Seva- Are you doing it right?

Seva in all its glory!

Chiran Basnet on Swami, Seva and Swami’s guidelines on seva.

“After browsing through some of the recent discussions on seva that I have seen pop up
on social media, I recollected reading a newspaper article about billionaire philanthropist
Azim Premji who through his Foundation, is said to have committed Rupees 9000 crores
for establishing 2 schools in every district of India.

(http://m.timesofindia.com/india/Azim-Premji-to-start-two-free-schools-in-every-
district/articleshow/10536039.cms).

The foundation aimed to establish 1300 schools that would focus on the overall
development of the students, including their health and nutrition. They expected the 1,300
schools to be up and running by 2025. Their first set of schools began operations in mid-
2012 and are located in the following states (districts): Uttarakhand (Udham Singh
Nagar, Uttarkashi), Rajasthan (Tonk, Sirohi), Karnataka (Yadgir) and Chhattisgarh
(Dhamtari).

How extraordinary! Naturally a thought cropped into my mind that an Azim Premji with
a stroke of his pen has committed more funds than what has been achieved at Puttaparthy
and without doubt what the subtle phenomena is running around to achieve! A mortal
with a mere stroke of pen can do more than the Avatar, alive or subtle?

Over the years a great deal of conversation has happened between the Subtle phenomena
believers and non-believers. The interactions are mainly on social media and to some
extent personally. A great many questions have been asked by us the non-believers on
various issues concerning the subtle phenomena. The questions have been genuine and
based on the Life, Teachings, Cautions and Dignity of Swamy’s way of life and
Philosophy.
Here are the questions asked and the summary of answers received from the subtle
followers:

Q. Swamy said He never needs medium. He said the relationship is Heart to Heart as He
is the resident of all Hearts. How does the hitherto unknown subtle phenomenon barge
in?

A. They are building school and hospitals.

Q. How come you are following almost a cult that is operating and existing in cross
purpose with the Organization set up by Swamy Himself? Swamy spoke of unity and
oneness of purpose among Sai devotees. Why create a breakaway group and disunity?

A. They are building school and hospitals.

Q. Swamy was particular that on no account money be solicited for Sai activity. If our
intentions are pure the fund will come itself. How come the subtle mentors are going
worldwide soliciting funds and fleecing innocent devotees in the name of our impeccable
Swamy and against His unequivocal guidance?

A. They are building school and hospitals.

Q. Why is Madhu grossly imitating Swamy? What is the purpose of mockery and horrid
imitation such as the mockery of the auspicious Lingodhbhavam? Why is he even signing
as Swamy? Does he want to say to the world that Swamy is possessing him?

A. They are building school and hospitals.

Q. What is the purpose of continuous degradation of the organization set up and nurtured
by Swamy in Puttaparthy by the subtle mentor? Why have they have stooped as low as to
undermine the Mahima of the Mahasamadhi? Why this disrespect?

A. They are building school and hospitals.

Q. Any and every other questions and doubts that has been put forth: Why, When How?

A. They are building school and hospitals.

‘They are building school and hospitals’! Over the years the answers received for all
valid questions is the same hilarious and adamant ‘they are building school and
hospitals’! Why? Why can’t the subtle mentors and followers come up with better
answer? I am sure they will never come with any other answer in future either. What is
the reason? The simple reason is that they and their activities do not have a single
reference to the Sai Guidance and Philosophy.

‘They are building school and hospitals’! To the subtle followers the phrase ‘they are
building school and hospitals’ alone invalidates the entire spirit of Sai’s life and Message.
It does not matter what Swamy said! It does not matter how Swamy said! It does not
matter why Swamy said! The entirety of Swamy’s Life and Teachings are mere footnotes
to the subtle followers not even worth a glance! The abject illusion of the subtle darkens
their minds and hearts, discrimination and conscience like an eclipse. The subtle is the
new God and 85 years of Avatarhood is an expired item. The new era is the one of
subtle, of building more schools and more hospitals.

