Towards honouring the Atma in everyone.

This is memorial weekend here in the United States. We are asked to remember those who have fought and died for this country.

I am finding that this transformation rendered in me by the Lord, has changed many of my feelings. Old mind sets, alliances, questions of right and wrong, have been changed somewhat in the shift towards honouring the Atma in everyone.

I am an Aquarian, a Libran with an Aquarian ascendant and a bunch of other things having to do with opposition Uranus. Can’t get more rebellious than that. You add to that a pretty isolated childhood and you have a person who has stood against many of our cultural values in the past.

Swami has softened this stance of mine, by actually removing in part, my wayward ego. Its amazing what sitting cross legged in the prayer hall 6 to 8 hours a day for 20 to 30 years will do! This trip back to the States has proved to be very different. Swami speaks often about our obligation and loyalty to our mother land and He wasn’t only speaking to His college students. I am not a zealot but I am a patriot now and love my country very much.

It is a wonderful country. People are free here to express their opinions and criticize whomever they want. It is a country of immigrants. All of us came here looking for freedom and a chance to live in peace. Swami says true peace can only be found inside but even that is difficult to do when you’re hungry or living on the sidewalks of Mumbai. Not that we don’t have homeless here.

My India, of course has been India for thousands and thousands of years. Her religious texts are so ancient that for thousands of years the divine Truth of the omnipresent Atma has held the country together even though it wasn’t written down but learned at the feet of the guru. India has more than her share of immigrants. I think I heard that there are over a million Tibetan refugees in India now living, working and going to school.

But the people, the immigrants who arrived in America didn’t take time to look inside for wisdom. There were things to do, infrastructure to be laid, cities and towns to be built.

And yet, even without the spiritual truth to guide them, Americans have pretty good values. They seem to have learned the values of hard work, integrity, to a large extent kindness and generosity…..and bravery.

It took India 600 years to throw off the yoke of tyranny and yet Americans are always jumping into wars which are none of our business to fight the yoke of tyranny for others. Oh I know that we should have stayed out of many of these situations and that our motives were not so very clean or unselfish as we were manipulated by greed and capitalistic governments.

But most people all over the world will agree that the people themselves, Americans, are known to be very kind for the most part, kind and generous perhaps to a fault. I guess the Marshall Plan after WW 2 was an example of our generosity as well as the Peace Corps. When I lived in India I never met a soul who could say anything bad about Americans even during the Bush Administration. Even today you will find our soldiers in Afghanistan spending more time building schools than actually fighting the Taliban. They seem to be trying in vain to change another culture.

Also we are open minded about most things . But I heard yesterday that some of our right wingers believe all democrats are going to hell.

We hope they are not a part of a new trend but we know it isn’t going to influence many people because there seems to be so much love here between my brothers and my sisters all over this land.

My sister pointed out that if I had returned three or four years ago I wouldn’t have loved what was happening here in this country Bush was in Washington and the conservatives were making a mockery out of our Bill of Rights. But the last two years under Pres. Obamma have seen us pulling out of financial ruin and racing towards real equality.

I’m watching the Military channel and the History channel this week end, cheering for our side and being proud of our country. Our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Payne, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, Swami’s favourite ,were giants among men. Perfect instruments in the hands of the Almighty God. Even without the eternal Truth of the Sastras and Vedanta, they somehow built this great nation based on the Truth.

“We hold these Truths to be self evident, that all men were created equal” They gave us the Bill of rights and the Constitution. The Bill of rights gave to the common man the right of equality. And , “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people to peacefully assemble and to allow the petition of government for a redress of grievance. There are ten items in the Bill of Rights: and all are part of the India Constitution law as well.

I had pretty much slept through American History in school so all of this is very interesting now that Swami has opened my mind to the great things about my country. When I was here previously I was still a rebel and felt that America wasn’t my country. The dark clouds of segregation were still on the horizon.. But now with our precious Obamma in the Whitehouse the first Amendment of Equality for all, is gaining in power and strength.

So now here I am, a new patriot at 75. I wish I could talk to my father now because he was a Colonel in the Infantry and a real patriot of America. It’s lovely to be free of the old self limiting prejudices. Certainly I can and probably will question our government, after all that is a part of our basic freedom.

Swami says that all the countries are simply different rooms in the one house of our world. I wish that were really true because then there would be no immigrants and I would still be living on my ashram in India. But I guess everything is perfect as Swami said and I was supposed to return to my country for a while at least. Swami is omnipresent as the Atma is omnipresent. And as we progress on our spiritual journey, we feel the love for all different cultures. Brotherhood of man and Fatherhood of God is one of Swami’s most important lessons and I shall contemplate that truth on the plane which will fly me back to my India.

Cleaning out Closets

This blog will be a little different. It will address the family problems we Sai Graduates may have encountered as we returned to the homeland of our birth.

We have been living pretty much alone on the ashram away from our families. Family relationships have become secondary in our lives replaced somewhat by Sai sisters and brothers. But, for the most part we have spent our time on the inner work free from the snares of relationships of any kind.

