Video Transcript of
Opportunities of a Lifetime – Aparna Chitturi
11th World Conference of the Sri Sathya Sai International Organization On the Occasion of the 100th Anniversary of Sri Sathya Sai’s Descent to
Earth, November 23, 2025, Sai Prema Nilayam, Riverside, California
Introduction
Our next segment is titled “Opportunities of a Lifetime with Sri
Sathya Sai.” As we mark the 100th year of Swami's Advent, it is my distinct
prize, privilege, and honor to invite a very special guest to address us this
morning. Born into a devoted Sai family, Sister Aparna Chitturi’s spiritual
roots run deep; her grandparents first came to Sathya Sai Baba in the late
1950s. Aparna was blessed with her first Darshan of Sai as a toddler on
the auspicious day of Ugadi.
Her personal journey with Bhagavan began in earnest in the mid-1990s.
Since then, she has been actively involved in the Sri Sathya Sai International
Organization. Irrespective of where she resides, she continues to experience
Sai's constant presence, love, protection, and guidance. Sister Aparna is
currently serving as the Regional President of Region 2, USA. Professionally,
she serves as a Management Consultant in New York City. With that, I leave you
in her capable hands. May you sit back, relax, and enjoy this segment. Please
join me in warmly welcoming Sister Aparna.
The Radiance of the Divine Presence
I offer myself and this talk at our dear Bhagavan's Lotus Feet, praying
that He inspires all my thoughts and words. Respected elders, dear brothers and
sisters: a loving Sairam and a very happy birthday to the Swami who is shining
brilliantly through all of you today. I am deeply honored to be here to share
His love. What an extraordinary blessing it is to celebrate one hundred years
of His loving presence and His message in our lives. This is an opportunity of
a million lifetimes. I pray to Swami that He inspires us to follow His path
with unwavering faith and devotion.
As I entered Sai Prema Nilayam a few days ago, a verse from the Purusha
Suktam came to mind. The first line of this Suktam is “Sahasra
Shirsha Purushah”, which describes God as the One with a thousand heads, a
thousand eyes, and a thousand feet.
The Palpable Energy of Sai Prema Nilayam
I experienced the true meaning of that verse here. As I walked in on
Wednesday evening, I felt Swami's love radiating and pouring out intensely
through every single person present. When we hold that kind of intense love for
Swami, He manifests Himself; His presence becomes palpable. On Wednesday, my
family and I traveled for about 14 hours to get here. By the time we arrived,
we were exhausted. However, the moment we walked into this main hall and had Darshan
of Swami, we felt instantly energized. The energy lifted in a single minute
because He is truly here. What a blessing.
The Parable of the Golden Dust
To reflect on our theme, I wish to share a story. Long ago, a poor man
lived in a tiny village and prayed intensely every day for wealth to alleviate
his misery. Melting at his devotion, God appeared in the man's dream and
directed him to a hut at the edge of a bustling city, saying, “Go there and
live happily ever after.” The man found the hut, but he was puzzled. It was
falling apart, with holes in the roof and walls. Inside, he found only a few
clay pots and a large, heavy bag filled with what looked like common dirt and
dust.
Thinking God was playing a joke on him, he prayed again. God appeared and
said, "I have already given you everything you need. Use what has been
given to you wisely." The man, failing to understand, spent the rest of
his life brooding. Eventually, he used the "dirt" from the bag simply
to patch the holes in his walls.
The Tragedy of a Lost Opportunity
At the end of his life, full of regret, the man lay on his bed as a
wealthy merchant passed by. Curious, the merchant entered the humble hut. When
the old man explained his story and showed him the bag of “dirt” used for
repairs, the merchant reached in, examined a handful, and smiled. He said, “Do
you know that I am a gold merchant? This dust you have treated as common dirt
is a rare and priceless gold dust. God gave you a treasure beyond measure, and
you never knew it.” The man broke down in tears, but it was too late. The
golden opportunity was lost.
