drawn by: gautami chennur · 2016 ladies day newsletter "the hagavad gita says that a woman...

Drawn by: Gautami Chennur

2016 LADIES DAY NEWSLETTER

"The Bhagavad Gita says that a woman has seven qualities, whereas a man has only three. So, never look down upon women. They are most virtuous. They are the very embodiments of nature. Some women may think that they would have enjoyed greater freedom had they been born as men. This is a wrong notion- In fact, women are more powerful than men. With all sacred feelings in your heart, respect women and be respected. Women symbolize sacrifice.” Sai Baba. SS. 6/99. p. 150

“Women should change themselves and help to change the men and the children. They should develop qualities of sympathy, compassion, love and sacrifice. Study the lives of our great women, who were models of patience, fortitude, compassion and sacrifice. I desire that you should take the reins of leadership and bring peace and prosperity to the nation by leading ideal lives." Sai Baba. SS. 11/12-95, p. 295 “If the nation has to prosper, improvement must start with parents. Without peace and harmony at home, there can be no peace in the nation. This message should be propagated throughout the country on every November 19th, by observing it as Ladies' Day. You should teach people how to run their homes well and how to bring up children on right lines. You must deal calmly and tactfully with the men, if they are not cooperating. Though Ravana was evil-minded, his noble wife Mandodari, tried to correct him as much as possible. She advised him strongly not to keep Sita in Lanka, but to restore her to Rama." Sai Baba, SS, 11/12. 95, p. 294

The 5 Ds Master the Five Ds and Receive God’s Love

Dedication Means Offering Your Heart to the Lord

Devotion is the Highest Form of Love

Strictly Follow Discipline in Daily Life

Discrimination is Essential for Everyone

Everything Can Be Achieved with Firm Determination and Persistence

Significance of Women


Master the Five Ds and Receive God’s Love

As a staunch devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba and now in the divine fold of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, I completely dedicated my life to the divine services of Bhagawan for nearly forty years. I was very fortunate to have experienced much love from Swami on numerous occasions.

In an interview with Radio Sai when I was asked, “You have received much love from Swami while He was in the form, but today the reality is different. What has changed in your life as a result of MahaSamadhi?” I said “Nothing…nothing at all. I feel Bhagawan’s presence in my life much more than before. I am deeply involved in Namasmarana and Bhagawan’s service as before, in fact even more dedicated in His Divine services. I will serve Swami till my last breath.” That was the answer I gave to the most dedicated Radio Sai team who are spreading Bhagawan‘s teaching throughout the world. Here is what I have learned from Swami about the 5 Ds:

Swami says, the universe is a university in which every human being is a student. In the Cosmic University, though there are scientific, political, economic, and other studies, what is fundamental to all of them is spiritual knowledge. Even in the spiritual field, there is one group which may be described as the Five Ds: Dedication, Devotion, Discipline, Discrimination, and Determination. Those who have mastered the Five Ds are qualified to receive God's love.

Dedication - offer our hearts to the Lord free from the pests of desire, hatred, envy, greed and the like. Only where egoistic pride is offered as a sacrifice at the altar of divine can man discover his true nature. So, along as sugar is on the tongue, you will feel the sweetness in taste. Similarly, so long as the heart has love, peace and devotion, you will feel the bliss!

Devotion is the highest form of love. Devotion means constant contemplation of God, repetition of His Name, worshipping Him and doing penance for the Lord. There is nothing which is not attainable through loving service to the Divine. What matters is the intensity of the feelings. God submits only to the power of devotee’s love and his devotion to the Lord. The Lord rushes towards the devotee before the devotee rushes towards the Lord. This unfathomable love of Bhagawan was experienced by this humble devotee in the early 80s. A small example - My beloved Lord, with the love of a thousand mothers, took care of me when my health had deteriorated badly due to an incorrect dosage of thyroid medication in the 1980s. I lost nearly thirty pounds within one month and became very weak. Exactly at that time, Swami visited Chennai. Because of the side effects of the medication, I was not even able to get up, let alone go to Sundaram for Swami’s darshan. As soon as Swami got down from the car at Sundaram, divine abode of Bhagawan in Chennai, He looked around and asked my husband, “Where is your wife?” My husband said, “Swami, she is very weak and she is not even able to get up because of the wrong dosage of medication. I will bring her in the evening for Swami’s darshan.” But Swami immediately stopped him saying, “No, no. Let her be at home. I will come to the house and she will become alright.” When my husband passed on the exciting news of Bhagawan’s visit to our house, I do not know how I got the strength. I cleaned up the house, prepared prasadam and was eagerly waiting for Swami’s arrival. As soon as I heard Swami’s car coming, I just ran to receive Him. Swami stopped me saying, “Haven’t I come already. Slow down, slow down”. So saying, He entered the house with a broad smile. Oh God, the Divine moments we spent with Swami that day are still in front of my eyes. Whenever I think of Bhagawan’s compassion, it brings tears to my eyes.


