Ascension message - Arcturians

We are the Arcturians!

Dear Ones!

Times are accelerating and  your growth with them! But be aware where you turn your attention to and in which direction you want to evolve and grow!

It is clear that you must practice discrimination! Although the incoming energies are strong and the light is coming from high, you still must determine for yourself in which direction you want to go!

Light carries information, but it is you who decides how to benefit from it. There are people who do not take advantage yet from what is pouring down on your planet. And there are people who evolve rapidly while they use their higher intelligence and devotion to the process to allow the incoming information to bless them to the maximum possible degree. In between there are countless variations of how you can make use of what is given to all.

This is so because each one of you is here with different stages of intention, in development of consciousness and the  ability of distinctiveness and wise choice.

Your prayers and aspirations, meaning, to be clear yourself about what exactly  you want from this ascension process, spiritually and otherwise, is very important!

There are very few who have already truly profound knowledge about the depth of human spirituality, because most of you who have started to participate in the ascension process, have themselves merely educated with information, available in the so called New Age community and similar sources, to learn about and understand the spiritual process. But this understanding often only touches the surface and sometimes even contains misinformation.

Remember also, while you always attract energies and levels of consciousness similar to yourselves, from which you take your next information, that this could mean that you do not develop to a higher state of consciousness because you might merely repeat what you have already accomplished in other incarnations, perhaps even in higher dimensions.

Therefore we recommend that you ask yourself what your heart in this special life is spiritually truly yearning for, and not just to follow the information which is easily everywhere available to you!

We propose that you take your time and listen to your heart, in order to actively and intentionally discover your most genuine desire.

Everything is possible! Do not forget, that you are perhaps one of the beings who have  been manipulated since Millenniums not to use the original freedom of your heart to reach out for the seeming impossible!

 We would like to inspire you, to allow yourself to remove all thoughts which are spiritually limiting and which are detaining you in a status quo. Aspire what you never dared to dream of! Thereby - to begin with - it is not so much important the degree to which you dream your new world, but the degree to which you open your heart up for higher spiritual realization.

The intent and quality of creation will follow from this realization by itself.

To envision and to create a new world from the status quo you are now living in, without taking into account the degree of spiritual realization your heart truly is desiring, deprives you from authentic growth and the opportunity to use these times of planetary and universal changes to the maximum degree.

Unfortunately most of you had not the chance to enter their deep space of  heart to synchronize with their very root to know their most profound purpose. This is so because you have been kept busy with superficial knowledge and distractions to prevent you from being attuned to your own personal source field.

Therefore many of you do not dare to enter their own depth of being to know themselves.

And so we recommend that  you use the power of the incoming light to help you at first in your process of entering your own depth of being and not to allow yourselves being led astray by your thinking process, even if it is about structural elements of your evolving body or higher dimensions. 

And even in your heart there might be layers upon layers by which you might be driven away and which distract you from going deeper. But this is about penetrating all of them until you reach the bottom to be in contact with your very soul motivation.

It will show you naturally your true spiritual aspiration and will guide you into the right direction to achieve it!

There is no external means, other than the incoming energies which are able to expand your awareness, which can help you to touch your own core. This  core is not reached by any external means, which pleases the senses, such as music, smell, candle light and so on, although they can be relaxing. It is only reached in silence, in forgetting your total environment, surrender and letting go of everything your social persona is otherwise identified with.

 
It is only reached in that moment where you dare to detach yourselves from all concerns, all desires of the body-mind, all events, all people, even your most loved ones. It is a process only you can do and alone, therefore it is like the dying of the world. You must be willing to release all identifications with what you think you are or what you consider to define you, you must release all wishful thinking.

This is what we recommend to you, if you wish to be completely true to yourself and your own path. Otherwise you just run with the flow everybody is following. But also this is valuable, if you prefer to do this, because this  would be then what you have chosen in this life-time.

But when your heart is still at unrest about your own process in the midst of all the everywhere easily available information, we advise you to follow what we have explained here.

You must know that you can achieve any spiritual goal, any spiritual realization, once you have identified it, nothing is too high, if you are determined and willing to do what it takes. And then you will attract the right means for the realization of that goal.

All of you have now been given an unprecedented chance to accomplish what has not been possible before in a relatively short time.

Ascension into higher dimensions or even spiritual realization of a certain degree does require more than just to be in the company of high energy and higher light.

Realizing the Divine Consciousness that you are, requires you work to do. Although it might be helpful, to exist in a higher density, Spiritual Realization has nothing to do with the level of dimension in which you live, because Divine Consciousness can be realized in any dimension.

Furthermore, distractions from this Realization are everywhere and in any dimension present, but  the low density of your dimension provides even an excellent environment to realize the most Supreme.

