news from j y - bhajan music · harvest of songs rendered by the kids of the embodiments of love...
TRANSCRIPT
1 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
News From…
J Y
esus First
thers Next
ourself Last
2 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
The Lord’s Visit to Ebe, Nigeria 14th July 2015 – 17th July 2015
Arrival:
It was the most auspicious moment in the history of humanity when Beloved
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba visited Nigeria in
His subtle Light body. It was 7.35am on the
14th of July, 2015. Fr Charles Ogada and
other devotees were waiting eagerly
for the arrival of the Air-Peace plane
carrying Swami’s outrange -
, the pure hearted one
who transmits His messages through the
astral plane; Narashimha Murthy, the Lord’s instrument for
the spread of Educare, Isaac Tigrett, the epitome of Divine strength and courage;
C. Sreenivas, the guru of selfless healthcare services; Ravi Kasturi, the Lord’s
Hanumanji who has the energy of a thousand warriors, and V. Kumar, the angelic
Swami's Abode in Ebe
3 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
voice.
On arrival, they were all taken to the hotel to unpack their luggage and have a
little rest. Subsequently they were escorted to the venue of the event – Heart of
love Children’s Home, Ebe, where Fr Charles has started a home for
disadvantaged children and Schools for village children. In this place, Swami’s
Temple was built. It was a collective labor of Love in honor of the Lord of lords.
The theme of the retreat of the three days Lord’s visit was “ALL ARE ONE”. The
opening ceremony started at about 4.30pm. There was an unmistakable change
of vibrant energy in the atmosphere as Swami came down from His room upstairs
accompanied my Madhu, Narashimha Murthy and Fr. Charles. Suddenly there was
a pitch rise of enthusiasm, and joyous ecstasy amongst devotees who have
gathered in the hall. The devotional songs were accompanied by band of Gospel
musician.
After few minutes, Swami called for the children’s program to begin. It was a
Sir Jude Nnam on the Piano Key Board
4 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
harvest of songs rendered by the kids of The Embodiments of Love Academy.
These kids have been trained and prepared by the famous church musician, Sir
Jude Nnam was has composed more than 2000 church music song in most
churches in Africa. Sir Jude Nnam was the one who led the African Choir to
Prasanthi Niliyam in 2010 and performed in the divine presence.
The children’s songs
revolved around the
theme of the retreat
“All Are One” and
evoked in the heart of
all the feeling of their
inherent Oneness. The
lyrics of some of the
songs the children sang
brought tears in the
eyes of many that
were gathered:
We are the One To make the change To make the world a better place to live We want to feel in our world Love and Peace
We are the One For we are One
We are the One To teach the truth We are the children of Divinity We are just One great family of Humanity We are the One For we are One
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We are the One To spread love to every being here on earth Bringing peace flowing deep like a river Filling every living soul with great joy This is bliss We are the One, yes, we are the One.
Many nations we are But our Earth is One Many beings, yes, we are, but just one breath Many Creeds we are, but our God is one We are the One, yes, we are the One
The second song
was
“Scatter Seeds of Kindness” and the lyrics go like this:
Scatter seeds of kindness
Everywhere you go
Scatter rays and rays of Joy
And watch them grow and
grow
Scatter buds and buds of
friendship
Keep them till full bloom
If the world seems cold to
you
Kindle fire to keep it warm
Love is all you need
Love is all it takes
Hold out your hand
6 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Touch someone’s life
All are One
This is my Commandment
This is my Commandment
That you Love one another
That your Joy may be full (X4)
This is my Commandment
That you serve one another
That your Joy may be full (X4)
This is my Commandment
That you help one another
That your Joy may be full (X4)
It Was a Festival of Dance
7 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
After the Children’s presentation, Swami materialized a ring of 9 planets for Sir
Jude Nnam. It was a beautiful creation.
The Resurrection of Sai Baba
Sri Narashimha Murthy was the first
speaker after the songs. With radiant
energy he enthralled everyone with
his divine message, “The
Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the
same as the Resurrection of Sai
Baba”. Although both left their
physical bodies at designated times,
both continued to inspire their
devotees afterwards through the
power of the resurrection. Three
days after His crucifixion on the
cross, Jesus rose again and for six
weeks, he appeared and inspired his
disciples and many others. Mary
Magdalene was the first to see Him.
But he was not seen by everyone.
The priests of the temple responsible
for His crucifixion raised an alarm
saying that the disciples of Jesus were spreading false rumors about His
8 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
resurrection. They told the people, “don’t be deceived, they are spreading lies
and falsehood”. However, we all know that it was the divine act of the
resurrection that has made the teaching of Jesus Christ spread all over the world
in every country of the earth.
Today, you and I are so fortunate to be to experiencing the same power of the
resurrection of Sathya Sai Baba. Through
the devotion and prayers of Fr. Charles
and the children and teachers, the same
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is sitting
here today on his most amazing
beautiful throne. Many questions may
arise in the minds of many as to why
Baba is not seen. But how many people
saw Jesus Christ after his resurrection?
They were very few. Today millions of
people, men and women believe that
Jesus came back to life after His
crucifixion on the cross. The same thing
in happening today, and I will tell you
with absolute conviction that it is the
same Lord who has come back to life.
Although He is not seen, but we hear his
message and feel the vibration of His
Love we will know that it is the same
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
All Are One
After his talk, Mr. Narashimha prayed to Swami for His Divine discourse. Swami
spoke in Telugu and was transmitted by Sri Madhu while Narashimha translated
same into English.
9 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
God does not have any form, he is formless, but he takes the form of diverse
creatures. “I
am only One,
let me become
many”
declared God
in the Vedas.
