How Sai became Atlanta's Swami - from: naatu_rajavu

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How Sai became Atlanta's SwamiATLANTA DIARY | Meeta Chaitanya BhatnagarOnline

source:http://www.hindustantimes.comJune 7, 2005

When you are ready, Swami, or the teacher appears -this is a maxim that has as

many sources of origin asit has interpretations.Atlanta was ready for the

appearance of (or as closeto it as one could muster) Sri Sathya Sai Baba

-Swami, Baba, Sai Ram to his followers and ahumanitarian to all those who know

about his life andworks.The Atlanta chapter of 'The Sri Sathya

SaiOrganization', a non-profit, global, spiritualorganisation devoted to

practising the message ofSathya Sai, organised a public meeting on hisexemplary

life, teachings, and social endeavours inthe fields of education, medicine and

public serviceon Saturday, June 04, 2005 at the prestigious CobbGalleria.The

programme that was open to all and thatspecifically refrained from monetary

solicitation ofany kind was enthusiastically welcomed by thefollowers of Sathya

Sai here in Atlanta as also otherswho espoused avid interest in learning more

about thisvisionary leader and relentless 'servant of allhumanity' as he calls

himself.The two-hour long event included messages from twoeminent speakers - Dr

Samuel Sandweiss and Dr PhilipGosselin, and screening of a film which focuses on

thehumanitarian projects of Sathya Sai Baba in AndhraPradesh.Dr Philip Gosselin,

a psychologist in private practiceand former Director of Behavioural Medicine

atFranklin Medical Centre, MA, has been a member of theSathya Sai Baba Central

Council of the United Statessince its inception in 1975. He currently serves

asits President.Gosselin, who spent two years in Sathya Sai's Ashramin the

early 1970s, spoke about the compelling need ofSai's devotees to spread his

message of universallove. He spoke about the amazing grace of his Swami ashe

calls Sai, in encouraging people to become betterindividuals following the

faith they choose to follow.He said, "Swami asks Christians to be

betterChristians, Hindus to be better Hindus...The onlyreligion he says, is

that of Love."Dr Samuel Sandweiss, the second speaker, is anassistant clinical

professor in the Department ofPsychiatry at the University of California, San

DiegoSchool of Medicine and has been a practicingpsychiatrist for 35 years.

Sandweiss is on the SathyaSai Baba Council since 1975 as well. He is also

theauthor of the book 'Sai Baba: The Holy Man and thePsychiatrist'.Sandweiss

spoke of his own personal metamorphosis froman enquirer into a devotee and of

the tangible,external works that have been conceived and overseenby the holy

leader. His talk was followed by the screening of the film,'His Work'. The

meeting was organised with theprecision and humility that comes from truly

believingin what one does. Even though it was a quasi-spiritualgathering, it

remained imbued with subtle dignity dueto the conscientious lack of overt

campaigning orcanvassing. For the Diaspora, many of whom do believein the

saintliness of Sai, the meeting was indicativeof honour bestowed upon an Indian

teacher, leader, andguru if you will 10,000 miles away from home, bypeople who

are not Indian by birth but by choice.The meeting was more than a spiritual

platform for thepreaching of the faith fostered by the pious leaderfrom

Puttaparthy and even the most stoic of listenerswas moved by the sheer

simplicity and simultaneouspoignancy of the message of this Swami (or teacher)

-for that is the aspect that stands out mostsignificantly about him - the fact

that he can inspiremillions of people across the world to the mostfundamental

of all positive human actions - service toall - without any didactic

pretentiousness.Many of us look for an elusive, complex, utterlyfascinating and

decidedly esoteric answer to thepuzzle that life is. We look towards scriptures

andsects, religion and ritual, Sanskrit and the Delphifor answers to questions

that are beyond the physicsof ordinary comprehension. Whether or not we find

themin our own faith or lack of it - this man, who is allbut 5-feet tall and

who hails from a rudimentaryvillage hundred miles off the outsourcing capital

ofthe world has not only found his own centre but hasalso drawn many relentless

believers in the creed ofhumanity towards and beyond himself.In an age of

prudential scientific questioning andenduring practicality, some say it is hard

enough tofind God - the omnipresent. To be smitten by a man -albeit an

extraordinary man - is therefore perplexingand fascinating at once. Whether or

not he is Godincarnate is indeed debatable, but that he is godly isbeyond

question. To question as we do is human, to dowhat he does is divine - even for

humans.Join group sai baba of India

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