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Turning to Philip, Swami asked, “How is your smoking? I see you are going to the car and smoking. You have a cough and a lile mucous. You also have some stomach digestive problems.”
Philip smoked a pipe and thought he was being discreet by smoking it in a car. Surprised, Philip said, “Oh, is that why I have these problems?” Swami said, “It is best to stop. Smoking is not good for you.” “Oh, Swami, I tried many times.” “Yes, I know, four or five times, I know. Don’t try. Do.” Then, holding his handkerchief between his fingers with palm down, he instructed Philip, “Do. Let go of it.” As he made this point, he let go and the hanky dropped into his other hand. He continued, “It’s simple. You just let go, and I will help.”
At the end of the interview, Swami told us to return for more filming at the time of his 67th birthday, November 23, 1992.
Filming during Sai Baba’s 67th Birthday
Half a million people were expected for Swami’s 67th birthday celebration in November 1992. Sharon and I arrived at the ashram before the Dutch film crew. We prepared two apartments for sleeping and a large dining room where we would eat and talk over the day’s events. Excitement was building as we anticipated the many wonderful events to film over the next few days.
Feedback from the Director
The day aer the film crew arrived, Swami asked to see the film shot in May at the summer school. So, one evening, I joined Philip, Deodaat, Philip’s son Maurice, vice chancellor Sampath, Registrar Chakravati, and the editor of the ashram journal Sri V. K. Narasimhan, for the showing. We sat in a small room around a TV monitor.
The film opened with a Dutch singer chanting what was supposed to be the holy Gayatri mantra. Although the chanting was musically pleasant, it was not chanted correctly. I had cautioned Philip about this point before the trip, knowing that Swami would want the mantra to be chanted properly.
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