Baba Answers…
Monday, April 8th, 2013
Is there any quick-fix with Bhagawan to cure the ‘ill-afflicted’ world? Why does not He cure it by His mere sankalpa? …and are rich and poor alike in His presence? What is it that makes life worth living?…Bhagawan answers to a barrage of questions posed to Him by a Marxist editor of an Indian Newspaper. From the book ‘Sai Baba – The Embodiment Of Love’ by Peggy Mason and Ron Laing.
Once, Baba granted an interview to the Marxist editor of an Indian Newspaper. He spent two and a half hours with him and persuaded him of his error. The Marxist questioned Him about the methodology of His kind of ‘revolution’ and Baba replied that He had none in the accepted organisational sense. His method is the simple one of transforming the inner individual through love, and the machinery used is co-operation and brotherhood induced by this kind of love.
The editor then asked why He did not cure the ills of the world by His sankalpa to which Swami, as one would expect, replied that this kind of instant solution – without a prior spiritual transformation – would not work; the world would quickly revert to the present chaos. He also explained that the whole drama of creation with its karmic law (of cause and effect) would collapse.
Pressed by the editor about the difficulties in persuading the rich of such a life of philosophy, Swami replied, “The rich can only come to Me on the basis of absolute equality. This is why at the ashram rich and the poor work together, eat, worship and sleep together, do menial tasks together, and share the common austerities of the ashram. There is absolutely no distinction. Yet, despite this, the wealthy come to Me in order to secure that peace of mind which physical comfort and power cannot give. I convert their minds and hearts to spiritual values and truths.”
The rich cannot secure Swami’s grace without surrendering their materialistic outlook and self-serving attachments. He tells them, “Ego lives by getting and forgetting, love lives by giving and forgiving.” He changes their mental attitudes. He emphasises the need to live a life without desire, a desirelessness based on high thinking and frugal living, rather than a high material standard. He shows them that riches provide a fatal temptation, which is the source and the cause of human bondage.
“Shed your luggage, ” He says, using one of His parables, “you will travel lighter.” It is not material but spiritual satisfaction that ultimately makes life worth living. And He points to the poor who are often spiriutally rich, and to the rich who are often spiritually paupers.
During hisshort stay at Puttaparthi, the Marxist editor discovered to his amazement that the woman who swept the courtyard was a maharani, his personal attendant was an ex-magistrate and the interpreter during His interview was formerly India’s leading scientist, Dr S Bhagavantham!”
Posted in Sai Spiritual Showers, Sathya Sai Speaks |
