Picking Up The Food Thrown Away Then..................

August 17, 2009

My Humble Salutations At The Divine Lotus Feet Of The Universal Divine Mother Sai Maa!

Swami has always emphasised on the importance of Food. Here is an incident mentioned in "Tapovanam" which signifies the value of "Food".

Accomponied by Swami Kaarunayaananda, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba once went to Dharmakshethra in Mumbai, his apartment on the upper floor while Kaarunyaananda was given a room situated on the ground floor right beneath Baba's room. Some prominent persons of Mumbai were coming to meet Bhagawan. The staircase they used was adjoining the ground floor room; and to avoid being disturbed, Kaarunyaananda bolted his door from inside. AS he looked out from his window he saw a very disturbing scence. Just outside the compound wall some children were vying with stray dogs to grab crumbs of food from the discarded leaf-plates. The scene filled him with surprise as well as distress. This is the age where God Himself has incarnated on this earth and is moving in flesh and blood, among human beings. What's more, that very day, He was present right in that very building. Is it not ironical that human beings were to fight with street dogs for snatching a few discarded crumbs of food? Just as these thoughts passed through his mind,t here was a gentle touch on his shoulder. He turned round and found Sri Sathya Sai smiling and looking into his eyes.

Kaarunyaananda was flustered and said,"Swami, I bolted my door from inside .How could you enter the room? "Baba countered," If I want to come in, can bolts stand in MY way? I have come to take you for meals. "Then Kaarunyaananda told Baba about what was agitating his mind."Swami, I am troubled by a small doubt. You are God incarnate and right now present here bodily. And just look there behind the wall, children are fighting with street dogs for picking up mean crumbs of food from the garbage. How come Swami?"

Bhagawan explained patiently, "They had spent their earlier lives in ease and luxury. They disdainfully ate from tables heavily laden with every kind of rich food, pecking a little from this and little from that palte. They threw away much more than they ever ate, contemptously discarding precious food. In this birth, they are picking up what they had earlier so recklessly wasted and consigned to the garbage heap!".

OM SRI SAI RAM!