Tribute to Sathya Sai Baba by Steve Khanna

a tribute to

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

November 23, 1926 - April 24, 2011

dedicated at the divine lotus feet of our beloved Lord

foreword This tribute is a humble offering to our Beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba after His Mahasamadhi. Though words cannot fully describe our gratitude and love for Bhagawan, the following articles represent but a few drops of the outpouring of devotion expressed from many hearts around the world after His Mahasamadhi in April 2011. May these beautifully penned thoughts touch the reader’s heart and give comfort and peace to anyone whose eyes come across them. This tribute also inspires us to carry out the mission for which He, the Lord of the Universe, incarnated—to teach us to Love All, Serve All and to Help Ever, Hurt Never—so that we may realize our innate Divinity. Even as we remember the magnificent leelas of the Lord and cherish the effect He had on each of us, we must also dive into the depths of His teachings and strive to incorporate them into our daily lives. As Bhagawan has exhorted us countless times, we must make our lives His Message. Only this way will our life become a tribute to His Divine Mission. I am deeply grateful to Bhagawan for the inspiration to compile this tribute, allowing me to be an instrument in His Divine hands. I thank Him for His guidance and grace throughout the process. Special thanks to Supriya Kharod for her dedication in beautifully designing this tribute and to Chitra Subramanian for her loving encouragement and support. In the service of Sai, Steve Khanna Houston, Texas (USA)

COMPILED BY STEVE KHANNA

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quotes from respected personalities

“Sri Sathya Sai Baba will continue to live in the hearts of millions of devotees. His message of ‘Love All and Serve All’ will resonate in the world forever. His messages have always been universal; especially his message of ‘Satya Dharma Shanti Prema’ which has transcended all barriers of caste and religion. As Baba has departed earlier than he had predicted, he will return to the planet earlier.” - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Art of Living

“I am saddened by the passing away of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the respected spiritual leader. I would like to convey my condolences and prayers to all the followers, devotees and admirers of the late spiritual leader.” - The Dalai Lama

“Nobody has lost Baba. There is no beginning, no middle, no end for Baba. If you have the inner connection in your heart, you will be able to talk all the time with Baba, you will be able to experience Baba. You have to communicate through your heart.... For what Baba has done for the world, have Gratitude.” - Amma Sri Karunamayi 2

“Sathya Sai Baba’s life was his message. Each devotee should follow the path of love and compassion shown by Sathya Sai Baba. That is the greatest tribute and aﬀection anyone could oﬀer him.” - Mata Amritanandamayi (Ammachi)

“Sathya Sai Baba was an avatar of compassion, love, and selﬂess service for all mankind. He made no distinction between human beings. Thousands of poor people undergo treatment at his super-specialty hospital in Puttaparthi free of cost. That is the ultimate seva for people who cannot aﬀord expensive treatment. Sai Baba’s high ideals will show mankind the way for ages to come. His followers will always feel blessed with his emotional and spiritual proximity at all times.” - Baba Ramdev

“Sathya Sai Baba is not dead and He has not gone away. He is eternal, universal and immortal. He is here, He is there and He is everywhere. He is living in the hearts of all the people as Iccha Shakti. He is living in the minds of all the people as Jnana Shakti. He is in the spinal cord of all people as Kriya Shakti. Don’t think that He has gone away. He is still in Puttaparthi. He is Universal Divine Love, the Universal Cosmic Energy and He is the inspiration for all the people of the world because of the ideal path of service which He has preached and practised.”

“Elevated souls like Sathya Sai Baba do not come on earth often. For him to live, was to love. Generations to come will wonder at and will be amazed by the grandeur of the individual that Baba was and will revere him as a benefactor of humanity. His overpowering love mesmerised and drew to him to thousands from all over the world.” - Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani, head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission

- Sri Sri Sri Viswayogi Viswamjee Maharaj

Message from Mrs. Phyllis Krystal Before the physical passing of Swami’s body

Many devotees have been asking me to offer a message to help during this time of deep concern over the present serious physical condition that Baba is undergoing. I have hesitated until now to add to the many messages being circulated around the world, however, I am now feeling an urgency to do so. Baba has taught ... us repeatedly to “keep it simple”, so that even a child can understand. Let us therefore practise what He Himself has been teaching us for so many years…. Baba has repeatedly assured us that we are not the body. I recall one interview when He glided into the interview room and, looking around at the gathering with a wide smile, asked, “Did you know that you are all walking temples?” At first, we were all astonished, until He explained that our bodies are like temples in which the real Self or “God-Self ” resides—but He also assures us that He too is not the body. He has chosen to be born and live in a physical body at this time of world-wide turmoil, negativity and fast changes; to help us to face this opportunity to raise our consciousness by remembering our true identity and regularly practising His teachings. This will enable us to begin to make the necessary changes in our character and conduct, especially in our relationship to each other. I shall never forget His words to me at the end of the very first visit my husband and I made to meet Him in January 1973. When I asked Him if, or when, we should return, He pointed His finger directly to my heart, and then, very slowly and seriously said, “First, you must remember that you do not need to come back to see this little body,” as He pointed to Himself. After a pause, to be sure that I understood, He continued, “Find my counterpart within your own heart.” After another long pause, He ended, by saying reassuringly, with a loving smile, “You will come back to be re-energized.” He has continued to urge all of His devotees to detach from His physical form, as it is not His true identity any more than our bodies are our true selves. At present, His physical body is undergoing many severe problems and we all want to help and have many ideas of 4

how to do so. However, He Himself has told us that what will really help Him is for us to send our love and prayers. In addition, we should regularly practise His teachings to help us to remove the negative habits, thoughts, and emotions that we all have, but prefer to keep buried and do not want to address. Baba tells us repeatedly not only to listen to His teachings or read about them, but to be willing to practise them in our daily life. He has Himself shown us how to turn our attention away from criticizing others, which is a waste of time and energy; because it is impossible to change anyone else or for anyone to change us. Let us give Baba what He has requested, by sending Him our love, but also by being honest and facing our faults and bad habits, such as criticism, envy, jealousy, anger, greed, and all the other blocks that prevent us from doing what He wishes us to do, which is simply to “Love All, and Serve All!” With love and Sai Ram to all who may be receiving the above, - Phyllis Krystal

mahasamadhi

Letter from Prasanthi Council Michael Goldstein, M.D. Chairman, Sri Sathya Sai World Foundation

Our Beloved Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, our Dearest Swami, elected to leave His Physical Form this morning, at 7:40 a.m., April 24, 2011 due to cardio-respiratory failure according to the report of the attending physicians. We grieve the loss of our Beloved Swami, the embodiment of Divine Love, who has left us on this Easter Sunday, this day of Divine Resurrection. We lament the greatest loss that we will ever sustain. No words that are written or spoken by anyone can completely assuage our grief or allay our apprehensions about the future. However, we can waste the remainder of our lives grieving for the loss of His Physical Presence which accomplishes nothing. Or, we can accomplish everything, the fulfillment of our spiritual destiny that He ordained, by devoting our lives to Him and to His Divine Message of selfless love and service. Before, He lived in our spiritual hearts and also in the Presence and Identity that he assumed in the world as our Beloved Swami. Now He lives only in our spiritual hearts, as the Lord of Lords, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Now, we must turn inward to experience His Divine Presence and Love. Our mischievous and wayward minds wreak havoc in these solemn moments. The mind asks to no avail. It perplexes and perturbs us. Our heart answers. It consoles and enlightens us. Similar questions are being asked in many places. Why did He leave us now? We expected 10 more years. Actually, according to the lunar calendar which has been used by Hindus and others, Swami lived to 95 years, not 85 years. Perhaps he left us sooner than we expected. However, Our Beloved Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is not confined by the demise of the Physical Presence and Identity that he assumed, nor is He constrained by time. He will be with us forever. 6

What will we do now if we are left to our own devices without the comfort of knowing that He is always there? Has he not been our source of selﬂess love and wisdom, our recourse in all of the travails of life? He has always been there and always will be there! Just as our mothers and fathers were our protectors when we were children, Swami has been the Divine protector for all of us, young and old. “Being there” is being accessible to us always, whenever or wherever there is a need. He resides in our spiritual hearts. He is “always there” for each and everyone of us whenever and wherever we need Him. Just prior to my last conversation with Swami, I was very preoccupied. Swami suddenly called me to come close to Him. He reached out, took my hand, and caressed my hand gently. Then He smiled lovingly and said ever so softly, “there is fear in your heart.” I felt deeply soothed by His Divine Love, the Love of Divine Mother and Father. I kissed His hand and His feet repeatedly. I felt the exuberant joy of a child. For an instant, I recaptured youth and innocence. His sweet words and gentle caress dissolved whatever fear that I must have been harboring and brought exhilaration and a feeling of rejuvenation instead. He will always be there for us. He is our Divine Mother and Father. This has not changed. It will always be so. This is Divine Truth impervious to time and unaltered by the demise of His Body. What future awaits us as His devotees, each of us individually, and all of us together, as a spiritual organization? How can there be a Sri Sathya Sai Organization? How can we come together if Swami is no longer living among us to inspire us and correct us when we go astray?

“Why fear when I am here?” declared our Beloved Swami. He has always been and will continue to be present as the Divine Indweller who resides in our spiritual hearts. Being “here” refers to His Spiritual Presence, not His Physical Presence. He will always be “here.” This has not changed. “Here” is everywhere and forever. “Here” is accessible to each and everyone of us in our own hearts. To be with Him “Here” and now, we must choose faith, not fear. Swami has come to demonstrate how we should live these human lives. He has come for the awakening of conscience and selfless love in the minds and hearts of all people. To Love all, Serve all. To Help ever, Hurt never. The Sri Sathya Sai Organizations are based on these spiritual principles that He has provided. We will certainly persevere! When I presented the decisions of the World Conference for His Divine Approval and Guidance, which I sent to all of you in a recent letter, Swami gave His Approval to all that I submitted. All that I submitted was derived from the reports on your World Conference study circle comments and conclusions. Therefore His Approval of the recommendations was His Approval of your earnest deliberations and sincere aspirations to improve the Sri Sathya Sai Organization. We will certainly abide by these decisions so readily approved by our dearest Swami. Already a committee to draft universal guidelines for all countries has been appointed and begun their work, a tentative program for the World Youth Conference in July has been submitted, and all of the other decisions are under deliberation. Now it is our sacred duty to wholeheartedly support and contribute our love, good faith, and best efforts to ensure that the International Sri Sathya Sai Organization continues to be a beacon of selfless love and service in the world. It is our contribution to the spiritual legacy of our Beloved Bhagavan Baba, our dearest Swami, for all of mankind. We must listen to our hearts with spiritual self confidence. My heart tells me that His Lessons for mankind will not be forgotten or forsaken. My heart tells me that our spiritual lives, our noble actions, and our selfless love will become worthy testaments to His Divine Presence among us. Lord of Lords, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Divine Mother and Father, Dearest Swami, may we always love You unwaveringly, always follow You without faltering, and always find You in our heart of hearts. Lovingly in the Service of Sai, Michael Goldstein

The Legacy of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Shri V. Srinivasan, President All India Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations

