Locking Eyes With The Lord

Locking Eyes With The Lord

What is that incomparable beauty of Sri Sathya Sai Darshanam, when one is blessed to immerse in the Beauty Beyond Compare Ultimate Divine with absolute focus, only to get the bonus blessing of the ultimate beauty of ‘Locking Eyes With The Lord’? Sri ‘Kadu’ Balasubramanyam Parasuraman, an alumnus at SSSIHL, narrates his perception and experience on ‘Locking Eyes’ With The Supreme Lord, narrating a beautiful Brindavan darshan session…as extracted from his recently published book, ‘My Loving Swami’. 

We all know that communication can be verbal and non-verbal. There are behavioural scientists who analyse the non-verbal communication of individuals for their living. For Sai devotees worldwide, we use this term often while describing how Swami saw us during Darshan. We typically would say, “I locked my eyes with Swami when He came for Darshan.” This expression has a very deep meaning for each one of us. I have used this expression several times too. Well, what does this expression really mean for me?

Our mind travels at a speed that is unimaginable to calculate. At one second, we would be at our home, and the next second we would be floating in our dream world while parallelly browsing something on Google. Is it humanly possible to calculate the speed at which our mind travelled in this one second? Probably not… It would be safe to conclude that most of us would be thinking of a thing and at the same time doing something totally irrelevant.

God gave us this powerful mind as a gift whereby we could use it for doing unimaginable (irony) things at the same point in time. But, this acts as a double-edged sword too, wherein we never live in the present moment. We are lost either thinking about our past or busy planning for our future which we would like to control. Though we would like to think otherwise, I bet it doesn’t work that way most of the time. But there are fleeting moments in one’s life when they truly live in the present moment wherein everything in their inner sphere is aligned.

Though I am not astute in this area of study, giving it my best shot, I would think these moments can be classified broadly under two scenarios. One would be when we are in a crisis (in the true sense of the word), and the other when we are in bliss.

During the last three decades, I had been blessed with the opportunity to have Swami’s Darshan many times. To be true to myself, I don’t think I made good of the opportunity to be in bliss during every Darshan due to the vagaries of the mind. However, there have been several moments when I was truly in bliss. I still recall the first time when I got to lock eyes with Bhagawan.

This happened in Brindavan during my first year of college in 1994. One fine morning, we had all assembled for Swami’s Darshan. My mind was very calm, not thinking about anything at all. As I sat in Sai Ramesh Hall waiting for Swami to come out, no thought crossed my mind. I wasn’t thinking about the happenings in my life or looking at what was going on around me. I sat still without any expression on my face.

The Darshan music started and all heads turned to see Swami coming out of the Trayee Brindavan. Swami with His inimitable charisma walked among the devotees spreading His Divine Love. That day my focus was only on Swami and not on anything else. I did not care to see who spoke to Swami or what the people around me were whispering. My eyes were steadily looking at Him however far He went in the Darshan hall. I saw Him go all the way behind to the last row facing the morning sun and then He walked on the gents’ side. He stopped occasionally to pick up a letter and gently swayed to the Darshan music that filled the air.

As Swami came towards the first block on the students’ side where I sat, He paused for a few moments as if He was searching for someone on purpose. I did not get to sit in the first row that morning and was somewhere in the middle of the block. But that did not bother me. I seemed to be contented where ever I was. I had a letter in my hand to give to Swami. Usually, when we have a letter, our mind would race to ensure we somehow get Swami’s attention to hand over the letter. I am no exception to that too.

That day, with no thoughts running through my zipping mind, I just held the letter as if it was an extension of my hand. Swami looked at me, and at that very moment, I spoke to Him with my eyes. I did not have anything to ask Him. I did not have any petitions to put across or any desire to express. I just wanted to enjoy Him, plain and simple. I thanked Him and said that I love Him. It was an intent look I can never forget. When I close my eyes today, I can still recall those piercing but loving eyes that keep looking at me and through me as if I was transparent. He gently smiled after giving that look and stretched His hand to take the letter. I kneeled down without taking my eyes off His beautiful glow and delivered the letter. He gave a gentle tug as He took the letter from my hand and then blinked His eyes.