‘They are building school and hospitals’! How are they building school and hospitals?
They are doing so by trampling upon the essential guidance of Sai, His clear philosophy
on ways and means to seva. But is Sai’s guidance necessary when the school and
hospitals can be built without following them? Is the end only paramount as compared to
the means? Yes, for the subtle followers. But a big No according to Our Swamy.

On the importance of Seva, Swamy says:

“The Organisations named after Me are not to be used for publicizing My name or
creating a new cult around My worship. They must render sevā (selfless service) to the
helpless, the sick, the distressed, the illiterate and the needy. Their sevā should not be
exhibitionistic. It must seek no reward, not even gratitude or thanks from the recipients.
Sevā is sādhanā (spiritual discipline) not a pastime of the rich and well-placed. Each one
must realise his or her own truth. That is the purpose of all the teaching, all the curing,
all the counseling, all the organising, all the advising that I do.”

(SSS 8.6: February 23, 1968)

It is not merely the service that counts but the how the course of service is dharmic.

“Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema and Ahimsa are in us like the paṇcha prāñas (five
vital airs). We think that the five prāñas (prāña, apāna, uḍāna, samāna and vyāna) are
protecting this body. But it is Truth, Right Conduct, Love, Peace and Non-violence which
give real happiness to the body. These are the real paṇcha prāñas. In no circumstances
should these five vital principles be departed from or given up. Render service to society
with these principles in your mind and with broad-minded dedication to the wellbeing of
all. That alone will please Sai.”

(SSS 18.22: November 17, 1985)

And even before your Bhakthi (devotion) ripens, you strive to lead others, you collect
donations and subscriptions and plan mandirs (temples) and sangams (associations); all
this is mere show, which brings spiritual loss, rather than spiritual gain.

When you start publicity you descend to the level of those who compete in collecting
clientele, decrying others and extolling themselves. Where money is calculated and
garnered, and exhibited to demonstrate one's achievements, I will not be present. I come
only where sincerity, faith and surrender are valued."

- Bhagawan Baba’s Discourse on 15th Oct 1964, Prasanthi Nilayam

"Sathya Sai Speaks", Vol. - IV, Chapter - 35. Page: 210

Who is our ideal for Seva, who is Our Hero and guide. Swamy says:

"You can observe Me and My activities; note how I adhere to righteousness, moral order,
truth and universal compassion. That is what I desire you to learn from Me. Many of you
plead for a 'Message' from Me, to take to the Samithi (Sai centre) of which you are
members. Well, My life is My message. You will be adhering to My message if you so live
that your lives are evidence of the dispassionate quiet, the courage, the confidence, the
eagerness to serve those who are in distress, that My life inspires you with."
From Bhagawan’s Discourse on the occasion of World Conference of the Sri Sathya
Sai Deva Organisations, in Mumbai, on 17th May, 1968.

‘Sathya Sai Speaks’ Vol – V111, Chapter -19, page 96-97.

The questions therefore to be asked is does the subtle phenomena adhere to His
righteous ways and His dictum ' My Life is My Message '?

Please note above, Swamy’s vital guidance on seva. The seva must have basis on Sathya
and Dharma before anything. The conduct and the basis of service, done by
Muddenahalli, does not match the essential guidelines of Sai which is based on Sathya
and Dharma and neither does it come in within His guidelines of the dharmic ways of
funding such seva. It in fact has all the elements of what Swamy disassociates seva with
when He says, “The Organisations named after Me are not to be used for publicizing My
name or creating a new cult around My worship.”

Going around the world in first class travel with begging bowl, asking devotees to bear
expenses, soliciting funds by using subtle trickery and imitations, telling gullible devotee
to sell property for buying expensive cars, etc. are a pathetic disregard of Sai's Spirit of
Sathya and Dharma in Seva.

The question now to be answered is can an Azim Premji with a stroke of his pen do more
than the Avatar Himself? ‘No’, if you are a Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthy followers. A
big ‘Yes’ if you are Muddenahalli subtle followers.

‘They are building school and hospitals’! If that is the mission statement of the Avatar
according to subtle followers and the mentors then obviously Azim Premji has easily
outmatched them. I assure you that the subtle with all its hoopla cannot replicate what
Azim Premji foundation will achieve. Never!

