The Company You Keep… Where world becomes a stage and the body a costume to deliver the alloted role man should tread with atmost caution reminds Bhagawan…delivering a discourse on the importance of The Company desired to keep… Bhagawan says, The company you join must be qualitatively and quantitatively greater and higehr than the one in which you are now caught. From Bhagawan’s Divine discoures at Brindavan, Whitefiled, on 7 July 1975. Kamal Sahani, of the Second B. Com. class of the College spoke now, using fine simple appropriate words, on the human body and the purpose for which it has been given to you. He said that the world is a stage and that the body is a costume that one has to wear in order to act the role that God has allotted to you in the play produced and directed by Him. This is a correct interpretation. But, when you are allotted a part, your duty is to do it well and earn the appreciation of the Director. The stage on which you play your role is an infinitesimal dot when compared with the vast unlimited Cosmic space. The time when you strut about the stage in this costume or in any other is also infinitesimal. Deepak of this College acted as Sankaracharya on the stage at the Shanmukhananda Hall, Bombay. But, his Deepak-ness was not lost thereby; even while he was Sankaracharya, he was Deepak. His Sankaracharya-hood was but a temporary phase. So too, the Atma is the Eternal Truth; the body which it dons is temporary and the role it induces is also short. Or, to illustrate this in another way—the time spent in dreams is infinitesimal, when compared with the time spent awake. The ‘waking’ stage is the representative of the stage of wisdom and illumination, of the Atma; the dream stage is the representative of the ’ignorance wisdom’ hazy stage of human life. The question may legitimately be asked, why or how did this eternal universal Atmic principle take up residence in this temporary, particularised body box? Well. You do not keep diamonds in a diamond casket, do you? If you do, the robber would be doubly benefitted. You keep it in an iron box only. Of course, the iron box or safe will be artistic and charming, for, the container is chosen, to suit the value or sanctity of the thing contained. To drink milk or some such beverage, you select a clean attractive tumbler or cup. But, for a spittoon, inferior metals or mud is felt ample. The body is a chalice, wherein you collect the nectar of Divine Grace. That is the prime purpose for which it has been gifted, to you. For, without a cup or chalice, casket or jug, how can the nectar be taken? Raso Vai Sah: say the Vedas; “He Is Sweet-Nectar, no less.” And when His Graces is showered, the body is thrilled. The Body has to be kept ever clean and pure, unaffected by dirt, disease, distress, or defeatism. Nara and Narayana, man and God are like iron and magnet. God by His very nature attracts man near, for in man, there is the Divine. When the magnet fails to attract the iron piece, the iron foolishly concludes that the magnet has lost its power! The real fact is: the piece of iron is too thickly covered by rust and dust. It does not realise its own defect; it rushes to blame God (the magnet) or even to deny Him! The easiest and the most fruitful method of keeping yourself free from dust and rust is the Satsang. The company of the good and the godly will slowly and surely chasten and cleanse the persons prone to stray away from the straight path towards Self-Realisation. Care has to be taken to see that you select and stick to the proper company. A cup of water has no cash value; but, if it is poured into ten cups of milk, it acquires the value that people attach to milk! If on the other hand, one cup of milk is poured into ten cups of water, it loses the value it had and is condemned as useless. So, the Satsang you join must be purer, more venerable, and sticking to higher ideals of virtue and truth than you yourselves. When a smoker joins a group of non smokers, there is every likelihood of his giving up that bad habit; but, when a non smoker falls into a den of smokers, he is certain to become a victim soon! Such is the subtle influence of the company one keeps. The company you join must be qualitatively and quantitatively greater and higher than the one in which you are now caught. There are precious gems of wisdom within your hearts, which require excavation, in order to be of any benefit to you. Intelligence is the instrument you have to use, in order to gain them. At the very start, you will encounter a boulder barring your way—that is the Body Consciousness, the Ego. Desires are the loose rocks that have also to be dug out and kept aside. Then, you come to a bed of sand—good thoughts, good words, good deeds; when this stratum is reached, you are nearing success. If you keep on in Satsang, every day, your hearts will maintain their purity unimpaired; but, if you seek one, only off and on, it will be difficult to win grace or partake of it, for, the vessel will be tarnished and untidy. In your own households, you must have noticed that a vessel in daily use is bright and clean; but, vessels stored and used only now and then will have to be scrubbed with great vigour to become bright.