Continued: Master the Five Ds and Receive God’s Love

Then we humbly requested Swami to have the eatables prepared for Him. The loving Lord saying, “Certainly”, came in and sat in the chair. I started serving Bhagawan. Then what happened was ‘history’! Swami would taste a little and then give me the rest of that morsel to eat saying, “You were not eating properly at all. That is why your health has gone down.” This went on for nearly ten to fifteen minutes. I couldn’t believe myself. What a blessing! Tears started rolling down from my eyes. Later on Swami asked me to stop whatever other medicines I was taking, blessed me profusely and returned to Sundaram. I owe my rebirth to my beloved Lord. I will serve Him till my last breath! Discipline is most essential for students. From the moment you wake up, you have to carry out your morning ablutions, meditate on God and then do your prescribed duties in an orderly manner without deviating from the regular routine. One should devote, at least a few minutes to loving meditation on God in the calm and serene atmosphere of the morning. The human estate is based upon regulations and self-control. These have to be strictly adhered to in daily life.

Bhagawan is very particular about the discipline for children. This I noticed when I used to take Balvikas Cultural Programmes to be presented at Lord’s Lotus Feet at Prashanthi Nilayam. Bhagawan used to scrutinize the dresses of the children, their age not more than twelve years and the way they conduct themselves during the programmes. Those days, 40 years back, not much of children’s programmes occurred. Bhagawan used to watch the rehearsal and spend lot of time with the group. Bhagawan used to enjoy our dramas and the meticulous way they were presented. I was able to present 40 cultural programmes at Bhagawan’s Lotus Feet. In those times, I observed His focus.

Discrimination: The world is a mixture of good and bad, of joy and sorrow, right and wrong, victory and defeat says Bhagawan. In a world replete with such opposites, man has to make constantly the choice between what is right and proper and what is wrong and undesirable. Man should not be guided by the mind. He should follow the directions of his intellect. As long as you follow the mind you cannot obtain divinity especially young people should learn to use their power of discrimination. Discrimination is essential for every student and educated persons. Determination is like the reins for a horse. When you want to achieve something, you must have the determination and persistence to secure it by all your efforts. In fact once we prepared a cultural program on Ashta Lakshmi (eight Goddesses of wealth) for Bhagawan’s visit to Chennai. This was during the late 70s. In those days Swami used to visit Chennai (then called as Madras) every year, so I took it for granted Swami will visit that year also. Unfortunately, I had to wait nearly four years to present it before Bhagawan as He visited only four years later. I never gave up waiting for Swami; every year changing the children according to their age.


Continued: Master the Five Ds and Receive God’s Love

Bhagawan was very particular that children participating in the cultural programmes should be 12 years and under. Everybody advised me to change the programme but my determination did not change. I was thrilled to present the programme when Bhagawan visited Chennai four years later. I felt it was a test given by Bhagawan to measure the depth of our devotion patience, persistence and steadfast faith. Baba was very happy with the drama. As Bhagawan says master the five Ds and receive the love of God. We must be resolute in striving to achieve what we aim at. Only then will your devotion and discipline bear fruits. On 19th of November 1991, Bhagawan blessed the mahilas with a day ‘The Mahilas Day’ to do selfless service to the poor and needy and uplift them economically and spiritually. Consider every day as mahila day and serve the poor and sanctify your lives is the message of Bhagwan to the mahilas. Luckily, the house next to ours was donated to the central trust by my husband’s sister and after her

demise, we requested Swami to start a Vocational Training Centre. Bhagawan graciously gave His permission and in the year 2001, The Vocational Training Centre exclusively for mahilas was started. The centre started with one course, namely tailoring, and now the centre has grown by leaps and bounds with Bhagawan’s blessings. Now, it offers secretarial course which educate mahilas in the field of accountancy, typing, conversational English and computer labs. Around 1500 students have benefited so far. Since we have various courses in our centre which give training in various fields, the mahilas are so happy to be part of this effort bestowed upon us by ever compassionate ever loving Lord.

