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| Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012 THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Everyone is anxious to avoid old age and death; it is human nature to be anxious. But of what avail is mere anxiety? Your conduct and behaviour should be in accordance with your objective. If you have sincere yearning and place your full trust and faithfully surrender to the Lord, He will melt the fog of grief by the rays of His Grace. If you place your trust on the objects of this world, the consequent grief will never end, nor can they be ended by anyone other than the Lord. Serve the Master of maya (illusion), the Designer of all this dreamland, rather than the dream itself. - Sri Sathya Sai Baba  Yesterday's Thought Date: Friday, April 27, 2012 Religion (called matham in Sanskrit) is based on the urge that moves the 'mind' (mathi). If the urge is divine, we have a divine religion. If it is bestial, then the things held lovable and desirable will be bestial too. Join the particular to the Universal, the limited to the Unlimited, the river to the Sea - this is the process called Yoga. You can accomplish this through any path, devotion, wisdom or action. The Geetha, which explains these paths, was itself the result of Arjuna's surrender. You must develop this attitude of 'merging' with the divine in all that you do, this attitude of dedication and surrender to His Will. This is the best means of realising Him. - Sri Sathya Sai Baba |
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2012-04-28
28-04-2012 - THOUGHT FOR THE DAY AS WRITTEN AT PRASANTHI NILAYAM TODAY
2012-04-27
Experiencing the Divine – From the Form to the Formless
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Experiencing the Divine – From the Form to the FormlessThursday, April 26, 2012
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| Dr. Samuel Sandweiss, a familiar name among Sai Fraternity gave an exposition of his version of Bhagawan's omnipresence, speaking as a participant in the colloquium on the theme, "Experiencing the Divine – From the Form to the Formless". Here is the full transcript of the speech. Dearest Beloved Swami who is omnipresent and always with us, pranams at Your divine lotus feet. I pray that Your love comes through these words so that we have your darshan. Respected members of revered ashrams of sacred India, esteemed elders, brothers and sisters, how happy I am to be here with you today – gathered as a family with Swami, aware of His presence, feeling as one in His love. Swami has told us that although we all look different – "I say 'I,' you say 'I,' he says 'I,' she says 'I,' all seem different in physical appearance – we all are one in the experience of 'I.'" Yes, we are all one in the 'I' of Sai! This is a very auspicious time, as we reflect on a passing: a passing of something that does not come or go. What brings us here is a form that is formless, a light that dissolves differences and unites us in love. Today's topic gives me the opportunity to reflect on Swami's omnipresence. Omnipresence means that He is always with us, ever providing and protecting – and that we can be with Him, in His various forms, or formless, whenever we turn to Him. He can appear to us in any way He wills. Swami has left His physical body, but He is still with us in many forms: in dreams, visions, vibhuti, visitations, a sense of His presence. In His Universal form He can be found in all beings and is manifesting in all world religions and traditions in their forms of worship. And in the formless? My understanding of the formless is that it is infinite silence, eternal peace, emptiness of desires and attachments: pure love, which is everything. Swami has given us what scientists have been seeking for years–the theory of everything — summed up in His seemingly simple advaitic statement, "Everything is nothing–and nothing is everything." As I understand this inconceivable statement — there is no separation — only one–and that one is everything — that one is love. Love is the basis — the cause of all causes. This is a vision into the core of creation and the path to peace. Swami once described this state to me–"every thing is coming out of you"–He said –and then– holding my shirt pocket open He added — "and when every thing comes out, Swami jumps in" – and Swami dove His fingers into my pocket. Swami not only tells us that He is ever-present when we turn to Him; He also tells us why He is with us. It is to awaken us from the dream – from our attachment to the physical body and sensory world – so that consciousness soars into the region of oneness with Him. Pure love. He comes to help us realize: "What exists is only the perceiver of both the dream and waking state. That is the "I." Know that "I"–and know that "I" is the same as God." Swami comes to help us realize that Self is God, as the bhajan goes: "I am