it. Let this Light destroy all hate, greed and ego, and let it flood your entire being. Then let it emanate from you and take into its fold wider and wider circles, embracing all mankind - all beings you regard as friendly, and even those you have set aside as unfriendly." Years ago Baba stayed for a few days at Horsley Hills, which is 3800 ft. above sea level. Twice a day He would take us to some beauty spot where we could peacefully learn from Him spiritual matters. Our little camp situated as it was amid the hills was inaccessible except by jeep; so our food and water for drinking had to be hauled up by the villagers from the small hamlet at the foot of the hills; for other purposes a buffalo at the bungalow helped to transport water from a well, in skin bags slung across its back! All enjoyed this quiet sylvan beauty, and we were privileged to share it with Baba. Then came the day when we had to break camp and return. Baba proposed that we walk down together. He suggested that we try and see who could run down the fastest! Baba interrupted, saying, "Wait, I will be back in a minute," and went into the garden. Some of us quietly followed Him, and found Him taking leave of the buffalo! He patted it affectionately saying, "You have done Me good service, Bangaroo," (a term of great affection, meaning Gold) Baba is kind to all who serve Him in and through all, even in the littlest way. In the village of Bikkatti in the Nilgiri Hills lived a lame dog called Kuttan, meaning 'the lame one'. He was a very old loving dog, yet alert where strangers were concerned. Baba on visiting the village in 1962, walked down the carpets laid out for Him. Kuttan strained at the leash by which he was held lest he bounce on Baba! But Baba stopped and patted him and asked that he be let loose saying, "Bangaroo! Leave him alone, he is a pure Atma." So Kuttan followed Baba up the dais, sat and listened to the Bhajans, and later followed Him into the kitchen where Baba, after blessing the food, asked that Kuttan be fed first! When he finished his meal he walked up the decorated dais and stood beside Baba's chair, watching the long lines of villagers having their food. After a while Kuttan placed his head upon 'Baba's footstool' and, within a few minutes breathed his last. Everyone felt that he was a pure soul; he was buried near the dais, in a flower-shroud. Baba has had many pets - dogs, rabbits, peacocks, and now the elephant Sai Gita who adores her Master so much that, should He be away for long, she sheds tears! If stray dogs are led away from the Nilayam so that their barking may not disturb the silence of the place, instructions are issued that they be taken to a place where food is available. He asks, "Of what avail is it to simply worship My Name and My Form, without attempting to cultivate My Samathwa - equal love towards all, Shanthi - unruffled equanimity, Prema - love, Sahana - patience and fortitude, and Ananda - blissful nature! I sing Bhajans after every discourse for your sake, not Mine, so as to enable you to become aware of the sweetness of the Name, which cleanses the mind, by which you can realize that God is ever with you in your physical and spiritual being." God has, it is said, two types of deluding powers, Avidyamaya and Vidyamaya. Sometimes His Maya makes us feel that He is a mere human, and we partake of acts which inflate the ego, making us feel important and all powerful. The fog of pride hides the Reality. This is Avidya. When we submit to His Will, He shows signs and wonders that make us eager to follow the right path. This is Vidyamaya, from which we learn that it is in Him we live and move and have our being. 'He' and 'we' are one. Only thus do we cleanse and purify our attitudes, habits and judgments, and discover God in His true Manifestation, that is, as living in all things created. The recognition that others and we are mere puppets in His hands will be imprinted on our consciousness through the meaningful recitation of His Name; then we start dwelling in Him, through Him, and for Him. People from all parts of the world who have had the privilege of being near His Lotus Feet try to remodel their lives, change their worldview, and their sense of values. This silent psychological revolution affecting lakhs of people illustrates the Gift of Grace. The real Sadhana, according to Baba, is to rake up the field of our heart and to cultivate in it the most valuable crop we can. The heart is the field, and in that field we have overgrown valueless weeds. Keep waters of love for the seeds. Then plough it with Sadhana. Those seeds will grow up and give us the crop of Jnana. BEACON OF BLISS Confusing and confounding stories depicting the illness of Baba, and details of the operation that was not performed, generating distressing news that He would not be able to make a public appearance for months, filled the drooping hearts of devotees in Bombay with fear and anxiety. These uncalled for fears, the progeny of rumor and hallucination were allayed by Baba's Presence at Dharmakshetra on Christmas Day. The gathering heard a long discourse, followed by many Bhajan songs, from Baba. They heard the authentic version of the assumption of the illness and its equally sudden dismissal. Illness had appeared to affect that holy Body, but in fact it cannot afflict it. It had been a passing phase: belonging to someone it came and went like a passing cloud. "But, I have no contact with it; many people, however have the courage to suggest to Me ways and means of dealing with such situations!" According to them the Swami should not allow the illness of another to come upon Him, causing sufferance to Lakhs of people. Baba told the gathering that it is His duty to take upon Himself the suffering of those who surround Him. Likewise it is the duty of His devotees too to suffer on that account. But the truth is, there is no suffering, and as such no reason to get anxious. Christ sacrificed His life or the sake of those who put their faith in Him. Service is God; Sacrifice is God - that was His Declaration. The whole world can derive joy from that Divine assurance. "Do not grieve, the Savior who will take on your grief, has come." On the first day of the New Year, the Kamanis, the famous industrialists had the privilege of welcoming Baba at Kurla. Their Community Hall, which is really a Prayer Hall, was declared open that day. Even though entrance to the commodious auditorium was restricted by passes only, there was not an inch of space even to change one's sitting posture. The auditorium consisted of workers and their families. The area was tastefully decorated with simple unostentatious dignity, television sets provided the entire gathering with the thrill of Darshan. The words of wisdom contained in the Discourse delivered on January 1, 1971 by Sri Sathya Sai Baba at the premises of a massive industrial establishment in Bombay have great relevance to modern 10pt">India. Commenting on this, the Bhavan's Journal wrote, "When a sage brings his mind down from the higher realms of beatitude to dwell on a mundane matter like employer-employee relations, the subject is bound to acquire a new dimension and a fresh sparkle of spirituality." While exhorting the employees to develop the enthusiasm to earn rights by fulfilling obligations, Baba also exhorted the employers to take care of the employees and provide amenities to their children to develop a strong and virtuous character. To put it in the words of the Divine Master: "Happiness and peace are mental conditions which grow in the soil of love, and not of power, affluence or skill." "The tree of life yields as its most precious fruit, the quality of Love, sweet fruits have bitter rinds. This fruit too is encased in a thick bitter six-fold rind, composed of lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hate. If these are negated and the rind removed, the nectarine sweetness of Love can be tasted and taken into the system. Those who make effort to explore into that treasure of Love within, they alone can have the Peace and Bliss. Sadhana is the name of process by which