Today and every day I honour your presence oh Sai! Swami, thank you for your presence in my life

You are the best friend I could ever have My confidant and my guide

I honour your greatness by living my life Totally centred on you, you are in me

And I am a part of you Swami Jai Sai Ram!

(From Bhagawan’s Divine Discourses )

The Five Ds as advocated by Bhagawan

Mrs. Soundarya Krishnamurthy, State Spiritual Coordinator,

Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organizations, Tamilnadu, India.


Which D Do You Practice The Most and How Has It Helped?

Which D Do You Find Most Challenging To Practice? Why?

“The D I find most challenging to practice is discipline, particularly when it come to talking

less, dieting and exercising.”

“Discipline - it is hard not to look at my phone during work when my family or friends

message me.” -Vanisree Vedantham

“Discrimination. When multiple paths or choices have good and bad, weighing in on each

choice and differentiating the right and wrong is not always straightforward.”

“Determination. This one is the hardest because I tend to have a lot of determination all at

once and then after maybe 10 or 20 minutes, it fades away and I am not able to accomplish

tasks. It's hard to keep determination throughout the day when you have multiple mental

setbacks, like your mind telling you that you can't do something or that you're not good

enough.”

“Determination is the most challenging to practice because of lot of hurdles in our way like

strength, man power, dedication to a particular activity.” - Pavitra Addepalli

“Discipline, as it is hard to practice consistently.”


Spotlight: Interview with the Altar & Flower Team

Swami’s love pulls us, drives us, and unites us week after week. When we arrive at the Center, everything is completely different from what it looks like at 4 pm and when we leave after bhajans, everything is put back the way we found it. The altar team starts assembling at 2:30 pm every Sunday and we try to complete it by 3:50 pm when the chanting starts. The altar team is part of a much larger set up/take down group of people who have been coordinating this effort for many years. Everyone comes out of pure joy in being part of this greater effort from moving chairs to setting up the audio/video while the altar angels, as we are sometimes called, creatively set up Swami’s altar.

Within the altar team, we have the ladies who are arranging the flowers and those setting up the main altar. To coordinate flower colors, as we wrap up after bhajans, we think about the following week’s colors. If there is a holiday, we try to choose colors associated with the holiday. If not, we decide as a group. In that way, when we arrive the following Sunday, whoever has volunteered to bring flowers knows the theme. From there, we have all developed our little tasks: arranging the lights, Baba’s chair, draping the material - all of it just comes together. Once all of the main pieces are in place, we set Swami’s picture, then the flower vases and lastly we place Swami’s robe in prayer and invitation. This step is very sacred and important for us. We all know Swami is everything and everywhere. Yet as part of our devotion, we do this meticulous act of inviting Swami every week this way. It is our final step of gratitude for allowing each of us the grace of this service and it is a moment to ask Swami to come and bless everyone. We try to recreate Prashanthi in Atlanta.


Devotion - Swami's love and devotion are instilled in my inner heart. It keeps me going always to do His work the best I can.

Dedication - I have great passion and commitment to help set up altar. He always guides everyone to do their little bit and before your eyes the altar always turns out beautiful -every week.

Which of the 5 Ds reflects your motivation to come each Sunday?

through all of the 5 Ds. It is the dedication of coming to the Center early to create a beau-tiful invitation Swami cannot resist. It is the discipline to strive for perfection in color choices, layout, flower vases, runner design - everything. It is the discrimination to work as a whole, overlooking individual interests. It is the determina-tion to create an altar fitting for Swami. It is the devotion of serving with love. Someone

once told me that watching the altar set up was like watching a divine dance. And then when its complete, the energy pulls people in.

I took that to mean that Swami uses His instruments to create a space that brings us all together to experience Prashanti in Atlanta every Sunday. And for that, we are all in gratitude to our beloved Swami.

-Darshana Patel

Whenever we do something, if we are expecting something back, the interest in whatever we do will fade after some time. When we do something because the motivation is beyond self-interest, then even the doer-ship ceases to exist. That has been my experience over the years.

In some way or another every-one’s motivation on the altar team is love and it’s expressed

“Someone

once told me

that watching

the altar set up

was like

watching a

divine dance.”

