God

God is neither distant nor distinct from you. - Baba

Namasmaran The Way to Do it

What is Namasmaran? When to do it ? How to do it ? 

Powerful message from Bhagwan:  

Repetition of God’s Name is the process by which the dedicatory attitude can be cultivated and grown. When confronted by a calamity, you must attach yourself to this spiritual practice, even more firmly, instead of losing faith in it and getting slack. Do not give up the medicine, when you need it the most! The pity is that when most people face the first disappointment, they lose courage and confidence, and give up their Lord! There are also others, who call out the Names of the Lord, when they are displeased with some happenings, or when they are depressed, in a tone indicative of disgust, uttering it with a sigh or a groan. This is very incorrect. The Name of the Lord must always be pronounced with joy, gratitude, exultation and remembering Him in all splendour. Call Him with Love, call Him with a heart full of sincere yearning.

 
-  Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba/Divine Discourse, Oct 15, 1966

Dr Sola on Radio Sai

Listening to Dr Srikant Sola in conversation with Prof GV:

• Many were 'introduced' in this birth while 'traveling'... yes, spiritually, we all are "travelers". But some of these travelers were introduced through a book on Sai while flying and were transferred once landed. "High Altitude Transformations", says Dr Sola :)
• Dr Sola was 'fortunate' to have a jeevan-mukta in his family, his grandfather. Got to get the initial guidance from him proved to be a great foundation.
• The concept of becoming a jeevan-mukta is truly inspiring. Very aspirational... To reach that level would be a guru-dakshina worthy of avtar.
• Quality is not necessarily linked to luxury. Swami's hospitals are luxury in service-quality, and free ! So the patients from the lowest segments of society, get luxury (not at affordable prices), but absolutely free. Great-grandson of Alfred Nobel was super-right when he said, the hospital was a 'high-tech charitable hospital'. With Baba, it has to be the best ... And that is a level  we should try to attain in all our endeavours...

 let's love ourselves..

Rebirth Our Choice

"This incarnation can be decisive if we really want it to be so. It depends on us. ... If you determine that this will be your last birth on earth, it shall be. Nothing can stop you. If you decide that you want to live a hundred lives more in a cosmopolitan society full of pleasures, achievements, joys, you shall be born again a hundred times. The decision is yours. It is up to each one of us to make the choice that must propel us to the highest level."
- - - Shri. P. Rajagopalachari

Nature

Let us be responsible towards Nature...Let us do our bit to save environment... LivSSpiritually

 

There is no greater example of selfless love than Nature. - Baba

Let

Sadhana

...you must always be conscious of the high calling for which you have come. You should not disgrace it by any means or through any meaningless act or thought or word. I have come to give you the courage and confidence to conceive yourself as the Supreme Truth (Paramathma) you really are, to give you the intellectual power (dhee shakthi) to grasp the reality....

-- Sri Sathya Sai Baba - Divine Discourse 11 Feb 1964

Courtesy - Radio Sai 

iTunes in India

Greetings on the auspicious Thursday...from Bangalore.

itunes has launched Indian version. It has one Sai Bhajans album - 25 Essentials Sri Sathya Sai. Singers include Anup Jalota, Suresh Wadkar, Hari haran, Sumeet, Kavita Krishnamurthy, KK, Sonu Nigam, etc.

Check out at 
https://itunes.apple.com/in/album/25-essentials-shri-sathya/id567717943

Sadhana

To evoke the Divine in you, there is no better method than Namasmarana. - Baba

Purity

When your heart is filled with good thoughts and feelings, all that comes out of the senses - your speech, your vision, your action - will all be pure. - Sri Sathya Sai

Courtesy - RadioSai

LOVE ALL - How to implement ?

• One of the most popular and inspiring quotes Bhagwan gave us is 'Love All, Serve All'.
• The other being 'Help Ever, Hurt Never'.
• But I have been touched by the quote at PC Auditorium, 'Paraoparartham idam Shareeram' ( this body is to serve others)
• Swami lived by those ideals, showed us we can actually practice. As such He told us, 'My life is My message'
• Of course, now our efforts are to live by His ideals and make 'our Life is His Message' true, as our love & gratitude to Bhagwan.   

