inaugural darshan - Happy New Year2008, Prasanthi Mandir vernada is A New year prasadam box was handed out to all present inside the Sai Kulwant hall, the contents of the box: a 2008 Sai Baba calendar, Vibhuti packet, a Indian sweet & cashew
Below more details 26th-28th Dec 2007 from Sait Students...
December 28th, 2007 - Today Swami had set aside the evening for a very dear devotee of His - Sri Gopal Rao - who had turned hundred yesterday. Swami had blessed him yesterday but He did not seem satisfied with that. He came and took a full round of darshan and then alighted near the interview room. Taking a round around the portico, He came out on the stage and very soon asked that Gopal Rao too be brought on stage. Sri. Gopal Rao was wheeled on to the stage. Swami then called Prof.G.Venkatraman and
asiigned to him the pleasant task of speaking in felicitation of Gopal Rao.
The professor deemed it as a special privilege to speak on this occasion. He spoke of how Gopal Rao's life had been saturated with faith and Love for Swami. He had been cured of a cancer of the urinary bladder in 1960s simply by the force of a word from Swami. And now, in 2007, he was very fine and healthy. It was his steadfast faith in Swami's word that made him stand firm during the Andhra Bank strike during which he was thoroughly tested. from the age of eighty till late nineties, he served water for devotees in the canteen. The professor's talk was very well appreciated and naturally so for it was the description of a most loved and respected centurion. In the speech he also made public a revelation that Swami made, "As per the scriptures, Sri Gopal Rao is not 100 but 105 actually!"
As he concluded, Swami asked Gopal Rao to speak. A mike was placed before the centurion and the mike volumes must have been turned very high in anticipation of a feeble voice. Sri Gopal Rao boomed forth and his voice was surprisingly clear and loud considering his age. He started with a very recent anecdote. His eyes and ears were weakening and the doctors had prescribed operations. Swami came to him and told him,"Gopal Rao, you have seen enough, you have heard enough. No need of any operation now!" He then narrated of how he first came to Swami as a proposed translator and then was saved the blushes when Bhurugulu Ramakrishna Rao stepped in right in time. He expressed his deep sense of love and gratitude to Swami and also to RadioSai for giving him Swami throughout the day. He spoke for about 40 minutes and everyone listened with rapt attention as words of wisdom poured forth.
"Swami has kept telling that we are all God. All the problems are only because we do not seem to listen how many ever times He tells. I try to follow that and it is so elevating."
With that statement, he offered himself to Swami. Swami got Gopal Rao publicly garlanded by Sri Chakravarthi and there was a thunderous applause. Then Swami came to him and put a shawl to felicitate him. Both of them had an intimate conversation. Gopal Rao told Swami that he had seen all in his life and that He was ready. He had no desires left. He said that the whole day, he could not step into his house for so many came to see him. It was all Swami's love and grace he said. Swami got up and posed for photographs with him and blessed him so many times by placing His hands on his head. Swami was smiling so sweetly and Gopal Rao chose to speak through his eyes which were now shedding drops of Love.
God's love is so overwhelming and overpowering. None can resist its flow and grandeur. Swami gives up Himself completely to anyone who has said from the depths of his heart, "Lord, I am yours. I Love you." It was so touching to see Swami blessing and showering His Love on a dear devotee. After that was done, the time was around 6:40pm. Swami had prasadam distributed and then sat in a joyous pose as Aarthi was performed. Then He retired for the evening.
December 27th, 2007 - Today Swami had permitted a group of devotees from USA to put up a programme on Christmas. The stage was set in a very cozy manner. It was a small backdrop and the devotees - on both the gents and ladies side sat close forming the borders of a stage to put up the play. Swami came out for darshan and saw the backdrop as He went on His rounds. Then as He came out of the car, He went straight to Sri Gopal Rao who was celebrating his 100th birthday today. Swami blessed him and showered him with akshatha grains. Then He came out and sat for the programme.
