Swamiji : " I flew, arrived in Bangalore to find a taxi to Puttaparthi, but the driver told me that Swami was in Whitefield, that I had to go to Whitefield. So I went to Whitefield… but I didn't take a taxi so as to save money: I took a scooter. Two girls came with me.
I had no idea of returning to Mauritius because I knew that in 45 days, it was impossible to find a location to do Bhajans...
We really have a monkey mind going all over the place ! Before entering the ashram, I was looking at all the photos of Swami, when I was in trouble over my head. I was coming to ask Swami for help but I asked the driver to stop and inquired about the price of large photos of Baba, they costed 1,500 rupees each. I would have liked to take several for the Bhajan Hall but it was too expensive. As I didn't have enough money, I just reserved them… I looked at all of Swami's pictures and started haggling. “ How much is ? Two for me. Keep, reserve it. The other is how much ? three for me please, I'll come back later. And that one ? how much ? keep four aside for me. » - with all the merchants I reserved these without knowing what will happen with me.
We reached our rooms around 2:30 p.m. Afterwards, in the ashram, someone calls me and makes me sit down. She takes my passport. I asked : « Why does she need my passport though ? » and she says : « Here is your room ! » - I got the room B14. This room was occupied by three other people like me : an Australian, a Malaysian and a Fijian. The girls were in another room. I wrote a letter… and then, I attended Baba's darshan immediately and sat in the line that came in first. It seems that during the day, Baba does not give darshan in Whitefield. He does not walk in front of people and only comes for bhajans. Exceptionally, Baba came. It meant to me, in my heart, that Swami accepted my return. I thought to myself that I should have brought people's letters with me, because I did not know if Baba would give me another chance… ”
T H E B H A J A N H A L L
1996
Swami Ajay then left for India for the second time, from September 19 to October 25, again with a three-month visa. This time, he ends up in the second Ashram of Sathya Sai Baba : " Brindavan " in Whitefield.
It was at this precise moment that he met Daniel Chaput, who would write about his own experiences in a book entitled : “For the Love of God”. He also testifies there to many experiences with the young Swami over a period of 2 weeks – from October 7 to 25, 1994. This one is a precious testimony to understand how this trip was decisive for the mission that awaited him. Swami Ajay leaves with his head full of confusion... On the one hand, he displays a real fervor and on the other, he is afraid of not finding his answers.
He later explains to local press :
“Mo ti pe dir mwa si narnien not gone out depi sa voyaz la, mo ti a prefer mort plito ki revinn la. After mo finn truv Sai Baba. Mo finn rakont li mo proze konstriksyon enn temple. Mo finn won a donation of Rs 800,000 ek mo finn rant Mauritius »
“ I told myself that if nothing good came out of this trip, I would rather die than come back here. Then I found Sai Baba. I told him about my plan to build a Temple. I received a donation of 800 000 Rs and returned to Mauritius… ”
AN UNFORGETTABLE DARSHAN
Twice a day, devotees gathered to attend the Darshan of Sathya Sai Baba who used to circulate among the crowds and pick up a few letters as he walked. Devotees waited in line as a numbered token was allocated to each line, by drawing lots. The line having drawn the token n° 1,2,3 could settle first in the hall reserved for Darshan. Every devotee hoped to be in that first line, so that they could get closer to Baba. But like everything else, the divine play of the lord decided which place should be assigned to each !
On this day, Swami Ajay arrived shortly before the start of the afternoon Darshan. He then decided to write a letter with his intention to build a Bhajan Hall which will be dedicated to humanity… and expressed his plans for Mauritius, with an open heart.
Swamiji : " I had decided to build a Bhajan Hall with a library, to do Bal Vikas and several other things in it. But for all this, you have to buy a land. I know that I am not someone qualified at that time to do all that… but I wrote everything in a letter. It was 2:15 p.m and the Darshan was at 3:00 p.m.»
“Swami, I am in room B14. I know it's not really possible for you to give me an interview, because I'm not qualified enough. I don't know what's happening to me but it's you who actually made me become what I am. I had just requested the presence of Shirdi Sai Baba. I just wanted to see the manifestation of Shirdi in my house… As I don't know God, I wanted to be sure that God was at home so I could give everything to Him. But, after what happened to me, I no longer know what to do. People don't believe me. If you see that it's wrong, you have the right to punish me. My vision is to have a land to build a Bhajan Hall with several rooms and a library, but it requires a lot of money. I am unqualified and I don't know much, other people are certainly more competent than me. I have come to lay everything at your feet... I know that it is not possible for you to talk with me, even during Darshan, because you have to be a qualified devotee. But Swami, could you come and see me in my room in the evening ? I will wait for you in the evening... I can wait for you. If you can, please come after midnight. Because even until midnight there are people walking around the ashram. That way, I can meet you when all my friends go to sleep. If you can, come at 1 a.m. Swami. I'll wait for you. You may not be able to come, because if people see you talking to me it could be inconvenient for your work. But you know what's in my heart. Only you know, others don't. If you can, please come to my room and tell me what to do. Swami, I don't have the capacity to really understand you, so you see what is good for me. I leave everything at your feet because I don't know what to do anymore. I will be there for fifteen days, Swami, and then I will leave because I respect the energy of this place. The three months are over but I still love you very much, I cannot live without you.
Why ? Why is it like that, Swami ? I can't work, I can't put my old clothes on, but I'm in this room Swami. So if you have time, come and see me. I know you're not going to come see me in public. But I have this chance, if I made mistakes, excuse me. Please, come to see me. "
Ajay
“I signed the letter, put it in an envelope and went to Darshan… Because of our monkey mind, we tend to want to go in one line rather than another. To avoid this, I closed my eyes and sat in the line in front of me as I opened them. And then, this line rose first. We left in the front line, there are several people who sit down… so I ask the gentleman behind me :
- " Are you a devotee of Baba ? "
- " Yes "
- " For how many years ? "
- “ Many years. ”
- “ If one writes a letter and if Swami accepts this letter, what does it mean ? »
- " Whatever is written in it means that Swami will accomplish that. "
- “ Everything we write ? All that we ask ? "
- “ Yes. ”
- “ Immediately ? ”
- " No, it takes a little time, it's according to his Will. "
To be sure, I asked the other gentleman next to me.
- I said : “ if Swami takes the letters, what happens ? "
- " This means that your request is granted. "
- " Even if it's complicated ? "
- “ Yes, he is God. »
- " And if he doesn't take ? "
- " We must continue to give, we must wait. "
- “ Understood. ”
The conversation ended. As I wait for Swami's Darshan, the music starts and Swami comes down. I see him in the distance and it scares me a lot… my heart is beating very, very hard. I do not know what to do. I sweat ! Swami arrives. After a while, I say with a panicked look : “ it's better that I leave. I don't want anything anymore ! " - There are plenty of people behind me, I look everywhere, everything is already full. I say : " what am I going to do ?" and I don't know what to do.
