Souljourns (Ted Henry & Jody Cleary) interviews Sreejith Narayan

Welcome to Souljourns and the story behind the popular book ‘Sai Thy Kingdom Come’ whether you are a sceptic or open to the book’s premise, this account as told by Sreejith Narayan is both intriguing and a revelation for many. This interview was recorded in Dayton New Jersey in the summer of 2013.

TRANSCRIPTION

Ted Henry: Sai Ram Sreejith!

Sreejith Narayan:  Sai Ram!

Ted Henry: What a great episode that we are talking about a book that Jody and I learned about a long time ago……but before we get to that…it’s very important that we get there but it is also very important to set the stage. How and when did you become a follower of Holy Man Sri Sathya Sai Baba?

Sreejith Narayan:  It was in the early nineties. My father first came to Swami’s fold and I remember he brought a glass framed picture of Bhagawan to our house and there was an argument with my mother. She didn’t like the picture to be brought in and put in along with other Gods in the house…so she resisted. After sometime the picture broke…shattered as if somebody took a hammer and banged at it. So my mom got scared, she felt Oh, Sathya Sai Baba has some powers I should not mess with him! So she let eventually let my father keep the picture along with  other Gods in the prayer room. But I was a sceptic. I was in college at that time… none of my friends believed in Swami and they used to make fun of anybody who believed in Swami. So I didn’t want to have anything to do with Bhagawan. But when my parents went to Puttaparthi, I had to go…they didn’t give me a choice, so I had to go with them. Then I was sitting in the darshan line, Swami came, we were in the first row. As soon as I saw Him and the way He was walking towards us and His face…I knew that Swami was Divine. I don’t know why…I mean it’s just that magnetic pull. When He calls there is no resisting really. That is what my experience was.

Ted Henry: Let me just interrupt you here because a lot of people say just like you do and others just like myself take very slow sometimes even tedious route to understand the magnitude of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, What do you suppose accounted for your almost instantaneous drawing at that conclusion.

Sreejith Narayan: I don’t know the answer to that but I think it depends upon the way the Guru and the disciple…the guru responds to the disciple and the disciple responds back. Each person has His own path. And that is the result of what we have learnt in the past lives and the present life. I felt as if I was meant to be there and I had a previous relationship with Him and when He came you know…I was so fortunate to get Padanamskar. As soon as I touched Swami’s lotus feet I was overwhelmed with joy. It was like divine vibrations I felt and I hear that so many devotees feel the same way when they first touch Swami’s lotus feet. From that point onwards I didn’t have to look back. I was…I completely fell for Him and I came back home and started reading Swami’s books. Whatever I could get my hands on, His discourses, vahini series, experiences by other devotees and eventually I started getting Swami’s dreams.  I used to have questions and Swami used to come in the dreams and answer them….even small small things like spiritual things and how to get rid of your ego. That’s a big thing for me really but in small ways He was teaching me, even how not to quarrel, how to be quiet in such situations, many things I don’t even remember..so many of these experiences.

Ted Henry: Did you go to see Him very many times before His Mahasamadhi?

Sreejith Narayan: Yes, I used to go like at least every year. At least when I was in India I used to go like whenever there was an opportunity but when I moved to United States in 1997 I used to go like once in two years may be. So these dreams continued for a while and He was establishing my faith in Him slowly and slowly. And after a while dreams stopped because Bhagawan said…probably He thought that that was enough and I was in the right path. From that time onwards only life lessons and occasional dreams like that.

Ted Henry: …..to know how people arrive at Baba’s doorstep but people when they hear these stories they would like to know something about the person too…So a little bit about your background. You are in America, your family, your job, your children and you major ones in your life.

Sreejith Narayan: Sure, I am originally from Kerala in South India. I moved to United States. I am a software engineer, so on job I moved to United States in 97. I am living here in Dayton New Jersey with my wife Suma and two children. My elder one her name is Sneha, my younger one is a boy his name is Sharan. As I said I am a software engineer. I partner a software consulting and development firm based in New Jersey and having offices in United States and India. So basically doing software related work.

Ted Henry: Well, I think it’s about time Sreejith that you talk a little bit about the major non-commercial work of your life up until  this point. Tell us what its more you would be achieving but I know like all of us you are devastated at Baba’s passing from His physical form, His Mahasamadhi what was it that lead to your pursuit of the subject that’s discussed expertly because of all the research entailed in this wonderful book that’s been available to Sai devotees for a long time and called ‘Sai Thy Kingdom come’, a deliberation on the possibility of Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s return and in His literal return in His physical form.

Sreejith Narayan: Literal return in the same physical form as Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Ted Henry: Where on earth did this thought to you come from?

