Best Act Of Gratitude To Our Aaraadhya Daivam
Friday, April 24th, 2020
24th April 2011 is the day that earned an eerie, etched memory in the vast expanse of time-journey; the day thus finally earned a place in the history book of His Story. Yes, it was this day that the world around, and the Sai fraternity, in particular, heard the most devastating news of the Master Supreme’s physical exit. At the stroke of 8 in the morning on that ‘fateful’ day, the Mandir precincts in Prasanthi Nilayam reverberated with the voice of an announcement that for a moment broke the hearts of many, in and out of Prasanthi Nilayam. The next three days in Prasanthi Nilayam passed with intense feeling, with millions upon millions flocking into the township, having what was then called the final glimpse of The Master Supreme. But was it really true that the fraternity was having a final sight of the Beloved, the last look at the physical ‘Beauty Beyond Compare’ frame that was lying in state in the Sai Kulwant Hall? Time alone will answer this infinitely challenging question.
On the 27th of April 2011, after what was called the most disheartening episode, having watched the physical frame being interned in the Sanctum Sanctorum in Prasanthi Nilayam, we had a report published on this very website that read as below:
Puttaparthi—the sacred birthland of the Avatar of Infinity—that sang lullabies to infant Sathya—that fondled and nurtured Little Sathya to Sri Sathya Sai and that received the abundance of His love and care over and over again during the past eight-and-a-half decades—finally earned a day to grieve, though the day would be marked in the annals of Divine History as the most significant one when the Supreme Avatar of all time, all yugas, was ‘laid to rest. ‘ … This is definitely not of ‘her’ (Puttaparthi) choice, but as fate would have it, a grieving Puttaparthi had to accept this ‘present’ as well, as she has been over the past eight-and-a-half decades in abundance, receiving His Love Infinite.
It was a Divine script that was written by Him alone and executed in His own inimitable fashion. For all the glory, happiness, and bliss that she has received over and over again, when the final moment arrived to bid farewell to the Soul of entire creation and beyond, she grieved, and so did millions upon millions around the world. Bhagawan, who had ‘left’ His mortal coil on the 24th of April 2011 was ‘laid to rest’ in Sai Kulwant Hall this morning in the presence of a massive assemblage of devotees, also attended by a host of political luminaries. (end of the report)
Back on the same day, 24th April, after nine long years, today, the world of the Sai fraternity is commemorating ‘Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam’ in a different fashion. Amid an almost worldwide lockdown owing to the pandemic coronavirus, today when the fraternity of Sai devotees is focusing on the Antaranga Sai, the Inner Sai, it is wise to give a thought on the most mysterious, yet most profound, of the Divine dramas staged by Bhagawan during March-April 2011. By staging this drama of hospitalisation and subsequent physical exit, Bhagawan had then demonstrated to the world around Him the most selfless lesson of ‘transcending from the finite to the infinite,’ attaching nothing to the temporal physical frame. From the finite to the Infinite, from akara to sakara to nirakara… Bhagawan had it in a practical demonstration, telling the world around in full and unambiguous terms of the True Truth of His ‘Avataric’ existence. Did He really stop there… then, did His voice stop forever from then for the world of devotees? No… No… Never! He was as vocal as He was, as active as He was… for He Is… ever in the Now, Nithyanoothanam!!! Ever Fresh In The Now!!!
Devotees around the world have been experiencing His Presence in myriad fashion, helping them in conscious evolution. Today, back to the same day of 24th April, what do we have to offer for our Aradhya Sai? Every single devotee has his or her level of conscious evolution and thus the choicest path. Bhagawan had once mentioned to a devotee that He is so close to the devotee that there is no room or place for a path in between. What does it indicate? It shows a pointer to the True Truth that He is—Beingness, Consciousness, and Existence of each one of us.
Knowing this Truth in essence, today in the Now, while feasting ourselves in a commemorative mood celebrating the Aradhana Within, Soulful Aradhana To Araadhya Sai, let us give Him our ultimate pledge, the pledge that leaves no trace of our egotistic existence. Let’s today offer our twin demons of our egotistic existence, Ahamkaram and Mamakaram, the two devils of ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ offering unto him our 13 vices or inner foes as mentioned in the ancient scriptures, along with the last traces of three virtues of Iccha, Bhakti, and Shraddha to nullify our complete existence, leaving ourselves completely unto Him, in total, absolute surrender.
Did He not remind us time and again that He is the Indweller in each one of us? If it is so, then where is the question of our ‘mundane’ existence, the existence of the devilish, demonic ego, when He is the very base of our existence?
Two thousand years after the proclaimed Son Of The Lord, Lord Jesus The Christ, today, let’s affirm with complete dedication and surrender to Him that “i am not, You Alone Sai, SadhGuru Sai Alone!”
This act of surrender is the best act of gratitude, gratitude for the Supreme Master, who had 95 years ago descended only to help lift each one of us to the same status, unto Him, Him Alone!
Let this be the intense affirmation on this day, for our Beloved Sai as the ChidagniKunda, The Infinite Power-Packed Consciousness Within, as He Is ever waiting with arms wide open, for that infinitely priceless Eternal Embrace, the Embrace of Oneness Unto SadhGuru Sri Sathya Sai!
Are we ready? Are we ready to shun our egotistic existence with this best act of gratitude? This should be the question we should introspectively ask ourselves on this very day.
II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
Posted in Reflections, Sadhana - The Inward Path, Sadhana Aradhana, Straight From The Heart |