We bless you so that you may find your true heart’s desire which is ALWAYS about your most individual path towards the Unity of All-That-Is.

The Autobiography of a Yogi - The Awakening - 1

Brother Anandamoy

Brother Anandamoy :

I was in my early teens when I spent a summer vacation with an aunt and uncle in the suburbs of Winterthur, one of the larger cities in Switzerland. My uncle was a musician, a member of a symphony orchestra. He too was on vacation, which he spent working in his large garden. I helped him. Since they didn’t have any children, my uncle took a great interest in me, and during the garden work there were long “talking sessions.” My uncle, I found, was deeply interested in Eastern philosophy, and I listened with rapt attention to his discourses on karma, reincarnation, the astral and causal planes, and particularly on saints — masters who had attained illumination.

He told me of Buddha and how he had reached this blessed state, and other saints, which kindled in me a deep desire to follow their example. I remember how I used to walk around repeating inwardly again and again: illumination, illumination. Even though I didn’t understand the full meaning of the word, of course, I knew that it was something far greater than what ordinary man had, no matter how accomplished he might be in his material or artistic career. I asked my uncle how one could achieve that state, but the only thing he could say was that one has to meditate. But how, he didn’t know. He said that one has to have a guru who could teach everything. When I expressed my great desire to meet one, he just shook his head and smiled. “My poor boy, there are no gurus in Switzerland!”

So I began to pray for a guru. My yearning for a master was so great that, after I had returned to my hometown, I used to go to the train station, waiting for hours, in the hope that “he” would come. But nothing happened.

After I finished my schooling, I worked in my father’s business for two frustrating years. By then, I had given up my interest in Hindu philosophy, since it seemed hopeless that I could find a guru. I embarked on a career in art, and after three years I was invited to go to the United States to study with Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous architect.

During my first week in America, I visited an uncle who had emigrated to this country in the 1920s. During a conversation he mentioned Hindu philosophy. When I told him that I had been interested in this subject years earlier, his face lit up and he took me to his private study and showed me Autobiography of a Yogi. Pointing to Paramahansa Yogananda’s picture on the cover, he asked: “Have you ever heard of him?” When I said no, he replied, “Greatest man I ever saw. He is a true master!”

“You have seen him?” I cried in utter surprise. “Where is he — not in America!?”

“Yes, he lives in Los Angeles.” Then he told me how he had attended a series of lectures and classes given by Paramahansaji soon after he had come to this country. To think of it, all these years when I had been longing for a guru, my uncle had known a master and his teachings!

I hungrily read the book. That was the first miracle. I was so fascinated that I didn’t even notice that this in itself was a miracle — I didn’t know enough English to read a book in that language. Frank Lloyd Wright too had written an autobiography, but I had tried in vain to read the first couple of pages. It took me a whole additional year of learning English before I was able to read that book. Yet I had been able to read Autobiography of a Yogi from cover to cover.

I knew in my heart that I had found what I wanted, and made up my mind to study the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and find God.

It was some months later, after I had learned more English, that I was able to make a trip to Los Angeles, hoping to see the Master. As I entered the grounds of the Mother Center, I felt an overwhelming peace, like nothing I had ever experienced anywhere before. I knew I stood on holy ground.

Sunday morning I attended Paramahansaji’s morning service at the Hollywood Temple. It was the first time I would see him face to face. It was an unforgettable experience. After the service, the Master sat on a chair and most of the congregation went up to greet him. I can’t express in words how I felt as I stood in line. Finally when I stood before him, he took my hand in his and I looked into those deep luminous tender eyes. No word was spoken. But I felt an indescribable joy coming into me through his hand and eyes.

I left the temple and walked in a daze along Sunset Boulevard. I was so intoxicated with joy that I couldn’t walk straight. I tottered like a drunkard. Not only that, but I couldn’t contain my joy within, and kept laughing out loud. People on the sidewalk turned and stared; and those walking toward me moved off to the side, shaking their heads in disgust over what they assumed was public drunkenness on Sunday morning. I didn’t care. I had never been so happy in my life.

Not long after this experience, I entered the Self-Realization Fellowship ashram as a monk.

The Princess of Belgium meets Swami - 2

                         

( Continued from The Princess of Belgium meets Swami - 1)

The Princess and the young Prince of Belgium were a regular sight in Brindavan whenever Swami would come there. I‘share here 2 events concerning them.

The Prince ( I do not know if he was the elder or the younger one ) would come inside Swami’s residence area, where we worked, and stand with a group of students for darshan. In the evening, he would go and sit in the students block for bhajans. During the day, one of us boys had to escort him to the foreign canteen for food.

