SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume II [Ch. 10, 11, 12, 13]

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In view of the ensuing glorious event of the 80th Birthday of the Divine Lord

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, we propose posting of all the Divine Messages

titled as ‘Sathya Sai Speaks’ for the benefit of our members and all the Sai

devotees the world over. We request you to pass on/forward/spread these Divine

messages to your Sai circle so that they also derive spiritual benefits and

bliss from them. These Divine Messages are not only for Sai devotees, they are

for the entire HUMANITY. Lord Krishna taught humanity the ways and means of

salvation for mankind in ‘Bhagavad Gita’ in Dwapara Yuga. ‘Sathya Sai speaks’

is the Bhagavad Gita of Kali Yuga. - With Sai love, Sai brothers -

’’

***

Om Sri Sai Ram

SATHYA SAI SPEAKS - Volume II [Ch. 10, 11, 12, 13]

10. THE IDEAL DISCIPLE

SWAAMI Vidyaanandha, in the Hindi Address, which he read just now, welcomed Me

to this Naini Tal, describing its beautiful scenery and praising its climate.

Well, that is taking Me to be an outsider, who has to be formally invited and

welcomed. I am in your Satsang, for wherever the Geetha is studied, I am, and

will be present. I do not care for the external beauty of nature as much as the

beauty of 'character and of conduct' which you are seeking to acquire by the

constant study of the Geetha. I came to the Geetha Satsang to see all of you,

because I bless all efforts by man to raise himself by study and Sadhana.

"Madhbhakthaah yathra gaayanthe, thathra thishtaami Naaradha" is the

declaration--- " Wherever My Bhaktas sing of Me, there I install Myself." Why,

the Lord is always there and everywhere whether you sing of Him or

not. The singing only makes, Him manifest, like the radio receiver which catches

the tune from the-ether when it is switched to the correct wavelength. The

current is flowing ever; when you fix the bulb, you will get the light.

The Bhagavad Geetha is a text book for all mankind, giving the secrets of

spiritual science in clear and simple terms. But it will be useful only when

the reader has as much detachment as Arjuna had when Krishna started the

discourse. If you have as much vishaadha (despair) as Arjuna had, you have the

adhikaara (competence) to get the Teaching, which removed the grief. Only a

patient ailing from a disease is entitled to the specific, which will cure it.

What businesses have others with it? What profit can they draw from it? The

Geetha will act on the mental system only when the symptoms of vishaadha

(grief) are strong.

Spiritual surrender will get God's response

Arjuna, the greatest bowman of those days, anxious since years to destroy the

wicked Kauravas who had angered him by merciless and systematic vendetta,

suddenly gets disinterested in everything that he thought precious until that

moment! "Of what avail is victory in the field of battle?" asks this hero of a

thousand encounters! "Nor do I see any good from killing kinsmen in battle,"

says the warrior who had vowed to wipe out the Kuru clan! "I do not wish to

kill them, though they may wish to kill me; I shall lay down my arms; I shall

die unresisting" wails this foremost Kshatriya (warrior); "I would rather beg

from door to door and live on alms," says this scion of an imperial line. In

short, his mind had become ripe for the illumination. He has the Lord Himself

as Guru by his side and he knows it. He asks Him: "I am struggling in

ignorance; I am confused; I do not know which is dharma and which is Adharma.'

He seeks disciple-hood and lays himself at the Feet of Krishna in

self-surrender! Anyone anywhere who reaches that stage of spiritual surrender

will get the response from Krishna and He will teach the Geetha from the

chariot which is driven by Him, that is his own heart.

End delusion and gain recognition of the Self

The purpose of the Geetha is to remove the Moha (delusion) which overwhelmed

Arjuna and made him feel that he was the doer, whereas the truth is, he was but

an instrument. So Krishna asks him at the very end of the discourse, "Has the

delusion born out of ajnaana (ignorance) been fully destroyed in you?" For,

like a good teacher, Krishna is evidently quite willing to resort to some other

means or to discourse a little longer, in order to make the pupil understand the

teaching. But Arjuna is a good student; he declares, "Destroyed is the delusion

(Nashto Mohah).I have gained recognition." Now what is the recognition he has

gained? The recognition of the Self or Atma. He has seen himself as basically

Atma, and he has seen the world and all objects as superimpositions on the

Atma, due to ignorance or

Maya.