Our Responsibility as Contemporaries of the Avatar
Dear brothers and sisters, this is often the story of humanity. As Dr.
Reddy mentioned in his inaugural talk, the human birth is the most sacred and
rarest of all blessings. Among the 8.4 million species, the human being is the
zenith of God's creation. Furthermore, we are contemporaries of the Avatar. We
have seen Him, heard Him, and we have the extraordinary opportunity to be part
of the organization He started.
This is the “gold dust” in our lives. It places a significant
responsibility on each of us to recognize this opportunity of a million
lifetimes. But we must ask ourselves: Does God truly need us for His mission?
Does He require our help, or is the opportunity actually for our own sake?
The Divine Orchestrator:
Does God Need Us?
Does
God need us? Many might think so, but I want to share two stories that answer
this question. The first is a recent experience from September of this year. We
were planning a medical health fair in North Bergen, New Jersey. As the event
approached, our Regional Service Coordinator, Sister Sai Lakshmi, and I were
discussing logistics. A thought was planted in her mind: "Aparna, should
we hand out grocery bags to the first 100 patients?" I agreed immediately,
recognizing the need.
However,
amidst the chaos of planning, that thought took a backseat. We debated the “how”
and “if,” and eventually, the idea was sidetracked. Two days before the fair,
Sister Sai Lakshmi received an unexpected phone call from an organization
called the Coalition for Food.
Service Without
Borders
This
organization provides free produce and fruits to families in need. They called
and asked, “Can we come to the health fair? Can we set up a table and provide
free groceries to the attendees?” We were both deeply embarrassed. Even though
Swami had planted the seed in our minds, we failed to act—but that didn't stop
Swami. His will can materialize through anyone. He doesn't need us to
fulfill His mission, but He offers us the opportunity to be part of it.
The
Coalition didn't just stop there; they asked to serve every Thursday at the
library. I met the founder and asked what drove her. She said, “We don’t want
anyone to feel they don’t have access to quality food, and we want to provide
it with dignity.”
They
set it up like a grocery store where people could “shop” rather than feel like
they were accepting a donation. The quality was better than anything we could
have bought; it came straight from the farm. This was accomplished by an
organization that had never heard Swami’s name but was perfectly aligned with
His values.
The Lesson of the
Green Leaf
A
similar lesson comes from a story many of you may know from Prasanthi Nilayam.
One morning, as Swami was about to give Darshan, two Sevadals
were assigned to clean the path. They did a perfect job; the red carpet was
pristine. However, just as Swami began to enter Sai Kulwant Hall, one brother
noticed a tiny green leaf on the carpet. It was too late to step out and grab
it. As they stood there anxiously debating what to do, a tiny bird flew into
the hall, picked up the leaf in its beak, and flew away.
Not
only do humans not hold a monopoly on service, but even the animals and birds
long for the opportunity to serve Him. If we don’t do it, the work will still
get done—but we are the ones who lose out on the blessing.
The Weightless
Burden: A Personal Experience
Our
loving Lord not only gives us opportunities but actively helps us as we take
them. In 2001, I was going through a very rough patch in India. This struggle
brought me closer to Swami than ever before. One morning, I had a vivid dream.
I was
walking inside the ashram near the South Indian Canteen during the Brahma
Muhurtam (the early dawn hours). I was carrying two heavy pitchers of water
suspended from a pole across my shoulders, intended for Swami’s bath. My
shoulders were aching, but I was determined to deliver the water on time
without spilling a drop.
Suddenly,
a young, radiant Swami appeared and walked beside me. He smiled and asked, “What
are you doing?” I said, “Swami, I am carrying this water for Your bath.” He
teased, “Is it for Me? Would you carry so much weight for Me?” I smiled
and said, “Yes, Swami, I am glad to do it.” He tapped me on the shoulder, and
instantly, the pitchers became weightless. The pain vanished. I was walking
with Him, carrying the burden, yet feeling no weight at all.