Of course we have continued to love and honour our birth families, our mothers and fathers, siblings and in some cases our kids too. Nevertheless, our Sai family members have become important to us.

Unfortunately when we travelled to India some of us may have left behind negative feelings, old worn out dusty clothes, costumes which may have fit us at one time but now they don’t at all. These unresolved conflicts and negative images of ourselves from another time, were packed away from sight in the closets when we went away to India to find Swami.

As immigrants, many of us have had to return to our birth families. I know that some simply could not go back and preferred to stay in hostiles in places like Sri Lanka and Kuala Lumpur. Others of us have returned to find that those old bad family stories, half true and exaggerated, those negative feelings remain packed away in the closets. Swami left all that mess right here for us to clean up.

The stuff in the closets is primarily old and worn out clothes that don’t fit us anymore because we are Sai Graduates. The shoes pinch and we can’t walk that way any more and the dresses which are too tight and short give the wrong impression now. They were for immature children disparate for love and acceptance.

The junk in the closet is for the bewildered child who had to travel 10,000 miles to find acceptance and safety. And this family may continue to believe that they are appropriate.

There is only one way to get rid of that junk. We must show Swami’s teachings by example. And we must be examples for two reasons. One because we owe it to Swami. He has been transforming us steadily for all these years, here where we were born and in India. He is the goldsmith with His little hammer and tongs, cutting and banging out the dints and holes preparing us to be….Sai Graduates! He never seems to rest, does He?

So now, here we are, a person who is really different from the person who left many years ago or even not long ago. With me it has been 30 years, I left at 45 and now I am 75. If I do not come across now as a product of His workshop, its’ an insult to the Lord Incarnate.! The other reason for being an example is because, you know, life is just so much easier if you love those around you and your presence is a blessing to them.

You know, everything may seem to be just fine when you first get back. Then they start opening those closets and going thru drawers to pull out stuff you had completely forgotten about. “Hey, isn’t this yours?” they’ll ask. “You use to be able to wear this little dress, do you want to try it on?”

Throw the stuff out! Stand up and say, “ Oh no, not me, I’m a Sai Graduate now. I will never put on that dress or shirt again.”

You know, it’s up to us…and Swami, of course. It is up to us to reject the entire costume, the nice pretty ruffles and the ugly tacky borders. Swami will actually arrange situations which show to one and all that you’re not the same person. You do your best and He does the rest. He has for me.

Family stories, those old dusty books and scripts in the closet are really nothing but trouble. We had forgotten about them being packed away. Nasty words and you’ll find stuffed around them, books and scripts about other family members too. Nasty gossipy stuff that can only hurt and never in a million years help anyone. Judgments based on negative conclusions and projections. This kind of hurtful gossip can only destroy people, only cloud the presence of the omnipresent blissfull Atma.

Don’t look at that stuff. Those bad stories, those sad stories don’t deserve being heard and will only become stronger and more important if they are opened up and looked at….and its crap. It’s false and it poisons the mind.

I think the only thing we can do with the stuff concerning other people is to simply pray and give it to Swami for purification. If possible the paper they are written on should be thrown in the fire of purification.

Some of us Sai Graduates have already thrown out all that stuff and are even now living lives based on the benefits of the purification. I received an email last week from Tara. I always knew she was an angel ever since in the 80’s she stayed with me in a clinic in Whitefield when I had all my teeth pulled out because of a gum problem. I was 55 and all alone. It’s a scary thing to go through that and I was so glad to have this beautiful instrument of our Lord with me the whole time I was there.

Anyway last week she wrote and said her ex husband was in a deep coma and the doctors wanted to remove the life support system. Well yesterday I received an email from her saying that he had left his body. I can only imagine how hard that was for her and I was glad her daughter was there with her.

From a Sai Graduate

Thank you all for the prayers and good wishes you've sent

our way. They've all been so appreciated by our family. I don't know what the

remainder of my year will bring, but I hope to be able to see many of you before

too long. Sincerely, Tara

I think that means that she’s on her back to Prasanth Nilayam, as we all are. I hope that any Sai devotee who reads this will take the time to send a little prayer to Swami for extra blessings for Tata

GOLD

For so long I had to lie in the

cold dark ground.

I glittered very quietly, my form

was spread around.

Then there was a freezing flood

And I just popped out,

Rushing down the river before

there was a drought.

“A nougat, look!” I heard one day

And knew that the man

meant me.

Some guy announced

to the world.

What I was meant to be

He picked me up

and rubbed my face

So I could shine for him

I felt so good and happy cause I

had made a friend.

He stuffed me in a sack with

some other bits of stone

I knew that I had value

for I was not alone.

But right away I learned to see

where my value lay.

‘Cause he sold me for money

that very day.

I watched him leaving quickly to

count his wad of green.

But then I had a new friend

And his gaze was really keen.

He weighed me once

and then again.

His little nougat bright

I thought that now everything

Would turn out quite all right.

But that of course was not to be

I should have known right then

That I’d be traded for the green.

Yes traded once again

My new friend raised a hammer

And smashed me to a pulp.

He heated me to liquid,

Again he beat me up.