God, I am God, I am no different from God. I am love, I am truth, I am peace eternally. I am Sath Chit Ananda Swarupa." And Swami not only tells us why divinity is with us in form and formless, but also how to come to Him: "Knowing the 'I' – the Self – can only be achieved through intense spiritual discipline devoid of anger, envy, and greed." Eliminating anger, envy, and greed – the purification of the mind through upholding dharma – the practice of love: this is the highest spiritual discipline, which reveals our divine Self. Swami once asked what I would like, and I replied, "You Swami," not knowing exactly what I was asking for – only that being with Swami was the source of my highest happiness. "Take me I'm yours," He said, holding His arms out as if hugging the universe. "But who am I? I'm not this body: these feelings, thoughts, mind. I am not intellect, not bliss – then who am I?" Yes, who am I – that is the question to consider today. And the answer is found in Swami's omnipresent love. By turning to Him, by practicing His teachings of love and service, we enter into Him. "Love all, as you love me," He says, and then we realize that the answer to the question, "Who am I?" is – So Hum, So Hum, So Hum: I am He, I am He, I am He. OMNIPRESENCE I personally have experienced Swami's omnipresence most intensely when doing His work. For instance, my wife Sharon and I have hosted a Sai Baba Center in our home for over 38 years. Involvement with Swami's devotional, educational, and service activities over these years has had a deep effect on my inner life. Developing this kind of close relationship – bringing Him into all activities, while releasing consequences and selfishness – makes the connection profoundly personal. One of my friends was so taken with Swami's personal love that he clung to His feet and cried out, "Oh Swami, I love you so much! I want you to be my personal Swami – only for me." And Swami replied, "I am your personal Swami. I'm everyone's personal Swami." Story 1 – Swami is omnipresent, so look for Him, find Him, everywhere and in everyone – and find our real Self. One day as a young psychiatrist, I was called to see a patient in the locked unit of a psychiatric hospital. He was a middle-aged, wasted and weathered man who had been picked up on the street in a confused state. He had not bathed for days, was incoherent, dirty, and reeked of an awful odor. What to do with such a man? He had been burned over 70% of his body, with most of his ears, eyelids and nose burned off. You could see just the holes on the front of his face where his nose had been. Unsightly scars deformed his body and contracted his hands. I wondered how he could stand to be in such a body. I wanted to leave. Then I remembered: "This must be Swami," reminding myself that if Swami were to come to me, He could do it to show me my weakness: my inability to see Him in everyone. "My God, this must be Swami," I thought. Not only did I think that this tortured soul was Swami, I had a strange inner feeling, much deeper than thought, that this person actually was Swami. In an instant I experienced a wonderful transformation of my feelings and thinking. I liked this man! I wanted to be in his presence. I looked deeply into his eyes to see if I could see Swami looking back – and I thought that I could. I looked at his deformed lips, trying to make out Swami's smile – and I thought that I could. I wanted a smile from him. I wanted to do my best for him. Remembering Swami brought an instant awareness of His teachings about Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema, and Ahimsa. I wanted this patient to have peace. I didn't want to ignore him in any way. When I came to see him every day I felt I was having Darshan of Swami. Remembering Swami transformed me into my real Self. How could this transformation come about? When mind turns to the Master, do we align ourselves with mere mental memory, or with an indescribable power beyond mind that is capable of turning bondage to freedom? This story about the power of remembering the Master does not prove that we are actually connected to divine energy. But the achievements of Swami's devotees, inspired by His love, are of such a reach and radiance that this expanded expression of love is strong evidence that we are aligning ourselves with something all-powerful and beyond mind. We are all aware of the temples of healing, providing free care – cardiac, neurologic, orthopedic, eye and more – 11 million people in severe drought-stricken areas of India receive free clean drinking water daily — the wonderful Shri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, which provides a free education to thousands of sterling students. Not only here in India, but worldwide, institutions of Swami's love are blossoming. Award-winning projects like the "Miracle School" of Victor Kanu in Zambia, Africa, where disturbed children are transformed