Letters from India

4. Convocation & Birthday 1984

Convocation & Birthday 1984

November 24, 1984 

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Wonderful Peoples,

Facts of India: ladies wear pins to keep their saris in place (one, two, even three!). (I don’t, can’t see any reason to!)

#2: Indians don’t know how to eat with their fingers! Yes it’s true. They scoop up all their food in all their fingers, and it runs down their entire hand so they have great difficulty getting it in their mouth! no wonder I always had an easy time eating with my fingers – I do it differently! I eat with only two fingers and the thumb, that way it stays on the tips and doesn’t run at all. Clean fingers and just about as much food in the mouth as the sad, pitiful Indian way. Maybe I should start a fad… :-)

Soo much is happening around here! It’s all excitement and joy. We’re getting dizzy from all the Darshans; it’s wonderful!

The 21st was probably the “big end” to the Seva conference, although on the 24th there’s to be a farewell address and “Divine Blessings” to all the delegates. There’s rumor that Sai will do as He did at the Bal Vikas Teacher’s Conference last December: give all the ladies saris and let each one touch His Feet. I don’t know though, especially for us Americans who do such little seva.

People are really lucky who have dreams of Sai, and let me repeat what others have said, by saying that He does will them and it is really Him in them. How else could people who have never seen Sai, have dreams of Him and then when they do come to Puttaparthi, they find Sai to be exactly the same as in their dreams? The only difference is that here it’s like having dream of Sai, close and real, four or more times every day! That’s when you begin to think of Grace, it’s like a fantasy land, seeing Sai so much, experiencing Him, just unbelievable

22 November Thursday: Today is the “Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning”. All Sai’s students are here: they all look super-clean, with neat short hair, dressed all in white and they look like pure angels. Their whole life is serving God and loving Sai completely. What a nation India will be when Sai’s boys will run the country! Already many are in positions of “power” and are influencing all around.

Anyhow I of course came at 7:15 AM to get a semi-good seat in the Poornachandra for the convocation celebrations at 10 AM. 26th row, but that’s my fault for not coming earlier. :-)

Sai appeared in a beautiful, shiny silk white robe! He looked beautiful for His boys, who think of Him as the Divine Mother. Sai radiated love and warmth and beauty itself! He is so kind and totally compassionate to His students, no wonder they’re so devoted and pure!

I was near Sai’s walking path so I could see Him really well. A band was playing, marching in front of Him (and in back of Him) into the hall, tall men in uniforms and huge instruments, and little white-robed Divine Mother Sai in the middle – what a scene to behold!!

Sai went on stage and sat in the middle chair of seven throne-like red chairs on stage. Several vice-chancellors and people like that there filled the other chairs. Then, one by one, the students were called up and given their degrees. For each and every one, the band played as the student went on stage. Baba Himself handed each their degree, a certificate, and then stood by each on as a picture was taken. Then the students fell at Sai’s feet. For the best all-around male student, Sai created a ring on stage for him.

After all that (loud clapping accompanied each degree given – what love abounded!), Sai slowly left the stage. As He was coming up the walkway towards me, I was just enjoying it all and thinking how beautiful, beautiful Sai looked in His white robe. He suddenly turned towards me and gave the sweetest look, as if saying, “You’re enjoying this aren’t you, you really like seeing me in this robe?” I answered Him in my mind, “Yes! You look sooo nice!”