man discovers the Spring of Universal Love within him, by which he is privileged to share it with all beings." Riches of various kinds, possessions and power, name and fame - these are not of much worth; the precious possession called Love is the very breath of Life for man. A heart devoid of Love is an altar plunged in darkness. Bats of evil passions will make it their home. They will render it in a dirty sinking seat of chaos. Only the Light of Love can illumine the heart and drive away these vicious inhabitants. We have here, gathered in thousands, the employees of the Kamani factories. The industrial, agricultural, mercantile, political and administrative fields are as Five Vital Airs to the human community. They have to be Healthy and Harmonious, so that Mankind can live in Peace and Prosperity. If these five are aware of their interrelationship and interdependence and if they lovingly co-operate in common endeavor, this country, and the world too, can celebrate each day as a festival day, can festoon each door-sill in green. But, at the present time, the bond of love and mutual co-operation is absent. There are factions in each of these fields, each producing its own share of confusion; so, the country is heading every moment into deeper and deeper anxiety. People are moving about in fear, grasping their lives n the palm of the hand, doubtful what the next moment holds for them. This is not a proper state of things to be welcomed. Emotions and Passions have a way of suddenly rising into devastating floods. Really speaking, every worker has to earn the authority, before standing forth as a part of the Organisation, of which he is a limb. Emotion and passion have to arise out of earned authority; now, they surge forward from persons who do not carry out the duties undertaken by them. Authority and Influence have to emerge from the discharge of one's duties. Then only will they be effective. We must be convinced that rights are deserved only by the discharge of obligations. But today, agitation is only for rights; there is no enthusiasm to earn right, by fulfilling obligations. Every one must work with the consciousness that Duty is God and that Work is Worship. If devotion to duty is developed and all work is done as sincerely and as correctly as acts of worship, then each one can be happy, and society will be free from discontent and misery. The Kamanis are fabricating transmission towers in their factories. Every person who is engaged in the fabrication and erection has to carry out his work correctly and sincerely, so that the towers may be strong and secure. Who among them does the more important item of work? It will be impossible to discriminate. Each item is important, and each worker earns his right by discharging well his particular share of the total obligation. There should not be any attempt to compare and claim superiority or confer inferiority. Such attempts will only promote ill feeling, and obstruct the flow of Love and Tolerance. Let me illustrate this by an example. There was a man going along a country road whose eyes saw ripe fruits on a wayside tree. The eyes told him that they were desirable and would provide him a feast. So the mind got attached to them, the feet took him nearer the tree, the body was bent by the muscles of the back, the hand moved down to the ground, the fingers picked up a stone and clasped it, the shoulders gave the needed thrust when the hand threw the stone on to the tree in the direction of the fruits. That made one fruit fall on the ground. But, more items of work still remained to be done by the limbs of the body. The fingers have to pick it up, the hand has to offer it to the mouth, the tongue has to place it between the teeth, the teeth have to chew it and the gullet has to swallow it and send it to the stomach. Now, which among these items are more important and which less? Which limb had done more and which less? Each limb has done its duty exactly when needed to the best of its ability and so, the fruit on the tree reached the stomach of the hungry person. We must respect each worker as the contributor of a valuable share of the common task. Feel that all are Divine, all are equally to be loved; that is the Sadhana that will bestow Ananda on both the individual and society. Doing the duty that has fallen to one's lot is the best way to make life worthwhile and to contribute the skill and intelligence one is endowed with for the common good. This is the debt one has to discharge for having come into this world embodied as a human being. We have not come into this world for the sake of eating and drinking; we eat and drink in order to live; we do not live in order to eat and drink, we have to reach the far higher goal - the Presence of God, through the Path of Love. That is the higher duty, the most elevated item of work we are engaged in the Factory (the Body) where we are. All our energies and skill have to be fully directed towards this effort. Or else, we lay waste our lives in the chaos of emotional impulses. Of course, the question may be asked: Who is God? Where can we find Him? Who has seen Him? I can tell you a story to elucidate this. A Sanyasi (monk) wearing a Gerua robe entered, during his pilgrimage, a village, renowned for its godlessness. Seeing his robe, which indicated a person who had dedicated his life to God, a crowd gathered around him and started heckling him, on the existence of God. "Can you show Him to us?" they asked and the Monk said, "I can." However he called for some milk, evidently to overcome exhaustion. When the milk was brought, he stared into the cup for a long time in the silence. The group of villagers lost patience and clamored that God be shown to them, as promised. They asked him why he was staring at the milk so long. He replied that he had heard that milk had butter in it and so, he was trying to see the butter! They laughed; they called him a fool and a simpleton. "Don't you know that milk has to be boiled and cooled, curdled and churned before the butter can be seen as such, clear and distinct? Now it is there in the milk, in every drop." The Monk said, "There, you have the answer to your question. God is in everything and being, in the Universe. If you want to see him clear and distinct, you have to go through various processes called Sadhana. You can see Him thereafter, not now, by merely asking me." The essential ingredient of this Sadhana is Love. Sadhana without Love (Prema) towards all creation will reveal only Satan. I shall explain this a little more. Around us now here, we have the radio waves carrying music from the Broadcasting Station Bombay. We have the radio waves from Delhi also; in fact we have, here and now, the radio waves from Stations all over the world, though we are not able to see them or listen to the 'programmes' they carry. When we have with us a Yantra, called receiver, and when we adjust the wavelength to the station that transmits the programme and tune the receiver correctly, then we can hear the music or the news. God who is also here, now all around, can be cognized clearly by means of a Mantra (meditation on a meaningful mystic formula). Have the Mantra, concentrate on it (i.e. the adjustment to the wavelength), with Love (i.e. the tuning in) and you become aware of God (i.e. listening to the omnipresent programme). If the tuning-in is not accurate, you run the risk of listening to the nuisance, not to the news! So too, unless Love is poured out in profusion without any idea of Self, you run the risk of cognizing Devil, not God! And if you do not develop concentration, your mind will wander in many directions at once, causing confusion. Therefore, Love is the best instrument to win Grace. Draw everyone near, as you draw your own brother and sister, and resolve to bear your responsibility with the utmost care and skill you are capable of. In fact, life as a worker is most valuable and fundamental. Work, worship and wisdom are three stages on the Godward path; work is the base - work that is dedicated, work that is done righteously and in reverence to others. The employer