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Posted on: June 03, 2014
Circulating the Joy of Service Through Scintillating Cycling
Part 04
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By late morning, Satish reached the venue Sathya Sai Vihar in Aluva. “This is the Sai School where the Prof. Mukundan lives along with his wife and takes care of the administration of the school as well as all of Swami’s work in the State.”
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| Sri Sai Vidya Vihar, a school run on the same lines as Swami's institutions |
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| Prof. Mukundan (second from left), along with the SRP team, during a house-visit to a patient |
Prof. Mukundan had kindly arranged for Satish to visit the Aluva Sathya Sai Samithi and spend time with the patients.
“I vividly recall one Christian lady, who declared that to her, Swami was her Christ. A Muslim declared Baba as his Allah. It was deeply moving how Swami had so uniquely touched people from different faiths. And as with other places, such is the transformation that happens that the recipients of His grace become the truest ambassadors of His work.”
After a few more house visits, the next afternoon Satish rode to Kottayam, the south central district, pedalling about 100 kms, meeting more patients enroute Kottayam.
“I reached Kottayam at 10 pm on November 28. It had drizzled that afternoon in Aluva, and my bike was full of dirt. I wanted to clean it right then but was tired after the 80 km ride. I decided to do this the first thing next day. When I woke up and came out in the morning, I saw my cycle was already being cleaned! An elderly gentleman was using a hose pipe to wash the dirt off the bike and carefully wiping it clean. I was told that he was the Editor of Malayalam Sanathana Sarathi, who was staying at the house at that time! I was taken aback and I protested but Mr. Somasekharan continued to wipe the bike as before. And he was doing it with so much care and diligence! This left me completely humbled.
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| My bicycle receives loving treatment |
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| With the office bearers of the Kottayam Samithi |
“And let me tell you this: in Kerala he is not the exception but the rule; I met so many such people, who, when it comes to Swami's work or anything even remotely related to it, would not stop at anything.”
In this phase of his endeavour Satish did a fair measure of cycling coupled with visits to patients’ homes – both in Kochi and Kottayam districts.
From Kottayam, he rode on to Chengannur in Alappuzha district where he witnessed a kaleidoscopic mix of patients.
“I met a retired headmaster who was treated in our hospital at least 10 years ago. Then I was in the house of a goldsmith and shot him busy with his tools. The third was a lady who used to conduct parayanam sessions in temples. I also met a mason, busy in the construction of a building. The spectrum of patients amazed me,” Satish narrated with a smile.
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| The retired headmaster who was treated in Swami's hospital |
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| The goldsmith who received the precious gift of life at Swami's hospital |
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| A lady who conducts devotional workshop sessions gained in energy and confidence after her operation |
“What also captured my heart to an even greater extent is the spirit of service of the Sai volunteers. It is they who took me to each of the patient's houses and during this process I had many chances of interaction with them too. These are people who are ready to do anything for the Sai Mission. In Kerala, this flows right from the top. Prof. Mukundan leads by example that cascades down to every office bearer and every Sai worker. In myriad ways the Sevadals helped me throughout my journey, escorted me on bikes, treated me as their own family member, served me food, put me up in their homes and took care of my every comfort and need.”
From Chengannur, Satish rode through Haripad, Mannarasala, Ochira and reached Kollam. He met a few patients along the way, and from Kollam, he reached his final destination, Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.
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| A scene along the bicycle route |
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| A patient at Mannarsalai, who underwent cardiac surgery at Baba's hospital |
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| Grandmother is now energetic enough to help in the house and take care of the grandson |
“The next morning, I accompanied the SRP coordinator and the District President to visit two patients in a village almost 25 kms away from Thiruvananthapuram.
“First was this little girl whose hole in the heart had been closed in our hospital; her father is a daily wage earner. I received a warm welcome at their home and had the opportunity to listen to how they came to know about the hospital, and got treated.
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| This enthusiastic school goer was treated in Swami's hospital too |
“I also remember another little girl, whose father owned a tuck shop outside their own home. The entire family got into the Sai fold after receiving treatment at the hospital. She, her sister and mother, all of them go regularly to the samithi and participate in the weekly bhajans. She even sang a bhajan sweetly. My heart aches when I think what would have happened to such people if they had not come to our hospital. I feel all our doctors should see their patients in their respective environments; it would fill them with such a great sense of satisfaction and fulfilment.”
