The Below wonderful experience with Swami was sent by a Dear Sai Brother who 
wishes to remain anonymous :


My first interview was in a group in ’76 was at Prasanthi Nilayam, Interviews 
are always unexpected and as soon as you are called, you feel a rush of 
emotions…excitement, gratitude, anticipation, and even a little nervousness.


As Baba was calling us all in (about 10), people were standing about not 
knowing where or when to sit. I had heard what the interview room looked like 
and as soon as I went in, I made a beeline to Swami’s chair and sat right next 
to the right of it while others were still milling about. I wasn’t going to 
miss out on this opportunity.


Swami is the ultimate host and puts everyone at ease. There was a big black man 
in a suit and tie believe it or not with a camera around his neck and look a 
bit bewildered. Swami walks up to him and points to the camera and asks, 
“Camera?” The man did not speak a word other than his native African language 
so didn’t understand. Again, “Camera?” He still didn’t understand. Swami turns 
from him a bit and asks, “How many?” while He extends his forefinger and starts 
counting people, “One, two, three, four”, then the bobbing finger turns into a 
wave of the hand then like a card dealer, fans out with His thumb 10 “business” 
cards with Swami’s photo and address on them. This was particularly humorous 
for me because I had six months before coming to India, worked as a dealer in 
Las Vegas.


So Swami starts handing out the cards to everyone and after He finished, He 
very humbly said, “Swami. No camera. No film.”


I was holding the card in between my thumb and forefinger, and when I changed 
to hold on the edges, I noticed my thumbprint on the font. The developer was 
still wet! :)


Later in the interview Swami asked the group, “Who is the wealthiest man in all 
the world?” and no one said a word. He was looking ahead at the group and not 
at me because I was sitting right next to Him on his right. After a long pause 
with no answer, He turned sharply at looked right at me with a look of “And 
what do you say?”


I had actually heard this the day before from a guy who was asked this in an 
interview so I replied, “He who has no desires Swami.” to which He emphatically 
replied while poking me in the cheek rather hard with His forefinger, “Wrong!. 
He who is content!”


Sai Ram

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