Follow Your Dharma… When Dharma guides Karma it becomes praiseworthy and the act turns out to be successful. Bhagawan says “Where there is Dharma there Krishna is; so, think for yourself, each one of you, how far have you deserved the grace of The Lord? You draw Him near; you keep Him far. You entangle yourself, bind yourself, and get caught in the trap. No one is your foe except yourself. No one else is your friend. You are your only friend. The Guru shows you the road and you have to trudge alone, without fear or hesitation.” When Guru becomes the guidepost, showing us the right path, are we not to meticulously follow the right path??? Bhagawan speaks out quoting an incident from the illustrious life of Shivaji Maharaj involving Swami Samartha Ramadas recounting how great men and Avatars stood for greater values in life, overruling material passion… Once Samartha Ramadas appeared before Shivaji, with his usual call for alms: Bhavathi Bhikshaam Dehi. Shivaji realised that the Guru is God; so, he wrote something on a piece of paper and deposited it reverentially in the alms bag of Ramadas. “For the relief of hunger how can paper suffice?” asked Ramadas. Shivaji prayed that the paper may be read. The paper recorded a gift of the entire kingdom and all that Shivaji owned to the Guru. Samartha Ramadas replied: “No, My Dharma is Dharmabodha, the teaching of Dharma, instructing the people in the right way of life; Kshatriyas like you must follow the Dharma of ruling the land, ensuring peace and content to the millions under your care.” Sage Yaajnavalkya too once refused a kingdom, because he cared more for the Kingdom of Moksha, the realm of eternal freedom. Sage Vasishta is also said to have renounced a kingdom, offered to him by Rama. That was the ideal in the past; it is only now that men pursue paths that lead them away from Dharma. You have allowed the treasure that the sages gave you to drop from your grasp. Though the medicinal root that you so badly need is lying across your path and has actually tripped your step, you have no eyes to recognise it and realise the value. What a pity! Look at the way Rama refused to accept the kingdom out of which He had willingly come, to carry out the wish of His mother and the plighted word of His father, when Bharatha entreated Him piteously to take it from him. Rama taught that artha and kaama should not be allowed to overrule Dharma and the discipline of Moksha. For, fundamentally, the objects of the world are incapable of conferring joy.

He Is That… Idle curiosity and vain words are of no use to an aspirant. Try to know yourself. When you realise who you are, you will realise Who Sri Sathya Sai Baba is!”  said the Great Jnani Nisargadatta Maharaj to a devotee of Bhagawan revealing that Sri Sathya Sai Baba is Paripoorna Parabhrahmam…an episode from Sathyam Sivam Sundaram – Part 6. Once there was an interesting dialogue between a well-known jnani of our times and his disciple about Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. One of the disciples of Sri Nisarga Datta Maharaj was a frequent visitor to Prasanthi Nilayam and he became an ardent devotee of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in course of time. One evening while serving his Guru, who lived at Kethwadi in Mumbai, he submitted his question, “Maharaj, who is Sri Sathya Sai Baba?” Instead of answering the question of the curious disciple, the Guru asked him, “What does Baba say about Himself?” The disciple, who did not expect that question from his Guru, said what he could remember at that time, “Maharaj, Baba has revealed that He is the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi!” “When did Shirdi Baba shed His mortal coil?” “In 1918.” “When did Sri Sathya Sai Baba make His advent?” “In 1926” “Baba is what He was between 1918 and 1926!” The disciple could not comprehend what the Jnani had meant by that; he was also not satisfied since the answer was not what he had expected. He pleaded with his Guru, “Maharaj, I cannot understand what you said about Baba…” “Sri Sathya Sai Baba is Paripoorna Parabhrahmam!” declared the Jnani. The disciple was very happy with that answer since that was what he wanted to hear from his Guru! But the Guru was not satisfied; he wanted to teach his disciple a higher lesson. He asked the disciple, “What do you understand now about Baba?” The disciple was baffled by the question; he kept silent. Then the Guru told