RASALEELA

RASA LEELA ...

Bala Krishna was very mischievous; He would go with His playmates to the houses of Gopis, break butter pots and steal butter. The Gopis were not annoyed because they enjoyed the Lord’s mischief. This bala leela, childhood play of the Lord, captivated the hearts of the Gopis; they felt very blissful.There are millions of people in the world. Each one of us have differing nature and experience countless moods from time to time. From morning to night, we have moods like anger, fear, apathy, happiness, anxiety, peace, hatred, etc. We should see them all as the Lord’s play.Let us take the example of a family. We should see the members of the family and their moods as Krishna’s bala leela or we may react to them showing our feelings. Fear, anger, hatred will arise in us. These emotions will be registered in the mind and they become samskaras, deep impressions causing rebirth. Like food that is made sweet, salty or spicy according to our individual taste, we take birth according to our deep impressions.We must see everything as the Lord’s play. How? First one should realize that the universe is the play of the Supreme Consciousness. There is only the One who has become many, this is 'Ekohum bahushyam'.
An example. The same vegetable is used in many different ways. For instance, potatoes can be cooked in a variety of different ways; as fries, sambar, chips, etc. Similarly, the primal source of all creation is God. One may be good or bad, the Lord is the Indweller in all. If we know this truth we will not react to the moods of others. All is His leela. Only if we realize this, we will feel the sweetness of the Lord at all times. We should know to drink the rasa, the sweet nectar of the Lord. Then the whole world will be a Rasaleela. Rasa means nectar, so we call it Rasaleela.If someone in the family is angry with you, think that it is the anger of Bala Krishna and enjoy it as His mood. Poet Barathiyar sang,‘Kanha, You are very naughty,You are throwing dust on my beautiful new sari!’Like Kanha, who plays with you mischievously, you should think that the person’s anger is the Lord’s leela. If you are disappointed by someone’s behavior you should think of the following lines of the poet.‘You are giving me a fruit to eat Kanha,When I am relishing its taste, You suddenly snatch it away!’This is how you should accept failure and disappointment thinking that it is the Lord’s play. If you take everything as His leela you will enjoy bliss.
In the book on Yoga Sutra, I have said that pranayama is absorbing the Prana shakthi, the universal life force fully into us. How can we do this? Connect everyone and everything to God, see only the good in all, then their life force flows into us. Never find fault with others. You should see the Truth in all and enjoy bliss. This is Raasleela, the divine play of the Lord.I have written a song in my youth about the bliss of the Lord’s play...Bliss! Infinite Bliss!See the wonderful play of Lord SaiYou are blessed.Take refuge at His feetYou are blessed.Bliss! Infinite Bliss!Get the grace of the Lord,All your sorrows dissolve.Attain Him,He is the fruit of your birth!The Lord is bliss. If we see Him in everything at all times, we will have the Rasaanubhava, the experience of bliss. Rasaanubhava is Raasleela. Radha and Gopis experienced this bliss. They saw Krishna everywhere. The world is Krishna leelamritha, the divine nectarine play of Krishna. Look! How much bliss is there in the world! High rising mountains, low flowing seas, the green carpeted plains, many shades of trees in the valleys, blossoms of different kind, singing birds, dancing peacocks, prancing deer, fleeting butterflies.., do not all these give you bliss? If not, then you are not a human being.Among people, we see great souls like the mountains, there are mean people like the lowlands, and there are restless ones like the waves of the ocean. There are hard hearted ones like the rocks and there are soft hearted souls like the creepers that sway in breeze.Like birds, there are free souls that fly in the spiritual sky, there are also selfish men trapped like snails in their shells. Many different types of people! Learn to enjoy their nature. Seeing only the differences without recognizing the basic unity of all will make impressions in the mind and sow the seed for rebirth.
Another song....How many different kinds of people?How different their nature?Oh my Sai! All show only Your grace!This creation is Yours my Sai,So finding a relationship binding my mindis ignorance.This creation is for the Creator. One has to see everything as the Lord’s. Instead, if we identify ourselves as mother, father, husband or wife, our mind gets caught and causes bondage. Bondage is the mind caught in duality, it is the differences we see. Moksha is the freedom from bondage, it is the bliss of Oneness. We must learn to enjoy this bliss.
The inner meaning of Raasleela is to see the rasa or the sweetness of the Lord in everything and enjoy bliss. I am seeing the Sai rasa, the Sathya rasa in everything, so my life has become blissful; I am dancing the Raasleela with my Lord every moment. Mukthi Nilayam is the stage for Raasleela. Here we connect every moment, every object with God. So we are enjoying infinite bliss. The Sai rasa fills us.Raasleela was performed in Brindavan by Krishna and the gopis. Swami said, “Mukthi Nilayam is Brindavan.” Now I understand why only those who are in Brindavan can dance the Raasleela and enjoy Krishna Rasa.Once Rukmini and Sathyabhama met Radha. They asked her to dance the Rasa leela. After the dance, they asked Radha if it was like the Raasleela of Brindavan. She said, “When we danced in Brindavan the trees, plants and creepers showered their blossoms in great joy and the spring season arrived.”The Raasleela in Brindavan changed the season. This is the uniqueness of Raasleela danced in Brindavan. It can be danced in other places, but only in Brindavan the wonder of the change in the season happen. A severe winter or a hot summer season would change into cool spring! In the same way, the Mukthi Nilayam Raasleela will make the entire world experience spring forever. All hearts will be immersed in joy as in springtime. The world will become rasa maya, filled with sweetness. All are going to drink the sweetness of the Lord.Saint Thyagaraja sang, ‘Pibarey Rama rasam,’Come! come! I call all of you to drink Sai Ram rasa. Join hands with the Mukthi Nilayam children and dance the Raasleela. I invite all people of the world!Let the milky moon shine it’s cool rays.Let all hearts blossom with the colors of spring.Let the fire of wisdom rage.Let the Lord’s flute echo the OmkarLet hearts be flooded in sweet music and dance.Let the whole world be immersed in the bliss of Raasleela.The mistaken notion that Raasleela is a dance of Krishna with some women should be removed.
Gita Govinda and Raasleela should be the two eyes of Jeevatma and show the path to attain Paramatma!