into shining examples of character and productivity…medical camps in Russia and beyond…disaster response teams dispatched to flood and earthquake areas…food and clothing distributed world-wide…values-based education programs emerging around the globe. Swami assures us that our connection with Him is more than mortal or mental – it is a direct channel to divinity beyond time and death. We are His instruments of love. And there's no greater expression of Swami's divinity then the wisdom He has showered on us. In discourses and books Swami enlightens us about the lives of Avatars like Rama and Krishna and others, told in the first person: spiritual texts like the Gita, Mahabharata, and Bhagavata, related in exciting detail and with new insights – the brilliant teachings of the vahinis, and much more. All bringing an understanding of unparalleled clarity and revealing Swami's Divinity. Swami can expound on the most esoteric teachings – the chakras, kundalini, mantras, meditation, pranayama – but the highest spiritual practice, He says, is virtue. It is the practice of love that upholds Dharma and brings happiness to all. Swami clarifies how Dharma purifies mind and uplifts society. The subtlest impurities of mind are exposed when we interact together in service with an attitude of detachment from the consequences. By turning inward, identifying and then releasing selfishness, ego, lust, anger, etc., the mind enters the heart where it finds bliss and love. This is the path to perfecting culture and to world peace. Today, miracles are still happening in abundance – and many of us sense Swami's intimate guidance while we do His work. I personally have experienced no greater example of His omnipresent guidance than the following event that began 29 years ago and is still continuing. Story 2 – This is a story about how Swami is always guiding and protecting, how he can manifest himself to us at any time, in any way He wills – even to me in San Diego, California, 12,000 miles from his physical form. Early in our relationship, Sai Baba told me that He would come to me in my practice of psychiatry. I thought that perhaps He would help me understand more deeply how holding to virtues and values affects our emotional growth far more than is generally understood by Western psychiatry. Then shortly thereafter, in 1983, something very unusual occurred. A Caucasian patient of mine, a young woman with no prior knowledge of Sanskrit – who knew nothing about Hinduism–suddenly, began speaking Sanskrit out of the blue! I had been treating Jackie for about ten years for severe headaches and a seizure disorder. She required social support, including food and financial assistance. One day she told me that Sai Baba had come to her with a message in a strange language, while she was in a dreamlike state. I initially thought this was her imagination and an attempt to gain my attention. I told her that if she was visited again, and could remember the strange words, to call my answering machine and record them for me. I was dumbfounded when, two days later, I heard my young patient speaking Sanskrit like a scholar on my answering machine. What was the meaning of this occurrence, outside the understanding of modern science? Jackie said that it was Sai Baba who was visiting her with messages for believers. VIDEO 1 – Here is a video clip showing how I first heard the messages on my answering machine. In this clip we are in my office; Jackie was in pain, with right facial weakness. I was about to admit her to a psychiatric hospital, and played the tape to see what she could recall. Not only was she able to recall the Sanskrit, Jackie was able to write it down phonetically – and, even more surprisingly, to translate it. As the event unfolded, vibuthi and amrita began appearing on her pictures, in her Christian Bible, and on her body. I picked up a video camera and began recording. Years later, when I had time to deal with the video material, a student of Sanskrit helped me decipher the "messages." Jackie identified Swami as the speaker and said that He referred to Himself as Parabrahman: the Boundless, the Imperishable. Profound insights of Vedanta flowed from the mouth of a disabled naïve Western patient – a leala of the highest order! A refrain in almost all the messages was: "Whatever form a divine being wills to be, that form the divine being becomes." Swami had literally and concretely appeared in my practice of psychiatry. VIDEO 2 – Swami refers to Himself as Parabrahman and the director of our Yajna to bring heaven on earth. Following, translated from the Sanskrit, are excerpts from the video describing various forms of Swami. I believe the messages are for all believers. "Believer, I am the boundless – a non-beating sound: anahata sabda – I am Sai Baba. "I am Daivi Prakriti: the electrical energy in the universe of manifestations. "Charity of LOVE immortal: Dana. "I am Buddha of