How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss or an insensitive employee, difficult neighbour, ruin your day? Well, unless you are thick skinned like the Terminator, you’re probably setback on your heels. This happens to me regularly, even though I try to practice mindfulness but just now and then some Garbage Truck comes along and knocks me down for a while. I honesty think I am a sucker for punishment when it comes to life’s little niggles and being dumped on. However, the mark of success is how quickly you can recover and refocus on what’s important in your life. A few years ago I learned this small lesson. And I learned it in a city taxi. Here’s how the story goes:
I hopped into the taxi one day and we took off for the train station. We were travelling in the right lane when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, the car skidded, the tires squealed and at the very last moment our car stoped just one inch from the other car’s back end. It was a close call.
I couldn’t believe it.But I couldn’t believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. And for emphasis, he threw in a one finger salute, as if his words were not enough.
But then here’s what really blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy as if old friends. And I mean, he was very friendly. So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy could have killed us!” And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The law of the Garbage Truck.”
He said, Many people are like garbage trucks.They run around full of garbage, full of frustrations, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up even more, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me you’ll be happier.”
So I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people, at work, at home, or in the street? It was then that i said, “I don’t want their garbage and I’m not going to spread it anymore.”
I began to see Garbage Trucks all over. Like in the movie the Sixth Sense, the litte boy said, “I see dead people.” Well, now “I see Garbage Trucks.” I see the load they are carrying. I see them coming to dump it and sometimes it’s on me! Now, like my taxi driver, I don’t take is personally, I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.
From an original story by David J Poolay with thanks.
Very hard to imagine a soft and pretty song such as this, can be dedicated to the Goddess Durga. This song or chant is a mix of both the traditional styles of chanting and modern day music. I like it and added here for you to enjoy. Tomorrow, hopefully, I will upload one of my special pictures of Goddess Durga from an old print, bought years ago. (The photo here is not mine. It came from the internet.)
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Here’s a short excerpt from a discourse given by Swami during 1997. Might add I will be away for two months from middle Feb. I hope you, during that time, will explore the back posts on this blog. I am sure there is something here for everyone..
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navaratri-durga-puja
Devi’ Compassion And Grace
Among the many lessons driven home to the students in Brindavan by Bhagavan Baba in His evening discourses in April, 1997, in Trayee Brindavan’, one was concerned with the need for firm determination on the part of a devotee to earn the grace of the Lord. Bhagavan related an episode from the life of Adi Shankara as a young lad.
“The great Acharya was barely four years old at the time. His father, a devout scholar, used to offer daily worship to Goddess Raajeshwari every morning. Meditating before the Goddess with closed eyes, he would offer a bowl of cow’s milk to her. When he opened his eyes after meditation, he would find that bowl was only half-full, the other half having been accepted as an offering by the Goddess. One day, he had to go to a neighbouring village for three days. He told his wife to arrange worship of the Goddess in the customary manner with the offering of milk, with the young Shankara deputizing him in the worship. In accordance with his father’s instructions, the young lad sat in front of the Goddess in the sanctum and performed the prescribed ritual. After meditation, when he opened his eyes, he was astonished to see that the bowl of milk offered to the Goddess remained full. He felt sad and cried out: ‘Divine Mother! What wrong have I done? I cannot bear this punishment. Please show your grace on me as you did for my father.’ He prayed intensely for some time with closed eyes. When he opened his eyes he saw that the bowl was now totally empty. All the milk had gone. He was in distress again and cried out: “Devi! You have consumed all the milk. Where is our share of the Prasadam? If we are denied this, what mother will say and what will others think? I will not leave this place till the bowl is refilled.’ In response to fervent prayers, the Goddess spoke: “Dear child! When the river has joined the river, how can it be redirected? Shankara said: ‘Nobody will believe me when I say that no milk was left in the bowl after my worship. They may think that I drank all of it. I cannot face them. Devi! Without your Prasad, I will not leave this place. I will lay down my life at your Feet.” Swami concluded this moving account of the episode with the following finale: “Devi Raajeshwari’s heart melted on hearing the young boy’s appeal. She took the bowl and poured her Divine breast-milk into it and gave it to the young devotee.’ The compassion of the Divine, Swami said, has no limits.” Sai Baba. SS. 6/97. p. 153
A Short Story:
Sri Ramakrishna and the Divine Mother
Shri Ramakrishna worshipped the Divine Mother in the form of Holy Mother. Sarada Devi was the presiding Deity or Sangha-Janani of the Ramakrishna Order. During 1901, in a mysterious way, the Divine Mother was worshipped at Belur Math with all festivity and éclat. Swami Brahmananda saw a vision of Mother Durga coming from Dakshineswar on the Ganges. At that very time Swamiji was also coming from Calcutta. After reaching Belur Math, Swamiji (Swami Vivekananda) felt a deep desire to worship Mother Durga. Holy Mother was invited on that sacred occasion and Sankalpa of the Durga puja took place in her name. From that time, Durga-puja is worshipped in the Belur Math and other branch centers in the same manner.
