How Free Is She…? How Free Are We…? Sixty-six years into Independence, that is round the corner, is Mother India ‘free’ now? …and her loving children? Can we not hear the silent sobbing of this noblest, most ideal Mother whose bosom is full Eternal Wisdom meant for entire mankind. Every citizen in this country should ask this question unto himself/herself, introspecting, to wipe her tears restoring her pristine glory. A short ‘fantasy’ story from Sri Jullie Chaudhuri.  It was pretty late at night, yet I felt like going for a walk, to be by myself, and feel the cool breeze caressing my thoughts. I set out at an even pace, choosing a lane that would give me the seclusion I sought. The fragrance of wild flowers gently wafted up to envelope me. Something brushed passed me and as it raced ahead I realized it was my four legged, tail wagging friend, who had chosen to adopt everyone in that area as his very own. We walked on…it was all so still…a light drizzle every now and then, interspersed with a delightful  view of the moon, aglow with a silver light. From a distance I could see a silhouette of a tall and statuesque lady. Though her shoulders seemed to droop somewhat, she seemed to be listlessly wandering around. As I came up close to her, I could see her face contorted with an expression of great pain. I asked her if I could help her in some way. She straightened up, flung her head back and laughed aloud…a bitter laugh. “Yes, my dear, you can certainly help. I could do with a lot of help. You can help me by helping yourself. When you clean up your own act you help me.” Even in the dark, I could make out her regal bearing and noble features. She seemed middle aged and though her countenance was pale, her face radiated aristocratic beauty and softness. “Mother, why are you out alone? Why do you appear to be forsaken? Are you lost? Where are your children? Do you remember a number that I can call?” My words of concern were greeted with tears… and laughter that had its origin in deep sorrow. She was silent and self-absorbed. After a while, she sank to the ground on her knees and joined her palms in prayer. Even as I watched, she crumbled to the ground, tears streaming from her tired eyes. I sat beside her, lifting and cradling her in my arms. “Oh, Mother…what torments you so…? Tell me your woes…” “Dear child, you ask me if I remember a number to call…I have a number of children, I remember them all, but they all seemed to have forgotten their Mother; you ask me why am I alone and forsaken and whether I am lost…? Isn’t that your question? Well, my child, though I am surrounded by all my children all the time, I remain lost and forgotten, for they choose to forsake me. I have looked after them all, with all that I have got. Right through the passage of time I nursed and nurtured them in the course of eons gone by. The ones who had love and reverence, who valued me, who gave up their lives to free me have left me in the hands of those who ignore me, who have no time for me, who are just interested in how much they can make, how wealthy they can get, through material take, take and take. It is their callous disregard that makes me break. They scheme and fight, the ‘freedom at midnight’ is dust ridden and out of sight. Is anyone free? Is anyone independent? What can you gain by ignoring the Mother’s pain? The internal threat looms larger than external threats, individually and collectively. You are free when you follow Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema, and Ahimsa. Real freedom lies in shedding disharmony and embracing harmony; in overcoming disunity with unity; dishonesty with honesty; violence of any kind with non-violence; and insatiable greed and selfish pursuits with purity of intent, selflessness and love. When death knocks there is nothing that you can take with you. My eyes have gone dim searching for at least some of my children who display these qualities. Have they all vanished out of sight? Did something happen that they are now extinct? Is there anyone who cares at all, who can take charge with integrity, who can wipe my tears and make my heart smile?” I made her a promise that night, even as I realized that I held a weeping Mother India in my arms; a vow that I intend to keep, to be vigilant how I tread all day and even as I sleep I will give her all I have, even as she has given me. She is one of the Mothers to be worshipped, along with the others, as per the Beloved One’s decree – Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Motherland, Mother Cow, Veda Mata, Mother who gives birth to the body and the Divine Mother. The life breath of the ones,Who got us independence,Should not be in vain…And with every breath,I must ask myself ,How does freedom reign?Am I free personally,From any kind of violent thought, word and deed?Could be anger,Could be greed,Have I myself truly freed?I must give my Mother her due,Every tiny drop does count,So may I ask you,To join me too,Together we can wipe her tears and restore,The reverence, love and glory,She once knew…Mera Bharat Mahaan…Maa Tujhe Salaam… II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

