I am I
Dr. Ronne Marantz spoke to the devotees at the Manhattan Center, NY. She is an old devotee of Bhagavan Baba and is presently a member of the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) Advisory Board in the United States, and the Sathya Sai World Foundation Education Committee.
Soon after I came to know of Swami I began to visit the Manhattan Sai Center. I would sit in the back of the room enjoying the devotional singing and various other activities. It was a respite from the seeming chaos of my worldly life, and I would go home with peace in my heart. That was thirty years ago; yet, truly speaking, there is no time, nor space, and the story we tell of ourselves is at the same time relatively real, and, unreal. I point this out because at the recent Youth Conference in Prasanthi Nilayam, Swami began a talk by saying, “I am not this Sathya Sai Baba. I am I—Aham Brahmasmi. When you meet someone do not begin by giving them your name; say, ‘I am I’.” Swami’s message is both dual (dvaita) and non-dual (advaita).
There is always something for everyone, wherever we may be on our spiritual journey from ‘i’ to ‘I’. He emphasizes that we are One, which is not always easy to experience. I have found that the perspective from our vantage point on the journey is often the source of the appearance of duality, of difference, and the nature of the appearance of ‘differences’ generates from thoughts, thoughts that are essentially mere opinion.
About sixteen years ago I began reflecting on the nature of attachment to our opinions, and how differences of opinion can be a source of conflict. According to Buddhist thought, the last attachment which must fall away is our attachment to our opinions. In keeping with Swami’s teachings to W.A.T.C.H—watch our words, thoughts, actions, character, and heart—I have been watching my thoughts, with respect to their nature as ‘opinion.’ I have watched them not only in my capacity as a parent, friend, sister, mother, teacher, and school principal, but also as an educator who has to work harmoniously with others around the world in the Sathya Sai Education movement. As a member of the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) Advisory Board in the United States, and the Sathya Sai World Foundation Education Committee, one of my primary tasks is to share my view, my opinions. One aspect of my sadhana [spiritual effort] has been to learn to limit my opinions to those that are essential, not to be critical of others and their opinions, or attached to mine. This process has become more and more liberating.
Once, in an interview, Swami said to me, “Think all the time ‘I am God, I am God.” I began to put that into practice. At first it was rote and felt awkward, because my consciousness was not immersed in the non-dual nature of existence. Nevertheless, I persisted, and in time I came to know these words as self-evident truth—not mere opinion.
Thinking again of my early days at the Sai Center in Manhattan, Faith Hollander was then the President of the center. As it happened, she was staying in India for some time, and the center decided it needed an active president to replace her. I was selected. Soon after that I went to PN for a short visit. During that visit Faith was called in for an interview, during which Swami told her to continue to be the President of the Sai Center! My first reaction was confusion and hurt, but after some time, examining my thoughts, and their attendant emotions, I decided that I had no way of knowing if any of my thoughts about why Swami had done this, were true. So, I finally decided that, “He must have something different planned for me.” At that time, watching my thoughts and stilling my emotions did not come easily, so the grace in this incident was being given the opportunity to practice watching my thoughts and maintain my equanimity. A short time after I returned home from that visit I was indeed reassigned by the One who is “taking care of everything”—and was given the task of being the first national coordinator of education for the USA.
For me, everything in life is Sathya Sai Education—an education in human values. The common philosophy of both SSEHV and SSE (Sai Spiritual Education, Bal Vikas in India) is ‘Sathya Sai Educare’, drawing out the human values in all aspects of the personality and life circumstances. And whether you are leading a devotional song or facilitating a study circle, you too are engaged in Sathya Sai Education. The pedagogy: stories, songs, prayer or thought for the day, silent sitting, and activities, may take place in a formal educational setting, or a community venue; but if you think about it, these teaching techniques are included in the life of a Sai Center—everything that takes place at a Sai Center is also, an education in human values.
The SSEHV Foundation of the USA, soon to be reconstituted as the Institute of Sathya Sai Education (ISSE), USA, was founded in 1983. A frequent question is, “What is the difference between a Sathya Sai School and an Institute of Sathya Sai Education?” A Sathya Sai School provides a formal and government accredited educational program to students from kindergarten through high school (where possible). An ISSE is the structure through which oversight and accreditation of Sathya Sai Schools takes place, provides training and Diploma Courses for those who want to be involved in SSEHV programs, provides resources, overseas SSEHV programs, and conducts research projects.
Many devotees wonder why we do not yet have a Sathya Sai School in the USA. I see that there are two reasons for this. The most important and long-standing is that Dr. Goldstein has, on numerous occasions, asked Swami if a Sathya Sai School could be started in the USA, and He continues to respond, “Wait, wait.” Another, more recent, and most revealing in its profound significance, was a statement in one of His talks during the Education Conference, to the effect that we should not think of this Sathya Sai School or that one, in one country or another, as specific to that country. All Sathya Sai Schools, wherever they may be, belong to everyone. For me, this statement underscores, as Swami does again and again, that we are One.
There are many ongoing community SSEHV programs in the USA, in schools, recreational facilities, and a few in prisons. A key factor in bringing a SSEHV program to the public, in any venue, is to use the full name: Sathya Sai Education in human values. It may appear expedient to remove the name, Sathya Sai, if it is viewed as an obstacle, but Swami has said, from the very beginning, “If they do not want the name, do not go there.” There are now many other programs, the aim of which is to develop character, in schools throughout the USA, but they lack understanding of the full development of character, of excellence in all domains of human development: physical, social/emotional, intellectual, moral, and spiritual. Naturally, it is the ‘spiritual’ element that is most challenging to secular education and minds. Yet Swami has made it clear that true education must be both worldly and spiritual. Worldly education provides information and knowledge about the world, while spiritual education nurtures the goodness and divinity within. The philosophy of Sathya Sai Educare states that divinity is love, and love is the undercurrent of the five human values.