Sreejith Narayan:  It’s a short question but a long answer. See I have to start from the time when Swami left His body. That night I had a terrible experience and it was 24th April night. I was in deep sleep when I got a call from a Sai Brother to convey the news that Swami has left His body. And the shock of waking up from sleep and listening to this was irresistible. I felt I was palpitating and going into a heart attack. Such intense it was and as it was happening I immediately felt somebody patting on my right shoulder (like this) as if to console me. So I was thinking it was my wife Suma. So I turned around and she was just sitting like this… head bent…on the other end of the bed. Immediately I realised that it was Swami and I felt Swami’s presence in the room. Immediately I calmed down and it was an overwhelming presence such that it saved me from that terrible situation.

Ted Henry: You said you had been in a deep sleep when your friend called, you are quite sure you didn’t think its an illusion …………..

Sreejith Narayan: This was not an illusion because I was thinking that it was my wife, so I am not expecting Swami pat on my shoulders. I was expecting it was my wife so I was in complete senses at that time.

Ted Henry: and how long did it last?

Sreejith Narayan: It lasted like a few seconds, may be two or three seconds that’s it…but it was so powerful.

Ted Henry: Unmistakable?

Sreejith Narayan: Unmistakable…

Ted Henry: and what makes you think it was Swami?

Sreejith Narayan: Because there was no one else there… but at that time I needed that because it was an intense moment for me and I never really felt sad after that…that Bhagawan left His body. But something in the corner of my heart was bothering me and I set out to find out what it was. This was bothering me so much that I couldn’t do any other thing else. I wanted to find out so I started asking myself these questions… that may be because Bhagawan was in the hospital for so long and His body went through all these different things and He must have been in pain…that’s why I am bothered. But then again answer came from within saying that ‘No, Bhagawan is above body consciousness, He doesn’t feel the pain because He is not His body’, so that was not what was bothering me. Then I thought that because I will miss His form because I will not be able to have His darshan again…then again I thought…see I go to Puttaparthi for like once in two or three years. I am there for three days, recharge my batteries and come back. When I miss His form I watch His beautiful videos which I can do it even now. Of course who wouldn’t want to have Swami’s darshan again but that was not the thing that was bothering me. And finally I found out what it was. Because when I came to Swami I started reading Bhagawan’s so many books, discourses and teachings everything…and I used to be overwhelmed with joy reading about the glorious time that is awaiting us in the Sathya Sai Avatar.  Swami’s own words.  And how Swami would bring about the Golden age, the world would be peaceful. All that would happen in the Sathya Sai Avatar while He was still in His form and I prayed for such a thing to happen. I wanted the whole world to have the same experience that I had. I know I transformed only because I came to Bhagawan and I wanted that same opportunity for everyone else in this world and that has been my constant prayers till now. Each day I would include that in my prayers and when Bhagawan left a thought overwhelmed me saying that what will happen to all those things that Bhagawan said. How will the world get the same opportunity again and immediately (I am getting goose bumps) I heard this inner voice and the inner voice said “My word will never fail, I am truth, whatever I say becomes truth, why do you worry? Whatever I said will happen exactly the way I said it”, Along those lines I heard this…and at that moment I came to peace with myself and I never had this thought again because I knew Bhagawan was in control…there is nothing that we need to worry about. But I had to go back and read those statements again because I felt like getting back those joyous moments. And as I read through those words, I came to the understanding that some of the things could happen only when He would return in the same form. Because He said He would do it while He was in His still in His form and body. And Bhagawan’s words will never fail..I am completely confident on that, I have hundred per cent faith in that. And if Bhagawan’s words will never fail and if He has to so all that while He was still in His body, the obvious thing that would happen is that Bhagawan would be returning in the same form as Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Yet it remained as a personal conviction, secret conviction I would say. I wouldn’t say this out to anybody because nobody would accept this as a fact. I talked to only like a few close people that I had and I never did think of writing a book or anything like that. In 2012 January, towards the end of January, I suddenly had the urge to put together an article and the article was about why I believe Swami was not speaking in Lunar years. Because at that time it was an accepted fact all over the Sai world that Swami was speaking in Lunar years…even official circles announced. First I heard about it I thought okay, it’s interesting but I immediately knew that Bhagawan wouldn’t talk about in some vague language like that. Because Bhagawan is universal avatar. He wouldn’t talk about His lifetime in some calendar that is not used universally. But I had to see it for myself. So I went and saw Bhagawan’s words which convinced me that He was not speaking in lunar years. So I started writing out my thoughts on that and one thing led to the other, one thing led to the other, I felt Swami was…Swami’s unseen hands guiding me and before I knew that I had a book material in my hands. It was not an article anymore. I had to call it a book and I had to publish it.