And I'm starting to have cramps all over. Suddenly, I scream : “ Sai Ram ! Sai Ram ! Sai Ram ! ” and the two people seated next to me started to stroke my back, to reassure me… " relax ! "
Swami approaches us and I cannot look Swami in the face. I am hiding... Swami is coming close to me. I cannot see Swami clearly: neither his form nor his feet. And Swami approaches again. His feet are very close... I hide myself, I make myself very small as I am full of fear. I look at the ground… I notice that Swami's feet are in front of me, as if stopped, as if in slow motion. I felt a force pushing me from behind and I was afraid of falling on Swami – I bowed down and did Padnamaskar, meaning that I could touch his feet. This is also called “ Sparshan ”. It was as if time had stopped... And then, there was the letter… I was sure that Swami wouldn't take it. I thought that God could not give me this Grace because I asked for the construction of a Bhajan Hall and the money to be able to do it when I did not know anything and I had no land. I still held the letter out to Swami with two fingers, gently and with great hesitation. Swami looks at the letter, he takes two or three steps as if walking away… The gentleman says : “ Your letter! Your letter !! " and I shake my head as to say : "no!" while panicking : " ok, it's important that he leaves, the letter is not important. "
And the unexpected happens : Swami turns around... towards me. He looks at me very seriously and I don't know what to do. My heart is pounding so hard that I can hardly breathe. Swami approaches. I say : “ it's better to die. Ah ! oh Swami, kill me !! I don't know ! »
Swami stretches his hand forward and sticks out his two fingers, just to do the same gesture as the way I was holding the letter. My hand started shaking. "
He took this letter and left. At that time, the emotion was very strong. Watching Swami walk away, I was sweating, I felt very hot. I've worked in the cane fields before, yet I've never sweated like that. It was really strange, really strong. I was relieved…
- And the gentleman whispers to my ear: “it will be ok, it will be fine, Sai Ram, Sai Ram, Sai Ram, Sai Ram … "
- “Swami took my letter. ”
- “Everything will be all right, Swami knows. Don't worry… ”
Now I'm starting to think : what I asked for is too big. Someone who does not know how to do Swami's Arati asked for a Bhajan Hall. Someone who has a lot of wickedness in his head and who knows nothing asked for a Bhajan Hall… What am I going to do ?! If you ask something from Swami, you have to ask for Vibhuti… I asked for a Bhajan Hall. What an idiot. I said : " Well, it's possible that not this incarnation but in the next incarnation, I will be ready. Either way I'm not ready now ! But I'm glad Swami took the letter. At least he knows I'm there. That's the most important thing, that he knows I'm there. "
And afterwards, I asked someone :
- “ Excuse me, sir. Swami took my letter, does he know I am there ? "
- “ of course ! Because he knows everything… "
I said to myself : “ ok, that's good. That's what's important, that he knows I'm here. That's enough for me. Rest is for the next incarnation… so I will not use the poison. I have a little more time to stay at the ashram. ”
BABA'S ENCOURAGEMENT
" I didn't know if I would be able to honor what I requested. If I told you everything that happened in the following days, you might not believe me… So, I tried to explain it in another way in the book "De Sai au soi". Then, I phoned my aunt in Mauritius and she told me that people tell her : " he is not in India, he is hiding in a hotel in Mauritius. " But, I am in India !! She asks me : " But how are we going to make people believe you are in India ? " I cut the phone directly, I didn't continue the conversation. The next morning at Darshan, I'm on the second line. As Swami was near me, Baba's cameraman was taking pictures. He immortalized this moment !! After darshan, he gave me several copies. I sent a copy to Maurice. And then one day, I phoned my aunt.
- " Did you receive the photo ? "
- “ Yes ! All the people have seen, now they know you really are in India. "
Swami Ajay : “ I have already explained that at the very beginning I saw Vishnu and Durga and other forms in meditation. What happened is that at the time I was doing meditations from 2.a.m to 5.a.m. Once Swami came in a vision before me in my meditation while my eyes were closed. Then I saw his head suddenly disappear and smoke appeared in its place... Several arms came out of his body, along with the shank and the japamala. I found that He took the form of Vishnu ! Five seconds later, Swami's head returned and his body disappeared. He had the third eye opened, the small moon in his hair and the water flowing from the top in the form of Ganga Mata… I knew it was the form of Shiva. I understood that Swami was an Avatar of Shiva at that time. The third time, Swami came back. This time, His head disappeared and the body remained as six arms appeared, and He took the form of Durga… it has happened to many people, seeing Swami transform into another form : in their dreams, in dreams, in vision, in meditation… This is just his way of explaining to us that all forms are contained within himself and that all forms are One. "
THE MOMENT THAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING
Swami Ajay : " In the Ashram, I cannot consume the meal because it is expensive ! There, we only have the European meal. There is no indian meal in Whitefield. But it's 2 rupees, 3 rupees per meal. It is not expensive in itself but I only had a few dollars. So, you have to think carefully… : " in the morning, I don't eat. In the afternoon, I eat. But, if I eat in the afternoon, it's difficult… because if in the evening I start to feel hungry, what am I going to do ? I'm not going to sleep… so in the morning and during the day, I'm not going to eat at all. That way I can walk around. And in the evening I shall go to eat : that way I'll sleep well. ” There you go, this way we save money. Often times, I leave to wash the dishes. If there is food left, the person gives me food because they know. "
" Three days after Darshan, September 21, he manifested the money for me, many dollars in new banknotes and Indian rupees for the Bhajan Hall's equipment! at one o'clock in the morning, someone comes into the room. I will not give that description in details. The person enters the room and he says : “ I am Shiva." He sits and says : "here, this is for your Bhajan Hall. Take this and open it. "
I open the packet : there are plenty of dollars. 01, 02, 03, 04… (Numbered in chronological order as mentioned in the book "Pour l'amour de Dieu") He tells me: "this is Indian Money : there are 20 000 rupees. These are for all the photos you've reserved. Buy all the photos you have put aside for the Bhajan Hall and whatever you want. But don't spend these dollars here. "
He leaves me the packet and says : "dollar bills n°1 to n°15, you have to change in the south of Mauritius in this bank. " and all banks in Mauritius are written down, it is well written on a note where I need to change which banknotes. When it happened, I kept a calculator in my bag all the time. I started counting… a lot of things are going on in my head. "if the dollar exchange in Mauritius is 22 rupees, that's 800 000 rupees. But if we wait a bit, it becomes 23 rupees which makes it 825 000 ! and if we wait a little longer, with 35, we get more… and if we don't change at the bank but change in the black market, we can have 40 for 1! so it becomes 2 millions anyway !! "
Meanwhile, in Mauritius, the Sai organization is criticizing my family, all that. But I also received clothes and shoes, during Darshan. Swami gave me the pattern of clothes to be sewn, he gave me Vibhuti… and the plans for this Bhajan Hall. When Swami gave me the model (pattern) to make the clothes and when he gave me the perfume, all that, people took pictures. These photos also, I sent them to Mauritius ! I bought for things for the Bhajan Hall and the photos that I had reserved 20,000 rupees in India.
Baba said to me : “Do not ask for any donation, I will send my devotees (Bhaktas) for this. I'll take care of everything, don't worry. "
To learn more, read the book "Pour l'amour de DIeu", pages 173 to 180.
