April 7, 2008 (source:http://www.saistudents.org/alumni/home/news.php)

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April 7, 2008

It is that time of the year when the sun's rays are increasing in

intensity, going from mellow to hot. The crops have been harvested and

the fruits of the harvest are making their way to the marketplaces.

Mangoes, called "the king of fruits" in India, are in season once

again. The ripe smell of jackfruit is filling the air. Shrubs and trees

are bursting into their flowering best. Everything is fresh and new. It

looks and smells like spring. The cool springtime breeze is wafting

through the air carrying the fragrance of the fluttering flowers. The

birds are chirping their charming chants and there is greenery as far

as the eye can see. The sweet scent of the soil, the butterflies

fluttering by, the symphony of the birds and bees, the swaying of the

flowers and trees - everything around arouses a sense of sublime

harmony. Hail the festival of Yugadi - the festival of bounty and Grace.

 

The new year had arrived and the Kulwant hall had been tastefully

decorated. The students had gathered in the marble block and the Ugadi

programme was ready. Message came from Swami that as soon as He came

out, the programme must begin. At about 9 am just at the conclusion of

the Rahu Kaalam, Swami arrived, so fresh and beautiful, on the chair.

The air was rented with the chants of the Sai Gayathri and the

atmosphere was charged to electrifying levels in an instant. As Swami

glided down the aisles granting darshan and joy, a special song

composed to welcome the "Sarvadharin" year filled the hall. The joyous

song seemed to fill all the hearts in the hall too. Swami looked so

beautiful. A gentle breeze began to blow.The sweet smile on that

enchanting face; the curls swirling in the gentle breeze, the tender

hands swaying to the beat of an ethereal melody and those soft feet

that are the refuge of the entire mankind - how sweet our Lord is.......

 

Swami was on the rounds when the students got up and began the

narration. They explained in English, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi the

significance of the day. Apart from being Ugadi, the day was also

celebration time as Gudi Padwa and Cheti Chand. As these were

explained, Swami continued to move around and bless everyone who had so

eagerly assembled to begin the new year with a glimpse of their dear

Lord. Very appropriately, the song began, "Yenta Bhagyamo", referring

to the great good fortune of gathering at His feet on the holy

occasion. Swami sat enjoying the songs and each time a smile blossomed

on His face, it reflected on the faces of everyone assembled. The next

part of the programme was the traditional "Panchanga Shravanam" where

the almanac is read out to see what the coming year has in store for

all. The two students as learned brahmins got up. They discussed the

coming year in a very scholarly manner. Much to Swami's amusement, they

even began to see what each sign of the almanac portended to the people

under its rule! They discussed the meaning of the Panchangam. Swami so

beautifully has said that if we take care of the Pancha Angas (the five

limbs and five senses), nothing in the Panchangam can affect us. As the

discussion progressed on the influence of the planets which were both

positive and negative, the significance of the Ugadi Pachchadi was

highlighted. This is a kind of broth that is taken as sacred prasadam.

It is very unique in its composition. It is made with jaggery,

tamarind, raw mangoes, chillies, salt, neem and water. It has a

component of all the 6 tastes namely- salty, sweet, sour, spicy, bitter

and pungent. It is symbolic of the fact that whatever the new year

brings, it will be accepted with equality and equanimity. It concluded

with the statement, "When we have the God's Anugraha (Grace), what can

the Navagraha (nine planets) ever do to harm us?" There was a very

joyous and thunderous applause. Swami called one of the pandits and

created a beautiful gold chain for him and the soul stirring song,

"Karuniso Ranga" (Shower compassion on us Krishna) struck a rich

melodious chord.

 

Being a new year day, the significance and importance of time was

highlighted. An incident was also narrated. Swami, while gifting

watches to His students once said, "See, this outer box is the body.

The inner plastic cover is the mind and deep within is the watch - the

most precious one with Swami in it. Treasure the watch and do not give

undue importance to the box and cover. Also WATCH has T as the central

letter and so it becomes very important to watch over our thoughts. it

is our thinking that determines everything.

 

Many times when we feel that, "bad things" are happening to us, it only

shows the weak nature of our faith. For instance, let us consider that

something bad has happened to us. This can mean only two things:-

1) My God is not powerful enough to protect and shield me from that calamity.

2) My God is powerful, but He does not Love me enough to protect me.

If we have that firm faith and conviction that, my God is the most

powerful and loves me infinitely everything becomes so simple. In spite

of being so loving and powerful, if something that I think is bad for

me is happening, then God must want this. Why? Because, though unaware

about it, it is for my good. Out of a billion possible events that can

occur to us, the sweet and kind Lord handpicks the best possible one

for each and everyone of us to experience. Like swallowing the Ugadi

Pachchadi without a smile or a grimace, so too must we accept the

various experiences of life as God's prasadam. That attitude and way of

thinking is the correct one for that is the Truth. And when we do that,

the much awaited Golden Age will dawn on mankind.

 

The songs continued and Swami seemed to enjoy every moment of it. In

between, Swami called out to one of the boys assisting him and asked

him to make some arrangements. Those who saw that were wondering what

Swami was saying. Using the traditional art of lip reading, the message

understood was as if He seemed to say something about pouring water! A

song on the sweetness of His name and glories was followed by a

discussion on the fact that noble deeds make the day holy and not that

a holy day is for doing noble deeds. As Swami so beautifully says, "the

flow of time can never be stopped. It continues relentlessly and

continuously. But it is not correct to keep saying that this is a bad

time and we will wait for a good time. The Yugas or time periods change

only with the change in Dharma, not with the mere passage of time. The

wicked demon Hiranyakasipu and the purehearted Prahlada both lived in

the selfsame chronological Yuga; the same Yuga saw Dharmaja, the

personification of Righteousness and Santhi, as well as the arch-cheat,

Duryodhana. So, Dharma is what makes the Yuga or time into good or bad

for each; one can always be in the Kritha Yuga, if only one has all the

four qualities of Dharma. It is the conduct of man that makes or mars

history and changes the Golden Age to the Iron Age or vice versa."

