Issue 242 - August 22, 2021 | | Sairam Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Everything that we do should be an expression of love, as only love will ensure we revel in unsullied joy. The poet Rumi said, "Love is what gives joy to giving joy." When Jesus Christ was asked, 'what should we do', He said, "Love one another and love thy neighbour as thy self. If you want to love Me, you learn to love one another. Love each other and that way you will love Me. Serve each other, and help each other." This is the fundamental tenet we can constantly keep in memory as we all continue serving those in need in our own capacities every single day.
Sairam Bhuvana Santhanam | | ātmano mokshārtam (Emancipation of one's self) | | Excerpt From Divine Discourse | | All men and women, begin drowning themselves in worries about myriad issues as they grow older. All the time they keep chinta - (worrying) and never engage in chintana (contemplation on God). If you really contemplate on God, you have no reason to be worried about. For the human worry, there is no real solution. If you want to reach a state of 'na chinta' or no worries, you have to do 'chintana' i.e., contemplation on God. When you contemplate on God, that very act turns into meditation and you will establish a communion with God and all the worries will vanish in a trice.
When difficulties stop knocking at your door, you feel happy about it. You only look at your own difficulties and get worried. If you look at the difficulties of others, you will realise how immensely blessed you are. When difficulties come to you, you should think that Swami has given this opportunity to grow spiritually. You should pray, "Lord, grant me the state of mind to think of You always, whether I'm facing a difficulty or enjoying happiness." This is the right kind of prayer to be offered to God. In this world, one cannot escape the impact or consequences of actions done. Whatever actions one performs, he/she has to accept and undergo the consequences. Only by treating happiness and sorrows as gift from God, can one truly attain the state of equanimity. This is called as karma yoga. yoga is nothing, but equanimity of mind.
When you listen and contemplate on the name of God, you will experience joy, despite being in difficult situations. This is the only way; can one stay happy all the time.
When others prosper, you should feel happy about them. Other's happiness is your happiness. Everyone should pray for the happiness of everybody else. Surrender to Swami and offer everything to Him. Have firm faith that He will look after everything. You should develop that kind of faith in Swami, that He will do what is good for all. There is no need to go and ask Him about anything. Develop complete surrender and faith in God.
There is great purity in unity and purity is Divinity. When you get united, anything can be achieved in this world. How do you get united? When everyone develops broadmindedness, thinking that everybody belongs to us, unity is achieved. God did not divide the earth by drawing lines into various nations. Earth is one, sky is one, water is one, there is one moon and sun. God created one; He did not divide. Human beings divided because of their selfishness and self-interest. What you need is not vibhajana (division), but bhajana (devotion to God). When you have true devotion, there won't be any division.
That is the reason behind all my travels to countries abroad, establishing Centres of service and spirituality and uniting all. To have unity, you should have unity of thought, word and deed. When you have developed that kind of unity, purity will manifest within you. And because of that purity, you will experience Divinity.
An excerpt from Divine discourse delivered by Sri Sathya Sai Baba on 10th January, 2016. | | The Inner Realisation
By Venkatesh Raja Ekambaram Researcher, Alabama, USA
When I tried to fulfil my desires, my experience has been that they often fail to live up to their expectations, and they can even be overwhelming or disastrous! They have also given me an opportunity to ask myself, whether am I these desires? And consequently, to wonder to whom are these desires occurring? When I indulge in them, I lose my sense of awareness and finally lose myself chasing them. Over time, realisation dawned upon me that I had, many a times, succumbed to some form of selfishness and forgot about what truly matters, what my heart truly wants, and what Swami wants from me. Perhaps, this is why Swami asked all the youth to practise Ceiling on Desires.
One approach that had a great impact on me, was suggested by a Sai sister during our weekly study circle, which was "to follow the Master". It means to start the day with the awareness that Swami is there with me and spend every single moment of the day with the same awareness. This teaching became a launching pad that eventually altered my behaviour and I developed a more generous perspective all together. I started serving more people and tried to establish connection with the lord within which took my mind away from all the unwanted distractions of the world.
Now, I feel more contented as I continue to practise these small, but essential lessons of life taught by our dearest Swami. Likewise, I have naturally become a little more compassionate, and more eager and interested to alleviate the suffering of others by serving them in whichever capacities I can. The concerns which I had about the trajectory of my life have also begun to fade off. Sharing happiness is becoming a second nature to me.
More recently, it seems that Swami is putting me in places or situations where I can volunteer. He has shown me that there are many ways to serve: by contributing ideas; by listening and by being available to others; by offering words of solace or by encouraging etc. This has undoubtedly been a particularly challenging year for the planet, for all human beings, and for many species. My personal feeling is that every little service count and I am trying to extend my help to the people in need in whichever way possible. Many of us, including myself, had to deal with the loss of our loved ones during this pandemic. After many lifetimes, we are blessed to have Swami amidst us. My only prayer to Swami is to help us all on this path and lead us towards Him! | | To help reach Sri Sathya Sai Baba's human values-based education to the world, and to resuscitate the humanness of humanity, the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence launched a unique, first-of-its-kind Institute of Human Values, to offer tailor-made courses totally free of any charges, curated by experts from around the world. The Vision of the Institute is to make better humans in their personal and professional spheres, by making them more sensitive towards society's needs and exploring ways of their contribution to society in a meaningful and selfless manner, thereby creating a sense of global citizenship and responsibility.
The courses will help an individual balance the inside and outside, while progressively being a better human being, that will ultimately help him or her unravel the true meaning and purpose in life.
Learning from the heart is spiritual awakening, Baba would say. The Institute of Human Values is the first step to help lead the world into the beautiful awareness of its heart – a heart that operates from the universal human values of Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa.
| | The scriptures proclaim that everyone and everything is Brahman. They also declare that Brahman is all perfect, without any flaws. Now the question may arise, if all are Brahman, then why individuals behave in a certain way which is wrong in other's standpoint? How is it possible to believe this highest truth completely?
The scriptures clear this doubt by giving a practical example. During the twilight, one cannot identify the difference between a rope and a snake due to the growing darkness. If a person mistakes a rope as a snake and gets scared, no one can help such an ignorant individual. One might think and imagine a lot, but the fact remains the same, that it's just a simple rope. Only when the sunrises and the light spreads everywhere, can one differentiate between the real and the unreal. Similarly, when the light of the wisdom dawns within, all the darkness of the ignorance vanishes and one can see the Truth and be established in it forever. In the episode 32, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai explains the ways to get out of this ignorance and all the false notions which binds the jīvātmā to the maya of this creation and makes it undergo the vicious cycle of birth and death over and over again. | | INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK | |
"The desire to know your own soul will end all the other desires."
– Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī | | jagat hitāya (Welfare of the World) | | La Plata, Buenos Aires
Once a week, Sai Youth from La Plata prepared and served home-cooked meals to the needy individuals. They also distributed milk, sugar, blankets and clothing to needy families, joining hands with two local community kitchens located in one of the poor neighbourhoods. In addition to this, food packages were distributed to the homeless individuals. Over 400 meals were served during the month of July. | | Córdoba
In Córdoba, the Sai Youth distributed hot meals to the homeless individuals in surrounding areas on weekly basis. Around 250 meals were distributed during the month of July. | | The Sai Youth from the Bay Area, San Jose, California prepared and distributed 70 meals to homeless individuals in vicinity. These meals included vegetarian burritos, fruits, juice and water. Through preparation of meals, the volunteers were able to put their love into action; through distribution of meals, they experienced the impact which they were creating into the lives of the beneficiaries, which brought them to certain realisation of truths and realities of life. | | | | | | |
