Report on Dasara 2005 in Prasanthi Nilayam

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Report on Dasara 2005 in Prasanthi Nilayam

"This Prasanthi Nilayam is the Nilayam of Nithya Shanthi - of the peace that

cannot be disturbed - because it is based on deep discrimination and on

unshakable renunciation of attachment to sense objects. To be here on this

sacred day is indeed a great piece of good fortune. Thousands of aspirants and

seekers have assembled here and those who have come into this auspicious

company have to make the best use of this chance. Instead of celebrating this

Dasara festival in feasting and catering to the frailties of the senses, I am

happy that you have determined to spend it in holy thoughts". This is a piece

of Divine Coucelling given by Bhagawan during the Dasara Festivity four decades

ago, in the year 1965 and these above lines herald the significance of this

grant festivity called Dasara or 'Devi Navarathri'. And over the years millions

of devotees have witnessed this festivity at Prasanthi Nilayam with

the Lord in His physical frame accepting the offering of Poornahuthi as Veda

Purusha, rarest of the good fortune bestowed upon by the 'Greater Heaven'.The

legend has it that Dasara signifies the victory of Devas over Asuras, i.e.,

Righteousness over the forces of evil. Vouching for this mythical belief,

thousands have gathered at Prasanthi Nilayam to celebrate the festivity in the

very Divine Presence of Bhagawan, Beloved Mother Sai. In fact this year's

celebrations came as a fresh spiritual breeze, cooling down the turbulent minds

with His nectarine Divine Discourses that served as 'feast for the soul'. The

celebrations began on 6th October with "Kalasa-sthapanam" in the Bhajan Hall of

the Prasanthi Mandir followed by the beginning of Veda Purusha Saptah Jnana

Yajna in the Poornachandra Auditorium, which was filled to capacity.Bhagavan

presided over the Yajna as Veda Purusha while the ritwiks lighted the sacred

homam creating fire by friction, by rubbing two sticks from churning of two

wooden pieces. The homam was carried on by pundits chanting Vedic mantras and

making offerings of ghee to the sacred fire.Besides the homam, there were

pundits engaged in performing Suryanamaskar, reading holy epics, the Ramayana

and the Bhagavata, worshipping thousand lingas of Lord Siva, worship to Lord

Ganesha and the Hindu Trinity and other rituals related to the Yajna. While

these rituals continued for a week, Prasanthi Vidhwaan Mahasabha, an assembly

of learned in the Divine Presence to share spiritual knowledge was the major

attraction of the evening sessions. Senior devotees, Faculty Members and

Students from the three campuses of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

shared their thoughts in the Divine Presence which were followed by illuminating

Divine Discourses on five days in which Bhagawan enlightened the devotees

gathered on various spiritual topics with incidents from the Ramayana, the

Mahabharata and from His Divine Visit to Rishikesh etc.

11th October was Durgashtami and Ayudha Puja was performed on this morning in

the Divine Presence at Sai Kulwant Hall. On Vijaya Dashami day, 12th October

thousands of devotees gathered in the Poornachandra Auditorium to witness the

completion of week long Yajna with Poornahuti. Bhagawan who presided over the

Yajna as Yajna Purusha blessed the occasion, the pundits and the devotees

gathered by sprinkling the water sanctified by the Yajna going round the

jam-packed Poornachandra Auditorium to the delight of one and all. Prasadam was

distributed at the end of the programme.

In the afternoon students from Brindavan Campus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of

Higher Learning staged a Drama titled "Bhakta Surdas". It was a moving

presentation on the life of poet saint Surdas and depicting his unflinching

devotion to Lord Sri Krishna. Devotion was in the air as the drama unfolded the

mystery as to how with single-pointed devotion one could win the heart of the

Lord. Melodious songs coupled with soul lifting music and dance sequences made

the presentation nostalgic and memorable. Indeed a fitting grand finale to the

week long Dasara festivities.Sri Sathya Sai Grama Seva "If you pour

spirituality into the ears of those who are tortured by hunger, it will not be

assimilated. First satisfy the hunger. "Give them God in the form of food; Give

them God in the form of clothes; Give them food in the form of Peace to those

afflicted with anxiety; Give God in the form of medicine to those suffering

from ill-health; Give God in whatever form which will assuage fear, pain and

sorrow. It is only when this is done that spirituality can soak into the

heart", said Bhagawan. Further, in His discourse of 16th February in 1992 He

opened His mind in unequivocal terms that "Grama Seva is Rama Seva. You need

not strive for salvation as a separate goal. Service to village will itself

ensure mukti (liberation). Bear this truth in mind and act upto it in your

daily life."

It was a new 'mantra'. And He enjoined upon His students – His sole property –

to march forward in their purity as ambassadors of peace and love to the

villages with food and clothes – the first of His lessons in Practical Vedanta,

the adwaita philosophy in practice. The programme launched in October 2000 has

come to stay as an annual feature – a practice to be carried out throughout

their life wherever they go. This year's Grama Seva was planned to cover 150

villages in the three Mandals of Puttaparthi, Kothacheruvu and Bukkaptanam

forming the unit that was called earlier as Puttaparthi Taluka. It was indeed a

hectic week for the students of all the three campuses who were ordained to

carry out the task of reaching out the villagers with His food and cloth

packets of Love. This lucky lot with minds fresh and enthused and hearts

vibrant and expanded set out with "Sairam" on their

lips…went to the door steps…and conquered. It was not the sweets, food packet

or clothes that were distributed that mattered, but the feeling behind the

action, that was the message of this Grama Seva which Bhagawan has been

stressing, all through, to reach out the needy with His Divine Love, true to

His saying, Grama Seva is Rama Seva… Jana Seva is Janardhana Seva. Students

from the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anantapur Campus for

women and senior girl students from Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School with

faculty members and staff from both the campuses engaged in packing the food and

cloth materials while boys from both Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan Campuses

along with faculty members and staff would go out everyday to various villages

with meticulous plan to carry out the task within the schedule. The last day of

the Grama Seva activities, on the Vijaya Dashami day, students from the

Anantapur Campus distributed sweets, food packets and clothes to the inmates of

Ashram. Indeed, an act worth emulating and one would wonder whether the Gods of

highest heaven would be watching this "White Army" of students who were

immensely lucky and privileged to carry out the task at the direct command of

God walking on two feet.Excerpts from

Bhagawan's Divine Discourses: 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.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 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; and you have this

type of yearning. Was it a caution to remind us of His True Reality and our

great opportunity and

intensify our yearning for Him?

Source: http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/dasara05_Report.htm