This exact event takes place on October 13, 1994.
" The next day during darshan, I asked :
- “Interview, Swami ! "
- He replied: “You don't need interview, you need innerview, so don't worry, I am with you.
Don't ask for money to anyone, for your Bhajan Hall, I'll send my devotees to help, don't worry. "
I can say that Baba takes any form, it was not necessary for Swami to come physically to give me the money. Also, one needs to understand that I was not the only one to receive money. The banknotes were in dollars, all arranged in numerical order (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, etc.) With the money we also received a document. I can never forget and that is why I am still with Swami today. This shows that even though Swami is in Puttaparthi, the world belongs to him! This document also specified the banknote numbers that had to be changed, the name and address of the Mauritian bank as well as the date of the transaction (the banknotes from such number to such number must be changed on such date, in such bank, located in such city and so on). So, I changed this money in several banks in Mauritius, respecting and following all these instructions. In Mauritian currency, the sum amounted to 800,000 Rupees at the time. I always kept 150 dollars on the sum that I received in Mauritius. I never spent them. We were seven people to receive money this way... On the last day, an eighth person came, it was a girl. The eldest of us was an Australian who must have been about forty-five ; the others were between twenty-two and twenty-five years old. We all received a sum of money of the same value and at the same time. I was the only one to receive 20,000 Indian Rupees, in addition to the dollars… A small note was attached to these rupees, which mentioned that I could buy all the photos that I had reserved outside the Ashram. With this money, I therefore bought all the photos which are now hung in the Bhajan Hall. I was the biggest buyer of Whitefield ! They never forgot me, until today. I still continue to buy a lot of photos, not for the Bhajan Hall but to give them to people. I had reserved a very large picture of Swami which costed 3000 rupees, but when I went to collect it I was told that Swami had already taken it. It meant that Swami did not want me to buy this picture. Twenty years later, I bought this picture in Puttaparthi, two or three years before Swami left. You can see this photo in the new dining hall, located above Bhajan Hall. "
DEEP TRANSFORMATION
Swami Ajay : "And also, in the bedroom, so much has happened for transformation. Swami, dreams… on how to materialize objects, not as an advertisement but for the transformation of people… to use this energy well, in a particular way… - through dreams – Swami came in a dream and he spoke. He said that all this power that I had received, it was necessary to use it for humanity. To do good for humanity. To achieve and accomplish something great for humanity… but never to show off or for a show of power, nor for notoriety and fame, never to waste that energy just to satisfy people's desires. There is a mission to accomplish. We have karma in there. You have to use this Divine energy, this Shakti, to accomplish all these things. But I'm only explaining all this to you briefly, because so much has happened. So many little things happened, I was there for 45 days. So every day something was happening. Every day. But today I am here only because of all these things that happened in the Ashram. Every day Swami's teachings... transformation, teachings, transformation of the mind... transformation of every action... purity in breath, purity in thought... everything was done there. Many changes. Not just the physical body… but also the inner Self. Lots of self work, internal work. "
THE FIRST YAGYAS - 1994
“ In 1994, I started performing Yagya on my own because the caste system in Mauritius did not allow us to do this ritual. Mauritians think that the Yagya belongs to another caste, because it comes from India.
The Sanathana Dharma is what we are doing, through Sama Veda and Atharva Veda (singing Bhajans). Yagya is Yajur Veda (the structure, Yantra, Mantra and Tantra) and Rig Veda (the recitation of Vedas, Mantras and Maha Mantras). If we reverse this energy, it becomes 'tantric' : in some countries it is called black magic. Today, this energy manifests itself predominently, in the world. It is important to bring these energies back into balance. So for that, I started the Yagyas. I started by doing a one-day Sathya Sai Yagya every Sunday. At the time, the grand Bhajan Hall did not yet exist. I was doing Yagya every week at a fixed place, even if no one came. I didn't really know the recitation of Vedic prayers but I started to do them, otherwise I would have had to pay a Priest each time. I didn't work and couldn't ask my family for money all the time. My family asked me why I was doing these Yagyas, since no one was coming. I told them that I didn't do it for people. This way of doing things did not exist in Mauritius... You had to be crazy to act like that. People have always thought that rituals should be done in the presence of other people. They believe it is impossible to do them alone. They don't do Bhajans if there is no group. But if you're home alone, won't you eat? You'll eat on your own when you're hungry ! And our divine Mother, is she not hungry for our energy? We deprive her under the pretext that we need a group to offer our Love to God. When the father is not at home, can no one else comfort his crying child?
The mother does not say to her child: “Wait, you can continue to cry. We'll calm you both down when your dad gets home." During the day, the mother caresses her child alone, in addition to preparing the house and everything that needs to be done. In Mauritius, when the master leader of Bhajan group does not come, people go home without doing the Bhajans. However, they will eat when they get home, even if they are alone. Their conscience is not in adequacy.
It has not been explained to them that they still have to do their Bhajans because they have an appointment with God. If your husband is too busy to take you to the doctor, you will take a taxi and still go to your appointment, because you are seriously ill! ... So they always thought that Yagya could not be done if people did not come. But I didn't think so. I laid bricks, I lit the Fire, I did the Yagya in my own way and I started to recite the Mantras. I started again every Sunday. At first people didn't come and then they started coming because they heard about the miracles. After a year of practice, I started the great Yagyas and brought in priests in 1995. ”
BACK TO MAURITIUS
CLOTHES AJAY RECEIVED DURING HIS TRIP
Swami Ajay: “Many things happened. I continue to wear the clothes I received in 1994 until today… The size is still good, but they tend to widen and I have to get them tightened. I left some of my outfits in several countries: France, England and Portugal. Because one day, when I come, I won't have time to prepare my clothes; I will have to leave very quickly. These clothes, I received them from our Lord. The two times I went to Puttaparthi, I no longer wore the trousers and the shirt but I wore the kurta... Now, I know that the clothes given by Swami are the style that I must wear, the colors are not important but I have to keep the same cut. Because he gave me the model, the pattern, during Darshan. And then, one morning, a Seva Dal gave me a package saying that it was for me... the gray paper wrapped three garments: a red one, an orange one and a yellow one. A note also placed in the bag specified that I had to put on the orange before returning to Mauritius. But I didn't listen to Swami... when I got to Bombay, I didn't put it on for fear of criticism. I had body pains, the plane was a day late and the next day I decided to obey. Swami never told me not to wear pants but if I wear one, burns appear and I have to take it off immediately. The clothes given by Baba are a protection and a reminder, for they are Swami's clothes... "
He takes the plane to come back to Mauritius, but a strange thought crosses his mind.
