Prasanthi Diary part 6 & 7 - The Chronicles of Heaven on Earth.

[Guest guest]

November 22, 2008 - 27th Convocation Day of Sri Sathya Sai University

The

dawn of November 22 saw hectic activity in Sai Kulwant Hall as the

Muddenahalli students worked in great zest and zeal to play what has

now become their annual role in the Convocation ceremony of the Sri

Sathya Sai University. Swami has chosen them to do all the decorations

for the ceremony for which He is the host! And every time, they do a

job that fills Him with joy and satisfaction. By 1:00 p.m., the whole

Sai Kulwant Hall wore a new look. The stage was tastefully decorated

with flowers of various hues. A beautiful arch decked with flowers

bearing the letters XXVII Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai University was

placed at the western end of the hall to welcome Swami. Another arch

bearing the same lettering embossed in gold was placed near the gate

facing the dais. At about 2:00 p.m., Swami came in the car to inspect

the arrangements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arriving for inspection, for isn't He the host today?

 

 

 

All

those students graduating on the day were seated in the central marble

block. Swami got down and with the first view of the decked stage, He

seemed overwhelmed. His face seemed to say, "It's so beautiful!" He

wanted to test the switch that would light up the decorated board to

mark the "Convocation being declared open" by the Chancellor. As those

lights came on, His face lit up! He then moved along both the right and

left wing of the stage and inspected the arrangements. When He came on

stage, two students came up to Him with the convocation robes. The post

graduate students had a brown coloured robe while the undergraduates

had light blue. He saw the robes but blessed the students! He then

wanted to go to the eastern side of the stage and for that He had to

literally wade through the boys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The maroon Post Graduate robes....

 

 

 

....and the sky blue Undergraduate ones

 

 

 

 

Having satisfied Himself that all was fine, Swami was about to leave

when from the corner of His eye, He saw an ex-student. Well, the

concept of ex-student is only from the University angle. As far as

Swami is concerned, once you are His student, you always remain as one.

He called him to His side and enquired about his well-being. He also

asked him, "How is the decoration?" The boy told the truth - that it

was magnificent. Swami was so pleased, and as they say, when God is

very happy, He bestows that look which fulfills all the desires of

those on whom that look falls on. It appeared to be that kind of a

look! Then, moving through the veranda where the roof had been

decorated, He reached the other end of the Mandir. The veranda had been

curtained from public view and so His journey through it was like a

ride in a dark corridor. As He moved near His beloved students, they

mobbed around Him. Like bees hovering around a flower, they buzzed near

Him and Swami smiled warmly and spoke to some of them. Then, getting

back into the car, Swami drove back to Yajur Mandir.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The graduates are blessed with a special blessing

 

 

 

"Boy! How is the decoration?"

 

 

 

The

27th Annual Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai University was held as a

glittering ceremony which it richly deserved for the matchless service

it has been rendering in the field of education for more than a quarter

century now. This prestigious institution that promotes value education

with spiritual orientation, a chiseller of wonderful students whom

Swami prefers to address as His future ambassadors, has thousands of

students as its alumni who are engaged in relentless service activities

in different parts of the world. The regal convocation procession began

at 3.50 p.m. led by the students of the Institute Brass Band. They were

followed by two students on either side holding the scepter with the

Institute insignia embossed on it. The Registrar of the University

carried the ceremonial mace. Members of the Governing Body and Members

of the Institute Trust followed them. Swami came out of the Yajur

Mandir in a beautiful maroon robe and as always was the shining star

and life of the procession. As the procession moved on Swami did

something so wonderful and beautiful - something that comes very

naturally to Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The arrival for the actual function

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The University insignia and their bearers

 

 

 

The Chief Guest with the Vice Chancellor

 

 

 

Sitting

on the chair, Swami was engulfed by the procession in such a manner

that surely none would be able to see Him when He arrived into the Sai

Kulwant Hall. So after being part of the procession for a few moments,

He asked to be moved out of it. As the entire procession entered the

Sai Kulwant hall, He sat watching it. He told the photographers nearby,

"The procession has gone there. Go there and shoot.....Why here?"

Surely, He knows as well as anyone else why they were there and not

with the procession! Then He started. As Swami entered the hall, there

was a huge burst of applause. Whatever is the occasion or ceremony, the

Lord remains the heartthrob of His devotees. Swami moved gently through

the rows of capped graduates from both the men’s' and women's campuses.

