Divine Experiences

Copyright © 2022 Ramesh And Sheela Nayak.

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ISBN: 978-1-6632-4456-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-4458-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-4457-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022915828

iUniverse rev. date: 09/26/2022

Contents

Preface

1. Sheela’s family became devotees of Swami

2. First Interview with Swami in 1964

3. First Summer Course in 1972 with the three sisters taking part in bliss

4. Ramesh and Sheela Nayaks going to USA for studies first in Rhode Island and then Oregon 1961-1971

5. Interview with Swami September 1983

6. Dream to Sheela in USA on January 1st, 1986 late night and early morning.

7. Washington group visit led by Subbarao and Sheela Nayak, August 20, 1990.

8. Washington Group Interview with Swami Group 1, September 6, 1999 (Birthday of Ramesh)

9. Washington Group trip to Bangalore, April 26, 2002 to May 12, 2002

10. Washington Devotees interview in Trayi Brindavan with Swami on May 9, 2003.

11. Prasanthi Nilayam visit on January 2, 2004

12. Prasanthi Nilayam visit on September visit in 2004

13. Spiritual Journey to Prasanthi Nilayam, January 1, 2005

14. Prasanthi Nilayam Visit March 2005 and August 5-24, 2005

15. 80 years of Love, Bhagavan’s Divine Message

16. Musical Tribute To Sri Sathya Sai Baba By The Devotees Of Usa/Uk/Poland On September 11, 2004 In Sai Kulwant Hall, A Miracle And Blessing By Swami.

17. Prashantinilayam visits on August 3, 2006

18. Prashantinilayam visits on May 31, 2007.

19. Prashanthi Nilayam visit on August 26/27, 2008

20. Prashanti Nilayam visit on March/April 2010

21. Two Articles Published By Prashanthi Society

22. Article contributed by Sheela for the Ladies day, 19th November, 2005

23. Article Contributed By Pradeep Kamath, Brother Of Sheela Nayak: My Journey To Swami

24. Service

25. Swami Saves Ramesh And Sheela Nayak

26. Epilogue

Acknowledgements

Synopsis

DIVINE TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCE WITH BHAGAWAN SRI SATYA SAI BABA

RAMESH AND SHEELA NAYAK

Dedicated to

The Divine Lotus Feet

of

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

All Rights Reserved

Published by:

Dr. Ramesh K. Nayak and Sheela Nayak

LOVE IS GOD GOD IS LOVE

LOVE ALL SERVE ALL SAYS OUR LORD

HE IS GOOD SO BE GOOD

LOVE ALL SERVE ALL SAYS OUR LORD

LIVE IN LOVE LOVE ALL BEINGS

LOVE ALL SERVE ALL SAYS OUR LORD

Editer’s Note

Sri K. Viswanathan

Retired Chief Engineer

Super Specialty Hospital

Puttaparthi, Andra Pradesh

India

I offer my most humble pranams at the Lotus Feet of our beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi, Andra Pradesh, India. I have known Sheela, Ramesh Nayak and their family for a long time and they have been ardent devotees of Swami for about five decades. They became Swami’s devotees while attending the Bethesda, Maryland Sai center since the early 1970s. Since then they have made numerous visits to Prashanthi Nilayam and have taken a number of groups to Puttaparthi. Swami has given many interviews to Ramesh and Sheela and has guided them in service activities here in USA and India. The first group visit to Prashanthi Nilayam in 1981 organized by the Sai center was a success. One of the group members put it What a journey, so smooth, no delays, no waiting, just a soothing and flower-laden path to the Lord. With salutations at the Lotus Feet the Nayaks present their experiences with our dearest and most beloved Sri Sathya Sai Baba. There is no power in the universe equal to thy Lotus Feet. This is a humble attempt at putting together the story of the remarkable experiences of Sheela Nayak’s family (formerly Sridevi Kamath) during the golden days spent in The Divine Presence of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Preface

