November 13th and 14th, 2007 - Sai Students

[Guest guest]

November 14th, 2007 Today was the day when all over India, everyone observes Children's day. It appeared as though Swami had also decided to spend the evening if not the whole day with His children! The students who were part of the Convocation drama were practising in the Institute auditorium. At about 4:05 pm, Swami started moving towards the Institute. Much to the glee of the students in the auditorium, they realized that Swami was coming to see their practice session. The Vice Chancellor, Principal, Controller of Exams and other senior members of the Institute were also present.Swami came into the auditorium to the warm welcome of the students. He sat in the centre and asked for the practise to begin. The drama which began with a dance was a beautiful blend of emotion, suspense and devotion. The story will be in the 22nd November update however! Swami sat for the entire practise session and He was correcting a

few scenes here and there. He grew quite emotional in some of the places especially when He heard the devotee cry out to the Lord for help. As the drama progressed one could see tears even in the eyes of many of the elders who had come along with Swami too. At one point when a song started and gained momentum, Swami identified the singer. He kept enquiring about the different boys in various roles. He said that a few more lines of a song could be added. He also had advice on the placing of a few sets and the costumes. He even made few rearrangements in the final formation after the drama. Any further elaboration on the proceedings of the drama will risk an early release of the story andhence is being curtailed!At the end of the drama, Swami told all the actors that the drama was good. He spoke to the costume boys too specially about a turban that was to be used in the drama. Then He made enquiries about the music boys and the set boys. He expressed immense

satisfaction and joy at the fact that everything had been done by the boys themselves. As He went out of the auditorium, He took letters from many boys and spoke to a few of them. The brass band of the Institute had assembled outside and they played a beautiful piece as Swami got into the car and left for the mandir.November 13th, 2007 Today something very unique took place. Swami came out to grant darshan at about 5:05 pm as Bhajans were on. He went into the bhajan hall and after the 4th bhajan, He called Prof.Venkatraman and told him to speak on the significance of the Akhanda bhajans. After he had spoken for a while, Swami asked for the singers' mike and began delivering His Divine Discourse in the bhajan hall itself! The discourse is given below:Understand significance of Akhanda bhajan. There is a difference between Akhanda and Khanda. The latter is to think of God momentarily alone. Akhanda bhajan is to

think of Him always, every time and at all places - in all three levels of consciousness. There are three needles to tell the time in a clock. If one moves, all others also move. One round of first makes the second move and unit and so on. The hour hand is given most importance. So also, the longer variant of the bhajan – in the morning, afternoon, evening and night is more important.Every name of God has power. But that power should be utilized properly and do bhajans. Each name has a power. Once upon a time, a king told his parrot to go and chant the name of Rama to the crow and make it too repeat the name. The parrot dutifully went to the crow and said, "You may be black, O crow! But listen and chant Rama's name. It will make you bright." Doing so, the crow fell down dead. The parrot felt very sad at this and reported to the king as to what happened. But the king told the parrot to do the same task to the peacock this time. "Oh peacock! You are beautiful and

grand. Chant Rama's name and your glory will grow." The parrot told the peacock. The same thing happened there also. The parrot was now worried. Both birds had died. Now the king told the parrot to tell the same to a new born calf. (emotionally) "Oh King! Let me not get an additional sin now. I will not kill a baby," said the parrot but to no avail. With trepidation, the parrot requested the calf to chant Rama's name. Doing so, the calf too breathed its last. Finally, it came to be known that the prince was born. What was the reason for the human form that the prince had. The Lord's name liberated the soul from different bodies, of the crow, the peacock and the calf to finally gift it a human birth. This news spread all over the kingdom. Rama's name made the crow a beautiful peacock. The peacock evolved into the calf and the calf in turn got a human birth.Everything is divine. God is in every creature. But God specially takes a human form and so the human body is

very special. It is God's grace that results in human form. But inspite of repeating the Lord's name, there is no transformation in man. This is because there is no understanding, faith and Love. Faith is love. That love is needed. Man is not uttering the name with Love. He is on the lookout whether the tune beat etc are all fine. The mind is wavering. Thus no transformation is seen. The mind should be kept steady on the name. When a song is being sung, the others are planning for next song. Thus man remains man and does not evolve. Change is there within due to thinking of God alone. The sacredness that one attains by chanting and thinking of the name is not noticed by others but the individual himself comes to know of it.It is not possible to attain totality by uttering the name once. Do your job but keep in mind that this is God's work. Thus think of God that way always. Women cook. They add dhal, salt, spice etc. While doing so, if they do saying that it is for

