|
Source:
sssbpt.org
Bhagawan has been propagating the path of
Namasmarana (chanting of the Name of God) as a means of achieving
everlasting Joy and Peace. Incidentally, His first and foremost
teaching as a fourteen year old boy to the humanity was “Manasa
Bhajare Guru Charanam” (Worship the Lotus Feet of the Guru in the
Mind). Ever since Bhajan singing has been an integral part of
Prasanthi Nilayam and Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations –
worldwide.
For the present day world that is marred by
confusion and chaos, Bhagawan says, constant remembrance of Divine
Name is the only remedy. In the recent Guru Purnima Divine
Discourse, He stressed the significance of this saying: “Chant the
name of God day in and day out. That will protect you at all
times. Just as air is all-pervasive, God is present in you, with
you, around you, below you, above you. Hence, you should always be
in constant communion with divinity. When you develop faith in
divinity, you will naturally have unity. Consequently, there will
be no scope for enmity. You need not perform any rituals in order
to win the grace of God. It is enough if you do Namasmarana
(chanting of Divine Name) from the depths of your heart.
Bhajana Bina Sukha Santhi Nahin… (one cannot attain peace and
happiness without singing the glory of God). If you incessantly
chant the divine name “Rama”, no harm can ever befall you. “
The Spiritual Wing of Sri Sathya Sai Seva
Organisations – Karnataka arranged an exhibition entitled “Sai
Nama Kirtana Kaliyuga Sadhana”, highlighting various aspects of
Bhajan singing and its significance, based on Bhagawan’s
Teachings, in the Pilgrims Shed near the Book Trust building from
19th July to 22nd July as a part of Guru Purnima celebrations.
Thousands of devotees have flocked in to have a taste of the
nectarous divine teachings on the subject Namasmarana. Apart from
the various aspects that go into Bhajan singing, video
presentations detailing the origin and significance of various
musical instruments, nuances of music and bhajan singing,
Interactive Multimedia Bhajan Presentations etc. were highlighted
in this exhibition. The exhibition also highlighted the lives of
great saints who followed the path of Nama Sankirtana to
attain liberation.
In one of His Divine discourses in 2002
Bhagawan mentioned said “The Divine vibrations that result from
the Bhajans you sing are spreading to all parts of the world. The
Divine Name that you chant purifies the hearts of many. Sing the
glory of God. By doing so, you will render a great help to the
whole world”
A praiseworthy effort by the Spiritual Wing of
Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, Karnataka that would go a long
way in creating better awareness among devotees about devotional
singing.
Source:
http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Trust/SaiNama_Kirthana.htm
Easwaramma Women’s
Welfare Trust
A movement for Social, Moral and Economic uplift of Womenfolk
Massive welfare projects of Bhagawan stemmed
from the humble, selfless, noble and apparently simple desires of
Mother Easwaramma for the welfare of mankind. On the occasion of
10th year of Ladies’ Day celebrations in the year 2004, Easwaramma
Women’s Welfare Project was inaugurated for the welfare of
economically backward women. The seed sown then has grown and has
reaped rich fruits now in the form of Easwaramma Women’s
Welfare Trust under the direct supervision of Sri Sathya
Sai Central Trust. Two schemes come under the aegis of this
programme, namely, “Mother and Child Programme” and “Easwaramma
Self-Help Programme”.
With the infinite grace and blessings of
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, this Trust has been established to
benefit women at large. It is founded on the teachings of Bhagawan
to reach out to the problems of women in a meaningful way, and
bring peace and comfort, without any distinction of religion,
caste, colour or creed.
Objectives
To create an awareness of the inherent Divinity in all, help
translate it into practice.
- To ensure lasting peace, joy, harmony and human excellence,
and to encourage all human relationships to be governed by the
principles of Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Right conduct), Santhi
(Peace), Prema (Love) and Ahimsa (Non-violence).
- To promote and appreciate all religious faiths and cultures
and to encourage their sincere practice to understand their true
spirit.
- To recognise that only noble citizens can promote the
well-being of society, and to bring about an understanding of
the duties of the individual to oneself and to society.
- To recognise that women form the backbone of society, and
safeguard and ensure the dignity and honour of women at all
times and in all circumstances.
Activities
The following selfless service activities will be conducted to
attain the above objectives.
- Promoting spiritual practices through meditation, satsang
(spiritual discussions) and singing the glory of Lord.
- Regular discussion of spiritual literature in study circles
/ classes, conferences, orientation programmes, etc.
- Visiting schools to meet teachers and students to inculcate
basic human values, health and hygiene, and offer career
guidance.
- Dedicated medical care through voluntary services.
- Helping women to solve their problems through counselling,
self help projects, etc.