To accept God as Mother is, according to Shri Ramakrishna, the final word in spiritual striving. It is indeed, to some at least, the smoothest and surest way of having God-vision. Shri Ramakrishna never condemned any form of approach to God but insisted that the one of a child to its mother was the purest, safest and best. Let us accept any attitude towards God according to our mental predilections, and develop the helplessness, restlessness, intense longing, faith and surrendering attitude of a child for its mother’s arms. Sincere prayer never goes in vain. Through genuine prayer we may get spiritual illumination.
– Ramakrishna used to worship Goddess Kali so I am somewhat surprised to learn of his devotion to Goddess Durga puja also.
The Goddess Kali, Calcutta, 19th century. watercolour on paper.
Vedanta teaches Oneness of Existence,Unity in Diversity. Also teaches that God is infinite existence, infinite consciousness, and infinite bliss. The term for this impersonal, transcendent reality is Brahman, the divine ground of being. Yet Vedanta also maintains that God can be personal as well, assuming human form in every age.
Most importantly, God dwells within our own hearts as the divine Self or Atman. The Atman is never born nor will it ever die. Neither stained by our failings nor affected by the fluctuations of the body or mind, the Atman is not subject to our grief or despair or disease or ignorance. Pure, perfect, free from limitations, the Atman, Vedanta declares, is one with Brahman. The greatest temple of God lies within the human heart.
♥♥♥♥♥~Divine Inspirations ♥♥♥♥♥
The Source Of Vedanta
There is a story in Mundaka Upaishad that runs like this: Once in a tree there were two birds, one at the upper branch, serene, majestic and divine, and the other at a lower branch, restlessly pecking fruits, sometimes sweet sometimes bitter. Every time, when the restless bird ate a bitter fruit, it looked at the upper bird and climbed a branch up. This occurred a number of times and eventually the bird reached the topmost branch. There it was not able to differentiate itself from the divine bird, and then it learned that there was only one bird in the tree, the upper bird, which is described as divine, the real form of the other restless bird. This is the thought of Vedanta. The fruits in the story are Karma, the restless bird denotes a human soul, and the majestic bird denotes the Absolute. ~ Wikipedia…
♥♥♥♥♥~Divine Inspirations ♥♥♥♥♥
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Just added a wonderful website with old bhajans sung by the incredible Anandamayi Ma. This is a real treat for me. 🙂 I must thank my friend, Michel Tardieu for this wonderful piece of history.
Click the link above, then follow down the page to the music sections with a list of bhajans, and “Menu.” Then press the bhajan button. There are several bhajans to choose from. You will also hear Ma’s explosive laugh after the first two bhajans. I don’t know what the joke is about, I cannot tell. She is really having fun with her bhajans though and her laugh is quite hilarious. The first bhajan is Ram Ram Ram, He Baghavan, Hari Bol, Sita Ram, and one more…
this you tube is best seen full screen. The photos have been retouched and are now in painterly style and very pretty. enjoy
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“I AM SWAMI”
Once in Brindavan, as Bhagavan Baba was coming out for Darshan, He saw four boys standing. Swami stopped and asked one of the boys, “What is your name?” The boy told Baba his name. Swami then asked the same question to the other three boys. Two of them gave their names but the third one said, “I am Swami.” Baba then told that boy, “In that case, go and give Darshan!” and moved away.