and the employees are bound close to each other, as close to each other, as the heart and the body. There can be no heart without a body and no body without a heart; both are essential for each other. The employer-employee relationship is as the bond between a father and his children. It is only when such affection and regard prevail, when the atmosphere of brotherhood is recognized among workers, that mutual help and service can flourish. Under such conditions, each can fulfill his duty gladly and peacefully. When the employees have any problem that worries them, they can place them before the employer and both can discuss them calmly and sweetly, without unnecessary passion, without arousing hatred or malice and spreading unrest among others. Above all, each person must be conscious always of his obligations as well as of his rights. That is the basic requisite. The Community Centre has been inaugurated by Me just now. I suggest that you gather in the place once a month, or more frequently, once a fortnight or once a week, for Satsang, when you can have Bhajans, spiritual discourses or other programmes which will turn the mind towards the contemplation of the glory of God or the spiritual treasures in your own selves. I desire also that the children of the laborers be provided with schools where they will be initiated into Bhajans, instructed in spiritual discipline and theistic beliefs and inspired to develop strong virtuous character. Discipline is the most essential equipment for man; the acquisition of discipline should be the primary goal of all endeavors. Life is rendered worthwhile and valid, only when it is lived out in disciplined ways. "It is a great source of Ananda for me to be with you. Let the New Year bring you new opportunities to establish joy and peace in your hearts." The beginning of 1971 was conspicuous because of its auspiciousness for devotees in Bombay who had the benefit of Baba's immediate presence there. In the evening of the first day of January, Baba addressed a public meeting in the compound of Dharmakshetra; the sea of humanity seemed to overrun its precincts. John Hislop is inseparable from paper and pen, whenever he is in the August Presence; he jots down notes of what he hears on spiritual matters from Baba. On this occasion Hislop posed two questions, viz., "What does Baba mean to me, as a person born and educated in a foreign country? And what does Baba mean to the subtler aspect of me which has no nationality?" These questions were answered by himself when he went on to state, "He is the Lord of the heart. He has removed from my heart the hardness accumulated during the years and made it fresh, new and joyous." The second question he answered, saying: "Baba's Divinity is an overwhelming and incomprehensible mystery. He is the Supreme Teacher, He guides us to Liberation." Blessing the devotees, Baba told them to pray for peace and concord amongst communities and nations. Mankind must learn to live happily as one human family. During Baba's stay in Bombay the children attending Bala Vihar classes enacted plays, recited poems, sang Bhajans, and repeated stories selected from the Epics and Puranas. There were occasions when they felt so deeply the impact of Baba that they broke down in tears, in sympathy with the characters they were portraying. One boy concluding his account of Bhagavad Gita with a direct appeal to the Sai Krishna who was standing beside him, sobbed in uncontrollable joy. No wonder Baba considered those children the Prahladas of the present age. "The children of the Sathya Sai Baba Vihars must know the Sathya Sai residing in their hearts. The teachers must also take it as the Pooja of Sai Ram. How to reveal these children the Sai who is in their hearts - that is the problem you should set before yourselves. By leading the children towards Divinity, the teachers are serving their parents and society, for they will cleanse and brighten their homes and surroundings," Baba said. Talking to the members of the Service Organisation, Baba emphasized the role of Sadhana, which leads man to Self-realisation, implying that all are waves of the vast ocean called the Higher Self - Paramatma. Warning them against any display, pomp and publicity, he advised them to link themselves with God by the chain of love, through the recitation of names saturated with His loveable qualities. His Name uttered in sloth or slight, in resentment or rancour, will constitute a weak link and the chain will not bind. The 7th January was Vaikunda Ekadasi, the day on which "the Gates of Heaven are opened." Baba observes these festivals in order to restore their significance. At the conclusion of the Akanda Bhajans on that day, Baba revealed the real meaning of Ekadasi - the eleventh: when the ten senses are coordinated and turned towards God, then the doors of Heaven will certainly open, welcoming you into the presence of the Eleventh, that is God. Before leaving Bombay, Baba addressed members of the Seva Dal. He said, "Discipline comes to your rescue when the world storms around you with the dark flood of hate or derision, or when those in whom you put trust shun contact and shy afar. Crucify the ego on the cross of compassion, preparing yourself by all means for serving others with your specialised skills. When you are engrossed in such work, remove the Ego with Namasmarana, Japam, Dhyana and Study." Baba exhorted them to lead simple lives, not to wear gaudy and outlandish dress and manners, for they keep the common folk away from them. Test every gesture, and mannerism, ever habit, and every whim of yours on this touchstone; will Baba approve of this? During Baba's stay at Bombay, a unique book was dedicated to Him by the members of the Maharashtra Branch of the All India FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> Prashanthi Widwanmahasabha, founded and directed by Baba. The President of the Sabha, Sri P.K. Sawant declared that the book will 'light a path to the Almighty'. Sri V.S. Page, the Chairman of the Maharashtra State Legislative Council, said, while offering the book, at a public meeting at Dharmakshetra. "I sat at the Feet of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and started questioning Him on many secrets of spiritual progress. He was kind enough to give His Grace freely. Others of the Sabha participated in the process of questioning and learning. This is a faithful record of such Divine Dialogues, "which confers illumination to those who struggle in the darkness of confusion." Baba explained that there seemed to be three stages in the life of a Bhakta: 1. Tvamivaham: I am entirely Yours. Here, the Bhakta completely surrenders himself to God without any reservation. 2. Mamaivatvam: You are exclusively mine. Here, the Bhakta thinks himself to be the chosen devotee of the Lord and starts to make a claim on Him. 3. You alone are, and I am not. I am yours and you are nothing but I. Here, the Bhakta sees God alone, everywhere, including himself. Giving directions about Dhyana, Baba mentioned a method, which He has elaborated often. "Are we not at peace, when one thought ceases and another does not rise? You have to watch that moment, be one with that moment and get fixed in that, so that, there is ceaseless continuous peace; thoughts arise and die as ripples on water; you have to look at the water, rather than the ripples. Neglect the waves, watching the water. " Page pursued the subject and asked, "That is Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Nirvikalpa is like water without waves or ripples. Can we watch the water, even when there are waves and ripples? For us to have deep peace in the mind, should we not have experienced Nirvikalpa sometime or other?" Baba answered, "Yes. The person who takes up the process of meditation lands into a state of Nirvikalpa some time or other though it is a very difficult state to attain. Even a Karma yogi or a Bhakta touches this stage time and again in the most natural way, and knows fully what it is. Therefore, he can remember it and bring it back into experience, and feel the joy of continuous communion with God." Page writes, "This was a complete answer to my question, and I was very much satisfied with it. I could not get this answer, from my reading of the scriptures, but, as Sri Sathya Sai Baba was kind enough to give it, I hope it would be useful to a number of aspirants, including myself." Another very interesting point clarified by Baba was about Neti, Neti (Not this, not this). He said, "Brahman is like a balloon that bulges; it never bursts! So, Neti refers to the comprehension of Brahman, not Brahman itself? Neti does not mean, 'No, it is not this,' it means: 'No, it is not thus.' 