Live SSpiritually

Live with the consuming conviction that you are the Divine Self (Atma)....

Baba

Mangalasutra Leela at PSN

You would have seen the report SSSIHMS, Whitefield turns 12.
This wonderful institution is a beautiful testimony for Swami's "Loving Service".

I heard another small 'miracle', last evening...

One of the volunteers, on seva at Swami's hospital, had lost her Mangalsutra. The search for over two days did not help her to recover same.
But, when she opened the prasad packet (laddu?) at the function ( SSSIHMS, Whitefield turns 12), she was shocked to find her missing mangalsutra in the packet. 

This came from a reliable source. As such, I have not bothered to check out the details, before posting it here. For Swami has blessed us with so many of such miracles.

More than the awe of listening to the story, I felt very happy the way Swami surprised the lady :)

Blissfully! 

MIDWAY film

Just back from Prashanthi Nilayam, after a blissful five days during Sports & Cultural Meet, Sankranthi festival 

Got this from couple of friends... 

This video is about an island in the ocean at 2000 km from any other coast line.Nobody lives there, only birds and yet. You will not believe your eyes! This film should be seen by the entire world, please don't throw anything into the sea. Unbelievable, just look at the consequences!

http://www.midwayfilm.com/

Must watch...

I have shared with virtually all my contacts, on multiple platforms... Hope & pray many get to watch it & share. We have a choice... to make a difference or just ignore the issue. But, eventually it will come to haunt us & future generations.

In fact to cut down on plastic was one of my new year resolutions, as part of my effort to 'GO Green'. Now it becomes a priority. I can not limit my love for animals ( birds/fish/plants Etc) just to pampering our own dog. It should extend to the world... Let us make a choice.Live SSpiritually

150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

Saturday... a blissful day at PSN. Birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda.

Came across a few press reports on the occasion of Swamiji's birth anniversary. But this quote stayed on... We get so stuck to rituals.

 

Rituals are the kindergarten of religion - Swami Vivekananda

In the evening, the local channel that carries Swami's programs continuously, had a different program. Usually bhajans at Brindavan and other programs at Kulwant hall shown. But, yesterday it was a session with a foreign group - only Swami was to be seen, neither the group nor the translator. 

Swami made a similar point. People sit on meditation and their thoughts keep wandering. Such efforts are useless. 

Swami advised, keep saying to ourselves, 'I AM GOD'.

Blissfully,

A few more inspiring quotes on Religion & Spirituality:

https://sites.google.com/site/positivethinkingclub/quotation-sections/religion

Bal Vikas Convention

Two-day convention of Balvikas 'Alumni' and Group 3 students was kicked off at Kulwant Hall this morning.

• Four Balvikas alumni and AIP, Mr Srinivasan spoke on Saturday ( morning session). All dwelt upon the theme, ' Balvikas - Pathways to Excellence'. 

• Also on Sunday morning, we had few 'alumni' come and share their experiences. Speakers included a senior IAS officer, member of Nobel winning lab, corporate executives, et al.

Every talk was a proof of the immense impact Balvikas program had on them.

Balvikas is truly 'God's gift to humanity'. And we have a role to play, to get as many children the fortune of going through it. The model has evolved into a well-oiled process now and as such easy to implement the template. With couple of hours, every week, that is the minimum we can do for the future of children. Happy childhood and a matured outlook in the later years can be hugely beneficial.

It was a pleasant surprise to see some of the senior, dedicated members of Swami's students, working in Parthi, were Balvikas alumni. 

Great to know they are working on a Plan-2015

Let every child be on Balvikas... Sai Bless

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.

Sankranthi at PSN

Greetings from PSN ! Reached here last evening, after sunset.

To drive on the road, connecting NH to PSN, was a good experience, on two previous trips, when I drove during the day. But at dusk last evening, it was a different experience. Not as great !
The trucks & buses, and few cars & bikes, would drive past without using the dipper, though most trucks have 'Use Dipper' written on them. I wonder if that was lack of awareness and training, or sheer attitude and lack of empathy. If it was former, the process of issuing driving licences may need to be re-visited. If it was latter, that was a bigger issue, which can be improved at home, school and work, through universal participation. 

