Prashanthi Bulletin - July 21st, 2005 - Gurupoornima

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Prashanthi Bulletin

July 21st, 2005 - Gurupoornima On this most auspicious occasion of Gurupoornima,

in the most auspicious year of the Avatar’s 80th Birthday, let us all offer our

sincere and respectful Pranaams at the Lotus Feet of our Sadguru, Bhagawan

Baba. This morning, we were all seated in the Mandir by 6.45 a.m. Five minutes

later, the Naadaswaram team began playing their mellifluous tunes, starting

with Mahaganapatim Bhaje….This Gurupoornima, there were no floral decorations

in the Mandir. Instead, the pillars and the inside Portico were all decked with

pearl garlands, decorative hangings, and colourful chandeliers. The main Kulwant

Hall was shining with the red Chinese lamp shades. At 7.35 a.m. the Porte car

stationed itself in front of PC. All the lights in Kulwant Hall went on. The

Naadaswaram was now accompanied with Pancha Vadyam played by the Institute

students and Vedam chanting. It was a mix of so many sounds

and tunes merging into an indescribable symphony! Swami took a full round of the

Hall. By 7.45 a.m., Swami was seated in the centre of the dais. The Naadaswaram

group stopped playing and Swami was now watching the students playing the

Naadaswaram. After a while He smiled at them and asked them to sit down. Swami

then asked the Vedam group to chant the Rudram. The Primary School joined the

chanting with full enthusiasm. In between, Swami too was chanting some lines

along with the students. A few minutes later, Swami called the Vice Chancellor,

Prof. Anil Gokak and spoke to him. He also spoke to the All India President, Mr.

V. Srinivasan. At 8.05 a.m., the mikes were placed on the dais. Mr. V.

Srinivasan was the first speaker. He began by offering Pranaams to the

Jagadguru on this auspicious day of Vyasa Pournami. This is the day when we pay

homage to the Teacher of all teachers. He spoke extensively on the Universal

Love of Bhagawan that encompasses all of humanity.

His Love brings rain to the parched deserts and it is this Love that drives His

Divine Mission. He described how Swami is touching the lives of millions of

people all over the globe, giving several instances of Divine miracles. He

emphasized on the magnanimity of Bhagawan who not only practices and sets an

example Himself, but also exhorts us to follow other good and great leaders

like Abraham Lincoln, Easwar Chandra Vidya Sagar and others. The three most

important teachings of Bhagawan, according to the speaker were, Faith in God

and oneself, Service to humanity and Naamasmaran. There is nothing impossible

with His Grace and Love. The word ‘impossible’ does not exist in God’s

dictionary. Swami was very pleased with the talk delivered by Mr. V. Srinivasan

and to his surprise, materialized a gold ring for him. It was a ring studded

with diamonds all around and a diamond ‘S’ on it. Swami put it on the finger of

the speaker. At 8.20 a.m., Prof. G.

Venkataraman was summoned to share his views with the audience. Prof.

Venkataraman commenced his talk saying that this most unique day should be

etched in our hearts for ever. He elaborated on the role of a Guru, stating

that the Guru can never give Jnana to any disciple. Jnana is right within our

own self. All that the Guru does is to remove Ajnana (ignorance) that covers

the Jnana (wisdom) in us. However, a Sadguru does something much more special.

The Sadguru, said the speaker, creates a thirst in us for Jnana. The Love

behind every smile of His, and every word of His, propels us to look within and

search for our Truth. This is possible for Him as He is absolutely selfless from

top to toe. There is no word called ‘selfish’ in God’s dictionary. He also

brought to the attention of the audience the fact that, in 1963, it was on this

very day that Swami had cured Himself from a paralytic stroke and declared the

secret of this Avatar to all gathered there. Again in 1968, on

this very day, the Anantapur College was inaugurated by Bhagawan. That very day,

Swami had sown the seed which today has become a huge Banyan tree. Prof. G.

Venkataraman concluded his talk lamenting over the state of affairs today where

knowledge is being marketed like a product. This, according to him was the worst

sin. Prof. Venkataraman was followed by a student speaker, Sri R. Satish of the

II MBA (Finance) class. Finally, we had the Vice Chancellor, Sri Anil Gokak

speaking to us. Sri Anil Gokak, elaborated on the meaning of the word Guru.