How fortunate we are ? Swami picked few of 7 billion to shower His Grace so that we are aware of His Divinity. Majority were not touched by His Form, Darshan/Sparshan/Sambhashan.

Swami has said even if we live by just one of His teachings, bliss guaranteed. Not easy, but not impossible, with Divine Grace. Of course, we have a choice !

In today's quote Swami tells us about how to actually practice His teaching, 'Love All'. And, as always, it starts with each one of us. Charity truly begins at home. Let us try to make the world around us filled with love and thus make 'our lives, His message'. 

The first step to love all and serve all is to expand love in your own homes. You must revere and please your parents who gave you this chance to live and learn. If you ill-treat them or inflict grief on their minds, how can you ever gladden others by service and understanding? You know that when a balloon is blown, it bursts and the air inside it merges with the vast limitless expanse outside. Similarly your love must fill your home, then the society you live, and finally burst open to spread in the Universe. A drop of water held in the palm is soon evaporated; but drop it into the sea and it survives as a part of the sea. It assumes the name and the taste, the majesty and might of the sea! Cultivate Love; sow the seeds of love in all hearts, everywhere around you. That is My Wish, My Mission!

- Divine Discourse, 25 July 1975 (Courtesy Radio Sai)

Imagine the impact we all can make if we live by this beautiful lesson from our beloved Lord. Let us try our best.... 

Morality in Society and Our responsibility

When students score low marks parents feel great grief. Similarly, when we fall low in morals and spiritual virtues, our motherland bemoans her fate ten times more sadly. We have to assuage the grief of the physical mother and promote the peace and prosperity of our motherland. The motherland is not a mere lump of earth. When we desire her progress, we have to promote the progress of the people who dwell therein. The skills needed for resuscitating and reforming are found in youth. The reforming process involves the removal, in daily living, of bad conduct and bad habits, and the practice of good conduct and good deeds. You must express your humility, fortitude, equanimity, and gratitude for kindness received, in various acts in your daily life, every day.

- Sri Sathya Sai Baba

LIVE SPIRITUALLY

Do we take care of our physical body ? 

Pause. . . 
 
Do we treat our physical body as a friend/slave/temple/anything else ?!!
 
You must take care of your body, which is the case for the Divine Spark, until its purpose of Self-Realization is fulfilled.      

- Sri Sathya Sai 

Courtesy - Radio Sai

Noor-E-Khuda

"Kisi ki zindagi ka noor ban'na ek kala hai........", says a jeweller TVC.

Thought provoking ad, I felt. 

'Noor' to ban'na hi hai, in this life time. Else it is waste of a brilliant opportunity.

magar.... 'Noor-E-Khuda'..... nothing less will do. 

Precious in the eyes of Sai, that is! To live by His ideals & values... to LiveSSpiritually

Restoring reverence for Mother Earth in our Sadhana

“Homas are powerful ancient fire rituals performed by sages for over 5,000 years – they are also meant to protect the environment, by restoring reverence for Mother Earth.” - Sri Sri 

This aspect of our spirituality is need of hour. To reduce pollution and the adverse impact on environment


http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-articles/faith-and-rituals/connecting-with-mother-earth?track=1&uid=109878&date=20121023

Avatar Declaration Day of Sri Sathya Sai

Greetings on the auspicious occasion of Bhagwan's Avatar Declaration Day. ( Avtar Decl Day )
It was on this day, seven decades ago, a young Sathya Sai 'dropped' out of school to go to His devotees who were waiting for Him. ('dropping out' was not so glamorous those days!)

PSN is celebrating  Dassera, with yagnas for universal peace, and loving service through gram seva ( village service), as it happens every year. 