To millions of Devotees all over the world, Bhagavan Baba has been God personiﬁed. They worshipped and adored Him; they prayed only to Him in times of joy and sorrow; He was their friend, guide and philosopher. Many still continue to have the same attitude towards Him and He still answers their prayers in His own unique way, which we cannot even begin to comprehend and understand. Bhagavan continues to manifest his miracles all over the world. Each individual has his own special experiences of Baba’s Divinity. The greatest joy for Sai devotees is to share and listen to these leelas. Through these conversations, which are in fact satsangs, each one’s faith and devotion is reinforced and strengthened. All of us were greatly attached to Bhagavan’s wondrous physical form. We eagerly looked forward to the daily darshans for which all of us waited patiently for hours without caring for our bodily discomforts or inconveniences. The darshan was everything, and if by chance Baba looked our way, or even more heavenly, spoke to us, we were transported to ethereal joy. Baba had repeatedly told us that I am not this body, and you are not this body which you carry. He wanted us to realise the Universal Atma which he personiﬁed and of which each one of us is also the container. Today, there is a sense of being lost for many devotees. The road ahead is not clear to them and they are also plagued by the reports of the various controversies. They seek solace from each other but are not sure whether they should really exchange thoughts and news. They wonder whom to turn to for some guidance on what will happen to the future of all the institutions and the Sai Centers, Samithis and Bhajan Mandalis. The time has come for us to understand what is the real legacy of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba! To me, the legacy of Bhagavan consists of several parts. First are the Institutions that He has set up, such as the University, the Hospitals, the Schools, the Ashram, etc. 8

These are mainly administered by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust and the University Trust. With His vision and foresight, Bhagavan has set up adequate Corpus funds for His Institutions to enable them to continue to function well on the income from these funds, which are all deposited in the fixed deposits with nationalised banks. They will continue to offer free education and medical treatment to all, irrespective of religion, caste, creed, etc. Bhagavan had set up these Institutions to be models to prove that it is possible to offer free high quality education and the most modern medical treatment totally free of cost without seeking assistance from the Government for everything. The proof has been there for more than twenty years of working of these Institutions. Lakhs of the poor and needy have benefited and they are indeed the living proofs of Baba’s Compassion and Love. These Institutions are for those that need them and hopefully will motivate others as Bhagavan wished, to set up similar citadels of Love and Service to Humanity. These are the material parts of His Legacy, which are there for the whole world to see and experience. The second part is a manifestation of the purpose for which the Sai Avatar came. He was Love personified, a Love which transcended all barriers and limits, a Love which encompassed the entire creation. He has lit the lamp of love in millions of hearts, the brilliance of which inspires them to transform their lives and engage in the projection of that love into their daily lives. This love makes those individuals caring and sharing persons, who collectively engage in a society and by their actions, motivate others to also be caring and sharing, leading to a general improvement of Society, though this may be a slow process. Baba’s inspiration of Love to millions of individuals is translated verily into Love in Action all over the world. This Love transforms lives every second. Life acquires a new meaning. There is a new path of Prema Yoga, which to Sai devotees embodies all the other yogas of Karma, Bhakti and Gnana within itself. Bhagavan has said “Live in Love” and that is the way for our continuous communion with Him.

LOVE is therefore Bhagavan’s greatest Legacy, which may not be touched but is real and universal and experienced by all. It belongs to all Mankind, not to just a few. It cannot be appropriated by anybody but can only be shared and experienced, for the redemption of one and all. The third part of His Legacy is Education. While many others talked about it, Bhagavan postulated and introduced in His Educational Institutions Human Values Based Educational Curricula. The system of Integral Education implemented in the Sai University is unique and unlike any other. Education in Human Values has many concepts introduced by Bhagavan: 3-HV, Educare. The Education given in His Institutions is for Life and not for living. Right from the stage of childhood, such value based Education is available in the Bal Vikas classes which are conducted throughout the length and breadth of India and in many other countries, the primary and other schools and then in the University. This legacy of Education is His gift to Humanity for posterity. The fourth part of His Legacy is the Sathya Sai Organisation, which is active in all the states of India and in 125 countries of the world. The Organisation is an instrument created by Bhagavan to enable all to perform their sadhana through it. The Organisation has three wings-the spiritual, educational and service. One can choose any one of them to do their seva and sadhana.

For those that are served, this seva brings Bhagavan into their lives and transforms them also to in turn love and serve others. The Organisation’s activities continue and increase and will do so continuously in the future. The Youth are giving a new dynamism and energy to the Organisation, using new tools and technology to improve the eﬃciency of their Seva. This Legacy of Bhagavan created for Human good and welfare is always His, never to be taken away by anyone but only to be shared and experienced by personal involvement. The Sai Organisation is now active in 125 countries of the World. Bhagavan belonged not just to India and Indians but for all the citizens of this earth. They came in their millions for His Love and Inspiration: they will continue to do so for He has become a part of their lives forever. This therefore, dear brothers and sisters, is Baba’s legacy of Love. His Legacy is His eternal message to Humanity. Blessed are those who knew Him. even more blessed are those who share His legacy of LOVE ALL, SERVE ALL. Jai Sai Ram!

Today in India alone, there are 600,000 members who voluntarily serve with Love and devotion. They include government officers and bureaucrats, doctors, engineers, judges and lawyers, professors and teachers, legislators, farmers, and students. They work in over 2700 villages, and in slums, hospitals, old age homes, jails, orphanages, in disaster areas, inspired by Bhagavan that service to man is service to God. Many of them have never even had a chance to talk to Swami, yet they have been supercharged by Him and have dedicated their lives to selfless service. We see the Seva Dal volunteers from every state of India regularly in the ashram, in the hospitals, and in all places at Prashanti Nilayam. They come here at their own expense, giving lovingly of their time and effort. For these volunteers, doing such seva is their method of communion with Bhagavan Baba, since they know that Bhagavan is pleased when we serve the poor and needy with Love and their faith is that Bhagavan is there where His work is done. This Seva has transformed their lives and they will continue to engage in it till the end of their lives. Nobody can take their Bhagavan away from them for He is always with them. Nobody need force them to do anything, since they serve with love and devotion. 9

It Is Not Emptiness but a Super Cosmic Fullness (excerpt) Prof. Venkatraman on Radiosai Recorded on April 29, 2011

At the outset, I oﬀer my loving Pranaams at the Lotus Feet of our Beloved Lord Sai.

right now, I have just enough time for some reﬂections on recent events…

Dear Listener. This is a talk that I never thought or dreamt I would ever have to give. In a sense, the events of the last one month or so have gone by like a surrealistic experience, and suddenly I feel bewildered. More explicitly I am wondering, as perhaps many listeners are, whether the world as it existed before 28th March was real, or the world as it appears today without that Beautiful Form is real, the earlier experience being just a dream. Inevitably, this reminds me of a story that Swami used to narrate occasionally, back in the old days.

…He had, on many occasions given hints, both privately and even publicly, that He could go anytime He chose to, overriding all His earlier pronouncements. Further, He has explained clearly in many of His Discourses that while the Avatar is an Incarnation of God and comes down with His full compliment of Divine Powers when He manifests as a Poorna Avatar as it was in this case, He would, at the same time, not only respect the Laws of Nature as ordained by Him when it came to His own body, but also bow to Time, of which He was always the Absolute Master. Thus it was that Swami would sometimes get tired, catch a cold, get fever, etc. As He took care to explain, not all His body ailments were due to His taking on the suﬀerings of others.

The story goes like this. One evening, after a rather tiring day at the royal court, Emperor Janaka returns late to his chamber. Welcoming the monarch, his Queen asks him to freshen up and get ready for dinner. Janaka nods as if to say yes but, overcome by exhaustion, slumps into a chair and dozes oﬀ. During his nap, he has a disturbing dream from which he later wakes up with a start. As he looks around, the scene is very diﬀerent from what he was seeing just moments ago—no forest, no tiger chasing him, etc. Puzzled, Janaka begins to mutter, “Was that real, or is this real?” The Queen keeps on reminding the Emperor about dinner but the latter continues to remain in a stupor, constantly repeating the same question. Palace medics are summoned but they are unable to help. Ultimately, the assistance of Sage Vasishta is sought and when he arrives, Janaka is still asking the same question. With a smile on his face the Sage places his hand on Janaka’s shoulder and gently observes, “O king, neither is real; you alone are!” Vasishta was of course referring to the Atma within, dismissing what is experienced both in the waking as well as in the dream state as illusory. In other words, Vasishta was telling Janaka that what is Real lies beyond the experience of the senses and the thoughts of the Mind, both of which are transient. Alas, we have no Sage Vasishta to guide us out of our confusion but luckily, anticipating precisely the situation we face today, Swami has prepared us through innumerable Discourses in the past. Inevitably, I have to make references to them; however, all that would have to wait for the future; 10

Around 7:30 on the morning of April 24, I received a phone call from a close friend who whispered, “Swami is in a critical condition.” However, I was not alarmed since my confidence that Swami would go the very edge and bounce back miraculously had soared to new heights. Twenty minutes later, I got another call. This was from one of the trustees who began. “Sad news. Swami passed away at 7.40 this morning. Now this is what we would like you to do...,” and went on to give me my first assignment in the world where the Light was there but in a passive form, having risen to shine and guide from above. It was a silent signal that the time had finally come for all of us to look for Bhagavan beyond the Form for instructions and guidance, which then had to be followed meticulously. Along the line, we had to work harmoniously with each other, smashing every ego-built barrier. In short, we HAD to become one family, united under God and working for common good. It was not enough to merely chant: “May peace prevail in all the worlds,” etc; it was now our job to make that happen. The examination bell had rung and God our coach as well as teacher had now become the invigilator! Oh yes, for a while we would all cry and swear we cannot live without Swami and so on. But that has happened before, several times in fact, after Rama, after Krishna

and after Shirdi. But soon, we must wake up to our new responsibilities, realising that it is for this test that Swami had been physically preparing us in diverse ways. Swami Vivekananda is reported to have said, “Death of a near one always makes everybody very philosophical. However, that mood wears off in three days or even less, after which it is business as usual.” That comment applies in the case of the death of an ordinary mortal. The present situation is totally different since there is no question of death. Swami has merely shed the Form to exclusively remain Formless, playing a different and more subtle role. Rising to the occasion, we need to, as Swami Himself had said in many Discourses, “wake up, arise, listen to the call of the Divine Master, and accept our new responsibility.” The world is still out there, offering us more opportunities for service than ever before; all that is needed is to rise to the occasion. I would like to close this talk with a brief recall of what Swami once said while bringing His Divine Discourse to an end. I do not recall the occasion but I do remember His message because of its depth, power and also for

