Living with God

By K. L. N. Swami

This book is an attempt to let the world know that God has left His Foot Prints for the posterity to look behind and people who didnt find an opportunity to meet Him or see Him may still feel His Presence and receive His Blessings by joining any Sai Centre anywhere in the world.

I have seen Swami the Divine, camouflaged as an ordinary human being moving with us, talking to us and eating with us. It is a nice feeling to relive my personal contacts with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Who has shown Himself in His Divine Form in resplendence to a few fortunate souls.

I titled this book Living With GOD because I have that feeling of possessiveness when in His abundant Mercy admitted me into His Fold when He used to tell me We Are One Family. That has sustained me for decades keeping me fresh and vibrant.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491768853

K. L. N. Swami

I was born in India on 2 December 1929 at Aska in Orissa. I received my higher education from Presidency College Madras and later in Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India. I obtained Ph.D. for my work on Walt Whitman. I have an experience of 46 years of teaching in three Indian Universities. I served for 15 years in Sri Sathya Sai University before I retired towards the end of 2002.

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1. THERE WAS A KNOCK ON THE DOOR

I can say emphatically that I was born with a purpose. It was about 85 years ago when I cried coming out of my mother’s womb. It was a great relief to everyone around that village to have seen me emerging in to the world of vibrant colours, variety of shades and black patches symbolizing the vicissitudes that were in store for me. My childhood and later life, until I grew up into a man, were not very eventful.

It was in the year 1969 it took a turn. I lived in an ancient city I had once visited. earlier. Then I never would have dreamt that it was in that city my career plunged into a direction that was to bring a new vista and color to my erstwhile life of monotony and despair.

It was perhaps in the month of June an elderly gentleman knocked on my door. I was at home, spending my weekend relaxing. I opened the door and found him respectable, demanding attention. I made him feel comfortable in one of the two rooms I lived in. He introduced himself as Mr. Suryanarayana.

In the course of our conversation he told me that he had come to the city on a transfer from a place in the south and he came away with his family. He had a son, a college going boy intending to pursue his further studies in that rural metropolis.

Mr. Suryanarayana requested me to make use of my clout to arrange a seat for his son in the college where I was teaching then. I mentioned to him politely that I was not influential as I was new to the college.

I explained to him that it was not possible for an outsider to get a seat in the college because students reading in the college when promoted prefer to continue their studies in the same college. Therefore no seats would be left for new students seeking admission.

But he made a desperate attempt to persuade me to try. I thought within myself to get rid of the man once for all. I decided to introduce him to Prof. Banerjee, in charge of admissions who I thought would advise Mr. Suryanatrayana as what he should do in the circumstances.

I requested him to accompany me to his house. I explained to him that Prof Banerjee was the right man to approach as he was in charge of admissions. We reached his home and to my good luck he was at home.

Prof. Banerjee advised Mr. Surayanarayana to take admission for his son elsewhere as there was no chance of getting a seat in our college. I was happy that Mr. Suryanarayana heard from the horse’s mouth and I thought that he would never disturb me again.

It was about 5-30 in the evening as we were returning. I thought he was disappointed and so there was no talk in between. He broke the silence by mentioning to me that it was Thursday and he had to rush to a friend’s house to attend a Bhajan session at his house across the river.

Incidentally he made an enquiry if I had heard of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. I said that I had. I tried to change the topic as I did not want to get into trouble by adding one more to the numerous gurus I had earlier heard of.

But he did not stop. He further asked me if I had read any of his books. I told him that I hadn’t read about him. Then he hurried to add that he would bring a few when he would visit me next time.

I was rather shocked to hear that he wanted to visit me again. I wondered why!

The following Sunday, Mr. Suryanarayana came with books. He asked me to read them. He didn’t mention again about admission.

Two days later, I was expecting a few boys in the evening needing guidance. They didn’t turn up. I, being a very busy man, suddenly found myself vacant. My eyes fell on those books that the gentleman had left on my table the other day.

One of the books was titled At the Lotus Feet and another was Sathya Sai Speaks Volume IV. I picked up ‘At the Lotus Feet’. I began turning the pages containing few photos and articles by eminent people. I saw a well known name, an optholmogist of international repute whom I had met a couple of months earlier in Madras.

I remembered to have seen the Baba’s photo on the table of his consulting room. My curiosity was aroused and I read the article that he had contributed. It was disbelief rather than amazement. I was filled with wonder as the article read like a fantasy.

The author said that his car, while on a long distance drive, caught fire and by sprinkling the sacred ash given by Baba as Prasad (gift) extinguished the flames leaping up to great heights. He was saved and so his car from severe damage.

I looked through the contents of the book again and I could see well known names and I sat down to complete reading the entire book the same night. I was a different person from then onwards- in my psyche I saw changes, may be hallucinations-

I fixed my attention on one of the photos. One of his eyes winked. I closed the book. A couple of minutes later I felt like looking at it again. This time the other eye winked. The more I looked at it the more it appeared real as if in flesh and blood.

Within seconds I saw him making mouths at me. This was very incredible, a paper photo making mouths at me. I felt a suffocating sensation - I was sweating profusely. I thought I was running crazy. I resisted looking at the photo. But the curiosity made me look at it again. This time it was unbelievable.

I pinched myself to make sure that I was not dreaming. It was real life situation. I was perspiring. I thought I should relax. I moved towards the balcony to get fresh air. Believe me or not I saw a person in orange robe coming towards me walking on the verandah of the house.

It was He. The Baba with the hair make up he is known for. I felt that there was something wrong somewhere- either I was going mad or I was under a spell of hypnotism.

I could see for certain that Sri Sathya Sai Baba was moving up and down that late evening. It was a sight most incredible. I came down the stairs and my wife who had finished cooking asked me to have my dinner.

She was rather amazed to see me a bit different from my usual self. But she didn’t ask me any questions. I spent a restless night. The next morning looked at the place where I saw the Baba walking. I could see nothing there, just an empty space. It was a waking dream, might be hallucinations

This time I decided to put the Baba to test. I thought within myself if the boy seeking admission in the college gets admission, I would accept Baba as my God.

2. AT HIS LOTUS FEET

Few days later I attended to my duties as usual. I had a class at 12 noon and I carried the Attendance Register and entered the Class Room. I realized that there was something wrong as I noticed the class room was occupied- the faces were not familiar to me. One of the boys stood up and told me that they had a Physics class.

I thought that there was a mistake in the daily routine. In the meantime I saw the Principal making his rounds through the corridors. I informed him about the mistake. He didn’t give much thought and asked me to drop the class as there should be some mess up in the time table.

I dropped my class and went to the Staff Room. As there was no one in the room I decided to move around the college.

Inadvertently I entered the Chemistry Department where I rarely enter because of the pungent odours that are emitted around the laboratory. I pushed my way through the room where the Professor sits. He asked me what made me come to his room. . There was a group of students waiting to talk to the Professor.

I sat in front of his chair and he casually asked me about the gentleman whom I had introduced to him in connection with the admission of his son. At the same time, a student was trying to draw the professor’s attention. I knew the boy and asked him why he was interrupting while I was in consultation with the Professor.

He apologized and turning towards Prof. Banerjee if he could get his Transfer Certificate. I at once enquired if he had Biology as his optional subject as the boy who sought admission in the college wanted Biology. He said that he had.

At once I urged Prof. Banerjee if he could offer that seat to the boy whose father had approached him. He said that he should first ask a couple of teachers who too requested him for seats earlier. He sent chits to them if they were interested. He received immediate reply from them stating that their wards were admitted elsewhere.

The Professor asked me to fetch his application form from the office. I rushed to the office and searched for it and brought it