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Posted on: Sept 21, 2015
SAI STREE SHAKTI SERIES - 07
Part 05
From the Valley of Lal Ded & Sage Kashyap
An Unstoppable Force of Nature, Our Headmistress Aunty Ms. Muni Kaul
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She traces her spiritual lineage to the sacred valley blessed by Sage Kashyap, the heartland of Kashmiri Shaivism. Her journey to Sai resonates the unconventionality of the 14th century Kashmiri mystic Lalleshwari or Lal Ded, a spiritual trail blazer of her times. Lal Ded's mystic poetry called Vakhs sum up, even if just a little, the grind that Ms. Muni Kaul went through to became her Sadguru's instrument.
Bore I not with all mocking and jeering
With equanimity?
Ill-spoken of I was all along!
Not for a moment did
Deviate from my path.
And thus, when I attained
My goal
What else should I mind?
-Lalleshwari
Born and raised in distant Jammu and Kashmir, the ancient soul in the young and beautiful Ms. Muni Kaul awoke to the Master's call very early. By the 1970's she had already attended the Summer Course in Whitefield, Bangalore (1972) and was volunteering as a seva dal in Brindavan. By the time the Ooty school started, she joined as a young teacher and was known as Muni Sister by the students.
Sometime after Bhagawan relocated the school to Prasanthi Nilayam, she was elevated to the position of the Headmistress Aunty, a role for which Bhagawan Baba groomed and guided her personally, often along with Warden Aunty and Kitchen Aunty.
Since that day, her life's goalpost has been crystal clear. Like the concentration of the great archer Arjuna, who aimed his arrow at the eye of the fish revolving in a bowl of water by looking at its reflection on the mirrored ceiling, Headmistress Aunty has been pursuing her personal bull's eye for the past 37 years, through every breath.
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She is ever mindful that Bhagawan's precious property, His beloved students must blossom to achieve human excellence. In the process, she has been there and done it all – nursed, cooked, fed, bathed, hugged, washed, disciplined, corrected, and loved thousands of children from various cultures, regions and countries, with diverse family and psychological backgrounds. She has even learned the Telugu language to facilitate effective communication with local community.
Hard working and hands-on, this Headmistress leads by example as can be seen in her readiness to do whatever be the task at hand, be it cleaning, mopping, sweeping, handing out toothpaste to a line of a several hundred students in the morning or serving steaming hot rice personally to a thousand students at lunch and dinner. So unlike the image of a Principal behind a big desk, our Headmistress Aunty leaves the world wondering and how and when she stops being a Mom and attends to her administrative duties as a Headmistress. To her students and alumni, she is always available and accessible for nothing matters more to her than being there for the students her Lord has entrusted her with.
Over the decades, the school, under her leadership has raised the bar for creativity, perfection and originality in their Cultural and Sports Day presentations. Headmistress Aunty never tires of personally supervising every rehearsal with the thousand strong student population.
She heads the SSS Higher Secondary (Residential) School where girl students are enrolled from Grade 1 through 12 and boys from Grade 1 to 7 after which the boys move across to the all-boys high school next door.
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Her school's results and achievements speak for themselves.
A recent countrywide survey by India's leading magazine India Today listed the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School among the top residential co-education schools in India, ahead of some of the biggest names. Incidentally, the Sai School is the only one on that list which offers a no-tuition fee education and is set in a rural area.
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As organic as the fundamentals of this great institution, its leader Headmistress Ms. Muni Kaul embodies the spirit of purity and dedication in her life and her message.
Her students, past and present, along with their parents remember her with much gratitude. In the book Divine Memories of Sathya Sai Baba, Diana Baskin quotes an incident when her little daughter fell ill in the Ooty school. She says, “On one occasion, Christina had a very high temperature. Her teacher Muni (currently the Principal at Swami’s primary school in Puttaparthi) administered a huge dose of dedicated love; she stayed up all night holding Christina’s hand, while reciting the “Sai Gayatri” nonstop. By morning the temperature had gone.”
