The Lord of the Heart When Baba sent word that I was to make some remarks at this great New Year’s gathering of Sathya Sai devotees, I thought that if I were to speak with all the truth that I could muster, there was only one topic on which I could speak and that was personal in its reference. It is: what does Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba mean to me, to this mind and body, educated and cultured in a foreign country and also, what does He mean to that subtler aspect of me, that is without nationality? My wife and I first heard of Swamiji in 1968, through a description of Him as given to a friend of mine by a lady who had visited Prasanthi Nilayam [the abode of peace]. This lady had brought back some sacred vibhuti [sacred ash], and a beautiful ring as a gift to her from the miraculous nature of Baba. She had many fascinating stories to tell; however, one special remark struck fire to my mind and imagination. The lady said that she had felt a change in her character while at Prasanthi Nilayam, and that change persisted even after returning home. This statement really struck my mind with the impact of a great storm. Could there be a man, was there a man living today whose art was so subtle, powerful, mysterious, and divine, that He could change the human heart? If it were indeed true that such a man lived in today’s world, then nothing else in my life could equal the urgency of seeking Him out, prostrating myself at His feet, and praying that through His grace He would be so kind as to cultivate my dry heart with His divine power so that my heart might open into fresh life as the dry fields become alive and vibrant with the spring rain. My wife and I heard the story of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on a Monday and that same week, we were aboard a plane to India. I should not imply that my faith was able to keep up with the eager rush of my heart to the Lord. After all, my mind was educated in the cold scientific methodology of a western university and then, cultured in the profit climate of the business world. Moreover, I had disappointing experiences with various spiritual preceptors. However, my intellectual doubts that had gained considerable strength during the journey were unable to survive even the first meeting with Swamiji. In His divine presence, how can doubt maintain itself? In His presence, doubt is like very shallow water in the burning sun; in no time at all, it disappeared. As my wife and I sat before Swamiji at Prasanthi Nilayam, in the room reserved for meetings with inquirers, we soon realized that the elegant and charming Indian gentleman speaking with us was unmistakably something far more than that. We listened to His sweet voice, felt the warmth of His loving smile, noted the impression of irresistible power conveyed by the cast of His features, looked as deeply as we dared into His eyes—now soft, now flashing. But, beneath these surface impressions, our awareness was deepening, and we became conscious that a state of love and affection now existed in the room. In my heart, there arose a movement, a new feeling, a joy so intense that tears came from my eyes. So to me, first of all, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is the Lord of the heart, He who is able to remove all the hardness accumulated in the years and make the heart fresh, new, and joyful again. Then, the next aspect of Baba that strikes me with real force is the overwhelming and incomprehensible mystery of His Divinity. He appears to be a man, but, even a dullard can see that Baba is not a man. One looks at Him and sees the blue, perfect calm of the deep sky. One tries to define His form but can see only space. The only thing certain about Him is that He loves us; otherwise, to predict Him or define Him is like trying to capture the wind, or the silver of the moonlight. Even the stories we read of the Avatar are just other futile attempts to define Swamiji. It is said that the supreme and only being wills to take form as an object within that world of maya [illusion] created by Him and that, there He plays a human role without in any way compromising His total subjectivity. Out of such words, reason may satisfy itself, constructing some framework of meaning. But, that meaning can only be relative, whereas Baba is not relative. So, if we are honest about it, we end up where we started, ­facing a divine mystery that is incomprehensible, The third aspect of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba that has tremendous importance for me is that Baba as the supreme teacher of men guides us to liberation, and re­union with Him. Each word that He speaks carries a lesson intended for our benefit. Certain basic principles are repeated by Baba again and again. Perhaps these basic principles could be sum­marized into seven cardinal points: I. Be happy. Bliss is God’s nature expressed in the individual and happiness is also our social duty. Simple happiness rooted in good becomes value to everyone around us. 2. Feel always that you are Divine. There is only One, and we are not different from that One. 3. Let thought, word, and action flow from that divinity that is one’s essential nature. How happy we feel when we engage in noble action, and how miserable when our action is petty or hateful! 4. Behave to others with the same kindness that we use toward ourselves, because at some subtle level of our being, I am you and you are me—we are not two, opposing forces. 5. Awaken with love, fill the day with love, and end the day with love. It is not that we should

