Prashanthi Bulletin - October 7th to 12th, 2005

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Prashanthi Bulletin

Index of earlier Bulletins

October 12th, 2005 This morning, Swami came out for Darshan at around quarter

past nine. He spent some time in the Mandir. The Pundits too had come to the

Bhajan Hall for performing some rituals as a prelude to the Purnahuti that was

to be conducted at 10.00 a.m. Sai Gita, Swami's pet elephant, was decked with

all her ornaments. Swami had stopped His car on the Darshan round and had fed

her with some apples amidst loud applause from the public. At 9.40 a.m. or so,

the Pundits came out of the Bhajan Hall and the procession to the Poornachandra

Hall began. All of us too followed them into the PC Hall. Swami too came onto

the stage after a while. The sofa on which He sits was wheeled in front of the

Yajna Kundam. As performed every year, the Purnahuti was conducted with Swami

as the Purusha seated in front of the fire. The Pundits circumambulated

Bhagawan and then Swami materialized a ring for the main Pujari.

Very unexpectedly, Swami came down on His chair and started sprinkling the

sacred water on the people seated in the front rows. Now this came as a

pleasant surprise. No one expected this. This is Bhagawan's Love. With all His

physical limitations, He chose to Bless as many as possible with the sacred

water. Finally, when He was wheeled up, He again asked brother Satyajit to

bring Him down to Bless a few more devotes on the ladies side. His Love knows

no limits. Prasadam (apples) were distributed to all of us and by 11.00 a.m. we

moved out of the PC Hall after Swami retired. An announcement was made that

Prasadam would be distributed to all the Ashramites in their respective houses.

As usual, the Anantapur sisters carried out the task of distributing Dhotis and

Sarees along with Puliyora and Laddus for the permanent residents of the

Ashram. With this, the Grama Seva comes to a close for the present. This

evening, we had three speakers - two lecturers Sri

Ruchir Desai and Dr. M. Sainath, and Sri Jagdish Chandra who is currently doing

his M.Phil. programme in the department of Physics.Following this, we had a

wonderful play Bhakta Surdas put up by the Brindavan Campus students. It was a

very moving presentation, filled with soul lifting songs and music. There were

a couple of dances too that added to the variety. It began at 5.15 p.m. and

went on till 6.15 p.m. At the end, Swami called the student who acted as Bhakta

Surdas and spoke to him. Aarti was given and Swami retired for the day even as

Laddus were distributed to all in the Mandir. Thus the Dussera festival for

this year drew to a close leaving all of us saturated with His Love. The

various talks of speakers dwelling on His teachings and Bhagawan's Discourses

provided us with so many insights for pondering over and assimilating. October

11th, 2005 This morning, all students and staff sat in the Poornachandra Hall

until the morning Yajnam concluded with Aarti. Only then, did they all leave for

the Grama Seva. However, since the villages were close by, they could complete

all scheduled tasks by 3.00 p.m. In the evening, we had a few words by the Vice

Chancellor - Sri Anil Gokak, followed by Sri S.V. Giri, Dr. G. Venkataraman and

finally Sri B.N. Narasimha Murthy. Swami began His Divine Message at 5.40 p.m.

The highlights: God has no desires, no mistakes. All that we perceive is in our

own mind. Enta Maatrame Evvaru Teluchino Anta Maatrame Neevu. God manifests only

to the extent to which each one perceives Him. We can transform anything in this

world but not the mind. God alone can change the mind. One may be able to bend

and straighten a tree but never the mind. Therefore, surrender to Him. Mano

Moolam Idam Jagath. Strong faith in God is very necessary. God is not a

specific Form. It is a power. This power can bring about any type of change.

Atma is one and the same in all, just like the current which remains the same

whether it is A/C or D/C. Mind cannot be changed either by Mantra, Yantra or

Tantra. God's Will alone can change the mind. God is only One. He can do

anything, anytime anywhere. He can go anywhere. Ekam Eva Adviteeyam Brahma. God

is changeless - Only One - whether you call Him Rama, Krishna or Sai Baba. God's

Will is most powerful. If He Wills anything can happen. God's Mind is steady and

strong. We may sometimes think that we have changed God's Mind but this can

never be true. The Universal Mind can Will anything and bring about any change.

