MAY 9TH AND
11TH: PRAVEEN SULTANA SINGS IN SAI RAMESH HALL
On May 9th, seeing Ms. Praveen Sultana, the
doyenne of Hindustani Music seated amidst the crowd, Swami asked her if
she would like to sing to the crowd. Naturally being very delighted at
this unexpected blessing, Ms. Sultana sang Meera bhajans. But
Ms. Sultana being one of the topmost performing artistes in the country
was used to singing with the best accompaniments. Swami asked the
students of the Sai Mirpuri College of Music to accompany her. The
students (Sri Sanket Modi on the harmonium, Sri Shivakumar on the
tabla and Sri Niranjan on the mridangam) were absolutely
thrilled to be playing for a singer with such a world-wide reputation.
Ms. Sultana then sang 4 Meera bhajans in her own inimitable
style for the benefit of the audience – Sakhi ri main to Govind ke
guna gaoo (O friend let me sing of the qualities of my Govind);
Main to lino Govind mole (I have bought my beloved Govind);
Payoji maine Ram rathan dhan (I have attained the incomparable
wealth of Rama) and finally Mere to Giridhar Gopal (Beloved
Krishna is mine).
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Begum Parveen Sultana
in concert in front of Swami...
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Sanket Modi receiving
a ring
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On the 11th, Swami again blessed Ms. Praveen
Sultana to sing to the devotees gathered in Sai Ramesh Hall. Choosing to
sing the classical Hindustani ragas – she first sang the
raga Hamsadvani followed by the raga Bhairavi which included a
bhajan to the Goddess Mahisasuramardini. She then concluded her
short concert with the Meera bhajan Bhaja Mana, Nanda Nandana
Giridhari.
After the concert Swami asked her if the
accompaniments especially the harmonium were good. She replied that it
was very good (a good harmonium accompaniment is very necessary for her
to keep time). Swami beamed like a proud mother on hearing this signal
praise of his students performing well in such a setting. He immediately
called Sri Sanket Modi, a Music College Diploma student, and manifested
a navarathna (nine-gem) ring for him. Truly if you sing solely
for the Lord, worldly recognition will follow of its own accord without
any seeking.
MAY 13 & 14th VESAK 2006 - BUDDHA POORNIMA
CELEBRATIONS IN BRINDAVAN
The First Day
Vesak
Day, 2006, the 2550th anniversary of the triple-event of the
Birth, the Enlightenment and the Death of Siddhartha - also known
as Gautama Buddha, was celebrated in millions of homes in all the
lands where Buddhism is practised with the lighting of lamps and
elaborately sculpted decorative lanterns, both in homes and in the
public streets, the erection of colourful depictions of events
from the life of the Holy One and the offering of dana -
charity – and of course going to the temples to offer obeisance
and seek the Buddha’s Blessing on this the most auspicious of days
for the practising Buddhist.
This
important Buddhist festival has also been celebrated in Whitefield
for more than 10 years for Swami is usually resident in Brindavan
when the Buddha Poornima or the full moon night in the
month of May rolls around.
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The decorated altar at
Sai Ramesh Hall
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Every year one of the Buddhist countries acts as
the chief host for this event of great significance to Buddhists. Last
year Sri Lanka was the host and this year it was the turn of Region 41
South East Asia comprising the countries of Malaysia, Singapore,
Indonesia and Brunei.
Planning for this mega event started right after
the Maha-Sivarathri festival when Bhagavan approved and blessed the
proposed Buddha Poornima Programme. A total of 14 countries
responded and came to Brindavan – Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan,
South Korea, China, Hong Kong and many Buddhists also came from the
countries of UK, USA and South Africa (in addition to the devotees from
the 4 host countries) – as early as the 8th of May. In addition 8
Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka and Indonesia also participated in this
memorable event.
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Some of the Buddhist
monks who attended the celebration
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The Chinese lanterns
on the ceiling
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By the 11th, the devotees started to put up the
decorations inside the Ashram premises, including Sai Ramesh Hall, the
Kalyana Mantapam and of course – Trayee Brindavan, Bhagavan’s
residence. Some speciality decorative items – like the red Chinese
lanterns from Taiwan which added a touch of grandeur when hung from the
ceiling - were brought from their own countries by the devotees, but in
most cases items were bought locally. When the lights were fully lit it
was a sight for the Gods to see. The wonderful decorations and the
entire campus looked like it had been transformed into a Buddhist
country with its many banners displaying the teachings of the Buddha and
Swami, the different flags, and the Chinese lanterns. In a corner of the
dais an elaborate and intricately decorated altar was set up along with
pictures of Shirdi Baba and Sathya Baba.
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The Nanyang School
Procession
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A view of the
dignitaries on the stage
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On the morning of the 13th, Bhagavan was led by
12 children from the Nanyang School of Medan, Indonesia in their
beautiful red attire and playing beautiful music for the Lord, from His
residence to the dais of Sai Ramesh Hall. A lot of dignitaries attended
the day’s festivities. Seated on the dais along with Swami were the Sri
Lankan Opposition leader Sri Kuru Jayasuriya, the Governor of the State
of Karnataka Sri T. N. Chaturvedi and the Governor of the State of
Maharashtra Sri S.M Krishna. Also gracing the occasion by their presence
were – Sri Rohitha Bogollagama, Sri Lankan Minister for Enterprise
Development and Investment Promotion, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to
India, the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Sri Lanka, heads of
several industrial groups and prominent citizens of Bangalore who are
long time devotees of Swami.
Swami was welcomed with bouquets by the leaders
of all the countries hosting the program. Swami then inaugurated this
great event by pressing a switch which lit up the entire podium and the
Buddhist altars to clapping from the assembled crowd. The celebrations
were set on its way by a beautiful rendering of a few bhajans
by singers from the host countries. Both the ladies and the gents sang
very well and Bhagavan kept beat with the songs. After the bhajans
had uplifted the entire congregation, there were a couple of speeches by
well-known Buddhist devotees to round off the morning program.