Swamiji : " to get back home, I wore the robe and shoes given by Swami. I had no problem at the airport but to fly from Mumbai to Mauritius, it takes 5 and a half hours. During this trip, I didn't eat, I only thought : “ what am I going to do with this money? " - " Is it important to build a Bhajan Hall? ... No one knows I got that money… I'd rather buy a big piece of land ; I'm building a house, I'm buying a nice car… " I'm thinking about that. The plane lands, I walk into the airport, inside… and someone invisible slaps me, twice. It hit really hard. I said : “ where does it come from?! " a gentleman who was next to me heard the slap: “ Swami slapped you. You thought of something that is not right ? " ... I said nothing. The slaps were really shocking... I came back to Mauritius with the money. Very soon, I started building the Bhajan Hall. When I got home, I showed the money for the Bhajan Hall to my aunty, it was all in dollars, brand new, with consecutive numbers. I said to her : “There, Baba gave the money !"
Earlier I had phoned Roshan (my cousin) from Whitefield and told him to reserve the land, a piece of land above Schoenfeld Road. I explained to my aunty that we were going to buy this land, but the family objected by saying : “No, you shouldn't. Miracles have happened here, so build Bhajan Hall right here."
The construction of the new Bhajan Hall then began near the old one, on the land donated by his family in Rivière du Rempart, in the northeast of the Island.
Swami Ajay : “ My auntie's son donated this land, my uncle was asked for permission and all agreed to build the Bhajan Hall here. Its construction lasted about nine months. The construction of the Bhajan Hall began in March 1995, with the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone. And whenever I needed money, there were always people from outside to help us, without having to ask. There was a lady called Elisabeth, "Lisa", a Swiss woman. She brought me a lot of money to build and complete the Bhajan Hall. It was not easy to build it but we got there. And there is another lady called Dominique who lived on Reunion Island : I have already gone to her place. She also brought me money at that time. There were no euros, there were francs : 15 000 francs, 20 000 francs to finish. And then when I went to Puttaparthi, I got the date by Anil Kumar for the inauguration and at the same time the French people were there. I invited all the French friends… and the electricity of the Bhajan Hall, the painting, all that was done by the French people. Until today, even if there is something to do, there are always French people who are there. The Bhajan Hall was completed in nine months. It's very big, very well done with all the statues needed... The 800 000 Rs were used for the construction but the funds were insufficient.
Even when we were in Darshan in Whitefield, when I asked Swami for an interview, I said :
- “ Thank you for the money Swami !! Interview, Swami ? ”
- And Swami turned around, he said to me : “ no need interview, you need innerview (dive into yourself, inner vision). And don't worry…I will send my devotees to help you. But never ask anyone for money. "
So I kept my promise, even until now. And when we started the project, people let us down. They left us. But at each step of the way, foreigners from neighboring islands, Reunion, South Africa, New Zealand, even France… they also came to help us financially, in terms of furniture, building materials… and even labour. They did everything for us. The whole project, the Bhajan Hall. Still now, they are helping. In this way, we managed to fulfill the Divine mission of our beloved Bhagawan for the BH, the library, the room for the Balvikas, the class for education and the human values programs… and even the prayers, prayers for Shirdi, everything for this BH. We inaugurated it on April 20, 1996. And we even had help from Portuguese devotees : for the painting, preparing the activities… until now it continues!
When we started the work, everything went well… at first.
Of course Baba took care of everything and the Hall was built by all and for all. God always answers our questions and our doubts, but not necessarily as we expect. It's not a matter of lack of faith… For example, I didn't know how to build the roof because I didn't have enough money. I asked Swami for help and He sent me a Frenchman from Reunion who had all the required skills and offered his services to me. I was able to save the price of the carpenter. Baba did not give any money directly for this, as he wants us to make an effort ourselves. Money never comes first, you have to make an effort, then help comes. In your case, even if you are obliged to take a loan to be able to travel for example, it is Swami who allows you to do so. "
MEETINGS FRENCH PEOPLE IN INDIA
From his first stay in India, Swami Ajay met many French people who would later participate in the establishment and the propagation of his mission in France, Portugal and Belgium.
Swami Ajay : " Whenever I went to Puttaparthi or Whitefield, I always met French people: the group from Toulouse or Clermont-Ferrand... during my first trip, in 1994, I also met French people in Puttaparthi. At that time, I didn't express myself well in French and I didn't speak much... "
Message from a French couple : "During our first stay in Puttaparthi in December 1994, Sathya Sai Baba gave a speech in the Poornachandra on the day of Christmas and there was a big banner. “ you are my messengers ” – We are all his Messengers. In all these wanderings and like many other people, we had the chance to meet Swami Ajay. When Dr. Gadhia met Swami Ajay in 2005, he told him that he was " Sai Das ", the Servant of Sai. (from his former site swamiajay.org)
MEETING WITH YAN, FRANCO-PORTUGUESE
Yan is a Frenchman living in Portugal. It was in Mauritius that he and his wife met Swami Ajay, in 1996 :
" I will tell you about the first meeting with Ajay, how it happened. I was in India at the Ashram… and a Frenchman told me about Ajay one evening. A combination of circumstances meant that at the time,we had just bought a piece of land and we had to build our house. I had to find a second season to work because we had no more money, we had to build the house and since I can work in tourism and my wife too, we decided to go to Mauritius . "
" We could not find work in Mauritius although we had several job offers in luxury hotels, for the simple reason that there were elections. So between the transition from one government to another, all that is related to authorizations and visas, it had taken months. After a month and a half,we got a little desperate. I had heard of Ajay. I knew there was someone on the island but where ? … I just knew his name. Ajay. That was all, I didn't know more than that. And the guy from the little boarding house we were in was a former taxi, so I asked several times but he had never heard of it. And then I insisted, once again. I had a lot of time ahead of me and we were a little tired of the beach because Mauritius is very good but if you go to the beach every day for a month, you get enough of it. I mean, it's good but I was born by the sea, so the beach I already know…
So I ask him if “ you know someone, he does pooja for Sathya Sai Baba ? And for Shirdi. »
It says " listen, I'll see. "
The next day, he comes back and he says to me : "there is someone, I heard about an Ajay in Rivière du Rempart. "
I ask how I'm going there and he says " you take the bus and then you take the taxi. "
I was in the north of the island and it was a bit complicated to go there. So I left on my own, told my wife I was going for a ride. We got there, I take the taxi and the bus and I arrive at Rivière du Rempart. But I have no address, I don't know where it is. I just know : 'Ajay' and the story I was told, that's all. So I go down and I realize that Rivière du Rempart is not as small as I thought. I see that there is a place, there is a swimming pool, I say : " good, but now I don't know how to find his house." And going down I said : " Swami, you will have to give me a hand because I have no idea where I'm going. "
And I dare not ask anyone because what would I say ? " Do you know of a gentleman named Ajay who had miracles happening on himself? "
I did not know what to say. So I took the first road, it's called Schoenfeld Road. After a kilometer I say “ Swami, really, I have no idea where I'm going… who am I going to ask ? " and after a while I see something on an electric pillar : 'Silence' but written like this : 'SAI – lence'. And I said: "ah! maybe it's there." I kept going up and at one point I see the same writing again : 'SAILENCE'. At the time, there was no temple... the future Bhajan Hall that Swami Ajay built was in construction. He lived in a small “ bitoune ” which was the old Bhajan Hall ; which was actually 4 walls with corrugated jail, that's it. And there was a corrugated jail terrace and benches. The lady who was Ajay's aunt told me :
- " are you looking for someone ? "
- I said: “ yes, excuse me…I have no idea where I am, I am looking for someone named Ajay. Do you know him ? "
- She says to me : “ yes, yes, yes, this is my nephew. Please enter ! ”
- I’m entering the house… I say : “ Sai Ram. ”
- She says to me : “ come, come ”
And I find myself on a wooden bench, with corrugated jail, in the shade. I have no idea where I am. Just then, Ajay comes out of the room and it was a Thursday. He was in his working clothes, the ones he wore to build the Bhajan Hall… Because Swami Ajay had two functions : contractor mason, and young Swami who starts his mission. So he alternated between the rotten clothes, saying “ someone is coming ! I have to take my shower and put on my orange clothes ! ” and then “ the person left… I put my rotten clothes back on and I'm going back to work. " And that's what I experienced for several months. Sometimes, he didn't have time to change and people would ask : “ where is the Swami ? " He would answer : "it's me..." - and we were working on cement and painting. We did a bit of everything. It's quite unique. So he walks out of the room, we look at each other… I just say : “ Sai Ram. ”
He walks up to me and says : “ Sai Ram… Yes ? I'm listening to you. Please, sit down. "
So, I sat. I told him : “ listen I don't really know where to start. I was at the Ashram and heard about you, and here I am. ”
He suddenly says : " give me your hand. "
I open my hand and he puts his hand over mine. At that moment, the Amrita comes into his hand, sinks down into mine. It flows, I put both hands underneath and I start to cry... I'm crying, and I can't wipe myself, my hands are full of honey and I look at him. Silence. He looks into my eyes and says : "eat it!" : So I ate it. And then he said to me : " give me your hand again. " I put my hands back under his and start crying louder. I'm crying all the tears that I have in my body… He said to me : “eat !!” and he starts again a third time.