light. "I am Truth – there is no religion higher than truth. "I am Sai Baba, your director in our Yajna. "I am your director for gaining heaven on earth." At one point Jackie said, "He told me that I am He – and He is me. I don't know what that means – he just told me that." When I asked her if Sai Baba would cure her, Jackie said He had told her that He is not here to cure everyone; we ourselves must take part in the healing. "Why is He here," I asked. She replied: "Bottom line, for love." As the event unfolded, I felt strongly that this poor suffering patient somehow represented the suffering of mother Earth due to our mindless selfish behavior that is causing great harm. And our role? We must take responsibility in healing — to relieve the suffering of Mother Earth. It's important to remember that we are in a holy yajna with Swami, surrendering selfishness and narrow-mindedness, through the power of love, to establish a better world. Where do we go from here? I described the case of my Sanskrit-speaking patient as a concrete example of Swami being beyond time and place, and because I think it has relevance to science and to our understanding of consciousness and love. I encourage all scientists to likewise describe in the literature their experiences of miracles of love – and all brothers and sisters to propagate the teaching of love and truth – aligned with local customs and traditions—knowing that we are instruments of our common Master of love. We can sing in a variety of tunes, from various traditions, as we are doing here today – and with a clear vision of the unity in the apparent diversity. That unity is love. Swami has described the greatness of the spiritual giants from all the different traditions. Jnana, or the ultimate wisdom, can be won from and through elders who have experienced the absolute. Serve them and win their love. Then can this precious Jnana be won. Here Swami embraces all great teachers who have experienced the absolute. His is not exclusive love; it is all-inclusive love. Experiencing divinity from form to formlessness – the theme of this colloquium – is to experience and celebrate Swami's all-embracing love that brings us together as one family. On a personal note, I deeply miss Swami's physical body. For many of us, just resting our eyes on that glorious form revealed all of creation and beyond – like what mother Yashoda saw in young Krishna's mouth. I miss His personality, His smile – and I have shed tears. But as I serve, I have felt Swami's presence even stronger since He left His physical body. I visualize Him in my mind's eye more easily, feel His presence more intensely, see Him as light, feel His protective guidance in my efforts to propagate His message of love in my writing and in the video. I feel Him in the people with whom I serve, and in the opportunities that have opened – such as being invited to speak to you today at this auspicious event. And, most importantly, I feel Swami's grace in allowing me to release fear, anxiety, suffering, and obstacles into His infinite peace. My wife once asked Swami if He would save the world. He answered, "Half save – half seva (love in action)." We have work to do! In closing, I embrace all of you, and call on Swami: Let Your glory shine on our hearts like a million suns, setting our love aflame – Until You and I become the same. Let us walk with Your love in our hearts, Your name on our lips, Your hand in ours. And hand in hand – half save, half seva – Let us bring honor to Your sacred name and radiate love to the world, so that… The mountains ring with love The heavens sing with love The stars shine with love The poets rhyme with love And all the beings Of all the worlds are happy II Samasta Lokaaha Sukhino Bhavantu II | |
27-04-2012 - THOUGHT FOR THE DAY AS WRITTEN AT PRASANTHI NILAYAM TODAY
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| Prasanthi News & Photo updates - Click here for TFTD Archive - 2006- 2011 |
| Also, check out Thought for the day in other languages - Hindi, Telugu, Dutch, German, French, Indonesian, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Tamil, Polish, Swedish,Spanish etc... |
| Date: Friday, April 27, 2012 THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Religion (called matham in Sanskrit) is based on the urge that moves the 'mind' (mathi). If the urge is divine, we have a divine religion. If it is bestial, then the things held lovable and desirable will be bestial too. Join the particular to the Universal, the limited to the Unlimited, the river to the Sea - this is the process called Yoga. You can accomplish this through any path, devotion, wisdom or action. The Geetha, which explains these paths, was itself the result of Arjuna's surrender. You must develop this attitude of 'merging' with the divine in all that you do, this attitude of dedication and surrender to His Will. This is the best means of realising Him. - Sri Sathya