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Swati Swaminathan was in XI grade when around Onam nearly a dozen students came down with some infection and high fever. Two weeks into the sickness, Swati was frustrated and bored out of her mind, especially since the sick children were isolated in a different dormitory. She remembers “Every evening doctor Aunty used to come to check temperature and review prescription and Muni Aunty would always make time to be there for the doctor's visit, even though it meant her missing darshan. When Dr. Sunanda Aunty prescribed another two weeks of rest and antibiotics, I almost choked trying not to cry in front of Muni aunty. She immediately took over and casually remarked 'she is my sher (tigress) she will even scare away the virus within her! Isn't it Swati?' And she patted my back. In a second she lifted my spirits and every single day after that she made sure she spent ten minutes talking to me about Swami and her experiences with Him. I recovered within a week and resumed my normal life at school. This incident taught me the greatest lesson about empathy being a quality of a true leader. Today, as a manager in the corporate environment, I still use that principle. People are the same whether in India or elsewhere, and understanding that every individual is battling a challenge makes us fundamentally empathetic and easier to connect with.”
Meanwhile, Muni Aunty emulates the lessons Bhagawan has taught her. When it is raining, there is a bus that takes children back to school after darshan. The spontaneity and affection with which she lifts child after child and places him and her on the bus to keep them from getting wet is a deeply touching sight, especially since she herself gets drenched in the process. Her children always come first because they are her Bhagawan's top priority and what He likes, she strives to achieve.
Says Suvarna, “I remember when we were in the 10th and 12th grade studying for national level CBSE board examinations, aunty used to herself cook special food in the night, just for us. When I had secured low marks in a pre-final examination in a particular subject, aunty was very concerned. I would definitely not have been the only child securing low marks that day. But her concern towards me totally moved me and I worked very hard to get a good score in the next examination. Imagine, aunty would know each and every child, how he/she was faring in their studies and whether even one of us did not have breakfast/lunch/dinner properly!”
Her students today look up to her as their role model. “HM aunty’s life has always been an inspiration to me. Just observing her life as a student amazed me. She started at 5 a.m. by waking us up and would go on to complete the office work until 10 or 11 p.m. During the day she was a mother, teacher, headmistress, guide, friend, guru, singer, composer, never tiring or expressing tiredness. Her life inspired me to set up a school in the remotest village of Assam. Even today she never complains about her workload... all she wants is her children to be happy and live the life Swami set out to give us through the establishment of the school and by bringing Aunty into our life” says Ms. Sathya Sree Goswami.
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Mallika Chandrashekhar remembers the charming and innocent smile of Headmistress aunty who lives up to her sweet name Muni. “She is devoid of ulterior motives except our betterment and our progress. Her smile is one that hasn’t left my inner vision even now, 25 years later. Love is all I feel and see in those eyes.”
She was Geethanjali Gokarn's 3rd grade teacher when the former joined Ooty school. “The earliest memories I have is of her teaching us to walk respectfully without turning our backs to Swami after getting anything from Him or taking padanamaskar. She instilled in us basic manners and was one of the first teachers who showed me to be neat, tidy and respectful towards even our books. This is just one of the little things that make up such a large part of our lives. Over the years however, on joining Primary school, I realised that she had devoted her entire life to just take care of us. The regular weekly head baths involved her washing our hair whenever our turn came. We squirmed at times but were sure to come out squeaky clean. She made sure we were spotless and so much so she even gathered us together one night to tell us the need for an overall good appearance not just on the face! Which Headmistress would care so deeply!
“She would wake up at nights during our board exams only to make and give spiced eatables so as to keep us awake to enable us to study well. However, the best and the most lovely part of her is her ability to reach out to God (Swami) for us. Yes, she actually went on pursuing any matter with Swami only for our sake. Very often, I wondered if it would have embarrassed me to pursue anything with Swami, for Swami sometimes in front of others. But not her! She was neither tired, embarrassed nor had any patience till she got the needful from Swami. This is what any mother would do for her child!
“I as a mother now have found that I have drawn so much from her and try my level best to be at least little of the mother that she is” Geethanjali says.
In November 1996, five year old Bhavani Munshi returned to school terribly homesick after her first winter vacation at home in Toronto. She recalls “I had been a strong little five-year old until that point, but that November, I was a sobbing mess. I’ll never forget the patience and love with which Headmistress Aunty would put me in her lap, console me, cajole me, make me laugh, and make me stand on her feet for little “airplane” rides until I was calm again. As a kid, I drew strength from the solidness of her embrace; as an adult and now a teacher, I draw inspiration from the depth of her love and care for each of her students.”
