Transcript of Phyllis Krystal's Nov. 2011 Ladies Day speech in Prasanthi Nilayam, Sai Kulwanth Hall

Last updated on 22nd Dec. 2016

Today (11th Dec. 2016) I saw a lot of posts about the bodily passing away of Mrs. Phyllis Krystal yesterday (Dec. 10th) in Guildford, United Kingdom. Mrs Krystal was a well-known devotee of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, a famous spiritual teacher and an accomplished author of books on spirituality and Sathya Sai.

While I had heard about Mrs Krystal earlier, I had not (and still have not) read her books and do not recall hearing her speeches. It was in Sept. 2015 that I wrote my first blog post referencing her, if I recall correctly. That post was put up in the wake of confusion whether she was endorsing so called communicator, Madhusudan Rao Naidu, of the supposed subtle body/light body of Bhagavan in Muddenahalli (which is a FALSE CLAIM). Very fortunately, Mrs Krystal cut off ties with Madhusudan Rao Naidu then which is what I put up on my post. Here's that post, Phyllis Krystal, Sai thought leader, breaks off with "communicator"; decides "to seek Him in our heart instead of somewhere outside", https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2015/09/phyllis-krystal-sai-thought-leader.html, dated Sept. 1st 2015 and last updated on 17th Oct. 2015. The post quoted Mrs. Krystal's statement on her website where she said she wishes to "return wholeheartedly to what Swami taught us over and over again, to seek Him [Ravi: Bhagavan] in our heart instead of somewhere outside. Which, also corresponds with the Method that was given to me so many years ago."

Ravi: I was very happy to see such a clear statement from Mrs. Krystal where she returned to the teachings of Sathya Sai and moved away from the FALSE CLAIM made by so called communicator, Madhusudan Rao Naidu.

A little while back today evening I saw this video link shared on Facebook, Phyllis Krystal speech Ladies Day Celebrations 2011.wmv, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFa2AIjqAVI, 27 min. 17 secs. I decided to watch Mrs. Krystal's speech. I found it to be very, very interesting and found her guidance to the audience in Sai Kulwanth Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam (Puttaparthi) then (Nov. 2011), around seven months after Swami's (Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's) Mahasamadhi, about how to seek Swami in the absence of His physical form, to be excellent and in line with Swami's teachings, as I understand them. I think the Sathya Sai fraternity has been blessed to have had a Sai teacher like Mrs Phyllis Krystal. I pray to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to (continue to) shower His Grace on Mrs Phyllis Krystal's being (soul).

I searched on Google for a transcript of the speech but could not find it. I thought I should make a transcript as my small tribute to Mrs Krystal, and so this post.

I also felt it appropriate to mention that I think Mrs. Krystal is the first native Englishman or Englishwoman Sai spiritual teacher/speaker whose speech I have heard (with attention). I sure recall quite a few American Sai speakers that I have heard (and read) but I don't recall hearing any native English/British Sai speakers. I was delighted to hear Mrs Krystal's 'proper' English accent! Over the years, I have watched a lot of BBC TV, while living in continental Europe, USA and also in India, and do like to hear 'proper' English accented speech :-).

I think I should also say here that I have read my fair share of English English authored books from Enid Blyton's books in my school days to Charles Dickens to Agatha Christie to P.G. Wodehouse to Somerset Maugham to John Le Carre. [I studied in English medium schools and colleges in Bombay/Mumbai.] English English language and culture is quite different from American English language and culture, IMHO (though there are a lot of regional differences within UK and USA, as well). Given all that, I found it to be a great pleasure and a great delight actually, to listen to near-100 years old then Mrs. Krystal speaking about Sai in quite 'proper' English with a 'proper' English accent though her advanced age did affect her diction a little. [She was born in 1914 and so would have been around 97 years old when she spoke in this video in Nov. 2011.]

