Sai Student
92
When I as searching the category into which this hub should be placed, I chose, "Views of God." That choice of category is true, but in a slightly different perception. Contrary to the intepretation that it means - what a human thinks of God - for me "Views of God" means God's views! :)
Being a student of the Sathya Sai Institute of Higher learning, I have always called myself a Sai student. I have some expectations of a Sai Student. I know what the society expects of a Sai Student. But what does Swami expect of a Sai Student? Who is a Sai Student?
Once, Swami had told a student, "Remember, just because you are a student of the Institute does not automatically imply that you are a Sai Student!"
And here is what I learnt on what Swami's views are on what His student is...
This was shared to me by a Sai brother who has been blessed by His grace to travel with Him to Kodaikanal.
I present what he narrated : -
It was a pleasant morning in Kodaikanal in 2006. We all sang bhajans as Swami went around giving darshan and filling devotees seated there with bliss. After the bhajans we all rushed to the drawing room for the "pre-lunch" session of interaction with Swami. Swami was visibly very upset with something! He was not talking to anyone.
And the few words He spoke were shocking,
" I want to leave this body".
Every one of us were taken aback and were crying. Warden sir (Sri Narasimhamoorthy) asked Swami,
"Swami, please tell us what is it that is bothering you so much? What mistake have we comitted that it is paining you so much? What is it that made you utter these words? Swami we are ready to give our lives for you if needed."
Swami did not say a word. He kept silent. That day, we all were sent for shopping. But none of us had any interest in shopping. Still, since they were the instructions we obeyed them. Generally, Swami used to ask all the boys as to what they bought and that in itself would be a lovely interactive session. But that day the entire atmosphere was different, we also strictly decided not to bring any of our purchases downstairs.
Even during the snacks time Swami did not speak anything. We all went for bhajans (devotional singing) in the evening. During the bhajans Swami suddenly asked for the mikes to be brought. The first few sentences He spoke were these and they remain etched in my memory.
"Who are you to give up your lives? I do not want you to die! What I want you all to do is to LIVE THE WAY I WANT YOU TO LIVE. From the time I get up in the morning till the time I go to bed I think constantly about you only. When you are with Me you are all very sweet and behave very well. But the moment you leave my physical presence, you get into the bad ways.
It is like the pot of water which is kept in the water. It is full only as long as it is immersed in the water. But the moment it is taken out of the water, the water in the pot starts evaporating. I dont have any desire. NENU NISHKAAMUDANU - I am the one without desire.
My only worry is about you all. I want you to be good and be ideals to be emulated. From the morning, I have not been talking and have seemingly been upset. Some of the boys around me asked the reason and some even said that they are ready to give up their lives for me. Whose life is it that you want to give it up? Do not die for me, live for me."
All of us were in tears and Swami too was shedding tears.
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Devotion lies not in dying for God, but living for God - in the spirit of Love and Service. I understood the difference between a Sathya Sai university Student and a Sai Student. Only a few get a chance to be the former; only a few take the chance to be the latter!
If only all of us can truly become His students...................
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CommentsLoading...
New as before...and fresh as ever..... I think I must read this blog on daily basis just to remind us who we are and what is expected from us!
Swamy said the same in world youth conference ,2007
Satya Sai University student is for few years and Swami's student is for life time
"JAI SAIRAM"
Amazing brother!thankyou so much.
Sai Ram
be happy, Gott Sai Baba is with you,
steve olffers holland
thats great!
Thought provoking account Aravind. I liked this the most. Sai student is one step above a satya sai university student. I would like to share an incident which happened some years ago. A family was lucky to have been called for an interview with Swami. At that time final interniews were going on at the institute. This student was happy as the paper went easy and Swami had called them. In the interview room, He enquired about wellbeing and at last looking at the student He said ' Just because you got the admission, you cannot become my student!' Saying this, He left from the room and asked them to move. Here what we understand is that one has to join Satya sai University to learn to become sai student or let me put it this way... whereone one studies or works has to convert that place in to Swami's by following His principles so that eventually he becomes sai student.
Satya Sai student - only on physical appearance
Sai student - from within - a true student - a true sevak.
Thanks
Thank you Mr. Aravind.
Love & Peace.
@ Mr.Happy - Your comment provoked me to think and feel a lot. Wrote a hub on that exact question.....Thank you for asking that question.......It was a real path to self discovery for me. As they say, a wise man does not give correct answers but asks the correct questions!
@ Hema B - Mom! Am eternally grateful to you for having put me in touch with HIM! Love you
The amount of pain HE takes to teach, the simplicity of it, yet profound. All of us love Him so much.So we are on THE PATH. Good reminder
A great blog indeed! The question remains: "Why do we not do the good when we know the good?"
Thank you for writing this. I have no answer for this question.
@ Aarthi and Shruti - Feeling for Him is a big step towards that! Its so beautiful - this devotion...
@Linda - I feel sharing is the least I could do for all that He has given me - Am grateful for your love and goodwishes...
@ Dileep - I remember Sahni sir telling that to me too....When He praises us, it just shows us where we ought to be....
@ Denialisjustice - At the level at which you speak, any discussion or interaction becomes redundant - for there exists only one - profound lines to think about - thanks
@ SaiVandana - your determination and resolve inspires me.....Pray for me sister....
@ Spirit whisperer - You are very generous in your love and praise....I pray that He always 'whispers' His spirit into me.......Felt very warm with your comment......Grateful to you...