Then, via the 'filled-to-the-capacity' marble block Swami made His way

to the stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guru, Guide, Father, Mother

and Friend - all rolled into one

 

 

 

The

revered chief guest this time was Prof. G. Venkataraman, a man of

superhuman achievements both in the scientific world as well as in the

sphere of Swami's mission. Educated at the University of Madras, he had

an illustrious career. He has rendered yeoman service to the nation,

starting his career at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). He

also held the position of Director, Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO). In recognition of his services, he was elected

President of Indian Physicist Association. He was also conferred the

prestigious national honour “Padma Shri†by the Government of India.

Being the director of the Prashanti Digital Studios and the world

renowned Sai Radio channel “Radio Sai Global Harmonyâ€, he has been a

true instrument in the Lord's hands. It was no surprise that Swami had

decided to bestow him with that exalted honour on this day. At the

outset, Prof. Vishwanath Pandit, the Vice Chancellor of the University

garlanded the Chief Guest Prof. G. Venkataraman. He also welcomed the

prominent guest from the UGC, the Vice Chairman of University Grants

Commission, Prof. Moolchand Sharma. The proceedings began with the

customary Vedic chant which has a lofty meaning to consider the mother,

father, preceptor and guest as God, and hold them in high esteem. The

Vice Chancellor then requested the Chancellor, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai

Baba to declare the convocation open.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chief Guest Mr. G. Venkataraman

is heartily welcomed

 

 

 

"The UGC needs the University

rather than vice versa"

 

 

 

 

Swami held the mike and everyone in the audience - their breath. With a

sweet smile and even sweeter voice, Swami said, "I declare the

Convocation open" and thunder seemed to strike the Sai Kulwant Hall.

There was genuine pure joy on every face as people applauded with all

their might. The Vice Chancellor then delivered his opening address.

The highlight of this was the statement of the UGC committee that he

quoted, "Rather than the University having a need for the UGC, the UGC needs the University."

The candidates for the various degrees were then presented to the

Chancellor. The Vice Chancellor then administered the oath to the

students. This was followed by medal distribution ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every medalist was blessed

with a grand moment!

 

 

 

It is a lifetime chance and a

much cherished dream come true!

 

 

 

The

gold medalists received their most cherished dreams - the medal from

the Divine Hands! The feeling of a gold medalist as he/she goes on

stage to receive the award from Swami is something that no other will

understand. If an actor gets the Oscar or a soldier is awarded the

ParamVir Chakra, that joy is still lesser compared to this medal from

Swami. It is as if Swami is saying, "I am happy and proud of you, My

child." And that is enough for this birth and later births too, if any!

The students made no secret of that joy as they posed beside Swami for

photographs after getting the medal. Swami too smiled broadly at the

photographers for He knew that these pictures would be something that

not only the medalists but their generations to come would treasure and

cherish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photo is more precious than the medal

 

 

 

Five students received Ph. D degress

 

 

 

This

year 437 students received their degrees, and 20 students were

decorated with gold medals by Bhagavan. Five students had completed

their doctoral dissertations from the departments of Mathematics,

Physics, Finance (2 students) and Economics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chief Guest addresses - straight from his heart

 

 

 

The

Chief Guest of the Convocation, Prof. G. Venkataraman began his

convocation address by expressing his gratitude to Bhagavan for

conferring upon Him the honour of being the Chief Guest of the 27th

Convocation. Prof. Venkataraman congratulated the graduates not for

only for their degrees, but mainly for being the students of Bhagavan.

His entire talk traced the wonderful story of the University

intertwined in which were the many love stories between Swami and His

students. One story will suffice as an example. When in 1975, the

Brindavan College was growing and the hostel was relatively small,

Swami wanted to build a spacious hostel near the sports ground, which

was a few meters away from His compound. All preparations were being

made by Col. Joga Rao, the Central Trust Engineer. A day before the

ground breaking ceremony, Swami came to hostel.

