Emergence Of Another Pandharpur… It was Sunday, the morning of 25th October 2009. Just 3 days before the day of departure, we came to know about the inclusion of our names in the grand entourage of Bhagawan. Yes, it was the much talked about, much awaited visit of Bhagawan to Pune and Mumbai. I loaded my I-pod and kept it ready in my baggage to listen to Marathi abhangas while travelling to my home pitch, Pune and Mumbai. This was the first thing I did after the ‘unexpected surprise gift’ I received from Swami. And on the D-Day, 28th October 2009 – we were ferried straight to the airport and after the usual formalities, we boarded the aircraft and waited for Swami’s arrival. As soon as Swami came and boarded the aircraft, aircraft doors were closed and the engines started roaring. Simultaneously I too started listening to Vitthala abhangas – Hymns on Lord Vitthala. The very first abhanga had the following lyrics. This hymn was composed by Saint Namadeva. Namadeva sings the Glory of Vitthala thus: (Let us reside in Pandharpur, take holy dip in river Chandrabhaga and then have Divine darshan of Lord Vitthala – Krishna is called as Panduranga or Vithoba or Vitthala in Maharashtra) We landed in Pune and started our onward Journey to Hadshi by bus. We were touching Hadshi by noon. Our bus took a turn to climb up on a steep road to reach Hadshi’s ‘Sri Sathya Sai Pandurangakshetra.’ The same hymn started ringing in my ears in different words altogether but now without an I-pod. The meaning and the sweetness of the hymn remained same, only words underwent a little change; (Residing in Puttaparthi, on the banks of river Chitravathi, taking holy dip and then having Darshan of Lord Sathya Sai – The Avatar of Kali age) The State of Maharashtra has a hoary tradition for the last couple of centuries. Vitthala devotees (called as Varkaris) march towards Pandharpur in the month of Ashadh.They sing the glory of Lord Vitthala, carry Vitthala idols in palanquins and arrive in Pandharpur on Ekadashi day.(the eleventh day in the month of Ashadh) But the Sai Varkaris take a route in the southern direction. First, they come to Dharmavaram by rail and continue the remaining 45 km journey to Prasanthi Nilayam by foot. All along the route, they sing the glory of Sai Vitthala. They conduct medical camps and other service activities in villages on the way and finally arrive at Puttaparthi on Ekadashi day. This tradition is going on for the last two decades. There is river Bhima at Pandharpur which is also called as Chandrabhaga – crescent-shaped moon. Devotees take a holy dip in the river and stand in long queues to have the Divine darshan of Vitthala. The presiding deity, Lord Vitthala stands on a brick with hands on waist (that’s the reason why Panduranga is called Vitthala). It was Bhaktha Pundalika’s command to the Lord to go and stand on the brick and not to disturb him while he was busy serving his parents. The Lord was pleased to see Pundalika’s attitude of service to his parents. So, obeying the command of a true and ardent devotee, the Lord is doing a balancing act on a brick. He cannot step down from that brick, forget about coming out of Sanctum Sanctorum. Taking pity on devotees who were unable to reach Pandharpur to have His darshan, particularly those who reside outside Maharashtra and for people staying in other parts of the globe, He started wondering how to give darshan, how to provide better infrastructure, good road, rail and air connectivity? How to provide clean drinking water and other amenities like a big shopping complex for their material needs and a book stall for spiritual needs, a  state  of  art  digital studio for  posterity, medicare and educare, etc? He chalked out an elaborate plan… He takes physical form. He chooses Puttaparthi as His abode and incarnates on 23rd November 1926 in the womb of Mother Easwaramma. And then as we all are a witness to this Divine drama for the last several decades, He Himself goes amidst devotees and gives Darshan. Devotees  need  not  go to  Chitravati river bed for  a  holy  dip. Chitravati is  now  flowing  in and  at  the  doorstep of  residents  of Anantapur in the form of Sri Sathya Sai Water Project and  has crossed  all man made  barriers    to  reach  other  districts of  Andhra Pradesh and  in Chennai too. This Divine act of the Lord has three-fold benefit, not just Darshan but Padasparshan, an opportunity to touch His Lotus feet and Sambhashanam too. We can talk to Him and He speaks to us! Oh what an opportunity which even the gods of the highest heavens would pine for! And now acceding to the prayers of devotees from Pune and Hadshi, Lord Sai Vitthala has travelled 1000 km to Hadshi and blessed thousands of devotees who came there for His Divine Darshan. He visited Pune after a hiatus of 37 years. Hadshi has a gift from the creator in the form of nature. Nature has ensconced this village in its green arms away from the hectic, city life of Pune. One can say that God has decorated this village with jewels in the form of nature. What does a jeweller do while making an ornament? He leaves an empty socket at its centre. When the job is done, he picks a polished diamond and fixes in that socket. Only then this jewel is complete, it has value, it is worth keeping in the showcase. In the absence of diamond, the jewel has no value and the customer will not even look at it, forget about buying it. The same thing happened with Hadshi. Sri Sathya Sai Pandurangakshetra was ready by the year 2003. Swami had given a word in 2003 that He would come to Hadshi and bless one and all. Ornament was ready but the diamond was yet to be fixed. Days, months

