With Love and Gratitude Excitement ran high amongst the vanara [monkeys] ranks. The Lord’s work was at hand. The bridge to Lanka had to be built as soon as possible and they could not afford to waste any time. They threw into the sea whatever they could lay their hands on—tree trunks, rocks, boulders; even hills were uprooted for the purpose. On the shore a tiny squirrel was keenly watching all the action. All of a sudden, this little creature, too, felt a sudden urge to participate in the Lord’s mission. He was aware that he was too small to be of any use. “I am too little,” he thought to himself. “What will I be capable of doing amongst these gigantic monkeys?” Then, somewhere in his tiny little mind, an idea flashed. He rolled about in the sand, ran down to the bridge, shook off a few grains of sand, ran back to the shore, collected some more sand and deposited it on the bridge. The tiny squirrel repeated this ceaselessly, without any break. Some distance away, Lord Rama was seated in His tent watching the antics of this little squirrel. Amply pleased by its service, Lord Rama picked it up and lovingly caressed it. As a mark of Lord Rama’s appreciation of this little squirrel, three golden streaks appeared along the squirrel’s spine where the Lord’s fingers had touched it. Even today squirrels bear the sign of God’s appreciation on them in the form of the three stripes running across their back. When God Himself has shown so much of appreciation for a task that is so insignificant, how much of gratitude must we show the Lord for all that He has done for us? He has given us everything bountifully and made our lives peaceful and happy in His presence. This is true of Swami’s own students—whom He considers as His own property. To enumerate all that He Has done for us would be an impossible task. He has given us education of the highest standards free of cost, a spiritual foundation too strong to be shaken, and above all this, His physical proximity, which is the envy of gods, and His limitless love, which is unmatched in any way. To be with Him is what the devas and the gandharvas yearn for. We enjoy His presence day and night and drink the nectar of His love. Sages perform penance for thousands of years to earn His grace, and here He is showering it on us in abundance. What more can we ask for? Bhagavan is like a potter who has shaped us with His own hands into beautiful pots from mere lumps of clay. It is time we offered our heartfelt gratitude to Bhagavan for having given us everything in life. What does our great Lord ask from us in return? The lines of a song drift into my mind—”All I want is your Love, my child, all I want is your faith. All I want is your Love in God, no matter what your faith. So says Baba, Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba, my Lord.” Love is all that He seeks. Is it too much to ask for? The word ‘Love’ reminds me of a touching incident, which according to me is the best example of gratitude. When preparations were being made to commence the construction of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Prasanthi Nilayam, Bhagavan was looking into every detail connected with the construction. During one darshan session, while moving amongst the students He accepted a letter from a little boy. Clutching the letter in His hand, he went inside the interview room accompanied by some doctors. He suddenly came out and beckoned that small boy. He asked him, “Should I read out aloud what you have written to me in this letter so that everyone can hear?” The little boy was hesitant for a while and then he replied, “Whatever You wish Bhagavan.” Bhagavan then read out this boy’s letter for everyone present to hear. The boy recounted in the letter how Bhagavan was providing free education to all His students and was now constructing a big hospital that would provide the most modern health care facilities to every section of the society totally free of cost. This little schoolboy prayed that he, too, wanted to be a part of Bhagavan’s glorious mission. Yet, being a small boy from a middle-class family, he did not know how he could contribute to Bhagavan’s work. He mentioned in the letter that for the last three months he had been trying to save from the meagre amount his parents sent him every month. In order to do this, he had avoided giving any clothes to the washerman and had been washing his clothes himself every day. He had also resisted the temptation of chocolates and other delicacies so as to save some money. In all his innocence, this boy now wanted to offer a hundred rupees to Bhagavan. While he was ashamed that he could offer only such a small amount for this gigantic task, he prayed to Bhagavan to accept this offering saying that he would be the happiest child in the world if this money could be used to buy a small brick for the new hospital. So saying, he had enclosed a hundred rupee note with his letter. There was a twinkle in Bhagavan’s eyes when this letter was read out. Like a proud mother Bhagavan held the 100 rupee note in His hand and told the little boy, “My dear son, this is not a 100 rupee note for me. This note is worth much, much more than crores for me.” It was not the amount that Bhagavan saw, but the feeling of love and gratitude that had poured forth from the innocent boy’s heart. The Lord is ‘bhaava priya‘ and not ‘baahya priya‘—[He] loves intent and not fear. We must also make an effort to repay our debt to Bhagavan. The onus is upon us to participate in Bhagavan’s mission