ELUSIVETHIEF

Elusive thief ... Sai Krishna



All are sad that they are not able to think of God, whereas I am crying that I am not able to forget Him. My continuous thoughts of Swami make me insane, I am not able to do the daily chores and I am unable to sleep. In order to forget Swami I traveled to various places but I remained the same. So I always cry at His feet. One day, I wrote a letter to Doctor Kothandapani explaining my state. He replied with the following:A Gopi was doing penance at Brijbhoomi. A sage appeared...Sage: Why do you do penance?Gopi: To forget Krishna.Sage: Did you succeed in your effort?Gopi: No. As I try to forget, the thought of Krishna increases further.The sage then prostrated at her feet and told her “You are my Guru.”Doctor said that the state of the Gopi reflected my own state. Yes, as I tried to forget the elusive thief Parthi Kanha, He only caught hold of me more....
Why am I fascinated with Your unforgettable form?Why do I follow you with unbreakable bond?Are my cries lullabies to You?Do my tears bathe You in bliss?Oh Saieshwara! Have You no compassion for me?
Why should an Atma sadhaka seek proof for his experiences? His extraordinary experiences are proofs themselves for the outpouring of Truth. How I was realizing this! Being unable to bear the force of attraction, the power of love, I lost myself. Sometimes I lamented and cried, sometimes I bathed in bliss; my life became a battle with myself.Each and every one who reads this can see God here itself right now. This is my life; this is how I saw my Kanha. Swami Himself told me that I had become insane in devotion and had made Him insane too. This is the peak of Madhura bhava. I have reached it after a thirty-five year Godward journey. Following this, I had many revelations.You too can join me in this journey to attain God and reach the peak of spirituality.
-- Vasantha Sai

sadhana

Uninterrupted Sadhana ...
For the thirty five years I had been doing “Tapas”। How did I do it? You may be curious to know more about it। I am giving below a summary of my daily schedule। Mostly I would get up at 3 A.M. I would look at both palms of mine and chant the sloka “Karagre Vasathe Lakshmi....” “These two hands should always be giving; never the receiving’ I would pray. This sloka is there even in the Balavikas book of Baba.Before putting my foot down on the ground, on getting up, I would pray and offer my pranams to Mother Earth and seek Her pardon for trampling on Her. Then I would take seven steps towards north, and saying “Dinam, Dinam SriRenga Darsanam”offer pranams in the direction of SriRengam. Saying “Dinam, Dinam Puttaparthi Darsanam” I would take seven steps in that direction and offer pranams. While washing the face and brushing the teeth, I would contemplate on slokas of Bhagavad Gita. Gandhiji used to keep a black board containing some slokas of Geetha and while brushing teeth he would look at this board and memorise these slokas. This I have read in his book “My Experiments with Truth” and so I am following him in this activity.Then I do meditation. After completing it I get into the kitchen where I keep vibuthi in a container. I take this and write on the ovens and the gas cylinder “Om Sri Sai Ram.”Then only I light the oven. “Mathru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava, Agni Devo Bhava, Atithi Devo Bhava” - so saying. I pray to the fire God, “May the food I cook with your help be instrumental in growing sathva guna. I kindle only the fire of a yajna here,” so saying I light the oven and start my kitchen work. While cooking, I sing bhajans or converse with Bhagavan. His picture is there in the kitchen also.

