When Judaism became part of the Sri Sathya Sai Symbol of Unity of Religions The Jewish Festival of Light was celebrated by twenty four Jew devotees at Brindavan on this day. Bhagavan lit the ‘Menorah’, the Sacred Lamp of Judaism. The Jews had the privilege of garlanding Bhagavan during Darshan. He blessed them with Padanamaskar.Bhagavan had mentioned in one of His interviews given to the Jews earlier that since the Jews were not a significant large religious group in India, the Sai Emblem representing the five major religions did not include the Jewish Symbol in it. But, henceforth, He would permit the overseas centres to include the Star of David in their Sai Emblem in recognition of Judaism’s role as a world religion and their ancient spiritual tradition.

Sri Sathya Sai with Lion Dance Students in the Interview Room Swami    :    Put on the fan. (One of them got up and turned it on. Swami got up and decreased the speed.) Chaala Chaliga Undi (It is very cold). (After sometime…) Emi Samachaaram? (What news?) Student    :    Swami, we are happy to be with You. It’s our good fortune. Swami    :    Manchidi (Good). Student    :    Swami, how can we show gratitude to You? Swami    :    I do not want anything from you. Be good. Have good walk, talk, and looks. Do not have bad words, looks, head and heart. You should lead an ideal life. Have ideal studies and actions. Be ideal.Another student… Student    :    Swami, if You do not mind, can I ask you something? Swami : Emi? (What?) Student : Swami, You should eat a little more. Swami : Enduku? (Why?) Student : Swami, You are very thin. You should become a little fatter. Please Swami. Swami : I don’t want to grow a stomach like yours. Look at Swami, He is always the same. If you are fat, it looks ugly.  (To a student) Emi Telangana? (What Telangana?) Student : Swami, though I was born here, I was brought up in Telangana. Swami : Born in Anantapur. Brought up in Telengana! Student : By Your grace all are happy. Swami : Santosham (Happy). Student : How many ever difficulties come… Swami interrupted the student here. Swami : Without difficulties, you cannot get happiness. You do not get happiness from happiness. Pray for difficulties every time. Difficulties are like exams. You can go to higher classes only if you pass in the exams.You know what Kunti prayed for? Students : She prayed for difficulties, Swami. Swami : When everything was well, she did not think of Krishna. But when the Pandavas were in difficulties, she thought of Krishna every minute. When Krishna asked Kunti to wish for something, she asked only for difficulties. You should also wish for difficulties only. Difficulty is the real friend. Not happiness. Sukham does not help. Another student… Student : Swami, please talk to us. Swami : (Looking sternly) Talk! Student : Swami please speak to us. All are waiting for You. Swami : I am also waiting.Another student… Student : Swami, the Orchestra competition in the College was performed very well. The moods during 1857-1947 were depicted. Tears came in some people’s eyes. Swami : Tears came in eyes! Student : Yes Swami. One more was the Rama Katha Rasavahini. In that, they depicted Rama’s birth, His marriage to Sita, coming to Ayodhya, going to the forest, going to Lanka for Sita and killing Ravana, and returning to Ayodhya, with music alone. Swami listened to all this with a lot of attention. Swami : Chaala Santosham (Very happy). Student : Swami, the other boys are also doing Sports Meet items for Your sake. Swami, if You look at them also, they will feel very happy.Another student… Student : The band students are also practicing very hard for Christmas. Swami : Giving recommendation? No need. I will see the January programme only. Students : They are practicing for Sports Meet only, Swami. You should come and see. Swami : They are still planning!) Students : No, Swami. They are practicing. Rope Stunts, Crystal Medley and other nice items are being done. Swami : Avuna? (Is it?) (After a pause) Warden Ni Piluvu Okkasaari (Call the Warden once). When Warden – Dr. Siva Sankara Sai, came inside the interview room… Swami : What items are the boys doing? Warden : Swami, boys are planning for items like Crystal Medley, Trail Blazers, stunt items. After they are ready, we pray that Swami come and see those items also. They are doing for Swami. Swami : Are they doing for the sake of Swami? Good. Practice well. It is all in the initial stages. Isn’t it? But do not do anything risky. Warden : Yes, Swami. Swami : (To Arvind, a student of the first year M.Sc. (Physics) class) Where do you come from? Student : Swami, Rajahmundry. Swami : Have you not studied in Rajahmundry school? Student : Yes, Swami. I studied in Rajahmundry school. Swami : After