What Does God Seek From Us? This is probably one of my favorite stories. It is so full of intrigue and suspense in the beginning, yet so simple and profound in its ending. I have heard it only once, but I have narrated it a hundred times at least. And each time it fills me with new vigor, enthusiasm, and direction. It is the story about a messiah—a messiah who wanted to retire! The first time I narrated this story was in Swami’s presence on the 29thof July 2005. I have kept narrating this story many times, in order to keep reminding myself more than anybody else of what Swami wants from me. Messiah who wanted to retire There was this messiah who lived in a village. He was a tremendous source of help and inspiration for the villagers who sought his wise counsel for almost every problem. He sought nothing himself and selflessly gave of himself to the people whenever they needed him. Everything seemed to be going well when, out of the blue the messiah made a startling revelation. “I am ready to announce my retirement now,” he said much to the shock of all the assembled villagers. “I have been preparing for this moment and ultimately, it has arrived.” No! You cannot do this. Please do not leave us…” “What will we do without you? Whom shall we turn to for succor and solace?” “How can a messiah retire? What do you mean?” “Why do you want to retire? Have we failed you or disappointed you in any way?” came the questions. The messiah smiled within himself. As usual, men were making their own audacious assumptions and theories. The assumptions may have varied in nature and scope, but they all were tinged with selfishness to varying degrees. Everyone wanted him to stay for reasons that meant a lot to them—not him directly! “Every person in every occupation enjoys a retirement. I am only seeking mine! Is that not fair enough?” asked the messiah with a smile. That was an argument that none could refute. But still, how could they live without the services of their messiah? Looking at the whole situation objectively, the people realized that their domestic problems could be solved through discussions with each other. Financial advice could be sought from some moneylender who still had scruples left. Health matters could be taken up with a doctor. But, what about matters relating to the spirit? Spirituality, though very ‘important’, is never ‘urgent’ and thus gets neglected until times such as these. Now that the messiah was about to retire, spirituality seemed to gain urgency, too, along with importance. And so, they all pleaded with him, “How will we remain in touch with God if you retire?” “Please, if you must retire, then ensure that we will be in touch with God in some way at least.” “Tell us what we must do so that God is happy with us always…” “Yes! Tell us the one ‘most important’ thing that God wants us to do…” “Yes! Yes! Tell us that ‘one thing’ that God wants from us,” everyone chorused. The messiah smiled to himself again. If only the people had approached him with this feeling and intensity before, each and every thing that he had said could have served as the potential ‘one thing.’ However, people seem to realize the value of something only when they are about to lose it or, worse, when they have already lost it. So, this reaction was not at all surprising. With all love he said, “I shall find out what that ‘one thing’ which God wants from you is. And then, I’ll retire.” The worries of the people were mollified to a certain extent. They at least had something to look forward to now. What God wants from us… As per his promise, the messiah went to get the message of the Lord. In a day’s time, he returned from the adjoining mountains. As he walked the streets of the village, all the villagers gathered around him. They knew for sure that he had got the message from God. That ‘one thing’ that God wanted most from them would now be revealed. Even though the whole village had gathered around him, there was perfect silence. Has it not been said that it is only in the depths of silence that the voice of God can be heard? Physical silence was the first step for true silence. Nobody wanted to miss the great secret that was going to be revealed. “I am ready to reveal God’s message. But are you ready to listen and follow?” The first sentence from the messiah broke the silence. There was a lot of murmur and chatter among the gathered people. Small groups began to discuss among themselves. Soon, a few men and women stepped forward to speak. Each of them had something to say. “If it is something that God wants us to do, we are ready for anything.” “Even if it means sacrificing all our comforts and going through great suffering, we are ready to do it for God’s sake.” “If we are told to hang upside down by our toes, we are ready. If we have to blind ourselves, we are ready. If we have to kill we are ready… We are ready for anything…” “Yes! We are ready to shed tears all our life. Any pain, we shall bear. Please tell us what is it that God wants us to do.” “Speaking is easy my dear people,” said the messiah, “but when it comes to practice, I hope your enthusiasm and energy does not fizzle away.” “No! Just give us a try! We will do anything.” “Not only are we ready to sacrifice, we shall make others sacrifice as well. We will give up our own parents, husbands, wives, children, friends, and relatives, if need be.” “Anything! We are ready to do just anything. Please let us know what God wants us

