The Driver of the Car with Shiva

Dear Devotees of Sathya Sai, give you a big car. Will you take it? You In these difficult times, including the days and mustn’t say no!” The boy was overawed by years ahead, we within the Sathya Sai now and replied, “OK!” Swami then asked, Organisation, are truly blessed to have the love “Will you give Me your car?” “Sure, Swami.” and protection of our sweet Lord Sai. I am “Shall I drive it?” asked Swami. “Sure, reminded that many years ago, Swami wrote Swami!” Swami, smiling, placed His hand on the following letter to all His Devotees, which the boy’s heart and said, “Your heart is the car is as pertinent today, as it was then: and I am the driver.” A profound lesson in devotion taught by Swami in the simplest My Dears, manner. Swami says, have faith in Him, and,

The time will come when the whole of this “Be free from fear, anxiety and agitation. dream will vanish. To everyone of us there Surrender to God; His wisdom can enlighten must come a time when the whole universe you. His power can overcome all obstacles. will be found to have been a mere dream, Faith and surrender are the manifestations of when we shall find that the soul is infinitely devotion.” better than its surroundings. In this struggle (From a talk given by Mrs. Mallika Srivivasan, CEO of TAFE (tractor and farm equipment) and the most through what we call environments, there successful woman CEO in India.) will come a time when we shall find that ______these environments were almost zero in Shirdi Sai, Parthi Sai, -soon Prema Sai, will comparison with the power of the soul. It is come and the greatness and the Power of only a question of time, and time is nothing Love will spread everywhere. Everyone’s in the infinite. It is a drop in the ocean. We home will be Bharat (India) Prasanthi can afford to wait and be calm. Nilayam will become the home for all - With Blessings, Viswa Nilayam. There will be peace and Sri Sathya Sai Baba harmony everywhere. There will be no three C’s - Caste, Country, Colour anymore. For the present, then, we must continue to -BABA. serve and assist Swami in His mission in every ______way possible whether we are office holders or not. We now have a full National Committee Why Does Swami Create the Divine in place representing each of the four Lingam? “The LINGAM is the absolute Provinces of Ireland. They are as follows: form of Divinity, it is from God’s navel. The Munster Chair:- Paul Curtin. Lingam is the Purest Form of Divinity. Lord Leinster Chair:- Marion Mac Govern. Shiva is associated with the Lingam because Ulster Chair:- Laila Madhavan. Shiva is the Purest Form of Divine Connaught Chair:- Dr. Rohininath. Consciousness in every form. Shiva and the Secretary:- Anna Skrine. Lingam represent the Purest Form of Love. Treasurer & EHV Coordinator:- Rosemary Once when Lord Shiva was deep in meditation Marron and prayer, the heat that radiated from His I shall continue to Chair the National physical form threatened to burn everything. Committee and I would like to wish each As the Gods stood before Him in sincere office-holder every success in their respective prayer, Shiva started vomiting fire roles. Our first Meeting will take place on 4th continuously and after some time, from His April, in Dublin, when Ishver Patel will mouth, came the Lingam. The Holy Lingam address this Committee. Ed. cooled Shiva’s Divine heat and saved the ______world. That is how it came to be associated The Driver of the Car with Shiva. “Why do I create the Lingam? Because when I take the Lingam out from My The young son of Mrs. Sivivasan, was asked physical body, the Godliness of that Lingam by Swami to ask Him a question. The boy spreads to each and everyone assembled there asked, “Swami, which is Your favourite car?” and who are praying to God. Many times People nearby were shocked at hearing the people ask Me, ‘Swami, why do You suffer so little boy’s question, seeing it as a waste of a much physical pain before the Lingam comes precious questions and time. Swami smiled out of You?’ I do not suffer at all. It is only lovingly and replied, “Morris Minor,” and reflections that see Me in distress. Why should continued to tell stories of how He drove to I suffer? People suffer because they do wrong. Madras, and how He had obtained a license!! When they see the Lingam, everyone becomes “You used to drive Yourself, Swami?” purified. Swami undergoes physical suffering exclaimed the boy, with beaming smiles. for His people to make them understand that I Swami transfixed the boy as he looked up at take the sufferings of My people on Me. This is Swami, and Swami continued to say, “I will

1 nothing for Me. It is you that should to corrosion and there was no way, apart from understand that Swami suffers because He Divine intervention, the undercarriage would wants all of you to live in peace and happiness have extended, as even the emergency always.” extension had failed. We landed safe and ______sound. We then thanked Sai Baba. Lots of For Your Info. Divine Love, from Amarjit. Krishna was born on July 20, 3227 BC. The ______Kurukshestra War was fought 3141 BC, when Many people call themselves devotees Krishna was 86 years old. without understanding the meaning and ______significance of the term devotion. Devotion Attachment to the world can be destroyed does not mean performing rites and rituals. only by attachment to the Lord. If you want True devotion lies in obeying the command to adhere to Sathya (truth) and Dharma of the Lord and spreading His message... (righteousness), you must see in every act, One has to worship God both in times of the reflection of the Glory of the Atma. pain and pleasure. -BABA. Then attachment to the Lord will transmute ______the attachment to the world into a pure Test My Omnipresence offering. -BABA. Mrs. Rani Subramanian ______When my husband was away, my