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Inaugurating the
function by pressing the switch
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Dr. Art Ong Jumsai
speaking
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First was an inspiring address by Dr. Art Ong
Jumsai, an eminent educationist, a former Member of Parliament and an
eminent scientist having worked for the space Agency NASA during the
heady days of the moon landing. Dr Jumsai stressed on the loving
kindness, the ahimsa and the compassion of Lord Buddha. To the
delight of the crowd he also related the story of the Sathya Sai School
in Thailand, where 95% of the students are Buddhists and which was
recently acknowledged as the “best Buddhist school” in Thailand. Dr
Jumsai said that the reason for this achievement was that the students
did a lot of seva at the Buddhist temple next door –serving
food during festivals, washing plates, cleaning the temple and also
arranging discussions on the various aspects of human values. They also
had a water project to supply clean water to the community around the
school and provided free medical treatment for the nearby villagers at
the school’s clinic. Terming ‘educare’ as the discovery of the Buddha
within; he outlined 3 steps in Buddhism to achieve this. The first step
is Sila or control of the senses. The second step is Meditation
and the students wake up at 4:30 AM to do the Jyothi meditation
as laid down by Bhagavan. And the third step in Buddhism is Panya
- inner wisdom or understanding of the truth of the true nature of man
being the Atma, using the human values of Love and Non-Violence.
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Next
to speak was Sir Bradman Weerakom from Sri Lanka who was the
Secretary to the Government and served 7 Prime ministers in Sri
Lanka. Sri Weerakom chose to speak on the contribution of Buddhism
towards Global Peace.
He
said, “The road to peace as expressed in Buddhism needs to
have two pathways. The first is the cultivation of the right
mental attitudes. The second is the resolution through right
effort of the underlying material conditions which give rise to
conflict; whether of poverty, or under-development or alienation
or exclusion. Improving the human condition so that the poor and
the deprived in our societies are provided with the basic
necessities of life – like food, drinking water, health facilities
and education for the children, which Bhagavan has engaged in so
resolutely, is in total fulfilment of this second pathway, so
complementary and so essential to building, sustaining and
strengthening global peace."
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Sir Bradman obtaining
Swami’s blessings
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After the arathi, all the delegates were
directed to the Kalyana Mantap where a sumptuous lunch was
arranged for all the 1100 Buddhist delegates by Bhagavan.
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Reciting the
brahmarpanam
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A luncheon picture
partaking Swami's prasadam
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All the delegates were seated (ladies on one side
and the gents on the other) for the luncheon which was served in the
traditional manner on banana leaves. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the
lunch which was lovingly served by the seva dals and some of
Swami’s students. This concluded the morning programme.
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The ladies who sang
for Swami
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The singers on the
gents side
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The evening programme started around 4 PM.
Welcoming Swami everyday to Sai Ramesh hall were the bhajan
singers drawn from the host countries who sang a number of Sanskrit
bhajans singing the praise of the Lord. We need to commend these
bhajan singers. They had practised a wide repertoire of Indian
bhajans just for Swami’s sake. Both the ladies and the gents
sang very well and at times Swami sat for as much as a half-hour
listening attentively to the bhajans before He would bless the
day’s programme to start. And a listener would not have been able to
tell the difference from the usual bhajan rendition, such was
their level of practise and a reflection of their level of dedication.
After
a short while of bhajan singing, Swami blessed the programme to
start. The first to speak in the evening was Dr. Narendra Reddy
from Los Angeles, California. Dr. Reddy serves as a member of the
Prashanti Council and co-ordinates its medical programmes (like
medical camps in different countries or the sending of medical
teams and supplies to areas affected by natural disasters like the
recent tsunami in the region).
Dr
Reddy touched upon and amplified the views expressed by the two
speakers in the morning and especially addressed the devotees on
the significance of this joyous day. He also mentioned the
catholicity of the teachings of the Buddha and its relevance to
all of us.
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Dr Reddy talking to
the audience
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Speaking next was Brother Phoa Krishnaputra, of
Medan, Indonesia, who chose to talk about how with His Grace we can
achieve anything. Fortunate in having a loving wife and healthy
successful children, he followed a prosperous career with plantation
companies and reached the highest level of management. Still there was
something niggling deep inside his mind, and he was searching for a cure
for his aching heart. He next recounted the story of his life and how he
happened to come to India on a pilgrimage to the Buddhist holy places
and was lead to Swami; he also recounted Swami’s help and guidance in
helping him establish a Sai Centre and a school in Indonesia.
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Sri Krishnaputra
getting Swami’s blessing before addressing the crowd
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Swami blesses the book
before release
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After these two speeches, Swami graciously
blessed a book entitled “Personal Interactions with Baba My Father’ by
Dr (Mrs) Vasantha Jayasuriya, wife of Sri Jayasuriya, a former Minister
of Sri Lanka. Swami was also kind enough to release a copy of the Buddha
Poornima issue of the Sai Marga magazine. Sri Jayasuriya also extended
an invitation to Swami to visit Sri Lanka. After this Swami got up
slowly to give His Divine Discourse, while the students scurried
hurriedly to set up the discourse table and mike for Him.
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Swami started His divine discourse by
delineating in detail on the life of the Buddha. He mentioned how
the Buddha’s parents – Shudhodhana and Mayadevi – performed penance
for many years to have an heir to rule the kingdom.
As soon as the son Siddhartha was born, the
mother Mayadevi gave up the body and the boy was brought up by the
King’s second wife Goutami. At the time of birth, the King’s
astrologers predicted that the boy would not rule the kingdom. To
prevent this untoward happening, the king shielded the boy by
keeping him in the palace itself and isolating him from outside
influences. At the age of 20, Siddhartha was married to Yashodhara
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The Divine Discourse
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One night there was a sudden transformation in
the mind of Siddhartha and he left the palace after caressing his son,
Rahul. Siddhartha went to the forest to contemplate and had to undergo a
lot of hardship and difficulties. His parents were also suffering from a
sense of separation. Swami also added that Siddhartha’s anguish came in
the way of his self-realization.
In one
town a person gave him a talisman for protection, telling
Siddhartha that the anguish actually is from within. (Swami waved
His hand and materialised the talisman to the astonished gasps of
the audience). The person put the talisman on Siddhartha’s neck
and all the anguish vanishes (Swami later in His Discourse also
added that the talisman disappeared when the Buddha died).
