Bhagawan, the Supreme incarnation of this Yuga, not only teaches us the highest spiritual truths, but also provides us tips on complexity-less, practical living. Read on to experience how this brother enjoyed the bliss of learning from the Lord…

A Unique Fortune

Way back during the 1970s, Bhagawan had inaugurated the men’s hostel with just 12 boys and I was fortunate to be one amongst them! During vacations He asked the boys to go home – their parents would be awaiting them. This incident that I would like to share happened during one of those vacations…

However, I was more fortunate than most. Why? Because my parents were in Africa. I argued with Bhagawan that I would rather stay with Him than return home, to which He graciously agreed. A few of us remained with Bhagawan. He took us all to Prasanthi Nilayam.

Bhagawan, the Teacher

One fine day He asked us to accompany Him to the new Anantapur campus that was being constructed. Some of you may know that this campus has a round building with classrooms.  It also has a round staircase just as you enter the building. This staircase leads to a room constructed for Bhagawan’s personal use whenever He wishes to reside there. The purpose of us accompanying Him to Anantapur was to help with getting the classrooms and laboratories ready when the students were to move in. The tasks included painting and polishing the laboratory tables. 

Our Bhagawan is very loving as He would teach us how to go about doing things. He would Himself pick up a paintbrush or sanding paper and sand the tables to show us how to do this work. 

The curved staircase in the foyer of the round building has some marvelous murals and Bhagawan Himself would lend a helping hand and painted some of those to show us boys how to do murals.

When the Lord Waits for His Devotee

A few days later, Bhagawan called me and asked me get my bag ready and put it in His car.  Soon after that He left the campus. I was very fortunate to accompany Bhagawan, for apart from Him, there was only the driver. There was no other car following. In those days, whenever He travelled no other vehicles followed.  We were travelling to Brindavan, Bangalore. 

In the car Bhagawan kept talking to me about various topics and also made me lead Bhajans. Obviously my Bhajan singing was of very low standard and He would takeover and correct the tone and pitch and make me sing correctly – He is the Master, the Greatest Teacher.

This went on for a while and suddenly Bhagawan instructed the driver to stop the car and He got out on the road.  I too got out and noticed that the road was raised within a small valley.  There were quite a few farms on both sides of this road and there were poor farmers working in them.  As these farmers noticed that a car has stopped a few of them came over to inquire if any help was required. They recognised that it was Bhagawan and needless to say, they were elated.

The word passed around very quickly and a lot of people came for His Darshan and blessings which He very gladly did, but He was seeking for someone. Bhagawan then enquired about a particular person and someone went to fetch him. The person soon emerged. Bhagawan talked to him and blessed him, but I was taken aback because I noticed that when this person was brought in front of Bhagawan, he was being guided to where Bhagawan was. I realised that this person was blind! What an amazing devotee he must have been that Bhagawan Himself came and waited for him! This reminded me of the time when Bhagawan was in Africa.  He was supposed to fly from Nairobi, Kenya to Entebbe, near Kampala, Uganda, but He chose to be driven the whole route by car, a journey of 12 hours on rough terrain. At that time Bhagawan said, “My devotees are all waiting on the route awaiting my Darshan” even though His visit was not public knowledge. On the route there were hundreds of local people waiting for a glimpse of Him and at times He had to stop and come out of the car to give Darshan and thus, a trip of 12 hours became much longer. Our Bhagawan is truly Bhakta vatsala.

In those early years of the conception of the hostel with the first batch of twelve boys Bhagawan used to spend a lot of time at Brindavan. The hostel was constructed above the existing garages at the left hand side of the entrance to Brindavan and consisted of a corrugated tin roof with a long dormitory about 15ft x 30ft with bathrooms at the back of the building on the ground floor.  Bhagawan, after a quick round around the Sai Ram shed to give Darshan, used to spend hours with the hostel students.  During one of these sessions, very lovingly Bhagawan asked us what we were going to do in the hostel, to which we all asked Him for guidance. He suggested that we wake up at 5.00am and in a few minutes wash our face, brush our teeth and then come and sit in the dormitory in front of His chair. From 5:15am we were to chant 21 Omkars, Suprabhatam, Soham, and then meditate for 5 to 10 minutes and then quietly leave the dormitory and go for a run up to a bridge over a small brook about a mile down the road and return from there and go for a cold water shower – there were no luxuries like hot water or cots.  Bhagawan assured us that by doing what He had suggested we will not fall ill.  He suggested all this to the boys, but never forced them onto us. He also stated that it was up to us to do whatever we wished and there was no compulsion. When the Lord Himself has suggested to you, would you deny accepting it?  After the shower, He suggested that we get dressed up and walk into the gardens of Brindavan and prepare ourselves for studies for the rest of the day.  He emphasised that all this should be done in silence. Breakfast was to be had at about 8:30am before the start of the college.  Bhagawan was also emphatic that we did not waste energy in loose talk or chitchats. When the college breaks for lunch we were to return to the hostel for our lunch and continue our studies for the afternoon session until the college finished for the day and we were expected back in the hostel for coffee.  Following this, He had suggested that we take time to contemplate on the day’s teaching before Bhajans and supper and then retire for the day.

Bhagawan’s Directives for Higher Living

He had given us the formula to study well by saying that at the end of each day, if we were to contemplate on what was taught during the day, we would remember better and we would not need to ‘burn the midnight oil lamp’ at the end of the year before exams.  All that we need to do is to very quickly brush over the whole year’s work few days before exams and not cram everything at the eleventh hour.  I know that this scheme works as I have done it. The Lord never utters any word in vain.

Bhagawan introduced spiritual education at the college. Every Thursday morning was dedicated to moral education.  Many times Bhagawan Himself would address us and other times we had eminent speakers for these sessions.

I remember this very vividly. Many a times He Himself would come into the classrooms and watch how students are following their lectures.  Once during examination days, I was busy writing an exam paper when suddenly I felt someone touch the leg of my chair.  I turned around to see Bhagawan standing behind me and watching what I was writing. He looked at me, smiled and signaled me to carry on writing the paper. Later after submitting my exam paper I went into His residence. When He saw me, He said that I was struggling to answer some questions, but he added that He would take care of it – and He did take care of it, I passed the exam.

Putting Bhagawan’s Advice to Practice

In 1972, during the first summer course at Brindavan, some of our hostel students were yet to complete their exams for that year. I too had not finished my exams. I had already chosen to stay wherever Bhagawan was – either at Brindavan or Puttaparthi – during my vacation. Bhagawan had already co-opted a few of us into the summer course. I was instructed to look after the PA and electrical systems during the course. One day, while working on the systems, Bhagawan noticed me and asked, “Haven’t you got exams tomorrow? Shouldn’t you be studying?”  I promptly replied that I should, but added that at that time summer course work was more important to me and that I had followed Bhagawan’s previous formula for passing exams i.e. ruminate over the day’s lecture on a daily basis. I shall leave the result to Him. Bhagawan smiled at me, but others like Prof. Gokak standing next to Bhagawan were flabbergasted with this reply. No doubt I sailed successfully through next day’s exams!