We offer our loving pranams at the Divine Lotus Feet of our beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba of Prashanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi, Andra Pradesh. Our most loving Bhagawan has been the greatest inspiration to our family and a number of devotees as our loving mother Sai and with utmost humility we present here our spiritual journey to Swami with a number of groups and how Swami has blessed us with twenty seven personal interviews. Our family came to Swami five decades ago and our life has been transformed ever since we came to know Swami it made our life immeasurably beautiful. When we heard of Swami it did not matter that we lived far away in the United States of America. We were drawn like iron filings to a powerful magnet, the Magnet of Love. With supreme love and no judgment of our many shortcomings, in a very gentle way, He talked to us how life should be lived in order to achieve peace, contentment, happiness and joy we seek. Swami has blessed us to take a number of groups to Prashanthi Nilayam and here we present our loving interactions with our Lord and how he has inspired us with his invaluable spiritual teachings, miracles, his omnipresence and blessings and with a number of service activities. Swami is a central part of our lives. Bhagawan has been guiding, guarding, protecting, and inspiring us and by holding our hands like a mother and we express our deep gratitude to our beloved Bhagawan for improving us in every aspect by his constant guidance. As we look back at our interactions with Swami, we are overwhelmed with the love and compassion that our loving God, Sai Baba, has showered on us.

We were fortunate to present a musical program in Sai Kulwant Hall with personal blessings from Swami and also a musical tribute to Swami’s 90th birthday celebration by devotees of Maryland and Virginia Sai Centers. The unbelievably nice 90th birthday celebrations of Bhagawan Baba made it possible for us to make offering of this book to our most beloved Swami. In our work as well as everyday living, we try to make Our Life His message. He has taught us patience, humility, wisdom and the realization that we are not the doer. Our goal in life is to make God our life, keep spirituality as the first goal, to experience the sweetness of divine love, to develop, scatter and reap love, and the highest sadhana to transform love into service. To quote Swami’s discourse on November 23, 1985 Man justifies himself and proves his claim to be a worthy individual only through seva (service), undertaken sincerely, selflessly, and with no thought of worldly reward. Seva is the highest expression of love and of the sacrifice love involves. You have to expend yourself in seva unto the very last breath. Give up all imaginations and engage yourselves in the service of your fellowmen. We are forever grateful to Him for leading our steps to Him and we offer our love and efforts at the Lotus Feet of Sri Sathya Sai Baba the Avatar of our Age". We pray to Bhagawan to bless this humble offering at His Lotus Feet and shower his infinite love on all the readers.

1.

Sheela’s family became devotees of Swami

Both I and my wife Sheela Nayak became devotees of Sri Sathya Sai Baba only when we came to know that the preceding generation of Sheela’s family was indeed the first devotees of Swami in the early 1960’s. Sheela’s first visit to Baba was in 1972 and she has narrated in the earlier article published by Prashanthi Society (1985) that we wrote for the Swami’s 85th birthday about her trip to Puttaparthi with her American girl friend Dee, sisters, brother and parents.

Here we narrate in detail how the preceding generation of Sheela’s family became devotees of our beloved Swami and how her father, late Sri Sadashiv Kamath had been transformed into an ardent devotee after visiting Swami’s ashram, all alone, as early as the early 60’s.

They lived in a town named Hubli in the State of Karnataka. Her Dad had a timber business. He was going through a rough phase in his business. Problems started piling up and her Mom, Indira Kamath, and her Dad were worried. It is at that time that one of her Mom’s cousins visited them and gave her Mom a picture of young Swami and told her that this young Swami lived in Puttaparthi, a tiny village in Andhra Pradesh. They said that he was known as Sathya Sai Baba, was a reincarnation of Shirdi Baba. The cousins also mentioned that this Swami usually gave interviews and that they were lucky enough to get one, where Swami told them all about their life, and gave them some valuable advice. Her Mom was very impressed and asked her Dad if their family could all go and meet this young Swami. Her Dad said that he would go first to meet Swami and then, the next time he would take the entire family for darshan. Her dad returned from Puttaparti a totally changed person. He was a worried and serious person when he left but he came back a very happy man totally free from worries. Her dad said that Swami had called him for an interview the day he arrived in Puttaparti and told him all about his problems, but that he should not worry as Swami was always there to help him. Swami instructed him to go back to Hubli and leave all his worries with Swami. He also told him to come back with the family.