 

As seven songs concluded, Swami seemed to tell the programme to stop,

but then seemed to change His mind. It becomes very easy to enjoy the

grandeur and the beauty of every action of Swami in retrospect. But as

Swami was doing this, all wondered as to what was happening. BUt the

programme continued. There was a beautiful Hindi introduction on the

beauty and glory of namasmarana or chanting of the Lord's name. It was

followed by a song by saint Mirabai, "Baso More Nainan me Nandalaal."

That song was completed and then what happened next was something so

divine and unexpected. And these kinds of uncertainities of the Lord,

who will not love?

 

The song that began was, "Barso Re" which was a prayer to the Lord to

rain His blessings on all. As it started, Swami asked for a big silver

container to be brought from inside. In it was the holy Ganges water!

Swami descended from the stage and began to shower the water on the

devotees and people assembled in the hall! It was so thrilling. Goose

bumps erupted on every inch of the skin and the whole hall erupted in

joy. The joy was common but its expression varied from frenzied shouts

to serene meditative stances. As the summer showers continued, people

were lost in a devotional ecstacy. After a while, symbolically blessing

all, Swami told the priest to go around showering the consecrated water

on everyone assembled. Then with the smile of an innocent child that

had surprised everyone, Swami sat on the stage enjoying the song. He

was gently swaying and a smile danced on His lips. He was radiating

happiness all the while and everyone assembled had no choice but to be

happy! Surely the people must have thought this to be a coincidence

that the song acted as a "theme song" for Swami to shower His bountiful

Love and Grace. One of the students immediately rose up and in the mike

exulted at this great good fortune wherein Swami, like always,

instantly responded to the prayer to shower Grace on all!

 

For all the people assembled, there could not have been a better way to

begin the new year. They say that the first day of the year determines

what the whole year goes on like. If that is true, (and with God, it

has to be!), the whole year we have to prepare ourselves to be drenched

in His Love and Grace! Glory be to the Lord! Swami then blessed

prasadam to be distributed to all. Moving into the verandah, Swami

received Aarthi and it was about 11 am when Swami retired to Yajur

Mandir.

April 4, 2008

The sweltering summer has arrived at Puttaparthi. The breeze blowing

also seems to be carrying heat waves along with it. The summer

vacations have been declared and the impact of this declaration is seen

very prominently in the mandir. The students' number has greatly

dwindled. That is of some cheer to the devotees as they have some more

of the "prominent" places available for them to occupy! There are still

some who have decided to put away the summer heat at the "heat of the

moment" decisions to evacuate Puttaparthi at the earliest. So though

the mandir seems quite empty, it is full of people braving many things

simultaneously to see their beloved Lord.

 

In these hot conditions too, Swami makes His "warmth" felt to one and

all alike! As if as a bonus gift to those who have either cancelled or

postponed their summer trips to stay with Him, Swami over the last

three days has been coming on the chair and the car has been unused for

the period. The same script everyday in terms of the route that Swami

takes but so many different and touching stories along the way. There

is such an eager anticipation as Swami gets ready to set out for the

darshan rounds. The question in the mind is whether its the chair or

the car! And the last three days, this question has been answered by

thrilled, "Oohs" and "Aahs" as Swami has always chosen the former.

 

Swami starts down from the ladies side and moves down gently. He is in

no hurry at all and He seems to be taking letters from everyone!

Letters are so symbolic of desires! The more He takes, the more there

seem to remain to be taken! But over these days, the profusion of

letters being given and the overwhelming Love with which they are being

accepted has been such that on the 4th, the letters' number seems to

have reduced. Well, it is also a common practice, especially among the

students, to compose letters to their dear Lord whenever there seems to

be a good chance to hand it over to Him. So from the students' side,

there are always letters flowing. The Primary School block is

comparitively so empty. Instead of the twittering and talking

thousands, there are only a few tens left. But these tiny tots rush

down towards the rear end of the block to have a close glimpse of Him

as He passes by and then rush back to their places in the front of the

block to get another darshan when He comes to the front! He knows all

this and yet, so sweetly, He chooses to be surprised when He sees them

again for the second time. His expression says, "Hey! Did I not see you

there at the back a few minutes back?"

 

It is a bonanza time for all the devotees too. When He comes in the

car, the people sitting on the driver's side crane their necks to have

a glimpse of His divine locks atleast. But now, it is such a wonderful

and fulfilling feeling to see His in all His grandeur. He looks to both

the sides and takes letters from both the sides. Many of the devotees

bend and get the opportunity to take Paadanamaskar. The effect of the

hot cuddapah slabs below and the scorching roof above seems to just

fade away with the cooling and refreshing presence of Swami so close.

The heat may seem to make it the worst of times but His warmth makes it

the best of times. Indeed blessed are those being able to enjoy the

bliss of this proximity that He has decided to shower.

 

As He moves through the herd of eagerly crowding students, He blesses

many. A few words here, a tap on the shoulder there; acceptance of a

letter or a shower of the holy akshata grains. The final result of all

these is the same - a glowing smile on the face. He completes the

darshan rounds and then extends it into a round in the bhajan hall and

the veranda too! Everyone is happy and the waves of Joy wash out the

sweltering heat. The bhajans begin and there is lot of gusto and

enthusiasm. Swami exchanges a few words with the singers in the bhajan

hall. It is around 6:15 pm on an average when He retires.

 

Beautiful indeed are these days.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2005 - . Sri Sathya Sai Students.

 

 

 

 

 

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