son became Flying Lessons from God? very ill with a fever of 103-104 degrees, for Some months ago I was flying our Piper five days. Doctor came and he thought it was Seneca G-BBLU twin engined aircraft on a test malaria, then influenza. He had to admit he flight with another pilot, Julian. We departed dodn’t know the cause. However, he continued from Biggin (Hill, Airport, Kent), and during to treat him but my son didn’t respond to any the test flight the undercarraige/wheels failed medicine. After four days the doctor came and to extend/lower down. So in fact we would told me that he thought it could be typhoid. My have to land without the wheels which could son at the time was 5 or 6 years old and his be disastrous. We were overhead Maidstone fever was not coming down at all. He became about 20 miles east of Biggin Hill Airport. We delirious! Didn’t recognise me or anybody, and flew back to Biggin and joined 2000ft when I tried to put him to bed, he would run. I overhead, the airport asked if we wished to was worried and wondered what had happened declare a problem, as they confirmed that our to him! Immediately, Baba’s thought came to wheels were not down. We said no. We tried to mind: “I told you to test My Omnipresence! extend the undercarraige/wheels, they failed to Now is the time for you to test. Go and pray to lower. Julian, my pilot, said, “Singh, we have Me! I told the maid to somehow manage to two choices, First, is we land and crash, and look after the child and I will just go and pray, hope for the best. Second, we ask Sai Baba, and return. It was 9.0 clock and I prayed to but what can He do - this is a mechanical Swami: “Swami, You said to test Your failure.” So, I said OK, we will ask Babaji but Omnipresence. Today I need Your only if we both ask together. So we said: “Dear Omnipresence because this child is behaving Baba, Dear God, please help us, the so queerly! I can’t understand what is undercarraige/wheels will not lower even on happening! I want your help! You must fulfil 3 emergency extension, please lower it so we conditions of mine! One, when I go back now, don’t get hurt.” Suddenly, this voice boomed he should be fast asleep; he shouldn’t be in the cockpit: “Amarjit (Singh) you both are running around and saying all sorts of things! more worried about not hurting yourselves, Then I will know you are Omnipresent. 2nd is, what about the aircraft, the ground, the air, when I get up in the morning and when I check any other lives which may be hurt, and what his temperature, it should be normal - exactly about the trauma, the very Air, the 5 elements 98.4 - I will not even accept a 99! The of creation (it) will hurt in the crash.” We temperature usually goes up again in the understood His message straight away and we afternoon. So, when I will test again in the said, ‘Dear Babaji, please extend the afternoon, and in the evening, it should be undercarraige, we do not want anything else to continuously 98.4! He should be absolutely get hurt, the aircraft, the ground, and insects on normal in every sense! Then I will believe you the ground, anything else, please allow us to have helped him.” Then I got up and returned land safely. As soon as we said this, the to the bed room and found him fast asleep! wheels/undercarraige came straight down Then I asked my maid: “When did he go to locked. We had 3 GREEN LIGHTS, we landed sleep?” She said; “Amma, a few minutes after safely. On later inspection we found the you went, he went off to sleep.” The following Hydraulic Fluid aluminium pipe had burst due morning he got up very normal! None of that

2 babbling was there. He recognised me. I took world comes crashing around him, he hops his temperature in the afternoon and evening it about lamenting his plight. He blames all was 98.4! What more did I need? Apparently including God!” The tiny sparrow on that at that time, Swami was in Venkatagiri, with branch did not depend upon the twig, or on the the Maharaja, and He was talking to them at 9 branch, or on the gigantic trunk of the mighty o’clock. Maharaja used to take Swami by car banyan tree. It depended on its wings! So too to Venkatagiri. While I was praying at 9 in life, let us depend not upon mere twigs of o’clock, Swami was talking to the Maharaji, passion and fashion, of pain and gain, of when He went into trance! He just fell back wealth and glory. Let us rather depend upon and they couldn’t understand what happened! the wings of Faith. Faith in ‘His’ Benevolence, When He came around, they asked Him, and in ‘His’ Benediction! “When the tempest “Swami, what happened?” They had heard becomes stormier than we can bear, we can about His trance but had not witnessed one till spread these two wings of NAAMA SMARAN then. So they asked Him, “Was it a trance? Did and SEVA, and glide effortlessly to our you go anywhere?” Swami confirmed this. He destinations!” Swami. replied: “One of My devotees, Rani Maa, was ______in great trouble. Her husband has gone on If you pose a question as to “Where is tour; he is not there, she alone with her two God?” some people will say, “He is in me,” children. Her boy has got delirium from high pointing to their body. Body is not fever. She is very worried and troubled. So she permanent. Hence, this is not a proper prayed to Me: ‘Swami, come and show me answer. When I say the flower is in My Your Omnipresence!’ So, I went and saved the hand, the flower is smaller than Me. In the boy. Now the boy is alright!” same manner, when you say God is in you, you are bigger than God! In fact, the whole (A devout and dedicated devotee for nearly 60 years, Mrs. Rani world is in the hands of God. Hence, it is not Subramanian, came to Bhagavan Baba as early as 1950. Aged 85 years old now, and fondly called ‘Rani Maa’ by Bhagavan, her life proper to say that God is in you. You are in is a treasure-chest of scintillating experiences from yester years.) God. All are in God. The world itself is a ______manifestation of God. This is the Spiritual life is a Divine life where you are Transcendental Truth. This is the connecting yourself with the Source all the changeless truth. -BABA. time! That is, thinking, talking and ______functioning from the level of Divinity. You BABA RESTORES SIGHT must test My Omnipresence. “You have In 1916 Vittal Rao Deshpande took his earned My Grace only because you have grandfather, who was blind in both eyes, to worked with your Self, but you have to pass Shirdi. Leading him with both hands, he took a very big exam - the Ph.D: the last one. the grandfather before Shirdi Baba, bowed and Look at one step only! Don’t look ahead! the grandfather said, “Baba, I cannot see.” Just look one step forward! -BABA. Baba replied, “Yes, you will.” While leaving ______his grandfather, Vittal went to change a note, The Tiny Sparrow and Baba placed His hand on the old man’s In a clearing in a forest there stood a huge head and his sight was fully restored. The banyan tree. It had a gigantic trunk with grandfather, with tears in his eyes, said, “Baba, mighty knolled prop roots, and sturdy Your kindness is wonderful. I can see branches. And on one such sturdy branch there everything now.” The old man left Shirdi for was a lean twig on which sat a tiny sparrow. A Bombay, with a clear vision, requiring no slight breeze set the twig into harmonic assistance. oscillation, and the sparrow chirped in with ______rhythm. The breeze slowly turned into a wind, Chanting of the Gayathri Mantra purifies and the sparrow’s seat shook violently. But the the mind and confers devotion, detachment sparrow just continued chirping with none to and wisdom. Young men must necessarily listen to its melody. The wind turned fierce and chant the Gayathri Mantra. Today we find roared; the sparrow only twittered. And in the people getting initiated into Gayathri asymmetric battle that continued, the twig Mantra in the advanced stages of their snapped, unable to bear the onslaught. What youth. Intellect will blossom and shine forth happened to the tiny sparrow? It just spread its in all its splendour only after initiation into wings and flew away!!! “Man lives in this the Gayathri Mantra. That is why it is world and builds a home, housing in it essential that Upanayanam be done at the everything he has acquired in life. And he sits age of eight. One who is initiated into the in this house and twitters to the tune of life, but Gayathri Mantra at an early age will when the winds are not in favour, and the become highly intelligent. Chanting of the

3 Gayathri Mantra will sanctify man’s life. devotees. In those days, devotees witnessed -BABA Vibhuti emitting from His mouth or feet, or ______other parts of the body. It is said that Swami God and I in space alone and nobody else in view. still takes Vibhuti from the dhuni at Shirdi - “And where are the people, O Lord!” I said. “The which on occasions, would be hot and grainy - earth below and the sky overhead and the dead a drama commenced aeons ago, in the era of whom once I knew?” “That was a dream,” God Lord Shiva. smiled and said, “A dream that seemed to be true, (Treasure your Vibuthi. Ed.) There were no people, living or dead, There was no ______earth and no sky overhead There was only Myself and you.” “Why do I feel no fear?” I asked, What you are is God’s Gift to you, and what “Meeting You here in this way, For I have sinned you become is your Gift to God. -BABA. I know full well, And there is heaven and there is In today’s world everyone is in search of hell, And is this the Judgment Day?” “Nay, those God. God is nowhere else but within you. were dreams,” the great God said, “Dreams that Only God’s Grace can change the whole have ceased to be. There are no such things as fear world. Always keep God in your mind. Only or sin, There is no you - you have never been - God can change the world. Treat yourself as There is nothing at all but Me.” a servant annot a master. -BABA. (“Illusion”, by Edna Wheeler Wilcox.) ______Vibhuti Covered Pick Rail Link to Shirdi The Scottish born, naturalised Indian writer Shortly, thousands of Mumbai’s Shirdi Sai and traveller, Bill Aitken, relates the following Baba devotees will be able to reach Shirdi for dramatic story: On the 14th June 1980, I was darshan, by an over-night rail journey. The lucky enough to be present in a house visited work on this new rail connection has been by Baba in New Delhi, after His Divine visit to completed and has been inaugurated on 15th Kashmir. I was preparing to go on a pilgrimage February, to cater for the enormous crowds to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, one of the most travelling there. The Railway Board has difficult treks in the Himalayas. I took my decided that train No. 1333, which goes to high-altitude equipment with me, including Manmad, will now go to Shirdi via Puntamba, ropes, pitons (rock clamps) and my trusted a distance of 17.5 km. iceaxe, an indispensable tool for negotiating