The Prince had received an interview a few days back and Swami had blessed him with a magnificent gold watch.  One of my friends while sitting with the Prince during his lunch, happened to notice the watch and just couldn’t stop raving about it. He said it was as if a gold snake formed the strap to hold the diamond studded dial. A watch fit for a Prince!

I don’t care for watches much, but anything materialized by Swami evoked a childish enthusiasm in me. So each of us boys would try to take turns to escort the Prince and have a look at the watch. Many succeeded and added their own praises to the divine gift. I was the only one left out who hadn’t seen the watch yet. One day I heard that the Royal family had left.

Utterly disappointed, I somehow let go of my obsession to see the watch.

A few days later, Divine grace fell on me. I was called for an interview. Inside, Swami materialized a beautiful watch for a devotee, then went inside to give personal interview to some other devotee. As I tried looking at the watch Swami gave the devotee I wondered how fortunate these souls were; not because they had received a gift of a gold watch; but because something about them please the Lord and evoked such grace from Him.

When I looked up, Swami had emerged and was looking at me piercingly. Before I knew it, He began waving His hand and materialized another gorgeous gold watch. He beckoned me, as I nervously and excitedly went to Swami, He very lovingly strapped the watch on my right hand.

My focus was on Swami’s presence during the interview, it is only when I came out that I saw the watch closely. It was truly beautiful. Some of my friends gathered around me to see it, when suddenly someone remarked “Hey! That’s the same watch that Swami gave to the Prince!”

In 2007 Swami returned from Kodaikanal to Brindavan for the Summer.  Amongst Swami’s guests who had returned were the Princess of Belgium and her friend.  A new VIP house had been built behind Trayee where such guests were to stay. I and 2 other friends were serving there taking care of food arrangements and any other needs of the guests. 

We learned that both the ladies were very sick. Apparently the spicy southern Indian food hadn’t suited them and they had suffered much ill health while they stayed in Kodaikanal. Karma burning in the Divine Presence!

When we learned this, the three of us went out of our ways to ensure their stay there was comfortable. Swami has asked Mrs Ratanlal to send food for them from her house. We brought food from different places, got fruits and coconut water ( which they loved) got ice creams and whatever we could. Our feeling was that these were Swami’s guests and so mustn’t suffer any more then they already have.

Since the guest house was new, it wasn’t equipped well. We did not have proper cutlery. The royal guests not used to eating with hands were having a difficult time. I brought a new set of spoons and forks and soon some new set of plates and bowls also came along.

Within a week we noticed them regaining their health completely and they would participate in darshans and bhajans. Everyday they would thank us and praise us for our efforts. If they had liked something while eat, they would shyly ask us if we could get some more of that thing. We were only glad to oblige Bhagawan’s guests.

Soon the time came for them to leave. Swami graciously blessed them with an interview. Utterly excited they mentioned this to me as I went up to their room to give them some things. They then asked me what was Venkateshwar, what was Tirupati?, .. that Swami again and again mentioned these names to them during the interview. I tried explaining it to them but as we didn’t have much time, I promised to mail them all details.

Then they remarked something that Swami had told them in Kodaikanal  “I know you haven’t been well here , but don’t worry, when we reach Brindavan, I will take very good care of you!”  The Princess and her friend looked at me and thanked us again for our service saying that Swami indeed had taken very good care of them.

Stunned by the remark. I went down and shared this with my friends. We were speechless and overwhelmed and thanked Swami profusely for giving us the opportunity of being His instruments.

The Princess of Belgium meets Swami - 1

The Belgian Princess from childhood has always been a devout Christian. She had always followed her individual duty and duty towards the society. She used to regularly have Sai Baba’s dream where He used to tell her repeatedly to visit him in Puttaparthi. She was not very inclined to do so since she thought going to Baba would be against the Christian faith, which she had been following for so long. She was of the opinion that her dreams may not have anything serious to think about since she was nothing even remotely connected to India and she had never heard of Sai Baba and hence no question of going to India.

An old friend of hers’ once met her during one of her outings. Meeting after a long time they both talked for a long time. During this conversation, her friend mentioned to her in passing that she had met a spiritual teacher in India whom she had accepted as her Guru (preceptor). Having heard her friend mention India, the princess asked her as to whether she had heard of someone called Sai Baba in a village called Puttaparthi. Looking a little surprised, she said

“Well, He is the one I am talking about. Sai Baba!" So saying she showed the princess His photograph. She looked at it and was stunned. The features of the man in the photograph were exactly the same as that of the person, who in her dreams was asking her to visit him.

