MR. N. RAMANI National Vice President, All India Sai Organisation Chennai, India  When Swami was in His physical form, we spoke to Him, saw Him and heard His voice. Now, things are different. I can see Him in my heart and hear His voice through Radio Sai discourse stream and I speak to Him privately in my heart. Everyday, when I turn on Radio Sai, hearing His voice in that decibel range with His sweet tone and words is a message for my day.
I therefore connect with Swami in my heart using the tool of Radio Sai. I prefer this to videos because when I watch videos my monkey mind looks at all the people surrounding Swami. I look for myself. When I listen to the discourse stream of Radio Sai, I can close my eyes and picture Him. My connection is Swami is simple and practical through all my energy and concentration. It all began with His discourse in 1959 when I first heard Him and until today in 2014, it is the same sweet voice and discourse that connects me to Him.
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MR. NAGANAND S. S. Trustee, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust Bangalore, India  How do I now connect with Swami? Exactly the same way that I used to connect with my Swami before the Maha Samadhi. One must always know and remember that Avatar has a physical aspect of it and a spiritual aspect of it. When Swami was here with us physically few of us were blessed and privileged to have a great deal of interaction with Bhagawan at a physical level. For anything and everything we could go and had opportunities to place before Bhagawan our thoughts and take guidance from Him in matters of personal nature, family issues and otherwise relating to the Trust and its administration. But now that Bhagawan has chosen to become omnipresent and leave the physical form we have to depend on the spiritual connection that we had with Swami.
Even during Swami's physical presence here on many occasions when we could not actually take instructions from Bhagawan physically we were praying to Him and silently sitting and requesting Bhagawan to answer our prayer and guide us. So many occasions when Bhagawan was with us physically He still chose to communicate through the spiritual medium, listen to our prayers. And before we could actually open our mouth and utter those words Swami had answers for us and guidance for us. Now the same thing is happening today, we ask Swami for blessings.
And I remember that when we were doing the Griha Pravesham for our Delhi house on Vijaya Dashami day in 2012 at Brahma Muhurta we started with a big picture of Swami kept in the altar and there was a garland around it. Exactly at the time that we are about to perform the oblations in the fire the garland just came down and clearly showed us what exactly was happening was that Swami was physically with us. He was answering our prayers, the prayer to bless the house.
In the same way I now find that in many, many issues which relate to the Swami's Trust and Administration all that we need to do is sit quietly and look at Swami and pray to Swami and He always answers. So personally speaking I do not have much of a problem in continuing the connection that Swami has blessed us with. And that spiritual connection, a connection which has nothing to do with the physical world but Swami is there hovering around all the time listening, carefully looking and answering every single question that we have.
I mean this kind of experiences we have all the time and it is for us to tune in and take that. And take the relationship forward and always be thinking how blessed we are that Swami has chosen to communicate with us irrespective of whether He is here in His physical Form or is in a spiritual cosmic form. |
MR. LEONARDO GUTTER Member, Prasanthi Council Argentina  Swami said He has gone nowhere and this for me means that He's everywhere. I connect with Him the same way I always did speaking to Him, feeling that He's by my side listening to every word I utter. I think we should, we should always feel His constant presence in our life, lives we should never forget Him.
Shirdi Sai used to say 'If you look to me I will look to you'. This for me is an important divine teaching. It also implies the same message if we just remember His presence He will be there for us. He's all the time there but we are not aware of it because we don't remember, we only remember the world. To connect with Him is so simple as that to remember His presence by our side, in our hearts, with us all the time. We start by imagining that He's there very near to us sleeping by our side, seated close to us when we eat, when we work, when we come back from our work. And one day when we realise that it was not our imagination but He really is all the time with us. He did not separate for us even from a second, for a second.
