|
|
| Article on service
theme - Gopikrishna Pidatala |
| "Swami, Give me strength and energy
to render more Service at your Lotus Feet" was a
young devotee of Hyderabad's prayer to Bhagawan
a few days after the 2nd World Youth Conference.
Swami looked at him, gave a deep thought, smiled
and said, "You do my work, I'll do your work" in
chaste Telegu. He readily agreed. Man today needs
to realize that Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is
born on this Earth out of His mercy to shower His
choicest Blessings on all Mankind. After almost
three decades of association with the Lord Sai,
I can realize that I have wasted a lot of years.
Swami is a role model for all of us. |
| "My life is My message", Swami often
says. What have we learned from His life? Swami
says that the shortest path to reach God (Him) is
by practicing the saying "Love all, Serve all".
Is it possible to practice this aspect in this mundane
world? The answer is an absolute 'YES'. There is
at least one personality, a phenomenon, on this
Earth who practices this aspect and is also teaching
other beings to learn and practice it in their own
lives, and that is our Beloved Lord Sathya Sai.
A few years back, I asked Swami, "Swami, today life
is full of turbulence, ego and this often leads
me to bad thoughts. How do I ward off these thoughts?"
Swami explained to me with lots of loving care.
He said, "My dear, whenever you feel hungry, what
do you do?" I replied, "I eat immediately". Swami
then asked, "How do you eat?" He went on to explain,
"First you take a plate, serve yourself some food
and then voluntarily your hands move to pick up
the food to be placed in your mouth. Once in your
mouth, it is then masticated by the teeth and involuntarily
digested, isn't it?" He asked, I nodded. Swami then
went on, similarly, "whenever you get bad thoughts,
think of God, think of Sai, involve yourself in
good thoughts and good work." As you develop this,
Swami said that automatically bad thoughts are left
behind. Make this your daily habit and you shall
never have scope for bad thoughts, Swami answered.
He immediately pointed at our team leader, Uday
and said, "this is how he developed into a good
boy. It took me seven years to scrub him of his
bad habits and see how he shines today." |
| Swami is our friend and our well-wisher,
our God Mother, ever ready to help us, pacify us
and lead us to peace. This is the absolute truth,
but there is an important clause here. Swami tells
us something, "Just do it. Do not try to analyze
the pros and cons. There are innumerable devotees
of Sai who are still trying to gauge Sai and in
this process they do not know what they are missing."
Often Swami directs us. He is like the Traffic Signal
that shows you the path. We need to understand that
Swami out of His mercy and grace gives us a number
of chances even while we err. But at one point of
time in order to make us realize the value of His
word, He stops directing us. From then on, it's
misery. He ignores us, does not smile, looks away
when we plead. This is when we realize what a fool
we have been! Then we start practicing Swami's directions
with total surrender and PRESTO - Swami is back
with us; all smiles, love, compassion bundled together.
|
|
Swami often talks
of service to motherland, "Janani Janma Bhoomischa
Swargadapi Gariyasi", the mother who has given
birth to you and the motherland you are born in
is greater than Heaven. Serve your motherland,
serve your society. It is this society that has
brought you up. Pay back the debts you owe to
society for bringing you up. Render service to
society is what Swami says. Similarly, serving
parents is the most important ideal we need to
do. 'PAY - RENT' … Swami often says that our very
existence in this world is because of our parents,
as our head, food and blood truly belong to our
parents. Hence, it is our primary duty to pay-rent
to our parents, and that is by providing loving
care to them with devotion. So dear brothers and
sisters, let us all resolve to do His work and
do our work too…
|
|
|
|
 |
|