Before taking bath, I touch the water and think of Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswathi, Godavari, Mahanadhi, Cauveri, Tamraparni, Chitravathi, Krishna, Sindhu, Brahmaputra and seek their presence in the water. I pray to Mother Ganga so that she could wash all my sin. Chanting vibuthi kavacham I complete my bath. “Let it protect. Let it protect. Sai’s vibuthi, Let it protect my head always. let it protect both my eyes.” So saying, for every part of the body using soap, I finish my bath. Then I do “Abhishekam" for Swami’s Padukas.I imagine that Bhagavan is standing before me on the Padukas. After the abishekam, I do naivedyam offering whatever I prepare during the course of the day all the time, tiffin or meals. Without offering food to Swami, we never start eating.Even while doing household work, I think of Swami. If I sweep the floor, I think I am sweeping the temple floor. If cleansing the vessels, I would say I am cleansing the pooja vessels. Whenever I attend to children, I say to myself, I am attending on child Lord Sri Krishna. Whatever be the pressure of work I would not allow my meditation time to slip out of my hands; I would never compromise or alter the timingsPreviously I used to chant Sri Vishnu and Baba Sahesranam in the morning; Sri Vishnu Sahasranam in the morning; Sri Vishnu Sahasranam in the evening. If I travel, as soon as I am seated in the bus, I would start chanting Vishnu Sahasranam. To be brief, our life should be a 24 hours pooja to God.Any word you hear, immediately learn to connect it to God. For example, if you hear the word peacock, you think of the form of Madhava who wears the plumes of a peacock. If you hear about the cuckoo bird, think of the melodious music that flows from His flute.If someone asks you “When did you arrive?" start thinking “When did I arrive? From where did I arrive?Did I arrive?"If someone asks you “when are you leaving?" start thinking “which is my place? Where Bhagavan resides, that is my place. But how do I go there?" It may be difficult initially to practice this. But in due course, it would and it must become a habit. While travelling in the bus, you may see name boards.For example you may see “Sankar Sakthi Cements" - you should think of Lord Sankara and Parvathi Devi. If you read ‘Mathura’, think of Lord Krishna. If you see “Vasanth and Co’. think of Vasantha Sai Mantra.Getting trained like this, after sometime we would see God in everything. “Pleasure or pain everywhere in this world, I see You and You only." "My old desires and karma bindings are all gone." If you can say this, you will feel happy. As the great poet Subramanya Bharathi wroteWherever I see Nandalala, I see your green Nandalala !If I introduce my finger in fire, I feel as though I am touching you !This is true. It was also proved by Prahalada. When he was thrown into flames, the Narayana mantra chanted by him without a break, saved him.When the asuras set fire to the tail of Sri Anjaneya (Hanuman) He was unaffected. These are all reported only in the Puranas - one may say.But we experienced it in real life On 15-6-2000, when we did Panchagni Tapas, the fire did not affect us. We did not feel the hot sun. The sacred name of the Lord has the capacity to control all the five bhuthas (elements). This is seen practically. Let it be any yuga. It has now been proved that His name would convert even fire into a cool breeze.This has been my tapas for the past 35 years. All of you can follow this easily. Remain all the 24 hours thinking of God. That is tapas. You need not go to a forest or cave; you need not even observe difficult vratas and fasting. You need not have this panchagni. Whatever you do, please do it remembering God. You would get everything.First we have to do the sadhana. With control and steadfastness, with patience and perseverance, we have to purify ourselves and do sadhana. Then everything would follow automatically.Purity of mind is important. Every second watch the thoughts that arise in your mind and keep them corrected. If we start purifying ourselves, God’s grace will flow. Everyone of us can attain this stage. We have to. That is the goal of this birth as a human being.After the morning meditation, I would stand before the portraits and pictures of God and worship. We have a large number of the pictures of Lord Sri Renganatha in our house.When I pray to Him, like Sri Andal I should merge with Sai Ranga with this body. Standing before Lord Sri Krishna I would pray to Him and request Him tO accept His Radha. Before the picture of Gandhiji, I would pray for an attitude when I would consider SathYa and ahimsa as my two eyes. I would pray to Sri Ramakrishna and beg Him to banish my attachment to pleasures and money.I would then look at the picture of my late father and say “My dear father, you brought me up like Sri Mahalakshmi; but she was taken by Sri Vishnu only; but you are not alive today to see this!" Baba has told me a number of times that my father had the aspect of Periyaazhwar in him. (Periya azhwar was the father who adopted Sri Andal). He adopted Sri Andal but Lord Ranganatha snatched her away. Today your daughter Radha (Vasantha) is snatched away by Sai Ranga. Before the picture of Sri Andal I would say “You are my role model in life, I want to attain the Lord like you, with this body; please grant me this boon."As a general prayer, "All jeevas of this world! All aspects of creation! Jnanis, Bhakthas, Mukthas, Jeevan Mukthas, chiranjeevis, Siddhas, All Devatas!”, I bow before you all. This I utter everyday. Even if I forget, my lips would repeat them; that has become my second nature; that is the result of practice! Good habits can be built up by practice.If everyone of us could spend every second of our life time like this in divine thought, definitely we can enter the kingdomof God. Practice and detachment are important for spiritual sadhana. “Perhaps we could bind air and contain it; but not the five senses" lamented Arjuna. Sri Krishna then said in Geeta, "It is possible to control the senses by hard and continuous practice." It is not enough if you do it once, for one day and so on. Like a stream of oil, it should flow uninterrupted continuously. Doing it for a few days and leaving it totally is not practice!Vairagya (Detachment) relates to the stability of mind. Avoiding evil thoughts, keeping vigilance and remaining alert, is part of it. If you can discover a path, be it after a lot of your suffering, it becomes easy at least for others to follow. Why should I suffer and work hard like this? Only if I do tapas, others can arrive at this point to follow the Prema Marga.There is a temple on top of a hill. Someone discovers and makes all efforts to create a neat clean path to reach the temple. It may mean hard work for him. But it becomes very easy for others to follow the path and reach the temple. After I completed writing all this, I received the June issue of “Sanathana Sarathi” in which Swami wrote like this:‘A man without sathya and dharma is blind , because these are like the two eyes of man. All the shastras were born from the vision of these. Without the eyeball and the pupil, where is creation? Where are shastras? All shastras, Upanishads and vedas are born out of the love emanating from the heart of man. Whether one is a multi millionaire or pauper, Prema is important. This was spoken by Swami on the Easwaramma Day. I was praying that Sathya and Dharma should be my two eyes. Swami had written the same in the Sanatana Sarathi.When we get involved in sadhana in the name of sathya, definitely it will get the approval of Swami. Now Swami speaks more about Prema only.Likewise, “Na karmana na prajaya na dhanena thyage naika amrutatvamana su:” was quoted by me in this book. Swami echoed and wrote about sacrifice and approved of my statement. Also He says Atma in Prema.Daily, when I get up, very humbly, without any vanity or pride, I would pray to Him to grant me honesty, ahimsa and patience. This is my tapas, it is being done for the past 35 years. Anyone can follow this. Think of God all the 24 hours. That is it. No other extra effort. No need to run away to a forest or cave. Wherever and whatever you do, think of Him. That is sufficient.Watch the mind and correct it. Purify yourself and then start sadhana. Keep trying. God’s grace will definitelY flow in your direction. Anyone can practise this; that is the very purpose and goal of life.Sri Andal became one with Sri Ranganatha then; but now Vasantha Sai should merge with Krishna when she turns eighty. This is my prayer.It is only the job of routine daily cooking. The same fire, I consider as the sacred Homa fire. The oven itself is a Homa kunda. When you contemplate like this, you will get a power. Even small, ordinary and routine work, if you do it for Bhagavan, that becomes karma yoga. Only our attitude is important. “Yat bhavam tat bhavathi.” Thus, our daily routine work can be converted to yoga.