Developing attachment to persons and icy terrain in the high mountains. Baba possessions is the cause of all sorrows. By graciously asked after my welfare and I said I reducing attachments and developing love would like Him to bless my adventure. My for God, one can reduce misery and hostess suggested I give Baba my ice-axe to experience more happiness. The more one bless. He smiled, took it and began to ask some loves God, the more the bliss one searching questions about the composition of the steel used in its making. His students knew experiences. Men are plunged in misery more about this than I did. Suddenly He because they hanker after the physical instead of yearning for God. If men produced Vibhuti from thin air (without the transform their desire for material objects usual circular movements I had seen in public), into the desire for the Supreme, they will and proceeded to rub it with great intensity on enjoy immense happiness. All that is one side, the pick side of the ice-axe only. He necessary is to see the Divine in everything. didn’t put any Vibhuti on the other parts. Then This is true devotion. Work will then turn to with an air of finality He said, “You will be worship and every act rendered holy. successful,” and handed back the ice-axe. I do -BABA. not know what constitutes a miracle, but I do ______know that a month later, on 26th July, while climbing into the Sanctury, the pick of the ice- axe saved my life. Traversing some tricky wet VIBHUTI slabs of rockcut croppings above the Rishi When Swami was eight years old, He used to Ganga gorge at Rhamani, I was aided by two apply Vibhuti to His forehead in three broad excellent Garhwali porters. They were so horizontal strokes. When this became skillful and daring that they disdained to use gradually erased during the course of the day, any rope and would cross the wet slabs sloping He would rinse His fingers in water and apply out over the edge of the gorge in their feet. fresh Vibhuti, again and again. Those days They would go ahead fixing rope, then sit on were prior to His declaring His advent, back in their haunches and wait for me with all my 1940. When Swami moved into the Patha climbing regalia to haul myself up. We began Mandiram, He would perform aarthi at the end up a narrow earth gully which was particularly and apply Vibhuti and distribute it to His slippery and treacherous. There were no

4 reliable footholds anywhere and we had to ups and downs by its unsteadiness. The mind is make them as we went. I looked back into the the basis of the entire world. You think of an yawning chasm that led a thousand feet object, and the same is changed into subject. straight down into the huge gorge carved out The subject and the object are not different by the rushing river below. I kicked a toehold from each other. “You are confused when you in the damp earth and reaching up whacked the think that man is different from God.” Swami pick of the iceaxe into the earth above. To my declares, that good and bad coexist - they are dismay the six inch pick clanged against rock always together, and that there is only a after it had gone in only three inches, not difference of time between them. We cannot enough to hold much weight. At the same see good and bad at the one time. “You should moment the earth under my toehold crumbled always pray to God. This is what you have to away and I felt myself sinking gently with the do in the world today. You can attain earth until I was dangling above the gorge everything when you have self-confidence,” supported only by the Vibhuti covered pick. Swami said. For the agonising moment my full weight ______came on the axe; my thoughts were more of Do not shape your conduct with an eye on self disgust at my incompetence than fear of the opinion of others. Instead, follow hurtling a thousand feet to certain death. bravely, gladly and steadily the sweet and Somehow that three inches of steel didn’t slice pleasant promptings of your own Sathwic- through the soft earth but held me long enough manas (pure mind), your own awakened for the porters to back down and grab me. consciousness, your own inner self. After a few more close shaves we were Associate yourself only with those who are successful and got to our destination, the truthful. -BABA. Nanda Devi Sanctuary, reaching that holy ______place on Gurupurnima. There were other hair The Divine Announcement raising incidents on our return trip, but thanks “Today I have decided to have a separate to Baba’s Divine Grace, we came through campus affiliated to Sri Sathya Sai University alright and I am alive today to narrate this in Muddenahalli,” Swami said on 23rd of story. November, 2008, an announcement that took ______everybody present by surprise. “Bhagawan’s You must have firm faith, however, clouds Will is bound to happen. The work will start of doubts will come, which is but natural. from tomorrow. Therefore, Swami has Willed Still, you must persist, wait for the winds to to have Sathya Sai University in Muddenahalli. blow them away and you will see the sun The people living in Muddenahalli are village again. The sun is always there. It is only that folk.They live by physical labour. To pursue the clouds hamper your vision. -BABA. higher studies, they have to go to cities or ______towns. Once they have completed their Faith in the Atma - the true Self. education, they can go elsewhere to earn a During the course of Swami’s Christmas living. Swami has decided to inculcate Message, He referred to the need to develop spirituality through Bhagavatam, Bhagawad faith in the principles of the Atma - which is Gita and Ramayana.” our true Self. All that we see, hear or do, is It was interesting that Swami chose Feb. 14th unreal, like a dream, He said. “Only one thing for the ground-breaking ceremony. This day is is real and eternal, that is the principle of the symbolic of love the world over! The entire Atma. This can also be called the principle of campus was gaily decorated with a riot of love. Love originates from the Atma. If only we colour everywhere. Almost 10,000 devotees, have love, we can conquer the entire world.” teachers and students gathered on the lawns in Should anything bad happen to you, it is of our front of the “Premdeep”, the Divine abode, to own making - the result of our bad thoughts. welcomed the arrival of the Lord in Sathya Sai “Everything good and bad is of your own Grama. Swami proceeded to the hillock, for making.” God does not give us these thoughts the laying of the foundation stone, for the - good or bad - we ourselves are responsible Administrative Block and Residence of the for them. We have all created them. Being Divine Chancellor. Many dignitories spoke of created human, with human values, only then the unfathomable compassion and concern of are we deserving of attaining divinity. He said, Bhagawan for the entire mankind and the “Your senses make you unsteady in a number service activities undertaken by Him for the of ways and lead you to the wrong path. But amelioration of the difficulties of people. when your mind is pure, they will lead you to Swami, referring to the declining spiritual the right path. Therefore, always keep your progress in villages, said that this campus mind pure and steady. Do not allow it to cause would give emphasis on spiritual studies that

