Subbu's Space: Spirituatlity

Baba's Pallaki Seva

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:00:43 GMT

Baba's Pallaki Seva in Mt.Shasta. It's a sight for the Gods to see. Baba himself is sitting in that Pallaki... we could all feel his presence.

Swami Paripurnananda's Seattle Visit - III

Mon, 14 May 2007 16:22:54 GMT

I went back to Swamiji on Friday morning. Had a deluge of emails from Soren and James about new SSIS Jobs that I need to be working on, It was a busy day. I went in, did my pranams to Swamiji and had breakfast of Idlis prepared so sweetly by Ushakka. I and Sivaram Swami spent the day preparing the envelopes for donations by devotees and going to Ananda Meditation center. After we came back to Ushakka's home, we got ready for going to temple. I and Sivaram swami went to temple first, picked up keys from Digamberji and went back to temple for setting up Asan for Swamiji and do other arrangements. I donned my dothi for the occasion. We welcomed Swamiji as he came in and invited him in with all due formalities. Once he took his asan, we chanted the Lalitha Sahasranamam. I felt sad I could not chant as fluently as before as I lost touch with this. But I managed to chant the Airigiri Nandini very well. The divine mother's love was rushing forth in a huge torrent from my heart. I looked at mother Durga's idol in the temple and told her I felt like touching her feet. One min later, Digamberji called me to the stage, and asked me to assist him in doing the puja. He asked me to keep doing the rituals like offering the flowers as he chanted the Astotrams during the archana. I asked if we start with Lord Venkateswara (as usually we do), but he said, no, start with Durgama! So less than a few min after I told Durgama that I wanted to touch her feet, I was on the stage, worshipping her divine form with flowers, with my heart overflowing with love for the sweet mother! All my sadness at being unable to chant the Lalithasahasranamam properly was gone. The Divine mother showed that she accepted my heartfelt prayers. Once I was done with Durgama's puja, we did puja for Lord Venkateswara and Lakshmima. I was so happy. Later I assisted Digamberji in helping clean the stage and the various puja saman. All done, I came down and realized that Swamiji is done with blessing everyone and is now having prasad. I was disappointed that I could not get his blessings and prasad that evening. Immediately he looked at me, and called me near, and gave me his plate, 3/4'ths full with prasad. I was overwhelmed! What greater prasad than the Uchhista of the Swamiji himself? Parabramha Sadguru Sai himself is showing himself thru Swamiji. In true sense of the word, this is the original Prasad! After I had the prasad, Swamiji got ready to go with Madhu for Pada puja and dinner. I am in sort of an ecstasy with Swamiji around. Later I was telling Ushakka about my experiences, and she was like, Yes, I saw you doing the Puja and was wondering how you ended up there! I told her about my wish and how the divine mother fulfilled it. We sat talking about our other experiences, like how we entered this path, and all that.

On Saturday, Swamiji, Kumuda Aunty, Sivaram Swami, Venuji, Ushakka and myself went to the Mukilto Light House and roamed around for a while. We had lunch there, Idlis and Laddos. When Ushakka gave Swamiji the Laddo, he again gave me half of his Laddo as his prasad! In the evening Swamiji's discourse went off well. Many people turned up and Sri Vani helped with the photos. Ushakka didn't realize that Sri vani was taking the pics for us, and was greatly perturbed that we'r not taking any pics, until she went and spoke with Sri Vani and realized that she is taking the pics for us :). It was soo funny to see Ushakka that time.

On Sunday we went to Portland with Swamiji and attended his discourse in the temple there and had good lunch afterwards. Then our host in Portland Hariji left me at the Portland airport, and I flew to Los Angeles from there.

--
To Blossom Every Moment into a Better Manifestation of Perfection Is the Only Business of Life. --Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja

Swami Paripurnanada's arrival in Seattle

Fri, 04 May 2007 07:00:34 GMT

Continuing on Sri Paripurnananda Swami's program today evening. Ushakka arranged for the Pada Puja to the Swamiji in evening and invited a few others. I was doing a little helping in setting up things for the program. Afterwards, Swamiji gave a discourse on modern living per the ancient Hindu customs, and how everything can be in harmony. After the puja, Swamiji's disciple, Sivaram Swami, was calling everyone for taking Swamiji's blessings, and I too was called. I touched his feet, and took the prasad. In touching his feet, I felt like I was touching Baba's feet. After I was done, I was standing next to him, and watching others. I felt the desire to touch his feet again, I prayed to Sai Baba that I want to touch Baba's feet thru Swamiji. A few min later, Swamiji's disciple, Sivaram Swami, again called me (by name) to take Swamiji's blessings again! I suddenly realized that Baba has responded to the desire in my heart to touch his feet and called me! Swamiji gave me the prasad again. This time, I noticed that the Banana I got had half skin opened, meaning that it was the Banana offered to him personally during the Pada Puja. I immediately recalled the line from Baba's arati "Baba Uchhista se Bhojan", which means "have bhojan with Baba's uchhista (leftovers from offerings/prasad to Baba)". I felt that Baba himself blessed me thru Swamiji and it's Baba's feet I touched and it's Baba's prasad that I got. I realized that it is very special prasad when he was giving fruits as prasad to others, and he noticed that one of the apples was pinched a little bit (as it was offered to him), and gave it back to Sivaram swami and asked him to get a different one! This way Baba confirmed to me that he is the one who gave me his Uchhista. Om Namo Sadguru Sai Devaya Namaha. I later spend more than hour with Swamiji in ekantam discussing various spiritual things.

Om Namo Sadguru Bramhane Namaha.

Swami Paripurnanada's arrival in Seattle

Thu, 03 May 2007 21:17:49 GMT

We (myself, Ushakka and Venu) went to pick up Swami and his disciples in the airport. As soon as we settled down at Ushakka's home, swamiji sat on his asan, and we'r all on the carpet. I wanted to sit near Swamiji but as everyone is on the carpet, I too sat down there. Once we finished un-loading the luggage, I sat down again. This time, Swami himself asked me to come and sit near him, exactly where I wanted to sit. Then Swamiji gave me Tirupathi Laddo. Never seen a complete laddo in such a long time.
We all just had lunch and am working from Ushakka's home :-).

Tomm and Sat evening we have Swami's discourse in temple, in the evening. Please come and attend the discourse.

Subbu

--
To Blossom Every Moment into a Better Manifestation of Perfection Is the Only Business of Life. --Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja

Sai Leelamrutam Parayanam

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 07:56:20 GMT

Today Swapna and I completed the Sai Leelamrutam in 3 days. Rather, Swapna read and I listened, I being slow in reading telugu.
I was on a spiritual high with Baba's blessings, I had the feeling that Baba himself came and blessed us. I came to the temple in the evening, and spent the evening there, doing seva there (including washing the utensils in the kitchen). In evening I came to Dikshitji's home, and got very nice posters of Sri Lakshmi Devi, Lord Venkateswara and Padmavati, two postcard sized Lord Venkateswara, and one Pancha and Uttariyam. And Baba didn't forget the Chakkis I like so much :-). This reminded me of the chakkis Neelima gave to Baba, and which Baba gave me a few days later, a few months ago. Sakala devata Swaroopam, Sarva Sadu Swaroopam, Akilanda Koti Bramhanda Nayaka, Muddula Baba shows me he is ever with me. I feel blessed by my sweetest ever loving Baba. I read the VishnuSahasraNamam after a gap of few weeks today. Om Sai. Jaya jaya Sai. Hema Akka didn't invite me to Satsang at her home today :-(. May be it's Baba's own way of blessing me. But I missed her.