Transcript of the above mentioned video

[Mrs Phyllis Krystal:]
.. Sairam to the Baba within everyone of you. Because he is in everyone of you. And .. everywhere we look. I don't know whether you have noticed, but since his passing he is much more available for all of us, everywhere, constantly guiding us. I remember, a long time ago, back in 1973, when my husband and I first went, or came rather - no, went, it was in Whitefield - to see him. And in those days there were very few white people or .. what shall I say, .. people from different countries. And he would always give a farewell, .. farewell interview in those days. And I was very curious, this was our first experience with Baba, and I was wondering, what are we going to do next? Do we come back or do we just (lead) our lives and so I - in those days was very shy, and I did get enough courage to ask him, what do we do, Baba? Now we have come to see you. Do we come back? What, what is your advice?

And I shall always remember, he pointed his finger at me [Krystal gestures with a wagging forefinger] and he said, First you must remember, you do not need to come back to see this little body, pointing to himself. And there was a pause to let that message sink in. And next he said, you must find me, my counterpart, in your own heart. And then with another pause, and he said, yes, you will come back to be re-energised. So, many of us, of course, have been coming back regularly to be re-energised. And now so many people are wondering, what to do next? Just as I did, way back in 1973.

And I feel that it is incredibly important for us not to think of Baba in that physical body. He once showed me a wonderful, inner scene. He came to me, as Baba yes, but shining with a wonderful, gleaming light body. And I was startled. It was when he had his first operation, his first hip operation and we were in Whitefield. And when he left for the hospital, the whole hall was completely empty. Nobody was allowed in there. (But) in my inner scene, I was astonished, he was up on the .. dais but not like our father whom we all recognise. Yes in the middle was the Baba we recognise but all around was this wonderful, wonderful light. And I was so overcome with .. the incredible energy that (he was giving me). And then it was as if I heard his voice inside my head. That sometimes does happen. And what he said was, this is my real body. Not the one you come to visit. And from that light body he went on to explain and it was coming into my mind and I was really quite startled that he could project himself from that real body, a real Baba into him, .. the body we know, but also he could appear anywhere in the world, as he has often done. And as he can now, even more easily, since he is not in this body (that) we all love so much.

Yes, we see his samadhi [Krystal points to her right where Swami's samadhi is located] but that's not where Baba is. That reminds us, of course, of how we used to love to come to see him. But that's not his most important message. That's why I can't (think) of him buried in this grave. No, that makes him too small. He is everywhere, in all of us. So, when I was asked to come today to speak to all of you, I knew that I couldn't possibly give you the impression that I was mourning. I am not mourning his loss. And we shouldn't because ... That makes him too small. He's everywhere.

And I remember one time when we were waiting for him to come into an interview and he (looked around at us all). And we were wondering what he's going to say this time or what he is going to do this time. And he said, .. we are all like light bulbs. And we were all rather astonished. He said, yes. Some of you may (radiate) maybe twenty wattage, some of you may be sixty or eighty but Baba radiates thousands of .. light watts.. . And this is his message. Its the Baba in each one of you that I want to address today. And not mourn him. No. Its a relief that he is out of that body. I felt such compassion when I saw him (suffering). We should rejoice that he is no longer here. Yes we miss him, of course. Yes we would ask him to do things for us. But, again I remember, he said, I have come and I will .. give you whatever you ask hoping that at some time you will ask me what I have come to give you. That is another of his most important sayings.

Many people have said to me that he is not there anymore. I can't ask him for this or that or the other. Of course, he is everywhere. But why don't we all just ask, what have you come to give me? How can you use me as your instrument? This is his most basic message. This is one we can all follow. We don't have to brilliant. We don't have to have college degrees. It doesn't matter who we are. We are all, in his eyes, equally important. And I remember when I first understood that, it was such a huge relief. I had always been (brought up) that I was insignificant, probably won't amount to anything, in England (where?) the rules are very strict.