Ted Henry: But you didn’t stop with just Swami’ words did you? You obtained and researched and checked and double or triple checked the veracity of many other people’s words about the same thing.

Sreejith Narayan: Exactly! So mainly …As I said that the point I wanted to raise when I started the article was that we don’t have to defend Bhagawan’s words. If it is clear to us that Bhagawan’s words have not come true yet, instead of believing that you know …doing a vague interpretation of Swami’s words to make it look like it has already happened…Instead of that, believe in the certainty of His words. That’s what the message I wanted to convey with that article. Because we don’t have to defend Bhagawan’s words. I mean He is God and when God says something it just happens. And so I also thought that who are we defending and against whom? Because the whole world is Swami’s mansion and all are His devotees even though they know it or not. I started writing along these lines and what I saw in Bhagawan’s words…Hhe never said the whole number of years that He would be in His body. In 1960, He said “I would be in My body for 59 years more” and in 61 He said 58 years more and in 76 He said 46 years more. So if we look at the lunar years that is 27 days a month calendar 59 would not come out to 2011, it is much later than that. Even 58 or 46 for that matter. So it was clear to me that Bhagawan was not speaking in lunar years.

Ted Henry: So in other words you believe wholeheartedly He intended all along as He sort of verified to you with different years that He meant by the Universal yearly standards to the age of 96…

Sreejith Narayan: Well, there is a catch there….So, earlier like before Swami left,  long time ago I read like Swami saying that I would be in My form or body for 94 years then sometimes Swami would say 96 years. So I would ask Swami…can you stick on to at least one year…whether it is 94 or 96. Please tell us. Jokingly I used to tell Swami in my own mind. And some books took the middle ground and said 95 but Swami never said 95. So it was going on and I knew that there’s some catch there because Swami doesn’t make mistakes and He was deliberately playing with us, deliberately creating this confusion. But I left it at that because I knew that we are going to find out one day. So when I started writing this article, then I had to go back and see this statements by Bhagawan that He had mentioned about His Earthly sojourn. And I saw that whenever Swami mentioned 94 He said “I will be in My form or body for that many years” whenever He said 96 He said , “I will live till 96 years..age”. So I kept on thinking how can someone live till the age of 96 yet be in His body or form for only 94 years. Only Bhagawan can do that! How? Just disappear for couple of years in between, come back and finish till 96 years. And it immediately did strike me and said this is what Bhagawan is telling us because none of Bhagawan’s words are in vain, are taken in vain. Everything has a meaning deep meaning…only if we want to try and find out. So 94 to 96 is actually three years because from beginning of 94…94, 95 and 96…three years. That’s why I put in the book that possible date of Bhagawan’s reappearance in the same form would be some time in 2014 or before. But only Bhagawan knows. This is just what He inspired me at that time and I had to put that in the book. But then as I was having discussions with some devotees, they said ‘So what? Bhagawan can change His plans and leave His body any time, you know He can change His plans. But to me that’s the most absurd thing because Avatars don’t change their plan. There is no reason or there is no force in the earth that would make Bhagawan change His plan. Bhagawan once said, “every step in the career of this avatar is already pre-determined’. He probably already chose the little grain of sand that He would step on, such is Swami’s plan. It’s really, it’s not in our wisdom that we should say something like Bhagawan would change His plans. And I had to put the words where Bhagawan himself says that He would never change His plans no matter what happens. His mission will go on exactly the way it was planned. And when Swami said 96 or 94, at that time Bhagawan would have already known what is going to happen in the future and would have said that instead of saying 96 or 94. So that was one of the chapters that I had put. Then came various words of Bhagawan that in future such and such He would do. Like Golden age for example like Bhagawan said that by the time Prema Sai comes the world would be peaceful. Swami himself says that Sathya Sai avatar would himself bring about the Golden age and Prema Sai would sustain the Golden age. So those things are yet to happen and many glorious things that Bhagawan said are yet to happen in Sathya Sai Avatar. So, I had to dedicate a chapter for that. Then as you were asking that some of the clues and some of the materials that I had put in like the nadis for example. See, I am a great believer in the Nadi readings. Nadis are sacred palm leaves text written by sages of ancient India thousands of years ago and it outlines the career, the characteristics, the family history, spiritual life of many individuals who are believed to come and read those nadis at a particular time. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s avataric career is also mentioned in the Nadi and this I have read long time ago in certain books and it also came in Sanathana Sarathi. So I was interested in Nadis and in 97-98 time frame I went and saw my Nadi. It clearly said all the different things about myself, my parents, their names, my career, my education all the things that had happened till now and then it also said many things about my future about how my marriage would be, that I would have two children, one boy, one girl. So everything that was said in the Nadis has happened exactly the way it was said. It also talks about my Guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba who would be the avatar of Shiva and Shakti and one particular thing that I would like to mention is that…You would write books about your Guru Sri Sathya Sai baba and in that book it says you will write about the greatness of Nadis.