another reason that I shall mention shortly. Swami said in a powerful voice [and this is a paraphrase]. Dear students! When you sing Bhajans here, don’t imagine that they would impact only the people currently assembled here in the Sai Kulwant Hall. True, the sound waves coming from the various loud speakers would be heard only by the devotees here. True those sound waves would also be heard throughout the Ashram. However, besides these sound waves, subtle waves are also generated. You cannot see them and in fact you do not even know about them. They are ripples in the Ocean of Consciousness. Those ripples can travel not only all over this planet but to the very edge of the physical Universe and beyond. They will never dampen nor dissipate but remain for ever. They would penetrate everywhere, including the pillars, the structures and whatever you see around here. Indeed, the vibrations from every Bhajan that you sing would remain embedded in them for ever. Further, every day, there would be fresh additions, as a result of which the intensity of the built-in spiritual vibrations would steadily grow. The more passionately you sing, the greater would be the stored sanctity. The more love you add to your feelings as you sing, the greater would be the enhancement of sanctity. Thus, by having sacred thoughts while seated here and by singing Bhajans with Pure Love in your Heart, each of you can leave behind an invaluable legacy.” That in brief was what Swami said. All of which reminds me very strongly of what the Headmaster of a school where I was studying in the late forties said one day after morning assembly and prayer. Those words are still ringing in my ears. He said, “Boys, some of you must be wondering why we go through this routine day after day. To some of you, this may even appear meaningless and also a complete waste of time. But here is the reason why we make you come here day after day. While some of you might not, many of the boys that come here do pray and sing sincerely. The subtle vibrations from those prayers and songs remain for ever bound in the walls of this assembly hall, saturating this place with sanctity that increases day by day. By spending some time here every day, you become at least a bit more spiritually puriﬁed. Why do you think people go in large numbers to some temples but not to others? That is because thousands of good people and many saints have worshipped in those temples earlier, conferring thereby the subtle fragrance of saanithyam.” By the way, the word saanithyam might be loosely translated as eternal sanctity. Getting back to our Headmaster, he continued, “When an ordinary person goes to such a temple, that very saanithyam spiritually cleanses that person to a certain extent. That also is the reason why people of this 11

country want to bathe in sacred rivers. These are rivers where innumerable rishis and saints have had a dip, making that river that much sacred. If you and I bathe there, a bit of that sanctity seeps into us, making us better persons.” Dear Listener! There is a particular reason why I am ending on this note. It you think about it carefully, you would realise that Prashanti Nilayam is THE place that has been the abode of the Avatar of the Age, from the time He moved out of the Paatha Mandiram in 1950. During the six decades that followed, how many Darshans He has given here! How many festivals He has celebrated here! How many plays and dramas He has seen here! And, how many Discourses He has delivered here! Just think of how much Pure and Divine Love He has personally poured out in the process, all those years! Have they all vanished into Time? At the worldly level, they have indeed become memories. But at the subtle and Causal level, the Sai Kulwant Hall is the most Love-charged spot not only on the face of this planet but indeed the entire Universe. For, was this not where the Divine Chancellor, Swami to all of us, showered His Love non-stop, both at the individual and collective level?

The Form would no longer be visible to our eyes. However, if we care to open the eye of our Heart, the Third Eye if you prefer to call it that way, we can have the grandest and the most blissful experience possible. Remember, even the best Steinway piano or the rarest Stradivarius violin cannot produce great music when it is not properly tuned! In other words, if we want to experience Eternity, we can do so only if our Hearts are properly tuned before going into the SKH. If we go in without tuning, all we would see is a physical emptiness that would make us cry instead of feeling uplifted. Swami has not gone. He is very much here, there, above, below, around, etc., indeed everywhere. However, we need a new vision to see Him. That is the essence of the last part of my talk today. I think I shall end here. The new situation has, naturally, placed many new responsibilities on us, and I have many more things to say concerning these as also about Swami’s teachings; however, those would have to wait for other occasions. For now, I would, as always like to conclude by oﬀering this talk at the Lotus Feet of our Beloved Swami.

memoirs of the boatman I faced an ocean far and wide, Only a small boat I had for a ride, Frightened I was, and completely crestfallen, Cursing the misery befallen Then came this boatman along the way, With smile so serene and words so pleasing He offered to be my friend, philosopher and guide, Through the journey of ocean called LIFE Armed with oars, and other implements Me and the boatman set out for an adventure We laughed together through the smooth sailing, Leaving the oars to Him for the rough patches Through the journey he always told Tales of morality, and about lands far and behold Under his tutelage and expert instruction I found myself becoming a better boatman How can I repay you, I used to ask, Help and Love your travelers he used to tell Where do I find you, I asked Find ME in every heart that needs help We journeyed along until time immemorial, And then suddenly He vanished from the boat No proper goodbye or a farewell hug Leaving me in total shock As a gasp of sorrow threatened to escape me A strange feeling began to encompass The boat continued to sail As if He was never gone It surged through the water much more than I rowed, Then the subtle realization did dawn For though the hold is gone, the grip remains For though his voice is gone, the echo remains The whistling wind of the sea then whispered, Why to say goodbye my child If I never left Keep rowing my friend, for I am always there In the strength of the oars And the Wind beneath the sails. Mr. K.V.S. Dileep (taken from Radio Sai)

SAI - The Way Forward A SPECIAL NOTE TO ALL SAI DEVOTEES Offered with LOVE!

Dato' J. Jegadeesan

Dear Brothers and Sisters, These are testing times for all devotees, these are Challenging times. How many will fall, crushed by the news that our beloved Bhagavan has released Himself from His Mortal Coils “earlier than expected” I do not know. How many will throw away the heavy cloak of sorrow and move to fulfil the Mission and Message of the Avathar, in a way that the world will stand in awe and praise the Lord for the LOVE, Devotion, & Sacrifice of the Devotees of the Kali Yuga Avathar, I do now know! I can only pray that the latter will be in their millions. Many, even before Bhagavan released Himself from HIS mortal Coils, voiced in quite apprehension the questions: “What will happen to Bhagavan's Mission?” “What will happen to the Organization that bears HIS name?” Let me try to convey this to you as clearly as I can, as an ordinary member, an aspiring devotee: the Mission of this Avathar, guided by HIS COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS, will grow from strength to strength. Look at what happened to Christ? When he was crucified and ultimately after resurrection, how many devotees did He have? And it was HIS devotees who spread HIS Mission & Message to the world. Look at what happened to Lord Buddha? How did Buddhism spread to Japan, China etc.? Through the work of His Devotees!

His devotees must and will rise to the call and with greater dedication, greater devotion, move Bhagavan Baba’s message to the world… not by preaching and empty posturing, but by Service of LOVE, by the elevation of Human Values, by forging Unity among all People, by making Filial Piety & honouring parents the Centre of Human Life. How many of Bhagavan’s existing devotees, how many members and leaders of existing Sai Organizations will with rededication commit themselves with greater vigour than before to the grand Vision & Mission of the Avathar? I do not know! But one thing is for sure! Thousands of new devotees will raise their hands in worship to the Kali Yuga Avathar. Thousands of new devotees will become members and office bearers and carry forth the Vision & Mission of the Avathar. I pray that SAI, in these great testing times for the whole world SAI Family, give us the strength to GO WITHIN to the “I AM I” that SAI has talked about and in that going within, to find the Faith, Dedication, Love & Strength, to unleash the greatest Force of LOVE the world has ever witnessed, where SAIs Cosmic Form will pervade and bless the world through the LOVE, SERVICE & DEDICATION of every SAI devotee who wants to serve in this great Vision & Mission of the Kali Yuga Avathar. Bhagavan Baba once declared HIS Vision for every Sai Member, HIS expectation of HIS devotees. He declared words to this effect: “A time must come when the world need not come to Prashanti Nilayam to feel MY Love. When they meet MY devotees they must feel MY LOVE. My Darshan must flow to you and through you to the world.” My Dear Sai Family “THAT TIME HAS COME.”

How did the message of the Holy Prophet Mohammed spread around the world? His Mission and Message was carried forth by his devotees. Thus it must be and will be so for Bhagavan Baba. 14

We have, every one of us, to become a force to fulﬁl that SAI Vision of LOVE! That Sai Expectation of every devotee of HIS. With Swami, every step he took was hallowed ground. Now every devotee must manifest this. Every step we take

must be hallowed ground, every word we speak must be steeped in LOVE, every action we undertake must be a manifestation of SAI's ideal of Unity, Caring & Sharing. THE WORLD MUST BENEFIT BECAUSE WE EXIST. LET US HOLD IN OUR HEARTS, IN OUR THOUGHTS, WORDS & DEEDS THE LEGACY OF THE KALI YUGA AVATHAR. And one final note to all Sai devotees and members who are aware of the great MAHABHARATHA. All of us are aware of the great devotee of Lord Krishna, the great Warrior ARJUNA. He led his army and stood fearlessly against other great warriors of his time. But when in the final days, when Krishna asked him to take the women and children of the palace to safety and when he was taking them through the forest, he heard of Krishna leaving His Mortal Coils. Common robbers attacked his caravan and this Great warrior stood helpless to defend those whom Krishna had asked him to protect. The passing away of Krishna had robbed Arjuna of all his strength and skill as a warrior. This should never happen to those in the FRONT LINE of Bhagavan Baba’s Mission. Rather than becoming weakened, we have to tap the strength of the Cosmic SAI and with undaunted faith continue with greater vigour, to fulfil HIS Divine mission for Human Welfare and World Happiness. WE MUST BECOME GREATER THAN ARJUNA! There is No Greater Dedication, No Greater LOVE, No Greater Mission we can all dedicate ourselves to as devotees of Divinity, as devotees of Divine Cosmic Consciousness, by whatever name we call THE ONE! The prayer “Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavantu” (May all beings of all the worlds be happy) should no more be just an epilogue to every prayer! It should be a CALL FOR DIVINE ACTION, to fulfil the great Vision & Mission of our Beloved Bhagavan. OM SRI BHAGAVAN SATHYA SAI BABAYA NAMAHA! JAI BOLO BHAGAVAN SATHYA SAI BABAJI KE.....JAI! “Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavantu” (May all beings of all the worlds be happy) 15

Bhagawan take our love and let it flow to Thee

Looking Forward with Swami Nivedita Gunturi

So here we are, at a juncture that we never expected to encounter. True, we all knew that at some point our beloved Lord, our beautiful, dear Swami, would leave His physical frame. But how many of us expected it to be now? When Swami was hospitalized, my immediate reaction was to the strangeness of doctors implanting a pacemaker in the Divine body. How can we, with our pathetic attempts at science, keep the heart of the Avatar himself going? How do we determine the rhythm of his heart? Then came the news of His requiring ventilatory support and dialysis. Again came the question: how can WE support Him – Jagadoddharaka, the support of the entire universe? They started using the term multi-organ failure. How does the Lord of everything fail at anything? But I never imagined that it would end this way, that He would end his long illness by departing from this world. And so perhaps one might say I took it lightly, or perhaps you might say I prayed for Swami to recover only because I didn’t want Him to be ill for so long. It was certainly not because I thought He wouldn’t recover at all. When I heard the news – a devotee called me from India and said “Swami passed away” – I refused to believe him. My mind ran through all the possible explanations. There had to be a loophole. There had to be some mistake. Swami wouldn’t just leave. He couldn’t. What happened to 96 years? Had this really been the Golden Age of Sai? Did I miss it all waiting for the next ten years? I couldn’t accept it. I had calculated how old I would be when Swami left His body at 96. I was going to prepare for it. I was going to learn to live with the fact. I was going to be ready, so help me God. But Swami found a loophole. He followed His own Divine calendar and put one past all of us. The next two days were spent in prayer, contemplation, and tears. I waited for Swami to get up and walk. I waited for Him to resurrect Himself. But He didn’t. I thought that when the funeral happened, if Swami’s physical frame was actually buried in Sai Kulwant Hall, if He didn’t wake up before that, that I might just crumble up and disintegrate – that it might break my heart irreparably.