Be Perfect! Years ago, Bhagavan granted interview to a group of youngsters from Kerala. Bhagavan graciously materialized a ring and put it on the finger of one of the boys. Amazed and overjoyed, he was enjoying the beauty of the Creator’s creation. “Is ring perfect?” queried the Lord. “Yes, Swami!” the boy answered. To this, Swami said, “Be perfect!” Life’s journey as a humble child of our Beloved Bhagavan is a journey ‘from Sai, with Sai, to Sai’. This journey demands perfection at each and every step, then only can we realize the perfection that is within ourselves! This journey to perfection demands constant self-audit; the ‘ABC of Life’ that Swami has given us, “Always Be Careful” is very important in this regard. During one of the Vishu celebrations, I got the opportunity to speak in the Divine Presence. In the speech, I highlighted Bhagavan’s assurance, “When you take one step, I take a hundred.” In the Divine Discourse that followed, Bhagavan said, “What Mukundan said is correct. When you take one step, I take a hundred. But that one step must be in the right direction.” The awareness about this ‘right direction’ must be the light that guides our life’s journey. Another important aspect of this journey is: be positive always. The second Sadhana Camp of the Sai Youth of Kerala was in progress at Brindavan. On 11th of April 2004, a drama was to be staged by the Sai Youth in the Sai Krishan Kalyanamandapam. At 4.45 p.m., we went inside Trayee to report to Bhagavan that everything was ready. But Bhagavan gave us the opportunity to sit near Him and talked to us on the theme of the drama. When the discussion came to the point of positivism, Bhagavan asked “Where does this positivism come from?” Bhagavan was evidently not satisfied with the various answers that we gave; He went on asking the question over and over again. All that we could do was to pray for the Divine answer on this vital point. Finally, Swami declared, “Positivism need not come from outside; it is inside only. Our duty is to develop it.” Bhagavan’s Love knows no limits. On one of the days of the Sadhana Camp for the Sai Youth of Kerala in 2005, two youngsters were selected to speak in the Divine Presence, as instructed by Bhagavan. When Swami came to the verandah of the Sai Kulwant Hall, the boys were about to get up to come to Swami. I signaled to them to sit down and conveyed to them that they could come to Swami after Swami occupied the chair. But Swami intervened and told me, “No… They are coming from distant places… Let them come to Me…” It was on the first day of the Sadhana Camp for Sai Youth in 2003. All the Sai Youth had assembled at the Sai Ramesh Hall, when Swami came for darshan. I prayed to Bhagavan to inaugurate the Camp, to which Swami asked, “At what time?” “Swami… 8.30.” I replied. “Why so early?” asked Swami, “The boys and girls have just come. They may not have had their breakfast.” It was another instance that revealed how much Swami cares for each one of us. Bhagavan has categorically remarked that His love for us is to the level of seeing Himself in every one of us. Let us see Swami in all, so that our love is pure, selfless, and perfect. In this divine journey, it is best to realize that we are nothing and He is everything. It is He who plans; it is He who does. In 2004, a school named ‘Sri Sai Vidya Vihar’ was opened in Aluva [in India]. The response from the public was tremendous and applications piled up in our office. It became necessary that we purchased a new plot and constructed a bigger building. Banks came forward to offer help. Everything was set to take a financial loan from a bank. Suddenly a devotee came to our office and said, “Why take a loan? This is Swami’s school… I shall contribute the cost of the entire project.” We are amazed at the amount of confidence the society has in Swami and His Principles. When we announced the opening of the Sai School, many parents withdrew their children from prestigious schools (despite the heavy donations they had paid to them) and enrolled them in our school. To one of the Muslim parents who had come for admission, we made it clear that we would teach the children Bal Vikas lessons, Vedas, and Yoga, he happily responded, “Why not? These are part of our culture, let my child also learn them…” After one of the sessions of ‘Sai Parenting’ that was held in the school, a mother approached us and said, “I am terribly upset after today’s session; to this day, I have not been a good mother.” It is a matter of great joy seeing how the society of Kerala is adhering to Sai ideals. ‘Sai Parenting’ has become the guiding principle of families all over the state. When our young ‘Sai Soldiers’—the team formed to take Swami’s message to newer and newer areas—visited new areas, they observed that Swami was not at all new there. Wherever they went, they were greeted by Bhagavan’s photographs. Now Swami’s Message is reaching every nook and corner of Kerala. Bhagavan’s infinite love has transformed the Sai Youth of the state. The three sadhana Camps in the Divine Presence were unique and have provided golden opportunities for them. Now they are fully involved in the Grama Seva Project. We have also been arranging Summer Camps for the Bal Vikas children all over the state for the past three years. Going through the responses of the children, we understand that much more than the sessions of the camp, what touched and transformed them was the love and care the Sai brothers and sisters shared with them. They are motivated to involve themselves in the Sai activities. Now we have ‘Deenajanodharana Projects’ in all the 14 districts of the state for rehabilitating destitute—old and young. One