The first part of the programme was a musical Christmas Play in One act taken from the Gospels of Luke, Matthew and Mark. It was entitled "The Boy Jesus." The play takes place in the day of the rule of Herod. Archangel Gabriel informs Mary that she was chosen to bear Jesus. Joseph and Mary wander about in search of an inn and finally come to a shed where Jesus is born. It is then that, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar from Mesopotamia, Persia and Ethiopia reach the babe following a star and gift gold, frankincense and myrrh. Jesus grows into boyhood and impresses and inspires everyone with wisdom far beyond his age. Jesus reminds all that the kingdom of God is within one and all. The whole skit was interspersed with carols - Silent Night, O Little town of Bethlehem, We three kings of Orient, etc. The final song was Joy to the world and the children came front and sang out the final portions.
Swami called the boy who acted as Jesus and spoke for a while with him asking his name, place etc. Then He materialized a chain for him. Swami took some time for opening the link to put the chain around his neck. The boy told Swami, "Swami please do not trouble yourself." Swami smiled and Himself put the chain around his neck. Then the second part of the programme began. It was a musical program by the "Sathya Sai Singers of Southern California and Hawaii." For the next 40 minutes or so, they sang out wonderfully to the Lord. All the songs were with beautiful meaning and all directed towards Swami. After they concluded, Swami went into the interview room and came out with sarees and white cloth pieces. He gave gold coin chocolates to the kids who had performed in the drama and the clothes to the gents and ladies. After that, He blessed them all and receiving Aarthi, retired for the day.
December 26th, 2007 - Today everyone were eagerly awaiting Bhagawan's arrival as yesterday He had promised to speak today. Swami came and took His usual rounds and then came on stage. He first asked the Telugu professor, Sri. Veerabhadriah to speak. He was taken aback and we can sympathize with him for on a Christmas Day when the majority of the people are non-Telugu speaking no one would expect Swami to ask a Telugu professor to speak. But thats the nature of Love. It knows no reason or season and that is exactly how the Professor began his speech - with wonder at Swami's spontaneous Love. He spoke for about 15 minutes on the inner significance of the Cross as propounded by Swami. Then he concluded.
With a smile on His face, Swami rose to speak. There was a thrilled applause. He refused to use the discourse table. He stood up holiding the railings and then began to speak. Given below is a summary:
"One with anger is the one who commits sin repeatedly. God is Love and Love is God. All the problems, differences and conflicts that you see today are due to the absence of love. They are all due our imagination alone. There is nothing actually like difficulties or restlessness (Ashanti). There is peace everywhere. So I don't understand why you complain that there is no peace. When the heart is peaceful, everything around is peaceful. That is because everything is reaction, reflection and resound. And we get carried away by our imagination. Even our names are not true. Boy there! Whats your name?
(The boy answers - VIKAS)
This boy answers as Vikas and everyone seated here will respond in a similar manner. But if God is asked what is His name, He will answer, "Aham Brahmaasmi" (literally translated as I am god) That should be our response too. That is our name. And that is possible only if one has Love.
But we do not understand Love. We think it is physical or worldly. You are not one person but three. The one you think you are, the one others think you are and the one you truly are. What you and others think is only imagination. Who is your true self? It is the "I". This I is common to all. The Christian have the cross. How is it formed? Take the false I and cross it. Kill the ego to get the true I. All those who are born of Karma must realise, "Aham Brahmasmi". Then alone can you experience the Truth. Till then keep any names that you want. You are not born with the name. Parents have named you thus. Thats why when they are asked, "What is the child's name?" they sometimes answer, "We have not yet kept a name!" The name is only for identification.
There are so many people in this world. But there is not even one who says, "I am God." We just carry on this life with given names. Remember, your name at birth is Brahma (God). It is the principle of 'I'ness. It is not anyone else's creation but your own. Your own will. See here. I will and...(waving His hands, materializes a chain and puts it over the mike for all to see) Creation always has two aspects - Truth and Illusion(Maya). If there is no illusion, there will be no creation. But still, Maya is only a shadow and there can be no journey without a shadow. At the time of sunrise the shadow is 20 feet long but by midday, it is absent, under one's feet!
