Suprabhatam - The Real Purpose

Spiritually speaking, Suprabhatham is an appeal to the Lord to “awake” to the devotee’s yearning. It is an appeal also to one’s own consciousness to wake up to the truth of His being one’s own innermost reality.

It may sound odd that human beings sing the awakening up song and bid good morning to Bhavawan who is ever awake and ever alert, and is the supreme witness to everything in the universe. Where is the need to waking up the One who knows no “sleep” whatsoever and is ever wakeful? Then, what is all this Suprabatham for, and for whom?

The real purpose behind this musical exercise is to arouse ability to discriminate (vivek) and alertness in all of us, who have woken up from the bosom of sleep that holds us in its embrace like a mother! The inner meaning of Suprabhatham is to remind ourselves “God resides within everyone’s heart”, and also to trim and nurture the flame of awareness (Jnana-Agni) so that it may burn brighter than ever.

Here is a revealing incident. It was the holy night of Siva Ratri (the night marking the birth o Lord Siva in the form of lingam). A scholar named Sri Deepala Pichchayya Sastry was sitting among devotees doing bhajan in Prasanthi Nilayam. Suddenly he had a strange thought. “I would like to see the wonderful grace and beauty of Bhagawan Sai Baba when He is asleep.”


At about 11 p.m. that very night, Swami summoned Sastry into the Interview Room and began talking to him. Sastry did not notice the passage of time. It was more than an hour. He felt drowsy and could not hold back his yawns any more.

Swami then asked him, “Sastry, you wished to see Me asleep but you yourself are dozing.” Sastry suddenly sprang to wakefulness and wondered how Swami knew his innermost thought that had crossed his mind a little while ago.

Baba assumed a tone of serenity and seriousness and said, “Sastry, if I were to sleep, would you be waking up again?” Sastry was startled.

God is perpetually awake and eternally active. We should never overlook this simple truth.

From the book “Tapovanam” by J.V.Sastry

When you Pray, Give God your Guilt

We all make mistakes. We all have regrets. I don’t measure up to my own standard for myself, much less God’s standard of perfection. It’s not very hard to admit you’re not perfect. So what do we do when we fall short?


There is no reason in the world you have to live with guilt. God has given us a way to get rid of guilt. It’s called confession. God promises that when we confess, He forgives us instantly, totally, completely, freely and continuously. If a Christian is carrying guilt around, it’s because they’re not taking advantage of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. Give God your guilt. Doing this, asking for pardon, is the next step in making contact with God.


God wants to forgive you. You don’t have to beg for forgiveness or to bribe Him. You simply believe you are forgiven. You worship God through prayer when you give Him your love (praise), your life (purpose) and your worries (provision). And also when you ask Him for forgiveness (pardon) of your sins.



Article from website of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Penang
www.iccpenang.com

Love

"Be Happy; That is the Only Thing I Ask of You"

John Sinclair was a multi-millionaire from the State of Connecticut in the USA. At one stage of his life, he was caught in a maze of business problems that destroyed his mental peace. One night as he sat in his room, he prayed to God, “I do not now where you are and what you look like. I know only one thing, that is, that you do exist! Please help me.” He prayed most earnestly and in total surrender. From then on, he began to notice that God’s invisible hand was protecting him.

One day he felt he noticed someone walking through the inner hall in his home between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. He stared steadily. The person stood unmoving. John Sinclair did not understand who he was and what was he there for. But he could recognize that he experienced some vague sense of happiness and joy that was indescribable. In a similar manner he had the same vision on another night. He was sure that it was no dream; it was starkly real.

Sinclair went to the Spiritual Centre (adhyathmic Kendra) in New York and mentioned his recent experiences to someone there. The person said, “Just a minute, please,” went inside and returned with a small packet of vibhuti in his hand and as he gave it to Sinclair, uttered, “Sai Ram.” He also spoke at length about Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and assured him that it was Swami who had given darshan to him. Sinclair was deeply touched. He was but a mere businessman in far off America; his knowledge of anything spiritual was next to nothing; he had not read even a single book about Sri Sathya Sai Baba; yet the Lord had visited his home in person and granted darshan to an insignificant person like him! In his mind, he fell at the Lotus Feet of Swami at that moment. His heart began yearning for Bhagawan’s grace and for Bhagawan’s love. Very soon it grew and assumed unbearable intensity.

As a consequence of that unbearable yearning for Baba and also Baba’s compassion, Sinclair set off to Prashanthi Nilayam. On arrival, Swami invited him into the interview room and said, “I came twice to you!” Sinclair stared at Swami in bewilderment. Swami continued, “I have done a lot for you. I have given plenty to you. Even then you have no peace. Why don’t you do something for Swami?” When he heard Swami’s words, Sinclair was prepared to give whatever Swami asked for. He said, “Surely, Swami, most certainly.” Swami smilingly told him, “Be happy always. That is the only thing I ask of you!” Sinclair was stunned to hear what Swami desired of him – nothing but his own well-being!

Speaking in the magnificent Poorna Chandra Auditorium on the auspicious Guru Poornima day in 1993, Sinclair said, “When I was a young boy being brought up as a Christian, I used to feel miserable that I was born two thousand years after the departure of Jesus Christ. Someone has truly heard my cry of agony. Here is sitting that very God who had sent Jesus to us!”