We spoke very little, he just asked me this :
- “ do you mind coming back tomorrow ? "
- I say : " no, no, not at all !"
- He said to me : " because you know, today is Thursday and I have a lot of trouble speaking, for me it's not easy. "
So I say :
- “ no but there is no problem. When do you want me to come ? "
- " tomorrow morning ? "
- " yes, yes, tomorrow morning I'll be here. "
I go to the small pension that I rented, and the next morning I go back there. After that, my wife got a little desperate : that is to say, I left in the morning and returned in the evening. So after a while, my wife said :
- " listen, we're not working, we're on vacation and you're never here, so… "
- I said : " would you like to come back home in France? if you don't mind, I'd like to stay. ”
- She says to me : " how long do you want to stay ? "
- I said : " I don't know. "
- She says to me : “ok but for me it is not interesting. I'm going home. "
And so I stayed 4 months in Mauritius. Those four months, there were no foreigners. There were one or two who came like that to visit. They spent two or three days and they left. I think I was one of the first foreigners who came ; certainly not the first but I was the first to stay like that for a long time. And it changed my life. It completely changed my life… I realized that Swami Ajay is a workhors. It's very very difficult to follow him… It's very difficult to follow him. It is very tiring to work with him. Very, very tiring. It's not something easy. He gets up very early, he finishes very late, and at the time there was so little money to do all the work that you had to wash the sand from the beach by hand to do the construction. So the sand came from the beach because it was the cheapest. You had to wash it with water, first, then you had to sieve it to remove the shells that were in it, then you had to put it on the ground, then you had to make the mixture again to put it on the walls and to make the stones.
And that is for the whole temple. I was a painter, and he asked me :
- “ what are you doing in life?"
- “ listen, I do a bit of everything but I'm a painter by training. ”
- And he said to me : " ah, precisely, I have just promised that there was a painter from France who is coming to paint the decorations!"
- and I said " well here I am ! "
And this is the first time I met Ajay… it happened like this.
3rd & 4th TRAVELS TO INDIA – 1995
Construction problems end up forcing Swami Ajay to leave.
Swamiji : " I went to India for the third time, from March 21 to April 4, 1995. I had bought white paint for the walls of the Bhajan Hall, but we had problems with the masonry at the time. The ceiling fell several times in some places and it costed a lot of money and a lot of energy. So I went back to India on October 8, 1995, to ask Swami the cause of all these difficulties. As with every trip, Swami gave me the money to travel because I could not afford a plane ticket... and I left with the firm intention of staying in India forever. I had decided to leave for the last time and not to return to Mauritius, because of this ceiling problem which had lasted for a month and also because of the blames I continued to suffer. This is the date when I met the Clermont-Ferrand group in Puttaparthi. "
“ During my first trip in 1994, after Baba ignored me, I had visions before leaving the ashram. I've already explained one of them but there was more than that. During this stay, I realized two things :
The first revelation came in a vision. After darshan, someone informed me that one could attend bhajans in the temple and showed me the way to get there. Another person then waved me over and I entered the temple where the bhajans had already started. I went into a trance, like a half-sleep and had a vision that the ceiling of Swami's room was wooden, clad with some kind of plywood.
The second revelation came when I opened my eyes and saw that the colors of the temple were pink & blue. I had bought white paint from Maurice, for the Bhajan Hall, but changed my plans at that time. After the bhajans, I wrote down everything I had seen. In fact, I refer to the place I saw in vision as Swami's bedroom because I saw Him sitting there. What exactly did it stand for? I don't know, I don't know where Swami's room is and no one has seen it. I say it's His room just to give me a bearing. When I found out about the colors for the paint and the material to be used for the ceiling, I phoned my family in Mauritius giving the guidelines to follow. But I still didn't want to go back.
Fifteen days before Swami's birthday, I was in the front row and touched His feet, but He said to me : "Come back to Mauritius." I went back to my room and cried. I thought that Swami had misheard my request, or that I must have misunderstood what He had told me. I returned to the next darshan and found myself in the same place as before. Swami came, I could touch His feet again and started crying again. He left, turned around and He said to me : “You have to go back to Mauritius. You have to board to Mauritius and you know you have a lot of work to do. Do not worry. "
So I returned to Mauritius on November 10, 1995, with a flight which left directly from Puttaparthi for Bombay. I thought it was wrong to ask people for money, but wondered how to get the wooden ceiling like in my vision of Swami's room. I managed to change the paint and at the same time, Olivier, a Frenchman living in Reunion, came to help us. Thanks to his skills, we managed to finish the roof and the work on time for the scheduled date. The inauguration date was chosen according to the activities organized at Swami's Ashram. "
THE GREAT MAHAKALI YAGYA OF 1995
Swami Ajay : " Then, in 1995, I got permission from Swami in Puttaparthi and we did the first great Yagya in Mauritius, a 'Maha Kali Yagya'. It's not an easy Yagya, it can only be done once in an incarnation. You can wake up the Earth once but you can't do it again. These three days of Yagya are performed for the duration of a complete incarnation (100, 200 or 300 years).