Today's evening program consisted of three talks by Swami's students. Some inspiring messages there...
Thereafter, a recording of Swami's message was played. Swami stressed the need to 'Love All' and 'overcome doubts'. As Swami has taught us, on the spiritual path there was no scope for fear or doubt, but just pure, divine, love for all. 

I am traveling, since Thursday. At the airport, I was looking for a book to read over the trip. Was keen to pick up a spiritual title, during Dassera. Airports have very limited collection, due to the space constraint. Spent quite some time browsing at the two book stalls, as I was very early for the flight, as advised by airlines :). Finally I picked up the book, Miracles Happen The Transformational Healing Power of Past Life Memories – By Amy E. Weiss and Dr Brian Weiss  from  Hay House. 
Interesting book on past-life memories - we can align with our own doctrine of Karma. 
 
I have not read his previous book, but was pulled by the title, 'miracles happen'. We are still pulled by the miracles :). One of the student-speakers spoke about 'devotees' prayer to Swami for a Chithravathi session on a full moon day. Swami gave a beautiful message: He did not need chithravathi sands, or sands collected at Mandir for construction or any such medium. His biggest miracles we us, His devotees'. 

The medieval age of darkness has passed away and a new age of radiance has dawned, when reality is becoming evident, where science is unraveling the mysteries of the universe, the oneness of the world of humanity is being established, and service to all is the paramount motive of existence ( The Dawn of a New Age - Courtesy The Dawn of a New Age - Bahai Faith, Speaking tree,Times of India, 20 Oct 12)


SAI BLESS...

Video Presentation: Who is Sai Baba ? - A Documentary by Jody Cleary

WHO IS SAI BABA ? A VIDEO BY JODY
Must watch... Dassera Greetings...

Video Presentation: Who is Sai Baba ? - A Documentary by Jody Cleary


Courtesy : Radio Sai

‘Learn Telugu to enjoy Carnatic music’

To enjoy Carnatic music one should sing in Telugu and to learn Telugu one should listen to Carnatic music, Carnatic music exponent Nedunuri Krishna Murthy said. 

The Hindu : Cities / Visakhapatnam : ‘Learn Telugu to enjoy Carnatic music’

Thursday Musings

Video by Swami's Students offered during 2005 Alumni Meet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02Iwcr53_ro
 
Most nostalgic...

After 18 months, since April 24th, 2011, yet to really accept a world without Swami's physical presence. The 'effort' to go beyond the Physical Form continues, with fluctuating intensity (a la pendulum!)

'Duniya mein kahin jaaye... Maa Teri yaad aye... '
went around in search all worldly things, but now trying to 'come back to the Source'. 

'Meere ma yogyam, maa bhagyam...'  ...Everything!

Rites and rituals

Rituals that are performed with the desire of attaining salvation also help a man to achieve growth and progress in this world.
Sam Veda
*
Now you worship His Form, you repeat His name; ignoring His orders. Without practising the discipline laid down by Rama to purify the mind, all else is mere show, empty rituals.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
*
Do you become spiritual by performing ceremonies and rituals...? Ceremonies and rituals sometimes give a certain sensation, so-called uplift. But they are repetitious, and every sensation that is repeated soon wearies of itself.
J Krishnamurti
*
The modern habit of doing ceremonial things unceremoniously is no proof of humility; rather it proves the offender's inability to forget himself in the rite, and his readiness to spoil for everyone else the proper pleasure of ritual.
C S Lewis

Courtesy:  Rites and rituals

Remembering Bapu

World has forgotten Gandhiji.

Your primary duty is to uphold the human values of truth, righteousness, peace and
love. 
- Baba
Courtesy:Saiinspires @ RadioSai

Sree Raghavam Bhajan on TV Reality Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDKpyiy61oI

Check out this link... a very young singer from Sikkim singing the bhajan so well.

To be able to sing is just God's grace. To sing devotional music is divine Grace too..

Sai Bless this child!

Let Us Save Water Power Time Energy et al

Control your desires. Do not waste money, time, food and energy. - Baba

-courtesy Sai Inspires 27 Sept

My previous post on 

http://subublog.blogspot.in/2012/09/save-water-power-time-energy-et-al.html

Swami's Quote for Today

Greetings...

