Sunday 11.04.2004 - Updates from Brindavan

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

 

This message was sent to me by brother Ramesh.

 

Sai Ram

 

Deepak Bharwani

website source: http://shivomindia.tripod.com/brinda/brindavan-

ramesh.htm

 

 

Posted on 11-04-2004

 

SaiRam Brothers and Sisters!

 

It was a holy, festive and colourful day at Brindavan this morning.

Aware that it was a Sunday and having read that SAI Youth from Kerala

will be coming, I decided to go early in the morning so that I can

get a chance to be in the SR hall. I reached the railway crossing by

5AM. The gates were down. A locomotive carrying goods was slowly

passing and took ten frustrating minutes to cross us. Even as I

reached there, I could see bus loads of youth clad in white and

sporting a scarf that read SAI Youth, Kerala! I parked my bike and

immediately got into the line which was still waiting to enter into

the Ashram campus. The SAI youth were first let in and their numbers

looked endless. I don't remember seeing so many of them last time

around. So, now that these youth are here, they will occupy the place

near central aisle. No way we can get there. We were in the general

queue. As we stood there, Suprabhtam chants could be heard from

inside.

 

5:15AM: Nagar Sankirtan emerged from inside the Ashram. It was

feeling really good to catch up with some melodious bhajans even

before the dawn broke.

 

5:30AM: Queue started entering the Ashram. It was growing by the

minute. Once inside, I realized, there were no token pickings today

as we can't make into the hall at all! The hall was full with

students/staff, SAI youth from Kerala and Sevadal from Andhra Pradesh

occupying the far side after the right aisle. I ran and found a place

nearer to Saraswathy from wher I can see Bhagawan emerging from

Trayee. The extension is marked will yellow lines that serve as

borders. They have clearly delineated the area where car will be

travelling if Bhagawan intends to come that way. Very good and well

done job! Now that I found a place, the waiting began.

 

5:45AM: Nagar Sankirtan returned to the Ashram. Women in front of

Saraswathy and men behind it ended the Sankirtan with Aarati.

 

The whole place was painted white with saffron patches on it. Or so

it looked,

if you saw the vast gathering of youth from Kerala who were sporting

saffron colour scarfs. There were men and women and thousands of

them. The Ashram was also decorated with the 'Toranams'. I looked

around, sensing the festive atmosphere. Soon, the stage attracted my

attention. I could understand that there was going to be a discourse

by Bhagawan or there will be speeches by others. The stage was

tastefully decorated with floers of different colours. Either side of

the stage, stood colourful umbrellas. Minutes ticked by with the

Sevadal trying to accommodate as many people as possible in the hall.

Even without the SAI youth, Sundays are very crowded days at

Brindavan. Today they were also there and so everyone sat compactly

and as much space as possible was squeezed out. As time progressed, I

could see that gents were sitting even near the road between the

hostel and the extension of SR hall. That was an indication of how

packed it was today. We all were desperately waiting for the music

that would announce the arrival of the Lord.

 

At 7:55AM, the music began, only briefly, and led to Omkar and a

brief veda chanting. By now the car is seen. Swamy is coming! Will HE

come this side? I had my own doubts because there seemed to be more

in the agenda than just darshan. Car stopped at the usual place and

Swamy got down. He walked

staright to the stage and got on. Even as HE was doing this, a superb

song was rendered. It was in Malayalam. I could only understand the

sanskrit words that came in it. It was a song to welcome the Lord.

And the song was a little long. It also hailed HIM as Satyam, Shivam,

Sundaram; told us to love all, serve all, help ever, hurt never; and

also daiva preeti, papa bheeti and sangha neeti. The song was really

touching and it told why Swamy says 'There is only one language, the

language of heart'. We couldn't understand the whole song but derived

bliss from it.

 

Then one of Kerala Sai organization officials (Mukundan?) rose to

speak. He mentioned that 3000 youth have come from Kerala to this

years Sadhana camp. I think this is much larger than the number that

came last year. He placed on record his gratitude to Swamy for

permitting them to come. He said that the youth had come to

experience the love that Swamy is. Then he announced that Swamy has

permitted an MBA boy (Sanjay) to speak. Thus the Sadhana camp started

with a 15 minute introductory address by him. Sanjay followed for

another 15 minutes. Of noteworthy mention is he quoted the new

testament where the Lord said, 'Ask and ye shall be given, seek and

you will find, knock and the door shall be opened to you'. He

illustrated how Bhagawan also operates on the same principle by

quoting from his personal experience. But what touched me more is the

following story which is for us all.

 

A fisherman used to go to a river that had lots of fish. He used to

cast his net far and wide and collect plenty of fishes. All of them

would sadly end up in the frying pan. But it was seen that two fish

would escape everyday. Other fish wanted to know the secret behind

their luck. They asked the duo how they survived everyday when most

of the rest succumbed. They said, when the fisherman casts his net

far and wide, only safe place are his feet. We go near his feet and

thus escape the net. Similarly when the 'Natanasutradhari' himself

has come to world and casts his net of 'maya' far and wide, the only

safe place are HIS feet and we should cling to That. Message went

into the heart like an arrow.

