Ashok Kumar Reddy
2006 Prasanthi Nilayam
I joined the Sri Sathya Sai Primary School when I was six years old. We used to run to the Mandir every Thursday and Sunday to see the Almighty and returned with a huge mango in our tiny hands. We were with our Universal Mother.
As we grew up, we used to watch how our Lord enquired about our breakfast – we felt happy that the Lord was speaking to us. My earliest thought about Swami was that He loved children who were good inside and outside. What was more important for me was that I wanted to live every moment as though He was ever present. I was always attracted to His divine discourses that were sweet as a flowing river. They had a common message: This entire world is filled with God, Love, Unity, Never Hate. These were the constant messages that we always received.
He had set very high standards for His children. “Children of Immortality!”, “My boys are the best and should strive for the best!” Who would give such love and confidence to thousands of children, time and again, ever enthused. He would take great time to explain the intent of His goodwill for us, for our progression. All we had to do was to believe and watch His grace work wonders on us. He would remind us that “Those that follow SAI will be safe”. I would cry experiencing His love for us. His compassionate look at us sometimes would tell stories of how He longed to save us from darkness and ignorance. He would show proudly to the elders the rose petals on which His little child would have written the feelings of his heart. He would tie the handkerchief around His little child and wonder at the beauty of the kid that even the child did not realize. He would respectfully ask even the little child to make way for Him. He would place His hand on your head for a minute as though He required your support and you would go back touched and certain that you are the child of Immortality! The only way you could explain the relation was to say He saw Himself in you or rather yourself in Him. No other explanation would rationalize the relationship.
Today, as I think in retrospect and imagine, we had the Veda Purusha – the Veda Mata with us. Here was our Lord, who showed how to live. He showed how bodily pains must not be limiting. He showed what was meant by Sacrifice as the Veda symbolically explains with all its imagery. We are not the body or mind. We are the master. The joy and suffering are shadows and having the true vision, we march on to Him from Him. He descended, so that we ascend. He showed so that we may practice. He showed life on earth is heaven, if you choose. Immortality is not in heaven, it is in you. We saw You and can never lose sight of You, dear Sai.
Brother Ashok Kumar Reddy is based in Bangalore and works as a senior systems specialist. He has been part of the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini programme right from the inception. While at college, he was part of the cricket team & enjoyed being part of the hostel bakery that made delicacies for Swami and students on every possible occasion.