Then

a student gave a letter to Swami. He read the contents of the letter

and then asked the student whether He could ask the warden to read the

letter for the benefit of all the other boys. The student readily

agreed. He had expressed his anguish at being separated from Swami. He

had written, "Swami why are You so upset that You are distancing us

from You?" Swami was so moved by the sincere prayer of this boy that He

immediately changed the plans to construct the hostel at the distant

location. Instead the hostel was now built close to His residence. The

erudite speaker said that the current economic meltdown was due to the

uninhibited consumerism without any regard to moral values. And thus,

it is that the Sathya Sai University gains profound importance. His

talk moved many a member of the audience to nostalgic and joyous tears

of hope. As he completed his speech, he received a loving

congratulation from Swami. Then, Bhagavan asked for His mikes to be

brought. Along with the mikes came a feeling of anticipative joy in

all. Given below is a summary of Swami's discourse:

 

 

Bharat

is the motherland of many noble souls who earned great reputation in

all the continents of the world. This is the land of many valorous

people who could vanquish the enemies in the battlefield. This is the

land of many learned people who taught the Vedas and other sacred

scriptures to the people of other countries. But, unfortunately, the

Bharatiyas today have forgotten the principles of spirituality and are

taking to wrong path.

(Telugu Poem)

Boys and Girls!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Uphold the glory of Bharat"

 

 

 

 

It

is your responsibility to uphold the glory of this country, Bharat.

This country Bharat is highly reputed and is the land of plenty and

prosperity. In spite of many foreign invasions, this country has

prospered. The real beauty in this land is the observance of

forbearance. There is no greater feeling than the one each one has

towards one's own mother. This country Bharat is known for women of

chastity. Savitri could bring her dead husband back to life. Do you

find such chaste women in any other country? This is also the

birthplace of Damayanti. Mother Sita came out of blazing fire unscathed

to prove her chastity. Today everyone seems to succumb to silly

problems. People seem to have forgotten their responsibilities. Just as

a mighty elephant submits to the dictates of the mahout, the Bharatiyas

are unaware of their own strength and are aping others. Truth and

righteousness have been the guiding principles of Bharat. Since these

twin principles are forgotten by the Bharatiyas they are suffering.

Man

should declare that I am a human being not an animal. When he declares

that he is a human being, he should have human qualities and not animal

qualities. Where there is love, there is no chance for hatred or

enmity. The dog loves its puppies and the birds love their young ones,

but modern man does not love his fellowmen. Today, there is no unity in

Bharat. Where there is unity, there is purity; where there is purity,

there is divinity.

 

Man

should develop faith in the Self. But man today lacks Self-confidence.

Self-confidence leads to self-satisfaction, self-satisfaction in turn

leads to self-realization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Man is verily God, but forgets that"

 

 

 

Human

quality is still prevalent in Bharat. In other countries, there are so

many problems. Today, even countries like U.S.A. and Japan are envious

of Bharat. Today the food, water and even air are polluted. Bharat

faces no such pollution problems.

Man

is verily God. But man is not able to know his true nature. Education

leads to only argumentation. Modern education is not conferring the

knowledge of the Self. Parents spend many lakhs to send their children

abroad for studies. But they return totally spoiled. There is no need

to go abroad. What is available in Bharat is not available elsewhere.

The greatness of Bharat is beyond estimation. The kind of fortune that

you find is Bharat is not found anywhere. There are many people who

invite Swami to foreign land. They are prepared to bring airplanes to

take Bhagavan with them. I do not want these comforts, I want only

devotion. There are no enemies of Swami. Swami loves everyone. But His

pure divine love is often misunderstood.

If

your desires are fulfilled, you are sure to be spoiled. So, Swami is

training youngsters here with all limitations. Students have great love

for Swami. As Swami leaves this place to go elsewhere, they bid

farewell with tears. Such is their love. He is an intelligent man who

helps those who have harmed him too. That is true human quality.