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“While in school I found Muni aunty to be very strict. Now, that I am mother myself, I realize the importance of being firm. I appreciate her even more today” says Richa Churamani.
Atyam Raghavendra belonged to the 1st batch when Primary School was inaugurated. He remembers “I was in the 3rd class and with much excitement began my hostel life. After the initial euphoria wore off, home sickness set in and Muni Aunty consoling me is a vivid memory despite the passage of time.
“In the initial years, the domestic staff at Primary School was insufficient and Muni Aunty's day started very early with giving bath to the smaller kids and after that she would pick up a broom and sweep all the dormitories! Imagine a Headmistress or any teacher in a more conventional school getting down to these tasks.
“In those days Muni Aunty used to sleep with us in the dormitories and was woken up one night by a boy. He could not sleep because of mosquito bites! Aunty comforted him and put him to sleep beside her. Her caring and affection exploded when any of the students fell sick and the child needed special nursing.
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“Even now, when we visit Primary School, the teachers shower the same affection and love that we used to enjoy during our Primary School days. The passage of time just fades away and we bask once again in their undiminished affection.
“In July 2015, we the school's graduating class of 1990 celebrated our silver jubilee reunion in Prasanthi Nilayam. At that time we also visited our Primary School. It was amazing and inspiring to see how even 40 years olds amongst us were mesmerized by Muni Aunty when she spoke to us in a classroom. She had us in rapt attention when she reminded us of our singular good fortune to have studied in Swami's school and during Swami's physical sojourn and inspired us to live up to His expectations. She recounted various incidents of the attention to detail that Swami paid to Primary School in the early years where He tasted the food being cooked for us, inspected the toilets to see if they are clean, leaving no stone unturned.
“Now we are parents ourselves and at times struggle to be patient with our children. I reflect back with amazement on how our teachers, led by Muni Aunty managed a 100 of us (during our days) and thousands now. One can't help feeling that we are falling short of love for our own biological children compared to the affection we received from our primary school teachers, led by our dearest Headmistress, Muni Aunty.”
For Aarti Nagaraj, “HM Aunty equals a big smile and a warm hug for every one of her students. Always. She exemplifies how it is possible to love thousands of children as your own. Absolutely no boundaries.
“Her desire for perfection was apparent in every act, small or big. I can still recall the mouth-watering aroma of the food she cooked for Swami everyday – it was always perfect. And the umpteen number of times she made us practice during Sports Meet because there was one tiny mistake; and last but not the least, the thorough way in which she personally washed our hair once a week.”
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After shifting them to a room next to hers during their sickness, Ushaina and Sashaina, the Fanibunda twins remember how after a long day's work, Muni Aunty came to her room to find one of them quite sick with wheezing and asthma. “Off she went all the way back down to the kitchen with Manorathi Madam and personally made soup for us at that late hour of the night.”
Shalini Krishnan testifies “She was a disciplinarian be it Ooty or later when she became the headmistress of the Primary school. But that enforcement of discipline came from selfless love. Like Swami says misplaced affection is wrong but a mother’s discipline stems from true love. Our classroom faced the stairs to Swami’s room in Ooty. He would often walk into our classroom and watch her teach us. I constantly remember her telling us “Swami is always watching.” Swami often demonstrated the truth in her sentence and this has imprinted in my mind. She was the perfect blend of love and strictness. She would often communicate with the children through her eyes. In the primary school I remember how every weekend I would find her standing by the sink with her sari tied up and tirelessly washing our hair. I realize now how much it must have taxed her back to do this and is a testament to how expansive her heart is. That I had the fortune of living with these 3 embodiments of Sai, day in and out for a number of years brings tears of gratitude to my eyes.”
For Partish Kumar Dubey, it is HM Muni Aunty's maternal instinct that takes precedence over everything else. He says, “I know for a fact that even today HM loves us like a Mother would love her own children.”