A week later the Belgian princess was on her way to India, with her friend accompanying her. All through their journey, they about nothing but Sai Baba. The more she heard about him, his miracles and his work, the more she curious she became. The princess alighted in India and as she moved closer to Puttaparthi, her heart beat faster and she asked herself --

“Who is Sai Baba? And How on earth does He know about me?”

In Puttaparthi, she checked into an accommodation generally provided to people coming to have accommodation. But being the princess of a nation, she was entitled to government of India’s hospitality. The princess herself never informed the accommodation authorities of her royalty status. But the foreign affairs ministry received a phone call from the Belgium High commission (who were told of the visit by a royal palace communique) that Her Highness The Princesss of Belgium was in India to visit Sai Baba. The foreign ministry informed the concerned authorities at Puttaparthy and the princess was moved to the VIP guest house.

Seated in front, the next morning, along with her friend, the princess waited for Baba. As the music started (generally every darshan at Puttaparthi and Vrindavan begins with Indian Classical music being on the Audio system and continues till the end of darshan), her heart fluttered in anticipation. “Will He recognise her? Will He speak to her? --” All sorts of questions came on to her mind.... Baba walked slowly along the ladies side. As He came near her, He stopped and spoke.... to a lady next to the princess. As He was speaking to the lady, the princess bowed to touch His feet. Baba turned, placed his hands over her head and said  “So, You have come.”

Baba called her into the interview room along with her friend. They went in and took their place. Baba materialised two medallions of Jesus and gave it to them. These materialisations are normal for a regular visitor to Puttaparthi but for the princess this was something she never expected, leave alone expecting she never even thought it was possible!

The medallions were similar with a slight difference. The one given to the princess’ friend showed the full picture of Jesus on the crucifix. The one the princess had showed him only up to the waist. Both looked at Baba , who smiled and said ---

“You have been a sincere devotee of Jesus from childhood. You have followed righteousness through out your life. That is why I called you here.”

He stopped for a while and said again ---

“Princess , Do you remember, at the age of five, you saw a movie called ‘Jesus of Nazreth’? That was the movie, which attached you to Jesus so much. The scene where Jesus was crucified made you cry. Especially when His legs were nailed, You burst out and cried for two days. It has since then left an indelible mark on your life.”

As Baba mentioned these words, that phase of her life passed through the princess’ mind. But it struck her that that something which only she knew. How did Sai Baba come to know of it?

He stopped for a while and spoke again --

“I never give what people don’t like. You love Jesus, so I gave you a medallion of Jesus Himself. But your medallion doesn’t show the nailed legs of His. That made you cry a lot. I don’t want you to cry now.”

After Baba spoke, there was silence for a while. The princess now spoke--

“All along I thought my dreams were imagination. Never did I think that they would lead me to where I am today. How do you know about all these things concerning me? I still have to understand you but from what I have experience here so far, I can say that whatever you are, You are remarkable.”.
Baba spoke again --“Child, You have a pure heart. That’s why you are here. You have never reneged on your duty. I am pleased by your steadfast adherence to duty and dharma. Ask me what you want, anything and I shall give.”

The princess remained silent for a while. Her thoughts flew to her sons at Harvard. They were good children but she had one problem, they never believed in God. They never accompanied her on her visits for Sunday mass or regular sermons at church. She wanted to ask Baba about them but something stopped her and she kept quite.

Baba asked -- “You want to ask me about your sons -- at Harvard, isn’t it? So why don’t You just ask?”. Witholding nothing more from Baba and convinced of His omniscience , the princess spoke  with a mother’s concern--

“Baba, My children ..... My children don’t believe in Jesus. I am quite concerned about them. Please change them, Baba.I know You can do it. I’ve faith in You.”.
“Alright , speak to them about me tonight and tell me about their reaction.”-- replied Baba. The interview then drew to a close.

The next day, They were called for interview again. As soon as Baba came in, He asked her -- “Did You speak to them?”. The princess replied hesitantly “Yes, I did. But .... But they were not interested. They said “You keep your Sai Baba with You. Don’t involve us in it.” and hung the receiver”. Baba said  “Never mind, Speak to them again tonight... (Silence for a while) and tell them I will give them an experience.”. She did as was commanded. Her sons, however, refused to take any serious view of Sai Baba, who for their mother was a phenomenon not different from the kind Jesus was. The princess informed Baba about her talk with the two princes. Baba said-- “Good. Now, Wait till tomorrow”.

The next day at Darshan, Baba enquired from the princess about her children again. “Speak to them again today and then tell me what they spoke about.”-- Baba commanded. After darshan, the princess and her friend went towards the telephone centre to call her sons , without the least indication of what had happened in Harvard with her sons after she made the last phone call to them two days before. What happened there stunned not only the princes and their mother but the entire class in which the princes studied.