Whomsoever you meet, consider him as God. God is in human form. Rama,

Sita, Hanuman - all were humans. All are divine. Names may be

different, but the principle of Atma is the same in all. It is

necessary to develop equal-mindedness at this young age. You may think

it is difficult, but in reality it is easy. You will not experience

this in spite of doing Yajnas and rituals. In the outside world, there

are only pieces. Peace is within you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Swami is Love and hates none"

 

 

 

 

You

call yourself as humans and behave like an animal. Evil qualities like

greed, avarice, hatred are animal qualities. Be a human with fellow

human beings. Do not hate anyone. Till this moment, Swami has not hated

anyone. Bhagavan is full of love. Swami maybe at a distant place, but

divine love is drawing people like magnet. He is not angry with

anybody. He is always happy. Bhagavan always smiles. Swami wants you to

be blissful. Swami has not sent any invitation to anyone, but thousands

have gathered here. It is only your love for Bhagavan that has drawn

you here. When Bhagavan goes in the streets, shopkeepers come running

out of their shops to have His Darshan. On this sacred day, one has to

develop love primarily. Very soon the world will be united under one

roof. Nobody would say, I am from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and so

on. Everybody would call themselves a Bharatiya. We do not belong to

any party. We have only the party of love. You may go anywhere; you

will be respected and honoured if you have the party of love. Love is

selfless. A true man is one without an iota of selfishness. Every human

being has love. There is no greater quality than love. Samasta Lokah

Sukhino Bhavantu (May all the beings of all the worlds be happy!). This

should be our prayer if we want the world to be peaceful. This is the

message of Swami today.

 

Swami concluded His discourse with the bhajan

‘Hari Bhajana Bina’. But there was another beautiful thing that

happened. Swami keeps telling, "My boys are my voice." This day, after

singing the first line, Swami told the boys to lead! The whole bhajan

was sung by the students as the rest of the Sai Kulwant Hall followed.

It was a wonderful feeling and Swami watched on with a gleam in His

eye. As that bhajan concluded, Swami told everyone to rise

for the national anthem. The Institute brass band struck up the

national anthem and everyone joined loudly in chorus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All rise for the national anthem

 

 

...

Jana Gana Mana...

 

 

 

As

the ceremony concluded, announcement was made that in another 20

minutes there would be a cultural programme by the students of the

University - a play "Divya Premashrayam" (Under the Umbrella of Divine

Love), in the Poornachandra Auditorium.

Anand,

an alumnus of Sri Sathya Sai University, rejects offers from many top

companies and decides to dedicate his youthful years in uplift of

villages. He chooses a village called Ramanathapuram for this endeavor.

There, he joins forces with an educated and hardworking youngster named

Krishna for the hard task at hand. Anand gets a glimpse of the

difficulty ahead at his first meeting with the village elders. During

his arrival there is an altercation between two brothers on a property

issue. Anand attempts to resolve the issue by various means, and having

gained their goodwill narrates the story of the two great brothers from

the Ramayana, Sri Rama and Bharatha.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"My dream is the upliftment of villages"

 

 

 

The first meeting with Anand

 

 

 

Sage

Vasishta and King Janaka are the arbiters between the two brothers. On

one hand there is Sri Rama who having got the command from His father

is firm that he will not return to Ayodhya till He completes 14 years

in the forest. On the other side is Bharatha who emphatically states

that only Lord Rama has the right to ascend the throne and that he will

take his brother’s place in the forest. Sage Vasishta raises his hands

in surrender and says that he is incapable of judging in this

confrontation not between two brothers but between Dharma (Righteousness) and Prema (Love) itself. He requests King Janaka to do the honours. The Rajarishi then delivers a landmark judgment. He informs Rama that in a battle between Dharma and Prema, Prema has to be the victor. He then instructs Bharatha that though Prema is the victor, Prema

by definition is selfless and hence, he should ask what his brother

desires and act accordingly. The scene ends with Bharatha taking the padukas (sandals) of his brother and agreeing to rule the kingdom as the caretaker but not the king.

 

Moved by the story, the brothers decide to set aside their differences

and work together. What follows is a golden period for the village when

Ramanathapuram becomes a model village enriched with development and

communal harmony. However, the wheels of fortune turn and the village

is engulfed by ravaging floods and epidemics. The same people who lived

peacefully in the past now change in the face of crisis. Selfishness

becomes the order of the day. Anand is devastated and in a moment of

severe introspection cries aloud to his Lord. He opens a book of

Bhagavan's messages to his students and reads about the enthralling

story of Emperor Shivaji.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brothers exemplars then...

