Sri Sathya Sai Hostel – A Saga of Divine Love – By Dr. Shashank Shah The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning is a unique institution established to mould the youth into exemplary citizens who would be change agents in the society and act as effective instruments in the grand Sai Mission of universal transformation. It is much more than just another educational institution where students and teachers gather together, rather coincidentally, for academic purposes. In Swami’s own words “Do not be under the impression that you and I have come together only now since you study in this College! You have come to Me for the sake of far higher triumphs, as a consequence of merit acquired in many previous lives. You and your teachers are destined to achieve tremendous tasks under My guidance, in the execution of the Mission on which I have come.” (31-1-1974, Brindavan) The Sri Sathya Sai Hostel has played a pivotal role in the fruition of Swami’s Educational Mission. Swami, a true visionary, has played a major role in the formation and growth of this uniquely blessed institution. Over the last more than a quarter century, it has been an unending saga of love between the Revered Chancellor and His dearest students, the loving parent and His most beloved children. Here I make a humble attempt to enable the readers to take a dip in this nectarine ‘Prema Pravaham’….. On the occasion of the inauguration of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed University) at Prashanti Nilayam, Swami as the Divine Chancellor of the Institute mentioned these momentous words which would be etched in golden letters in the history of mankind for millennia to come – “Students! Teachers! Devotees gathered here! Administrators! This is the inaugural day of our Institute. It has been planted today. The students are its roots. The tree will grow with branches on all sides; countless flowers will bloom; it will provide and promote peace and security to the world. In order that it may realise this result, students must as the roots do, remain firm and provide sustenance. I know that the roots have to be watered so that flowers and fruits may emerge. Students are My all. If you ask Me, what is My property, many expect the answer to be, “Oh! All these buildings, all this vast area of land.” But, My answer is: “My entire property consists of My students.” I have offered Myself to them.” (22-11-1981, Poornachandra Auditorium)The ensuing paras give us a glimpse into the truth of the declaration made by Swami and the immense love that He has for His students. The story of the Sri Sathya Sai Hostel, Prashanti Nilayam, started with the establishment of the Sri Sathya Sai Arts, Science and Commerce College at Prashanti Nilayam in the year 1979. The college was then affiliated to the Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. This was the third College which Swami had established. The first was the Sri Sathya Sai Women’s College at Anantapur in 1968 and the second one was the Sri Sathya Sai College for men at Brindavan in 1969. The evolution of each of these institutions and Swami’s involvement in the same deserve specific mention but are beyond the scope of this article. THE OLD HOSTEL In the initial months of the commencement of the new college, the students, around 235 of them, used to stay in the hostel just opposite to the Prashanti Nilayam Mandir. This is now known as the ‘Old Hostel’ and the students of the Brindavan Campus stay in this hostel when they visit Prashanti Nilayam during festivals. The days spent at the old hostel were the most memorable and the most intimate moments that the boys shared with Swami.  The students used to be in the Mandir for most period of their stay. The Mandir was their real hostel. Their day would typically begin with Suprabhatam in the Mandir and then they would return to the hostel to get ready for Darshan. Thereafter, they would go to the canteen for their food and then proceed to college. Again, in the afternoon, they would come for Darshan and then would sleep in the Mandir at night after partaking of their dinner at the canteen. The hostel complex was a very simple building with minimal facilities. But Swami amply compensated for it by giving the students wonderful opportunities of His Divine proximity. Swami would visit the hostel very often, especially on Sundays and interact with the boys. He would bless a different floor every week so that none of the boys would feel disappointed. He would sit on an ordinary can chair (even without a handle to keep His kerchief) and would talk to the boys for hours on end with His kerchief on His shoulders. The choice of topic was the students’ prerogative! On other occasions, Swami would call the boys for work on Sundays and holidays to the Mandir on the first floor just outside His residence and would personally supervise the work for many hours. It was as if that was the main agenda for Him. When the boys visited the Mandir for Darshan and during the period between Darshan and Bhajan, Swami would be with the boys in the verandah, standing for a period of over two hours talking to them, joking with them and inspiring them on the grand Godly path ahead….  