2.

First Interview with Swami in 1964

In 1964, her parents, sisters and her nephew made the pilgrimage to Puttaparthi for the first time on a train to Guntakal, then changed from meter gauge to broad gauge from Guntakal to Penukonda and later on a Bullock cart from Penukonda to Bukkapatnam and then walked the last stretch to Puttaparthi. By the time they reached Puttaparti it was 3 pm. They freshened up and went for Darshan. There were around 50 women and about 100 men. All the women were sitting right outside the interview room (what is called the verandah now) and it was the same with men. Swami came out at about 4 pm straight towards the women, looked at her mom and asked if her husband had come. She said yes and pointed out to her dad. Swami called them in for an interview. He picked a few more people.

Swami opened the door of the interview room and let them all inside. There was a curtain in the room that led to stairs leading upstairs. Swami used to ask each family to stand on the steps and he used to stand holding the curtain and talk to them privately. The love and assurance that Swami gave them in that interview was amazing. All of them had tears in their eyes. He assured that he was always with them, guiding and guarding them. He again assured her dad not to worry at all and that he would take care of the business. From then on, dad’s business went smoothly, each one of his previous problems resolving themselves, one by one. They could feel the divine intervention in all of this.

After the interview they went to the book store and picked up Swami’s biography, Sathyam Shivam Sundaram, which was just one of the few books available. A small room served as the book store, the accommodation office, the coupon purchase area, and also the residence of Sri. Kasturi. They had to inform Sri. Kasturi the duration of their stay just so that he could inform the canteen staff in advance as the food used to be cooked based upon the number of devotees present on that day. The bhajans were very delightful. Swami sometimes used to come from the back door of the prayer hall and walk all the way to the front. What beautiful darshans those were! Swami used to look at everyone and sway back and forth in rhythm with the melodious and heart-warming bhajans. Sometimes the bhajans were in Telugu.

In 1968 Swami visited Hubli, Dharwar and Karwar etc. The family followed Swami wherever he went, and he noticed them, and always had a beautiful smile for them and would say Gang Bantu, meaning here is the gang. In the end, He asked her mom Mane Yelli Amma in Kannada language, meaning where do you live? Her mom became very nervous and said right here, pointing outside the window. Swami passed by saying Tumba Santosha, meaning very happy.

3.

First Summer Course in 1972 with the three sisters taking part in bliss

They got the news in Hubli that Swami is going to conduct a Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality in Whitefield during the entire month of May. By the time they came to know of this program it was March/April. So, on April 29th the three sisters took a bus to Bangalore and reached the Whitefield ashram on the evening of 30th. The ashram was already full of students from all over India. They informed the organizers that they had come to attend the summer course. Then they were asked if they had registered. They said they had not, since they did not come to know of the course till a few days ago. Their plight was conveyed to Dr. V.K. Gokak, who was the organizer in charge of the Summer Course. He said that the registrations were indeed full and that they had no chance. However, he said, he would check with Swami. He went into Swami’s quarters and immediately came out, his face beaming. He said he had informed Swami that there were three girls who had come just then and wanted admission to the Summer Course. Swami asked him where they were from. Dr. Gokak said they were from Hubli. And it appeared that Swami had said Oh Hubli? Take them in. That is how they joined the first Summer Course.

It was a full month of sheer bliss. They basked in the love that Swami showered on them. Instead of Summer Showers it is appropriate to call that one month as Showers of Love and Grace. The classes went on from 9 am in the morning to 4.30 pm in the evening followed by bhajans and Swami’s discourse. But before that, Swami used to come and sit with all the students and narrate incidents about his school, his childhood etc. And they used to get an opportunity to sit by His Lotus Feet and watch him talk. It was the love of a thousand mothers. Every other day they had ice cream. And Swami himself used to come and make sure that all of them got as many as they wanted. Sometimes, he would come by and ask Kitna Khaya? meaning how many did you eat? When they said one Swami, He used to say Aur ek khao, meaning eat one more. Sometimes, he used to distribute mangoes, apples etc. There was a girl from Dehra Dun. One day she was sitting beside other devotees plunged in thought about her parents and home. She thought May was the season of plums in Dehra Dun and she missed the plums. When Swami came by in the evening he looked at her and said pakdo, meaning catch. He threw something at her and she caught it, only to find a plum in her hand.