When Heaven Came Down To Mumbai… What do you do when the most beloved person in your life returns home after a long wait?  Shed tears of joy? Sing and dance in ecstasy? Plead Time to stand still? The people of Mumbai did it all, and much more, to express some of their inexpressible joy when their most beloved Bhagawan came visiting them for three days on October 31, 2009  — after a long wait of nine years. A city made up of seven islands, Mumbai is located in the west coast of India and is the second-most populous city in the world — with about 14 million residents. The city is the commercial and   entertainment capital of India, and contributes to about 70 percent of the capital transactions in the country. However, despite the apparent accomplishments, it was only the Lord’s visit that completed it. It was an unusual face of Mumbai — a city generally known for its fast-paced life, financial hubs, Bollywood, glamour, mechanised lifestyle, and unfortunately, even terror attacks — as people shed tears of joy and gratitude, and laid out a carpet of devotion to welcome the Lord of the Universe. Bhagawan’s coming became a great leveller, as people across all ages, social classes and from all corners of the city — from the posh south Mumbai to the slums of Dharavi — gathered under one roof for three days, with the only urge to have a glimpse of the Almighty. October 31 At around 2 pm, as people at the fully-packed Dharmakshetra, located in the northern suburb of Mumbai, were craning their necks toward the gates, a booming sound emerged. Over a 100 bike riders wearing Seva Dal scarfs zoomed through the Dharmakshtra gates, followed by Bhagawan’s car. Soon, students from the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Mandir, Dharmakshetra, began chanting Vedas, a group of traditionally-dressed boys and girls showered flowers on the car, a brass band of youngsters started with its tunes, while singers rented soulful bhajans. The car went onto Bhagawan’s residence Sathya Deep, where He retired after a hectic three-hour long drive. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his family, and the wife and son of Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray visited Bhagawan to welcome Him to the city. Four hours later, Bhagawan was at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon East to bless a crowd of at least 50,000 people. Renowned Santoor player Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, playback singers Hariharan and Kunal Ganjawala, percussionist Shivmani, actor Salman Khan’s sister Alvira Khan Agnihotri and BJP leader Shaina NC were among others who came to have Bhagawan’s darshan here. Leading playback singer Sonu Nigam climbed the stage with his family and music troupe and sought Bhagawan’s blessings, after which the singer presented a music programme. Beginning with ‘Sai Baba Bolo’, Nigam went on to present a number of soulful songs into the evening — not before asking Bhagawan’s permission to continue before every song. After the performance, a smiling Bhagawan blessed the singer with a flower-shaped ring with five pearls. For a singer, perhaps this was the culmination, as an elated Sonu Nigam later tried summing up his feelings. “It was a very different feeling… I cannot express it”; but that said it all. At around 7.30 pm, Bhagawan left for His ardent devotee Indulal Shah’s Khar residence and returned to Dharmakshetra two hours later. November 1  Sunday was a packed day for the Lord. Mumbaiites did not want lose a moment in the precious three days and wanted Him to visit every corner of the city, and the Compassionate Mother relented. While in the morning Bhagawan presided over a business convention titled ‘Ethics and the World of Finance’, which was attended by many top industrialists and businessmen in the city. Former Chairman of ICICI Bank K V Kamath, Chairman and Managing Director of the Union Bank of India MV Nair, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Kotak Bank Uday Kotak, Head of Deutsche Bank India PMS Prasad, Lok Sabha candidate and banker Meera Sanyal, Executive Director of SEBI Usha Narayanan, Executive Director of Reserve Bank of India VS Das were few of the prominent attendees. Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who was also present, took the opportunity to seek Bhagawan’s blessings for his second term in running the state. In the presence of the Lord, all differences melt. Chavan and his political rival Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde shared the same stage, and the same views too. Central Mumbai Following the convention, the spotlight was on Jamboorie Maidan in Worli — located in central Mumbai and around 18 km away from Andheri — where over 15,000 devotees gathered for public darshan. As requested by the city administration, Bhagawan’s car was driven through the city’s engineering marvel, the Bandra-Worli Sealink built over the Arabian Sea waters, before it reached the darshan grounds. Bhagawan reached the Maidan at around 11.10 am and sat enjoying the bhajans sung by the local singers. After blessing the devotees and receiving Aarti, Bhagawan left the venue about 30 minutes later. Next on schedule was the lunch at ‘Varsha’, the official residence of the chief minister of Maharashtra in Malabar Hill, south Mumbai. This was the first time that Bhagawan had visited the official residence of a serving chief minister, and Ashok Chavan was chosen to be the blessed one. Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, former Union Minister Shivraj Patil, and Mumbai Congress head Kripashankar Singh and his family, ‘well-known ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas were present at the darshan. Chavan and his family had conducted a puja in the presence of Bhagawan and later served a lavish spread of Indian lunch. Eyewitnesses said Chavan had requested Bhagawan to go around every room in the house so that his official house would be sanctified. The evening darshan at Brabourne Stadium in Churchgate turned into an ethereal experience for an estimated 15,000 devotees present. Under a moonlit open sky,

Welcoming The New… Year 2012 is wearing out and a new 2013 is just a few hour away…For western devotees who are flocking to the Abode Of Peace, some who are permanently and happily settled in Puttaparthi, Nearfars, Prasanthi is indeed something extra special, Christmas and New Year as well extra special compared to the occasion in the far west. With 2013 unfolding Ms Sue Kelly Christie meeting a cross section of westerners, sensing their pulse for Prasanthi and Bhagawan… Hello Dear Readers, take a stroll with me as we celebrate and welcome in the New Year in Prasanthi.  New Year in Prasanthi Nilayam is a continuation of the Lord’s Blessings, following as it does, a sparkling array of hymns, plays, bhajans, dance displays, and musical  appreciation of the glorious Lord which preceded this marking of the New Year 2013. Swami often referred to His foreigners so charmingly as His Far Nears. Well, some of them now are His Near Fars, as they now reside here in Parthi virtually permanently, when weather and visas permit. Christmas is a big magnet event even though the even bigger magnet of Sai Baba’s form is no longer on view. We felt it would be fun and interesting for you to meet some of these fascinating “Nearfars.”  