♥ Day 1 in Fiji
"God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform, He plants His footsteps on the sea and rides upon the storm".
The day one in Fiji has been another wondrous day in the chapter of God's glory. Fiji Islands are unique for the 300+ islands that are scattered seemingly in the midst of nowhere in the South Pacific Ocean, with the nearest country being 1500 miles away. However the Glory of Lord has reached the hearts of Fijians overcoming the obstacles of space and time.
We were told that Most of the Fijians (a total population of approx. 8.5 million) know Swami, one reason being the unique Afro hairstyle that they share! Of course this is apart from the indomitable divine spirit that exists in all and which our master represents!!!
We landed in Suva, the capital of this island country from Brisbane via Nadi International Airport ( pronounced as NANDI ) on 25th eve. We were warmly received by the well known Tappoo family, that migrated to Fiji almost a 100 years ago and had met Swami in sixties. They were to play the host to the Lord. " I will come to Fiji", Swami had told them and now has fulfilled His promise.
As we entered the Tapoo residence in the city of Suva, we could see that the flat had been renovated and refurbished with all new upholstery and drapes to receive the Lord! Seemed like not merely the home but the Inmates too had been reenergised with a renewed enthusiasm to serve the Lord.
No sooner that we landed in the home, that Swami emerged from His room where He was already present and graced the small family gathering. Sumeet Tappoo, a well known singer, sang a welcome song that he had specially composed for this occasion but his voice weighed by the emotions of ecstasy and gratitude could not bear the melody and broke down several times!
All were in tears including the Lord. It was His love that was being reflected in every tear drop! His love that resounded in every note of the songs!
Swami started a small conversation to ease them out and blessed the family profusely revealing to them His ever present grace in their lives. Blessed the daughter and son-in-law especially as He broke the ice.
After this brief session at 9.00 pm we all had our dinner and retired for the day.
The next morning was fresh with the little rain drops that washed the land clean for the lord's city tour. Every street was bathed in the morning dew and we were stunned by the scenic views of the ocean on one side and the mountain on the other. It's truly a blessed country with nature's bounty. The creator too from the balcony of His room enjoyed His creation silently.
After breakfast, Swami blessed the family with interview and then started on His Suva city tour. He visited the Tappoo City ( a mall) and blessed the directors of the group company with advice and guidance both personal and professional. After having spent enough time with them at their office, Swami was driven around the beautiful city. We all enjoyed the drive.
After lunch and a brief rest (much needed due to jet lag) we got ready for the evening public satsangh that was to begin at 5.00 pm in the Khatri Hall. More than 500 people had gathered to take part in this divine satsangh. Swami glided across the hall as boys welcomed Him with Vedic chants and bhajans. He went on to the stage and took His seat. The hall was tastefully decorated and people were comfortably seated, ladies on one side and the gents on the other.
After a few bhajans, Sumeet shared his experiences that amazed us. He revealed to the audience that he had several dreams in which Swami had indicated about visiting Fiji with the same set of delegates as now, namely Isaac Tigrett, C Sreenivas and Narasimhamurthy, along with three brothers and a sister.
It perfectly matched now! Swami had also shown him in a dream and told him that He will spend the last years of His avatar in a place surrounded by hills about 100 kms from Puttaparthi. Though Swami did not reveal the name "Muddenahalli " then in 1999, it hardly took any time for Sumeet to recognise Muddenahalli of his dream as soon as he visited the ashram this year.
Swami had also revealed to him in the dream that Muddenahalli and its surroundings were the ashram of Vishwamitra where thousands of years ago, Rama and Laxmana had fought the war with demoness Taataki and her sons Maricha and Subahu!(to share with you all, this is exactly what Swami had told me in a vision when I visited Nandi grama near Muddenahalli in June 2011).
His speech left us spell bound as to how mysterious are our lord's ways!
Isaac Tigrett was the next speaker who praised the purity of the people of Fiji, that is even represented by the world famous Fiji bottled water which is the purest water on earth as claimed. He said religion is a group phenomenon but spirituality is an individual journey that every one must undertake alone. No one can tell you what to believe or not to believe.
C.Sreenivas spoke next and narrated the story of a blind person, 29 years old, who enrolled himself for climbing Mount Everest. For us ordinary people " Seeing is believing", but for that extraordinary young man, "Believing was Seeing".
Sreenivas also pledged to the people of Fiji that soon he will organise a team of doctors from our hospital who would fly down to Fiji and operate upon children and adults as needed, of course free of cost! He urged the devotees to identify such cases of poor and needy, 20-25 to begin with so that this Seva in Swami's name can begin soon.
Narasimhamurthy mentioned about the divine blessings of Swami for the poor in Nigeria when during His visit in July Swami blessed them with a cardiac care unit in Nigeria. Similarly today He is blessing Fiji. Without Swami no body can build hospitals and schools in such a short span of 3 years.