'No, this is not all.' 'No there is much more to Brahman than this or thus. Page mentions that Baba distinguished between ego and Self. Baba said: " 'I' pure and simple is God; 'I' identified with the body, the subtle body and the body imagined in dream life is the ego." Then Page asked, "God is said to be One. Is there one 'I' pure and simple for all of us?" Baba replied, "The different egos are but reflections of one and the same Self or God." Page asked, "Is the mind a material, just like our body? Can it be objectified?" Baba replied, "Yes. Mind is matter. Only, it is very subtle, we cannot point out its breadth, length, thickness or weight. It can be objectified. Sankalpa can do that." Page asked about the miracles too. He says, "Sri Sathya Sai Baba explained these miraculous powers in a very frank manner and we accepted the same without any reservation." Baba said that the miracle was the Nidarsan (Witness, Evidence), of God having created the world out of His Will. The festival of Maha Shivarathri in 1971 was celebrated on 23rd February. Though Prashanthi Nilayam gets overcrowded during that time, the peace of that Abode is maintained, due to the Holy Rays emanating from that holiest of places. Speaking from Santhivedika, Baba raised a very interesting question and answered it Himself. "Why does Swami produce the Linga from Himself this day? Let me tell you that it is impossible to understand the attributes of the Divine. You cannot measure Its potentialities, nor gauge the significance of Its Mahima; it is Agamya; unreachable, Agochara; un-understandable. Because of these, you get an example of Divine attributes. In order to bear witness to this Divinity that is amidst you, for your benefit and benediction, the Linga emerges. If even these glimpses are denied, faith in the Supreme will vanish and an atmosphere of greed, hatred, cruelty, violence and irreverence will overwhelm the good, the humble and the pious." The Linga is an illustration of the limitless, formless, beginningless, Divine Principle. Baba stayed at Prashanthi Nilayam to assuage a large number of persons who had come long distances to fill their eyes and minds with the sanctity and elation that the Lingodhbhavam gives, and to touch His Lotus Feet. After showering Grace on them, Baba left for Brindavan, for He had willed that the Women's college at Anantapur must be shifted from temporary sheds and rooms to its own magnificent home, with the beginning of the academic year. The Sathya Sai Seva Samithi, Bombay, had organised the first All India Bala Vihar Teachers Conference on 11th and 12th May. So Baba in response to the prayers of the devotees of 10pt">Bombay visited that city for a few days, to bless the teachers. 404 teachers, Crusaders of the new Sai Era of Education attended, and were benefited by Bhagawan's counsel. Baba interpreted the usual invocatory verse on the Guru, recited by a pupil and made it the text of His Discourse. The Guru is Brahma, because, He said, teaching is a creative activity; he is Vishnu because the teacher has to foster the child, guide him and guard him: he is Maheshwara, since he has to weed out deleterious components and undesirable traits and habits. The verse, which has been all along taken to mean conventional praise and glorification of the Teacher thus assumed the role of a clarion call to the entire profession itself. That is the significance of Sai Touch! "The Guru is praised as Parabrahmah, the genuine supra-soul, or He reveals to the pupil the Reality that makes him free." He said, "Recognise the vast potential lying dormant in the child; help it to express itself." For this reason, Baba suggested that the name of the classes for children should be changed from Bala Vihars; for more than play and recreation, what has to be done is to encourage the good, the true, the beautiful in the child to blossom, to express and expand. "Bala Vikas," Baba said, "is the more correct name." He wanted that the little children must be trained and encouraged to speak before gatherings of devotees and even others, so that elders might learn from the lips of children what they refuse now to learn from those entitled to advise them. He appreciated the short speech given by a little pupil on 'Film posters, and the horrors they inflict.' It was an eye-opener to the elders who are tolerating such insults on the innocence and purity of home life. All over the country now, the tiny tots of the Bala Vikas sing Bhajans, draw pictures, paint, write stories and relate them, about heroes of the spirit, and the great mothers of the land, and enact plays depicting elevating incidents from the Upanishads, Itihasas and Puranas, as well as the religious literature of all faiths. A big revolution in thought, and in social relations, is fast coming into fruition. The Maharashtra 10pt">State Conference and the Gujarat State Conference of the Organisation were held in May. Baba was present in Bombay for the Maharashtra Conference; He sent a message of Blessings to Dwarka for the Gujarat Conference. "I am watching the entire proceedings; do not deplore that I am not present with you. I am present as the Eternal Witness," He wrote. While returning from Bombay, Baba presided over the Mysore State Conference at Dharwar, on the 14th. About 200 Office-Bearers of the Units all from parts of Mysore were charged with steadier faith and deeper devotion for the work ahead. "The College at Anantapur," wrote Dr. S. Bhagavantham, D.Sc., "is a concrete manifestation of something superhuman. At an enormous cost of four million rupees, within a record time of ten months, Baba has reared a structure, which is good enough for a University! Who did all this work? Where have the funds come from? If you want to see Divinity in action, you can find concrete evidence at Anantapur! It is something beyond the pale of human reason, and mortal prowess!" The College was to be inaugurated on the 8th July, '71' by the President of India, although there seemed to be no sign or hope of completing the building by the stipulated date! Everyone swore that it was an impossible task. A big industrialist who had visited Anantapur a week before the inauguration said, "If I had applied all my energies with my entire organizational machine, I would have thought that it would take another six months for completion of the work." The College building is the architectural archetype for Sai Era in education for individual and social uplift. Baba has the Sai Emblem depicting the many faceted adventure of man to realise the Divinity inherent in him as his very breath, hoisted on the central tower as the symbol of hope and victory. The college building is a full circle of charm and dignity. It symbolises the Fulfillment of the Search, called Religion. It is Brahman, the beginningless and endless, which a circle alone can represent. It is redolent with the fragrance of the cultural heritage of India FONT-SIZE: 10pt">. It is resonant with the echoes of Sanathana Dharma. It carries sky-high the Lotus Flower, (the Hrdaya-kamala) which blossoms at the first touch of the rays of the Rising Sun (Intelligence, Reason). Baba has installed a clock on the tower, so that Time the Divine Watchman, can waken, hasten and warn the process of teaching and learning, shaping and strengthening that happens in the College. Architects sat with Baba to translate His ideas on paper, but, the supreme Architect had it all in His Will, and that was enough. The Anantapur College looks like a prayer rising up