Because we
see
differences in
the world, we
have lost
unity. Based
on bodies, we
say someone is
African, or
American or Australian or Indian. But if we recognize the Atma (Spirit) in
everyone, we will know the Unity of everyone. Bodies are many, but the divine
principle – atma – is one and the same. This is what Jesus Christ taught, “All are
One”. Fr Charles is all the time saying “All are One”. It is total ignorance to think
that there is no relation between oneself and others. That is why in every country
I am building hospitals, Schools and Ashrams.
A Super specialist Hospital In Nigeria
The moment of moments arrived when Swami made the declaration that He will build a super specialist hospital in Nigeria. This Hospital will start small and grow big into a super specialist hospital.
“Fr Charles came to me in Mudanahali, he also felt that if Swami starts a hospital in Africa for children, it will be so helpful. In the presence of all of you I want to announce to all of you that Swami’s hospital will come to Nigeria also. Whether it is in Nigeria or any other country, we are going to give free health care to all the people”.
The Lord's Throne of Grace
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“I Am the Mother and Father of all people in the world. Therefore I want to serve everybody and help everybody. But I do not have a gross physical body today with me. When I had a physical body, to that extent possible I utilized that body and did service and help to mankind. In the same way that a father retires from active work, that body has retired from active work today. When the father retires from business, the sons will
look after the business. Similarly, my children and my devotees and students, through them I Am going to achieve all these”.
“It is a big mistake to think that Sai Baba was born in Puttaparthi, grew up, did a lot of things and vanished and disappeared. No! No! Sai Baba is Love. Love does not have any form which we could see. But through service we could see Love.”
“I Did Not Know That that Someone Was Listening”
During His Divine Discourse, Swami recollected how Jude Nnam prayed to him whilst in Sai Baba’s Heart Hospital in Raipur. Jude Nnam’s son had been critically sick with a heart problem. No hospital could offer help in Nigeria. Coming to know of this, Fr. Charles called Sri Narashimaha Murthy to ask Swami for help.
Swami's Heart hospital in Raipur which will offer their services to our Hospital
11 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Swami responded immediately asking that the son be bought to Raipur Hospital for treatment.
Swami then called Sir Jude Nnam to share with everyone what happened whilst he was in Raipur Hospital.
Sir Jude narrated how on the day of the operation of his child he went in search of a church, a temple, or any prayer place so that he could offer prayers for his son. While he ambled in the corridors he entered Swami’s room in the hospital
and saw a big size photo of Swami standing before him. He taught to himself, “Well then, I must pray to Swami” and tearfully prayed to Swami in the photo that such a hospital should come up in Nigeria too. “The richer of the lot may be able to afford an
air ticket and come to India but the poorest
cannot afford” he prayed. If such a hospital could be build in Nigeria too, it will do a lot of good to the people.
After narrating his experiences, Jude added, “I did not know someone was listening.” I did not know Swami heard my prayers. This prayer was known only to Jude Nnam. Only the Omniscient and omnipotent love of Divinity could reveal the prayer of a devotee thousands of miles away and respond to such a prayer!
True to His words, Swami’s Love transformed into Service as He declared opening of a child care hospital in this small village of Ebe in the state of Enugu of Nigeria. Sri Sreenivas – the chairman of Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust that runs in Raipur, Chattisgarh, rose to the occasion at the command of Swami and offered 15 million Naira (approx. 50 lacs rupes) to begin the noble project. Thus, in no time, Love took the form of Service. This Hospital which will provide health care
Sir Jude addressing the audience at the command of Swami
12 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
totally free of all cost, Swami declared, would start small but would in a short time grow into a super specialist Hospital bring healing and succor to His children from all over Africa. It would be the first extension of Swami’s Heart Hospital in Raipur.
The Second Day of Divine Visit
The second day of the divine visit started with the evening program as Swami had
announced the previous day that devotees take rest in the morning because
everyone had worked so hard. The evening program started at about 4.30pm. As
devotees waited for the Lord to “come down” from His room upstairs, the prayer
hall was electric with singing and dancing of gospel music accompanied by the
gospel band musicians. Although unseen to the physical eye, one could feel an
unmistakable tingle of divine bliss in the air as the Lord descends accompanied by
Madhu, Murthy and Fr. Charles.
Jesus Christ teaching his Disciples the Path of Oneness
13 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
After few songs, the Lord beckoned for the commencement of the evening
program which
started with the
drama
presentation by the
kids from the Heart
of Love Children’s
Home and the
Embodiments of
Love Academy. It
was a multi-faith
drama
presentation which
brought out the essential oneness of all the religions – Christ’s compassionate
love in the form of service as he
washed the feet of his disciples
and commanded them to do the
same; Krishna’s admonition to
Arjuna to rise up to the life of
detachment and total surrender
to the Lord; Buddha’s
instructions to his disciples on
the path of non–suffering and
rising above desire; and Islam’s
call to total surrender to the will
of the Almighty.
The Five Pandavas at the River of Life
The Buddha - The Awakened One
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Jesus: Blessed are the
pure of heart,
for they will see God.
Jesus: This is why I say to
you, “Love your
enemies” and do good to
those who persecute you
since you are one body
of God. If the tooth
injures the tongue, does
the tongue show
revenge? No! This is
because it knows it is
One body.
KRISHNA: You are God. Your body is merely a temple, where the divine dwells. Your true self
goes through birth,
youth, old age and death
again and again – just like
your cousins and elders.
Once you realize this
divine self within, you can
have no grief. Instead,
you will have the strength
to do what is right.
KRISHNA: You must learn
to see everything as One. …
a mound of earth and a
heap of gold; a cow and a
saint; a dog and the one
who eats the dog. See everything as One.
Lord Krishna teaching Arjuna the Sacred Gita
Lord Jesus washing the feet of His disciples
15 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Buddha: May I be a doctor and the medicine and may I be the nurse for all sick beings in the world… until everyone is healed
May I be the protector for those without one May I be a bridge, a boat, a ship… for all who wish to cross the water. Buddha: You
are here to
love all
beings. Just
love them.