Ted Henry: hmm….and you have!

Sreejith Narayan: I had a book in mind and I got Swami’s blessings in 97 before I moved to USA to write a book. But I had a different theme in my mind. I had collected so many quotes and different materials for that book. Yet for fifteen years I could not do anything with that. And in that book I was thinking how I am going to do the chapter in Nadis because it had nothing to do with nadis or anything of that sort. When this book was being written also there was no plans or anything like that. But towards the mid of February I received this book, ‘Sacred Nadi readings’ by Sri Vasantha Sai in Madurai. Sri Vasantha Sai is an elevated soul, divine soul. She lives in her ashram in Madurai and when Swami left His body she wanted to find out what is written in Nadis about Swami’s disappearance and she sent one of her associates to Vaitheeshwaran temple, it’s a temple in South India in Tamil Nadu where the nadis are preserved. So what was written in those Nadis is very mind boggling. It says that Swami is going to come back in the same form as Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It also says Bhagawan will return in a younger looking form and will remain on this Earth for seven more years after His reappearance. Many changes will happen in this Earth during that time frame and Bhagawan’s mission will be completed in those seven years before Prema Sai comes.

Ted Henry: Do you know what the book says or in your own imagination have you given much thought and have you come to any conclusions as why Baba obviously thought it necessary to leave the world for a couple of years.

Sreejith Narayan: Yes, and this is all part of Swami’s plan and as I told you this 94-96 play that He played. And He also said to some devotees and this I came to know..say a few months ago. That Swami said to a few close devotees that even though My avataric career will be for 96 years, I will be available for only 94 years. And He also said to some others that “there will be a time when I won’t be giving darshan for few years”. So obviously none of the devotees who heard that thought that it was this way...that Bhagawan leaving His body would be the way…that He would be not giving His darshan or not available per se. And this is all part of Bhagawan’s plan and we should also understand tha..and this I have put in the book as well…that Bhagawan was absorbing the world’s karma and by leaving His body He absorbed the karma with every cell in His body and then blasted it. That is the only way the golden age can happen…because if we look at it…world has absorbed so much karma and there are billions of people in this world. We are not even deserving the Golden age. The only way we can deserve it is from the Grace of the Lord and the Grace of the lord has to come only if the karma can be removed.  

Ted Henry: Well, some of the people who hear what you are saying still suffer or correct for all I know because I am as curious as anybody else…is about what really is going on here…where Shirdi Sai, Sathya Sai…all forecast the emergence of Prema Sai. And some people say that now Sathya Sai absence on the physical form, next on the horizon will be Prema Sai. Aand I am wondering what do you say to people who come back to you and say Sreejith everything you say I believe…but it sounds like you are talking about Prema Sai, not Sathya Sai.

Sreejith Narayan: See I believe in Bhagawan coming in the same form just because Swami has said so many things He would do in the Sathya Sai Avatar. So to me..the question I would like to ask is what guarantee is there that He would even be back as Prema Sai?  He could have changed His mind on that too! So my point is, if we are not ready to fully believe what Swami said about His present avatar, how are we going to believe in what He said about His future avatar? We cannot have both. We either we have to have full faith in all of His words or we should not believe in them at all!

Ted Henry: Of course there is always another perspective called the middle ground. Could there possibly be in your estimation an overlap of physical presence of both Sathya Sai and Prema Sai?

Sreejith Narayan: Yes, that I have thought and some divine souls have expressed this possibility as well. It is our own limitation that makes us think that Sathya Sai has to stop and then Prema Sai has to begin. Bhagawan has no such limitations so it could…..anything can happen at this point….I agree with you totally. Because Bhagawan can do anything and we should believe that Bhagawan can do anything…and this is a possibility.

Ted Henry: Sreejith you said that you wrote this book after it became crystal clear in your mind that you had to follow through what your inner voice is guiding you to do. Did you give much thought then and do you give much thought now to what I am just going to guess is an opposing view point about this. In other words you are aware that the controversy surrounding such a premise, such a thesis as yours…some people have the view point that we have heard everything from Baba’s own lips and why isn’t that sufficient and why do we have to believe, why can’t we be satisfied with that much that Baba was here in the physical form with us….why should we feel even in our arrogance some might suggest that He is going to return to finish His conversation with us. You probably have already to do deal with this. How do you respond to such criticism why should there be a need for Him to return.