To give a simple answer to your question I would say that I connect with Him by thinking about Him as often as I can. Then I talk to Him because He's there listening to me. Usually we do that in times of need it is important to do it in times of happiness and even more important it is to do it as often as possible. If we remember His constant presence by our side not only we will behave, act, think and feel much better but also we will express more love in all we do, think, speak and feel. And one day we will reach the constant integrated awareness and realise what He came to help us to realise - that He and us are one and the same. |
DR. V. MOHAN Convenor, Sri Sathya Sai Trust, Tamil Nadu Chennai, India  How do I connect with Sai? I would say, as always because even when He was there in His physical Form it was not for everything that we wanted we went to Bhagawan. Of course being the Convenor of the Sathya Sai Trust there could be official works for which we come to Him. Very rarely we would give a letter or something to Swami but most of the time the connection had been now as it was earlier. Swami comes in dreams, Swami guides us in many ways, He gives us signs if we want something. So if you pray to Him for something He immediately shows it in some form which will be known only to the person who has asked. That means it's very special for that person to whom it is, who has asked for it.
Of course when you pray and in deep meditation sometimes His answers come. Sometimes they come when you open Sathya Sai Speaks and read that particular line that would have been the thought that you had the previous day and you'll read it the next day. So Swami answers it in that form.
Very rarely I use the technique of using chits. If it's a decision, yes or no for some particular event or a incident, or a particular thing that you want to take a decision and it's like a road dividing into two and you are there and you really don't know whether to take this one or that, and you need a specific answer, then I put the chit and pray to Bhagawan. Put the chit in front of Him and then take only one. Not taking many chits until you get whay you want, no cheating. But tell Swami 'I am putting equal number of chits I'll take only one Swami, guide me'. And every time He has guided in the right way.
So I think different people connect in different ways but ultimately it's a holy communion, it is a prayer. So when you open your heart and pray to Bhagawan, I have never ever had an occasion when Swami has not responded and told me what to do or what not to do or guided me or blessed me. And I'm sure this is not something unique to me because there's nothing very unique about me as a person but I think, to everyone this is very, very important.
What happens is sometimes people become very ritualistic, they start doing their mantras or their puja but it becomes very ritualistic and they are not connecting deep enough. Swami says although my heart is like butter I still need some warmth to melt it. So all He expects is that we sit in silent meditation, pray to Him and connect to Him and He is very much there right now as He was there in His physical form. So I find absolutely no difficulty at all in connecting to Bhagawan when we need it.
At home we also have a Paduka and when we did the Paduka Puja here Swami put the akshadha (yellow grains) on that and blessed it and said, "Any time you really want, after my physical form is over, you touch the Paduka and then you pray to Me and you are directly connecting to Me." So in my prayer I always do that, we do the Paduka puja and then I connect to Him.
So there are different methods in which we do but ultimately it's a holy communion, a silent prayer and that will definitely reach Swami. |
PROF. SUDHEER BHASKAR Former Director, Prasanthi Nilayam Campus, SSSIHL Puttaparthi, India  How I connect to Swami is a very important questionto think in the current times. What I'm reminded about is two interviews or discussions we had with Swami which actually answers this question.
The thing is in the past there were times when we can sit in the first row or something and then pray to Swami for whatever we wanted and He would guide us. And that's how we feel that we are connected. But in current times what we have to remember is the classic story which is a part of Bhagavatam, the anecdote of Krishna Tulabharam.
I think I have been hearing it from my childhood more as an entertainment but over a period of time we get that enlightenment. And most of all, now when Swami was talking about it when asked, "How can just a tulsi leaf make the difference when Sathyabama put all her ornaments and gold and everything, and the scales didn't change."
Then Swami said, "Rupa and Naama (Form and Name) are one and the same. They are like two sides of the coin which cannot be separated. As much rupa is there equal power or force is in the naama." And then Swami said, "Rukmini, while putting the tulsi leaf said 'Krishna' and placed it. So the rupa of Krishna and the naama of Krishna were equal to each other and the weight of the tulsi made the difference and then the scale tilted in the balance." Swami added, "That is what you should be able to understand in context of the Form. That name is as powerful as the Form itself."
