CHAP GOH MEH BHAJAN

A joyous Chap Goh Meh celebration was held at our center on 28 February 2010, 7.00pm.  Members of all faiths came to join in the prayers and bhajans.  The highlight of the evening was the visit of the God of Prosperity or Chai Sern Yeh.  Angpows and oranges were given away to all children and adults who attended the occasion.  Our Wanita members prepared delicious Chinese delicacies including vegetarian yee sang, assorted vegetarian tim sum and fried rice.

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 2/32

Puttaparthi…………. Prasanthi Nilayam………… Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba …… I had heard about them; I had read about them. I had not seen them. I never knew I could see them, so soon so suddenly. I had read “Sathyam Sivam Sundaram” and some odd numbers of the Sanathana Sarathi; also, the volumes of “Sathya Sai Speaks.” I never expected that I could come to the Presence, so soon. The publications of the Prasanthi Nilayam were given to me by a dear kinsman; it was His love and consideration that made it easy for me my wife and my children to go to Puttaparthi and return, without any difficulty. At Puttaparthi, the ten days of Navaratri are festival days and I reached the place the evening previous to the inaugural day. As soon as I entered the environs of the Nilayam, I recalled the lines of Dr. D. V. Gundappa, in His poem, Manku Thimma, which mean, “Can one gauge the expanse and the sublimity of the Himalayas from a picture printed in a book? Can the awe and reverence that the sea arouses be experienced by reading descriptions? There were thousands around the Nilayam and they were engaged in their several tasks. But, there was no sound emerging from the gathering; no shouting; no call. Men murmured to one another as leaves whisper among the branches above. It was a unique experience. The devotees had occupied whatever space was available, in the open sheds, on the verandahs of the houses, under the trees, on God-given land beneath the God-granted sky. Late in the evening, Bhajan started in the Prayer Hall. There was a huge gathering of people in front of the Nilayam waiting for the appearance of Baba on the porch above, to grant them Darshan. I felt that if I enter the Hall and sit in the front rows, I would be able to get a nearer view of Baba. So, I got in and secured a place in the fifth row from the front. The Hall was filled with the sublime Om; the Bhajan was begun. Baba did not come and occupy the Chair set on the pedestal. I repeated within myself the prayer contained in the Krishna Stotra of Mahaprabhu Chaitanya, “Jagannathaswami! Nayanapatagamee, Bhavathu me” (O! Lord of Jagannath, enter the path of my sight.) I repeated it many times. Suddenly, Baba came in and sat on the Chair. When night advanced, we spread our beds under a tree and laid ourselves to sleep. There were many other families all around us, trying to sleep like ourselves. Slumber overcame me. A few raindrops fell on my face! I had heard people say that when festivals are celebrated at Prasanthi Nilayam, rains hold back from these environs, because of Baba’s Glory. Yet, when two or three more drops fell on my face, I rolled my bed, woke my wife and children, and moved about frantically in search of shelter. I could get a verandah where I could resettle myself and my people. A little later, I blamed myself for the haste, for, there was no rain at all. I remembered the words of admonition with which Jesus reprimanded the disciples who were not steadfast, “O ye men of little faith!” The stars were shining all over the firmament Mosquitoes took toll on the verandah where we were. So, I migrated once again to my old tree and unrolled the beds. Slumber overcame me quick; but, in a few moments, a shower, more profuse than before, sprinkled drops on my face. I sat up and called on my people to wake and move. My wife said, “What kind of foolish game is this! There are thousands like us all over the place; they are not worried