I thought I’d die at his hands

But that was not to be.

I shone so bright and pretty

So that he could see.

I’d been transformed, I really had

Into a golden me.

He made me be a circle

As smooth as I could be.

I am a golden ring I thought

Yes that is what I am.

Round and smooth, I’ll bring

At least I think I can.

To some sweet pretty lady

Who has a slender hand.

I am a marriage ring.

And have such style and grace.

I’m very bright and pretty.

And have a sweet embrace.

She always seemed so proud

As proud as she could be

A friend, I thought, at last

A friend she’ll always be.

And I will stay forever

Right here on her hand

To tell the world she’s married

to a wealthy man

I should have known things change

And not to trust this friend

She took me to the goldsmith

And I was changed again

I was heated very hot

And smashed and smashed

Some more.

And then when I was liquid

He added more gold ore.

We became the bracelet

Which is a kind of ring.

A lovely golden bangle.

For happiness to bring

She gave me to her daughter.

Who was about to wed

Who oh’d and ah’d and

Smiled so sweetly

But later, this she said

I’ll never wear this bangle

It’s not done in the west

I’d rather have a necklace

To wear with my silken dress

Oh no! I thought, not again

But I knew that I was right

Back to the goldsmith’s melting pot

Where he added more gold bight.

I am so pretty now, I thought

More pretty than the rest

People stop and stare at me

Atop her brocade dress.

But she did not like the envious

Looks.

Hated jealous eyes

So to the goldsmith’s shop we went.

And I was not surprised.

To have this necklace melted down

To change again my shape

Into the golden coins you see

Which have a lot of weight.

We sit here in the vault alone

At first we felt so sad

Without a friendly person

To tell us they were glad

To show us off to others

To show us off in pride

But now we don’t care one bit

Though all those friendships died.

For we are gold today, you know

And gold we’ll always be

We’re not a ring or a necklace

A bangle we’ll never be

But simply gold, we’ve always been

Gold, yes only that

So now we will shine happily

For gold is where we’re at

We will sit here and shine alone

On the safe vault shelf.

Because we are our own best friend

Our own real true gold self.

Smiling Atma

I had a Skype conversation this morning with our programmer. It is so wonderful to be able to have these long conversations from St. Petersburg to Chennai India at 6a.m. and at no cost. It seems unbelievable doesn’t it? Money is certainly a mystery. A small box of cherry tomatoes is 4 dollars in the market, that’s 200 rupees and yet these wonderful Skype conversation are free

My programmer was very concerned over one of my last blogs. I wrote about how boring the blogs were getting and I wasn’t going to write for a while.

He said, and I quote, ‘Your blogs are not boring. They are delightful and fantastic and I was very disappointed when you stopped because you thought they were boring. They are an adventure and you must continue. They are certainly not ridiculous as you suggested but show the level of your awareness, your own development. The Atmic smiles from everyone in the supermarket should show you that whatever is inside of you is being reflected in others too. That blog was fantastic.

Well I guess it was only my bad mood after all that made me think otherwise. I shall continue.

There was one more thing that happened on Sunday at the Episcopal Cathedral. You see, like the Catholics, the Church of England also gives communion in the form of little wafers and wine representing the blood and body of Jesus. So when the time came, all the worshippers decked out in their red finery, rose in an orderly fashion and filed down the aisle towards the altar to receive the ‘Host’. I was left alone in my pew and started meditating on Swami. Suddenly one of the Sextons in his choir robe and with his cherubic pink smiling face, leaned over and asked if I would like to take communion. I should add here that the Program states clearly, ‘All are welcome to receive communion in the Episcopal Church.’ I was surprised at being addressed and looked into his big blue eyes and said, ‘I AM A HINDU.’ in a somewhat loud voice.

The round pink face froze and then he hurried away, I felt as if I had disappointed him in some way.

I was also embarrassed by my words. A ‘no thank you’ would have been more then sufficient or even a shrug and a smile. The words, ‘I AM A HINDU’ seemed to be resounding in my ears as everyone returned with angelic looks on their faces from taking part in the communion..

Actually it isn’t even for certain that I am a Hindu. I don’t think it’s possible to become one except with a ritual and a homa fire which I actually did in 1984 when I wanted citizenship. I think you have to have your hair tonsured as a baby and be given your first solid food with certain prayers. And there are things I don’t buy into like giving dowry, the caste system and widows not being able to remarry, which may not be so important for a 75 year old single lady. But anyway I love the Hindu pantheon and the Hindu Puranas and the ATMA and certainly I love and revere Vedanta, more than those dreadful RSS people who don’t seem to realize that the Atma is in everyone. Anyway, we won’t get into all that. How can you love and adore Lord Krishna, Ganapathi and the

Cosmic Goddess Tripura Sundari and not be a Hindu? The words

I AM NOT A HINDU came out of my mouth before a thought could. I was glad my sister had gone up for communion because she would have been embarrassed.

