Jesus told us to come to him as little children. In Professor Kasturi's autobiography, Loving God, he refers to Swami as the Divine Child. Although Swami was in His 30's when Professor Kasturi first came to Him, he still refers to Him as the Divine Child. Swami teaches us to "Be happy" always. He says: "Be happy, Be happy." Following are three real life stories in similar lines, all involving children, showing open trust, an acceptance of God all with childlke innocence.

Understanding... with Childlike Innocence

Leaving a satsang, a mother and her six year old son were waiting in the car for the motor to warm up. Still humming and singing the songs which everyone sang together during the satsang earlier in the afternoon, the mother started singing out loud, "He's got the whole world in His hands; He's got the whole world in His hands; He's got the whole world in His hands; He's got the whole world in His hands."

When the car had sufficiently warmed up, mother and son joined the lazy Saturday afternoon flow of traffic. While the mother was still singing the same tune over and over, "He's got the whole world in His hands," to herself, her son pensively interrupted her.

"Mom," he asked, "Does God really have the whole world in His hands?"

"Yes, son." his mother answered positively, "He does. He holds everything in His hands."

"Well", replied her son, "Then we're driving on His fingers."

* * *

Brindavan, beautiful, peaceful Brindavan. Thursday afternoon—Bhajan day—new arrivals were welcomed by uninterrupted singing. I was enjoying the wait for Swami to appear when a lovely Indian woman and her three year old daughter gently sat down beside me. Tucking her sari in around her, the mother immediately was taken in by the singing. Closing her eyes, she began to sing and sway, a blissful look playing on her face. Clapping rhythmically, she was lost in her worship of Sai. Sometime later, I noticed her daughter stand up, look around, her large brown eyes gleefully darting here and there. With drums pounding, cymbals clapping, and incense swirling, the crowd seemed to become one in love and anticipation of seeing the Lord. Uninhibited, as only a child could be, the young girl began to dance and swirl. Soon, she was dancing where Swami was to walk, up in front of the massive crowd. Elderly women with bright saris nudged one another and nodded towards this daring beauty. Her mother had not noticed the child leave. Eventually, pulling herself back to the world, the blissful mom searched feverishly for the child, never looking forward to where Swami would stand, but behind towards the crowd which had gathered and grown. Finally, in desperation she turned towards the dais area and gasped out loud as she saw her daughter in Swami's place dancing and playing. Shyly, she approached her daughter and tenderly guided her back to her place among the crowds.

The mother knew that her daughter was tired of waiting and took the perfect pink rose she was carefully holding to offer to her Lord and gave it to her young daughter. "Sit still and hold this rose," she said. "Then when Swami comes out, if you are sitting quietly, He may take it from you," suggested the mother, to occupy her daughter for the wait.

Taking the rose from her mother the child replied with assurance, "That is not Baba, mother, that is God."

* * *

Each night before bedtime Russ and his mother would kneel beside his bed to pray. Like a Bhajan, they would pray in response and repeat. The mother would say a sentence and her seven year old son would repeat it. The mother had chosen Swami's teaching, "There is only one caste - the caste of humanity; There is only one religion - the religion of love; There is only one language - the language of the heart; There is only one God and He is omnipresent", as her prayer.

The mother would recite each line, and Russ would repeat the same line in prayer. One evening as they were getting ready to close the day with their prayer, Russ turned toward his mother and said, "Mom, I think I can pray this by myself tonight."

"Oh, son," replied his mother proudly, "That would be wonderful."

Kneeling, Russ began to pray with confidence. "There is only one caste - the caste of humanity; There is only one religion - the religion of Love; There is only one language - the language of the heart; There is only one God and He is our new President!"

I pray we may all be innocent and pure in our minds and our hearts, in our search for the Lord. May we all see the funny side of living and may we all trust in God as children. Baba for President? Not a bad idea, do you think?

—by Joy Ziegler from Sanathana Sarathi, Oct, 1992

Many of us who have approached Bhagawan Sai, are the distressed, or the seekers of enjoyment. Yet a few are the seekers of Knowledge, and a microscopic few, are the men of Wisdom. Men approach Him, the Supreme Giver, with diverse motives. But, though they know it not, they have been irresistibly impelled to do so, as a result of the Sankalpa of Sri Bhagawan, and also as a result of their own good Poorva Karma (past actions). Bhagawan has often stated, that no one can approach Him, except it be as a result of His Sankalpa. Ahalya Devi had to remain petrified for Ages, only to be redeemed finally, in due time by the immortal touch of Sri Ramachandra's Feet. Two prerequisites were necessary, the grosser art of Ahalya's karma had to come to its predestined end simultaneously with Sri Rama's Sankalpa (will) to redeem her, had to be revealed to the world at large.

We go to Sri Bhagawan to get from Him, what we feel, `we need.' But He draws us to His Feet, to give us, not what we feel we need, but what He knows, `we lack'. Let us never be under the supposition that when we bow down to His Feet, we are bound to get all that we are praying for. He only knows, better than all of us what is good for us, and what we really and truly need.

When we approach Bhagawan, let us pray to Him in our heart of hearts, "May Thy Will prevail". He knows what is ultimately best for us, and will give us what we deserve according to our stage of development. Bhagawan has often told us, "Gold cannot be fashioned into an ornament of exquisite beauty, without undergoing the process of purification through fire, and without receiving, innumerable and agonising blows at the hands of the skilled master craftsman. What is to be the final shape of the jewel is not known to the jewel, but only to the craftsman, in whose mind it has already taken shape. If the lump of gold has to be fashioned into a creation of beauty, it cannot refuse to undergo the concomitant tribulations of going through fire and being beaten into shape".

- by K.P.Mukunda Prabh, extracted from Sanathana Sarathi, July 1971