Rajahmundry school, you have joined here. What did you learn? Student : Swami, duty and devotion. Swami : What is devotion or Bhakti? (The student answered, but not to the satisfaction of Swami.) Bhakti is love for God. Love towards child is Vatsalyam, towards wife is Moham, towards relatives is Anubandham, and towards God is Bhakti. Love towards God should be completely selfless, without expecting anything in return. There should not be any trace of selfishness. If it is selfish, he expects something in return. Self lives by getting and forgetting, but love lives by giving and forgiving. (After a minute’s silence…) Aa, Inka Emi? (What else?) Student : Swami, You brought us so near to You and are giving so many chances. Is it because of Bhakti or Praapti (devotion or destiny)? Swami : Bangaaru, it is Praapti. It is the due to the Punyam (merit) that is done by your forefathers and parents accumulated from Janmas and Janmas (births and births) that you all are getting these chances. Same way if you do Punyam (meritorious acts) your successors will reap the benefit. But then, now you must make sure that you do not loose what you have got. Student : Swami, where does selfless love or Bhakti come into play? Swami : Selfless Love for God is there with all. Even the devotees sitting outside have selfless love. You should have Self-confidence (Swami often refers to Self-confidence as confidence in one’s higher ‘Self’). Student : For spiritual practices, we need grace, isn’t it Swami? Swami : Correct. Student : Then for Self-confidence, is it not the grace that is important? Swami : Grace is not getting and giving. It is already there on all. But what is important is Self-confidence, which is your effort. Self-confidence can be developed

Understanding Bhakti from Sri Sathya Sai – By Dr. Sai Giridhar Sairam Swami once asked students in Bhajan Hall, “What is Bhakti?” A student replied, “Swami, Bhakti is love for You”. Swami said, “Yes, that is the right answer”. Bhakti is Love for God! During several of my journeys to the Himalayas, I have had numerous opportunities to meet sincere Sadhakas (spiritual aspirants), who have dedicated their life to Self-Discovery and to love God. I have asked them a question that often troubled me: “Why is my Sadhana not consistent?” Interestingly, all of them had the same answer to give, “Your love for the world is more than your love for God”. This led to another question which kept lingering in my mind: “How do I love God?” for which I could never get any satisfactory answer, rather no answer satisfied me. I was once watching a motion picture on Swami Vivekananda, wherein a particular scene made a deep impact on me. Naren (Swami Vivekananda) had approached Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa with a similar question. Naren asked the Master (Thakur), how he could gladden himself with the vision of Divinity, and love God as spontaneously as Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa did. Thakur, who noticed a housefly meandering about a glass of juice, said, “Look at this housefly: as long as it is going to move around the glass of juice, there is no way it is going to taste the juice. The only way the fly can taste the sweetness of the juice is by diving into the juice. The fly may lose itself in the process, but that is the only way!” In Thakur’s words, I also found direction towards my answer. The first: that I need to take a plunge into that cosmic uncertainty, and not merely meander along its boundaries. The second: there is a good chance that I might lose myself in this process; a scarier proposition for anyone who believes he/she is journeying to a destination! Uncertainty still loomed large in my mind, just not the cosmic kind. Unsure about ‘where exactly is the end of the cliff’, ‘where do I plunge into’ and ‘how’, I continued my journey: sometimes trying Namasmaran, sometimes of what I thought was meditation. A part of my time was spent on one spiritual activity and another part on another, uncertain each time which was going to be my path to love God truly! Even as restlessness and dissatisfaction were creeping in, I heard the experience of one of our senior teachers. Swami had called all the teachers of the School and College at Puttaparthi to His Brindavan Ashram to bless them before the commencement of the new academic year. There were then many students at Brindavan who were eager to enjoy the most coveted privilege of a ‘Trayee session’ with Bhagavan. Even as the students were pleading with Swami to bless them with a Trayee session, Swami was clear with His equation. He said, “Why should I give you a Trayee session? You all ‘show’ only part-time devotion. What I want is full-time devotion!” The Master was to play His Master