At Harvard that day, an orange light appeared from nowhere and stuck to the shirt of the eldest of the two princes. As the prince got up to find out what it meant, the light chased him out of the room and followed him vigorously. Seeing something very astonishing the whole class of Harvard ran out.

The scene--The light behind the prince and the rest of the class behind the light. How far could they run? They finally fell exhausted. The light too stopped for a while. It encircled the entire lot of students and disappeared.

The following evening the princess waited for Baba to tell him all that happened. Baba came and as he came towards her asked “Did you speak to the princes? (Silence for a moment) Did they mention anything about ...an orange light?” The princess looked at Baba with eyes wide open.. and.. smiled. Baba smiled back and went into the interview room.

The princess spoke to her children again that night and later informed Baba that the entire class of Harvard wanted to come to India for Baba’s darshan. Baba said “Good .. But not now, later. I will call.” The princess was disappointed but left it to Baba’s will. When the princes will come only Baba knows. But they will come some day .. today or tomorrow. Baba’s will shall prevail.

The princess left India some time around the first week of February. She came confused and full of doubts.But left a highly contended woman. We students, still remember her as a very benign personality, full of love and compassion. Her face radiated an extraordinary brilliance, which to a great extent reflects the strict spiritual discipline and endurance she had developed in her pursuit of the Truth, which she did find in form of our Lord Sri Satya Sai

Related Post - The Princess of Belgium meets Swami - 2

A small divine desire - The sacred Thread

Of all the gifts that Swami has graced His children with - chains, rings, watches, bracelets, mangalsutras, even vibhuti, the most precious amongst all is the gift of His Robe. The robe has value as a gift only and only because it is something that was once used by the Divine. There is something very personal about such a gift and so rarely did some fortunate souls receive it.

This one time i was standing inside Trayee,  i saw a group of westerners emerge from the interview room. Their faces had to be seen to be believed. Now almost anyone who emerges from this sacred room is obviously thrilled to say the least, but these devotees were oozing with joy. It was very contagious and overwhelming. Their body language and expressions gave away the fact that what thrilled them thus was a simple white packet which each of them held in their hands. I happened to look at the content of one such packet when one of them removed the sacred object momentarily. It was Swami's robe. As i watched these souls, drenched in bliss, walking by me with the sacred gift in their hands; unknown to me, the seeds of a small divine desire was sown in my heart. i too yearned for such a blessing.

But how does one become worthy of such grace. I have heard stories that a group of devotees who had done some service work which pleased Swami immensely, had boldly requested Swami for this sacred gift. They received grace of all kinds but found the robe elusive. How then could i - a sevadal boy, earn this grace?

This being the background to this story, the following incidents happened.

My Perspective

It was somewhere in the year 2000, Swami was then in Brindavan. It was evening time and we were all waiting for Swami to emerge for the evening darshans. The boys had begun singing the melodious bhajans.  And then, the Trayee doors opened.

Swami on this day seemed to be withdrawn. He did not interact with any VIP standing outside His house, nor any student. Very quietly He floated along, lost within Himself. The warden of the hostel standing by the side of Swami's route noticed something unusual. He went upto Swami requesting Him to stop for a second. The warden then bent down and plucked with his hands a long thread which seemed to be hanging from the back end of Swami's robe. Swami smiled and playfully tapped the warden's head and then resumed His walk towards the door.

As the door opened and Swami went inside the Ramesh hall for darshan, my attention was elsewhere. I was keenly watching the warden. I had noticed he had been playfully winding the thread around his finger. As soon as the door closed behind Swami, i audaciously rushed towards the warden. Now this was against the protocols. As Trayee boys we were expected to strictly adhere to the set rules. But i couldn’t contain my excitement and approached him.

The warden looked at me. I pleaded with him " Sir, can you pleease give me a small portion of this thread?".  Frankly, my mind was resisting me from making this mistake. "Why should he give you such a sacred thing which by Divine grace he has received?", "you will be in trouble for asking him", ' You will be in trouble for breaking the rules".

Unsure of his response, i saw him look straight at me, unwind the thread from his fingers, hand me the thread saying "Why a small piece, you can have the whole thing!”

Oh ecstasy! I lost awareness of my whereabouts as i looked unbelievingly at that piece of ochre thread. Now i may not have received a full robe, but to receive a thread plucked 'freshly' from a robe that Swami was wearing, was to me an extraordinary kind of blessing. It was more personal than anything could be. Thrilled beyond belief i did not notice being watched by someone, as i tried to find a safe place for that small piece of thread to keep. I finally put the thread in my identity card. It was a safe place but moreover it would ever rest close to my heart.