An emperor, while sleeping, dreams that he is a beggar; he wears tattered

clothes and cries piteously before other people's doors for a morsel of food;

no one listens to his clamor; he can no longer contain his sorrow. He weeps

aloud and wakes up his mother. She comes and wakes him up from that dream. Now,

the mother need not tell him, "Listen to me, you are the emperor. You are not a

beggar." He knows it as soon as he awakes. The recognition of the Self happens

as soon as the delusion goes, the delusion that this dream world is real!

A prince who falls into the hands of a forest tribe while yet a child, and

behaves like one of them, does not thereby lose his prince-hood. Rescue him and

he knows he is a prince. So too, Arjuna says, "Smrithir labdhvaa'"-"I got back

my memory, I have gained recognition.' I know Myself; I am Thyself !"

Geetha is the greatest harmoniser of all yogas

The study of the Geetha must end in this result; your Satsang must have this

consummation as your goal. Do not be enamored of the skill exhibited by some

Pundit who can recite the Geetha in record time, or write the whole of it on a

post card, or repeat it upside down or reel off commentaries. A man walked on

the beach played with the waves, and had a dip in the water; his feet are wet!

No, there is no miracle in this. This is what happens to many a scholar who

wades in the sea of the Geetha. In the Durbar Hall, when the Mahaarana is

arriving to seat himself on the throne, the couriers call out his polysyllabic

titles---but in daily conversation his short name is used; his principality is

but a tiny state. Similarly, the Pundit may have great pomp before others but

to himself, in the secrecy of his own conscience, he is a small man

indeed. Greatness depends upon the Sadhana (spiritual discipline) and the

success achieved in it, in anushthaana (practice of religious austerities) and

in nishtha (firm adherence to it).

"Awake, arise and stop not till the goal is reached," it is

said---"Uththishtatha, Jaagratha, Praapyavaraan nibodhatha." But one need not

march towards the goal. It is not some place where you have to go. It is jura

the opening of the eye, the removal of the veil, the waking from the dream, the

lighting of the Jnaana dheepa (light of spiritual wisdom).

To get this fruit of Geetha-paaraayana (discourse on Geetha), ekaagratha (one

pointed concentration) is essential. Krishna asks Arjuna, "Has this been heard

by you with an attentive mind? Have you heard it without distraction?" For, the

battlefield where they were, had plenty of distractions to disturb the

concentration of Arjuna's mind from the invaluable lesson he was receiving from

Krishna. It is really admirable that Arjuna seated in the chariot between the

two armies manages to master his mind and rid it of all the passions with which

it was filled when he rode in for the fray! Truly, he is an ideal disciple. You

should thank him for eliciting the Bhagavad Geetha for humanity.

There are people who argue that the Geetha teaches this yoga more than any

other; that shows only their partisan nature. Once you begin to practice the

Geetha, such ideas as trying to exhibit your superior scholarship, by

propounding a new theory or meaning will vanish. The Geetha is the greatest

harmoniser of all yogas. As a matter of fact, once the Geetha is made the

guiding star of your life, the way you act will be Karma Yoga, the way you feel

will be Bhakti Yoga, the way you reason will be Jnaana Yoga. It will become

automatically so. What you do must be in line with dharma; what you feel must

foster Prema; what you think must reveal Sathyam. Then this Satsang will be

blessed with Shanthi, with even Prashanthi.

Geetha Satsang: Nainital, 24-6-1961

Success comes when your effort and His Grace both comp1ement each other. How can

Grace enter when you do not seek it? Open the door of endeavor; the Merciful

Lord will then come in, with the Crown of Success. - Sathya Sai Baba

11. WITH PRATHYAKSHA TO PAROKSHA

YOU are all waiting to hear from Me about the journey to Badri and what happened

there. These people went to Badri and returned bhadram (safe)! That is the story

in a nutshell. For danger lurked all the time from fire, water, wind, sky and

earth---all the five elements in fact. Every moment these people felt the

Lord's Grace; for about 150 persons, mostly old and in indifferent health, to

accomplish this Yatra (pilgrimage) without a single moment of even headache was

due to Swami. Swami also went to Badri because the Netralingam, which is the

central source of Holiness there, had to be revived with spiritual efficacy.

