Dearest Swami

Dearest Swami

It is nearly a week since You left us. Though You say You have not gone anywhere and are always with us, my heart still aches, my tears still flow.

I tried to be brave and think of You as the Indweller of my heart but the pangs of “separation” continue to gnaw painfully at my heart.

Dear Lord, the sands of time may heal my feelings of emptiness and sadness but will never erase the beautiful memories of Your sojourn on earth. You showed us that we are all essentially divine and this message we shall carry in our hearts for ever more.

Dearest Swami,

My matha, pitha, sadguru,

I bow at Your Lotus Feet.

~ Divine Blossoms ~

Dearest Swami

Dearest Swami,

I woke up this morning, Easter Sunday, to a clear blue sky and a cool breeze. Little did I know that this would be the day you had chosen to leave your earthly body. The news I dreaded to hear came in the early afternoon. I had “lost” my Heavenly Mother and I wept like a little child would have wept on losing her beloved mother.

Dear Lord, couldn’t You have stayed with us a little longer? Why did You have to leave so soon and so suddenly?

I still remember the first time I heard about You and my first trip to India to see You. I learnt to sing Your bhajans, I learnt to recite Your mantras and I came repeatedly to have Your darshan. The picture of Your graceful form floating amidst us, Your orange robe aflame in the evening sun, is still etched in my memory till today. I could go on and on about the wonderful memories I have of You, dear Lord, but no, You would have other more important things to do now.

Dearest Swami, thank You for all the things you have taught me. Thank you for Your miracles, Your love and compassion. Above all, thank You for the opportunity to be born during this lifetime when You, the Avatar of the Kali Yuga, walked this earth. That is the greatest gift You have given me.

I shall miss You dearly but I have to keep reminding myself that You reside in my heart, so I shall try not to feel sad. You are here with me, always have been and always will be.

~ Divine Blossoms ~

Dearest Swami

Dearest Swami,

Please get well soon.

We love You and need You.

The Play is His

"The Play is His; the role is His Gift;

the lines are written by Him;

He directs; He decides the dress and decoration,

the gesture and the tone, the entrance and the exit.

You have to act well the part

and receive His approbation,

when the curtain falls.

Earn by your efficiency and enthusiasm

the right to play higher and higher roles;

that is the meaning and purpose of life."

~ Baba ~

(Sadhana - The Inward Path)

Dearest Swami

Dearest Swami,

Our hearts are heavy,

Our tears flow incessantly,

Please heal yourself,

Because we need You,

Oh how we need You!

The True Sign of a Sai Bhakta

"The true sign of a Sai bhakta is his steadiness. He cannot be swerved from his chosen path by cynicism or the call of luxurious pomp. He puts spiritual teaching into practice and knows the immeasurable gain it gives."

~ Baba ~

(Sadhana - The Inward Path)

I Am Immanent in Every Being

"I am immanent in every being. People forget Me, even though I am within and without them. I am the inner core of every being, but they are not aware of this. So, they are tempted to believe the outside world to be real and true, and pursue objective pleasures, and fall into grief and pain.

On the other hand, if they concentrate all attention on Me alone, believing that the Lord has willed everything and everyone, I bless them and reveal to them the truth that they are I and I am they. Thousands have been blessed thus."

~ Baba ~

Bhagavatha Vahini, Chap 30

The Instrument of Flattery

Zebunnissa was the daughter of the Moghul Emperor Aurangazeb. She was not only beautiful and charming but a great scholar and a poetess. She was an ardent lover of Indian Culture.

Once, Aurangazeb gave her a beautiful mirror as a birthday gift. Zebunnissa loved the mirror very much. One day her maid was holding the mirror to her while Zebunnissa was combing her hair after her bath. The mirror just slipped from the hand of the maid and broke into pieces. The maid was mortally afraid. She knew that the mirror was a precious gift, given to the princess and how much she loved the mirror.