The Lord if He wishes can give His Darshan at one instant to everybody,

simultaneously. Today, you all have known the secrets of Divinity. Once you

know these secrets, you will be able to know the whole world. After this Swami

went on to narrate the story of His visit to Rishikesh and how He had met

Purushottamananda and Sivananda

over there. He spent the next half an hour or so on this topic and gave us a

graphic description of the yearning of these great saints for Bhagawan. He

concluded with the passing away of Purushottamananda in the cave and mentioned

that at that time, the whole cave was full of Vibhuti. Later, the disciples of

Purushottamananda came to Parthi to visit Bhagawan and witness their Guru in

Swami as they had the firm conviction that their Guru had merged in Bhagawan to

which Swami also agreed. In conclusion, Swami said that was the yearning that

these sages and saints have for Bhagawan; you have this type of yearning. He

left it that for us to wonder at what He meant by that. Was it a caution to

remind us of His True Reality and our great opportunity and intensify our

yearning for Him? Swami left us with this food for thought and retired at

around 7.00 p.m. October 10th, 2005 Ayudha Puja was performed this

morning. All the cars and the Golden Chariot were placed in front of the car

garage on the gents side of the Kulwant Hall for Blessings from Bhagawan.

Around quarter past seven, Swami was out in His car and He came towards the

garage. Sitting in the car itself, He Blessed the coconuts and the staff

managing and driving the cars. He looked at the Golden Chariot for a long time

and spoke to Sri Srinivasa Chettiar Garu who was standing next to the car. As

Swami proceeded towards the interview room, chocolates Blessed by Bhagawan were

distributed to all. This evening, being Durgashtami, Swami had given the

opportunity of speaking to the Anantapur staff and students. Dr. Rajeshwari

Patel and a student from the III Year B.A. class shared their thoughts and

experiences with the audience. Swami began His Discourse at 5.15 p.m. He

started by talking about Education and Educare. Education comes from outside

whereas Educare has to come from within, from the heart. The former is

the Aadheyam while the latter is the Adharam. Then Swami went on to explain in

minute detail the episode of Lava and Kusha preparing to fight with their own

father Lord Rama. They were not aware that Lord Rama was their father and they

were very angry for the injustice that He had done to Sita. They were also not

aware that their own Mother was Sita Devi. After elaborate descriptions of the

event, finally Swami said that the children who were very agitated and who

could not be consoled even by Mother Sita and her explanations were finally

transformed by the loving words of Sri Rama Himself. It is only God who can

transform the mind! If you all pray you too will be transformed. In a very

short while, the whole world will live in harmony, true to the saying - Saha Na

Vavatu Saha Nau Bhunaktu??This will happen sooner than you may expect.

Individual differences will disappear in our Bharath. Now there may be many

such differences, but in future all

these will disappear and all will live in peace and harmony. Soon there will be

the Purnahuti of the Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna. What is the meaning of

this Purnahuti. You must bundle and offer all your sins into the fire. Swami

concluded His Divine Discourse at 6.10 p.m. with the song Rama Rama Rama Sita?.

October 9th, 2005 This morning, the State Finance Minister Sri Rosaiah Garu had

come to Parthi to invite Bhagawan for the inauguration of the Tourism Complex

near Yenumulapally. As soon as Swami came out for Darshan Sri Rosaiah Garu

proceeded to the Tourism Complex. Smt. Geeta Reddy, Minister for Tourism for

the state of Andhra Pradesh, was also present. Bhagawan graciously went to the

complex, inaugurated it and gave joy to all the functionaries. In the evening,

as part of the Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yagna and Prashanti Maha Vidwan Sabha

celebrations, we had two speakers, Prof. V.E.

Ramamurthy - Faculty Member in the School of Business Management and Sri Sanjay

Mahalingam - a Research Scholar in the same department. Their talks concluded

at around 5.40 p.m. Yet, our merciful Lord stood up and gave a wonderful

Discourse. The highlights are as follows: Talking all the day aimlessly, eating

three times a day, breathing continuously day in and day out; do you think these

are spiritual practices? Do you think being lost in deep sleep is a spiritual

practice? Is this the purpose of God's Creation? Divinity is present in all

beings. Elders always advise that we must think of God every morning and night

so as to make our hearts sacred. God is in everything - in mankind, in insects,

birds, - in all beings. To see God who is everywhere, does one need to meditate?

God cannot be experienced by merely following spiritual practices. All Sadhana

that we undertake is only for Chitta Shuddhi - cleansing the mind, purifying

the mind.

Purity of heart has to be attained. We think that fasting and observing vows

takes us closer to God. This is a false notion. God is always there everywhere.