Siddhartha started doing penance, very long penance. He started
questioning – Who am I? Am I the body? Am I the mind? Finally he
reached the conclusion that “I am I”. This is also the principle
of Aham Brahmasmi – I AM God; and Tat Twam Asi –
Thou Art That. Thus, said Swami, Buddha went on enquiring into the
truth and reached the true realization that I AM I.
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Manifesting the
protective talisman
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Swami further said that today’s meditation,
penance, japa, or yoga gives only momentary
satisfaction and is a waste of time. The primary duty of man is to find
fulfilment in life. “Without wasting time in meditation, do social
work”, said Swami, “and recognise the divinity in everyone.
That is true meditation”. He further said, “Every man therefore
has to recognise the Truth that I am God, I am God. Every man identifies
himself with the Atma. Buddha was the person who had recognised the
unity in multiplicity and there was a total transformation in his life
when he recognised the unity”.
“What did the Buddha teach?” asked
Swami. Answering the question He said that he went on teaching that
there is only one principle in everyone. The truth is one, though it may
be called by different names. Similarly Krishna also declared -
Everybody is part and parcel of Myself. You are My Own reflection. You
are not different from Me, said Swami. He further added that every
reaction, reflection and resound is one and the same. The Buddha also
taught that we should not get angry with anyone. We should not harm
others. We should not find fault with others. There is only one
principle – eternal, pure and wise. And all of you are Buddhas. And when
you understand this truth you see unity everywhere. And so we have to
unite our hearts and recognise the spirit of unity. When mind finds and
experiences this unity, then man’s life finds fulfilment.
After this arathi was taken; and the
devotees were asked to assemble in the Ramesh Krishan Kalyana Mantap for
the cultural programme to follow.
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The Kwan Yin Dance
Front View
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...And Side View
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First the 12 children from the Nanyang School of
Medan, Indonesia presented a unique dance called “The Thousand Hand Kwan
Yin” dance. The Nanyang Modern Indonesian School of Medan, Indonesia, is
one of the educational institutions where the ‘Sri Sathya Sai Education
in Human Values’ is being implemented in the teaching curricula.
Kwan Yin is the Goddess of Mercy and is revered
in Indonesia. The small children dressed in their gold suits gave a very
well co-ordinated dance that won loud applause from the crowd. When they
stood in a line and moved their heads and hands it looked like they had
moulded into one single body. The message conveyed by these synchronised
dance movements was that as human beings we are obliged to spread the
loving kindness (metta) and helping hands in order to attain
global peace and harmony. Following this short dance programme was a
drama by the youth of Singapore.
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The courtroom Scene
from the drama
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A scene from the
Buddha's life
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The drama was based on the life and teachings of
the Lord Shakyamuni Buddha whose teachings emphasized the need for all
of us to realize the divinity within and to follow the path of Truth and
Righteousness by mastering our five senses. The opening scene was set in
the Supreme Court where all had gathered to hear the case of the
Government against the Inter-Faith council on the charge that God does
not exist. If the Government proves its case without a doubt all
references to God in schools and Government policies have to be removed.
In an action packed sequence sparking with hard-hitting and well
rendered dialogues, the defence attorney wins the case when he proves
that the mere presence of evil in the world does not imply that God does
not exist.
He made the argument that just as darkness is the
absence of light, so too evil reflects the absence of goodness and is a
human foible. God is something that can only be experienced and cannot
be perceived by the five senses; just as the fact that though we cannot
see and feel Oxygen we still continue to breathe. The drama also
depicted a scene from the life of the Buddha (wherein He accepted a
pomegranate from a poor woman but did not accept gold and precious
stones from a king - looking just to the motivation behind the gift
rather than its worldly value) to emphasize that we need to purify our
minds and hearts if we are to attain Nirvana - the final goal
of life according to Buddhism. Swami talked with all the youth who had
put up the play before He retired for the night.
The Second Day
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On the second day Swami came out of Trayee at
9:10 AM and gave darshan to the assembled devotees at Sai
Ramesh Hall.
After a few bhajans, the Bala Vikas
children of Indonesia presented a traditional Indonesian dance,
called the “Welcome dance”, a custom in the area of North Sumatra,
Indonesia – in welcoming distinguished guests during festive
occasions by the young Sumatran ladies.
The Bala Vikas students aged between 9 to 14
years performed the dance to the delight of the crowd. Following
this was a repeat of the Kwan Yin dance from the previous day but
now before the larger Sai Ramesh Hall audience. Again the young
ladies won the applause of the crowd with their synchronised
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Welcome Dance
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This was followed by an entertaining and
absorbing Chinese choir presented by Malaysia. All the songs were in
Chinese - joyful songs sung in praise of God; songs that expressed that
we should experience the joy, love and grace of Bhagavan Baba. The songs
were vibrant, expressive, and full of love.
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Chinese choir - Ladies
side
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Chinese Choir - Gents
side
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Though
the tunes were unfamiliar and the words incomprehensible -
everyone found empathy and unity with the sentiments that were
joyfully expressed by the energetic choir.
At the
close of the presentation, Swami called Bro. Stanley Cherry, a
vocal teacher in Malaysia and the choir conductor and motivator,
up to the dais and materialised a golden chain much to the joy of
all the members of the choir and the devotees present.
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A Chain For the
Conductor
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Following this Swami blessed the food and the
clothes that would be distributed by the Buddhist devotees as part of
Narayan Seva and vastra danam. The poor people were all seated
in orderly rows and the overseas devotees enthusiastically distributed
food to all. In all about 800 people were given food and clothing to
conclude the morning programme.
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Swami blessing the
food
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Narayan Seva by the
Buddhists
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In the evening the darshan started at 4:20 PM and
Swami was again greeted by an inspiring rendition of bhajans by
the singers from the overseas devotees. After a few bhajans,
Swami gave His blessings for the evening programme to start. The first
item was a short rendition by 2 gents on what was termed as ‘Sri Lankan
Drums’. These 2 percussionists gave a short but resounding and
controlled display that picked up pace very fast so that at times it
seemed that their fingers were just a blur playing fast staccato music
on the rawhide skin.
