UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS WITH SAI – Part Fourty
This is the seventh instalment of the wonderful recollections of Mr. Chidambaram Krishnan, a long-time devotee of Bhagavan Baba who came to the Lord under somewhat unusual circumstances. In the last Instalment [06], we took you up to the point where Mr. Krishnan dramatically becomes united with his estranged son. In this the seventh instalment, we now have Mr. Krishnan telling us about an incident in the earlier part of his life when he was about to be murdered while visiting Ceylon [now Sri Lanka ], and how Swami transforms the assassins at the very last moment. Read on.
Swami once told me, “I will provide you the ultimate protection no matter what; and I will also give you detailed instructions about what to do and when.” In the beginning, I did not appreciate Swami’s Divinity and used to critically analyse every one of His statements and remarks, instead of accepting them with full faith. Eventually, it dawned on me that I had no right whatsoever to indulge in any such analysis. Instead, I had to surrender totally, in the full sense of the word, leaving everything to Swami, Karma or no Karma. He knows everything and He would always do what was best for me – slowly, this realisation sank into me. I realised that I had no choice but to accept whatever Swami decided for me, having the faith that He would always do what was good for me.
Thus it is that I have given up completely all that useless analysis. If He says stand, I stand; if He says sit, I sit; my job is to simply obey His command. I have now learnt to see Sai in all because that is the only truth. No doubt Swami tells us again and again that He is in all but we quickly forget that because we are so used to focussing on external diversity. So we have to constantly drill ourselves to see the Inner Divinity rather than the external form.
How to Avoid the Consequences of Karma
Here I am reminded of a story. It seems that a certain gentleman who was once travelling with Swami in a car asked, “Swami, you say one should not hunt and kill animals. Suppose a cobra comes to bite. Can one kill it?” Swami replied, “If you think it is coming to bite you, you could kill it, but if you believe that Swami resides in that cobra also, you should not kill it.” “But, Swami,” said the other person, “the cobra would bite!” “No,” replied Swami, “If you really believe that Swami is present also in that cobra, it will not bite.” I can say with authority, that this is really true. I have had many such experiences when danger that was imminent miraculously passed away because of this belief. That belief brings Swami’s protection.
Swami once told me: “A man is coming to attack you and to stab you. He is trying to do that because of your Karma. Maybe you can escape the attack but you can never evade the consequences of Karma forever; because there is, under normal circumstances, no escape. However, if you see Swami in the person who is coming to attack and stab you and do Namaskar to that person, then the danger would pass and indeed the Karma itself would get cancelled, just like that!”
It is all a drama. Swami is the one who is coming to stab and Swami is also the one who is getting stabbed. Swami is both. We see these two individuals as distinct because of ignorance. But once we realise the Truth, the drama is over and Karma vanishes!” So the safest way to wipe out all past Karma and to avoid accumulating fresh Karma is to see Swami in all. This comes through total surrender, and that is the best option.
| The Intriguing Ceylon AdventureI shall now narrate an incident that happened in 1961 that highlights how Swami protects once He gives the word. At that time, our company had a lot of business in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. Our product had a trademark, and the rule in Ceylon was that the trademark must be renewed before the expiry date. In India, the rule is not so strict and there is a grace period, but in Ceylon they were very strict; renew before the expiry date or else lose claim to the trademark. If the ownership of the trademark was allowed to lapse, then someone else could use it; that was the law in Ceylon .As I told you, our company trademark had to be renewed, and my brother had to go to Ceylon for that. We had a rule: never do anything without taking Swami’s permission first. So my eldest brother went to Puttaparthi to get Swami’s blessings for going to Ceylon for this purpose. The company was registered in his name, and legally he was the owner; so it was he who had to go and sign the papers needed for trademark renewal. My brother thus came to Puttaparthi, and sought Swami’s blessings, which He lovingly gave. Swami then asked my brother to do a few small things while in Ceylon. Swami also gave some Prasaadam and permitted my brother to attend the wedding of the High Commissioner’s daughter, while in Ceylon. |
My brother then left Puttaparthi and returned to our place Mukkudal via Trichy. In Trichy, he booked a seat on a flight to Colombo. It was about 7.30 in the evening when he came home. On arrival, he told me that he had received Swami’s blessings, had booked a ticket on the Trichy – Colombo flight and would leave the next morning. He added, “I would be gone for a few days; while I am away, take care of the business.”
At 4.30 A.M., my brother woke me up and said, “Swami told me repeatedly a short while ago that I should not go to Ceylon.” I was taken aback and said, “Brother, I think you must have had a dream. You have personally gone to Swami and He granted you permission to go to Ceylon. Not only that, he wanted you to do a few small things there. How could He now suddenly change all that?” My brother said, “No, it was not a dream. Swami stood physically in front of me and He repeatedly warned me not to go. I then bent down to touch His feet, when He suddenly vanished. This is the truth.”
I was not prepared to accept all this and said to my brother, “Listen, you have personally gone to Puttaparthi and Swami told you to go to Ceylon. He not only gave you permission but also His blessings. And now you are suddenly saying you will not go. I find this unacceptable. I suggest that you must go as earlier planned.” My brother was in no mood to listen to me and replied, “Look, I tell you that Swami personally stood in front of me and asked me again and again not to go.” However, all that did not convince me and I simply dismissed his so-called vision as a hallucination. My brother then told me that Swami had advised against going because of a sudden danger. I was disturbed to hear all this and said, “Brother, just think of what would happen if you did not go. What would happen to the renewal of our Trademark?” My brother responded, “I understand but when there is imminent danger, what do you expect me to do?”
I decided that there was only one way out, for me to rush to Swami and seek His personal guidance once more. I called my driver and left almost immediately. It was about 7.30 P.M. when I reached Puttaparthi, and Swami immediately sent for me. I went up and found that Swami was waiting for me. I asked, “Swami, what’s all this?” Swami replied, “If your brother went now, he would not return alive.” I was puzzled and said, “But Swami, You were the one who gave my brother the permission to go to Ceylon in the first place.” Swami said, “Yes that is true but the situation was different then.” I could not understand and asked, “Swami, what changed the situation so suddenly and so dramatically?” Swami patiently replied, “Soon after your brother left here, your company manager in Ceylon dismissed the company driver there. The driver became very angry and tried to attack the manager. To save himself, the manager told the driver that it was your brother who gave the dismissal order. This is not true but the driver believed it and vowed to kill your brother if he came to Ceylon. It was because of that circumstance that I appeared before him and stopped him.”
Swami then asked, “Was there any other work your brother wanted to do while in Ceylon?” I replied, “Yes Swami, he wanted to attend the marriage of the daughter of the Indian High Commissioner.” Swami said, “Your brother need not go but you can go in his place.” I became scared and blurted out, “But Swami, that evil driver would come after me!” Swami smiled and said, “They cannot do anything to you. I shall take care of you.” Baba then materialised some vibhuti and asked me to open my mouth. I did and He put all of the vibhuti into my mouth and said, “Eat it.” After that, Swami said, “You just go and trust in Me; nothing bad would happen to you.”