No Tulips for me this year :-(

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 07:41:03 GMT

Due to a series of unfortunate events, I could not visit the Tulip gardens this year.:-(

Last week Hema akka cheated me out of the Tulip visit on some stupid pretext. I felt so bad that I cried :-(. I was so desperate to visit the Tulip gardens this year, because I wanted to take more pics this year, and Hema akka stuck me where it hurts the most. I didn't realize that someone can hurt this much, till now. A "friend" is one who touches the heart by holding hands when needed, not by breaking it.

This reminded me of her earlier actions in wake of the windstorm in Seattle, her visiting the all day meditation etc. Old hurts rushed back, breaking my heart further.

Last weekend, Vandana invited me when they started for visiting the Tulips, but I could not go as it was already evening, and Mahendar promised to call me when they go.

This weekend, on Friday evening we met at Vandana's home for celebrating Sukumar's birthday, Mahendar's Anniversary and Raghuveer's Anniversary. It seems they discussed going to Tulips on Saturday when I was not around, and no one informed me. I heard Prathyusha saying they have to wake up early on Saturday, and I asked her what they are planning. She said they might to go to Tulips. I was happy, and I thought they would tell me once they confirm their plans, and tell me the time/venue etc. I had to go home early, around 12Am. On Sat, I woke up early, and called both Mahendar and Prathyusha, to ask them about the plans for Tulip visit. They didn't pick up the phones, and didn't return my voicemails. I assumed they must have come back late from the party on Friday and must be sleeping. Later when I called Raghu, he tells me they'r almost at the Tulip gardens. I called Manoj and asked him why I was not told. Then again I called Mahendar, who didn't pick up his cell. I felt so hurt that I didn't know what to do. I called Santosh and told him about this. He suggested we go to Tulalip Mall, and I ended up going there and buying some shirts from Guess.

I can't imagine Mahendar and Prathyusha doing this to me. I have always considered them my best friends, and someone I can really count on, and very trustworthy. For some reason, things seem to have changed. This reminded me of the earlier incidents when they went to see the fall colors last year without inviting me (although they called up everyone else). The time during Sri Latha's Birthday when I was not told, and then Mahendar calls me only because they forgot to bring something from the store, and he tells me that it's her birthday, and they'r waiting outside her apt, and since they forgot something, he asked me to start from home, and get them the stuff they forgot.

Although I felt very very hurt, by these actions, I also realize some things. May be Baba wanted me to show the true colors of the people and thereby protect me. May be Baba wanted me to leave all this and turn towards only him. Either way, this is something Baba has planned for me, and it's for my own good.

Om Sai. Om Namo Sai Devaya Namaha. Om Sadguru Sai Devaya Namaha.

God!

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 05:27:31 GMT

"Imagine Brahman as a sea without shores. Through the cooling love of the bhakta some of the water becomes frozen into blocks of ice. Now and then, God assumes a form and reveals Himself to his lovers as a Person. But when the sun of Knowledge rises, the blocks of ice melt away and God is without form, no more a Person. He is beyond description. Who could describe Him? Anyone who tries disappears, unable to find his "I" any more".-Shri Ramakrishna

Subbu honoured for HTCC fundraising efforts

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 21:30:32 GMT

For Sarvasoubaghya Mala presented to Sri Rama on Ram Navami day.

--
To Blossom Every Moment into a Better Manifestation of Perfection Is the Only Business of Life. --Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja

Baba's Leelas -- how he got me new job in two days!

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 20:12:05 GMT

It is said Baba is always with those who chant his name in their heart always. He demonstrated that to me a lot of times. Last week beginning was not a good time for me at office. My boss, under stress with a different failing project was using me and Ed as whipping boys, taking out his rage on us. He has become verbally very abusive. On Tuesday morning, he completely lost his head and was shouting and threatening to fire me in a very abusive manner. All this because a customer sent in a few "suggestions" to improve an olap report I created. I told him it's technically impossible in the current environment, but he would have none of it. This came on the heels of something else related ot another project where he was cooling his heels on something that I wanted to fix, and then finally blames me for the delay! So I decided that I am not going to put up with his abuse any longer and decided to move on. I uploaded my resume to job sites on Tue afternoon, and was soon communicating with a few recruiters within a matter of hours.

On Wed, I get a call from one of the recruiters/hr with whom I was corresponding on Tue, asking me me for face time. I went and met them on Thursday (which is Sai's most fav day of the week), and worked it all out. I walked out with an offer in hand! Within just two days! I was like, wow! Baba's leelas are indescribable. He at a stroke erased my anxiety and showed how he is ever with me.

Whenever I feel depressed or lonely, Baba so sweetly shows his presence in mysterious ways. Sometimes, I get the fresh fragrance of his udi from the Dhuni, just for a fleeting instant! I felt it so many times these days, when I was so depressed. He is showing me he is ever with me, holding my hands, and carrying me when needed. My pranams to Akilandakoti Bramhanda Nayaka, Sadguru Sri Shirdi Sai Maharaj. He is the anadarakshaka. He is Parabramha, Anandaswarupa, Saguna Bramha. My Sweet Sai. Om Sai. Om Namo Sai Devaya Namaha.

--
Bow to Sri Sai Peace Be To All.

Baba gives me Milk, Chakkis and Udi

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 07:35:11 GMT

Today evening I went to the temple for Baba's Araati as usual. Picked up Vandana and her Roomie on the way. I was just in time for the Ekanta Seva. After the seva was complete, I helped clean the place. After that, Panditji asked me to have the milk.

During the Araati, I was wishing I be the first and last person to give araati to Baba. And Baba heard my heart, and fulfilled both :). When the aarati started, Dikshitji handed me the Arati making me the first after him to give arati to Baba. After the arati was complete, Hima asked me to put the water drops and offer the Arati to Baba, making me the last person! :-)

Last week, Neelima was telling me how she met Baba and how he asked for something to eat. She gave him a Chakki. I was wishing in my heart I too meet Baba this way too. But may be Baba thought differently. Today, in the temple, I got a Chakki! :-). It's all Baba's leela. Dikshitji asked me to take one piece with me. :-) . And after I came home, I saw a letter from Sai Samstan in Shirdi, with a packet of Udi in it! I am soo happy. Just today morning, I was thinking my packet of Udi is running low, and see how sweetly Baba sends me this packet of Udi, and makes it arrive on a Thursday here! Om Sai Devaya Namaha. Om Sadguru Sai Devaya Namaha. Om Akilanda Koti Bramhanda Nayakaya namaha.

Ekanta Seva Milk

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 09:14:33 GMT

I was in temple today (since yest morning). Today evening when we are doing the archana, I was thinking that I never got the chance to prepare the milk that is offered to the lord before we put him to sleep (Ekanta Seva). Soon after that after the puja was complete, I was sitting in the hall, meditating. Dikshitji called me and asked me to get the milk! So I went and prepared and got it. It was offered to the Lord and then it was put in the inside room. After dinner, Panditji asked me to drink it all. I am so happy for Baba's leela. He just head the wish in my heart and arranged things in such a way that it naturally happened :). For me, it felt like Baba wanted me to prepare that offering to him, then drank a little of it, and gave me the rest. I didn't even realize it happening until I thought of that later! See how sweet and merciful Baba is! He hears what's in our heart and see how sweetly he responds to us :). Om Sai Devaya Namaha. Om Sadguru Sai Nadaya.