Care for
them. Have
compassion
for them. As long as any living thing draws breath, wherever he shall be, there in compassion
shall the Buddha be.
GABRIEL: “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the
universe. Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship.
You alone we ask for help. Guide us in the right path, the path of those whom You blessed”
Divine Voice:
“Islam directed
attention to the
One in Many,
the Unity in
Diversity and led
people to the
Reality named
God. Islam is a
word which
denotes not a
TELA Kids Performing the Islamic Sufi Dervish Whirling Dance
Gautama rising above the tangles of Desire
16 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
particular religion but a state of mind, the state of total surrender to the Will of God. Islam
means dedication, surrender, peace, tranquility”.
After the drama, Isaac Tigrett was asked to speak by Beloved Swami. Isaac thrilled
the audience with his amazing experiences with the Lord on his Spiritual journey.
“Nobody can
tell you what
to believe.
Nobody can tell
you what not
to believe.
Spirituality is
an individual
journey to the
same
destination –
God”. After his
speech, Swami
asked Isaac to
sing a song.
And Isaac passionately sang this song to the Lord:
“Oh make me like you Oh Lord I am willing
Please do what you must do To make me like you Make me like you”
Learn to Put your Life in God’s Hands
Sri C Sreenivas was the next speaker. A soft spoken person, Sreenivas is an
epitome of divine sweetness. He filled the audience with such nectarine words as
all eyes glued on him. “We have congregated here, not to be in search of God, but
to enable God to be in search of us. This is a sacred Church where we are not
Isaac in the mood
17 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
going to keep repeating parrot like ‘God is always with us, God is always around
us, God is always looking after us’ but we are going to put our hands on our
hearts and say
that every
moment, we
are going to be
always with
God, we are
always going to
be around God,
we are always
going to be
living every
moment with
Him. This, mark
my words, is
going to be the singular difference which is going to happen under this church
through the instrumentality of Fr. Charles”.
Sri Sreenivas is as Sweet as His Lord
18 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
To end his talk, Sri Sreenivas told the children a story. There was this naughty boy
who wanted to put a wise man into a dilemma. He has heard of the wisdom and
holiness of this person and wanted to disprove his wisdom. He went with his
friends to this wise man. He was holding a tiny bird in his hands in such a way that
all one could see is the eye of the bird. When they were given audience by the
holy man, he put this question to the man, “Please tell me, oh wise man, if the
bird I am holding in my hand is dead or alive.” This naughty boy had planed two
things. If the wise man said the bird was dead, he would release the bird and if he
said the bird was dead, he would immediately crush the bird with his hands. Thus
disproving what the wise man had said.
Everyone gathered looked up to the wise
man for an answer not knowing the plan
of the naughty boy. The wise man
looked up to the boy and said, “Young
boy, the life of the bird is in your hands”.
Then the wise man added, “Son, learn to
put your life in the Lord’s Hand”.
Whilst in the interview room upstairs,
Swami remarked to Sreenivas, “I Am like
that naughty boy. I hold you in my Hand
like a bird. Everything is in my Hand. If
you try to escape, then the hold is tight
and you feel pain. But if you surrender,
the hold is warm and you feel love. Where can you escape that I Am not?”
The Third Day of the Lord’s Visit: Morning Session
On the morning of the third day, Thursday, the 16th of July, Swami went to visit a
devotee who is a catholic priest – Rev. Fr. Raymond Arazu. Fr. Arazu was the one
who introduced Fr. Charles to beloved Swami and through the instrumentality of
this wise Father, many devotees have come to know Swami. It was a 45 minutes
journey from Enugu to Fr. Arazu’s residence in Awka – Spiritan Centre for Self
Realization.
19 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
During his welcome speech, Rev. Fr. Raymond Arazu narrated how Swami had
cured him completely of a prostate cancer. “I don’t know how to thank Sai Baba
who has come to
visit me. He has
always been with
me but today, he
comes to visit me
in a special way.
This is something I
will treasure for
the rest of my
life”.
Swami delivered
his divine
discourse after
Mr. Narashimha
Murthy’s talk focusing on the similarities between the resurrection experiences of
Lazurus, Jesus Christ, and Sathya Sai Baba.
Below is a transcription of Swami’s Divine discourse:
“I and the Father are One”
The essence of all the scriptures, of all the religions can be summarized in just
these four words: “Love All, Serve All”. All the religions, Islam, Christianity,
Buddhism, Hinduism, all of them teach the same
truth. Just as there are many many schools
they teach the same subjects in
different languages or different
mediums. But ultimately, the truth
that they teach is the same. A school
in France does not teach that the sun
rises from the west and sets in the east.
Rev. Fr. Raymond Arazu – Wisdom personified
20 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
A school in India will not teach differently that the sun rises from the east and set
in the west. A school in Africa does not teach that the sun rises from the west. The
truth that the sun rises from the east and sets in the west is what is taught maybe
in French language, maybe in African language, maybe in Indian language, maybe
in American language.
Truth is that which does not change when time fades. Just as the five elements
make up the human body, the five human values make up the human spirit. The
five elements are temporary. Therefore, the body made up of the five elements is
also temporal. How can we expect something permanent based on something
temporal? Only things that are permanent can (create) things that will ever
remain permanent. The values of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Non
Violence, will remain eternal and therefore since they come from within, they are
the soul of man.
