From Puttaparthi... Game, Set & Match to Swami

[Guest guest]

Baba's stories are full of fun and frolic, because they apply to our day-to-day situation and because they make you laugh.

Let me give you an incident. One day, in Darshan, Sai Baba was talking to the children from the primary school. He asked one young boy, just 6 or 7 years old, " Where do you come from, boy? "

The boy replied, " Swami, I come from you. "

Sai Baba then turned around and said to all the VIP's sitting on the verandah " See, if I was to ask you that question, you would say " I come from Bombay " or " I come from Madras " or " I come from England " , but this little boy says " I come from you " , now that is divine. Children are divine.

Then Sai Baba put a second question to the boy, " How many brothers do you have? "

Back comes the reply " Swami, all are my brothers, " Sai Baba then said " See how broad minded children are. This little boy considers all are his brothers, but if I were to ask you that question, you would say '2 brothers, Swami' or '3 brothers, Swami', you are so narrow minded!!! "

Then Sai Baba put a 3rd question to the boy, " How many sisters do you have? " Back comes the reply " Swami, all are my sisters. " " No, no, no " said Sai Baba, " All are your sisters excepting one, your wife. "

Well, everybody laughed and then Sai Baba asked the boy " How many wives do you have? " to which the boy replied, " Swami, all are my wives. "

" Oh no, no, no, you are wrong, " said Sai Baba, adding, " That boy thinks that he is smart enough to give a reply to Bhagavan! "

Then Swami said to the boy " Who are you? " Back comes the reply " Swami, I am God. " Sai Baba then said, " Well, if you are God, then you can go and give Darshan " and everyone burst into laughter. People love His jokes, His humour.

One thing I do know is that you will never have the last word with Swami; He will always outsmart you. Let me give you another instance.

An elderly professor who sits on the verandah one day told Swami that he was suffering from cataracts and so Swami told him to go to the hospital and have a check up. Then He looked at me and said, " You also have cataracts. "

I said, " Swami, I have glasses, I don't have cataracts " , to which Swami replied " I can see you have glasses, but you have cataracts in both your eyes. "

I said " Swami, me? "

" Yes, you! " said Swami. " One eye is suffering from the cataract of attachment, the other eye is suffering from the cataract of ego " to which I replied, " Well, if that is so, Swami, then it is time for an operation. You are the divine doctor, so why don't you operate right now. " Everybody laughed.

Then Swami, who is the divine master and always has the last word said " But the problem is not only in your eyes, because from top to bottom you are diseased with ego and attachment."

Then " I said to Swami " This calls for major surgeries, an immediate operation, please do it at once. "

Sai Baba replied " Oh, no, if you don't come to Me what can I do. If you come to Me, then, I will operate, but you have not yet come to Me, so what can I do? " I then said to Swami " Swami, when am I not with You? Am I not serving in your college for the 9th successive year? "

" Ah " said Sai Baba " You are physically here, but mentally you are somewhere else, so unless you are mentally and physically here and totally surrender to me, how can I operate? " (See photos)

Game, set and match to Swami!

Prof. Anil Kumar is best known for translating Swami's discourses into English. He also gives very popular talks on Sunday mornings in Prashanti Nilayam and visits many Sai centres for the same purpose.

http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_04/01FEB06/an-interview-with-anil-kumar.htm