Sai Prasaad & Yuriko Hozumi (Translation: Japanese)
Author's note on April 8, 2013
Today, April 8th is the first anniversary of STKC and it gives me immense pleasure to announce that, with Swami's Grace, the Japanese translation of Sai Thy Kingdom Come is now available on the website saikingdom.com. I have no words to describe the hard work and dedication put into this translation by Brother Sai Prasaad (adopted name given by Nadis) and Sister Yuriko Hozumi. Many Japanese Sai devotees were eagerly waiting for the Japanese translation and on behalf of them I would like to express heart-felt gratitude to the translators.
In Japan, Buddha's birthday is celebrated on April 8th and is called Hanamatsuri, or “Flower Festival". On this auspicious day people bring fresh flowers to temples in remembrance of the Buddha's birth in a grove of blossoming trees. We dedicate this book as a flower of our devotion, offered with utmost reverence at the Divine Lotus Feet of our Sai Buddha.
Translator's note - By Sai Prasaad
[Sai Prasaad is a name given to this translator, through a Nadi reading. This translator joined the Center Activities of Sathya Sai Organization in U.S.A, and currently living n Japan. He is deeply interested in Swami's teachings in the fields of Seva and Education]
Japanese translation of the Good News, suggesting that the Sathya Sai Golden Age is immanent, is ready. Two years ago, exactly at this time of the year, all the Sai devotees in the world had only one yearning in their hearts, and they were sincerely praying day after day, asleep or awake, that our beloved Swami may get well. We heard stories of villagers, asking the doctors to use their kidneys or livers, if it will help Swami to get well. What an amazing Grace it is, that all those deepest prayers by the innumerable people, who really loved Swami, will be answered, when He returns!
Just by accepting the hope that Swami will return, we feel our mind, body and heart become alive, as if the broken strings in our hearts are strung anew.
As we contemplate upon Swamis Return, all the fears and desperation, including the fears that arise as the stunning realities of radioactive contamination in Fukushima are gradually brought to our attention, disappear as if the fog is lifted before the morning sun. The Supreme Lord of the Universe, who loves each and every human beings as His own, is coming back again with the same beautiful form, and He will use His Divine Powers fully after His return to guide us and protect us, whereas He had used only a small portion of them before He left His physical body two years ago!
This book is a gift of Love and Wisdom from Swami to Brother Sreejith, who loves Swami, so sincerely with single-hearted devotion, and this is also a present that brings rays of hope, from Swami to us devotees, gifted through Brother Sreejith.
Let us celebrate the coming of the new era of Love and Peace! Let us sing His glory!
May our beloved Swami residing in each of us return soon, so we can spend our days in the realization that we are truly one with Swami! May we be alike to everyone, seeing Swamis Love in every person, as well as in everything and every occurrence.
Samasthalokah Sukhino Bhavanthu! May all the residents in all the worlds be happy!
Translator's note - By Yuriko Hozumi
First of all, I express my heart-felt gratitude to Swami for giving me this rare opportunity to translate the wonderful book.
I admire Sri Sreejith Narayan, who have challenged this enormous and difficult theme and made it into the beautiful bouquet of devotional flowers. I had a blissful time while translating this book. In this book, Sri Sreejith shows us so many quotations from Swami’s discourses, prophecies, and devotees' experiences supporting the possibility of Swami’s Return. I would like to add one more episode that indicates the nature of Swami’s words.
Mr.Sunder Iyer is a graduate of Swami’s university and had been working as a Swami’s attendant for some time. He told in Souljourns Interview an amazing experience that Swami saved his life of deadly cobra bite. When Swami was notified that Sunder was in a critical condition in the hospital because of a poisonous snakebite, He said, "It is not a snake, it is a thorn". Then few years later, Sunder heard from Swami Himself, "I will never say it is a snake bite. I have said it’s a thorn, it’s going to be a thorn, it will always be a thorn".
This story tells us the divine power of Swami’s words, and this truth surely enables us to hope and wait for the return of Him. When we were crying over his departure, Swami sent his beloved devotee Seema Dewan a loving message, that is... "Those devoted hearts with a pure mind and a loving heart shall call Me from time to time. They alone with the strength of their purity shall make Me once again visible to the world and I will come once again with My hands full" (Chapter 5).
As Swami says in this message, we, who are full of love towards Swami, shall call Him, with pure mind and a loving heart, again and again and again….
Sai, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done!
[Yuriko Hozumi along with Eisuke Narano, started the Japanese version of Souljourns in 2011 With the permission of Ted Henry and Jody Cleary]
Comments
Sai Ram Dear Yuriko Hozumi. I too was struck by the significance of Sunder Iyer's story in the Souljourns interview: vimeo.com/26525953 ('Snake Story' starts at 29 mins).
Not only was a devotee saved from a deadly cobra bite, but it was the POWER of Swami's WORD alone that changed a 'snake bite' to a 'thorn prick'.
His word is Final - The Truth - and Sunder Iyer was firmly told by Baba: "Listen! From My Mouth I will never say it is a snake! It is a thorn! It is a thorn! It is a thorn!"
Swami's Word is more powerful than the evidence of our senses, more powerful than the doctor's pronouncement, more powerful than the declarations of scientists.
*"In fact the only correct definition of Truth is, that which Krishna speaks, Believe in that. Be firm in that belief" *
Sreejith's whole book is testament to his unswerving faith in the WORD of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He has no doubts that whatever Swami speaks IS Truth and his loving faith is vindicated by such stories as Sunder Iyer told and is repeatedly confirmed in Divine Discourses….
Arjuna: “Krishna, for me, your words are far more trustworthy than the evidence of my eyes. When you say something, you have the power to make it so – be it a crow, dove or eagle. Hence, if you said it is a crow, it must be so!” Implicit Faith is the secret to spiritual success. Always remember that the Lord loves, not the devotee but the devotion." Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 1, Dasara 1953
*"The 'five elements' are the products of the Lord's Will, so they obey the Will of Krishna. Whatever Krishna said, came true. In fact the only correct definition of Truth is, that which Krishna speaks, Believe in that. Be firm in that belief.
One day when Krishna went on a stroll with Arjuna, he pointed to a bird perching on the branch of a tree and asked Arjuna, "Do you see that peacock?" Arjuna answered, "Sure, I do." "Oh, Arjuna. It is not a peacock. It is an eagle," said Krishna, and Arjuna promptly agreed that it was an eagle. Then Krishna corrected himself and pointed to the same bird, said, "I am sorry. It is a dove." Arjuna, too, corrected himself and said, "Yes. I see now it is a dove, all right." Krishna laughed at Arjuna and said, "It is not a dove at all; it is a crow," and Arjuna agreed without demur, "Undoubtedly, lt ls a crow," Krishna then accused Arjuna of stupidity, because he was blindly agreeing with every observation he made--- peacock, eagle, dove or crow. Arjuna replied, "What you say is the Truth for me. You can make a crow a dove, or a peacock an eagle. Why should I differ from that you declare? Your word is the Truth I go by."
You, too, must develop that faith and not be turned away by your egoism or other's cynicism. Develop viveka (wisdom) and vairaagya (detachment) and then your hearts will bloom into flagrant beauty." * www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume13/sss13-38.pdf (6-9-1977)