Madhu - Pure humble Instrument of Divinity
21 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Today, the masters of the past may not be here physically but we still remember
them every day. We don’t remember them by the body that they dawned upon
themselves but we remember them as the Holy Spirit that they represented. The
Love, the compassion, the service, the peace that they preached and practiced,
remain permanent. Long after the mother is dead and gone, the child still
remembers her love. Mother’s body may be temporal but mother’s love remains
permanent long after the body has perished. The values that we live by remain
permanent but the body lives today and fades afterwards. Long after we leave,
what will remain behind is only the values that we lived by.
Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love, and Non – Violence are like the five elements
that make up this human life. In fact, if we perceive deeply, there is only one
value which is the value that contains all these four. Just as the space, the sound,
the wind, the water, the fire, and the earth are various elements that make up the
whole universe, but the one element that contains all these is space. Space is in
water, space is in the Fire, space is in the earth, space is in the sound. It is the
Tigrett - The Tiger of God
22 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
space element that becomes the basis of all the four. Likewise, Love remains the
basis of all these five values. Love in speech is Truth, Love in action is Dharma or
Righteousness; Love in feeling is Non Violence and Love in understanding is Peace.
It is Love alone that is the basis of these values.
When Jesus Christ came, he came and preached the great values of Love.
Otherwise, how could one explain (…) the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. How can a
man who was undergoing so much of pain possibly think best of those who have
hurt him by praying for them? “Forgive them, for they know not what they are
doing”. … How could he who suffered so much pain and suffering on the cross
pray for those who have brought him so much pain? It is Love alone. Just as the
mother does not mind the kicks of the baby inside the womb because of her love,
he (Jesus) could bear the pains and suffering of the people lovingly just as the
mother.
Sreenivas - Paradigm of Selfless Healthcare Service
23 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Mother saws the seeds of devotion. Mother shows the father. Father shows Guru
(teacher). Guru shows God. Just
as Swami explains in the life of
Rev. Fr. Arazu, it is the mother
that sowed the seed of devotion.
It is the mother who showed him
that Love exists. It was her faith
in God that led him to think of
God too. He has been born in
difficult circumstances, with very
little support, with no help from
anyone and there was crisis all
around. In such times of poverty,
hunger and despair, it was his
mother who taught him that
devotion to god alone is the end.
God is here and He will look after
all of us. Just as one cannot see
the air but lives by breathing it,
likewise God cannot be seen but
if we exist today, it is the proof of
God’s existence.
If we are able to live today by breathing, it is the proof of the presence of air. Our
own existence is the proof of God’s existence. God is who is formless, takes the
form of a Master, time and again; takes upon Himself the human body and the
human life, time and again out of His infinite compassion for the devotees. And
He comes down with his knowledge to this world as well as (?).
Lord Jesus Christ was once with His disciples. When He came He said, “I am the
messenger of God.” He then preached, “I am the Son of God”. And at last he
declared “I and the Father are One”. … We are here to preach and practice the
Love, the message of love and teach this message to our fellow beings. Our own
Ravi Kasturi - the Lord's Hanumanji
24 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
lives must be God’s message and we must become messengers of God,
messengers of Love, Truth, Peace, and Non Violence. Once we are the messenger,
we will truly deserve to call ourselves as “Sons of God” – brother of man and
Fatherhood of God. That is possible only if we live by our Father’s message. A son
born of the Father can never claim to be son but the one who follows his father,
who keeps up the name of the father, he alone can be called a son. Just by being
born of the father, he cannot be the son. But by living the life in line with his
father’s teaching, can he claim right to a “Son’. It is by living his message alone
can we become true sons. Therefore Jesus Christ said, “I am the Son of God
because he lived by the message of His Father – the message of Love, of
compassion, of Non Violence, of Peace.
On good Friday, as he was being crucified on the cross …. the pain he was
undergoing, he looked up to his Father and said, “Father, so much is being
inflicted upon me. What mistake have I done?” and there in his Heart, he heard
Narashimha Murthy - Educare personified
25 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
the answer, “You and I are One. If you think we are different, you cannot escape
this pain. Thinking that you are just the body cannot make you forget this pain.
You are eternal Spirit”. Once he heard that, immediately, he and His Father
became One. That is why he could feel the Father’s Love and forgive everyone.
Without the Father, without a teacher, without any support, just by the words of
his mother, Fr. Arazu came this far. Mother is the one who taught him the Love of
God. Many hardships one has to undergo in the path of God. The path of Love,
the path of Truth, the path of Peace is full of difficulties. The path of the world is
easy. It may sound easy today but tomorrow, it leads to difficulties. The path of
God may be difficult today, but afterwards it leads to eternal Peace. One who has
true devotion will not be affected by pain and suffering. Just as the mirror is not
affected by the reflection, just as the Lotus petal are not affected by the water,
likewise, the man whose heart is full of devotion cannot be affected by pain and
Fr. Arazu and Fr. Ogada - Like Father and Son
26 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
suffering – for he loses himself inn that bliss of devotion to God and forgets all the
pains.
Love for God is like anesthesia. It makes you forget the pain of surgery that you
must undergo. Develop such Love for God; not only for God, love everyone, for it
is God who has manifested in all these forms, in all these names, in all these
places. Just because water flows in the Ganges, we call it water of Ganges. If the
water flows by another river, we call it by the name of that river. The water that
flows in the Nile river, we call it Nile water. But ultimately, they all merge in the
ocean where they all become one.( …) The same water may be from Ganges, or
from Nile or from India river, it will quench your thirst. Air that blows around the
world is the same. It cannot be called African air, or Indian air. The sun that
shines, shines equally around all the continents. Likewise the whole nature has
been created without any differentiation. You cannot differentiate between the
poor and the rich, between an Indian and an African, between a man and a
Abu-Oma Choir singing Psalms in Native Language composed by Fr. Arazu
27 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
woman, between a child and a grown up, between a peasant and a prime
minister. Creator knows everyone as His own Self. (…) God who is manifest as
Nature does not differentiate, so should man also.