‘Gu’ stands for Gunateeta (Attributeless) and ‘Ru’ stands for Rupa Varjita

(Formless). In olden days, it was a matter of shame for any person to be

without a Guru. That is how the word ‘Anatha’ came into existence. He then went

on to differentiate between an ordinary teacher and a Guru. The teacher provides

Shiksha but a Guru provides Diksha. A teacher imparts knowledge while a Guru

imparts impulses. This day is

celebrated as Gurupoornima. Purnima means a full moon day. The full moon has

significance for both the Guru and the disciple. The cool light of the full

moon symbolizes the serene and fully illuminated mind of a Guru. The full moon

also symbolizes the inner awakening in a disciple. There are 4 ways in which a

Guru impacts the Shishya, according to the speaker. They are: Look and Touch

(illustrated by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Vivekananda), Thought (as in the

case of Ramana Maharishi) and Word (Mantra). Transformation of the disciple is

the Guru’s task. Transforming involves two aspects: Unmaking and Remaking. It

is a journey from Sensuality to Spirituality. The speaker drew a very good

analogy, stating that God is like a generator, the disciple is like a lamp and

the Guru is like the wire which connects the generator to the lamp. He then

went on to give the examples of disciples like Hanuman who stood for obedience

and servility, Arjuna who stood for Nishkama Karma

and Svadharma, and Vivekananda who propagated the Unity of all religions. He

concluded his talk on the note that today we have only transmitters of

information and not initiators of transformation. Educare, he said, is the only

solution to this problem. Educare comes from the root word, ‘educe’ which means

to develop the latent (Divinity within) and make it patent. At 9.00 a.m.,

Bhagawan’s Discourse table was arranged. They tried to place the stand mike

next to Swami’s sofa, so that Swami could speak while sitting, but Bhagawan was

particular that He should stand and speak. Therefore, the normal mikes were

arranged. Swami stood up with the help of our brothers who assist Him, amidst

loud applause. All devotees were delighted to see Swami standing after so many

days. Bhagawan then smiled and began His Divine Message. Who can estimate the

consequences of our actions in life? It is as strange as an inverted bat. The

bat flies around like

other birds but at night, when it retires, it hangs upside down on the branch.

Is it not its destiny to be like that? Each one has to face the consequences of

his/her actions. No one can escape destiny. Actions are therefore very

important. Be it a saint or an ignorant one, no one can escape the results of

their actions. The consequences of your actions will follow you like a shadow.

Bear in mind the good and bad that you have done. One may live long, but he

will have to face the results of his actions. So be it, so be it….is

continuously being repeated. Ignoring this, we keep acting the way we like.

Knowing what is good and bad, we still are not able to give up the bad. It is

all our own making, just as the bat’s life too is of its own making. None can

gauge the Divine Will. You can cover your mistakes at a human level, but the

consequences will never leave you, be it good or bad. A man may look mighty and

talk in a bombastic manner, but when faced with the

consequences of his actions, he is unable to show his face. At such times the

true colours get manifested. You may not be able to understand all that I am

saying. But your own experience will reveal the Truth to you. Results of your

actions are inevitable. In fact, the consequences come back with ten fold

intensity. The only way out of this cycle is to be the recipients of God’s

Grace. With God’s Grace, the consequences will not cause any pain to you. For

example, the medicine in a bottle will have its effect only within the expiry

date, beyond which it ceases to make any impact. So too, God’s Grace can

postpone the Karmic consequences to a date after which, they will have no

significant impact on you! At this point, Swami described the case study of

Maarkandeya, whose life story is an ideal example of God’s Grace modifying the

destiny of an individual. With Divine Grace, you can win over any obstacle in

life. The noose of death will fall only on those, who

yet have to face the consequences of their actions in this world. It was after

the episode of Maarkandeya, that people started praying to the Lord as their

final days approached. In the case of Maarkandeya, Eswara Himself appeared and

said, “I gave your parents that boon in an emergency, now I am withdrawing the

same.” Thus God can give boons and can also cancel the same. God has removed

obstacles from the lives of so many devotees. But some people try to test God.