the bewildered disciple, “Idle curiosity and vain words are of no use to an aspirant. Try to know yourself. When you realise who you are, you will realise Who Sri Sathya Sai Baba is!” II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Don’t Worry; I will give him realisation… Great Masters with complete awareness know what they do… and so with Avatars… it will be foolhardy for man to attempt to gauge their actions, rather man should submit to the will of Great Masters and Avatars…  Years ago, Bhagawan Nithyananda of Ganeshpuri had direted one of His disciples to visit Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai… For Swami Shradhanand, the trip turned out to be an ‘enlightening’ one… enlightened to know that God Is One…and One Only!!! …narrates Dr DJ Gadhia. Swami Shradhanand, a disciple of Swami Nithyananda of Ganeshpuri (or Vajreshwari) near Mumbai, attended one of these programmes in 1962. Soon after the Arati, he went into meditation. Later, he came to us and said, “My Guru has suggested that I should have the Darshan of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba only with Dr Gadhia”. So, we proceeded to Puttaparthi on the very next day. A very memorable incident happened in the interview room. When Swami started waving His right hand to materialise Vibhuti, Swami Shradhanand caught hold of His hand! All devotees in the room were stunned. I was utterly shocked because it seemed to me that Swami was insulted by a person that I brought. This was the right time Swami taught us the lesson as He used to teach often, “My Life Is My Message.” He was not offended and on the contrary, He smiled and spoke softly and with loving care, “Why did you hold My hand?” Swami Shradhanand replied, “I have not come here to see peppermints and chocolates You distribute everyday to these children; I have come with a very great expectation from You!” Bhagawan replied, “Swami knows that you recite Gayatri Mantra everyday and your Sadhana has reached up to the point of saturation so much so that you are going to get liberation soon. So, continue with your Sadhana.” Nobody was aware of this. Swami Shradhanand was surprised and became happy and apologised for his mistake. Then Swami said, “Don’t worry, mistakes are like passing clouds. Let Swami distribute peppermint and chocolates to these children.” He waved His hand and materialised Vibhuti and distributed to all, except Swami Shradhanand! Bhagawan then asked Swami Shradhanand, “Would you mind if Swami gives interviews to these children first?” When I was granted interview, Swami assured me by saying, “Don’t worry, Swami will give him (Swami Shradhanand) realization.” When Baba granted him a personal interview, Swami Shradhanand started shedding tears of joy and prostrated at the Lotus Feet of Bhagawan, saying, “Oh my Master! You Are residing here in the form of Sri Sathya Sai. I am very grateful to You for granting me this Vision!” Swami Shradhanand would just not stop crying. Having come out of the interview room, Swami Shradhanand gave a vivid description of his wonderful experience. He said, “Baba did not ask me anything nor did He give any opportunity to ask questions, but straightaway said, `Look here!’ and opened His gown (Kafni), revealed His chest and gave a vision of my Guru, Swami Nithyananda! I am really fortunate for having had such a realisation. I am also grateful to you, Gadhia, for having brought me here!” We learnt a great lesson. Swami can give realisation of any form or Guru or any incarnation to anyone deserving, and that is the reason why He is known as `Sarva Devata Swarupa’ (Sarvadevatateeta Swarupa, as Bhagawan Himself mentioned once). II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Sai As Dattatreya… God Is One and the same… yet, in different yugas, different times, God incarnated in different forms, accepting different Names… For the one with pure awareness…He is Absolute Consciousness in different forms…  call Him Rama…Krishna…Sai…Dattatreya… At Shirdi, Baba was questioned once by the police…and He in His inimitable style answered “Truly” which was intriguing yet confusing for the foolhardy. Later, to some ‘Doubting Thomases’ Bhagawan showed up Himself as Lord Dattatreya… Trinity in One Supreme Form… Commemorating the Birthless Sai’s ‘Birthday’, the episode as recounted by Bhagawan… Baba was involved in a criminal case. He had to give evidence in a case which related to the theft of