Swami Speaks to the Alumni of the University in Poorna Chandra Auditorium 31-12-2008

Every year, the students have decided to make a beginning at His lotus feet and hence they congregate in increasing numbers each passing year. Around 500 had already arrived to bid goodbye to 2008 and welcome 2009 in the Divine presence.

Swami too looks forward to His children's homecoming as He ensures that all arrangements are in place for their comfortable stay. Today, He had decided to bestow a great boon upon them as He had sent word that He would interact with all of them in the Poornachandra Auditorium after the morning bhajans. By 8:30am, all the students sat ready in PC and it was at about 9:00 am that Swami arrived for darshan. The time scheduled for the alumni was 10:00am. But though Swami took a complete round of the Kulwant hall, He seemed to be in a great hurry and no prizes here for guessing why. His beloved children awaited Him in the auditorium and He seemed to be wanting to be there as soon as possible, ASAP as its called! It was just 9:20am when Swami received Aarthi and then moved into the Poornachandra auditorium.

A small stage had been arranged for Swami so that He could be seen by one and all assembled. Swami was welcomed by a small contingent of Veda chanting boys and soon He took His place - on the stage and in the thirsting eyes of every alumnus sitting there. There were also the elders whom Swami brought with Him- Sri Chakravarthy, secretary of Central trust; Prof. Vishwanath Pandit, the vice chancellor; Sri V Srinivasan, the All India Sai organisation President; Prof. G Venkatraman, the great scientist and director of the RadioSai studios and Sri S V Giri, the former vice chancellor. Sri Chakravarthy introduced the speakers for the day. First Sri S V Giri spoke on the responsibilities that rest on the strong shoulders of the alumni. As he spoke, an interesting incident took place. One of the members of the alumni, a senior above 50 years of age maybe, was moving to and fro right at the back, to get a good view of the proceedings maybe. Swami noticed that and seemed a bit uncomfortable. And sure enough, in two minutes, the student next to Swami came walking all the way to the back asking, "Who was it that was walking over here?" At first everyone felt that Swami was disturbed. It got confirmed soon but why had He been disturbed? The student located the disturber and asked, "Sir would you like a chair to sit on? Swami sees that you are not able to sit on the floor." The answering was done with a nod saying,"No" and profuse tears down the cheeks. The alumnus then got up and moving towards the front, sat in the corner but in the first row! Swami saw that and seemed satisfied!

The second speaker was Sri V Srinivasan. He spoke very inspiring on the growth and spread of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations in India. Many facts little known to most of the devotees and students were revealed and very deserving, there were 4-5 rounds of applause for him. After he finished his speech, Swami told him with great pride to announce that he was the All India President. An overwhelmed Srinivasan said that more than anything else, he wished to be a humble devotee and concluded his speech. The alumni coordinator then went forward to request Swami for the divine discourse. Swami materialized vibhuti and gave him and then also agreed to address the students. Another poignant scene took place now. Swami noticed a student, Raghuram, who currently works for RadioSai global harmony. He has been physically challenged due to a tragic accident and has been on the wheelchair since. Swami asked him to come over to the dais. As the boy reached there, Swami waved His hand and materialized a gold ring. Amidst the cheer that ran about the hall, Swami enquired into the well being of the boy's mother and sister. HE promised him that he would very soon speak to them as a family and then put the ring to the right hand. He asked Swami for paadanamaskar. Swami agreed and knowing that it was very difficult for the boy to bend down, Swami did something that none imagined. He slowly lifted His right leg and placed it near the knee of the boy. After he touched it, Swami now raised His left leg too and placed it there! The boy was thrilled at this special paadanamaskar. As he returned to His place, Swami began His divine discourse.

Swami emphasised the message of Advaita, stressing the point that there is nothing in this world which is not divine, and that we should conduct ourselves bearing this in mind. He stressed on the need for one and all to realise the inherent divinity. He also gave some personalised instructions to the students. The most interesting part was when towards the end, Swami asked, "Does anyone have doubts? Ask and I shall answer them now in a perfect manner."

Qn 1---Swami… we know that we are truth and the truth is everywhere. So we must be everywhere right…..
Swami could not follow the question hence the boy tried to explain! "Swami I'm everywhere but I don't realize it…!"
Swami----You are not everywhere, you are right now here!(everyone laughs )…If you are in path of Truth then you will know you are the Truth…..(Swami conveyed to boy that if he believes he is the Eternal Atma then he is everywhere and if he restricts himself to body then he is now here!)