This Yagya was made to calm the accidents that are happening all over the world, to stabilize the energy and the planetary system, and to rebuild the ocean system. For the Maha Kali Yagna, we took soil brought by several people from Puttaparthi, France, Japan and other countries. It was Shiva, a person who often went to Whitefield, who brought the land from Japan. We made the statue of Mata Kali with it. People were not allowed to participate in this Yagya…
One hundred and eight priests came during the three days of the Maha Kali Yagya. Three priests did the recitation every day and I stayed at a fixed place to offer the ghee. When doing this type of Yagya, you should not go inside the house ; you have to stay outside to sleep, eat and clean yourself. Clothes were given to the one hundred and eight priests who came for the ritual. We respected the sacred texts with the sixteen bases, the structure, the entry, the pause and the exit. The Kund is in triangle shape, for this Yagya. This depends on energies. We calculated each part very well. More than three hundred Kumbams were put, with Bhumi (earth) inside, Pritthivi (world), Sagara (wheel) and Shiv Sagar (ocean), to bring stability. This is why Mauritius is not affected by natural disasters, although it is surrounded by water. The Indian Ocean tsunami did not affect us. Sometimes, six-meter-high waves come. But they prostrate at the feet of the land. The ocean always respects the land of Mauritius because the Energy is there. "
" Reunion Island is also protected as we put a Yantra in the hole of the Fournaise volcano with a helicopter that a Reunionese from Saint-Pierre had prepared. We did this to change the direction of the lava that was coming towards the earth. It was not easy with a helicopter, because you had to make sure that the Yantra went into the crater and it was very hot. It took us four to five hours to get to a good position. We didn't throw the Yantra into the volcano, we stuck it to the end of a thread to guide it inside the crater. The wire burned and the Yantra entered the mouth of the volcano. When the volcano awoke eight months later, the lava flowed towards the ocean. Thus, Reunion Island will be able to expand because the vegetation will start to grow in a hundred years. But all the constructions that were made on the water will disappear. We are already on red alert as we have had several sea quakes.
Why is the sea shaking ? These tremors are happening because humans have taken the place of the ocean. "
" At that time, when we started doing Yagyas in Mauritius, we had already done so many Yagyas… because there were a lot of accidents in Mauritius. So we went to see Swami. And for me, it was never easy to have interviews with Bhagawan… Always many blessings, yes, but I was lucky only twice to have an interview with Swami. Once in Whitefield and once in Puttaparthi. In Whitefield, it was about the money received and the planning of our programs. The second time in Puttaparthi was for the opening of the Bhajan Hall. And I also had 4 interviews but it was not the same, I went there with our beloved French brothers and sisters. Just as an interpreter, because they didn't speak English so I came with them to translate and interpret in their language. Because Swami, at that time, he was asking the French people : “ if you have a translator, you can have an interview. " - and the French people invited me to come with them, so I had four interviews with them as a translator. At the same time, I also received my own answers… And I had also asked Swami, in my own heart. Because you know, it's not easy in the interview room to ask something… you forget everything once you're in the room. But through Anil Kumar, (Swami's official translator) I asked.
- I said : “ There are so many accidents happening in Mauritius… so we would like to do something. "
- he asked me : “ do you have any idea what you want to do ? "
- I said : “ Yes, a Yagya. "
- He said : “You know how to perform a Yagya ? "
- I replied : “No. "
Afterwards, he invited me to come to his room. At that time, Anil Kumar was residing in a room at Prashanti Nilayam so he invited me to explain everything there was to know about Yagyas. He also explained several things about the different types of Yagyas. He said : “ to eliminate all accidents, to stop all accidents, it is good to do a Mahakali Yagya. ”
So I received all the information and I returned to Mauritius. I started preparing everything for a three-day Mahakali Yagya. In a Mahakali-Yagya, the Divine Mother helps us to remove all troubles and problems. She eliminates all types of accidents. She has this ability to breathe all the positive energy into our country. So once we returned to Mauritius, I had to look for a good priest and he also had to be the one who would arrange everything for the Yagya. We also found and invited 108 priests, Brahmins. Those who have the knowledge to perform Yagyas. These 108 priests were invited to perform the 3-day Yagya. "
“ In northern India, we looked for three masters. We looked for many masters but we did not succeed to find the right ones, they were not not qualified to take responsibility for this Yagya. So we brought 3 masters to Mauritius, they came and they stayed in Mauritius. And they explained how to do the Yagya through the Yagyashala. There, we learned that for a Yagya, we need a favorable place. You can't do it in the open, like that, left to right. Just to control the energies it has to be closed. So they started doing this yagya. We saw the form of Mahakali in the evening, knocking on the bedroom door. Big, huge, blue feet with jingling bell anklets, I didn't open the door… she left. On the last day, you have to complete the Poornahuti : the end of this Yagya. The Yagya will end around 1:00 p.m.
Around 11:00 a.m., the chief priest is unable to continue the Yagya. The fire goes out every time even if there are a lot of embers and wood. He started to get in touch with his texts and there he noticed that the second priest recited a mantra that should not be... and from the moment he recited this mantra, there is this form which comes. The form of this mantra has appeared in the yagya… and it puts out the fire. Because we can't give the right ingredient to satisfy the deva. In the ingredient that we are giving,he does not get his share. And the energy is there, waiting. To make us understand that he is there, he extinguishes the fire each time. We tried to do our best but we could not manage to get this fire going again. A lot of smoke was coming out. But when it is like that, one cannot continue the Yagya. It's the last day… the chief priest contacts his sacred texts : “ what ingredient do we really need ? "
he asked the other priest : " which mantra did you recite ? " - he then calculated the real meaning of this mantra. And the form of this deva, what was his samagri, his food ? what is he eating ? what does he consume ? then, we found out that we don't have this ingredient here. It was a Sunday, around 1:00 p.m. everything is closed. Just to look for this ingredient, we took a taxi with the priest and we toured Mauritius. Just to search for this ingredient. In the end, we didn't get this in a store because everything was closed. We got this from someone the priest knows, who sells this in his house. There is a small shop in his house, he sells that. And we got this ingredient. Instead of finishing the Yagya at 1:00 p.m., we finished the Yagya around 5:30 p.m. But we managed to finish the Yagya anyway. And when we put this ingredient ; the fire started again by itself. That's why you have to know how to do it. Its very important. For example, during a Mahakali Yagya, the kund is not square : it is triangle. ”
" And after that, we also started to do the “ Maha Sathya Sai Yagyas ” with the names of 1008 beloved Bhagawan to be recited three times a day. In seven days, we performed this Yagya of beloved Swami. And then after, we did the “ Saraswati Yagya”. We also did a “ Ved purusha Saptaha Yagya ” and then, year after year, we gradually organized the “Ved purusha Saptaha Gyana Yagyas”, “Maha Rudra Yagyas”, “Laghu Rudra Yagyas”, Maha Abishekam, Rudra Abishekam… all these activities and all these Yagyas, we did them. At that time, the Yagyas and Pujas were performed by the priests. At the same time, we began to learn how to officiate and lead. What are the qualities needed to officiate and achieve all these things? … and even starting with all this, all this Divine Grace, I only got it by the blessing of our beloved Bhagawan. From the year 2000, I started to do all the Yagyas entirely by myself. I had already started to organize since 1999, but to a lesser extent. And then I started organizing 7-day Yagyas. "
These excerpts are taken from the book PRASADAM 2014 and the interview " Transformation " from 2011.