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Sri Lankan Drums
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The final dance item
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The finale item of the two day celebration was a
dance put up by the Bal Vikas of Indonesia to the tune of the bhajan
“Sai Bhajan Bina Sukh Shanti Nahi”. This traditional Indonesian dance
form is called “Mainang Kuala Deli”. It is an entertainment dance
performed by the youth in North Sumatra, to share their joy and
happiness. Certainly their joy was contagious and everyone went home
uplifted and happy at the conclusion of this two day festival of Buddha
Poornima.
MAY 16TH: A SITAR CONCERT
When we all came to Sai Ramesh Hall in the
afternoon, we noticed that a plush carpet had been laid out in the first
block right in front of the dais. All of us immediately suspected that a
musical concert was in the offing and we were not disappointed. Slated
to play this day was Sri Prabeer Bhattachary, a noted sitar exponent
from Kolkata.
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Sri Prabeer Bhattacharya is a disciple of the
great Pandit Deepak Choudhary (Pt. Deepak Choudhary himself is a
disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar). Sri Prabeer had about 17 years of
training under his teacher and his playing style is notable for its
range of emotions and speed. A rigorous daily practise regimen of 12
hours had made him a maestro of the sitar. Accompanying him this
evening were accomplished artists Sri Rajendra Nakoe on the
tabla and Sri Srinivas on the mridangam.
Sri Prabeer started his concert with Raag
Megh or a raga celebrating the rainy season. (A
raag is a combination of certain swaras or notes. In
Hindustani music we have seven swaras – Sa, Re,
Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni
analogous to the Western Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti). Thus Raag
Megh has the swaras Sa Re Ma Pa Ni Sa on the ascending
and the swaras Sa Ni Pa Ma Re Sa on the descending.
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Sri Prabeer
Bhattacharya on the sitar
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He followed the Raag Megh with
Raag Hamsadhwani Malika (or the raga that creates a
happy mood) that had the raga Bahar admixed with it. This
Raag has on the ascending the swaras Sa Re Ga Pa
Ni Sa and on the descending it has the swaras Sa Ni Pa Ga
Re Sa.
The last item was the raag Bhairavi
that had a jugalbandhi (i.e. The tabla and the
mridangam played in turn). This raag has on the
ascending: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dh Ni Sa; and on the descending:
Sa Ni Dh Pa Ma Ga Re Sa.
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The concert in
progress
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Our readers might also be pleased to know that
this young artiste Sri Prabheer Bhattacharya is also a Visiting
Professor at the Sai Mirpuri College of Music and spends a couple of
months every year sharing his immense talent and skill with the young
and eager students.
MAY
19TH - 21ST: A 3-DAY KERALA YOUTH SADHANA CAMP
A sadhana camp was held for the Sai
youth, students, teachers, doctors and paramedical professionals of
Kerala on the 19th, 20th and 21st of May, 2006. About 1800 participants
(which includes 300 doctors and paramedics) attended the camp from all
the 14 districts of Kerala.
This was the fourth Youth Camp in as many years,
riding high on the crest of the phenomenal success of the earlier
meetings. Youth of the state of Kerala drawn by the all- attractive love
of Swami, came in phenomenal numbers to spend three exclusive days at
the Lotus Feet, three days of love speaking its universal language,
making use of their summer vacations from schools and colleges or else
leave from their employers.
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Lady participants at
the camp
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A view of the Gents
side
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They put up lightly with physical hardship and
inconvenience suffused with devotional fervour and the contagious
enthusiasm and response to the love that Bhagawan showered on them; for
in this Avatar the Lord has chosen the youth of the world to be the
instruments through which He will accomplish His Mission of transforming
society.
It was a very tightly packed three-day programme.
They would come early and take their allotted seats in Sai Ramesh Hall,
both for the morning and the evening darshan. Speeches and
Music Programmes were planned in Sai Kulwant Hall in the Divine Presence
on all the three days. Additionally, after about an hour’s break for
breakfast after the morning darshan, the numerous participants
would meet in the Sai Ramesh Krishan Kalyana Mantap for “classes” where
the staff and some chosen graduate students of the SSSIHL, or a few
elderly devotees would speak to them. They would then break for lunch at
around 1:00 PM and again re-assemble at 2:00 PM in the Kalyana Mantap
for one more “session” before re-assembling again in Sai Ramesh Hall for
the afternoon’s darshan and activities. We bring you a report
on all the numerous speeches and talks, so you too can also get a
flavour of the blessings received by the Kerala Youth during these three
days. This has made our report a little long but we hope you will
understand our indulgence and appreciate the motivation behind it.
The First Day
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Amidst bhajans led by the Kerala
Bhajan group, Bhagavan came to the stage at 8.50 AM. Bhagavan
was welcomed to the richly decorated auditorium with the
accompaniment of Nadaswaram. Apart from the floral
decoration to the dais, there hung on both sides the traditional
Kerala Villakku - the oil lamp, but with a modern touch of
having small electric bulbs in place of wicks fed by oil.
The Kerala Bhajan Group had 10 gents (5 lead
and 5 followers) and 10 women (again 5 for the lead and 5 followers)
drawn from across the State. The vocals were ably accompanied by the
Harmonium, the tabla, the Violin and a Timer Instrument.
The Bhajan group had the signal honour of welcoming Swami
to the Hall for every darshan, and they responded
magnificently to the occasion. |
The Gents' Bhajan Group
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Starting with Vigna Vinasaka, they moved
into Sathya Sai Rama and Prema Swaroopini. Jaya
Krishna Kunja Bihari and Shiva Shiva Shiva Shiva quickly
followed. The sarva dharma bhajan Rahiman Rahiman was
next, followed by Gangadhara Hara and Gana Gana Neela,
at which point Bhagavan gave the signal for the morning programme to
start.
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Swami inaugurates the
conference by pressing a remote button
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Dr Koushik Narayan
presents the book for release
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Prof. E. Mukundan, State President of the Sathya
Sai Seva Organisations of Kerala, in his introductory remarks thanked
Bhagavan for the glorious opportunity of holding the Sadhana
Camp in the Divine Presence for the fourth consecutive year.