Sankaracharya brought five lingams from Kailash and installed one each at

Dwarka, Shringeri, Badri and Puri and the fifth he placed at Chidambaram. Of

these, the one at Badri has the Narayana amsam (orientation)

and that had to be consecrated afresh. That was My task and these people who

came with Me saw Me doing it.

Atheism is not rampant in this land

I had to accomplish it this year itself, for this is the 35th year after this

Avatar took birth and this is also the year when the 35th successor to the

Sankaracharya Peeta is at Shringeri. This year is therefore important for

charging the battery of spiritual wealth, known as Badharikaashrama. The Nethra

Lingam, laid by Sankaracharya underneath the idol there, was "taken" out by Me

and Abhisheka (consecration by pouring holy water) was done with Gangotri water

which I fetched by a wave of the hand. It was worshipped with golden Bilva

leaves and Thumme flowers, both created by Me on the spot, and sent back to its

original place. The Lingam was placed on a Golden Lotus, with three layers of

petals, each having two smaller layers of 16 smaller petals---the entire Kamala

(lotus) representing the

Hridhaya (heart) where the Lingam has to be installed for worship.

When you see the enthusiasm of the pilgrims who trudged along the Badri Road in

thousands, you will be silenced with wonder; you will no more lament that

atheism has become rampant in this land. With faith as their only support,

people from all parts of India, men, women and children, old and young,

stalwarts and decrepits, rich and poor, move on towards. Badri. There are many

things, which you can learn from their steady march towards the goal; that is

the advantage in going on pilgrimage. You can develop your Bhakti (devotion),

your Shraddha (faith) and your Sadhana (spiritual discipline) when kindred

aspirants surround you. That is the greatness of that Narayana Moorthy at

Badri.

Yes; the spiritual change must come about. That is the reason for the belief, "a

mere sight of the pilgrim who has returned from Badri gives much merit." Of

course, for undergoing that change you need not go so far; you have

Badhrinaaraayana here itself! Badri is the place where the Nara-Narayana bond

is established and commemorated. That you can establish here itself. If you get

rid of delusion, you become Narayana (God); if you are sunk in delusion, you

continue to be Nara (human); that is all. There is no place to which I have not

gone; there is no place without Me therein. So, the Bhaktas who came with Me

were journeying to the Abstract with the Concrete, with the Prathyaksha to the

Paroksha! That was their good fortune.

Pilgrims, should maintain silence during Yatra

Those of you who were here and could not join need not feel sorry, for all these

days you we rethinking of Swami and Swami alone and so your Sadhana was greater.

After all, pilgrimage is for softening the heart, widening the outlook,

expanding the circle of sympathy; not for collecting curios or pictures or

Prasadam packets or idols and images. It is more a matter for the nethra (eye)

than for the paathra (vessel). Pilgrimages should be as silent as the eyelids

dropping on the eye. Why should people wag their tongues and shout and wrangle

when they are God-ward bound? Truly, all Kshethras (places of pilgrimage) and

all Yaathras (pilgrimages) are in yourself. You are ever on a pilgrimage,

though you might not have taken a step forward towards Badri or Kaashi. Do not

feel sad that you did not get the Abhisheka

Theertha (holy water used for consecrating the idol) from Gangothri, which was

used, for the Nethra Lingam. I can see that all of you are desirous of getting

it ever since you heard from others about the event at Badri. I shall get you

the Gangotri Theertham here itself and give you, do not worry. People may say

that pilgrimages are a waste of time and money; but let Me tell you that it is

the best way of spending time and money, provided one has real devotion. Bhakti

is no sign of weakness; it is a sign of courage, of wisdom, of discrimination;

it alone can give soukhyam and Shanthi (happiness and peace). Every one has one

day or other to fall in line with you, for every one is terribly anxious to get

these two. They try, in their ignorance or excitement, various other remedies,

but this remedy alone can cure them.

