Seva - A true transformation

Puttaparthi is such a place where divine environment really makes you feel like you are connected with swami, a place where lord of the universe did descend so that mankind could ascend, a place where lord chose to walk the earth, where celestial beings roam around, which is an enigma, a mystery, an ocean of compassion, and which is beyond comprehension, a place where I could go countless times and every time I return, my heart yearns to go back once again - one more time.
To anyone who visits Prashanthi Nilayam, the abode of Baba, the sight of “Sai Ram” – wishing scarf – clad sevadal is a refreshing sight in a world filled with object materialism. Be it in Sai Kulwant Hall, the canteen, the hospital, the museum, the university or the bakery, men and women drawn from all walks of life and from all over India render service with expectation of virtually nothing from those who get served by them.

Service is the highest spiritual discipline. Prayer and meditation, or knowledge of scripture and Vedanta (Holy Scriptures of India), cannot help you reach the goal as quickly as service can. Service has a double effect: it extinguishes the ego and gives bliss. – Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Out of the billions of people on earth, only a few million know about Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Out of these, only a few believe in HIS divinity and worship Him. Even among those who know and believe in Him, very few get the opportunity to experience Him. Only a few of who experience him have the opportunity to serve in Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation. And only very few in them get the wonderful opportunity to serve in Prashanthi Nilayam. Swami recently blessed me with an opportunity to be a sevadal in Parthi. Though I knew the spirit of being a sevadal, the significance of doing seva, it is an altogether a life changing experience when you really are in those shoes. Prashanthi Nilayam is a divine workshop, spiritual platform given by beloved Bhagawan.

Service is the highest spiritual practice than Japa, Thapa and Yajna. Seva dal are my messengers. Many brothers and sisters are participating in Prashanthi Nilayam service by my grace and invitation only - For transforming self and to transform the world! – Sri Sathya Sai Baba

 When my Sai brother NS told me about the opportunity, I started counting days to go to Parthi. I said a prayer everyday to Swami to make my project smooth, to take care of all other issues in personal front so that I for sure go to PARTHI. The day did arrive and I travelled to PARTHI as planned.

Parthi is no new place to explore, with no exotic cuisine to try. But it is a place where my soul is. I become a child when I go to Parthi. The happiness and peace you get the moment you step into the place is something that can’t be described in words. Your mood lightens and the spirit brightens the moment you reach Parthi. My heart leaped up for joy and I was almost paralyzed with happiness when I heard that I would do my seva in Kulwant hall. Though doing seva in canteen, in culvert gate and Kulwant hall are no different, my agyana told me that swami has called me right to his lap to spend the next 7 days with him.

On arrival at Parthi, I got to know that I would be sharing my accommodation with another brother CKSP who works in the same company as mine – An unassuming amiable understanding sympathetic guy 😊 Sevadals allocated to Kulwant hall were divided into different sub groups to do different activities. I was allocated the duty of manning the general gate in Kulwant hall. I was a gate boy 😊 ( Do you know the other team names ? - Poll boys, mike boys, VIP gate boys, Samathi Boys, Veranda boys, bell boys 😊). My work ranged from locking and unlocking the gates, helping regulate the crowd, sanitizing people coming in, maintaining social distancing, maintaining decency and decorum of the place, registering the foot falls every day. We were a team of 7 from different backgrounds, with different upbringing, having different levels of qualifications, doing all together different professions, talking different languages. The only thing that I had in common with them is “ love for Swami”. And is that not sufficient for them to become a part of my family ?

Typical day at Prashanthi Nilayam starts when my brother CKSP - The bell boy of Kulwant hall😊, wakes me up at 3:30 am. As we go to Kulwant hall to attend Omkar and Suprabatham at 4:00am, the sun would still be in deep sleep. Oh what a divine start for the day.. We would reach the kulwant hall at 4:10am.My day started with Japa, namasmarana waiting for the Omkaram and Suprabatham to start with the bell sound. Listening to God’s glory when the rising sun casts a rosy hue across the morning sky, you stand witnessing the group singing lord's name and Glory in Nagarsankeerthan, when golden fingers of sunlight lights up the scene – This is what I call as bliss.

After a hot breakfast at 6:30 am ( Upma that they serve in sevadal canteen – to me is more delicious than the dishes in any 5 star hotel. I just love it 😊 ), I would rush to kulwant hall to open all the gates,  sanitize the area. And then we would have 1 hour with my sai brothers for a wonderful satsang about swami. I did not know Kannada and they did not know English. But still - we spoke. Does love have language? Sharing experiences and swami’s thoughts, one hour from 7 am to 8 am would pass in a jiffy.  

We were a team not just because we worked together, but because we all trusted each other, we all respected each other, we all loved each other, we cared for each other. Above all, we all loved Swami. Everyone from the leadership to the youngest sevadal made genuine attempt to please Swami with all their hearts thrown in.

 I thought the work was simple. Can’t a project manager who is managing a team everyday, who is working with people from different corners of the world man a gate ? – JUST A GATE ? That was my thought at first. But it was a life transforming experience. An experience Swami knew that I badly needed. Deep down I know why Swami gave me that work. My ego got me into trouble. People shout at you, throw their masks at you, yell at you, disrespect you for no mistake of yours. But what sevadal had to show them is nothing but PURE LOVE – Love that we derive from swami. Designation, Education, Skills, Status – nothing matters. What matters is how you love others, how you see swami in everyone – no matter what others do to you. I got an ego death – a complete loss of subjective self-identity. 7 days taught me to let things go, helped me surrender completely to God, showed me the way to truly love. These 7 days truly transformed me from within.

By the time you clean the hall after dharshan, dappled sun would be shining through the trees creating mysterious shadow. After a lunch break and a siesta, we would be back in Kulwant hall at 3:30pm doing the designated activity till 7:30pm. After Dinner with sai brothers, long walk looking up at the blanket of stars that stretched to infinity, talking about Swami and his leelas till 10:30 pm brought the day to an end. 

7 days in Parthi seemed like 7 hours. None of us wanted to leave Swami and return to our worlds. It is interesting that when we leave a place we love, we remind ourselves of what we can part with. Swami offers us something new to look forward to. Oh yeah, in reality, you never leave a place you love. You take a part of it with you. These 7 days in Parthi will be etched in my memory forever. I only hope Swami is happy with whatever we did for those 7 days.

 

Oh Swami,

Thank you for the chance

Thank you for loving me despite my shortcomings

I pray for your guidance and protection

Direct my path and teach me the right things to do

Let my words thoughts and actions be ones that bring honor to you.

Be with me – Be with me – Be with me.

Sairam