some valuables from a rich man’s house by a gang of thieves. The police caught the thieves and questioned them about the stolen ar­ticles. The thieves said that the valuables had been given to them by a fakir. Searching for the fakir, they came to Baba. They asked Him: “Fakir, did you give these articles to them?” “Yes,” He said. “Wherefrom did You get them?” was the next question. Baba replied: “They have come from the same place from which all things come.” “Who gave them to You”? “I gave them to Myself.” Baba gave such intriguing an­swers, which the police could not understand. “I Am the giver of every­thing. How can anyone get anything without my sanction?” declared Baba. Feeling that it was futile to question him further, the police prepared a report. Baba received a summons from the magistrate to give evidence in the case. Chandubhai Patel did not want Baba to go to the Magistrate and so arranged for Baba being examined on commission (in Shirdi itself). During the examination on commis­sion, Baba was asked: “What is your father’s name,” He replied: “Baba.” (Baba means “Father” and the reply meant that the father’s name was “fa­ther.”) Q. “What is your religion?” A. “The religion of God”. Q. “Wherefrom did you come?” A. “I have come from the Atma.” Q. “What is your caste?” A. “The caste of the Divine.” Baba answered all the questions in this manner. Earlier He had been hailed as “Sai.” In his examination, He had given his father’s name as Baba. By the combination of these two names, he was therefore called “Sai Baba.” No one knew when and where Sai Baba was born and who gave Him that Name. Later, many persons began to have doubts about His transcendental powers. One day, the birth anniver­sary of Dattatreya was to be celebrated (in the month of Margasirsha on Pan­chami day.) Several devotees had assembled in Shirdi. Among them was a wealthy man, a great scholar called Kaijack. He is not to be confused with Hijack!” His name was Balwant Kaijck. As he was approaching the Masjid, Baba took His stick and waved it at the devotees, asking them to get away. He even beat some of them, shouting, “Saitan! Saitan!” No one could understand why Baba was be­having like this. “I Am suffering labour ­pains. Get away, all of you!” He shouted. In those days, Baba not only used to shout at people, but also wield the stick on them on occasions. He used even to throw the stick at fleeing persons. Every one used to be afraid of him. They all fled from the place. Some time later, He called all of them to come. “Balwant Kaijack, come!” He said. When Balwant came, Baba went inside the Masjid. Balwant went in and found that Baba was not there. He found a three-headed baby on the floor. Baba had declared that He was suffering from labour pains and there was a baby there. The three­ headed child appeared to represent Dattatreya. It was a small baby with a number of hands. Balwant recognised the child as Dattatreya and called other devotees to come inside. They went in and on seeing the child closed their eyes. At that instant Baba reappeared there. From that time onwards, people started looking upon Baba as the incarnation of Dattatreya. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Do Not Disrespect Any God-Form… Avatars Who live in the most exalted state of ‘Brahmam’ have nothing to differentiate between many forms and many names… All names and all forms belong to the One Supreme Godhood. …And when They continue Their sojourn on the physical plane they do leave indelible impressions in the human hearts and minds, teaching them the most subtle truth and lessons. In one such incident Bhagawan at Shirdi taught His devotees not to disrespect any God-Forms… an interesting episode from Sree Sai Samartha Satcharita, originall written in Marathi byGovind Raghunath Dabholkar a.k.a. Hemadpant. A beautiful lesson commemorating The Advent of Bhagawan at Shirdi. One day Baba returned from the Lendi and sat in the Masjid. The devotees began arriving for darshan. Amongst them was the great devotee Chandorkar whom Baba loved very much. He came with Biniwale, (his brother-in-law), eager for darshan. After doing obeisance to Sainath, both of them sat in front of Him. While they were exchanging generalities about the welfare and well being, Baba suddenly got ‘angry’. Baba said: “Nana, how is it that you have forgotten? After having spent such a long time in My company, is this only you have learnt? Is this