Sai Baba Yesterday's Thought Date: Thursday, April 26, 2012 The goal of every life is knowing the Supreme, that is, attaining liberation; there can be no second aim. You are endowed with life, not for the purpose of building bungalows, acquisition of estates, accumulation of wealth, addition of progeny, earning of titles or ascent into higher rungs of social life. One's greatness does not depend on these. The sweetest success in life lies in the winning of permanent bliss and perennial escape from grief and agitation. You are children of immortality. The heritage of immortality must be recognised and experienced; it must be won back. The bonds of name and form are temporary and must be removed. They are not genuine natural characteristics of the individual soul. Escape from grief and joy for a brief period of time is not a sign of real liberation. Real wisdom consists in recognising that you are pure bliss; bliss that persists from the past into the present and the future. - Sri Sathya Sai Baba |
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2012-04-26
Aradhana Mahotsavam concludes in Prasanthi -Sri Sathya Sai Baba MahaSamadhi Day - Prasanthi Nilayam
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| Home Sri Sathya Sai Baba MahaSamadhi Day - Prasanthi Nilayam |
Go here for the detailed Programme Schedule of 'Sri Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam'. |
Video MahaSamadhi day 24th April 2012 - click here  |
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| The Valedictory Session of the Colloquium, "Experiencing the Divine – The Form to the Formless" was held on the evening of 25th April 2012. The proceedings began at 5.15 p.m. after the Vedic chants. Sri Srinivas Srirangarajan introduced the two speakers who dilated at length on the above mentioned topic. The first speaker was Sri Sai Giridhar, a research scholar, who is also a seasoned speaker and versatile actor from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and the second to address the gathering was the eloquent speaker, Dr. G. Venkataraman, a renowned physicist, 5th Vice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and presently the head of Radio Sai Global Harmony. Sri Sai Giridhar began his speech with a Sloka from the Bhagavad Gita: Mookam Karoti Vachalam Pangoom Langhayate Girim Yatkripa Tamaham Vande Parmanand Madhavam (Salutations to the ultimate One, by whose grace, a dumb man becomes the most talkative and a physically disabled man crosses the highest mountain) Speaking on the purpose of an Avatar, Sri Giridhar opined, Bhagawan came to establish Prema Dharma, to establish love in the hearts of devotees. Bhagawan set up marvellous models like Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences for humans to emulate. But his ultimate objective was transformation of human heart. Narrating a wonderful experience of a gentleman from Indonesia, who had come as part of a team to study the Sri Sathya Sai system of education, Sri Giridhar said after hearing a teacher speak in the moral class, the person who had not seen Bhagawan before came to the speaker and asked, "Does Sai Baba often come to you and give such beautiful benedictions?" The speaker was a bit nonplussed. Then the person told him what he had experienced, he saw Bhagawan sitting in the chair placed for Him, and also conferring His benedictions at the end of the speech.  Continuing further, Sri Giridhar told another experience he had when he went with a group to Badrinath. This happened after Bhagawan left His mortal coil. The saint in an Ashram in Badrinath welcomed them to his abode, and said, Bhagawan has not gone anywhere, He is not far away. "Fill your hearts with love, purify your thoughts and call out once Sai Ram, He will be there right in front of you." Sri Giridhar ended his enlightening speech by saying that we should make a conducive atmosphere in ourselves so that Bhagawan will see, speak, listen through all of us. Padmashri Dr. G. Venkataraman began his speech by offering his loving salutations at Bhagawan's Lotus Feet and thanking the Trustees for giving him an opportunity to speak. The erudite speaker quoting from the film Mira said, M.S. Subbulakshmi posed a question in a song, "Oh the One, who is everywhere, where have you disappeared?" Mira posed a question, but there was no answer. In September 1984, Bhagawan gave a series of Discourses on the Bhagavadgita. In one of the speeches, Bhagawan said, "Now, right here, you are able to see Me, but when you go out of this place, you will neither see Me or the people in this gathering." Dr. Venkataraman said, the essence of Swami's remark can be taken in the context of the present scenario. "The absence of Swami is only at a physical level. If we restrict him to a form, it is our weakness. Whether we like it or not, we should move forward. The time has come to look for Him inside than outside." Speaking further, the learned speaker said, the term legacy is interpreted in the form of something inherited from generation to generation. But Bhagawan's legacy is His Legacy of Love.  