The Newcomer ****

Jasleen happened to glance up, and the small signboard caught her eye. A Sai Baba Centre ! Jasleen was a student in this strange big city, and being away from her family for the first time, she had been feeling an emptiness recently. Maybe Sai Baba can help her. She had heard about Sai Baba from her aunt, a devout follower.

***

As Jasleen walked into the Sai Centre, it was still quite empty. Just a few people making preparations for the bhajans. Jasleen stood hesitantly near the door, taking in the details. The altar was beautiful, a large photograph of Sai Baba, hands raised in blessing. Jasleen felt an indescribable sense of homecoming. Then she saw the other pictures. Several of Hindu God forms, which Jasleen always found difficult to tell one from the other. To her, they all had similar poses, with numerous hands and some animal or other. Then she saw the pictures of Jesus, Kuan Imm and Guru Nanak. She was taken aback by the unlikely images. Just like the Hindu God forms, Jesus and Guru Nanak too had bright red dots on their foreheads. A kumkum pottu, in the style of Hindus. And there were jasmine garlands around the pictures.

“Hello, welcome.” the middle aged Uncle was greeting Jasleen.
“Hi.”
Uncle Visu went on with some small talk, and showed her where she could sit. As they spoke, a lady appeared, and she too smiled at Jasleen. Soon other devotees started trickling in. Most did a double take on seeing Jasleen. She was obviously a newcomer. But the overwhelming first impression she had was that these people are disorientingly friendly. Very few were aloof. Smiles were everywhere.

Soon the bhajans started. What a blissful experience. Jasleen was in ecstasy. In an hour, the bhajans were over. A man went up and read Sai Baba’s message : “ Go within. Don’t focus on the external things.” Jasleen could not figure out what that meant. The man also mentioned the Nine Codes of Conduct. Jasleen made a mental note to look it up later. Then the man went on for about 15 minutes, making announcements and talking.

***

Jasleen had been coming for a few weeks to the Centre. She had a few friends now. But the rest of the devotees did not go beyond just smiling at her. Nowadays she lingered for a while after the bhajans, chatting with her new-found friends. She could see the discrete groups of men, women, and youths chatting and laughing among themselves. Sometimes they glanced her way. As she got to know more of the devotees, she started sensing the undercurrents. Below the surface of smiles and friendliness was bitter clique rivalry.

***

A year had passed. Jasleen had taken up a Centre position by then. And this had really opened up the Pandora's box. The Centre politics became glaringly apparent. She found that she had to drag herself to the Centre every week. There was so much ill-feeling, and talking behind backs. The Sai Centre was no longer the oasis of bliss it had been when she first came. She was badly disillusioned.

***

One day she spoke to Uncle Visu. “Uncle, I feel so discouraged,. I don’t know if it is because I am emotional or immature or inexperienced......” she went on and on... pouring out her heart. Uncle Visu listened patiently until she had finished. Then he smiled and patted her on her shoulder.
“Jasleen, we must remember that Swami works in peculiar ways. Through all manner of people and situations. The Centre is not made up of perfect people. These are ordinary folks. All at their own levels of spiritual development. This is a miniature world. Take them for what they are. It is your attitude, how you take things, how you benefit and move up the spiritual path: that’s what matters at the end of the day....”

***

In spite of Uncle Visu’s advice, Jasleen stayed away from the Centre for several weeks. Then she had the Dream.

Swami had come in Jasleen’s dream. He had spoken in Uncle Visu’s voice, while Jasleen was reading a page that said "Face the devil". The scene started with a dramatic instruction from Swami: “Get back to your senses la! You can do it!" ...and the next moment he was walking out of the room...then He popped his head through the door again and said, “I missed you”...and walked away.

Jasleen woke up the next morning, the dream vivid in her mind. The following Thursday, Jasleen was waiting to go back to the Centre. She knew that doing work for Him actually meant doing work for herself. She knew what going within meant.