God, Avathar & Politics

by Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam

(March 22, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I respond to the article ‘Baba drawn into politics?’ published in yesterday’s Sri Lanka Guardian.

The article says ‘According to the Tamil news website Neruppu.com, Bahawan Sri Sathya Saibaba will be visiting Sri Lanka in May 2011 on the invitation of the President Dr Mahinda Rajapakse.

According to the news he will be accompanied by about 1,000 persons to provide security and help for him.

Will frail Baba visit the North and East of Sri Lanka and bless the war victims and also visit the plantation sector in the central hill-lands and say some words of solace to the exploited Tamil workers living in line houses for centuries.’

These questions are asked about the Human side of Baba and not about the Avathar – Divine Reincarnation. I believe that each one of us has all three sides to ourselves – Divinity; Goodness and Materialism – in this instance God, Avatar & Politics; or Governance, Administration and Politics.

Lord Krishna whom we believe was also God on earth before Baba, was actively into Politics. Rama before Krishna is known for His Good Governance.

If we take a person only at the Material level – then we would tend to be driven by what happens at the physical level. If we desire what happens to be to our liking, we are likely to push and sometimes even enforce for them to happen. What happens at the physical level, needs to be interpreted in global consciousness for us to feel free of material attachments. Hence the independent objective measures in Democracy.

At Goodness level – we are driven by the Goodness in what happens rather than what happens at the physical level alone / facts. The goodness in what happens would confirm our own goodness each time we identify with it through what happens. We would tend to prevent pollution of our goodness by badness – also through the ‘other side’ of what happens. Badness at the active level – is merely a cost. When extended beyond that active level they cost us our freedom. Then they become badness.

At Divinity level – We would feel ‘free’ of good and bad but help others balance the equation to convert badness into ‘lessons learnt’ and develop Goodness with that determination through lesson learnt as our foundation. I believe that at that level we return the karma of others in relation to the Truth we know about them through our own Truth, and do no more - for better or for worse.

In Christian language:

At the Material stage – we need to ‘ask and it shall be given to us’;

At Goodness level - we need to ‘seek and we shall find’

At Divinity level - we ‘knock and it shall be opened to us’

Looking at this statement that Swami is coming to Sri Lanka, I become conscious of my direct experience through the University of NSW, when according to my belief Swami Baba showed / confirmed that He valued my work beyond the level at which others at the University withdrew as if I were an untouchable. As per this, Swami Baba, if He does travel physically to Sri Lanka, is doing so for the third purpose – to help believers ‘free’ themselves of bondage to country – as I was at that time to my workplaces and the status I expected from them on the basis of merit. Swami helped me complete the cycle – of costs and benefits and Goodness and Badness at the level of University Community and thereafter as an Australian. I completed the cycle through my belief that Swami valued me. This would happen to other True Believers when they see Swami in person, during their moment of need. In Sri Lanka it could help us become global and lose consciousness of revenge.

As for saying words of solace to Tamils in various parts of Sri Lanka, Swami Baba would have already done that. Swami Baba came to me in the form of Nallur Murugan when I was in deep pain. God comes to us as per the form of our own faith. Similarly, when we act through the Divinity in us – we would go to the person who has faith in us, in the form that that person has given her/his faith and not in the form that is convenient to us. That is True Service.

In terms of Sri Lanka, each time I go to Sri Lanka, Swami comes with me and through me to Sri Lanka. To the extent I attribute the fruits of my work in the consciousness of Swami Baba’s help to me and the Human Values I have learnt from following Swami – I take Swami Baba and His values with me to these places. Hence to me, Swami Baba has already been to these places and more – including the Sri Lankan Administrative Service when I applied for approval to go to the camps to help the victims. Then Swami Baba came to me as Lord Buddha. Without that support – I would have become a victim of this dirty war and politics in Sri Lanka.

In May 2009, When I was in Colombo - waiting to get clearance to go to Chettikulam camps - the Colombo Sai Center at Barnes place - announced that Swami was sending two Medical teams - one from Australia and another from the UK. I was so very happy to hear that. But no team came from Australia. Then I concluded that I was that team that Swami had sent. I shared my report with the Sathya Sai Organization – Australia. Many Sai devotees helped me work with the needy.

To me, if Swami does come to Sri Lanka in May (when I am also scheduled to go there on my regular work) we need to observe what else happens at that time – without direct influence from us. If there is value for us from that apparently ‘independent’ happening (independent of us) – that is the real value we have derived from Swami’s visit. We would have earned it not through our physical status at that time – but through our regular work as per the needs of our environments – physical and mental.

