17.4.2008 THE SOVEREIGN OF LOVE...BY PROF . T.PADMA.

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BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA : THE SOVEREIGN OF LOVEby Prof. T. Padma Surcharged as it is with devotion, on the one hand and rigorous discipline, on the other, Prasaanti Nilayam, the township sanctified by the presence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba is universally acknowledged as the eighth wonder of the world. The uniqueness of this ‘wonder’ is the transforming testament of spiritual democracy and as a dynamic exemplar of the ideal of salvation through service. Life at Prasaanti Nilayam is training in the right harnessing of one’s physical and mental energies to obtain optimal moral

development. The aura of Love around Swami is so powerful that is sensitises every devotee to perceive that the ultimate in moral development is an expansion of sympathy. Enthused by the motto, “See good, Be good, Do good,” aspirants in the Sai path strive to replace condemnation of the bad with commitment to reform and refine the bad till it becomes good. No other Avatar before Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has initiated an action plan for the spiritual evolution of the entire mankind.The Sathya Sai Seva Organisation is blessed in that it is founded by God in human form, daiwam maanusha ruupena. The only fee for membership is loyalty to the objectives of the organisation. Members of the Samithis scrupulously and unquestioningly follow the instructions of Swami. They do not try to analyse His actions because they know that God’s ways are inscrutable and beyond human comprehension. When Swami was asked to tell about Himself, He once said: “When among men, I am a man;

when among women, I am a woman. Among children, I am a child. Alone, I am God.” What draws people to Him from all walks of life, from all countries and cultures in the world, cutting across differentiation’s in political beliefs and religious faiths, is Swami’s supreme unconditional Love. Swami is interested not in launching any new religious creed but only in the restoration of Sanathana Dharma, and through that to reinstate India in its lost position as the spiritual leader of the world. As rightly pointed out by V.K. Gokak, Swami’s wish is to bring about an integral change in the character of man so that “his intellect attains Truth, his heart attains Peace, his will attains Right Action, and his soul overflows with love”.Many devotees feel perplexed about Baba’s granting interviews. Sometimes they feel sad that may be their devotion is not sincere enough to merit an interview. At other times they wonder if the criterion for an interview could be position or

wealth, since Ministers and high officials and wealthy sportsmen and film stars seem to be receiving special attention from Baba. What vexes them most is when a man known to lack honesty and integrity is granted an interview by Swami. All the above observations are correct. But what the devotees do not know is the reason behind the special Grace.Baba knows best when and to whom an interview should be given. With millions of people thronging to Puttaparthi, it is impossible to give individual interviews to each and everyone. He gives an “inner-view” to all who surrender to Him with full faith and pure heart. As for interviews, in some cases, it may be merit accrued from previous lives, it may be the dire need of the person singled out for an interview. The need may be with reference to health problems, financial setbacks, or emotional ordeals. It may be to offer a much needed advice on spiritual sadhana or the running of a service oriented institution. With regard

to the interviews granted to affluent and important officials, it is not at all favouritism, but the fact that transformation wrought in them would have far reaching consequences for society at large. When the faith of the people in power is strengthened, they can become effective instruments in the Sai fold and can play a vital role in Swami’s primary aim of bringing about a qualitative change in the life of the common man materially, morally, and spiritually.Bhagawan many times quips humorously that his giving many interviews to the same person is like a doctor of having necessity to give prolonged treatment to a really sick person. Just as the slightly indisposed persons are treated as outpatients and given a prescription and sent away, Swami gives to all who come to see Him the prescription of Devotion, Discipline, and Duty along with the recommended diet of Truth, Right, Conduct, Peace, and Love, and sends them away. Not granting them an interview is, in way,

like giving them a clean bill of health.It is the common experience of Sai devotees that help always comes to them even if they are not granted an interview. The timely help may be from a person, a book, or a conversation overheard. Darsan, Sparsan and Sambhasahan have tremendous significance. By His glance, by His smile, and by His word Swami charges, vitalises, and divinises a person. Swami’s message is simple: “Help ever, Hurt never.” He is only particular that help should not be confined to narrow considerations and should encompass all those in need irrespective of race, religion, or social status. The very terminology Swami uses, like Narayana Seva, to connote feeding the poor underscores that service to anyone is service to the indweller present in every human being. Swami’s insistence on Value Based Education, His providing the best medical care to the poor free of cost through Superspeciality Hospitals, and His giving through a mega Water Project new hope

to farmers living in the hitherto draught afflicted regions testify that boundless compassion is the hallmark of Sathya Sai Avatar.The supranormal powers that spontaneously manifest themselves through Swami like materialisation of things from the air by a mere wave of his hand, miraculous cure of diseases, controlling the fury of Nature, and bringing back to life people declared dead by doctors, and so on draw people to Swami. But what cements their total faith is the Love He showers on them. The therapeutic power of bhajans, the sense of direction and purpose in life one gets from the code of conduct enjoined in the Sai Path, and the peace one experiences by rendering service with Love ensure the lifelong allegiance of the devotees to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.Such is Swami’s loving concern for His devotees that He would go to any lengths, perform any incredible miracle to redeem them or rescue them from perilous situations. An army officer who felt

hurt when he was bypassed and the promotion he was sure of getting was given to a person much junior to him, wished to commit suicide. It so happened that his wife and family were out of station and he shut himself up in the bedroom, and was about to shoot himself when there was a loud knock on the door. Putting aside the pistol, he opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to find his childhood friend. The friend’s wife and another acquaintance also were with him. He welcomed them inside and spent a pleasant two hours in their company. Promising to come again after the officer’s wife had returned, the friend left.The cheerful company of the friend banished depression from the officer’s mind, and he went inside to his bedroom to put away the pistol. He could not find it anywhere. In about an hour’s time he received a telegram from Swami saying, “Don’t worry. The pistol is safe with me.” Stunned by Swami’s kindness the officer suddenly had an intuition that may

be it was Baba who called on him the guise of his childhood friend to prevent him from committing suicide. He searched for his friend’s address and phone number in an old dairy. He dialed the number and the friend himself answered the phone.Knowing that there is no way in which the ‘friend’ who called on him just a couple of hours back could reach his home thousands of miles away, the officer prostrated before Baba’s photo in the shrine room for visiting him in three forms ( his friend, his friend’s wife and their acquaintance). He took the next flight to Puttaparthi, and Swami smilingly confirmed that he did visit him in the guise of his friend, and handed the pistol back to him. Science can never explain how Swami can assume three different identities while continuing to be physically present at Puttaparthi, or how a pistol can be transported by Him to a place thousand of miles away without anyone seeing it. Devotees have documented millions of such

instances.On rare occasions, as a warning to a devotee, Swami makes the gift He had given disappear. A man who finalised a deal to sell the rosary given him by Swami was surprised when he could not find it anywhere. A few months later when he went to Puttaparthi, Swami gently rebuked him and gave him back the rosary. Sincere devotees, who accidentally lose the watch or chain given to them by Swami, many times receive them again from Him sometimes even after a gap of several years!.Swami is particular that the energy of youth is constructively channelised. If the enthusiastic participation of students from The Sathya Sai Educational institutes in the ‘Grama Seva’ programme were to be emulated by students from all other colleges it would indeed betaken a glorious golden age for India.Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba wants only Love from devotees. He is the Sanathana Sarathi come to repair the ancient Highway to God. On the eve of His 75th Birthday, let us all

pray to Him to make us worthy instruments in the Sai path and guide us to strive for individual salvation along with global harmony. (Sharing With Sai Love) Ram.Chugani.Ram ChuganiKobe, Japanrgcjp

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