Fun With Sai

Angel Delight

Swami and Hislop were to have a meal at a devotee’s home. Swami’s entourage was bigger than the hostess had expected. To avoid embarrassment to her, Swami told Hislop, “Go to the car and get the food.” Hislop, knowing that there was no food, went anyway hoping to find someone there. What he saw there was beyond his expectation.

In front of the car were two angels. Yes, with wings, holding plates of food. Hislop took the food from them and went back to Swami, his mouth still open in shock. Swami said, “Shut your mouth, Hislop, they are always there, it is just that you do not see them!”

Reserved Seat

Discussing the question of controlling desires and developing detachment, Sri Sathya Sai Baba once narrated the story of a sadhu in Rishikesh. The sadhu was in the habit of begging food and then rushing with the food thus obtained to a nearby rocky terrain to sit on a special stone ledge and eat the food.

It so happened that on one occasion he was delayed and so went to his favorite spot rather late. To his dismay, he found that another sadhu had squatted on his favorite stone and was enjoying his food. Immediately the sadhu shouted, “That is my place and you should not have sat there.”

Everyone laughed as Baba concluded the story saying that even sadhus after giving up everything sometimes get attached to a mere stone!