stroke then. Swami asked this senior professor seated nearby, “You have worked in a company haven’t you?” The professor replied in the affirmative. Swami then asked him, “What different types of employees were there in your company?” The professor replied that there were two types of employees, one temporary and another permanent. Swami then asked, “What is the difference between the two in terms of their payment?” He replied that the temporary employees were paid on a day-to-day basis, while the permanent employees had structured pay with basic, HRA, periodical increments and bonuses as well. Swami then said, “In the same way for permanent devotees, I too shower constant grace, give bonuses and most importantly ‘Dearness Allowance’. Not just that, I also give them pension for their life hereafter! But nobody seems interested to be a permanent devotee!” It was only after listening to these nectarine words of Bhagavan, I understood that at best I was a mere worshipper, or a temporary devotee. The difference between a worshipper, and a devotee or a Bhakta is that – a worshipper, however ardent and sincere he/she might be in their worship of their Lord, is rooted in fulfilment of their desires or some personal benefits. A devotee, on the other hand, has no reasons to love God. That is why, probably, Swami sang, “No reason for Love, no season for Love, No birth, No death”. The classic example to elucidate this difference would be the lives of Ravana, the greatest worshipper and Hanuman, the greatest devotee. It is also around this time I came across a never heard before, beautiful meaning of Bhakti from a wonderful devotee of Bhagavan, whom I had a chance to interact with. Swami had given the definition of Bhakti as “a state where there is no Vibhakti from God”. The Sanskrit word ‘Vibhakti’ means separation or division. Bhakti literally means “no separation”. When we are asked to indicate the number two with our fingers, we would raise the index and the middle finger in separation. But if we join the two fingers with absolutely no gap between them, then it would indicate one, and not two. That is Bhakti. While there seems to be a Lord and His devotee, they are but in a state of union all the time. The merger of the apparent two into one is also called Yoga, and the separation as Viyoga! It was on knowing this that an understanding dawned on a conversation we had with Swami earlier. It was a Ganesh Chaturthi day when we went to Bhagavan with a programme on the theme, ‘Nava Vidha Bhakti’. Swami heard the title and remarked, “Are you saying that Ganesha is beyond Navavidha Bhakti?” He then went on to add, “Vinayakudini Gudilo Matram Choosthe, Akkade Kanipisthadu. Vinayakudu Ni Atma Roopam Lo Choodali. Appude Meeru Ekkadavellina Akkade Untadu” (If you see Vinayaka as

Sri Sathya Sai On: Lessons from the Mahabharata – Part 2 The Five Fingers Fight If the five fingers are united then you can achieve anything. With unity you can achieve anything. But one day, the five fingers started quarreling with each another. They started saying that one is greater than the other. The little finger said, “If you have to advice somebody then I am in the forefront. Thus I am the biggest. My height may be less, but in advising, I am in the forefront.” Then the second finger said, “I am great. Whenever a ring has to be put on, it is put on me first. The first offering is always to the king and not for others. Therefore I am greatest.” After sometime the middle finger laughed aloud and said “I am the tallest among all of you. I have 2 bodyguards on either side. Thus I am greatest.” Then the forefinger said, “Whatever you say is futile. I am the greatest. I am the decision maker. I show which is good, bad, right and wrong then only you will act. I demonstrate the truth. I demonstrate the right thing. I am the greatest.” The other four had to accept this. Finally the thumb laughed aloud. It said, “You can’t do anything without me. Without me you all are just pieces of decoration. Thus I am the greatest of you all.” When we look at it from the worldly point of view, each of them was right. But from the Divine view nothing is right. When all the five get together it is right. When you are united you can do as much work as you want. The Pandavas were united. Therefore they conquered many kingdoms. Unity is strength. We have to develop unity first. Worldly enjoyments are not important. Unity is most important. What is unity? It is not just getting together. It is realizing that all have equal rights. The Atma in you, is there in Me also. Ekam Sat Viprah Bahuda Vadanti (Truth is one, the wise refer to it in different ways). God alone exists and that Divine principle is present in everything. It is God who is doing