Sinclair also recounted a couple of miraculous incidents. “A few months before my arrival n Prasanthi Nilayam, I had to make a business trip to another place. I told my wife that I would pilot my helicopter myself. She tried to dissuade me, “Your mind is very much distressed nowadays because of your business problems. Why don’t you engage a professional pilot? Sathya Sai Baba is too busy to sit with you all the time to protect you, as if He were to protect you only all the time. He has got far too many people to look after. Why do you waste Hi precious time?” I told her, “I am a qualified A-Class pilot. Why do you doubt my flying skills?” I piloted my own helicopter but as feared by my wife, the engine of the helicopter failed on the way. The hydraulic system gave way. I lost control of the craft and I knew that death was certain.

I pulled out Swami’s photo from my pocket and looked at it. The next moment I found Swami Right in the helicopter. He piloted it skillfully and landed it safely on the flank of a hill. He opened the side door, pulled me out carefully, pushed the helicopter away and disappeared. That is how Bhagawan has been saving me, time after time, drawing me closer and closer to His Lotus Feet.

I will now describe to you a more astonishing incident. That woman who is sitting in the front row here in this gathering is Marlene Sinclair. She is an expert horse rider. She acquired a fine horse and rode it and also trained it for competitions. Once she was riding fast in the riding course and tried to clear a high wall. The girl was thrown off her saddle and her head dashed against the ground. And the 1,800-pound heavy horse landed on her.

It took a full 45 minutes before the girl was admitted to the emergency ward of a hospital. I got the message on phone and rushed there. I took out the small packet of vibhuti from my pocket and as I applied it to the wounds on her face, I said, ”This is just like the Holy Water of Christianity.” I also put a little quantity in her mouth. When I went to see her on the next day, there was not a single wound on her face. Three months later she has fully recovered and resumed riding.” But the story does not end here.

"In the interview room, Swami looked at Marlene and asked, “Did I not rescue you from the paralysis?” She said, “Yes, Swami, yes. You did.” After the interview I asked Marlene, “What is it that Swami asked you, and what did you answer Him?” She then told me, “On that day of my accident, I lost an eye. When the horse landed heavily on me, I was paralysed on one side. As I lay in the rain, helpless, a person stood by my side watching me; when I was being taken by ambulance to the hospital, he was by my side in the vehicle, in the emergency ward too he was by my side all the time; he also kept vigil constantly on me throughout the night at the hospital. That person is none else but this Sai Baba! He made my eye all right; and he healed my paralysis too. Only then did he move out of the hospital.”

Even though this incident happened several years ago, I did not know about it at all until the conversation began between Baba and her in the interview room. This is an excellent instance to show that Swami is much more intimate than even one’s mother and father."

My Swami, I have full faith in you. I totally surrender myself at your feet!” concluded Sinclair.

From the book "Tapovanam" by J.V.Sastry

The Key to God's Heart Pt 6

Return to the Lotus Feet

I have just returned home after nine wonderful days at the ashram of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in Puttaparthi, India. I have lost count of the number of times I have visited India and stayed at Prashanti Nilayam (“The Abode of Peace”). Yet every year my heart and those of my fellow devotees long to be close to Him.

Every visit is a new and exhilarating experience and those who have been there will agree. After months of planning, we pack our bags and set out, our hearts full of joy and anticipation of meeting and seeing our beloved guru. And He never disappoints us. Although personal interviews are few these days, we are content to have His darshan every morning and evening. We tune ourselves to the ashram’s daily schedule and wait patiently to experience His outpour of love.

It is difficult to describe the peace one feels when at the ashram. The accommodation is simple, so is the food; my worries seem to vanish and most of the time I don’t even know what day of the week it is! I particularly enjoy the evenings after darshan when I sit in the garden near the flats lost in the peace and tranquility of the surroundings. There are times when I hate to leave the ashram and return home!

Baba has often said that no one comes to Prashanti Nilayam unless He wills it. I consider myself extremely fortunate indeed! Going to His holy residence should however not be treated like going on a holiday for it would serve little purpose if we just go, look at Him, pray that our desires will be fulfilled and then return home. How often has He stressed in His discourses that He wants “transformation” – the giving up of our unholy qualities like greed, anger, hatred and jealousy. If we are ready to change, He is ready to help us change. In His own words, He is like a kind of smith who repairs broken, leaky, damaged hardware!



His well known maxim “Love all, serve all” says just about everything. He asks that we fill our hearts with love and dedicate our lives to serving the poor and those who suffer and grieve and so need our aid.

As a spiritual aspirant, I must confess my failings are many and each time, I have to tell myself, “Hey, you’ve got to pull up your socks, girl! This is not what Swami wants.” To practise His teachings is not easy as we are more often than not blinded by our own pride and ego. But try we must. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone one day came up to you and told you you’re beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside?



In closing, here is one of Baba’s quotations from the September 2005 issue of Sanathana Sarathi which speaks for itself:


“Life is like a train journey; young children have a long way to go but elders have to alight from the train pretty soon. You must make your journey comfortable and happy. Do not carry heavy, unwanted luggage with you that will make your journey miserable. Do not indulge in fault finding and picking quarrels with others. Do not desire to have the best things for yourself only. Share with others the good things you are given. Anger, hatred and jealousy are the heavy luggage that I ask you to avoid taking with you on the journey.” ~ Baba



I will never be able to find the words to describe His love, His wisdom, His magnificence. For those who want to know more, I recommend that you visit the official Sai website at:

www.srisathyasai.org.in/ .



May peace be with you all!

The Key To God's Heart Pt 5

The Key to God's Heart Pt 4

The Key to God's Heart Pt 3

The Key To God's Heart Pt 2

The Key To God's Heart Pt 1