DARSHAN ACCOUNT BY A DEVOTEE - January 3, 2009

January 4, 2009

January 3, 2009

The Red (Spiritual) Fort

I heard the generator going as I entered the ashram yesterday

afternoon. The penny did not drop until I wandered down to the darshan

hall and saw the crowds in there; there were props for a presentation

and the hall was full, particularly the Alumini seating area, and the

Guest areas. The back of the hall, of course, was full. The

Maharashtra~Goa group gave a presentation, the first of three

presentations they are to give.

Swami came around 5.30pm; dusk was falling. All the students were

seated to the left hand side of where they normally sit. Swami went

across the very top of the hall, then straight onto the veranda. After

going around the veranda, Swami came across the front of the porch,

where the New Year decorations are still visible. It was a cool

evening. Swami came back to the front of the porch and sat there as

the students continued to chant slokas for some time.

When the chanting ended with Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi, two

coordinators approached and knelt before Swami; they handed a very

large card and a program to Swami. (Note that everyone is dressed in

ashram whites with the orange scarf, except the actors in the play.)

There was an introduction, and torch-bearers entered the hall, all

with flaming torches. They stood in a circle facing inwards, and a

Govinda Ram kirtan was being sung. One torch-bearer went around the

circle and many others added small lit wick or flames to the central

torch, which was then taken up to the porch while the singers were

belting out Akhanda Jyothi Jalalo and when the crowd realised the

torch was going to be given to Swami, they all joined in full-throated

singing. Swami took the torch and lit some lamps. Very well done, I

thought, indicating we are all reflections of the light of the one Atma.

There was a procession of signbearers, all holding blue and white

signs with Telugu writing on it; I don't know, but I suspect it was

the names of all the States in India. Behind all the props, there was

a huge Indian Flag draped, taking up nearly all the space of that

centre walkway which comes into the darshan hall.

Then the Red Fort, the place of the declaration of Independence for

India was brought forward, and a presentation was made which

highlighted the spiritual aspects of Independence. The crowd were

given Indian Flags, and during many of the songs that followed, they

waved their Indian flags. It looked good. Ruwen Moodley, our new

National Youth Coordinator was beside me at the time and asked me what

kind of presentation could Australia give? Immediately the thougth of

" Fair Go " came to me, so I told him that something centred around the

concept of Fair Go which embodies both Truth and Right Conduct, would

be appropriate. Ruwen thought that was an interesting idea.

Gandhi looked really authentic, staff and all, and Nehru was there as

well along with many other characters from that time; the script

pulled in the 5 D's, as well as highlighting unity amongst all the

different faiths which exist harmoniously, side by side. There were a

lot of Jai Hind!

It was all really well done, highlighting the fact that Bharat Mata

(Mother India) is a spiritual mother who gives home, peace and

prosperity to all who follow dharma.

There was some singing after that, and I must admit, one fellow sang

and he moved my consciousness with the pure, pure quality of his tones

and his singing. Every now and then consciousness expands and more of

Divinity is encountered when some of this magnificent singing takes

place in Prashanti Nilayam. It was dark, the lights were bright in the

darshan hall, ever so much brighter on the porch, Swami's robe is a

brilliant orange, a beacon for all eyes, as he sits and receives all

these offerings from the Sai Youth of Maharasthra and Goa. Swami

sitting there in bliss.

Somebody asked me what the relevance of a play on Independence was. I

pointed out that Independence Day in India and Australia Day are the

same date, 26th of January. So there is a mystical, spiritual

connection there …

January 3, 2009

The Saptha Swaras

Morning bhajans commenced with a vibrant Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Ganapati

Deva, which made for a jaunty start to the bhajans. It was very nearly

felt to be over when the crowd suddenly hustled up and lo, Swami was

on the way! Well, they get up and run, bunch up, the students all rush

across, and yea, the Lord doth enter the darshan hall!

Yea, the Lord doth cross the front of the Ladies and disappear into

the interview room as the bhajans suddenly increase in fervour and

volume. He comes out and calls one fellow for an interview; members of

the family are summonsed, you know that frantic waving and beckoning

from the veranda? Yes, that. Then Swami disappeared into the interview

room followed by the family.

And that was morning darshan, along with the wait for Swami to

conclude interview, emerge, take arathi, and return to Yajur Mandir in

the grey car.

