What Bhagavan Means to Them
Bhagavan has often referred to the students of the Sai educational institutions as His only wealth. In a recent discourse in Prasanthi Mandir, Bhagavan told the students that He was devoting three‑fourths of His time to them and sparing only a fourth for the devotees from all other parts of the world This, He said, is a measure of His interest in their welfare and development.
How are the students responding to Swami’s boundless love and concern for them? Revealing testimony to the profound influence of Swami on the younger students of the Sai schools was provided by a number of students (from the VIII to the XII standard) belonging to the Secondary School at Vidyagiri, who spoke on their experiences with Bhagavan and what Sai education has meant for them in inculcating human values and setting them on the spiritual path.
Bhagavan had arranged for these speeches to be delivered by two students every day from June 18th to 29th and subsequently on two days in a week in July 1989. The speeches showed not only the excellence of the students in public speaking, but also their deep knowledge of Swami’s teachings and their intense desire to prove themselves worthy of Swami’s love and grace.
The calm assurance, with which they spoke without faltering or hesitating in any way, evoked the warm appreciation of the devotees who heard them. They received a congratulatory pat on the back from Bhagavan. Swami was particularly impressed with the performance of the VIII and IX standard students, who are still in their teens.
Passages from some of the speeches are reproduced here, more by way of random samples of what the students were capable of and how they had imbibed Swami’s teachings.
“Understand and Forgive”
Amar Singh, (XI standard), speaking on the evil practice of criticizing or speaking ill of others, said:
“Trailing clouds of glory do we come from God who is our home” says the poet. I came to Puttaparthi in 1984. I was just 10 years old then. After the initial stages of homesickness, life with Swami has been a unique and an indescribable experience.
Since then five years have gone by. Back at home, people ask me: “What is special about Parthi?” Indeed, what is so special? Is it the education alone, or the hostel, or the food? The answer comes in a flash. It is: “Swami, Swami” whose one smile brightens the hearts of millions. If Swami can be defined, I think the closest definition would be, as someone said, “Love, on two lotus feet.”
One can talk at length on Swami and His teachings. I confine myself to one of His teachings: “Do not criticize.” Criticism is futile because it puts a man on the defensive and usually makes him try to justify himself. Criticism is dangerous because it wounds a man’s pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses resentment.
One of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite quotations was: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” And this is precisely what Swami stresses “perfect yourself first.” Adverse criticism is a dangerous spark, a spark that is likely to cause an explosion in the powder magazine of pride. Bitter criticism caused the sensitive Thomas Hardy, one of the finest novelists that ever enriched English literature, to give up writing of fiction. Criticism drove Thomas Chatterton, the English poet, to commit suicide.
I am reminded of an incident in Shirdi Sai Baba’s life. Once, as Shirdi Sai Baba was returning from the masjid [mosque], he found two men talking and one of them was abusing a third person in his absence. Baba went up to him and said; “Do you know what you are doing?” Pointing to a dog eating filth he said, “You are doing no better than that dog.”
Instead of condemning people let us try to understand them and let us try to figure out why they do what they do. That’s a lot more profitable than criticism. It was Benjamin Franklin who said, “Any fool can criticize, condemn, complain and most fools do.” But it takes character and self‑control to be understanding and forgiving. We can only pray to Swami for these.
“Sai’s Love beyond Words”
N. S. Chakravarthy, (VIII Standard), speaking on June 23, said that his experiences with Bhagavan, “though very few in number are high in value.” He said:
I first saw Bhagavan in Ooty when I had joined in the first class there. After that I had also many a chance to talk to Him.
Though Swami does so many things for us, He expects only one thing from us and that is Discipline. It is our duty, our dharma, to make Him happy by following the code of discipline. What is this dharma? Swami explains: “Dharma is that which sustains peace and harmony in the universe.”
Swami once said in His discourse: “God is the embodiment of Dharma. God’s grace can be won by Dharma. God is ever fostering Dharma. God is ever spreading Dharma. God is Dharma itself.”
Swami’s love can never be described in words even by the greatest persons. Swami many a time came to Ooty. Sometimes He would tell us some stories.
Visits to Ooty
My most happy experience was in Ooty when Swami visited us twice during this summer. I will tell you about the first visit in a poetic manner:
Swami visited our school at Ooty,
We were all very excited and happy.
He arrived on 8th at about eight in the night,
And it filled us all with great delight.
The next day at assembly,
He gave us milk as sweet as honey.
He praised us for dispersing from assembly,
In lines as we do during P.T.
Like morning at evening too,
He told us as to what we should do.
He conveyed His message through three college brothers
What was the difference between Sai schools and others.
The speech in main was about the five D’s
Which help all children to blossom into strong trees.
The five D’s are Duty, Discipline, Devotion,
Determination and Dedication.
Swami’s second visit was on Adi Sankara Jayanti. It was on this day that our Sai Sankara created a lingam for us.
To conclude, I tell you again that Sai’s love can’t be expressed in words even by the greatest of poets like Tagore or great writers like Bernard Shaw.
“Bhagavan placed us in Orbit”
C. Sai Krishna, (XII standard), employing an analogy from physics, spoke on June 24th about love. Bhagavan had placed all the students in the orbit of duty, devotion, and dedication.
He said: In physics, while dealing with circular motion, we come across the concept of centripetal force. Technically it is defined as the force which continually deviates a body from its linear path compelling it to move along the circumference of a circle. All the planets and all bodies describing circular paths are governed by this concept. We were all bodies moving aimlessly and endlessly in the vast expanse of this ever-expanding universe. We did not have a goal or a purpose. We were in darkness and it was then that a great force intervened. It carried us far from the brink of disaster. It took us to a remote corner and kept us in circular orbit and this great force is Swami’s love. Swami provided us with the centripetal force of love, continuously deviating us from the path of bad thoughts, actions and words and compelling us to move along the circular path of discipline, duty and devotion.
As we move around Swami day in and day out we have the privilege of having glimpses of His multifaceted personality. We have all been provided with the centripetal force and are kept in orbit. In addition to the centripetal force, there is another concept of centripetal acceleration. For a body describing a circular path, its acceleration, invariably, at all instants should be directed towards the center. This acceleration is known as centripetal acceleration. “Centripetal” means seeking the Center.
How far have we succeeded in directing our acceleration towards the Center? Are we seeking the Center? We have failed in directing the acceleration of our thoughts, words and deeds towards the Center. If a body fails to direct its acceleration towards the Center, it will be thrown off the orbit. Likewise if we fail to react even at this stage, we too will be thrown off the path of duty, discipline and devotion back to the darkness from where there would be neither return nor recovery.
Swami’s love encompasses everything. Life is a pilgrimage where every man drags his feet along the rough and thorny road of agony. With the name of God on his lips he will have no thirst, with the form of God in his heart he will feel no exhaustion and the very assurance that God is near, that He is within call, gives strength to His limbs and courage to His heart. We have to make ourselves worthy of His love so that we can have glimpses of His infinite glory as we move round and round Him.
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, Aug. & Sept. 1989