The entire month they had some surprises or the other, besides enjoying lectures by scholars and pundits. They used to have Nagar Sankirtan every morning and at the end of it Swami used to come on the terrace and give them Darshan. Then he used to come down by 8 am and then be with them the entire morning. Again he used to come by 4 pm and be with them till dinner time. On the Valedictory Day, He had his lunch with them. And the last day he materialized his picture and distributed to everyone and assured them that He would always be with them, wherever they are. Looking back, we realize, this is not the fruit of the Grace from one birth. We might have earned and accumulated it over many births put together. It is our beloved Guru, Sri. Sathya Sai Baba alone who could ferry man across the ocean of Sansara. And we bow down to our Beloved Guru’s Lotus Feet.

Mangalam Guru Devaya

Mangalam Jnana Dayine

Mangalam Parthi Vasaya

Mangalam Sathya Saine

May the divine Guru be auspicious to us;

May the Bestower of wisdom be auspicious to us;

May the Lord, who manifested in Parthi, be auspicious to us;

May Bhagavân Sathya Sai Baba be gracious to us.

4.

Ramesh and Sheela Nayaks going to USA for studies first in Rhode Island and then Oregon 1961-1971

The Nayaks, Ramesh and Sheela first came to USA in 1961 and after completing their education at the University of Rhode Island, and a brief work at the Peter Brent Brigham Hospital at Boston, they moved to Corvallis, Oregon where they pursued their studies at Oregon State University. The younger son Dr. Nick Nayak was born in Boston in 1964 and their older son Sunil Nayak joined them at Corvallis, Oregon. The Nayak family settled down in Oregon but they did not know about Swami during this time.

Ramesh began a PhD program in Physiology at Oregon State University. Sheela went to see the Chairperson of the Department of Early Childhood Education. The Chairperson said. Are you Sheela Nayak? I’m not supposed to tell you, we got a letter from your department at University of Rhode Island asking us to help you. She showed Sheela the letter which said do not go by her grades, if anyone is going to succeed in life, she is it. Help her. They gave Sheela a scholarship and an assistantship for a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. Someone else gave her a bike to travel to school.

After completing her Master’s degree in two years, Sheela was offered a scholarship and assistantship for PhD. She declined the offer because she felt it was time to get a job to take care of the children. They had been living on government assistance, Food Stamps and Salvation Army clothes for the children.

Sheela was hired by the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) to initiate Head Start programs in Oregon. She set up the first one, and then was assigned the onerous task of setting them up all over Oregon. She was quite successful. The Director of the OEO office valued her work so much that on his own he applied for her Green Card, in 1968.

A year later, her boss retired and was replaced by Mr. Wes Hoffman, an experienced OEO leader who was transferred from the state of Montana. Hoffman came to her office, and asked in an official manner, I want you to give me a report on what you would do if you had my job. In three days she placed her report on his desk.

Two days later there was a knock on her apartment door at 9pm. It was Wes Hoffman. He said to Ramesh, Can I borrow your wife for about an hour? Ramesh said, Yes. Wes took her in his car for a ride. He drove around Portland for an hour. He told her that before he took this job, he had discussed it with his wife, and she agreed. But now that they were in Portland she wanted to return to Montana. He said that your report was so good that I recommended you for my job; you should take the job. In 1970, Sheela became the Director of the OEO office in Portland.

Baba’s Leela

In the 1980’s Sheela was in Puttaparthi at a time with huge crowds. She was pushing her way through the crowds on the road outside the South Indian canteen and bumped into a woman who dropped her belongings.