A Teenager Tells This teenager gives an account of her experience in Bal Vikas class. Initially, like other youngsters, she was hesitant to join the class, but once she did there was no looking back. Pranams [obeisance] at the lotus feet of Bhagavan. I would like to present you a brief resume of my Bal Vikas, Pre-seva Dal, and the summer course experiences, with my own humble assessment of the effect, impact, and transformation they have brought me. There is a story given by Swami Vivekananda [an Indian saint]. A lion-cub lost his mother soon after birth and chanced to grow up among a flock of sheep. He did not know he was a lion and heir to the throne of the forest-kingdom, but believed he was merely a poor, weak sheep. We, the children of the present generation of India, are in the same pitiful state as the lion-cub, growing up estranged from our own culture. We are ignorant of the fact that we are heirs to the richest culture in the world. In the story of the lion, the lion cub shudders in fright, as a sheep would, when a lion roars and says, “How pitiful you are.  You are prince of the forest, not a sheep. Assume the majesty your nature warrants.” Baba’s educational program of Bal Vikas has done exactly the same thing for me. Baba says, “You are children of immortality. Be aware of your noble heritage and live in a way that is worthy of that heritage.” Years ago, when my parents said that I should start attending the Bal Vikas (called Bal Vihar at that time), it was not a welcome idea to me. The class is on Sundays, the day my friends and I always looked forward to as a time of merry-making. Besides, when I heard that Bal Vikas was a class in moral and spiritual instruction, the words felt abstract and unintelligible. But my protests went unheeded and I went to the class. When I got there, I found the atmosphere completely different from what I had feared. The teacher, greeted by the children with a hearty, ‘Sai Ram, Aunty,’ was loving and kind. However, I was at a loss to understand the purpose of stotras [hymns], bhajans [devotional songs], meditation, and particularly the shanti mantra [peace formula]. Praying for my own welfare seemed quite all right, but praying for the well-being of all, even those I didn’t like, was hard to reconcile and understand. Even so, I found the class very interesting, especially the stories narrated from the Ramayana, Mahabharatha, and Bhagavatha—though the stories were very different from the comics I used to read before. Soon I eagerly looked forward to the class. The meditation practice gave me a lot of peace. It improved my power of concentration and memory. I started faring much better in my studies than before. The spiritual diary-recording habit also caught up with me. Not that I became a Sathya Harischandra, but I suffer conscience-pricking whenever I utter lies or do anything wrong. Formerly, I had no fear or hesitation at all in uttering lies. I began to appreciate to some extent the purpose of the things taught, though not completely until we had the opportunity of hearing Baba Himself explain many of these points. Mothers and fathers, Baba said, are the visible manifestation of God to you. How was Pundalika of Pandarpur able to win the grace of Vitthal? It was certainly not by worshipping Him. Only by lovingly serving his parents could he bring the Lord of Vaikunta to his very doorstep. I then understood why my teacher insisted that we must mentally offer our pranams to our parents as our first duty in the morning. Regarding prayers and stotras, Baba said, “For the water and current you use, you pay taxes. What taxes are you paying God for the infinite gifts and amenities He has bestowed on you through nature—the sun that lights up the earth during the day, the perennial rivers that give us sweet water and quench our thirst, and countless other gifts?” Prayers are an expression of our gratitude to the Lord for His infinite munificence to us. We talk of the great advances man has made in science and technology, but haven’t these advances become possible only because