The
first programme was the release of a book entitled “Helpline on
the Sathya Sai Path” – a book of questions and answers by Sri B.
N. Narasimha Murthy, Warden of SSSIHL hostel at Brindavan,
compiled by Dr. Koushik Narayan - a member of the Kerala Youth
Wing.
The
book is based on the questions and doubts raised by the Sai Youth
of Kerala in the previous three youth camps. Bhagavan graciously
accepted the book and blessed it with His Divine Signature.
Then
the State President, Sri Mukundan, introduced the two speakers of
the morning – two Hon. Judges of the High Court of Kerala –
Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice Padmanabhan Nair.
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The book that was
released by the Divine Hands
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Justice Thottathil Radhakrishnan said that his desire as a student
to participate in the Summer Course on Spirituality and Indian
Culture held at Brindavan came alive that day with the youth of
Kerala. With Swami’s permission, he narrated how he was saved from
the disaster of the recent tsunami, without even
knowledge of the disaster.
His
family had been to the Andamans; the giant waves of the
tsunami had hit the shore a few minutes after they had
disembarked from the ship, and the ship was washed away. They did
not even know of this unfortunate turn of events, and came to know
of the disaster only on returning home.
He
advised the youth to remain committed to the motherland, as mother
and motherland are greater than even the Heavens. He added that
India’s wish to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic
republic would be fulfilled in full only if the five human values
of the Sai Philosophy are put into practice.
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Justice Thottathil
speaks to the participants
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Justice Padmanabhan Nair expressed his fortune at having been able
to come to Swami for the first time and speak in the Divine
Presence. He also added that the educational, medical and water
projects of Bhagavan are one of their kinds in the world and are
pristine examples for humanity.
It is
for us to emulate those ideals and practise it in our own small
way. The youth are fortunate to be at the Lotus Feet of the
greatest Master and Mentor.
He
added that we have to put this opportunity to the best use for
individual and social transformation. Bhagavan materialized
vibhuti for both the judges.
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Justice Padmanabhan
Nair receives vibhuti
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A
musical offering by Sri Madhu Balakrishnan, the renowned Malayalam
playback singer, was the next item. He chose to sing popular
Malayalam devotional songs; there were also a couple of songs on
Swami.
Starting with Maha Ganapathim, he launched into the
Malayalam Oru Yugam followed by Mahadeva Shiva
Shambho and Radha Than Premam. This was followed by
the keertanam - Dasa Dasa and the Malayalam Karuna
Chei Van.
After
a couple more devotional songs, he ended with a composition on
Swami entitled Ellam Ennikende. Sri T.S. Radhakrishnan
accompanied the vocalist on the harmonium, Sri Rajesh on the
flute, Sri Selvam on the tabla and Sri Shankar on the
mridangam. The session concluded with Mangala Arathi
at 10 AM.
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Sri Madhu Balakrishnan
sings for all
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Then the participants proceeded to the “Sadhana
session” at the Sai Krishan Kalyana Mandapam, where the
teachers of the SSSIHL and other elders addressed them.
The first speaker was Sri B. N. Narasimha Murthy,
Warden of the Brindavan campus. The revealing message was the recent
declaration by Bhagavan, “The one who loves this beautiful form of
Sai is My Jeeva-prajna; the one who works relentlessly for me in My
Jeeva-prajna.” He narrated many experiences to illustrate the
Infinite Love of Bhagavan. If the youth hold on to Swami’s Feet, all
their desires will be fulfilled and they will attain inner peace.
The next speaker was Dr. Narendranath Reddy,
the Chairman of the International Medical Committee of the Prashanti
Council. Once Swami told him in response to a doubt, “If you
have intense longing for me in your heart, it means that you love me.”
The next speaker, Dr. T. Ravikumar, a faculty
member of the Dept. of Chemistry, SSSIHL, narrated many experiences
to demonstrate the various ways of Bhagavan in reforming His
devotee. He also narrated how Swami cancelled his father’s cancer.
The post-lunch session at the Kalyana
Mandapam had a lecture by, Sri Vijay Menon, a consultant and trainer
of Human Resource Development and a member of the Sai Youth Wing of
Kerala.
Speaking in Malayalam, he said that only a
self-ignited value system orientation can lead us to Swami. Swami
gives us both material and spiritual gains. It is for us to decide
what we want. |
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Sri Vijay Menon
adresses the participants in the Kalyana Mantap
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In the evening session at Sai Ramesh Hall, the
Bhajan Group welcomed Bhagavan again. This time the group could sing
about 10 bhajans (which included Jay Ganaraya,
Radhey Govinda Hare, Rama Hare Sai Krishna Hare,
Shivaya Nama Shivaya and a few others) in the divine presence
before He asked the afternoon programme to start.
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Bhagavan blessed four members of the Kerala
Youth wing to speak. The programme commenced with Veda chanting by
the numerous Sai Youth of Kerala.
The first speaker of the afternoon, Sri Vijay
Menon highlighted Indian culture to be so deep that even mighty
kings sought refuge in its saintly wisdom for protection.
Along with the growth of science, ignorance
has also increased thus the effect gets balanced out so that no real
effect is felt. We must be personifications of a value and virtue
system as taught by Gandhiji. It is ultimately the dharmic
consciousness that finally matters. |
Vedam Chanting before
the start of the programme
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The second speaker was Kum. Nadiya, the Mahila
Youth In-charge of Chalappram Samithi, Kozhikode. She described the
benefits that she derived out of active participation in the Sai
Organisation. She thanked Bhagavan for the unique chance that the youth
have obtained, to be the instruments of individual and social
transformation.
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Kum. Nadiya receiving
His blessings before speaking
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Kum Anjali addresses
the youth
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The third speaker was Dr. Koushik Narayan, State
Gents’ Coordinator of Education, Kerala. He elaborated upon the impact
of the previous three Sadhana camps on the Sai youth of Kerala.