everything, and He is the one who is getting everything done. He is the one who shows, as well as sees everything. God is the witness for all. The Pandavas always obeyed the Divine command. They followed the Divine command throughout their life. Hence they were victorious. When Duryodhana was humiliating Draupadi, Dhritarashtra and all other elders were present there. Bhishma was also present there. Why did a person like Bhishma keep quiet when such a thing was happening? Draupadi was Agni’s own daughter. She knew the truth. She went running around and pleading for help. She then questioned Bhishma, “Did Dharmaja lose himself and then lose me or was it the other way round? First he lost himself and then he had gambled me. He had no right to keep me as a wager when he had already lost himself. What Dharmaja did was wrong. He lost the game, then he lost me. That is why I am subjected to this humility. I have five husbands. Did he take the consent of the other four husbands while keeping me as a wager? No.” It was over on this occasion that Dharmaja did something against Dharma. Because of his love for the game of dice he did it. Love for such hobbies masks the power of discrimination between good and bad. Because of such hobbies man commits grave mistakes. The game of dice, anger and sadness are very bad. Never grieve over anything. Here is an example. Many people say that they are suffering so much. Where did this grief and suffering come from? Does sorrow have a body? Sorrow does not have any organs. How can a formless thing trouble you? It is your imagination. The sorrow is coming from within you. The good and bad of every person come from within. It is a reflection of your heart. It is not the reflection of the other person’s thoughts and heart. It is your reflection, reaction and resound. You are the one who is responsible for it, not God. You are able to recognise others’ faults, but you are not able to recognise your own faults. People have become blind and are not able to see the inner truth and the auspicious form of God. Students are looking at the whole world. They also see what is happening around the world. Through science and technology they are able to see everything. But is man looking at himself after looking at everything else? No. Such education is useless. What is the use of such an education if you don’t look at yourself? First recognise your own mistakes. Recognize your good qualities. But you are recognizing everything else. Such a person is a blind person, worse than Dhritarashtra. It was Tyagaraja who said, “What is the use of the education and scholarship of a person, if he is a slave to his senses?” What is all this education for? Is it just for becoming a slave of your senses? This type of education is ruining the country today. You may think that you are doing a great job. But what is your greatness? Greatness lies in recognizing and following the path of truth. Demonstrate it to others. But today’s man is not able to recognise all of this. You have to study, to know yourself. It is not just studying the books. Anybody can read books. You don’t need teachers also for such an education. The true education and books are within us.  The whole world is a great book. Man’s true friend is also there in this book. He is God. The permanent friend is God. He has been removed from man’s life. You are developing unnatural and false friendships, and finally becoming like monkeys. Not just a monkey, but a mad

Shri Sathya Sai The Radio Sai broadcast is very clear Swami : Who put this here? (Pointing to the chair.)Prof. A. K. : Hoping You would have come. Swami : Who put this here? Prof. A. K. : Our people only might have put, Swami. Swami : If I ask your name, will you say Guntur? (This was because of the generic answer that he gave.) Emi Samacharam? Are these all Higher Secondary School boys? Students : Yes, Swami. Swami : Where are Institute boys?  Prof. A. K. : Swami, they might have gone for Sports Meet competitions. Swami : Yesterday, drama or something was there. Prof. A. K. : Yes, Swami. But I did not go. It seems PG (postgraduate) boys did very well. Teachers who went told me. Swami : Old people would have gone, for them everything will be good! Prof. A. K. : Swami, it seems PG boys did patriotism-based dramas. Swami : PG Boys, Patriotism! Adi Unte Desham Ila Untundaa? (Patriotism? If that virtue is there, would the country be like this?) (Swami moved a little forward, looked at the card held by school boys and asked) Emi Raa Idi? (What is this?) The school house captains were sitting in the front with a card. Students : Swami, athletics competitions are starting tomorrow. Swami : What athletics? Students : Swami, running, jumps, shot-put, etc. Swami : (Looking at the Olympic rings) Why did you put bangles here? Students : Olympic rings, Swami.  