Prashanthi Nilayam, 4-7-1961

Your consciousness is a lamp. Pour into it the oil of Grace; trim the wick of

self-control. Keep in position the chimney of Namasmarana, so that the gusts of

Joy and Grief may not put out the flame. Light the lamp with a Mahaa-vaakya

(Vedhic dictum) like "Aham Brahmaasmi" (I am the Absolute Reality). Then you

will see Light and you will shed Light. - Sathya Sai Baba

12. LIGHT THE ANTHAHKARANA

WHEN I see this gathering. I am reminded of a similar gathering at this place as

well as the surrounding villages. twelve years ago when the High School was

started. Then too it was in this temple that you all met but, since then, I

have been passing through this village or coming to gatherings on the outskirts

of the village; that is all. It is only today that I am here again, at the old

place. I am happy at this; more so because the reason for this event is one

connected with this temple itself. Twelve years ago it was the temple of

learning; this temple of Lakshmi Narasimha. Please do not be under the delusion

that God needs light and that he requires illumination. He is Jyothi Swarupa

(Divine Light personified) with the splendor of a thousand suns; He is the

Force, which makes light shine; and He is above and beyond the Thejas (lustre)

that Nature can supply. It is not so much this stone structure that needs

illumination, when you come to think of it. It is the temple that you are

carrying about with you, the body, that must be fitted with lights. "Deho

devaalayah prokthah"---the body is said to be the temple, "jeevo devah

sanaathanah"--- and in that temple is installed the jeevi (indweller) who is

the "timeless" God. The inner motive Force is God, and when tie is dwelling in

the heart of man, He is called Jivi. The Jivi is not recognized as God because

of the darkness of delusion. You mistake a stump for a man in the darkness; in

the same way, the jive is mistaken to be a separate, changing individual. The

Jeevathathwam (principle of the individual) is given more importance and the

Devathathwam (divine principle) or Aathmathathwam (principle of infinite

consciousness is ignored on account of the darkness. So, the lights have to be

switched on in the

anthahkarana (inner consciousness) of man, rather than in the house where the

image of the Lord is installed and worshipped.

A temple is the centre of culture for the town

At the present time, there is a great deal of anxiety and agitation due to there

being a great advance in material comforts and conveniences, but no

corresponding advance in character, virtue and sense of justice. The 'material

world' is the stick which helps man to walk; but of what use is it to the

person who cannot walk? If the legs do not function properly, the stick is but

an extra burden. The stick is like material comfort; the primary need is the

strength of limbs, the power to walk, namely, character, virtue.

For the development of that strength of limb, spiritual discipline is essential;

any form of discipline suited to the taste and capacity of the individual. Men

struggle for the evanescent and the unreal; but they shy away from any effort

to attain the eternal and the real; that is the tragedy. In the report that was

read, the Young Men's Association thanked a very large number of persons who had

given money for the lights! I feel that instead of making the boys go from door

to door for small sums, any one donor could have undertaken the entire work;

for the temple is really the centre of culture for the town. In the old days,

when a man arrived at a village, the first question he would ask was, "Have you

a temple here?" and he would sleep in the village only if there was one. The

idea evidently was that the temple would have educated the people into

softhearted hosts and well-behaved citizens and also that the God installed in

the temple would guard over the inhabitants and prevent disease and disaster.

(Now, perhaps, the question of the new-comer would be, "Is there a hotel here?"

or, "Is there a cinema theatre here?") So remember, any improvement done to the

temple is an investment in the progress of the entire town.

Himalayas are very near to spiritual aspirants

Do not give up the treasure that has come down to you from the generations that

went before. Last month, I had been in Uttar Pradesh near the snow-capped

Himalayas and had gone as far as Badharikshethram. Though they are so far, the

Himalayas are very near to spiritual aspirants. If you see only the splendor of

the light and if you do not feel the warming effect, it only proves that you are

far; this is true of your relation with Me also. All these years, you who are so

near have been seeing the light only; you did not benefit by the warmth; that

only shows that you are yet far, though so near. Well, we went to the Himalayan

regions and saw thousands of old decrepit men and women, besides others who were

stronger and more prosperous; men, women and children braving the rigors of the

climate, the dangers of the road, the cold and hunger, the cost

and the distance, and trudging along to get a glimpse of Narayana installed

there. I am often asked where dharma can take refuge in this Iron Age. Well,

dharma is still flourishing in the hearts of those thousands, I can say.