Today’s youth are attracted only to the petty and transient pleasures of
life; they do not bother about matters of greater significance. It is in
this context that the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Kerala gives
them the ultimate experience of Divinity Itself. He also narrated a
touching incident as to how Swami came to a group of young Sevadals
in the guise of a young boy.
The fourth speaker, Kum. Anjali Ajay, explained
how Swami helped her throughout her academic and personal life. She also
shared the Sai activities that she participated in and the benefits she
derived out of them.
This
was followed by a speech by Dr. Anand Mohan, State In-charge of
the Medical Cell. He said that Swami is the Apoorvavaidya
who cures the malady of desire, delusion and attachment.
The
principles of health care as elucidated by Bhagavan –
globalisation of health care, decommercialisation of medicine,
human values in medical practice - have demonstrated to the world
that health is primarily a spiritual concept.
The
materialization of these concepts through the Super Speciality
Hospitals, General Hospitals and the medical centres and camps
held all over the world is unparalleled and unprecedented in human
history; and perhaps may be unrepeatable in future. Swami has
shown to the world that when Universal Love manifests, miracles
occur.
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Dr. Anand Mohan talks
about health care
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This was followed by a musical presentation by
Sri Madhu Balakrishnan again, at the end of which Swami materialized a
golden ring for the singer.
The Second Day
On the second day morning, amidst bhajans
led by the Kerala Bhajan group, Bhagavan came to Sai Ramesh Hall at 8.20
AM. The Bhajan Group welcomed Him with three bhajans – Vinayaka
Vinayaka, Keshava Madhava, and O Baba Sai Baba,
before He signalled for the morning programme to start.
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The State President introduced the speaker of
the morning session Dr. Ramachandran Nair, the revered Vice
Chancellor of the University of Kerala.
He exhorted the youth to make the best use of
knowledge by integrating the resources of man, material and money in
a very positive manner. This leads to the prosperity of the nation.
Sincerity, commitment, devotion, love and affection are very
important in this regard.
The present generation is missing the
inheritance of wisdom and the blessings of the previous generation.
The youth have to develop the qualities of leadership, communication
skills – verbal, written and body language, ability to motivate
oneself and others and above all, creativity. At the end of the
speech, Swami materialized a golden chain for Dr Nair. |
A gold chain for Dr
Nair after his speech
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A Carnatic musical offering by Sri Harihara
Subramanyam followed. The young promising artist was previously a
Bal Vikas student. Most of the krithis were
preceded by a soul-stirring viruthams. Starting with
Vattapi Ganapathim, he next sang Karunai Daivame, and
then Eppovaruvaro. He concluded with a special composition
on Swami called Sai Sai Sairama. The programme concluded
with Mangala Arathi at 9.10 AM.
Dr. Deepak Anand, a faculty member of SSSIHL,
addressed the first morning session at the Kalyanamandapam. He
advised to dedicate all the impurities of our heart at the Lotus
Feet of Swami and remain ever focused on Him. He will accept them
and transform them into Divine Love. Then only can we merge in the
Supreme Divine Love. |
Sri Harihara
Subramaniam sings with feeling
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The second session was by Sri G.
Srirangarajan, a faculty member of SSSIHL. The human body along with
its talents and potentials is Swami’s prasadam to us; our
duty is to return it as naivedyam to the Swami in all in
the form of service. This constitutes the “Prasadam-Naivedyam
cycle.”
The next speaker was Prof. Sanjay Sahni,
Principal of the Brindavan campus of the SSSIHL. He stressed on the
importance of sense-control and mind-control. The two golden
injunctions on this path are – talk less, have minimum connections.
In the post-lunch session at the Kalyana
Mandapam, Dr. Ramachandran Nair, revered Vice Chancellor of the
University of Kerala addressed the camp participants. He said that
evil qualities easily conquer us; on the other hand, it is difficult
to cultivate virtues.
Just because the path of evil is easy, one
cannot afford to accept it; one must take the effort to cultivate
virtues. In today’s world, only Sai’s glory can bring about
transformation; all the mega Seva Projects of Bhagavan are role
models for humanity to follow. |
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State President
Mukundan co-ordinating the sessions in the kalyana mantap
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In the evening at Sai Ramesh Hall, Swami came
as the Youth of Kerala rendered mellifluous bhajans. The
bhajans included Hari Sri Ganapathi Om, Jaya Jaya Rama
Janaki Rama, Sarva Dharma Priya Deva and a couple
more.
The programme commenced with Veda chanting by
the Sai Youth of Kerala. The State President introduced the two
youth speakers of the afternoon and the dignitary, Sri Radhakrishnan,
Hon. Vice Chancellor, Sri Sankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady,
Kerala, who also addressed the gathering. |
The Ladies' Bhajan
Group
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Sri Manoj receives
Swami's blessings before his speech
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Kum Divya shares her
views
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The first speaker Sri Manoj shared the lessons
that he learnt at the previous Sadhana camps. He said that knowledge
must be attained not by learning the pusthaka (the book) by
rote, but by exercising the faculty of masthaka (the head) that
the Lord has bestowed upon us. He added that the youth must possess the
head of Sankaracharya, the heart of the Buddha and the hands of Janaka
Maharaja. He elaborated upon the benefits that he derived upon
participating in the Grama Seva and concluded by saying,
“Living with God is education. Living for God is devotion. Living in God
is true bhakti.”
The second speaker Kum. Divya appealed to the
youths to become like a flute in the hands of the Lord. The flute is
straight and hollow; if we are also like that, the Lord will take us
into His Hands, fill His Breath into us and will play His melodious
music through us that will delight the world. She also elaborated upon
the benefits of selfless seva. She also thanked Swami for the
unique opportunity bestowed upon the Sai Youth of Kerala.
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Sri
Radhakrishnan, the revered Vice Chancellor, began by saying that
Bhagavan’s very presence infused confidence in the devotees. He
commented that the decadence of human values in all walks of life
that we see today might be compared to the battle of Kurukshetra.
Bhagavan Baba is doing to the world what Krishna did for Arjuna.
He exhorted all to go beyond the religious level, and rise to
spirituality. Being religious alone, one sometimes gets entangled
in rituals, on the other hand, spirituality infuses in us the
greatest confidence.