at all; Baba will guard us; keep Faith in Him and go to sleep.” “Well, let us get wet when the rain pours,” I said and drew rug over my head. I could not sleep; the rain too could not pour. Early dawn, I heard the Omkar recitation from the Nilayam; it came on rolling like the waves of the sea. In the morning, Baba hoisted the Prasanthi Flag on the Nilayam. Thousands of men and women, old and young and children too gathered before the Nilayam, but, there was no rush; rushing or pushing; silence prevailed everywhere, a silence that was sublime and full of reverence. One could have a good view of Baba and of the ceremony, wherever one stood or sat. The arrangements left nothing to be desired. Baba began His Discourse with a poem, which declared that only those who have practised detachment can understand Him. Then Baba went up, on to the terrace and hoisted the Flag. He showered handfuls of petals on the vast assembly beneath. Within minutes, the Grihapravesam Ceremony was announced, to take place soon. About 25 residential quarters were waiting to be “opened” by Baba that morning, built to the south of the Prasanthi Nilayam. My kinsman had secured the privilege of having one built and so, He was waiting at the door of one of these, the very first, with me and my people around Him. The auspicious moment neared and Baba came along, preceded by the party of musicians playing on the Nadaswaram, and accompanied by the students of the Veda Pathashala, reciting the Vedas. Baba came to us and, He entered the door, cutting with a pair of scissors the ribbon tied across it. He sent us in, with the words “No time now; I have to be in all these houses before Rahukalam intervenes; I shall come to you on my way back.” When He pushed us gently in, He placed His Hand upon my shoulder. At that instant, I realised what was meant by “refreshing coolness,” when the word is applied to the inner consciousness. Baba got in and out of those 25 houses, accepting the worship that was offered in each and finally, He came back to us, as He had so graciously promised. He sat on a Chair that we had placed there; then, saying in my heart of hearts, “Angeekritha naraakaaram, aasraye bhuvanaasarayam” (I take refuge in the refuge of worlds that has accepted this human form), my hands placed a garland round His Neck; my head sunk low to His Feet. His abhayahastha stroked my head when I rose. Someone placed a photograph in His Hands praying for autographed Blessings. He said, “Later, later” and took it with Him. I took my daughter’s book from her clasp and gave it to Him, with my pen, which I uncovered, fixing the cap at the back. Baba turned over a few pages and seeking out a picture in the book of Himself with the right hand on the Abhaya pose, He wrote upon it, “With Blessings….Baba” and loosening the cap from where I had fixed it putting it on other end and tightening the cap by a few turns, He handed the two to me. His hand touched mine. Joy bubbled within me. “Kim alabhyam, Bhagavathi, Prasanne Sreenikethane,” I said to myself. Baba moved into the Nilayam and all was quiet; no; my heart was repeating that sweet line, “Angee kritha naraakaaram, aasraye bhuvanaasarayam”. It was the last of four, from a sloka composed by Leelasuka, the great devotee of Krishna; I had read it in the “Krishna Karnaamritham.” I was in that house, enveloped in that inner joy for some time. Then, I rose and went towards the Nilayam. There, my attention was caught by something I had noticed in the morning, when Baba was giving His Discourse. There on the porch where He stood were a golden Image of Krishna on the right and a Golden Image of Bhagawan Buddha on His left. They were still there. Krishna, Sathya Sai, Buddha, different eras, different territories, but, the same teaching, the same Message. Leaving Prasanthi Nilayam with the prayer, “May I come again soon, may I come again soon,” I journeyed back to Bangalore the same day, recollecting the thrill and the joy that we got through His Grace.