Sai Baba helps me attend the 9AM meeting!

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 20:02:04 GMT

Today morning, I was sleeping pretty late, as usual. I woke up suddenly at 9, and was thinking if I should wake up or sleep more. I was about to fall back asleep, when I remembered the meeting I am supposed to be attending at 9Am. It is a very important meeting, and I can't miss it. So I hurriedly brush and dress and pray and run to my car. I was praying to Sai to help me out. I suddenly get an idea and call my office reception, and ask them to put me to the conference room this meeting is going on. I get connected, and tell them that I am still on the road, and will participate in the meeting this way till I get in. Phew. I was able to participate in the meeting all the way, and then once I am in office, rushed to the conf room. Didn't miss much this way. Am so happy Sai woke me up on time, and helped me with ideas to attend the meeting on time. Om Sai devaya namaha. Om Sadguru Sai.

Vandana finds her Ring

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 03:00:04 GMT

On Saturday, Vandana invited me for dinner, along with Krishna Reddy. She made very very nice dinner and we all had a good meal. She told me of her losing her ring that day evening, and she seemed a bit down. I prayed to Sai thanking him for the for the good food, and to bless Vandana thru whom he fed me. I also prayed earnestly to Baba to help restore her missing ring. After praying to him, I told her that she will tell me next evening (sunday) on phone that she found the ring. I called her on Sunday evening, casually as I was returning from the temple, and she tells me she found the ring in the glove that she uses when washing the dishes! Om Sai! See how he keeps up the words his devotees utter trusting him fully! Om Sai. Om Shirdi Sai Devaya Namaha. Om Sadguru Sai Devaya Namaha! Sweetest Sai.

Jan 1st 2007

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 01:57:26 GMT

The group of Volunteers and volunteer priests who made my day on 1st Jan 2007.

My New Year 2007 Eve!

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 01:55:48 GMT

Sai Bhajan and puja at Hima's home.

Baba's sweetness amidst meanness of people

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 01:36:52 GMT

These days have been a rough time with my friends in Bellevue. Am tired of being ignored in invitations for any parties they have and then their asking me why I didn't join. Except by Sukumar, Vandana and Prathyusha.. may Sai bless them. The latest incident was during the 2007 New year eve, when I was not informed about the party they had in P2's place. Just before that, it was the bowling party they had on 29th Dec. The worst thing was when I asked how the bowling went on the night before, P2 was saying how I came to know of that! I was very very hurt by that, as it clearly showed his intention. This reminded me of the previous incidents, like during the Thanksgiving day get-together and shopping when I was ignored, and then one of them asks me why I didn't join them next day! When I asked Mahendar why I was not included, the answer was, he didn't think I would be interested! Before that too similar incidents. The worst was when everyone went for the Fall colors watching, and didn't invite me. Even though, every one of them knows how much I enjoy taking photos! When I later asked, Mahendar said they're not sure if I would be interested, although he invited other people who were not at the party! Same way, I was not invited to this get-together also, just before the day they went to the Fall colors. On the new year eve, Manoj who organized everything, called everyone to inform about this, except me :-(. Really hurtful after I came to know just before the party was to start. And same way I had to miss Sri Latha's birthday, as no one told me they'r going to Anil's home, until they were actually there, and called me up to bring some items that they forgot to get! Mean or Meaner?

Trusting Sai to help me cope with this is what I can do, and the only thing I would do. Now how did he help me out thru each of these incidents? He arranged the events in my life only as he can! During each and every one of these incidents, he first arranged that I was somewhere else, focusing on him :-) someway or the other.

For the July 4th when everyone here went to Ocean Shores and didn't include me, I was with Amma Karunamayi. The experiences I had there were published here :-).
For the fall colors watching and the party the day before -- I got invited to Amma Karunamayi's Satsang and Sai Baba Satsangs!
For the Thanksgiving day, I was at Jani's thanksgiving party, having the time of my life, and a lot of spiritual discussions.
For the Sri Latha's birthday, I was in Sai's Bhajans and puja as it was a Thursday!
For 29th, when everyone went Bowling, I was called by my temple gang to participate in the Akanda VishnuSahasranama Parayan for full day the next day, and I was in temple since friday itself.
For the new year eve, I was in Hima's home participating in the Sai Baba Bhajans -- what a beautiful way of starting the new year :-).

Didn't Sai promise us that he is ever aware of us even beyond the Seven seas, and at all times? Who else other than him can do this? :-). Every time they tried to be mean like this to me, he props up his shield of mercy onto me, and diverts my steps towards himself. Om Sai! He is using every single opportunity to bring me closer to himself :-). What else would I need to worry about with Baba watching over me! He is all pervasive, Sad Guru, the Bramhan himself! Ever most loving and sweetest among all Saints and Deities!

Om Sai. Sri Sai. Om Sadguru Sai.

Five Coins from Baba

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 20:05:37 GMT

Yesterday when I was in the temple, helping wash the puja utensils for Baba's Abishek, and when washing one of the vessels, something fell in my hand. It turned out to be two quarter sized coins, but they'r copper coloured, that fell out of one of the puja vessels into my hand. Instantly it flashed in my mind that it's Baba reminding me of the two Paise, Shradda and Saburi that his guru asked, and he gave. I felt that Baba is reminding me of the two paise I need to give him. Later, I got one more coin in the kitchen. Then I came back to the stage, and then saw two more similar coins near the Jain swamis, a total of 5 coins, I kept all of them back at their respective places. After the arati, when we'r each going to Baba and praying, when I kept my head near his feet, I distinctly heard someone behind me dropping coins to the stage floor, exactly 5 coins. I think you must have noticed this incident of the dropping coins when I was praying. I realise this is a blessing from Baba.

I asked my dear gurubhandu Hima about this as I am not able to grasp the meaning of this incident. He explained that Baba wanted us to pray him with Shraddha & Sabhuri surrendering our 5 – Panchendriyas, 5 –Gnanendriyas, Mind, Body, Intellect and Ego at his Holy Feet. If we can able to do this with undivided Faith on Sadguru Sri Sai Baba, we need not to afraid of any kind of bad signs.

And today early morning, I had a dream in which I saw Sai's picture and Vijayawada Kanaka Durga ma. I don't even know if it's dream of if I am semi awake and thinking, but it sure is very vivid. I distinctly remember Durga ma's sweet smile, and her beautiful eyes full of compassion and love.

My recent illness reminded me of how much I am dependent on him, and also how much he takes care of me when I needed him most. I was too ill to even cook, and even go out to any friend's place for food, as I don't want them to think I might pass on my illness to them. But sweet Baba arranged everything so well. Somehow or the other, someone used to bring me cooked food. Yesterday Hema Aunty brought me enough rotis and curry to last me for a few days. Previously, Bhargavi Akka and Hema Akka got me food at home. Hima is inviting me to his place for dinner and curries to take home. This is a powerful reminder that Sai will always ever take care of us, if we leave everything to him. He is ever ever sweet Baba. Didn't he promise he knows what's going on beyond the seven seas and that he will take care of us wherever we are. This is a powerful reminder from him, that he is ever with us.

Ghost/Evil Spirit attack!

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 07:19:17 GMT

Not sure how to start this. I feel a bit crazy to admit this, and write about this. Do Ghosts/Spirits exist? If so, do they sometimes try and attack humans? Apparently that's what happened to me last Tuesday (5th Dec evening/night).