Another Perspective

A week or two later as the evening darshans got over and Swami returned into Trayee, the boys from the institute made their way in disciplined lines from the Ramesh hall into the Trayee Hall for the famous trayee session.

The Trayee sessions were fabulous... Golden moments where Swami will sit on a swing amongst students and ask some devotee or teacher or student to speak. Manyatimes Swami Himself would give a short discourse. Often these discourses would be complimented by materialisation of some incredible object - Mother Sita's Chudamani, the Kaustubh jewel, some famed ring from the past etc. Often humorous events would also occur. Swami at such times would interact freely with His children.

On this day we boys quickly rolled the carpets and finished other tasks allotted to us as we then made way to sit at the entrance door area of the Trayee for the session. According to rules, we weren’t suppose to sit there. But no one ever stopped us, we were permitted to attend these sessions as Swami Himself was aware of our presence.

So we sat there that evening. Swami called on the Warden to speak to the boys. The warden after seeking blessings gave a wonderful talk which was primarily focused on urging the students to be more disciplined and appreciate the privilege that was being freely bestowed on them by Bhagawan. In some places the warden even took strong tones to drive home a point.

He mentioned how we could never take any grace, no matter how small it seemed, for granted and that even the smallest of things which is associated with the Lord is worthy of the highest form of reverence. To drive home the point he narrated an incident.

"A few days back, during the evening darshan, as Swami was making His way towards the darshan hall, i noticed a piece of thread hanging out from Swami's robe as Swami walked. So i came forward requesting Swami to wait for a moment. I then plucked the thread from the robe. Swami playfully patted me and then resumed His walk for the darshan. I held the thread in my hand as i saw Swami enter the darshan hall. I wasn’t sure what to do with the thread. Perhaps i should just keep it aside somewhere or discard it as it was only a thread. I didn’t know what to do with it. Then Swami showed me something. A young sevadal boy instantly came before me and pleaded " Sir can i please have a small piece of this thread". As i did not want the thread myself i said " why a small piece, you can have the whole thread!" and gave it to him. Boys you should have seen the joy on His face as he took the thread and with great reverence he placed it safely holding on to it as if it was the most precious gem. I thanked Swami for showing me that even something a small as a piece of thread belonging to the Lord is worthy of reverence. And here we all are sitting everyday at the Divine feet, how privileged we are......"

I was stunned. To be mentioned by Bhagawan's warden, to Bhagawans students, in Bhagawan's residence but most of all in His divine presence.. was unbelievable. I kept looking at Swami to see His reactions. Swami had this distant look in His eyes as if He was being entertained by a galaxy of angels, and Swami moved His hands in that familiar wave as He heard the words from His warden. 

An incident like this can easily boost your ego. But i found myself unable to react. I looked within to understand what i had done, or what had happened that had turned the whole thing into such grace. What i had wanted was, well, a desire, a selfish one.. something for myself. Yet through this incident Swami had not only fulfilled a young boys deep desire, He had also taught a lesson to His close devotee and His students. The beauty is He did all this without interacting with anyone or even uttering a single word.

To this day i find it difficult to relate this experience to anyone, except when i know that i am amongst Swami's own. I share this here only to mention one of His leelas, His love and grace.

The Sacred Thread

However, quiet as i was, i wasn’t the only one aware of all this. My sevadal friends, some of who knew this whole incident, were thrilled that one amongst them was being mentioned in the Divine presence and in utter excitement they kept pointing towards my identity card and towards me, to others. As my brothers looked at the thread and then at me in wonderment, i mentally took refuge at Swami's lotus feet, offering my deepest gratitude to Him for blessing His child with such grace.

RELATED POSTS:

The Princess of Belgium meets Swami -2

Who is Sathya Sai ? - Early Recognition!

Our Eternal Swami

A Sai dream and Service

A small Divine desire

The beautiful Trayee, Brindavan - The Lords Abode

I was doing my duty in Swami’s residence area when a few students called me and handed me something with a smile on their face.  When I saw what I had received, I was thrilled to bits.

Every evening when Swami came out for darshan in Brindavan, He would ask one of us boys to open the darshan door for Him. Sometimes He would wait and interact with the boy to pour grace on Him in some way. These students, who managed the darshan audio from inside the residence premise, would quietly capture these blessed moments with their cameras. Later the lucky boy would receive this snap. Today it was my turn. As my fellow sevadal boys and a few students looked at the picture of Swami and me, someone remarked  “ Hey this looks like Krishna Arjuna!”

Something about that simple remark caught all my attention, and in rapid excitement my mind raced back many years ago when as a boy of 15 or 16 I had come here for my early darshans of Swami as a devotee. I did not know much about Swami and His work then. All I knew was He was Divinity.