You should love everyone as the reflection of God. Even as you find your lost
brother and once again as he is your brother you will begin to develop love
towards this person who was a stranger a while ago – because you have come to
realize he was a brother whom you have lost. Likewise, if you remember that all
are brothers and sisters, they will no longer be strangers to you. They will
immediately become your brother and sisters and you will develop that love. Love
alone is Truth. Love alone is eternal. Everything else must perish with this body.
But much after this body is gone, what will always remain with everyone else is
the Love you have shared with them, the Truth that you have preached and
practiced, the good name that you have lived. Strive for that which is permanent
and do not want to gain too much after that which is temporal. Body is only a
vehicle to take you from one place to another, to take you from the (…). They
should be treated only with so much of respect. Thinking that the body is your
Truth, you will not be able to escape the pain just as Jesus could not. But the
28 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
moment he realized that he is the Spirit, that “He and His Father are One’, no pain
touched him.
This world full of vanity fluctuates
between pleasure and pain,
between loss and gain, between
sorrow and happiness. Do not
become much entangled in the
pursuit of one vanity or the other
that goes nowhere. Body is only for
the sake of serving others. All
Masters that came, (they have come
giving up lives and families) to help
others, to serve others. And once
the body is given up, they kindle the
values that they preached in the
hearts of the devotees.
Jesus at that point has only few
disciples. Even they abandoned him for the
fear of their lives. But today, He is
worshipped in every remote corner of the
world because his devotees are practicing
what he has taught them. He has taught
them the values of Love and Service.
Today, through schools and hospitals, they
are spreading education and good health to
all parts of the world and that alone has
brought so much respect and reverence for
their Master. How much of respect the One
whose few disciples did not stand by him!
He is now worshipped all around the world
and places that he has never been to. The
reason is – His Love has reached there through His devotees. As devotees, it your
29 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
prime responsibility to live by the message that Swami has given, to be closer to
Swami, to become his wealth of Love, to become His true Son and eventually you
and Swami are just One.
In Puttaparthi, I taught those who do not know that God exists, that God does
exist. Now I Am teaching that God exists in everyone. You must see me in
everyone through the path of Love and Service. By doing this all creation will
realize that God is none other than you. You yourself are God. Step by step, you
must climb to become Swami’s messengers, to be Sons and finally to be equally
one with the Father. This is the message of Jesus Christ. This is the message of
Swami.
In the path of goodness, difficulties will come. If difficulties don’t come, then you
must question whether you are on the right path or the wrong path. In the wrong
path, there are no difficulties in the beginning. In the right path there are. But
with God on your side, nothing is impossible. Don’t I know the days when this
place was not as it is now? It was a small hot shed. There was no food to eat (…)
30 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Swami says that He is blessing all of us here and especially dear Father for having
lived a life of sacrifice, for having understood the pain that God feels when he
sees his other children suffer. (…) but because of his faith and believe in God, he is
able to transfer so much Love to so many.
Swami bless all and in time to come may this lamp that is lit here spread all
around. We cannot remove the darkness of the whole world but we can remove
the darkness of our own heart by lighting this lamp of Love and carrying it
wherever we go and lighting this lamp of Love in other hearts so that soon the
darkness of this world can disappear.
In a very short time, Baba is going to come back as the third Avartar in this world
and would again lead us further to the path of God. To get ready for that you
must all prepare yourself. Just as you cannot enter the university without first
graduating from a high school, likewise you cannot reach Prema Sai without
having lived the message of Sathya
Sai. By practicing what Sathya Sai
has taught, by following His
teachings, you will be able to
reach Prema Sai too.
My Blessing are there with each
and all of you. I will visit Nigeria
often and lots of good work will be
done in this country and will
spread all around the world.
Evening Program:
“This Unseen Presence Has
always been with me”
The evening program started at
about 4.30pm with a harvest of
songs from the Gospel band. The
31 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
first speaker was Father Charles. He narrated his experiences of how Swami came
to him. When he was a small boy of five years, he has known the presence of a
strange being in a light body.
I knew someone was there with me. This strange presence used to fill me with
blissful ecstasy and sometimes made me loose normal consciousness. My parents
then taught I was possessed with a bad spirit called “Ogbanje” and subjected me
to horrendous forms of exorcism. But this presence never left me until I was
eleven. I had gone to a boarding school. One day, under the steps of the hostel,
the energy of this unseen Presence was too strong and I knew I was about losing
consciousness. Then I was afraid of what my friends would think of me. There and
then I begged this unseen being to leave me. And it did.
After my high school, I was not planning to be a priest. Instead, I wanted to
become a medical doctor. One day, I was alone in the forest as was my habit. And
suddenly this unknown Presence took over me. It filled me with so much Love I
was one with everything. Then a
“Voice” said what would you want to
do with this life? This was the very
first time I heard the voice of my
unseen friend. The “Voice” was
dimensionless, making me one with
all around me, the sky, the trees,
birds and beasts, everything. The
answer was in the question. I said to
the voice, “You are this life. What else
to do but to Love you and serve you”.
That encounter changed the course of
my life. I then sort to become a
catholic priest in the order of the Holy
Ghost Fathers. I was seeking for an
enabling environment to love and
serve God. He Hugged Me
32 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
During the ninth year of my training to become a Holy Ghost Father, I lost
meaning and wanted to leave the seminary. This was when Sai Baba appeared to
me in a dream after Fr. Arazu has told me about him. He hugged me and I again
became one with everything. Immediately I knew He was the unknown presence
that has been with me since my early childhood. There and then, I sort for Him
and later went to Puttaparthi to see Him.
When Swami left his physical body it was not difficult for me to relate to his
unseen Presence. When he called me to Mudanahalli, I knew it was Swami. It was
the same Presence, the same energy, the same friend who has always been with
me since my early childhood.”