Inspiring quote on Living SSpiritually, courtesy Saiinspires...

Those who plan to raise the standard of living today are watering the branches, the leaves and the blossoms of the tree of life. Instead, to nurture the tree, you must foster and water the root. So too, to lead a good life, you must foster and water the virtues, which are the roots, so that the flowers of actions, words and thoughts may bloom in fragrance and yield the fruit of service (seva), and the sweet juice of joy (ananda). Planning for food, clothing and shelter is only promoting the well-being of the cart. Also plan for the horse, which is the mind. The mind has to use the food, the clothing, the shelter and other objects in the Universe for the high purpose of escaping from the bonds of the ego to the Universal.

- Divine Discourse, Aug 3, 1966.

 

Pls don't miss interview with Dr Sola. 

Prof GV talks about Swami Vivekananda, two high-altitude transformations, etc. 

Let us Save Water Power Time Energy et al

On an earlier I posted following:  http://subublog.blogspot.in/2012/08/save-water.html

We have seen how Swami ensures no water/electricity/energy wasted at all. He would switch on the fan in the interview room after all have assembled. He would always switch off the fan before He steps out . He would not waste anything,though everything is in Him. 

We have no business or right to waste water, electricity, energy, time, or anything. But during a day, we tend to waste everything. And we aspire to 'Live SSpiritually' :)

IT is easier to avoid wastage of water, electricity, etc which are external and easier to manage. But thoughts, energy, time, etc is lot more difficult. But that is no excuse.

Need to keep trying...if we aspire to live by His ideals. Afterall, 'Your Life is My Message'is the level we aspire. 

Worth trying... Sai Bless.

TO BE or NOT TO BE Organic

This is no longer a question, especially after Satyameva Jayate. That episode has managed to reach out to so many viewers about the health-risk of our food items, with the extensive use of pesticides. I hope the new FDI norms will improve storage facilities so that we get fruits & veggies, fresher !

As such, at least in Indian context, it is no-brainer. Just Go Organic.

Then comes the second resistance: ' it is too expensive'. Yes, if you compare based on identical weight. But then, same weight is no comparison. For organic food need not be taken in quantity as much as 'non-organic'. You will get all nutrients from a lesser quantity of organic food, without the pesticide-risk. 

Just cut down quantity. Then it would make sense, economically. I would suggest just avoid non-organic totally, rather than the risk of pesticide-exposed fruits/veggies. 

This is a choice we have to make, urgently. Also, to keep expenses at home within budgets. 

Healthy & economically-smart too...

ANANDA a patch of forest in PSN

Sairam...

Greetings on this auspicious Thursday. Let us remain connected to our beloved Master, Sai.

Listening to the inspiring story of ANANDA, a small forest, behind Ashram. It has 60K trees, spread over 17 acres!!! A wide variety of trees & plants. They grow organic fruits & vegetables too.

That is our own Botanical Garden. Had seen the beautiful Bot-garden at Singapore, last month. 

Looking forward to visit this beautiful patch of forest, ANANDA, in our own Prashanthi Nilayam... Heaven on Earth

Alternate energy

Listened to Radio Sai live on Thursday last. Sis Karuna spoke about 'alternate energy'. 

We need to look at greener options. Swami has actually 'told students in 1993 that He wanted our Institutions to tap energy from Sun' !

PTP For a plastic-free, trash-free, pollution-free Puttaparthi

16 Sept 2012:

Photos: Way to Chaitanya Jyothi & Sai Geeta's final resting place

 

Puttaparthi area was very green & beautiful.... 

One of the reasons why the area is becoming greener is surely the efforts of the people to plant more trees, across the region. Sai bless all those who have been part of large-scale tree plantation.

But, I was shocked to observe a huge tree, off Chithravathi road, has disappeared. A new apartment had come near it, that may be the reason! Felt sad. We have no right to cut down tres... (opp to Sai Siva Ganga appt!)