Sreejith Narayan: Yes, I have encountered these criticisms a lot, even though I don’t pay much attention, just for the sake of this interview I would like to express some of my views. So..even the people close to me…because I have been, had been an advocate or proponent of the view that we have to go beyond Swami’s form, even much before Bhagawan left His body. So, somebody like, some close people may imply tha..how come out of all people you are writing about Bhagawan’s return in the same form? And I tell them it has nothing to do with formlessness, it has nothing to do with my personal Sadhana. This is all about how Bhagawan’s words will come true. Even from the point of Swami’s Avatar declaration, countless times Swami has  asked devotees that they have to go beyond Swami’ form. So I don’t feel that just because Bhagawan left that we “now” have a reason that we should go beyond Swami’s form. We should have been doing that all the way along. And even when Swami comes back, that should be our focus…we should still try and see Swami beyond His form and realize that Swami is in each and every one in this world. At the same time the book theme or thesis is about Bhagawan’s words coming true. I will give you an example…so, I don’t believe right now that Bhagawan would come in His physical form to my home because I know this is not probably, is not a possibility. But if Bhagawan tells me Sreejith, “I am going to come to your house in My physical form”… at that time I will start yearning for it. Because Bhagawan said so and I know it will happen. Like that, I yearn for those things to happen only because Bhagawan said so, it’s not my wish or my wishful thinking. Bhagawan said so and I know for sure, I am confident those things will happen. Why should I worry about it? In 65th birthday Swami said, “next year I will inaugurate a super specialty in Puttaparthi”, so it’s obvious that He has to build the hospital first to inaugurate it. So some things would go without saying. He doesn’t have to specifically say I have to go I have to build the hospital first. The same way many of Swami’s words should go without saying that those things will happen only when Swami is there in the physical form and that is the basis of this book. And it has nothing to do with formlessness and even when Swami comes back…”there will be no place to stand even”, Swami says. So what is the point in going there and having Swami’s darshan. See, if somebody really wants to have Swami’s darshan and that’s why they are yearning for Swami’s return, there is another way to do it. Because Bhagawan said once, if you concentrate intensely on me for eleven seconds I will manifest in front of you...Bhagawan said this. This is something that we have in our hands, even though it is so difficult to do it. But still it is something that Bhagawan gave us. It’s in our hands to do it. So such devotees who really yearn for His form ,we can try and do that as a Sadhana. But Bhagawan’s return, at least in my mind, is not so that we can have His physical darshan again. Because it will be near to impossible anyways! The whole world will be..you know …will be trying to make up for their lost time to catch up…because so much of time they lost that they could have been with avatar. In such situations, we should never really focus on Bhagawan’s physical form but at the same time it’s an understanding. When Bhagawan says something we did not ask why Bhagawan is saying all those things is going to happen. We did not ask why. So even now we should not ask why that He should return. It’s not a Why at all.

Ted Henry: This is really your thesis, you are the author of this book but I never thought until a second ago of asking. Sreejith, do you personally believe He is going to return in the physical form soon?

Sreejith Narayan: Absolutely!

Ted Henry: And do you know where He might return? Here we are in Dayton New Jersey a hamlet of a couple of thousand people, not too far from the Jersey shore. Might it be here, might it be Puttaparthi, might it be Timbaktu? Any idea where He is going to return?

Sreejith Narayan: From various things that Bhagawan has said and Bhagawan has indicated to some great souls, I believe that it would be in Puttaparthi but whole world is His mansion. You never know. I would like to mention some things like Dr. Hanumanthappa….late Dr. Hanumanthappa was the vice chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai university. He used to have so many dreams about Bhagawan and He wrote a book based on Bhagawan’s dreams. The book’s name is ‘Sri Sathya Sai baba a Yugavatar’ and in one of the chapters it says ‘Future vision of Puttaparthi’ or something like that. And in that He clearly gives a description of a dream Bhagawan gave him and He shows how the future Puttaparthi would look like. And Bhagawan has changed His residence to a huge mansion on top of a hill and the hill is guarded by soldiers and Puttaparthi is a vibrant town and there are colonies built all around Puttaparthi from different countries. And Bhagawan would come out and give darshan. He would come out as He would travel on a bridge over Chitravathi river. It’s an amazing chapter you know. So, and after Swami left His body with Bhagawan’s grace I have been in touch…and because of the book… I have been in touch with great souls, Sai devotees from all over the world. They have been getting dreams, visions, Swami is even coming to them and giving them indication about His return. And from those sources, I believe that glorious times are awaiting us and Puttaparthi would be a centre of all this action. That’s what I believe.

