Yet another vacation passed off and ‘His students’ are back into the portals of His educational institutions. It is no secret that Bhagawan often cherishes and takes great personal pride in declaring His students as His ‘Real Property’. The Divine in His persona has set a higher benchmark for this most fortunate lot. What does He expect from this bunch of students whom He often refers to as Future Leaders? Read on an extract from Sanathana Sarathi published in July 1983, originally taken from the book “The Greatest Adventure” by Late Dr. M.V.N.Murthy, to find His greater expectations on His ‘White Army’.

The other day, Bhagawan spoke to a student of His College who had just finished his examinations and was leaving for Madras (now Chennai) to spend the holidays with his parents. "Beautiful lotus flowers bloom in the pond. The frogs in the pond do not enjoy the fragrance and the nectar; they hop, leap and croak. Bees know the fragrance and the sweetness of the nectar; they come in swarms from afar. The frog uses the lotus as a perch! You do not realise what a blessing it is to be near to Swami. Look at all these persons who come to Swami from far off places!..." said Bhagawan.

The boy was standing next to me; so, I could see the expression on Bhagawan's face and also sensed the ‘anguish’ underneath those words. Surely they were not meant for him alone. There were other boys within hearing and many elders. It was meant for all. He came near the boy and said, "Come back early. Have you applied for admission to the post graduate class? Come in time for the admission test. Bring your brother's son too for joining the primary school."

Here was the Lord, the Avatar of the Age, the Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (now Sri Sathya Sai University), speaking so intimately, so affectionately to His students, asking them not to miss the chance of continuing to be under His loving care.

What amazed me was the `agony' of the Avatar, the ‘anguish’ born out of extraordinary love. I had heard Him declare repeatedly, "If you ask Me, I would say, students are My property. I have no other property." His efforts to establish educational institutions, to equip them with the best; the Love and care He bestows on teachers and the students are evidences of His concern for the future of this great country; and of a world on the brink of a disaster.

Baba's unspoken message was, "O! Dear children! I am doing so much for your sake. I need no gain or dread any loss. You are all potentially Divine, Amritasaya Putraah, Children of Immortality. You have the capability to become Madhava, Master of Maya. Why do you love to be just puny little men?" He told the boy from Madras, "Be near Swami. Every thing will be added to you."

The feeling of ‘agony’ is adopted by the Personality of the Avatar to awaken our faith. If Bhagawan sometimes pretends anger, that too is born out of His Love; He expresses ‘sorrow’ and ‘disappointment’ that all His boys do not realise what they are missing. He has nothing but their highest good in His Mind.

A mere glance, a mere touch, a word of caution, a word of concern, anything that comes from the Divine in the persona of Sathya Sai does perform a miracle, a miracle of different sort, Transformation of the Heart. It does not even require a direct touch of His persona. He alone knows the modus operandi to bring about an affective transformation, be it in an individual or in collective group. He does it, at the right time, at the right place, to the right person. R. Ramanujam of New Delhi had an interesting episode for the readers of Sanathana Sarathi published in the June 1972 issue. Read on...

Ashok Kumar, a young three wheeled rickshaw driver from Delhi, was not loyal to his profession. He would cheat his customers every time, to the tune of at least 25 paise. One day, he was engaged in taking a customer to Golf Links, where he heard that a ‘Baba' had come. He stayed on to have His darshan and saw the ‘Baba’ twice that day. He desired to have a photograph of the ‘Baba’, but, his desire remained unfulfilled.

Next day, providence directed me to him. I hired his rickshaw and while he was taking me through Golf Links Road, a curious Ashok Kumar turned round and asked me, `Did you see the Baba?" I pretended as if not knowing the ‘Baba’, so that I could draw him out. "Who is He?" I asked. For full half-hour, he narrated to me the miracles of Baba and how lucky he was to have His Darshan the other day, not once, but, twice. I was touched by his genuine enthusiasm. He said, "While taking His Darshan, I took an oath that I would never cheat anyone." When I reached home, I took him into the little altar, where I had photographs of Bhagawan, garlanded, with small oil lamps burning and incense sticks filling the room with fragrance. I presented him a photograph of Bhagawan. He was ecstatic and grateful. He said: "Baba has heard my prayers". I engaged him again and after reaching the destination, he said the charges were Rs. 4.40; I gave him a ten rupee note; he returned a fiver and I asked him to keep the small change due.

Meanwhile another customer got into the rickshaw. While Ashok and I were engaged in conversation, the `customer' managed to `pocket' the ten rupee note which had fallen on the ground! As I was about to leave, he came running, "Saab! You have not given me the ten rupee note!" That was a great shock. I gave him another tenner, and told him, "If you find my first note, in any of your pockets, return it to me". Next day, he came to my place. He returned the ten rupee note. He begged, "Saab! I committed a big mistake". He explained, "The `gentleman' who hired the rickshaw had stolen this note. I detected it when he took the money from his pocket to pay my dues. When any one gives me a currency note, I fold it always in a typical style. I saw such a note in his possession and claimed the same. He refused and I picked up a quarrel; crowd gathered; police came and finally the`gentleman' reluctantly parted with it! After the crowd dispersed, the policeman asked me, "Why should you return the note to that Saab? Let us share it; give me five and you take five" But, I told him, "If I am involved in an accident, you are not coming to help me! Baba will come there and help me. I have taken an oath before Baba that I would never again cheat any one".

Transformation, the Sathya Sai way!