Chapter 4

SELECTION WITHOUT APPLICATION

Year: 1975
Time: 10 PM

The Rotary Club of Guntur was holding interviews to select individuals to send on a trip to the USA. Since morning they were having interviews and, as I had just reached home around 10 pm, a message was sent for me to attend the interview. I told the organisers, "After having a long day’s work, can I attend the interview? I have just come home and haven't had the time to even freshen up."

In those days, there used to be a very famous coaching center called “Ravi Tutorials” which helped students prepare for medicine and engineering entrance examinations, which were the toughest, and have remained so even today. Ravi Tutorials was so famous that it has inspired all the present-day corporate colleges in Guntur and elsewhere. Being a well-known professor of botany, I was very, very busy giving extra coaching classes to students during the summer vacations.

I literally had to drag myself to Sri Pangaluri Srinivasa Rao Hall, the venue for the Rotary Club interview. As I was not prepared for the interview before hand, I had second thoughts about my selection. With almost no hopes of selection, I was sitting relaxed, waiting for my turn to go in. In the interview room, I answered all the questions. After the interview, Dr. Nageswara Rao came up to me and said, “Is there anyone who doesn't know about you? As we all know very well about you, we have decided to select you for the USA trip on behalf of Rotary Club, Guntur."

I politely replied, "Sir, I haven't applied for the trip. Moreover, I don't have any desire to see America. If I did, I would have visited there long ago, with the help of my relatives who are living in America." My selection came as a big surprise to me as I was very sure that I wouldn't be selected. It was very strange that I was asked to apply after the selection, but I was told that the final selection would be in Hotel Ritz, Hyderabad.

During those days, I was very busy coaching students who wanted to take up the medical stream. Those days were very hectic, sometimes spanning 12 hours in a stretch. I didn't even have a second for myself. My mind had nothing in it but botany. At one stage I thought, ‘Why am I going to Hyderabad with so much work at hand?’ Earlier, my sister had had her house-warming ceremony, which I couldn't attend then. I thought that at least because of this interview, I could also visit her new home and make her happy.

TRAIN JOURNEY TO HYDERABAD:
Quite hesitantly, I finally got into Krishna Express train. One of my seniors was sitting in front of me. Looking at me he said, "What, Mr. Anil Kumar, are you prepared for the interview? I think both of us will be selected. If not you, I will definitely be selected." I politely replied, "If it is Baba's will, He will make sure that I am selected. If it is not destined, it won't happen. It’s all in His hands. Because of the coaching classes, I am going to Hyderabad with literally no preparation. I haven’t studied any subject which would benefit me in this interview."

Those were the days when I was completely immersed in the OCEAN OF BABA'S BHAJANS. I had this habit of singing His bhajans every time and everywhere. Not to forget, those were the same days when Baba was completely ignoring me and not even looking at me (at least on a physical level).

In the train, right in front of my seat, was Dr. R.B.K Murthy, along with his daughter who happened to be my student as well. As I was humming bhajans, they were looking at me a bit strangely. Probably I looked like a MENTALLY ILL FELLOW to them. After some time, I came back to reality and said, “Please don't look at me like that. I am mentally sound. I am just singing Baba's bhajans."

Meanwhile, a young man who was sleeping above my berth gave me a book called “Manorama.” Another young man gave me “Competition Master Magazine.” I would be completely mistaken to think that they gave me those books out of love for me. Probably it was a polite way of saying, "Shut your mouth and stop disturbing us."

Realising their intentions, I said to them, "Look dears! I will not disturb you again. I haven't prepared for the interview I am going for. Why should I need these books? You please study them. “Probably they would have heard my voice had it been sweet, but when my voice was competing with the sound of the train engine, no wonder they couldn’t bear it anymore!

INTERVIEW IN HYDERABAD:
Anyway, I reached Hyderabad and the same evening I went to Hotel Ritz for the interview. As my WEDDING SUIT was still in good shape, I chose to wear it for the interview. After reaching the venue, I overheard other candidates' conversations and I started sweating. Those were the times when EMERGENCY was imposed in India. Apparently some questions were asked on the Emergency. Those were also the days when our scientists successfully launched the first satellite named “Aryabhatta.” Some questions were asked about it, and also about the present-day crisis in India. In those days, the underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim, was also in the news. The questions were also based on black money and the Don. There were also questions asked about the Indo-Russian ties and the treaties signed by both nations. After knowing the type of questions being asked, I had no clue what to do. I didn't have answers to any of those questions. I was wondering what would be my fate that day!