Man certainly is an aspect of God. In fact, as Swami says, man is God. But this fact must be realised in the heart and not merely understood in the head. And having realised this basic truth, man must always have that Godly feeling. Merely declaring, “I am God!” will not do.
Howard Levin visited India during the 1960’s and while on his travels, he heard about Swami from others who had visited his ashram in South India. Howard decided to visit Sai with a small dog that he had picked up somewhere in North India. Both he and his dog were to become part of ashram life. Howard enjoyed many interviews with Swami, also experiencing other phenomena that took place around the Ashram. I remember while reading the book, that during his time with Swami, Howard took a short break to visit Madras. During his time away he attended a Sai bhajan. He tells us in the book how astonished he was to see a garlands break and even more thought provoking, a flower ‘dance’ all around Sai photos… I too had such an experience when I attended my first bhajan. A garland of flowers broke and fell from Swami’s photo that stood on the altar.
He later wrote a book called “Good Chances.” Here are several accounts from those days. The first account tells us something about how Swami taught back in those days. The first account is about the sign painting.
When I visited Puttaparthi ashram during the early 1990’s, I noticed many beautifully hand-painted signs on stone were placed around the ashram grounds. Later they were replaced with black slab signs, with carved Sai quotations. These black slabs resembled tomb stones and looked dreadfully out of place in the pretty ashram of the time. Thankfully they did not last for long.
Here is a short story from the book, about the Sign Painting:
At one point during the sign painting, Swami gathered us around in a semicircle. He took a piece of chalk and made a line on the wall.
“How do you make that line smaller without touching it?” he asked.
We stood there not knowing what to do. He took the chalk and drew a longer line about it.
“You see,” he went on to say, “never try to make yourself bigger by finding faults. Rather, make yourself bigger by getting rid of your own faults. That’s best. Leave others alone.”
Another small story Swami told to Howard:
“Once a man had a dressing closet with mirror on the walls. It had six sides. When he was going away for a day, he locked his dog into the closet. The dog, seeing its reflection on all sides, mistook them to be other dogs trespassing on his territory and got angry.
He barked and saw the other dogs barking back at him. He leaped against the mirrors, smashing them into hundreds of pieces. In each piece he saw another dog. Finally he got so excited he fell down exhausted. “
Human Beings Are The Same –
“The man who sees his reflection everywhere and think it’s ‘another’ becomes full of anger and ego. He is no better than a dog. But the man who looks in the mirror of life and sees only his own reflection, he has wisdom.” He continued. “You must remember these days we’ve spent together. Now it is outside, next memory goes into your mind, then a permanent picture is there. When you all go back to America, if you think of these ‘good chances’ with Swami, it will be the same as meditation.
“I worship Govinda, the Primeval Lord, the First Progenitor Who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose-trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of Lakshmis or Gopis.”
Small Gems from
Swami’s Kodaikanal Discourses
In 1997, Swami gave discourses everyday in Kodaikanal. To make them more interesting to us, he often included small parables to get the meaning across. I wrote down several of those stories to be use in our magazine InnerViews. Now they will do equally well for Sai Memories.
Four Wives and Four Ways
A rich man had four wives. The first wife was highly spiritual. The second wife was sick. The third wife read many good books. The fourth was a modern wife; she enjoyed fashionable sarees and jewelery.
The rich man went to America on business. There he was delayed. He wrote to his wives to explain, and asked each of them to send a fax and tell him what they wanted him to bring home.
