(Continued from Part-1)
IT WAS 1989–MY FIRST VISIT TO PRASANTHI NILAYAM. I was sitting in the large interview room with Swami in the mandir. I am with my best friend Michael, and we have already received our first lesson from Swami that we must be very clear in our prayers about what we want from God. However, as I learned later, Swami had also planned a personalized experience for me. Back then, I had a passion for mechanical wristwatches and was fascinated by them. They were expressions of craftsmanship, and I admired these miniature works of art.
As I sat in the interview room, the only window facing the mandir’s forecourt casually caught my eye. There was a clock on that windowsill. And it was not just any clock; it was a mechanical model that could be often found in almost every lower-middle-class household in Germany at that time, including in my parent’s living room.
The clock was enclosed in a glass cover through which the movement mechanism was visible. There was a balance wheel made of a cross with four balls that swung back and forth when the clock was running. This clock, however, was motionless and appeared to have stopped working for some time. I was surprised. How could it be that there was a defunct clock in the sacred mandir of Prasanthi Nilayam, in the same room where the divine incarnation Himself receives His guests? I thought it must have been a gift from a German pilgrim, and Swami evidently didn’t know what to do with it. So, it must have been left on the room’s windowsill and forgotten!
It showed the right time despite the mechanism being at a standstill! How on earth was that possible? I was going out of my mind and ready to scream to draw everyone’s attention to the miracle!
It took me quite a while to forget my negative emotions and focus on Swami again. But after ten minutes, my eyes fell on the clock again. I was amazed that it showed precisely the right time, which I confirmed by checking my wristwatch. So, I thought that the clock must have stopped at that exact moment in the past. What a coincidence - I thought.
Another few minutes passed as Swami conversed with all His sweetness with another family that had also been called for an interview. And then the impossible happened. I looked at the clock on the window sill again and couldn’t believe my eyes. Again, the clock showed the current time, which I confirmed by checking my wristwatch a second time. It showed the right time despite the mechanism being at a standstill! How on earth was that possible? I was going out of my mind and ready to scream to draw everyone’s attention to the miracle! I could barely control myself and had a hard time waiting for the interview to end.
But after what seemed like an eternity, Swami ended the session after distributing a handful of Vibhuti packets to each one of us. He patted my shoulder lovingly as if to say goodbye. As soon as we were outside, I rushed to the other group members from the interview and enthusiastically told them about my experience. To my great surprise, however, I only got confused looks because I seemed to be the only one who noticed a clock on the window sill. Instead, each interviewee reported a different experience that I didn’t recognize!
Today, I know that Swami arranged this little drama, especially for the doubter in me. After all, it was only my third day in His presence, and as I had to admit to myself, I was far from being convinced that God had entered my life. Still, by then, He had me hooked, and my wife and I experienced another magical Christmas and a very special New Year in His divine presence. It was to be the beginning of a lifelong spiritual journey with our Lord Sai.
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Mr. Manfred MÜeller-Gransee came to Swami in 1989. Since then, he has been a member of the SSSIO and has served in different positions. Since 2018, he has been the Chair of Zone 7, Northern Europe. In addition, he is the Chairman of the SaiCare Foundation in Germany.
Manfred graduated from the University of Brunswick in 1981. He worked in education before starting an institution for management training and consulting in 1988. Since 2005, he has run a recycling company for electronic waste.
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First published in Eternal Companion Vol. 2, Iss. 8