This quiz tests your recall powers from reading Heart2Heart, and all the questions here are related to our ‘Window to Sai Seva’ stories. In the answers we have included the links to all the articles from which they have been taken. So, please click on these links and enjoy reading about how Bhagavan has been inspiring His devotees to tread the joyful path of selfless service to mankind.

1. In ‘Serving with the Mind’– from the September 2005 issue, we presented an excerpt from the book “The Touch of the Lord – on the Life of the O’Brien Twins” written by Dorothy and Moyia O’Brien from Australia, who were referred to by Swami as “The Pink Twins”. They have dedicated their lives in the service of others through SWARA (Sunshine Welfare and Remedial Association), a home for physically challenged people.

‘This is a particularly sweet story: There were two women, one with a new baby, who came up to us one day at Brindavan - they felt that Sai Baba had guided them to speak with us. We did not have time to see them in our room so they came to our rickshaw after Darshan. Many problems had suddenly come into their lives, and they asked us to pray for them. There was a lot of fear, particularly for the baby, and Sai Baba had told them to stay and not move on.

We advised them not to say to Baba how bad everything is; but have faith and tell Him that they trust Him and have faith in Him and to pray…then we were getting ready to leave. However, one of the girls began to cry quite hysterically and said, "You don't understand." We were still trying to talk to her when we had to move - Sai Baba's car was coming and we were in the rickshaw inside the grounds of the College. We drove outside and parked, but in our minds we could still see her poor little tearful face as we had driven away.’

Being ruffled by the situation, what did the Pink sisters do while seeking Swami’s guidance?

A. They called Swami’s residence.
B. They sat outside His room until Swami noticed them.
C. They poured love on the women.
D. Swami talked to them when they put a special pink vibhuti in their mouth.

2. In ‘The Golden Principles of Service’ from the July 2005 issue, we featured a talk given by Mr. Rangarajan in the presence of Bhagavan. He said: "Let us recall what Bhagavan has mentioned about service. Work can be transformed into service only when it follows certain conditions; only when it is carried out in a particular way, and Bhagavan lays so much stress on service that He says 'Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray'.

Next, he shared five different aspects of Swami’s teachings on service. “The first aspect of service that Bhagavan mentions is that it should be done with the feeling of oneness.”

Of the other four aspects, what was the last teaching of Swami on seva that he talked about?

A. Quality Not Quantity.
B. Silent Service.
C. Offer Every Act to God.
D. Pure Selfless Love for God.

3. In ‘Sai Seva In New Zealand Prisons’ from the December 2005 issue, we presented an article which beautifully conveyed the tension and reward in undertaking a challenging service project - trying to bring light into the lives of prison inmates in Auckland, New Zealand, where the Sathya Sai Service Organization began a pilot programme of visiting prison inmates in Mt. Eden Remand prison.

The programme was first set up to visit the Women’s Wing of the prison because the prison authorities felt that there would be less tension if a pilot programme could be tried with women inmates first.

A devotee who took part on that eventful day shared: “We explained that we were followers of Sathya Sai Baba, a wonderful Spiritual Teacher who resides in India and whose message of love and tolerance encompasses all religions and races. We told them that we had a quantity of small pocket photographs of Him and some holy ash ( vibhuti ) and would gladly give them out if requested to.

"All agreed afterwards that the session was very successful, the need was there and that it should be on a permanent basis…We were next asked to take the programme into the men’s part of the prison. As one of our devotees put a small photo of Swami away in his pocket one of the inmates - a heavily tattooed gang member came up to him and said:'___________.'"

A. “He came in my dream last night and promised to set me free!”
B. “He came into my cell, blessed me and disappeared!”
C. “I see Him talk to the guard every morning!”
D. “Next time, can you please bring a big photo to put up on the wall of my room?”

4. In ‘The Shanti School in Kuwait’ – from the October 2005 issue, we had featured an article on the 'Shanti School' of Kuwait where Sai volunteers are serving the needs of mentally challenged children with great love and bringing about amazing transformation in these special children.

The Kuwait Sai Centre opened the School for Special Needs Children as a service project, dedicated to their beloved Sai Children aged between 4 and 16 who have conditions such as Down’s syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy and other learning disabilities.

Anybody who visits the school will see that the School offers the children opportunities to realize their full potential and to make them as independent as possible in daily life.

After being able to be independent through this seva, what have some of these special children been able to do?

A. Convince the government to fund for more such schools.
B. Some children are in the process of joining schools for normal children.
C. Some children are taking up challenging careers.
D. It has invoked transformation in others to see the divinity in them too.

5. In ‘Immeasurable Service In A Mental Hospital’ from the September 2006 issue, we featured an article on the Sai Youth of Vishakapatnam who have been rendering yeoman service to special adults in a mental hospital for years:

"When we interviewed Theresa, a trained nurse of 6 years service, we asked if she knew of the services being rendered by the Sathya Sai youth wing. She said: 'I know it very well and ever since I joined I have noticed the service of the Sathya Sai youth wing with great interest. They come every Sunday and bring such things as soap, biscuits, food, vessels, plates, coconut oil, nail cutters and combs. They first bathe the patients, clean any eczema and other skin diseases and apply ointments. They cut the patients’ nails whenever necessary. They apply coconut oil to their hair and provide them with sumptuous food such as tamarind rice, pulav, and curd rice. They also sing bhajans with the patients joining in, distribute Baba’s photos and vibuthi. They also help us in cleaning the toilets and wards if it is necessary.’"

What was her answer when she was asked about the effect on the patients of the seva done by the Sai Youth?

A. “The patients are now doing this same seva on the younger kids!”
B. “They don’t want to go home anymore!”
C. “They are looking younger!”
D. “They keep on asking whether the Sai Youth will come again tomorrow.”

- Heart2Heart Team