Like any other night, I peacefully slid into sleep sometime around midnight. I was suddenly woken up with this overwleming sense of being attacked, as is something is trying to get into me. I felt this pressure on my chest, and found it difficult (but not impossible) to move my arms and legs. I opened my eyes, but could not see anything unusual, but could feel the presence of some entity to my left that's pressing on me, and trying to attack me. To make sure I am awake, I wriggled my toes, and could feel them, so am awake. I could feel that entity exerting more and more force on my chest/abdomen as if it's trying to enter my body by force. I then prayed to Lord Shirdi Sai to help me. As soon as I did, I could feel his divine presence to my right. And seconds later, that entity left me, and I could feel the pressure gone, and my arms back to normal movable condition. Om Sai Devaya Namaha. I dropped off to sleep again, without any after effects. In this entire episode, only at one point I felt some fear, after I opened my eyes and couldn't see anything, but could feel the presence of that entity. I closed my eyes and was thinking what my course of action should be taken, and decided that Sri Shirdi Sai is my sole refuge. And my sweet Baba, ever watchful of us, instantly came to help, as if he is waiting for my call :-). On Shirdi Sai Devaya namaha.

Durga Ma comes into my Puja

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 13:01:19 GMT

On the last day of Navaratris, Vijayadasami, the puja was done and all the 10 days were wonderful. I was in soo much of divine joy all thru these days, even though I was going back home and sleeping at 3AM (till the Alankarm for next day is complete, take the photos, go with Dikshitji to his home for processing and uploading them) and then waking up at 8AM to go to office (twice at 6:30AM), then direct to the temple in the evening. That resulted in me not able to have my bath before getting into the temple, and I didn't like doing the puja without the evening bath.

On the last day, after all the sponsoring devotees who did the puja, took away the Devi Photos they have been worshipping, I was thinking to myself I too want one of the Devi photos. But since those photos were distributed to only those who sponsored and participated in the Samoohika puja, there were very slim chances of me getting the Photo. Even if I want one, all I will get is one of the new ones, but not the ones for which Puja has been offered all the days. Well, the festival came to a close, and we'r all cleaning and taking photos and generally making ourselves useful. At the end, in the kitchen, I saw a bag with puja saman from the puja. Someone said it belongs to Deepa, and so we left it alone. At the end, as we'r about to lock the doors, we noticed it's still there, and asked Deepa who said it's not hers. Hima who was there, quickly opened it and picked out the photos and was asking if someone wants it. I took the Devi Photo, with the kumkuma and turmeric markings on it still!

I am soo happy to invite Durga Ma into my humble puja place. Devi ma is soo sweet and ever watchful of us, her own children. I also got the Prasad, that was offered to her, in the sealed plate. It seemed to me that Ma is waiting for me to pick her up and take with me. But realizing that I am not going to do it without a verbal assurance from her, she spoke thru Hima ("Anyone wants to take this photo home?"), and then came with me! Om Maha Durgaya Namaha. Om Sadguru Sai Babaya Namaha. He is the inner ruler of all, and fuilfils our every wish and desire that would result in us being closer to him. He is ever soo sweet and loving parent. He is eternal Guru. He is the Parabramha, the inner ruler of all.

Vijayadasami Volunteer's Group Photo

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 20:55:51 GMT

Our Group Photo from Yesterday.

Subbu being Honoured for Volunteer Service to Hindu Community Temple in Seattle :-)

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 18:47:56 GMT

As part of the Honouring the Volunteers program of the temple.

Sri Durga Devi's instant response

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 21:50:28 GMT

Yesterday was Durga Astami, and I was in the temple as usual. In the morning there was the Durga Yantra Puja and later Durga Homa. I was sitting and meditating in the front row as usual, taking photos too. At one point I was so overcome by ecstacy that I was asking Sai Baba in form of Durga to speak with me in human voice. Looking at Durgamba's avatar is a treat itself, and in my ecstacy, I was imagining I was in her physical, visible presence. A minute or so later, my cell rang and seeing who the caller was, it turned out to be "Gowri", another name for Durga Devi. I answered the phone, which was from Gowri Aunty. It was then that I realized that this phone call was not a coincidence, but a direct answer to my prayer to the mother! I was overcome with joy and ecstacy seeing the way Shirdi Sai in form of mother Durga fuilfils my trifling wishes and at his/her love and mercy for me.

Today morning I was doing my puja and was thinking about my earlier experience about the 5 wicks (see earlier posts), and was thinking that Shirdi Sai is showering all this love on me, and I still don't know if I can claim the honour of calling myself his devotee, his servant, since he is ever so merciful and full of love. With these thoughts, I lighted the candles and was doing the puja. After a while when I opened my eyes, I was astonished to see the 4 wicks burning in the candle instead of three, making them 5 burning wicks in total again! This time, the original wick that sunk into the wax, making these secondary wicks needed, also lighted up and started burning on it's own! I am beyond ecstacy, in the divine joy and tears welling up seeing the love Baba has for us. May he ever be so merciful and ever be with us. Om Shirdi Sai Devaya Namaha.

Jai Durga Ma. Jai Shirdi Sai Baba. Om Sai Nadayanamaha. Om Sadguru Sai Devaya. Om Namo Maha Kaliye namaha. Om Shiridi Vasaya Namaha.

"Sai" Car

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 08:24:49 GMT

Five Wicks -- Baba's leela

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 17:19:58 GMT

Yesterday I was doing puja in my room, and as usual I lighted the candles, one of which is a big fat candle, and the other one is a small aroma candle, more like a Deepam. For the big candle, the wick got drowned in the wax, so I inserted some three match sticks into the candle and light them, so it will have three wicks on the same candle, and one more deepam on the other side. Yesterday as I was doing puja, it suddenly stuck me that I have 3+1 = 4 wicks, and one more wick would have made it five, which is the number of wicks used for Baba's arati. But since I was in middle of Puja, I just thought Baba will make me do whatever he needs of me, and continued with the Puja. After a while, as I opened my eyes, I could not believe what I saw. The 3 wicks on the big candle became 4! The plastic on the side of the candle bent inside and caught the flame, and is now burning as a 4th wick, making the total number of wicks burning five! This kept on burning till the puja is complete. This is another of Baba's leela again, showing he is ever aware of us, our thoughts, our minds and our hearts. He is inside us, he is our soul and mind and heart. Today as I came out of my apartment, I saw a car parked in the space opp my apt, with a number plate that says "596 SAI". Om Sai. He is ever with me, in me. Sai Deva, saranu saranu. Om Sai devaya, Sadguru Sai Baba, always shower your love and grace on us, and be with us, and lead us onto you, merge us wholly into you o Sai.

Sai's Motherly Love

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 21:50:14 GMT

Yesterday was the 1st day of Devi Navaratris, and I went to the temple in the evening, covered the event with my photos :-). Amma Bala Tripurasundari is sooo beautiful, am not sure if I can use that word to describe my own mother! Am so happy to see her alankara. Then met Hema aunty who started to describe one of Sai's Leela in how he helped her when in India, but had to stop. Hope I will get rest of the story today. Then later at night around 11PM went to Mahendar's place for the party (Pratyusha's b.day). All the guys assembled in one of the bedrooms and were drinking and eating. I was offered Pav that had been mixed with beer :-( and beer :-(, which indicated that happenings there are far beyond my capacity to handle. Hmm.. didn't like the way it's going and silently was wishing that I get a phone call or something that would enable me to escape from there. By Sai's grace, a few min later, Ramani, Sri's sister had to leave and so I gratefully offered to drop her home. And I too came back home directly from there. Sai's sweet ways of helping me! Eversweet, everloving and everwatchful Baba. May he always be with me like this. Om Sai Devaya namaha. Jai Sadguru Sai.