Ted Henry: Some people, quite a few people who step along with you about this feeling that Sai baba’s going to return in this form have suggested it might be six days, six weeks, six months or a year after He left His physical form as I sit here now I think tomorrow is the first of July we are already more than half way through 2013 do you have any idea when He might return and are you disappointed that it has not happened yet.

Sreejith Narayan: The answer is no, I am not disappointed. And about your question like “when” …I do not know. The book was based on Swami’s words alone and that words make me believe that…because of this indication that He has given in His own discourse… that it will be sometime in 2014 or earlier anytime from now till end of 2014.

Ted Henry: So I think that’s a year and a half. A couple of quick questions from people who always want to know about this..because lots of people are right in the middle of the spectrum and they might say what about the ……that this possibly could cloud people’s devotion to Baba. Whether they should focus more on baba’s form in Puttaparthi or wherever if He returns one day. Or search within finding Baba there more, can you see how this could bring to some conclusion …

Sreejith Narayan: Many people have written to me after reading the book that this book restored their faith. Some people have approached in a different way so each person perceives the book in a different way. But my message in the book was not to go after Swami’s form again and …Can I tell one story, a miracle that happened with the book?

Ted Henry: Sure.

Sreejith Narayan: After a few months after writing the book, the book was only available as an e-book and printed version was not out yet. And I received an email from a devotee named Ben who lives close to London. And in the email he says I would like to have a printed version of this book and would you be able to tell me where I could get the book. So I wrote to him saying that the published version is not available yet. I would let you know when it eventually gets published. And he thanked me and we left it at that. And when the book was published, then I wrote to him saying that the book is available in so and so place. And then he wrote to me an e mail about the dramatic circumstances that he had encountered which led him to know about the book. In the email he said in one of the satsangs in London…and in the satsang there was a lady speaker, she had held many high positions in the Sai organization and she was speaking about how she came to Bhagawan and Bhagawan helped her in many ways. And when Bhagawan left, her faith was shaken and she cried and cried and she prayed to Bhagawan, “What is going on, you said you will live till 96 years, give me a sign. And Bhagawan came in her dream and said “Have faith everything that I said will happen exactly how I have said it” and Bhagawan also revealed her some of the details. Few days later she receives the copy of the book ‘Sai Thy Kingdom come’ and there was no postal mark there is no sender’s address and she was overjoyed because exactly it outlined what Swami had told her in the dream. And she lifted the book and showed it to the audience as well. Now the biggest question for me and Ben was who send the book to that lady even before it was published?

Ted Henry: Yes!

Sreejith Narayan: Here I was going on saying that I have to publish this book, do that and do this…and Bhagawan has already published the book and send it to the person who He wanted to…So who am I? 

Ted Henry: If I were you I would want to track that lady down and look at that book ….

Sreejith Narayan: I already contacted her through Ben but she said wait. Because she is waiting for a confirmation from Bhagawan so that she can interact with me about the miracle. So here I am thinking that I am doing everything and Bhagawan himself showed me, it’s a lesson to me that I am not the doer, I have nothing to do with it. And Swami has in various ways indicated to me I should not wait for His return idly. I should keep on doing whatever I am supposed to do and not worry about what is going to happen in the future and this is my Sadhana and this is my message to everybody who is listening. That Bhagawan’s return is an understanding, it’s not a wait but just that understanding would give an impetus to intensify our inner journey and do it with more vigour and enthusiasm. And it will help in our journey to formlessness because Bhagawan himself has said and outlined the kind of Sadhana that each and every one of His devotees should do and that is what my opinion is.

Ted Henry: Jody writes here that it indicates to some that you feel He did not do enough already. Do you want to explain more about that? We have encountered people friends of ours those who love Baba and they still believe that why not be satisfied that He has done more than enough already. But you have already covered it pretty well that this is about how we possibly misunderstood what He said about His life time on this earth and that He is not done yet.

Sreejith Narayan: Bhagawan has done enough for us and we have received His blessings. We have our Golden age right in our hearts and this is not about us…less than one percent of the population that is now as Sai devotees. We have to know why Bhagawan called us earlier and it’s not about like whether Bhagawan gave something to us already. It is how we use it and how we use it for the benefit of others. If you keep on doing this Sadhana in our journey to formlessness, the bye product of that is the unadulterated love that we will feel in our heart…and that that love will make you feel that each and every body in this world should get a chance to experience Bhagawan. Exactly the way He said. And so if we don’t feel that in our heart, then we should question our self whether we are that far into our Sadhana in trying to achieve the goal of formlessness.