Finally it was the time for Swami's discourse. Mentioning that God has no birth or death, He is present in all as the indestructible Atma, Swami said that the invisible God takes a visible form and moves amongst the devotees to teach them the spiritual path. However the body made of 5 elements must finally merge in them. This is the rule of this transient world that everyone must follow including avatars. Rama, Krishna, Jesus, Buddha all were subjects to this rule and Swami is no exception.
However the glory of avatars only increased after their physical demise and that will be the case with Swami too. Soon He will come as Prema Sai and is preparing all of us for that to deserve His grace.
Both good teacher and a good student are required for the knowledge to be taught. Be good students, selfless and divine, He urged.
Soon Fiji will see many transformational changes, an Ashram too will come up here and people will benefit both spiritually and materially. Swami blessed all profusely. He answered a few questions for all again in the simplest but profoundest way.
When asked about the confusion that many have regarding this phenomenon, Swami said that people in the dark may assume a rope to be a snake and suffer from imaginary fear. All that is needed is to throw some light using a torch, know the truth and be rid of the fear. Likewise those who want to know the truth must light a lamp of love in their hearts and then see things in its shining light in order to get rid of all the confusion and fear which is imaginary. Else one has to wait for the dawn to see things in the right light but it might be too late.
World is reflection, reaction and resound. Love sees all as one. However like a man who is drunk and sees two instead of one, a man under the influence of ego and attachment sees two instead of one. All are one.
Swami blessed the Prasadam for all and then had his dinner with the people gathered. All the devotees were served sumptuous dinner. Swami went over to the tables of the devotees to see what was being served and said jokingly, "I have come to see whether they have served you any extra item that i haven't been served". The truth is, He wanted to ensure that all are served the same things as He was served. He did not want any difference! Lord hasn't changed a bit!
Day two in Fiji began with Swami calling the Tappoo family members for private interviews. It was simply amazing to witness their relationship with the Lord! How much Swami knew about each one of them, though many had not visited Swami in Puttaparthi, seemed like a pleasant family reunion for most!
Swami had blessed the organising committee members and their families to come in the morning for a session. The devotees from other nearby countries also joined them at the Tappoo residence. After a few bhajans and a talk by Sri B N Narasimha Murthy, Swami spoke informally to all. It was so much like Kodaikanal where Swami would speak casually to the devotees and students. After a brief talk, Swami expressed His gratitude to all the members of the "committee" for their "commitment" and not just "Coming for tea". He also urged to the devotees that Fiji has given them much and it's time for them to give back to Fiji. Though Krishna was born to Devaki yet Yashoda brought him up. Likewise though devotees are of Indian origin, Fiji has provided for their needs and so they must express their gratitude to Fiji. Swami asked all to understand that He is within each heart and the true meaning of Sai Baba is :
S - see
A - Always
I - Inside
To find:
B- Being (Sath)
A - Awareness (Chith)
B - Bliss ( Ananda )
A - Always
Swami then granted a few interviews to some long standing devotee families, after-which sumptuous lunch was served to all. Definitely the last two days have been savoured in moments of absolutely delectable Gujarati culinary serenity!
Fiji - Sunday, September 27, 2015 - Evening
After a beautiful public satsang in Suva on Saturday, it was time now for the devotees at Pacific Harbour to delve into the divine energy. An hour's drive from Suva, the convoy passed through beautiful villages and stunning scenic grandeur, bereft of the abject industrial ugliness! It is said the true beauty of Fiji can be discovered on a rainy day, and the pristine and vivacious natural surrounds looked like paradise. Every once in a while, locals were seen, going about their daily chores.
Amidst a slight drizzle, the Lord entered a newly erected tent by the ocean, where devotees had gathered. He was welcomed in the traditional Fijian style, which is performed while honouring a Chieftan, the highest order of welcome and respect. The church choir rendered songs thereafter, welcoming Lord Jesus Christ. Melodious and soulful, heading straight to the heart, Bhagawan enjoyed the presentation. They reverentially placed at Bhagawan's Lotus Feet a token of their love and gratitude, an indigenously made plaque carrying certain items of spiritual and cultural relevance, usually offered only to the High Chief!
An inspirational talk by Sri Isaac Tigrett praised the cultural and spiritual heritage of Fiji, and reminded the devotees of Fiji about their responsibility towards this country and the countrymen from whom they have much benefitted. Sri C Sreenivas urged the devotees to be available in order to be an instrument of the Lord. He said, "The least that can be done is to pray for all, then be available to serve and be rest assured that Swami will use each one of us as an instrument in His mission which will confer the ultimate fulfilment upon us. This I say from more than four decades of proximity to Swami." Sri B N Narasimha Murthy was next in order who urged everyone to keep human values as the basis of all progress, lest it should lead to destruction of the social fabric.
