Carols in the Rain
During darshan at Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram, throngs of people sit in lines and wait for Him to appear. There is complete silence as He walks by, talking to someone here, taking letters there, blessing everyone all the time. He says, “Always find a quiet corner after my darshan, where you may enter the stillness and receive the completion of My blessings. My energy goes from me as I pass you. If you proceed to talk immediately, the precious energy is dissipated and returns to me unused. Rest assured that whatever My eyes see becomes vitalized and transmuted. You are being changed day by day. Never underestimate what is being accomplished by this act of darshan. My walking among you is a gift, yearned for by the gods of highest heaven. Be grateful. These blessings you receive will express themselves in their perfect time. But, also remember that to whom much is given, from him much will be demanded.”
The most touching darshan [seeing and experiencing the presence of a holy person] I have ever witnessed took place Christmas Eve, in the late afternoon. Thousands of devotees from all over the world had gathered to spend Christmas with Bhagavan Baba. The weather had been threatening rain all day, and by darshan time there was steady drizzle.
I gazed across the darshan line and saw a sea of people sitting in the rain. There was absolute silence; no one stirred. They all sat, soaking in the rain, as water dripped from their heads to their faces. Each one was determined to have Swami’s darshan.
Their love seemed to touch the heart of Swami. He came out on the verandah, looking at all these apparently “god-crazy” people sitting in the rain. Bhagavan moved from beneath the sheltered verandah, walking ever so slowly in the rain, giving us darshan, and letting us know by His action that He is always experiencing every thing in life with us. Not once but twice He walked past—showing us that for each deed we do for Him, He blesses us twice.
The wet crowd all dispersed after darshan and reappeared in clean clothing for devotional singing. In the interval the rain had stopped. The Overseas Devotees’ Christmas Choir sat in front of the mandir [temple] prepared to sing carols during the allotted singing time. All the overseas devotees sat together next to the choir. Swami filled the verandah with all the boy students and placed His red chair amongst the children, at the western edge of the verandah facing the choir.
It began to rain. The more it rained, the stronger the voice of the choir. It was determined to go on with the program. Swami swayed and tapped with His hands to the rhythm of the songs. He seemed to enjoy us all sitting in the rain at His Divine lotus feet.
When the choir finished its program, Swami signaled us to continue by singing bhajans [devotional songs]. After arati one person said, “We have had a complete baptism!”
In between darshan and bhajans my eyes fell on this quote of His: “When I sprinkle your face with rain and wash the earth, the first smell of clean rain, I am cleansing you—think of me!”
~R. B.
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, January 1988
