Issue 264 - February 13, 2022 | | Sairam Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is only when we can give up all that which drives us to pursue paltry pleasures, and turn within to taste the nectarine bliss of Divinity that exists over there, we have transformed ourselves! But after engaging in sevā, how do we know that the sevā was good for us and will help us evolve and transform ourselves? Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai often reminds us that sacrificing one's own ego, desires and attachments is what matters. He says, "Everyone has to get rid of their rust and dust. sevā is mainly to reduce your ego. If after doing the sevā, you feel more humble and grateful, then it means the sevā was good. The more good sevā you do, the more humble you will become and your ego will gradually diminish." Sairam Bhuvana Santhanam | | ātmano mokshārtam (Emancipation of one's self) | | What is true love?
For fire, heat is its nature. For water, coolness is its nature. For human beings, the true nature is love. But we need to understand love in its many ways and forms. The love between a mother and a child is maternal love, between husband and wife, it can be referred to as attachment. Between two friends, it is friendship. The love between a teacher and student manifests as selfless service. These are all different lower forms of love, but it is necessary to understand what true love is.
In true love, there is only giving and never receiving. Any love that expects something in return, cannot be true love. Only selfless love, which arises in our hearts spontaneously, flows towards everybody and serves everybody can be called as 'true love'. We do love others but once we desire something from the people whom we love, it cannot remain in its true form – it becomes attachment. We have taken this human birth in order to learn this true love. Love keeps expanding all the time and never contracts. Broadness of mind is a hallmark of true love. Love desires only one thing – happiness and joy of everyone.
You have to recognise the fact that when everyone is happy, your happiness too is taken care off. If you want to be happy, you have to make others happy. You can become brothers and sisters in the true sense only when you can derive joy from others' success. Sharing others' sorrows and joys is the nature of true brotherhood. Developing the feeling of 'Brotherhood of Man' and 'Fatherhood of God' is real sharing of love. Love gives and forgives; Self gets and forgets. Whatever others may do, we have to follow our dharma. It is better that we die practising our dharma than following somebody else's dharma. Only when you practise the dharma of selfless love, you can call yourself human beings.
You have to shower love on everybody – whether others criticise you or hate you or love you, it is not of any matter to you. You have to keep doing your work. You should have friendliness and compassion for everybody. You should always be content and have complete control over the mind. Only such a devotee is very dear to God. A dear devotee – one who is very dear to God – is one who unifies his thought, words and deed and offers everything to God. You have to respect everybody whether others respect us or not. Only when you practise your dharma, can you be referred to as human beings. The dharma of love is the atma dharma and it is the eternal dharma. Why so many lakhs of people follow Me, practise what I say and love Me? It is because I practise the dharma of love all the time. If you have selfless love with you all the time, all things will find fulfilment.
An excerpt from the Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on June 05, 2016. | | Everything is Within Us
By Gaayathri Pancharatnam Teacher, Malaysia
It was the final year, when I was about to finish my higher education and about to graduate when I met Swami for the first time during the 'World Youth Meet' at Sai Ananda ashram, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I vividly recall the feeling, wherein an indescribable wave of love and happiness swept over me for the very first time in my entire life. That feeling stayed as a reminder to me post event and helped me to get involved in a variety of sevā activities, such as serving food to the homeless, assisting the team in the 'human values education classes' for underprivileged children, singing bhajans in temples every weekend, etc.
Choosing a career path and acquiring a job has been a worry for me since I graduated as an engineer; at that point in time, I met many spiritually inclined individuals, who have advised me to constantly recite the 'Gayatri mantra' every day, and learn to chant the vedam as well. It was a blessing to have met Swami for the first time during the World Youth Meet. It just so happened that I landed a job as a teacher. I was taken aback by the turn of events which unfolded in my life. The more I chanted the Gayatri mantra and practised letting go of all my worries and tensions, constantly reinforcing the thought and believing that Swami would take care of everything that came my way. Participating in sevā activities selflessly, to serve needy individuals, we realise the Divinity in ourselves, build courage in oneself and complete surrender towards Swami.
The scale of many sevā activities were drastically either decreased during the pandemic due to travel restrictions or totally cut down. We were still able to provide food to homeless. Human values class was then conducted online instead, to engage children in values based activities on a continuous basis. During the pandemic, I became distracted, succumbed to laziness, and made excuses to not to focus on my daily spiritual sādhana. At that time, I had the opportunity to join the social media team, which was working on a variety of projects for Swami. This allowed me to serve Swami in a small way while also allowing me to let go of the sense of doer ship and focus back on my daily sādhana.
To conclude it all, I personally feel that the key to reach our ultimate destination–Self-realisation lies in our hands. Swami is the one who is helping us to tread this path, holding our hands and showing us the right way. Now it is on us, whether we utilise this golden opportunity or lose it! | | To help reach Sri Sathya Sai Baba's human values-based education to the world, and to resuscitate the humanness of humanity, the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence launched a unique, first-of-its-kind Institute of Human Values, to offer tailor-made courses totally free of any charges, curated by experts from around the world. The Vision of the Institute is to make better humans in their personal and professional spheres, by making them more sensitive towards society's needs and exploring ways of their contribution to society in a meaningful and selfless manner, thereby creating a sense of global citizenship and responsibility.
The courses will help an individual balance the inside and outside, while progressively being a better human being, that will ultimately help him or her unravel the true meaning and purpose in life.
Learning from the heart is spiritual awakening, Baba would say. The Institute of Human Values is the first step to help lead the world into the beautiful awareness of its heart – a heart that operates from the universal human values of Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa.
| | A surrendered mind will flow effortlessly without any obstructions. Only a mind which isn't surrendered or have not become one with the cosmic consciousness/mind will suffer regardless. The process for gradually progressing and merging the individual consciousness into the cosmic consciousness is—Rise up from the petty individual thinking (jñāna ātmani) → collective thinking (mahati ātmani) → no mind, no thinking (śānta ātmani). When one's life starts flowing without any efforts and blockages only then can one be called as ati āśramin.
The Indian scriptures say that the Brahman/puruṣa lives within everyone in a space called hṛdayākāśa, the space which is one palm span above navel and one palm span below the Adam's apple. It is also said that this space appears to be like an inverted lotus flower. All of this cannot be found in the human anatomy. These are in a subtle plane and only the inner eye can withhold or perceive the ultimate.
In episode 44, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai explains about the place where Brahman resides in everyone quoting from various scriptures and narrating the inner essence of them through His personal experiential knowledge. | | INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK | | "Richness is not by having many possessions, but richness is being content with oneself."
– PBUH Prophet Muhammad | | jagat hitāya (Welfare of the World) | | Distribution of Snacks
In the month of February, about 170 beneficiaries were provided with snacks and refreshments like fruits, biscuits, laban (buttermilk), chocolates and water. These snacks and refreshments are being provided to various cleaning staff members at different locations. During the days, their work is mostly all hard & physical labour and these refreshments are more than just filling their stomachs. They bring them a sense of relief, a feeling of being cared for and loved by someone, a sense of being noticed and appreciated for their hard work. | | | | | | |
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