Swami, My Protector

Towards the end of last year, I received a few emails with prophecies about the end of the world coming in the year 2012. The catastrophes that were predicted were too horrible for words and hopefully, they will not come true! As I was reflecting on all that I had read, I suddenly thought, “Swami will still be with us, why worry?” Yes, Swami would be our protector, guardian angel, saviour. Should anything happen, I could run to Puttaparthi and take refuge in Swami’s ashram where I would be safe and sound!

So when news of Swami’s passing away came, I was shattered. Our protector was no longer with us! Who could I run to now? Like many other devotees, I wept for days. It was particularly painful to see pictures of His mortal remains. I didn’t have the heart or courage to follow any of the live telecasts of His funeral. I cried every time I saw pictures of His “last Namaskar”.

As a yearly visitor to Prashanti Nilayam, I had become very attached to Swami’s physical form and often forgot to see Him beyond that. All my visits had in fact made me quite selfish. When Swami did not appear for darshan, all I could think of was “Swami, why didn’t You come? We have been waiting for hours to see You.” In my disappointment, I thought and behaved like a spoilt child. I had forgotten about His omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence. I had forgotten that it was He who had “invited” me to Puttaparthi in the first place; it was He who had enriched my life with His priceless love and compassion. I had a lot to be grateful for!

It has taken me some time to regain my perspective of things and to re-think the many things Swami has often talked about in His discourses. Swami has been giving discourses as far back as 1953, so you can imagine the tons of wisdom He has imparted to us. And being the sweet Lord that He is, He sometimes even apologises for “inconveniencing” us if He gives a long discourse!

The only way we can repay Him now for all that He has given us, is to practise His teachings … forget about all else ... just do His work.

My humble prayer is that He will grant me more wisdom with each passing day.

“You are not the body, you are embodiments of the Atma. The physical body comes and goes. The body only has suffering, not the Atma.” ~ Baba

~ Divine Blossoms ~