This one early morning as I arrived for darshan and took my place in the last block , I noticed a young , very tall, European boy showing around something which excited him a great deal. His face was suffused with joy. As my turn came he showed me his photo. It was a picture of Him in a darshan. He was on one knee and Swami was standing next to him talking to him.  “ Look – look – like Krishna Arjuna!! Like Krishan Arjuna” the boy exclaimed in untold excitement in broken English. I couldn’t help but share his immense joy. 

The picture caught my young hearts imagination and a small divine desire began taking form. I too began wishing to have such a picture with Swami. Through that morning I kept thinking about it. I prayed deeply , earnestly asking God to please fulfill my wish of such a photo with Him. My worldly mind had its own doubts :

Do you think Swami has time for you? He has much important things to attend to. More over do you think you deserve such grace?

Ok Swami , even if not such a picture, please give me any picture of You and me.

Why should He do that? What have or can you ever do  for Him?

Swami perhaps I am not worthy but even if you give me an accidental group photo to help me celebrate my presence on earth with the Avataar, I will be very grateful….

Years passed. The passing time took away these memories and I forgot my zeal  and yearning for such a grace.

But He didn’t forget the prayers of a young heart.

He waited for the right time to grace me.

And now the proof of His grace was in my hands

: n

Mothering God

Ma Yashoda with Her Gopal

We all know the story of Putana, the demoness. She was known as the baby killer. Smearing her breasts with deadly poison, she would go around camouflaging a beautiful form of an elegant lady and mothering young babies she put them to death. King Kamsa who was always looking for ways to kill little Krishna, hired her services sending her to gokul to eliminate the Divine Child.

The legend goes that Putana came to Gokul in a divinely beautiful form and entered the home of Nanda. Thinking of her as some Goddess in human form, Mother Yashoda offered her dear baby to her to be mothered. As soon as little Krishna sucked her breasts, Putana panicked realizing that her life was being sucked out. Try as she may, Krishna wouldn’t leave her. She ran out even assuming her hideous gigantic form, but Krishna sucked her life out. It is said that her form fell on an area of around 12 miles turning all to dust.. The villagers had to cut her body to cremate it. Surprisingly the smoke from the cremation was fragrant, because all her sins had been wiped out owing to her death at the hands of the Divine. This is the story known to all.

Yet there are some strange features here.

Krishna has millions of devotees over the ages. Many of these spent lifetimes in devotions, contemplation and singing His glories. Yet none have had the grace and privilege that this demoness had. She had the grace to see the Divine form, She had the greater grace of touching the divine form.. but above all she had the rarest privilege of mothering the divine baby. Such grace that is bestowed on the rarest souls! How did such a sinful creature get such grace? What is the mystery behind this?

The answer to this lies in the Vishnu Purana.

Eons ago when this very baby Krishna came to the court of King Bali as the baby sage Vamana; the daughter of the king by the name Ratnamala upon seeing the baby sage had an upsurge of maternal emotion. She was taken by the little divine form and yearned to play with him and relate with him and care for him in a motherly way. However later when this very baby sage took a gigantic form and covered with his 2 steps the world and the heavens and with his third step he pushed the noble King Bali down to the nether world, Ratnamala was aghast at the treatment meted out to her dear father and in her fury felt like killing the baby sage.

God always fulfills every sincere desire of His true devotees.

It was this very Ratnamala who was reborn as Putana the demoness. In getting an opportunity to mother Krishna and also kill Him, God was merely fulfilling the wish expressed by a true devotee in an earlier life. The devoted also say that Krishna didn’t have to kill her. Fact is when Putana saw baby Krishna, yet again her motherly instincts rose. She forgot herself and her purpose and in her emotion took the beautiful child in her arms to mother Him, completely unmindful of the fact that her breasts were smeared with poison. When Krishna gave her the satisfaction of feeding him, owing to her desire being fulfilled, she became free forever and hence had no more reason to live. Hence she dropped dead.

Strange yet beautiful are the ways of the Lord.

It is said that in the afterlife this demon Putana was awarded a place in Vaikuntha, the celestial Divine realm which was reserved for Mothers of the Divine like Yashoda, Devaki, Kaushalya, Eashwaramba, owing to the fact that she had Mothered God.

Krishna's Radha - Stories recounted by Swami's Students

It was 2004.... The odd semester of 2nd year M.B.A was on. Swami had blessed me to sit in the portico behind ganesha. As i was finishing the last few pages of Sri. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada's "Krshna", I heard the snapping of fingers from all directions, announcing the opening of the interview room door. I dextrously thrust the book aside.