So when I really look at it, in the current times we don't have to worry about not physically seeing Swami. With name itself you get a lot of things, I'll give you illustrations. Before that another time when we were having a discussion with Swami, Swami said, "Like in the ether, in the atmosphere so many radio frequencies are there. And you tune your radio to a particular frequency that particular station comes to you. You want to change and listen to some other station you can do so."
In the same way Swami was telling what our eyes are able to see currently is what is called visible band. Whereas in frequency there are much more on either side of this particular band. I personally feel that Swami now is in all those bands. It's for us now to tune ourselves to those frequencies and receive things which we want from Swami.
So one question which people might ask me at this stage is how do we set our own selves for a particular frequency to receive Swami?
Again we go back to the first one incident where Swami was talking about rupa and naama. That means by chanting a name we are actually tuning ourselves to that particular frequency of the Lord. So by saying 'Sai Ram, Sai Ram, Sai Ram' with intensity and bhaava we are tuning ourselves to that particular frequency of Swami. Wherever, whichever Form He is and whichever format He is, He is going to come to us. This is what we should be able to understand in the current terms.
Now when you go forward with this, how do we actually look at situations and see that we are actually capturing Swami. Like in a radio we get lot of noise, lot of distortions so the message is not normally very clear if the distortions are there. Same is the case with us because of our vishaya vasanas (desires) we are not able to receive the signals from Swami even though we are trying to tune in.
Again through this particular process of namasmarana (chanting the Divine name) we are actually purifying ourselves. Removing all those distortions so that we are able to clearly listen to Swami and see Swami in that particular format in which He is at that particular moment of time by only chanting Swami's Name.
I think these two clearly tells us for all times to come we don't have to think that Swami is not there. Swami is there with every one of us at any time we want.
Personally I feel which I have practiced because after hearing this from Swami I said to myself, 'Look, if I don't internalise this teaching of Swami, it is just going to get dissipated'. I have been one of those fortunate people who was sitting there to listen and these messages are for my own transformation and improvement.
What I normally used to do is, and some of you would have seen that early in the morning itself I go to Mandir, irrespective of when Darshan time is. Whenever the puja is there I sit there, whenever Mandir doors are kept open I sit inside. Whatever problems I have, whatever situations we have, whatever, when I want the solace from Swami I just sit there quietly and just pray to Him. By just chanting His Name and not telling 'Look Swami I have this particular problem please solve my problem'. What I have been able to observe over a period of time is that in due course of time Swami started responding.
When we say we are missing Swami, we are missing Swami because I have got an issue, I want to give a letter in which I have a prayer and I want Him to answer my prayer. That is what is currently we are missing.
So when I start tuning myself and Swami comes and gives me guidelines saying that 'Look, handle this this way, this is where the solution is. You are not going to solve now wait for some time'. He starts giving you clearly those instructions. Obviously He's there standing by my side and doing all the things which I wanted. For which I am looking for His Form within and within is getting reflected from without. From outside it is coming in and I'm able to receive and keep it stored inside me.
Those were the days when Swami was still there. He was still staying in old Mandir, He had not yet moved into Poorna Chandra. I'm talking from those days now this particular exercise I have been doing.
Let me tell you even today after so many years if I have something, I just go and sit in Bhajan Hall and low and behold Swami comes and tells. Now I have also seen, I mean people may not think that something is happening to me, but Swami has also come physically to assure me that 'Look, this is what is to be done'.
So I don't see for myself, okay that Darshan timings are not there when you can see the Swami in that Robe gliding and then coming and smiling, and then radiating that glow of early morning Sun which used to happen those days. Maybe that is missing but are we missing Swami? I personally feel that I am not missing Swami at all. That's why some of you would have seen that my enthusiasm is still the same.
And the way I am able to take up the activity it is same. I am able to dedicate to Swami everything in the same way because I don't see Him different. He's not gone anywhere He is there with me, around me, every time. And more so I feel it when I am desperate for Him.