Qn 2—Swami…We don't have time available for spiritual activities and service as we are bogged by daily activities….what shall we do (there were tears in his eyes out of helplessness)…
Swami---Don't feel bad about it…do as much as you can in little time available …do little service but offer it to lord….if you can't do even that then do your job or activity as the service to lord…..That'll make Him happy

Qn 3---(In kannada) ,Swami as we (boys) plan to do activities and projects in larger scale how do we go about doing the same….do we need to form organized groups and start off…
Swami—(In kannada) Yes….form proper groups and go about in a systematic way…..I've already told this(swami has mentioned the same in Man management)

Qn 4--- (one student who was Teacher)…Swami…we all have only one prayer in our hearts …you should walk …like you used to do earlier….
Swami…(with out a pause) …Yes …I will!...I used to walk earlier properly….only recently I had a fall and doctors told me not to walk and take rest…I'm just abiding by their words….I have organize a Yagnam in Parthi (ARMY) and one in Chenni(ARMY ---II)…I'm managing quite a lot like this too…but I'll surely walk…(Swami lifted both His legs and played them in the air as He spoke)

Qn 5) Swami…what should we do to become closer to swami….
Swami---(without delay)…Swami should (will to) take you closer…! (Swami conveyed its His grace that matters not any amount of penance you do…., he added ),If you want to become closer keep Swami in your heart…Then you need not come to Swami and He will come closer to you….

Qn 6)Swami…How do we get Atmanandam (perennial bliss)…
Swami---You should carry less luggage…less luggage is more comfort… Reduce your desires and put a ceiling on it

Qn7) Swami..how do we take care of our kids in countries where there are not even Indian families forget the Sai centers….
Swami---where are you right now….
Boy---…I've returned back to India….
Swami---I'm very happy…Congratulations…!(he became emotional…)America is not good at the moment…all our people should return to native land…One lakhs in USA is equal to 10,000 in India….

Qn8)Swami---How do we achieve total surrender…..
Swami---Bangaaru!---Surrender is not so easy…so many after they surrender would still carry the burden of doubt in their minds….so just follow how much you can….and stop doubting.

It was already nearing 11:30am and Swami said that He would speak to all the next day too. Then Swami received Aarthi and blessed those who took a flower and the holy grains upto Him. As He moved back towards the residence, Swami collected letters from all the students who lined up the entire pathway. Swami retired leaving behind cherished memories and wonderful feelings.

Source: http://www.saibabaofindia.com/swami_speak

s_to_the_alumni.htm

Am I not your father?

Experience from the garden of Love

There was one classmate of mine whose father died during his childhood itself. Swami had told his mother that He would look after the boy and his elder brother, who was and is still working at Parthi. He then called this classmate of mine and told him: "From now, I am your father. If you need anything, you should ask me and not trouble your brother or mother."

A few days passed after the first semester of our first year was over. Most of the students were going home and my classmate too wanted to go and see his mother. But he did not have money for the ticket. He asked his elder brother who too expressed his inability to spare any money at that point of time. The boy was distressed, but did not tell anyone. Even we could see that he was slowly getting withdrawn in the room (he was my roommate too.).

In those days, Swami would call all the students to sit right from the bhajan door once bhajans started. Swami would keep moving in and out of the bhajan hall on several rounds of darshan.

One such day, He had just come and sat down on the throne and was looking at us as we rushed to sit from the front. He then suddenly got up and went into the interview room door. He then signaled to my classmate to follow Him. When my classmate came out 5 minutes later, he was weeping. Later on in the room, he told us what happened.

Swami had called him inside and asked him: "I told you that if you need anything you should ask me. Why did you go and trouble your brother? I know you want to go home and see your mother. You should have asked me. Am I not your father? Why do you then hesitate to ask me what you want?" He then gave him money for the ticket and spending and then told him to go and enjoy his holidays.

And the surprising thing was, my classmate never told anyone about what was eating him from within. Swami just knew!




-Related by a Sai student

Sai Ehtics -Living in Oneness

Sarvadharman Parityaja Maamekam Saranam Vraja,

Aham Twa Sarvapapebhyo Mokshaishyami Ma Suchah

(Surrender unto Me and perform all your actions as an offering to Me. I will destroy all your sins and confer liberation on you.)

“So long as man is immersed in body attachment, all types of hardships and misery
haunt him. Body attachment is the root cause of Sankalpas (thoughts). The inner
meaning of this statement is that man should experience unity in diversity. Without
Vyashti (individual), there cannot be Samashti (society). Without Samashti, there
cannot be Srushti (creation). So, first of all we have to recognize the role of Vyashti.
Only then can we understand the principle of Samashti, which will in turn lead to the
understanding of Srushti. One who understands Srushti becomes one with
Parameshti (God). In fact, the principles of Samashti, Srushti and Parameshti are
very much present in Vyashti. Hence, one has to make efforts to understand
Vyashti in the first instance”

-Baba.
(Divine Discourse, 10 Sep 2002)

In today’s business scenario, a great number of companies are promoting business activities that bring simultaneous, economic, social and environmental benefits. Apart from wealth maximization and legal compliance, Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) is being accepted by all, since managers have realized that this is the way forward for sustainable growth. Sai Ethics takes the threshold to the next level- living the principle of Vyashti, Samashti, Srushti, Parameshti, which means Spiritualization of Business.The Sanskrit saying, ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, means – ‘the one who comes to you for being served, should be taken as God, is considered as the highest order of responsibility, be it to individuals or to the society.