Baba's Abishek

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 18:39:06 GMT

Two days ago, one of my friends, Hima mailed me about Baba's Abishek scheduled for yesterday. Yesterday morning, I was listening to Baba's songs by Anuradha Poudwal. In one of those songs, there is this statement "maru janmamantu unte ni sevakulam aiyi puttali" or something to that effect, meaning if I have a next life, I want to be born as your servant. I was thinking of the priests in the Shirdi Sai Mandir, and how lucky they must be to be able to do seva to Sai every day. Then I was thinking I am not that lucky, but since I consider him to be my master, I should be as he wants me to be. Fast forward to yesterday evening, when I start for the temple after office and reach there by 6:54PM. There Dikshit ji was making all preparations for Baba's abishek and when Hima came in, and asked if he needs anything else, Dikshitji looked at me, and said, all I need is one person to help me. I got appointed as his assistant on the spot, and helped with Baba's abishek following Dikshitji's instructions. I am soo happy that Baba answered my wish to do seva as part of his puja in this manner. All these incidents happened as if by themselves, just casual incidents, which dont' seem linked togather, unless we see them in light of Sai's ever sweet presence. He is ever with us, ever protecting us, ever reading our hearts and minds. Ever sweet and loving Baba. Om Sai nadaya namaha. Jai Sadguru Sai.

Mother Sai

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 05:25:16 GMT

Recently, I had two experiences that I can only classify as Baba's grace and sweetness towards me.

Last to last thursday (20th July), I attended Baba's Arati in the Satsang kendra at Bellevue. I usually go to the temple in Bothell, but recently been comming here due to the proximity. But I sorely missed the chance to give Arati to Baba individually as we used to do in Bothell. That day, I was thinking I won't go to the Bellevue center on thursday's again, but go to Bothell so that I can do the Arati to Baba there (where everyone gets a chance to do the Arati). That day, a gurubhandu's family I didn't see before came there and did the Arati. That day, she did the arati for a few minutes and then called me to do the Arati to Baba! I was pleasantly surprised by this and offered Baba my arati. See how sweet Sai hears his children's heartfelt wishes! It was the same day I met Ravi who gave me a history of this satsang and provided me details of the ASK-USA. It was a wonderful experience. That week I could not go to the satsang on saturday, and was disappointed. I like doing the Baba's nama japam and sorely missed it. So when I went there last week (27th July), I was still in a remorseful mood about missing out Baba's Bhajan the last week and was meditating on Baba silently. Then suddenly the music stopped, and I opened my eyes thinking it's too early for Arati, since it's not yet 8PM. It was then that Bhanu sir announced that we will do the Baba's nama japa before the Arati. This is the first time we did the nama japa on a thursday after I started attending. I was ecstatic on realizing Baba's love for us, and the way he brings light to our ignorance and how he fuilfils his promise of always being with us. Om Sri Sadguru Sai Nadaya Namaha.

Baba's Leela

Sun, 30 Jul 2006 23:59:29 GMT

Baba's leela.

A few days ago I was meditating on the form of my beloved lord, Sri Shirdi Sai Baba. As it so happened, at times I found his face being transformed into the face of his dear devotee and disciple, Sri Ekkirala Bharadwaja. The transformation of the face is so subtle, I was left wondering if I am meditating on the form of the lord or on the form of his disciple whom we fondly refer to as Sri Sai Master. Through this incident, Baba has taught me to understand that he is no different from his disciples who are merged totally into him. Indeed, it is thru his grace that I was made to discover the website of Sri Sai Master and enabled me to read Baba's books and increase my love and devotion to Baba. I can see Baba keeping his promise, "If you come one step towards me, I will walk ten steps towards you". Such is the sweetness and love of the Sadguru for the people like me, wallowing in ignorance and spiritual poverty, blinded by ego and pretty jealousies. How can we even think we are qualified to be blessed by him? It's only out of his divine compassion and love that compels him to shower his grace and love on us. Om Sri Sai Nadayana Namaha.

Sri Sai's Subbu

Sai's Promise

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 00:04:10 GMT

Baba's Nectar-like words -- from Sai Satcharitra

The kind and merciful Sai Baba, said many a time the following sweet words in the Masjid - "He who loves Me most, always sees Me. The whole world is desolate to him without Me, he tells no stories but Mine. He ceaselessly meditates upon Me and always chants My name. I feel indebted to him who surrenders himself completely to Me and ever remembers Me. I shall repay his debt by giving him salvation (self-realization). I am dependent on him who thinks and hungers after Me and who does not eat anything without first offering it to Me. He who thus comes to Me, becomes one with Me, just as a river gets to the sea and becomes merged (one) with it. So leaving out pride and egoism and with no trace of them, you should surrender yourself to Me Who am seated in your heart."

Baba's blessings

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 23:24:36 GMT

Om Sai devayanamaha!

Last weekend (July 1st to 2nd), the lady Saint, Amma Karunamayi visited Seattle. I came to know of her visit last thursday and went to visit her and listen to her discourse on Friday. As events later unfolded, I had the feeling I was divinely directed during her visit. As soon as I stepped into the Auditorium, I met a volunteer friend who asked me to join him, which I did. Later when Amma came, as a volunteer I was allowed to sit at the front, in front of Amma on the floor in my usual Padmasana posture.I was carried away meditating in front of her thus. Just before the end of the discourse, I was mentally praying to Shirdi Sai Baba (My Ista Dhaiva) to bless me thru her. A few minutes after that thought flashed thru me, the discourse was complete, and everyone was asked to approach Amma to receive her blessing. I was thinking I should be the 2nd person to be blessed by Amm. Amma's premier disciple went and received her blessing, and then looked at me and asked me to approach Amma to receive the blessing with her Viboodhi. Jai Sai Devaya! See how sweet Sai fuilfils the trifling wishes of his devotees.

After the blessing, I stood to Amma's right, to assist anyone there. During this blessing, there is a small stool placed in front of Amma who is standing on the steps to prevent the Devotees from touching Amma's feet. I was thinking about it, and was asking Sai Baba, that he should allow me to touch his feet thru Amma. A few seconds after I had this thought, the stool placed in front of Amma, fell down, away from her. I ran to catch it before it hit the ground and put it back in place. That time I touched Amma's feet, and thereby Sai's feet through her. Om Sai!

That's not the end of the miracles. I again resumed my position to her right, and uplifted by the experience I found myself asking Vijayawada Kanaka Durga (my other ista devata) to bless me through Amma again. In a few minute, Amma was done blessing everyone, and then most people left. Only her closest disciples and volunteers like me were left there. That time, I was inwardly prostrating to Kanaka Durga. As I turned around, I saw that Amma has descended down towards us, and looked at me and smiled a knowing smile. I went to her and touched her feet fully, and she blessed me again. Jai Durga Devi. Om Namo Sai Nadayanamaha!

That very night, one of my friends, and a devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba gave me a copy of Sri Gurucharitra by Ekkirala Bharadwaja on his own accord, and asked me to do the reading of the book. Next day I met Amma again, to ask her to bless this book and help me reach my Guru. She blessed me, and gave me a few articles, including a coin with Sri Chakra on it, to keep in my place of worship.