from the heart, a poem of praise for the Giver of all Good. The building is a miracle in marble, brick and stone, colour and light. On the day of the Inauguration an international gathering saw a constellation of great personalities. The President of India, Sri V.V. Giri, the wife of the President, Srimathi Saraswathi Giri, the Governor of Mysore State, Sri Dharma Vira, the Lt. Governor of Goa State, Sri Nakul Sen, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Sri P.V. Narasimha Rao, the Vice-chancellor of the Venkateswara University, Dr. Jagannath Reddy, Sri G.C. Venkanna and Sri M.N. Lakshminarasiah, Ministers of the Government of Andhra Pradesh - it was a bouquet of talent, authority, sacrifice and patriotism. Above all, there was Baba, fresh as a flower, beaming with a benignant smile, with no trace on His Divine Face of the exhaustion, worry or anxiety that He had removed from the faces of even the most busy workers around Him. The Light of Love that shone on that face rendered the bright morning doubly bright. Dr. Gokak, Director of the Institute of Advanced Studies, Simla, welcomed the distinguished guests. He communicated to every one an awareness of the epochal character of the moment. "This college and the others that Baba has planned to establish in every State in India will inculcate Indian Culture in its essence and purity; they will develop not only knowledge and skill, but balance and insight, and faith in the unity of all religions, and in the Reality of Oneself." Dr. Bhagavantham, formerly Vice-chancellor of the Andhra and Osmania Universities said, "History has few parallels of a college that is so well equipped on the date of its Inauguration!" Dr. Jagannath Reddy spoke of the phenomenal growth of the college in the short span of 3 years. The Minister for education said, "When Baba establishes a college for women we can be certain that it will not be just one among many. It will be a beacon, a lesson for others, a model, a pioneer." Sri Brahmananda Reddy greeted the Day as a Festival for Andhra Pradesh and for Bharathiya Culture itself. Sri Dharma Vira felt that the college for women will be of lasting benefit for the whole country, since educating a woman is educating a whole family. The President declared that it was a good augury for India that Baba is not only conferring spiritual enlightenment to millions, but granting the proper type of education to the youth of the land. The 8th July, 1971 was Guru Poornima, the Full Moon Festival, dedicated to the Primal Spiritual Preceptor, Vyasa, and also to the adoration of Spiritual Preceptor, by aspirants. It is the Day when millions seek to have Darshan of Baba. It was Baba's Will that the College in which the Guru-Sishya relationship of Ancient India was to be revived, should be inaugurated that Day itself. Baba pointed out that, as lava from subterranean fire, a huge upsurge of low desires is smothering man, though his chief desire should be the visualizing of the God in him, and the cultivation of the Peace, Beauty, Truth and Love that are the marks of that Divinity. "Man has in him a fountain of joy, peace, love and courage. Cultivate these by precept, example and exercise. Then, the educated men and women will have security and sweetness as long as they live." "India is being forged into a Bhogabhoomi - land of luxury - a land of skyscrapers, tinned foods, air-conditioning and television. Indians are being shaped into an imitative, insurgent, ill-disciplined mass. They are being transplanted on other soils and encouraged to grow, without roots. This is an insult to our past and a dangerous defiance of history. It is a sacrilege on the sanctity of time, on the holy purpose of the human body. That is the reason, I have decided that this college has to be inaugurated on Guru-Poornima Day on Guruvar - Thursday - as a Gurukula - the hermitage school of ancient India in which the highest ideals of life were instilled by personal example and guidance by the Guru to the pupils eager to imbibe." Baba concluded with the Blessing: "The seed has been planted; it will sprout and spread, heavy with fruits, providing shade, security and sustenance to all." The educational institutions started with the Blessing of Baba will not imitate nor help to forge out of competitive or compulsive society. They look forward with hope and envisage a society built on love and co-operation, blossoming the human spirit, and the human community. THE NAMES WE KNOW "Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba" is how Baba is referred to by the millions that adore Him. He announced Himself as Sai Baba when He spoke of his identity at the age of 14, on 23rd May, 1940, when his father insisted on being told what Baba meant by saying that He had His disciples to look after and His unfinished work to be completed. "Sathya Narayana" was His Name and Raju was the family appellation. This was shortened into Sathya, the name by which Baba was known at home, village and school. To the name announced by Baba Himself - Sai Baba - was added the word 'Sathya.' Five or six years later after the announcement, the devotee who desired to distinguish Him from Sai Baba as He had manifested Himself at Shirdi, realised that Baba Himself was the Shirdi manifestation. But they did not wish to confuse the minds of those who loved to cling to the memory of Shirdi 'Baba'. "Baba is the word used in Marathi and in Hindi to refer to saints. It means 'Father'. 'Sai' is the name by which Baba had been spoken to by the priest of the Khandoba temple near Shirdi, when He arrived there as a youth. 'Sai' means 'Master'. It is a derivate of the Sanskrit word Swami. The word 'Sai' has also been traced to the Persian word Shah, Shahi, Sahi, Sai. 'Sri' is an honorific prefixed to the names of deities, sacred texts and eminent persons. It is an auspicious word indicating good fortune. The word also came to be used as an honorific for each individual, universalising or democratising good fortune as it were. This democratisation has itself led to another outburst of snobbery on the part of the disciples of the heads of Maths or monasteries. For example, the prefix - Sri 108, meaning that - spiritual eminence is indicated by the fact that the name is to be preceded by a string of 108 Sris. The word 'Bhagawan' means 'one endowed with Bhaga' Bhaga means according to ancient Sanskrit lexicographers: 1. Aiswarya - authority derived from power; 2. Virya - heroism, bravery; 3. Yasha - fame; 4. Sriyah - prosperity; 5. Jnana - wisdom; 6. Vairagya - detachment. Baba's Aiswarya or authority derived from power is self-evident. Masters of special branches of study like doctors, lawyers, engineers and artists acknowledge Him as their master in their respective fields. For He can correct them and give them invaluable help. Fame and prosperity follow Him wherever He goes, though He has never cared for either. As for bravery, wisdom and detachment, thousands who have known Him, know Him as the embodiment, of these qualities. Baba declared at the World Conference held in Bombay in 1968, "The loyalty and devotion that the previous Incarnations commanded arose partly through fear and awe, and partly from superhuman power. The Sathya Sai manifestation has none of these appendages. Nevertheless it commands the adoration of millions in this age of rampant godlessness, materialism, cynical disregard of higher values and aggressive irreverence." This is because He carries His message of love to the very vortex of disbelief and nihilism, like light penetrating into the very heart of darkness. Himself an unfailing reservoir of health, happiness and wisdom, He is, at the same time, profoundly unattached, accepting devotion and derision with equal unconcern. He wrote to his elder brother even as a boy of twenty that He had no particular name or native place and that all names and places were His. A supreme example of desirelessness, He has only one desire: the desire which made Him descend from the all-pervading Divine consciousness - the desire to save the world from the consequences of ignorance. It is laid down in