Arriving for afternoon darshan, I listened for the generator, no, no

generator going, and the darshan hall was dark and quiet, with a

humdrum of gentle conversation. Looking around I noticed that there

was an electric piano on the front of the porch; hmmm, maybe there is

a program, tonight, I thought.

Swami came at 4.50pm, and went straight to the verandah. Into the

interview room. Several men in white punjabi suits were called to the

front of the porch. In the mandiram itself, chanting could be heard,

sans microphone. The chanting went on for quite some time; Swami came

out of the interview room, looked inside the mandir and proceeded to

the front right of the porch. Swami has a long conversation with a

bald fellow. Some letters are given to Swami, who then moves to the

front of the porch, just right of the electric piano.

The evening's program is introduced; it is a musical presentation from

Maharasthra.

I am not too close to the front, but I spy with my little eye–a full

western drum kit, tabbla, one or two sitars and the electric piano.

The presentation begins with a novel arrangement of Guru Brahma; then

there was another prayer, and the presentations began in earnest.

Swami sitting just to the right of the electric piano.

I glance at Swami then take a distant view and take in the music. The

time passed quickly; there were quite a number of musical pieces, and

one extremely unusual number which combined both the western drums and

the tabbla. Much applause from the audience. The sitar and drums did

some quite unusual pieces, and I reflected on dynamism, devotion and

devotees as I listened. I thought about the seven sapta swaras, (the

seven great sounds), and the harmonic scales and how that is much more

developed than the so-fa tonic scale we use in western music.

After a few numbers, the leader of this musical group tells how Swami

came into their lives, and introduces the musicians, one by one, to us

all. Mucho applause.

Uplifted by the quality of the musical presentation, I gave some more

thought to what it means to be a devotee, and dynamic at that. I

thought of the examples Swami himself gives to devotees in terms of

his attention to basics, his knowledge of needs and his simple

attention to very small points that can be overlooked. I take that as

an illustration of the larger canvas of Swami saying " What I look for

in devotees is capacity " … and think about these musicians on stage. I

think there are five elements of capacity in devotees; self control,

self discipline, self respect, self surrender and self satisfaction,

and how all these elements are present in the skill and quality of

these musicians from Maharasthra.

My mind wends from the music to Swami and back to the music. I think

of the five human values and the seven intelligences, and how there is

a musical intelligence, also. It was Dana Gillespie who alerted me to

that, for Dana told me that she experiences people as harmonies, not

as bodies and minds. Hers is the most unusual manifestation of musical

intelligence I have encountered.

I think also about how so many surgeons are musicians and have

multiple skills, and how musical intelligence forms part of their

skill-base for surgery, and that their logical intelligence, spatio

intelligence, kinaesthetic intelligences are all bound up in their

surgery; remarkable, for all the same intelligences are part and

parcel of this mastery of music that I am listening to.

Now there is a pause; Swami has called the sitar player across, and he

is kneeling in front of Swami; I see Swami's hand begin to fly around

in big circles and photographers are rushing across, suddenly there is

loud applause as Swami is fixing a materialisation around the sitar

player's neck; more applause. Then Swami calls for shawls to be

brought out, and presents one to each performer. They return to their

instruments and render a playful number on Krishna and the Gopis.

Finally Swami nods to the pujari, and the bell starts ringing. Arathi

is given, and I see four arathi lamps being waved; it is dark now, and

I check the time, its after six o'clock and the time has flown so

quickly. Narayanna, Narayanna, Narayanna Om Sathya, the crowd sings as

the pujari offers the arathi flame to us all.

T'was a pleasant evening darshan, here in Prashanti Nilayam.

SOURCE: http://saieditor.com/spirit/

January 5, 2009

--- On Sun, 4/1/09, SBOI Group < wrote:SBOI Group <[sBOI-post] DARSHAN ACCOUNT BY A DEVOTEE - January 3, 2009 Date: Sunday, 4 January, 2009, 7:16 PM

January 3, 2009

The Red (Spiritual) Fort

I heard the generator going as I entered the ashram yesterday

afternoon. The penny did not drop until I wandered down to the darshan

hall and saw the crowds in there; there were props for a presentation

and the hall was full, particularly the Alumini seating area, and the

Guest areas. The back of the hall, of course, was full. The

Maharashtra~ Goa group gave a presentation, the first of three