Practicing Love in Our Daily Actions
When I told a fellow devotee that I was preparing to give a talk on love at an upcoming Sathya Sai Baba meeting, she shared the following experience with me. It happened at Baba’s Prasanthi Nilayam ashram a few years ago.
My friend (we’ll call her Ann) went to Puttaparthi with a group that included a devotee in a wheelchair. Ann had agreed to help the disabled woman (we’ll call her Rita) throughout the trip. This, in itself, seemed to me a loving and compassionate sacrifice.
The flight to India was strenuous, but the group arrived at Swami’s abode of supreme peace in good shape with loving anticipation of seeing our Lord. The first few days were hectic, testing the patience of both Ann and Rita. Rita felt frustrated because at home she had learned to be quite independent and self-sufficient despite her wheelchair, but at Prashanti Nilayam she was completely dependent on Ann. Ann tried her best to be helpful and patient, but she wasn’t used to taking care of a disabled person and she was simply unaware of the many little details that could make life so much easier for Rita. For example, when pushing a person in a wheelchair, the pusher must alert him or her. If the pusher stops suddenly without warning, the passenger pitches forward. The reverse happens when the wheelchair starts up again, jolting the passenger backward.
After several days, many such small annoyances had created tension between the two women. Finally, they had a talk. Clearly, Rita needed Ann and Ann felt obligated to finish her commitment. Once the air was cleared, Ann was determined to do a better job. The following morning on the way to darshan (sight of a holy person), Ann remembered to say, “I’m going to stop now to take off my shoes,” something she would not have thought to do before.
Ann felt good about her improvement, but almost immediately she heard a voice inside that clearly was not her regular voice. It said, “It means nothing if it is not done with love.” That moment was a turning point for Ann. She resolved that from then on she would always see Swami in the wheelchair; from that moment on, all her thoughts and actions would be for Him. Immediately, the days became easier. At the end of the trip, a devotee even asked Ann how she could have been so patient, caring, and attentive during such a long and difficult task. Her answer was simple: “Swami’s love made it possible.”
When we let go of our egos and attachments, Swami’s message is simple, pure and rewarding. Why, then, is it so hard for us to let go? I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude to these two devotees,who so beautifully demonstrated love in action in their daily lives.
~Diana Wenman
San Diego, California, USA