When I confessed my words to our programmer he exclaimed, ‘ You must continue to go to church now, amma. ‘They will see that you as a Hindu also revere their church and you will be a good example in tolerance. You will be helping them to transform their ideas about Hinduism. If anyone asks you why you have come you should say, ‘In Hinduism we believe God is everywhere. I feel that this church is as pure as the temple I attend in India. This church is the same as my prayer hall. They will appreciate the fact that you have come to their church. This is your greatest gift, your greatest adventure, going to St. Peters Cathedral. They will say, ‘Look! She is a Hindu and yet she is coming every Sunday. You will bring a great blessing to that church by your presence, amma, and you will teach them humility.’

WOW, you can see now why I revere my programmer, can’t you? He may nor be very realistic but I find our Skype conversations amusing but very uplifting too. Only trouble is…..I have to go to church every Sunday now.

Preaching the Atma

When I went to the Episcopal church on Sunday each of us was given a program for the day’s service. It really is a very well done program containing all the information I used in my last blog. I know that Christians do believe in conversion, so I was very careful not to include anything about that issue .

This morning I decided to tackle the issue head on so I again read the program. In the entire program I only found one reference to conversion and here it is:

“Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race, and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit. Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN”

Isn’t the Holy Spirit the same as the blessed Atma? The prayer says that the promised gift of the Holy Spirit is given through Jesus Christ who was the Advocate or Avatar at that time….and for ever for that matter. Avatars are eternal aren’t they? The gift of the Spirit can be given through the blessed Buddha or our divine Swami also. Of course the Holy Spirit of the Atma isn’t actually given to anyone because it is what we are to begin with.

Perhaps, ‘the Way of eternal life’ is really the important phrase here but according to this prayer Almighty God opened the way of ‘eternal life’ by the gift of Holy Spirit and Almighty God is formless and nameless.

So that means, doesn’t it, that God has given all of us eternal life. But what is ‘Eternal Life’ Is it heaven? there are so many different kinds of heavens or eternal lives, so many different scenarios. I won’t go into descriptions of the different heavens here for fear of offending some believer or other but I frankly like ours best. Sanathana Dharma teaches that mergence with God occurs after we can purify all our attributes and after we KNOW WHO WE ARE. This is no easy task. It may be a great deal easier to say, ‘I believe in One name or another which supposedly ensures eternal life on the golden streets, then to eliminate all our desires and control our senses and to finally KNOW WHO WE ARE Time for Oprah

I am against conversion as I know there are several wonderful ancient Buddhist countries which are loosing their cultures because of these missionaries.

I found a good article by the Dalai Lama on religious tolerance It is entitled, ‘Many faiths, One Truth’ and it is very close to Swami’s teachings on brotherhood.

All of the following quotes can be found in the article which was from the New York Times.

‘Though intolerance may be as old as religion itself, we still see virulent signs of it everywhere. Radical atheists issue blanket condemnations on those who hold to religious beliefs. In the middle east. The flames of war are fanned by the hatred of those who adhere to a faith different from their own.’

‘Even so,’ the Dalai Lama continues, ‘ I believe there is genuine potential for mutual understanding, in preserving faith and respecting another’s traditions. I’ve come to understand the centrality of selfless compassion in Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gits admonishes us to ‘delight in the welfare of all beings. Islam, also teaches compassion as reflected in the very name of God which is, ‘the compassionate and merciful.’

Our Beloved Swami said in a Christmas Day discourse,

Respect All Faiths

Quoted from the Divine Discourses of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba:

“Jesus was the target for many mighty obstacles, and He braved them all. As a result, His name and story and message are shedding splendorous light all over the world now. Not Jesus only, every Prophet, Messenger of God, teacher of Truth and Spiritual leader had to wade through ridicule, neglect, and persecution.

“Though a diamond is cast in a dustbin, its luster remains; its price will not diminish. Though a sweet pumpkin grows on a thorny fence, its taste remains; its attraction will not diminish. Even if a peacock’s egg is hatched in a fowl-roost, its charm remains and its nature does not change. The Divine, although it moves among all and sundry can never be affected or deflected. Envious folks heaped insults on Jesus. Even among His disciples, some betrayed Him and deserted Him. Self-dominated people turn envious at greatness and goodness. But since Prema, the Prema of goodness, had no trace of self in it, Jesus was unafraid. The loveless are enveloped in fear. Love instills courage and promotes adventure. It delights in daring. If you follow your Master, you can face the devil, fight to the end and finish the game. Jesus was love. Sathya Sai, too, is love. That explains the gathering of Christians of all sects which we see here. In Rome today, Catholics gather to celebrate the Advent of Jesus. The Protestants celebrate it by themselves in their churches.

“But in the presence of Sathya Sai, all are equally welcome. The Jews arraigned Jesus and demanded that He should be punished. In this presence, today, Jews are adoring the very Jesus. The Prema of Sathya Sai has transformed, transcended those memories. It has made them realize that there is only one caste, the Caste of Humanity, there is only one religion, the religion of love. A few moments ago, Al Drucker spoke to you on Jesus Christ. He got the courage and the wisdom to offer homage to Christ, because of the impact of Swami’s Presence. He understands that there is only one God and that God is omnipresent. Names and forms are different, but they are all aspects of the ONE. Love must bind all believers together; not only believers but non-believers too must be loved and served as His images.