And I can see, like that story of two sets of footprints which are on the sand where suddenly there is only one. Those days, those times when I really need Him I know He is actually carrying me. I am able to personally experience that feeling of He is actually carrying me. So I mean if you ask me I have just practiced whatever Swami has told me and I am getting the benefits.
I also personally feel that Swami has given to every individual in some form or the other an instruction which is tailor-made, customised for him/her for their spiritual growth. I think all we have to do now is just go back in our memory lane and connect ourselves to those time periods. Those points that Swami talked to us or was standing in front of us and if you remember those words have a particular message for us. And all that we have to do is live those messages. Like Swami says "My life is My message." Then Swami said "Your life is My message." That means whatever message He has given, that has already gone inside us and all that we have to do is live that particular message and then we can go forward.
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DR. SWARNA BHARADWAJ Director, SSSIHMS-WF Bangalore, India  Ever since the Maha Samadhi of Swami I have the desperate desire to connect with Him as the case with other devotees I am sure. Whenever I have any professional or personal problems and I want Swami's guidance and help to accept whatever is in store for me Swami Himself connects with me. There are instances when vibhuti has come in my house from His pictures as well from the walls. I have had many times special fragrance coming in my house and at that time I get a strange feeling of peace in my mind which I feel is connecting to Swami.
At times I have seen that there are areas when I am thinking and my mind is with Swami and I find a solution to my problem. In the professional field many cases where patients I thought we may lose, with reverent prayers and Swami's assurance have gained and gone back healthy.
There have been remarkable instances where vibhuti has appeared. One was such on 26th of January when I was praying to Swami's chair to give me strength to bear the burden of this Institution so that His Mission goes on as He desired. Swami blessed me by sending vibhuti on His chair. And I was reassured that whatever maybe the reason He'll always stand by me.
I have also seen that some kumkum (vermillion) appeared on my picture of Swami on the LCD screen of my phone when I was praying to Him for some personal reason. I normally pray to the Ganesha in the room and put occasionally these modak malas (garland of modakas). And one day when I was praying to Him again for a personal request for my family member I saw out of 108 modaks only one started dancing and giving me the assurance that my family will be taken care of.
Swami often comes when I dream, not only always to assure me but at times where He thinks that I need some guidance and I am not doing as He would wish to. The best was, we celebrated the day of Swami's last visit to our Hospital and Swami physically came leaving small footprints on the stairs of the room going up to the red carpet. Those marks could be seen for a long time. It was an indirect appearance of Swami and assurance saying that He's not only with me but He is with our entire staff of the Hospital and we felt very encouraged by His presence. And we were doubly assured to do our work well and carry out His health mission.
On the Easwaramma Puraskaram Day when we were awarding the Puraskar on the awardee Swami blessed us by sending nectar through His picture and also from the Saraswati idol. Often through these instances Swami connects to us whenever we deserve and we pray hard to Him. |
MR. SANJAY SAHANI Director, Brindavan Campus, SSSIHL Bangalore, India  Sai Ram! If God exists devotees will also be there and where devotees are it is the clearest proof that the Divine exists. The Avatar comes to prove to humanity that He is always there. If the devotee wants to connect to Him rest assured that the Lord is more eager to connect to the devotee.
The question that has been posed to me is how do you connect to Swami now? How did you connect to Him earlier? In the same way you can connect to Him even now. Only one dimension of Bhagawan's personality, the physical dimension which we used to see, with which we used to interact with, is for the time being not available. But if you want to connect to Him there are hundreds of ways.
The easiest way I find to connect to Him is to recall the precious moments that we have spent with the Lord. The advice He gave, the interactions we had, the guidelines He gave to us for our own life. To live up to those words, to recall those words, to share those words with everybody that itself connects you to the Lord immensely.
Not only this if you feel you are not connected then maybe others in your vicinity who are connected, if you connect to them you also get connected. In our own students Hostel at Brindavan, students have found this wonderful way of praying to the Lord and seeking His guidance. They have put in their rooms and in a central place in the Hostel various messages of the Lord. And when they pray to the Lord, the Lord has such amazing ways of sending His messages through the form of the chits to the students.