God, it gets sanctified. Don't degrade it by offering it to members of family, cook, guests etc. At every step, think of God. God is in every cell and atom. But man does not realize this and feels that he is moving forward. All progress is worldly if one is unaware of the inherent divinity. Consider all your actions, words and thoughts as that of God. The feeling behind the chanting is most important. Say whole heartedly once. That's enough. It is equal to hours of chanting. The feeling makes it like the hour hand of the clock. It has value. Otherwise you can keep chanting like the seconds hand of the clock - goes on moving but no value. No one has value for minute and second hand. Hour hand is importantly. The feeling is like the hour hand. Don't bother about what people say. Nowadays none say His name from the bottom of the heart. People say that they cannot chant His name because of cold, cough and voice not being fine. Atleast sing within yourself. That will give

strength. God's name is matchless. It can bring back the dead to life.Savitri was sad when the husband was gone. But Satyavan came back to life. It is only in Bharat that resurrections have occurred by Lord's name. Bharat is very special. No place is like that. The pure mind is important. Meerabai also, finally said, "Oh Lord! From the depths of the ocean, I have collected the pearl. Let me not drop this back into the ocean." If you need liberation, God's name is needed. You are all sparks of Divine. And so you must all be like how I am. The same purity of Love of God must be in you too.The whole creation is reaction, reflection and resound. So realize that you are Divine. Never forget this. If this is remembered, it amounts to reading Bhagawat Geeta fully. Be Godly. "Mamaivamsho Jeeva Loke, Jeeva Bhoota Sanatanaha." I am you and you are me in qualities and righteousness. Dharma arose from feeling which came of Faith. Faith is Truth. Truth and Dharma and

Faith and Love are all God. Live in Love. You may have many difficulties. Don't waver and change mind due to them. All these will pass easily. Waves keep coming but water is still. Have the steady waters of Faith. Thoughts are waves like the passing clouds. They are not permanent.Develop Love and nothing will remain that you cannot attain. Earth and sky can be transformed into each other. That Divine power is in you. Never neglect God's name. The power in it is known to all those who have experienced. All that glitters is not diamond. Die- mind is diamond. Do not chase temporary pleasures. You will be cheated if you chase them. Once you have decided to hold on to the Lord, hold on to His feet firmly. They will be with you always, everywhere. Install the Lord's name in your heart permenently. Then your life will be sanctified. That is your shakti, bhakti and mukti. Never catch passing clouds and pass out. To teach this we have the Akhanda bhajan - to sing for 24

hours. In between if you keep going and coming, that is Khanda bhajan. Tough to connect the pieces. Even if you go home or for food, keep singing His glory. God never said to give up everything. Just think of God as you do your activity. krishna said, "Oh Arjuna! Fight thinking of me. Then that is true war." War is not shooting, killing and bombing. Nothing great in it. Doing your work and think of Lord, you will survive and live smilingly. A smiling face is needed. Do not have a castor oil face. True happiness lies in union with God. When you get some worrying thoughts, do not kill yourself. Especially those that think of marraige, this thought kills. Even if that thought comes tell, "It is not marriage but 'my-rise'!"Singing the name is liberating. You needn't worry about tune and beat. The beat and tune of the heart is one - "So Ham" - "I am that". Keep that tune its enough. It is a great fortune to do namasmarana. We have bhajans here everyday. That is a great

fortune. Do not miss and spoil that fortune granted to you. It will lead to fulfillment of your lives.It was quite late when Swami received Aarthi and retired. Courtesy: http://www.saistudents.org