Devotion and Discipline - I consider the act of doing altar as Swami’s work. I am grateful that He gave this opportunity to serve Him and be an instrument in creating something that devotees can connect with when they see the altar. It's a constant reminder for me every week to be devoted and disciplined to finish the task at hand for Swami.

It's a blessings to be a part of the team.

Continued: Interview with the Altar & Flower Team

“The joy I get by participating in altar decoration is similar to a small kid’s joy when she tries to fix her mom a surprise snack or make small bouquet with garden flowers as a token of love and gratitude. I believe with all my heart that Swami's chair is occupied every Sunday. It is priceless to feel the smile of Mother Sai when She sees the offering of Her kids.”

“Devotion and dedication are two main driving factors behind my committed offering to Swami.”

All Ds are connected to each other as we are all connected to SWAMI. All 5Ds are my motivation. -Gayathri Indla

Its just brings out my inner joy working with flowers as I feel each flower wants to be aligned in a particular position to be part of BABA as we all crave to be part of HIM. -Gayathri Indla

Devotion, dedication and determination motivates me to do service on Sunday at Sai Center. It gives me immense pleasure to do what I do. - Panna Patel

Arranging flowers is a form of meditation. My total attention is given to flowers. It also enhances love and adoration every step of the way as it is guided by Swami.

-Panna Patel

-Usha Patel

-Usha Ganti

All Ds are connected to each other as we are all connected to SWAMI. All 5Ds are my motivation. -Gayathri Indla

Devotion, dedication and determination motivate me to do service on Sunday at Sai Center. It gives me immense pleasure to do what I do. - Panna Patel


It may come as a surprise to many that during the Paatha Mandiram (Old Mandir) days, Swami performed tasks such as cleaning the altar, garlanding the pictures, sweeping the Mandir entrance, drawing rangoli patterns, etc. The women devotees had to plead with Bhagawan to get Him to permit them to do these duties and up till today, it is the elderly women devotees who perform these tasks.

I consider it a great privilege and honor to be a part of the Atlanta Sai Center Altar Flower Team. In a seemingly mundane task such as arranging flowers for the altar, Swami gives me an opportunity to practice each of the 5 Ds. When I arrange the flowers for Bhagawan, I get to express my devotion to Him and that becomes an act of divine worship. When I offer the efforts to the Lord, without any attachment to the results, it becomes an act of dedication. On days when I have to persist through day to day obstacles to make it to the Center, He gives me an opportunity to practice discipline and determination. In determining which color vase to use or which flowers to add in the foreground and which to use in the background to add more beauty and luster to the altar, He allows me to use my power of discrimination.

There are several other life lessons I get to learn in the process of setting up flowers. Each time I pick up a box and carry them from the storage room and back, or set out to arrange the flowers on the runner, Swami is giving me an opportunity to take baby steps in bending the body, mending the senses and ending the mind. When I collaborate with other devotees, I have an opportunity to practice unity, cooperation, tolerance, patience and most importantly love. The greatest reward for my efforts is the joy I receive and the self satisfaction.

Once the altar is set up and the devotees begin to congregate, the chanting, prayers, bhajans and meditation sessions charge the prayer hall with strong

spiritual energy. Bhagawan says that devotion is the highest form of our love for God. If we were to take a moment and analyze it, we would understand that Swami gives us an opportunity to practice each of the nine forms of devotion also known as Nava Vida Bhakti, when we come together to worship Him.

1. Shravanam – Listening to the names and glories of the Lord through discourses, devotional songs and experience sharing

2. Keertanam – Singing the glories of the Lord in our Bhajans

3. Smaranam – Remembering the Lord and His immense love for us as we pray, chant and sing

4. Paada Sevanam – Serving the Lord’s Lotus Feet not simply through ritualistic worship but to follow in His footsteps when carrying out daily tasks

5. Archanam – Worshiping the Lord with flowers and leaves such as Bilva and Tulasi, and most importantly the flower of the heart (hrudaya pushpam)

6. Vandanam – Offering our obeisance to the Lord with utmost reverence

7. Daasyam – Offering service to the Lord with a humble attitude of servitude

8. Sakhyam – Forming a bond of friendship with the Lord without expecting anything in return

9. Atma Nivedanam – Surrendering everything to the Lord’s will and offering the outcome of all our actions unto Him

May our Loving Lord keep us in His Divine fold and give

us more opportunities to serve Him selflessly. Jai Sai Ram.