@ Simi - Wow! That is a lovely new insight or in'sai'ght if I may call it. .... We are what we are when we are in solitude.......No wonder Swami had said, "When with a man, I am a man, a woman with a woman, a child with a child - when am alone, I am God!"
Very True....
Last Summer I had asked Swami a question this was His response ~ I cannot guarantee the Character of all of my Students. I have taught them Education in Human Values but after they leave what are they doing when they are home alone? are they practicing what I taught? Human Values is not just a correct Social Behavior it is matters most at the times when they are alone. God's Statements have so much depth ~ in His omnipresence. Know there is a need for change... if you call Him yours and truly want to be His. He lovingly explains.
Another very powerful hub and the energy that emanates is unmistakeably coming from the Sai Baba within.
I was not blessed with the opportunity to study at a Sai School but I did teach for a while at The Sai EHV School in Thailand. It was a wonderful experience.
Keep writing these beautiful stories and touching the hearts of so many. I have never found someone who writes as if Baba himself is speaking to me through your words. You are an example of the water which is always fully immersed in the ocean of the divine.
Thank you.
sairam brother..although i have never studied in Bhagavan's university, I count myself blessed to have had a lifetime of many close personal experiences with Baba. I have always taken His word to be etched in stone and tried to practice whatever He used to tell me and my family. I consider that we are all Sai Students by virtue of being His children and it is our duty and PRIVILEGE to uphold His name and justify His upbringing of us by our conduct. He has always showered His love on us all, and continues to do so...hence, we need to be aware of our actions even more so now than ever before, particularly because He has hastened the rise of levels of collective conciousness. May Sai Love flow in our lives and make them Pristine for our Lord..
Beautiful !! let us be his worthy students ... :-)
Even these words are part of his maya. Bad an Good are both his creation. If it is in somebody's plan to do bad so that creation can allow for good, then where is the question of being bad at all? Beware of Swami's words...he sometimes weaves his vast threads of maya just to drag you into your own beliefs that you willingly bind yourself in. Why? because only you can free yourselves from them. No..not by following any teaching etc, but by understanding who you are by yourself!
How true.... I know He is always with me and will never never leave me.... but sometimes its like then end of my world without Him.... yesterday while I was attending the bhajans, it just hit me hard....as to how privileged I was to have learnt so many things from Him directly... it made me sob during the remaining bhajans.... but i guess more than missing Him or crying Him.... we have to mould our lives as He wanted us to....(live for Me)!
What an inspiring message!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you anna, for sharing this. It was time for a recharge !
Very inspiring message... a faint memory trickles of an awareness class in Brindavan where Sahni sir was telling us that Swami often referred to Brindavan students as Bangalore Boys and not My boys-- the day he refers to us as My Boys - Mission Complete... When He praised us in front of so many guests, He was actually setting benchmarks for what he wants us to be.
Once again a Divine simple story, with a profound teaching that drips like Amrit into my being. Words are inadequate to say or measure the gratitude for the work you share in His Name. Your life is His Message. The greatest joy is to see there is another post from you. Thankyou for drinking from His Ocean of Love and sharing the bliss.
Sairam ,felt very happy to hear such nice things from our students.God Bless All of you.May you walk towards the Right living and Find your Dearest Swami walking along with you.i feel very proud of god's creation.Jay Ho!
You have brilliantly summarized in the last para..
This is a very interesting article on who really is a Sai student. I personally feel that anybody who's able to follow Swami's principles in life earns the tag 'Sai student'! :)
I may not have studied in Swami's school or college but it's Swami's grace that a few people have asked me if I am His student. :) I smile and tell them, "Well, I have not studied in His school. In that sense, I am not His student. But if you feel I am a 'Sai student', the credit goes to Swami, because what I am today is what He has made me. Every little talent I have is His gift to me and I am simply doing my best to offer it back to Him."
Anybody who sincerely takes efforts to practice right living would certainly make Swami happy and I bet He'll proudly call such people as 'Sai students'. May we all strive to become true Sai students and make our Chancellor proud of us! I'm sure He'll bless every sincere effort from our side. He just wants us to take the first step. He'll then take 100 steps towards us.
@ Arpita - God is equal to all and so how can He not give everyone the opportunity to be His students? Just keep your love, enthusiasm and inspiration going...
i do not know how to thank u for this particular post....der were 'n' no.of days i wept dat Swami hadnt given me the fortune of being a student of HIS university...but still i wanted 2 be 'SAI STUDENT'....and dat is precisely wht im doing in my life...putting all my effort 2wards it...
it was such a rite timing dat i got dis mail...i was thinking 2day on similar lines as to who is a Sai Student...i got my answer...thank u so much anna....
Very much agree with you Dr.Santosh Maurya. Swami is always with us. We must make efforts to be with Him always...
thanks for this message brother arvind.i got my answer which i was asking to my self always ,to take my body,i want to die,but knw after ur lovely message which has been narrated by swami .i will not think of death and i will try to follow his teaching.sai ram.
one more think i wanted to narrate is that swami is with us always though, he is not physically present, but we can feel n he(swami)shows his presence.whenever we call him for rescue.
sai mona 7 days ago
thank u brother!its swami who brought us to his institution its our responsibility to fulfill his wishes.now i realize, only person lives for us is swami y we should not live for him.i take an oath to live for him by following his path love all,serve all