To see and experience this omnipresent God, one must have Chitta Shuddhi. Just

as a utensil when washed again and again becomes shining, so too by persistent

spiritual practice, the heart starts shining with Divine effulgence. Once the

heart becomes sacred, Divinity can be seen and experienced. This is the way to

see God, not by mere meditation. We must convince ourselves that God is in all

beings. But nobody is doing that. Whomsoever we see is verily God. I am present

in everybody but not attached to anybody. Gopikas alone understood this Truth.

The Cosmic Self is Divine but is seen as the individual self. Whomsoever we

come across, be it a businessman or a farmer, we must consider them as God

only, not as a farmer or a businessman. God is present in all forms serving

you. From today onwards, have this

strong faith and you too will see God everywhere. Once you please God,

everything will be added on to you. You think that I am God, but you too are

God. We all are forms of God. Think like this and you will see God alone. Yad

Bhavam Tad Bhavati. Truth is One. Now the question may arise that if the

individual self is verily the Cosmic Self, then why do we die? It is because we

have not yet realized our Cosmic Self. I am You - You am I. Tat Tvam Asi. Ekam

Eva Adviteeyam Brahma. God is Only One, Not Two. Recognition of this Truth will

give you the experience. Strongly hold on to the Truth that you and God are one.

Differences arise only in our mind. God is not separate from us. He is in you. I

am ONE, without the second! No Two. This Truth is made apparent gradually to

seekers. Once you strongly hold on to the Truth that God and you are one, He

will manifest in you. Ten ones make ten. Therefore, 'one' is most important.

'Ten' is not the reality. 'ONE' is

the reality. You can add any number of zeroes to 'One' and increase the number

value, but zeroes by themselves have no value. 'ONE' is the Hero!! All forms

are Sai Baba only. Go by this Oneness alone. Whatever Bhagawan is telling is

the Truth of Truth. Have full faith in this Truth. All scriptures talk of this

same Truth. Once this Truth is known, there will be no doubts. Do not accuse

anybody or blame anybody. Never entertain any doubts. Doubt means duality.

There is no 'He' and 'I'. All is 'I' only. Oneness is the Truth of Truths. If

you cannot experience this, give it up but never argue that God is two. Ekatvam

Sama Jeevatvam. Never have the view of separateness. For worldly purpose we may

consider many numbers but in essence we are one. Today you may not understand

this clearly, but slowly it will become clear. Truth is One and not Two! Look

at this kerchief, there may be many yarns / threads but the cloth is one.

Bhagawan concluded His Divine

Message with the Bhajan Govinda Krishna Jai Gopala Krishna Jai? Swami retired at

around 7.00 p.m. after Prasadam Distribution. October 7th and 8th, 2005 Grama

Seva has been going on as per schedule. The students have completed Bukkapatnam

Mandal and have now moved on to Kothacheruvu Mandal. In the evening, Swami has

been coming out at around 3.45 p.m. The proceedings of the Vidwan Maha Sabha

begins at 4.15 p.m. or so. The normal pattern is talks by a few speakers and

then Swami's Discourse. Yesterday there were two speakers followed by

Bhagawan's Discourse for an hour and a quarter. The Discourse of Bhagawan

revolved around the Pandavas and how they were an ideal for the entire

humanity. He spoke at length about the episode of Lord Krishna leaving His

mortal frame and Mother Kunti passing away as soon as she hears about this.

Then Swami described how the equanimous Dharmaja was able to perform so many

activities at the

same time. On one side he prepared for the funeral of his mother Kunti, on the

other hand he made arrangements for the coronation of Parikshit as the king of

Hastinapura and yet on the third front all the Pandavas got ready to leave for

the Maha Prasthana. Only Dharmaja was capable of carrying out all these tasks

at the same time. This evening, we had four speakers. Sri Sanjay Sahni,

Principal of the Brindavan Campus of SSSIHL, Karthik Ramesh, a student from the

I MBA class, Sai Giridhar, a student from the II M.Sc.© class and finally Sri

Ajit Popat. All talks were very inspiring. It was already past 5.30 p.m. But

still our compassionate Lord chose to shower on us words of Divine Wisdom. He

spoke at length about the greatness of King Parikshit. At such a young age, he

was coronated but he ruled his kingdom very well. Swami described how Dharmaja

and Draupadi instilled courage and confidence in Parikshit to rule the kingdom

and also convinced the public about his capability

in performing the task. Swami said that all of us should be courageous like

Parikshit and all women should be as bold and confident as Draupadi. These were

the true role models for humanity today. It was 7.00 p.m. by the time Swami

retired to His abode.

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:

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