His Presence is The Presence…The Presence that the entire creation is indebted to…The Presence that is the source of our life and sustenance…The Presence that is the Final Destination of everything…Students are the special lot, special pick, who were given the boon to draw the best out of His physical presence…and when they let out the whiff of 'His Presence' to the world, it spreads around engulfing everyone with the Fragrance Of His Love…His Light…Read on 'The Presence' by Dr. Sunam Gyamtso Tenzin, who was conferred with a PhD in esoteric Buddhism from SSSIHL after completing his pre-university, undergraduation and Master's in Bhagawan's Institutions. "How did you know about Swami?" is perhaps one of the oft repeated questions that a devotee is asked. This has a few other variants such as "How did Swami come into your life?" (Of course a wrong question because He never came from elsewhere, He was always there); or "How or why did you become His devotee?" (Of which most of us are ignorant since the answer would be as abstract as "Why did He pick me?") One can be certain that of the teeming millions that throng the hallowed grounds of Prasanthi Nilayam, each individual has diverse and unique experiences to narrate about the way in which he or she was brought into His Divine Fold. It is astounding to note this variety and diversity of experiences created by Bhagawan, emblematic of the adage – Ekoham Bahusyam.
Despite these varied entry points, what inevitably follows the first initiation is the phenomenon of transformation. Whoever is thus brought in His Presence and proximity, begins to drift away from his age-old egocentric moorings to the yonder regions of selflessness and love. A Sai Sadhak recently made this admission in a radio interview – "The first change was in the tone and tenor of my speech. My once caustic tongue suddenly took a mellow turn. I could no longer be mordant and abusive in my newly acquired tone." What happens thereafter in this joyride of individual transformation is something that cannot be described in words. It has to be experienced first and then understood.
In many cases such understanding dawns much later in life when one reviews the past sequence of experiences in retrospect and then realizes that the difficult times that had been then ascribed to Bhagawan's 'wrath' or 'wanton negligence' were but shadows cast by His Hands lifted to save and liberate. Another savant put it in a cruder but matter-of-fact way – "All of us devotees in varying measures are but transformed rogues." It is only to guide ignorant humankind along the pathway of righteousness that God has taken a tangible form and name SAI – the confluence of Service or Karma, Adoration or Bhakti and Illumination or Jnana. Transcending His Name and Form, SAI is the universal abstraction that embodies the way and the goal, Transformation and the Transcendental Awareness of His Presence.
I am presenting here a select repertoire of real-life experiences that veer round the phenomenon of Transformation. The objective of these narratives is definitely not to present another thesis on His miracles, which He often describes as His 'visiting cards'. Miracles happen every moment in and around us. We only need 'the eyes to see and ears to hear them'. The purpose is to juxtapose these with the phenomenon of transformation – the evolution of a devotee's life through these miracles. We are all living testimonies of His 'Miracle of Transformation'. But how do we know that we are transformed or undergoing the process? Well, the external symptoms are a change in one's attitude towards others, feeling the inner pricks of one's conscience and being able to heed those pricks, being aware of the need to be free from vices and addictions, discovering a new fillip to sing His Glory and help other fellow beings in a spirit of selfless love and compassion. The inner experience is a sublime and profound state of 'being in charge' again, of being pure and immaculate, of being closer to one's own identity, of feeling His omnipresence or living all the time in His Presence.
I had a rare experience as a student in Brindavan. A number of students perhaps inspired by the array of Swami's cars, had got the impression that Bhagawan was fond of new cars. At one time Swami sent off a small team of four senior students-turned lecturers to Singapore to receive and bring a new Mercedes Car that a devotee had offered to Swami. All four of them were given identical suits and hats and even a set of travel gear with strict instructions to receive the car and return home. From the moment they set sail for Singapore, Swami would spend a good part of the evening Bungalow (now Trayee) Session giving running commentaries on the movements of His four stalwarts.
One evening, a flushed and excited looking Swami suddenly declared – "My boys will come today". For the votaries of the Swami's-fondness-for-cars theory, this appeared to be the absolute confirmation of their belief. Despite a prolonged evening session, the expected harbingers didn't arrive and Swami after remarking – "Kya Kar Sakta Hai" (What can be done?) took Aarthi and retired upstairs. This happened the next evening too. On the ensuing day, Swami 'predicted' that the foursome would not come...continue reading 
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