Continued: Interview with the Altar & Flower Team

Hrudaya Pushpanjali A Humble Offering of the Flower of the Heart


A Time to Reflect

This picture exemplifies the importance of reflection in life. When we come across people, experiences, or life decisions, it is important to reflect. The specific definition of reflection is to have serious contemplation and thinking on the past, and one’s position in the present. It is important to note that reflection allows one to understand the experiences they have undergone, understand why things may have happened, and what their current purpose is.

I believe reflection is very important because it allows us to change ourselves for the better. It allows us to be the best we can be and have the most optimistic outlook on life. Swami speaks on "Reflection, Reaction and Resound." Man is capable of being conscious of a world outside himself. In the external world, all sorts of events occur, and in some way or another each event affects some directly or indirectly. However, whether there is an effect on the individual depends entirely on the inner personality of the person concerned. This is due to the fact that the inside is reflected from the outside and appears as a reaction. Looking at the mirror reflection of the boats in the water, it connects to our learning process in reality. When we see something wrong or negative in the world, it is a reflection of ourselves and our view on world. Hence, when we see the world positively, it is the reflection of a positive mind and heart.

Swami always says it is important to cultivate good thoughts. We are all responsible for our own thoughts and hence we should have truthful thoughts, and be at peace with ourselves. We will only obtain peace from within, not from the outside world. When we have reached this point, our perspective of the world will be aligned with our inner reflection of ourselves.

-Namrata Buxani


My Vision—My Mother

मेरी म ाँ

धमम में कमम कमम में धमम

धमम में कमम कमम में धमम समझो तो प्रेम क स गर

वरन ह ड म ांस क ग गर

परखो तो ममत क भांड र

वरन थक शरीर जांज र

ज नो तो त्य ग की मरूत

वरन म मलूी एक सरूत

बझुो तो सच्ची सहेली वरन गढू़ सी कोई पहेली धमम में कमम कमम में धमम धमम में कमम कमम में धमम जीवन में सरलत सरलत में जीवन

सीखो तो कण कण में भ व

वरन एक स ध रण स्वभ व

च ररत्र आसम ाँ की ऊाँ च ई

धैयम धरती की गहर ई

सहनशीलत क अांब र

हृदय में घ व अप र

पग में जजसके जन्नत

शीश पर सौग त

मतृ्य ुमें भी जीववत

जीवन में भी सांत

म नो तो" म ाँ " एक क्षिततज

न आरांभ न कोई अांत

न आरांभ न कोई अांत

My mother Religion was her life Her living was religious Spirituality was her living Life was her sanctity An ocean of love for some For others a bundle of flesh and bones For some treasure of affection Others saw a tired soul in compassion For some a persona of sacrifice Others thought an ordinary race A friend in true sense Else an unsolved puzzle She lived religion She breathed affection Spirituality was her life Spiritual was her living Depth in every thought Emotion in every deed Highest was the character she carried Profound were the principals she practiced Tolerance was much deeper With scars to the core Heaven at her feet Gift of the nature She lived in death In death she breathed life Neither was she a soul Nor could there be a goal My mother from my vision Was only the horizon Neither was there a beginning Nor could there be an ending You live forever in my heart You are none other but my mother. Love you Maa

-Manju & Ruchita


Connection with Swami is Always One on One

In the year 1972, we underwent a lot of crisis in our family business. A friend of mine who had been a long time devotee of Bhagawan and was very fortunate to have had numerous interviews and gifts from Swami, told me to go to Swami and inform Him about my problems and He would then take care of everything. At that time I did not know much about Sathya Sai Baba.

Swami was in Whitefield at that time. We left for Bangalore the next day and I did not have the time to inform my friend about our journey. We did not know anyone in Whitefield. We went for darshan for about four or five days in a row. We did have good darshan of Swami but could not have any interaction with Him. I was very disappointed as our return journey was approaching and we did not have any chance to get close to Swami. I felt really bad and thought that I should have brought my friend along and maybe she would have been instrumental in taking me close to Swami. To my surprise, the next day I saw her in the darshan line. After darshan, I spoke to her and informed her about everything and asked her to help me. She told me to come and see her before darshan the following day.