The fourth wife, the modern woman, wanted the husband to bring her the latest fashionable sarees and jewellry. The third wife wanted books full of information and biographies of noble people. The second wife said, “Bring the latest medicines.” The first wife said, “I don’t want anything. It is enough that you return safely.”
The husband returned. He gave the latest sarees and jewels to the fourth wife. All books he gave to the third wife. To the second wife he presented the latest medicines, and then he stayed with the first wife. The three other wives were angry, and asked, “Why do you stay there? Why don’t you stay with us?”
It is difficult to live with one wife, and beyond measure with two wives. Three wives were responsible for Rama being sent into exile. Four wives are unbearable! All three wives started to fight with him.
Then he said, “I gave you what you wanted. You wanted the jewels and sarees; you wanted good books, and you wanted medicines, but first wife wanted me, and I am staying with her.”
God is the same. He acts in a similar way. If someone prays to God, “Oh God, I want wealth and comfort.” God may grant them. If some others pray to God for wisdom, certainly God will teach them wisdom. God also has constructed the Super Specialty Hospital for those who fall sick.
But to those who pray, “Oh God, I want you!” He will be very close to that one. These are the four ways of approaching God.
– Sai Baba
The Best Visa
Whatever you want, God will grant it. But your desires are not important; God is important. If you have God, you will have everything. Real wealth is God; real health is God. You should make every effort to pray for God, because you are from God. You should go back to God. So many have assembled here. Where do you come from?
You belong to different countries all over the world, and now you are here. Though in a blissful state, you have to go back the moment the money is spent, or when the visa expires, you must then return. It is not possible to stay here always.
However, God is not a temporary visit, you should have a permanent visa. It is God’s grace that you can acquire love, love, love! When once you have love, you will have a permanent visa.
There is love in each one of you. Develop that love and share it with others. You can also experience it from others. Love is not one way traffic, it is two ways _ give and take. We don’t need to go anywhere, if we have love.
Many foolish, foolish, foolish people go everywhere seeking that Swami and this Swami.
You need not go anywhere. God is in your heart. Have full faith in God. Do not change your faith. Do not change your concentration, follow one path, have belief in one God; that is the spirit of love.
– Sai Baba
Two Brothers
Excerpt from discourses given in Kodaikanal on the 25th April, 1997
“Once there were two brothers living together. One was a miser and the other was an even greater miser. They were so miserable that they didn’t enjoy anything in life. They heard from a nearby village that an elderly person had died the evening before, and the elder brother decided to visit the village to pay his respects.
To save money, he walked rather than take the local bus. He got up early the next day, lit the lamp and went on his journey. When the younger brother saw the lit lamp he extinguished it with his hands to save oil. Alone in the dark a scorpion stung him, and he suffered greatly.
A half an hour later there was a knock on the door. When he went to open it he saw his brother had returned. I’ve returned to ask you whether or not the lamp was put out,’ said the elder brother. The younger brother still in great pain said, ‘Brother, what have you done? By going and returning, the soles of your shoes have worn out.’
One who has greed and miserliness will have no happiness. Sacrifice is most important. There is no higher quality than sacrifice; with sacrifice one can attain everything.”
– Sai Baba
The Highest
Excerpt from a discourse given in Kodaikanal on the 2nd May, 1997
“People have come here from many distant countries and spent a lot of money. Why? They have come here, due to Divine Love. Without love they could not have come this far and also undergo so many discomforts.
Love is within everyone. Think of everyone as a temple of love. Have love for society, not the illusory love of 1 + 1 + 1. (My, myself and I). Love all the world. At least when you come here try to expand your love.
The world is a mansion where all men belong to rooms called countries, such as India, Japan and America.
Each nation is a room with a different name. But all people are the same Atman. Understand the intimate relationship between the house and the family. Man can achieve anything with unity, but he must make an effort.
“Look to the highest.”