 

After this Bhagawan rose to speak at 8:35AM and spoke for about 55

min. I will write the highlights of the divine discourse in another

mail. It was translated by the Warden of Boys hostel, Brindavan.

Swamy ended the discourse at 9:30AM and aarti was performed.

 

It was announced that Swamy had kindly permitted them to carry on the

Sadhana camp at the Kalyana mandap and it would start at 10AM. There

was also a drama to be staged at 5:30PM.

 

We didn't see Swamy from close but enjoyed HIS discourse for nearly

an hour.

Thanks to raised extension, we could see Swamy easily. Swamy exited

through the back door. HE blessed all with upraised hands and sipped

some water after the discourse. Easily today was more crowded than

other Sundays. An ocean of humanity came. Perhaps this sort of pining

for a glimpse of the Lord, albeit from a great distance is not seen

anywhere else. I couldn't help thinking that the greatest gift that

SAI gives us is contentment. A thrilling Sunday had just started in

Brindavan!

 

Jai Sai Ram

--

Ramesh Sistla

 

 

----

----------

 

Posted on 11-04-2004

 

 

 

Divine discourse 11.04.04, some points.

 

 

SaiRam to all. I am reading from my memory as I sit to write some of

the points that Swamy mentioned in course of HIS discourse. Only my

forgetfulness is responsible for any omissions.

 

- "The Lord dwells in and pervades the entire universe. HE shines

forth in every atom, every cell. Such a Lord is the the Lord of

Parthy. Will HE not respond to your prayers"? This was the gist of

the starting poem.

 

Swamy spoke about the microcosm being in the macrocosm and the

macrocosm being present in the microcosm. HE spoke at length about

the universe and how God pervades everywhere. HE also mentioned how

life on earth is sustained by the rotation and revolution of the

earth.

 

- "Once upon a time, Arjuna asked Sri Krishna as to why HE needed to

perform actions. HE replied, Arjuna, I have no need to do any action,

I have nothing to achieve, yet I do action. It is because, whatever I

do, people follow me. If I sit idle without doing action, people will

also follow the same". Swamy also said that every action that HE does

has a meaning. Every step that HE takes, HE follows a particular

dharma, about which we are not aware.

 

Bhagawan stressed in the latter part of HIS discourse on Truth and

Love. HE said that Truth is the real name of God and every other name

is 'duplicate'. It is enough if you pray to HIM as 'Sathya Swaroopaya

Namaha'. HE time and again exhorted us to speak truth, speak

pleasingly.

 

Swamy completed the discourse with a lovely four liner verse on Maya

which I

could not grasp immediately. I am waiting for the text of the

discourse to read about that. I have missed most points. But hope

whatever I could recollect is worthwhile.

 

Swamy sat down after the discourse and while sitting HE led us to

sing 'Hare Rama, hare Rama, Rama Rama hare hare'. After that he

sipped some water and blessed us all with upraised hands. We were

delighted! Aarti was performed and HE left through the back door on

the stage.

 

Please pardon me for the extremely short note on HIS discourse. I

could recollect only as much right now since I didn't carry a pen or

paper. But those words will keep coming back and I hope we get to

read the complete text soon.

 

At HIS lotus Feet.

Jai Sai Ram.

 

Ramesh Sistla

[Guest guest]

OM SAI RAM,

 

My dear Sai brother Ramesh,

 

I do not get words to thank you, i do not know how to express my

happiness for giving us a clear picture of the happenings at

Brindavan, even though we are miles and miles away ( DUBAI, UAE)

from Brindavan, we get a real feeling as if we are at brindavan when

we read your mail, May swami give you his continuous blessings to

give us these detials.

 

Please give us the details of the discourse.

 

JAI SAI RAM,

 

With Love

 

Venu

 

saibabanews, "sairam99999"

<saienterprises@m...> wrote:

> Sai Ram

>

> This message was sent to me by brother Ramesh.

>

> Sai Ram

>

> Deepak Bharwani

> website source: http://shivomindia.tripod.com/brinda/brindavan-

> ramesh.htm

>

>

> Posted on 11-04-2004

>

> SaiRam Brothers and Sisters!

[Guest guest]

It is really thrilling to go thro the day to day description of what is

happenning at Brindavan. A feeling that we are really there in Brindavan is

created and brings us all closer to Swami. Must appreciate the sincere efforts

by "Sai Journalists" to file daily reports. May Sai bless them. Love.

 

Ramu

 

 

sairam99999 <saienterprises wrote:

Sai Ram

 

This message was sent to me by brother Ramesh.

 

Sai Ram

 

Deepak Bharwani

website source: http://shivomindia.tripod.com/brinda/brindavan-

ramesh.htm

 

 

Posted on 11-04-2004

 

SaiRam Brothers and Sisters!