The next day, she took me with her and asked me to sit next to her where she usually sits. That was right where Swami would come out of His mandir and give darshan to devotees near the big gate. Swami came out and spoke with a few devotees and did not even look at our side. My friend then said, maybe Swami was busy but not to worry as on His way back He would definitely have to go past them. To my surprise, Swami returned to His mandir through the smaller gate that day. Darshan for that day was over because in those days there was only morning darshan.

I was heartbroken not only because Swami was not looking at me but also because my friend was also not

having proper darshan because of me. My friend was

kind enough and told me not to worry as she would

have darshan inside the mandir later. That night, I had

a dream. I was sitting in a hall with the front door wide

open. Meanwhile, I heard somebody knock on the

back door. As I opened the door I saw Swami smiling

happily at me. As if I knew Swami very well, I asked

Swami why he chose to come from the back door

when the front door was open. Swami then replied

saying, “you also came from the back door like this,

and hence I had to also come from the back door!” I

did not follow what Swami meant by that. The next

day I shared my dream with my friend. She then

explained the meaning of the dream which was that I

didn’t have to use my friend’s recommendation to go

close to Swami and each of us have to work on our

own to obtain His grace.

Needless to say, that is when I started my spiritual

journey in Swami’s path.

-Hemalatha Vedantham


Be silent in the heat of anger.

Be silent when you don't have all the facts.

Be silent when you have not verified the story.

Be silent if your words offend a weaker person.

Be silent when it is time to listen.

Be silent when you are tempted to lie.

Be silent if your words will damage someone's

reputation.

Be silent if your words will damage a friendship.

Be silent when you feel critical.

-Kusum Naik

Be Silent

Master’s Grace Swami, I bow down at your lotus feet for taking me through a path which I have never

walked before. You gave the fortune to live and experience life with more intensity. It was

immensely magical to feel the freshness in air, warmth of sun and life around me with a deep

sense of connect and inclusiveness. You made me taste the limitless vastness in a state of

absolute emptiness, untouched by all the voices around me.

Swami, I could see you in the eyes of many whom I was even seeing for the first time in my

life. The sounds of chants reverberated in my ears with a velocity as if they amalgamated to

create the entire universe. You poured the divine energy into me at moments when the

physical body could not pursue any longer. Moments flew by when I danced in ecstasy and

sang with glory.

Swami, by breaking barriers and boundaries between him and her, name and form, you

helped me experience the depth and intensity of love without any expectations. Deeply

indebted to you for all the love you have showered upon each one of us. May every life

experience your grace and blossom to the fullest.

-Raji Ramakrishnan


The Knitting Seva Q&A with Usha Patel, coordinator of this seva

Tell us a bit about the seva: The knitting seva started in 2001. Over the years we have made innumerable pieces of hand-knitted hats and blankets in order to provide warmth not only for those in homeless shelters in Atlanta, but we have also sent hats for children affected by AIDS in Africa. Blankets and new born baby hats are given to under privileged mothers with new born babies. It is so heart warming to see babies bundled up with these beautiful blankets made with love. When does this seva occur? This is a wonderful all year round seva - knit at your own pace! Also, every stitch you knit you can chant Sai Ram- very soothing!

Do you have many participants? We have many new and regular knitters at our center. A special thank you to all those who have dedicated many hours throughout the years for this seva; your service is appreciated not only by us but especially from those benefiting from your good will. Kusumben and Beate have been knitting for many many years — these ladies are born to knit! This year alone Kusumben has made over 40 hats and Beate has made 70 hats. Talk about dedication.... these ladies are committed! I don’t know how to knit, can I still participate? I am readily available on Sundays at

the center to teach anyone who wants to learn to knit. You can also participate in this seva by providing yarn.

S - Surrender

"Once we surrender our mind to God completely, He will take care of us in every way."

W - Worship

"Namasmarane is an instrument to realize the Lord"

A - Almighty God

"God is neither distant, nor distinct from you."

M - Mother

"God is the mother and father of the world."

I - Infinite

"God is in you, around you, behind you, above you, beside you." -- Sri Sathya Sai Baba

-Subha Pingali

Swami


“By setting a particular time, so that I am not on them at all other times.”