And it was such a relief to be told by Baba that we are all equal in his eyes. Nobody is any worse than anyone else. Nobody is any better. We are all equal. Because we are not these bodies, we are not these minds, we are not these monkey-minds as he always referred to them. (They are what) get in the way. We have to make contact, as he said to me, all those years ago, with who we really are. The light within us so that we can go anywhere in the world and shine that light and see it in everyone else. That's his most important message, right now. Not that he is buried here [Krystal points to her right at the samadhi]. No, no, no. That makes him much too .. difficult to be in contact with. We should look at everyone around here today and see his image. Because when he showed me this incredible light body he also said, in my mind again, to my astonishment, when you concentrate on this light body that I am showing you, it will bring you close to the light body in other people, but also in yourself. This is his message. This is what he really wants us to learn and also to live.

Yes he has given us wonderful, wonderful teachings, so many of them, it is a little confusing. We don't know which one to follow. But he (has) also always said, just follow one. And I remember so many times, he would say, I have spoken to you, I have written my messages, my teachings, but I want you to practise those in your everyday life. So we have to realize that we are, each one of us, never mind our age, never mind whether we (are) men or women, a mother or a grandmother or a grandfather, we can all radiate his love. We can all be his instruments. And that means always, what do you want to give me? How do you want to use me?

I always remember reading a .. wonderful quote from Baba, and oddly enough just before I left home to come here, I found it on my desk. And it still is an extraordinarily wonderful message. That we have to concentrate on who we are. We need to say yes to him. But not yes let me be this way or that way or .. another way. But yes, use us as your instrument. That's his most important message. We can be his (message .. messengers). This particular one was when you say yes to me - we all need to say yes to Baba, use me as your instrument, not the way I want you to use me. Uh-uh! [Krystal shakes her head in a negative way.] Not the way other people want to use us. But how does Baba want to use us.

I think when I first went to see Baba all those years ago, when I was afraid to open my mouth and speak to anyone - And I remember another interview when I was supposed to be giving my very first seminar in my own birth country in England, I was terrified. We went to Baba first (and then we ..) England. And he said to me, Mrs Krystal, why are you so worried? And I just told him, I am terrified. We are going to England and for the very first time, I have to give a talk and I can't. And he looks at me with that wonderful smile, making fun of me but in a lovely loving way, and he said, Mrs Krystal, you talk all day long. I said yes but only to one person at a time. (And) he said but one plus one plus one plus one equals one. All are one. And then he gave me the most extraordinary advice. He said, when you are giving your talk, think of just one person. You are only talking to the God-self in each person. You only need to talk to one.

So we left (and went to) England. And I stood up and I thought, Oh my (God) - Oh! and he said also that I will help you. And I stood there and they were all therapists (very,) very uptight - what is this woman going to teach us? And I said to him inside my head, okay you promised, now it is up to you. And to my surprise, the words just came and it lasted (the whole weekend). But then, the way I was in those days, I said yes, but that's just one time. Will it ever happen again?

(And) then the next time I repeated it and remembered what he said. And again it worked. And it (has) continued to work. We all need to say yes to Baba. Not to the Baba that is buried here. But to the Baba that is everywhere in the world. In every one of you.

Another interview I remember so distinctly. He came dancing into the room and looked around at us all. And he said, who do you think I see when I look into your eyes? We hadn't a clue, any of us. And he said, when I look into your eyes, I see a reflection of myself. So we need when we look into someone else's eyes to see the reflection of Baba who is everywhere now. Not just here at the ashram. [Krystal points to the samadhi] Certainly not in the grave here. I can't bow to the grave. No, I am sorry. I have to bow to all of you. Because you are who he is, scattered in all the different countries and we have an enormous mission (- we are all parts of his mission -) and its an incredible opportunity. Its an incredible blessing.