 

 

 

....and now inspired by them

 

 

 

Faced

with a severe crisis wherein his kingdom was becoming weak internally

and the power of his enemies was growing exponentially, Shivaji longs

to call it a day and renounce his kingdom. At that moment, Shivaji's

guru, Sri Samartha Ramadas enters and offers to give Shivaji

renunciation. Shivaji surrenders his crown and sword to the sage and

accepts the ochre robes. On the enquiry of Sage Ramadas he reveals that

he feels extremely peaceful now. Content with the answer, the holy one

commands Shivaji to rule the kingdom on his behalf from thereon and

returns the crown to Shivaji.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shivaji passes on all the burdens of his kingdom

 

 

 

"Now take it back and rule as my trustee"

 

 

 

Having

learnt this lesson in non-doership, Anand now becomes the very

embodiment of peace, and he feels confident that Swami will take care,

and sets aside the burden from his shoulder. No sooner had he done

this, he learns that Swami has sent a contingent to the village to

rebuild the houses. The whole village gathers together again in

gratitude to Bhagavan. The story was based on the recent announcement

that Swami made about rebuilding the homes and in fact, the lives of

flood affected people in Orissa.

 

After the drama, Swami blessed the participants with group photographs onstage before accepting arati

and retiring for the day at 8.20 p.m. The group photograph session

this time had a new flavour as Swami posed for photographs with the

"Sets' boys" too as they are called (the boys who set-up the stage).

And so, scores of boys in black dresses surrounded The Orange and had

pictures taken. Swami, then, blessing everyone, moved backstage and

finally retired. An announcement was made about breakfast and lunch

being provided tomorrow free to all as Bhagavan's prasadam on the occasion of His 83 rd Birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The grand finale....

 

 

 

....made grander by His presence

 

 

 

__________83rd Birthday of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba November 23, 2008 – The Sacred 83rd Birthday of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

The

beauty of the Avatar is that when He descends on the earth, He not only

assumes the earthly responsibilities for which He actually has no

binding, but He also indulges humanity in their joys and celebrations.

So, every year, without fail, as devotees congregate for His birthday,

He too pays special attention to the day and celebrates it with them.

That is not because it is His birthday, but because it is an occasion

that the devotees revel and joyously congregate. Surely, any other

occasion that confers the same kind of joy would be given the same kind

of attention by Swami! He lives for His devotees who love Him. And the

devotees strive to live for Him who gives His all for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beautiful Birthday cake

 

 

 

It

was from about 5:00 a.m. that the serpentine queues to get into

Prasanthi Nilayam ashram began. All roads in Puttaparthi actually lead

to the Mandir which is the heart of the town, but on this day none of

those roads seemed sufficient for the huge numbers of devotees

assembling for a sight of the Lord. These scenes are so powerful in the

hope and positivity they evoke. If at all one is confounded anytime by

negative thoughts and assailed by doubts as to if there is any hope in

this violence and hatred ridden world, a reminiscence of these scenes

will certainly calm one's turbulent mind. There are so many people

alive who are ready to give their all for God who is Truth,

Righteousness, Peace and Love, and that is enough reassurance that the

world is soon going to find Truth, Auspiciousness and Beauty - Sathyam, Shivam and Sundaram.

In a regulated manner, these crowds were slowly allowed into the Mandir

premises, and soon the Sai Kulwant Hall was filled to its capacity.

Though we will now jump ahead of time, it is important that we know an

important fact.

At

11:30 a.m. on this day, when all the morning festivities at the Mandir

had concluded, there were still people in the queues with the hope that

if not in the morning, they would see their beloved Swami in the

evening!

Now coming

back to the morning session, inside the Sai Kulwant Hall, every inch of

space has been taken up. A beautiful arch with the lettering 83rd

Birthday of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was seen richly decorated with

flowers and other paraphernalia. The dais too was a treat to the eye

with magnificent flower decorations. Video cameras were stationed at

important points to catch all the live action. Pressmen had cramped

every available space in the exclusive gallery allotted to them with

their scribble pads. Lensmen too had taken their positions in their

allotted places. It was at about 9:45 a.m. that Swami arrived from the

Yajur Mandir. There were a host of people waiting to wish Him on this

day that was so special for them. Roses were exchanged and the Kalasham

of the Veda group was blessed. The band leaders of the different bands

offered their prostrations at His feet on behalf of their respective

bands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greeted first by His students

 

 

 

"Happy Birthday, Swami"

 

 

 

 

There was the wonderful procession to usher the Lord into the Sai

Kulwant Hall. Led by the bands of the Primary School, the Anantapur

campus and the Prasanthi Nilayam campus, there were the Vedam chanting

students from the Primary School, Higher Secondary School and the Sri

Sathya Sai University following and completing the procession. Swami,

like the previous day, allowed the procession to proceed before Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kettle drummers band...