the result of the time you have spent in My company? Tell Me in detail.” Listening to this Nana became dejected. He wondered about the reason for this anger but could not recall anything. He felt sad. He could not recall where he had erred. He could find no reason for the ‘anger’. But unless something had happened Baba would never ‘hurt’ anybody. Therefore, he clutched on Baba’s Feet and repeatedly entreated Him. Finally Nana supplicated earnestly and asked: “Why are You angry?” “Though you have been in association with Me for so many years, how could you have acted like thus? What happened to your senses?” Baba asked Nana. “When did you come to Kopergaon? What happened on the way? Where did you get down on the way? Or did you come here straight?” “Something strange happened on the way. I feel like listening to it in detail. Tell Me what happened and where, be it big or small incident.” Hearing this Nana realised his mistake and his face fell immediately. Though he felt ashamed to speak of it, he narrated it. Nothing could be concealed here! Having decided this, Nana told Baba whatever had happened in detail. There could be no lying before Sai. Falsehood does not gain Sai’s grace. Disharmony leads to destruction and ultimately lies lead one to hell. To deceive the Guru is a very great sin, from which there is no atonement. Realising this Nana described in detail to Baba whatever had happened. Nana said: “We hired a tonga to come straight to Shirdi, as a result of which Biniwale missed the darshan of Lord Dutta on the banks of the Godavari. Biniwale is a Dutta devotee. When we came across the Dutta temple on the way, he wanted to get down to have Dutta’s darshan. But I was in a hurry, so I prevented him and told him that we could take the darshan on our return journey from Shirdi. Thus becoming hasty and thinking it would get late to come to Shirdi, I tried to avoid the matter and disregarded Dutta’s darshan. Later, while bathing in the Godavari, a big thorn pierced my foot and gave me a lot of trouble on the way till I could pull it out with much effort.” Then Baba advised: “It is not good to be in such a haste. Thank your stars that you had only the thorn to contend with, though you had disrespected the darshan. When a very venerated deity like Dutta is on the way, awaiting darshan, unfortunate is he who has not taken the darshan! How can I help him?”

His Revelation – My Realisation… For the seeker of Supreme Wisdom of Advaita, Non-dualism, the whole physical world vanishes and thus the problems associated with it. At the most crucial phase of his life, suffering from what psychiatric science calls it, Reactive Depressive Psychosis, unable to see the suffering of the world around, Dr MS Ramakrishna Rao once heard Him, as his inner-voice, giving His words of wisdom of Oneness Of Everything, The One Reality. I suddenly got up from a frightful dream. It was 15th November 1977. We returned a few days ago from Barrankula, a cyclone relief camp in Divi taluk. We went there in knee-deep mud, lived in tents surrounded by corpses, eating just to maintain the body. We spent nearly a couple of weeks. Bhagawan Baba appeared in dreams silently on 3 or 4 occasions. But after returning to Visakhapatnam, melancholic thoughts haunted me. Even though I am accustomed to go to hospital in a car for the past 18 to 19 years, I felt guilty of the same when thousands are not having any conveyance. Similarly, I was hesitant to put on a “T” shirt, thinking that many of my brethren are going half-clad. The same is the case with food. On top of this, scenes of dead bodies, collapsing huts etc. began appearing in my dreams successively for 3 days and from one such dream I got up suddenly, on the 15th November. I know that I was suffering from ‘reactive depressive psychosis’. I thought I must have a consultation with a psychiatrist or write a letter to Swami. I wrote to Bhagawan only on two occasions on purely official matters, which forced on me while discharging the duties of a District President. At that time I was working as Resident Medical Officer of one of the two mental hospitals in the State and treating several people counselling and administering drugs etc. As such I know swallowing a few drugs will improve my mental state without much ado. Suddenly, I went into a reverie: People are suffering from all sorts of miseries from times immemorial. Is there no way out of it? Lord Buddha pondered