the Sasthras that only those who have mastered the six primary mysteries can be referred to as 'Bhagawan'. Utpattincha VinasamchaBhuthanam Agathim GathimVetti Vidyam Avidyam chaSa Vachya Bhagawan iti "He who knows the mystery of the origin and dissolution of created beings, the mystery of their doom and their redemption and of their ignorance and wisdom, is alone to be spoken of as Bhagawan." It is crystal clear that this is what Baba stands for. As He told Arnold Schulman, "I know your past, I know your future. So I know why you suffer and how you can escape suffering and when you finally will. I know everything that has happened to everybody in the past, everything that is happening and everything that will happen in the future. I know why a person has to suffer in this life and what will happen to him the next time he is born because of that suffering this time." In His speech to an enormous crowd at the Patel Stadium in Bombay, He said, "I know all that happens to all because I am in everyone. This current is in every bulb. I illumine every consciousness. I am the inner Motivator in each one of you." He declared at Anantapur, "Even if the fourteen worlds in the upper and nether regions of the universe unite in order to delay or disrupt the work for which I have come in this Body, it will not suffer or falter." He said at a meeting in Prashanthi Nilayam in 1965, "No Avatar has done like this before - going among the masses in the villages, seeking out the distressed, waking up the sleeping, quickening the dull, showering Grace on millions and counseling, consoling, guiding, uplifting them along the path of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and Prema. I am neither Guru nor God. I am you! You are me! That is the Truth and you will realise it when you reach the goal. You are the waves and I am the Ocean. On Christmas Day, 1970, at Dharmakshetra, Baba said, "There is no mesmerism, miracle or magic, in what I do! Mine is genuine Divine power. Small minds and limited intellects are too weak to perceive the Divine. The Divine magnificence is too much, and too overwhelming for their Maya-filled eyes. And so they ridicule it and call it the result of Yoga Siddhi, mesmerism or magic. But the Divine can do anything. He has all the power in the palm of His Hand. His powers are not such as would abide for a time and then fade away." He had said already on the occasion of Dasara in 1963, "The man who dies prays to Me to receive him. The relations who lament the loss pray to Me to prolong his life! I know both sides of the picture, the past and present, the crime and the punishment, the achievement and the reward. And so I am just, modifying the sentence now and then with Grace. I am not affected in that least by the birth of this one or the death of the other. My nature is unalloyed Bliss. The word 'Bhagawan' also means 'Blissful'. The Vishnu Purana says that the syllable 'Bha' means 'the cherisher and supporter of the universe,' 'Ga' means 'the leader, the impeller or the guide' and 'Va' means 'that elemental spirit in which all beings exist and which exists in all beings'. This 'Va' is also to be found in the name of Vasudeva which was the name that Baba said was His own, when He was at Shirdi. Gunaji says in his biography of 'Shirdi Baba', page 103: "Baba said that He was omnipresent - occupying light, air, water, world, land and heaven - and that He was not limited. He said, 'I always live everywhere. I have no form. I require no door to enter.' - (page 155). In his present incarnation too, Baba entered Swami Abhedananda's room in Ramanashram even when the door was bolted in order to assure and illumine the monk and accept him as a disciple. He also entered an operation theatre in a surgical home in Bangalore in spite of bolted doors, for blessing the patient when a prostrate gland operation was going on. Sanskrit classical text also gives other definitions of 'Bhagawan.' The Saranagathi Gadya says, "Bhagawan is He who is boundless Bliss, Bliss that rewards every being in the universe. The Gadya goes on to say that a Bhagawan must have an extraordinary knowledge of all the mysteries of the world, dominion over all the forces of nature, power, splendor, gracious manners, affection as of a mother, softness and compassion, rectitude and uprightness, comradeship, impartiality, mercy, nobility, generosity, skillfulness in strategy, heroism, dash and enthusiasm, steadiness in truth, and all other good qualities. Dr. Gokak is never tired of pointing out that Baba is, more than anyone else, power, dominion, majesty and splendor. It is this element of power that, among other things, distinguishes an incarnation from a saint. Baba's scholarship is overwhelming. With hardly any formal education, He has on the tip of His tongue, atomic formulae, Vedic hymns, medical recipes, and Tantric mantras. Sri Aurobindo has said, "Each incarnation holds before men his own example and declares of himself that he is the way and the gate: he declares too the oneness of his humanity with the Divine Being." Man, after all, is nothing but the Divine, bound by the three chains of time, space and causation. This is why Baba says, "You become Bhagawan as soon as you express the Atma principle. Each one of you can become Bhagawan by merging your separate individual Jiva or self in the ocean of universal Atma." The word Avatar means 'descent, coming down, alighting'. This is the limitation that the limitless imposes on itself, in order to lead mankind. In a discourse on Shivarathri a few years ago, Baba recited a verse, such as He is used to composing and reciting at the commencement of a discourse, in which He recounted the aims and purposes of His own Avatar at Puttaparthi. "Vaasudeva, who lives in all has come in this body at Puttaparthi to show to the Kali age the path of truth; to eliminate hate and greed; to save the good and humble from pain and shame; to reveal the significance that lies obscured in ancient texts; to destroy the pomp and pride of little men; and to redeem the pledge of Grace given to mankind." He has declared that He is the Divine Essence that is known and worshipped in many Names and Forms all over the world. In his 'Essays on the Gita,' Sri Aurobindo has analysed the role of an Avatar; "The Avatar comes as the manifestation of the Divine nature in the human nature, the apocalypse of its Christhood, Krishnahood, Buddhahood, in order that human nature may, by moulding its thought, feelings and action, on the lines of that Christhood, Krishnahood, Buddhahood, transfigure itself into the Divine. The Avatar is always a dual phenomenon of Divinity and humanity. The Divine takes upon Himself human nature with all its outward limitations... The object of the Avatar's descent is to show that human birth, with all its limitations, can be made a means and an instrument of the Divine birth and Divine Works." One has to remember in this context what Baba said to Schulman, "If I had come as Narayana with four arms, they would have put me in a circus, charging money for people to see Me. If I had come only as man, like any other man, who would listen to Me? So I had to come in this human form but with more than the human power and wisdom." Baba also explained the mystery of Avatarhood in a simple way when he said on His Birthday Festival, 1971: "Everyone of you is an Avatar. You are the Divine, encased like Me in human flesh and bone! Only you are unaware of it! You have come into this prison of incarnation through the errors of many lives. But I have put on this mortal body out of My own free Will. You are bound to the body with the ropes of three Gunas, I am free, untouched by them, for the Gunas are but My playthings. I am not bound by them, I use them to bind you. You are moved this way and that by desire. I have no desire except the one to make you desireless." Baba's call to suffering humanity stands out in its directness and simplicity: "Why fear when I am here? Come unto Me all ye who suffer!" Baba assures us, if we take one step towards Him, He taken ten towards us. He hears us when we cry out in anguish. As