 

 

 

An aerial view of the procession

 

 

 

“Reserve

the best for the end†it is said, and towards the end was Swami in His

shining pure white robe on a wonderful throne chair which was golden in

colour. Wherever Swami went, there was a surge in the crowds. The

hinges of the gates seemed strained to the last strand of metal as

people cramped behind them to have a glimpse of Swami in this beautiful

form. The Sri Rudrah Prasnah chanting was on. Swami moved to the stage

and as He sat on the centre stage, the Prashanti Nilayam band struck up

the world's most popular tune, "Happy birthday to you." Everyone seemed

to clap and sway with it. Following that, the girls' band from

Anantapur too played their version of the same song. Soon after that,

like a cycle of tunes, each band began to play. The Primary bagpipes

and trumpets band too joined the party. Swami sat almost expressionless

listening to all of them. When the kettle drums band from the Primary

school was playing, Swami told the University band boys to sit down. He

then gave the same instruction to the Anantapur band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blessings galore on His Birthday

 

 

 

As

the Vedam chanting continued, Swami moved into the veranda where there

was an array of cakes. He was welcomed at each cake and He lit the

candle and cut the cake. There were about 9 cakes in all and Swami gave

everyone joy as He went about the portico. He also moved to the ladies

side to cut cakes from the Anantapur campus. Before that, He cut a huge

specially decorated cake which had Lord Krishna adorning it. The

governor of Karnataka, His Excellency Mr. Rameshwar Thakur was present

on the dais paying obeisance to Bhagavan. He presented Swami with a

garland and told Him that it was his privilege to be present and

witness such a grand occasion. Swami blessed him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little boy gets a loving

pat on his cheek

 

 

 

The Governor, Rameshwar Thakur,

offers his pranams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the many cakes that He cut

 

 

 

With love from Ananthapur

 

 

 

Then

the cricket legend, Mr. Sunil Gavaskar presented Swami a cricket bat

signed by the members of the 1983 World Cup Winning Team. Swami took

the bat and stared at it for long as if remembering how He had

specially blessed those members to win what was their cup of Life. Then

Swami moved out through the portico to the stage. He signaled to the

students to start bhajans and after a while even songs like "Sri

Raghavam Dasarathmaja Aprameyam ...", "Namo Sathya Sai Baba ...",

"Manishini Madhavuni Chese Mahine Swargamuga MarcheSathya Sai Bhagawan

Ki Enta Premayo, Enta Premayo …" were sung. This final song has a

profound meaning, which is worth mentioning in this context: "The love

of Sathya Sai Baba for humanity is so incomparable and indescribable

that He is transforming humans into divine and earth into heaven."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at the special cricket bat

 

 

 

Handing it back to Sunil Gavaskar

 

 

 

And

so, on the birthday morning, as hundreds of top notch musicians

worldwide prayed for a chance to sing for Him, (there were at least

half a dozen maestros in the Mandir itself) it was the privilege of the

students to sing for their Swami. After the songs, Swami received aarthi and retired as prasadam was distributed to all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prasadam for all

 

 

 

Special chocolates too!

 

 

 

The

evening session proved to be another unforgettable one for all those

present physically in Sai Kulwant Hall, especially for the staff and

students of Muddenahalli. It was almost 5:40 p.m. when Swami came for darshan.

Once He reached the stage, He asked Prof. Anil Kumar to speak a few

words in Telugu, and introduce the speakers for the evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Srinivasan in all calm and composure

 

 

 

 

Mr.

V. Srinivasan, All India President of the Sai Organisations spoke

first, and was followed at 6.15 p.m. by Mr. Ajit Popat from the UK.

Mr.

Srinivasan said that it was a defining moment in the chronicles of time

because on this day the universe, the galaxies, planets, sun, moon,

asteroids, all were fortunate to have 1,008 darshans of Sri

Sathya Sai Avatar. Referring to Bhagavan's discourse on the occasion of

27th Convocation of the University, the learned speaker said that

Bhagawan has declared that in 28 years time, India would be the

vanguard of all the countries of the world. All would be one.

