Love – this has been Bhagavan Baba’s message incessantly decade after decade. And the highest expression of this Love is selfless service.

The mission of Heart2Heart too is to share this Love, month after month, so that everyone can relish this Love, and then grow in this Love. Here is a quiz to jog your memory about the various facets of this supreme love, with manifests as selfless service in practical life. These questions are culled from the many previous issues of H2H.

1. In ‘All Encompassing Grace’ from the March 2008 issue, Mrs. Kavita Sriram shared her experience of Swami’s Omnipresence: “Swami’s 77th birthday was fast approaching when I had humbly proposed to the members of our Sai Center in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, that we take up a special service project such as the sewing or knitting of baby blankets, to live His message that the ‘Hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray.’ Despite the lack of talent, the task was completed well ahead of time and our parcel of love was shipped to Puttaparthi.

Ever since then, during Swami’s birthday every year, it has become a tradition for us to undertake a special service activity to express our love by reaching out to Him among the needy, as He so lovingly always reminds us that ‘Service to man is service to God ’.”

To whom did Swami instruct that the first package be given to?

A. Kavita’s first child.
B. The first child born on November 23 in His Hospital.
C. One of the orphanage kids in the first row at Darshan.
D. One blind child sitting near Swami.

2. In ‘ Creating A Land of Love …’ from the November 2007 issue, we presented the moving story of service done for a group of people who were named ‘Narayanas’ by the Sevadal, but who are more normally called ‘lepers’ by society. After carrying out this service as an offering to Bhagavan for years, one volunteer…

“who was cleaning the wounds of the Narayanas in dedicated and heartfelt service, after some time, started to feel the sensation in his right hand was slowly decreasing and becoming numb - an early sign of leprosy!”

What did he do next?

A. He prayed to Bhagavan and his symptoms vanished.
B. He collapsed in a faint, but was revived by vibhuti.
C. He became a member of the ‘narayana’ community.
D. He went to a Delhi hospital to receive treatment and was cured.

3. In ‘The Divine Alchemy’ from the November 2007 issue, Mr. Jeremy Hoffer shares a very inspiring story of the beautiful effects that service with love can bring to others, while he took part on a group service project: “ Very often, the poor and homeless are treated badly, even by people offering them services. We all agreed that we would work differently. We reminded ourselves that God is the indweller of every living being, and therefore, we would treat every single person as if he were Swami Himself, and give only love towards one and all.

“As the long line of people began filing into the downtown church where we were giving away the boots, the poor and homeless were at first very restless and aggressive with each other and with us. But our group continued to treat them all in a loving manner. Very quickly, the atmosphere began to change. Soon, everyone became peaceful, orderly and happy. Each person was invited to sit down in a chair and be served food and drink while they waited their turn to find a pair of boots. When their turn came, our workers peeled off the old shoes and socks from their worn and tired feet, and carefully fit them with a new pair of socks and boots, and sent them on their way happy and recharged.”

What happened when one of the homeless men saw that one of the others could not find a pair that fit him?

A. He taunted the group for their disorganisation.
B. He made them promise to bring a right pair for him the next day.
C. The other man walked off bare foot.
D. He donated his own boots to the other man.

4. In “Hands That Serve Are Holier than Lips That Pray” from the October 2006 edition, we presented an enlightening panel discussion with distinguished members of the Sri Sathya Sai University.

Sri Sanjay Sahani, the Principal of Brindavan campus of the Institute, related a question posed to Bhagavan from Dr. Fanibunda, a dentist from Bombay and ardent devotee, who asked:

“Swami, what is the role of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation in Your mission?”

What was Swami’s reply?

A. To spread the glorious name of Sai.
B. To bring good people into My mission.
C. Nothing.
D. So I can measure a person’s progress on the path.

5. In ‘Serve Man Until You See God in All Men’ from the December 2007 issue, Mr. Bjørn Ribers from Denmark shared how blissful he felt when he put Swami’s teachings to practice: “ I volunteered to become a visiting friend at the nearest old people’s home. Several days a week I would go and spend time with the elders, talk to them, listen to their life stories and learn about the difficulties they are grappling with in the last days of their lives.

It was on one such day, when I was on my way to visit an elderly man at the old people’s home that I was longing for India and Swami. When I entered the room where the old man lived, I saw him lying on his bed. And as I went near and we started speaking, my thoughts went back to India and for a few seconds I didn’t focus on the person in front of me, whom I had promised to serve.”

What did Mr. Ribers see after he looked up at the old man again?

A. He saw Baba in His physical form.
B. An angel.
C. He turned into a young man suddenly.
D. There was an orange halo all around him.

- Heart2Heart Team