But as the curtains fell around Swami’s casket, a sense of peace descended upon me. Why had I been crying? What was I mourning? The loss of a physical form that only limited my conception of my beloved Lord? I have been so fortunate in my life that my relationship with Swami has been a true heart-to-heart connection. The most I have experienced with Swami’s physical presence has been the acceptance of one or two letters and two chances to sing in front of Him. His Darshan has never failed to move me to tears as I feel the sheer power of His love, but I’ve never had an interview, never had Padnamaskar. Every experience I have had of Swami has been deeply personal, and miles away from Parthi and the physical frame. So what was I mourning? Part of me felt that perhaps I had done something wrong. Perhaps I had disappointed Swami in some way - perhaps we all did - and Swami left because we didn’t make Him happy. There is some grief that when I pray to Swami, when I have my daily conversation with Him, when I cry to Him, when I chastise Him for some disappointment or the other, there is no longer a physical Swami on the other side of the world to listen to me. There is grief that when the world is at a precipitous edge, about to fall headlong into the truly dismal abyss of the Kali Yuga, when nature is throwing tantrums and humankind is suﬀering the consequences, there is no gentle, orange-robed, smiling Swami now to bear the brunt of it, to make the Earth a lighter, holier place where things could never be that bad, because Swami is around. There is grief that I can never hope for those ﬂeeting moments of physical communion with Swami, when I can come out of darshan and say Swami smiled at me today! That I cannot have Swami’s darshan when I get married, that my children will never see Swami. But in the grand scheme of things, in the big picture of what Swami truly is and the power that He truly wields, are those things really that important? Perhaps not. If there is no physical Swami on the other side of the world, it’s easier for me to know that Swami is in fact sitting next to me when I’m having those conversations. That He is listening to me yell at Him from a much shorter distance than He might want to be. That when I cry to Him, I’m 17

crying on His shoulder, in His lap. If Swami left at a time when the world is in turmoil, maybe it was truly to take the brunt of the burden, to take the evil in the world with Him. My children may have missed the opportunity to see Swami but they will know Prema Sai. And if I truly want communion, what better way to do it than to feel Swami’s presence in everything I do? What better way than to experience every sensation, every sound, sight, smell and touch as Swami? Because in the end, there is no higher truth. Sarvam Brahma Mayam. Sarvam Sai Mayam. Maybe it will be easier now to do that. There is no other way to experience Him. So this has to be it. “Like the sunlight, like the moonlight - always, always, I am with you.” Now I can see Swami in the sun and in the moon, in the breeze and the rain. It is all Swami. Maybe this is what Swami had to do to make us see that God cannot be limited. Perhaps we were too attached to the form, too attached to Swami’s physical frame to ever learn to see past it. Perhaps if we had known that Swami would leave the body, we would have thronged to Parthi, held onto Swami so tight that He would not have been free to go. He has sacriﬁced enough for us, suﬀered enough for us. We can allow Him this choice. “Know that the Lord is sweetness itself; everything is a sign of His Grace.” Even these most painful moments are nothing but His Grace. If we cannot recognize that fact, it is due to our own shortcomings. So all we can do is ask Him to show us the way. To teach us to love Him enough to trust Him. To help us know that His is the Divine Plan, that not a blade of grass moves without His will. That this is all part of His Maya, His Leela. But I am still afraid. I’m afraid to set eyes on the Mandir that will be built over Swami’s resting place. I’m afraid of the pain of seeing a tomb in the place where we watched Swami for so many years give darshan, speaking to all of His children so lovingly. But I am also joyful that just as Shirdi Baba speaks from His tomb, guiding those who seek His succor, our Sathya Sai will also give His boundless love and compassion from the tomb, His Samadhi becoming a place of worshipful joy that Sai Krishna enchanted millions with His leelas from that very place. What comes next? I know that this historic and poignant moment is meant to be a wake-up call for all of us. The instruction 18

is unmistakable. Rid ourselves of bodily attachments, understand that God is in all of us, spread Swami’s Divine Love, and allow ourselves to be instruments in His Divine Mission. The question, of course, is how? We must tune ourselves to receive the Divine signal, so to speak. It’s like the radio. If we’re not tuned to the right frequency, all we’ll get is static and we’ll tell ourselves that there is not a single good radio station. But if we’re tuned exactly right, all we’ll hear is the Divine voice, lovingly guiding us, always showing us the way. Thinking back on the aspects of Swami of which I have had experiences, I was convinced that I had never heard Swami speak. I had forgotten that I had heard Swami once speak in a way that seemed as if it were meant exactly for me! When Swami came to Chennai in January 2007 for the Atirudra Maha Yagnam, I had the fortune of seeing Him three times. One of those days was Doctors’ Day. Swami spoke that day about the medical profession and about the importance of service. He especially addressed Himself to the youth. Well, what more am I looking for? Youth? That’s me. Doctors? That’s me too. That message was all I needed. That was His personal message to me, the one that I’m foolishly, blindly lamenting and mourning that I don’t have. And that, in the end, may be what we are all doing wrong. We look for grand messages, grandiose gestures. We wait for those miraculous dreams and meditative visions that are dramatic and unmistakable. But is that truly what we want? Do we want Swami to spoonfeed us? To never allow us to progress beyond that point of explicit, directed instruction? A mother who truly loves her children will allow them to walk, to play, to grow. If they scrape knees or bruise elbows, or if they are momentarily afraid because they can’t ﬁnd her, that doesn’t mean that she has stopped loving them, or that she doesn’t have her eye on them at every moment. It only means that she loves them enough to let them go and let them grow. And does our Mother Sai not love us a thousand times more? We may make mistakes. We may lose our way time and again. But has He not promised us that if take one step towards Him, that the rest of the distance is no longer our burden? Why then do we doubt Him? The time is ripe for each of us to don the mantle that Swami has directed us to take on. We are His army. And by the side of each of us, just as Krishna multiplied Himself for the Gopis who loved Him, Swami will hold our hands, guiding us in our steps and carrying us when we falter. He always has loved each of us as His own, protecting us from

harm as the eyelid protects the eye, in His words. He is a personal God for each of us. He is a best friend, a Guru, a mother, a father. He took a form for us. He left His form for us. He loves us. All he asks of us is that we continue that stream of Divine Love, ﬂowing like vibhuthi from His hands. He asks that we love Him, that we love our brothers and sisters on this blessed Earth that has seen the advent of the Avatar. In truth, Sai has not left us at all. If anything, He has taken 6 billion Avatars now. This is the Resurrection. Each of us is meant to be a Premaswarupa like Him. His Life was His Message. And now it’s our turn. Our lives have to be His message. We are incredibly blessed to have known the Avatar. Too many unfortunate souls only heard Sai’s Divine Name after He left His body. We are not among those unlucky masses. We are the lucky few. The chosen ones. So we have lost nothing. We have gained everything, knowing that we are walking on the same earth that held the Lord of the Universe on her back. So now let us try to begin to pay back and pay forward in our inﬁnitesimal way the endless, boundless love that Swami spread throughout the world.

your willing, humble children. Let us spread Your message of truth, love, and peace to every hidden corner of the world. Let us carry forth Your task of making every Hindu a better Hindu, every Christian a better Christian, every Muslim a better Muslim but truly, making every man a better man. Let us live our lives as Your Divine message. Baba, You are the Divine Healer and the Divine Teacher. Let us take on your burden and provide free health care and free education to all who are in need. Let us carry your ﬂag of selﬂess service to every poor, hungry, and sick brother of ours. Compassionate Mother Sai, let us forever be your loving children. Hold us in Your familiar embrace, speak Your sweet, merciful words to us. Let us be everything You want us to be, and more. Let us truly be called Your devotees. Let us live in such a way that You will show Yourself to us again and say to us, “Very happy, Bangaru.”

I will keep my eyes and ears open for signs of the Lord’s presence around me. I know they are there. And if I don’t see them it’s only because I’m not wearing the right glasses. There is uncertainty in our futures, I don’t deny it. But one thing is for sure. We are never alone. We will never be alone. We all have Swami. And we all have each other. So, brothers and sisters, join hands with me and let us pledge to dedicate our lives to Sai’s Mission like never before. Beloved Bhagavan, let us offer our lives - every footstep, every word, every breath - to Your Divine Lotus Feet. Beautiful Swami, let us bind you to us with devotion and love, not attachment and greed. Ever-blissful Sai Rama, let us make ourselves worthy of being called Your servants, like your dear Hanuman so many eons ago. Enchanting Sai Krishna, let us all become flutes within your Divine hands, empty and pure, ready for your Divine Song to flow through us, unmarred by our faults and flaws. Our guide and protector, Sadguru, show us the path to reach our goal, which is Your Divine Lotus Feet. We are 19

His Mission Is Our Mission Andres Zambrano Toth

Nearly 200 years ago the famous English novelist, Charles Dickens wrote: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness…" These words apply to the present day also, in greater depth and on a global scale as well. On the one side we see nothing but pain and disaster—large scale pollution of the environment, widespread terrorism, millions starving, millions more dying of diseases that can be easily cured, and so on. But on the other hand, we also see the Light of Love and Compassion that brings Comfort and Hope to one and all. The appearance of the Divine Light at this turbulent stage is no accident. On the contrary, it is in total accord with the assurance given by the Lord in His previous Incarnation over 5000 years ago as Bhagawan Sri Krishna. As Krishna declared, whenever unrighteousness is on the rise, the Almighty incarnates to help mankind. It is said that there are 4 unique incredible Blessings that a Human being can have. The ﬁrst one, is to be born at the same time that the Avatar is incarnated, the second one, is to be aware of the Presence of the Avatar among mankind. The third one, is to be able to see him and learn directly from his example, but the most important of all is the fourth one, and that is, to be able to follow the Teachings and Guidelines of the Avatar. Very few souls in the whole planet have this rare opportunity, and we, Sisters and Brothers, are among those who Sathya Sai has called to participate in the Divine crusade of Love. Nevertheless, sometimes we forget this luck we have and take for granted the immense duty we have as followers of Bhagawan Baba; we carry on with our daily lives and forsake our real purpose. It is time to give back, it is time to rise and be active participants of the Divine Mission. It is time to ask from our hearts, “Swami, What can I do for you?” and on a higher level, it is time to ask “Swami, What can WE, as members of the Sai Organization, do for you?”

When the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami took place, a group of devotees in Prashanti approached Swami to enquire why this tragic event happened. Swami replied: “It is due to the pollution of mind and the negativity created by man that these disasters manifest, only by creating positive energy in the world can these calamities be prevented.” In other words, Swami is asking us to be, think and speak positively. Regardless of the circumstances, we should not have any excuse to not feel positive all the time. Swami has said on many occasions how powerful our thoughts are, and every time we generate a negative thought, it is spread to the whole planet. But, how can we keep thinking positive all the time? Swami graciously tells us how simple it is. First of all, think of Him all the time, realize that everything that happens in your life, whether it is good or bad, it has a purpose, a significance and a powerful effect on our spiritual progress. Perhaps, that is why Swami insists so much on the repetition of His Name, Bhajan singing and service; it is because, through these mediums, it is easier to keep our thoughts on God. Then, it is very important to Accept, Trust and Surrender. I repeat… Accept, Trust and Surrender… This is a Mantra given by Swami to Phyllis Krystal, and if we think about it, Life as a whole would become so easy, so enjoyable, so peaceful. Accept that everything that happens is for a reason. Trust that Bhagawan Baba is with you all the time and He himself is guiding and protecting you, and surrender to His Will. When we start practicing this systematically in every moment of our lives, to be positive, joyful and content would be part of our nature, it would be an effortless task. Swami wants us to be happy and cheerful, ever smiling and joyful, regardless of any challenge we may face. This is the preparation required for the Golden Age.