“Faith in God implies recognition of the omnipresence of the Divine in the universe and seeking to experience that Divinity within one’s self. The Divine is ONE, though it may be called by many names. It must be realized that God is all pervasive, and nothing exits without the power of the Divine. One should not allow one’s faith in God to be affected by the ups and downs of life. All troubles should be treated as tests and challenges to be faced with courage and faith.

“Members of one faith consider it supreme and deride the faith of others. No one is qualified to make such a claim. Even as you prize your faith, you must realize that others are equally entitled to prize their faiths. You may esteem your religion greatly, adhere to it accordingly. But do not criticize or despise the religions of other people. Unfortunately, men have lost this sense of respect for others’ faiths. If all people recognize this truth, there will be no room in the world for conflicts and discord.

“Man strives for peace in many ways. Where is the peace to be found? It is not in the external world. Peace must be found within. Outside, you have only pieces. You must seek to find the peace within you. There are millions in the world who preach and propagate what is good.

“But not one in a hundred practices the good teachings. This world will pay no heed to those who do not practice what they preach.

“Whether others esteem you or not, you must be content to act according to your conscience. The inner conviction that you are acting righteously is your best witness. There is no greater Dharma than adherence to truth. You need have no fear, as long as you adhere to truth. It is the liar who is haunted by fear. Therefore, go forward to render social service, with faith and fortitude. Eschew religious hatred, which is the cause of conflict. Respect every religion.

“People today talk about protecting the nation. The nation does not need protection. If you protect and foster truth and righteousness, the nation will be automatically protected.

“BE, DO AND SPEAK THE TRUTH.”

“All of you are embodiments of the Spirit (Atma). You are all manifestations of the Divine. The Indwelling Spirit is One and the same in all beings, irrespective of their external difference, like the current that illumines bulbs of different wattage and color. Fill your hearts with love. Then you can experience real bliss. With a narrow mind and heart, if you indulge in magniloquent words, no one will care to listen to you. First of all, be good yourself. Then you DO, Act likewise. Then SPEAK, tell others about what is good. Only then you will be setting an ideal example.” —Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

The Dalai Lama ends his article with this. ‘Harmony among the major faiths has become an essential ingredient of peaceful co-existence in our world. From this perspective, mutual understanding among these traditions is not merely the business of religious believers – it matters for the welfare of humanity as a whole.

Holy Ghost

I went to the Episcopal church with my sister on Sunday. It was Maha Atma. When I walked into the church in my little black shoes I could hardly make it to the pew before collapsing. Almost the entire congregation was wearing red for one thing. All the men were wearing some shade of red shirt or at least a red tie and the ladies were in red blouses or skirts. There were a few red straw hats too. The altar was covered with red flowers. I felt such a rush of shakthi and bliss that I had to close my eyes and clasp my hands.

It was a major festival in the church, the Pentecost, celebrating the time when Jesus reappeared after His crucifixion and blessed His disciples with His Holy Spirit.

The processional began when the glorious music resounded from the great pipe organ. I started to sink to my knees. Everyone else stood up so I did too as the procession began. The parade of Deacons and Sextons the members of the choir and the Priests walked by as the music played. First came a large silver cross held high in the air carried by a young man on robes. Then all the clergy and their assistants came in their white choir robes and red skirts. They were followed by the large choir also in robes with navy blue skirts. All had red banners across their shoulders and badges with golden crosses. It was worthy of a Hindu temple! A powerful incense was being swung back and forth as the procession passed down the aisle. Really I was enveloped in bliss. At the end, another large silver cross was paraded by and every head was bowed, mine included. We all sank into our seats.. Swami says, All religions are good, Anyone who has heard His Christmas day discourses knows that for years He has extolled the holiness of Lord Jesus Christ. He also has said that He is the same as the Father of Jesus as well as the Holy Ghost.

The Bible says, “Today is that day we celebrate the Holy Spirit which guides all of us with justice.”

We sat waiting for the service to begin and beautiful bliss, the holiness, filled my heart. I tried to figure out why I was so affected. Well, St. Peters Episcopal Cathedral was one of the first churches in St. Petersburg and was built in 1889. So people have been worshipping the Lord within the walls of this church for 130 years. Such a profound and enduring love of God would, of course, effect me who has been desperately searching for even the smallest touch of God in the faces of strangers all decked out in bathing suits and shorts in a city in Florida.

The Bible says “The promised gift of Holy Spirit lives and reigns in the unity of one God, for ever and ever.” Swami says that too.

It was the celebration of the Day of Pentecost when Jesus returned to earth , The Bible says that Jesus said, “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.

If you know me you will know my Father also.” This is sooo beautiful and has such Truth.

“Whosoever has seen me, has seen my Father also. Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? These words I say to you, I do not speak on my own but the Father who dwells in me does these words. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. But if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves!!!”

Works! Who but God the Father could have built the super specialty Hospitals which heal tens of thousands of the poor and infirm every single day!

Jesus continued, “Very Truly I will tell you that the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works.”