songsfromthesoul

SONGS FROM THE SOUL
The poems on this page are some of the outpourings from Her heart, over the course of many decades of Her yearning for Swami.
One of Radha's nineteen qulalities is her ever changing emotional nature. Here the piqued Radha chastises Yasodha for her lack of proper motherly care for her beloved Kanha ...
What kind of a mother are you Yashoda? You have hurt my dear Kanha!What... Did Yashoda hurt Krishna ... How?”You let Putana clutch my LordYou let an Asura snatch my KingYou let the neighbors complainYou let Him go cow herdingYou bound the One who breaks our bondageYou scared the Bud of beautyYou hit Him with a churner in rageOh what a pity!My heart bleeds to see His ruby feetOn the stones and thorns strewn arids.Alas! He is grazing cattleIn the snake and tiger lurking torridsTarrying with stick in handWeary on His errand, oh!Compared to you YashodaEven Kaikeyi wasn’t so harsh!
Oh fragrant breeze will you help me?Will you go to my Lord?He has forgotten me!He has forsaken me!Oh cool moon will you help me?Will you tell Him my plea?My dear Lord has forgotten me!He has forsaken me!Oh rain cloud will you help me?In his thought I know no sleepMy beloved Lord has forgotten me!He has forsaken me!Oh stars of heaven will you help me?At His feet I want to beMy divine Lord has forgotten me!He has forsaken me!Sleeplessly, I lamented in the nights Sending all those I saw as messengers.The pain of Prema is unimaginable,..It cannot be described in words. When one melts like this, God showers His Grace.

My yearning calls and criesHave brought Your blissful form.Prahlada created NarahariMy Prema created my Lord.Who gave Your body the fragrance of roses? I, with the call of my soul.Who made Your divine Lotus feet? I, with my desolate cries.Who drew Your enchanting face? I, with the flood of my tears.Oh! The beauty of Your bewitching smile Is it not the unending reign of my love?The redness of Your lipsIs the beauty of my devotion.Your teasing eyesYour name in my blood.Your dancing golden feetThe music in my heart.
I am a small straw floating in the flood of time.I am but one among the many living beings,A small bubble in the ocean.Swami reveals Himself in ever so many waysTo a poor insignificant soul like me.I pray to Him to reveal to all His divinity.
Of all the four yugas, Kali age is the best to experience the divine play.
Now, we are the most fortunate to have this chance.
Only a few knew of Rama and Krishna's divinity; but today the whole world knows Sri Sathya Sai Baba as the Parabrahma and gathers at His feet. Our past good deeds have brought us to His feet. Let us immerse ourselves in His ocean of mercy. His never-ending compassion flows to one and all.I have written a song about this:I am not Indra to behold Your splendour with a thousand eyes!I am not adishesha to sing Your Glory with a thousand tongues!I am not Karthaveerya to hold Your lotus feet with a thousand hands!I am born only as an ordinary mortal in this dark world!

सोंग्स फ्रॉम थे soul

SONGS FROM THE SOUL
The poems on this page are some of the outpourings from Her heart, over the course of many decades of Her yearning for Swami.
One of Radha's nineteen qulalities is her ever changing emotional nature. Here the piqued Radha chastises Yasodha for her lack of proper motherly care for her beloved Kanha ...
What kind of a mother are you Yashoda? You have hurt my dear Kanha!What... Did Yashoda hurt Krishna ... How?”You let Putana clutch my LordYou let an Asura snatch my KingYou let the neighbors complainYou let Him go cow herdingYou bound the One who breaks our bondageYou scared the Bud of beautyYou hit Him with a churner in rageOh what a pity!My heart bleeds to see His ruby feetOn the stones and thorns strewn arids.Alas! He is grazing cattleIn the snake and tiger lurking torridsTarrying with stick in handWeary on His errand, oh!Compared to you YashodaEven Kaikeyi wasn’t so harsh!
Oh fragrant breeze will you help me?Will you go to my Lord?He has forgotten me!He has forsaken me!Oh cool moon will you help me?Will you tell Him my plea?My dear Lord has forgotten me!He has forsaken me!Oh rain cloud will you help me?In his thought I know no sleepMy beloved Lord has forgotten me!He has forsaken me!Oh stars of heaven will you help me?At His feet I want to beMy divine Lord has forgotten me!He has forsaken me!Sleeplessly, I lamented in the nights Sending all those I saw as messengers.The pain of Prema is unimaginable,..It cannot be described in words. When one melts like this, God showers His Grace.

My yearning calls and criesHave brought Your blissful form.Prahlada created NarahariMy Prema created my Lord.Who gave Your body the fragrance of roses? I, with the call of my soul.Who made Your divine Lotus feet? I, with my desolate cries.Who drew Your enchanting face? I, with the flood of my tears.Oh! The beauty of Your bewitching smile Is it not the unending reign of my love?The redness of Your lipsIs the beauty of my devotion.Your teasing eyesYour name in my blood.Your dancing golden feetThe music in my heart.
I am a small straw floating in the flood of time.I am but one among the many living beings,A small bubble in the ocean.Swami reveals Himself in ever so many waysTo a poor insignificant soul like me.I pray to Him to reveal to all His divinity.
Of all the four yugas, Kali age is the best to experience the divine play.
Now, we are the most fortunate to have this chance.
Only a few knew of Rama and Krishna's divinity; but today the whole world knows Sri Sathya Sai Baba as the Parabrahma and gathers at His feet. Our past good deeds have brought us to His feet. Let us immerse ourselves in His ocean of mercy. His never-ending compassion flows to one and all.I have written a song about this:I am not Indra to behold Your splendour with a thousand eyes!I am not adishesha to sing Your Glory with a thousand tongues!I am not Karthaveerya to hold Your lotus feet with a thousand hands!I am born only as an ordinary mortal in this dark world!