The summer of 2007 saw the fruition of forty years of Sathya Sai Education resulting in the World Conference on Sathya Sai Education and the 40th anniversary celebration of Bal Vikas (called Sai Spiritual Education outside of India) that was organized by the Sri Sathya Sai World Foundation (SSSWF). The SSSWF has four sub-committees: cultural, health, education, and publishing. The Education Committee has been charged with the task of bringing “authenticity and accountability” to the various Sathya Sai Education programs in all countries outside of India: SSEHV in the Community and Partnership Schools, Sai Spiritual Education (SSE), Sathya Sai Schools, and Institutes of Sathya Sai Education (ISSE). The first two tasks of the committee were: To compile and publish the Global Overview of Sathya Sai Education, and to draft guidelines for Sathya Sai Schools and Institutes, and a Sathya Sai Education core curriculum. These have been disseminated and are under revision. The world conference on Sathya Sai Education was preceded by national conferences in eighty-four locations around the world. Delegates come to Prasanthi to receive direct guidance from our beloved Bhagavan, and to deliberate on future directions.
Swami inaugurated the conference with a talk that focused on the very basis of Sathya Sai Education and its philosophy of ‘Educare’, speaking of the importance of ‘drawing out’ the intrinsic human values of truth, right conduct, peace, love, and nonviolence, and the essential role of the teacher as exemplar. One of the main features of the conference was an exhibit on Sathya Sai Education around the world, which was set up in the Poornachandra Hall. This huge hall, which can seat more than 20,000 people, was given a total overhaul, complete with red carpet, pavilions on all aspects of the history and activity of Sathya Sai Education around the world, with floor to ceiling photo exhibits, video screens, and a centrally located kiosk dedicated to the source of spiritual education, our Beloved Sathya Sai Baba. After days of preparation and waiting, Swami came to inaugurate the Exhibit, proceeding, lovingly, to each pavilion, where a few greeters would be waiting with an explanation of what He was about to see. I was assigned to the last pavilion, an exhibit of the 84 conferences that had preceded this one. We each had a few minutes to say what was needed about our section, but in my heart of hearts I wanted only to kneel at His feet, and say, “Beloved Bhagavan.” And this is exactly what occurred. All my devotion, gratitude, and love were placed at His Feet. “Very happy, very happy,” He whispered, moving on before I could say another word.
For some time I was the principal of a public elementary school in Scarsdale, N.Y. As the principal I had the latitude to introduce SSEHV. A committee of parents, teachers, and I chose an annual human value theme that would be brought into the curriculum, co-curricular activities, and school projects. I went into the classes to do a full direct lesson on various aspects of that value three times a year, after that the classroom teachers would bring it into the life of the classroom through the indirect method. Holiday celebrations, parent activities, and various school clubs and committees would also ensure that that value found a place the projects. During the nine years that I was there the human values we chose for each year were: peace, harmony, interdependence, unity, happiness, nonviolence, tolerance, love, and dharma. I also sought every opportunity to bring the word ‘love’, into the classrooms, faculty, and PTA meetings, often emphasizing the message that we are One. As a result of the emphasis on human values, the environment of the school was gradually transformed. Visitors would almost invariably mention the warmth and happiness that permeated the school. I have been retired for three years. On a visit to the school last year I was informed that ex-students of the school, now in high school, had printed all these human values on their annual sports-day t-shirts!
There is one final story I would like to share, as it brings more light to the importance of the ultimate message of Sathya Sai Education, “I am I.” It took place during the summer of 1982. After being there for some time, my brother-in-law, a cousin of mine and his son, and a friend and his son, arrived. They were a party of five and I wondered if I would or could be part of their ‘group.’ My brother-in-law said that if he had a chance, he would ask Swami. That afternoon, Swami came out and materialized vibhuti for them on the men’s side, asking, “How many in your party?” My brother-in-law answered, “Five and sister-in-law.” The following day Swami left for Whitefield, as did we, and the next morning my brother-in-law and his ‘party’ were invited to come into the house where bhajans took place in the evening. I went into Swami’s house through the ladies entrance and took my place with the only other two women there.
While I did not know them, I recognized them as long-time Indian devotees. As we were behind a curtain, and Swami had not yet come down from his rooms on the second floor, they began to ask me, in the usual friendly manner, who I was, etc. I was self-conscious about this, but did not want to be impolite, and briefly identified myself as this and that, a teacher, and the like.
Shortly, Swami came down, and gestured for the ladies to go in to the interview room. I did not move. I knew that I wasn’t with them. However, once they stood up, they emphatically told me that I too should come, and as they were distinguished and longtime devotees, I felt that they must know best, and stood up. Immediately, Swami, who was standing only a few feet away, said to them, “Who is she?”
Sitting back down, I was devastated and confused. I could easily understand that I was not meant to go into the interview room with these two ladies. I did not think so from the start. What confounded me to the core, was His words, “Who is she?” I had been in interviews and He had come in my dreams. He had guided me to Him in so many ways. I knew that He knew me, as He knows the soul and destiny of everyone, and knowing that He does not utter a word without reason, it puzzled me why Swami had chosen those words, “Who is she?” For three days I did ‘vichara’ (inquiry) on these words, and finally came to understand the teaching. Swami says that we are three people, the one we think we are, the one others think we are, and the one we really are. I am not who I have been conditioned to think I am, this personality, with all its traits and samskaaras (deep impressions carried from life to life), I am not the one that other’s see, based on their perceptions and opinions. I am I, I am That. Aham Brahmasmi.
~Dr. Ronne Marantz
Manhattan, New York, USA
