PROF. ANIL KUMAR’S INSPIRATIONAL TALKS – Part 2

[Guest guest]

Om Sri Sai Ram

PROF. ANIL KUMAR’S INSPIRATIONAL TALKS – Part 2

Prashanthi Nilayam - October 27, 2002

Anantapur Campus

Somehow, utterly disappointed, telling myself, ‘Anyway, it doesn’t matter’, I

just returned and participated in a Ramayana seminar in Hindupur, very close to

this district. After participating in Hindupur, I wanted Bhagavan’s darshan, so

I came to Puttaparthi. Suddenly, as I was coming on the bus, I saw Swami’s car

going in the opposite direction.

The driver said, "Sir, Swami is leaving for Anantapur."

‘Oh-ho! Swami, so far You have avoided me. Now You are avoiding Puttaparthi

also. (Laughter) I'm so great as to make You move and shift, very good!’

(Laughter) I see. Then I thought, ‘I should also go to Anantapur.’

I got off this bus and got on another bus. I requested this driver to stop the

bus near the Anantapur Campus College gate. I had no idea about Swami’s

institutions and Swami’s discipline. I had no idea at all.

I got out there and the gateman said, "Who are you?"

What am I to say? I have no answer. I simply said, "I want to see Baba."

He said, "Impossible."

"Why?"

"This is a girls’ college." (Laughter) "Ah, so what? I have not come here to see

girls. I have come to see Swami! (Laughter) So there are girls! It doesn’t

matter. I want to see Swami. I teach at a Christian college, where we have two

thousands girls. I can see them there. It is not necessary to come here. Why?"

(Laughter) What he said made me conclude that the Anantapur Girls’ College

would not permit even a male mosquito to get in, (Laughter) let alone a man!

That’s what I understood.

Then the gateman said that somehow his heart melted watching my pitiable face.

Perhaps, he was sympathetic. He said, "Put your luggage there and stand here.

If you move even an inch, I’ll throw you out." (Laughter) This much was good. I

was standing there. By that time, Bhagawan had completed the governing body

meeting at the Anantapur campus. The members of the governing body happened to

be V.K. Gokak, Mr. Craxi (a well-known Italian devotee), the late Dr.

Bhagavantham, and S. Naidu - great people in those days, great scholars.

"Anil Kumar, Come Here!"

Swami came along with all the people, proceeding towards the dining hall. He

stood there on the veranda and shouted, "Anil Kumar, come here!" (Laughter) It

was the first time, and after eight (long) years.

Then I thought, ‘It must be the name of the watchman and not my name.’ (Laughter)

So I asked the man next to me, "Hey, is your name ‘Anil Kumar’?"

"Oh no, sir. No, I'm not ‘Anil Kumar’."

Then I didn’t want to take the chance. So I kept quiet.

Then Swami shouted, "Oh professor, come here! Come here, Anil Kumar!" There was

not another person there, and the guard was not a professor, I was sure.

(Laughter) ‘Swami must be meaning me!’ So, I went running all the way.

Bhagawan introduced me to everybody. "He’s a professor in botany from a

Christian college. Last night he gave a lecture in Hindupur and many people

participated. His talk was very well received by everybody - men, women and

children." He went on giving details of my speech.

‘What happened to You, Swami, all these eight years?’ (Laughter) When You can

repeat verbatim the highlights, the important points, from my talk, why did You

not look at me earlier?’ I could not reconcile that feeling - it was so bad.

Immediately He materialized Vibhuthi, gave it to me and said, "Give it to your

wife. She’ll be all right. She brought you here." (Applause)

Accommodation Inside

Then He said, "Come and attend Dasara."

I had never wanted to attend Dasara. I was not sure of accommodation. I didn’t know what to say.

So I said, "Dasara, Swami?"

"Yes, Dasara," He said.

So, I attended the Dasara festival. Because I could not get accommodation

inside, I stayed in a room outside the Mandir. In those years, the rooms

outside had no doors and no windows (Laughter). They were all collapsible,

replaceable doors (Laughter) -- everything was like an open-air university

system. (Laughter) Open air, that’s all. So, oh, I see. One had to sleep in

tune to the lullaby -- the music – of the mosquitoes. Plus there were no fans

there. Then at 4:30 in the morning, for twenty-five paise, they would supply

hot water. Then that was the rate. Somehow, Iwent on like that.

After three days, Bhagawan came close and said, "Where are you staying?"

"I'm staying outside."

"Why? Stay inside."

"Inside where? Who will give me an accommodation? Where, Swami?"

"Inside! Don’t you understand Me?"

