A Spiritual Rebirth By R. Radhakrishnan

[Guest guest]

A Spiritual Rebirth

By R.

Radhakrishnan

 

A Secret Letter

A family in dire straits wrote to some wealthy relatives in America. A package arrived shortly

afterward, and when it was anxiously opened, they found that it contained only

a few things of little value. Enraged, they put it in the attic, thinking that

perhaps their rich relatives had wanted to make fun of their trouble. Shortly before

Easter the entire house was cleaned and the collected trash was to be burned,

when the inside envelope of the package was ripped open their youngest son discovered

a secret compartment containing a letter with 20,000 dollars.

 

A letter from God is found in all the

sufferings. He sends us, and it contains many precious and comforting things, were we only to look instead of getting disgusted.

 

This world has its root above and branches below, says the Bhagavad-Gita

(XVI: 1) " I am from above; you are of this world " . (II: 69). These

passages suggest that the perception of the truth is derived from the nature in

us which is above the earthly. Spiritual power from beyond the dimensions of

space and time breaks in. Man is the point of interaction between time and

eternity.

On the 30th April 1985 I was staying with my daughter Brinda's residence at Perambur, Madras. In the afternoon, I intended to go to All

India Sai Samaj to have darshan

of Lord Sainath and Sri Narasimha Swamiji,

which is at Mylapore, i.e., about 6 km. from my

daughter's residence.

 

As I was waiting for the bus, I felt severe pain in the abdomen. I

did not want to proceed to Mylapore, I returned home

with grief: 'Oh merciful Baba, why did you prevent me from having your darshan. What sin have I committed? " As Tuesdays and

Thursdays are very auspicious and many impossible things become possible on

these two days, I felt my deprivation of having Baba's darshan

on that day.

 

On coming home, I applied a little Sai-udhi

over my abdomen and rested for two hours. I felt a little relieved but still I

was grieving over my inability to go over to the Sai Samaj.

As Mahabharatha puts it there is no external judge,

who punishes us: our inner self is the judge.

 

I was also musing what Buddha has said in Anguttara

Nikaya (III : 99 : 1) : :

" If anyone says that a man must reap according to his deeds, in that case

there is no religious life nor is any opportunity afforded for the entire

extinction of suffering, But if any one says that the reward man reaps accords

with his deeds, in that case there is religious life and opportunity is

afforded for entire extinction of suffering " .

 

At that moment Lord Sainath

brought forth an experience for me as an ancient Sanskrit verse says that the

assertion of the realty of God is indirect knowledge. The experience of the

reality of God is direct knowledge.

 

Around 6 - 30 p.m. my son-in-law, Shri

K. Ananthapadmanabhan came home from his duty (he is

employed in Madras Electric Gird). He straight went to the bathroom and vomited

profusely. The vomits included blood and immediately he fell down unconscious.

 

On hearing the frantic cries of my daughter, I rushed inside. Both

of us slowly shifted him to a bed, uttering 'SAIRAM' 'SAIRAM’. Then we

applied Sai-Udhi all over the body and made him

swallow a pinch. He regained consciousness soon.

 

Spiritual apprehension insists on a participation of the knowing

subject in the spiritual reality, a touching and tasting of the object of

knowledge. We see, feel and taste the truth. We could feel Sai's

presence. As Jesus put in the First Commandment: The Lord is our God, the Lord

is one; and shall love the Lord your God with all your soul, and with all your

strength (Mark 12 : 29-30)

This brought forth the purpose for which Lord Sainath

prevented me from going to Mylapore. Sainath's ways are mysterious and inscrutable. Whatever He

does, He does it to serve His devotees.

 

On learning this, a doctor Sai-bandhu

wrote to me: " Among all my patients, there has not been one whose problem

in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook, on life. It is

safe to say that every one of them fell ill because he had lost that which the

religion has given its followers and none of them has really been healed who

did not regain his religious outlook " .

 

My son-in-law soon became normal. We all bowed to the lotus feet

of Lord Sainath for giving him a rebirth. Let us

always remember Him and Surrender everything to Him, so that there will be no 'Jeeva Bodham' (Body

consciousness, ego etc.,) but Sai Bodham full of

Sai-consciousness. In other words, we will all be one with SAI BABA.

 

Pondering Over

A builder has to plan to the tiniest detail.

I realize that God, the Master-Builder of my life, has planned

it-all of it - to the tiniest detail.

Do I live and think and plan as if I realized that my life is

planned by the best and wisest planner in the world?

 

What a wonderful thought! I am not insignificant! I am important

enough to have God attend to me - every minute. What an inspiring and

supporting thought!

 

My life can be a mess or a masterpiece. It will surely be a mess

if I consider myself a master of it. It will surely be a masterpiece if I labour with it as the Master-Designer of it intended.

 

Let me not be discouraged or deceived - the fashioning of my life

is in the power of my own hands. I can do nothing better than place it in the

Almighty Hands to mould and fashion my life as God Almighty wishes. That is success;

that is successful living; that is planning my career wisely - as the All-wise

God has beautifully planned it from all eternity.

" Am I doing the work God intended for me to

do? Nobody else but I can do it. "

(Source

Sai Padananda Magazine Special)