Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/55


Our car stopped in front of a house at Pinner. The name board ‘Om Sai’ welcomed us. We pressed the calling bell. An elderly lady opened the door and said, "Come in, Manian! Come, Lalitha!" We entered the drawing room, heavily carpeted and artistically kept. There was the fragrance of incense in the air. In a few minutes, the master was seen descending the stairs, with his genial voice and a beaming smile. "Come, Come,” he was saying, invitingly. We knew it was Mr Sitaram. "I was yearning since years to meet you. This is Sai Baba's House. He has a room for Himself, here. Come up and see,” he said.
We went up the steps. There, we saw a portrait of Sathya Sai Baba, tastefully decorated; it thrilled us to the core. "Has He visited this place?" I enquired. Mrs Sitaram entered the shrine, with the words, "He is here! If we delay the evening Arati a few minutes any day, He knocks the door to alert us!" I looked at her in amazement. "Yes! Every evening we have Arati at 5:30. If we are unfortunately engrossed elsewhere, He knocks and reminds. We won’t find anyone inside the shrine! ‘Pardon us, Krishna’, I would say, and wave the Arati singing the Arati song - Why? You find it hard to believe, do you? Well, You are the very person who brought Baba to us!"
"How is that? Me, bringing Baba to you?" I wondered. It was Sitaram who spoke now: "Yes, Mr Manian! You opened our eyes and hearts, so that He may enter. That has made our lives worthwhile. We have every week Bhajan sessions in this house. Many brothers and sisters, British and Indian, join us those days. His Grace, His Divine Miracles have won them over to Faith in God. "If it is your will that I should marry this man who has proposed to me, let that flower on your picture fall into my hand," prayed a girl; and, it fell right into her palm! Direct answers to prayer are a daily act of Grace here. Why, the fact that I did not know of Him while in India, but, only later, when I came here - that itself is a miracle. Isn’t it?
"Just a little doubt,” "How did I bring Him to you?" I interceded. He said, "Some years ago, you had published in the ‘Anandavikatan’ of Madras a review of the Tamil version of the biography of Baba. That drew me to Him. I am now conveying my gratitude to you.” I said I had not gone to Him, as yet. "Try, as soon as you reach home,” he advised. After lunch, during which they told me many incidents revealing Baba's constant Presence with them and others in Britain as elsewhere, I drove back to London. We sat silent and stunned. "Could it be true? How could it be untrue?" We were tossed on the waves of exhilaration and expectation.
Jack who was at the wheel of the taxi interrupted the stream of thought,"Sir! Was that the name of the gentleman? Om Sai?" I told him of Sai and the Grace and Glory of Sai as related by Sitaram. Jack advised me when I finished, "Ah, what a wonderful land is India! Its greatness rests on the eternal truths discovered and treasured in the ancient past. Do not, for humanity's sake, discard the treasure in the pursuit of what is called progress and development.” I took leave of him at the airport, where I boarded the plane to Paris.


Monday, June 25, 2012

28th Annual General Meeting


The 28th Annual General Meeting for NED Centre was held on 24th June, 2012, immediately after arathi, at 8.00pm.  Our Penang State Coordinator, Bro Mathavan, was present as a witness for the event.  

Minutes of the previous AGM was read through and confirmed as well as the accounts.  This was followed by the selection of a new committee, with Bro Thum Koh Teik continuing as the Chairman, Bro Lim Soon Kheng as the Secretary, and Bro Ong Lean Hong as the Treasurer.  The existing auditors, Bro Theng Kah Nyean and Bro Gan Boon Teong, has agreed to carry on with their services for another term.  As for the the wing coordinators, it will be announced by Bro Thum in a week or two.

Refreshments was served at the close of the meeting.




Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/54


To earn the Grace of God, you have to pray to the Personified Power with Name and Form; it is your yearning that decides in what form the Lord appears. You call and He answers. If you are not earnest, if you feel indifferent, and say, “Let Him come when He wills, in the Form He likes and with the Name He prefers." He will not come at all. Call on Him with anguish; He will respond.
In Rajasthan, there was a priest who worshipped the image of Balakrishna installed in the temple, attached to the palace of Udaipur. His name was Devesa. His story may not be found anywhere but since he was intimately connected with Me, I know him very well. Every night he used to "put Balakrishna to sleep" with appropriate ritual and close the door of the shrine; but, before he came out, he would take from the head of the Image, the mallika garland he had placed there in the evening and wear it himself, before proceeding home. Of course, on those days on which the Maharana visited the temple, the garland had to be given to him, for wear.
One day, however, the Maharana came immediately after the priest had worn it inside his tuft of hair; so, when the Ruler demanded the flower, he had to get inside the shrine and, slyly remove it from his tuft, hand it reverentially back to him. The Maharana was happy that he had not missed the gift; but, was shocked to find in it a strand of gray hair! Suspecting some trick, he shouted angrily. "What! has our Balakrishna grown old and gray?" The priest, to save his skin, said "Yes." The Maharana replied. "Well, I shall not disturb Him now; but, early tomorrow, I shall come and see if His hair has really gone gray."
Devesa had no food or sleep that night. He wept his eyes out in agony, for, he had in his fear, imposed old age and grayness on the ever-youthful Lord. Morning came and the Maharana hurried to the temple to open the shrine. They both looked in and, lo, the hair was gray. The King suspected that the hair was false, planted by the priest. So he pulled and tugged at it, only to find drops of blood at the roots. God had responded to the anguished cry, the call of agony. The Formless will assume any form and undergo any transformation to satisfy the yearning of the devoted aspirant. The overriding purpose is to make all Karma-jivis, Brahma-jivis.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Penang State Ladies Activity 2012


The Penang State Ladies Wing got together on Sunday, June 17th, 2012, for a morning of activities.  There was a health talk on bones delivered by Bro Dr Aruljoethy Ratnasingham, followed by Making Chinese Paper Lanterns and Tying Flower Garlands.  A total number of twenty eight ladies attended this activity held at Penang Harbour Trade Centre.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Gayathri Mantra by Sathya Sai Baba

Jyothi (Light) Meditation - Full Version

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/53


Dasara, 1944: One night, there was a grand procession of Baba seated in a floral palanquin. I was eager to take a photograph, but couldn’t. So, I begged Baba to keep the palanquin intact and allow me to take the picture with Him seated in it, when day broke. He agreed, and I was happy. But, my husband wanted to leave for Bangalore and I had to start, before dawn. Seeing my plight, a photographer who had come to Puttaparthi (Baba was then residing at the `Old' Mandir, adjacent to the village) assured me that he would take the snap and send my camera with the film, to me through my servant, whom I left behind.
When the servant came to Bangalore, he brought the camera empty! He said the man had clicked the photo, but, refused to hand over the film. He will send it after developing it, from Madras!
I wrote two letters to him but, he replied that he had sent the camera, to me, with the film!
In my despair, I asked Baba about it. He said, `It is with Him at Madras; the picture has come out well; I shall get it for you!'
Dasara, 1945: At Puttaparthi, I took out my camera, as usual to take a picture of Baba, during one of the festival days. I was taking out a roll of film from my box, when my friend told me that it was already loaded! I was surprised at this; we took it out and found it was a used one!
When it was developed at Bangalore, it was found to be the one which was with the photographer at Madras! How it came from his shelf into my camera is known only to Baba or those who know Baba.

SHIRDI SAI AND SATHYA SAI ARE ONE

A devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba came to the village, Puttaparthi, on hearing that Baba has come again, as Avatar. He asked Baba, when He was sitting among the devotees engaged in some spiritual discussion, “Baba! Please give me some proof that You Are Shirdi Sai Baba, the same Baba that i am worshipping since years!" Baba smiled and said, lifting up His Hands, `Look at these Hands!'
Every one of us looked up to see what the proof was, which the Hands held. Lo and behold! One hand was hard, aged and with grey hairs - the Hand of Shirdi Sai! And the other was tender, smooth and fair, the Hand of the teenage Sathya Sai!
We all gasped in wonder. The man who demanded proof fell at Baba's Feet, and the Hand became the hand we knew. He said, "Pardon me, Baba. I have now no trace of doubt. Take me into the fold!" Baba replied, "You are in the fold, since 30 years, why seek to enter it now?"