Swami : Do boys wear bangles? (Smiling) Students : No, Swami. Olympic rings. Swami : What are you? Students : Swami, house captains. Swami : What? House captains? Where is your house and family? (Smiling) Students : No, Swami. Swami : Where is your wife? (No reply from the students)Paapam (An expression used to indicate casually as in English ‘Poor fellow’). (Smiling) House captain should have a wife! (Turning to Prof. Anil Kumar) Wife is house captain! (Turning back to the students, seeing the card and referring to various athletic poses) Why are those figures divided? Students : Swami, design. Swami : Design! (Seeing the flowers on the greeting) Give these to your wife to put in her head. (Smiling mischievously) Nuvvenaa Planetarium Abbayi?  (Are you the Planetarium boy?) (Hari Nandakumar, an alumnus of the Department of Physics, SSSIHL, now working in the Sri Sathya Sai Space Theatre, commonly referred to as the Planetarium, went forward.) Your voice was heard in radio (meaning ‘Radio Sai Global Harmony’ Digital Radio). I asked as to whose voice was that. He said that it was that of the boy working in the Planetarium. Very nice. (Swami blessed him by keeping His hand on his head thrice.) How did it come? Student : Swami, one particular day it became too late and no one was there for recording. So, I recorded my own voice and sent. Swami : But will they accept it? Student : Swami, whatever we record here and send, they play. Swami : Sundaram Bhajans, Mandir Bhajans sung by our boys are also played. (Swami mentioned few names.) In how many countries can it be heard?  Student : Swami, around 43 countries. Swami : I had received a letter from Kenya. Can it be heard in East Africa? Student : Swami, it can be heard in India, Arabia, Iran… Swami : Chaala Clearga Vastundi (The broadcast is very clear). (Swami created Vibhuti for him and applied some on his throat.) Will you speak? Prof. A. K. : Swami, he got a gold medal. Swami : Adi Kuda Vachchindi (That also was broadcast). Mana Pillala Gurinchi Radiolo Baaga Vachchindi. Manchidi (They mentioned a lot about our boys in the radio. Good). (Swami was referring to the announcement about the welcome song that was sung by the students of the Institute.) Prof. A. K. : The whole world will come to know about our students.

Sri Sathya Sai: The Indweller – By Aswath Narayan There is no limit to the extent to which one can pen down the Leelas (miracles) of our wonderful Lord. He was the magnet of Puttaparthi, the enthraller of our hearts. Blessed were we to get His Darshan (vision), Sparshan (touch) and Sambhashan (conversation). Blessed were we to be His contemporaries. Reliving such sweet moments, I would like to share one such sweet experience. I was doing my post-graduation and it was the time of winter holidays. I had been home to spend time with my parents. After vacation, my parents came to give me a send-off. At that time, my mother said to me, “Aswath, please convey my Pranams to Swami”. Hearing this father remarked, “What are you, some VIP that Swami will receive your Pranams?” My mother felt a bit let down at my father’s comment, but she did not say anything.  I reached Puttaparthi the next day and was sitting in the Bhajan Hall for evening Bhajans. Swami came inside Bhajan Hall and asked me, “How was your vacation? Are your father and mother happy? Did not your mother tell you to convey her pranams?” Before I could say anything Swami told all these. Swami is Antaryami (Indweller) and He answers and receives the prayers coming from sincere seekers. I would like to share another sweet moment with the Lord. Swami was visiting Sri Venu Srinivasan’s (Chairman, TVS Motor Company) house in Chennai, 2007. Swami’s convoy (consisting of elders and students) accompanied Swami wherever He went. When we reached his house, we could hear the mellifluous voice of Bombay Jayashree, the famous Carnatic vocalist, singing ‘Krishna Nee Begane Baaro….’ (Krishna come quickly). Swami upon hearing the song remarked in Tamil, ‘Krishnan Vandaache’ (Krishna has come).  I recall one more incident which testifies to the fact that Bhagavan indeed is the recipient of all prayers (you may pray to which ever form you like). Sai Krishna, a student and a member of Bhajan group, had come to Chennai at this juncture to have Swami’s Darshan. He was not selected as part of the students group privileged to accompany Swami. He was feeling bad at not getting the wonderful and coveted opportunity. He visited a very famous Hanuman temple in Nanganalloor area in Chennai. It is believed that whatever prayer, one makes at the sanctum sanctorum of this temple are bound be answered. So he prayed, “Swami, I have a prayer. You should enquire about me or ask about me in Your stay in Chennai”. How can the prayer go unnoticed by our Lord? Back in Sundaram, the residence of Swami in Chennai, He asked Om Prasad, “How is your friend?” Om Prasad thought that Swami was asking about me and he told my name. Swami said, “Not Aswath, How is your friend? I saw him on My way to Tiruvanmiyur” (the place where Athi Rudra Maha Yagna was conducted in Chennai). Om Prasad immediately realised that Swami was asking about Sai Krishna. Swami had listened and fulfilled the innocent prayers of Sai Krishna.  