This is
the reality of serving Him: He gives us the task, but He also removes the
burden.
The Silent Listener:
A Birthday Miracle
Since
it is birthday season, I must share a birthday story. After graduating as an
engineer, I moved back to Hyderabad. On Swami’s birthday, my mother, sister,
and I went to the Shivam temple. We spent the entire day in blissful
service—participating in the procession, decorating, serving lunch, and
stringing garlands.
By the
time we returned home at 10:30 PM, we were exhausted. As I lay in bed, I had a
very “childish” thought. I said to Swami in my mind, “Swami, today was Your
birthday, and look how much we did for You. But in an hour, it will be my
birthday. What are You going to do for me?”
I never
said this out loud. I fell asleep and forgot all about it. The next morning, I
went to my computer to check for an email from my father, who was working
abroad. As I removed the dust cover from the monitor, I found a postcard-sized
photo of Swami that had materialized out of nowhere. It was Swami in His
beautiful, smiling Abhaya Hasta (blessing) pose. Below the photo were
the words: “To whom much is given, much is expected.”
The Responsibility of
the Golden Age
Two
things became clear that day. First, the Swami I worshipped “outside” was within
me, hearing my every silent thought. Second, it made me feel a profound sense
of responsibility. He is constantly giving to us. What does He expect in
return?
Swami
has spoken of a “Golden Age” that is coming sooner than we can imagine. Despite
the chaos we see in the world, people are craving words of love and comfort.
This is our golden opportunity to take His message to the world. Swami has
given us this body as a sailboat to cross the ocean of Samsara. Let us
not waste this opportunity of a million lifetimes.
The Effort of Unfurling the Sails
The winds of Grace are blowing strongly all the time. However, what is
required is our own effort to unfurl the sails of our "sailboat."
That effort lies entirely in our hands. Yet, the beauty of this path is that
when we make that effort, Swami reduces all our burdens, making the work feel
truly effortless. It is then that His Divine Will begins to manifest itself
through us.
Let us pray to Swami to grant us unwavering focus so that we may walk His
path, share His message, and spread His light and love throughout this world.
A Closing Poem: The Gift of the Century
I
would like to wrap up with a short poem that summarizes the essence of this
talk:
Of the 8.4 million species in Divine
creation,
Being born as a human is the most
sacred gift.
Endowed with discrimination and
wisdom,
Human birth is the path for spiritual
uplift.
To be a contemporary of a Purna Avatar
is rarer still,
What an immeasurable fortune it is,
To walk the same earth He treads,
And breathe the same air that carries
His Will.
To know of His presence and to see
Him,
Is the supreme blessing of all.
There is no greater grace than serving
His mission,
And heeding His loving call.
Over countless lifetimes, He patiently
prepared us,
To be His chosen instruments.Let us immerse
ourselves in Him,
And serve joyfully to our heart’s
content.
His mission will move forward
gloriously,
Whether or not we choose to
participate.
Yet He gives us a role to play,
Out of boundless love, to redeem our
fate.
So let us not lose focus, nor
hesitate,
Nor procrastinate anymore.Let us seize
this golden chance,
To live His message, to transform, and
to soar.
For only once in a million lifetimes,
Do we receive such an extraordinary
opportunity,
To live His message,
And to realize our own innate
Divinity.
Closing Remarks
Thank you, dear brothers and sisters, for this extraordinary opportunity.
It has helped me reflect deeply on His love and His message, and it has been a
joy to share that with all of you during this holy time.
Thank you. Jai Sai
Ram.
source: 100th Birthday
Celebrations - Morning Program | SSSIO
Note on this
Transcript
This text was refined from a
video-recorded address by Sister Aparna Chitturi given on November 23,
2025. To ensure the preservation of the Divine message while maintaining
professional clarity, the original transcript was organized and edited for flow
and grammar with the assistance of AI technology (Gemini), acting as a
humble instrument in the service of the Lord.