There

would be absolute unity. Swami has brought hope to the seemingly

loveless world. The erudite speaker also said that after the morning

function that day, Swami told him and others to construct permanent

houses in Orissa to those who are rendered homeless by the recent

floods. Bhagavan is love personified. The message of the previous day's

drama is love. Bhagavan reaches out to the people of the villages. The

speaker as All India President had many such experiences when he

visited different parts of the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sri Popat speaks passionately

 

 

 

Mr. Ajit Popat began his speech by offering his salutations to Bhagavan in his customary manner – Namaste Prema Rupaya Namaste Paramatmane, Namaste Shirdi Nathaya, Namaste Sathya Sayine.

Mr. Popat, in his inimitable style, said that the ABC of life is Always

Be Compassionate/Charitable. Man at the time of birth cries ‘Koham’ (who

am I?); people now, instead of saying ‘Soham’ say 'phonum' (referring

to the proliferation and usage of mobile phones). The speaker said that

one should get up from bed at Brahmamurtam (early hours in the morning) and do Sadhana.

 

He mentioned how one should be energetic, efficient and enterprising.

If we want to be with the Master, we should be efficient. He quoted

Bhagavan's saying Follow the master, face the devil, fight till the end and finish the game. Every darshan

of the Lord is precious and important. That understanding is the dawn

of golden age in us. The intensity of our devotion should be like a

weary traveller in the midst of a desert at 12 noon. Our devotion

should be as intense as the thirst of a weary traveler in the midst of

a desert at 12 noon. Mr. Popat prayed to Swami on behalf of millions of

devotees in U.K. and Europe to visit Sai Kutir in U.K. He concluded his

speech by saying, 'Let us love all for the sake of the Master,

Bhagavan, and serve all in His name."

 

It

was after Mr. Popat's speech that the thunderbolt seemed to strike in

the Mandir as Swami signaled for His mikes to be brought up. Below is a

summary of the Divine Discourse.

 

All

the names and forms are but the manifestations of the Supreme Being who

is Existence‑Knowledge‑Bliss Absolute and non‑dual. He is the

embodiment of Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Truth, Goodness, Beauty). He is

Sathya Sai Maheswaram.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Bharatiyas have no

knowledge of their own strength"

 

 

 

 

Embodiments of Love!

Bharat

is a highly sacred land. In this sacred land of Bharat beauty lies in

forbearance. In fact, character is more important than even life. Such

principle is getting wiped out of this land. We follow the principles

of foreign culture. Just as a mighty elephant is not aware of its

strength, Bharatiyas are not aware of their innate strength. This is

the sad plight of the Bharatiyas. An illiterate mahout controls the

mighty elephant.

The

Vedas declare that no property or association will confer immortality,

only Thyaga (sacrifice) will confer immortality. We have ruined

ourselves because of the absence of unity. Therefore, it is most

essential to develop unity. Calling ourselves as human beings we behave

like animals. Suppose we have partaken of a few delicious items. But

the next morning it becomes faecal matter. Though it comes out of one's

own self, it has to be discarded. We have to accept all that is good in

society.

There

is nothing great in doing good to those who have done good to us.

Greatness lies in doing good to those who have harmed us. Yad Bhavam

Tad Bhavathi (As are the feelings, so is the result). When our feelings

are good, our actions will also be good. After eating mango fruit, one

cannot get the belch of cucumber. If there is goodness in the mind, all

that you do will be good, but when there is no goodness in the mind,

all that you do will also be bad. There is a place called Muddenahalli

near Chikballapur. All the inhabitants of that place are very poor.

Earlier when the school was built, many extended their help to

construct classrooms and a hall for bhajans. But to pursue higher

studies, the people have to go to Bangalore since there is no

university in Muddenahalli.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I will have an Institute at Muddenahalli"

 

 

 

Today

I have decided to have a separate campus affiliated to

SriSathyaSaiUniversity in Muddenahalli. Bhagawan's Will is bound to

happen. The work will start from tomorrow. Therefore, Swami has Willed

to have SathyaSaiUniversity in Muddenahalli. The people living in

Muddenahalli are village folk. They live by physical labour. To pursue

higher studies, they have to go to cities or towns. Once they have

completed their education, they can go elsewhere to earn a living.