We are known only because of the Lord
Sri Narashimha Murthy was the next speaker and he thrilled the audience with
stories of
many
episodes in
the life of
Jesus Christ.
Our lives
have value
only
through
association
with the
Lord. We
remember
today those
people who crossed the path of Jesus because they associated with Jesus. We
remember St. Peter, not because of St. Peter, but because he lived with Jesus
Christ. We remember Herod, not because he was King, but because he was king
during the time of Jesus. We remember the priest, Caiaphas, who was the chief
priest in the temple of Jerusalem, not because he was the chief priest, but
33 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
because he was responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus. We remember the two
thieves who were crucified with Jesus Christ, not because they were thieves, but
because they were crucified with Jesus Christ.
After his talk, Sri Murthy prayed to Swami for His Divine discourse: Below is a
transcription of Swami’s divine discourse.
Swami’s Mission of Love and Service
His feet are everywhere; His face, His head, His ear are everywhere. In fact he has
installed Himself in everything everywhere.
This is what the Vedas declare. They call
God the One with thousands of Heads,
thousands of Feet, thousands of Hands.
How can ever be a man with thousands of
limbs as described by the Vedas? Embodiments of
Love, what the Scripture declares must not be taken simply as
mere words but one should understand the deeper meaning within. God who
resides in each one of you owns each one of you. Your head is His head, your
34 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
hands are his hands, your feet are His feet, your eyes are His eyes, your ears are
His ears and His is the One who operates, who works, who lives through each one
of you.
Swami always addresses us as the Embodiments of Love, as the Embodiments of
Truth and
Peace.
The inner
meaning
is that
God who
is the
One who
resides in
each one
of us is
the
Embodiment of Divinity, is the embodiment of Truth, is the Embodiment of Peace.
A jar of water finds its value not because it is made of silver or gold or clay but
because there is water in it which can quench the thirst of the thirsty. What use is
a pot which is made of silver or Gold if it does not have the water that can quench
the thirst of someone dying of thirst? Gold is not going to quench the thirst of
someone dying of thirst. Silver is not going to quench his thirst. It is the water
inside the vessel that is the greatest value to a man dying of thirst. Likewise,
whether one is high in the society or be looked down upon, for each one of them,
the value comes not because of this vessel called the body but because of the
Divinity, the water, that resides in each one of us.
Once a King, out of his tremendous greed prayed to God. He did tremendous
penance to achieve what he wanted. And what did he want? He wanted that God
TELA Kids with V. Kumar
35 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
should grant him a boon that whatever he touched becomes gold. That way, he
can be the richest king on earth. After much penance, God granted him his wish
and now, whatever he touched would turn into gold. He went back home. He was
quite hungry. So he ordered some food. He wanted the vessels to be made of
gold, so touched the vessels and they turned into gold. He touched the furniture
and that also turned into gold. The pots, the vessels, the statues, verything in the
house that he touched turned into gold. He became so happy that he is now
getting richer every moment. Then came the food. It was smelling very good and
his hunger grew. He was very happy to have food after many days of penance.
When the food was served and he touched the food, do you know what
happened? The food turned into gold. Now he was in a dilemma. Can he eat this
gold and live with it? No. No. he wanted the food. It is not the vessel of gold, it is
the food in the vessel that alone can satisfy one’s hunger. It is not how big you are
or how small you are, how strong you are or how weak you are, how rich you are
or how poor you are, that would matter at the end.
36 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
How good you are, how devoted you are, how much you love God and how you
love others, that’s what matters. The value to a human life comes when he is
devoted to God. Devotion alone gives value to life. A human being devoid of
devotion for God is equivalent to animals. The faculties of food, sleep, fear, and
procreation are all common between man and animals. But what differentiates
man from animals is their ability to Love God, to be devoted to God and to be able
to see God in everything and thereby serve God by serving all. That is why Baba
always says “Love all, Serve All”. But many people many devotees, they want to
follow what Baba is saying but when they have a fight with their own wives, they
will say, “Yes, I will love all except her. I will serve all except her”. There are no
exceptions in God’s command. It is for everyone. You must love and you must
serve everyone.
Fr. Charles, since he was young, he had this tremendous zeal to serve others. Even
before he studied and became a priest, he did many things to serve all. Whatever
little they had in their home, he would rush to share it with those who need it
including what he needed for his own studies, he would share with his friends.
37 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
One such friend of his is here. He will tell you the truth. The kindness in his Heart
comes from the Love that he has for God.
But Love does not simply sit quietly. If a mother says to the child, “ I love you my
dear child. I love you more than anyone else in this world. But don’t ask me to
cook food; don’t ask me to give you bath; don’t ask me to clean you”, then what
kind of love is that? Mere words cannot be Love. Love will immediately transform
into Service, into action. Love will transform itself into Service. The sun that rises
everyday burns itself out to give life to the others. Therefore Sun is worshipped as
a reflection of Divinity. The rivers that flow selflessly to give water to the others
(…) are giving again considered as a reflection of God. The wind that blows the
breeze and allows us to breathe oxygen to keep ourselves alive does so selflessly
for the sake of the others. Even the trees bear fruits not for themselves but for
the others. The cows yield milk
not for themselves but for the
others. This way everything in
this world in this world, the
whole nature has been
created in true reflection of
God; in order to love others
and serve others. Man who is
the highest in the creation of
God, why should he not
behave in the same way?
Father expects the most out of
the eldest son for he trusts
him with all his
responsibilities. Likewise,
human beings who are the
crest jewel in God’s creation
must take up the responsibility
of their father who is God. I
cannot expect this out of
38 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
animals and beasts and birds. They are doing what they are supposed to do. I will
expect this out of that part of my creation whom I have created in my likeness. It
is through your heads, it is through your hands, it is through your eyes, your ears,
your bodies that my mission of Love and service will continue.