I set about searching some out for your delight and edification, to get their views about being here, in India in this most sacred Abode at this reverential time of the year. Firstly, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Roy Christie a veteran journalist, critic, author and husband of note. Also now a resident in Puttaparthi for nearly five years. Roy who is 82 years young, gave me these thoughts: “In the context of Sai Baba’s teachings the New Year is not just a calendar milestone but offers us another opportunity to focus on raising our spiritual awareness. I find it useful to bear in mind that Swami has told us that our entire Cosmos is but “a flake of froth on the Atma.” When we realise how vast and immeasurable is Creation, pettiness and small-mindedness in our human relations become truly ridiculous.The power of love releases the Divinity in us all.” Australian Penny and her husband of 35 years Renato.  Penny and Renato Ciammaruconi are a charming couple who reside in this Divine Abode.  Penny first came to India in the 1970s and she has such a passionate love for India that she only really feels at home here and always wanted to live in India.  She told me how she felt about being in India for Christmas and the New Year. “In the West I found the whole Christmas experience to be quite sad, and wasn’t really looking forward to it. You know all the drinking and partying yet forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. But then, when I came here and saw all the wonderful children celebrating Christmas it was so heartwarming.  Of course the Christmas that really stands out in my mind for me, was the one where Swami came out on the balcony all dressed in white, that was quite thrilling and shall live on in my memory forever.  Hopefully next year we shall also be here again.” Renato is an Italian by birth and a wonderfully flamboyant character and he tells me that most of the attention he had from Baba was in public.  In fact, probably Renato’s best Christmas gift was on the 26th December, 2009. Swami was giving darshan. He came past Renato’s row and Renato asked Baba if he could please take Padmanaskar. Swami said take. Then, said Renato: “I felt myself being prompted, ask Him for a ring”. So I said “Swami, can you make a ring for me?”  And to Renato’s utter amazement Swami performed His characteristic swirl of the hand and lo and behold made him the most beautiful gold ring with Swami ‘s image engraved upon it. Renato looking lovingly at this Divine Christmas present from the Divine Christmas Presence and told me, his joy reflecting in his lively Italian eyes, “You know, when you look at this ring, the expression keeps changing.” I am sure when He sees the Love for Him that Renato exudes, Swami’s expression is one of Divine Love for His devotee Renato.Another lovely couple I caught up with whilst whizzing along the Parthi roads: Don McDonough and his lovely wife Janneke. They have been resident in Puttaparthi since 2007, coming to settle here from their native South Africa.  Janneke is a stalwart worker in the Western canteen, also a heartfelt bhajan singer.  Don told me of his feelings living here in this most sacred of places, and celebrating Christmas here: “As I was walking along the streets of Puttaparthi earlier today, I was held in awe, as I felt what it must have been like to walk upon the streets of Ayodhya in the days Of Lord Rama and Dwaraka in the time of Lord Krishna and now of course to be able to walk along the streets of Parthi, the Birthplace of Lord Sai.” “I also had an overwhelming feeling, whilst sitting in the ashram yesterday and realising that no matter who walks in through those ashram gates, they must have done so much to attain that right. Sitting inside the Sai Kulwant hall and seeing all the people having darshan of the Sanctum Sanctorum and realising that all of the people here are earning and receiving and benefitting from Grace. The Grace of the Avatar! The heartfelt feeling I have, not only about being here for this Blessed Christmas and New Year but being able to actually live here, is one of extreme gratitude.” Another Lovely and charming Nearfar is Moira Rowe from Devon, which is a beautifully picturesque part of England.  Mo initially came here to Party, with a group from Bristol – she told me she had been searching for almost 20 years. She first came to India to visit a spiritual guru, who

Experiencing Him Within… Dr Wayne W Dyer is an internationally renowned name, who is affectionately called ‘father of motivation’ by his fans across the globe. He is a prominent American best-selling author and internationally recognized lecturer. Some years ago, during an interview for a TV News programme, when Bhagawan’s Name came up, at the first mention of Sai Baba tears appeared in his eyes. He has never seen Swami in person but said that he was well acquainted with Baba because He appeared often in his dreams. …Read on as Ted Henry speaks about Dr Wayne Dyer and his links with Bhagawan… How come Swami is blessing Dyer by regularly appearing in his dreams? That is because Dyer is an intensely spiritual person. He is regularly featured on Public Television in America and he is considered one of the foremost inspirational speakers in the field of spiritual growth and personal development. He has written 25 books over the last 30 years, many of which have been best-sellers throughout the world. For the first decade of his life, Dyer lived in an orphanage and foster homes. He now looks back on those years as being some of the most formative years of his life, a time during which he learnt the important lesson of self-reliance. He sees himself as the Eternal Soul who is disguised as an author, lecturer, father, husband and a thousand other things – he obviously takes his Advaitam seriously. Part of Dyer’s popularity is due to the inclusion of many quotes from Swami in his books and presentations. One of his observations demonstrates his closeness to the Teachings of Sai Baba: “Send out love and harmony, put your mind and body in a peaceful place, and then allow the universe to work in the perfect way it knows how.” In public lectures around the world, Dyer invariably brings up the Name of Sai Baba. “I am not sure why He comes to me,” he says, “it just started happening several years ago. This is a Being Who lives at God Consciousness Who has, as Jesus had, the ability to manifest at will (like Jesus manifested fish and loaves). All of us have the ability to manifest, but there is the time-line between what we think and what we do.” In a recent TV interview Dyer exclaimed, “Even as you speak (about Sai Baba), I get very emotional. I could almost break down and cry right now. It’s not a tear of sadness; it’s not a feeling that I am hurt in any way. It’s just the most blissful, peaceful (feeling). Do you know what it feels like to be in a warm shower when you have been out in the cold? It’s like having a warm shower running inside of you.” Dyer describes Baba’s appearances: “It’s an energy that moves up and down your spine and gives you goose flesh; only, it’s internal goose flesh. It’s just bliss. That’s the way it is and that’s how I feel.” When asked why others don’t have such access to the many qualities of Sai Baba, Dyer replied that everyone has access but they do not want it. He adds, “It’s just that they believe they don’t. It’s like your question itself (about this) has resistance built in to it. You know the idea is that if you believe you don’t have something, then you don’t have it.” Dyer says this is how people create resistance to what they want. “If you use phrases like ‘the worst-case scenario’ then you just can’t have ‘the best-case scenario’. You know, ‘as a man thinks, so he is’. It’s based on simple metaphysics. Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.” Often in his talks and frequently in his writings, Dyer teaches about non-attachment. About meeting Sai Baba in India one day he says, “I am not attached to it at all. Honestly, I am not. I don’t have any illusion that if He were to walk into this room right now, that it would be any different from this very experience (of talking about Him) right now”. Dyer adds, “It’s because I already feel Baba’s presence in this room right now. It’s just that strong.” Dyer says, “I have a very, very strong internal knowing about my connection to Source (God) and Sai Baba is someone who lives at this level of God Consciousness. In David Hawkins book Power v/s Force, he speaks of a handful of people who live at this God-Realized level. He says they are steadfast in their abstention of thoughts of harm, that they don’t exclude anyone and that they include all, and Baba is one of those beings that calibrates at one of those exceptionally high spiritual levels that is commensurate with Source. He is Source Energy. He lives at Source Energy. He is God. We are all pieces of God, and He is there all the time.” The latest book written by Dyer, The Power of Intention, describes the force brought to an individual’s life by ego and how it interacts with fear. “When you get ego out of the way,” he says, “when you just allow (life to be) and if you knew who it was who was walking beside you at all times on this path, then you would have no fear”. Dyer continues: “One of the quotes I like from Swami Paramananda is that when you reach God realization, nothing can go wrong, nothing can go wrong. All you have to do is live at the level I am speaking about and you don’t have to go around practising or worrying about it, you just have to reach for higher vibrational energy at any moment, which means staying connected to Source. One of the great questions to ask is, “Would God have this thought?”, and then to remind yourself that you are God, that you are a piece of God.” Dyer says that by definition, anything that excludes cannot be spiritual.

How Many Of You Are Following Even One Of My Teachings? The lines below that you are browsing through, had its debut on the editorial page of our Pune Youth Wing Newsletter, issue dated Apr 2010. At a time when humanity is on the threshold of an epochal beginning wherein one expects Bhagawan’s teachings to come to pass and prevail upon, let’s sit back and introspect “how many of us are following His teachings diligently. Vedahametam Purusham Mahaantam. Adityavarnam Tamasah Parastaat. Tamevam Vidvaan Amrta Iha Bhavati. Naanyah Panthaa Vidyate ‘yanaaya. I know that great, glorious Supreme Being, who is beyond ignorance and darkness and whose splendour is akin to that of the sun. Knowing Him thus in this life itself, one transcends death. There is no other path leading to the attainment of liberation.– Purusa Suktam ( Rig Veda ) The Master walks the Earth making it brighter than any star,The Sun acknowledges this and is not threatened by such a glorious sight,For it knows that this Wondrous Form cloaked in orange robes,Is but the source of its light… He has walked before on Earth through the ages, timeless are His teachings but we have such less time for them. So enamoured are we of our senses that a senseless way of living has become a way of life. We revere and worship Gods and Goddesses, as represented by the deities in temples, offering food, ornaments and obeisances, but ignore the divine in the living temples around us. Often has the Beloved One repeated – “I am in every heart, for that is the temple where I dwell.” Some devotees from New Zealand were blessed with an interview sometime ago and one of the questions Beloved Bhagawan asked them was – “How many of you are following even one of My teachings?” This holds true for each and every one of us who claims to be His devotee. Opportunities are many – at home, at the work place, at darshan, in social gatherings, just about anywhere and everywhere, but are we delivering? What if today was Judgement Day and we faced the Lord as He asks, “This is the life I bestowed you with and here is what you’ve done with it.” Would we be able to look Him in the eye or would we fall at His feet begging His forgiveness, getting ensnared in the cycle once again? He has walked on the planet before but do we remember Him or His words?Did we enjoy such proximity?Did we acknowledge Him as Who He was?Were we fortunate to have a human birth?Will we ever get a chance such as this: where the Master has allowed us to know of His divinity, walks with us, talks to us and is willing to lead us towards our glorious destiny? He gave us Mother Earth – a living, breathing planet. He put us on the top rung of the evolutionary ladder, bequeathing upon us the legacy of love, nurture, compassion and care. And so, we are responsible for Mother Earth and for all creatures that do dwell on her. Every little act of ours has an effect on the Universe. The Cosmos has showered us with abundance and what are we doing with it? There are those that are misguided and blinded by anger, revenge, greed and power, terrorizing citizens globally, imagining that bloodshed would please God, belittling His Fatherhood, forgetting that all are His children. And there are those that are plundering Nature’s bounty with complete disregard for flora and fauna. Then again there are those that are in charge of the nation’s welfare but are immersed in selfish pursuits and increase in personal wealth.Progress takes a back seat. What are we going to be left with? Only pictures of what Planet Earth looked like: the cities, trees, forests along with magnificent creatures of the wild, mountains, glaciers, rivers and oceans? Our children may inherit a bleak future if we do not pause now.One can please God and bring about a stability in the spiritual balance sheet/Akashic records, only by loving and serving Him in all beings around us, not by indulging in selfish hoarding and wanton killings.  This miracle of understanding has to dawn. Our Master awaits us. The time has come.Let us Awake, Arise and Stop not till the goal is reached. Let us incessantly chant : Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavantu – May all the beings in all the worlds be in peace. Let us Love All, Serve All; Help Ever, Hurt Never…