A Pond of Ripples

Swami says ‘Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma’. Imagine a pond into which each of us- 6 billion humans, is throwing his or her own personal pebble every second. The result will be a wave pattern formed by the interaction of all the waves created by our billions of personal pebbles. Assuming that our pebbles are our beliefs, emotions, words, actions and choices, we can imagine that we are all co-creators of that unique matrix pattern that we call reality. We are affecting the whole with every thought. Not one centimeter of that matrix is free from our input. Therefore, self transformation brings about universal transformation i.e., from Vyashti to Parameshti.

Stepping out from the safe heaven of MY MOTHER

When I stepped out into the corporate world, I was confident and exuberant, bursting with fresh ideas and also quite confused, scared and lonely. It took me time to adjust to the world outside. Coming from a rural background, and with my parents staying away from me, the change from paradise to the world was challenging. Is it possible to live up to the standards Swami has set for me? Why is there so much mistrust and manipulation? I began to introspect and develop a closer relationship with Swami and reflect on His teachings and living it moment to moment. Beginning from 1998, every year has been a roller coaster ride. I believe that whatever happened was the best for me. All through, Swami taught me the important lesson – to accept and manage change as part of life.

The Highs

This case relates to an export oriented unit which consisted of 15 employees and enjoyed a tax exemption benefit expiring in 2007. The promoter shut down the company without giving sufficient notice to the employees and terminated their contracts. The promoter started a new venture and recruited fresh candidates. One of the terminated employees approached me for a job since he was in desperate need of it. His experience did not match the job profile I had in hand. HR had budget constraints and was unwilling to take on inexperienced candidates on bank roles. At the time of the interview, the person was pessimistic and unimpressed about the job. Through a two hour interview, I tried to counsel, explain the pros and cons of the role. At the end, he was optimistic and self confident and willingly expressed his desire to try to learn and perform the job. His renewed confidence made me feel so happy. After convincing the HR and business head, this person was engaged on a temporary basis and is now one of the best performing members of my team.

In another incident, my boss called me at 10.45 p.m and asked me to solve a query of a client. This was part of the sales team and not under my purview. The client required to transfer funds internationally which required an access code. I went that extra mile, called the New York office, obtained the access number and the transaction was completed. The client still happens to be one of the top High Networth Individual clients.

The lesson was: is it possible to stay true to service without allowing ego to dominate, yet successfully function in an ego- dominated world?

The Lows

Turning to unpleasant incidents, while working in a business process team which handles anti money laundering, compliance and MIS, I have been tested many times. Strict regulations govern the banking industry and the consequences of non compliance are severe. Sometimes a transaction may make perfect business sense and legal too, yet they don’t meet Sai ethical standards. The constant feeling that I am Swami’s student has given me the confidence to do what is right. In these past 10 years of service, I was once threatened with dire consequences for failing to authorize an unethical transaction. That seemed like the end of my banking career. With inner conviction, I resigned and took up a job with a low compensation. Even then my mind was disturbed, because I feared they would put derogatory remarks on my relieving letter. Swami helped me in those dark hours and things took a positive turn after that.

And this brings me to the concept of mirrors. When I look at a mirror it reflects my body structure and the clothes. Similarly, when I view the world as my own mirror, every event, the people, society, and creation is my own reflection. Every experience especially the so called sad, testing moments had learning for me. I thank these persons for pushing me further on the path of self exploration, self acceptance and self empowerment, because self acceptance is self empowerment. When the change happens within, the outside changes to reflect that Change. It’s taking responsibility for all my thoughts, emotions and actions. From self to the world, in my own little ways, I add to the rich experience of this universal consciousness.

In problematic situations, sometimes patience is a great virtue. Even by powerful subconscious thoughts we can influence the situation and solve the problem. Positive thoughts / energy waves gather critical mass and can turn a negative into positive. Earlier I worked from a feeling of powerlessness, not believing in the Supreme Creation which has nourished us through aeons and aeons without even asking. Through the years, this poverty programming/consciousness has been substituted with abundance consciousness which is the natural state. It’s having, yet not possessing. As Swami says many threads make a strong cloth, but if the same is unwoven into threads there is no strength. The design of Srushti is interdependence and harmony. If our body carries a cancer cell, it will slowly destroy the host upon which it depends for survival. Switching to business; businesses have adapted this principle and they are slowly becoming environment friendly. The mindset of entrepreneurs is changing i.e., to go beyond profits to CSR. Many companies report the benefits of Corporate Stakeholder Responsibility and Corporate Stakeholder Management from better employee satisfaction and retention, to creating value for shareholders and the community. Students from our university have the advantage of being given a strong foundation of human values to contribute to the spiritualization of business. It takes effort to stretch that extra bit, but the effort is worth taking.

-Mr Mannu Shivaram, alumnus, Sri Sathya Sai University

(Article as appeared in Insaight newsletter, issue 5, April 2008)