After the inauguration of the Anantapur College in 1971, Bhagawan said, India is being converted into a Bhoga Bhumi (a land of pleasures). Bhagawan had said this much before the advent of Internet and Smart Phones. Describing a revealing experience, Dr. Venkataraman said that one occasion in the year 1998, Bhagawan took him along with Him in His car in Brindavan, Bengaluru. In the course of the ride, the speaker posed a question to Bhagawan, "Why there is so much Adharma (unrighteousness) in the world?" Then Swami posed a counter question to the speaker, "What is the mood in Sai Ramesh Krishan Hall before I come for Darshan?" Dr. Venkataraman replied, "Swami, there is absolute silence, everyone waits with bated breath for Bhagawan." Then Bhagawan asked, "When a child cries, what happens?" The speaker promptly replied, "Everyone's attention is diverted towards the child." In the same way, Bhagawan said the media and everybody's attention is focused on Adharma, when there are so many people following the Dharmic path (righteous path). Speaking in the same vein, Dr. Venkataraman said, when Bhagawan visited Mumbai in 1968, Bhagawan paid a visit to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. The Kulapathi was Sri K.M. Munshi. Sri Munshi asked Bhagawan, "Should India go nuclear?" Swami gave a succinct reply. Comparing U.S.A. to Arjuna and Russia to Bhima, Bhagawan said, India is like Dharmaraja. Though Dharmaraja is not so proficient in warfare like Arjuna and Bhima, but both Arjuna and Bhima go to Dharmaraja for any wise counsel. In the same way, India is like the engine, which will lead the other nations in the spiritual path. Dr. Venkataraman concluded his speech by saying, "Let us pick up the torch of Prema and march forward valiantly. At the end of his speech, Youth and devotees from West Bengal presented a bouquet of nine well-knit songs to the delight of the devotees. The songs in Hindi were well choregraphed with soothing music. For about half an hour, the youth and devotees, both ladies and gents presented the songs with matching visuals of Bhagawan's Darshans which added a beautiful aura to the programme. After these songs, there were a few Bhajans. Sri Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam concluded with distribution of Prasadam and Arati at 1920 hrs. II Samasta Lokaaha Sukhino Bhavantu II |
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26-04-2012 - THOUGHT FOR THE DAY AS WRITTEN AT PRASANTHI NILAYAM TODAY
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| Prasanthi News & Photo updates - Click here for TFTD Archive - 2006- 2011 |
| Also, check out Thought for the day in other languages - Hindi, Telugu, Dutch, German, French, Indonesian, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Tamil, Polish, Swedish,Spanish etc... |
| Date: Thursday, April 26, 2012 THOUGHT FOR THE DAY The goal of every life is knowing the Supreme, that is, attaining liberation; there can be no second aim. You are endowed with life, not for the purpose of building bungalows, acquisition of estates, accumulation of wealth, addition of progeny, earning of titles or ascent into higher rungs of social life. One's greatness does not depend on these. The sweetest success in life lies in the winning of permanent bliss and perennial escape from grief and agitation. You are children of immortality. The heritage of immortality must be recognised and experienced; it must be won back. The bonds of name and form are temporary and must be removed. They are not genuine natural characteristics of the individual soul. Escape from grief and joy for a brief period of time is not a sign of real liberation. Real wisdom consists in recognising that you are pure bliss; bliss that persists from the past into the present and the future. - Sri Sathya Sai Baba Yesterday's Thought Date: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 The body is but an instrument for a high purpose - the realization of the Divine splendour that fills the Universe, of which you are a fraction. Use all the talents of your senses, intelligence, and memory for this goal. Transform yourself and sublimate your desires. Let higher and nobler purposes always overrule the lower ones. Like the donkey that carries sandalwood without knowing anything more than its weight, you too carry the burden of the worldly worries, without being aware of the fragrance that you can get from the very burden on your back. The senses will drag you away from the higher purpose, but keep them under strict control by rigorous training. Without mastery over the senses, all elaborate ritual worships, hours of intense meditation and vows that you observe will yield no fruit. - Sri Sathya Sai Baba |
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