Prior to that Grace through which I believe I went to the War Camps, the Australian psychologist to whom the courts sent me wrote as follows about me in relation to my faith:

‘Mrs. Paramasivam acknowledged that for several years she had been in communication with a range of people including Yoga Swami, Our Lady and Sai Baba the leader of an Indian Religious Group. She told me that Sai Baba was a saint and on the 5 November 1998 red powder materialized on her picture of him. She interpreted this as meaning that he was in communication with her and felt that it was a miracle, a sign of his love for society.

She said that Sai Baba was able to anticipate her thoughts and she felt comforted by this and said that she had experienced an intuitive relationship with Sai Baba and her communication with him had continued to this day. She described the communication as a “blissful state” it felt as if she did not have a care in the world. She acknowledges that her current charges did not concern her because of the comfort she received from Sai Baba and said that he was the only one whose opinion counted with her…… She was not at all concerned by her charges or the possibility that she could be incarcerated.”

Swami Baba has always been there when I consciously prayed for help and sometimes (often these days) even when I did / do not consciously pray. To me it does not matter very much whether others give status to Swami Baba or not. What matters is how I feel. When that feeling is genuine – I am always helped – especially to submit my work to God and completion happens at the higher level.

During Swami’s birthday celebrations in November 2008 – I prayed and prayed for there to be Peace in Sri Lanka. I felt the pain of the direct victims of war, as if it were mine and felt tears flowing down my face during group prayers. At the end of the ceremony, there was a lottery draw out of names to find out who was to cut the birthday cake? My name was drawn by Professor Sundaram – one of the pioneers of Carlingford Sai Center – where all this was happening. All those who knew about my work in Sri Lanka were very happy and young Praba Sivapathasuntharam who sings so very beautifully – said he was so very happy when he read out my name. Praba usually shows interest in my work in Sri Lanka through my regular feedback emails. I felt so very blessed and that was the best valuation I could have had for my service work.

Most devotees in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu which is closely involved in our ethnic issue beyond country borders, will derive much value if Swami does come to Sri Lanka physically. But to true Believers – Swami is everywhere and hence if Swami and they are physically at one place – it is a bonus – the way I got to cut the birthday cake.

The author of the above article asks ‘Will Baba only bless Mahinda Rajapakse to carry on with his military/intelligence backed family rule or tell him that time is up for him to bring in good governance practices in Sri Lanka. ‘

Again, these are about the human side of Baba. Baba, to me is also an outstanding human being who has done much to benefit humans beyond time and space borders. We do not need to believe in His Divinity but just follow His Goodness to become good ourselves. As for Good Governance – going by Rama’s example of defeating and killing Ravana – the king of Lanka at that time – Swami could be taken as coming to kill the Ravanas in Sri Lanka. In the first battle between Rama & Ravana, the king of Lanka, lost all his weapons and people. Rama the Noble One – said to Ravana ‘Go today and come back tomorrow’ (Indru Poi Naalai Vaa). Is May that tomorrow for the Ravanas of Sri Lanka on both sides of politics?

The author asks ‘Will Baba say some solacing words for the families of the cold blooded murdered and missing journalists and politicians critical of the government? ‘

To all believers, Baba would have come when they needed help. The need does not happen when Swami comes physically.

The next question is “Will Baba bless the international effort to make Sri Lanka accountable on war crimes charges?”

The international participant seeking physical level confirmation of her/his work – would have already traveled to Puttaparthi to seek Baba’s blessings. I did in 2009 after completing my work in the war-zone. At Puttaparthi – whenever they sang Rama songs – I became emotional and kept thanking Swami for preserving the Rama in me and helping all believers I came into contact with to preserve their Rama within. As for being accountable to others for war crimes – each one would be rewarded through their respective faiths – mine through Human Rights & Equal Opportunity values in all believers. Anyone who genuinely seeks the pardon of a Global conscious person is already clean of those crimes. May be Baba would facilitate this for both sides. To me, no global agency – including the UN and the ICC – has greater power than Baba, to pardon and help clean the insides. Once the insides are cleaned – there is transformation and there is no need for external pardon by external bodies.

The author asks ‘These may be political for Baba and he will say his visit is only religious. But unfortunately the President is going to make political mileage out of his visit to extend his brutal dictatorship in the island.’

Be it religion or politics – they are both strongly about faith. If one is Good in terms of one, one would be Good in terms of the other also. True Believers know that no one could influence Swami for selfish reasons. Love – yes. Truth – yes. With these two – the connections are Universal and would benefit all. Hence when one who Loves asks – Swami facilitates. If Mr. Rajapakse does Love and we fear what he might be facilitated to do – all we have to do is Love more deeply.

The author says “The large number of Tamil devotees of Baba will be watching with earnest, how Baba is going to cool their pained hearts with this visit.“

So, according to the author Tamil Faith in Swami is stronger than Sinhalese Faith and/or that Tamils are hurting and Sinhalese are not. The mere mention of Swami’s name has the power to surface Truth.