Issue 194 - September 13, 2020
Master the Mind
Mind is the cause of bondage and liberation, and if one can master this mind, one can become not just a mastermind but the master Himself, says Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. In this series of talks, ‘Master the Mind’, primarily given to the Ashram residents of Sathya Sai Grama, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai guides us step by step, to take up a 30 day sadhana to understand, analyse, master and finally merge the mind into the divine self.
Inspirational Note...
INNER VIEW
By Sri Madhusudan Naidu
 
Law Of Love  

When a young lawyer, working with the Trust, stood right at the door as Swami emerged, He looked at the lawyer and playfully remarked, “Oh you and I don’t go together. Yours is law and mine is love. Law knows no love, and love knows no law.”

Though it sounded like a light hearted comment from Swami, yet weighed in gold.

I have seen Him change all the laws, the existential and the ephemeral, for the sake of Love. Whether in the most extraordinary way when He beckoned a departed soul back in to the body on the plea of a devastated wife, undoing death and discarding the law of Universe; or when He identified an ordinary boy on the street as a student of the campus who had dropped out, unable to pay the hostel fee and took him back half way through the year bending the policies of the University, He only proved it beyond doubt that love never knew any law, for love alone was law to Him.
Service Updates
Annapoorna Breakfast Seva Without Break
Allapuzha District, Kerala
July 18, 2020
Under the auspices of the Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust, the breakfast scheme was first initiated at the Alapuzha T.D.G.B School in Kerala in 2017. It was further extended to five schools. This noble work was initiated through the efforts of the Kerala team coordinators Mr. Vivek Babu and Mr. Sairaj. The trust oversaw the procurement of the needed provisions and the wages of the cooks involved. Motivated by this impressive service of providing nutrition to needy children which prepares them to learn and grasp better, this breakfast scheme is now adopted and undertaken by the government authorities of Alapuzha District who currently, with the help of teachers and health workers have identified the beneficiaries in different schools in the district. In Kerala’s Allapuza District, 1,800 deserving students from grades 1 through 7, from 40 different Government and Aided Schools have already been screened and identified. The catering division has been handed over to six units of the kudambasri - workers, who will prepare a set of cyclic menus every morning, to cater breakfast to the students from Monday through Friday and on all working Saturdays.
Borabanda, Telangana
August 15, 2020 Annapoorna Kalusha Distributed To 50 Families On Independence Day

This Independence Day, Annapoorna Kalasha was distributed to 50 families in Borabanda, Telangana. All of these people are private school teachers and did not get their salaries for the past four months due to the current pandemic. A few of them are widows.

A few of the items distributed were: Dal 2 kg, Oil 2 L, Sugar 1 kg, Rava 2 kg, Salt 2 kg, Turmeric, Chilli Powder, Mustard, Jeera, Soaps and Hair Oil.
Ganjam District, Odisha
130 Relief Kits Distributed In Ganjam District, Odisha

Ganjam is one of several poor districts lying in the Southern part of Odisha. COVID-19 pandemic has pushed people like destitute women, migrant labourers, daily wage earners, leprosy patients and rag pickers living in this district into a corner with little or no resources left to them, even for meeting their daily dietary needs.
Karnataka
July 15, 2020: Groceries For 200 Needy Families Near Whitefield, Bangalore, Karnataka
 
While distributing groceries for 50 needy families in Tubharahalli slum near Whitefield in Bengaluru on July 13, 2020, Annapoorna team of volunteers from the Whitefield Centre learnt (and surveyed) that 200 more needy families in a couple of nearby locations would need groceries.
July 24, 2020 Volunteers Distribute Kits Bangalore, Karnataka
 
Ramamurthynagar volunteers distributed 15 kits to Seva Samaj Tamil School near Mariyappanpalya and 10 kits to needy parents of Bhovipalya Mahalaxmi Layout.
20,000 Masks Distributed Kr Puram, Bengaluru, Karnataka
 
Team Annapoorna, in collaboration with NGO, Nayonika Eye Care Charitable Trust have distributed 20,000 masks to KR Puram vegetable and flower vendors, BMTC bus drivers and conductors of the South Zone and other areas.
August 7, 2020 Grocery Kits For 712 Cooks In Tumkur, Karnataka
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Annapoorna, in collaboration with Swami Vivekananda Integrated Rural Health Centre in Tumkur District, Karnataka helped the needy families of 712 school cooks with grocery kits.
Tamilnadu
125 Kits For Needy Families Chennai, Tamil Nadu
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Annapoorna and Danirasa Foundation collaborated to help 125 needy families belonging to children in Pattabiram area in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu
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August 9, 2020 135 Food Parcels Distributed In Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu

The Annapoorna team in Coimbatore, upon realising the susceptibility of front line cleanliness workers to COVID-19 infection, decided to provide Homeopathy Immune Booster Tablets to them.
Andhra Pradesh
Grocery Kits For 80 Needy Families Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Annapoorna team in Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh distributed grocery kits to around 80 needy families whose livelihood has been affected due to the ongoing pandemic. Each kit contained 13 items—Sugar 1kg, Dal 1kg, Oil 1L, Suji 1kg, Salt 1kg, Atta (flour) 1kg, Tamarind 1/2kg, Urad Dal 1kg, Idli Rava 2kgs, Red chillies, Mustard, Tea Powder and Soaps.
West Bengal Seva
Immunity Boosting Camps In
Rural West Bengal
Sri Sathya Sai Aarogya Vahini, Mobile Hospital Service, West Bengal, in collaboration with the Divine Will Foundation and Annapoorna Trust is addressing rural communities relentlessly with Primary Health Care initiatives in multiple locations. While the world is reeling under the attack of COVID-19, unfortunately West Bengal also faced a harsh cyclone, making this exercise all the more essential.
Beneficiaries are not only given free doctor consultations and medicines, but are also provided with protein rich supplements and essential commodities for health and hygiene to fight against the pandemic.
Middle East Seva September - 2020
For the Sathya Sai folks it has been a time to be out in the arena to offer help during these trying circumstances. Selfless Seva has no limitations of time, place or situation.
When prayers emerge out of anguished hearts, there is no doubt whatsoever that it will be answered by the All-Knowing One. What happened in the first week of August lies as a testimony to this very fact. When one of the members of the youth group volunteered to serve delicious food as part of Eid celebrations came to know about the sad plight of fifty workers.
Socio Care and Medicare-Highlights
  • Six families identified and served with SSSLKs.
  • Thirty-six SSSLKs served to school staff who were struggling because of the pandemic with no salary payment since March 2020.
  • Served SSSLKs to seven jobless ladies with no other source of income.
  • Forty-five homeless workers were given clothes and toiletries.
  • Eleven homeless workers were provided with dinner and breakfast.
  • Three labourers were given medical support through Sai Vibrionics treatment.
  • Three hundred and forty seven unpaid and jobless men were served with SSSLKs.
ONE MEAL A DAY

Month after month, with the effective participation of group members, many hungry people are being fed. Blessed are those who think of others whenever a morsel of food goes into their mouth. This is all that is needed at this most unprecedented time. ‘Each One Feed At least One’, with this noble idea in mind, the group members are putting all their efforts to take this message of love and care to the world. This month, 19 people shared 435 meals with fellow beings!
Serving Those Who Serve
“Faith in Action is Love – Love in Action is Service” – Mother Theresa.

Hearts were overflowing with gratitude while serving refreshments to the government workers continued regularly throughout the month of August. This Seva takes place every two days due to the unexpected weather conditions prevailing throughout the month. Yet braving these challenges, the workers continued to fulfil their duties with vigor. At the sight of the youth, their faces would light up with a genuine smile and they accepted the humble offerings with immense joy. While they take a well-deserved break and converse over their cups of steaming tea, the air is filled with a palpable sense of warmth that never fails to touch the hearts of the youth.
A Special Feast
A good start to a day is a filling breakfast, thus the youth decided to sponsor a meal in the early hours of a weekend. The Sandagala Anda Golu Bihiri Niwasaya (Sandagala Home for the Blind, Dumb and Deaf) is a remarkable home that dedicates their time to looking after children with special needs. Breakfast was served fresh to the eighty-two boys and girls aged 6-12 years, who currently reside there. Seeing the children’s growing happiness as the interactions progressed throughout the morning was certainly a soul-stirring experience!
A Little Exchange of Love
Nawinne Lama Niwasaya (Nawinne Children’s Home) is a small shelter for orphaned and abandoned boys aged 7-14 years. Housing twenty-two children, the home serves as a place to affectionately nurture and bring up their residents but often lack the facilities and funds to do so. Therefore, the youth team took it upon themselves to assist by sponsoring an afternoon meal as well as by donating several leisure and game items much to the delight of the boys. Carom boards, cricket bats and balls, a volleyball, a football and more were gifted. These were put to immediate use by the excited children who could not contain their enthusiasm to play a game or two. Several youths decided to join in as well and the day was spent with bursts of gleeful laughter, a bunch of animated shouts, hearty cheers and a blissful exchange of love!