THE DIVINE DOCTOR

One day when I was at the Old Mandir the parents of a sickly boy who was suffering from chronic insufferable pain in the stomach came with him into the Presence of Baba. They had gone the round of all the major hospitals; the highest experts had advised operation and they feared to take the risk. Baba said, as soon as they spoke about the boy, "Yes! I shall do what the doctors advised you to get done, I shall operate now!" So saying, He took the boy into the small room where Bhagawan used to spend the day.
When the door was closed behind Him, the parents waited outside and prayed aloud, "Swami! Swami! Save our boy!" It must have taken about fifteen minutes only. Baba opened the door and told the parents, "It is all over! Go in and see.” At this, the parents wailed aloud! For, they took Him to mean that the boy had lost his life; but Baba said, "Why do you weep? The boy is quite well. Go in and see!" They went in and saw the boy, happy and smiling; there were clear indications of an operation having been performed.
All of us went in and saw this ‘marvellous’ boy blessed by His Grace.
He started moving about within a few hours; they went home, their hearts filled with gratefulness and faith in Baba being Bhagawan Himself.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/52


THE GUESS CAME TRUE

 “Where had You been, Swami?” we asked Him, when He sat up and leaned back, on the wall. He answered, with a smile, as if He was not at all tired or exhausted after the twenty-minute-absence from the body. “Oh! I had been to Dehra Dun!” We were astonished! We asked Him what was the urgency for the visit, what was the calamity which had to be averted, who was the Bhakta involved, etc. He said that it was not a ‘calamity’ this time, but it was a dying person to whom He had to give His Darshan, at the time of death. “That was why you saw Vibhuti issue from My mouth. When I give Darshan to a dying person, that happens. Remember this.” We searched our memories for the name and address of the Dehra Dun devotee but, we could not recall any one’s name. Then Baba Himself volunteered the information. He said, “Don’t you remember Dr. Krishna, the Lady Medical Officer from Vellore, who comes here often? It was her mother who passed away ten minutes ago, at Dehra Dun.” And, He was speaking to three of us, in His room at the Prasanthi Nilayam at Puttaparthi, on 15th November 1958, at 5:40 P.M.! At 5:20 P.M. that day, while Baba was reading out a letter He suddenly shouted, “Ha!” as if He was answering some one calling Him from afar and He fell on the floor, as if He had thrown His body and left it in a trice, on a journey! There were two more in the room, besides myself and, we watched over Him helplessly, praying to Him, for what could we do other than that? At 5:30, Baba coughed thrice and there gushed from His mouth the sacred Vibhuti. We wondered what it could mean. Ten minutes later, He came back and sat up. It was then that we ventured to ask Him, “Where had You been, Swami?” We knew Dr. Krishna and had seen her at Puttaparthi and at Delhi, when Baba visited the home of the Doctor. When Baba was at Rishikesh, the mother had come down to the place and she had even the unique satisfaction of worshipping Baba. And, so we were glad that the mother was privileged to have the Darshan of the Lord, during her last moments. Baba told us, in answer to our questions, that Dr. Krishna was at her bedside at Dehra Dun, that she was actually there at the time He left, holding the pulse and that it was quiet and a happy death. He said that all the nearest and dearest were around the bed. “She was very pious lady and she got the death she deserved,” He said. “They are doing Bhajan in that room! The atmosphere is so pure and holy,” He announced. Surely, we thought, that was why Baba blessed the soul. We were all indeed lucky that we could witness this Manifestation of the Divine Mystery, for as Baba has often said, “Only the Lord can discern the exact moment of the liberation of a soul.” The 15th of November was a Saturday. On Tuesday, the 18th, the post brought an Inland Letter from Dehra Dun, which Baba gave me to read and when it was opened, lo, it was from Dr. Krishna herself! She had posted it on Sunday, with extra stamps and it had to come fast and flying to Baba’s Hands. “My mother drew her last breath,” it said, “at 5:30 P.M. yesterday.” Dr. Krishna had also written that they were doing Bhajan in the room for some time and that her mother was praying to Baba during her last moments. She concluded her letter thus, “I guess she had Your Darshan.” She guessed fifteen hundred miles away! And we were told by Baba at Prasanthi Nilayam that her guess had come true!