This is a mere waste of time. God will never yield to such tests. Deserve God’s

Grace; then nothing in this world can touch you. Animals, birds, and all beings

can escape the consequences of their actions by God’s Grace. Whatever Sadhana

you may do, never forget God at any moment of your life. Life is very

important, even more than the human body. With prayer, you can sustain this

life. You need not pray loudly. Even a silent prayer will do. God is in the

heart of man. Life may come and go. Worldly

difficulties will come and go. But never disconnect yourself from God. To

deserve God’s Grace, chant His Name. Nothing can happen to you if you keep

singing His Bhajans, singing His Glory. All of you who have assembled here

today have earned the highest profits. Retain it safely with you. Swami is

aware of the fact that you students are always thinking of Him. Swami is not

concerned about the volume of your prayers. You sing Bhajans perfectly. Swami

will listen to it and protect you. Never give scope for any weakness. Your life

is Blessed by Sai. You may sing any name, but God is One. I have no objections

even if you do not call Me by any name. You may also call me as the one with a

huge mop of hair. I have no objections! The East and West Godavari Water

Projects are through. Officials from L&T and Mr. Kondal Rao have gone into the

forests areas, to identify the villages deep inside, and plan out the water

supply for them. They encountered the Naxalites in those

areas. But when the Naxalites came to know that they have come from Swami, for

helping them in providing water to them, these same Naxalites took them around

and guided them. All of them will be coming to Puttaparthi shortly, to share

their joy and Gratitude with Swami for the great boon that He is showering on

them. Water is very important. It is life itself. I do not want their prayers,

worship etc. I will provide whatever you need, even before you can ask Me. No

government has come forward to take up such tasks, but Sai alone will provide

water to all countries of the world. Swami wants all of you to pray for the

welfare of all people around the world. Never give up this prayer. Many are

worried that Swami is not able to walk. But remember, I have nothing to do with

this body and these legs. Swami is beyond and transcends all these. In fact, the

devotes from East and West Godavari districts have arranged a helicopter to take

Me around to their places. Very soon I

will Bless them with My visit! (Loud applause) Bhagawan concluded His Discourse

at 10.00 a.m. Bhajans followed. At 10.15 a.m. Aarti was offered. During the

Aarti, Mr. Narasimhamoorthy – Warden of the Brindavan Hostel of SSSIHL and Mr.

Rajan – Convenor of the Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust, offered

the fifth volume of ‘Sathyam Sivam Sundaram’ at His Lotus Feet. Swami Blessed

His biography penned by Sri Narasimhamoorthy, with His autograph. Sri

Nagananda, Central Trust member offered to Swami the set of five souvenir

volumes on Swami and His Mission called the Pancharatnas prepared by the

Prasanthi Digital Studio , on the major projects of Bhagawan that have been

great boons to humanity – Education, Healthcare, Water Supply, and Grama Seva

and the fifth one being Divine Glories. These too were Blessed by Swami. In the

evening, Swami was out by 3.00 p.m. He went into the interview room. The Music

Programme produced and Directed by Swami was to be

presented this evening by the Institute students. The two singers, Om Prasad and

Sai Krishna were Blessed to have their make up done under the direct guidance of

Swami. The Costumes team and the singers went into the interview room. Swami

wanted the singers to be dressed as Lava and Kusha (Children of Lord Rama). He

had made arrangements for their Dhotis and Shawls. The entire make up was done

right under His supervision. Who else than Lord Rama alone, can perfectly guide

the make up of His Lava and Kusha? Swami came out at 4.25 p.m. The initial plans

were that Swami would be seated down, next to the Vedam group, to watch the

programme. However, out of His compassion for the devotees, Swami chose to sit

on the dais on the extreme right side. The Music group members took their

seats. At sharp 4.30 p.m., the charming young students dressed as Lava and

Kusha made their appearance on the stage. Seeking Swami’s Blessings they took

their seats and the Presentation began at

4.30 p.m. Though we had witnessed the rehearsals a number of times with Swami,

the experience today was totally different. The sacred atmosphere of the

Kulwant Hall, the cool breeze caressing our faces, our Divine Lord seated in

front of us and the yearning hearts of devotees all around, made the setting

totally unique. As the singers presented their songs one after the other with

commentaries interspersed, devotees were charged with ecstasy. Every song was

followed by loud applause. It was a soothing and soul stirring experience! The

programme concluded at 5.45 p.m. Swami spoke to the singers and Blessed them.

This was followed by Bhajans rendered by the lead singers themselves. Aarti was

offered at 6.00 p.m. and Swami retired for the day. Our Sadguru had saturated

our heart with Love and joy and filled our lives with hope and light. Even as

the Porte car moved towards His abode, the faces of all the devotees shone like

the full moon of the Purnima, reflecting the

splendour of our Divine Sadguru!

You can see an illustrated version of happenings at Prashanthi Nilayam in the

Prashanthi Diary of our monthly e-Journal Heart to Heart. The previous issue of

Prashanthi Bulletin is available here. The Photo album contains photos of events

of past Prashanthi Bulletins. Index of past Prashanthi Bulletins...

 

Source: http://www.radiosai.org/pages/PB.htm

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om sai ram

'The word ‘impossible’ does not exist in God’s

dictionary.'-perfect saying.

sai ram

 

 

 

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