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Speech by Former Vice Chancellor
of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Sri S.V. Giri
(23rd June 2005) in the Divine Presence
Offering my most humble and loving
Pranams at the Divine Lotus Feet!
Revered elders, brothers and
sisters and dear students,
Bhagawan has
given me the rare opportunity to express my gratitude in public.
I do not know how I can really do justice, express myself
adequately. My sense of gratitude to whatever Swami has given
me. It is something like what Mr. Gokak just now mentioned. I
wish to share with you one incident. I have not really come out
with all this so far because I am very sure Swami would not like
his Vice Chancellor to be someone with some indifferent health.
Let me confess to you, this was way back in 1989 or so. The
present Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Mr. Venogopal Reddy and
myself were good friends. We went to a doctor. He examined both
of us, cleared Mr. Reddy and said, "You can go, but let Giri
stay for sometime. Then he put me through different tests and
finally said, "You have a problem and you will have to get
yourself operated upon for a heart surgery. I didn't know what
to say. It was an elective surgery.
There was no
problem. I took Swami's permission and just entered the hospital
and got through without any major problem. Someone who was doing
the cardiac operations here, operated on me. But sure enough,
within three years unfortunately four of my five bypasses had
got blocked. So, I got only one part of the artery functioning.
I came back to Swami and said, "This is what it is." Then He
said, "What is it, I asked you not to go last time when you
came. You went away." I said, "Swami, it was not an injunction
not to go, but I perhaps did not take leave of Swami adequately
and in a proper manner." He said, "It's alright, but then you
are not going to get operated upon." And in the state of
technology at that time, a second operation was 95% fatal. So,
the doctors put me on medicine and I continued with that. I must
tell you a revelation here. Someone who examined me a year ago
said, "It is a miracle that you are surviving because you are
under God's umbrella.
There is
absolutely no chance. But then, during the last six years which
I had spent which Bhagawan was gracious enough to confer on me.
I had absolutely no problem in terms of discharging my duties.
The energy levels were so high and with His benign grace I could
get through everything successfully. And recently, when I went
to East Godavari to see the water supply scheme, I could even
climb with this one coronary artery a hillock, inspect the
scheme and get down the valley. That's Bhagawan's grace.
Reminiscences are plenty, almost thirty years plus by now. And
yet every step I think that I distinctly recall, "Padhe, Padhe",
Swami guides you. It's not merely Yuge Yuge, that's what the
Vice Chancellor just now mentioned. He commanded that I be at
Delhi. This was one occasion when I had to come back on account
of certain major problems. That was the worst critical period in
my entire career. When I went back, there was no looking back at
all. It was a very steady rise, thanks only to Swami and all
gratefulness to Him. Only one instance I will cite. When I
resigned as the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), it was
something totally unprecedented, because no CVC had resigned
earlier. It creates a flutter if the CVC resigns because many
things are read within that. There would be quite a lot of
embarrassment. But Swami handled it so beautifully for me. There
was a report which the government accepted. So, the commission
had to be broad based.
The single
Central Vigilance Commissioner had to be replaced by a
commission. When I put in my resignation, the ground was
absolutely well prepared and there was no embarrassment to any
side and I could have a landing very, very smoothly. And
thereafter, it was entirely His guidance. I do see how different
this Institution, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.
How different it is from all the other universities in the
country. As Education Secretary, I had seen a large number of
universities. I had occasion to look at the functioning of the
universities in fair amount of detail. The type of education
which you get here is not obtainable elsewhere. You may get
information, but you will never get this transformation. Through
the process of moulding the young minds, there is an emphasis on
character building. Something where you internalise all the five
human values into yourself ? Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema, and
Ahimsa becomes part of you. That is the way you are trained in
this institute. You live those values, it is not merely
preaching those values and Swami's emphasis is always on
practise of values (Acharana). It is not merely Akara Manava
(human with form), but the Acharana Manava. You should be able
to practise what you say. That is the most important aspect.
That gets internalised in the persons. Hostel life is so
important. I have seen successive batches of boys moving out, as
they enter they are one type of people. As they go out, it is
altogether different. The three major items of emphasis in this
entire institution is service, society and faith. You really see
God only through society. It is not just direct relationship
between God and devotee which is not purely personal, but if are
able to see God it is only service to your fellowmen.
Serve your
fellowmen, then you are reaching God. You realise that you are
part of the total living system. A fruitfly is living just as a
man. But you have certain uniqueness. You realise that it is the
Advaitic principle that all living beings are manifestations of
the soul. But what is unique about man? Uniqueness about man is
in terms of his physical endowments. He has evolved, he has
acquired, there is a brain development. There is a development
of a limb, from a quadruped, he became biped. He stands on his
two legs, but his hands are free. Why are they free? They are
free to serve society. The brain is big, so that they think what
is good to the society. Speech (Vak) is very unique in the
entire system. No other animal or living being is able to speak.
You evolve language and you express your thoughts and through
the speech you endear yourself. Bhagawan say, speak obligingly.
"You may not be able to oblige, but you can speak obligingly."
That Madhuryam (sweetness) in expression and a certain harmony
among all the three unique features of man ? Thought, Word and
Deed. This Trikarana Shuddi of all the three unique faculties of
man which ought to be achieved. That's what Swami emphasises in
this system of education. And the hope is He looks to His
students as agents of transformation. If Swami liberates the
world, it is through his students mostly from the institute and
outside also. Everyone of us in that sense is a student. Many of
us regret why we were never given a chance to be Swami's student
formally. But in some cases, He guides those who happen to work
with Him, visibly, that is, directly or otherwise. Take that
guidance, turn the mind and keep focused on Swami. Then you are
able to receive those impulses and then act according to that
with absolute unshaken faith. That is most important. There is
no question of half believing and half not believing. No half
way believing with Swami at all. But then when the hand is
extended, take a firm hold of that and then be sure. One of the
very important statement which Swami makes, "There is no
question of leaving you, if you have caught hold of My hand,
stay with Me." There is no dropping half way through. Then you
are rewarded. What is the reward? Realising your own self is the
reward. Swami has said, He has not come to establish any
particular faith, but He makes you a better Christian, a better
Hindu, a better Muslim and so on. Thereby, the entire multi
faith character of our Institution, of those who pass through
this institution and those who come under the umbrella and
influence of Swami.
They transmit
these messages. So in this Kali Yuga, the exercise of
transformation, not just a conventional information. That is the
approach and that's where all of us are being privileged to be
blessed to partake. I have lots of things to say on the service
part of it, how a simple service really gets spiritualised in
terms of Seva in the highest sense. How things ought to be
given, how things ought to be done, how the students should
learn at the feet of the Guru? What are the guidelines for
learning, how learning is assisted, it is not so much teaching,
but making the students learn and learn truths which are higher
and higher. How from the grossest to the subtlest the mind is
assisted to progress. Several instances, I have lots of things
to say on these aspects. Many more occasions hopefully, I will
have to share these things. I am grateful to Swami for having
given this opportunity to share a few of my thoughts and I seek
His continued blessings.
Sai Ram
Source:
sssbpt.org
website
http://sssbpt.org/Pages/Specially/Memoirs_SVGiri.htm
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