Baba’s
projects have established education and health to be service
activities and not commercial activities. Life is not a problem to
be solved, but a harmony to be enjoyed; this is possible by
adhering to Swami’s teachings of Love and Compassion.
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Sri Radhakrishnan
talks to the youth in the
divine presence
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Carnatic musical offering by Sri Harihara
Subramanyam, the same artiste who had sung in the morning also, followed
this speech. In the afternoon, he sang the Thyagaraja
KirthiManavyalakinchara, followed by Muralimanohara and
NeerajaDalanayana. He concluded with Swagatam Krishna.
At the end, Bhagavan materialized a golden ring for the musician. The
programme ended with mangala arathi.
Thereafter, Sri Radhakrishnan, Hon. Vice
Chancellor, Sri Sankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady, Kerala,
addressed the participants at the Kalyana Mandapam. The purpose of all
sadhana is to ensure optimum use of all resources, by putting a
ceiling on desires. One has to go by the way of Shreyas, not
Preyas.
The Third Day
On the third day morning, Bhagavan came to Sai
Ramesh Hall amidst bhajans by the Sai Youth. Starting with
Pashupati Thanaya, they sang two more bhajans – Hey Madhava hey
and Devi Sai Ma, before Swami blessed the programme to
start.
The
speaker for the morning session in Sai Ramesh Hall was Sri
Jyothilal IAS, Executive Director, Rural Water Supply and
Sanitation Project, Govt. of Kerala. He narrated his
transformation from IAS to SAI.
In today’s world he said, IAS implies – I
first, Any other person next, Service
last. However, SAI implies - Service
first, Any other person next, I
last. He narrated how, as a boy of eight years, he escaped from
the face of death due to an attack of meningitis.
He was
not Swami’s devotee then, but his father had prayed to his family
deity Shiva and his mother had prayed to her family deity
Shakthi. Bhagavan, the Shivashakthi Swaroopa came to
his help, even without his knowledge. Meningitis is notorious to
produce residual intellectual defects, but in his case, the
opposite occurred. He developed a particular determination, began
to study harder and studied in the IIT and completed his IAS – the
dream aspirations of intelligent students.
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Sri Jyotilal shares
his experiences
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He narrated many instances to show how Swami
helped him to solve various problems related to his profession and saved
him from many dangers. He concluded by advising the youth to utilize
fully the excellent opportunity at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan. Bhagavan
materialized vibuthi for the speaker.
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What followed next was a devotional musical
offering by Sri Kavalam Sreekumar and Sri T. S. Radhakrishnan. In
addition to compositions of Bhadrachalam Ramdas and Meerabai, there
were songs on Bhagavan composed in Malayalam. Kavalam started with
the song Vinayaka Vinayaka and followed it with the
Malayalam Vaanii Swari Sai.
Sri T. S. Radhakrishnan then sang the song
Anda kat a ham. Sri Kavalam Sreekumar then sang a
Bhadrachalam composition entitled Rama Jogi Mandu and a
Meera bhajan Man Re Parsi. Sri T.S. Radhakrishnan then sang
the last song of the morning called Aavinam Kudi. They were
ably accompanied on the flute by Sri Rajesh and by Sri Selvam on the
tabla.
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Sri Kavalam Sreekumar
(on the left) and Sri Radhakrishnan sing for Swami
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The morning programme in Sai Ramesh Hall then
concluded with Mangala Arathi.
The first speaker of the sadhana
class in the Kalyana mandapam was Sri N. Dhakappa, State President
of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization of Karnataka. He narrated a
few personal experiences revealing the Omnipresence, Omnipotence and
Omniscience of Swami. He added that the best sadhana for
the Kali Age is to involve ourselves actively in the activities of
the Sai Organisation.
The second session was by Sri B. N. Narasimha
Murthy, Warden of the Brindavan Campus. He gave the four golden
guidelines in the path of spiritual evolution –
“Look back and thank God
Look ahead and trust God
Look around and serve God
Look inside and see God.” |
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Sri Dhakappa inspires
the Youth in the Kalyana Mantap
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He also narrated many experiences from his
personal life to demonstrate these statements.
The third session was by Sri Sanjay Mahalingam, a
research scholar at the SSSIHL. He said that the only way of liberation
is to experience the pure love within. The most important step in this
regard is to conquer the three kinds of attachment – worldly,
intellectual and spiritual.
In the last session of the morning, Sri B. N.
Narasimha Murthy clarified many of the doubts raised by the
participants of the Sadhana Camp.
In the afternoon, Sri Ruchir Desai, faculty
member of the Dept. of Commerce, addressed the participants. He
stressed that the key element of transformation is a change in
attitude. He also narrated an experience to show Swami answers to
even a flash of thought in the devotee’s mind. He also answered many
of the questions of the participants.
In the evening in Sai Ramesh Hall, Swami came
to the stage, as the Kerala Bhajan Group was singing bhajans.
He walked among the Sai Youth, graciously accepted their letters and
materialized vibuthi for some of them.
All the while, the bhajan singers
continued singing their bhajans. In all they sang 11 bhajans
which included Gajanana Gajanana, Radha Ke Natavarlal,
Sai Baba Tera Naam, Bolo Jai Jai Kar,
Mrityunjayaya Nama Om, Hara Shiva Shankara, and
Rasa Vilola Nandalala. |
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Swami is pleased at
the progress of the conference
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Bhagavan is all His Mercy and Compassion then
delivered the Divine Valedictory Discourse for the Youth Camp. Starting
with a small padhyam (a poem), He said,
“He is present in all beings as peace;
All names are His; He is Sat Chit Ananda Swarupa; He is Truth,
Auspiciousness and Beauty (Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram)”. Swami
also said, “I am extremely pleased at the happiness you have
experienced in the last 3 days. These 3 days passed off
beautifully as 3 minutes. Your hearts are sacred filled with
devotion, joy and steadfastness. Such meetings should be held f or
the welfare of society.”
Touching next on the importance of good
company, Swami said that only the Self is present in all beings.