But first you must transform yourselves before you try to change the others. It is
very easy to look around and point at others and say they are so imperfect. They
don’t even deserve My Love and service. But all these thoughts arise because or
your own selfishness. If your vision changes, the world will also change around
you. For a thief, everybody looks like a thief. He is always scared of everyone who
comes near, for he might be robbed. For a saint, everyone looks like saints. He
welcomes everyone to himself because he has no fear. They way we think, that is
how the world would appear to us.
39 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
A man once was suffering from terrible stomach pain and also headache. He went
to many doctors but did not find any remedy. Finally he went to a priest like our
Father Charles and said “I have tried everything but you see my pain is not going.
40 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
At that point in time the priest advised him “you need to see green. Concentrate
on the green colour and you will definitely become alright. This man immediately
ordered that everything around his house should be painted green because he
needs to see only green. All the walls, all the pillars, the streets, the house, the
trees, everything was painted green in order to help him see only green. Once
such day, the priest came into the village. He saw that the whole village has been
painted green. He was surprised why that was so. He came to the house of this
man and asked him “how come your village is all in green?” and the man said “Oh
priest, you advised me to see only green. Therefore I painted everything green.
The priest laughed and said “what a foolish man you are. By spending lacs of
rupees you have painted all these green. Instead you could have bought an eye
shed or a spectacle which were green. You could have seen green everywhere by
spending four rupees.
Man is like this foolish person who is trying to change everyone around him but is
not willing to change himself. He wants everyone to become good, everyone to
41 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
become godly, and everyone to become kind. But first he has to change himself. If
he changes, then everyone around him will also behave accordingly.
The whole world is nothing but a reflection, a
reaction and a resound. Like a mirror, if you
stand in front of a mirror and smile, the mirror
will smile back at you. If you frown, the mirror
will frown at you. It is not the mirror that is the
cause of the reaction. It is your action that is the
cause of this reaction. Some reactions happen
immediately. Some happen after sometime and
some happen much later. But whatever we do,
we must face the consequences someday. If you
are hungry, and you eat some food, immediately
your hunger is satisfied. That’s a reaction that is
immediate. But if you sow a seed today, it will grow into a plant in a few months
and then into a tree into a couple of years. Then the fruits will be there for you to
eat. This is a delayed reaction. Everything that we do must have a reaction.
Therefore, if you sow a seed of mango, you can expect only to reap a fruit of
mango. You cannot expect oranges. If you do good only then can you expect
goodness to come back to you. If you do wrong, obviously, the reaction will also
be wrong. Therefore, all the time, children, keep thinking of this “Whatever you
do will come back to you someday or the later.” Do good, be good, see good. This
is the way to God. Whatever you think, whatever you say, whatever you do, let it
be that which will please God. Let God be the most important person in your life.
Everything else will follow.
In the word “JOY”, J. O. Y. “J” stands for “Jesus first”; “O” stands for “Others next”
and “Y” stands for “Yourself last”. If you live your life by placing Jesus first, others
around you next and yourself last, your life will be full of Joy.
42 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
J Y What you are experiencing today where
this school is built and education is being given is the reaction of tremendous
effort by Father Charles and his friends.
There were many occasions when father felt very very weak for he did not receive
enough support. At those points of time, he turned towards God and cried “God, I
am only trying to serve you. Please let me serve you. Don’t stop me from serving
you”. And every time there was a difficulty, it was solved, whether it was a
problem with permission, whether it was a problem with community, or whether
it was a problem with finances. Everything came to him because of his
selflessness. As long as man remains selfless, nothing in the world can stop him
from doing seva (service). If there is an obstacle coming in our seva, it will always
going to make us more selfless. Instead of looking around and blaming others for
the difficulties that one faces, you should rather look within and ask yourself,
The Primary Section of The Embodiments of Love Academy (TELA)
43 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
“have I become completely selfless? Have I surrendered totally?” If you get these
answers “No”, then that is the reason for these obstacles and difficulties. If you
are completely selfless, no force on earth can stop your good work.
This place is going to grow in time to come. I know him not from this birth but
from many many births and we have had this relationship of friendship since
many many births. He calls me “Master” in front of you but to him, I Am only a
friend with whom he can share everything that he feels. Swami is very happy to
also tell all the people here that soon the work for the Hospital is going to begin.
Also the schools will be up graded (…). The church will also grow in its values and
people from all around the place will throng here. Many amazing things will
happen in the near future. Man plus God can achieve anything.
44 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Therefore, for the first gesture of his Grace, Baba hands over this letter and the
commitment of donation to the trust here to the Spiritan Self Awareness Initiative
organization – from the Health mission of Bhagavan which is being spear headed
by Sri Sreenivas. Swami blessed that soon the Hospital wok will begin here and as
token of initiative to this program, Swami hands over a token of 15 million Nairas
to Father Charles. The Hospital in Raipur which is being headed by Mr. Sreenivas
is doing tremendous service in the field of child health care. They perform many
critical operations on children who have been rejected by other hospitals for the
want of money or technical expertise. These children are being treated totally
free of charge. Based on the prayers of the devotees of Nigeria, Swami is opening
this facility in Nigeria too so that those children who cannot afford to come all the
way can be treated here itself and those who really need to come, arrangement
will be made to fly them over to India and do the treatment as needed.