If we have the desire to connect to Him He can connect to us from any quarter including within your own self. Swami has not gone anywhere, He has just gone inside us, this is my experience. I will conclude by what I share with the students often. What question did the renowned clock of London Big Ben ask of the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy? It said, 'If you have the inclination I have the time'. If the devotee has the inclination for the Lord, the Lord has all the time for devotees.
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MR. RAMANA RAO Editor, Sanathana Sarathi (Telugu) Puttaparthi, India  First thing is we don't miss Swami because so many of our reminiscences with Swami are ingrained in us so much that we always feel His presence. When somebody says, "Are you alone? How are you able to spend your time alone?" I always tell them, "Look I am not alone, I am with Swami, Swami keeps company with me." So to feel that Swami is not physically present is a wrong notion because we don't say Rama is dead, we don't say Krishna is dead, we don't say Lord Venkateshwara is dead. Even so in the case of Swami it's only a transition period where people are misguided.
Before they were seeing Swami physically and now they miss Swami in the physical form, so there is a little confusion. They are not able to reconcile with themselves with the physical absence of Swami. But literally if you say sorry and accept that He is God with a capital G then there cannot be any kind of doubt or apprehension of Swami not being present. He's always there with us, the moment you pray He responds, that has been my experience all along. |
MR. FIZE MOHAMMED Deputy Central Coordinator, West Indies Sai Organisation  Everyday in the early hours of the morning I chant the Gayatri Mantra for a period of time. Thereafter I engage myself in the practice of Jyothi meditation followed by the practice of Soham - the watching of the breath. As a result of this process I connect with the inner Swami. I feel His love and Divine energy flooding my entire being. I am then able to carry this energy and connection with Swami throughout the day without being affected by the ups and downs of everyday life.
During the day, this awareness allows me to consciously dedicate all that I do to Swami. So that mundane worldly activities and duties become transmuted into worship, work then becomes worship. During the course of my daily duties especially travelling long distances I chant the Gayatri Mantra and sing devotional songs maintaining that connection with the inner Swami.
At the end of the working day I engage once more in chanting the Gayatri practicing Jyothi meditation and observing the breath. So as to achieve what Swami says Start the day with love, spend the day with love, fill the day with love, end the day with love, that is the way to God. |
DR.VOLETI CHOUDHARY Puttaparthi, India  When you ask how do I connect with my Swami, two particular incidences come to my mind. First one is I always left Los Angeles and came straight to Parthi but that one time I had to break my journey in Bangalore and operate on a 71-year old mother of one of the physicians in Los Angeles. And I ended up coming to Parthi on a Monday, and it so happened that Monday and Tuesday I was totally ignored by Swami. On Wednesday morning I was trying to get His attention by getting up during the Darshan, and He immediately replied, "If you want to go, the gate is there." I apologetically said, "No Swami, I came three days ago." Before I finished the sentence, Swami said, "No, you only came two days ago, your team came three days ago." He was 100% right. And then He walked about 10 feet, turned around and in clear tone for everybody to listen said, "Chaudhury, come two weeks and you're going to leave me, but I will never leave you." That was a very, very powerful statement. Another one is this. I used to work only in Puttaparthi but one time I was supposed to go for almost three weeks to Whitefield. The evening before I was leaving I took Swami's Pada namaskaram and said, "Swami, for three weeks I won't be able to see You, I am going to Whitefield." Immediately Swami grabbed my left chest with His hand, and said, "Why do you worry, I will always be there." So with this kind of experiences and reassurances from the Divine Himself I see no point in not connecting with Swami. We are always constantly in connection with inner Swami. And the easiest and simplest for me is chant 'Sai Ram, Sai Ram'. And of course to help me I have Swami's photographs in most of the important areas whether it is my office, my house, or in the car. Even my camera has a small Swami's photo stuck on it. So these are all the ways in which we should be able to connect with Swami. He's all around, think of Him that's about all that is needed. |
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