Ted Henry: So the question is that His return in the physical form might have far less to do with those of us who have already been His followers than the people who have still never heard His name who are yet to become aware of His presence among them.

Sreejith Narayan: Well, there is lot to do for us because in Charles Penn’s message Bhagawan said each and every devotee has an opportunity to become partners in My mission and we have to understand the reason why Bhagawan called us earlier than many others. And if you look at it, whoever is in this path already may not need Swami’s return. But there is an opportunity for such devotees to become instruments in His mission. Like in Swami’s birthdays usually hundred thousand people come, devotees gather at Prashanthi Nilayam during Bhagawan’s birthday and at least thousand volunteers are needed to make sure there is discipline and attend to the devotees needs. Bhagawan says the whole world will become Prashanthi Nilayam. So wouldn’t He need at least a few million volunteers…

Ted Henry: yeah…

Sreejith Narayan: …all over the world? And that is the opportunity that is being presented to us.

Ted Henry: Sreejith what keeps you going? You have got your own business, you have got a lovely house, a beautiful family you have got much on your plate and yet the research. A disadvantage of a video interview is we can’t get into the voluminous research that is contained within your book. All sorts of sources backed up with quotes and references verifying what has been said and forecast by others. It really does bolster your case about Baba’s imminent return to the physical form, where do you find the energy space and time for this?

Sreejith Narayan: That is a great question. And many readers who have read this book tell me how.. I don’t even know how you have finished this in three months. I say it’s not me, its Bhagawan. I have hundred per cent conviction that I didn’t write this book and there are so many things that we do as house holders and because of our work. Still Bhagawan gave me the energy and He miraculously lead me to various sources like the nadis and Bihar-ul Anwar…I would like to talk about the Bihar-ul anwar also little bit after this. And these are things that just came to me rather miraculously and I knew that Bhagawan was guiding me through all this. And after the book was written I put my name as “S Narayan” when I released the book because I was fully convinced it was Bhagawan who wrote the book and ‘S’ stood for Sathya and not for Sreejith…”Sathya Narayan” which is Bhagawan’s birth name. So when the book was released after a few days Bhagawan came to a great soul and whom I knew through another friend and said “Ask him to put his full name in the book”.

Ted Henry: Your full name?

Sreejith Narayan: My full name….and Bhagawan also said “The book is My gift to him. When I give a ring or a bracelet as a gift the devotees proudly wear them. So ask him to proudly put his name in the book”. And that’s when I put my name in the book. And then Bhagawan came to my Sister-in-law Mili’s dream, she was translating the book to Malayalam…and said “That book is the wisdom that I granted to Sreejith”. He came and told this in the dream. So she called me in one of the mornings and said. See, Bhagawan came to me and told this in the dream… and I was so happy. Then again after a few days..(He) again came to her in the dream and said “I did not say I granted him the wisdom, I gifted it to him”. And He said gift a few times, He was emphasising the point that it was a gift. So it was a gift to me from Bhagawan but I can lay no claim to that. And I am confident that Bhagawan himself wrote the book. And after writing the book, I was praying to Him that “Bhagawan, nobody knows this Sreejith Narayan. I have no credibility against my name, no one hardly knows my name. So who is going to read this book?” That’s when Bhagawan sent me two wonderful souls, famous devotees in the Sai world to write the foreword of the book. And I am sure you will know their names. Their names are Jody Cleary and Ted Henry. Julie Chaudhary and Captain Shaad wrote the foreword they are from India.

Ted Henry: I will say Father Charles Ogada had a few kind words to say about this great book. Yet we still have to deal with the fact you primarily that there are people who take a defiant view point only because in their heart of hearts, I am sure they feel, that they are protecting Baba. And again a comment and a question… my guess is the comment is: May be most of those devotees who feel so strongly might be older…let’s say more entrenched in baba’s fold and for their own reasons, they are protecting His legacy, His mission, His love. They feel they have to say this. They may not even read the book in fact my guess is that many don’t..they have made up their minds rather quickly. But perhaps some of them might prevail upon themselves to look at the video, it’s a little easier to read than a book, it’s a little quicker to take it in. Take the moment you have now to speak to them I am sure you love them no less than you love anyone else and I am sure you don’t have any criticism about their critical views then what might you say that is a balm to their views about this.

