Pilgrimage to Prashanti Nilayam

Following are the reflections of Rajen I Ghayal’s pilgrimage trip to Puttaparthi in 2010. He went with the USA Sai Pilgrimage Group II and has some wonderful experiences.

When the dates for the two USA Sai Pilgrimage groups (Group I – June 23 to July 2, 2010 and Group II – July 5 to July 14, 2010) were announced, with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s blessings and grace, I registered my wife’s and my name on the www.saipilgrimageusa.org website. However, due to family reasons my wife could not join Group II as I originally planned. I went with the group and then decided to stay on in Prasanthi Nilayam till the end of July.

Preparations for the journey

In preparation for the pilgrimage, the Sri Sathya Sai Organization of USA planned and implemented a spiritual program to deepen our practice and understanding of Swami’s teachings, enjoy His Divine darshan [sight of a holy person], and increase awareness to realize Him within and around us all the time, and everywhere.

Sai devotees, children, young adults, and adults from different parts of USA undertook the devotional, educational, and service-related spiritual preparations as an offering to our beloved Swami in His physical presence. Everyone strived to follow the suggested activities with intense devotion, and made a commitment to be a disciplined united group with a focus on unity of thought, word, and deed. All were looking forward to His Divine darshan and love.

The pilgrims implemented 3 steps for their spiritual practices:

1. Understanding the spiritual principles of an ideal life according to Sai,
2. Putting one or more teachings into practice,
3. Sharing experiences and ideas for the spiritual practice on the pilgrimage website.

Divine darshans

After the USA devotees registered and settled in Prasanthi Nilayam, I vividly remember that everyday from July 5 to July 14, we formed lines in designated groups in front of the North buildings of the ashram. Twice a day, at about 7 am and 3 pm, we would walk in an exemplary manner to the Sai Kulwant Hall and be seated in the area designated for the USA group.

While listening to the vibrant spiritual Vedic chants with lilting lyrics or the melodious uplifting devotional bhajans, the devotees awaited Bhagavan Baba’s arrival into the Sai Kulwant Hall and yearned for the Divine darshan.

Invariably, at His own auspicious time, Swami would enter giving beautiful darshan to devotees, taking letters, conversing, materializing vibhuti [sacred ash] and making the devotees happy.

We absorbed the energizing uplifting darshans and offered our respects reverently with palms folded. It was a delectable sacred visual treat to watch our beloved Sai as He came toward us or went away from us “floating” on the pathway and blessing the concourse of devotees with His special brand of pure selfless love and compassion. We were elated when He gave us deep intense looks.

Highlights of the trip

Besides basking in the glory of blissful Divine darshans and participating in the devotional activities in the ashram, some of the highlights of the pilgrimage were as follows:

Devotion-related activities:

• Choir and orchestra presentation by the USA group;
• Special bhajans by the USA group sung in His Divine presence;
• Sai showering His grace on a lady singer by materializing a gold chain for her;
• Enlightening talks by Professor Anil Kumar and other speakers;
• Line leaders, regional and national officers, planning and leading the groups with impeccable discipline.

SSE-related activities of students, teachers, parents, & volunteers:

• A musical dance drama entitled All Our Relations presented by the SSE children;
• Swami’s blessings and padanamaskar [touching the feet in reverence] to the participating children;
• Training and mentoring SSE children for practice sessions;
• Helping with the props, costumes, stage setup, etc.

Seva [service]-related activities:

• Transporting and preparing 3 sari sets for 1600 devotees;
• Transporting the elderly and the physically-challenged by wheelchair to Sai Kulwant Hall;
• Helping with cutting vegetables, washing utensils and cleanup after meals in the Western canteen;
• Participating in blood donation drives in the Super-specialty Hospital;
• Medical seva for the devotees;
• Narayana seva [feeding the poor] at the Super-specialty Hospital;
• Ladoo [sweet] seva (devotees wrapped 10,000 pieces of bundi ladoos which were distributed after the performances by the USA groups each day);
• Clean up seva (every morning USA devotees picked up trash in the area in front of the North Overseas buildings and the North Indian canteen).

For all these endeavors, we were rewarded in abundance with Sai’s love, blessings, and grace. Swami blessed the devotees and the leaders with padanamaskar, intense powerful glances, energizing darshans, prasadam, vibhuti, and light hearted conversations thus re-charging our batteries. When letters were offered to Him, He would personally take them or signal His seva dal assistants to take them. He paid special attention to the USA group and on many occasions He blessed us by raising both His hands.

It was an extremely gratifying and blissful sight to see the USA group leaders offering a rose or aarti [waving the flame] to Swami. It was a feast for our yearning eyes to see our beloved Sai. He in turn poured His nectarine love on us.

We were advised by the senior devotees that after the close range darshans of Swami and uplifting eye to eye contacts, we should isolate ourselves in a secluded spot or our rooms in order to absorb the energizing sacred vibrations. To that effect, many devotees decided not to engage in conversations with fellow pilgrims after the darshans.