Swami would take special care of the sick boys. He used to send His personal doctor – Dr. Alreja to examine the sick boys. Many times, on the way back to the Mandir from the college, swami would personally take the sick boys in His car to the hostel. That was the extent of His concern for the students. INAUGURATION Within 18 months of the commencement of the college at Prashanti Nilayam Swami got a palatial hostel constructed for the college students just next to the Easwaramma High School. This marked the beginning of a new chapter

Sri Sathya Sai On: Remember Three Things in the New Year If you wish to embark on a new life, you need not wait for the arrival of a new year. To wait for a whole year means waiting for twelve months and so many days, hours, minutes and seconds. Treat every second as new. Sanctify every moment of your life. This has to be done by realising the unity of Sat (the Divine) and Chit (the individual Consciousness). When this union is achieved, Ananda (Spiritual Bliss) is experienced. This is the primary task before everyone. Every second should be regarded as an expression of the Divine. This New Year Day relates to the Christian Era. December and January may come and go (every year) but God neither comes nor goes. In this context, you have to bear in mind three things. One is that which, after it goes, will not come back. The second one is that which, after it comes will not leave. The third is the one that neither comes nor goes.  That which, when it comes, will not go is Jnana (spiritual wisdom). When this sublime knowledge comes to one, it would not leave him. The knowledge which comes and goes relates to the waking and sleeping states. Knowledge of Supreme Reality, when once it is acquired, will never go away. The knowledge that is lost is not true knowledge. Ignorance is the thing which, once it is gone, will not return. If it returns, it is “ignorance piled on ignorance.” This has been described in Vedantic parlance as Mithya in Mithya delusion within a delusion. Surrender to the Divine present everywhere That which does not come and does not leave is Atma Tattva (the Atmic Principle). That which is omnipresent, where can it go? Where is the place for it to go? You set up a door to separate one place from a place outside it. If there is no place outside, there will be no need for a door. There is no place where the Divine is not present. Where, then, can the Divine come or go? Such questions are the products of confused book knowledge. The state of mind of the confused person is described in a song by a Gopika (Cowherd girl). The doubting mind calls for closing the door of the mind (to truth). The person with faith asks for the opening of the door. Seeing the plight of the Gopika, who is racked by both doubt and faith, Radha was amused. Radha observed: When the whole Universe is the mansion of the Lord, Where is the need for a street or a door? When the cosmic Lord is shining within, Where is the need for a door? When one offers one’s entire life to the Lord and sheds tears of bliss, that is all that is needed. As long as there is no such complete surrender, there will be need for doors and the like. Why are doors erected? To regulate the entry and exit of persons. But, it is the irony of the present Kali or Dark Age that the door is kept open for the entry of all kinds of undesirable creatures. Man’s mind is kept open for the entry of evil thoughts. The door should be barred against the inroads of egoism and acquisitive impulses. The door (of the mind) should be kept sacred. Regard the entire cosmos as the great mansion of the Supreme Lord. It has no streets or doors.Total surrender is the way to enter the mansion. The advent of a New Year is greeted by welcoming the New Year and bidding farewell to the old one. This is the practice in the ordinary world. But it is not entirely a worldly affair. Qualify yourselves to enter the Kingdom of God The observance of the beginning of a New Year is based on the statements of the Siddhaanthi (the almanac maker). The almanac is an artificial man-made work and is not related to anything permanent or unchanging. The sun and the moon remain unchanged. The calendar is a man-made device. For the Divine, there is no coming or going. God transcends such conceptions. He is the Lord of what is called the Kingdom of God. Each one has to acquire the qualification to enter that Kingdom. All are not entitled to enter it. But every human being should aspire to achieve that right. That is the essential purpose of human birth. Man is bound by his actions in this world. The actions should be good. Be pure in your speech. Develop a sacred vision. Purify your hearts.