Who is God?

November 15, 1992

Bhagavan called a Primary School student today, who wanted to show Swami something that he had written. Swami called another Higher Secondary School student and asked the small boy…

Swami: Who is this boy?

Student: Swami, we are all brothers.

Swami: Oh, is it? See, there are so many boys. Go with them. This boy is from Delhi. That boy is from Anantapur, and he is from Goa. Go with them.

Student: No, Swami, we are all Your children. I want to stay with You. Everything is in You. You are God.

Swami: Everything is in Me? You are also God. On a physical plane, you are Master, I am servant. On a mental plane, you are Real, I am Reflection. On the Atmic plane, You and I are one.

Student: Yes Swami, but we do not realise it.

Swami: How do you know that?

Student: Swami has said so. We must live our lives to realise this Truth.

Swami: What is life?

Student: Swami, life is a journey from ‘I’ to ‘WE’.

Swami: Life is a challenge; meet it. (Then Bhagavan and the boy alternately completed the saying)

Life is a game; play it.

Life is a dream; realise it.

Life is a challenge; meet it.

Pausing for a moment…

Swami:Who is God?

Student: Swami, You are God.

Swami: How do you know? Have you seen Rama or Krishna?

Student: Swami, I see Rama and Krishna in You.

Swami: Do you see them? Then tell Me, how does Rama look?

Student: Swami, He has curly hair, orange robe…

Swami: What about Krishna?

Student: Swami, Krishna also the same!

Swami: How can that be? See I have no flute like Krishna.

Student: But Swami is both Rama and Krishna to me. Swami is everything!

Swami then looked down at the book that the boy wanted to show to Swami and asked him,

Swami: What is this book? (Then Swami showed it to the other boys and said,)  See, how well he writes! (To the student) What is this? (Swami showed the boys the drawing and said) See, he has drawn Swami as ‘Sesha Shayana’ (reclining on the serpent Adi Sesha)! Do you know what this snake is called?

Student: Swami – Adi Sesha.

Swami: Yes! See, it is depicted with six open and four bent hoods. The six hoods signify the 'Arshadvargas’ – the six vices in man – Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, and Maatsarya. When these bend and surrender to God, God resides in their hearts. What are the ten heads of Ravana? They are not actually real heads. They are the six Shastras and the four Vedas, which Ravana had mastered. These are depicted as the ten heads.

Student: Swami is so compassionate that He forgives any number of our sins. Then why was Shishupala killed instead of being forgiven?

Swami: That is different. Shishupala and Dantavakra, Hiranyakashyap and Hiranyaaksha, Kamsa – these are all ‘special’ cases. Their actions were like that.

Student: Swami, but You have said that God is the doer and we are all His Instruments. Then what is fate and law of action?

Swami: That is what is called ‘Purusha-Prayatna’ – self-effort, though God is the cause, one must make his own effort also in order to achieve something. You may be given a plate of potato-chapati. But if you simply keep it in front of you and chant its name, you get nothing. Use your hands and mouth. Then alone you get the benefit.

Student: Swami, You have said that one must avoid bad company. But, in this world, who are we to judge what is good and what is bad? How can we then avoid ‘bad’ company?

Swami: You must not judge. You must keep in life as little connections as possible, with others. Whenever you hear unnecessary and too much talk or something wrong being done, you must leave that place and company at once. Your relations with everyone must be limited to ‘hello-hello’, ‘goodbye-goodbye’. Lesser the  connections, the better it is. ‘Less luggage, more comfort’. God is the only One with whom you should have connections.

Swami then looked at the boy and asked,

Swami: What is devotion?

Student: Swami, devotion is complete surrender.

Swami: What is surrender?

Student: Swami, surrender is to know that whatever Swami is doing is for our own good only. We must hence implicitly do whatever Swami tells us to do.

Swami: Then go to Bombay. Swami is telling. Go.

Student: Swami, when everything is in You, Bombay also is in You. So, I will stay with You!

Swami: See, I am so small! How can everything be in Me? See My hands – so small !

The boy caught Swami’s hands and said...

Student: Swami, these are everything! You can show the Vishvaroopa (cosmic form).

Swami: What is Vishvaroopa?

Student: Swami, it is the form that encompasses everything. It cannot be measured by anything.

Swami: (to other students) Listen to him. Learn from him!

Swami went to give Darshan. A few minutes later, Swami again came there and the boy caught Swami’s hands…

Student: Swami, please give me an interview.

Swami: Interview? This was all interview only. What do you want?

Student: Swami I want You only. I want to stay with You.

Swami: But what about studies…?

Student: Swami, You are everything. When I have You, I will have studies also.

Swami: Do you want Swami or studies?

Student: Swami, I want You! Everything is in You!

Then Swami mentioned several things to the boy – parents, Bombay, studies, friends etc. But the student’s reply was just.. “No, Swami! I want to be with You Swami. Keep me with You!”

Swami stopped speaking and looked deep into the boy’s eyes. He then slowly shook His Head and in a vibrant, deep awesome voice, said, “It is not so easy, sir. It is not so easy!”.

Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (1991-2000)