I sat down with my eyes still looking at Him. I was in bliss. I truly locked my eyes with Swami. After that, Swami walked back to the Trayee Brindavan. The moment the Darshan music stopped, it was an indication for us that Swami had gone back into the Trayee. When I opened my eyes, my mind was back on its superhighway, zipping through what was happening around me. This particular Darshan has been very special for the bliss I got to enjoy for those moments. I was ‘at the moment’ in the true sense of the phrase.

A few days later, one of the photographers gave me a photo of that particular moment when Swami took the letter from my hand. Every time I see that photo, I am instantly reminded of that beautiful day.

Locking Eyes With The Lord – A Sacred Moment Of Grace And Inner Awakening

Locking Eyes With The Lord is a deeply devotional theme that speaks of a rare and sacred moment between the devotee and the Divine. A single glance from God can carry more power than many spoken words. It can comfort a wounded heart, remove fear, awaken faith, and make the devotee feel completely seen, understood, and loved.

In ordinary life, the eyes often reveal what words hide. They can show kindness, sorrow, love, concern, or truth. In spiritual life, the divine glance is even more powerful. When the Lord looks at a devotee, it is not a casual look. It is a silent blessing that reaches the inner being and touches the soul.

Locking Eyes With The Lord teaches that divine communication does not always need language. The heart understands what the mind cannot fully explain. A devotee may stand in silence, yet feel that every prayer has been heard. The eyes of the Lord can answer questions, calm doubts, and give strength without a single spoken sentence.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s devotees often felt that His glance entered the deepest parts of their lives. Many experienced that Swami knew their worries, hopes, mistakes, prayers, and struggles without being told. Such moments created a bond of trust and surrender, because the devotee realized that nothing is hidden from divine love.

Locking Eyes With The Lord becomes meaningful when it awakens inner change. A divine glance is not only meant to give emotional joy. It should inspire purity, humility, service, and devotion. If the Lord has looked upon us with grace, our life should become more truthful, more loving, and more useful to others.

The eyes of the Divine do not judge like human eyes. Human beings often see outer appearance, status, success, failure, or weakness. God sees the heart. He sees the pain behind anger, the longing behind prayer, and the goodness hidden beneath confusion. This compassionate vision gives hope to every seeker.

Locking Eyes With The Lord also reminds us that God’s presence is personal and intimate. The Divine is vast like the sky and infinite like the ocean, yet He can come close to the devotee through one loving glance. This is the beauty of devotion: the infinite becomes near, and the formless becomes tender through love.

Such a sacred moment can stay alive in memory for a lifetime. A devotee may pass through many difficulties, but the remembrance of that glance becomes a source of courage. In moments of loneliness, the heart remembers, “The Lord has seen me. He knows me. He is with me.” This remembrance becomes inner strength.

The spiritual meaning of the divine glance is also self-examination. When we imagine standing before the Lord’s eyes, we must ask ourselves whether our thoughts are pure, our words are kind, and our actions are honest. The awareness of God’s vision should make us careful, not fearful. It should guide us toward noble living.

Locking Eyes With The Lord finally teaches that the real meeting with God happens in the heart. Physical darshan is a blessing, but inner darshan is even deeper. When the mind becomes quiet and the heart becomes pure, the devotee begins to feel the Lord’s presence within as peace, love, conscience, and guidance.

Prayer, bhajan, namasmarana, meditation, and selfless service prepare the heart for this inner meeting. The more we remove ego, anger, jealousy, and selfishness, the clearer our inner vision becomes. God’s grace is always present, but the heart must become clean enough to receive it.

A devotee who has felt the Lord’s gaze should also learn to look at others with compassion. If God sees us with mercy, we should not look at others with harsh judgment. If God forgives us, we should learn to forgive. If God loves us despite our weaknesses, we should become kinder toward the weaknesses of others.

In the end, Locking Eyes With The Lord is a sacred reminder of divine nearness, love, and silent guidance. It is the meeting of faith and grace, longing and response, devotion and blessing. When the heart receives that divine glance and lives by its message, life becomes purified, strengthened, and filled with the light of God’s presence.

Loving His Uncertainty