The door opened gently, revealing the boundlessly beautiful form of our dearest Swami.  Indescribable feelings of joy welled up in my heart as He beckoned me to go inside the interview room.

Swami was seated on the chair. I sat at His feet, thanking Him for this priceless oppurtunity.

"Yemi samacharamu,  Swami asked sweetly.

Continuing the theme from the book's unfinished portion, I asked Swami about Radha's devotion towards Krishna. Swami, out of immense compassion, vividly recounted an episode which happened aeons ago, in the hallowed land of Brindavan. With every word that emanated in Swami's ringing voice, with every word that fell into my raptly attentive ears, indelible impressions of what divine love actually meant, formed and effortlessly lodged in my heart. It was a story of love, which was projected on the golden screen of Krishna's divine life.

This story, a prized posession from the museum of my recollections, runs as follows:

It is a scripturally undocumented incident, when Krishna returns to Brindavan, years after his departure to Mathura. Krishna goes to the banks of river Yamuna and sees Radha, seated under a lush green tree, totally immersed in joyfull contemplation....Eyes half closed!

Krishna approaches radha and calls out her name, in a love-filled nostalgic voice. Radha opens her eyes, which feast on the charming form of her beloved krishna. Her calm countenance, her moist eyes conveyed the deep love, she had nurtured for Krishna in her tender heart.

"Radha, I have come back"

Radha gets up from her posture, rushes towards the stream and gathers the cystal clear, cool waters of Yamuna in her palms....comes close to the pole star of her life, Krishna and says, "My dearest lord ! the King of my heart, When you are present in every single drop of these waters, when you are present in every leaf on this tree, when you pervade every atom of this creation, where is the question of you returning back. You were always with me."

Krishna answers, "Radha, I am immensely pleased with you. Ask for whatever you want and it shall be granted."

It was a blank cheque.

"Krishna, I dont need anything, I am contented."

After repeated persuassions for a prayer, Krishna finally said, "I know You must be yearning for my love... Pray for my love, it shall be granted."

With a meaningfull glance and a slight smile, Radha answered, "Krishna ! I wouldnt pray for even that. Because I love you unconditionally and it doesnt matter whether i am reciprocated in love or not.... I am eternally yours!"

Hearing this, Krishna sank to his knees, held Radha's hands close to his heart and said,

"For the first time, the Creator is fully on the recieving end from his creation."

What purity ! What selflessness ! What joyful contentment ! A matchless story of magical love..

The interview ended.. I was struck by the sheer uniqueness of the story and was totally oblivious of anything else as bhajan, arathi, study hours, night bell, karacharakritamva, followed in unbelievable speed!

I retired to the D-floor terrace and started reminiscing about the story under the canopy of glittering stars....The sequence of the monologue which ensued in my mind was:

"The gopikas, especially Radha, was so hurt when Krishna left mathura....Years later, how come she achieved such purity and selflessness in love, which made her life an endless festival and a celebration of divine romance? As i stared into the skies, a convincing answer seemed to be whispered into my ears....

......BECAUSE HER FEELINGS WERE DIRECTED TOWARDS ME.......

The alchemist nature of God's personality is such that even the baser feelings of attachment, when directed towards Him get sublimated into noble feelings of divine love. Such exalted devotion, that even Yuga's later, the Lord speaks of her Love for Him and the world takes their names together!

How inexplicably fortunate are we, to have come into the fold of His divine presence and experience His sweet Love !!! How immeasurably lucky are we, to be blessed with the prized identity of being called His property. 

In the battle din of life, by making Him the "be all and end all" of our hearts and weaving His thoughts on the fabric of the day, Such Divine Love will surely be OURS too...naturally !!

Lots of love,

Bharath !

(Recounted By Amitabh Das Gupta)

As always, whenever i read something on this portal, i am always reminded of some other similar episode from Parthi. I recollect Swami mentioning about the last days of Radha on earth.

Since she had chosen not to marry (being eternally married to the Lord), she was an outcast in the society of those days. She was not welcome into any village due to this stigma. She spent her time on the banks of the Yamuna. As she lied down during her last moments on earth, she thought of Sri Krishna. Very soon, HE was there next to her. HE held her head on HIS lap as she approached her last moments. 
"What is it that you desire?", HE asked Radha. 
"I wish to listen to the melody of your flute again", she replied. 
(Swami said "How can HE get the flute there? HE was coming in directly from Kurukshetra".) But, Krishna plucked a grass from the shore and it soon turned into a flute. HE played the flute for her. As she listened to this beautiful melody, the life left her body. Krishna stopped playing.

Swami said that she died on HIS lap. And, from that day, Krishna never played on the flute ever again.

By: A Arun Kumar


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