“What is Awareness?”

October 23, 1998 

After interview… 

Swami : (To a Student) Sister Vachara?(Has sister come?) (The boy did not reply). Sister ra? 

Student : Yes, Swami. 

M.Tech students : Swami , please give us Padanamaskar… blessings for starting the project. 

Swami : Padanamaskar? Us Din Maine Diyaa. (I gave that day) 

Students : No, Swami. 

Swami : You showed a card and I blessed that day! 

Students : Swami, you saw the card but you did not give Padanamaskar. 

Swami : Teesko (take) (To a student) What project? 

Student : Hospital…Cath-Lab…Images. Swami, we are doing project on the hospital and planetarium. 

Swami : What is the connection between hospital and planetarium? 

Student : Swami, they are separate projects.

Swami : (To newly joined research scholars) How many research scholars from English? 

Re.Sch.1 : Three, Swami. 

Swami : Bioscience? 

Re.Sch.2 : Two, Swami. 

Swami : Physics? 

Re.Sch.3 : Swami, no one from Physics. I am doing in Mathematics. 

Swami : Chemistry? (Another research scholar got up) What specialisation in Chemistry? 

Re.Sch.4 : Swami, no specialisation, general topic. 

Swami : No, some specialisation must be there. 

Re.Sch.4 : Swami, Organic Chemistry. 

Swami : (To an English research scholar) In English? 

Re.Sch.1 : Common Wealth Literature. 

Swami : In Mathematics? 

Re.Sch.3 : Decision-making. 

Swami : Good. Who is the guide? 

Re. Sch.3 :  Jagan Mohan Rao sir. (Professor at the Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning; formerly from the Indian Institute of Technology) 

Swami : Where is the boy with Naamam who studied MBA? 

Students : He went home, Swami 

Swami : Why?  

Students : Chicken pox, Swami. 

Students : Swami… Poornachandra session. 

Swami : (In Tamil) Nera Paaru Terium. (Look straight, you can see). 

Students : Please Swami. 

Swami : (Jokingly) Inge Irundu Teriyalaina, Ange Poyi Paaru (if you cannot see from here, go there and see from there). 

Students : Please Swami. 

Swami : (To a teacher) Do you still sing in class? 

Teacher : Yes, Swami. 

Swami : In the classroom, you have to teach subjects. Why do you sing? 

Teacher : Swami, that is the subject. 

Swami : (To another teacher) Is there any music subject in our college? (The teacher smiled and nodded no) 

Swami : (To the first teacher) Then, what subject? 

Teacher : Awareness. 

Swami : What is Awareness? 

Teacher : Constant experience of Non-dual Existence. 

Swami : No, total understanding is Awareness. But, why do you sing in the class? 

Teacher : Swami, I sing your glory. 

Swami : Sing in Bhajan hall, not in class. In which language do you sing? 

Teacher : Hindi and Urdu. 

Swami : Do you sing well? 

Teacher : Yes, Swami. 

Swami : (To an MBA boy) How does he sing? 

Student : Swami, He sings well. 

Swami : If you don’t tell like that, he won’t give you marks! (Smiling) 

Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (1991-2000)