That means, Dear Sai Graduates, that Swami’s students. And perhaps even we will be able to continue His work in every part of the globe. Look what we are doing in Africa as we speak and in South America. And we must never forget the wonderful miraculous Village Integrated Program which is bringing hope and life to the very poorest villages in India, in the poorest districts in every single state.

The Bible continues with Jesus saying, . “Because I am going to the Father, I will do what ever you ask in my name., so that the Father will be glorified by the son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”

The knower of Brahma is Brahma

“If you love me, you will keep my commandants”

Love God, Fear Sin and morality in society

“And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever. This is the spirit of truth which the world cannot receive because it cannot see Him or know Him.”

Another Advocate with the spirit of TRUTH! SATHYA. And that is the precise reason why God sends His Avatars into the world so that they can be seen and known and praised.

For God so loved the world that He has came Himself to save this world.

Dear Sai Graduates are you there?

I haven’t felt like writing lately. . The last blog talked about seeing the Atma in the smiles of strangers on the street and in the supermarket. Suddenly it all seemed so ridiculous and boring. I should have realized at that point something was wrong. Spirituality is a very subtle thing. It is so very subtle that many people over look it all together. They may go to church on Sunday or go and sit in the mandir and chant but they really are not tuned into the subtle spirituality. With all the worldly stuff going on all around me plus a minimum of four hours of television every day, the deeper more subtle feelings or vibrations disappear.

Besides my blood sugar was pretty high so I gave up the two cups of coffee I have with breakfast. Can’t write a blog without coffee. Actually coffee does stimulate the mind and you think better. It is great when you’re taking exams and let me tell you, living in the west means a constant self examination.

So where are we? Are we still looking for the Atma? Well of course but we must look inside isn’t it? Granted it’s outside too but inside it counts more.

And I’ve been working on the self confidence thing as well. Before leaving on this journey my thoughts were very negative. I was thinking, “Swami has talked about self confidence all along. He has said in so many words, without self confidence there’s never going to be any spiritual progress. So maybe I should just give up. I don’t have self . confidence and never have had, probably never will have so maybe He is sending me back because I’m a hopeless case.” Those were my black thoughts.

Have you EVER heard of Swami giving up on anyone? Would He ever just say…that one didn’t make it so better luck next time? OF COURSE NOT. So, self confidence is an issue that needs work, that’s all. And HE WILL WORK ON IT WITH OR WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE AND HE WILL GIVE ME SELF CONFIDENCE BEFORE I LEAVE THIS BODY. I AM CONFIDENT OF THAT!

Sai Ram, where did all that confidence come from anyway. What it means is, I have confidence in HIM. Ok, I don’t need to say it. WHO AM I. Oh Lord, Swami it always gets back to that doesn’t it. Gee, can’t you just show me I’m you, just this once. I know I should work for it and neti neti all the time and everything but…just this once can’t you show me that I’m you, just for me, your old, gold….no huh?

Swami. You are showing me who I am every moment, aren’t you. That blog I wrote about the smiling clerks and ladies in the stores, you were showing me then, weren’t you….because, of course YOU ARE THE ATMA AND SO AM I. But Swami it gets a little old after a while.. You’ve seen one Atmic smile you’ve seen them all. I’m just kidding. If I really saw the smiles as coming from the Atma it wouldn’t be boring, would it.

Well. I’ve had one small cup of coffee so I’ll do one small blog. But this time I don’t think it’s boring because it’s real. It’s coming from the heart

Also I’ve run out of the heavy duty spiritual stuff I do every day, the Sahastranamas and Astotras. So, you know what I think I’ll do? I think I’ll fill in with stuff I’ve written a long time ago, if I can get it past my programmer.

Go Inside

Rap

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You go inside and close the door

And don’t come out here any more

Yes, the heart’s door is the one I mean

Swami’s waiting for you to come

And when you don’t,

You’re acting dumb

Well, things are never

Really as they seem

Turning your back on the Lord inside

You think about stuff outside

Love and peace

But I know that won’t work

Peace is inside where God resides

But in the world, pieces you’ll find

And I know,

‘Cause some tines I’m a jerk

That doesn’t deserve a second thought

Just garbage all that worldly talk

And it won’t last, it just decays

Leaves you with nothing at all

But Swami’s words say it all

Be quiet now and just do it His way

The world’s just not

Worth thinking about

But I can see you have a doubt

That Swami’s sitting

Right there in your heart

But take it from me, Swami’s there!

Orange robe, crown of hair

And guess who else

Has a starring part?

It’s you! Yes, you’re both inside

You are one, so now you decide

You want to find divinity

In your heart?

OK but there’s no room for anything else

Just Swami and you,

Your real true self

Everything else is just imagination

Seen thru the senses and the mind

Not really true, you’re gonna find

If only you’ll use your discrimination

World’s not important, that’s a fact

Besides God takes care of all that

Leaving you free to just be here inside

To love Him with gratitude

Because that’s the right attitude

In fact, He’s your savior,

You’re gonna find

Why think about

That lap-top computer

It’s a scalawag and a looter

Stealing all those desires

Which should be

For God alone, yes God and you

Your inner self, one not two

So, if you want to be really free

Kick that bad ole lap-top out

It’s a fun toy no doubt

But where’s the software

For liberation?

