The Magic of my Sai

Just last week, a colleague said to me, “To get rich in this country, one only needs to become a godman.” This she said, referring to godmen in general, and Sri Sathya Sai Baba, in particular. About the 'particular', two things stand to be corrected: one, he has made this country far richer and in terms that go even beyond money; and two, for me and the 40 million people who worship him the world over, he is God, and not a godman.
When I say 'richness', I refer to love, happiness and hope. He only teaches about the path of love, and his service to mankind has brought joy where there was none; and has given hope to those who'd given up on hope itself.
A news channel spent all its Sunday hours in saying Sathya Sai is only a magician. I commend them for their insight, because he really is a magician. This magician has done magic that even the world's best magician can never master. He has transformed the hearts of people. He has made humans more aware of humanity.
While the channel's belittling of Sathya Sai was a TRP-raising stunt, I wonder why they didn't give a more wholesome picture of his 'magic'. To be more specific, he has started schools, colleges, and universities that offer absolutely free education. He introduced Education in Human Values (called Educare), that the UGC (University Grants Commission) has taken up at a national level, so as to promote these values which were hitherto lacking in our education system. He has started Super Specialty Hospitals that lack only in one department – the billing department. There is no cash counter in any of the hospitals, and to top that wonder, the visiting faculty are the best in their industry from India and abroad. He also took up the cause of villagers who had to walk miles and miles for water. His Rayalseema Water Project reached out to 731 villages in Ananthpur District (Andhra Pradesh) and later, water was also supplied to 320 villages in Andhra Pradesh. In 2004, the mounting Chennai water crisis was solved as the Sathya Sai Ganga (officially named so by the Tamil Nadu Government) found its way to the gates of Tamil Nadu. Then there's grama seva, that's on in full swing in every state and city, including Pune.
So why then didn't the channel flash these aspects of Sathya Sai's contribution to the field of 'magic'? Not newsworthy enough, eh?

My Dear Sai

This is for my Guru, my God, my Everything...

If you’re lost, you can look,
And you will find me,
Time after Time…

If you fall, I will catch you,
I will be waiting,
Time after Time…
(Cyndi Lauper)


Her lips were stained cherry,
Her eyes as black as the moonless night,
Her hair awry,
And her bosom heaving with the heaviness of her plight.

She squinted in the darkness,
There wasn’t a soul to grasp her extended hand,
Again the rush of fear filled her with its furious sharpness,
As she realised she was in No-Man’s Land.

Threatening evil sparks flitted across,
She shuddered as she saw,
They burned like fire and cut like frost,
There was no escaping their law.

One said, “I’m your anger, you’ve made me breed’,
Another said, ‘I’ll hurt you, for I’m your greed,’
One commanded, ‘I’m your Desire, give me my due’,
And yet another evilly whispered, ‘I’m your Ego; I’ll destroy you.’

She screamed, she scrambled,
But they chased at her heel,
Her mind was mangled,
Her head began to reel.

Then suddenly, a flash of brilliant colour,
In an instant the throbbing fear seemed duller,
For before her He stood,
And a voice told her, ‘If someone could protect you, only He could and only He would.’

She fell at His Lotus Feet,
And saw Love pour forth from His eyes,
The love of the Sun and its Light,
Of the Mountains and their Might,
Of a Mother and the Baby at her umbilical cord,
Of the Universe and its Lord.

‘Save me,’ she cried,
He touched her face, and her tears miraculously dried,
Her evil followers cowered in fear,
As He took a step near.

‘They’re gone,’ He gently spoke to bring her calm,
His words were a Promise, his sweet voice a balm.
‘Who are you?’ she softly questioned,
He smiled and his hands beckoned.

She walked with Him into His world,
A world where peace danced, and Love swirled,
Where each existing atom bowed in reverence,
Where only bliss reigned, with no interference.

There was no rich or poor,
There was no evil wrongdoer.
There was no hatred or hurt,
There was no evil, no dirt.

‘Where am I?’ she quietly stopped a bowing passer-by,
‘Why, dear child! Don’t you know you’re in the world of Sathya Sai?
He walks with you now,
That’s a sign of his unbreakable vow,
That He’ll always be beside you,
Through troubles - the nagging old ones and the new,
You called out to him surely,
And He pulled you out of your fear and misery,
Have faith in Him and surrender your life,
For noone but He knows best how to protect you from strife…’

She listened, awestruck and blessed,
She knelt, kissed His hand, and her eyes said the rest,
He smiled – first ripples, then waves of love filled her heart,
She cried with indescribable joy and said, ‘Sai, from you I never wish to be apart.’

He said, ‘I will protect you and show you the way,
I have always waited for you…, for this day,
When you would reach out for me,
In true humility,
I have waited for you to sacrifice your anger, greed, desire and ego,
And long for only love to let your soul grow.
The world is just a playground,
Till the right path is found,
As there is no ‘Many’, there is only ‘One’,
And if you realise that, then you have won.
You, My child, have to know that in your heart,
We were always One right from the start,
Distractions hid the truth from you,
But now you have found Me again, and started anew.
Go back into your world now,
And I will endow,
Strength and Love,
So you may show the rest how to rise above.’

‘Thank you, Dear Sai,
I was lost and naive,
But I will now tread on Your road,
And walk a stride that I’ve never till now strode,
For I now have the grace and love of the highest accord,
Coz You, Dear Sai, are now my mother, my father, my guru, my God.’