LEARNING THE HARD WAY
Swami Ajay : “ You know, when I wanted to learn Bhajans I begged many people.
I went in the organization, I was told :
- " Are you affiliated ? "
- “ no. ”
- “ You cannot learn with us. ”
I went to other places. They explained Bhajans to me but it was not Sai Bhajans… it was another type of Bhajans, classical Bhajans. I didn't feel good because that wasn't what I was looking for. When I got the Sundaram Sai Bhajans tapes at that time and then the book, I started to learn. And I wrote down everything I learnt, I made a list. Now it's much easier : you go to YouTube and you can find the student's recordings by typing “ Sai Bhajans ” . And then you can easily learn. I assure you, if you learn these 4 lines, start with easy Bhajans and try to sing : you will get there. If you love God, anything is possible. You should not be discouraged. It's not easy but when you work hard, the satisfaction you get is greater. It is you yourself, who are going to explain to our children how to do Bhajans. Trust me. "
" For the Arati, it was rather in Dharmakshetra that we had the explanation. I have always applied what I have learned with Mr. Indulal Shah. And many people don't know how to do Sai Arati properly. But over there, it's serious and it's well explained. Mr. Indulal Shah is an inexplicable person. He is a small man ; all his life he always stayed with Swami. And his wife too. Still. Very wise... He is a very big accountant in Mumbai. Yet he is still there and available. Always punctual, very admirable. It takes a long time to become like him. "
" How I got all this energy, how I got all this love, how I got all these ideas and even all this inspiration? – it's not easy for me to explain it. But one thing is for sure, I received everything through our beloved Master : Bhagawan Baba. And… to receive all this love, it was quite difficult for me. Because I am not someone who knows all these principles. I had only asked Swami to “ help me ”. And he always helped me through these activities, even today. Now I organize all kinds of prayers. With His Divine Grace, I officiate all types of Yagyas…and I have always enjoyed doing Yagyas. Even all Pujas. I've always really enjoyed doing it. Not just Yagyas and Pujas but also the practice of beloved Bhagawan's teachings… all of his teachings. Live his teachings, be his teaching. And to practice, to feel and to transform my inner Self, by receiving so much love from him. Today, all I am is only by the Divine Grace of our beloved Swami. Only Swami has given me all these things and all these opportunities to become someone and to do something for others. "
“ All these things that I do, that I have already done, I did not learn from anyone : I only observed everyone … only by observation. But all that I learned, I learned from our beloved Bhagawan. Going to Prashanti Nilayam… listening to the teachings of our beloved Bhagawan, the lectures that were taking place at Puttaparthi, at Prashanti Nilayam. Swami's Divine Discourses : All this has helped me a lot.
And at the time I was saying to Swami :
“ If you give me all of this, all of these opportunities to spread your message, I will try to give it my all and spread your word without thinking of this message as some kind of ritual, or without thinking that this information is only for such caste or such religion. Because it really is for everyone. Now that you have given me everything, I will do everything I can and work hard to spread this message to everyone regardless of caste, religion, color…all that. As this message is for everyone, I will try to give it to everyone without thinking of anything else. "
And this message, I did not receive knowledge of it in the books ! Not even at university. I didn't learn all that anywhere. I got it directly from Bhagawan. People accept it or they don't : this is the truth. I received everything directly from him, as it came. How did this all develop ? – even today, I don't know. But what I can say is that when people ask me questions, they get their answers… the right answers. So it can't be me who gives the answer. There must be some kind of energy, something that is connecting with my head. Because I myself don't know the questions or the answers.
The answers to all your questions, I don't have them ! I haven't read them anywhere. All this knowledge, it would have been impossible for me to have it in such a short period of time. But it all came up in the air, just “ like that ”. Something is connecting with us. So we just try to listen to the question and then we give you the answer. Even in regards to all the prayers, yagyas, mantras… all those things. We don't know how it all works. We only know Swami. We visualize Swami and then we ask : “ Swami, help us to be your instrument ! Help us receive inspiration ! Help us to be your servant… ” - Doing so, we continue. And once we are clear on the fact that we have indeed received this Divinity in ourselves, that we want to give pure things to everyone, it is God himself who comes and who helps us. To be able to give you the right message and the right answers. But, how does it come ? – until now, I don't know. I am only here as a servant.
I can't tell you that " I connect with Swami ". It's not good to tell you that. Because it creates a lot of problems with people and with certain organizations. I don't feel that I am someone special for Swami. Even now. But I just know that I love doing Swami's work. I love Swami, I try to practice his teachings in my daily life too, to become somebody. But still today, I cannot say : “ I cannot do Swami's work ”. – because it is my food, what gives me life. It's impossible for me to say : " I can't come to do the Yagya ", because it's my food, my health, my love, my everything. For this reason, I imagine, Swami has given me my own Ashram so that I can do whatever I have in the depths of my heart. This is also why Swami has always helped me to have everything. From bottom to top. Even money, everything, to do something for all mankind without a committee or anything. My committee is only my Atma and the Paramatma. My only committee is me and Bhagawan.
How is Bhagawan ? Does he love me, or not ? Does he like me, or not ? Does he help me, or not ? - I don't know. But all of these things are happening right before your eyes. So we do everything. But I don't have the knowledge to know what happens to me, how it comes, how it goes, how it manifests, how it succeeds.
I know nothing. I know only one thing : you are happy, I am happy, He is happy, everyone is happy. So it's ok, it's good. "
THE BHAJAN HALL
As with the arrival of a child on Earth, after nine months of preparation and pain, a miraculous birth occurs.
The construction of the Bhajan Hall at Rivière du Rempart draws a deep parallel with our life : although it is made up of ups and downs, tribulations and tests, if we have the strength to overcome and accept them, everything is achievable !
Despite all the problems and contingencies related to the construction, it was extremely fast : only nine months for a complete Ashram. All of this was only possible through the prayer, patience and hard work of hundreds of people ; and all these sacrifices bore fruit. The Bhajan Hall became not only a space of devotion and recollection for all, but also a profound symbol reminding everyone that when pure intentions arise in the human heart, God allows them to materialize with splendor.
SETTING UP THE NEW PLACE
The activities already in place in the old Bhajan Hall are maintained : the complete migration to the Bhajan Hall will take place after the inauguration, which will take place during the whole week of April 20, 1996. Since then, the building includes :
- a Sai shop with spiritual and devotional items plus a bookstore
- a temple dedicated to Shirdi Sai Baba (first space)
- a second room for bhajans, decorated with photos and statues, the throne,
- library,
- an apartment with several bedrooms.
Excerpt from a press article – 1996
“ Swami Ajay gave his life to Baba. He says on returning from his trip :
« Mo pane kapav vinn enn professional in the law but mo fine fer mo maximum pou vine enn in social ek humanitarian side. »
" I have not been able to become a professional in the law, but I am doing my best to become a professional in the social and humanitarian side. "
The Bhajan Hall now welcomes young and old from all communities.