Believing Is Seeing… Seeing is believing’ – I always believed in this statement right till early 1999. Then came the day – 14-Jan-1999, when I realized that ‘Believing Is Seeing’ …especially in the Divine realm (and seeing isn’t believing) writes Sri Nitin Acharya sharing one of the profound lessons he learnt at His Divine Lotus Feet, on this very day. On 11-Jan -1999, The Sports Meet events took place as usual except an apparently small ‘glitch’ (if we could call it so) right in the beginning around 7 in the morning. While entering the stadium, Swami was standing in a silver chariot, waving both His hands, blessing all the devotees assembled in the ladies side of the gallery. Quite unexpectedly, the chariot came to a halt with a small jerk. Swami (seemingly) ‘lost’ His balance and landed on the seat softly. Seat was well cushioned with no sharp carvings or anything that would hurt the physical frame of Bhagawan.We were all alert and in a fraction of a second, Swami was ‘assisted’ to stand once again and the chariot started ‘rolling’ behind the Brass Band towards the Shanti Vedika , the stage from which Swami would watch the sporting event. All campuses made their offerings and presentations as usual. After all the presentations, Swami got up, went down to the ground (morning as well as in the evening) blessing the children with group photo sessions. After the ground event, Mandir darshan and other activities too took place as usual. On Makara Sankranthi, i.e. On 14-Jan-1999, during His Divine discourse Bhagawan described the whole incident. A boy was destined to fall and break his backbone but Swami took this on Himself. He underwent the pain and agony which the boy was destined to undergo for the rest of his life. Now, let me tell you how I perceived the whole event…during and after… On 11-Jan-1999, I believed in what I saw. As I mentioned earlier, it was just a small episode worth to be ignored. It was similar to our experience when we get up from our seat to take the wallet out for a ticket and driver applies brakes and we land on our seat… a momentary embarrassment and then the joyful journey continues. So, everyone who assembled there, including those who were next to the chariot, ignored the same and got engrossed in watching the Sports Meet. So, I did not initially believe in the way swami described the whole episode in His discourse. For, neither me nor anyone else saw even a single drop of blood on 11th morning. Then came the lesson from none other than Swami Himself! Swami called Sro Narasimhamurthy garu, then wardern – Brindavan campus) inside the interview room. I was about to close the door, Swami called me too inside. Bhagawan had already scanned my thoughts and feelings. Warden became emotional and expressed his pain after knowing the pain and agony which Swami went through for the sake of a student or for that matter the entire humanity in general. This is just one among many such events in the past in the life of Swami. Then Swami looked at me…pulled His sleeves and to our sheer astonishment we saw cuts and gashes deep into the skin and blood clots all over. I was aghast. Swami said“ This is just a small fraction; there are wounds, bruises and bandages all over My body. My back-bone was in pieces on that day. It would have been fatal for that boy. So, I saved him.“ What I was seeing was totally unexpected and against my old beliefs. It sent a chill down my spine. His methods are mind-blowing, beyond our human perceptions, cannot be comprehended by five senses of action and perception. I understood that we have to believe in whatever Swami says. “I am Sathya…whatever I speak Is Truth.. Truth which either happened in the past or would happen certainly in future.“ Swami is Trinetradhari.. He sees the past, the present and the future with His three eyes. Swami was the Savior for that boy on that day of 11-Jan-1999. The boy played just a symbolic role. It was a Divine Drama to save the entire humanity. Journey of Life has just four steps to climb… 1) Self-confidence, 2) Self-satisfaction, 3) Self-sacrifice and 4) Self-realization. We struggle, toggle and spend our entire life on either of the first two steps. We are like frog in a well that jumps up a step and then slips down, whereas God in Human form descends down from the highest state and lives the Life of ‘Self-Sacrifice” for the sake of His creation. God in Human form is like a Swan or a Dove, a harbinger of Purity and Peace, Love and effulgence, Union and Transformation. “Why Fear when I am here“… “My Life is My message” – Baba. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Walk towards ME and Leave maya behind! The Hyderabad Youth, a bunch of dedicated youth from Hyderabad, has been famous in Sai circles for its absolute dedication and devotion to Bhagawan… When it comes to Seva, the group would often forget all personal issues, plunging wholeheartedly into action…  Over the years, especially in the late nineties and early twenties (1990-2000), the group had been immensely blessed with  many precious interviews, Face To Face With Divinity…wherein they learnt greater lessons, directly from The Lord… Sri Gopi Pidatala, one of the co-founders of the group, recounts some such precious lessons learnt at His Holy Feet… Youth in India and across the world are getting carried away under the influence of certain culture which is not true and real to their own cultural heritage.  Values of the yesteryears which have been so closely safeguarded from generations are getting shattered with the new age technology… youngsters are getting entangled in actions which are not real but ‘Maya’ induced. India, known for its rich and ancient spiritual heritage, is also one of the countries which is facing this challenge despite its rich ancient cultural heritage! It is at this point that our Divine Lord Sai has provided succor to all of us with His ‘Upadesa’ – Divine words for over 85 years and the Hyderabad Youth group in particular has been one of those large groups in the world which has had the unique and very great fortune of being under His guidance right from the early 1980’s. In the following few paragraphs, I shall be sharing a few of such divine thoughts for the welfare of youth across the world. This thought is to share and care the Love of our Divine Mother Sai, especially for the young adults: During one of the group interviews, one of the boys asked the Lord with a lot of concern, Swami, we are all in delusion (maya).  