Experiencing the Eternal
By Prof. E Mukundan

Prof. Mukundan is presently the State President of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization, Kerala

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To define God is equal to denial of God. We cannot experiment on Him; we can only experience Him. And for this, there are certain stages of transformation which one has to pass through. A person with fever cannot taste the food items properly. Similarly when we are having the illness of attachment to worldly things, we cannot experience God.

Prof. E. Mukundan speaks of divinity with Divinity

Baba gives a beautiful example. It was the time of Deepavali. A wealthy person wanted to distribute sweets to poor children. He went to a bakery and tasted the ladoo there. Not of good taste; he felt. This was repeated in the second shop too.

In the third one, the owner of the bakery asked him to wash his mouth before tasting the ladoo. He did so and the ladoo tasted very nice! As he was having the habit of keeping salt crystals in his mouth for toothache, he could not taste the ladoo’s properly in the earlier shops. The fault was not with the ladoo; but with the person.

L. O. V. E. – The Royal Road to Sai

For experiencing Swami, we have to have inner purity. Bhagawan Baba is equal to hundred percent Love. Only a heart filled with love can realize Him fully. Water can be mixed with water; not with oil. In the same way love can be merged only with Love. Love means four things: The letter 'L' denotes the Light Inside – the Athma Jyothi. 'O' means Oneness with God. 'V' stands for the Vision of Sai in all. 'E' represents Energy Divine - God is the basis of all our energy.

Love in action is service according to Bhagawan. To experience Sai one should indulge fully in selfless service. 'Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray'. There is a certain uniqueness in the seva activities that are done under the Sai umbrella. We do service - not to remove the sufferings of others; on the contrary, sufferings of others create pain in us - but we are engaged in seva activities to remove that pain. This feeling makes our seva selfless and Divine. To experience Him, one needs to posses a unique type of mental frame work. It is the way of life and attitude that makes one a real Sai devotee. We are to be positive and optimistic. The faith and confidence that we are the soldiers of Sai makes all ways clear for us. All stopping stones become stepping stones, and all stumbling blocks into building blocks.

In one of the personal interactions, Bhagawan asked the writer where from positivism comes. Many answers were not fully acceptable to our Lord. Swami said: "It is not to come from outside. It is inside already; one has to develop it by dropping the negative.” There should be a change from 'Why me?' to 'Try me!' As an instrument in the Divine Mission, we have no choice. Our duty is only to be always ready; ever ready. One should not miss opportunities given by the Divine.

To realize or experience Swami, one ought to have Shradha. Shradha is a combination of sincerity, concentration, motivation, faith and urge. In many Bhajan halls, one can see a door exclusively for Swami. All devotees believe in His Omnipresence. We are to keep a door not only there but in our hearts too – the one that opens only to our Lord and to stop all unwanted entrants. Innocence takes us to our Lord. As Kabir said: “It is not the intelligent; but the innocent who reach God." Softening our heart by love and service makes our hearts innocent too.

Swami is Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipotent. Once, Dr. K.M. Munshi got an interview with Bhagawan. He had 12 questions on a piece of paper to present before the Lord. But he had completely forgotten this in the Divine physical presence. But Swami gave answer to all questions without asking. Then Bhagawan said: "Munshi, there is a 13th question which you have forgotten to write down and that is about your joint pain."

Eschew Ego, and God is Possible

Who can move with God to God? There are three types of people. The first kinds are the ones who by thinking of their own difficulties, do not venture into tasks. The second type constitutes those who give up in the middle. And the third type includes the people who reach their goal inspite of the difficulties - only they can move with God. Only men of character can realize Him. Character doesn't mean absence of vices. On the contrary, it is the harmony of thought word and deed. This is very important today because we are having more platform heroes and practical zeros.

The following example depicts our greatest obstacle. Water is full in the tank. The pipes are also in good condition. But there is no water in the pipe. The tank said: 'I am ok'. So did water and the pipe. Then where is the problem? Why is the water not flowing? Oh, there is a wooden piece blocking the hole in the tank! That is our ego. Water is Divine Grace, the tank is Divinity and the pipe is human life. For theflow of Grace in human life, the obstacle of ego has to be removed. The removal of ego makes the experience of God possible.

It is the same case with selfishness too. Sharing has given way to capturing. Nidhi is more important than God's Sannidhi. Giving hands become Grabbing hands. 'I-ness’ and ‘My-ness' are the features of today's life. To experience God, all these negativities are to be transformed. How? IT (Information Technology) should be followed by TT. (Transformation Technology). There should be another 'WWW.' i.e. Work, Worship and Wisdom. The only solution for the pollution of human heart is by the dilution of negativism by positivism and finally the latter should replace the former. This positivism will help us to depend more and more on Swami and this dependence will make us really independent.

Bhagavan’s Guarantee

During the last three decades, the writer had a number of opportunities to enjoy the Glory of Sri Sathya Sai. To watch Him and follow Him is real education and real duty. A few years back at Brindavan, it was the day of Vishu celebration. Bhagawan commanded me to speak before His Divine Discourse. One point stressed was the Divine Guarantee that if we take one step; Swami will take a hundred steps. In His Divine Discourse that followed, Bhagawan repeated this Divine Guarantee and also added: “That one step should be in the right direction so that Swami will take a hundred and thousand steps!" Steps in the right direction are needed to experience and move with Sai.

Compassion and Love of Sai Ma are Infinite. In a personal interview, the writer got an opportunity to explain the various service activities in Kerala. Bhagawan was told about the service activities for the tribal people inside the forest.

When He was told about the confidence of seva-dal members moving inside the interior forest regions with the faith that Swami is in the front and back, Swami asked: "Only front and back? What about the middle?" Yes, the Compassionate Lord protects us from all sides.

Instances of His Love and Compassion are many. He gives everything that we ask so that we will ask the thing for which He took the Avatarhood with Love and patience. Lord Sai is waiting and preparing us for that final question.

Beloved Lord, Bless us and make us ready for that. As mother cat is taking the kitten closer to her body; take us Lord, closer and closer to Thy Lotus Feet.

- Courtesy: Mathrubhumi’s ‘Divine Love’

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