Book Notes
HISstory
As told by Himself
From the Preface:-
The Avatars have no duty to perform nor is there anything in all the three worlds that they are obliged to attain. Nevertheless, they are constantly engaged in the performance of Karma (action). In Dwapara Yuga, Lord Krishna Himself stood as an outstanding example of this truth.
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Avatar of the Age has led such an ideal and purposeful life, suffused with eternal values right from His childhood and stood as a beacon light for humanity. Ever since He was a young lad studying in the local elementary school, Bhagavan has been constantly striving to uplift the world. Every act of His was directed towards this noble goal.
In His relation with His parents, relatives, elders in the village, classmates or His teachers, in fact, in every aspect of His life, Bhagavan set an example to others by living up to His declaration 'My life is My message'. In keeping with His Avatharic Mission to achieve the social, moral and spiritual development of humanity through the eternal values of Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteous Conduct), Shanthi (Peace), Prema (Love) and Ahimsa (Non-violence), He had undertaken several socially useful projects in the fields of Education, Medical Services, Drinking Water Supply, etc.
Bhagavan Himself had narrated in some of His divine discourses a few incidents from His childhood which revealed His Avatharic Mission even at that tender age.
"The great puppeteer called Paramatma
conducts the cosmic play
Keeping the embodied souls on the world stage
Enjoy that Divine play, describing it a little",
said Bhagavan, on one occasion.
Comprising 183 pages, with 30 black and white photographs and excerpts from Divine Discourses forming 18 Chapters, this book narrates, in the words of the Sai Avatar, his childhood and school days, and concludes with the demise of Kondama Raju and an accounting of Swami selecting his parents for their worldly role as his body's parents. The full scope of Swami's promise to his Mother, Easwaramma, to make Puttaparthi his Kshethra concludes the book.
Chapter headings in this book are:-
- God in Human Form
- The Philosopher
- Kondama Raju, the Liberated Soul
- Pandhari Bhajan
- On the Sands of the Chitravathi River
- Education in Bukkapatnam
- Education in Kamalapuram
- The Poet of Poets
- School Day in Uravakonda
- The Sorceror
- Ramesh and Suresh
- Visit to Hampi
- The Annunciation
- Jack and Jill
- Subbamma's Devotion
- Kondamma Raju Departs
- "I Myself Selected My Parents"
- "The Lord of Puttaparthi Will Protect You Always"
The extracts which form these chapters are not complete discourses; rather they are selections wherein Swami directly addresses the events of his childhood - his playmates in rural, isolated Puttaparthi, his being a teacher of his playmates, living with Kondamma Raju, the sacrifice and devotion of Karnam Subbamma, the mysteries that his mother observed, etc. On one occasion, Swami was poisoned, and Easwaramma was of the habit of visiting his room, frequently. Swami gave his power to make vibhuti to Easwaramma and intimated her to move her hand in a full circle, and vibhuti appeared. Easwaramma looked at her hand in wonder, 'Wherefrom does this vibhuti come?'; she mixed the vibhuti in water and gave it to Swami to drink, thus curing him of poison.
Swami's role as a teacher is very clear from childhood; as a child of 6, 7 years, he was teaching his companions to follow truth in every instance. So much faith was reposed in Swami, that when the Karnam went to instigate reprisals for children singing corrective dittys in front of his house, the Truth protected them and the Karnam gave fruits to Raju to distribute to the other children. It is also instructive to read of Subbamma's explanations to the other children her perceptions of the wherefores and why-fores of Swami's behaviour and desires for the utter welfare of all others before himself; this from a 7-8 year old Raju.
It becomes clear from reading this that all the powers and all the fulness
of the divine were within the boy Raju, and one wonders why he went through so
many experiences of deprivation, poverty, being disciplined by teachers, and
the object of scorn, derision, and verbal thrashings from both the village and
his family relations. In another text, Swami has clarified the events of his
childhood and youth; Swami tells that youth has three ideals - respect for
parents, respect for teachers, respect for elders; this is the most important. It
is very clear that no action of Swami's has been wasted, even in childhood and
youth; Swami has modelled tolerance and full respect.
As a child and a youth, Raju brought much happiness and joy to all those around
him. This is the thread that runs through all the events.
God is like a thread base; which can hold all these flowers together. Without the thread, you cannot hold the flowers in a garland together. In all types of happiness and joy there is God. This is the thread which runs through everything. If there is no thread at all, the flowers will scatter and in the same way, all our joy and happiness will scatter if you don't contact God. But those people who base their lives on the grace of God and live their lives on the basis of God, to please God, they are really the fortunate ones. They justify and ignite their existence.
Reading the Subbamma material, one gets the feeling of vedam, and the basis of scripture. There is full certitude that this material will one day be the focus of narrative, story, devotion and bhajan in years to come.
One of the most gracious points of this book is the second last citation in the book which is worthy of engraving on the mind, the heart, the breath, and on the sorrows and sufferings of all humanity:
The Lord of Puttaparthi will protect you always;
He is the Embodiment of Compassion;
He will hold your hand and take you across
the Ocean of Samsara
He will never forsake you under any circumstances.
For International readers, this book is available from the Sri Sathya Sai
Books and Publications website
For Australian residents, $2 plus postage and packaging, from Sai Books, 24 Kenilworth Ave, Wonga Park, 3115,
(Margaret and Randall McDonald), phone (03) 9722 1740
email books[at]saiaustralia.org.au