SAI SPIRITUAL SHOWERS – ISSUE 32

[Guest guest]

Being exemplary in the society following the ideals to

perfection is the best thing a devotee can offer to God returning with

gratitude. Bhagawan says, “My Life is My Message†and He does

it to perfection by practising what He preaches. Dr. Adivi Reddy chronicled

some of such incidents from the life of Bhagawan depicting how He would

guide devotees who strayed from the path of morality and righteousness.

Extracted from the June, 1989 issue of Sanathana Sarathi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A group of Sai devotees

once requested Bhagawan to inaugurate a new temple in their town. But

Bhagawan refused to comply with their request on the ground that black

market cement was used for constructing the temple. When the devotees

pleaded not guilty, Bhagawan revealed to them that the so called Sai

devotee who had donated some cement bags for the construction of the temple

had illegally saved them from out of the cement allotted to him as a

contractor for constructing a dam. Hence Bhagawan's refusal.

A Vedic scholar

was asked by Bhagawan to get out of His presence when he was seated in the

midst of some students and other devotees at Whitefield. When the pundit

showed signs of bewilderment as to why Bhagawan was so harsh to him, he

admonished the latter, saying that it was a crime for a Vedic pundit to

profess to be a Sai devotee and at the same time to indulge in illegal

malpractices by way of lending money to poor and illiterate villagers

without proper licence from the Government, and that too, at exhorbitant

rates of interest.

The third

incident relates to a Commercial Tax Officer in Orissa, who once made use

of his official jeep to take his family and a few neighbours to visit a

cave temple of Shiva in the interior of a dense forest on a 3000 feet high

mountain. On their way back the jeep got stuck in a hill stream and refused

to budge an inch. The dark night was gathering fast. An hour's struggle to

extricate the jeep was in vain. The officer was terribly scared, because

the jungle was known to be infested with wild animals as well as dacoits,

and his party consisted mostly of women and children. Being a Sai devotee,

he fervently prayed to Bhagavan in utter desperation. Lo and behold! There

appeared on the spot four Sathya Sai Seva Dal volunteers who rescued the

party by pulling out the jeep, and then vanished in a second. Thus by

Bhagawan's grace, the officer and the party reached home safely. However,

Bhagawan taught him a lesson not to misuse the Government vehicle for

private purposes, by immobilising his jeep and thereby creating panic in

him and his party.

About a decade

ago, a recluse of forty-five summers by name Kalpagiri came to Prasanthi

Nilayam. No one could guess that this so called "monk" was a wolf

in the garb of a sheep. Four years earlier, he committed a ghastly murder

and to escape from punishment by the due process of law, he made good his

escape by donning the saffron robe and wandering in the Himalayas and other

places of pilgrimage. As soon as the Omniscient Baba saw Kalpagiri in the

Darshan line, He called him inside and told him during the interview:

"My dear Kalpagiri! How can the saffron robe or visits to Rhishikesh

and other holy places rid you of the sin of murder? Enough of your roaming

in the guise of a Sanyasi for the last four years. Go now to the Police

station and surrender yourself there. Experience your Karma by receiving

the punishment due to you according to the laws of the land. When the death

sentence is declared, file your clemency petition to the President. I will

save you. You will not be hanged. You have my protection to atone for your

heinous sin, through devotion, in this very birth. Come on, this sacred

saffron robe does not befit you. Take this white cloth." Saying so in

a tone that combined love and sternness, Bhagawan gave Kalpagiri a white

dhoti.

Accordingly,

Kalpagiri surrendered himself to the Police. The case was taken up. Though

he confessed his guilt, the judge awarded him the capital punishment, as

the crime was of a heinous nature. In line with Bhagavan's direction, a

clemency petition was submitted to the President of the Indian Union.

Eventually, Kalpagiri received the President's pardon. Death sentence was

commuted to life imprisonment and Kalpagiri became an ardent devotee of

Bhagawan, spreading his beneficial influence on the other convicts too.

In conclusion, it

may be seen from what is stated above that where there is a will, there is

a way either to scrupulously abide by the Governmental rules and

regulations or to violate them for selfish reasons. Bhagawan's stand on

this is extremely clear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Devotees who get tasted and tested in a mire of activities

in the stage called life would often flock to Prasanthi Nilayam to recharge

themselves with darshan and blessings of Bhagawan. Many of us have had

several trips to this spiritual town often with cherished ambition to have

a close coveted darshan with sparshan and sambhashan, if possible. Where do

we stand now after making number of visits to Bhagawan? Are we really

contented to claim that we are indeed happy without entertaining

aspirations for a smile, a loving word, a touch or a coveted interview from

Bhagawan? Harry Mansbridge of the UK had encountered three interesting

personalities in Prasanthi Nilayam whose views on the topic would be really

enlightening to each one of us. Extracted from the July 1989 issue of

Sanathana Sarathi.

 

 

 

 

Friends ask me why do I keep

going to India? Is it to be recharged? Is it to be exposed to the cleansing

fire of Swami's leelas or is it to melt once again at His feet and to feel

the warmth of His all embracing love? It is all these things and more.

Each visit is a new experience

and this one (in February 1989) was no exception. I suppose it is

imagination but His love appears to flow more sweetly each time. Being in

the highly charged spiritual environment at Prasanthi Nilayam our senses

and sensibilities seem to be bombarded relentlessly. We must continually

look at our thoughts and our re actions to `happenings' and say to

ourselves `what have I to learn from this?' One of the boards alongside the

Mandir entrance proclaims: `Ask yourself every day, what have I come here

for and am I achieving it?'

We all long for an interview and

one day I had a very humbling experience. I rarely talk to people while we

are assembling in the Darshan lines but this particular day, I spoke to

three people about possible interviews. The first - an Australian - said

that he didn't need an interview as he had received two smiles from Swami

and had touched His feet. The second was a Canadian doctor whom I meet

every year. I said to him, "I haven't seen you go up for an interview

this year." He replied, "No, I haven't had one for four years but

I am happy just being here." The third - a member of the U.K. group,

who had taken a week to reach the ashram. He wanted to take photographs

from outside the Mandir of Swami walking around the darshan lines. I

advised him against it as the group might be called in for an interview.

"I don't mind,†he said, "I've had so much grace

already" ... three lovely characters who love our Lord.

Sometimes I feel I have so far to

go that I haven't yet started on the path but then during the interview He

shows so much love by gentle taps on the cheek and shoulder He knows that

we are trying to practise His teachings and I feel that is the important

thing, "to try" - try to change ourselves, our thoughts, our

habits and our attitude to life. People's experiences are always

interesting to listen to but we must have them ourselves for the full

meaning of His power and glory to register.

Let us look forward to the day,

hopefully soon, when the whole world will be at His Lotus Feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WITH A VISION THAT GUIDES

AND A MISSION THAT TRANSFORMS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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