Love is the basis of Faith. None seem to know the origin of Love. The L in Love stands for Lord. Everything has come from God and to God it will return.Even a blade of grass cannot move without God's will. People may argue, debate etc. but is there anyone who knows the end fate. Without God there is no creation. The sprouts come up because of the rain. The rain is due to the clouds and the clouds are created because of the sun. The sun is the creation of God. Without God, nothing is possible. We forget God and remember everything else. If you forget God, you forget everything. Without the foundation the wall and roof cannot exist and there can be no life. Self confidence is the foundation. Self satisfaction the walls. Self sacrifice is the roof and life is one of Self realization.
Jesus was the son of the carpenter Joseph. Joseph stayed with a girl Mary who was pregnant. It was a kind of election time then. So they had to move from village to village. Those days there was no car, cycle or rickshaw. They used only a donkey. All the rooms were full then and they came to a donkey shed. In the corner in a manger, the baby was born. Joseph thought that it was because of the strain of the journey that Mary delivered early. Those days, the methods of calculation had not been developed. Exactly nine months had been completed. The parents brought leaves and hay and put an old cloth over it to comfort the baby. The child then was fed by the mother and began to grow.
Once there was a function in Jerusalem. The lad Jesus was lost in the crowd there. The parents hunted from morning to night but could not locate Jesus. As they wept and were about to go to bed, there was a knock on the door. Jesus came and said, "Mother I did not go anywhere. I was with the priests and learned men." The mother was very happy hearing this.
Jesus knew that the Truth lay in Him and that everything else was false. He roamed the mountains. When He came down to the river, he met the boatmen and Peter. There were some people knitting nets. They said, "Yesterday, we got no fish." Jesus worked His first miracle. He said,"Go over there. You will reap a rich harvest." He later distributed bread to all. Everyone hailed Him for the miracles. "Jesus is our Guru." they said. The followers grew and so did the enemies. Wherever there are friends, there are bound to be enemies. Jesus said that all were divine. "Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavathi" - (One who knows God becomes God) When He was asked, "What is your name?"
"Jesus"
"Who named you?"
"I myself"
"Who are you?"
"I am God."
He was taken for crucifixion. He did not try to argue or explain as He knew that it would all be vain. When His mother cried at the cross, He said, "Oh Mary! The body is a water bubble. Why do you weep for it? None can kill or destroy me. I am the only one. All are sparks of my Divinity."
Jesus is not a mere mortal. He is totally divine. But some of the people had no faith. The same thing is happening today also. It is the faith that protects. Hold a stone and call it God, it will respond. Jesus was one who was very good. He gave food clothing and shelter to all. He said, "All come from me and from my will" Remember that everything is the will of God. People with faith will be protected. Faith is the foremost. People today have been blinded because they have lost the eyes of faith. Faith and Love alone are the cause of all creation. They are like the positive and negative ends of a circuit. Grow in love and trust.
Many foreigners have faith but they lack Love. Faith is useless without Love. When Jesus was questioned in the court he said, "Go ahead! It is only my body. I can do as I will." Everyone must have the Masterfaith. The rest is useless. You can achieve anything with it. So students,develop faith. Without faith, there is no life. Without faith there is no self. Even today, those with faith in Jesus have progressed. Whether your desires are fulfilled or not, keep your faith. Faith can make the blind see and the dumb speak. Never doubt. Somethings just keep happening in this world. People thought that Jesus was ordinary man. Likewise, many think that Swami is an ordinary man. That is a big mistake. It is all the fault in your sight(Drishti).There is no mistake in Swami. It is all the disease in your eyes. If you are good and happy, Swami will be happy. Swami's happiness is in all of you.
You are all in me. I am yours and you are mine. Do not consider me separate. This is the fundamental Truth. You are all instruments. Grow in faith and Swami will make you instruments. It is only the spiritual life that protects. If that lacks, it is only emptiness. Fill your hearts with devotion. God is in you, above you, below you, with you and around you. If you have to be ripe fruits, you must have the sweet juice of devotion within. Any name you give God, have faith in it. Jewels are many but gold is one. Never lose the gold. No jewels without gold. Grow in Love.
Students, you are here not for studies but for learning from Swami. If you have this, you will be successful everywhere."
Hari Bhajan Bina.....
After the discourse, Swami called the boy Vikas up in the front and put the chain the chain that was resting on the mike, to his neck. After that, Swami had prasadam distributed and then received Aarthi and left.
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