Experiences 6

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There was a time when I was feeling empty/unhappy/lack of inner peace. Then one day I remembered Swami and visited Him. Swami asked me to stay that night and told me to chant "ఓం సాయీ". 
I was not completely satisfied with that. Shortly after that I fell ill and one night I was chanting "ఓం సాయీ". That night I had a dream, in which I saw Paadukaa's in air with "ఓం సాయీ" being chanted from all sides and with auspicious sounds like మృదంగం being played. 

When I informed this to Swami, he said "మత్తులో గమ్మత్తు" . I did not understand what it means. He wrote with his బెత్తం on the floor saying, "ఓం సాయీ" flipped will become "ఓం ఈసా".
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After the above visit, I started visiting Darga more frequently. But by then ఆమ్మయ్య attained మహా సమాధి. The only remembrance I had was Swami telling us to bow to her. Once she gave me లడ్డూ as Prasada.

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One day while swami asked me to stay but I insisted on returning to Bangalore and left. After reaching Madanapalli, I got a call from my friend that his brother is not to be seen. 

To ask about this I wanted to return to Dargah and I returned the next day. The devotees told me that swami told the them that I would return the next day. When I asked swami about my friend He said, he would come back. Later he did come back.

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Once Swami took the Karma of some devotee who was ill. Swami was not taking even water for some days. Anyone in that state would have suffered low BP and sugar levels and would have fainted. Swami was not answering any questions and everyone was just having his Darshan and returning. 

I too was doing only that without saying anything. Then swami told me, "you are trying to shift company. Don't do that". Actually I was doing that at that time. So I stayed in the same company. It proved good for me for I was able to file some 25 patents after that which could not have been possible had I shifted. It helped me to build a strong career. 

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Once there was a lot of work pressure and when asked swami he told that it would come down by April and it happened that way later. I have a quarrelsome attitude. When asked Him what should I do with management if I get over work, He said, "gupchipgaa cheyyi" (do it quietly) and it helped me in office. I was asked to go to US for office work but owing to circumstances in the family I was not willing to. So I asked swami. He told me not to go and that management will find another way. It happened that way only. 

When I was in Czech republic, I asked my father to ask for Swami's blessings. Swami said that His blessings are always with me. 2 times I forgot my passport pouch there and some one else found it. It was due to His blessings only. Once Swami said about something that "chestoo unte ade vastundi" "as you do, you will get it". I follow the same principle while resolving technical issues in office.

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When in Bangalore, my father got fever and finally was admitted in hospital. We had spent 1 lakh but there was no improvement. I called swami. He told that by so and so day, the fever would come down. It came down exactly that way. 

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Once I was not well for some days and after visiting swami we told this. swami said angrily that we did not visit Him and that we should visit at least once in 4 months. Indeed it was so true. 

Once it so happened that I could not visit Him for more than 4 months. I again fell ill and got hospitalized. When my father called swami, He asked us to bring me for His darsan. Swami applied on my body with his bettam and asked me not to skip food and take something once in 4 hours and that rules about food told to sanyasis were not for me. 

Doctors said it was TB and the samples sent to Bombay gave +ve for TB. Later when we told this, swami said there was no TB and asked me not to take any medicines. I had purchased TB medicines by then and was about to start the course, which would have been a 6-9 month course with multiple powerful antibiotics. I stopped the medicines and did not get fever again. Later I started visiting swami whenever I get chance. 

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Once swami told while I was returning home came out from His room and asked me to close the door of kitchen and when no one was there gave me an apple and asked me to take home & eat by all saying that diseases will not come.

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Once I took a japa mala and prayed for His blessings. He took it and closed His eyes for some time and gave me. Later one day after taking bath after wiping face with towel, the japa mala came in my hand, meaning the thread got cut. Except for one bead, everything came very nicely in my hand. That bead also fell in bucket of water and no where else. 

swami gave baba dollars to many devotees. He gave one to me also and showed both sides and said, "see saibaba, dattaswamy" and put it around my neck.