Upon reaching Vidyagiri, cops diverted traffic, via Satyam Hotel, on to the 'ring' (yet to "ring", or fully operational) road. Here again, half of the stretch has good concrete road, thanks to a developer, who has come up with one of the best apartments in Parthi ( Sai Leela). But, the second half was just not drive-worthy!! How can traffic be diverted to that stretch without ensuring the road was good enough, traffic included families on two-wheelers. PUDA is doing great and Police always did great job around Parthi. I am sure, it may be matter of few days, or weeks!

The diversion was due to the huge number of devotees thronging PSN, on the auspicious occasion of Sankranthi. Plus, there are many parents, whose children are students at schools in Parthi & Brindavan, and parents here to celebrate Sankranthi with Bhagwan and to participate in the Annual Sports Meet celebrations in Parthi. Also, there is an alumni meet of Balvikas... Wow ! Great week-end ahead...

Nothing like entering the arch of taluka and then reaching Vidyagiri. It was veritable the feeling of being back home... 

Happy and Holy New Year at Prasanthi Nilayam

All along, ‘new year’ had no relevance for me, just another day! During student days, it was just wishing friends! At corporate, it was a day to wish friends, colleagues, business-relations (key account management!) and others related to work & beyond.

Till ‘Prema Bandham’ happened. Now, year after year, I look forward to the day. On 3^rd January, 2011, Swami made it very, very, special. Jan 1^st will always be special, to spend time with Swami at Prasanthi Nilayam. For He also said, ‘keep coming’, on more than one occasion, including on 3 Jan 11.

Given a choice, I would like to be around PSN more often, and for longer duration. Family looks forward to be with Swami on the day He has earmarked for His boys.

After so many taxi rides to Parthi from Bangalore, for first time I drove myself.  If NH remains great, most parts of the road connecting NH to Parthi also wore fresh look, thanks to a new layer of thin black tar, with freshly-painted white dividers. In late eighties & early nineties the bus trip was a lot different. But the excitement was always the same – travelling to PSN for Darshan, as we take deviation from highway, enter the arch of taluk, hill view becomes visible, etc., till Darshan of Bhagwan.

The landscape gets greener, by the year.

More open landscape is getting fenced and being converted to few farms, complete with saplings and bore-wells.  I wonder if the new compound walls are a proof of prosperity of local population, or outsiders buying away at ‘low’ prices?!

This part of the year was a great time to be in PSN. Weather was very pleasant during evening, when I landed. Quite chill during nights. But warm-to-hot during day-time.  Fruits, veggies, tender coconut, are all available at low prices, unlike cities. A few bananas, papayas, tender-coconuts, etc., are the delights of stay at Parthi.  

Though PUDA is trying to keep township clean, by sweeping in morning & afternoon, more effort is needed. Local participation is very critical to maintain cleanliness. The region is a lot greener, but not ‘cleaner’ at all. PUDA and locals need to work together, with active help from visitor-devotees. Rampant use of plastic need to be stopped. Nature is our responsibility. Segregation and holistic disposal of trash, re-cycling, rain-harvesting and a clean Chitravathi, etc are our individual responsibilities.  We owe it to Bhagwan.  

On the way back, along the highway, I saw a board indicating ‘Chitravathi dam’  and after sometime a bus stop at village, ‘Chitravathi’.

Christmas was celebrated in the true tradition of PSN, this year.  There was record turnover during the latter half of December, incl foreigners.  All the more reason for PUDA to ensure a clean township, just as it is inside Ashram.

Every trip we see a change or modification.  All changes, I am sure, to make it easier for visitors, to come, stay and connect with the Lord.

·      Earlier there was an exit gate next to Ganesh main gate. Now entry is from Ganesh gate. (Earlier, entry thru Gopuram gate was allowed.) Security machines remain where they were.

·      Lord Subramania temple has new flooring and a simple fence. (Earlier it was the sliver face for Lord Ganesha).

·      Inside Kulwant hall, there are new photos of Bhagwan, in golden-frames. I just kept looking at the photos, most of the time, when I was inside the hall.

Such a beautiful experience to enter the Abode of Peace, Prashanthi Nilayam….

Is there a better way to spend any special day and make it extra 'SSpecial' ?!