The Fettered Fire Indra Devi, who is well known to our readers, has had the experience of a great big act of Grace from Baba, something which we love to call a Miracle. “In person and through writings in most of the 11 languages Indra Devi speaks, she has tried to help lead the world `from darkness to light’, in such seeming diversity of places as the Kremlin and the White House”, says a Los Angeles magazine. The writer of that article speaks of `sitting in the shadows on the deep carpeting’ of the Sathya Sai Hall, which is so vast `that it becomes its own psychic experience’. “This center, the Yogic Nilayam, is on Rancho El Cachuma, which adjoins La Puerta.” Recently, Indra Devi has added a 100-acre piece of land adjacent to this Yoga Institute and named it Sai Nilayam. On September 26, the Bocks (Janet and Richard) wrote to us from Los Angeles: “Bhagavan’s Grace has blessed us with protection in the midst of disaster. We have just learned that a major fire has burned over 6000 acres of land in Tecate, which is, as you know, the location of Indra Devi’s Yoga Foundation, and of the property called Sai Nilayam—a retreat for those who wish to practice sadhana (spiritual exercises) in an atmosphere devoted to Him. Indra Devi’s property was untouched by the fire! Although most of the property, Sai Nilayam, was burned, the miraculous will of the Lord protected the house (!) and the ancient trees (!), as the fire burnt everything else including tents and a truck! The people at the house in the Sai Nilayam were forced to seek shelter on top of Mount Cachuma, the only escape possible for them. When they came down later, they found the whole house blackened with soot, except for the Shrine Room, which was untouched! Richard Bock writes, “We cannot explain the reason for His Grace; we only hope that with His help we will someday be worthy of it”. Writing about the incident, Indra Devi says in a letter, “While I was away in Chicago, big fires broke out in South California. The newspapers carried reports that they were turning 200 yards from our Center”. (The Tecate Fire, worst in the country in more than a year, was started by campers who abandoned a smoldering campfire along the border, four miles west of the village of Tecate. It was reported at 10.05  A.M., and it spread rapidly up the eastern slopes of the 3885-foot Tecate Mountain and in a south‑westerly direction to Mexico. A total of 2000 acres were afire in the United States, and Mexican officials estimated their burned acreage at 4500. Indra Devi continues, “But that didn’t disturb me one bit since I was confident that Bhagavan will protect the place dedicated to Him. And if they were to be lost, there must be a good reason for it. And so it was. On the Mexican side, only the hillside behind our vegetable garden was burned down. On the American side, Sai Nilayam had suffered the destruction of some trees and bushes, a truck and tents. But the house was untouched. When the devotees who fled to the mountain top from the devastating flames returned, they found that all rooms were thickly covered by black soot with the exception of Bhagavan’s Meditation Room. Nobody could explain it otherwise than by the fact: “Baba must have been here.” There is a consciousnessbeyond this bodywhere love feels no bounds There is a spacebeyond this mindfree from narrow confines There is a Truthbeyond this delusionwhere myself is known Divine MotherI pray I mayCome home ~Michele MalvinSource: Sanathana Sarathi, Nov. 1970

Silence Have you ever enjoyed the pleasure of deep silence? By silence I mean absolute stillness of the mind. Shastras say, “If one can completely stop the mind for a moment, he is saved forever.” What are the implications of this statement? We all know what deep sleep is, sleep undisturbed by even a dream. Is it not enjoyable beyond measure? The clamor of the senses has ceased; the waves of the mind have subsided; there is not the slightest trace of the body-consciousness, either. Even if a cobra curls on the pillow, we are not aware of it! In fact, there is nobody to experience the joy at the time of sleep! The mind and the senses are inoperative, and joy alone remains. If at any time during the wakeful state the mind and the senses similarly cease to function, then, too, joy alone remains! Seers say that this is our real Swarupa, our real nature. Our inherent nature is bliss; but the mind and the senses cover it up and hide it. Let them be silenced; we remain as we really are.… as Pure Joy! The practice of such deep silence, according to the Yoga Shastras, prolongs life. After deep silence, we find answers to our problems. Silence is a great storehouse of energy and peace. A few minutes of real silence keeps us peaceful and cheerful throughout the day. The easiest way to attain the state of silence is to sit in an undisturbed place and repeat the mantra [formula] given by the Guru, or any one of the Names of the Lord that we like most. It is best to sit in the same place and at the same time every day. In a few months, peace will descend upon us. As we proceed, waves of joy begin to envelop us. In a couple of years (or if we are fortunate, even earlier), in one of our sittings unknowingly the repetition stops and we are conscious only of joy and nothing else! By sadhana, the mind becomes subtler and subtler till at last it subsides and is rendered inactive. After that joy alone remains! We are that joy! We are that truth! ~C. S. RamaswamiSource: Sanathana Sarathi, 1959