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During 2009 urusu I took my newly bought SLR camera and was trying to take photos. Though I attended a basic course and studied manual, I had doubts and could not understand somethings in manual mode. While looking at the eyes of swami's picture pasted on the wall through camera, it occurred to me that there should be a better way to use the camera. I opened the manual and spent only around a minute and it occurred like a flash about the purpose of settings and the doubts were cleared at once. Then I was able to take good ones.

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Swami once asked me to come and stay in dagah for some 10 days saying that I should get at least some part of the qualities like piousness etc., that swami and ammayya have. I stayed there later for about 13 days and swami told many things during that time. The following things happened during that time. 

One day I was having some questions in my mind and was a bit dissatisfied & depressed and while thinking moved around in the place between well and the rest rooms. Sankarayya gaaru also asked why I was moody. That evening I went and sat in satsanga. swami was looking at some book and did not look at me at all. Guptaa gaaru started reading "Sree paada charitaamrutam". In that Sree paada swami answers questions of narasimhaavadhaanlu(?) after appearing in his pooja room. Swami started explaining them. swami's words were all answers to my questions. 

I became happy, lifted my head and with smile I looked at swami. Just then some sound came from outside and everyone looked outside. swami then looked at me and gave gesture ordering me to bend my head down and not to look at Him, thus instructing me secretly. At the end while getting up, swami said, "Sree paada swami conducted darbaar today". 

One morning after cleaning the mandiram I adjusted my jandhyam after sitting down. As soon as I touched it, swami asked me if my upanayanam was over. When I said yes, He asked me if I was told that I am a dwija (who took two janmaas). I don't know what to say. Then swami asked if I am remembering (doing) gayatri at least once or twice per day. When I said that I did for 1 year and stopped. He said, "ఈ ప్రపంచమంతా గాయత్రిలోనే వుంది. అండ పిండ బ్రహ్మాండములన్నీ గాయత్రిలోనే ఉన్నవి". After this I started doing gayatri again. Actually my upanayana did not happen twice as my mother fell ill. Third time we took swami's blessings. Though again some obstacles came, it went well.

During that stay swami said the following things: "vyaasa is not considered as guru". "Did we say rama or krishna?"(Meaning, this is sadguru peetham. We say sadguru but not rama or krishna.) "In masjid they do not say alla hu / alla ho(?). Here we say that". 

Once swami said that "alla hu" means sivoham. He also said bismilla is same as omkaara. He said, "samsaara vruksham pOvaalamTE talli veru teeyaali". (To remove the sansaara vruksha we have to remove mother root). veru in telugu also means different. It occurred to me that swami's real message was "to remove samsaara vruksha we have to remove the idea that mother is different". 

One evening in satsang the incident where Sree pada swami takes out some one's karma by keeping His thumb on the bhrukuti(space between eye brows) came during the paaraayana. Swami looked at me and gestured meaning, so also, He had taken away my bad karma. After that stay I went back to Bangalore. 

On a subsequent visit, on guru poornima, swami after looking at me said, "neekOsam enta tapassu chEsaanuraa !" (How much tapas I did for you re!). It was true for I could for the first time in life feel confidence in spiritual matters and also started doing nama japa. Before the stay, I was always worried about my spiritual progress and was not sure if I am moving ahead or not. After that I regained the devotion which I lost after leaving Nellore, only in a much mature way. I also had this feeling of I am great. It has come down after the stay.

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One day in satsangam swami told sankarayya garu with smile, "We will make you CM". I thought where is he? and where is CM post? I was perplexed. Then swami said to him, "CM ante (means) cooking master raa" and everyone laughed.

Once someone sang some song which tells how Baba blessed His devotees like shyama etc., Swami said, baba did not like that song and that baba is saying, "Have I not done anything for you?"

Swami asked me not to read some spiritual books. I obeyed that. Though they may be great books, they are not suited for me.