Unity of Religions What Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is saying is most relevant to the contemporary situation. There is at present a crisis looming in many spheres of modern life, not the least of which concern science and its achievements, religion, philosophy, education, and health (both physical and mental). Politics and economics are also not immune from the malaise that has set in; one does not have to look far to see this. But while many in these fields are aware of the impending crisis and the present destructive tendencies inherent in certain of the advanced fields in science—for example, in nuclear and biological breakthroughs—very few, in the West at least, would consider it absolutely essential to turn to Eastern teachers for a solution to problems they consider local and historically determined. Take the moral crisis in the West. The best authorities will voice the opinion that this problem, for most part, is a result of the remnants of the clash between the extreme moralism of Christendom and the liberated ethics of the materialist and secular society the West has come to witness after the scientific revolution… In order to resolve the conflicts and contradictions that have emerged, little need is felt to turn to the East immediately. Again, let us examine the deadlock within the major churches and Christian denominations in the West. Attempts are being made to patch up differences and engage in ecumenical dialogues. Despite the endeavor toward increasing tolerance for each other’s faith, nothing like a united Christian church has been achieved as there are problems that go back a few centuries, posing formidable obstacles for Church unity, an ideal much spoken of in the West presently. Despite this sad situation, few church leaders have considered it useful to turn to the East for re‑appraising their own difficulties in this attempt. Their attitude is mellowing and slowly changing in this regard, though, as shown by the receptions given by church leaders, theologians, and academics in the field to His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV during his recent visit to Australia. The Dalai Lama participated in a number of interfaith and inter-religious dialogues and meetings held in his honor, and he did not hold back his own thoughts on the important matter of the unity of humankind despite differences in religion, race, and philosophies. The Dalai Lama brought to Australia a timely message that no spiritual leader of his caliber has yet come to Australia to proclaim—namely, that all religions share the same goal and strive for an end to human suffering, and that for such a task we should put aside our differences and with love and compassion unite as one humankind. He repeated the message in his inaugural address to the seventh annual conference of the Australian Association for the Study of Religions. The church leaders and those present at these meetings applauded the Dalai Lama’s call for a harmonious co‑existence of religions and an acceptance of religious differences in the spirit of real tolerance and understanding. Such lofty sentiments and ideals could have only come from the heart of one soaked in the wisdom of the East, where such ideals have been lived through for centuries. One cannot help but wonder, however, how the same group of people would res­pond to the message of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba that is depicted appropriately in the Prasanthi Nilayam emblem. Here, too, one sees a stress on the unity of religions and a call upon mankind to minimize their differen­ces and to maximize the common core of religious quest that all humans share. But would not the emblem be too radical a drawing‑card for western intellectuals on the whole? Is the West fully ready to turn to the purer teachings of the East, parti­cularly of Indian origin? Likewise with philosophy, education, and other fields? Opinion at present appears to be divided on this issue. But with the increasing in­terest in the higher teachings that have been coming out of India—not just the minor interests in yoga, arts, and styles, but the wealth of wisdom that both Hinduism and Buddhism have to offer­—one can say that the East has begun to shine brightly on the western horizon. This point has recently been made quite pertinently by Father Frederick C. Cople­ston, a famous historian of philosophy and authority on theological dialogue, in these words: “The fact is that a need can be felt in our modern western culture that can have an influence on conceptions of philosophy and its function. Some people have felt driven to turn to the East for enlightenment.” (Philosophies & Cultures, Oxford University Press, 1981, p14) ~Purushottam Bilimoria, Melbourne, AustraliaSource: Sanathana Sarathi, July 1983

Avatars The Bhagavad Gita [song of God] declares, in clear and ringing tones, “Whenever there is decline of dharma [right conduct], and the rise of adharma [unrighteous behavior], I shall embody Myself. For the protection of dharma, and for the destruction of adharma, I shall appear in every age.” The Lord manifests Himself in human form solely for the above divine purpose. What the Gita has stated is eternally true, and holds good for all ages, including the present Kali Yuga [Iron age] as well. A revealing point to be noted in this connection is that the avatars [incarnations] of God, as well as maha purushas or mahatmas [holy men], commonly manifest themselves in the sacred land of Bharat [India]. The reason, as Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Himself has stated, is that Bharat is the punya bhoomi [land of merit], the karma bhoomi [land of destiny], and the tapo bhoomi [land of asceticism, penance]. It is in fact the pulsating heart of the world, and the growth of divinity in man has to be traced to the roots of spirituality nurtured in the soil of Bharat, by the divine rishis [sages] of old. Our blessed land has seen many avatars and maha purushas through the ages. Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, the compassionate Buddha, Shankara, Lord Gauranga, Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Shirdi Baba and now Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, are some of the names that flash through our mind, as we peep down the vista of time. What is the common factor, or link between God, the avatar purusha [creator], the mahatamas, and man? It is the fact that the jivatman [divine spark] that we find in man is nothing but an infinitesimal spark of the effulgent paramatman [supreme absolute]. God is the boundless ocean of satchidananda [being-awareness-bliss] and each of us represents a minute drop of spray that is tossed into the air by the restless waves, glistens for a second in the sunlight, and falls back into the ocean again. What then is an avatar purusha? To extend the analogy further, we can compare the avatar to a towering and majestic iceberg. The waters of the ocean are fluid, and have no concrete form. The avatar, on the other hand, is like a colossal iceberg, a pure and dazzling crystalline mass of solids, while the jivatman is an infinitesimal droplet. And what brings the iceberg into existence? It is the freezing cold. The phenomenon of the birth of an avatar is brought about by the congealing power of the love and earnest longing welling out of the hearts of great siddha purushas [mystics], maha yogis [great yogis], and the pure at heart. What are the outstanding traits that distinguish an avatar from the rest of mankind? There are many, like the innumerable facets of a gleaming gem, but we with our limited knowledge, can only think of a few. One cardinal fact that we have to remember is that the avatar purusha is not compelled by karma [consequences of one’s actions] to take birth in the world, but comes down of his own volition. We, the jivatmas, are caked and heavily laden with the dirt of our acquired karma, which forces us to return again and again to the world. But the avatar is like a gem whose brilliance is visible at all times and places, because of its spotless, heavenly purity. Its effulgence is intense and overpowering. To a jivatma heavily enshrouded by the dark veil of tamas [inertia], the luminosity may appear to be radiated by a piece of worthless glass, but to a yogi, the gem is priceless. The avatar is like a magnet. If a piece of lead is placed next to a powerful magnet, the lead will lie there inert, totally unaware of the invisible pull of the magnet. But if we should pass the magnet over a heap of steel needles, they will come to life, and jump up, irresistibly drawn toward the magnet. The pure in heart are like the needles; by their own nature and composi­tion, they are drawn toward the avatar, the living embo­diment of the divine. The avatar is a living example of truth. Where noble thoughts, words, and deeds coincide, there is truth. It is only when the vision of the archer, the shaft of the arrow, and the distant target are all aligned, that the winged arrow will go and hit the center of the target. The avatar is the infallible divine marksman and his target is truth. The avatar is always a perfect embodiment of dharma. When we think of dharma, we conjure up the vision of Sri Rama in our minds. A perfect son for whomthe promise given by his father to Kaikeyi in a moment of weakness weighed more than a great kingdom and all the comforts that great riches could confer. Though a devoted husband, Sri Rama was prepared to send his chaste wife to the forest rather than bear a slur cast by a lowly washer-man. He held dharma and honor above personal considerations. Then again, think of the dharma preached to Arjuna by Sri Krishna on the field of Kuru­kshetra [battlefield in the epic, Mahabharata]—how to live, and if need be, to die like a true kshatriya [warrior], in the protection of dharma, and the destruction of adharma. Dharma has to be honored, even though the ties of kith and kin are sacrificed. Every act and duty has to be performed as a sacrifice unto the lord, with no desire for the fruits of the action, and with perfect dependence upon the lord. The avatar is also an embodiment of shanti [peace]. For example, though the Buddha was brought up in a regal atmosphere away from the sight of all misery, unhappiness, and death his heart yearned for something that the sensory world could not give. His overpowering desire for shanti finally broke its bounds, and the great prince turned his face away from his devoted and beautiful wife and his dazzling son to embrace the life of a mendicant. His quest for ultimate reality finally brought him shanti, and showed the path of liberation to the millions who believe in the teachings of the compassionate Buddha. The avatar is also an embodiment of prema [divine love]; prema of the highest order, prema for the prematman, and prema for the mass of jivatmas, the myriads reflections of the paramatma on the screen of maya [illusion]. Lord Gauranga was a perfect example of prema. His prema for God’s feet was so infectious that during his tour of India, he spread this benign contagion of divine prema through the length and breadth of Bharat. He was able to send human beings into ecstasies of divine love by his mere touch. Thus an avatar is the

