Elevating our Intentions and Actions… The Sai Way

his is the transcription of the talk delivered by Dr. Sainath in the divine presence of Bhagavan Baba during the Dasara Celebrations on October 12, 2005.

I offer my most prayerful pranams at the Divine Lotus Feet. Revered elders, sisters, and brothers.

What Is Peace?

A soldier once went to a Zen Master and said, “Master, I have fought many a pitched battle. I have undergone the rigors and the training and the discipline of being a soldier. Yet, I do not know what peace is. Pray! Tell me what is hell, what is heaven?” The Master looked at the soldier and asked, “Who are you?” And the soldier said, “I am a samurai!”

The Master then exploded, and asked, “You! A samurai? Who on this earth would take you as a soldier?” This infuriated the samurai. He drew out his sharp sword and rushed at the Zen Master. The Zen Master calmly said, “Here opens the gate of hell.” The samurai then realized in whose presence he was, sheathed his sword, bowed down in humility and surrendered. And the Master then said, “Here opens the gate of heaven.”

If there were to be a moral to this story, it is that we are the architects of our own hell, and our own heaven. When we contract the world into ourselves, and take in all the dualities that the world is associated with, in the process we open the gates of our hell. But when we expand to encompass the entire world, we see unity in diversity and open the gates of our heaven.

The Right Direction of Action

At one point of time, Bhagavan identified six important qualities that a devotee needs to have to attain peace and happiness. As stated in the Bhagavad Gita, He said:

“These are: Anapeksha, not desiring any fruits;
Suchihi, purity of purpose and action;
Dakshaha, determination;
Udhasino, detachment;
Ghatavytaha, not pondering over the past;
and most importantly, giving up all pomp and show.”

A devotee went up to Bhagavan and said, “Bhagavan, in these days how are we to develop these six qualities?” And Bhagavan said: “Very simple! You dedicate all your actions to God with purity of heart and action.”

Action is verily the road to success but the main question to ponder here is in which direction? Many of us are so busy climbing the ladder of success that we do not have the time to see if the ladder is propped against the right wall or not, before it is too late! On this holy day, in this august assembly, I would like to share with you all a few of my thoughts and experiences on this point of action and progress.

The Intention Behind Action

The first point I would like to touch on relates to what my elder brother spoke on just before me: the purity of action. Bhagavan was once saying, while illustrating this very point: “You can clap your hands to keep in tune with the bhajans; you can also clap your hands to squat mosquitoes.” A patient is forced to fast because of the illness that is afflicting him, but a devotee fasts with the purpose of penitence. Which action gives merit, which action does not?

Bhagavan lays enormous stress on the intention behind the action. For one convocation ceremony of the Institute, the late President of India, Dr. S. D Sharma, was the chief guest. During the interval between the convocation and the cultural drama program which the students were to put on, it started to rain. Bhagavan sent word to the President of India: “Since it is raining, you may choose not to come, it is all right.”  But Bhagavan was going and the President, who was a very ardent devotee of Bhagavan, said, “How can I stay back when Bhagavan is going?” And so he too went, even though it was raining. And in the car he asked: “Bhagavan, why are You choosing to go when it is raining?” The answer was very illustrative.

Bhagavan said: “For the last twenty days my boys have been struggling, giving up their food, giving up their sleep with the sole intention of making me happy, with the sole intention of getting one word out of my mouth ‘Chaala bagundi’. When they have worked so hard for my sake, how can I let them down? Rain or no rain I am going!”

This illustration is very important in the sense, that it drives home the very important point: The intent is as important – if not more – than the content.

‘You Look to Me, I Look to You’

We now go over to this next point. There was a time during darshan when Bhagavan picked me out of the students and He named the place where my father was posted at that time and said, “Such a small place, but so many dangers!  But, you don’t worry, Swami’s protection is always there.” I was perplexed! What danger? What protection?

And so I went back to the hostel, I rang up home and they told me that recently there was a spate of robberies in the locality and every house was falling victim to these thieves. And for the next few days, I was very upset. Worrying what was happening there, I was unable to concentrate on my work.

Sometime later Bhagavan picked me out once again and asked, “Vachaara?” (Did they come?). I asked Swami, “Who?” and He said, “Dongalu! Inka Evaru?” (Thieves, who else?)