‘Inside? Inside the Mandir or what?’ I had no idea.

Then I said, "Swami, I paid in advance to that man." (Laughter)

"No, No, No! You go to that man and ask him to return the advance. He’ll give it

to you. Don’t worry. You say My name, that’s all," Baba said.

I didn’t know about these things then. "Oh Swami, will he return the money? In

this Kali Yuga, who will return money?" (Laughter)

"No, No, No! They will give it to you. Go and tell them," He said. "It’s all right."

"Ah, Swami, You said, ‘inside.’ Where is inside?"

Then Swami called Kutumba Rao, who was there at that time, and said, "Kutumba

Rao, give him accommodation immediately. I am telling you that whenever he

comes here, give him accommodation totally free-of-cost." (Applause) Since

then, I have never paid money for my accommodation. That was a permanent

agreement between the Divine and me. (Laughter) I love it!

Give a Talk

One day it was Durgashtami. Swami called me and said, "You give a talk."

I see. "When?" He told me in the morning.

As I was about to get up, "No, No, not now! In the evening," He said. (Laughter)

Oh, I see! In the evening, I went there and stood. Two of Swami’s students spoke

ahead of me and then I gave a talk. Somehow, it was to my satisfaction.

Next morning Swami came and said, "It was a very nice talk. Everybody liked it.

I’ll give you another chance on Vijayadasami. This time you speak in Telugu,"

He said.

"Okay Swami, by Your Grace."

On Vijayadasami Day, again He asked me to speak in Telugu. It also went well and

Swami said to everybody, "This boy has learnt Swami’s literature and he can

speak in English and in Telugu fluently." He was speaking to them about me.

‘Swami, why can't You tell me directly? (Laughter) When I'm here, I don’t feel

happy. Wouldn’t I feel happy if You talked to me? What is all this ‘romance’?

There should be a limit to it!’ But He was talking to them about me. All the

while, He didn’t look at me. See the romance? This is how it happened! ‘All

right,’ I thought. ‘This is the procedure of this God. We have to fit in,

reconcile and adjust. He won't adjust according to my demands. OK, thank You!’

The next morning, I was about to leave this place. Suddenly some men said to me,

"No, no, no! You should inform Swami before you go."

"Inform Swami and then go? No, no, that’s not possible because I'm sure to lose

my job. For eight years, I never informed Him. He never looked at me. Don’t

force me to do that now. I have no property. Please let me go."

"No, no, you should inform Swami," one man said.

"Oh, where do I inform, where?"

He said, "You go sit on the veranda."

‘Veranda! That heaven - that’s unthinkable! (Laughter) Not in this lifetime,

no, no, no! Or, onto the road with you! That’s all impossible. Then too, the

Delhi Sevadal are in charge of the whole thing.’ (Delhi people, you know, have

well-built bodies -- they eat wheat and all that. They are unlike Southern

people, who eat sambhar and rice. Not that, no! The North people are strong

people because of the wheat – they are well-built.) ‘Who will allow me to go

there? What do I do?’

They were holding their arms like this. (Anil Kumar demonstrates by placing his

arms across his chest). While they were like this, what did I do? I just ran!

Whoooooosh! (Laughter) I ran there and sat on the veranda. ‘They can't pull me

out now because this is a safe zone. (Laughter) It is a Divine, protected area

- nobody can come!’

You Are a Pundit

When Swami came, He called me into the interview room and gave me an envelope. I

put it in my pocket. I didn’t know what it was. Then He said, "Get a new dress

for the Birthday,"

I said, "Swami, my birthday is October 25th."

Swami said, "Not your birthday! (Laughter) MY Birthday!"

Then I said, "Swami, why should I get a new dress for YOUR Birthday? (Laughter) Why?"

"Chi, chi, chi! You don’t know anything!"

"I see! All right!"

"In that envelope, there is enough money to have two dresses - one for your

birthday and one for My Birthday. (Laughter) All the money is there. It is

enough for the stitching charges; is it all right?"

Oh, I see. Now I understand. So I returned.

During the next year’s Dasara, again Swami asked me to give a talk. At the end

of the talk, He called me upstairs in the Mandir. Upstairs! In those days,

there were winding steps, so I climbed them and waited for Swami. Suddenly He

called me and gave me a silk dhoti as pundits wear. I don’t wear dhotis or

anything like that.

"Swami, silk dhotis! Why for me? No, no, no! They’re given to pundits."

"Since you are a pundit, I want to honour you."

"Since when?" (Laughter)

"Since you gave a talk here, you are now a pundit."

"Oh, I see Swami." Then He gave me a shawl. "Shawl, Swami, why? No, No, No, a

shawl is given to scholars." Oh, I see.