He recalls an incident from December 1983 when he was in Grade 6. “There was a Bal Vikas rally in the Hill View stadium that year. Lot of children had come to Prasanthi Nilayam for the function. HM wanted us to give our best. HM ensured that we put in lot of practice for the march past. One morning we were all talking in the playground while waiting for the practice to start. Aunty wanted to teach us the value of respecting the morning hours. She came and told us a story that ‘Morning’ had come crying to her and complained that her boys were making too much noise and disturbing her. I have never forgotten those lines. It was a very innovative way of making us realise the importance of "Mornings" and why we must utilise our Mornings in a more productive manner. She is truly and naturally a teacher par-excellence.”
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For Sai Amrita Kaul, Headmistress Muni Aunty is the Goddess of fire and transformation. She says, “One of my greatest memories of Headmistress Aunty, is the way Aunty could magically change our entire prayer hall into a vortex of intense energy every year during the Navaratri festival. I would sit there and watch in absolute awe as Headmistress Aunty would completely immerse herself into the worship of the Goddess, and I could swear that in those moments, every single celestial being was in our prayer hall, filling the space with such high vibrations, that even as a child, I could easily lose myself in it. I would often rush through my other activities just to spend some extra time in the prayer hall, and I distinctly remember that a teacher once found me there when I should have been asleep in my dormitory. Just as I felt fear that I would have to leave, Aunty walked into the prayer hall, saw me sitting there, and gave me permission to stay a little while longer. The simple act of recognizing my budding relationship with the Goddess, gave me the confidence to bloom over the course of my years at school, as Aunty often allowed me to observe, and even participate in the prayers with her. As I grew, I realized that the Goddess was not just the object of my worship, but also the living, breathing entity who was performing these prayers in the prayer hall, serving me dinner in the dining hall, and teaching me through example, how to serve the Guru at all times. There is an unmistakable energy, a spiritual fire, about Headmistress Aunty. At the very least, this fire will provide you with warmth, but if you are brave enough to be touched by this fire, you will never be the same person again.”
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Today, HM Muni Aunty keeps going at her characteristic speed and efficiency, to attend to the next child or teenager in need of counselling or a booster shot of tender loving care or a course correction. She has children to hug, meals to serve, budgets to balance, students to inspire to achieve their potential, ace their exams and blossom into Sai gems. And there is always time to speak to her alumni and enquire about their well-being. With her selflessness, she has become her Master's voice to her team and vast family of several thousands of her children and grandchildren around the world. This matriarchal head of her school's family embodies the Vedic precept Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, tying the primary school world into one large family, along with Warden and Kitchen Aunties. In the process, she breathes, think, pines, loves and serves her Lord through all her actions. To quote Lalleshwari again:
You are the heaven and You are the earth,
You are the day and You are the night,
You are all pervading air,
You are the sacred offering of rice and flowers and of water;
You are Yourself all in all,
What can I offer You?
Team Radio Sai's C.G. Sai Prakash is also an alumnus of the Sai school (1984-91). He candidly admits, “I am fortunate that I live and work in Prasanthi Nilayam because this gives me the continued opportunity to interact with my three mothers – Headmistress Aunty, Warden Aunty and Kitchen Aunty who have raised me on Bhagawan's behalf.
“I am in awe of their source of enthusiasm and strength to see each day afresh. They never fail to inspire me with the value they attach to everything associated with Bhagawan. Consistency and excellence in every endeavour has in fact turned their daily activities into acts of worship. They complement each other in the roles they play and work as a cohesive team and are the three sides of an equilateral triangle that lends stability, balance and beauty to the lives of those in their care.
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“I am also astonished by their memory power to remember names, details and incidents related to each alumni student, and we run in thousands, which I believe is possible only due to their genuine love for us and the highest possible purity of mind. These are women of serious spiritual substance who laugh in the face of age, fatigue, monotony and physical illnesses. No force can ever slow them down from the responsibilities Bhagawan has entrusted them with. They are divine personalities and that is why they serve as His instruments through every breath of theirs. Through their sacrifices, their lives have now become Bhagawan Baba's message. They are the living sages of our age, worthy of our worship and veneration. I salute them.”
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Alumni, SSS School, Ooty & Prasanthi Nilayam
Team Radio Sai
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