Set ‘em on fire, delete desires

Time to run inside

Your house is on fire

Close your eyes

And let’s try meditation!

Once inside, you’re gonna find

Only the permanent there abides

Not all that trashy kid stuff you desire

Life is short so you should see

And try to find your divinity

Before that final big cremation fire

Swami sits there and He’s fussy

‘bout the sights

You think you must see

And your heart’s His

Rightful place to be

He doesn’t like all that trash in there

Just throw it out you shouldn’t care

‘bout anything that

Keeps you from being free

You think you want to see a movie

Or all that garbage on your TV

Now listen

If those desires aren’t controlled

They will simply drive you crazy

Those bad words and deeds you see

Leave your mind with crusty mold

Another new dress!

Now wait a minute

That’s a stupid thought

And the heart’s not in it

At least not my heart

Which is always spic and span

I always clean it so He’ll stay there

Can’t be careless, wouldn’t dare

I zap those bad thoughts

As fast as I can

Your heart’s your

‘Santum Santorium’

You’ve got to keep it clean for Him

Although we know

He’ll never go away

He says He’ll never let us down

But let’s not cause

That sweet face to frown

By letting our bad thoughts

Have their day

Iraqi War!

Now how did that get there?

OK OK,

So I know that you do care

About the pain and suffering

That you see

Just try to leave it to God to fix

Because, you can’t, it won’t mix

So say a prayer and

Turn off the old TV

I know, women and children are dying

Makes you feel bad And you’re crying

And sometimes you feel

That you are the world

But those sad thoughts

Must be released

If you are to remain in peace

To try to get

Liberation’s banner unfurled

Don’t pollute or

Trash that inner part

Where Swami sits in your heart

School Exams!

Now wait just a minute

You studied right? Every day?

So take the exams

Come what may

Worry won’t help

So now you just forget it

Cause if you can sit every day

In your own heart

Then you can say

‘Not my will but Thine, Precious Sai

Problems come and problems go

But Swami’s permanent, you know

He’s here forever, deep inside

Problems come and will always be

But if you find your divinity

Then you won’t be acting all deranged

See, some detachment will be there

And even tho you still do care

You’ll find your attitude has changed

Don’t turn your back on the world

To keep liberation’s banner unfurled

Just see the world thru

Swami in your heart

Pain and pleasure will come and go

But Swami’s permanent, I know

He’ll never finish

And He’ll never start

Don’t let your desires run away

With your heart so you can say

You know, I don’t need a thing at all

Cause I have my Swami, yeah, He’s mine

We are one, we are divine

And believe it or not

You’re gonna have a ball.

Problems come, yup they’ll be there

And you can help because you care

But now there’s

An inner part that’s cool

A little pain, then pleasure too

That’s the rule, what to do

It’s pointless to go around

Acting like a fool

Swami’s smiling there in your heart

Always ready to take your part

And you will be a better instrument

With detachment yes and humility

You will serve humanity

Once you’ve deleted

Your a bleeding heart

Then you and Swami will rule forever

Hallelula and He’ll never

Leave His throne room you’ve built

In your heart.

Adventure with the Atma

Today my sister and I went to the Supermarket, the Dollar store and the Thrift shop. I love to just wander around up and down the aisles looking at all the food items in the world. It’s all there, countless kinds of ice cream, cakes, biscuits, cookies, breads, fresh vegetables and colourful fruits. You know, that kind of plenty, those gleaming succulent fruits appear to be spilling right out of Goddess Lakshmi’s arms. It is all very beautiful and can even be purchased with food stamps by the poor….like me. It’s awesome! It’s the Atma, an endless supply of good healthy things to eat.

Grasping my little food stamp card in my hand my sister and I looked for the manager. He looked to be about 12 years old and so very nice with the Atma smiling from his little round face., My sister explained about how I had just returned from practically a lifetime in India and he immediately asked for my pin code. I didn’t have the vaguest idea but my sister suggested my birth year and it turned out to be right. We left with a large bag of shredded cheese and butter. I’ve been using my sister’s butter for a month. Shredded cheese is new to me. It comes in a large bag and you can sprinkle it on everything for added protein. I said to the young lad, “ don’t tell anyone my secret pin code.” He looked alarmed and I admitted that I was just joking.

Next we went next door to the dollar store. Everything in the store is only a dollar. When I was growing up they were called Dime Stores which just shows what’s happening. I bought cans of new potatoes, mixed veggies, tomato sauce and kidney beans for 4 dollars on my food stamp card. I’ll mix them all together add a little shredded cheese and that will be my lunch for 4 or 5 days. Cheaper than the canteen at the ashram. And everyone is so very nice. They greet you like friends, a smile and a nod of the Head. You know they call St. Pete the Sunshine city because the sun is usually shining. Atma is also shining from their faces. I asked Betty about that and she said she hadn’t really noticed all the smiles. I know its really the Atma though. It is the love of God in all those faces because Swami says that love is God.