He said, "You don’t understand anything."

Then He gave me a safari suit. "This is the dress for a special occasion," He went on explaining.

Propagate the Message of Sai

Then my friends, with a great sense of satisfaction, gratitude and thankfulness,

I tell you this: He kept both of His Hands on my head and said: "Go all over the

State of Andhra Pradesh and propagate the message of Sai -- talk to the

devotees." That was the blessing He gave me. (Applause)

Since then, I never spent any Sunday, any festival day or any vacation at home.

I toured to about a thousand Sai centers all over Andhra Pradesh. On the

average, I must have visited every center at least thrice, spreading over a

period of twenty years. I went all over the State. During that time, I never

purchased any provision with these hands and I never took care of my children.

I did nothing because I was the ‘Minister of Sai External Affairs’. That’s all.

(Applause)

I'm really grateful to Bhagawan: He has given me enough strength and courage

through my wife, who could manage the children and could serve my parents and

grandparents. The credit for the family’s success is entirely, totally, wholly,

purely and religiously hers. I have acclaimed the platform performance, whereas

the home affairs, that goes to her.

Let me honestly confess that this has been my life since then. Swami has given

me a number of chances to talk in the Poornachandra Auditorium every year,

twice or thrice.

In the year 1989, Swami suddenly sent a message that I should come to Bangalore,

Whitefield College to serve as the Principal. I stayed in Bangalore, Whitefield

College as the Principal for six years. Then, during His 70th Birthday

Celebration in 1995, Bhagawan transferred me to Prashanthi Nilayam. I have been

spending all these days here since. I'm very grateful to Bhagawan for all the

wonderful experiences that He has given me because that will go on and on for

any length of time.

In brief, this is how I came to Bhagawan. Before I pass on to Part Two of this

morning’s talk, I again want to thank you for your patient listening. I thank

Bhagawan for having brought me to His Lotus Feet. My only prayer is that some

day, when I am to leave this body, I should leave speaking like this and not on

a bed, no! (Applause) I want to leave this body while talking to people, while

sharing the joy of Sai’s message, that’s all. That is my only prayer, nothing

more!

I pray for Bhagawan to bless me. I pray that all of you bless me, so that I’ll

have many more occasions of sharing the Divine message, His mission and Leelas

with everybody in the years to come. (Applause)

Not to Put Personal Questions

I shall not break my promise to answer some of the questions that I received,

some of the questions that were sent to me. A formal request has been made to

our friends not to ask personal questions. Questions which are of general use,

questions which are of common interest, questions which would help us to grow

spiritually are welcome, but not personal questions.

I received some personal questions: "We want to go to Canada. Will Swami permit

us or not? Please find out from Him." (Laughter) Nobody can find this out for

you from Swami!

Then somebody said, "We want to settle in Australia, but my wife says ‘no’. My

son says ‘yes’. What does Swami want me to do? Find out from Bhagawan."

(Laughter) We don’t need to find out from Bhagawan! All of you need to meet and

settle the matter between yourselves and Swami.

I request you again not to ask personal questions. I have no solution to my own

personal problems. (Laughter) How can I give you a solution to your problems?

Impossible! Here everyone has a head-load of problems. Who am I to give a

solution to you? I am not competent enough to give you any solution to your

problems and I would not take the Divine risk of bringing these problems to

Swami’s notice. That would be the last and final day. Well, that I don’t want

to happen. (Laughter) Kindly bear with me and do not ask such questions. No

personal questions!

"Are Baba and Jesus the Same?"

Here is one question: "I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Are Baba and Jesus the

same? Or is this form the Christian concept of the Trinity?"

The answer is simple. Bhagawan said, "All names are Mine. All forms are Mine. I

respond to your prayers that are offered to Me in any name, in any form. I’ll

answer your prayers. Let the prayers be said to the God of your choice; they

will reach Me. You may pray to Rama, Krishna, Jesus or Allah - all those

prayers will reach Me."

"Swami, how? When I say Rama, how does it reach You?"

Swami gave this example: "You may write a letter to somebody in England or USA

or Delhi or Hyderabad. When the letter is put in the letterbox or post box, it

will reach the addressee. Similarly all your prayers come to Me. Don’t worry,

because I am in all forms. All forms are Mine. All names are Mine," said

Bhagawan. Jesus is no exception.

I’ll give you one instance. A doctor from Rome came here as a participant and

delegate for the International Cardiac Conference held in Prashanthi Nilayam.