How do we come out of this delusion? Swami, the all-knowing one smiled! With a surprised face He asked “Where?  Where is maya? There is no maya! He went on to explain with a lot of concern. Swami said For example; let us consider that you are walking in the opposite direction of the Sun, you see a shadow in front of you, Right? Consider yourself walking towards the Sun, the shadow is behind you and you don’t see the shadow. Correct?  We all nodded in agreement. In a similar manner, maya is seen when you walk towards worldly things.  Instead, walk towards Godly things. Dear Youths, walk towards God…then maya will be left behind you like the shadow you see. Understand?  This is a great example from the Almighty Lord to make us understand as to how we can stay away from maya (delusion) and lead a life of values and seva and get nearer to God. On an another occasion, as we were all seated at the Divine Lotus Feet  of our Mother Sai in that small beautiful, most sought out room in Prasanthi Mandir– the interview room,  Swami said with a lot of concern and love , “My dear children, from today, all of you need to develop Love in your hearts.” With a twinkle in the Lord’s eye and a bewitching mischievous smile, Swami continued “This  Love, I Am talking about is not that Love which you have, think… all the time and see in the cinemas… that is mad love! All that love that is shown in the cinemas is contraction Love!  What I Am speaking is Expansion Love”. Immediately, one of the boys with audacity asked the Lord, “Swami, what is the difference between the two”? Swami in all His love explained in this manner.  “When you talk of something of ‘mine’, it is selfish! The Love that comes with Selfishness is called Contraction Love! This Love does not expand and is limited and has a boundary. Whereas we talk of thine (third person) … the feeling that all that exists is of the Almighty, the love that emanates from such a Divine feeling is Expansion Love which has no limitation and no boundary!” I am sure that you all now understand what Bhagawan was trying to hint to all of us … the love that He gives has no limitations, no boundaries, beyond caste , creed, region, religion and colour… Pure Love ! Does it not recall a bhajan that Swami so melodiously sings … Life is My form …Truth is My breath …bliss is My food …  These  thoughts give us an absolute clarity to each one of us to expand our Love in Thy Mission? Come, let’s do our bit in expanding this phenomenon of Love across boundaries! Swami was once narrating us the story of Meera Bai, great devotee of Lord Sri Krishna. He mentioned that all devotees of His aspire to get close to him in terms of physical proximity. “All of you desire to be very close to Me in physical terms – you feel that a few centimeters away is also a great distance! Right?” He asked. We all nodded our heads. He went on to say with that divine enchanting smile on His face, “Frankly, to tell you the truth, I do not know what physical distance means !I Am beyond physical distance! God is beyond physical distances. One should learn to pray that God within their own hearts.”  Swami with great love went on to explain, “ Let Me tell you, my dear children,  God is not in a temple outside. Your body is His temple. He resides in your heart”.  To further substantiate His divine message, Swami said ,  “When the Rana of Chittoor   (Rajasthan) did not allow Meera Bai into the temple, Meera Bai immediately realised this concept and practised this form of devotion. She declared for her own self that her heart is a temple where Lord Krishna resides and it is at this point of time, she rendered the famous and popular bhajan:”  “Chalo

When Beauty Was Being… Here is an attempt to describe the Beauty of The Lord Who Walks The Earth in Prasanthi, captured from an eventful day’s memory, 27th day of the first month of 1974, a day when Bhagawan granted interviews for almost six hours, exuding pristine freshness and joy, utterly untouched by strain or tedium. Writing about the Beauty of His Being, R. Ganapathi asks what was it that elevated the beauty that evening, above the holy beauty of sea and mountain of sun and moon, and placed it along with the consumingly Divine Beauty of the entrancing Idol of Kamakshi at Kanchi, or of the Nataraj at Chidambaram, or Balaji at Tirupati? The experience was unique. It appositely happened at Prasanthi Nilayam, where the extra ordinary, is ordinary the supernatural, natural. It was around 7 O’ Clock, on the evening of January 27, 1974. It must have been an exhausting, exasperating day for Swami, if only He were not Swami. That morning, He started granting audience around 9:30, and the interviews lasted until 12:20 P.M. Since the Bhajan at the Nilayam is rounded off by Swami whenever He is physically present there, we had an unusual spell of 80 minutes long Bhajan before He came to the Hall and ended the session. I wondered at His marvellous freshness, when He came out after granting interviews for nearly three long hours. And, I knew, in the `interviews’, it is He Who does all the talking and that too, in a strained muffled voice so that others do not hear. Moreover He knows the minds of each and every one of the interviewed, and the majority of those minds are sure to reveal an abundance of black spots, or, only a few bright spots in a black circle. An atmosphere which is bound to depress most of us! What happened in the evening was even more astonishing. He began the interviews as early as 3 45. Again, it was a marathon session, extending to near 7 O’ Clock. Thus, on that particular day, He had talked for nearly six hours, with people suffering from physical and mental maladies. It was not only talking; He gave them the balm of His benediction. What astounding energy! Enters Swami into the Bhajan Hall, vivacious as the Ganga, and lithely ascends the dais to sit with a hop on the silver chair. O, What a sight! There sits Nishkama Karma, in pristine freshness and joy, utterly untouched by strain or tedium …Five hundred throats sing in unison: “Sundara Rupa, Sri Sai Deva”: (Lord Sai, of Charming Form)…. I feel the thrill all through me. `Sundara Rupa!’ Yes. How beautiful! How very beautiful! Breathtaking beauty; Breath-giving Beauty! The breath of the ‘I’ is suspended and the breath gets near the Breath of Life itself. How am I to describe that experience of being face to Face with Beauty? There was, it must be stated, the Face to be looked at and a face looking at It. But, the notion of separateness was very thin. Shedding their smallness, my eyes were slaking their thirst avidly at the Sundara Rupa before them. They were wide and unwinking, and experiencing the immenseness of His Beauty. My eyes did not allow my ears to listen any further to the Bhajan. As we came out of the Hall, I told my friends, “It does not matter if He does not grant me the interview this time. It does not matter even if He leaves Prasanthi Nilayam, this moment. I am filled up.” And, believe it or not, when we woke upon the morn, to hear that Swami had left Parthi! ….It made no change; the indelible impress and the irrepressible aroma of the Superb Darshan were pulsating in my core. Even now, four months later, that Darshan continues to baffle analysis and beggar description. The trailing cadences of the actual experience are still sweetly resonant, within. O, It was Beauty, sui generic. It was the Beauty of Beauty, itself. I must say that I have been blessed to drown my heart in the flood of Beauty many a time before January 27, 1974, when I looked at the setting sun, or the billows of the sea, or a mountain cliff or a moon lit scene. I have seen the beauty of Peace on the face of Anandamayi. I have seen the beauty of Purity on the face of the Sage of Kanchi. Speaking of the physical beauty of the human form, I have seen many, but, what was it that elevated the beauty that evening, above the holy beauty of sea and mountain of sun and moon, and placed it along with the consumingly Divine Beauty of, say, the entrancing Idol of Kamakshi at Kanchi, or of the Nataraj at Chidambaram, or Balaji at Tirupati? The Beauty was identical with Truth and Goodness. It proved Keats right: “Beauty is Truth; Truth, Beauty.” And Sappho too, who wrote, “What is beautiful is Good.” Our own seers experienced the coalescence of this Trinity of Truth, Beauty and Goodness, when they proclaimed that God is Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram. It is not the beauty of God; but, Beauty that is God. So, it is identical with Being, with the Self. I am ever grateful that Swami did the supreme miracle that evening, of maintaining a thin line of separateness between the seen Face and the seeing face, so that I could taste the nectar to my fill. It is now clear to me, why the Shakti (the Potency) of Brahman is named Tripura Sundari; I now understand, why God is called Pranava, ‘Pra’ is that which is most primeval; `nava’ is that which is newest. Pranava means that Time cannot exhaust or extinguish Its freshness. In the words of Tagore, It is chira nutana; eternally new. How I wish that the Rishi of the Saundarya Marga (the Path of Beauty), Tagore had the Darshan on the evening of 27 January, so that we

Baba As I Saw Him Swami said, “You are Mine and I Am yours. You belong to this place. You are not from the U.K. You are from Me. God is not working for you, He is working with you.” He then said, “die the mind!” and with a wave of His hand, materialised a diamond watch for me. As He put it on my wrist, He said, “Every time you see this watch, remember, I Am the Time Master.” Read on as Ajit Popat reminisces precious, priceless moments with His Lord! …from Sanathana Sarathi, June 2013. If you wish to see Me, come to Me.” This was the divine call I received in a dream one fine morning in August 1983. I could not resist the call and made my way, for the first time, to Prasanthi Nilayam the very next day. Love at First Sight That first Darshan, I fell in love with Him. I came, I saw and was conquered by Him. I have lost count of the number of visits I have made to this divine place in the last 30 years. I went whenever I felt the divine pull which was so loving and yet so insistent. Each time I returned, the experience was unique and intimate. I stayed in Puttaparthi for three days on that occasion and before returning to London, I had the privilege of meeting Prof. Kasturi at his residence. I still remember what he said to me that day: “Swami is the Master of time. Remember this, throughout your life.” I have remembered those words and I have continued to come to the Lotus Feet whenever He willed. I love Him. I have no other way of expressing my feelings for Him. I cannot put it more simply or plainly. I love Him with all my heart. Become Like Me In December 1989, a young Englishman decided to take a group of U.K. devotees to Prasanthi Nilayam. I joined the group with my wife and daughter. Christmas at Prasanthi Nilayam, then as is now, was colourful, exciting and full of divine joy. During darshan on the morning of 21st December, Swami said the magic word ‘go’ which we all had been longing to hear. This was the indication for us to go into the interview room. Inside the room, He encouraged us to ask spiritual questions. I could not resist, and asked, “You are always in supreme bliss. You have no concept of pain. How then can You experience my pain?” He simply smiled and asked, “Do you really want Me to experience your pain?” I responded, “yes!” “Then become like Me, pure and selfless. Oil will not mix with water; water will mix with water,” He said. You are Mine; I Am yours In December 1990, He willed that I should come to the Lotus Feet as the leader of a U.K. group. After the Christmas celebrations, He lovingly called us for a group interview. During the interview, He looked into my eyes very intently and said, “Do My work.” I said, “I will.” That’s it. I found a new meaning to my life. I got the first real job of my life, and all these years later, I am still doing it. No retirement for me! I was over the moon with my new-found love and new job. Swami said, “You are Mine and I Am yours. You belong to this place. You are not from the U.K. You are from Me. God is not working for you, He is working with you.” He then said, “die the mind!” and with a wave of His hand, materialised a diamond watch for me. As He put it on my wrist, He said, “Every time you see this watch, remember, I Am the time master.” Another time, He materialised for me a ring with two heart-shaped diamonds, saying, “Our relationship is Heart to heart. That’s the Truth.” The divine romance continues to this day. Very lovingly, He made me realise that working with and for God is not easy and yet it is so simple. Become selfless, and serving God is the easiest thing in the world. First Charter Flight – 70th Birthday of Bhagawan In 1994, in a group interview, I prayed for permission to bring the first charter flight of devotees from