Once swami while looking at baba and folding hands said, we should pray saying that, swami (baba) we do not know even one croreth of a mustard seed's magnitude of you or yours greatness. He also said once that everyone has this durguna right from birth that I am great. 

He once asked in satsanga that which artist can paint like creator who painted the colors of parrot. 

Then He asked, "what is the difference between God and dog?". No one gave an answer. Later while reading master's book I found the analogy given by master where He says if we consider water in sea as God, the waves are the jeevaas.

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I was there when one Bharadwaja master's disciple came to swami. Swami told him, "I and Bharadwaja are not different".

One night some bird was making sound for a long time. Only few were there in mandiram. swami said, "enough of it" and it immediately stopped.

Many of us must have observed swami stopping rain many times during the time of yagna and meravani/pallaki.

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I had the thought of not getting married. One night I got a dream where I went to Sri Rajarajeswari temple in Nellore and there near entrance some one was giving arathi to vinayaka swami vigraha. They asked swami about me and He said that I should get married. After that dream, I went to Nellore. It was more than a decade that I had been to that temple and that too I had been there only very few times and do not remember if there was a vigraha there or not. When I went there I actually found a vinayaka swami vigraha there, exactly where I saw in the dream.

Last year, when we started looking for alliances, 3 matches came and we took them to swami. He selected one out of the three and said He would give guarantee for that match and also said that by next year I will have a baby. I got married and we are expecting in october(2010). There were some problems that I faced in the family after the marriage. I went alone to swami. He left all the phone calls and sat with me and told what to do. Later things turned out such that I had to follow what swami has told. He also said, "achyuta ananta govinda" means they are infinite etc., and that everything happens only acccording to their sankalpa and asked me to say govinda namalu saying, I would get courage thus. I remembered swami's words when difficult situations came and it gave lot of strength.

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One Thursday I missed my breakfast, later in the day Swami looked at me and asked if I took my breakfast. 

I replied saying "No". Swami at once shouted at me with abusive words and asked me to go and take food. I obliged. 

Note: It is a general experience of many devotees that the physical pain, illness or unease of the Ashram inmates is shared by Swami.

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Once while giving తీర్థము, I was standing at back and coming to take it at the end leisurely. Swami scolded me and said any one comes for food and తీర్థము first and for Quarrels last. 

Once Swami told me not to imagine things. Swami told, "ఆలోచన శత్రువు" 

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One day I asked Swami about జ్ఞనము. As soon as I mentioned the word జ్ఞనము, he shouted at me and asked me to go out and pray near Baba's temple. 

I did obliged. Next in morning in Satsanga, Swami told, "You are in a too much eager state yesterday and so I did not tell you. జ్ఞనము will come through భక్తి. Did you run immediately after your birth? So also జ్ఞనము will come slowly."

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Swami once told me, "To think we are doing is deception. It is only the almighty who does in us. This is called అకర్త్రుత్వ భావం. This is also called శివోహం." 

In his Bhagavadgita speech Swami told --

నేను నిన్ను నడిపిస్తున్నానని దృఢ చిత్తుడవై నేను చేస్తున్నాననే దురభిప్రాయాన్ని మరచిపో.

నాయందు ప్రీతి చేత...నీవే చెస్తున్నావని ఎప్పుడూ అనుకోవాకు. 

నీవు ఎప్పుడూ ఏమీ పని చేయలేవు. నేను ఉండి నీ చేత చేయిస్తున్నాను. నిష్కామ భక్తుడవై ఎల్లప్పుడూ ఎటువంటి చింతా కోరికలు లేకుండా నాయందు ప్రీతితో భక్తితో నన్ను పొందాలంటే...రాజ విద్య రాజ గుహ్య యోగంలోనిది చేస్తూ సర్వ కాల సర్వావస్థలయందు నన్ను తలుస్తూ వుండు"

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Whenever I look at Baba's Eyes in Sai Mandiram, it appears to me as though his eyes are blinking. This happened many times to me. 

I kept silent as I was not sure whether it was only my feeling or it was an actual phenomenon. 