For us devotees however, Azim Premji with a stroke of his pen can never outdo the
Avatar Himself. Azim Premji without doubt will achieve immortality due to this
extraordinary gesture and various other philanthropy that his foundation undertakes. It
will be difficult for other mortals to replicate and he may even overshadow all the mortals
but not the Avatar. Why? Because the Avatar did not come just to establish school
and hospitals.

Therefore, it’s important to understand why the Avatar came. I will only discuss the
Avataric purpose vis a vis Seva. His entire life Swamy emphasized on seva to be done by
one and all. It is essential to understand the spirit and purpose of seva as extolled by
Swamy. Swamy has summarised seva as “It is not what you do as seva, it is what seva
does to you”.

What He essentially meant is the energy and vibe a superior dharmic selfless seva brings
about in individual and society at large. Seva not only improves the situation of the
beneficiary but primarily helps the spiritual progress of the benefactor and improves the
good energy of the environment and the world we live in as a whole. Therefore, it is not
merely the size and grandeur of seva that makes it worthwhile. It has to fulfill the
essential conduct and basis of seva to make its larger purpose of goodness manifest.

As much as we see the seva of Muddenahalli benefit others we are also assured that since
such seva don’t match the guidelines of Sai they will be merely viewed as a larger
nefarious purpose to destroy and dismantle the spirit of Sai's world.

The propagation and promotion of the subtle phenomena by Muddenahalli unfortunately

has far greater destructive effects than any benefits which they so excitedly detail in their
writings. They merely are imitating Sai lifetime actions to rope in more people to their
fold. Obviously, they have to show seva to keep themselves in the game of subtle
business. But beware, behind the veil of these seva activities they verily want to trample
the vital energies put in place by the Avataric mission of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

The kind of extraordinary split, extreme hatred amongst erstwhile Sai fraternity, the
nervousness and confusion that permeates the Sai world due to the Subtle phenomena and
so on are only the beginning of the mission of whoever that guides the Muddenahalli
mentors and propagators.

‘They are building schools and hospitals’. This is not the purpose of Avatar in any form.
Sai does not want us to build mere school and hospitals. WE MISS THE POINT that
what Swamy wants us to achieve is the energy that brings about the change. The
energy that propels people like Azim Premji to declare such extraordinary projects.
The good and moral energy that inspired Azim Premji to announce such extraordinary
mission. Azim Premji might have been influenced by the sight of a poor man sharing his
food with another poor man. Such sacred selfless energy and sacrifice that goes up in our
environment inspires many to do similar selfless service. It is not and it does not have to
be done with the unnecessary grandeur, fanfare and propaganda like the Subtle
phenomenon of Muddenahalli.

If the vital energy that is achieved by essentially following the unequivocal dictum and
philosophy of Sai is trampled and disrespected by the Muddenahalli people in creation of
the structures of schools and hospitals then it does more damage than the measurable
service that may be achieved. The energy that made Azim Premji do this seva is far
superior than the adharmic Muddenahalli projects that is not based on their own
Guru and God’s ideals. When Adharmic means such as adopted by Muddenahalli is
resorted to fulfill their ends, it attacks the very essential energies that inspire people like
Azim Premji.

‘They are building school and hospitals’! I pity those Muddenahalli subtle followers
whose latest mantra is ‘they are building school and hospitals only’. I also feel sorry for
Muddenahalli non-believers who extol their seva fronts without understanding the larger
issue of energy play that comes with Dharmic and Adharmic conduct. Yes, by all means
Swamy extols us to establish schools and hospitals. We must selflessly and tirelessly
work for any seva for our own emancipation. But we must understand that the energy
created by our sacrifice and selflessness is what Swamy wished for more than just
the creation of the schools and hospitals. And if any creation comes out of adharmic
means it negates the pure energy that Swamy wants the world to pervade with.
Muddenahalli subtle phenomena with its begging bowl and adharmic means are the very
antithesis of this pure energy that Sai wishes us to create.