Swami was so kind that my grandparents also got the opportunity of having Swami’s Darshan. After my grandmother’s demise, Swami told me to bring my grandfather to Puttaparthi, so that He would speak to him. As per Swami’s instruction, my mother got grandfather along with her to Puttaparthi. We had to wait for thirteen days. Swami gave an interview to my mother and grandfather. In the interview, Swami’s interaction with my grandfather was like that of an interaction between two old friends meeting each other after a long time. My grandfather asked Swami, “Swami, I want Anaayaasa Maranam” (easy death). Swami blessed him profusely. After Swami’s physical departure, my grandfather soon was in the last stages of his life. As per his prayer, he had a peaceful death and we were there around him chanting Sai Gayatri.  Swami is always with us. We have to cherish and relish this aspect always. I want to narrate a very small experience in this regard. I have an uncle who is a staunch devotee of Swami. He was kind enough to teach me car driving. On one such summer vacation, we had arranged the trip in such a way that I would go to Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu and from there drive the car till Coimbatore, my hometown. He told that it would be a good experience to drive the car. I was excited while driving the car.  My uncle had advised me that going at a speed of 80 kmph on a highway is safe as one will have control over the car. He further said, “If you drive at this optimal speed, Swami will be happy”. I obeyed his instructions and was going at 80 kmph speed. No sooner than uncle had said these words, one Tavera car overtook us. It had a wonderful picture of Swami looking deep into one’s eyes, at the rear side. This was a Leela of Swami we experienced in the middle of a highway in Tamil Nadu, India. Swami is the Antaryami, the indweller of our hearts, the witness of all our thoughts, words and deeds. I would like to conclude with a prayer: Swami, may all the beings in all the universe receive Your love, light, protection and guidance. May each one of us radiate and reciprocate the love showered by You. – Aswath Narayan Student (2002-2007) and currently, Doctoral Research Scholar Department of Biosciences Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

Sri Sathya Sai Message to the World Bal Vikas Conference Tuesday, December 27, 1983 to  Saturday, December 31, 1983 A five-day World Conference of Bal Vikas teachers and students was inaugurated in Poornachandra Auditorium by Bhagavan at 9.30 am on 27th December 1983. The Conference was held between the 27th and the 31st of December. Major General Mahadevan, State President of Tamil Nadu Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, welcomed Bhagavan and the delegates. He stated in his speech that it was a red-letter day in the history of the Bal Vikas Movement. Bhagavan in His Inaugural Address pointed out how Bharatiya culture had survived the vicissitudes of centuries, while many ancient civilisations had disappeared. It was the duty of the Bharatiyas to preserve this heritage and live up to the values represented by this culture. He gave the details of the cyclone that had hit Puttaparthi the previous night. A sudden gale brought down the Shamianas (tents) where the Bal Vikas students were housed. Children were trapped underneath the collapsed tents. However, the only words that escaped their mouths were “Sai Ram”. They started singing Bhajans immediately. Bhagavan pointed out that the Bal Vikas training had trained them to face such ordeals with courage and faith. Bhagavan addressed the Bal Vikas and Pre-Seva Dal students in a special session on 30th morning at Poornachandra Auditorium. In the Divine Discourse, He said: “You, children of the Eternal! You are not lumps of flesh. You are embodiments of the Eternal. You are repositories of Bliss. Your hearts are shrines of the Divine. The whole of Nature is your playground; all the things in it are your play-things. Regard yourselves as masters of the Universe and not its bond-slaves. As long as you are bound to your desires, you cannot escape being subject to the material world. With all his