The maid was prepared to accept any punishment her princess may give her. She fell at her feet. But the princess very calmly said with a smile. "Get up. I am glad the instrument of flattery is broken. Why worry over the broken mirror? Even this body to which all these articles cater is liable to damage and destruction".

Is this not a lesson in detachment?

(Chinna Katha from Baba)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"When the lamp shines brightly at home,

Where is the need to go to the house of others for a lamp?

When you are verily the divine,

Where is the need to seek Him elsewhere?

When you forget the divinity in you,

Are you not forgetting your own self?"

~ Baba ~

Never Feel Depressed

"Never feel depressed when you are weighed down by difficulties. God will never impose on you ordeals that you cannot bear. He tests His devotees in various ways. Test is the ‘taste’ of God. Never fear any test. Be ready to sacrifice even your life for the sake of God. Only then will God protect you.

There are no defects in God. All His words and deeds are perfect. What you see is the reflection, reaction and resound of your feelings. They are psychological in nature. God always grants us welfare alone. Understand and experience this Truth."

- Baba -

Divine Discourse, 25th Dec 1988.

True Devotion

Sri Sailam is a great pilgrim center in Andhra Pradesh, and is famous for its temple of Siva and Parvathi atop a hill. There, Lord Siva is adored as Mallikarjuna and Goddess Parvathi as Bhramaramba. There is a legend relating to this sacred shrine and the Divinity that abides there as Siva and Sakthi.

In a hamlet very near Sri Sailam, there lived a mother and a lad, six years old. He was called Balaramanna. He was studying in the local elementary school.

Once, on the eve of Sivarathri, all the school boys were returning home eagerly discussing the festival. One boy said: "My sister and brother-in-law are coming tonight for Sivarathri. Tomorrow we will all go to the temple on the hill. "Oh! What fun it is to be with my sister and brother-in-law". Another boy said: "My sister and brother-in-law have already come. They have brought me new dress to wear. We are all going to the temple tonight itself."

Balaramanna heard this talk. He wondered whether he too had a sister and brother-in-law. He ran home and asked his mother: "Mother, do I have a sister?" Where is she? What is my brother-in-law doing? Why don't they visit us? My friends are all enjoying themselves in the company of their sisters. I too would like to be with my sister and brother-in-law."

The mother knew the child's heart. In order to comfort him and sow the seeds of faith in him, she said: "My dear child, you too have a sister and brother-in-law. They are, "Brahmaramba and Mallikarjuna". "Is that so? Where are they? I shall go and bring them home for the festival. Tell me where they are", said the lad.

The mother sent her son along with her neighbours to the temple on the hill. She told them to take care of their son and gave them some money to buy odd little things for him. Balaram said: "Mother, should I not take something for my sister?" The mother replied: "No, my son, since you are a child, they will themselves give you a lot of gifts."

Balaram was taken into the shrine. The neighbours showed him the two idols, beautifully decorated with flowers and apparel and said, "Look that is Goddess Brahmaramba, your sister and that is Lord Mallikarjuna." Balaram at once ran to the idol of Brahmaramba, caught hold of her hand and said: "Sister, please come home with me. Mother has sent me to invite you." There was no response. He ran into the other shrine and loudly said: "Brother-in-law, please come with me along with my sister. I won't leave the place without you."

The temple priests took him for a mad cap and pushed him out. Balaram's agony knew no bounds. He was determined to return home with his sister and brother-in-law. He decided to end his life if his sister and brother-in-law did not appear before him. He ran and stood on the top of a peak and cried: "Listen, if you won't come with me, you my sister and you my brother-in-law, I will jump off the peak and end my life."

At once, he heard someone calling: "Brother, wait!, wait! we are coming, we are coming." Both Lord Mallikarjuna and Brahmaramba ran towards him and gathered him into their arms. Balaram said: "You must come with me, mother is expecting you." The all compassionate Lord and his consort did accompany the lad. They granted to them the vision to see them as Siva and Sakthi.

"Whatever you hold once, you have held,

Hold on to it, till you win.

