Prashanthi Bulletin August 13th-18th, 2005

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Report : from Puttparthi on Independence Day Drama - Swaarajya (Rule of the Self)

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Source: Radiosai.orgPrashanthi Bulletin August 13th-18th, 2005 Bhagawan

arrived at 7.45 am for morning darshan. After sitting onstage listening to the

Vedic chants for around half an hour, Bhagawan moved towards some delegates to

the Education conference who had some books on Value-based Education. Bhagawan

blessed the books and went through them for nearly twenty minutes! Then the

Brindavan Warden and faculty presented an 80th Birthday souvenir volume.

Bhagawan blessed the souvenir also, and then went to the interview room. This

evening saw the concluding session of the international Education conference.

The Chief Guest for the occassion was Smt. Kumud Bansal, Secretary to the

Government of India, Department of Elementary education and Literacy. Bhagawan

came onstage at 3.30 pm after ensuring that the Chief Guest was seated at the

centre of the dais, and the proceedings began shortly thereafter. The first to

speak was the Vice-Chancellor, Sri Gokak, who welcomed the Chief Guest. Then

Sri Sanjay Sahani, Principal of the Brindavan campus of the Institute,

introduced the speakers for the session. Two students presented summaries of

the conference proceedings. Two student speakers, Research Scholar Sanjay

Mahalingam and Jagdish Chandra of the M.Phil. class, followed. Thereafter was

an address by the former Vice-chancellor Sri S. V. Giri. Then the Chief Guest

Smt. Kumud Bansal presented her views. The Vice-Chancellor Sri Gokak wound up

the proceedings by presenting a report of the conclusions of the conference.

Bhajans were sung for a few minutes while prasadam was distributed to all,

following which Bhagawan returned to His abode after Arati. August 17th, 2005

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning is hosting an International

Conference of eminent educators entitled 'Education in the 21st century -

Education to Educare'. This morning was the inaugural session of the conference

in Sai Kulwant Hall. The Chief Guest was Justice Venkatachallaiah, former Chief

Justice of India and National Human Rights Commission chairmain. Bhagawan, who

is the Chancellor of the Institute, arrived at 8 o'clock and the proceedings

got underway after He came to the dais at 8.15 am. The Vice-Chancellor, Sri

Anil Vinayak Gokak, made some introductory remarks, introduced some of the

eminent participants and welcomed them. This was followed by the Chief Guest's

address. Bhagawan then gave His Divine Message. After Bhagawan's Discourse, He

asked for the Vedam chanting to resume and laddoo prasadam was distributed. At

10.15 am, Arati was offered and Swami left for His abode. The conference

continued with it's next session at the Administrative Block of the Institute.

In the afernoon, Bhagawan sat onstage listening to the Vedam chanting after His

darshan round at 3.15 pm. At 3.40 pm, the Vice-Chancellor announced the

commencement of the evening's programme. Two students summarised the day's

conference proceedings, and then there was a presentation entitled 'There is

only one caste, the caste of Humanity; there is only one religion, the religion

of Love' by the students. The essential Unity of all faiths was portrayed

through skits relating to Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. After the

presentation, Bhagawan had group photos with the participants, prasadam was

distributed, and Bhagawan returned to His abode accepting the Arati. August

15th, 2005 The students assembled in the Sai Kulwant Hall this morning after

attending the Independence Day flag hoisting ceremonies in their respective

institutions. After His Darshan round, Bhagawan came onto the verandah and had

a long interaction with Sri Indulal Shah and a couple of other guests. They

were showing Bhagawan various architectural drawings. This 'outdoor interview'

went on for around half an hour, concluding a few minutes before Bhajans began

at nine o'clock. In the evening, the senior students of the Institute put up a

drama with the Independence Day theme. The historic speeches given by Mahatma

Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subash Chandra Bose and others were incorported in

the drama. The drama concluded with the message that Bharat has to get

'Swaaraajya' - the rule of the Eternal Spirit - and not mere political

independence. All rose for the National Anthem, after which Bhagawan returned

to His abode accepting the Arati. August 14th, 2005 This is a "long weekend" in

India - Monday is Independence Day, a National Holiday - and the Sai Kulwant

Hall was full. In the evening, the students of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher

Secondary School were ready with a program, 'Sai Sandesh' - the message of Sai.

After sitting onstage for an hour, Bhagawan came inside the Bhajan Hall where

the students were assembled with their costumes. After some interaction with

them, Swami asked them to start the programme and went inside the interview

room. A few minutes after the drama began, Swami came to the verandah and sat

there to watch. The message of 'Matr Devo Bhava, Pitr Devo Bhava, Acharya Devo

Bhava, Atithi Devo Bhava' - treat the parents, teacher and guest as God - was

conveyed in the drama through the lives of two boys Nithin and Akash. Nithin

teaches values to Akash by recalling the stories of Shravan Kumar, Pundarika

and so on, which were acted out. The concluding part of the drama had a song

incorporating Bhagawan's social service activities - educare, medicare and

sociocare - represented in tableaux. The human values of Sathya, Dharma,

Shanthi and Prema - depicted as characters - find a new hope at Prashanthi

Nilayam, at Bhagawan's lotus feet. August 13th, 2005 This evening, Bhagawan

went for an extra long round in His car outside the Ashram, 2.45 pm to 4 pm.

After spending twenty minutes in the interview room, Bhagawan went to the

Bhajan Hall and remained there till bhajans at 5 pm.