Issue 219 - March 07, 2021 |
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Sairam dear brothers and sisters,
Every week, we are all immensely inspired by the continuing service activities being undertaken in the various countries by all our dear Sai youth brothers and sisters. With each passing day, we grow manifold in our physical, mental and spiritual spheres. As we continue to constantly and consistently engage in seva with the thought that ‘All is Divine’, we are all certainly inching towards our inherent divinity.
The transformation stories we have been receiving every week are wonderful and truly inspiring. We are certain that all our brothers and sisters are able to take a leaf out of these stories which come straight from the heart. Swami says, “When human develops into divine, it is human development!” As we stay in touch with God through thought, word and deed, we will ripen. One has to hold on to the Master, to ripen in His grace.
Sairam
Bhuvana Santhanam
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ātmano mokshārtam
(Emancipation of one’s self)
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Universal Love and Selfless Service
The Best Way to Practise sanātana dharma
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When we experience unity or oneness with the universe, love for everyone and everything will well up in our hearts spontaneously. We love our family members since we feel one with them. When we feel one with everyone in the universe, we will spontaneously love and respect everyone since we see ourselves in them; others are not seen as ‘others’, but as ourselves.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who proclaimed to the world, “God is Love; live in Love!”, gave us the simplest and the best way to practise sanātana dharma – ‘Love All, Serve All!’ and that is exactly what He did all His life. He loved everyone and served everyone, since He felt one with all, all the time. He is the perfect example and embodiment of sanātana dharma. And He declared, “I am God, so are you!”, thus reminding us that everyone can practise what He Himself demonstrated all His life.
Love and service are inseparable. Love cannot live without service and true service is not possible without love. One who experiences unity, loves everyone and serves everyone. The converse is also true. One who loves everyone and serves everyone experiences oneness or unity. A road which leads us from X to Y, will also lead us from Y to X. If X is ‘Divine Unity’, Y is ‘Love All, Serve All!’
Thus, the practice of sanātana dharma is nothing but the practice of universal love and selfless service. This alone can save today’s world, which is torn by selfishness, greed, conflict and violence.
An excerpt from the book ‘SANATANA DHARMA’ authored by Sri. Narasimha Murthy, page no.7-8
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My Story
The Joy Of Serving
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By
Kaveen Tulasiyani.
Being involved in service is a transformative experience. Prior to 2019, service used to be a ‘once-in-a-while’ activity that I would do at my convenience. However, in 2019 I was naturally gravitated into service due to the influence of an older person who helped me by getting me engaged in a lot of service activities - one of which was to regularly visit to an elderly care facility where I used to sing and interact with the elderly people. I thought to myself "why shouldn’t I continue these visits?" and started following this routine every Sunday. After my few visits to the elderly home and spending some nice time with them, I realised that this was one of the greatest experiences in my entire life. I was humbled, as I interacted with so many of the elderly folks and learnt so much about them and their backgrounds, families, and that was such a lovely experience getting to interact with them. It also taught me the importance of being humble and grateful since some of the them had heartbreaking stories to share. Some of them had lost their senses like eyesight, hearing, and some of them were highly successful in their lives when they were much younger and now unfortunately succumbed to these circumstances.
A crucial lesson to take away was ‘Nothing is permanent, and to be always humble and grateful’. The more I involve myself in these service activities, the happier I feel every single time.
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There are three pillars of Vedanta. The first pillar is śruti/ śāstra pramāṇam, all that is conveyed in the scriptures. The second one is tarka/yukti, contemplation, reasoning and logical analysis of what has been seen, heard or read. And the third pillar is anubhava/ svānubhava, personal experience.
Only through continuous contemplation on these higher truths quoted in the scriptures, will it reveal itself and ultimately grant the aspirant with the first-hand experience. It is through this personal experience that the knowledge is owned and not borrowed.
The Self is present everywhere, both inside and outside of every individual. It is like the light which is present everywhere, due to which everything is visible. Mind which is created to search outwardly perceives the outer world. If the same mind is turned towards brahman, one will eventually experience the ultimate truth.
In episode 13 featured this week, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai explains verse 12,13 and 14 from the second vallī (canto) of Chapter One of Kathopanishad, wherein the procedure to turn the mind inwards is expounded.
Come and receive the highest of the truths taught by Sadguru in a most simple way.
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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK |
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“The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.”
- Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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jagat hitāya
(Welfare of the World)
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Providing Essential Sustenance in Australia |
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In February 2021, the Sai Youth have provided a little more than 3210 meals to the needy ones.
The Youth in Australia are engaged in feeding programs by providing grocery hampers and cooked meals to those in need. All existing feeding programs have continued in Brisbane and Murwillumbah. It was brought to the attention of our team in Sydney, that there were a few homeless people sleeping in a suburban park with hardly any food to eat. 50 meals have been served to the homeless in Sydney this month.
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Spreading Love and Kindness |
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In the current situation of the pandemic, a lot of people lost their jobs and are struggling to find some work to earn their livelihood. With the divine guidance of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, One Youth Indonesia team distributed groceries and freshly cooked food for the homeless people, laborers and people in need.
This basic groceries items included rice, sugar, oil, and other necessities which were distributed every month. The beneficiaries expressed their immense gratitude and happiness to the young volunteers, who were very touched by their service filled with love and kindness.
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As for the month of February, the Malaysian youth provided the monthly dry ration for 80 deprived families around Batu Caves. Food packets were also distributed to approximately 220 people.
During medical camp, 10 patients were examined and diagnosed with diabetes/hypertension and were given their monthly supply of medication.
The homeless people around Kuala Lumpur streets were fed sumptuously with freshly cooked meal. This is carried out on every Monday of the week.
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