Whatever you have asked, once you have asked,

Ask aloud for it, till you win.

Whatever you wish, once you have wished,

wish deeper for it, till you win.

Whatever you have planned, once you have planned,

Plan firmer for it, till you win.

He must grant to stop your wail.

Wail, weep, pray till you win.

Don't lose heart and turn away

True devotion will surely win."

(Chinna Katha from Baba)

Ram Navami - 12 April 2011

"The recitation of Ramayan verses or

listening to the exposition of those verses

must transform the person into an embodiment of Dharma.

His every word, thought and deed must exemplify that ideal.

Sraddha (steady faith) in Rama,

Ramayana and oneself is essential for success.

And for what end?

To become good and help others to unfold their goodness.

To be totally human with every human value expanded to

the utmost and promote those traits in society to help others too."

~ Baba ~

(Ram Navami Discourse - 18.4.86)

Celestial Poems of Sathya Sai Baba

"You are not the body -

a bundle of flesh, blood and bone.

You are not the mind -

A mass of unfulfilled desires.

You are not an entity -

Full of delusion that is the cause of bondage.

You are verily the Absolute Consciousness -

Eternal, omnipresent and omnipotent."

~ Baba ~

Prayer to Bhagavan

Oh Dear Lord,

as the Divine Presence who sets the pace of the world,

we pray to Thee to be back amongst us soon

and grant us the bliss of Thy Divine Darshan."

(Prayer from www.srisathyasai.org.in/)

Real Health is Not Related to the Body

"Many of you are anxious thinking that Swami is not keeping good health over the last few days. In fact, My health is very good. Real health is not related to the body.

As you equate Swami with this physical frame, it appears as though Swami is not well. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati (as is the feeling, so is the result). Do not identify Me with this physical body. I am not Dehaswarupa (body), I am Dehi (the indweller).

There is no difference between you and Me. I have all powers in Me. But you are deluded seeing My physical form. Whatever I am doing is only to satisfy the doctors and other devotees. As a matter of fact, there is no trace of ill-health in Me. I am always healthy. Not only today, till 96 years I will be like this. I can do whatever I want. But those who go by the physical form think that Swami is ageing.

Youth and old age are related to the body and not to Me. I am always the same. I can do anything. However, this body is yours. This has come for your sake. You can change it the way you like. If you think that Swami is strong and healthy, yes so He is. There is no weakness in Me. My angas (limbs) may appear to be weak. But I am not Angaswarupa, I am Atmaswarupa.

Wherever you may go, worship God as Atmaswarupa. Do not identify Him with an Akara (form). Give up body consciousness and develop Atmic awareness. Only when you lead a spiritual life, will you be able to visualize the Atmaswarupa.

If you identify Me with the body, I cannot walk even two steps. Do not think about the Akara. Have faith that I am the Atmaswarupa. Then I will always remain healthy."

~ Baba ~

(Vijayadashami - 5.10.03)

The Body

"The body is like a temporary shelter where you reside

for a short while on your journey.

Body is like a water bubble,

temporary and transient,

destined to perish."

~ Baba ~

(Facets of the Divine Diamond)

Dearest Swami

Dearest Swami,

Our prayers and thoughts are with You.

O Lord!

"O Lord!

If the blue mountains be the ink and

If the ocean be the ink pot,

If the biggest branch of the heavenly tree be the pen and

If the earth be the writing leaf;

And taking these,

If the Goddess of Learning writes for Eternity,

Even then,

The limit of Thy virtues will not be reached."

(From: "Vision of the Divine"

by Eruch B. Fanibunda)

Silence

"I insist on silence. Talk less, talk low when you must talk. Do not thrust your sorrows, your needs, your problems into the ears of those who have come here with their own bundle of such things. They are not interested in adding to their troubles. I am here to listen to you, to console you. Do not by loudness of voice disturb those who are meditating or reading or writing the Name of God."

~ Baba ~

(Sathya Sai Speaks - Vol. III)