It is time to make of this information a life transforming experience, and by doing so, we are spreading this much needed positive energy to our families, our communities, our countries, planet earth and the whole Universe. Right now is (look for the time, mins, secs)... that moment will never exist again, and like that, every second that passes is lost forever. The awareness of how valuable our lives are, given the unique opportunity we have in front of us, should be enough reason and motivation for us to be as active as we have never been, to take every Bhajan session, every Seva opportunity, every interaction with a fellow human, as life opportunities. From the six billion eight hundred ninety-three million three hundred thousand inhabitants that the earth has today, we are the chosen ones. From the 300 million inhabitants of the United States, we are the chosen ones. Let’s make use of this and not waste this precious historic time we are living in. We are so, so lucky to be alive right now, let’s make use of it to its full potential.

Yearn for the enthronement of your soul as the unquestioned Monarch of the Universe, when you merge in the Universal; celebrate your triumph over the foes within, that hamper your march to victory. Acquire Me as your Charioteer. I shall lead you to that Consummation. Earn that unfailing Grace, by your sincerity, simplicity and Sadhana. Cultivate nearness with Me in the heart and you will be rewarded. Then you too will acquire a fraction of the supreme Prema. This is the great chance. This chance will not come your way again, beware of that. If you cannot, if you do not, cross the sea of grief now, taking hold of this chance, when again can you get such a chance? Really you are the fortunate few; out of the millions of the millions of people you have come, though no one specially invited you to be present here. That is what I call the mark of destiny. The life of Sai, the Message of Sai, the Ideals Sai holds forth, the Lesson that Sai teaches the world - are all enshrined in one word. “Love”.

I would like to ﬁnish by sharing excerpts from a Message I’m sure most of you are familiar with, a good reminder of what is our Mission here: Swami says: “Do not delay any more; take hold of this unique chance, given while you can. Each of you has a unique and valuable part to play in this lifetime. Only those whom I have called can serve Me. My Mission has now reached that point in time when each of you now has work to do. This planet has a purpose in the great galaxy in which it is held. That purpose is now unfolding before our eyes. I call upon you to radiate the Bhakti (devotion) within you so that its unseen power will envelop all who come into your orbit. To successfully perform your part, always remain centred upon Me. Allow yourself to impart that purity of heart within you towards all human beings and all living creatures and do not reach for the fruits of your work. Discard through Sadhana the attachment to individuality, to sense pleasures; welcome through Sadhana, the aspiration to expand the heart into the Universal. Do not cloud your minds with cheap desires, transitory hungers and thirsts that need but morsels or mouthfuls.

His Master Plan Aravind Balasubramanya

The 27th of April 2011 saw poignant scenes - the likes of which have never ever been witnessed on the face of this earth. As the Mahasamadhi of an Avatar was witnessed the world over by a number unmatched in human history, tears flowed unbounded. Being in the world at this point in time was such a cleansing experience, for the whole atmosphere was washed with tears - pure, selfless, love-filled and grateful. They were sufficient to wipe out all sins committed by all humanity it seemed! A lot has been written about the Mahasamadhi of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and a lot more will be written for this is ‘His’tory! But here is a little thought I thought I would share. The amount of prayers that have gone on in the world has been tremendous. The name of Sai filled every conceivable space for it had been enshrined in a billion hearts. Bhajans, service activities and spiritual sadhana of unprecedented proportions pulsated on Mother Earth. At the physical level, the best man and the best machines worked tirelessly day and night at the temple of Healing that He Himself had built. His most dear students constantly were by His side and aware of every breath He was taking. The sheer magnitude of the combined effort of every devotee was enough to bring life into an inert stone! And yet, the Lord took Mahasamadhi. This thought had plagued me when I realized that prayer is not an act of asking God or telling God. It is silent communion with Him. When we either ask or tell God, we make the preposterous and utterly foolish assumption that we know better than Him. Swami often tells us the story of two farmers - one who prayed for rain for his crops, the other who prayed for a dry day so that his daughter’s wedding could go on uninterrupted. Whose prayers should God listen to? Should He listen to the one who cries more? Or to the one who pines more? Should He give precedence to age or should He give precedence to status and influence? 22

Of course! He will listen to the one who loves Him truly. And who is that? Naturally, the one who has surrendered to His will. When one has surrendered to His will, is not prayer redundant? Our definition of prayer changes as we realize that the one who is always in sync with the Lord has his prayers answered, for he always prays for what the Lord has already willed! This is indeed a very different way of thinking. If my prayer is answered, it is because I was in sync with God; I was in communion with Him. If my prayer has not been answered, I was not in sync with Him; I have to make efforts to be in communion with Him. It is everyone’s experience that we feel some intuitive urges. And then, these urges just manifest themselves. Let us know that these are instances when we have been in communion with Him. And when these intuitive urges have manifested for me, I have felt the thrill of experiencing Him. I see Him, hear Him and feel Him and He speaks to me! I feel the thrill because I ‘know’ His plan. And I know His plan because I have been able to be in sync with Him for those precious moments. That is why, when I found some instances in my life where Swami indicated His Mahasamadhi, I felt so relieved. It felt wonderful to ‘know’ that its all part of His Masterplan. In the pages of my diary I discovered a dream where months before, He indicated that He would be leaving soon. Just like someone with white hair dyes it, or a person who loses teeth puts dentures, I too covered up my knowledge of the dream and went about my life. And then, Swami gave the most poignant indication! It happened on the evening of 20th of March. Swami had not been ‘keeping well’ if I may use that term. His darshans were few and spaced between. And yet on this day, He took two darshan rounds. He called all the students who were seated for blessings and poured grains on their head (about 40 students were blessed that day). He distributed a few sweets and smiled at all present. He even called the tiny tots from Primary school and blessed them. In the

words of a very senior singer, “Today, Swami seems so active!!” There was rejoicing. And when He received Aarthi, everyone were thrilled with His tapping His hands rhythmically. And then it happened... As the Samastha Loka chant filled the air, Swami raised His hands. But it was not the familiar Abhayahastha. He had FOLDED HIS PALMS IN SALUTATION! He seemed to send a beautiful message, “Salute all for God is in all”. The Vedic chant “Sahasra sheersha Purusha” resounded in my heart. (That hymn says that God has a thousand limbs, heads and sense organs symbolic of the fact that God is in all.) In the Bharatiya custom, this is how one takes leave after a visit! My hairs stand at their end and I have goosebumps when I realize how Swami had indicated the Mahasamadhi. But I did not see! Swami says, “Pashyan Api Na Pashyati Moodho” (You fool! You see and yet do not see!) That was the condition. But I took pictures that day. And today, just seeing the pictures is so relieving and enthralling for it told me that Swami knows His plans. Even when He was fine and was a week away from being ‘admitted’ to the hospital, Swami had shown us His decision. And in showing us this decision, He also showed us His expectations. He wants our lives to be His message and one of His final acts of benediction teaches us that we should see Him in all just as He saw Himself in all. We should bow to Him in all just as He bowed to Him in all. We should love all and serve all just as He did. Let us pledge to Him that we will in our lives imbibe His message of pure Love for all. And as a teardrop makes its way down my cheek, a firm resolve flows in my blood - a resolve to Love Him and see Him in all!

A Desire of the Desireless One... Aravind Balasubramanya

This was shared to me by a Sai brother who has been blessed by His love to travel with Him to Kodaikanal. Though this was said to the students, I felt that this holds good for all because are we all not His students? Once, Swami had told a student, “Just because you are a student of the Institute does not mean that you are a Sai Student!” That statement tells us a lot doesn’t it? With that introduction, I present what the brother narrated: It was a pleasant morning in Kodaikanal in 2006. We all sang bhajans as Swami went around giving darshan and filling devotees seated there with bliss. After the bhajans we all rushed to the drawing room for the “Pre-Lunch” session. Swami was visibly very, very upset with something. He was not talking. And the few words He spoke were shocking, “I want to leave this body.” Every one of us were taken aback and were crying. Warden sir asked Swami, “Swami, please tell us what is it that is bothering you so much? What mistake have we committed that it is paining you so much? What is it that made you utter these words? Swami we are ready to give our lives for you if needed.” Swami did not say a word. He kept silent. That day we all were sent for shopping. But none of us had any interest in shopping. Still, instructions had to be obeyed. Generally, Swami used to ask all the boys what they bought and used to bless those items and interact with the boys. But since that day the entire atmosphere was different, we were also strictly asked not to bring anything downstairs. We all went for bhajan in the evening. Even during the tiffin time Swami did not speak anything. We went for bhajans and during the bhajans Swami asked for the mike to be brought. The first few sentences He spoke were these to the best of my memory:

Who are you to give it up? What I want you all to do is to “LIVE THE WAY I WANT YOU TO LIVE.” From the time I get up in the morning till the time I go to bed I think constantly about you only. When you are with Me you are all very sweet and behave very well. But the moment you leave the portals of this place you get into the bad ways. It is like the pot of water which is kept in the water. It is full only as long as it is immersed in the water. But the moment it is taken out of the water, the water in the pot starts evaporating. I don't have any desire. NENU NISHKAAMUDANU - I am the one without desire. My only worry is about you all. I want you to be good and be ideals to be emulated. From morning I have not been talking and have seemingly been upset. Some of the boys around me asked the reason and some even said that they are ready to give up their lives for me. Whose life is it that you want to give it up? If only all of us can truly become His students....

An eyewitness account shortly following Swami’s Mahasamadhi Aneesh Konde

Most of us had the shock of our lives this Sunday morning when we heard the news that our dearest Bhagawan had left His physical body. While I was just beginning to overcome the veil of darkness that cast upon us so suddenly, a bunch of us living close by decided to take the next available cab to go to Puttaparthi and have His last darshan to our hearts’ content. As we entered Parthi, we were greeted with people crying on the streets and the police at every corner of the Ashram. The bus stand had been converted into a ‘tele hub’ with over 40 news channels stationing their satellite vans and the reports all over the streets. We moved on and stood in the line patiently. The lines on that day extended to over 2 kilometers. The crowd was unruly for a while as they had just opened the gates for the public but it did streamline later on. We were greeted by the SevaDals serving water to the devotees standing in the hot tropical summer. The autorikshaw drivers were also busy ferrying devotees from the end of the town to the main ashram road as the main roads were blocked for public. Interestingly enough, they were doing this small service from their part entirely free of cost. Yet another surprise as the auto drivers are known for their demanding fares and rather rough attitude. A few minutes later, the town locals came around with biscuit (cookies) packets for those standing in the line. For many of us who zoomed into Parthi without a second thought, this was our 5-star meal in the scorching sun. They were ﬁlling our pockets with so many biscuit packets that we got overwhelmed with them at the end. Then the lines proceeded peacefully, we got the Divine darshan and moved onto the canteens for dinner. We thought they would be closed considering the local situation. To our surprise, all the 3 canteens were up and running. The Ashram was entirely normal inside like nothing ever happened. Of course, the tears of sorrow were visible in everyone’s life but everyone was moving around like nothing had ever happened. We thought we’d have to go to bed hungry but we ended up having Lasagna and Pasta from the Western canteen! The volunteers at the canteen still greeted us with a smile, the people still said ‘Sai Ram’ instead of excuse me....