THE POWER OF MANTRA ..
. After going through the book, “Liberation! Here Itself Right Now!" Vimala from SriLanka and Nirmala from London, met me at Vadakkampatti. Later they proceeded to Puttaparthi. They had been writing to me frequently. Nirmala had lot of problems in her office. When she needed relief I prayed to Swami.
He wrote
“Om Sri Sai Vasantha Saiesaiya Namaha”
on a piece of paper.
Will there be any need for another solution? Nirmala's troubles disappeared in no time.What Swami wrote for her on 23-5-98 is useful today for all people.Nirmala was also suffering from Asthma for nearly ten years. This mantra cured her of this illness also. In addition, she has some trouble in her eye. It started when she was thirteen and even when she was fifty five. There was severe pain and irritation in the eye. Tablets and eye drops could not help her. The doctors of SriLanka, India and London could not help her. She had been to a doctor on 29-6-98 to consult him regarding this problem. While waiting for him, she started chanting this mantra between 12.30 and 1.30 noon. When the doctor examined her, she had already sensed relief. She felt extremely happy. All her major problems could be solved one by one by the same mantra. Her sufferings in the office were unimaginable and they were the result of racial discrimination. People were treated like animals by the racial fanatics. I prayed to Swami intensely for her. I even went to the extent of saying that Swami could completely take away any power or Prema, I had, so that she would get relief. Finally, she got it!When there is Bhagavan who returns Prema for Bhakthi in abundance, why is it that people are hesitating to approach Him? He is only waiting for these people when they would turn away from worldly pleasures and look to Him for guidance. He is always ready to help.We are not prepared to analyse and find out the reason behind all our troubles. Everyone who reads this book must start thinking Why was I born? Why do I grow? What have I achieved? Where do I go? Why do I like this life, only to be born and die again and again? Only to be wriggling like worms in a gutter? Are we satisfied with this wretched life? We never go beyond, do we even think of a life better than this? A goal better than this? Why? Why?We were born only to reach a state when we would not be born again. Awake! We need Bhagavan's help for this.
Even if you pray to Him once wholeheartedly, He approaches you immediately.
The Maha Prabhu would release us from the clutches of our turmoil and open the gates of the right highway. But please open the gates of your mind a little. Then feel for yourself what happens! After letting in God, feel for yourself what happens! Our life would change entirely. Our thoughts would be purified. Our very nature would definitely change for the better. We would be awakened and get atma darshan. Then what else is there to be attained? Everything is an ocean of bliss onlyThe Kailash and Vaikunta would come to your place; yes, in search of you? We would feel as though some one is showering baskets of flowers on us. A divine music would start flowing from our hearts.These are not magic descriptions with words. They are absolute Sathya, absolutely experienced.
Try, Try again and again, why not get submerged in the flood of eternal bliss!
(Taken from the book "Prema Nivarana Sai")

A Yearning Soul ...

Dear Swami,Give me all the qualities of a good devotee. Please give me Your darshan and give me the experience of the bliss of Your love. Oh Bhagavan, Sai Ma yesterday one of my songs was published in Sanathana Sarathi. With each song that is published, You become bound to me, knot by knot. You are the one who cuts asunder all knots, You are the one who brakes all bondages. But You cannot break away and escape from being bound to me. You cannot cut the bond with me.
Hereafter even if I want, I cannot free You. You are the one who is bound. You are the Lord Damodara but You cannot free yourself with Your maya leelas. Although I have handcuffed You and made You and enslaved You, my mind still wants to enthrone You in my heart and serve at Your lotus feet. What a strange mind!Oh Lord! What is this leela? I am suffering in pangs of separation and am yearning to see You. Prabhu! Amma! My Swami! My Lord I want to know Your presence every moment. I want You! I do not want anything other than you.Prabhu! Today early morning 3 am, You gave Your darshan in my dream. You came near me and gave good darshan. I touched Your feet and asked the boon to come to Puttaparthi. Swami, You looked at me and smiled! You laughed! You gave darshan for a long time, but you did not utter a single word! Prabhu everything is Your grace! Purify my mind and bless me to totally surrender at Your feet and to live only with Your support.Amma! Sai! What is this Amma. For the last one month my mind is very confused. I cannot meditate properly. Every day early in the morning, at midnight, afternoon, evening I am trying so hard at all times to pull my mind towards japa. But the end of all my efforts is only defeat. Now it is early morning 3:30 am. There is only one way before me Amma. Now this moment, this second, I am standing before You with this agitated and turbulent mind and making an agreement with You.Just four more days, with Your divine grace and my strongest effort, You must give the experience of bliss. You must immerse me in the ocean of bliss. Then this mind will be my slave. After that my mind must listen to my words.If I fail to make effort, then I am slave to the mind. I will walk on the path that it leads me. If it were to pull me and make me stumble into the ditch waters, I would allow myself to be trapped joyfully. Even if I do not want this, I must follow it. I must follow it because of its force. This is the agreement between me and my mind. “Oh Sai You are the witness. How am I going to be redeemed from this.”Amma... my Prema Sai, how will I be redeemed? Am I going to follow the mind and fall into the deep pits or will I conquer it and gain freedom? Kanha! What are You going to do? This is a question of my integrity and Yours also! I am asking You in the name of your namas that I have chanted all these years. Show me a way? Guide me! Turn the mind towards You or take my life. I do not want to waste this life following the mind.The whole village knows the bond between You and I. All know how I worship you from dawn till dusk. At this stage, if You do not protect me you will suffer the curse of murdering me. The whole world will know that You murdered me and they will no longer respect You as God. If I am your true devotee then save me. If you think that my devotion is for show, the world knows that I worshipping You from early morning till late at night. they will blame You! So whichever way you look at it I should be protected.Oh Bhagavan! Kanha! My life is in Your hands. Sai Amma! Where will I go? I am your child.
-- Letter from Vasantha Sai to Sri Sathya Sai Baba written on 13th December 1981.