Then we went to the consignment store or Thrift shop. Over here wealthy people take their clothes to a resale place, sell them and then buy more. Then people who don’t have so much money, buy them. I think people do this with sarees in India too but they would never admit it. I am very transparent!

It’s time for Oprah

I just love the Thrift shop. My niece buys many of her clothes there and she has plenty of money. It’s fun. Before I went to India I just loved buying clothes but in India I wore sarees for 30 years. I wouldn’t even wear Punjabis because I’d heard Swami preferred sarees. I have many many sarees at home. Anyway I bought a skirt and a blouse and my sister said they were nice enough to wear to the ‘Friends of the Library concert tomorrow afternoon. Oh great, another adventure and it will be an atmic adventure too because everything is the Atma, the omnipresent Atma. My sister had to wait in the hot car while I picked out my clothes and she was loosing patience. There was a line at the cashier consisting of two or three ladies buying about ten men’s coats. That took a lot of folding and packing away and I kept glancing out at my poor sister. The lady who was the cashier looked like she was just doing service in the thrift shop. She was so very nice and kept apologizing over and over to everyone for making them wait. One of the ladies looked like she was going to have her baby any minute right there in the store, but she was smiling. Everyone was smiling big Atmic smiles and I enjoyed it. If my sister hadn’t been waiting I would have spoken to the mother to be more, so…probably a good thing Betty was in a hurry.

The biggest change I’ve seen since I’ve been back is the number of African Americans around every where. Well I’ve always liked African Americans and so I just babbled, to the young man waiting on me at the computer store the day after I first arrived. “I am so glad to see you working here. I’ve been gone out of the country a long time but when I was growing up the only black people working were the mothers in the kitchens who were supporting their families. My sister was so embarrassed she walked off. I just get so full of this Atmic love that I babble but now I’m a little more self-contained. I think that means full of my real self.

Anyway on the way home I started thinking about my adventure. Did I find the Atma today? Well, of course I did, in the clerk who asked me for my pin code and in all the bountiful fruits and vegetables and in the pregnant lady and in my poor sister waiting for me in the hot car. All there is is Atma everywhere. My precious programmer said that Atma is colorless but if you mix it with fruit juice it can be very sweet, like all the smiles today.

20TH MAY 2010: News from Prasanthi Om Sai Ram dearest Sai family, As Swami always says PASSING CLOUDS are to be ignored and only then one will experience bliss and peace. This summer in Particular was a very TESTING one even for the locals. Puttaparthi area has been announced drought hit since many years. A farmer has a bumper crop only once in 4 years, The summer mercury level which touched 45 degrees this year, was successfully beared by the Puttaparthians and this PASSING CLOUD was followed by a very cool and windy rain. All of a sudden, the atmosphere has cooled down and the temperature is about 20 degrees now. Many people say, the only COOL thing in Parthi is Swami's darshan. and it is very much true. Swami has been so compassionate and has been blessing us with beautiful darshans. This evening (20th May 2010) Swami blessed the Sai Kulwanth Hall devotees' congregation with His divine darshan just after five as the veda chants were still on. Swami made a full round. He took many letters today. Swami then came on to the dais from the right side of the Ganesha. After coming on to the dais, Swami spent the whole bhajan session listening to the sweet music seated on the dais. Swami slowly took all the letters He collected and started reading them with great attention.When it comes to Swami, there is no need to write Him a letter as He knows every thing. He once said," the letters you give Me are just the photo copy and I already have the original with Me. I take it from you, only for your satisfaction" . Looking at Swami, reading those letters, I thought of those words of the divine and I think reading those letters is just a BAHANA (EXCUSE) for all of us to give an extended darshan. The boy seated to Swami's left was handing over the letters, one at a time, Swami very slowly opened them and read them attentively and after reading, Swami slowly slipped the READ letters to the boy sitting to His right. The bhajans were in full swing and I thought as I am here, watching the DIVINE PLAY, let me count the number of letters He read and this evening Swami read 42 letters in less than 50 minutes that He was seated on the dais. It was just amazing to watch Swami. Many a times, He had a beautiful, ticklish smile while reading, some times, He was more attentive and immersed, some times, He shook His Head, many a times, His index finger was tapping for the bhajan tune and some times, He was looking at the bhajan singing boys, appreciating their music. One thing that I noticed was, the number of letters that Swami read would have been more than 42, if many of the devotees had not put their letters in an envelope. Much of Swami's VALUABLE time was wasted in opening the envelopes. Unlike us, Swami was very careful about the letter inside, while opening the envelope. Probably it would be wise and practically advisable not to give Swami letters sealed in envelopes. This way we would also be saving mother earth by not cutting more trees and saving Swami's time. After Swami finished His reading, He signalled for arathi at 6:20 pm. While arathi was sung, Swami threw 5 vibhuthi packets at the bhajan boys and they very happily picked them and took Padanamaskar before returning to their seats. Over all it was a beautiful darshan and every moment of it was worthwhile and DIVINE.. With pranams at the Lotus Feet of our beloved Lord, R.Satish Naik