the Gita declares, "the hand and the feet, the eyes and the ears, and the head and tongue of the Divine are everywhere to help us and save us and lead us to the Divine, when we have a sincere desire to ascend to the Divine." The Avatar, as Baba has declared, shares the possession of the five senses with the world of animals and human beings. He shares with mankind the four attributes of mind, reason, emotion and Ahamkara or the ego. But the Avatar possesses seven characteristics which are unique. Four of these can be enumerated as follows: · Srshit - or the power to create; · Sthithi - or the power to foster, guard and protect; · Laya - or the power to destroy; · Thirodhana - or the power to make things disappear. The three remaining attributes are such that only a full-fledged Avatar has them: · Anugraha - or Grace which may be of two kinds, Grace for the deserving and Grace conferred regardless of the recipient deserving it, like a bolt from the blue. · Again, He is ever-present where His Name or Nama is uttered and where His Rupa or form is recognised. The Vibhuthi that falls from Baba's portraits in different parts of the world itself shows how His Rupa or form brings us into contact with Him if He is remembered. As an example of a concrete presence where the Name and Form are remembered I may quote from a letter written by the Cowans of Orange Country, USA: "In our home, we have a small room filled with the pictures of our great Lord Sathya Sai Baba. It is here we meditate before retiring. Many times, people of the Sai family drop in, and pray. Each night, we watch for Vibhuthi to manifest, but so far, none has appeared. It was about a month ago some friends who are devotees of Sathya Sai Baba came to meditate with us in His room. I wish to say that the fragrance of this room has a beautiful odour, as if hundreds of flowers were giving forth their blooms to us. This is one of the gifts the great Swami bestows on us. Our friends were amazed at the sweetness of the room. We all sat a down around the small altar and gave admiration to the Picture! And, behold! Upon a large coloured picture of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba a Sapphire Star had appeared, with eight rays, manifesting from it, as if it was a necklace, with a Gem, at His throat centre! The word traveled fast and many of the Sai family have come to see the miracle of the Lord." In many thousands of homes and public prayer halls in India, Africa, Ceylon and other countries, Baba has willed the devotees to get the sacred curative. Vibhutti from the portraits hung on the walls. There was Vibhuthi at the shrine in the home of the Cowans too. Here is an account given by a skeptic of his visit to the shrine in the home of Cowans. The visitor's name is Joel Riordon, a Hollywood writer of film scripts: "My wife mentioned to me that a picture in the house of the Cowans was producing ashes! She immediately walked away. Now, she did it... dangled a bit of curiosity in my path, curiosity that I couldn't resist. Sunday morning I was ready for the challenge... When we arrived at the meeting after following Mr. & Mrs. Hislop's car for over one hour, I thought there is a church three miles from my house, and I won't even take the time to go there. What am I doing here?... At the meeting, voices rang out, as they were clapping to the rhythm of a chant: there was a speech by Jack Hislop about a letter he received by mail from Sai Baba and the mystery - how it arrived without a stamp! 'So the stamp dropped off in the mail man's bag,' I thought. I am certain there was more to the story, but my mind was on the picture. Where is it? Why can't I see it now?... Finally, the moment came; we were allowed to go into another room where a shrine had been set up, with Sai Baba's picture - and it was producing ashes! I tried not to be conspicuous, but I must have been because as I approached the Picture, looking at it from all angles, from the front, top and back, (I even pretended to tie my shoes, to see under the table; to see if I could find out what trick caused this ash-flow), I saw the hostess talking to two young boys, and as the three of them stared at me, I had the feeling they were expecting me to steal the picture, or something in the house. I immediately departed with a guilty look." There are certain remarkable ancient astrological texts called Nadis in South India and Bhrgu Samhithas in Northern India. They contain details of the lives of numerous persons, even of people who lived beyond the seas. The hereditary custodians of these manuscripts read out the relevant portions of the life of the person that comes to consult them. The late Dr. K.M. Munshi wrote some years ago in the Bhavan's Journal that the details recorded regarding his life in some of these manuscripts astounded him. The record mentions the exact time and place where he was to propose to Smt. Leelavathi Munshi, his future wife. Sri Sharma, a former Chief Minister of Haryana State, states that the predictions recorded about him in Bhrgu Samhithas showed that he would meet God in His human Incarnation at Prashanthi Nilayam. Sri Sharma says that it was a job for him to find out where Prashanthi Nilayam was. Baba received him graciously and created for him a Nataraja image, which he could wear on his person all the time. Whenever there is a reference in these texts to Baba, He is referred to as 'the Father of all worlds, the supreme physician who cures at lightning speed and founder of Patasalas, institutions of higher learning and hospitals.' Sri J.P. Maroo writes, "I have a family astrologer who belongs to Nepal. He remembers and can recite and quote from the 15,000 verses of the ancient astrological cyclopaedia, called Bhrgu Samhitha! Last October, that is to say, in 1967 he came to see me before returning to Nepal, and I requested him for information about some outstanding event that may occur in the near future. He consulted the Samhitha and recited a verse, which said that on 4th November 1947, I will have Pratyaksha Deva Darshan! (The Darshan of God in concrete Form!) And, it happened as forecasted! Baba came to Usha Kiran, to my home, and accepted my worship on 4th November, 1967." Speaking to a group of seekers from San Francisco in the USA and from Ceylon 10pt"> in June 1970, at Brindavan, Whitefield, Baba said that the Divine is as eager to be one with individual soul as the individual is eager to merge with the Divine. He said that this was a gradual process, very much like what happens to stalactites and stalagmites in limestone caves. One of these is formed in the roof pointing downwards and the other on the floor pointing upwards. The formation on the floor is due to the deposit of one drop in a thousand years from the stalactite in the roof pointing downwards. Baba was demonstrating how this happens with the use of His fingers. He was a little dissatisfied with this demonstration Himself. He then waved His hand in a very long, flat and circular motion and materialised a round black stone, the weight of which made His hand vibrate like a tuning fork. The stone was round in shape; slightly flat at the top and bottom and it bore no marks on it. It was smooth and shiny. Baba lifted it, held it a few inches away from His mouth and blew a hole into it, with sovereign ease and grace. This hole appeared like two intersecting circles. The place of intersection was wide open and the two circles were touching each other with concentric rings that bore in towards the centre, and were trying to merge into each other. Baba used this stone to illustrate His point and then gave it to a Sadhak in the group, named Gill. About a year later Gill happened to show it to some Indian friends in Juhu, Bombay. They told him, to his utter astonishment, that the stone, with the imprint blown on it was a fossil called Saligram and that it was used by Hindus for worship. Howard Melvin, a member who happened to be one of this group told me about this interesting incident. Another fact that sets us wondering regarding Baba, is the many-facetedness of His personality. One sees in