However, one day Swami said (as if clearing my predicament), "బాబా ఇక్కడ కళ్ళు ఆర్పుతాడు - Baba blinks here.

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Once, I went 3 weeks before Ammayya Aaradhana, Swami told me to come on Saturday evening for Aradhana. Out of my excitement/enthusiasm I informed that I would start on Friday evening itself. Eventually, it so turned out that I came exactly at 6:00 PM on Saturday evening.  

We were making some Laddoo's of different size for fun. Then Sankarayya came and told that Swami enquired if we were making the Laddos of same size or not.

Note: This happened to me also. Though at that time we were making the Laddoo's of a bigger size.

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Once when my sister and father visited to Dargah, Swami in Satsang narrated a story in which a boy, standing on a spot, scholarly talks about highest Dharma. The moment he moves out of the spot, he behaves like a normal boy. Seeing this, King Bhoja ordered to dig that place and found the throne of the great Vikramaarka. It was only because of the greatness of that place even an ordinary boy was able to talk/behave in a wise manner. 

Swami said, so also is this place (Referring to Darga/Ashram). That is why Hazarat Sree Darbar Alisha Vali came here so many centuries back itself and stayed there. 

• Since Baba also said that unless we put all our energies we can not get any result in spiritual path. 
• Master(ఎక్కిరల భరద్వాజ) also says that unless we put extreme human effort with Viveka, there will be no Atma Vikasam in us.
• Swami used to mention many times that one may even dance on the tip of needles but it is difficult to reach Guru Paadam (Realization). 
• In వివేక చూడామణి Sri Sankara says "ముక్తిర్నో శతకోటి జన్మ సుక్రుతైహి పుణ్యైర్వినా లభ్యతే". Unless one has Punya accumulated for 100 crore births one will not get Liberation. 
• As Master Garu (ఎక్కిరల భరద్వాజ) says, unless there is change in our Samskaras which are harder than diamond and rock, there is no use and that for one Samskara to get stabilized or to get removed it takes some births.
• Master Garu says the Dheera who can get realization after getting a Sadguru is very rare and that all the remaining will take birth again and again even after getting a great Sadguru and that it is His speciality that He protects us again and again. 

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Swami narrated: "Once Arjuna was performing worshipping Lord Shiva with many flowers. Bheema, the elder brother of Arjuna, asked enquired him about what he was doing. Arjuna said, he was worshipping for the grace of Lord Siva. 

Then Bheema said, "Why so much effort?, Just See". Saying this he threw a sword in the air and placed his neck under the falling sword, doing so he ardently called upon Siva "Hey Siva, will you come or not?" Then Shiva came running and pleading..."Please, don't do it".

Swami asked, Did your elders teach you this?"

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Once a visitor mentioned regarding office related work and the difficulties he's been facing due to that. In the course of this conversation Swami mentioned that "Success depends on both Hard Work and Luck"

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Swami once told referring to morning time: 
4:56 AM to 6:00 AM దాకా గురువు ఆడుతాడు. 
6:00 AM to 7:00 AM దాకా గణపతి ఆడుతాడు
Later timings referred to ...Vishnu, Maheswara and so on.."

"ఏక్ నిరంజన్, దొ సుఖీ, తీన్ ఖట్పట్, చార్ ధుకీ" - 
Ek Niranjan Do Sukhi Teen Me Khatpat Char Dukhi   ---------  Said Swami.

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Swami once told:

పిరమిడ్ వాళ్ళు శ్వాస మీద ధ్యాస పెట్టమంటారు. 

శ్వాస మీద కాదురా, నువ్వు తల్లి గర్భములో ఉండేప్పుడు శ్వాస పెట్టాడే వాని మీద ధ్యాస పెట్టాలి.

Regarding Art of Living and their Sudarsana Kriya:

A devotee told me that swami said it to be just what everybody is doing/practising.

Swami told: "ఇన్ని రకాల యోగాలు లేవు. ఉన్నది ఒక్క క్రియా యోగమే"

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