Yesterday, on Guru Pournima day, I took leave from office and stayed at the temple from morning 6:30AM to night 11PM. We did all the Arati's for Sai Baba, and did the parayan of Sai Satcharitra. Then we read the Vishnusahasranamam, Lakshmi Astotram. We did the Vyasa Puja and prayed for the welfare of the world and for myself to reach my Guru in Baba. It is a very blessed experience.

Sai's Subbu

Swami Vivekananda's Speech

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 00:48:32 GMT

We All know 4th of July as the Independence day of the USA. How many of us know that it's the day of mahasamadhi of one of the greatest icon's of mother India, and Hinduism, Swami Vivekananda. Time to go back to our roots :-). Here is one of his first speeches presented at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Let's read it and be inspired, and seek God with all our heart and soul.

Read at the Parliament on 19th September, 1893 by Swami Vivekananda

Three religions now stand in the world which have come down to us from time prehistoric — Hinduism, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. They have all received tremendous shocks and all of them prove by their survival their internal strength. But while Judaism failed to absorb Christianity and was driven out of its place of birth by its all-conquering daughter, and a handful of Parsees is all that remains to tell the tale of their grand religion, sect after sect arose in India and seemed to shake the religion of the Vedas to its very foundations, but like the waters of the seashore in a tremendous earthquake it receded only for a while, only to return in an all-absorbing flood, a thousand times more vigorous, and when the tumult of the rush was over, these sects were all sucked in, absorbed, and assimilated into the immense body of the mother faith.

From the high spiritual flights of the Vedanta philosophy, of which the latest discoveries of science seem like echoes, to the low ideas of idolatry with its multifarious mythology, the agnosticism of the Buddhists, and the atheism of the Jains, each and all have a place in the Hindu's religion.

Where then, the question arises, where is the common centre to which all these widely diverging radii converge? Where is the common basis upon which all these seemingly hopeless contradictions rest? And this is the question I shall attempt to answer.

The Hindus have received their religion through revelation, the Vedas. They hold that the Vedas are without beginning and without end. It may sound ludicrous to this audience, how a book can be without beginning or end. But by the Vedas no books are meant. They mean the accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different persons in different times. Just as the law of gravitation existed before its discovery, and would exist if all humanity forgot it, so is it with the laws that govern the spiritual world. The moral, ethical, and spiritual relations between soul and soul and between individual spirits and the Father of all spirits, were there before their discovery, and would remain even if we forgot them.
The discoverers of these laws are called Rishis, and we honour them as perfected beings. I am glad to tell this audience that some of the very greatest of them were women. Here it may be said that these laws as laws may be without end, but they must have had a beginning. The Vedas teach us that creation is without beginning or end. Science is said to have proved that the sum total of cosmic energy is always the same. Then, if there was a time when nothing existed, where was all this manifested energy? Some say it was in a potential form in God. In that case God is sometimes potential and sometimes kinetic, which would make Him mutable. Everything mutable is a compound, and everything compound must undergo that change which is called destruction. So God would die, which is absurd. Therefore there never was a time when there was no creation.

If I may be allowed to use a simile, creation and creator are two lines, without beginning and without end, running parallel to each other. God is the ever active providence, by whose power systems after systems are being evolved out of chaos, made to run for a time and again destroyed. This is what the Brâhmin boy repeats every day: "The sun and the moon, the Lord created like the suns and moons of previous cycles." And this agrees with modern science.

Here I stand and if I shut my eyes, and try to conceive my existence, "I", "I", "I", what is the idea before me? The idea of a body. Am I, then, nothing but a combination of material substances? The Vedas declare, "No". I am a spirit living in a body. I am not the body. The body will die, but I shall not die. Here am I in this body; it will fall, but I shall go on living. I had also a past. The soul was not created, for creation means a combination which means a certain future dissolution. If then the soul was created, it must die. Some are born happy, enjoy perfect health, with beautiful body, mental vigour and all wants supplied. Others are born miserable, some are without hands or feet, others again are idiots and only drag on a wretched existence. Why, if they are all created, why does a just and merciful God create one happy and another unhappy, why is He so partial? Nor would it mend matters in the least to hold that those who are miserable in this life will be happy in a future one. Why should a man be miserable even here in the reign of a just and merciful God?

In the second place, the idea of a creator God does not explain the anomaly, but simply expresses the cruel fiat of an all-powerful being. There must have been causes, then, before his birth, to make a man miserable or happy and those were his past actions.

Are not all the tendencies of the mind and the body accounted for by inherited aptitude? Here are two parallel lines of existence — one of the mind, the other of matter. If matter and its transformations answer for all that we have, there is no necessity for supposing the existence of a soul. But it cannot be proved that thought has been evolved out of matter, and if a philosophical monism is inevitable, spiritual monism is certainly logical and no less desirable than a materialistic monism; but neither of these is necessary here.

We cannot deny that bodies acquire certain tendencies from heredity, but those tendencies only mean the physical configuration, through which a peculiar mind alone can act in a peculiar way. There are other tendencies peculiar to a soul caused by its past actions. And a soul with a certain tendency would by the laws of affinity take birth in a body which is the fittest instrument for the display of that tendency. This is in accord with science, for science wants to explain everything by habit, and habit is got through repetitions. So repetitions are necessary to explain the natural habits of a new-born soul. And since they were not obtained in this present life, they must have come down from past lives.

There is another suggestion. Taking all these for granted, how is it that I do not remember anything of my past life ? This can be easily explained. I am now speaking English. It is not my mother tongue, in fact no words of my mother tongue are now present in my consciousness; but let me try to bring them up, and they rush in. That shows that consciousness is only the surface of the mental ocean, and within its depths are stored up all our experiences. Try and struggle, they would come up and you would be conscious even of your past life.

This is direct and demonstrative evidence. Verification is the perfect proof of a theory, and here is the challenge thrown to the world by the Rishis. We have discovered the secret by which the very depths of the ocean of memory can be stirred up — try it and you would get a complete reminiscence of your past life.

So then the Hindu believes that he is a spirit. Him the sword cannot pierce — him the fire cannot burn — him the water cannot melt — him the air cannot dry. The Hindu believes that every soul is a circle whose circumference is nowhere, but whose centre is located in the body, and that death means the change of this centre from body to body. Nor is the soul bound by the conditions of matter. In its very essence it is free, unbounded, holy, pure, and perfect. But somehow or other it finds itself tied down to matter, and thinks of itself as matter.

Why should the free, perfect, and pure being be thus under the thraldom of matter, is the next question. How can the perfect soul be deluded into the belief that it is imperfect? We have been told that the Hindus shirk the question and say that no such question can be there. Some thinkers want to answer it by positing one or more quasi-perfect beings, and use big scientific names to fill up the gap. But naming is not explaining. The question remains the same. How can the perfect become the quasi-perfect; how can the pure, the absolute, change even a microscopic particle of its nature? But the Hindu is sincere. He does not want to take shelter under sophistry. He is brave enough to face the question in a manly fashion; and his answer is: "I do not know. I do not know how the perfect being, the soul, came to think of itself as imperfect, as joined to and conditioned by matter." But the fact is a fact for all that. It is a fact in everybody's consciousness that one thinks of oneself as the body. The Hindu does not attempt to explain why one thinks one is the body. The answer that it is the will of God is no explanation. This is nothing more than what the Hindu says, "I do not know."