Meanwhile, my turn was fast approaching. They just had to call my name. I frantically prayed: ‘Baba! You don't have to send me to Vijayawada. You don't have to send me to America. But please make sure they don't ask me uncomfortable questions. PLEASE MY LORD! What should I say if they ask me the capital of Norway? I also don't know anything about Peru. What am I to say if they ask what Denmark is famous for? Swami, it is a matter of my reputation. You have to save me now, Swami!’

Moreover, knowing that I am a professor in bio-sciences, if they ask me to name the largest animal, smallest animal, an animal with legs or without legs, with tail and without tail, it will only make my reputation go down the drain. What would happen to me, if they ask, “What kind of lecturer are you?” From within, I started pleading with Swami to save my face and also my reputation.

Finally, my name was called. I started walking briskly towards the interview room. The interviewers were all learned scholars and famous personalities. Leaving everything to Swami, I sat in front of them. Prior to this, I had been thoroughly reading Sai literature for about three years. With Baba's grace, all the questions that were asked were from Sai literature, with which I was already acquainted and had been speaking about at various venues. The questions they asked me were totally different from those they asked the other candidates!

Hoping that these questions would be of great interest to every one of you, I am sharing a few of them with you here.

The number of gods and goddesses in India are equal to the population of India. What is your answer to this question?

Immediately, I remembered Swami's words on this. "Gods may be many but Divinity is one. Forms and names may be different, but God is one. The voltage in the bulbs may be different, but electricity is the same.

Another elderly man asked the next question: "You say Divinity is one. Then why someone says ‘RAMA’ and another says ‘KRISHNA’?

The same question was answered by Swami in one of His discourses. I immediately remembered it and said, "A pharmacist and a hotel owner get headaches at the same time. The pharmacist goes to the hotel to have a cup of coffee. The hotel owner comes to the pharmacist to get medication for his headache. One of them trusts in coffee while the other trusts in a tablet. So, based on one’s faith, the chosen name and form come into the picture."

The elderly man nodded his head as if he was convinced with this answer. Can there be any- one in this world who doesn’t like Baba's apt examples?

Another man asked this question: "Rama had a well-built personality. Ganesh was a bit short. Mother Parvathi was adorned with beautiful jewelry, whereas Shiva was Digambara. How will you explain this?

Long ago, Bhagavan had explained this on one occasion. “We give cloth material to the tailor to stitch. What does he do? He stitches the same, according to your measurements. A fat person cannot fit into a dress sown for a thin person and vice versa. So we cannot wear one another’s clothes. In the same way, the name and form, devotion and dedication, change according to one's own belief.

Another interviewer asked a question thus: "Then why do we have so many mantras? Why Vishnu Sahasra Nama, Lalitha Sahasra Nama?

Again I remembered Swami's words: All the mantras do convey the message that God is all-knowing, all-pervasive and all-powerful, but there might be slight variations in the way the message is conveyed. Similarly, the same message is conveyed in various languages, but Divinity is one and the same. For example, for WATER, Telugu people say NEERU, in Hindi you say PAANI, VAARI in Sanskrit, Tamilians say TANNEER. No matter how it is named, the substance (water) is the same. The same is the case with God, in spite of different mantras, rituals, etc.

Another interviewer asked, "Do you believe in Avatars?"

My one sentence reply was, "Yes, I do."

"Who is the present Avatar?"

I said, "He is in the form of Sadguru (Teacher of teachers). Teaching life’s aim and taking us along the right path, He is verily JAGADGURU.

"Do you think he is my guru, Mahesh Yogi?"

I replied, “Not necessarily.”

Another member asked a straight question: "Who is your Sadguru?"

My immediate reply was, "Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba."

Probably to inconvenience me, another elderly member said, “I don't have any gurus. Does it mean there is no Avatar?"

Once again, Swami's words came to my mind. I answered, “God is Sadguru, the Teacher of teachers. Your body is the chariot. The senses are the horses, with chains of attachments and possessiveness. For the man who is verily the chariot, God has taken up the job of charioteer, and has been singing the special celestial song of Gita specially composed for you."