When in Ayodhya, I could see and sense the constant recitation of Ramah Nama by

almost all the people there. In a bag of rice there may be a handful of stones,

but do not condemn the entire bag for that defect. The pilgrims were repeating

the name of Badri Narayana and that gave them an extra dose of strength and

inspiration to trudge forward. Yes, you will find by experience, if you

practice it, it gives you joy and peace. The Divine Power is there in you; it

need not come from somewhere outside you. Only, you have to prepare the ground,

so that it may manifest itself.

You must be sincere in the spiritual field

Remove the mots of the weed of egoism from the field of your heart; that is

enough. But this is very difficult; the lightest shower will induce the weeds

to sprout again. Similarly, when the circumstances turn favorable, egoism

throws up its shoots and grows as thick as in the past. You will have to remove

the roots too; this can be done by insisting "Not I, but the Lord." In the

spiritual field, you must be sincere. Do not pretend, and deceive yourself and

others. There was once a mendicant who sought a place where he could get a meal

as he was very hungry. A pious old lady called him into her house and asked him

to take his bath and partake of the noon meal. He said, "Oh, why should I take

a bath? Govindethi sadhaa snaanam---I have now repeated the name of Govinda,

that is as good as a bath." Hearing this, the lady said, "In that case, Rama

naamaamritham, sadhaa bhojanam---Name of Rama is food for ever, I shall also

feed you with a quotation. Get out of here pretty quick." Do not use the study

of the Sasthras and scriptures for increasing your egoism; let it make you

humble, though at the same time, more resistant to temptation. Your nature is

divine; what has happened is that delusion has covered it with dirt. The washer

man does not make your clothes white; they are white already; what he does is to

manifest the whiteness by removing the dirt that has hidden the genuine native

colour, white. The washer man must have two good things to bring out the basic

whiteness; soap and water. Both have to be good; you cannot manage with only

one of the two. In the case of the mind and removal of the dirt therein, the

soap is neethi and the water is nishtha (Ethics and its Practice).

Heritage of the past is lost through neglect

It is the ignorant person who argues loudly and angrily and talks cynically. The

wise man will pause before judging; he will see all sides of the problem, relate

it to his own experience and hesitate to accept it or condemn it. He will hear

less and taste more. The plight of Indians is like a person who with butter in

hand is running about for ghee. Here you have the technique of attaining

Shanthi developed as nowhere else; yet you are running after all kinds of

amateurs! Of course, even the spiritual leaders are taking to competition and

conflict, and the acquisition of wealth and fame; so the heritage of the past

is lost through neglect. Though the soap is good, the water of Practice is

dirty and so the clothes do not get their genuine whiteness. Even for a

householder, Lakshya (Objective) and Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) are both

equally important. He too has a lakshya, which he forgets at his peril. Lakshmi

should not hamper that goal or hide it from the eyes. For an ascetic, Lakshmi

is taboo; only lakshya is to be pursued.

Well, now that the lights have been switched on, those who come to this temple

will see the shrine more clearly; I bless them that they may also see their own

selves more clearly. Light is the source of Joy and Knowledge. Do not insult the

Light by misusing it, playing cards or talking about or planning actions of hate

or greed. Utilise it for increasing your devotion, for developing your knowledge

of the Glory of God and for serving others in a spirit of true brotherliness.

Lakshmi-Narasimha Temple Bukkapatnam, 18-7-1961

Do you like to measure the vastness of the Grace of the Lord? Then look at the

crops in the fields thirsting for rain. Poor things, they cannot reach up to

the clouds bearing the delicious water they can only pine and pray plaintively.

But the clouds pour the rain they have brought from the far distant sea and make

the crops green and gay. The Lord answers the prayers and refreshes all drooping

lives. = Sathya Sai Baba

13. THE INNER TEMPLE

TWELVE years ago, I remember, we had a gathering of the people of Bukkapatnam

here in this temple, in connection with the starting of a High School for this

town. The school was started and, thereafter, I have come often but, every

time, since the school is outside the town, I have been coming to the outskirts

only! I am glad I have again come into the town today, to this very temple in

order to light another lamp, for the benefit of this place.

