RAMZAN AND DASARA 2009 IN PRASANTHI NILAYAM

[Guest guest]

Om Sairam dearest Sai Family,A busy 10days passed by successfully. Those were the days which were full of Swami’s love and Swami out of His immense mercy showered tons of love on all of us.To start with, the holy festival of Ramzan was celebrated in a grand way in the immediate presence of our beloved Lord. Puttaparthi has quite a big number of muslim traders especially from Kashmir, who have come here long time back and many of them have settled in Parthi. Swami always showered His love on them on many occasions and has also built mosque and Shaadhi Khana (muslim marriage halls). To start with, from His child hood, it was Swami’s teacher Janab Mahaboob Khan who recognized the divinity in little Sathya. On Ramzan evening Swami asked Brother Puppet from the UK to give a talk in Sai Kulwanth Hall. The reason for selecting Brother Puppet was also a very interesting one as Swami was well aware of His

oratory skills, but only few knew that he practices Roza (fasting during the holy month of Ramadan) and also does namaz five times a day. Brother Puppet started his talk with Alfathiyan and every one in the audience were wonder stuck and explaining the importance of the day Brother Puppet asked every one to have modesty in our day to day lives. Every second we say soham… soham but no body understands the importance of soham rather it is PHONAM.. PHONAM all the time which is not a good thing to happen.. Every one of us take Vibhuthi and many a times some get it directly from Swami, Vibhuthi is given to have the anubhuthi (experience) and this Anubhuthi should transform into SAHANU BHOOTHI (a kind heart to respond to one’s suffering).Brother Puppet’s group who has the privilege to participate Grama seva along with Swami’s students narrated an incident that happened on Ramzan day. It so happened when the group went to a village for grama seva,

going door to door offering Swami’s Prasad, they found one house locked. After the group finished the seva in the village and when they were about to leave, the villagers informed that the door which was locked up is now open. When the group went to the house owner to ask as where he had gone, the brother who was a muslim, said he had been to the mosque to offer prayers to Allah Miya and with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes, he explained Allah Miya heard my prayers and now he has sent clothes, food and laddu Prasad through you. I am so happy to accept Swami’s Prasad on this holy Ramzan day just after completing my prayers. Brother Puppet’s talk was extra ordinary and every one there enjoyed the talk to the hearts content. Swami later called upon little boy Sathya to talk. Sathya, a well known tiny tot in Parthi hails from Iran. Watching him since he was four years old, one thing that reminds me again and again is if we have total

faith and sense of total surrender to Swami, He will take care of every need of ours and the same thing happened with little Sathya’s family..Even though coming from a muslim back ground, he learnt Vedas right in his childhood. When Swami used to come for darshan, every one wanted to sit around little Sathya as Swami would always look at him, many a times speak to him. After many prayers, tests and requests, Swami gave admission to Sathya in His school and this year his brother Ram was also given admission in Swami’s school which is a rare privilege.When the boy was asked to speak, Sathya had deep sense of gratitude for Swami. He thanked Swami for giving admission to his little brother and he was of the opinion that it is a rare privilege to have this kind of blessing and it was sheer Swami’s grace and love. Swami then called him and asked to tell every one that he was from Iran. Swami always asks us to be like a child as it is the innocence

and frankness that is liked by all. Every one in the audience smiled when little Sathya prayed to Swami to clear all the visa issues that many devotees are facing especially those who want to be in Parthi..

The week long dasara festival witnessed many talks by eminent people including some students and Sri.Chakravarthi also shared his views on the 26th October.The highlight of the week was on 27th when Prof. Anil Kumar who introduced the speakers every day and spoke in length the importance of that particular day of the Navarathri festival,today requested Swami to bless the august gathering with His divine discourse. Prof. Venkat raman the chief of Radio Sai Global harmony was blessed by Swami to address the gathering. An able speaker and a noted personality among the Sai family who always speaks at ease explained the importance of having God in our hearts and practicing Dharma. Prof. Venkatraman said, instead of Man going in search of God, God himself is in search of true devotees. He is looking for the kaliyuga Hanumans and Vivekanandas. We have known God, We have seen God but have we allowed Him to enter our

hearts? In a survey it says that the terrorist out fit Al-Qaeda has only 10,000 members but the population of America is in crores. Can’t the good people change the bad people. Why are we scared of that tiny section of the society.Prof.Venkatraman said the world today is full of Drutharashtras (father of Kauravas). Who is Drutharashtra, the one who wants to own that one which does not belong to him is a Drutarashtra. You talk about body. Do you own the body? All the life people are crying. When you are born you cry, when you die people cry for you.. Many plead God to let them live bit longer. We should rather cry for Dharma. For restoration of Dharma. Let our hearts open up for God.After 20 minutes talk, Prof. Venkatraman also requested Swami to deliver His divine discourse. Swami accepted the request of His humble devotee and spoke for one and half hour about Mother, Mother land, about Dharma about creation, about His child hood, about