Sri Sumeet Tappoo then placed an offering at the Lotus Feet of Bhagawan on behalf of all the youth in Fiji - a mobile medical van, which will serve the villages of Fiji. Beginning with a dental facility, other facets like skin and ophthalmology will also be added. Few young doctors have come forward with much enthusiasm to be a part of this noble service! Bhagawan was extremely happy and blessed them profusely. This mobile van called " Health on Wheels" will go out to the remotest areas and treat all, especially the children. The van will secure physical, mental and spiritual health.
Swami began His divine discourse by saying, "The divine Lord's leelas are inscrutable. This is the most beautiful of times, beyond the comprehension of ordinary beings. Times that are enjoyed by the sages and saints. Talking about Krishna Tula Bharam episode where Krishna could only be weighed against His own name written on a tulsi leaf when loads of gold failed to equal him. Only the Lord's name is equal to the Lord's form. Wherever the name is chanted with Love, He manifests. He narrated another story wherein a prince throws a birthday party and invites his people to take away as much of the valuables on display as they could in their two palms. While the rest are busy gathering as much as they could, a young lady held the hands of the prince himself, and asked him for herself. She said that if she has the prince she will have the kingdom too. Moral of the story being, God also has put on display all the distractions of the world, unfortunately we too run behind those worldly things instead of asking for God Himself.
Truly I am not satisfied with singing my glory or chanting my name or speaking about me. Whether you talk, sing or speak, my glory will not get diminished. Whether you call the sun a sun, or anything else, it will continue to be effulgent. What will truly please me is the practise of selfless love in whatever capacity you can and bring that love and hope to those who need.
Through your hands I shall work. Through your eyes I shall see.
Through your mouth I shall speak.
Through your legs I shall walk.
Through you I shall live.
Through you I shall reach out to those who need me.
Your surrender, willingness and purity, will be the proof of my presence amidst you. Let all of you take this resolve that here onwards, one must be into practice what Swami has taught all these years. Let Swami's avatar not go waste. All the effort He has put to bring harmony and peace, love and secs to the needy, not go waste. Whether you talk about me or my people, or the seva that we have done or doing now, it is not going to help you in any way. Talk how much ever you want about the food, it is not going to fill your stomach. It is only when you eat, you will be satisfied. It is only when you engage in selfless seva, you will derive the benefit from it and you will fill your life with bliss.
Empty yourself with all that is not true and all that is not divine, and then divinity will fill your path. Swami mentioned that there was a political crisis in Fiji earlier, where Indians were being denied the equal rights, however such a crisis will never come if the Indians take up and fulfil their responsibilities. This will automatically ensure their rights. No rights without responsibility!
A short Q&A session followed the divine discourse. The simplicity, but the profundity of the answers blew everyone away! When a young man asked Swami as to how should he respond to his Christian friend who quotes Jesus saying that He is God, and only those who follow Him will be liberated, Swami responded beautifully by saying that Jesus should be understood first before He is quoted! "First Jesus said that He was the messenger of God, but later He evolved to say that He is the son of God, finally when He realised the divinity within, He said that He and His father are one! Only when Jesus understood that He is divine, He made such a statement. Jesus also said, 'All are one, my dear son, be alike to everyone'. He believed and preached that all are one. It's only those who do not understand the teachings, misquote Him and create differences." Swami said that unfortunately even He is being misquoted now out of context by certain devotees, only to help them prove their limited selfish point!
Swami also announced that soon there will be an ashram very close to Pacific Harbour, and will grow into a multi-faith spiritual centre. People were overjoyed with this announcement! Yet another ashram in the making!
A musical offering by Sri Sumeet and Bro Kumar filled the air with divine melodies culminating into the all time favourite qawwali, "Mohabbat Ki Kami". Swami blessed all after Arathi by walking around the tent, to the utter delight and ecstasy of everyone. All were given packed Dinner prasadam thereafter. Swami ensured that the Fijian dancers were also given the prasadam. Talk about compassion!
As the entourage drove back to Suva, there was a deep sense of gratitude to the Lord for all that He does to wake us up from our deep slumber. But, do we really take cognisance and act? High time for some serious self enquiry.
Back at the Tappoo residence, just as dinner was about to be served to the Lord, Sri Summet's seven-year-old daughter asked a question, which blew everyone's mind away. "Swami, what is heaven like?" Pat came the reply in a manner which would impress the young mind, "Heaven is where you grandmother, grandfather, papa, mummy, you and I live together!" What brilliance! Well, of course we are dealing with God, the Almighty Himself, and what else is expected?! It is indeed a very sacred time in the history of mankind to be able to witness and be a part of this divine drama! |
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