Swami Ajay later started temples in France, Portugal and England, placed under the care of foreign devotees. "
INAUGURATION - April 1996
" Some foreigners, including some French people, received the grace to participate in the inauguration of the Bhajan Hall which lasted a week. Songs, processions, rituals and speeches continued in a continuous rhythm during these days. A priest was in charge of the inauguration rituals, and led the prayers and poojas for several days on large marble statues from India. Divine Nectar flowed steadily for several hours from the tops of the skulls of the statues of Ganesh and Shirdi Sai Baba, and Saraswati shed tears of Amrita. All those present were able to witness this miracle with wonder. The Divine beverage was collected in a small container and distributed to all. This statue is very much alive, I must admit and I really experience that: “there is only one God, he is omnipresent. »
« De Sai au soi » - pages 60 to 70.
Opening ceremonies
1. Procession – 5kms with the Murtis by car and on foot, celebration, songs.
2. Inauguration – Opening of doors followed by Inauguration Satsang.
3. Murthi Sthapna – Ritual to breathe life into statues.
4. Puja Vidhis – offerings on statues
5. The Murtis are sealed in their slots and then they are dressed up.
6. Mahaprasad – all meals are offered to participants at noon and in the evening.
7. Celebrations – Hindi Play, French Group Bhajans, Satsangs and Lectures. Dance shows, music concerts.
8. Poornahuti – Closing of the inauguration week with a Yagya, with the offering of ingredients to the fire where the participants repeat 'Swaha'.
The date of the inauguration was chosen according to the activities organized at the ashram of Prashanti Nilayam. During this period, an important festival dedicated to Rama lasts seven to eight days : it is called Rama Navami. The inauguration also took place over a week at the same time.
BHAJAN HALL ACTIVITIES
Regarding the presentation of the program and activities of the Bhajan Hall, Swami Ajay made it himself in an inauguration speech :
" Dear brothers and sisters, AUM SAI RAM. "
" By the Divine Grace of Bhagawan Shri Sathya Sai Baba, I welcome you all to this happy occasion of the inauguration of the Bhagawan Shri Ram Sathya Sai Baba Hall and Mandir. Our program includes religious, spiritual and social activities : Puja Vidhis, Murthi Sthapna (rituals), discourse on spirituality and society. This program begins today, Saturday April 20, 1996 and will end on Wednesday April 24, 1996. However, the Service, Spiritual and Social (3S) activities will continue and the public is invited to participate. I suggest that you study the details of the work that will be done for the benefit of children, adults, women and yourselves. Let us follow the path shown by Baba.
" To serve man is to serve God. "
Bhagawan Shri Sathya Sai Baba spreads his Divine Grace in this place, since November 23, 1993 and until this day. Since then, we have been singing kirtans and bhajans nonstop daily from 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Brothers and sisters from all over the country and even from abroad (Sweden, France, Portugal, Reunion Island, South Africa, etc.) have arrived here to obtain Sai Baba's Love and Grace. Hoping for darshan and miracles from Bhagawan Shri Sathya Sai Baba, I first went to Baba's abode, Prashanti Nilayam, in 1994 and for obvious reasons decided to stay in India. But Baba decided otherwise. On my second visit to Baba in Whitefield (Bangalore), I wrote in a letter with my intention to build a Bhajan Hall which would be dedicated to humanity. Baba took my letter graciously. Three days later I got a precious gift from Baba and the plan of this Bhajan Hall.
Baba said to me : “Do not ask for any participation, I will send my devotees (Bhaktas) for this. I'll take care of everything, don't worry."
Of course Baba took care of everything and the Hall was built by all and for all. The construction of the Bhajan Hall began in March 1995, with the foundation stone laying ceremony. Today, we begin the inauguration ceremony of this blessed religious building. Its construction and completion have truly been made possible by Baba's Grace and through everyone's love. There is always Baba's blessing and permission to do His work... He is the Avatar of this age (Yuga), everything is done by His will, at His command and with His permission.
Always remember that : " A house is built by hands but a home is built by heart, just as a temple (Mandir) is built with Love, not simply through money."
And that “ Part-time seva is part-time blessing ; full-time seva is full-time blessing. "
It is good to sing kirtans, bhajans and do pujas, they will free us from all our sins. We must always choose to entertain good thoughts and we must promise ourselves to always do good. There is no point in looking at or participating in the bad things around us. They can cause us considerable harm. The right path and correct choices are best for everyone and will benefit your children who will follow your example. “Do good, see good and be good. "
All living things have a soul (Atma). The soul is God. The soul is Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Rama, Krishna, Jesus and Allah etc. So you should always listen to your soul, your heart. Baba is God, He has already conquered millions of hearts all over the world. We must come to Him with firm faith and trust. Take one step towards Him, He will take a hundred towards you. Baba has already said that He did not come to establish another religion... His religion is the religion of Love. Everyone should continue to pray to their favorite deity (Ishtadevta) – Lord Shiva, Rama, Krishna, Jesus or Allah – but they should pray to God as ONE. As for me, I am not the only one to be the instrument of God, because of the miracles. Each of you is God's instrument. Do not doubt it, in the years to come, we will all encounter and endure countless hardships, social problems and natural disasters. More and more instability is very likely to arise in our homes, our families, in the country and around the world. Today, to overcome all this, to obtain the privilege of living in peace, in harmony, in Love and being happy, we must pray, sing kirtans and bhajans, come together for satsangs. Share the Love with all. Stop criticizing, being jealous, hating and trying to harm others. Replace everything with Love. Baba says : “Love all, serve all".
With this very great thought of Baba, seva activities are carried out at the Bhagawan Shri Ram Sathya Sai Tirtha Sthaan (Bhajan Hall). I ask all siblings, parents, students and children to adhere to the mentioned activities ; They entrust different areas of life like Pujas, Seva, Kirtans, Bhajans, Bal Vikas class for children and adults, free medical consultations, free school and professional courses for students, career counseling and special legal assistance for workers and those in difficulty. Thus, come sincerely, filled with Love for Baba, get rid of all your fears, jealousy, antipathies, hatred, criticisms, ego, doubts and negativity. God is with you, God is within you, you just need to be aware of it.
“ God is Love, Love is God. "
Baba's mission is meant to keep us in Love and Peace. Now, I address a special thought to the attention of the helpless, the handicapped, the sick, those who suffer and our elderly. It is our duty today to give them as much love and attention as possible. We must pray for them.
AUM SAI RAM. »
(Source : swami-ajay.fr website)
Every person's heart is a small Prashanti Nilayam.
- SWAMI AJAY
CHILDHOOD
from 1969 to 1990's
HIS ILLNESS
1989 - 1993
MIRACLES
year 1993
THE BEGINNINGS
years 1994 - 95
THE BHAJAN HALL
1996 - 2000
ASSIGNMENT
since 1997
These articles are reduced versions of the full story.
In this biographical collection, several works are quoted in chronological order, trying to reconstruct Swami Ajay's life story. It is important to understand that this does not replace the reading of original resources, which take on a whole different approach.