I use some ad-ons (StayFocusd) in my browser that blocks certain sites after a specified amount of time. -Bhuvana Krishnaswamy

I do not use Facebook for mindless chatter. While Facebook/Youtube can be addictive to some, I find it to be a powerful tool when used properly and carefully. I have subscribed to several Sai Channels including Radiosai and several Sathsang series from different parts of the world. This helps me stay connected to Sai. -Anu Venkateswaran

I actually just recently set an online blocking system called Stay Focusd on Chrome. It doesn't allow me to go to various websites, like Facebook or YouTube, where I waste a lot of time. I only allow myself 10 minutes a day on each of those websites. But when I go to open any of those blocked websites, I get a notification in red and then I am reminded how bad I'll feel if I continue to look at the websites. This just prevents me from even opening those websites in the first place, for the most part. -Radhika Duvvuri

How do you practice discipline - what do you do to curb Facebook and electronic device usage even though both are so captivating to the mind?

I practice discipline while eating food - not to watch TV, be on my iPad or phone while eating. -Pavitra Addepalli

Lessons from Swami

Since swami came to my life in early 90s, (I am nearly 89) He has changed my outlook towards life. Not only He gave me strength to withstand crises in my life and increase my faith in Him, I have felt His presence in my heart forever.

When I lost my husband in the 90s after his long sickness, I felt I could have nursed him forever if he had lived. The blow of losing my life partner was devastating for me, but faith in Him gave me strength and faith that carries on today too. He has taught me to love but also with unconditional love with not asking for anything in return. That lesson is very powerful and I keep remembering that always. Loving unconditionally requires lots of discipline with overlooking the faults of others and remembering at the same time that no one is perfect. I am not.

I have read numerous times in Swami's books "Why are you seeking me outside your heart, get an inner-view I am residing in your heart always." That phrase of His has increased my faith in Him forever. I am looking for Him inside my heart.

I don't have the answer for how one can instill God's love in the family members, only one word I have for that. Action. Action teaches more than preaching. Words do not impress unless, it is put into action by the preacher. -Neela Kotak


It is a regular practice for a Sai devotee to connect with Swami in many different ways throughout the day. Some meditate, some have constant conversations with Swami, and some do Nama Japam while some write letters. We know or heard from others that Swami reads or rather knows the content of the letters being written to him even before the devotee starts to write it. I am going to share one of my experiences and a dream affirmation from Swami about writing letters.

I wrote letters to Swami almost every day for about 7 years. The letter had 3 sections – first line would be “Dearest Swami …..” and the first paragraph would be a general greeting. Second paragraph – praying for family, friends and giving him an update about what happened the day before. It could be as simple as activities that I did which includes going to grocery stores to what I cooked the night before. Then the third paragraph was about my spiritual goals and aspirations and a simple heart to heart conversation with Swami. I would end it with a cheesy signature like “Forever yours”, “Yours lovingly” …which greatly depended on my mood for that day. I would keep the letter with me for a while and once I felt the essence of the words had reached Swami, I would shred it or trash it. However, I saved a few for no particular reason. This went on for years and one day Swami came to me in a dream.

I saw Swami holding one of my letters, showing it to me and said, “You write everyday, and I read everyday. Same matter, no change. But still I read”

I was touched. The Lord of the Universe was reading my letters that had the silliest things possible for more than 7

years. My heart was filled with gratitude. Now I was curious to see if it was the same content. So, I pulled out some of my old letters and guess what – of course Swami was right. Same matter, no change. For 7 years, the content in the paragraphs mostly remained the same (except for the previous day activity report). The grammar, punctuation, full stop, and comma - nothing changed and I never noticed it until then. I was amazed and had tears in my eyes. What I considered a simple act to be in “touch” with HIM everyday now became a precious experience I love to share.

Some of us are fortunate that we could give letters physically to Him in the darshan lines. Those are some of our best cherished memories. For those who miss His physical form, His play of taking letters in darshan line, or those who did not get a chance to see this beautiful leela, please don’t be disheartened. He knows what we go through and is waiting to read what we write to him. All we have to do is take a moment and pen down our prayers for self or others, what is bothering us, what we are grateful for, without any inhibition, straight from the heart. Be assured that He is reading it line by line, paying more attention than the writer himself.

-Usha Ganti

Letters to God


Determination. Some people cringe at the mere sight of the word, and

some embrace it. I know how hard it is to work hard to achieve your goals when you have Netflix and internet entertainment at your fingertips, believe me. As a student, watching funny videos seems SO much more enjoyable than three hours worth of biology homework. These quick, easy pleasure providers pull at your mind, and somehow convince your brain that you need a break after the first five seconds of a task. Although it seems fulfilling at the time to watch your favorite TV show, real satisfaction comes from dedicating time and energy to chasing dreams and helping other people. The feeling of actually having done something good for the world is irreplaceable. Who knows, maybe finishing that tedious biology essay can inspire you to research, and create new vaccines to help the world.