– Sai Baba
Rose Coloured Glasses
Excerpt from a discourse given in Kodaikanal on the 1st May, 1997
“An optimist and a pessimist were both looking at the water in a tumbler. The optimist said that the tumbler was half full and the pessimist said that it was half empty. The optimist is full of happiness. The pessimist uses a parachute, but the optimist uses an aeroplane. But sometimes the parachute is correct. Pessimism and optimism both depend on the attitude.Hopelessness is due to faulty vision. The optimist and pessimist can walk down the same street, the optimist looks up and sees the stars, whereas the pessimist looks down and sees a hole. Both are walking on the same road but there is a difference in the vision or attitude.
Change your vision to think that everything is God. Know the difference between spectacles and vision. With our natural eyes we see colours. When we use the spectacles of love, the entire world is full of love. Everything becomes love. Spectacles cover the eyes but do not obstruct vision. See the proper colour, the whole. God is full of love. Wear the glasses of love.”
Darshan seating!
From a discourse given in Kodaikanal on the 3rd of May,1997
“The darshan queues now resemble a bus queue. Everyone is thinking only of him or herself. There is no thought for others. When the time for the bus is due the queue pushes and tramples over others to get to the best available seats. No one stops to consider others, their welfare. All rush without a care for anyone else!
This is not right, THERE IS A SEAT FOR EVERYONE. No one should take all the best seats at the expense of others!
( Swami gave a direct look to those in the bhajan hall ) I tell you, there is a seat available for everyone of you – no need to worry.”
– Sai Baba
Fire is hidden in wood and God in Man – Baba
The best and only religion in the world is the religion of love. The good-hearted man who professes no religion is the truly religious man. All are pilgrims on the road; some going very fast, some going slower, that is all. The goal is the same for you all though the roads may be very different and many in number.
Banning is not only something that happens to those close physically to Sai, it happens to others who are seated in general public too. There are so many untold stories of seekers being banned, never to return. However, many banned devotees do not hold a grudge. They still love Swami, although they are not allowed to be anywhere near him. I’d say they were Swami’s closest devotees…
From My Memories
Om the daughter of professor parents who taught in Ivy league colleges in the USA, speaks with a cultured American accent. She obviously, had at one time enjoyed a very intellectual lifestyle and is herself a literati. How and why she came to visit Swami I have no idea. Came she did and stayed. Her story is one of the most interesting ones in Sai Baba circles. Yet hardly a word has been written about her.
Om enjoyed the casual ashram at Whitefield way back in the 1970’s where she had many close experiences with Sathya Sai. Yet sometime later on she was made persona non grata. She was banned from entering all Sai ashrams.
I remember her telling me some years ago that Sai Baba had told her at dashan one day, that although she was a graduate, and clever, he was going to change all that. He did. Once Om was banned from the ashrams, she was devastated. Swami had obviously done an egodectomy on her, now what to do next? She did not know.She visited Sri Ramana’s Ashram in Tamil Nadu for a time to think it over. She was at the time quite ill due to the ban. She did not function well and she was thought a little odd there among Ramana devotees.
Om after reflecting her position while at Ramana’s ashram, made the decision to stay in India to become a Sannyasin. She throw away her passport, clothes and all other possessions. She took to wearing a simple orange robe. After sometime she returned to Puttaparthi and began a life of total austerity.
I first noticed her on my second visit to P.N. ashram way back in the late 1980’s. She use to stand outside the old darshan area, looking over the wall, watching Swami give darshan. I remember even now how a beautiful smile would flashed across her face whenever she saw him. Her dismissal had not soured her in the least. She was full of love for him. Besides her beautiful smile, her face shone brightly whenever in the vicinity of the ashram.
It is only in recent years we have began to speak to each other. She often stops me when I am shopping in Puttaparthi. Om likes to comment on my clothes. This year’s encounter with Om was pretty strange. On this certain day before the shopping trip, I’d been looking in the mirror at my Salwar Kameez for sometime before going out. It seemed not to fit well.I felt concerned about going out in this ill fitting outfit. By chance I run into Om. She stopped me in the street. The first words she said, “Oh! I would love to give you a full length mirror so you can see how pretty that outfit is.” This made me laugh, due to concerns I had over this particular ‘outfit.’ Om as always was sparkling bright. Her eyes, great orbs of blue, appeared innocent and childlike. Yet Om’s life is not at all child like for she lives from day to day on very little. Often she is seen searching through rubbish for food.
