Issue 272 - April 10, 2022 |
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Sairam Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This mission of love and service is two-fold – service and spirituality. Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai often reminds us that spirituality must express itself as service, because love without action – is useless. And action without love is dangerous. He says, “Service and spirituality are two sides of the same coin. Likewise, this life is a coin. Its value comes when both the sides are in place – love on one side and service on the other side. When these two sides are together, our life gets its due value. One without the other will not lead us anywhere. The way to enlightenment is through service.”
Sairam
Bhuvana Santhanam
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ātmano mokshārtam
(Emancipation of one’s self)
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Excerpt from Divine Discourse |
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Why Do Youth Experience Depression?
The gift of our education is self-confidence. Where are they getting this self-confidence from? It is because they know Swami is with them; that is the source of their self-confidence. If you have that confidence, then wherever you go, you can live confidently. Whatever difficulties come; you will be able to live peacefully. Children should develop this confidence. And where should this confidence come from? From God. That God is with us. Therefore, we can be confident, come what may, God is always there. All the time, everywhere God exists. Therefore, if you depend on God more than anything else, we will never be disappointed. That confidence which comes out of this faith that God is with us is truly self-confidence. If children develop this confidence at this age, they will be able to do anything in life. That is the gift of education in our institution.
I have travelled to so many countries. There I find that young children have no self-confidence. They are unable to handle even the slightest sign of failure and they get into depression. Some of them commit suicide. Today the biggest problem that the people of the world are facing especially the youngsters is depression. The thought that ‘I am useless, I can’t face the world, I would rather die,’ these kinds of negative feelings are in them because they have everything but they do not have faith. In life you will always face ups and downs whether it is a king or a poor person. It is not possible to escape this duality of life. Our source of self-confidence is knowing that Swami is with us. Whatever happens, Swami is always with us, He will watch over us, He will take care of us. We should hold on to that feeling..
As much faith you have, that much will be your experience. Develop faith that Swami is with us and you will experience Swami’s presence in some form. I know that children are experiencing because they believe that Swami is there, and Swami is with us all the time. That faith makes so many little children experience the presence of Swami in some way or the other. Once they get these experiences then their faith becomes stronger. Later, as grown-ups, if they face bigger difficulties in life, they will continue to have the faith. They would recall - "Swami had showered His grace when we were young and therefore He is with us even today". That feeling will for ever remains with them. We should hold on it strongly. Develop such unwavering faith in Swami’s presence in your life and you will experience His presence, His grace at every step. If you have understood this subject of bhaktī, all other things in life will be taken care of. This is the most important lesson to be learnt in our institution.
An excerpt from the Divine Discourse delivered by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai on January 11, 2020.
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sevā: A Way of Life
By Suganya Rajan
Medical Coder, Middle East
I was blessed to be initiated into the Sai system since my early days. I was also an active youth member of the Sai samithi at my home-town and participated regularly in all the Sai sevā activities like medical camp, temple cleaning etc. Swami was the crux of my life and my major decisions were always divinely guided.
I came to the Middle East after my wedding in the year 2014. Bereft of sevā, bhajan or any association with the Sai group due to the distance and heavy work schedule, I felt a huge vacuum within me. Divinely ordained, I came into the fold of Sai Hrudayam since 2019 onwards, least knowing about the subtle phenomenon of Swami. My gratitude to Swami for taking me back into His fold and my journey with Sai resumed albeit a little break for few years. I feel so fortunate to be a part of the innumerable sevā activities and the regular weekly sādhana. In a place away from home, Swami has provided me with another family. The greatest transformation had been for my husband who has developed a keenness for sevā and regular sadhana contradictory to his earlier spiritual understanding or experiences. The fact that he was attracted to sevā and sādhana is a blessing for our whole family. This has given a purpose for our weekends. The regular sevā has henceforth put us on a track of peace, joy and gratitude giving meaning to life.
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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.
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The root of our bondage to this world of suffering is our desires. We must sever these bonds with the blade of detachment. The moment desires are removed, the whole illusory world (māyā) disappears.
Furthermore, if we carefully and stringently examine the nature of this world around us, we will realise the source of all this illusion is indeed brahman alone.
The whole perceivable and imperceivable existence conducts itself in perfect accordance with the will of this divine, ultimate consciousness. After realising all this, a return to ignorant suffering is not possible.
In episode 51, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai explains the significance of removing the selfish desires from within in order to dispel the darkness of ignorance from within.
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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK |
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“Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety, after all it is only in the darkest nights that stars shine more brightly.”
– Ali Ibn Abi Talib AS
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jagat hitāya
(Welfare of the World)
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In the month of March, close to 200 beneficiaries were provided with snacks and refreshments by the Sai youth of Middle East.
Many youths came forward and extended their helping hand, with a tremendous sense of involvement and participation in serving biscuits and juice to the cleaning staff, lovingly called as the ‘car washing heroes.’ These cleaning staff are paid meagre salaries generally with tedious long working hours, so, these snacks and juice come as a welcome refreshment for them.
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