We don't know what's going to happen. Many people are terrified, what's going to happen in Two Thousand and Twelve (2012)? Does it matter? No. Because if we are really saying yes to Baba, he will put us wherever we are needed to help others. We don't have to worry. This has (been proven in) my entire very long life. He is always there when we call. But not here in Puttaparthi. Yes, he was the wonderful example of how we all can be. Giving - yes. Loving - by all means. That's what he wants to teach us. So I have learned that when I really ask for his love to flow into me and then I remember him - vital, alive, joking, laughing, joyful - then I can imagine that his love is really flowing into me and from my own Baba as well. He used to call it, to me - God-self. I like to call it Baba-self. And then we can just radiate it to others. This is what we all need to do.

Look at how many people are here. A whole army. (And what .. we) going to do? We have to .. follow his mission now. We have to take over. He is not here in this wonderful form any longer. But you know he has always told us not to be attached to that form [Krystal points to the samadhi]. That he would leave sometime. And I think he had to leave. Because .. if he had lived much longer .. with us not listening to what he told us that he is not the body, it would not have helped us. He (has) freed us now. Now we have to find his counterpart in our own heart. So right now why don't you just look at whoever is sitting next to you and realize that here is an example of Baba, here are examples, here are examples [Krystal was gesturing at different parts of the audience as she spoke these words] and see who he is within you. Because we are all walking temples.

He told us that in an interview long ago. (He) came dancing into the room, looked around and said, you don't know who you are. You think you are the body. No, you are all walking temples. The temple - the body - contains your real self. So we need, now that he is not here any longer, to use him - yes as our example of father showering his love everywhere to everyone. So that we practise the most important lesson that he (has) taught any of us - radiate his love wherever you are in the world. Be a light - be a light to everyone. Not from your ego, not because you are special, not because you are .., and certainly not because of that monkey-mind that gets in the way.

And then (the) other thing, of course, is that we really do need to remove the covers over our light. And they are all of our habits. All of our negative qualities or negative traits rather. We all have all of them. We (don't always) recognize it. I remember one time when we were at the ashram, there was one woman from the .. United States who broke every single rule. And we were all horrified that she was the one - a woman - that Baba took for a ride in his car. And all the youths over there at that time came to many of us and said, why does (she) get such a wonderful privilege and we have to be so strict? And she breaks every rule. It is not fair.

And in those days, Jack Hislop always was able to ask Baba questions. So (we) asked, .. the youth are in rebellion. They don't understand. Will you please ask Baba and this was Baba's answer. First of all, the next morning, it was in Whitefield, and we were all there. And Baba went up to Jack Hislop and said, Hislop, you have a question. And he said yes, the youth are very worried. They .. have to go along with all the rules. And its very difficult for them when you take this lady who breaks every rule in your car, which is the most wonderful privilege. (And) Baba smiled and said, I do it on purpose. To stir up in everyone the jealousy, the envy that nobody wants to look at. We have to work on ourselves, not criticize someone else. You can't change everyone else. You may think you can. But it doesn't last. They may put on a good act just to please you. But they won't change. Not when you just tell them to. You can only change yourself.

And we have so many of his teachings. There are so many of them. We have to use them, especially now that he is not here, he (has) left a body - a body of teachings. He (has) left all of us as parts of him. So lets not mourn. It is not a sad occasion. He has freed us (as he has) freed (our souls). So we do need though to work on ourselves. So that we will be able to recognise, yes I am jealous. Yes I am selfish. Yes I am greedy. Yes I am envious. Yes I get angry. And then let go. He always used to say, just give those qualities to me. I can handle them. So this will be the way for us to really see Baba in everyone. Not to criticize the personality. No. That's just the temple. The real person is what Baba symbolized, what he epitomized, what he showed us .. as an example.

So, right now, lets look around at every one in this room and feel, yes, I too have a wonderful lightbody that is my real self. Let me send the light to all the people in the room here and to everyone you meet. Then you will be a light to take Baba's message to continue his wonderful life. Om Sai Ram [Krystal folds her hands in a Namaskar and seems to pray. Applause follows.]