Human Destiny The human predicament The human predicament resembles that of Arjuna [from the epic Mahabharata], who with the vision provided by the Lord saw the Cosmic Form—the Vishwarupa. What is striking of the cosmic vision is that Krishna gave Arjuna the ability to see not only the four dimensions, but the fourth dimension of time was accelerated so much that he saw, “As the moths rush in headlong into the blazing fire for destru­ction, so do these heroes in the mortal world enter Your flaming mouths.” “Seeing this marvelous and dreadful Form of Yours, O Mahatma, all the three worlds are trem­bling with fear.” This is exactly the plight of humanity because of the “accelerative” thrust of change, the future shock. Jonas Salk, the well-known research-­physician biologist in his book, “Man Un­folding”, says, “Although man’s physical evolution has its own natural pace, man has so accelerated his cultural evolution as to make it seem that physical and cultural evolutionary processes are now taking place at intolerably different rates… In a world in which change has accelerated from its natural tempo to one in which man has made change the order of the day, change itself has become man’s principal problem.” Arjuna, like the three worlds that trembled at the sight of the Cosmic Form, was also tormented with fear and he appealed to the Lord to have mercy on him and show him His former form. Is it any wonder that Oppenheimer, the famous nuclear physicist, who was responsible for the eventual manufacture of the atom bomb, remarked on seeing the first test bursting of the atom bomb that it looked like what Arjuna saw when he witnessed the Cosmic Form? “If there be the effulgence of thou­sand suns bursting forth all at once in the heavens, even that would hardly approach the splendor of the mighty Lord.” Oppen­heimer must have trembled with fear at the unleashing of this fraction of tremendous power imprisoned within the atom. Humanity is waiting for the Lord for assurances that He gave Arjuna: “Seeing such a dreadful Form of Mine as this, be not perturbed or perplexed; with a fearless and complacent mind, behold once again the same Form of Mine, which drove your chariot.” Arthur Koestler says: “Science turns out to be the most glorious achievement of the human mind—and its most tantalizing de­feat. We have become a good deal cleverer since Pico-della Mirandola, but not much wiser in knowing what it all means.” He concludes, “The limitations of biological equipment may condemn us to the role of Peeping Toms at the keyhole of eternity. But at least let us take the stuffing out of the keyhole, which blocks our limited view”, says Koestler. Koestler speaks of the evolution of man and his brain, he says that man has three brains, reptilian, mammalian, and neo‑mammalian. “The rise of the human cortex is the only example of evolution providing a species with an organ that it does not know how to use. The actualization of its reasoning potentials has been obstructed, throughout by the effect­ based activities of the phylogenetically older structures in the nervous system. Inade­quate co‑ordination between old and new structures made man’s instinct and intellect fall out of step. The wide range of intra­-specific differences between individuals, races and cultures became a source of mutual repellence. Language increased cohesion within groups, heightened the barriers between groups. The discovery of death by the intellect, and its rejection by instinct became a paradigm of the split mind. Nature has let us down, God seems to have left the receiver off the hook and time is running out.” The human destiny It is against this background that we must understand the significance of the Advent of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and the spiritual revolution that He is spearhead­ing. In His message to Karanjia of the Blitz He declared, “Millions of years of upward struggle have produced the present human society; thousands of seers and sages in all lands have taught man to see the Truth that underlies the panorama of Crea­tion, to adore the Creator, and to practice the virtues of humility, equanimity, and service so that the spark of God that is enshrined in his heart might reveal its full glory. But man has brought human society to the verge of total destruction. He has used his intelligence to pollute the land he lives on, the air he breathes, and the water that is the very source of life. He has turned the mind that is the instrument of liberation into a chain that keeps him in bondage. He has used the methods of Education, Codes of Law, Systems of Poli­tics, Modes of Commerce and the Results of Science to imprison himself in prejudices, creeds, and nationalities. The world is becoming smaller and smaller with every increase in the speed of communication, but neighborly love is nowhere evident.” Baba has confirmed what all the great thinkers have struggled to express. The cure for the ills of humanity lies in the inevitable culmination of this process of shrinking of the world when mankind will be knit into one, when knowledge will per­colate through all types of barriers, because we will reach a stage when there will be no barriers. Who can control mass communi­cation when the satellites transmit television pictures all over the world? For the first time humanity will become aware that the only security lies in accepting each other as neighbors, and that national barriers and all barriers of caste, creed, or language will be irrelevant and invalid! What humanity is now witnessing is the death‑pangs of out­lived modes of exclusive thinking, and the dead shells of rules and regulations that were relevant to the pre‑Atom bomb era. We see the last struggles of organized theocracy trying to chain segments of humanity by slogans and labels, empty shells from which the living force of the great Truths have disappeared. Sai has come to redeem humanity at this crucial stage in the Ascent