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2010

Chinese New Year or the 1st day New Lunar month of Tiger Year was celebrated at NED center at 7.00pm, 14 February 2010.  We had our regular prayers including Om Mani Padme Hung x 108, Medicine Buddha Mantra, White Tara Mantra and The Long Dharani of Chenrezig.  Our bhajans included both Chinese and Sanskrit songs.  Sweet delicacies were served after arathi.

Sai Spiritual Showers - 11.02.2010

All of us have basked under the benign Grace of our dear Lord. I have this wonderful incident to narrate which points to the tip of the iceberg that Bhagawan’s Love really is. As I travel back to my yester years – the years of my college life in Coimbatore at Amrita Institute of Technology, I am reminded of my trips to Prasanthi Nilayam with my mother. By Bhagawan’s Grace we had lot of opportunities to have His Darshan and do a little bit of service too. During March 2000, unexpectedly, we were blessed to go to Prasanthi Nilayam during Sivaratri. How lucky we were to see the Lord of the Lords on the most auspicious Sivaratri day. We were seated at the rear, amidst thousands of devotees. Suddenly a thought came to my mind. If I were a student of Swami, I could certainly have had very close Darshan of the Lord. These thoughts slowly developed into a sincere yearning for the Lord……Swami listened to my intense prayers and my desire materialised when I got admitted into the MBA programme at Swami’s Institute, the next year, in 2001. Every day in His Presence was a learning experience for me. Every Darshan reaffirmed that He always takes care of us. Every action of Swami is completely natural for Him, but miraculous for us. I have seen Him creating rings and curing so many people. I have seen the Lord act like a mother to His devotees and also as a friend at times. But I experienced something more than all this on the Sivaratri Day in 2004. We started for Darshan from the Hostel quite early – around 12:00 p.m. and were seated in the Mandir. There was a mad rush with each one trying to catch a vantage point, from where the Lingodbhavam could be seen clearly. Bhagawan came at around 3:30 p.m. A few students and staff spoke in the Divine Presence sharing their experiences and then, the Lord showered us with His nectarine words. He declared, “My students are My Property. I will protect them and guide them wherever they go. They need not worry at all. They are My very life.” All of us were overwhelmed to hear such loving words from Swami and tears welled up in my eyes. When His Discourse was coming to an end, He asked us to have dinner and then return to the Mandir to continue with the Akhanda Bhajans throughout the night. He gave us a promise that He would come at night to give us Darshan again. We did as instructed by Swami. Minutes ticked by, hours ticked by and exactly at 01:35 a.m., Swami, as He had promised, arrived in the Sai Kulwant Hall. This was amazing, for Bhagawan had never come out for Darshan at such an ‘unearthly’ hour. Rendering of Bhajans was at its peak. Swami entered the Mandir Portico and stood near the brass railings. I was watching Him from the time He got down from the car. No words were spoken but so much was being communicated in silence. He smiled at all the boys seated over there and I was right in the front line. I could not believe my eyes. As promised, Swami had come and He, the Shiva-Shakti Swaroopa, was just in front of me. It was an unforgettable experience! On Sivaratri night, millions of people around the world chant prayers to the Lord in temples …..Billions crave for a sight of the Lord….. I thought for a while about my uncle, who on Sivaratri, goes to Shiva temples at midnight to have the Darshan of Lord Shiva in an idol. Here, the same Lord Shiva in Physical Form stood in front of me! There was a quiver in my heart. I was dumbstruck! I sat with my hands folded and my eyes filled with tears of extreme joy. Ecstasy cannot find an expression in any language. We see the Lord everyday at Prasanthi Nilayam, but this was certainly a different experience. I am grateful to Bhagawan for educating me not only in His Institute, but in the University of Life itself. Let us all pledge to play our humble roles in the Divine Mission of Bhagawan. "Do not grieve that the Lord is testing you and putting you to the ordeal of undergoing them. For, it is only when you are tested that you can assure yourself of success or become aware of your limitations. You can then concentrate on the subjects in which you are deficient and pay more intensive attention, so that you can pass in them too, when you are tested again. You should not study for the examination at the last moment; study well in advance and be ready with the needed knowledge and the courage and confidence born out of that knowledge and skill. What you have studied well in advance must be rolled over and over in the mind, just previous to the examination; that is all that should be done, then. This is the pathway to victory." - Bhagawan Baba (Sanathana Sarathi, March 1963)