of the precious gift of the intellect bestowed on man by God—the buddhi pradata? The prayer, whether it be to Ganesha or Gayatri, is to give us ‘sanmati’ [goodness of mind] so that we may tread on the right path. Meditation, Baba said, tames the mind and bhajans are the purifier of all impurities and the best antidote for all human ills. Baba further said, “Like the thread that holds together all flowers of a garland, so too the one divine principle sustains the entire creation. All are one. Become aware of the principle of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.” Then I understood why the shanti prayer “Om sarve vai sukina santhu,” for the well-being of all, including my supposed enemies—who are in essence none other than my own brothers and sisters—is to be chanted. After Bal Vikas, we were enrolled in the Pre-seva Dal class in which moral and spiritual coaching continued in a more intense way. We were taught the life and teachings of the great Ramakrishna Paramahamsa [another Indian saint], whose life was a great experiment in the search for God, and an inspiring demonstration to the world of the realization of God. A study of Christianity convinced us that all religions are essentially the same, seen through the saying, “Ekam sath; vipraha bahuda vadanti—truth is one but there are many ways to say it. Sages call it by different names.” Baba’s Gita Vahini, in which he has given the teachings of Gita in simple prose, is one of our books of study. Mahatma Gandhi referred to the Gita as his ever-unfailing mother, providing him guidance and solace all through his life. He said, “When disappointment stares me in the face and, all alone I see not a ray of light, I go back to the Gita for

Now And Forever As humanity is passing through a crucially important phase in its history, man needs to attempt to reinvent his lost fervour, fervour for spirituality utilising all God-given agendas to the best… and thus comes the supreme importance of “Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu” – the Universal MahaMantra born of Sri Sathya Sai HimSelf. Dwelling upon the sublime living exemplified by Bhagawan, the Sri Sathya Sai Bhagavatham, writes Sri Jullie Chaudhuri about the supreme importance of the phase humanity is passing through… Easter Day 2011 the world received some excruciatingly devastating news.  Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had chosen to aloof Himself from the Physical. Easter was on 24th April that year. This year Easter Day just passed us by on 27th March. Incidentally, 28th March, was the day The Lord selected to admit Himself into the SSSIHMS. Then on, each day every devoted heart experienced tremendous soreness and awaited any bit of news, each moment of the day about their Beloved Swami – their Centre of Adoration. The fervour for Bhagawan surpassed limits. And anxious thoughts flooded each cell of the being.What all has He taken upon Himself? What can we do to ‘ease’ things?  Are we not responsible in some way for all that was happening? How can we share in howsoever a minute manner the colossal expanse, the unimaginable magnitude, the almighty contamination the Almighty had thrust upon His most adorable Form? Bhagawan is beyond pain, yet, each heart was writhing, burning in agony. And still is.Prayers rented the ether…prayers to Him…for Him. On this day, on 28th March 2011, a pacemaker was fitted into the heart of the One Who is the Heart of the Universe…Who sets the pace of every atom in creation! Is there anyone Who can fathom the leelas, the sportive play, the mystical pronunciations, the transcendental acts of Bhagawan? The human mind is fixed in limitations, confined in conditions. Conversely, God is beyond conditions, beyond logic, beyond any and every limitation. There are no laws binding upon the One Who makes the Laws…for, even as the energy structure is being altered, transformed and amended as each person and the environment evolves…classifying a dynamic process…His Will too refines, redefines and decides the Cosmic Script and the laws that harmonise and fit the script. No one can comprehend the ways of God. They are beyond description. – Baba Avatars do not manifest to please or convince any mortal. The descent of God in the Physical is for the resuscitation of Dharma, for reviving Shanti, for escalating pristine Prema, for establishing Ahimsa, for the protection of the meek and downtrodden, to bless the helpless, fundamentally the Divine Being appears so as to facilitate the wellbeing of each being. The welfare of all beings attracts a Divine Incarnation. Consequently, the