Friday, January 11, 2013

Annual Sports and Cultural Meet at Prashanthi Nilayam

Sports & Cultural meet is an important part of Bhagwan's Educare. SaiStudents eagerly look forward to this period, when they get to excel in various disciplines and also present cultural programs in Divine Presence. (sports-meet-photo-gallery)
For some of us, who were not academically-brilliant,  it was an opportunity to accept medals from Bhagwan. I have some very fond memories of sports meets, in late eighties.

This year's sports meet got off to a flying start on 11 Jan 13.

Sports meet started with the opening ceremony at Hill View Stadium. This is the same venue, where  Bhagwan would watch the same, inspire His students to go beyond their human skills and mental limits... all for the love and their Revered Chancellor, with the firm faith of His protection.

For a nostalgic journey, check out http://media.radiosai.org/www/

Went for a quick hair-cut at Parthi :) The youngster had several good photos in his small, simple shop. Quite different from other fancy hairdressers elsewhere, with their distracting TV and/or music!
  • One of them, carried a very powerful message: See me in all - Baba. One teaching of Bhagwan that has inspired me immensely, at the same time, find it difficult to implement !
  • Another photo features telugu cine superstar,  Chiranjeevi, sitting next to Bhagwan, full of respect and active listening ( perhaps during a sports meet at Hill View Stadium). I was reminded of another similar photo when Sachin Tendulkar offered salutations to Bhagwan, at the same venue. Very often, we tend to connect Lord through some of His famous devotees :) Fortunate indeed are those 'famous' devotees, esp those who live by His ideals. For Swami always told us to be Good. (Great ones need not be good!)
  • Someone broke the news to the youngster, 'India lost the cricket ODI to England'. He said, he missed Sachin Tendulkar and 'cricket is on an irreparable decline in India' !!!
Compared to the sports events elsewhere, where money & power plays a vital role, sports meets at PSN are so very different. The pride for playing and being part of the event, as offering to the Divine Master, is the sole purpose of it. Nothing else....

IS THAT NOT SPORTS SUPPOSE TO BE ?!

Bhagwan's message on sports: ( Courtesy - Saiinspires from RadioSai)
Take failures and victory coolly. To do the latter is a very difficult mental exercise. In a running race, the losers, when running neck to neck, prompt the winners to run faster. They inspire the grit, to put in that extra pace which brings victory to the winners. Hence, winners must actually be thankful to the losers for their victory. Those who did not win, I ask you not to lose your self-confidence. Never attach too much value to victory and defeat. All of you are born for far greater things than winning mundane races and competitions. Your destiny does not depend upon a game or an examination – it depends more upon your character, your will power and the grace of God.- Divine Discourse, Nov 25, 1959.


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