Swami has decided to inculcate spirituality through Bhagavatam,

Bhagawad Gita and Ramayana. It takes three years to learn. Without

spirituality, all education will be in vain. There are many educated

people but they are not doing anything to society. They indulge in

gambling and other unhealthy practices. When you direct children in the

right way, they will become responsible citizens. Therefore, Bhagavan

has decided to start University Campus in Muddenahalli. It will take 2

to 3 crores to construct the University Campus, but Swami has decided

to do it.

In

Prasanthi Nilayam, we have students like pure gold. There may be some

defects, but they would correct them. Not only correction, they do

adjustment too. Today the elders are responsible for spoiling the

students. Nowadays students are correcting even parents. If the father

is a drunkard, the son corrects him by saying that he will earn a bad

name in society. If the children are to be good, the elders should be

perfect in their life. If the elders smoke cigarettes and drink liquor

in front of them, naturally the children too get addicted to these

vices.

I

am going to build a hostel and campus in Muddenahalli with all

facilities. It would be completed in one year. This is Bhagavan's

Divine Will. Bhagavan has been waiting to make this declaration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Swami's love is like that of a thousand mothers"

 

 

 

 

Many

extol Swami in many ways. Swami is not happy when He is extolled. Swami

is love personified. People may speak ill of Him, but Swami is full of

love. There are no enemies for Swami. He takes care of everyone like

children. The love of Swami can be compared to a thousand mothers love.

With this power, Swami is carrying on His mission. Swami corrects

people by feigning anger when they commit mistakes, but He is never

really angry. You are not recognising Swami's love in depth. There is

no difference in the heart of Swami. Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu

(May all the beings of all the worlds be happy!) Swami wishes all to be

happy and healthy with plenty and prosperity.

Swami

never asks for money from anyone. Out of thousands of devotees present

here, not even a single person can say that Bhagavan had asked money

from him. If there is anyone like then, please stand up. (There was a stunned silence for about 20 seconds).See

there are none. Money comes and goes, morality comes and grows. Ramdas

spent all the money he collected as tax to build a temple for Rama. He

was incarcerated by the king when he came to know of this. In this

moment of agony, Ramdas cried to the Lord, "O Lord, you flaunt all your

jewels in all grandeur, but see my condition now." But afterwards

Ramdas repented and asked for forgiveness from the Lord. People speak

according to their whims and fancies. But Swami has no such

imagination. People may say thousand bad things about Swami, but He

never punishes them. You may question now, but later in future you will

repent for your mistake. No one has recognised even a fraction of His

thoughts. They do not recognise the love that comes out of His heart.

All should be happy and live in love. We may not have property and

wealth, but if we have the wealth of love, we are sure to succeed. When

you are confronted by difficulties, loss and grief, consider them as

God's gift. When anyone asks your name, you should not say Rama,

Krishna, but you should say, "I am I".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Be happy Narayana Rao!"

 

 

 

I

and mine are the origin of man's ego. We should first of all give up

this quality of ego. Bhagavan wants you to live long and stand united.

Let us all grow together, move together and live together.

Swami

has made drinking water available to one crore people in Chennai. I

have brought water all the way from river Krishna. What the British

could not do, I did it. I gave drinking water to the people living in

the upland areas of East and West Godavari districts. Bhagavan always

does some or the other good thing. Now Bhagavan is going to build a

separate campus affiliated to SathyaSaiUniversity in Muddenahalli. Any

Muddenahalli teachers in the gathering? Did you hear Bhagavan's words?

Be happy. Narayana Rao, the Principal of Muddenahalli is a double

doctorate holder. He takes care of the entire management. He was

waiting for Bhagavan's compassion. (Bhagavan called Dr. Narayana Rao to

the stage to speak a few words. Bhagawan spoke in Kannada language. He

told him, "Consider this as an act of laying the foundation stone.

Publish this good news in the newspapers and begin work from tomorrow

itself. )

 

"I

have no words to express my thanks. He is always looking after us. We

will do His work. We will do our best to please Him in all ways", said Dr. Narayana Rao in his short speech.

You share this bliss with everybody. Be happy always.

Swami then concluded His discourse with the bhajan, "Rama Rama Rama Sita." Blessing everyone, Swami received aarthi and retired for the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Let all be happy"

 

 

 

Source: www.radiosai.org