During his lectures, one devotee often shares with the participants, the guidance he received to explain this fundamental point. It is in the form of a simple demonstration. It is an audiovisual introduction to who we are. We record this guidance and its impact in his own words.

When we carefully read Swami's discourses or listen to him regularly, we notice that, again and again, He makes three declarations to drive home the fundamental truth . In fact, he very often reiterates this declaration even during interviews.

The first declaration is "I am always with you. I am all around you. I am on your right, on your left, in front of you, behind you, above you and below you". Many people understand the import of this declaration, but others start wondering: Swami certainly has a very extensive aura, and what He says would be true when we are in Prashanthi or Brindavan, but how is it possible when we go back to Delhi, New York, Tokyo, or Rio? The doubt lingers on.

The second declaration He makes is "you are in Me and I am in you". Again, this assertion confuses many of us. We wonder how this could be possible. I remember an incident in April 1993. That year was a time for overseas devotees. Almost every single day, Swami gave a discourse, and He had instructed that priority should be given to overseas devotees for entering the small hall. A tall American became friendly with me. We would discuss spirituality, dharma, and ethics while waiting long hours in the darshan lines. One day, Swami repeated this declaration. After the discourse, this American tapped me on the shoulder and said," Brother, I don't get this. How on earth could I be in Swami and He in me? I'm seven feet tall and Swami is just over five"!

"All I could say was,"Oh, Ted, he was talking spiritually". But what was the spiritual message in this declaration? I had no clear comprehension.

It happened in August 1993. I was to interact with the overseas devotees during the lectures that were part of the daily routine. I felt an inner compulsion to focus on these three declarations. But how? I did not know.

Two days before I was to speak, I woke up, as usual, very early in the morning in the guest house in Brindavan. Sitting in bed for contemplation, I prayed to Baba, "Swami, please guide me to explain your three declarations in some simple way, so simple that even a 'slow kid' like me would understand". Having thus prayed, I turned around in my bed to face Baba's house, Trayee, as if Swami's presence was confined to that little building! That is what force of habit does to us. I sat quietly, I don't know for how long. Suddenly, like a flash, Swami put a thought in my mind: 'ice cubes'. It was another riddle. What had ice cubes to do with divinity? I was completely confused. But then, over the years, I have learnt that when I am stuck and pray to Swami, "Please handle it, Baba, I just cannot", He invariably shows the way.

On this occasion, the guidance led to a simple demonstration. It starts with me showing the audience a glass container full of ice cubes and water. An imaginary conversation takes place between the water and the ice cubes.

"Water: Ice cubes, you are in me and I am in you. Once again, after a little pause, I ask the audience if the statement made by the water is true. There is an even more enthusiastic "Yes". Everyone knows that ice cubes are mere frozen water. Finally, water speaks its last sentence:

"Water: Ice cubes, I am water. You are also water; we are one.

"The audience readily accepts this also to be true. Then the ice cubes respond to the declaration made by the water. A few of them speak:

"First Ice Cube: I am not water. I am an ice cube, I am the most perfect and beautiful form in the whole universe. All my sides are equal, and what is really unique is that each side is at a perfect right angle to the other. How could anyone even imagine that I am mere water? (Then, with great pride and deliberation, he repeats) I am an ice cube.

"Second Ice Cube: Brother, what you say is absolutely true. But don't forget, I am very special. I am an Indian ice cube, very ancient, and I know all the scriptures by heart.

"Third Ice Cube": Well. Don't forget that I am an American ice cube, from the number one nation in the world. I am more special than anyone here.

"Fourth Ice Cube: (squeezing his way up front and saying in a slow drawl) I am sure"you all have heard of the small cheque of only $9 million that I donated to the hospital".

So an intense cacophony goes on among ice cubes. Ignorant of the reality that all of them are water, they are so obsessed with their temporary identity and accomplishments that they have no time to even pause and ask the question, ' who am I?'

At this stage of the demonstration, the audience is ready and eager for the next part, an explanation.

Just as a glass container is full of water and ice cubes float in it, the infinite empty space is full of formless cosmic power or force in which floats all that we can perceive - galaxies, solar system, sun, planets and moon, including a little speck called planet Earth and all that exists on it. This power or force cannot be seen with the eyes, but numerous spiritual scientists, who have experienced its omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience, have labeled this power differently: God, I, Self, Brahman, Allah, and so on.

Just as the raw material for ice cubes is water, the raw material for all that we perceive in the seen universe is this power named God.

Just as ice cubes are a temporary form of water, all that we perceive in the universe is the temporary form of sat (energy), with the needed level of consciousness. Inert rocks, plants, insects, animals and man - in the evolutionary process, each needs a higher level of consciousness.

Sai Baba said as Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita,"All the universe is merely a particle of my reality," or for that matter, what He says now,"all the universe is in this hand".

It was on 22^nd June 1995 that Sai Baba decided that Akbar was ready for the final dose of instructions and He directed Akbar to drive with him to the Sai university of which he is the Chancellor. On the outward journey there was no conversation. After inaugurating the Laser laboratory Sai Baba gave a lecture in the university. He first explained at length the uses of Laser and then came on to the input for Akbar.

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