Definitionofpremabhakthi

Definition of Prema Bhakthi ...
“Existing ever with the Lord, witnessing always the glory of the Lord and becoming suffused with God consciousness is Saarupya Mukthi. This is the final fruit of bhakthi shastra.” This is what Swami has said in Prema Vaahini.If one practices devotion as described above and attains the final goal of Saarupya Mukthi, then his life will be an example of Prema Bhakthi. I have realized this truth in my own life. When one is always thinking of the Lord, He too is always with him. I have attained this state in which I cannot live even for a second without the thought of the Lord.Now let us see Bhagavan's explanation for Prema Bhakthi. “A sadhaka making himself mad for God, makes God also mad for him. This is the peak of Prema Bhakthi.” Only when such a high state is attained a ‘Gita Govindam’ is born. Poet Jayadeva writes about the feelings of Krishna for Radha:‘Chaaru sheelay! Priya Chaaru sheelay!’Keep your lotus feet on My head, Thoughts of you burn Me.Sri Krishna laments. Radha’s Prema is so powerful that it makes Him mad. Such an incident happened in my life too. In an earlier chapter I have said how I asked a boon from Sage Agastya that Swami should become mad after me. The sage gave the boon saying, “Let it be so.” Later I forgot about this. One day I received a letter from GV. He wrote that Swami woke him up at midnight and told him to write a letter to me, but he refused to write saying that he had already written a letter the previous day. Even then Swami requested GV to write one more letter. GV complied and wrote the following in his letter. “Swami has become mad after you. At midnight, He woke me up and told me to write this letter. Usually, the devotee aspires for God’s Prema, but in your case Baba Himself is showering Prema on you." I have received many letters like this from GV. Once GV asked Swami, “Swami, very often you ask me to write to Vasantha and to Doctor. Don’t you have any other devotees except these two?”
Some of my conversations with Baba about Prema Bhakthi are given below.Swami: It is your Prema that gives you such power. Prema for the Lord is more powerful than the Lord Himself. It is this power that gives you such skill. I have nothing with Me. That is why, I am defeated on many occasions.Vasantha: Since this morning I am immersed in reading a spiritual magazine, so I have forgotten You Swami! Has my heart become a stone?Swami: When did you forget? Even in the magazine you read about Me alone. You were thinking about Me. You will not forget Me even for a single second. I too will not forget you. Don’t cry. You should be laughing, not crying. Those who have to cry are laughing. I laugh at the world when I think of it.Vasantha: Why so Swami?Swami: That is all maya.Vasantha: Why do I cry Swami? Is this also maya?Swami: This is not maya. You cry because of you are not able to control your infinite Prema.Vasantha: When Narada Maharishi himself feared and worshipped maya, where do I stand?Swami: Maya will not catch you. I am near you, maya cannot come. Other people in the world are caught in many different things; they are living and laughing happily. It is they who should be crying.Vasantha: Swami I am not able to do japa and meditation.Swami: Who told you to do them?Vasantha: I get peace only when I talk to You. Due to this overflowing Prema, I don’t know what] should do. My mind always wants Your nearness and love.Swami: That is Radha.Vasantha: How can Radha’s Prema flow without Your Prema? I won’t believe it Swami! Not even a blade of grass will move without You. You are the Indweller and Director of all.Swami: If it is because of Me, this Prema should be in everyone! Why is it not so? Are they all like you? Unlimited sincerity, complete surrender, unshakeable faith, and selfless devotion with out attachment are essential for this.Vasantha: Swami! You told me that half of Your energy is spent in consoling me. You also say that my Prema is Your energy. When energy feeds energy how can it be wasted?Swami: How is it that you speak so cleverly?Vasantha: You are my teacher Swami! You told in a discourse that cleverness and intelligence are Bhagavan’s powers. You have said that there is none who is more skillful than the Lord, so everything is because of Your mercy.Swami: It is your Prema that bestows you such power. Prema for God is more powerful than God Himself. It is this power that gives you so much energy. I have nothing with Me. That is why I am defeated by you many times.Vasantha: Even for fun do not say so Swami! Only I should be defeated, You should always win.Another meditation....Vasantha: Swami! Why am I not able to do japa and meditation?Swami: Why do you worry about japa and meditation? Why should you do them like a machine at a particular place and time? Now, tell me the purpose of japa and meditation.Vasantha: To attain the Lord.Swami: You have already attained Him, is it not? In that case what is the need for japa and dhyana? Moreover, you are crying, saying that you are not able to concentrate. You are always with Swami and speak with Swami. You have successfully completed sadhana but you are never satisfied. Why do you still want to be in the state of a sadhaka? Nobody in this world has had visions and darshans like you. I told you that you are one of a kind for this entire age. Even then you are not satisfied and always think that those people who have interviews are more fortunate than you.Vasantha: Where is the place for satisfaction in Prema bhakthi, Swami? If there is satisfaction it is like a full stop; Prema always has only a comma, If one is satisfied, then the growth of Prema will end. This yearning and aspiration alone will cultivate Prema.Swami: Very good! See now, again I have lost to you.Vasantha: Oh Lord! That is wrong. Kindly pardon me. I am lecturing You, the very form of Prema. It is You who creates such thoughts in me.Swami: No, No. You are wrong; your limitless Prema is the reason for it. There can be a limit for the seas or the sky; but there is no limit for your Prema. Your words, walk, living, thinking, everything is the definition of Prema. Your life is an example for selfless devotion. You are an example for Prema bhakthi.