The group of young men who collected the funds needed for the illumination of

this ancient Temple of Lakshminarayana struggled hard indeed, as their Report

indicates. After all, a single devoted donor could have finished the job. The

temple is the repository of Sanathana Dharma (eternal universal religion); it

is the heart and soul of a village. In former days, a newcomer would ask, "Have

you a temple in this village?" and, if the answer is "No," he will move on to

some other village, which has one. Today, however, the question has become,

"Have you a cinema hall in this village?" The conservation and promotion of all

the traditional institutions and customs and habits have become imperative and I

am glad that in this place, the young men have taken the lead and are proving

good examples to the elders.

Knowledge is growing, but wisdom lags

I shall switch on the electric lights, in a few moments but, remember, it is not

the Lord within Temple that need illumination, it is the worshipper. This

material temple of stone and mortar might be lit up by means of a few bulbs,

but really speaking, every one is a moving temple with the Lord installed in

the shrine of the heart. That shrine has to shine bright and clear; now it is

plunged in the darkness of Falsehood, Injustice, Cruelty and Pride; it is

infested by poisonous nocturnal birds of prey. The lighting up of this

structure is but the symbol of the illumination of the heart, the destruction

of the darkness of ahamkar and ajnaana (egoism and ignorance) so that the Lord

might be revealed in all His Glory. Latterly, there has been everywhere

progress in the material field, schemes and plans to increase prosperity and

comforts.

Schools, hospitals and factories are multiplying everywhere. But, there is no

peace in the heart of man or of society. This is because there has been no

corresponding increase in the moral conduct of man. Stick will help a man to

walk up an incline, but of what use is it to a person whose legs have become

defunct? Material prosperity is the stick and virtue the strength of the feet.

The trouble is that knowledge is growing but wisdom lags. There is an infection

of envy, cynicism and conceit everywhere. Man has become the slave of passion

and pride. He lets his mind drag him wherever it listeth, though the word Man

means "He who has control over manas." The control of the mind can be achieved

through spiritual discipline and training. To remove dirt from a white cloth,

the dhobi soaks it in water, puts in soap flakes, warms the water and beats it

on a stone. He does not make it white; it is white. He only removes the

nonwhiteness by a certain process. So too, the jeeva (individual soul) is pure;

but, it has got soiled. It has to be soaked in Good Conduct and Pure Character;

soaped with the Meditation on Godhead; warmed in discriminatory wisdom helped

by reason; and beaten on the slab of renunciation. Use the

temple and the worship of the Lord done here as per traditional rites for this

end. Light is holy, sacred. Do not misuse it for lower ends, but, give it its

proper value and engage yourselves in holy pursuit.

Take cheerfully all that comes to you

I was away in Uttar Pradesh from the 5th of last month to the 28th and I found

people there, full of devotion and faith. Thousands every day go on pilgrimage

to the shrine of Badri Narayana, in spite of the expense and the dangers and

difficulties, animated by the Bhakti which gives them strength and courage.

When you see them, you feel that the country is still green, that the path of

God and Dharma is not given up and 'that India is alive and strong. Moreover,

the people there, though they are far away from Puttaparthi do feel the warmth,

showing thereby that they are really near, while you here see only the light and

are unaware of the warmth. Devotion and faith are the result of culture and not

mere physical contiguity. But, I must tell you one thing. The names Puttaparthi

and Bukkapatnam, surrounded by these little hills are resounding

even in the Himalayas, and it is up to you to justify that fame and that

respect. A life lived in Love and Humility will gain the respect of all and

will also be full of Peace. Do not ask of life only joy and happiness, but,

take cheerfully all that comes to you. You cannot insist that the doctor gives

you only sweet medicines. Have the hardihood to bear sorrow as resignedly as

you bear joy. Remember that death is inescapable, that life is but an interlude

that the world is but a caravansarai and, you will get the strength to pass

through the pilgrimage of this birth.

Discourse at Bukkapatnam, 18-7-1961

Consider first things first. Then only can the true culture of India be restored

to its old vitality. Bharath has known how to exploit the mine of Divine Bliss,

which lies in the heart of man. The seers had said that if the Bhoomaatha,

Gomaatha, Nijamaatha and Vedhamaatha---mother-land sacred cow, real mother and

Vedhas---are revered and used as best as one can, then one would have happiness

here and liberation from the cycle of birth and death. It is because the people

of the country followed this path that India has remained India. - Sathya Sai

Baba

TO BE CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brothers – ‘’ Source and Courtesy:

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