Such was the spirit of people there inside the Ashram. Everyone still served with a smile knowing that their very “life and breath” was no more. This, my dear friends, is the true message of Lord Sai. Swami says Love All Serve All no matter what. And this is exactly what these devotees in Parthi were doing that day. They displayed some exemplary service skills and unfaltering faith in Swami’s principles while swallowing the greatest sorrow and loss of our beloved Bhagavan. I thought I’d share with you these inner stories that the media seems uninterested in. All you see in the papers nowadays is unfortunately headlines like ‘Who will head the 40000 - 1.5 Lakh Crore Sai Empire (Times of India),’ etc. Swami has left us suddenly and there is bound to be some amount of vacuum in the system. Confusion exists when a single member of the family passes away! IMAGINE the confusion when the Lord of the Universe attains Maha Samadhi! This is the time to sit down, take a moment or two and reflect on the real meaning of Swami, what Swami has been for us, how He has influenced our lives, His teachings, how we can make Him proud and how to make the statement ‘our lives are His message’ come true. Unfortunately, the media has been distracting the attention to such frivolous and unimportant matters. The media is not interested in the REAL spirit of the devotees. They are rather interested in making controversial headlines. This is the time to dwell on the real significance of Sai, His message and adhere to His principles. May our most beloved Swami be with us ever, continue to guide and protect us at all times. Swami, we all miss you very, very much. We are at a loss and are ever grateful for everything You have bestowed on us.

tributes in the media >

Sathya Sai Baba: A Divine Legend Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam April 22, 2011 http://www.hindustantimes.com/Sathya-Sai-Baba-A-divine-legend/Article1-688409.aspx

I admire Bhagwan Satya Sai Baba for his selﬂess work and contributions to the welfare of the people by providing drinking water for the rural population, free healthcare facilities for the rural poor and free higher education. The major factors in human resource development are value based education and quality healthcare. In addition, the infrastructural requirement like availability of potable water is an essential need of the human resource. While the government is actively engaged in providing these resources to the citizens, Baba has been sensitive to these essential needs of the Indian population, particularly of the people living in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, for over four decades. Keeping this in mind, he has created vast infrastructure for providing value-based quality education to children from primary to university level, established super specialty hospitals in rural areas - as early as 1991 when there were no corporate hospitals in such interior regions - and worked on a project to provide potable safe drinking water for people of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. I would like to discuss the unique characteristics of these institutions. Value-Based Education The best part of a young person is his or her childhood in school and the best time spent is 8am to 4 pm each day in the school. This is applicable for all children in the age group of ﬁve to 20 living in both urban and rural areas. Baba has realised the problems of the rural poor and has made it a point that education is absolutely free in all the schools and colleges established by the Sathya Sai Trust. Interestingly, the Sathya Sai Educational Institutions cater equally to the development of the mind, heart and the body. This is achieved through integrated education, which lays equal emphasis on keeping the body healthy, the mind active and sharp and the heart pure. Baba, being the Chancellor of the institute, spends substantial amount of time with the students to groom them into ideal citizens.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba says, "Students are the foundation of the nation, the only wealth that I cherish. Students are my all; my entire property consists of students. I have offered myself to them." He also says, "The end of education is character and the end of knowledge is love." This is the reason why Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning emphasises character building as an important component of education apart from acquiring academic excellence. Nobility in character comes out of humility, generosity, compassion, helpfulness and respect for moral values. The single thread that runs through all the activities of the institute, curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular is that education is for life and not for mere living. Experience has shown that leading organisations and companies in the country absorb Sai students. It is claimed that the students so recruited bring about a quiet change in work ethics and inject team spirit as well as a value-based approach to all aspects of organisational activity. Water Mission In 1994, Baba made a moving reference to the difficulties experienced by the people of Rayalaseema region in getting safe drinking water and suggested that the century-old problem needed urgent attention. In 1995, he added a new dimension to his societal mission by the trust, undertaking work to provide good and safe drinking water to as many people of Anantapur district as possible in the shortest possible time, irrespective of the difficulties experienced and the cost. Tapping ground water was considered as an option, but was ruled out because of the fluoride problem. It was decided to use rainwater by drawing water during the monsoon and storing in special reservoirs. Most of the water sources were in the northern part of Anantapur district and the terrain to the south sloped upwards. Hence, bringing water to the southern region

love in action

university

super-speciality hospitals

narayan seva

needed creation of large number of pumping stations to pump water against gravity. This called for extensive civil and engineering work. In spite of all the diﬃculties, the water was made available to Anantapur district in 18 months. After a year of regular operation, the entire water works was handed over to the people of the state as a gift. The scheme covers 750 villages and provides water to over one million people.

water projects

India needs a thousand such organisations to provide cost effective potable drinking water to the billion people spread in different parts of the country. Healthcare During the 1980s, a substantial number of super specialty corporate hospitals came into being in our urban areas. However, due to commercialisation, they could cater only to the needs of urban rich people. There was wide gap in the availability of medicare for the rich and poor and between rural and urban population. Keeping this in mind, Baba declared on November 23, 1990, there would be a world-class hospital in Puttaparthi area within a year and it would offer free treatment to everyone who come there, especially the poor. This hospital was inaugurated on November 22, 1991. After its inauguration, the super specialty hospital has conducted many major heart surgeries and catheterisation procedures. Specialist surgeons from reputed hospitals, both from India and abroad, voluntarily take leave from their regular work and come to Puttaparthi and perform operations free of cost. Same is the case with nursing services. I understand the convalescing patients provide voluntary help to the new patients who come to the hospitals for operation. Also the hospital premises are maintained in a clean, calm, serene and divine atmosphere. We can see the power of service consciousness flowing in the entire hospital environment. Project Management Whether it be a super specialty hospital at Puttaparthi or provision of safe drinking water for Anantapur or provision of drinking water to Chennai by solving the problems associated with Kandaleru reservoir, all projects have been completed to meet the specified objective within the prescribed time and cost. How this has been possible? I was thinking about it. The major reason appears to be that the projects have been entrusted to socially committed project managers, contractors and sub-contractors. They have executed the project with a spirit of co-operation, the spirit of sacrifice and dedication. The programme chiefs have followed the five core human values - truth, right conduct, non-violence, love and peace -while executing the projects. Can there be a better role model than this for promoting a nationwide selfless, societal transformation mission? 29

The Sai Evolution: A Dharmic Odyssey http://www.chakranews.com/the-sai-evolution-a-dharmic-odyssey/1238

He is never born, and he never dies. He is in Eternity: he is for evermore. Never-born and eternal, beyond times gone or to come, he does not die when the body dies… When one sees this Eternity in things that pass away and Infinity in the finite things, then one has pure knowledge. (Bhagavad Gita 2:20, 18:20) It is on this sacred premise that Hinduism builds its conception of reality wherein the boundless chain of life there exists neither birth nor death, only endless cycles of transmutation and regeneration, culminating in the evolution of consciousness and dynamic unfolding of the Divine Intelligence in man. With a mind that thus peered eternity, the ancient Hindus, it is said, had inexorably unlocked such secrets and mysteries of existence pertaining to creation, manifestation, the universal order and human evolution, converging in the supramental vision of Sanatan Dharma- the Eternal Truth and Divine Process that has over many cycles of time revealed itself to us through the mystical life and evolutionary work of many ascended gurus, rishis, yogis, seers and avatars, all of whom have ushered in a higher world-order of love, peace, righteousness and truth, sowing within us the seeds for a greater life and a unified existence. The intervention of these world teachers and avatars has always appeared during a planetary crisis for the restoration of Dharma, which is an ascension and expansion of all human consciousness as much as it is the external obliteration of social evil and unrighteousness, thus effecting a profound change in the material and spiritual world. Mystic-Sage Sri Aurobindo had once said that “The Divine is not only Transcendent but also Cosmic and finally Individual. Its power and force must be brought down into the world in order to effect any real transformation in the earth-consciousness.” And so it has been with the descent and manifestation of the sacred lineage and unbroken chain of the Divine Sai Consciousness that has unfolded at the outset in the physicality of Shirdi Sai Baba whose influence has initially been known to pervade all of India, successively extending itself in the form of Sathya Sai Baba whose presence has wielded a wider global influence, reaching out to and 30

transforming millions of lives in the world and which will now continue in the extended physical form and presence of the future Prema Sai. This far-reaching magical web of the Sai Consciousness has indeed powerfully transmuted and effectively empowered individual souls as well as the world-soul in the last few hundred years. As incarnations of the Shiva and Shakti principles, the Sai Avatars have been dynamically and unfailingly productive and acutely conscious of their grand purpose and mission on the planet. “I have a Task,” as Sathya Sai Baba wrote in 1947, “to foster all mankind and ensure for all of them lives full of bliss (ananda). I have a Vow: to lead all who stray away from the straight path again into goodness and save them. To remove the sufferings of the poor and grant them what they lack… I will not give up my mission, nor my determination. I know I will carry them out. I treat the honor and dishonor, the fame and blame that may be the consequence, with equal equanimity. Internally, I am unconcerned. I act but in the outer world; I talk and move about for the sake of the outer world… else I have no concern even with these…I do not belong to any place; I am not attached to any name. I answer whatever the name you use. I go wherever I am taken. I act and move only for the sake of Mankind.” True to his word and vision, and carrying forward the work of his avataric predecessor Shirdi Sai, Sathya Sai Baba has progressively uplifted millions of poor, inspired humanity and brought back into our lives the beneficence, power and truth of Sanatan Dharma. With relentless determination, unconditional love and powerful resolve Baba has continued to uphold his mission and his message even after the passing of his body, as millions around the world still continue to experience his miracles. This superhuman power of the avatarhood, according to the Hindu conception, is a dividing element or a sign of man’s difference or separation from them but is instead a tangible precursor of the enfolded godhead inherent in every individual and a concrete expression of that same godhead awakening in the field of human consciousness. The divine manifestation of a Ram, a Krishna or a Buddha

(or myriad other avatars of Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti) in external humanity is indeed a reﬂection of the underlying unity between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. It is a cosmic marker of the immanent avataric power that pulses within the heart and soul of every man. “Come back into My Consciousness, which is your own true Consciousness,” as Sathya Sai Baba says, “Let your petty human self fade away as you come to Me, who am your Inner Self. You are My radiant glorious Self… not separate from Me… Merge with Me, Become Me.” Prema Sai, the third in the line of this divine Sai lineage, has been prophesized to incarnate somewhere in South India in the coming years. His birth and his life it is said, will complete the circle of cosmic manifestation and descent that generates a quantum leap beyond the present limitations of this Kali Yuga, ushering in a new world order that accelerates the long overdue restoration of Sanatan Dharma, the Eternal Truth of life. However, when and how the Divine Beings and Divine Events unfold within the matrix of space and the mysterious movements of time, manifesting within creation, is considered one of the biggest puzzles and enigmas of the universe, for the Supreme Reality it is said functions with an intelligence and cosmic order of its own (unfathomable by the human mind) that shapes and organizes the universe and all its events and processes in ways that reveals itself to us only at the ‘right time’, which is in fact considered the ‘divine timing’ and grand synchronistic scheming of all the Shakti-laden forces and rhythmic currents of Nature. Yet, regardless of prophesies, timelines, events, dates or their physical form, the truth, supreme secrets and mysteries of the Avatars are absorbed more through their continually unfolding work and through their message which expresses itself in their lives and in the personal realization and direct experiences of those who connect with them and their mission on a deeper level.

