Rama Navami Day at Wembley Centre

[Guest guest]

Aum Sri Sai Ram

Rama Navami Day is to be celebrated next Thursday, 6th April at Wembley

Centre with a Paduka Pooja (to be conducted by Maltiben from

Leicester).

We look forward to you all joining us on this auspicious

occasion.

Regards

Vinod

on behalf of Wembley Sai Centre

An extract from Swami's Discourse at Prashanti Nilayam on 3 Oct 1996 is

shown below:

'WORSHIP OF PADUKAS

Today we are celebrating the worship of padukas (sandals

sanctified by the touch of the Lord's feet). Worship of padukas is

not of recent origin.

Even during the Krita Yuga, the sages used to worship

padukas, experience divine bliss and share it with others. By

worshipping the Feet of the Lord, they achieved the goal of their

penance.

In the worship of Dakshinamurthy adoration of the sandals of the Lord as

guru (preceptor) is considered important. Even Sankaracharya

resorted to the worship of the Lord's Feet as essential. In a famous

hymn, he extolled the Lord in many ways and declared that he was taking

refuge in the Lord's feet (Sambhu). He declared that Siva's feet

were enshrined in his heart and not elsewhere.

The glory of the Lord's feet is demonstrated by a significant episode in

the Ramayana. After Rama left the forest, Bhartha came to him and pleaded

earnestly with him to return to Ayodhya. Rama was equally determined not

to return. Vasishta noticed the equal determination of the two brothers.

The sage told Bharata: "Rama has come to the forest to carry out the

command of his father. It is not right on your part to ask him to change

his mind. Let us take his padukas to Ayodhya. Those padukas

will reign over the kingdom". Vasishta gave this timely advice and

persuaded Bharata to take Ramas sandals and install them on the throne in

Ayodhya.

These incidents show that the worship of the Lord's feet and of the

Lord's sandals has a long antiquity. The sacredness of this worship was

propagated to the world by Bharat from ancient times as part of its

spiritual message to mankind . Indians today have largely forgotten this

ancient practice. In those days it was the practice of the disciples,

after the completion of their education at the guru's ashram, to

take with them padukas of the guru to worship them on their

return to their homes. But even the worship of padukas is an

external activity. True devotion calls for the installation of the

padukas in the heart.

This means that starting with the external form of worship, we should in

due course make it an internal exercise. '

Attachment: (application/octet-stream) Wembley - Ram Navami 2006.PDF [not stored]

[Guest guest]

Jai Sai Ram

 

Please note that the attachment file showing the time and venue

details for the above was shown right at the end of the previous

message. Briefly, the event is:

 

at Dennis Jackson Community Centre,

London Road (Far End), Wembley, Middlesex, UK

 

from 8pm (expected conclusion 9.45pm)

on Rama Navami Day 6th April 2006

 

Many thanks to those who have enquired via email and shown an

interest in attending. Drivers please be mindful of not blocking

other vehicles and access for local residents.