Many troubles and failures prompted me to seek a help mate in this miserable existence. Shirdi Baba entered into my life even when i was a little baby of 6 months or so. Due to double nimonea, i stopped breathing and the doctor has given up his hope. My father being a staunch devotee of Sai was prompted to keep the "Dwarakamai photo" beneath the pillow of mine. I survived due to the sole grace of Baba. Second time when i was a boy of 15 or so, i was bedridden due to severe dysentry. My head reeled and i was sunk, though i was conscious of the happenings. I was unconscious but i was aware of a pit with several pairs of hands trying to grab me. It was almost over but i still survived. Like this Baba saved me from certain death 3 to 4 times and he saved me from fatal accidents two times. Of course i have much karma which needed clearance. However i was lucky to get the loving care of both Babas though they are really one. Swami told me in one of the interview to chant 'sairam, sairam' to remove one bad habit in me way back in 65. Though i do not practice it assiduously, still i chant the name whenever i am in deep trouble or my mind is otherwise disturbed.. I have failed miserably in following the directions of Swami and i am undergoing the results of such disobedience. Still He takes care of me invisibly and protect me from disasters. Anyway, he utilise me in his own way by making me to post in saibaba list though i am incapable of it. He prompts me and i type these messages. Sairam. Any body who want to learn swimming, has to perforce enter into the water. He can never learn swimming by standing on the ground. Only after entering water, we learn to keep our body afloat and start displacing water by waving our hands and feet inside the water. This helps us to keep us afloat as well as to wade through water however deep it may be. We won't drown as long as we keep the movements of hands and feet as above. Likewise, in the spiritual realm, first we have to start somewhere, enter somewhere. It may be namajapa or participation in Bhajan etc. Initially our actions are mechanical since we are not aware of the powers of the name of god. After sustained efforts, we move a little ahead of the place from where we started. This itself, will give necessary confidence to proceed further. In addition, we will be slowly adopting certain outer disciplines prompted by our own consciousness. It is 'observing silence, avoiding unnecessary talks, helping those who are in trouble, helping the poor and people affected by diseases. By these practices, we slowly develop detachment towards the mundane pleasures of life. Even people who are immersed in worldliness slowly realise the futility of pursuing worldly desires. They slowly learn that the wealth they assiduously earned do not contribute an iota of happiness. It may give a temporary security but that wont last for ever. We learn slowly, that nothing lasts for ever in this world and the plesures of the senses are fickle and momentary. There is no satiation point in any of our pursuits. Real peace can be got only in the contemplation of Divine and loving service to the poor and downtrodden. The excess wealth we hoard can be utilised in the best way to cater to the needs of poor and destitutes. World over, we find many philonthropists sacrificed the wealth, they earned, for the service of destitute poor. The richest software giant of Microsoft company has relinquished his quest for money and wanted to contribute to the society. This is inevitable. At one time or other, we will be ruminating the false attachment we hold towards wealth and the world. Why not start earlier, when we are young and energetic. Learn to sacrifice from young age. It would be easier for the seekers of truth to detach themselves from the false panorama, i.e, worldly achievements and attachements. Sairam. Everybody in this world desire prominance to themselves. There is an underlying reason for it. The Self activates the world and its contents, the myriads of beings. It is enshrined in each as Self or Atma. The Self is verily Sath Chit Ananda. It always exists everywhere, It is full of wisdom and it is Bliss.God has created all beings from a small worm to gigantic elephant. But He was not fully satisfied with His own creation since nothing could appreciate Him. Hence He has to create human being and implanted His knowledge in the soul. He has made a condition: "Human beings were given choice either to understand that God is imminent and all pervasive or pursue his own goals of material life and thus waste the opportunity presented to him. Negligible is the count of people who seeks the higher through this human birth. Majority of people plunders their life in mundane pursuits and end up in loss necessitating further births. Hence knowing oneself is of paramount importance. The self is neither the body, nor the mind. It is not the intellect or any such things. It is the Eternal witness absolutely unaffected by Time space or causation. He remains alone and aloof and all the other things we witness are pure delusion and decept. He alone IS and none else.Sairam. When the rainy season starts, there is copious rain everywhere, sometimes flooding the entire town, causing havoc etc. When there is severe summer, we hanker for rain. When the downpour is torrential, we resent. We feel that there is no regulation. Do we lead a regulated life? If we do, then nature also will reciprocate like that. Our thoughts and behavior affects the outer space whether we believe it or not. Thoughts are very subtle and every little thought affects the cosmos. In ancient days, there was regular performance of religious rituals and fire worship. Even the kings and emperors performed many yagnas and yagas for the sake of humanity. Many sacrificial things were offered in the fire accompanied by chanting of appropriate manthras(sacred syllables). Consequent to that, there were timely rains all over the country. People performed their legitimate duties. Crops and cattle flourished. Nowadays, people have conveniently forgotten such sacrificial worship of the fire. Hence, the world over, either there is drought or untimely floods causing havoc to living beings. Keeping this in view, Swami has resurrected the practice of yagas and homas. One such practice is revival of "Athi Rudra Maha Yagna. Long ago Swami has started "Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yagna in Prasanthi Nilayam, synchronizing with Dusserah celebrations. Hence let us understand the greatness of such yagnas. Sairam.. God is the creator of all living beings right from a tiny ant to a mighty elephant. Nothing in this universe will move without His Divine Will. Even tiny ants that you see are born out of God's will. The same truth has been explained in Saint Thyagaraja's famous Kirtan Cheemalo Brahmalo Siva Kesavaadulalo Prema Meera Velasi Unde Birudhu Vahinchina Rama Nannu Brovara (Oh Rama! In Your pure and unsullied form of love, You indwell all beings from an ant to Brahma as also in Siva and Kesava. Please be my protector too). No doubt we are aware of it, but once an ant bites us, we immediately kill it. On the other hand, when Lord Brahma appears before us we offer our pranams to Him with folded hands. Though the names and forms are different, the same Atma permeates all living beings. One who develops faith in this Truth will not hasten to cause any harm to any living being. - From Bhagawan's 2007 Convocation Discourse
