THE CALL by Dr.G.Venkataraman
One day in late May this year when I was in Brindavan, someone told me
that there were a couple of people from Iraq. Immediately I became alert. I
have seen devotees from Iran regularly, and also from Turkey occasionally. Some
years ago, I even saw a group from Egypt. But from Iraq, and that too at the
present time? Naturally I was very keen to meet these persons. I contacted a
few persons in the Brindavan Ashram, and a couple of days after that around
noon time, an elderly looking gentleman accompanied by a lady in a black dress
came to the Guest House where I was staying. The conversation started. Soon I
was at the edge of my seat. Why? Read on!
The gentleman told me that his name was Gen. Yassin Dawood Suleiman. He
was from Baghdad, yes Baghdad. He was once the Director of Baghdad Police but
resigned from his job in 1977 when he was asked to do something that went
against his Conscience. Soon after that he left the country, went first to
Turkey and then to Bulgaria. He switched to business and prospered. After the
fall of Saddam Hussein he came back to Iraq. He was happy to be back in his
country but not at all happy with what was going on, particularly the violence.
The Americans, it seems, asked Gen. Yassin to take over once again as the
Director of Baghdad Police but he refused, saying he was not prepared to serve
under occupation forces. Meanwhile, with each passing day he became more and
more troubled by the violence, which showed no signs of declining but only
increasing.
And then, about two months ago, in the midst of his constant prayers to
Allah for the restoration of Peace in his troubled land, Gen. Yassin felt he
was getting some kind of a call from Inside. It was not very clear but some
Inner Force was urging him on to do something and go somewhere; but he just
could not make out what it was all about; just that he kept on feeling this
Inner Urge. Shortly after that he felt he was being told “to go and see a holy
man”. A holy man, but where? Some days later he felt that he must go to India
in order to see this “holy man.”
Gen. Yassin then told his wife Ameera Ali that they both were going to
India.
“What for?”
“I don’t quite know, but I feel I must go to India.”
“But we don’t know anyone there.”
“May be, but I think the holy man is there.”
“Which holy man?”
“I don’t know!”
“You mean we should go to India without knowing where and meet someone we
don’t know who?”
“May be it sounds like that to you but I strongly feel we must go. Things
will work out.”
Reluctantly, the lady agreed to accompany her husband on a truly unknown
voyage. Gen Yassin told me that Baghdad airport is closed to civilian traffic
and therefore he and his wife had to come to India via the land route – first
up to the border between Iraq and Iran, then cross over to Iran, then travel
through Iran, then cross over into Pakistan through the border in Baluchistan,
travel through Pakistan and then cross over to India. The couple travelled by
bus, taxi, and train; all the time the General was sure he would reach his
unknown destination while his wife was accompanying him not with any deep faith
in this mysterious pilgrimage but out of love and concern for her husband.
It appears that from Pakistan they came to India by bus and landed in
Amritsar. In Amritsar someone told him that he must go South. So the Iraqi
couple took another bus and landed in Delhi. Someone guided them to the Railway
Station. So he landed in the Delhi Railway Station. He now had to buy tickets
but where to? He asked for a holy place to go to. Looks like someone then told
him to buy tickets to Dharmavaram. When I talked to him, Gen. Yassin could not
quite pronounce the name Dharmavaram. He was struggling with the word but was
sure it started with D. He then said, “You know the girl at the ticketing
counter said, ‘Why do you want to buy a ticket to Dharmavaram? I shall give you
tickets for a train that goes direct to Puttaparthi!’ I said, OK. That is how I
landed in Puttaparthi Railway Station. And when I got out I saw Baba’s picture.
Immediately my Heart jumped for I knew this was whom I wanted to see!”
So from the station the couple came to the Ashram but were disappointed
to hear that Swami was not there; He was away in Whitefield? Now where was
that? Meanwhile he decided he would worry about that later; he was happy he
knew whom he was seeking. He told me that he went to the Ashram and prayed. He
added that he was quite used to praying in Churches during his exile. In Delhi,
he visited a Buddhist temple and prayed there.
By the way, it took Yassin only TWENTY FOUR DAYS to reach Puttaparthi
from Baghdad! Twenty four days, can you believe that?! Amazing is it not? What
faith! To complete the story, Yassin met a German devotee in the Ashram, an old
hand apparently, and hearing this remarkable tale from Yassin, he said,
“Listen, I am going to Whitefield tomorrow. You can come with me.”
And thus it was that Yassin and his wife finally landed in Brindavan. By
Swami’s Grace, they were accommodated in the Ashram, and when I met him, he had
already been there for several days. And how happy he was! His eyes were
shining and his voice was full of joy. And while he was speaking to me, his
wife was often praying. He was constantly telling me about how wonderful it was
to see BABA SWAMI, as he referred to our beloved Swami. The General was
constantly telling me that Baba should save his people and bring peace to his
conflict-torn land. He was really feeling for his people.
By sheer luck, we managed to video tape the entire conversation. In a
recent broadcast over Radio Sai, we played the audio part. I hope you were able
to listen to the story as he told me. I cannot obviously show you the video
here but you can see video stills of my meeting with this gentleman who was led
by a ‘Hidden Hand’. That is God and that is His Attractive Power or Aakarshana
Shakti, as Swami refers to it.
Quietly he performs His wonders, while most of us try to excel each other
in trivializing Him in incredible ways! Should we do that? By the way, let me
tell you that this is not an isolated incident. Let me conclude by narrating an
incident about which I heard from Mr. Tajmool Hussein of Trinidad.
One day some years ago, a rich man in Trinidad [of African descent] was
driving very fast in his Mercedes. It was not just fast driving but absolutely
rash driving. He wanted to crash and die! Obviously, serious problems. Just
then he heard a voice saying, “Come to Prashanti.” The man was startled, and
slowed down slightly. He was all alone in the car and yet he heard a clear
voice speaking to him. Even as he was wondering, he heard the voice giving the
same message a second and then a third time. The man now stopped and pondered.
There sure was something in what he heard. He did not quite know what the
message meant but he decided then and there that suicide could wait.
Prashanti !! Now what on earth was that and where was it? He didn’t know
of course, but the One who was pulling him, would He leave a loose end like
that? As is to be expected, when this man began to make enquiries, one thing
led to another – he met some Sai devotees, heard about Prashanti Nilayam and
Swami. So there really was a Prashanti Nilayam. And there was someone there
calling him. So he came to Prashanti, saw Swami, and not only had His Darshan,
but even got an interview.
Those of you who listen to our broadcasts would recall an interview in
which Mr. V.Srinivasan describes how he was guided by Swami to go to a country
in the Far East and stop a suicide there, a suicide about which Mr. Srinivasan
knew nothing about!
Swami has saved so many from self destruction in this manner. It is just
amazing how He calls people to himself just at the right time. The question is
how many of us respond to it and redeem ourselves
Source :
http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_02/13July01/05_Moments_Memories/memories.htm
Om Sai Ram