Swami I Want You Divij Desai, a Student from 2001-2006, in the Department of Physics of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, wrote the following article. Currently he is a Manager, at TCS e-Serve Ltd., in London. My first ideas of God were of someone who could assume any form, who would be bigger than the biggest and smaller than the smallest.In my mind, I often visualized my God as someone who could appear in myriad colors, as one who possesses imaginary weapons, and who had the entire creatiaon within Him. More startlingly, my imagination even led me to conclude that He was more of a punisher than a boon-giver, that He was always framed in photographs and lived only in idol form. One day, these beliefs changed to a perception of a beautiful, loving, and affectionate God. It was the 16th of November, 1995 and I was seated in an august assembly in Sai Kulwant Hall with devotees from all over the world. I had managed to secure a place in front row. When Swami arrived I rose to offer a tray with akshata (rice grains) and said “Swami, today is my birthday.” “Achha, phir Swami bless karta hai. (is that so, then Swami will bless you).” He then took some akshata from the tray and showered them on my head. This was my first face-to-face interaction with Bhagavan. That interaction offered a new image of God—He is not someone who demands years of penance. Till then, Swami was restricted just to photos and distant darshan [sight of a holy man]. But after that interaction I realized that God is someone just like us, but with a difference. He is the most powerful yet tender, all-knowing yet compassionate and munificent. And if we were to take thousands of births from now on and spend every second of these lives reciting the Lord’s glory, we would still fall short of describing it fully. I often wondered why they refer to Him as God when He looks, talks, walks, eats, and drinks just like us. To this query, my heart whispered only one answer. He is like all of us, so He can teach us that we can all become like Him. The very purpose of our life should be to become like Him or to become one with Him. The beautiful and serene face of Bhagavan reflects kshama (forgiveness). It is His kshama that renders us happy and joyous. Each one of us has a story of our own consisting of good deeds, with the latter predominant in most of our lives. But when we face the Lord, He erases all our erroneous writings and sees us as clean slates. As a clean mirror, He reflects our own selves and wipes away every mistake of ours. Swami has often stated that one evolves as a human being by developing kshama. That is why He declares, “Forget the harm that others have done to you; forget the good that you have done to others.” The Vedas proclaim: Tyagenaike amrutatva manashuhu (Immortality can be attained only through sacrifice.) Bhagavan is the greatest example that the world can ever witness in this aspect. Many times we have heard of Bhagavan taking a calamity upon Himself in order to save a devotee from danger. I am reminded of one such incident, which took place when I was studying in my final year at the Brindavan campus. Bhagavan had an injury due to an apparent mishap and did not come out to give darshan for almost a fortnight. People all across the globe—devotees young and old prayed for Bhagavan’s health and to heal Himself as fast as possible. Bhagavan finally listened to our prayers. After a month, when things were back to normal, an elderly devotee of Bhagavan mustered some courage and asked, “Swami, was this necessary? Why did You take this injury upon Yourself? It was so painful for us to see You in that condition.” Bhagavan replied, “When I was hurt, every heart prayed only for Me. For once there was a spirit of unity in prayers all across the planet. And when there is such harmony in thought the world over, do you know how many of your sins will be washed away? And if your sins are washed away will you not be happy, and if you are happy will I not be happy?” Bhagavan had undertaken physical pain and trouble to wipe away our sins. Is there any greater example of sacrifice? If someone were to ask us what makes us believe that Sai Baba is God, what would we say? It is not because He can transmute earth into heaven or metamorphose night into day. The real reason is that He loves us more than we love ourselves. He loves us to such an extent that He is ready to sacrifice anything for our sake. In fact, by keeping a smiling face in spite of being in so much physical pain, Bhagavan teaches us the greatest lesson of overcoming body attachment. “Love is life and life is love.” Bhagavan’s life is nothing but an expression of love. I vividly recollect an episode during my stay in Brindavan. It was the month of March and we had examinations. Bhagavan had come to Brindavan after Shivaratri [holy day dedicated to Shiva]. The night after my first examination, I received a phone call from my mother. She informed me that my father had met with a minor accident. They had been to the family doctor and had been asked to get an x-ray of the injured left leg. I had seen other students and devotees getting up during darshan to inform Swami about their troubles. Swami would usually bless them, comfort them, and at times even materialize vibhuti [holy ash] assuring them that He would take care. Until then, I myself had never experienced it. That night I pleaded with Bhagavan. If it were true that even minute details do not escape Bhagavan’s attention, then He would respond to my prayers. The next morning my