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How Sai became Atlanta's Swami

ATLANTA DIARY | Meeta Chaitanya Bhatnagar
Online source:http://www.hindustantimes.com
June 7, 2005

When you are ready, Swami, or the teacher appears -
this is a maxim that has as many sources of origin as
it has interpretations.

Atlanta was ready for the appearance of (or as close
to it as one could muster) Sri Sathya Sai Baba -
Swami, Baba, Sai Ram to his followers and a
humanitarian to all those who know about his life and
works.

The Atlanta chapter of 'The Sri Sathya Sai
Organization', a non-profit, global, spiritual
organisation devoted to practising the message of
Sathya Sai, organised a public meeting on his
exemplary life, teachings, and social endeavours in
the fields of education, medicine and public service
on Saturday, June 04, 2005 at the prestigious Cobb
Galleria.

The programme that was open to all and that
specifically refrained from monetary solicitation of
any kind was enthusiastically welcomed by the
followers of Sathya Sai here in Atlanta as also others
who espoused avid interest in learning more about this
visionary leader and relentless 'servant of all
humanity' as he calls himself.

The two-hour long event included messages from two
eminent speakers - Dr Samuel Sandweiss and Dr Philip
Gosselin, and screening of a film which focuses on the
humanitarian projects of Sathya Sai Baba in Andhra
Pradesh.

Dr Philip Gosselin, a psychologist in private practice
and former Director of Behavioural Medicine at
Franklin Medical Centre, MA, has been a member of the
Sathya Sai Baba Central Council of the United States
since its inception in 1975. He currently serves as
its President.

Gosselin, who spent two years in Sathya Sai's Ashram
in the early 1970s, spoke about the compelling need of
Sai's devotees to spread his message of universal
love. He spoke about the amazing grace of his Swami as
he calls Sai, in encouraging people to become better
individuals following the faith they choose to follow.
He said, "Swami asks Christians to be better
Christians, Hindus to be better Hindus...The only
religion he says, is that of Love."

Dr Samuel Sandweiss, the second speaker, is an
assistant clinical professor in the Department of
Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego
School of Medicine and has been a practicing
psychiatrist for 35 years. Sandweiss is on the Sathya
Sai Baba Council since 1975 as well. He is also the
author of the book 'Sai Baba: The Holy Man and the
Psychiatrist'.

Sandweiss spoke of his own personal metamorphosis from
an enquirer into a devotee and of the tangible,
external works that have been conceived and overseen
by the holy leader.

His talk was followed by the screening of the film,
'His Work'. The meeting was organised with the
precision and humility that comes from truly believing
in what one does. Even though it was a quasi-spiritual
gathering, it remained imbued with subtle dignity due
to the conscientious lack of overt campaigning or
canvassing. For the Diaspora, many of whom do believe
in the saintliness of Sai, the meeting was indicative
of honour bestowed upon an Indian teacher, leader, and
guru if you will 10,000 miles away from home, by
people who are not Indian by birth but by choice.

The meeting was more than a spiritual platform for the
preaching of the faith fostered by the pious leader
from Puttaparthy and even the most stoic of listeners
was moved by the sheer simplicity and simultaneous
poignancy of the message of this Swami (or teacher) -
for that is the aspect that stands out most
significantly about him - the fact that he can inspire
millions of people across the world to the most
fundamental of all positive human actions - service to
all - without any didactic pretentiousness.

Many of us look for an elusive, complex, utterly
fascinating and decidedly esoteric answer to the
puzzle that life is. We look towards scriptures and
sects, religion and ritual, Sanskrit and the Delphi
for answers to questions that are beyond the physics
of ordinary comprehension. Whether or not we find them
in our own faith or lack of it - this man, who is all
but 5-feet tall and who hails from a rudimentary
village hundred miles off the outsourcing capital of
the world has not only found his own centre but has
also drawn many relentless believers in the creed of
humanity towards and beyond himself.

In an age of prudential scientific questioning and
enduring practicality, some say it is hard enough to
find God - the omnipresent. To be smitten by a man -
albeit an extraordinary man - is therefore perplexing
and fascinating at once. Whether or not he is God
incarnate is indeed debatable, but that he is godly is
beyond question. To question as we do is human, to do
what he does is divine - even for humans.

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