Excerpts from a talk given by Mrs Sarojini, (elder daughter of Prof Anil Kumar)
I'd like to share some experiences which are message-oriented. In 1988, Bhagavan selected my husband, and He also performed my wedding. During our wedding, He called all our family and gave us thoughtful messages. He waved His hand towards me and said, "This girl wants to go to United States. What is there is the U.S., Bangaru? Prashanthi Nilayam will become a mini-world, you will see." He moved His hand like this. "This is going to become a mini-world, you will see."
He looked at my husband and asked, "What do you want? Everything is in this Divine hand. Whatever you want, I can give it to you."
Shyam, my husband, said, "Bhagavan, I want to be near and dear to you."
Swami said, "What do you mean by 'near'?"
My husband said, "Being in the proximity of the Lord."
"What do you mean by 'dear'?"
"Always pleasing Bhagavan is being dear to Him."
Swami gave a beautiful example, an analogy, saying, "Shyam, in a pond there are lots of lotus flowers. Under the flowers there are frogs, but the honey-bees come from faraway places to absorb the Divine nectar from the lotus. The frogs are not able to realise the significance and importance of the flower, whereas the bees live far away, but they come. Similarly, you have to please the Lord at all times. That is important. There is no near and dear for Bhagavan."
Shyam said, "I want to be near and dear to Bhagavan."
Swami said, "Once you are dear to Him, you are near to Him. There is no distance."
We later realised that He was preparing us, because we were planning to come to the U.S. and He wanted us to be His messengers. Wherever you are, be dear to Him, and then you are near to Him. Distance is not a factor at all.
GOD IS NEAR IF WE ARE DEAR
Distance is not a problem for Bhagavan. Once we are dear to Him, once we please Him, once we offer everything wholeheartedly to Him, once we choose the life that has been given by Him and follow in His footsteps, we are dear to Him and thereby we are near to Him also.
In the same interview He said, "I have convinced your husband that he can do seva with four hands, once I perform the wedding." My husband was against the marriage. He was working as a seva dal in Chennai, and later on he moved to Brindavan. He was working in Bangalore city and his idea was to be close to Bhagavan.
Before we got married, every week he used to come to see Him. He said, "Swami, if you celebrate my wedding, if you do that, I will be away from You. I do not want to be away from You or Your work. You will stop talking to me once I get married. I do not want to be separated from You."
But Bhagavan said, "No, no, it is not going to happen." He assured him that once we were married, we could do service with four hands. And He explained the same thing to me: "If your husband wants to go for any service activity, encourage him, support him, and be there for him. Do not discourage him." Those were the words Bhagavan said. I thought that they could be shared, and that everybody could understand and connect with them.
For our first wedding anniversary in 1989, He asked us, "How are you managing in Bangalore city?" He said, "Sometimes people are artificial. They say something which they do not follow. You go to their homes, and they come to your homes. You know the same thing will be happening, and like this you develop bonds. That is not necessary. Develop that bond with God. He is your best friend. I know what kind of lifestyle people are leading in the city. I want you to focus on Me and Me alone."
He asked me if I was arguing with my husband. I answered, "No, Swami." But once when we came back to Bangalore after travelling, I started arguing with my husband. There is truth in each and every word of Swami. He knew I would argue with my husband for awhile. Anyway, we need to be very alert when He says certain things. There is depth and inner meaning in every look, word, and gesture. We should be alert, ready to grasp and absorb each and every act of His that is conveying a message for us.
OM SRI SAI RAM
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