Book Notes
With Love Man is God
Sam Sandweiss was among the earliest of western devotees to visit Swami and write of his experiences. He first visited Prashanti Nilayam in 1972, and his well known book, The Holy Man and the Psychiatrist, was published in 1975. This book has drawn many of readers to Sathya Sai Baba. Sandweiss' other title, Spirit and The Mind, speaks of psychiatry, spirituality and examines the phenomenon of how the mind, a source of great strength, can also obstruct spiritual growth. This third book is Sandweiss' attempt to “construct, through story, analysis and devotion, to further define what Sai Baba has taught him about the meaning and purpose of life and the goal of human existence: realising our divinity”.
Part 1 of this book describes how Sai Baba awakens us to the spiritual path and the possibility of our own divinity. It speaks of his ability to guide us to the realisation of our oneness with God. Part 2 broadens our understanding of the nine elements through personal experiences and stories. Part 3 shows how to apply these nine elements to our daily life and work, which in Sandweiss's life, is that of psychiatry. It shows how a spiritual approach can be applied to problems of the mind and to our suffering. Part 4 describes how we grow so close to a sacred form of God that our love actually merges into His love and becomes boundless.
In the first two chapters there are well narrated stories of Swami's omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence. Devotees tell their stories of encounter with Swami, both in India and overseas. Stories of Swami appearing in bedrooms, in dreams, Swami changing paintings sealed under glass, Swami revealing his true form to Col. Joga Rao. With just a few simple strokes, these short stories powerfully illustrate the divinity of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and function to open the mind of the reader to Baba's being, in all-times, all-places, all-powerful, all-loving. The dream narrative of the Russian Dimitri, is stark yet telling of exactly what is needed to be a devotee.
Sandweiss explores Swami's teachings and identifies nine core elements that
represent special landmarks along the spiritual path and he fills out the
elements with with stories and recounting his and others, spiritual
experiences.
As Sandwiess is ever the psychiatrist, he points to
these core elements as widening our understanding of the the strengths and
limitations of the mind and explanation why the mind is the key to bondage and
liberation. The nine core elements Sandweiss defines and explores are:
- With Love, Man is God
- The Mind is the Key
- Practice Sense Control
- Develop a Loving Relationship with Sai
- See Sai Everywhere
- Bring Sai into the Community
- Accept the Purification Process
- Transcend Suffering
- Merge in Sai's Love
Among the Nine Elements, Bring Sai Into the Community is a pertinent chapter in answering the question 'What does it mean to be a devotee?' This chapter talks about leading by example, model intsitutions and programs, Ashrams, Super Specialty Hospitals, Water Projects, Sai Education Program, Publications, World Wide Sathya Sai Baba Centers, Three wings of the Community, Living Sai's Principles in the Community, Relating with Love, Four Important numbers, Dharma Builds Conscience and Character, Learning to Like What you have to Do, Overcoming Selfishness, Learning about Service, Facing Fears and Developing Discrimination. The chapter concludes with Developing Leadership Qualities.
This book is an art-paper publication with many illustrated black and white plates. There are some stunning double page spreads in this book. Divided into four parts, Lighting the Lamp of Love, The Nine Elements, Saichiatry, and Mergence. There are six appendices, The Nature of the Mind, Body, Mind and Atma, The Bhagavad Gita and the love of the Gopis, Sai Baba's Instructions on Meditation, Sai Baba Literature and a Glossary.
Written from the psychiatrist's point of view, Sandweiss illustrates the broad canvas of Swami's teachings from his own vantage point of psychiatry and his many visits to Prashanti Nialaym. He is not afraid to tell stories against himself and share his own learning experiences.
Sandweiss writes,
Writing about insights gleaned from my relationship with Sai Baba allows me a framework in which I can express my love for him. I am using the Bhagavatha Vahini as a model. In the telling of experiences with and about Sai Baba, my aim is to capture and reflect a small fraction of Sai Baba's great love so the reader can share in that love.
For International readers, this book is available from the Sri Sathya Sai
Books and Publications website
For Australian residents, $5 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