About the Book
Life Contract with God chronicles the unique relationship the author had with Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, as an Engineer and Contractor in Prasanthi Nilayam. His projects include an extensive range of buildings and other infrastructures in and around Puttaparthi, constructed under the direct guidance of Swami. This book is a narration of a number of incidents and divine leelas he and his family experienced during the journey with Swami. The author, Sri Prabhakar Bayisetty, is an engineering graduate and a post graduate from the Indian Institute of Sciences, and a resident at Prasanthi Nilayam since 1984. Right from their grandparents to their grandchildren, the families of Sri Prabhakar and his wife have been devotees of Swami spanning nearly seven decades. He was fortunate in having Swami's blessings directly and had many opportunities for Darshan, Sparshan and Sambhashan, including interviews and photos with Swami.
Foreword
It is my proud privilege to write a few words on this book titled, 'Life Contract with God.' I am thrilled by looking at the title itself because every devotee enters into this life contract with God, our dear God, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It is indeed a blessing to have come to know this author, Sri Prabhakar, and I have known him for more than 45 years or so. Even more so, I had the good fortune of mingling closely with his father, Sri Gopala Rao garu, a founding member of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samithi, Guntur, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Everyone respected him. As the president of the Samithi, his was the final word. He was a man of discipline, dedication, and commitment. It's really a blessing to have come to know a man of that stature. Known for his integrity and honesty, he was a role model for everybody. The author of this book, Sri Prabhakar, has been known to me right from his days at Guntur, where he served as an engineer. I had the good fortune of travelling with him on his scooter as a young man. I am also proud to say that his brother was a student of the Andhra Christian College, where I served for a quarter century. I also knew his sister, and his brother-in-law was a direct student of mine. Iry way, I can say the whole family is known to me. It is Sathya Sai family indeed.
Introduction
This is not a spiritual book. It doesn't have any philosophical significance. There are no morals at the end of the stories. It's simply a book about my life with Swami. I've been blessed with the privilege of a unique rela-tionship with Swami. Many other books about Bhagawan have been written by writers, speakers, devotees, donors, volunteers, students, teachers, doctors, or employees of the organization. My relationship with Swami was that of a building contractor. He was the Contractee who hired me on an independent contract and kept renewing it for nearly 30 years (27 years, to be exact). As Swami once mentioned in an interview with my family, "Swami daggara dabbu teesukokunda, vaalle dabbu petti kattinchicche vaallu chaala mandi vunnaaru. Kaani mimmalni Swami daggara pettukovalanukoni pilipinchukunnanu." ("There are many people who wouldn't take payment; in fact, they would themselves give money and build for Swami. But Swami called you because I wanted to keep you close to me.") During my tenure as "Swami's Contractor" in Prasanthi Nilayam, there is probably not a building I haven't repaired, rebuilt, or constructed from the ground up. They range from tiny temples and toilet blocks to large schools, intricate museums, residential buildings, and everything in between. The buildings before I came to Puttaparthi were built by local labour, and the projects after me were taken up by large corporations. For anyone familiar with Prasanthi Nilayam and Puttaparthi, most of the buildings listed in the book should be recognisable.
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