Everyone seemed to be shocked with this reply. By then the questions were slightly drifting apart. The next question was: "Why are Avatars born only in India?"

Baba says, "Bharath (India) is the land which has love for God. While the other countries ask for the WORLD, Indians ask for self-realisation. While other countries are after desires and wealth, Indians concentrate on dharma and moksha. Also India is the birthplace of the Vedas. India is the country which reminded the world that there is Divinity in Humanity.” My reply, which was full of devotion, was liked by all.

There was one more uncomfortable question. "We are hearing about corruption every- where. On the other hand, you are talking about spirituality and Divinity. Why is there this dichotomy?”

I replied, "Where does a doctor stay? He stays with the patients to cure them and make them free from ailments. Similarly, to transform mankind, the sole goal of an Avatar is to teach us values, and lovingly remind us of the ultimate goal of life.”

By then, probably, Baba thought somewhere in my heart that I must be thinking that I WAS ANSWERING all those questions. In the end, one completely irrelevant question was asked, which almost made my heartbeat stop. They asked me to name the Prime Minister of Israel.

I said to myself, "O Swami! What should I say now? I know this is YOUR doing. You deliberately made them ask me a TOUGH question."

I told them, "Sir, until recently it was a man, and then a woman was appointed as the Prime Minister of Israel. I cannot remember her name."

The interviewer said, "You have given 50% of the answer. You may go now."

WHEN THE RESULTS WERE ANNOUNCED IN NEWSPAPERS
Just as a child who runs from the classroom after the last bell rings at school, I literally ran out of the interview room, thus finishing one TENSE passing cloud which Swami MANAGED very well. I thanked Swami for having saved me. Probably they asked me all the questions which, if I were selected, would be asked in America. There were so many ROTARIANS in my hometown. Everyone in my home suggested that I inquire from them if I was selected for the America trip. I didn't want to ask anyone about the results because I hadn't prepared myself for the interview nor had I applied for it. Moreover, should I come to know that I had failed, it would have affected my morale and confidence.

After a few days, all the leading newspapers carried the names of 6 people selected for the American trip. As if it were a miracle, that paper came and fell in my lap, and to my utter surprise, the first name I saw among the 6 was mine. I had no words to express my happiness.

Luckily, all the questions in the interview were centered on Swami. All the answers came from Swami's discourses. Those interviewers, who were asking the other candidates about social, economic and current affairs, due to the courtesy of Swami, started asking questions from Sai literature. Only then I understood how our beloved Lord can manage every situation. Not only did He make them ask me questions from HIS literature, He also helped me to remember the answers spontaneously, which impressed the interviewers. Finally He not only got me selected, but made me first in the list!

ONE MORE PASSING CLOUD CLEARED BY SWAMI
This leela happened during those days when Swami ignored me for seven long years. With His grace, I even got the selection orders. They asked us to come for some training programme in Vishakapatnam. The date was also confirmed. Here Swami put me to a very severe test. The same day we were celebrating our college anniversary. My attendance was mandatory. I put forth my situation to the Rotary Club members and they said, “No way. We cannot postpone the training.” Mr. Isaac was the Principal of our college. I went to him and said, "Sir, with God's Grace, I got this chance to visit America. Please allow me to attend the training programme organised by the Rotary Club." He denied permission right away!

Here entered our beloved Lord, showing His omnipotent power. The then district collector of Guntur, Sri Chandrayya, was the chief guest for the annual day function of our college. All the arrangements were made for the same. Sri Chandrayya was a very close friend of our principal. Due to some important official work, word was sent that he could not make it for the school anniversary. As the college had decided to have him as its chief guest, the whole programme was postponed. In the 100 years’ history of the college, this was the first time that the college anniversary function was postponed!

For a century old college with 400 students, Baba postponed the function in no time. Can anyone match Swami in this regard? As the icing on the cake, the principal personally came to me and said, “You may go for the training in Vizag.” It is only the power of Baba that made the same person who denied me the permission, personally come to me and permit me to go.

Baba's Sankalpa is harder than Diamond. No one can change His Sankalpa. So I left for the training as scheduled.
 

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