5 should help the children to grow into noble loose faith, you will repent and come to this citizens. The campus would, He said amidst refuge very soon, clamoring for admission. I cheers, be inaugurated in one year’s time and shall be in this body for 58 more years: I have that the entire cost of the project would be assured of this already. Your lives are bourne by Him alone. He advised patrons not intertwined with My Earthly Career. Act to accept any money from outside, “Why do I always in accordance with that great need anyone’s financial assistance?” He said privilege”. (21-10-1961) that people in society have become very “Be confident that you will be liberated. Know greedy. Greed, He said, brings in its train that you are saved. Go and tell all that you had sorrow and suffering. To get rid of this people gone to Puttaparthi and got there the secret of should tread on the path of self-discovery, liberation” (25-1-1963) which will confer on them bliss. Even in “Now, I must tell you that during this Sai villages people have many facilities but they Avatar, there is no place for even such ‘drama’ do not have any spiritual inclination; they have with scenes of failure and defeats. What I Will given-up the practice of remembering God. must take place; what I plan must succeed. I Swami concluded His Divine Discourse am Truth, and Truth has no need to hesitate, or saying, “You are indeed fortunate because you fear or bend”. (19-6-1974) have got this opportunity of Darshan, ______Sparshan and Sambhashan. It is your duty to Don’t forget your parents are God. They keep your parents happy. So many foreigners should never shed tears. God will give come to Prashanthi Nilayam, and learn to lead everything to children who take care of a peaceful and happy life. Within the next 18 their parents. -BABA. years the whole of the world will become one ______big family and Hindu way of life will be A THRILLING EXPERIENCE adopted by everyone.” Swami concluded with Many people experience Swami in their lives, the declaration that, “Next year on 14th in so many different ways; some dream of February I will come for the opening of this Him, others are blessed with a personal new campus. Don’t worry about money. When interview, and so on. But the experience of Lakshmi is in My heart, there won’t be any American James Sinclair, must be the most shortage of money. I don’t ask anybody for extraordinary of all, but let Sinclair himself tell money and you also should not ask anyone for this remarkable story. “I will tell you of an money. “When I declare something, it is bound event that at that time seemed shocking but to happen. All will be surprised when I finish would take 30 years to become fully clear. It a task. Always have faith in God. All your has to be kept in mind that neither I nor my worldly problems will be solved.” wife at that time, had any understanding or ______inclination towards Eastern tradition or You look to Me and I look to you. You take philosophies. “In 1964, just a short while after one step towards Me and I take a thousand our marriage, my wife and I accepted an towards you. -BABA. invitation to stay at a friend’s woodland ______cottage. As we were going to sleep, I saw an Swami’s Golden Words old man standing over my bed in the Swami’s words, are Divine words. The moonlight. My feeling was not one of fear but following are but a few uplifting and inspiring rather like one has while a mother is looking at words for us to embrace. “I must tell you that her son. The old man then turned and you are luckier than men of previous walkedacross the room and through the wall! generations. The accumulated merits of many “Just then my wife said in a loud voice, ‘Jim, previous births must have granted you this are you awake?’ She screamed, since she was luck. You have come to Me and it is your duty watching the old man as he walked through the to develop this relationship that you have wall. We had never seen anything like that in achieved by sheer good fortune. In four or five our life and were shaken by the experience. “I years time, you will see Yogis and Maharishis began to meditate twice a day. I had an and Munis crowding here and you may not interesting. My meditation was on the light have such chances of asking Me questions and from a candle. Every time I started my getting the answers, or approaching Me and meditation looking at the candle flame, I saw a directly speaking to Me.” (27-9-1960) “You little fellow in the flame wearing an orange will witness this Puttaparthi becoming robe with a great shock of black hair. Then I Mathura Nagar, (the name of the place where would transcend thought. “I also began to have Lord Krishna lived). No one can stop this the same dream every single night. It went on development or delay it. I will not you up, nor for years. I saw myself walking up a hill, led can anyone of you give Me up. Even if you by three men in the darkness of night. One was