prowess, Ravana could not save himself from disaster because he was a slave to his passions. Once you surrender to the Divine, nature becomes your servant. The boys and girls of today should realise this basic truth. They represent the future of humanity. They are the guardians of the nation’s culture. The greatness and prosperity of the country depend on them. The nation’s future will be determined by how the lives of the young children are shaped. Today the world is plunged in chaos, violence and wickedness. It is for the young people to see that these demonic forces are routed for accomplishing any objective two things are needed: Krishi (individual effort) and Kripa (Divine Grace). The two are like the negative and positive poles of a magnet. If there is only Divine Grace, but no proper effort on the part of the individual, the object cannot be achieved. Divine Grace is always there. We need not go far to seek it. The efforts made to secure it are called Sadhana (spiritual effort).  Children should learn to admit their mistakes Every person should possess four important qualities: Shanti (peace), Sathya (Truth), Nirahankara (absence of egoism) and absence of Asuya (envy). These four are essential. Suffusing all the four is Prema (love). These qualities are not got through studies or from a teacher or as a gift from someone. They can be acquired only by one’s own effort. These noble qualities have to be developed from childhood itself. Only then will they stand in good stead in later years. The first quality is Satyam. ‘Satyameva Jayate’, says the Upanishad. (Truth alone triumphs). What is this Truth? It is adherence to what is true in thought, word and deed. Often many untoward situations arise which render such adherence difficult. Children, for instance, out of fear of punishment or scolding by parents or teachers indulge in prevarication or falsehood and avoid admitting the truth. This tendency results in due course in vitiating their entire life by making them lead double lives. Having regard, therefore, to their future, they should learn from their boyhood to admit their mistakes and speak the truth. There is nothing wrong if they are punished by their parents or teachers for their misdeeds. Through such corrective measures, they will learn to behave properly in their later years. If from the beginning you learn to speak the truth, you will find it easy. But once you take to lying, to return to the ways of truth is very difficult. Hence, when you are still young and your minds and hearts are pure and untainted, you must cultivate the habit of sticking to truth. By speaking the truth always, your minds will be filled with good thoughts. You should not give up truth, whatever difficulties you may encounter, whatever troubles or trials may come your way. This is the lesson to be learnt from the inspiring story of Harishchandra, who won undying fame because of his preparedness to sacrifice everything for upholding truth. Material prosperity or positions of authority may come and go. But the reputation for truth and integrity will last for ever. If you install truth and righteousness in your hearts, your lives will become eminently meaningful and worthy. Cultivate freedom from envy Next to truth, you must cultivate forbearance. Forbearance endows you with the strength to face “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” A man without forbearance easily succumbs to reverses and difficulties.Together with truth and forbearance, you have to cultivate freedom from Asuya (jealousy). Envy is like the pest that attacks the root of a tree. It can destroy one’s entire life. We may be enjoying many things in life – knowledge, wealth, position, power and the like. But if the virus of envy enters our minds, it can pollute everything. We should not give place to envy even in the smallest matter. If a fellow-student scores more marks than you, you should not feel envious. If others do better than yourself, you should feel happy rather than allow yourself to be consumed by envy. If someone is better dressed than yourself or is more wealthy, you should feel