I worked for the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust for over a decade doing accounting work
and I worked in the donation office as well.
I have day in and day out witnessed the absolute love, sacrifices and contributions of the
humble ordinary devotees in my office. The Muddenahalli subtle phenomena is
continuously and abrasively trying to portray and eulogise the big guns that have fallen in
Muddenahalli gutter as the only people that made the service mission of Swamy possible.
Their agenda is to continuously praise these devotees’ contribution so much so that they
are ready to lower the dignity of Swamy as someone who was all the time begging for
donations from these high-profile people. Yes, these devotees have done major
contributions but it was out of their love and spirit of sacrifice and not due to pressure or
direct solicitation from Swamy. There are hundreds of high profile donors apart from
Tigrett and Ram Shetty but Muddenahalli are unable to trap them and further lower
Swamy's dignity by creating preposterous stories of how He solicited funds from them
too.

The purpose of eulogizing these few donors in the Muddenahalli fold seem to attract
other gullible people that they must contribute to Muddenahalli projects even by
sacrificing their basic comforts and necessities. They accuse Swamy of always doing that
in order to influence these gullible devotees. How more can they degrade Swamy for
their nefarious purpose is beyond any one’s imaginations?

The criteria for donation to Swamy was not rich or poor but only love and spirit of
sacrifice. We have seen Swamy reject massive donations from many people. We have
also witnessed Swamy accepting coins from the poor. Swamy's judgement was the
criteria for donations not your status. To degrade our Swamy of such impeccable
understanding and wisdom is the biggest crime of Muddenahalli subtle phenomena and
its followers.

People were sending Rupee 1 or Rupees 2 as money order. Swamy's instruction was to
send Prasadam to all donors. So, even a Rupee 1 donor would receive Prasadam in a
Rupees 5 envelope. That is Swamy for you who knows the love and sincerity of the
devotee sending Rupee 1 donation.
The greatest donation I have witnessed is not from Ram Shetty or Tigrett even though
they made major contributions out of love and sacrifice. The greater and humbling
donations have come from lesser people. A student who has stopped his desire for
chips, cool drinks and condiments for a year to send money for the Sri Sathya Sai
Drinking Water project. His contribution of Rupees five thousand is in no way
lesser than that of Tigrett because it is not the amount but the spirit of sacrifice that
creates the vibration and energy in the world that is important. If ever Sai begged He
begged for this spirit of sacrifice and not huge funds.

The most humbling donations I have received is the donation of a poor nondescript man
that came to my office. This was the best donation I have received in over a decade. As
the man approached my table, seeing his demeanour and ragged clothes I thought he will
say he lost his money and needs some money to go home. Such people appeared once a
while at our office. I already made that judgement on the poor elderly man with a dark
ragged countenance. But before he sat down, he handed over to me a bundle wrapped in a
handkerchief. As I opened the kerchief I realized it was a bundle of a hundred thousand
rupees. I was amazed. Then he spoke. He said he was a railway cleaner and that was his
provident fund, or his life time savings. He was from a poor village of Bihar and in Hindi
he said ' jiska hai usiko dene aya' or ' I came to hand over to whom it belongs'. I was
left in tears.

Whereas I am not disparaging the great contributions of Tigrett and Ram Shetty that
Muddenahalli use as examples now to fleece people, I am only trying to make aware
the extraordinary projects of Swamy have been equally made possible by the
extraordinary love and sacrifices of one and all, both rich or poor.

Let it be known to Muddenahalli mentors and followers that if Sai ever begged or
solicited this is what he solicited: Love, sacrifice and intensity. Like Lord Krishna, He
begged for beaten rice from poor friend Sudhama, like Lord Rama, He begged for fruits
of love from Sabari, like He sought the help of Kewat to cross the river. Then and now
He still solicits our love and sacrifice done with spirit of humility and non-doer ship. That
is what He seeks that is all He cherishes. Not your wealth not your fame not your ego.
Our love and sacrifice for Sai seeing Him in all and doing seva creates the vital energy
which Avatar cherished. For it is this energy that liberates you and me.”

Jai Sai Ram.