"Radha is an example of Madhura Bhakti. Radha completely identified herself with Krishna. Her devotion to Krishna was on an inseparable relationship. The Radha-Krishna relationship is that of Prakruthi and Paramatma (of Nature and God)."

conversationswithswami

Conversations with Swami, in Meditation.(taken from Amma's books ...)
Vasantha: Swami! I understand one thing after reading three parts of this book - in the major part of this book I am blowing my own trumpet. There must have been some desire in my mind that I am greater than all and that everyone should praise me, glorify me. Is this why I am publishing this book? Is my mind secretly desiring name and fame? All this is my own ego trip! I know this! (Tears flood my eyes.)Swami: When one’s own experiences are written, it will be like this. Why do you exaggerate and cry?Vasantha: Swami! In the conversations where You talk about the definitions of Prema bhakthi it appears as though I am a big intellectual. It looks as if You are defeated by me and I am praised by You.Swami: Why do you cry thinking they are about you only? They are common to all who practice Prema bhakthi. If anyone practices devotion like you and asks Me questions, I will give the same answer; they are the characteristics of Prema Bhakthi. After reading about them, at least a few may try to practice devotion like you. Is it not?As SOON AS SWAMI SAID THE ABOVE, vibhuthi appeared around the altar as blessings.7 March 1991We went to Puttaparthi to attend Shivarathri celebrations. There, I randomly opened page 239 of Summer Showers, it said:"It is not correct to think that Radha is a name of a woman or hers is an ordinary human love. God does not make differences such as man or woman. If one surrenders like Radha, whether he is a man or woman, it will be considered as Radha’s aspect. Those who have this aspect can think nothing but God; they never think otherwise. Radha is a jnani, though she lives in this world, she does not allow the world to live in her. To experience this, one should know about Radha’s devotion."I was surprised by this beautiful proof for the above explanation.28 April 1997 Meditation.Swami said, “You are Radha. You are born to show the world, the suffering of separation. You aspire for God like a fish out of water. You have been born to show how one should lament, yearn, aspire and cry for the Lord. Your life is the best example to show the sufferings of separation. Since every atom of your body, every drop of blood, nerve and cell suffer of separation from God, you alone can be Radha.”
Characteristics of a Prema Bhaktha...
Vasantha: When Arjuna asked, You told the characteristics of a man of wisdom, likewise, kindly tell me the characteristics of a Prema bhaktha. How will those who have Prema behave and speak? What will they look like?Swami : "They won’t forget God even for a single second. They will talk of nothing but God; they will listen to nothing but God. They cannot live for even a second without the thought of God; all their actions will be centered on God. Only for God’s sake, they eat and sleep. Since they do everything in thoughts of God, their life becomes a sacrifice. They would have all relationships with God only. They won’t slip from their stand or lose sight of their goal in any circumstance. Nothing of this world can attract them.
"They would create a separate world and live with God. They would perceive only truth through their five senses. Their senses won’t go to the external world. Through the five elements, they would get only divine news through TV, radio, books, newspapers, everywhere in all things. They would realize and speak with the Lord in many ways. Every question that arises from the mind would get the answers at once.

Amma reminisces... ‘You are Radha'Once Swami said, “You are Radha. You are born to show the world, the suffering of separation. You aspire for God like a fish out of water. You have been born to show how one should lament, yearn, aspire and cry to the Lord. Your life is the best example for the sufferings of separation. Since every atom of your body, blood drop, nerve and cell chant God, you alone can be Radha.”I randomly opened the 1991 edition of Summer Showers and on page 239 Bhagavan says, “It is not correct to think that Radha is a name of a woman or hers is ordinary human love. God does not make differences as man and woman. If one surrenders like Radha, whether he is a man or woman, it will be considered as Radha’s aspect. Those who have this aspect can think nothing but God; they never think otherwise. Radha is a jnani, though she lives in this world, she does not allow the world to live in her. To experience this, one should know about Radha’s devotion.”
The Reason for Nivaran ...
On 21-4-98 I told Swami : “Swami, instead of my praying for others and your granting relief, why not you directly grant and bless them?"Swami replied: "For me to help them directly, their karma is a hindrance. When you are moved and you pray for them, Your Prema sakthi reaches them and it brings down the load of their karma. Your power is not an ordinary power Those who realise it and want to make use of it will be greatly benefited. When you pray for them, it works much better than how it does when they themselves often pray. All these books have been published only to make you pray for others and help others. Your tears wipe out their difficulties. When I want to help them, I have to evaluate their worth and scrutinize all the three kalas (the past, present and future). You do not look at these factors at all and directly pray for them. This is the state of a mother. Therefore, for your sake, I have to do it.”“When you go to a place, the vibrations emanating from you wipe out the karmas of the people and they pound all the interferences in their getting the grace of God. The vibrations produced by you, purify the place. Wherever you happen to be, there lies great Ananda. Whoever can draw from it, can do so, depending upon the capacity of their containers. To that extent they get this great Ananda.”

I want "ONLY" You ...Once Swami appeared in Amma’s dream and asked, “You do not have any peace? Do you want any money?”After the dream Amma wrote in her diary, “Swami you are so mischievous. Did I ask for money?
I asked the way to control my mind.I asked for devotion and wisdom.I asked for good eyesight.I asked you to accept my songs at Your feet.
I asked You for all these and instead of saying a word about all these things that I want, You are saying that you will give me that which I have never asked for!
I want You! I want only You!”

cutandconnect

Cut and Connect ...