Several years ago we had a long talk about her life in Prashanti. She told me how she lived in one small room without even a fan. The room she said – in summer was burning hot. Om, by this time had suffered many tropical illnesses. Also she suffered with her legs and feet. Today she walks with crutches her once rich blondish hair is shaved.
One day I stopped to asked her why did she stay? ”Oh” she said, “I stay because that is my karma. I love Swami. I have given my life to him. I do not regret one single day here, despite the hardships.”
How does Om survive so many illnesses and hardships? I don’t know. She always appears to be positive and despite her illnesses, she manages to look after herself pretty well.
Last year I remember, Swami coming out from the ashram in his car. Om was right there. He gave her a huge smile which she returned in no small measure.
The local authorities recognize Om as being a Sannyasin. She is allowed to live in Puttaparthi without either passport or visa. I believe she is the only Westerner who can.
I feel sentalmental towards “Om.”
So here’s a little ‘ode’ to her to honor her huge leap of faith, in having courage to believe in Swami for over 30 years of hardships.
Om, here’s a poem for you.
“So I would choose to stay with you, if the choice was mine to make, You can make decisions too, and you can have this heart to break. And so it goes and so it goes.”
During my visit in 2008, I had the good fortune to sit for morning bhajans at the back door entrance to the bhajan temple. (Swami sits opposite the back entrance in his wheelchair during bhajans. ) Swami came out that morning to give darshan. It gave us all such joy. After some time he was wheeled into the Temple. We sat there motionless staring at him. He, as usual, appeared to be in bliss. The bhajans continued for some time. During the bhajan singing, Swami called several students for a short discussion then dismissed them. He sat once more in bliss.. Swami then glanced over to where we were sitting and smiled. Suddenly out of nowhere, a bunch of Jasmin flowers fell from the air into my hand! I don’t know where they came from. There were none around the temple door. I immediately pinned them in my hair, removing the artificial rose that I had pinned into my hair that morning. I don’t think Swami likes artificial flowers…..
p.s. During 2009 Swami ceased to sit inside the temple for bhajans. He sits outside on the veranda for all to see .
LEARN¸.•´* ♥ become aware of soul lessons*`•.¸(¯`•.•´¯)¸.•´* ♥ LET GO¸.•´* ♥MOVE ON¸.•´* ♥ with joy •, LOVE ♥ gratitude•
Divine Intervention by Vibuthi
Influenza once spread like wild fire in the Sri Sathya Higher Secondary School in Prashanti Nilayam. Nearly 200 students were affected. After the evening bhajan concluded, Swami asked Dr Alreja to pay a visit to the School. The doctor found about 200 students suffering from high temperature, cough and vomiting. The infection seemed to be beyond control. It was then 8 pm. As the doctor made his way back to his room, he thought that as Swami’s room would be closed at that hour, he would report to Him next morning. At 8.30 pm, a volunteer came to tell him that Swami was waiting for him. The doctor hurried into Swami’s presence. Baba asked him, “I was waiting for you. Why have you not come to Me immediately? ” The doctor replied, “Swami, by the time I returned, it was 8 pm. I thought that your door would be closed by that hour. About 200 students are suffering there from flu. I find it impossible to arrest its spread. I am afraid, at this stage, no medicine can help. Only You can save them!”Next morning, Baba visited the school and the hospital. He walked through every single veranda and classroom. He went up to the roof also despite the Principal’s protestations that it was not properly cleaned up. Swami then called for a stainless steel bucket filled with water. He materialized vibhuthi in immense quantities and poured it into the water. He asked one of the teachers to carry the bucket around and serve the vibhuthi water to every teacher and every student. The disease spread no further from then on. Within a space of four days, every single patient recovered fully.
Children Of Light 