Planted in the caverns of my consciousness are seeds that sprout in every waking hour of mine. Sown with care by the Divine Gardener, the crop of love needs no season or reason to grow. All it takes to rise is His Divine command – the Sathya Aadesh. Magically, it then blooms in one’s heart and the fragrance wafts hither and thither spreading love and joy to those it comes in contact with. Such is the power of His love and His remembrance, that even parched hearts vibrate with Aananda.

 When Sai decides to enter your life, the curtains of your life part to welcome Him. You cannot choose when you go to Him, He chooses when to come to you. Once the Sanathana Sarathi holds the reins of your life, every second of your life prods you closer to Him. However, a Sadhaka must always be mindful that the Lord arrives at the right time.

“Our duty is to persevere, His’ is to come”

From my young age, I had a deep-rooted desire to be a part of His school and earn the blessings of being addressed as ‘His student’. Though Swami says that just being a part of His school cannot confer on one the blessing of being called a ‘Sai Student’, the holy temple of learning is surely a catalyst to one’s integral development. 

My parents had applied for my first grade in Sri Sathya Sai Primary school. In it, I saw my entry ticket to heaven. The Divine Director, however, played a Shakespearean drama before I got the coveted ticket. I had written my entrance examinations quite well and held high hopes that I would sail through successfully. It had been after a month that I was celebrating my birthday when a letter was delivered. In my heart, I knew where the letter came from. The one minute it took to open the letter and read its contents was a shattering one. Faces around me turned pallid and copious tears dampened the letter I held. What I thought to be the dispeller of gloom became its very reason. In short, I hadn’t made it. The few months after were filled with intense prayers. I prayed hard and cried to Him to fulfil my yearning. The year after taught me the most essential item in a Sadhaka’s tool kit – intense yearning for God. When one’s thoughts are centered on God, He manifests every noble desire of yours. It was finally in my third grade that I entered the sacred temple of learning after many dashed hopes and desires.

The years at my school were characterized by my inner transformation. A shiny vessel was being chiselled to hold His message and share it to all who needed it. I learnt innumerable lessons in those formative years of my life. Though I had very few interactions with Swami physically, His teachings reached me through His instruments – our teachers. The foundation of discipline and prayer was built in me. 

One of the most unforgettable incidents was one that took place when I was in the higher secondary school. It was during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations that all the classes had prepared chariots as a mount for the remover of obstacles- Lord Vinayaka. Our class made a vibrant ‘snail’ as our chariot, something almost akin to the Lord’s real Vahana. With the grace of Swami, I did whatever I could to contribute to the chariot. Since I didn’t get any chance to perform any programmes in front of Swami, a strong desire to do something for Swami lingered in me. I felt that carrying the chariot with my classmates would be a great opportunity to please Swami. However, our class teachers limited the number of boys taking the chariot to a paltry few. My prayer to get the opportunity to be a chariot bearer grew in intensity, even though the chances that I would get selected were bleak. Unfortunately, probability deemed me unfit. I felt miserable that I had again lost yet another opportunity. When the boys were about to leave for Mandir on Ganesh Chaturthi, one of the selected boys told me that his uniform didn’t fit him and asked me if I could replace him. I would not be exaggerating if I say that I was in cloud nine at that moment! No wonder that the dress fitted me perfectly and I was part of the group carrying that chariot. I felt that this Divine Leela was enacted by Him to teach me a lesson:

“When you feel that Swami is not answering your prayers, it is because He wants you to pray with more vehemence”.

The Lord doesn’t need big miracles to transform. Small incidents like these teach life-changing lessons.

Saishyam Balaji Grade 3 to B.Com (Hons) in Bhagawan’s institutions at Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan, 2007 – 2020. He was a part the Multimedia and Costumes Department, the group acting team, scriptwriter for various dramas and the director of the drama titled ‘Sant Namdev’ which was presented as a part of the Sports Meet in 2020.  He is currently pursuing Chartered Accountancy.