6 a old man in white. One looked somewhat like God can change the world. Treat yourself as Jesus Christ. The one in the middle had an a servant and not a master. -BABA. orange robe. This dream occurred night after ______night for years. At that time, I had no knowledge of Shirdi Sai Baba, or Sathya Sai Q. & A. Baba. For that matter I had no idea of any Questioner, People say that they are often Avatar and did not know what the word meant. punished by Swami. Is that a fact? “I was walking from the lavatory in the night. Baba, Of course. In punishing a person for You know how you get the feeling someone is misdemeanor, Swami wants to correct the there. I did. I turned around and there He was. defaulter. But, though harsh in appearance, at I hadn’t the slightest idea who He was. This other times, He is all Love inside. Sometimes handsome figure dressed in a long orange robe, He corrects a person in private; at other times, with a shock of hair you wouldn’t believe, was He does so, in public. For, if He corrects in in my hallway, looking at me silently. I nearly public, all who hear will learn and see for jumped out of my skin. As fast as I had seen themselves, what pleases Swami and what Him, He was gone. Well, it happened second does not. Swami is very strict in His principles time. “Not too much later, I was in my and rules. An Avatar does not compromise. To meditation room, and this same figure was the Sadhaka, strictness is, ultimately, the best standing (there) when I came out of kindness. meditation. I rubbed my eyes. He was still Q. Many Gurus teach, “All is done by the there. He motioned as if I was to do something Lord; and, not by you.” But, the world over, with His Feet. I knelt down and touched His there is the concept that man is responsible for Feet. As I looked up He was no longer there. his actions. “Off I went to the fort of spiritual knowledge A. As long as yo believe you are only human, in New York, Samuel Weiser’s bookstore. I this concept will persist. But, that cannot approached the clerk. He asked if he could change the truth -”You are God.” help me. I said, “I certainly hope so.” I Q. Is not praying the same as begging? If we described my visitor, of course without giving are God, we beg only for ourselves. details of the visit. I wanted to know if there A. It is not begging when you ask God for was any bookabout someone who looked like something. When you receive what He gives, the description of my visitor. He said, ‘One you have to rise up to His level at least for that moment, I will be right back.’ He returned and moment. When you beg from one equal to you, handed me a packet of whitish/grey powder you put yourselves down and he is raised up. and a book entitled ‘Holy Man and the When you beg from one lower than you, you Psychiatrist’, written by a doctor (this book is degrade yourself still lower. But, when you by Dr. Sandweiss, Ed.). beg from God, you rise; you are elevated in “The salesman told me that he himself was a spirit and you sense fulfilment. devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Was I in for a Q. But, I had thought that since God knows all, surprise when I recognised that the recurring He would remedy the situation, if it is dream had been of Shirdi Sai, Sathya Sai and appropriate that it should be done. Prema Sai, walking up the hill night after A. Of course He would, provided you have night, for many years? The figure in the flame surrendered fully, without any reservation, was also Him. “On my first visit to Prashanti But, until then... Nilayam, which is a story in itself, I was Q. Yes. Swami had written in a letter to me, granted an interview with Baba. As I entered “Do not worry about your health. Your God is the room, He said, ‘All I have given you, and always with you, in you and around you.” you have never been happy one minute in your A. That is right. What I said is enough for life. I came to you twice. Would you do those who have surrendered! You must something for Swami?’ My answer was, of awaken your senses of identification with the course, yes. Swami went on, ‘Be happy!’ “In body. You may have a headache today, a the 1994 interview, Swami said to my wife and stomachache tomorrow. Don’t worry. You are myself, ‘I came to you 30 years ago,’ He said not the body; no; you are the Atma, the Divine it right out of the blue. 1994 was the year when Dweller in this body. Once I have told you not we had the experience in the woodland cabin to worry, there is no more need to ask Me with the figure of the old man in white. That about it. Don’t identify. was indeed 30 years ago!” Q. Swami said that while praying to God, the ______petitioner raised himself to the level of God. In In today’s world everyone are in search order to make such a prayer, in what state of of God. God’s Grace can change the whole mind should one first put himself? world. Always keep God in your mind. Only A. It is not necessary that one should put

7 oneself into any particular state of meditation. exhaust, such as dwelling in the womb, Q. Usually, the advice is that one should go to miseries of childhood, etc., they take birth to a quiet place and be in a quite mood when he undergo this karma for a short period and then wishes to pray. die. That will be their last birth. Om Sai Ram. A. Wherever and whenever you put yourself in ______touch with God, that is the state of meditation. Be free from fear, anxiety and agitation. You may feel that 1 p.m. in California is not a Surrender to God; His Grace can save you. good time to call Me, for I may be asleep in His wisdom can enlighten you. His power India and that I should not be disturbed! I can overcome all obstacles. Faith and know you have felt like that once or twice. surrender are the manifestations of But, I am Omnipresent; I have no such devotion. -BABA. limitations. I never sleep. At the middle of the ______night I turn off the light and rest in bed, Sathya Sai Education because if the light is on, devotees will gather. I have no need of sleep. But, you need at least Project in the UK 4 hours of sleep. Much has been written in The City of Leicester, in the UK., is about to recent times about the coming age -the Golden have the first building in Leicester for the Age - and Swami has referred to it from purpose of advancing Sathya Sai Education timeto-time. and other SSSSO activities in the UK. The Q. Swami, the Golden Age that You have Grade 11 listed building had previously been spoken about, when will it begin? used as a College of Further Education, having A. The day when the brotherhood of man and 22 large classrooms, spread over three floors, the Fetherhood of God will shine bright and together with two large halls. The site, also, beautiful is drawing near. has parking facilities for approx. 