Let us plant more trees & avoid cutting tree…

As I settled down to the PSN routine, I was shocked to see a new addition to the ‘skyline’. In the densely populated area, between Mandir & Chithravathi river, several telecom towers have sprung up, on the buildings. One of them very close to the revered Kalpavriksha, almost dwarfing the holy tree! These telecom towers are just injurious to health. How come, the telecom companies put up these in the middle of the densely populated areas ? How come residents allowed?? May be out of sheer ignorance about the health-hazards. Bollywoods Juhi Chawla fought & won a case in the court. Sadly, the film-crazy public would miss out on such important news…

Telecom towers are health hazards, for God’s sake!!

Morning walks are truly therapeutic. More so at PTP.  

On the way back picked up The Hindu & Business Line. Also, some green, fresh leaves (coriander, methi, pudina, etc) And, they cost so less. Same stuff in amchi Mumbai, or any other city, would have been at least five times more expensive and surely not as fresh, clean, green & safe.

Now after spending three days, I felt PTP was catching up with Blore on garbage-front, inefficient garbage disposal. ( Taxi driver's comment, 'PTP is the new Blore' ...!) Muncipal staff do clean up every morning. But people throw away garbage just out of their shops & homes. The shop-keepers (residents and ) need to be more responsible about their garbage-disposal.  I have seen an elderly lady-shopkeeper dumping thrash on the street, right in front of her shop. People spit on the road. Sadly, even Vidyagiri is not being spared by people, especially with few ‘thelas’ ( hand-carts) selling snacks there.

Residents, shopkeepers & visitors need to be more responsible to keep PTP clean. Then request administration to help too.

I made my first trip to PSN in May, 1988. Swami was away at Blore. What stuck me was the ambience – clean and noise-free. The silence has been addictive since then. Over the years I have yearned for that silence outside. Only a noise-cancelling ear-phone can give that outside J

It is only in depth of silence God’s voice can be heard. Bhagwan said, ‘it is only in silence God also can hear’. This ‘silence’ is such an integral part of spiritual sadhana.

There is so much noise outside… out side PSN, in PTP and all over India. It is not healthy, both at physical & spiritual levels. We need to ‘reduce’ volume at all levels. We should ban honking in PTP.

We need to take Prashanthi beyond PSN… to Puttaparthi, our localities & beyond

We owe it to Swami & His devotees who throng to PTP... and in our world beyond, as a mark of Living SSpiritually, by the ideals of SAI

PTP : Plastic free, Trash-free, Pollution-free 

• Plastic-free: let each one of us just stop using plastic & encourage our friends, family & also shop-keepers
• Trash-free: no more throwing garbage on to the streets. Let us segregate & dispose, with full responsibility. Garbage is what we give back to Earth!!
• Pollution-free: Freedom from all types of pollution, incl sound, air, water, etc. Strictly no horn please. Let us take responsibility & implement ourselves. Then spread message.

We owe to Puttaparthi and beyond. We owe it to Swami. Let us make Swami proud thru a plastic-free, trash free, pollution-free PTP.

Sai Bless.

Back Home... @ Prashanthi Nilayam

Sairam…. 

Greetings from Prashanthi Nilayam. On a much-awaited ‘break’! Though I am on a ‘break’, got tied up with too many things over the last 5+ months. Could not just sit back & take few deep breaths. Wanted to desperately make a trip of this type to PSN. Enjoying blissful moments in PSN, since Monday, 10^th Sept.

Weather has been surprisingly very good. The cab ride was very refreshing, with the entire landscape in the region clean & green, along the national highway. As we hit the last-mile, near PSN railway station, the driver commented, ‘Puttaparthy is now Bangalore & Bangalore is like Puttaparthy”!  He was referring to the weather, of course. Puttaparthy (PTP) is no longer hot & dry as we usually we associate with Rayalseema region of AP., but green & pleasant.

Nature is doing its best. We just need to be more responsible to environment