Why did I change my working pattern?

I am a result-oriented person. I choose the methodology most suitable for obtaining results. I have been changing my pattern of working from time to time. In 1992, I declared, ‘I am that, beyond attaining which there is nothing else to seek. You seek and attain or you ripen in your search; either way what you attain will be Me’. Yet, recently I started saying, ‘I am not a Mahaan. I am not God. I am not an Avatara Purusha (incarnation).’ Which one of my statements is untrue: what I stated in 1992 or in 2001? I proclaimed that I was that God, whose vision sages do not gain even after several eons of penance. Why do I now call myself a social service person?  

I know myself very well. But I descend to your level of understanding. There is a beautiful anecdote. A candidate applies for a job, ‘I hold a Doctorate degree from this University…’ in correct English. His application gets rejected on the grounds that his qualification is too high for the post. He applies again projecting himself as a candidate holding a Masters Degree, and this time his letter has a couple of deliberate mistakes. He gets rejected again. He applies repeatedly with the same result. Finally he writes a letter filled with grammatical mistakes, saying he has studied upto seventh grade, and does not have experience. He is appointed! This story sounds funny but this is the state of affairs in today’s society.

I said I am God. I furnished you evidences: the blue flame emanating from my forehead, the white flame, the sun and moon in my eyes. I revealed so many divine forms in fire. I explained the divine marks on my palms and the soles of my feet. So many astrologers and Nadi specialists were amazed by the readings of my horoscope and Nadi (astrological predictions contained in palm leaf scripted by ancient saints). Yet people refused to believe. They were distracted by my physical appearance, they questioned my casual appearance, my dance, why people offered me poojas, and I answered every question patiently. I gave no room for any confusion to persist. So many years have passed by and yet they continue to question. What do I, the Divinity gain by convincing them? I know I am God. The praise or scorn of society does not affect me. But I have to reach across to the people, because that is the task I have set for myself. So I came down to saying ‘I render social service’. Now everyone has started declaring, ‘There is none to match Baba. So much service he does for society; he has an old age home, a school, a hospital. He distributes free food to everyone who visits his institution.’ This is the language society understands. Mine is a higher language. But people prefer only a language suited to their level of understanding.

I asserted that my very touch could cure people of terminal diseases too. Society ridiculed me despite various proofs. They were not prepared to accept even the statements of specialists like the Neuro Surgeon Dr. Ramamurthy. Society is not prepared to accept anything that comes for free. So I stopped using my energy for curing people. Instead I established a free medical cell at Samratchana. When people come to me complaining of illnesses, I send them to the doctors here.

So many such things I performed at a higher state of divine energy. I was forced to speak the language of society. I can sing Thyagaraja Kritis (Thyagaraja was a renowned music composer; Kritis: songs), but the society is more interested in local jazz.

My methods have been result-oriented, tuning themselves to the contemporary times and the expectations of society without compromising on ethics. This type of adjustment has not been possible for the saints of yore and the present day gurus. But I have achieved this.

Look at this from another angle. Observe Samratchana in terms of organizational management or discipline: have you ever seen any other organization managed this way? Not possible in ancient times, because those were non-management days. Ours is the only spiritual organization that is run on a corporate management style. If you doubt my words, visit all spiritual establishments and then you will accept what I say is true.

Volunteers manage this organization; there is no paid staff here. Samratchana is run on practical commonsense management. Other saints find it difficult to mingle with the common people; they are trapped in the golden prison of formal rituals. I am one with the people. Everything that happens here comes to my knowledge. I am accessible to everyone. I know everyone personally; I know your strengths and weaknesses. So I am able to mould each one of you.

In other establishments, the spiritual heads do not know their devotees; they are always surrounded by some ‘elitist’ people. I know each one of you, right from who is adept in which song! No other spiritual establishment has learnt the art of volunteer service management like we have done. None else has mastered the technique of all-in-all spiritual management. We are a synergetic combination of everything that is good and of healthy organizational methods.

It is a special skill. And divine power is required to achieve this. Nothing can be accomplished by mere skill. There may be others with my type of qualification who may have travelled places like I have done. There may be perseverant workers, and public relations experts. But then, the power of penance is required to achieve what I have done. This does not happen to everyone. Like Thyagaraja (the music composer) implores Rama, ‘Grant me the bliss of serving you and also the fruit of my penance across various births’, it is the strength of my penance across ages that is helping me accomplish my mission

Take this instance. Someone gifted Samratchana a fig tree. We planned to install a kodi maram (dhvajasthambham; temple flagpole) in our temple at Kelambakkam (Chennai). The very next day, one of our volunteers fetched a sthapathi (temple architect). The sthapathi felt that a taller tree would suit the temple better. Any other spiritual head would have ordered for it through some middleman. I asked a volunteer who visits the forest office daily, to find availability of a suitable tree. I sent a similar message through one of our other volunteers to a retired forest officer in Mahendragiri hills (at Tirunelveli district in TamilNadu). Actually, I gave this task to six people. The retired officer from Mahendragiri informed me that such a tree can be obtained very easily at Nagercoil (another district in TamilNadu) for thirty thousand rupees inclusive of transport, and further requested me to accept this service as his contribution to our temple. One of the first estimates I received was for two and a half lakhs, see what a vast difference: more than eight times.

Any other spiritual establishment would have purchased a kodi maram for two and a half lakhs. Siva Shankar Baba, being a spiritualist with management skills, knows to delegate, and takes his decisions after considering all options.

This is the difference between Siva Shankar Baba, and the saints and gurus of yore and the contemporary ones.

Baba's replies for other questions continue next week....

<<<<Previous

Next>>>>>