As Sathya Sai Baba says in his own words, “I have come to give you the key of the treasure of ananda (immortal bliss), to teach you how to tap that spring, for you have forgotten the way to blessedness…You have come to get from me tinsel and trash, the petty little cures and promotions, worldly joys and comforts. Very few of you desire to get from me the thing that I have come to give you: namely, liberation itself.” Considering the grand purpose for which the Sai Avatars have been appearing and the dharmic mission towards which they have been uncompromisingly dedicated, every Sai devotee bears a greater responsibility now in joining forces for upholding and carrying forward this majestic vision and world-transforming mission. “I want you in this world. I want beacons of light in the world,” said Sathya Sai Baba once to Isaac Tigrett, “the world must be puriﬁed in this age… this wonderful age that we are blessed to have been born into”. Just as Ayodhya once waited eagerly for the return of its dharmic hero Lord Ram, the Sai devotees wait patiently, and through continuing dedicated work prepare the stage for the arrival of Prema Sai whose extended mission and dharmic journey will now continue in the years to come to uplift mankind in the dawning of the new golden age. Though I am unborn, though I am imperishable in my self-existence, though I am the Lord of all existences, yet I stand upon my own Nature and I come into birth by my internal potency. Whenever and wherever there is a decline of righteousness and the uprising of unrighteousness, at that time I manifest personally. For the deliverance of the good and the annihilation of evil and to fully establish Dharma, I appear millennium after millennium. (Bhagavad Gita 4.6-8)1

For of what use is it to passively admire and honour these Divine Beings if we cannot actively work towards and serve the mission for which they have come into this world? The grand mission and collective undertaking which indeed links man’s higher life-purpose to that of the Avatars themselves. Hence to rise above our ego-bound needs and petty concerns, to cognize our greater destiny in this universe, to widen our vision and embrace all of existence so that we may become the blazing sparks of that one Supreme ﬁre, the illuminating emblems of that one Absolute reality and dynamic instruments of that one Divine Will is indeed the true fulﬁlment and realization of Dharma on earth. 31

Sathya Sai Baba: A Love this World Can Hardly Reciprocate http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vamsee-juluri/sathya-sai-baba-a-love-th_b_853059.html

Baba loved us. Like a father, a mother, a guru, a friend. Like Krishna or Shiva, as we imagined them to be from our stories. Like a simple and affectionate village elder from Rayalseema. Like a celebrity whose grace and poise could electrify a hundred thousand spectators at once. Like a leader who spoke the highest philosophies about society and the individual in the clearest of modern and folk idioms. Like no one else but the one his devotees would call Swami. For nearly 25 years, Swami was the God, Guru and Elderfigure of my family. Like most devotees, we knew this day would come. We just hoped it would not come anytime soon, as we would of anyone we love. And now that it has, it is not so much his divinity or spirituality that I think about, but just him and just his presence in our lives all these years as if he were a part of our family. Because that is how we knew Swami. He was not a distant figure. He made the effort to know us, to talk to us, reassure us, chide us gently when he had to, deal with the mundane worries we sometimes thrust on him, sometimes take the rap for the faults of his devotees, but he was always there. And even if in recent years the face to face meetings with him became fewer, a few softly spoken words from him, and sometimes even a glance, were enough to assure us that he was looking out for us. Whether this was seen as coming from a god who commanded nature and miracles, a holy man brimming with spiritual example, or a selfless and wise elder who cared for each family's concerns, one cannot say precisely. But one can say quite surely that there are probably hundreds of thousands of people on this earth today who feel Swami's absence like I do -- not just in a religious sense, but in the deeply intimate sense of a familiar family figure who is no longer with us. He was not just a picture, and he was not just a god. He was Swami. Yet, for many other people, Swami is only "Sai Baba," a name that they will read about in the news. There has already been a great deal written about Baba's life and legacy in the news media in the last three weeks. Some accounts have been professional and fair, reporting on his 32

devotees and on his enormous acts of service to people through free schools, hospitals and water supply projects. Other reports speculate on the future of his organization and its assets, smelling money and drama more than the incense and camphor. Yet others seem like nothing more than opportunistic displays of superior wit through snide remarks on his mortality and on the least consequential parts of his life, real or hallucinated. But for all who believe a man who is revered by so many is worthy of a more sober assessment beyond the impossibly divisive one of religious faith, I have to say only one thing matters. It is what you saw happening in Swami's presence if you made the eﬀort to go there. It is what you saw after the endless waits in the great halls of Prashanthi Nilayam before his darshan. It is what you heard when a thousand voices gasped as one at the moment of his entrance. It is what you sensed about the lightness in his feet and precision in his hands from a distance. It is what you felt when he came closer from amidst the rows of hundreds of bodies and you saw the look on his face, the love in his eyes. It is what happened when you felt the compassion in his distinct voice, and laughed at the wit and grace in his words. But all this is still only a measure of what happened to us in his presence, an expression of my devotion, perhaps. What of him? What did it take out of one human body to do so much for so many? Just think of what it takes to make one stranger feel happy, reassured, illuminated, on the strength of the integrity of your goodwill alone. Swami did that a million times, talking, taking letters, making traditional gestures of blessing and assurance, making a contact with his devotees in a way that shows in virtually any photo where you can see how his devotees look when they look at him. And no matter how much all those in this world who have known him and adored him serve each other and love each other in his name, the love that this gentle man gave to the world will not be equaled easily.

Sai Baba's Magical Powers Manifested in Serving the Poor http://www.deccanherald.com/content/156627/sai-babas-magical-powers-manifested.html

Does it really matter whether one is a God, man or a mere human being? I am no devotee of Sathya Sai Baba. Given my academics, I am unable to comprehend those magical or divine powers that are ascribed to him. There are several critics of the godman. I have never been able to engage with them. I have not been to his ashram or his establishments. Yet I hold the person with deep respect though I may not regard him as an avatar or a divine being. In my perception the quality of any person is to be judged not from the divine claims a person makes but the life he leads in relationship to others. A divine person if he makes claims to be divine should be able to express that divinity through his humanity. The ultimate quality of any human being making a claim to be divine should be to translate that divinity into human living by his concern to the poor, compassion to the suffering and sensitivity to those in anguish. Caring for other human beings is an essential part of living a divine life. Nobody can deny the fact that Sathya Sai Baba has touched the lives of the poor and the deprived. He had pioneered many social service activities beginning with a general hospital at Puttaparthi with 220 beds and a 333-bedded hospital at Whitefield, both superspecialty hospitals. The fact that the poor get free services surely is a tribute to Sathya Sai Baba. If that hospital was non-existent there would have been so many lives of the poor lost. One of the dreams of the framers of the constitution was to provide quality health care for all. It is the Baba that made it possible to realise that dream for the people of Andhra and other southern states. Education is another service that is not easily available to the poor. The Sathya Sai Trust runs many schools and colleges. These educational institutions are not run as commercial enterprises for profits but as institutions for the commoners. The standards of education imparted here is qualitative. “I have come to light the lamp of love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added lustre. I have not come on any mission or publicity for any sect or creed or cause nor have I come to collect followers for any doctrine. I have no plans to attract disciples or devotees into my fold or any fold. I have come to tell you of the universal, unitary of faith, this path of love, this duty of love, this obligation to love,” Baba had said.

This has been the philosophy of his educational institutions spreading universal values of faith, service and love. Drinking water Another area of major contribution of Sathya Sai Baba for the poor has been in providing drinking water. A project that began in 1994 has provided water to more than 700 villages in Andhra Pradesh. Nine lakh people have benefitted from the scheme. In addition 274 villages have been covered by borewells. In 98 villages there has been comprehensive scheme with water treatment plants using water from Pennar Ahobilam reservoir as source. In 115 villages there has been another scheme with infiltration well in the bed of Chitravathi Reservoir at Parnapalli as source. The Sathya Sai Trust has also completed large water supply projects in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Out of pure concern to humanity, during the time of disasters and calamities, volunteers from the Sathya Sai Seva Organisation are always found in the forefront carrying out relief and rehabilitation work. It is a tribute to the spirit of humanity that is professed by the trust of course taught by Sri Sathya Sai Baba. All godmen in India ask for donations. What is appreciative of Sathya Sai Baba is that he has used the money to take care of the poor. Otherwise, it is not humanly possible to provide such expensive free medical care, look after the poor and provide free water supply. The Bangalore hospital has conducted over 4 lakh heart surgeries free of cost. The trust is also responsible to 1,300 ashrams worldwide. What is the philosophy of life of this man? Let me quote his own words: “Serve the poor with love. That alone can redeem you. Service to the poor is service to god. Sacrifice your life for the cause of the poor. Service to the poor is my only motto. I have no other desires. I am prepared to sacrifice even my life to serve the poor. Of what use is human life if it is not spent in the service of the poor?” For the services he has rendered to the poor and the deprived, the state and the nation needs to be grateful. Instead of celebrating his magical powers, it is better to examine his contribution to human development. If only other godmen follow his example, India would make a quick progress.

Sathya Sai Baba's Physical Death Prediction Comes True http://www.chakranews.com/sathya-sai-baba%e2%80%99s-physical-death-prediction-comes-true/1247

There has been much confusion in the last few weeks regarding the age of Sathya Sai Baba and the timeline of his presence in physical form, for Baba it is said, had declared that he would leave his physical form when he reached 96 years of age. This confusion in truth pertains to the modes of computation for most people still adhere to the Roman/Gregorian calendar whereas Sathya Sai Baba always referred to the Hindu Nakshatra Kala Ganana (timescales based on stars) in his own discourses. Accordingly, the Sidereal Lunar year as per old “Vedic” cycles is not 365 days but 324 days or 27 X 12 (12 sidereal months) because a lunar (sidereal) month extends from Aswathi to Revathi stars — that is 27 days. Hence it is important to note that we are not referring to the solar year 365 days or tropical lunar year from full moon to full moon which is 12 X 29 1/2 days or 354 days. We are speaking of the sidereal lunar year with one month consisting of 27 day moon transit of the zodiac and the 27 nakshatras. Therefore the lunar year in this case would have 324 days and not 365 days as in the Gregorian calendar. Roughly speaking then, if we consider the prediction of death at 96 years of age then 96 lunar years at 324 = 31104 days, divided by 365 solar years= 85.2 solar years. Hence Sathya Sai Baba is no doubt around 85 ‘solar’ years according to the Roman/Gregorian calendar but he is '96' lunar years according to the old Vedic Hindu calculation (of the sidereal months). Moreover this information has been conﬁrmed by many Vedic scholars and astrologists, including the eminent Pandit Vamadeva Shastri (David Frawley) It is also interesting to note an incident which took place on the 85th birthday celebration of Sathya Sai Baba. Usually, during any festival celebration, especially Baba’s birthday, the entire Prashanti Nilayam would be temporarily decorated with objects made of materials such as cardboards, etc. which could be easily dismantled and dismembered after the celebration ended since the new celebration would require the new birth date, etc. to be hoarded on the banner. However, during this 85th birthday celebration Sathya Sai Baba told his students “Make all the decorations of “PERMANENT” material.” 34

Accordingly a board had been put up at the Ganesh Dwar which read “85 years of Love” and after celebrations the board has remained and not come down, just as Baba wanted and instructed. Moreover this time around instead of temporary gates, permanent gates were made and they are still there. When the students asked Swami whether they could remove and clear the decorations Swami responded by telling them not to remove the banner or decorations and to let it be there, implying that he knew this would be the last celebration. Furthermore during his 80th birthday celebration, in the discourse that Sathya Sai Baba gave he declared that “Today is MY 90th Birthday”… and the entire crowd started laughing thinking that Swami had made a mistake…no one took it seriously and the publisher of Sathya Sai Baba in that subsequent volume went on to publish it as 80 years. Yet all of the devotees present that day undoubtedly heard Swami say that he was 90 years of age. It stands to reason however that even if devotees knew that Sathya Sai Baba was indeed 96 years old, it would not make the situation any better but only worse since most devotees were already heartbroken and suﬀering even when they were convinced that Baba would not leave his body yet. Hence if devotees knew for sure that Baba would be leaving then Prashanti Nilyam would be subject to complete chaos and most devotees who have been so strongly attached to Baba would certainly succumb to emotional breakdowns, especially in the ﬁnal years of Baba’s life. Instead, Baba, out of care for his devotees, made all circumstances transpire so fast, and out of the range of our conscious awareness of the actual reality of things, so that most of us would not really experience the real magnitude or impact of the situation making it less emotionally painful, which is why till today most people still feel as if it was all a dream. More importantly, the way that avatars work ultimately always remains a mystery, so it never does matter whether in the end things add up mathematically or not as Baba’s age would still be irrelevant in the grand scheme of life. What will always continue to remain more important is our experience with him, his life, his message and his work, which is what devotees must continue to set their hearts and minds on.