Well, then, the human soul is eternal and immortal, perfect and infinite, and death means only a change of centre from one body to another. The present is determined by our past actions, and the future by the present. The soul will go on evolving up or reverting back from birth to birth and death to death. But here is another question: Is man a tiny boat in a tempest, raised one moment on the foamy crest of a billow and dashed down into a yawning chasm the next, rolling to and fro at the mercy of good and bad actions — a powerless, helpless wreck in an ever-raging, ever-rushing, uncompromising current of cause and effect; a little moth placed under the wheel of causation which rolls on crushing everything in its way and waits not for the widow's tears or the orphan's cry? The heart sinks at the idea, yet this is the law of Nature. Is there no hope? Is there no escape? — was the cry that went up from the bottom of the heart of despair. It reached the throne of mercy, and words of hope and consolation came down and inspired a Vedic sage, and he stood up before the world and in trumpet voice proclaimed the glad tidings: "Hear, ye children of immortal bliss! even ye that reside in higher spheres! I have found the Ancient One who is beyond all darkness, all delusion: knowing Him alone you shall be saved from death over again." "Children of immortal bliss" — what a sweet, what a hopeful name! Allow me to call you, brethren, by that sweet name — heirs of immortal bliss — yea, the Hindu refuses to call you sinners. Ye are the Children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. Ye divinities on earth — sinners! It is a sin to call a man so; it is a standing libel on human nature. Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion that you are sheep; you are souls immortal, spirits free, blest and eternal; ye are not matter, ye are not bodies; matter is your servant, not you the servant of matter.

Thus it is that the Vedas proclaim not a dreadful combination of unforgiving laws, not an endless prison of cause and effect, but that at the head of all these laws, in and through every particle of matter and force, stands One "by whose command the wind blows, the fire burns, the clouds rain, and death stalks upon the earth."

And what is His nature?

He is everywhere, the pure and formless One, the Almighty and the All-merciful. "Thou art our father, Thou art our mother, Thou art our beloved friend, Thou art the source of all strength; give us strength. Thou art He that beareth the burdens of the universe; help me bear the little burden of this life." Thus sang the Rishis of the Vedas. And how to worship Him? Through love. "He is to be worshipped as the one beloved, dearer than everything in this and the next life."

This is the doctrine of love declared in the Vedas, and let us see how it is fully developed and taught by Krishna, whom the Hindus believe to have been God incarnate on earth.

He taught that a man ought to live in this world like a lotus leaf, which grows in water but is never moistened by water; so a man ought to live in the world — his heart to God and his hands to work.

It is good to love God for hope of reward in this or the next world, but it is better to love God for love's sake, and the prayer goes: "Lord, I do not want wealth, nor children, nor learning. If it be Thy will, I shall go from birth to birth, but grant me this, that I may love Thee without the hope of reward — love unselfishly for love's sake." One of the disciples of Krishna, the then Emperor of India, was driven from his kingdom by his enemies and had to take shelter with his queen in a forest in the Himalayas, and there one day the queen asked him how it was that he, the most virtuous of men, should suffer so much misery. Yudhishthira answered, "Behold, my queen, the Himalayas, how grand and beautiful they are; I love them. They do not give me anything, but my nature is to love the grand, the beautiful, therefore I love them. Similarly, I love the Lord. He is the source of all beauty, of all sublimity. He is the only object to be loved; my nature is to love Him, and therefore I love. I do not pray for anything; I do not ask for anything. Let Him place me wherever He likes. I must love Him for love's sake. I cannot trade in love."

The Vedas teach that the soul is divine, only held in the bondage of matter; perfection will be reached when this bond will burst, and the word they use for it is therefore, Mukti — freedom, freedom from the bonds of imperfection, freedom from death and misery.

And this bondage can only fall off through the mercy of God, and this mercy comes on the pure. So purity is the condition of His mercy. How does that mercy act? He reveals Himself to the pure heart; the pure and the stainless see God, yea, even in this life; then and then only all the crookedness of the heart is made straight. Then all doubt ceases. He is no more the freak of a terrible law of causation. This is the very centre, the very vital conception of Hinduism. The Hindu does not want to live upon words and theories. If there are existences beyond the ordinary sensuous existence, he wants to come face to face with them. If there is a soul in him which is not matter, if there is an all-merciful universal Soul, he will go to Him direct. He must see Him, and that alone can destroy all doubts. So the best proof a Hindu sage gives about the soul, about God, is: "I have seen the soul; I have seen God." And that is the only condition of perfection. The Hindu religion does not consist in struggles and attempts to believe a certain doctrine or dogma, but in realising — not in believing, but in being and becoming.

Thus the whole object of their system is by constant struggle to become perfect, to become divine, to reach God and see God, and this reaching God, seeing God, becoming perfect even as the Father in Heaven is perfect, constitutes the religion of the Hindus.

And what becomes of a man when he attains perfection? He lives a life of bliss infinite. He enjoys infinite and perfect bliss, having obtained the only thing in which man ought to have pleasure, namely God, and enjoys the bliss with God.

So far all the Hindus are agreed. This is the common religion of all the sects of India; but, then, perfection is absolute, and the absolute cannot be two or three. It cannot have any qualities. It cannot be an individual. And so when a soul becomes perfect and absolute, it must become one with Brahman, and it would only realise the Lord as the perfection, the reality, of its own nature and existence, the existence absolute, knowledge absolute, and bliss absolute. We have often and often read this called the losing of individuality and becoming a stock or a stone.

"He jests at scars that never felt a wound."

I tell you it is nothing of the kind. If it is happiness to enjoy the consciousness of this small body, it must be greater happiness to enjoy the consciousness of two bodies, the measure of happiness increasing with the consciousness of an increasing number of bodies, the aim, the ultimate of happiness being reached when it would become a universal consciousness.

Therefore, to gain this infinite universal individuality, this miserable little prison-individuality must go. Then alone can death cease when I am alone with life, then alone can misery cease when I am one with happiness itself, then alone can all errors cease when I am one with knowledge itself; and this is the necessary scientific conclusion. Science has proved to me that physical individuality is a delusion, that really my body is one little continuously changing body in an unbroken ocean of matter; and Advaita (unity) is the necessary conclusion with my other counterpart, soul.

Science is nothing but the finding of unity. As soon as science would reach perfect unity, it would stop from further progress, because it would reach the goal. Thus Chemistry could not progress farther when it would discover one element out of which all other could be made. Physics would stop when it would be able to fulfill its services in discovering one energy of which all others are but manifestations, and the science of religion become perfect when it would discover Him who is the one life in a universe of death, Him who is the constant basis of an ever-changing world. One who is the only Soul of which all souls are but delusive manifestations. Thus is it, through multiplicity and duality, that the ultimate unity is reached. Religion can go no farther. This is the goal of all science.

All science is bound to come to this conclusion in the long run. Manifestation, and not creation, is the word of science today, and the Hindu is only glad that what he has been cherishing in his bosom for ages is going to be taught in more forcible language, and with further light from the latest conclusions of science.

Descend we now from the aspirations of philosophy to the religion of the ignorant. At the very outset, I may tell you that there is no polytheism in India. In every temple, if one stands by and listens, one will find the worshippers applying all the attributes of God, including omnipresence, to the images. It is not polytheism, nor would the name henotheism explain the situation. "The rose called by any other name would smell as sweet." Names are not explanations.