Plain paper has no smell but takes the smell of whatever is wrapped
in it like vegetables, fruits or dry fish. Likewise, the heart is
pure, selfless and steady. However, due to the company it gets
polluted. So avoid bad company, be in the company of people with
sacred thoughts, get a good name, and lead a good life. He said that
the Buddha also exhorted “Buddham Charanam Gacchami, Sathyam
Charanam Gacchami” – take refuge in Dharma, take
refuge in Sathya.
Swami also said that there is only one God,
and He resides in everyone. Just as there are many kinds of sweets,
but sugar is one, so too the Atma is one though there are
many names and forms. When you think that whatever happens to you is
for the good then all good things happen to you. |
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The Divine Discourse
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Addressing the Kerala youth, Swami said – Be
courageous. Acquire truth and love. Your activities and songs of these
past 3 days are very good and beautiful. Whatever you do with love
always bears fruit. If you close your eyes and call upon Rama, filling
your heart with joy – then you can see Rama yourself. God has no
desires. God always loves. Being in society, have the attitude that you
are serving God through society. Everything is God. There is nothing in
the world that is not God.
He further said that always be with the feeling
of oneness that I AM I. After the body goes, what remains ultimately is
the I. Only the I is eternal. He concluded the discourse by stating
there is only one bondage between Swami and you and that is love. He
also added that your Love is reflected in Me and I (am reflected) in
your love. “I accept your love and shower my love on you. Live with
joy and happiness”.
He concluded with the bhajan “Prema
Mudita…”
A devotional song by Sri Kavalam Sreekumar
followed the divine discourse to conclude the valedictory function
of a memorable 3-day sadhana camp. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity for all the participants for Swami’s love was manifest
throughout. Though they had to put up with many physical
inconveniences, it was all unforgotten as they were completely
drenched by His divine love. Swami even provided free food for all
the participants during their stay in Brindavan. Truly, love is the
only bondage between God and His devotees!
[Heart2Heart would like to gratefully
acknowledge that the State President of the Kerala Sathya Sai Seva
Organisations, provided to us the brief summaries of the speeches
given by the youth, staff, students and elders to the participants
of the Sadhana Camp.] |
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Partaking of Swami's
prasadam
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A NOTE ON THE TRAYEE SESSIONS
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Any
report on Swami’s stay in Brindavan will be incomplete without
mention of the “famous” Trayee Sessions. Right after the evening
programme the students who have elected to spend their holidays
with the Divine, the University staff still on the Ashram
and a few chosen elders are invited into Swami’s home - Trayee
Brindavan.
It is
a unique privilege and an honour that everyone cherishes. The wait
is full of anxiety – Will He invite us in today? - and when the
signal is given, the boys scramble to get a vantage position next
to the Lord Himself, and the Lord is seated majestically on His
swing at one end of the room waiting for the boys.
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Swami speaks while the
Warden translates
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No two sessions are alike except to say that
Swami is always at His informal best. Some sessions are serious with
usually an elder or a staff member or a chosen student giving a speech
and Swami sometimes adding a few comments of His own. Sometimes Swami
chooses to speak Himself (with the Brindavan Warden translating) -
either amplifying or reiterating His comments that He may perhaps have
made in a public discourse earlier or else making points that He feels
need to be told to the boys. Some sessions are just hilarious wherein He
asks those who do not normally lead the bhajans to sing and as
you can imagine it gives ample scope for merriment.
Most
times He just converses with the boys or the elders asking and
enquiring, cracking a few jokes but always delivering a message of
spiritual import even in the most light-hearted banter. And in an
understated fashion His divinity manifests at times, as for
example, when He gently corrects a fact in a story that a boy is
relating thus revealing His omnipresence.
And of
course, no summer’s ‘Trayee Session’ story is complete without a
mention of the eye-popping manifestations that He so casually
accomplishes – bringing forth Lord Rama’s ring, Mother Sita’s
chudamani and so on just to motivate the boys along the
spiritual path. And sometimes He just talks to the boys like the
Father that He is telling them that He loves them and that He is
preparing them for the roles that they have to play in the future
to bring about a transformation in society. And the sessions
usually begin and end with the taking of letters – the fervent
appeal to the Lord that is a unique privilege available to all of
us.
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Reading a letter from
a young one
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And of course, the most generous Lord always
sends us all off from His abode with His prasadam - either a
sweet or a mango, yet another small way to show how much He loves all of
us. And it is this very love for all of us for that has brought Him down
to earth to redeem humanity.
IN CONCLUSION
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There
is a unique ‘race’ that happens at the end of every programme in
Brindavan. As the arathi song is getting over, and the
strains of “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” are fading, a few
Seva Dals hurry to roll some barricades from one end of the Hall
and put them in place before the deity of Lord Ganesha in the
front of the Hall under the dais. And simultaneously a few
enterprising ladies also hurry in a similar fashion. They have a
narrow window of opportunity - just the time that it takes the
Seva Dal to roll the barricades down - to go up to Lord Ganesha
and take His padanamaskar before He becomes
“unavailable”. And soon it is a scramble. And the seva dal
does have a problem on his hands.
He
tries to shoo the ladies away so he could put the barricades in
place. While the ladies in front try to obey him (as they have
already taken Lord Ganesha’s blessings) the ladies from behind are
unwilling to give ground in their attempts to reach His feet. I
wonder what Lord Ganesha, sitting serenely in His place, thinks
about all this confusion that happens right at His Lotus Feet.
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Putting the barricades
in place
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While this story has its bit of humour; it is
also a powerful commentary at the same time. The Avatar has
been with us for 80 years and the ‘window of opportunity’ is fast
narrowing. Are we also hustling to reach His Lotus Feet and hold on to
Them before the barricades are in place and He becomes unavailable? Do
we have the same urgency to intensify our sadhana so that we
attain Him and realize the purpose of our life? Or are we taking a
laissez-faire attitude thinking there is always tomorrow and wasting yet
another day, yet another year, and yet another lifetime!
Think about it. Swami’s airplane is getting ready
to take off. Have we ‘earned’ our boarding passes yet!
So till next time; Jai Sai Ram.
- Heart2Heart Team. |