Catholicism is very rigid, very strict. He was doing his daily prayer to Jesus

and going through the scriptures. He was given accommodation in the North

buildings. One day before dinner, while he was reading the scripture and

meditating on Jesus Christ, suddenly he noticed a hand lying on his shoulder.

He looked back and saw Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Now he says, "Baba and Christ are one and the same. This I declare at the cost

of my reputation, at the cost of my Catholic faith. My relatives and friends

may forsake me, but I declare that Baba and Christ are one and the same."

Baba is the Cosmic Christ. Bhagawan is everyone for that matter, Sarva Devata

Swarupa. He represents all deities, all gods -- that is the answer I can give

you.

"Why Should I Suffer Now From Previous Karma?"

Then I received another question. "It is said that, due to one’s karma carried

from previous births, he or she suffers in the present birth. Because of our

past karma, we are suffering in the present life. In my humble belief, to

suffer one should know what he or she has done. Why not suffer in the present

birth for the current karma instead of it being put off till the next birth?"

Very good!

"Why should I suffer my karma now from a previous lifetime?"

What did Bhagawan say? My friends, these answers are picked from Sai literature

only. They are not based on my imagination because I'm not capable of it. I'm

supported by Sai literature. If I run short of answers, I’ll seek your

forgiveness on the matter. I don’t bluff, no!

What does Swami say about this karma aspect? He said, "Some actions give

immediate results." Suppose there is a cut here. (He shows his finger.) When

you are sharpening your pencil and the blade cuts your skin by mistake, what

happens? It bleeds immediately. It is a reaction - a result of the action then

and there! You drink milk and you don’t feel hungry anymore - for an hour

anyway. When you take food, you don’t feel hungry for four hours. For hunger to

return, it requires four hours. So, some actions cause immediate results, while

some actions call for an hour or four hours.

If you sow the seed now, you can have mango fruits next year. Why next year?

That’s all. For the seed to germinate, for the seed to sprout, for the tree to

grow, for the seed to bear fruit, it will take a long time. Similarly, some

actions give immediate results. Some actions give result leisurely, slowly.

That is how we have to understand karma.

"What Is ‘Bad Company’?"

There’s another question put to me. "What about the company we keep? What is

‘good company’? What is ‘bad company’? What if I am fooling myself?" Good, we

often do that!

They want a definition. What is ‘good company’ and what is ‘bad company’? It is

a very clear question. To Sai devotees, let us be sure of the answer. What is

good company? Good company is the kind that will keep us holding onto His Lotus

Feet. Good company is that which will strengthen our faith. Good company is that

which will encourage us to do service. Good company is that which will draw us

closer to His mission. Good company is that which will help us to withstand the

bumps and jumps in life. Good company is that which will help us not to have too

much attachment to money and family. That is good company.

The company which will help you to run away from here, the company which will

cause you to lose your faith,the company which will make you go to anybody,

anywhere, anytime for any reason, the company which will make you depressed and

frustrated, the company which will turn you into being an atheist, a

non-believer, is horrible, terrible, bad company.

Being in good company, we find satsang. ‘Satsang’ means good company. Bhagavan

gave a few examples. The sand in the company of air will go up. The sand in the

company of water will go down. Similarly, in the company of noble people, we

come up in life – our paths are noble. In bad company, our thoughts are

negative. That is bad company. Beware of bad company. Baba said, "Run away from

bad company."

Tyaja Durjana Samsargam.

Bhaja Sadhu Samagamam.

Be in good company. Run away from bad company.

Smara Nityam Anityatham

Think of what is temporary, what is permanent.

Kuru Karma Ahorathram

Do good deeds day-in and day-out.

These are the dictates of Bhagavan. These are the teachings of Swami. The people

who will help us to proceed in this direction constitute good company.

The Inner Voice

We have another question: "How does a person know if the voice inside is God?" A

very good question! How do you know if it is the ‘inner voice’?

Point one is that the inner voice is independent; whereas the voice of

psychology - the reflection of psychology, meaning the preferences and choices,

the likes and dislikes of the mind, are never independent. The psychology - the

reflection of psychology, the preferences and the choices, the likes and the

dislikes of the mind - all of these are never independent.

Here is a simple example: "I want to go to a cinema to see a picture." That is from the mind.

"Don’t go to the picture." That is the inner voice. Am I clear?

Suppose I want to have a bottle of Scotch whiskey. That is the mind.

"If you drink, don’t come to Puttaparthi." That is the inner voice. (Laughter)

"I want to enjoy the weekend in Miami Beach, why not! In a Holiday Inn, we can

enjoy ourselves." That is the mind

"Don’t go there! Go to a Sai Centre." That is the inner voice.