I remember, as a boy, hearing a Christian missionary preach to a crowd in India. Among other sweet things he was telling them was that if he gave a blow to their idol with his stick, what could it do? One of his hearers sharply answered, "If I abuse your God, what can He do?" "You would be punished," said the preacher, "when you die." "So my idol will punish you when you die," retorted the Hindu.

The tree is known by its fruits. When I have seen amongst them that are called idolaters, men, the like of whom in morality and spirituality and love I have never seen anywhere, I stop and ask myself, "Can sin beget holiness?"

Superstition is a great enemy of man, but bigotry is worse. Why does a Christian go to church? Why is the cross holy? Why is the face turned toward the sky in prayer? Why are there so many images in the Catholic Church? Why are there so many images in the minds of Protestants when they pray? My brethren, we can no more think about anything without a mental image than we can live without breathing. By the law of association, the material image calls up the mental idea and vice versa. This is why the Hindu uses an external symbol when he worships. He will tell you, it helps to keep his mind fixed on the Being to whom he prays. He knows as well as you do that the image is not God, is not omnipresent. After all, how much does omnipresence mean to almost the whole world? It stands merely as a word, a symbol. Has God superficial area? If not, when we repeat that word "omnipresent", we think of the extended sky or of space, that is all.

As we find that somehow or other, by the laws of our mental constitution, we have to associate our ideas of infinity with the image of the blue sky, or of the sea, so we naturally connect our idea of holiness with the image of a church, a mosque, or a cross. The Hindus have associated the idea of holiness, purity, truth, omnipresence, and such other ideas with different images and forms. But with this difference that while some people devote their whole lives to their idol of a church and never rise higher, because with them religion means an intellectual assent to certain doctrines and doing good to their fellows, the whole religion of the Hindu is centred in realisation. Man is to become divine by realising the divine. Idols or temples or churches or books are only the supports, the helps, of his spiritual childhood: but on and on he must progress.

He must not stop anywhere. "External worship, material worship," say the scriptures, "is the lowest stage; struggling to rise high, mental prayer is the next stage, but the highest stage is when the Lord has been realised." Mark, the same earnest man who is kneeling before the idol tells you, "Him the Sun cannot express, nor the moon, nor the stars, the lightning cannot express Him, nor what we speak of as fire; through Him they shine." But he does not abuse any one's idol or call its worship sin. He recognises in it a necessary stage of life. "The child is father of the man." Would it be right for an old man to say that childhood is a sin or youth a sin?
If a man can realise his divine nature with the help of an image, would it be right to call that a sin? Nor even when he has passed that stage, should he call it an error. To the Hindu, man is not travelling from error to truth, but from truth to truth, from lower to higher truth. To him all the religions, from the lowest fetishism to the highest absolutism, mean so many attempts of the human soul to grasp and realise the Infinite, each determined by the conditions of its birth and association, and each of these marks a stage of progress; and every soul is a young eagle soaring higher and higher, gathering more and more strength, till it reaches the Glorious Sun.

Unity in variety is the plan of nature, and the Hindu has recognised it. Every other religion lays down certain fixed dogmas, and tries to force society to adopt them. It places before society only one coat which must fit Jack and John and Henry, all alike. If it does not fit John or Henry, he must go without a coat to cover his body. The Hindus have discovered that the absolute can only be realised, or thought of, or stated, through the relative, and the images, crosses, and crescents are simply so many symbols — so many pegs to hang the spiritual ideas on. It is not that this help is necessary for every one, but those that do not need it have no right to say that it is wrong. Nor is it compulsory in Hinduism.

One thing I must tell you. Idolatry in India does not mean anything horrible. It is not the mother of harlots. On the other hand, it is the attempt of undeveloped minds to grasp high spiritual truths. The Hindus have their faults, they sometimes have their exceptions; but mark this, they are always for punishing their own bodies, and never for cutting the throats of their neighbours. If the Hindu fanatic burns himself on the pyre, he never lights the fire of Inquisition. And even this cannot be laid at the door of his religion any more than the burning of witches can be laid at the door of Christianity.

To the Hindu, then, the whole world of religions is only a travelling, a coming up, of different men and women, through various conditions and circumstances, to the same goal. Every religion is only evolving a God out of the material man, and the same God is the inspirer of all of them. Why, then, are there so many contradictions? They are only apparent, says the Hindu. The contradictions come from the same truth adapting itself to the varying circumstances of different natures.

It is the same light coming through glasses of different colours. And these little variations are necessary for purposes of adaptation. But in the heart of everything the same truth reigns. The Lord has declared to the Hindu in His incarnation as Krishna, "I am in every religion as the thread through a string of pearls. Wherever thou seest extraordinary holiness and extraordinary power raising and purifying humanity, know thou that I am there." And what has been the result? I challenge the world to find, throughout the whole system of Sanskrit philosophy, any such expression as that the Hindu alone will be saved and not others. Says Vyasa, "We find perfect men even beyond the pale of our caste and creed." One thing more. How, then, can the Hindu, whose whole fabric of thought centres in God, believe in Buddhism which is agnostic, or in Jainism which is atheistic?

The Buddhists or the Jains do not depend upon God; but the whole force of their religion is directed to the great central truth in every religion, to evolve a God out of man. They have not seen the Father, but they have seen the Son. And he that hath seen the Son hath seen the Father also.

This, brethren, is a short sketch of the religious ideas of the Hindus. The Hindu may have failed to carry out all his plans, but if there is ever to be a universal religion, it must be one which will have no location in place or time; which will be infinite like the God it will preach, and whose sun will shine upon the followers of Krishna and of Christ, on saints and sinners alike; which will not be Brahminic or Buddhistic, Christian or Mohammedan, but the sum total of all these, and still have infinite space for development; which in its catholicity will embrace in its infinite arms, and find a place for, every human being, from the lowest grovelling savage not far removed from the brute, to the highest man towering by the virtues of his head and heart almost above humanity, making society stand in awe of him and doubt his human nature. It will be a religion which will have no place for persecution or intolerance in its polity, which will recognise divinity in every man and woman, and whose whole scope, whose whole force, will be created in aiding humanity to realise its own true, divine nature.

Offer such a religion, and all the nations will follow you. Asoka's council was a council of the Buddhist faith. Akbar's, though more to the purpose, was only a parlour-meeting. It was reserved for America to proclaim to all quarters of the globe that the Lord is in every religion.

May He who is the Brahman of the Hindus, the Ahura-Mazda of the Zoroastrians, the Buddha of the Buddhists, the Jehovah of the Jews, the Father in Heaven of the Christians, give strength to you to carry out your noble idea! The star arose in the East; it travelled steadily towards the West, sometimes dimmed and sometimes effulgent, till it made a circuit of the world; and now it is again rising on the very horizon of the East, the borders of the Sanpo, a thousandfold more effulgent than it ever was before.

Hail, Columbia, motherland of liberty! It has been given to thee, who never dipped her hand in her neighbour's blood, who never found out that the shortest way of becoming rich was by robbing one's neighbours, it has been given to thee to march at the vanguard of civilisation with the flag of harmony.
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--
yo mam pasyati sarvatra sarvam ca mayi pasyati
tasyaham na pranasyami sa ca me na pranasyati

For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me. -- Sri Krishna in Bhagavad gita (6:30)

Swalpamasya dharmasya, trayata mahato bhoyat"—"Even a little bit of the practice of this religion will save you from dire fears and colossal sufferings. -- Sri Krishna in Bhagavad gita (2:40).