Him a paragon upon which each one models himself. The manager of a mighty manufacturing concern sees in Him an ideal organiser and manager. A doctor sees in Him the perfect master of diagnostic and medical skill. An engineer or architect finds in Him the master who humbles their pride with a blue pencil and fills their heads with ideas and designs, any one of which can make a fortune for them through its beauty and practicability. A musician finds in Baba the primal source of melody and harmony. When someone praised Baba for his musical talent and compared Him favorably with Thyagaraja, Baba asked him. "And who do you think taught Thyagaraja music?" Baba is the poet of poets. Not only is He Himself an inspiring theme; His conversation and charm release in the poet springs of inspiration hidden away for a long time. A philosopher can learn from Baba the art of laying bare enigmatic thought-processes in a simple and straightforward manner. A painter of genius meets his challenge in the ever-varying expressiveness of His face and eyes. An actor learns from Him those subtle inflections and intonations of the voice that best express the soul. A trained teacher finds a master of profoundly new methods in Baba. As the Gita says, "The Divine is the best, the mightiest, the most charming, the wisest, the highest and the most intricate Being; an incarnation of the Divine bears this stamp on its personality." Baba asked Schulman; "How can a fish understand the sky?" He also remarked elsewhere, "I am all deities in one. You may endeavor your best for thousands of years and have all mankind with you in your search, but you cannot understand My Reality." In his book entitled, 'Krishna, a study in the theory of the Avatars,' Bhagawandas speaks of the circumstances that bring about the advent of an Avatar. "When false teachers arise and elevate flesh above spirit, when the lower passions and the six inner enemies or seven deadly sins have mankind in their grip, when ruthless ambition, selfishness and evil sway the world, then it is that the Avatar appears. Each one of these three sets of circumstances may bring about the advent of an Avatar. The predominance of false teachers brings down the Avatar who re-illumines the science of spirit. When wrong emotions prevail, there is the advent of the Avatar who is full of love-compelling purity and self-effacement. When evil rules the world, there is the advent of the Avatar who rights widespread wrongs and is the adjuster of natural Karma." We find in Baba the integral manifestation that combines these three roles. He is the great teacher, far-famed or His simple and sweet exposition of Vedanta today. He is the great dispenser of love or Prema. Finally, He is the great restorer of the essence of spirituality to mankind. We may say of Baba what Prof. P. Shankaranarayanan says in his book 'Sri Ramachandra': "For man to receive God's stimulus and to make the responses, God must become a person in flesh and blood, Human in His Divinity, and yet Divine in His Humanity. To infinitise man, God has to finitise Himself." ONE WORD MORE The person who reads this book about Baba and the two preceding parts in the series is sure to experience an impact which will not allow him to be the same again. He will have to take up the challenge and prove it or disprove it to himself for his own satisfaction, if he is in earnest about the view of life presented in this book. Baba can dismiss a cancerous growth by saying. "The cancer is cancelled." He can extinguish forest fires around the Kuchuma Mount on Mexican border by a declaration made at His ashram in India, "No more fires!" He can create a jar of sacred ash, which can never be exhausted by use, and the gift of spiritual ecstasy by a simple touch. He knows each one's past and future. He says that we are the same as He is. It is simply our delusion that we feel we are different. The Publishers Weekly wrote about Arnold Schulman's book, 'Baba', Sathya Sai Baba calls Himself an Avatar, an Incarnation of God, His followers who number over six millions, come to His ashram at Puttaparthi in Southern India to sit at His feet, sing their prayers and ask for miracles. Baba answers their prayers: "He cures the incurable, materialises objects and holy ashes, sustains the faithful and convinces the doubtful." We may frequently fall into the error of deeming Baba to be a mortal like ourselves, forgetting the fact that He is the very Divine Essence that has willed itself into each mortal body. Baba has said that He as well as the Sai Baba of Shirdi has been emanations of the same Essence. Baba is one with all the Avatars that have descended so far and those that will come hereafter. There is no inner circle or outer, among Baba's devotees. All mankind is His fold. He, has drawn numberless persons away from low desires and passions, from fanatical and cynical attitudes. The Name 'Sai' will soon be embellished in every heart. Prashanthi Nilayam is the 'Ashram' at Puttaparthi, the village, which He has immortalized by deciding to be born there. As He always says, "My residence is in your hearts. My Prashanthi Nilayam is in you." Baba's Bhajans have penetrated into numberless homes and led to the itinerant singing in cities, waking up the hearts of men to the glory of God. Baba can be adored in all forms, and addressed by all the names that God bears. One sees in Him the power that works as the effulgence of the transcendent ray that beams beyond cosmic laws. He calls us near and wipes our tears of sorrow in spite of our faults and failures. He declared in 1962 that the Chinese menace would not be there at the time of the Birthday Celebrations on November 23. It is a fact that the Chinese retreated beyond the Himalayas on the night of the 22nd November. In 1965, when every one thought that the Dasara celebrations should be postponed in view of the Pakistan invasion, Baba declared that the Dasara celebrations would be held us usual. As a matter of a fact, a cease-fire was ordered and accepted three days earlier than Dasara. The Fifth All India Conference of the Sathya Sai Seva Samithis had been fixed in Madras to take place on 22nd and 23rd December 1971. There were frantic telegrams whether the Conference was postponed, for Pakistan bombed Indian airfield on 3rd December. The events that followed seemed to predict that there might soon be a global war. Baba said that there would be no war and that the Conference should be held as planned. The war came to an end of the 17th December 1971. Baba is the indweller in each human heart. He gathers people around Him day after day and deals with them in love and compassion. Physical illness, mental worry, psychic disorder, economic want, family discord, intellectual deficiency, and professional setback: He handles each problem as it comes with unfailing skill. He gives holy ashes because that is the ultimate form that things take - Alexanders, Napoleons, Hitlers their ambitions and their empires. That is how He teaches us the lesson of detachment. He cures us of greed and hatred by reminding us of the ultimate fate that awaits all earthly pomp and glory. That He is all knowing, even a skeptic like Schulman was compelled to admit when Baba mentioned to Schulman his visit to Japan to study Zen Buddhism and other details. Schulman thought that Baba was parading information that He had collected from Dr. Gokak about him. Sensing this the very minute, Baba told Schulman that Gokak had given Him no information. He proceeded to refer to a certain ailment of his wife, which no else had known. He told him that it was Baba who had brought about the disappearance of this ailment a week before he boarded the plane for India FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> so that he could come to India in time. Baba is an open book for all to read. He is the Guide as well as the Goal. PART – III COMPLETED AND FROM NEXT MAIL PART IV WILL BE CONTINUED CONTINUED… With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy / Win 1 of 4,000 free domain names from Enter now. 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