His devotees, about the plight of Puttaparthi then and now, about His friends and today’s discourse had a taste of all the teachings of Swami..Swami said this is a very special world. Three thousand years ago there was no light in this world. It was pitch dark. There was no trace of living beings either. What’s the reason? The whole earth was submerged in water. It rained continuously for 300 years. There was no distinction between day and night. It was pitch dark every time. For that heavy rainfall, even mountains were washed away. All the huge mountains were reduced to earth. Then came the sun. After appearance of the sun the living beings came into existence. Then came the stars. In this way the world came into existence as people were able to see. There after came the fire which gave rise to wind. Because of wind we find Akasha (sky). The sky is blue in colour. Because of its distance and since we cannot see

any thing that is so distant, it appears blue in colour. Since the water comes from Akasha, water also looks blue. If we take a little bit of water in hand we find it to be colourless. All this is God’s creation.The colour blue is Divine. Krishna also has blue complexion. So the sky appears to be blue. As Swami was explaining the secrets of the Universe, there started heavy rain in Parthi. Swami the divine mother, out of His immense grace asked all the devotees to take shelter in Sai Kulwanth hall. Especially in the ladies side, many of the devotees get wet and Swami asked all the ladies to get more closer so that sisters sitting in the rear end could stay away from the heavy rainfall. Swami paused His divine discourse for a good five minutes, asking all of us to get more closer a rare happening and the love with which He was asking us was amazing..Swami later described His child hood days and the kind of relationship He shared with His

friends, His in-laws, teachers and parents to help us understand what kind of SIMPLE but DIVINE life He led in those days. Swami asked the youth not to leave their motherland in search of jobs or comforts. He gave the example of His own life. It so happened that Maharaja of Mysore had been to Parthi. In those days,the road transport was horrible. If one had to come to Parthi, they had to come to a place called Penukonda, about 40 kilo meters from Parthi and then to Bukkapatnam. From there it was a bullock cart ride for any one irrespective of their status as one could hardly use car. By chance if there was a flat tyre they had to go 40 kilo meters to repair. Seeing the plight of Parthi, Mysore Maharaja went upto Swami and said, Swami you are living in a very remote, downtrodden place. Please come to Mysore which is modern, well connected with all the means of transport and I will built a big ashram for You. Hearing this, Swami smiled and made a very

profound statement. A TREE HAS TO SPROUT AT THE SAME PLACE WHERE IT WAS PLANTED.. I have come with this body to Puttaparthi and I will be here and won’t come to any other places..Swami who remembers each and every incident that happened in His life and each and every person He met, never loses the chance of remembering them and appreciating their services. Swami explained how His classmates cried on the last day in Bukkapatnam school when He decided to go to Uravakonda school, to study from His brother’s house. Swami was the lead singer in the morning school assembly and was composing and singing devotional songs every day before the school started. When little Sathya decided to leave the school, the school head master Mr. Rao declared two day holiday and every one pleaded Swami to change His plans.Swami also praised His friends, Ramesh and Paresh for their love and devotion. The kind of love they shared on Swami was matchless and a definite

lesson for today’s so called GEN-X.it was a discourse that lasted for more than one and half hour which was full of Atma Gnana..

On the 28th morning Poorna Chandra Auditorium was jam packed with devotees. It was the last day of the Veda Purusha Sapthaha Gnana Yagna and Swami was expected any time to bless the Poornahuthi and amidst veda chants and cheers from the thousands assembled in Poorna Chandra, Swami seated in a white Car chair, clad in a Maroon red robe (like the one which He usually wears during Convocation), came on to the dais to bless the holy gathering. Swami asked to bring the special silver instrument which is used to pour ghee into the sacrificial fire. Swami then blessed the red cloth in which all the essential things to be offered to the fire was kept. The head preist then offered the same into the fire thus ending the seven day Yagna conducted in the Abode of Highest Peace Prasanthi nilayam for world peace and tranquility.It was later announced that the inmates of Prasanthi Nilayam will be given Swami’s prasadam,

clothes and rice packets. Every one got the rice and laddu Prasad.Another Dasara with the Divine has passed by. Swami has given a golden opportunity for all of us to be part of this holy festival and learn all the good from it. This was a definite learning experience for all the youth in particular who were blessed by Bhagawan to be part of the Sri Sathya Sai Grama Seva Programme.. It was a chance to see in real, the kind of simple life a villager lives, the kind of infrastructure that would make their lives easier. This would help each and every youth to look inward and stop complaining for petty issues. This would also help the youth to concentrate more on seva and uplift the living standards of the village population. After all service to Humanity is service to God..With Humble pranams at the Lotus feet of our beloved Lord,R. Satish Naik

 

satish NaikBrahmanapalli Thanda villageNear PuttaparthiAnantapur Andhra PradeshIndia 515134Tel:91-8555-289327

MOB:9440857872

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