Sreejith Narayan: I would say that give the book a chance. We don’t have to read the book because either you believe in Swami’s coming back in the form or not but there are so many words so many people tell me that I didn’t even know that Bhagawan said all those things. Bhagawan’s words are like..the way we live our life is through Bhagawan’s words. Each and every Sai devotee follow His words literally and we have the right to know what Bhagawan said about various things and actually that’s one thing that could be useful if people read this book. And also as I have put in the book already this book is not about going after Swami’s physical form. Swami has given us plenty of opportunities but at the same time Bhagawan’s mission still remains incomplete. Many people tell me that now Bhagawan has left we have to take His mission forward but even if the whole humanity joins hands and try hard we cannot even move His mission even a millimeter forward.

Ted Henry: Jody wrote down here quickly…all we are saying is give Sai a chance!

And she also wrote here and see also the depths of what many people feel. The solid truth and you do and I remember first talking to you, correct me if I am wrong, where you were saying…lets discuss this out my hypothesis, my thesis why shouldn’t you look at the quotes from various sources, these scholars in the past. But you are saying quite differently now ‘He is coming back’, have you seen your own point of view grow towards that ultimate conclusion. 

Sreejith Narayan: Yes, because see it’s my view point is and has always been just live in the present not worry about anything. So I started out the book with that message not worry about what Bhagawan said but the way He has lead me to various things it made me believe that Bhagawan is going to come back.

Ted Henry: and He has given you many Leelas…

Sreejith Narayan: Many leelas to make this happen so it was my own… it was like Bhagawan was taking me from here to there and at the same time Bhagawan asked me to be cautious and said “Do not love the book more than you love me”. And Bhagawan came in my dream a few days ago and said “love Me, love Me, love Me”. And I got the message that I should not love my work more than I love the Lord. He is the creator, I should be after the creator not the creation. So it’s a spiritual journey for me, it keeps me thinking about Bhagawan. But at the same time I would like to live in the present and not worry about what is going to happen in the future.

Ted Henry: and the last question is what about those people since Baba’s Mahasamadhi have already seen Him return in the physical form. Two days ago we had the great privilege to sit and talk with and interview, Phyllis Krystal for may be the fifth time. She is facing a hundred years of age on this earth, she is now well into her ninety ninth year and she related very quickly going to the dentist in Switzerland and the Swiss dentist knew nothing about Sai Baba, presumably whatsoever, and he leaned over and asked while she was in the chair having her teeth examined. Do you know who Sai Baba is? And she said well yes of course I know who He is. And then he said He is sitting in the chair right here. I mean these stories sometimes come from sources that aren’t so credible and then sometimes come from a ninety nine year old Sai Baba devotee who is totally credible. And the new devotees as well. We Jody and I have both encountered people who are totally new to Baba after His Mahasamadhi to whom He has appeared. So please conclude speaking a little bit about the part of the prediction which has come true to many around the world that baba is already here.

Sreejith Narayan: Yes! Exactly, Bhagawan has never left and Bhagawan will never leave. Bhagawan, even when He was in His body, He was manifesting His form in various places…multiple places at the same time. But when we talk about His reappearance, it would be an understanding that will prevail in the entire world that He has reappeared..whether we see Bhagawan’s form or not. It is an understanding that will prevail because only such a thing can transform this world. If you will ask me why I was transformed…and I know that I am a work in progress..but I know that I am much better than who I was before. Only because I came to Bhagawan. I was a devotee of Lord Krishna and most of the teachings that Bhagawan has been teaching I have already read in some place or the other…in other religious texts. But I didn’t have any inner motivation to change because there was nothing that would inspire me to change…until I came to Bhagawan. And I knew that Bhagawan was the same Lord Krishna and the avatar was walking amongst us. And that is the motivation, that is the inspiration that I had to change and that is the only thing can change…Avatar’s physical presence is the only thing that can transform this whole world. Otherwise why Bhagawan would come in these three different avatars and descend from His Godly being and walk with us and teach us in His form. So that is the only reason why I believe that it will be a universal appearance. At least an understanding that will prevail in the whole world that Swami has reappeared and that would kick start the Golden age.

Ted Henry: Sreejith, this has been a delight, Thank you so much for your candor, your courage it requires some brave stature to come forth and speak as you do and have and continue to do. Thank You so much Sai Ram!

Sreejith Narayan: Thank you… can I take a short moment to thank…show my gratitude to Bhagawan. My heart felt gratitude to Swami for giving me this opportunity and I also would like to extend my gratitude to brother Ted and sister Jody for being such wonderful instruments in His divine hands and bringing out such beautiful inspiring videos and messages of Bhagawan and interviews. And I cannot tell you how much my family has enjoyed watching those videos. I am so thankful. Jai Sai Ram! 

Ted Henry: Jai Sai Ram!

[STKC is grateful to Kavita Rajesh for the transcription]