On the Last Lap of What Was a Lovely Adventure
This was the last occasion that Satish interacted with the patients. He was at the end of his unique journey. The next day he rode the 100 kms from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala to Kanyakumari, in Tamil Nadu, the southern-most tip of India from where he would return to Bangalore by train.
“You must have enjoyed this ride filling yourself to the brim with the joy of cycling,” I reacted excitedly.
“Yes and no...” Satish paused and heaved a mixed sigh of satisfaction and sorrow. “Yes, the roads in Kerala are good and to add to it was the coastal state's natural beauty. It was ideal for a cycling enthusiast. But I must tell you, even though finally I had the chance of an uninterrupted 100 km ride, the feeling was nowhere near to what I had experienced the previous nine days. There was something missing, there was nothing to look forward to!
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| Satish with his faithful machine on the Kollam beach |
“All the other days I was cycling to visit patients, was eager to interact with them, and witness Swami's love showered on them. The energy I had was of different quality. While the bike used to fly on the roads, now the tyres appeared to have lost some air! Besides, as I entered Tamil Nadu the condition of the roads deteriorated. Nevertheless, it was a good chance to introspect. I was alone, they were no escorts or patients or devotees with me. As I mulled over all that I had witnessed, many scenes kept playing in my mind and I just could not help thinking how committed and dedicated the Sai workers were, how grateful and prayerful the patients were to Swami and His hospital. My desire to, in some way, directly relate to the patient was more than fulfilled, and in such a memorable manner, thanks to His abundant grace. In fact, it is completely His blessing that my fitness was at the peak all through and He gave me all the strength to surmount every challenge.”
I responded, “No doubt about that. But Satish, don't you think once you go back to your desk in the Central Stores you will again feel the disconnect with patients as you did before undertaking this revelatory journey.” I was keen to know how lasting the impact of this trip was going to be on this inspired alumnus.
“I am glad you asked me this Bishu,” Satish went on. “The bike tour helped me realize something very beautiful. Earlier, I used to think that the people who serve the patients in the wards or out-patient departments or in the operation theatres were the privileged lot. I felt so because they offered direct patient care. I used to think that the rest would have to contend with delivering indirect patient care which was supposedly not as fulfilling. I was wrong. The truth is everything is direct patient care!
“For example, if a patient in the ward looks out of the window, and while watching the green, well-maintained hospital lawns is reminded of the natural beauty of his village, his longing to get back home is likely to support him in recovering early. The gardener, who is doing his job well, will in fact be directly contributing to patient care. Similarly, if the operator at the water treatment plant feels that this water is going to touch the lips of patients and help him/her get well soon, then that person too is offering direct patient care. As I analysed this way, it dawned on me that no one is far from the patient. All we have to do is change our perspective and we would have altered our experience too to something ennobling and joyful. In fact this thought just filled me with so much inner happiness and tranquillity.”
“Wow! You must share this with all the staff members of the hospital,” I said emphatically.
“Yes, I will...and we also intend to organise a conference and invite all the doctors and volunteers involved in the Sai Rehabilitation Programme in the southern states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. This will help exchange notes and motivate one another to improve this programme. Also, in the near future, we can work towards expanding this initiative to other states like Odisha and West Bengal from where we receive the bulk of our patients. That would be so good.”
I could not agree more.
Given the ever energetic spirit of Satish I asked him finally,
“So, what's next on the agenda in your list of Sai adventures?”
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“Well, Swami will guide me I guess,” said Satish, palms folded and his eyes locked on Bhagawan's picture on the studio wall. But after a while he continued, “In the early months of 2013, as part of the Sai Spiritual Retreat, I visited Badrinath, Rishikesh, and could get a glimpse of the Himalayas at the northern most tip of India; and now, at the end of the year, I’ve been to the southern tip of India viz. Kanyakumari. Now that I’ve traversed the country north to south, the next thing to do could be to travel east to west!”
“East or West, all the best!” I heartily wished him.
“Thank you Bishu,” he said and added, “What keeps us going is following our heart, and what keeps our heart going is beating for Him and Him alone!”
So well said, I told myself and began to reflect how scintillating life becomes when every passion is sublimated into compassion, every endeavour suffused with spiritual fervour, and every adventure turned into a divine venture seeking only God's signature.
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- Bishu Prusty (Radio Sai Team)
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