the U.K. for His 70th Birthday. He simply smiled and said, “You come. I will bring them.” In those days, there were no mobile telephones and no internet and I had no idea where to start to organise the charter flight. “I will bring them.” That is what He had said and that is what He did. He took complete charge as events manager and travel agent (!). He blessed various devotees in the U.K. in dreams, asking them to come. He ensured the flight was full and that all arrangements were taken care of. He granted permission for the flight to land at Sri Sathya Sai Airport. Our Beloved Bhagawan arranged everything for the group in the midst of all that was happening, with all the VVIPS and hundreds of thousands devotees around. He allowed us to sing Bhajans in the Mandir, and on His Birthday, He cut the birthday cake we had brought from the U.K. On 24th November, He blessed the group with Padanamaskar. On the day of our departure, He asked, “Are you happy?” I said, “Yes, Swami, very happy!” Later, He explained the inner meaning of the word ‘happy’. “H – be holy; A – be aware; P – be patient; P – be peaceful; Y – be a yogi. Then you will be always happy. I Am your mother, always ready to teach you.” The divine adventure of charter flights still continues. The last one was in October 2011. Every trip helps me learn new lessons. As long as you live, you learn, and as long as you learn, you live. Ceiling on Desires Once He asked me to shut

We Had The Vision!!! At the age of 14, as a student at the Uravakonda High School, young Sathya was a Divine Child for many and invariably Thursdays would wear special colours with the Little Divine turned up showing what He calls His visiting cards. Along with other devotees, one family, that of Sri Manchiraju Thammiraju, Little Sathya’s teacher at the Uravakonda High School, was immensely blessed by the ‘Little Divine’! As a boy of fourteen, when Baba was still at the Uravakonda High School, every Thursday evening, between about 4 pm and 8 pm, He became Shirdi Sai Baba and gave Darshan to hundreds of devotees and answered their prayers. I was a teacher in the High School then and I too took advantage of those Thurs­days. “My Student” Sathya used to take even then as He does now, Vibhuti        by a wave of ‘His’ hand! My 22 year old daughter had died sometime previously and my wife was in great distress. Sathya used to come to my residence and give her long discourses on the problem of Life and Death, and, thanks to His wise ministration, she became normal soon, His words full of Prema pacified the agitations of her mind, and restored her devotion to the Lord. On the second Thursday that she offered worship He gave her “The Vibhuti” and said, “Ammayi! I appreciate your Bhakti; I Am pleased; next week, come, I shall give you a gift.” That day, He asked her to rise from His Feet when she prostrated. He said, “Ammayi! I Am giving you a piece of the gerua I wore when  I entered Samadhi at Shirdi for the last time” and closing ‘His’ Palm for an instant, He opened it to show us a piece of cloth, 4 inches square. “Take this and do Puja to My Name; come next week, I shall give you something more.” He said and sent us away, in great joy, for, while we took leave, He added: “Be happy henceforth for, I shall carry all your burdens for you.” The next Thursday, we both went to Him and did namaskar. That day He closed His Palm and when He opened It, there had materialised a quantity of akshatha or rice grains. “Tie this in the cloth given last week and worship it.  You will get mental quiet,” He blessed. You will not have any cause for grief; I Am conferring on you full Bhakti.” The 5th Thursday, too, another miracle hap­pened. He told my wife, “Ammayi! Keep a Peetha in your house, in the Puja Room, and I shall be giving you Darshan there itself,” and       He made us do it immediately. We have all read how Krishna with His Brother Balarama went to the house of Arjuna and granted darshan to him and his consort and also showered blessings on them. This Sathya Sai too, who is the same Krishna and the same Shirdi Sai came to the house of this poor bhakta and blessed us with a vision of His Mahima; we can never forget the ex­quisite thrill of that experience. He came on two consecutive days, the Krishna Janmashtami and the Rohini Day. The wonderful experiences of those days have been described by my wife in a poem published over her name Kamesvaramma in the “Sai Sudha” of April 1944 printed by the All India Sai Samaj, Madras. I have also put them in verse and included it in the “Sainatha Sathakam” I published as a separate book in 1944. He came and sat on the Peetha in the Puja room and asked us to come in and sit by His side; He then asked us whether we did not desire to see the various leelas of His preceding Incarnations. When we welcomed the idea enthusiastically, He agreed to show them to us and all the family collected around. He ordered us to watch Him and, (Would you believe it? You may not, until you yourself experience the same or similar miracles of Baba) we were thrilled by the Form of Narayana on the Ocean of Milk, reclining on the Vatapathra. We heard only word after word, announcing the next Form. The forms changed from one surprise to another in quick succession. We were given enough time to imbibe the beauty and splendour of each form and to be struck by the instantaneous power of Baba’s san­kalpa! And where was Baba, our Sathya, all the time? He became Gajendra raising his trunk to greet Vishnu on the horizon, Krishna the cowherd boy leaning on a tree and playing the flute, Gopala on the awe-inspir­ing Kalinga serpent, Radha-Krishna, Lakshmi-Nara­yana, Parvati-Parameswara and Saraswati-Brahma too; then , we saw Him as Sita-Rama and lo! we heard the name Sathyabhama and saw Her; we were blessed by a vision at Baba’s invisible call, of Mohini, the form that Vishnu once assumed, of Prahlada yearning for Narayana, and immediately thereafter, of Narasimha killing Hiranyakasipu, also of Vamana, Parasurama, and Buddha too; Baba showed us the killing of Sisupala, Saindhava, and of the Rakshasas, there was the scene of the Lord bringing the parijatha Flowers; the picture then changed to one of Pandu­ranga and then Narada and his ecstatic praise of the Lord; the next one was of Navanithachora, the Balakrishna stealing butter; and after that, the killing of Abhimanyu by the wicked Kaurava chiefs and, last, there was the magnificent Murthi of Shirdi Baba Himself! How can we ever forget those shining Forms, so full of vitality and life, that glowed before our eyes on those two sacred days? II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II