Father Charles receiving the donation from Sri Sreenivas
45 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Soon a working plan will be drafted, a plan will be made for the entire Ashram
and work will begin for a small hospital to start with. But eventually, in Nigeria,
there will be a Super Specialty Hospital, even a college, not just the school for the
children of Nigeria. When a baby is born, it does not start running from the day
one. It slowly craws and then walks and then learns to run. These are those initial
years of this mission but in times to come it is going to grow. Swami blesses the
devotees of Nigeria that they all most unite together to support Father in
continuing this mission of Love in the form of water, healthcare and education
through this Ashram. They all must unite together. With one finger you cannot lift
a kerchief. But when all five fingers though they look different come together in
unity, you can move even a chair. Unity is the greatest strength. Where there is
unity amongst people, there is purity in their hearts, divinity will manifest itself
through them.
Even Sri Narashimha Murthy who is here is helping the education system. He is
very happy to extend whatever service he can to help the children grow both in
Devotees worked so hard in preparation for the Lord's Visit
46 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
their material education as well as their spiritual education. He will make
arrangements for whatever is needed here to upgrade the facilities and help
expand schools. With unity we can achieve much more. I Am ready to do any
amount of work anytime for my children for I have no differentiation between
India or America or Nigeria or any other place. All are One.
Father Charles, is this not your wish that all of them should join and help you?
There was a time that he was feeling very week, not very long ago, he said that
alone he cannot take this forward. He wanted to hand over to Swami to after.
Swami said “I will only look after through you – through your hands I will serve all.
Through your Heart I will Love all”. All the teachers and the students must make
good use of this opportunity. Devotees must come and help in making it better.
You all must join.
If you really want to serve God, you must serve children. Children are the
reflection of God. If the children are taken care of well, in terms of their
education, their health, their spiritual
values, the more the society
will be better. And
once society is
good, the
nation
will be good.
And when
the nation is
good, the world
will be good.
TELA Kids with Isaac Tigrett
47 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Where there is righteousness in the heart, that is the first step. If you have people
with righteousness, then there will be good families, good societies, good nations
and good world. Sow the seeds before the rains come. Before they grow up, you
must sow the seeds of Love and Service in the hearts of children. That’s all I want
you to do. If you do this today, whatever it maybe, the future will be better. So
you are not wrong when you said that the future of the country is here. Just as a
land which is not tilled, which is not ploughed, which is not cared for, cannot yield
crops, likewise, children who are not taken care of, who are not nurtured, who
are not looked after, cannot become good, cannot have a bright future. If you
shape them well, then you shape the entire country.
Don’t be afraid of the amount of work that needs to be done. By looking at a
journey of a hundred miles, if you sit down here saying it is too far to go, you will
never reach. Take one step at a time, move towards your goal, slowly but steadily,
and one fine day, you will definitely reach. Giving up is not the quality of my
devotees. Once you have decided, you must continue to pursue it till you achieve
it. Giving up half-way through is not the quality of my devotees. Either you should
give up your life in the pursuit of achieving it or you must achieve it. There is no
other way. With Bhagavan’s blessings and all your efforts, surly what Swami has
said will come true in a very short time. He is ready, from His side. You also should
be ready. When both of us meet, your effort and My Grace, miracles happen.
Swami blesses that all the children, elders, and devotees, must join together in
unity and do whatever is required.
48 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Swami commands Narashimha Murthy to look at what is the need for the
education purposes here and draw up a plan which will help to upgrade the
facilities and provide value based, moral education more than just a regular
worldly education. Not only children, teachers also must be trained. You must
develop s centre her for training the teachers in Nigeria. If one teacher is trained,
thousands of children can be trained. Also you must engage the parents. That
way, teachers, students and parents together we will be able to change the
society. Teachers’ work is very important. The tank may be full of water, but if
the tap is faulty, the water will not come. God is there behind you. But if you
become faulty, if you become imperfect, God’s work cannot happen through you.
Remain selfless, whatever you need will be provided by Bhagavan. Have that
confidence. Work fearlessly, work selflessly. Swami blesses everyone that all this
shall be achieved; that all of you should have happy, healthy, long spiritual life,
devoted in the service of God so that you can also experience the oneness of
everything. That is the end of our (…) when we see that all creation is One.
49 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Añuli (Anandam/Joy) Ashram
During a private interview with the teachers, in the presence of Sri Narashima
Murthy, Madhu, Isaac Tigrett, and Sri Sreenivas swami upgraded our center into
an Ashram. He graciously named the Ashram “Joy Ashram”. Swami asked Father
Charles, the meaning of ‘Joy’ in the local language. Father Charles said “Añuli”.
Then Swami said, this Ashram will be called “Añuli Ashram” and will be very
important in Swami’s mission. “In the future, this Ashram will become as big as
Prashanthi and many amazing things will happen here”.
During His Divine discourse, Swami explained the meaning of “Añuli”. “Joy”:
Jesus first; Others next; Yourself last.
JOY Village
50 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
Swami changed to Jesus on the throne
Sri Madhusudana had an experience of Swami transfiguring into Jesus and Jesus
back into Swami in the unity of Divinity. Sri Madhu was very kind to record this
experience on camera so we could share his exert words with you:
“Yesterday when the meeting was going on inside the church, I saw Bhagavan was
seated in that beautiful throne. All of a sudden Bhagavan’s figure was changed
into Jesus Christ with golden hair and bluish eye and white flowing robe. While I
was seated at the right hand of Swami, He looked at me, a very sharp deep look
as if He knew us for a very long time. And then, while I was still coming out of this
experience, He suddenly transformed back into Swami. And Swami gave me a big
beautiful smile – almost like the prank he played with me by showing that He only
is Jesus and the next moment He changed into Swami. This is what I experienced
yesterday. I could see Jesus Christ seating on the Throne like a Lord with
tremendous amount of dignity and Power while Swami, as we always know, was
Madhu, Seated at the Right hand of the Father
51 The Lord’s Visit To Nigeria - July 2015
sweet, and sits like a child. In the big throne, He was looking small whereas Jesus
looked quite good for the throne size. This is what happened. I just wanted to
share with you.”
The Father and I are One