life, breath, message and mission of the Sathya Sai Avatar, the Source of Creation, the eternal spring of Compassion is essentially Samastha Lokaah Sukhino Bhavantu. Moreover, the essence of Samastha Lokaah was planted in each individual soul as it birthed itself from the Cosmic Womb…the womb of Mother Sai. Quite essentially and unknowingly all are silently exuding this Mantra. It is time enough to arise, awaken and be aware of this truth, this Dharma of our existence especially during this period of Sai Lent. Then on may it blend with every heartbeat, each inhalation that destiny has bestowed upon us. Isn’t this what pleases the ever blissful Supreme Father and Mother of Creation? Isn’t this the bliss of our Precious Lord? Come, let us dwell upon the sublime living exemplified by Sai…may Sathya Sai Bhagavatam continuously absorb our soul, may Samastha Lokaah/Jeeva Sukhino Bhavantu propel our thoughts, words and deeds. May His compassion be our everyday mission. Together let us offer allegiance to the breath of Sai. Every dawn guide us, Oh! Beloved Master,How may we reach out to all incessantly?How may we live to please only Thee?May the shimmering pink-gold Light of Thy Prema,Embrace our heart space,Help us to be kind to ourselves too,Strengthen our personal sadhana,Intensify our Aradhana,That we may  sychronise the five senses with each human value,In thoughts, words and deeds as they flow through,Deepen our understanding of Samastha Lokaah/Jeeva Sukhino Bhavantu,Whereby,We remain ensconced in the sphere of Sathya Sai,Enhance our link and association with You,You are Now, You are Forever,May we ever bask in the realm of forever with You.Now and Forever. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Tell Me! Do You Have Faith In Me? He does the biggest miracle of transformation and this is the most miraculous ‘visiting card’ He ‘displays’ ever, for the attention of the world of devotees, for, each and every one stands with a chance with Him around, as The Supreme Master, OmniPresence as The Ultimate Presence. A beautiful incident from the life of Sri Bharat Dutt, a former student at Bhagawan’s Institute, extracted from Sanathana Sarathi, January 1987. It was a bright sunny morning. We had all just settled on the portico for Swami’s Darshan. The rustle of His robe and the sweet fragrance announced His Divine Presence. To my delight I was called for an interview with my parents. I was a most badly behaved boy indulging in ‘modern’ behavioural attitudes. I would like to admit that the entire family believed in Swami, except me. When we came to Prasanthi Nilayam in 1980, my brother got admission in the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and we got Swami’s grace for the first time. Swami poured His love on us. Even then, my natural instincts turned lovingly towards the enchanting Person but my weaknesses and worldly habits turned me away from Him. I lacked the moral fibre to transform myself. I was scared that He would reveal my nefarious doings. In fact, I loved and dreaded Swami’s interview. In fact, I wanted to get away from Puttaparthi and I wanted to avoid joining Swami’s School. But Swami’s infinite mercy and grace did not throw me into the jaws of the world. I went inside with bated breath and beating heart. As usual groups of devotees were taken in by Bhagawan, into the inner interview room. I was relieved when our turn was over and Swami moved to distribute Vibhuti packets. Suddenly He halted. The expression on His countenance changed from motherly Love to fatherly sternness. He beckoned me back into the inner interview room, alone! My hands would not stop shaking and my heartbeat raced beyond the range of my E.C.G. scale. He was already seated and commanded me to sit at His Feet. I sweated profusely. Then He asked me a question, “Tell Me! Do you believe in Swami or not?” (By now it had become a choice between wanting to believe in Swami or not). He then gave me an undeniable and incredible proof of His omnipresence, of which even my own mother did not know. He told me how, utilizing my pocket money, I had gone to a Hindi movie, instead of attending school. He even told me the name of the film I had gone to, the name of the friend with whom I had gone, a Sarabjit Singh and even the amount of money I spent on ‘Samosas’ during the interval which was incidentally Rs 10/-. This revelation jolted me into the realization of my aimless derogatory living and opened new vistas of a happy, joyful life, in which I have made and am making sincere efforts to transform myself. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II