“What is Yoga? Yoga is cutting and connecting. Cutting is dispassion. Connecting is yoga. You cut from all worldly things and connect to God. Yoga means attaining the Highest, the Lord.”In satsang Amma summed up the elaborate teaching of the Patanjali Yoga sutra in two simple words, ‘Cutting and Connecting’. As always she explained the higher wisdom from her experiences. She said since her childhood she always connected all the objects she saw with God. How?When she saw a peacock Amma would think, “This is Sri Krishna’s feather” A door would make her think that it was the door to liberation. The pillars in her home would remind her of the Narasimha Avatar. A gentle breeze would bring her a message from her Lord. The dosai in the frying pan was Lord Vishnu’s discus. In this way she would join all she saw with God.This gave us the idea to play a game called Cut and Connect. Each picked a chit with a word written on it and tried to connect it spontaneously with God. Here are some of the answers...
Snake
Like the snake we should wriggle through the maya of the world and reach Swami’s feet.
Rope
Tie Swami with your Prema.
Carrot
A carrot is orange, so that is Swami; it is also a root vegetable so Swami is the root cause of everything.
Bicycle
The two wheels of the bicycle are Swami and Amma, they will take me to the destination. [though, have to peddle, make effort through sadhana.
Fan
Has to do with air, the Prana, life force.
Telephone
We should call Swami on the heart phone, speak with Him inside.
Soap
We have to use the inner soap to clean away our impurities
For the interest of the reader; the book Prema Nivarana Sai has a list of words for which Swami Himself has given the Divine connections.Amma said in a later satsang that first we have to cut from the world; then we connect everything to God and in the end God Himself will connect with us.Make every moment of your life divine! Uncover the sweetness of the Lord that lies hidden beneath the worldly exterior.
Mad, Mad, Mad ...What is all this cutting and connecting? Have all at Mukthi Nilayam gone mad? Yes we have gone mad! Mad for God! What bliss to find Him everywhere! He’s is in the...
Bureau
Be as you are; Bury ego awaken unity.
Kitchen duty
No duty to your kith and kin; Catch hold of your chosen deity; Cut your destiny; Kill the ‘I’ and shine in your duty
Biscuit
Wish cut; Bind Sai, cut world; Baba is cute
You too can join the God mad - just cut and connect!
The Eternal Itch ...
One evening at Mukthi Nilayam.Nicola : Amma I can see God everywhere, but how to see God in mosquitoes!Amma : Mosquitoes! ---- Must see Swami's toes!Nicola : Oh Amma, hereafter I will remember this about mosquitoes. (laughs)Eddy : This is a new way! We can connect words to Swami.Amma : This is true wisdom, see God everywhere, and connect God to everything.Later we played a game, where each person picked a small chit from a box. The word on it was connected like this:COMPUTER - Contemplate on HerGOOSEBERRY- Go inside... hurryTHURSDAY — Everyday is a 'thirst day’ for SwamiHOSPITAL — Heart Sai PetalCOTTON - Caught on Sai LoveCUCUMBER — Come to Baba's Beloved RadhaPANDURANGA — Bond to RangaTOOTHPASTE — I have a sweet tooth for Ammas Prema PasteSTUPI - Don't be stupid, I will take you high (Am ma)EXPLOSION - Excel in Prema and shineBATHROOM — Baba true Om OCTOBER- Overcome calamities to be eternal Radha WASHING MACHINE — Wash-sins-mind-shine TELEPHONE - Talk less focus on OneMATCH BOX - I am boxing my senses, what match is this? (Amma)MEDICINE - Me die without sin BANGALORE - Bring your LoveAPPLE - Apply pure Prema and love everyoneSCISSORS - Sai sourceYou too can try this game! Play it wherever you are and enjoy the sweetness of the Lord in everyday life.

சுவாமிக்கு அம்மா எழுதிய கடிதம்

இது ஒரு அருமையான சுவாமி படம். வேறு எங்கும் கிடைக்காது எங்கும் பார்க்கவும் mudiyathu. ithai அம்மா எப்போதும் தன் கைகளில் வைத்திருப்பார்கள்.
அதி அற்புதமான படம்.

A Yearning Soul ...

Dear Swami,

Give me all the qualities of a good devotee. Please give me Your darshan and give me the experience of the bliss of Your love. Oh Bhagavan, Sai Ma yesterday one of my songs was published in Sanathana Sarathi. With each song that is published, You become bound to me, knot by knot. You are the one who cuts asunder all knots, You are the one who brakes all bondages. But You cannot break away and escape from being bound to me. You cannot cut the bond with me.

Hereafter even if I want, I cannot free You. You are the one who is bound. You are the Lord Damodara but You cannot free yourself with Your maya leelas. Although I have handcuffed You and made You and enslaved You, my mind still wants to enthrone You in my heart and serve at Your lotus feet. What a strange mind!

Oh Lord! What is this leela? I am suffering in pangs of separation and am yearning to see You. Prabhu! Amma! My Swami! My Lord I want to know Your presence every moment. I want You! I do not want anything other than you.

Prabhu! Today early morning 3 am, You gave Your darshan in my dream. You came near me and gave good darshan. I touched Your feet and asked the boon to come to Puttaparthi. Swami, You looked at me and smiled! You laughed! You gave darshan for a long time, but you did not utter a single word! Prabhu everything is Your grace! Purify my mind and bless me to totally surrender at Your feet and to live only with Your support.

Amma! Sai! What is this Amma. For the last one month my mind is very confused. I cannot meditate properly. Every day early in the morning, at midnight, afternoon, evening I am trying so hard at all times to pull my mind towards japa. But the end of all my efforts is only defeat. Now it is early morning 3:30 am. There is only one way before me Amma. Now this moment, this second, I am standing before You with this agitated and turbulent mind and making an agreement with You.

Just four more days, with Your divine grace and my strongest effort, You must give the experience of bliss. You must immerse me in the ocean of bliss. Then this mind will be my slave. After that my mind must listen to my words.

If I fail to make effort, then I am slave to the mind. I will walk on the path that it leads me. If it were to pull me and make me stumble into the ditch waters, I would allow myself to be trapped joyfully. Even if I do not want this, I must follow it. I must follow it because of its force. This is the agreement between me and my mind. “Oh Sai You are the witness. How am I going to be redeemed from this.”

Amma... my Prema Sai, how will I be redeemed? Am I going to follow the mind and fall into the deep pits or will I conquer it and gain freedom? Kanha! What are You going to do? This is a question of my integrity and Yours also! I am asking You in the name of your namas that I have chanted all these years. Show me a way? Guide me! Turn the mind towards You or take my life. I do not want to waste this life following the mind.

The whole village knows the bond between You and I. All know how I worship you from dawn till dusk. At this stage, if You do not protect me you will suffer the curse of murdering me. The whole world will know that You murdered me and they will no longer respect You as God. If I am your true devotee then save me. If you think that my devotion is for show, the world knows that I worshipping You from early morning till late at night. they will blame You! So whichever way you look at it I should be protected.

Oh Bhagavan! Kanha! My life is in Your hands. Sai Amma! Where will I go? I am your child.

-- Letter from Vasantha Sai to Sri Sathya Sai Baba written on 13th December 1981.