India's Emotional Farewell to Sathya Sai Baba http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13205086

Long live Baba! The chant echoed down the street outside Prashanti Nilayam (Abode of Peace), the ashram that Sathya Sai Baba set up in Puttaparthi. Thousands of people were packed tightly in the narrow lane, many of them seated on the ground, their hands joined in prayer as they murmured his name. These were ordinary Indians, people who believed Sai Baba to be a living God, someone who could perform miracles. Many of them had travelled vast distances just to be here. The overwhelming emotion was one of grief and intense devotion. "I cannot believe he's left us," sobbed one man. "When I heard the news I jumped into my car and drove all the way here. What will we do now? Who will we turn to?" Crossing boundaries The actual funeral took place behind closed doors, open only to family, members of Sai Baba's charitable trust and high ranking politicians - another reminder that in death as in his life, he drew some of the country's most powerful personalities. A multi-faith service preceded the actual funeral ceremony. Muslim, Christian and Sikh priests read from their scriptures before orange-robed Hindu clerics took over.

It was yet another illustration of Sai Baba's brand of ecumenical spiritualism which attracted so many, cutting through social and religious boundaries. Thousands of devotees attended Clad in white, the privileged few who were allowed in looked on as Sai Baba's body was lowered into a grave just behind where his glass casket had stood over the past two days - and from where he used to preach and bless the millions who came to see him over the years. An honour guard brought in an Indian flag to be draped over the coffin, giving it the aura of a state funeral. Puttaparthi owes everything to its most famous son. Once an impoverished village, it now has grand, fantastically designed public buildings housing a university, a hospital, sports facilities and music schools. Hotels and apartment blocks are dotted on its landscape, catering to the many who make the pilgrimage. But some are nervous, wondering if this will last. "When he was alive, so many came here," says one shopkeeper. Future tense "We were able to make a living. Now the future is uncertain. "Judging from the intense devotion and faith among the hundreds of thousands who have come here over the past two days, Puttaparthi will continue to attract many. And there are those who believe that Sai Baba's message is even more relevant today. Sai Baba’s brand of ecumenical spiritualism attracted followers "People today are so selfish, we've forgotten how to share," said Lynne, who has come all the way from Leicester in the UK. "Everywhere I look in India I see so much poverty, people scavenging for food while others drive by in a Rolls Royce. Is that fair?" It explains perhaps why in an India that prides itself as a rising economic power, there is still a special place for spirituality.

Nation mourns Sai Baba's death, Manmohan Singh calls him iconic figure http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_nation-mourns-sai-baba-s-death-manmohan-singh-calls-him-iconicfigure_1535718

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today led Union ministers, chief ministers and top political leaders in mourning the death of Sathya Sai Baba, calling him an "iconic" spiritual leader who inspired millions to lead a "moral and meaningful" life. In their condolence messages, the leaders cutting across party lines also acknowledged the contribution made by Sai Baba towards education, social work and developmental schemes, especially drinking water supply schemes in drought prone areas. Governors, film personalties and top sports figures also hailed Sai Baba, saying he was an inspiration for many. Expressing "deep and profound sadness" over Baba's death, the prime minister said he was a spiritual leader who inspired millions to lead a moral and meaningful life even as they followed the religion of their choice. "Sri Sathya Sai Baba as a preacher of the highest human values was an iconic figure for over five decades. He endeared himself to the people through various institutions, with headquarters at Prashanthi Nilayam, that promoted egalitarian values, education and public health," Singh said.The prime minister said the Baba believed that it was the duty of every person to ensure that all people have access to the basic requirements for sustenance of life. He was "an inspiration to people of all faiths," Singh said, adding that his passing away was an "irreparable loss to all."Vice-president M. Hamid Ansari said Baba's message of love should be the guiding light in this trying hour. The Baba's words and actions have lit the lamp of love in the hearts of devotees. His message of service to humanity as service to God and as a means of destroying narrow-mindedness is of eternal relevance," Ansari said.

UPA chairperson and Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi said Baba's death has caused a "big vacuum." "The news of the death of Sai Baba of Puttaparthi has greatly pained me. He was a spiritual person on whom lakhs of people had faith. In his lifetime, he inspired the people of this country and those abroad towards spiritualism and religion," Gandhi said in her condolence message. BJP leader LK Advani said in modern times stalwarts like Swami Ramakrishna Paramhans, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Dayanand and Mahatma Gandhi are reckoned as ideals for the country and of the titans in the spiritual ﬁeld in present day India, few have had the phenomenal following that the Baba had. BJP chief Nitin Gadkari said "the departure of such a great cultural and social icon of global fame from the spiritual world has left a void which will remain unfulﬁlled for a long time to come." Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi said Baba had showered love on him though he was an atheist. "Though I am an atheist, Sai Baba showered love on me." Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi said Baba was a great man who dedicated his life to provide water and education to the rural areas and medical services to the humanity. "In the world of spiritual leaders, he was unique—who, without wandering around the world, attracted it towards Indian culture," Modi wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said Baba's death was an irrepairable loss to the society and his sermons will continue to guide and inspire the people. Union ministers SM Krishna, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde said the world has lost a great pious

personality and that the "most impressive part" of his personality was the love and compassion that he always brought into his endeavours. Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, who has been an ardent devotee of the spiritual leader for the last 45 years, said the Baba would always be a source of inspiration and that his teachings will always be remembered. Chavan had hosted Sai Baba during his tenure as chief minister at his oďŹ&#x192;cial residence 'Varsha'. Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar said Sai Baba's inspirational presence and his eternal message of love and compassion have enlightened the people across the world. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said that Sai Baba has given his great self to service of humanity in the form of various services not only to Andhra Pradesh and the country but also to the entire world. Telugu Desam Party president Chandrababu Naidu said, "The demise of Sathya Sai Baba is a great loss to humanity. Though he may not be there among us physically his spiritual message will continue. He will guide us forever." Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, an ardent devotee of Sai Baba, described the spiritual leader as a "noble soul" who sacriďŹ ced his entire life for the good of human beings. AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa said that Sai Baba has rendered service through numerous educational institutions and hospitals for half a century now and his demise was a great loss for humanity.

A Phenomenon Called Sathya Sai Baba

from

http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/aphenomenon-called-sathya-sai-baba/1/136232.html

So what was it that made the godman with the trademark curly hair attract so many VVIPs and millions of devotees from across the world? He did not display profound knowledge of the Vedas, didn't make quote extensively from Sanskrit scriptures, didn't deliver elaborate speeches in English to attract foreign devotees or preach any philosophy. He only had a simple message: service is the highest spiritual discipline. "Prayer and meditation, knowledge of scripture and Vedanta cannot help you reach the goal as quickly as service can. Follow the path of love, gain the virtue of love, perform the duty of love and have the obligation of love," he said.

media excerpts from

End of an Era, Beginning of Another from

http://www.indianweekender.co.nz/Pages/ ArticleDetails/10/2276/India/ End-of-an-era-beginning-of-another

In many ways Prashanti Nilayam, in the village of Puttaparthi, was a United Nation of sorts. It is a place of which mixes humanity, almost like a cauldron in which gold is puriďŹ ed. Prashanti Nilayam teems with such a cross-section of people, of so many languages and so much culture it is hard to think of another similar place elsewhere.

Devotees Come from Far and All Over

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-24/bangalore/ 29468584_1_sathya-sai-baba-god-avatar

Tim Wagaman, a chef from the US, has been here for the past four months. "I am not depressed or dejected. It's only his body that has gone. He's very much here. Baba is God and God is everywhere. So I know Baba is here even if his body is not," he said. What does he like most about Baba? "He teaches you that you are god too. He is God, but he tells you that you are god too. The beauty of his vision and teaching is that he sees everyone as God, not only himself. 38

calm and tranquil like the moon shining with divine inner light

a tribute to sathya sai To Him who was The Man among men Who walked as a man among kings And as God among men…. To him who wanted nothing and toiled still Who had nothing but gave everything Who had no family nor friends nor enemies Was father of all men, their minds, their will…. To him who created all and yet owned naught Who straightened bent backs, soothed aching bodies Wiped teary eyes, fed starving children, Moistened many a parched throat…. To him who ruled over fate and destiny And gave men the strength to bear these Who suffered all and yet healed all Who wiped our tears but never shed any…. To him who unshackled bound and fettered minds Who liberated confined spirits and lost souls Who cloaked his resplendent divinity That man beholds him and his true identity finds…. To him who was ever above man And yet in him, and with him all the time To him who knew no duality And did the entire universe span…. To him who was but single, the one, Who in a rustic hamlet dwelt But wrought miracles beyond the ken of man And did more in a lifetime than has ever been done…. To him who filled hearts and minds with love Who made easy the path of virtue Whose presence made the very earth hallowed Whose darshan was like a glimpse of the heavens above…. To him who was beyond thought or comprehension Was silent and yet expressed the ineffable To him who wrought the impossible But endured the travails that befall each of his men…. To him who controlled the very fates and life Who taught justice and the laws of nature Who could not let a single soul of his creation suffer And gladly relieved them of their own personal strife…. To him who was pure, white, effulgent But took on himself every possible sin, every pain To him who cast off his own divinity That man might discover his soul, unsullied and radiant…. To him who toiled ever, rested never That men might look upon him and learn To till the earth and sow the seeds But break the cycle of misery once and forever….

To him who ever preached but one philosophy To love all, without condition or reservation To him who sought to make man divine That he might forget pain and embrace ecstasy…. To him who poured his love in an unending stream That man might learn to let go of hate That consciousness might mingle, in a vast collective And change to reality the common dream…. That earth might illuminate the heavens above That the stars, the fates would look to man for guidance And the very universe would learn of us, forbearance All this wrought by the power of his love…. To him who wrought all of this and much, much more Let us, our minds and souls offer That he may be with us now and ever And into every heart his love, incessantly pour…. For what is life if not a dream Until we return to be one with him He has woken, merged with the ocean While we float yet on the smallest stream…. To him who is our support, our way, our goal And to every man on this holy earth Let us offer our love and purify our mind That the mind of Sathya Sai becomes one with our soul. Dr. Venkatesh (taken from Radio Sai)

may we all be instruments in your divine hands