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 2/29

A group of Sai devotees once requested Bhagawan to inaugurate a new temple in their town. But Bhagawan refused to comply with their request on the ground that black market cement was used for constructing the temple. When the devotees pleaded not guilty, Bhagawan revealed to them that the so called Sai devotee who had donated some cement bags for the construction of the temple had illegally saved them from out of the cement allotted to him as a contractor for constructing a dam. Hence Bhagawan's refusal. A Vedic scholar was asked by Bhagawan to get out of His presence when he was seated in the midst of some students and other devotees at Whitefield. When the pundit showed signs of bewilderment as to why Bhagawan was so harsh to him, he admonished the latter, saying that it was a crime for a Vedic pundit to profess to be a Sai devotee and at the same time to indulge in illegal malpractices by way of lending money to poor and illiterate villagers without proper licence from the Government, and that too, at exorbitant rates of interest. The third incident relates to a Commercial Tax Officer in Orissa, who once made use of his official jeep to take his family and a few neighbours to visit a cave temple of Shiva in the interior of a dense forest on a 3000 feet high mountain. On their way back the jeep got stuck in a hill stream and refused to budge an inch. The dark night was gathering fast. An hour's struggle to extricate the jeep was in vain. The officer was terribly scared, because the jungle was known to be infested with wild animals as well as dacoits, and his party consisted mostly of women and children. As he happened to be a Sai devotee, he fervently prayed to Bhagawan in utter desperation. Lo and behold! There appeared on the spot four Sathya Sai Seva Dal volunteers who rescued the party by pulling out the jeep, and then vanished in a second. Thus by Bhagawan's grace, the officer and the party reached home safely. However, Bhagawan taught him a lesson not to misuse the Government vehicle for private purposes, by immobilising his jeep and thereby creating panic in him and his party. About a decade ago, a recluse of forty-five summers by name Kalpagiri came to Prasanthi Nilayam. No one could guess that this so called "monk" was a wolf in the garb of a sheep. Four years earlier, he committed a ghastly murder and to escape from punishment by the due process of law, he made good his escape by donning the saffron robe and wandering in the Himalayas and other places of pilgrimage. As soon as the Omniscient Baba saw Kalpagiri in the Darshan line, He called him inside and told him during the interview: "My dear Kalpagiri! How can the saffron robe or visits to Rishikesh and other holy places rid you of the sin of murder? Enough of your roaming in the guise of a Sanyasi for the last four years. Go now to the Police station and surrender yourself there. Experience your Karma by receiving the punishment due to you according to the laws of the land. When the death sentence is declared, file your clemency petition to the President. I will save you. You will not be hanged. You have my protection to atone for your heinous sin, through devotion, in this very birth. Come on, this sacred saffron robe does not befit you. Take this white cloth." Saying so in a tone that combined love and sternness, Bhagawan gave Kalpagiri a white dhoti. Accordingly, Kalpagiri surrendered himself to the Police. The case was taken up. Though he confessed his guilt, the judge awarded him the capital punishment, as the crime was of a heinous nature. In line with Bhagawan's direction, a clemency petition was submitted to the President of the Indian Union. Eventually, Kalpagiri received the President's pardon. Death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and Kalpagiri became an ardent devotee of Bhagavan, spreading his beneficial influence on the other convicts too. In conclusion, it may be seen from what is stated above that where there is a will, there is a way either to scrupulously abide by the Governmental rules and regulations or to violate them for selfish reasons, in disregard of the common good for which such laws are made by Government.

The Grace of God cannot be won through the gymnastics of reason, the contortions of Yoga or the denials of asceticism. Love alone can win it, Love that needs no requital, Love that knows no bargaining, Love that is paid gladly, as tribute to the All Loving, Love that is unwavering. Love alone can overcome obstacles however many and mighty. There is no strength more effective than Purity, no bliss more satisfying than Love, no joy more restoring than Bhakthi, no triumph more praiseworthy than Surrender. The Gita says, you must be "adweshtaa sarva bhoothaanaam", without hatred to all beings; but, that is not enough. A wall has no hatred towards any being! But is that the ideal? No, you must positively Love all beings, actively Love, actively engage yourself in acts of Love. That alone wins the Grace you crave for.