over it but not many were benefited out of his teachings. So is the case with every religious preceptor. The golden kingdom promised by Jesus has never appeared so far. Are they referring to a different plane of consciousness? Bhagawan must answer my questions and also show a solution. In all probability He may not answer my letter. As it was my previous experience, I may get the answer in a book or somebody may pick a conversation with me without any relevance and answer all my doubts. So I wanted the answer then and there, remembering that HE is ANTARYAMI and not only Prasanthi-Nilayam-Vihari. Suddenly, I heard a clear inner voice asking me, ‘About whom are you lamenting? On whom are you relying to get the answers? And who are you?’ Abruptly the three groups—suffering humanity, God and myself—appeared before me commandingly ‘You know why all this misery is occurring’? I meekly said ‘Yes, Bhagawan, because I feel instead of One, these three as different entities’. ‘So when will this misery disappear’? asked the Divine voice. ‘When I feel that I am one with God and with all beings, and not separate, then there is no more misery’. I could not help the feeling that Bhagawan is making me answer my own questions, in a vivid manner. All of a sudden I remembered the sentences of Baba at Whitefield in the interview room one day during 1970. On that memorable occasion He emphasised that the answers I am getting now and then are not emanating from my own thought process but are revelations made directly by Him. With a mischievous laughter, the voice asked me ‘Is this all theoretical?’ I said ‘No Baba, we are not able to maintain that non dualistic state always and hence this suffering’. Absolute silence prevailed for some time. From that very moment my depression vanished entirely and I could carry a new sparkling energy for days thereafter. So, let us always be aware of HIS presence within us, ready to give us unerring counsel, May HE bless us all to become that ONE REALITY.

“i will not lie any more, no more…” Coming from the wrong side of the society with a blurred backdrop, painted by poverty and social disadvantages, little Anthony was led to the wrong track of practising small lies. However, his wrong run was not to last long as GOD decided to write a fresh chapter in the little one’s life with His magical wand, “Truth”… an inspiring incident from the life of a little Bal Vikas student, Anthony from Bal Vikas Group, Gaenza, Italy… from Sanathana Sarathi archives, republished here… A new student joined the Bal Vikas class. His name was Anthony. He was 13 years old. He probably came to Swami just in time. Anthony was coming from the wrong side of society. It was the same story: the father had left the family, the mother did not have much resources and he also had other small brothers. It was not easy to be poor and disadvantaged in a welfare nation. So Anthony found a way to survive: telling lies. He was saying that his mother owned a good flower shop and that his father was a fireman. These were small lies, they were his dreams. He wanted to be a fireman when he had grown up. He wanted very badly to be respected, loved, to enjoy all the big gifts that life is giving when you walk in Dharma. As no one taught Anthony how to get these gifts, he imagined he had them. One day there was a fire in the classroom. Some kid set fire to the rubbish. The teacher called him: “Anthony, as you know everything about the fire brigade, how does the fire extinguisher work?” Now, everybody was looking at that small boy wearing dresses not very clean. Anthony felt inside a big determination. With a punch he broke the glass case, took out the extinguisher and in two seconds he extinguished the fire. That little success helped Anthony to change his life. He got a little more confidence in himself, so the other kids loved him more. One of his friends was Francis. One day Francis took Anthony to the Bal Vikas class and you can imagine what happened. Anthony asked: “Who is that man dressed in orange, with all that hair?” Francis: “He Is Sathya Sai!” “What does it mean?” Anthony asked. Francis answered: “Truth.” The two boys looked at each other in their eyes. One minute of silence followed and then Anthony said: “I don’t want to lie anymore, I will not lie anymore, no more.” When Anthony found the love of our beloved Master then he found himself. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II