Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Spiritual Talk by Bro Sri Veda Narayana


NED members, together with 100 members from other centres, attended a spiritual talk presented by Bro Sri Veda Narayana at SSBC Glugor centre on May 27th, 2013.  The session began with Veda chanting from 7.15pm onwards and it was immediately followed with an hour talk by Bro Sri Veda Narayana.  

His talk was very inspiring as he touched on stories from the scriptures with relevance to modern day living.  Bro Sri Veda Narayana expounded on how we should spiritualize our daily activities in order to progress in our sadhana journey.

Wesak Day 2013


Wesak Day was celebrated on May 24th, 2013, beginning at 10.00am with prayers and bhajans.  Tibetan Buddhist mantras were also chanted to mark the auspicious occasion.

Our members watched a 10-minute video clip titled 'Little Buddha' on the awakening of Lord Buddha. It was followed with 'The Bathing Buddha' ceremony.

Namo Ami Tuofo!


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Saturday, May 25, 2013

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 4/2


SAI GEETHA - TO HERSELF


Come, oh Master, hear my bell calling You
Each day I am eagerly waiting for the hour
To place my flower—offer around Your halo
And sniffle: "Sai-Ram, Sai-Ram, Sai-Ram!"
Known to You as my soul's "Santhosham!"
To feel the pat of Your hand as a loving care;
Your hand, feeding me the fruits, as manna from heaven.
Though I am an earthly creation,
I am different from the human perfection.
I’m trained to kneel at Your Lotus Feet,
To bow my head in humble reverence.
They feed me, they bathe me, they tease me,
But it's the form alone that tastes and feels it all
I see not the shape of You as they do,
Only find all I am within, in THAT of You.
I understand not Your speeches of wisdom,
But their sound reverberates through my being.
For in the Eternal Source of Sound,
The Universal language of Love prevails,
So well understood by man and beast.
Still I have my moods of mockery,
When missing You, too long to the outer eyes,
Or being chained in my freedom, to run out to You;
Then, oh my Master, before Your Glorious Appearance
I droop, my trunk refuses to hold at the garland.
You whisper my name, melodiously, assuring;
And, yielding to the tenderness of Your attention
I lift up the garland in worship to You.
For ages in the past our souls understood;
And as now, you are my Beloved Master.
In ages to come, in form and in spirit,
I shall remain Your devoted servant.
To You I bow down, again and again,
Forever saying: "Sai-Ram, Sai-Ram, Pranam!”

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Mother's Day 2013


Mother's Day 2013 was celebrated at Silver Jubilee Home, Sungai Dua, Penang on My 19th, 2013.  Prayers and bhajans were conducted beginning 10.00am and it was followed by serving vegetarian lunch, fruits and ice-cream to more than 200 residents in the Home.


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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 4/1


We live in California and by the grace of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, we have visited Him, twice, in India. The first time was at Puttaparthi, a little over a year ago. The next time was in Bombay, when we attended the "World Conference of Sathya Sai Organisations". It was at this Conference that we were shown (by another delegate from California, a photographer himself) an outstanding picture of Baba, where on the gown of Baba, the picture of a clock, a clock marking spiritual progress, had miraculously appeared, when the camera was clicked. HE was then standing facing such a clock but, who could have imagined that it would appear on the gown HE was wearing?
We very much wanted one like it, but, could not get one in India. We thought Lee Halpersm had taken the photograph and we decided to ask Lee if he could make a print for us. We saw him several times; each time we went to ask him we were interrupted and so, we gave up the idea of asking him.
Next to my bedroom, we have the library and on the wall we have an electric clock. About 2 months ago, one night, the clock started banging against the wall.
I got out of bed and stood looking at it. It kept up the noise. I thought the best thing to do was to disconnect it, but, it would require moving a heavy chinese chest. So, I went back to bed; that moment the noise ceased! I thought we could get the clock cared for in the morning. My husband had not heard the noise.
The next night, too, when I went to bed, the clock started banging against the wall! I went in and pulled the chest away from the connection. As I looked down between the chest and the connection, I saw a small object, like a luminous watch, with hands on it. It was the picture we wanted so much, Sri Sathya Sai Baba wearing the spiritual watch!
What a thrill it was for us to know that God came into our house to give us our heart's desire! And where else would He put it but under clock?
And, how wonderful, He drew our attention to His gift, by the banging of the metal clock on the wall !!!