Messages from our Younger Ladies….SSE Girls

SSE Girls Corner

-SaiShree Patnaik, Group 2

-Aishwarya Rallabhandy, Group 3


MS Subbulakshmi

Life filled with Duty, Devotion, and Discipline

This quarter in our SSE class we have been learning from Swami’s discourses. We focused on the importance of the “Three Ds” - Duty, Devotion, and Discipline. We have been reading about the lives of great people who followed the three Ds. One such person whose life inspires me is M.S. Subbulakshmi, who is revered as one of the greatest Carnatic music singers of all time. The year 2016 marks her 100th birth anniversary.

M.S. Subbulakshmi was born in Madurai in South India in 1916. She started learning music from her mother, who was a renowned veena player. As a young child, M.S. Subbulakshmi was a very talented singer. She cut her first music record at the young age of ten. Even though she was very talented, M.S. Subbulakshmi worked very hard to improve her music skills. She was self-motivated, woke up early each day, and practiced for several hours. She began singing at concerts with her mother when she was thirteen. M.S., as she was popularly known as, gave her first performance at the Madras Music Academy when she was seventeen years old. When she was twenty, she relocated to Madras. After moving to Madras, M.S. acted in four Tamil films which increased her popularity. After her brief acting career, she dedicated the rest of her life to music.

During the next ten years, she gave numerous concerts throughout India, singing compositions in many languages. She recorded many Carnatic albums which included bhajans and other devotional songs. Her popularity and national recognition continued to grow. In 1954, she was honored with the Padma Bhushan Award by the President of India.

During the next phase of her career, M.S. became internationally known. She was invited to perform in various parts of the world. In 1966, she performed at the United Nations headquarters in New York which was a great honor for a Carnatic musician. In 1975, she was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the President of India. In 1998, M.S. was honored with the Bharat Ratna Award, the highest civilian award, by the President of India.

M.S. used her concerts as a way of raising money for various charitable causes. She donated almost all earnings received from her concerts and the royalties received from her albums to benefit the society. This trend began early in her career and she continued this throughout her life. M.S. was unaffected and unmoved by the awards and recognition which were showered upon her. She offered all her successes to God and remained a simple and humble person throughout her life.

M.S. with our beloved Swami

SSE Girls Corner


Continued: MS Subbulakshmi

M.S. had many wonderful qualities. She is a great role model for all of us. Here are few of her qualities that inspired me.

Discipline - Even though she was extremely talented, she practiced rigorously each day. Devotion to God – M.S. offered all her successes to God. She never believed that it was her ability that

got her the achievements. Humility – She received every possible award and achievement there was for a Carnatic musician. In

spite of that she remained humble, and she remained focused on her music. Philanthropy – She and her husband donated all their earnings to charity. This is a remarkable

achievement.

Emulating MS in all her qualities would be very difficult to do. Here are two things that I intend to follow.

Devotion to God – I intend to devote everything to our beloved Swami, and ask that He will guide me to continue my life in that manner.

Discipline – I pray that Swami will guide me to be as disciplined as M.S. was in everything I do.

-SSE Group 3 Student

In a beautiful play of words with the name RADHA, Swami describes that for Radha, the Adhar (basis) is the Dhara (continuous flow) of Aradh (worship) of Krishna. She sings unto Him as follows.

పాట పాడుమా కృష్ాా పలుకుతేనె లొలుకునటుల మాటలాడుమా ముకుుంద మనసు తీరగా వేదసారముంతా తీసి నాదరూపముగను మర్చి వేణువుందు తిరుగబో స ిగానరూపముగాను మార్చి

O Krishna! Sing a song with each word dripping with honey. O Mukunda! Talk to me, till my heart is content. Sing the essence of the Vedas in a musical rhythm, Let it flow through Your Divine Flute and transform into

a melodious song.

-Rasika Venkateswaran, Group 4

Madhura Bhakti of Radha

SSE Girls Corner


-Shraya Patel, Group 2

SSE Girls Corner

drawn by: gautami chennur · 2016 ladies day newsletter "the hagavad gita says that a woman...

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