The inner voice is not ambiguous -- it gives no scope for doubt. It is straight.

It has nothing to do with your preferences, your likes or choices. It is always

direct. It doesn’t give you an option like, "Do this or that.Shall I go to

this place or that?No, No! Stop and be here, that’s all."

So, the inner voice is very clear. It gives you no scope for choice. The inner

voice is instructive. The inner voice is affirmative. The inner voice is not

ambiguous. The inner voice is independent. The inner voice comes from the Love

centre. The inner voice is Truth-based. The inner voice is peace-directed. The

inner voice is non-violent. The inner voice is based on all these values. The

inner voice is Divine. The inner voice is spiritual. The inner voice is the

conscience, nothing less than that. That is the answer.

How does a person know what is right action? What is right action? To quote Bhagawan:

See what is good. Don’t see what is bad.

Hear what is good. Hear no evil.

Do no evil. Do what is good.

Think no evil. Think what is good.

See no evil. See what is good.

This is right action. This is the way to God. So right action is service; right

action is selfless; right action is holy; right action is Divine. Right action

should be our life goal. That is the answer to this question.

"Why Is a Person Born and Born Again?"

Here is another question: "Why does a person die and die again? Then he’s born

and born again. Why does this happen?"

The answer is simple. There is a simple meaning from Sai literature.

Individually, it is impossible for us to answer. We are reborn again and again

- why? We aren’t able to come out of the cycle of birth and death - why? Why

birth? Why death?

Birth and death are due to thoughts or Sankalpa. Thoughts and counter-thoughts

are responsible for our birth and rebirth. When we are thoughtless, when the

mind is withdrawn, when the ego is totally gone, when there is no thinking

process, when we turn inward, when we experience the soul, the spirit, the

consciousness, we are not born again.

Because we don’t experience the ‘conscience’, we don’t experience the

‘consciousness’. We are attached to our thought. We are attached to our body.

We are attached to our ego. Therefore, we are reborn again and again. I think

I'm clear.

Another point is that, truly speaking; there is no birth and no death. There is

no birth; there is no death. The one born is the body; the one dying is the

body. But the ‘I’ is still there.

A simple example: I remove this bulb here. Does this mean there is no current?

There is still a current, but the bulb gave an _expression to the current by

shedding light. Once the bulb is taken out, there still is a current!

Similarly, you and I exist as current. The body is the bulb. Whether the body is

there or not, the current is still there. Similarly, there is no birth; there is

no death. It is only changing the dress, the nightgown, the evening gown, the

swimsuit, or the golf dress, that’s all, right? Therefore, we change our dress,

but the ‘I’ remains the same. Truly there’s no birth and no death whatsoever.

Examples of Reaction, Reflection, and Resound

My friends, I'm happy to receive all these questions. There is one last question

today. "Can you give some examples of reaction, reflection, and resound?"

We have any number of examples. Stand in front of the mirror -- it is

reflection. If I stand in front of the mirror, I see my own reflection. But

there is philosophy behind it. The object is God; the mirror is nature. The

reflection is the individual, the main object is Divine. The mirror is the

world; the mirror is nature. That is the example for reflection.

Second, reaction: Because of good thoughts, a positive mind, we have positive

results. Swami was telling us the other day, "If you love everyone, God will

love you. If you serve everyone, you will be served. See the reaction! If you

hate everyone, everyone will hate you. If you love all, everyone will love

you." So this is reaction. As is the action, so is the reaction.

Then, resound: If I am here and shout, "Sai, Sai!" I get the same sound, "Sai Sai."

"Sai, Sai," I get the same resound.

That’s what Baba said. If you say ‘yes’, Baba will say ‘yes’. If you say ‘no’,

you’ll get the answer ‘no’. ‘Yes’, ‘no’, belong to you; but Swami says, ‘Yes,

Yes!’

"Swami, I want to die now."

"Yes, Yes!" (Laughter)

"Swami, I got my leg fractured."

"Yes, Yes, very good!" (Laughter)

"Swami, my grandmother died."

"Nice, Yes, Yes, Yes!"

"I want to get married."

"Yes, Yes, Yes!"

"I don’t want to marry."

"Yes, Yes, Yes!" (Laughter) This is resound.

These are all examples of reaction, reflection and resound.

Thank you very much for being with us this morning!

May Bhagawan be with you forever and ever!

Thank you!

(Applause)

Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai! Om Asato Maa Sad Gamaya Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya

Roman'">Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu Loka Samastha

Sukhino Bhavantu Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Jai

Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai! Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai

Baba Ji Ki Jai! Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai! Thank You!

TO BE CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brothers –‘’

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