Seva in spiritual heaven

Although I was enraptured in the splendor and bliss of heaven with perfect happiness, my heart was primarily set on doing selfless service in Prasanthi Nilayam.

With His grace, I was able to help out with the Group II registration, accommodation, and information desk for about 2 weeks. The service schedule was from 6 am to 9 pm including the morning and evening darshan times. In fact, I was very happy and content to do this seva. Although it was an intense seva requiring many sacrifices, it was very uplifting and gratifying.

After the USA pilgrimage time was over, I got a very good seat for darshan in front of the mandir [temple]. I had Swami’s darshan at close range and watched Him preside over the Maha Yagna (a ritual offering sacred oblations to fire) being coordinated by the Sri Alwarula Bhakti Samrajya group and many priests. The Mahotsavam (festival) was held from July 14 to July 18 in an atmosphere of pure love, intense devotion, and total surrender to Swami in the form of Lord Vishnu.

Members of the Alwar group are followers of the Alwars who were the Tamil poet-saints of ancient Dravidian culture. They lived between the sixth and the ninth centuries in South India, and were exclusively devoted to Lord Vishnu composing songs of love and surrender to the Lord.

Medical Camp at the ashram

Next, I helped out with the medical camp held in the North 4 building inside the ashram and coordinated by the International Medical Camp group consisting of doctors and non-medical volunteers from USA.

On Sunday, July 18, we set up four examination rooms, one room for pharmacy, a room for the Sai altar, and one for general use. Dr. Narendra Reddy formally inaugurated the International Medical Camp on Monday. For the entire week, more than 2,400 patients with a variety of ailments were registered, examined, diagnosed, treated, prescribed medicines, or referred to the Super-Specialty Hospital.

The medical camp duty started from 7 am to 8:30 pm every day. Due to the flow and volume of the patients, we had to miss the morning and evening darshans. We ensured there was adequate coverage for our duties during meals and short breaks. Everyone worked very hard with a spirit of compassion, kindness, and camaraderie. Although we were very busy it was an uplifting and satisfying seva.

Powerful darshan after the camp

On the final day, July 26, after the medical camp had concluded, all the medical supplies were packed in their respective boxes and the furniture was stored in their respective storage rooms. The tent area in front of the North 4 building and the rooms we had used were cleared and cleaned. As it was well past darshan time, we decided to go to our rooms, freshen up, and go for lunch. However, we could hear the devotional music being played on the public address system. We realized that Swami was still giving darshan. Just like deer running for their lives, a few of us ran toward the Sai Kulwant Hall. With the help of a volunteer, we got inside the Hall quietly and got seats on the right side of where Swami was sitting. We saw our beloved Bhagavan seated on a chair on the mandir platform. He was scanning the panoramic conglomeration of the devotees.

All of a sudden, He looked at our side with a deep long penetrating long look as if He was waiting for us. What a captivating beautiful sight of His majestic Divine form. He looked forward again and then signaled to the priest for aarti! We folded our palms and thanked Him in our hearts for the most magnificent and energizing darshan. It became one of the most memorable moment of my life. Our Lord waited for us so that our spiritual thirst could be quenched with His intense darshan.

Message for me

One incident touched me the most in this trip. While I was helping at the registration desk, a devotee walked into the office and handed me a soiled letter that he had found on the path. It seemed that the letter was written by a 7 or 8 year old child to Sathya Sai Baba praying for Divine help for the victims of natural disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti, hurricane Katrina, and the Indonesian tsunami. The simple but heartfelt request to Swami was to stop the catastrophes happening in this world.

I was very motivated to give this letter to our beloved Sai. Quickly, I folded the letter, tucked it in an envelope, sealed and addressed it to Sai Baba. By His grace, the letter was given to Swami with a bunch of other letters from USA Group II.

The genuine sincere selfless prayer in the letter touched me deeply. I was humbled but inspired. It taught me to make sacrifices and be full of compassion and motivated me to pray for peace, harmony, prosperity and the well being of others in the world.

Conclusion

Overall, this pilgrimage to Sai made me more humble, tolerant, patient, and compassionate, and fostered the attitude that everything happens according to His Divine will and for our good. Especially now that He is no longer in His physical form, this journey to Him is permanently etched in my memory.

With the diverse seva activities, the group discipline in the darshan lines, and with His compassion, my ego was chopped, sliced, diced, and minced. I realized that He took care of everything and all living beings; He was the ultimate doer and we are just His instruments. Above all, His grace and blessings energized and empowered me with pure selfless love and kindness for everyone.
The pilgrimage intensified my devotion to our beloved Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. I became very aware and alert of His presence around me, within me, and in others.  While doing seva for the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts on the shores of New Jersey, I felt connected with the victims, felt their pain, prayed for them, did by my best to help them in whatever way I could to relieve their pain and suffering.

I thank You Swami for this spiritual pilgrimage. I love You.

Samasta Loka Sukhino Bhavantu.
(May all the worlds be happy and prosperous.)

~Rajen I Ghayal
Jackson, New Jersey, USA