- Taking up activities focusing on the preservation of a clean
and healthy environment.
Structure
- The Trust will function as an expression and expansion of
love of Bhagawan, helping women at large as a non-profit trust.
- The Trust will provide an opportunity for individuals and
groups of women from all walks of life to render voluntary
services for the ultimate fulfilment of Bhagawan’s mission of
Love.
Mother and Child Programme
“One day Mother Easwaramma saw a frail woman
walking towards Bukkapatnam carrying her child with great
difficulty. Seeing them, Easwaramma said, ‘You appear to be frail
and weak and unable to carry the child. Why should you walk such a
great distance?’ The lady replied, ‘Mother, there is no doctor in
this remote village who can give medicine to my child. What can I
do?’ This incident made a deep impact on Mother Easwaramma.
Therefore, Mother Easwaramma asked Me to build a small hospital.
But Swami built great temples of healing. The small wishes of a
mother resulted in the establishment of great institutions.”
Mother and child are today being offered excellent care at these
temples of healing.
The Mother and Child Programme will run under
the auspices of The Easwaramma Women’s Welfare Project and has as
its objectives the following:
- Monitoring and improving the health and nutritional status
of expecting mothers.
- Providing regular pre-natal check ups and medical support
during pregnancy.
- Training local birth attendants in early problem
identification and in providing support to expectant mothers.
- Counselling and education in health and hygiene.
- Emergency care to ensure safe delivery.
- Providing medical and nutritional support for the newborn
child and infants.
- Immunisation programmes for children.
- Education and training in child health and nutrition.
- Assessment of and support in growth and development of the
infant.
The programme is to be initially operational in
the villages in and around Puttaparthi, with the scope slowly
expanding to include a growing circle of villages as the programme
moves forward.
- Monthly visits to the villages on prescheduled dates are to
be conducted.
- The seva groups visiting the villages will include trained
doctors, nurses and volunteers.
- The seva groups will be equipped with all necessary medical
equipment to conduct pre-natal check ups, which will include the
following:
- Registration and recording of the case history of the
expectant mother.
- Monitoring of the health of the mother and foetus; blood
pressure, position of the foetus, foetal heartbeat,
nutritional status of the mother, and early problem
identification if any.
- Providing iron, folic acid and nutritional supplements to
the mother.
- Education of mother / local birth attendant / family
member on healthcare during pregnancy.
- Providing information on early distress signs and steps in
emergency care.
- During the visits post-natal and infant care needs are to be
addressed through the following:
- Maintaining of growth and immunisation records for the
infants.
- Providing vitamins and nutritional supplements.
- Education on prevention of infections and timely medical
attention.
- Immunisation as per recommended schedule.
The Mother and Child Programme has been
initiated by Swami for the social welfare of women. The programme
is to be carried out through the voluntary participation of
devotees, especially women. Swami says, “It is only by the
strength of a mother’s will that a child will come up in life.
Hence, she must be given the pride of place. She must be respected
and cared for … Health is the foundation on which human life
rests. If health is lost you have to suffer in many ways. There is
no greater wealth than health … It is highly important to care for
the health of children. They are often undernourished and weak and
thus suffer from many ailments. I wish people would do something
to help these hapless children. Human birth is a God given gift.”
The Mother and Child Project will strive to
enshrine these values in our society.
Easwaramma Self-Help Programme
Bhagawan says, “God is not poor and hence,
people created by Him cannot also be poor.”
A world rid of poverty; a world where poverty
is unknown; a world where every human being has access to simple
and basic amenities like drinking water, healthcare, sanitation
and primary education – This is Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s
vision for mankind. No Avatar has done this before – “Going among
the masses, counselling them, guiding them, consoling them,
uplifting them,” filling everyone with a sense of self-confidence
and self-respect and encouraging them to be self-reliant.
The Easwaramma Self-Help Programme for women
seeks to empower women to achieve self reliance and to provide a
means of steady livelihood and thereby improve the health and
quality of life of women, their families and children.
The Easwaramma Self-Help Programme seeks to
train women in making a variety of useful products using locally
available and environmentally friendly raw materials for sustained
development. The Self-Help Programme will work towards the Divine
plan of establishing some opportunities for gainful employment so
that no person suffers from pangs of hunger.
Swami in His infinite grace, has initiated and
provided all facilities within the secure environment of the
ashram for the training and education of these groups of women.
The Easwaramma Self-Help Programme will endeavour, with the active
participation of all Swami’s devotees to provide a better quality
of life to women, who are the heart of our society, as they strive
for the safety, welfare and health of their families and children.
“Let us work together, enjoy together, love one
another and share our joy with all.”
- Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Source:
sssbpt.org
|