70 vehicles. Q. What will this time be like? Thus it is ideal to house the Sathya Sai School A. This age will be a Golden Age for seekers in Leicester, which has been running since of God, for earning and learning Viveka. In it 2001 in rented premises. The Leicester school falsehood will fail, truth will triumph, and is the only Sai School in Europe. This is a virtue will reign. Character will confer power dream fulfilled, by and for, the devotees in the then, not knowledge or inventive skill or UK. in having their own Sai School and to wealth. Wisdom will be enthroned in the have a home for the Sai Organisation. Overall Councils of Nations. the premises will serve: Q. What sign will You give that the Golden * As a permanent home for the full-time Age is beginning? Sathya Sai School, Leicester. A. The Glory of Sai will spread to every part * The needs of the local Sai Centres and of the world. It will increase a thousand fold. thereby the local population with such You will see thousands pressing along this activities as holiday schools and weekend road, hundreds on every rock on these hills. classes. The time will soon come when this huge * As an ideal venue for providing training on building or even vaster ones, will be too small Sai Spiritual Education and Sathya Sai EHV., for the gatherings of those who are called to including the formal courses offered by the this place. The sky itself will have to be the British Institute of Sathya Sai Education roof of the Auditorium of the future; I will (BISSE). The building is situated on have to forego the car and even the airplane Narborough Road, in Leicester (LE3 OBT). when I move from place to place, for the Quoting Swami, “Anything can be achieved crowds pressing around them will be too huge; with unflinching faith in God. Discharge I will have to move across the sky; Yes, that your duties with a sense of surrender to too will happen, believe Me. God”. Q. Swami, is it true that small children who ______die, are not born again? All actions to be performed in a spirit of A. Yes. What type of children? Parents of the surrender to God. Only then will you deceased child should not have any type of become immortal. -BABA. disease and should be healthy. The child ______should not have any congenital disease and “Knock and it shall be opened unto should have been born healthy. If such you” children die, they do not have rebirth. Children One may recall the well-known painting of below fifteen years who die, when they are Christ, standing in a garden at a cottage door, healthy, will not have rebirth - up to fifteen holding a lamp in one hand and knocking on years lust, anger, etc., would not have polluted the door with the other. This beautiful picture their minds. If yogis have some karma to was painted by Holman Hunt (1827 - 1910)

8 and is titled The Light of the World, that now was floating down the river and would have hangs in Keble College, Oxford. A friend of continued on its course had you not interrupted the artist said to him, “Holman, you have made it. You swam to it, and grasping it, you a mistake. The door you have painted does not claimed it as your own. But you had to let go, have a handle.” “It is not a mistake.” replied to save your life, and now you say you lost Hunt, “for that is the door of the human heart, your vessel! When was it ever yours? Is not all and can only be opened from inside!” To make this sorrow of your own making?” First we that move towards God, he suggested, we need painstakingly strive to possess them and then to get up and open the door to let God in. This madly wrestle to preserve them, All the while happens only when man realises the need for forgetting the fundamental fact that everything God. This is known as spiritual awakening. in this world follows the law of movement and Something happens deep within you and your change. Nothing belongs to us. The wise sadhu life becomes new. You are filled with light and continued, “Welcome all that comes to you. warmth, joy and peace. You realise that the life Stand not in the way of that which departs you have lived till then, a life of creature from you! (Including human beings) For what comforts and of pride, self and power, was not is yours will be yours & will come to you. life at all. When Arjuna asked Krishna, “You What is NOT yours will never come to you!! say that this whole world is nothing but a Then why grieve? JUST LET GO!” This projection of our mind and is therefore nothing doesn’t mean, however, that we shouldn’t but a dream. But you too have taken a form in strive to have material possessions. We can this dream, so are you also not a part of this enjoy every materialistic possession and ‘let dream?” Krishna smiled and replied, “Yes, my go’ of the same when the time comes, without dear. I too am part of your dream. But I am grief when we realise that the same has been like the roaring lion in the dream. My roaring given to us for rent by the UNIVERSE!! The will wake you up from this dream unto same applies to ‘near & dear’ ones, as well! reality!” How many times have we viewed this ______picture without realising its depth? Rama is immanent in everyone. Easwara is ______present in all; Rama is within you. In fact, Within the next 18 years the whole of the you yourself are Rama. Establish this truth world will become one big family and Hindu in your heart firmly and spend your time way of life will be adopted by everyone. profitably. Then your life will be filled with - BABA. everlasting bliss. Constantly recite the name ______of Rama. Aeons have passed, yet the name Just Let Go! of Rama has not been forgotten. Rama is There was once a sadhu, who was not a true not separate from you. You are not separate sadhu, but one who put on the ocre robe, not from Rama. You may call a person by his because he had a longing for liberation, but name, but it is Rama who is present in him. because the life suited his laziness. He lived in You may call Him Sai Rama, Sita Rama or a small hut by the Ganges; the waters Ayodhya Rama or any other name, but do quenched his thirst and the generosity of the remember Rama forever. gullible pilgrims satiated his hunger - enviable - BABA. (March 2007) was his position. Sitting on the banks of the ______river one day, he saw a shiny object floating Sai - My Saviour down the river and plunged in to retrieve it. Sri R. Indireswara Rao. Holding it in one hand and claiming it as his, I heard of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in my he saw that it was a beautiful silver vessel, and early childhood and when I was in 4th or 5th held it close to his chest, as he swam back to class, I used to be an ardent devotee of Lord the bank with his free arm. The current was Rama. I did not consider even Krishna as God. very strong and he was swept into the centre of I used to view skeptically the tales about the river, making it difficult to swim with just Swami. In 1962, we went to Puttaparthi. We the use of one arm. After a desperate struggle arrived late and Darshan was over. We stood in against the current, he had no option but to let the premises expecting to have a glimpse of go of the vessel as self-preservation gained the Swami when He came out of His room, on the better of his greed. Now, with both arms free upstairs of the Bhajan Mandir where He used he succeeded to swim back to the river bank, to reside then. Swami came out of His room, only to see the precious vessel float away from stood in the verandah ...He came down and him. He sat on the bank and wept and wailed, asked us to follow. A platform constructed for “Oh, I have lost my silver vessel!” The entire the Yajna was still there with tall stone pillars episode was witnessed by a true sadhu, who raised on either side. “Remove those pillars approached him and said, “Friend! That vessel from there”, He told us. “Bring them there!”

9 “Yes, Swami”, I replied, enthusiastically. “You all grow together; Let us all stay together seem to be weak and lean” Swami remarked and grow in intellect together. Let us live smilingly. “How can you do it?” together with friendship and harmony. Some people joined, tied strong ropes to the Lead a contented life, you will derive great pillars and held. I and another young man from happiness. -BABA (Nov. 23rd. 2008) Kerala named Rishikesh, held the pillars so ______that they would not fall. Some others took Education must not only inform, but it must crowbars and were trying to lift the pillars also transform. -BABA. from the base. Swami was warning from a ______little distance, “Be careful!” However high a bird may soar, it sooner or Then suddenly one of the ropes tied to the later must perch on a tree-top to rest and pillar, gave way. The pillar by then was enjoy some quietness. So too, a day will loosened from its base, and fell owing to its come when even the haughtiest, the most own weight...the pillar fell on the legs of unbelieving and even those who assert that Rishikesh, crushing them to pulp. I there is no”God”, will have to pray, “God, immediately ran to him and cried in alarm, grant me peace, grant me consolation, grant “Swami! Legs of Rishikesh are crushed.” But me joy, save me from this misery and show Mr. Rishikesh was doing Sai-namam, though me the truth. -BABA. writhing in pain. Swami dismissed my shouts of alarm and said, “You are unnecessarily ********************************** frightened. Nothing happened to Rishikesh. Let Our website: Me see!” Swami came to Rishikesh, materialised some www.sathyasaieire.org Vibhuti, and sprinkled it on his legs. By that time the pillar was removed. Swami waved His ********************************** hand over the affected portions of the leg and said, “Remove his pant (trousers) a little and seewhat happened?” I rolled the pants up carefully, and to my astonishment, there was no scratch, even! I had seen his legs below the knees having been crished by the falling heavy stone pillar...did not bear even a scratch. “Did I not tell you, nothing happened?” Swami smilingly slapped me, “You fellow, you raise a hue and cry for nothing!” Though there was no discernable injury, Rishikesh had to be hospitalised for about ten days. He used to suffer from severe pain. When it was brought to Swami’s notice, He said, “His mother is an ardent devotee. He was to die that day. But because of her incessant prayers, I saved him. Yet he had to undergo suffering at least for a few days for his past karma. Now he is rid of all that.” After a week or so, Rishikesh was alright again. ______Even if we don’t have any property, we can lead a happy life only if the property of love is with us. This love should be supported with self-confidence. God is the only source and sustenance for the entire Universe. Everything else is an illusion. Sorrows and difficulties, loss and gain, diseases and sickness - treat them all as Divine Will. Then everything will turn out to be good for you. You are God verily just get rid of “I”, the ego and “the ‘my’ attachment”. Rise above these. Let us all move together; Let us