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/100


This transformation is of two types—mental and spiritual, (Swami corrects me saying that it is for good transformation, as transformation can be good or bad). We can take the example of Gautama Buddha who even after attaining `Nirvana' was not satisfied. He moved from place to place preaching to the people the joy of spiritual life and trying to transform them. He preached only what he had practised and realized.
Swami Himself is the greatest example in this, as He ‘works’ day and night for only one cause and that is to transform humanity into Divinity. It is for this reason alone that He has opened these educational institutions so that we may make the best use of our stay here. We are all aware that Swami's message is spreading to every nook and corner of the world. I will just narrate two incidents relating to people staying near the Pakistan border.
The first person is a farmer. He was at loggerheads with his neighbour over some land problem. Even after becoming Swami's devotee, he could not be on good terms with his neighbour. One day, as he was working in his field, his enemy came from behind and gave him a hard blow. Next minute, with the spade in his hands, he thought of paying him back in the same coin. But then, a sudden thought stopped him. He thought, as a Sai devotee, would such retaliation be proper on his part? This thought made him let that man (neighbour) go. The next morning when he got up from his bed he was all in smiles and full of peace. Do you know why? Swami had given him `darshan' in his dream, as though to commend his tolerance.
The second person is a carpenter. He had the good fortune of coming to this place (Prasanthi Nilayam) and seeing the activities going on here. After returning home the first thing he did was to end a twenty year old enmity with his neighbour. The entire village was stunned at this change. Such is the transformation happening outside.
We are all aware that Swami's method of transforming us is through His Infinite Love. Love goes straight to the heart and can melt the hardest of hearts.
There is a wonderful incident in the life of Basaveshwara; a well known social reformer of Karnataka, which proves the power of love. One night, some thieves entered his house. Hearing some noise his wife got up shouting, "thieves, thieves." Hearing her, Basaveshwara got up. Now, fully aware that the owner of the house was awake and that there was no chance for them to escape, the thieves started shivering. Basaveshwara went upto them, and what did he do? He added a few more valuables to their collection. When his wife objected, his answer was, "Their need is greater than ours, so let them have it." The thieves were surprised. They fell at his feet begging for pardon, took a vow never to steal again. It was the love of Basaveshwara which went straight into the hearts of these thieves and transformed them into better men.

Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/99


Has life any meaning? Or, is it a purposeless sojourn on earth? Are we merely being driven remorselessly, like dumb cattle, from the cradle to the cemetery? And, what is the journey like? It is only through a dark vale of tears, with occasional flashes of what is commonly called happiness. It looks as if we are drawn by an inexorable force; we find limitations binding us from every side. These thoughts naturally torment every thinking mind.
Friends! If you sincerely desire to get the answers to these and allied problems, go to Puttaparthi, where the supreme Guru, is ready to give you knowledge and peace. See Him, hear Him speak, grasp the way of life that He is teaching by His Own Life, watch the compassion and patience that is evident in His every act, the limitless grace that He showers, the tireless enthusiasm He has, for the uplift of humanity and the spontaneity with which all these Divine qualities are flowing from Him. If you have eyes to see, ears to hear and the capacity to think, it will not take you long to arrive at the Truth.
Life is a beginningless and unceasing manifestation of the One and only Truth, Sath-Chith-Ananda. The good and bad, happiness and sorrow, and similar dualities are mere concepts of your mind. You are, in fact and reality, Sath-Chith-Ananda and, not any of these material envelopments, body, mind and intellect. The latter change from moment to moment, but, you are the non-changing entity - the unchanging Witness!
The ego or jiva, which is no other than a thought, but, nevertheless, the root of all other thoughts centering round the nation of `I' and `mine' is the cause of all this mischief .
It parades as though it has an independent existence, when in reality it does not and cannot exist apart from the One Truth. Wrong identification by the Jiva or `i feeling’ with the body, the mind and the intellect makes it share the vicissitudes to which the latter, by their very nature, are subjects. If this identification is erased and you feel one with the ceaseless fount of Sath-Chith-Ananda, which is deep down in your own heart, the meaning of life stands revealed. The passing panorama, which we call nature, world, including the ego, is mere appearance, fleeting over the canvas of Truth, of Pure Absolute Consciousness.
Friends! We take pride in calling ourselves intelligent!
We explore the earth, the sea and space, but, we do not know who we are! Intelligence is misused by us, to tyrannise over one another and over the rest of creation. We use it for amassing riches, and pandering the senses - futile pursuits, since we all must die, leaving all the gains we strove to win. Nor do these pursuits give us a sense of fulfilment, for, one `achievement' fans the desire for more.
Baba tells us that we are seeking happiness through these means, because our nature itself is happiness or bliss. We resent limitations or finitude, because we are really infinite by nature. The ego seeps infinite or permanent bliss, but, in its ignorance, it seeks it in the finite world. Baba tells us that we are, in fact, seeking our own nature, in striving to find bliss, here and now. But, we have to find it, in ourselves, and not outside us. It is the kernel of each of us! Reverse the process, Baba says. Instead of running after the fleeting pleasures that the world can offer, try to shut out the mind from the outside a world, and from the turmoil of thoughts gurgling within. Instal Sarveswara (the Lord of All), embodied in whichever Form you like - or, without Form, as a Principle or Power in simple Awareness - and train the mind to abide there. A day will come, when the Truth will dawn, in a flash, and the Witness within us, wi ll reveal itself. Try to reach the source from where the ego springs, says Baba. `Abide there and you will realise your nature, which is Sath-Chith-Ananda.'
Baba is not only the haven of the sincere seeker; He is the refuge of the maimed, the sick, the ailing, the unhappy, the persons afflicted with all kinds of material desires. Each and every one derives comfort and joy from Him.
What is most important is, that all are ultimately weaned from worldly entanglement and snares, and directed to the Abode of Truth, and guided along the road leading to it in conformity with his power of understanding and inclination.
Prasanthi Nilayam (the Abode of Peace) is where the All pervading Truth has come to preside in Human form. It is spreading the Gospel of Sathyam Sivam and Sundaram, for the benefit of troubled humanity.
Friends! If you have not found your way to Prasanthi Nilayam, and surrendered at the Feet of Baba, make haste. Now is the time! Life is short. If you tarry, great is your loss!