Sri Sathya Sai: The Eternal Companion – By Dr. Naren Ramji Towards the end of the Kodaikanal trip, on the last day, Swami told me that He was leaving for Bangalore in connection with the MBA programme that He was commencing at the College. He looked at me meaningfully but did not say anything further. I took the cue and said, “Swami, can I do MBA in Your Institution?” Swami said, “Very happy!” The next morning, sitting in Darshan, Swami searched me out and said, “Today in The Hindu (newspaper) an advertisement has come for the MBA programme. Did you see it?” I said, “Swami I have not seen the papers yet”. He said, “See that and apply”. During the Guru Pournima of that year, Swami called my family for an interview. In the interview, He asked me, “What do you want?” I said, “Swami, I want Your grace”. He said, “What else do you want?” I said, “Swami, I want to get a chance to do MBA in Your Institution”. He said, “What more do you want?” I was tongue tied not knowing what to say. Giving a very sweet smile, He asked, “Don’t you want Me?” That is the very purpose why He brings all of us to Him – to seek Him. In the interview, as He blessed me with a seat, He told me one very simple thing. He said, “I know that you have never woken up early in the morning, throughout your life. Now are you going to stay in My Hostel”. He said, “For My sake, can you get up early morning and recite Suprabhatam?” This was something which one can never refuse. During my second year of MBA, we had been for the annual industrial tour which was in the month of January. Swami was in Brindavan. Every evening we used to have a beautiful time in Bhagavan’s Divine company. We received a lot of attention. Just before the industrial visit got over, Swami left for Puttaparthi. However prior to His leaving, He said, “When you come to Puttaparthi, I will give you a taste”. It didn’t strike us as to what was coming but what came was quite unexpected. By the time we reached Puttaparthi, nobody wanted to be near us. Swami simply stopped speaking to us. He was ‘upset’ with us. The same people, who sat with us in the first year, were all sitting far away because Swami would take a detour around where we sat. We, as a batch, started writing letters asking for forgiveness. A senior teacher came back and returning our letters to us told us that Swami had sent them back! We then decided that we wouldn’t send the letters as a batch and do it individually such that atleast one would slip into His attention. But without fail, Sir would come back to Hostel everyday saying Swami had sent it back.  So Swami was basically telling us, ‘I don’t want to talk to you, neither can you talk to Me.’ This was the biggest lesson for me because when Swami cuts us off completely, Swami is actually forcing us to talk to Him because He was always there with us and that was the inner connection. For the entire duration of our second year, He didn’t speak to us. Finally, Swami relented and called us all inside. Swami, the Divine Mother, melted and gave instructions to all boys telling them what He expected them to do.  Though I came for just my MBA, somewhere down the line the desire to be a part of this Institution grew within. I would write letters to Swami with this prayer. However, Swami would go to my grandmother and say, “See his father is not happy with him being here. Let him go back”. This kind of testing went on for almost three months. I would literally have mental fights with Swami, every night, asking Him, ‘What is lacking in me that I cannot be close to You? Why can’t I be in Your Institution?’ Eventually, though Swami appointed me as a teacher in the Management Department, the testing continued. In the year 1990, we were in Brindavan for the industrial visit and the summer course was to follow. Before the Summer Course, the then Registrar of the University spoke to all the MBA boys and teachers. He said, “Swami is very upset with you boys. You have not been following His words”. Then suddenly he let one statement out very casually, “Swami has said, ‘Why boys? Even teachers! This Naren Ramji does not even know whether he wants to be here or go away’.” I followed sir after the meeting and asked him what the matter was. He told me that Swami had mentioned that my father had written a letter to Swami and hence I should immediately go back to Delhi. I knew very well that my father wouldn’t write letters to Swami, and that Swami was merely churning the pot. So immediately began, what I call ‘Postal Sadhana’. Every day I would write a letter and give it inside Swami’s residence. And every evening, during Darshan, I would stand at the end hoping for Swami to say something. Swami would come into the College auditorium, walk among the gents, to the staircase and then proceed to the stage and seeing me standing there, Swami would put His head down and walk away.  The duration of Summer Course was over and we all went back to Puttaparthi. Swami was still in Brindavan. On the first day of the academic calendar, I went to the College to teach thinking everything was resolved. In the evening, the Principal called me and I found Registrar waiting with him in the visitors’ room. He said, “I have got a message from Brindavan. Swami has said that you need not come to College and teach! You can stay at home and contemplate your future”. These were the words. Swami soon

What is the True Purpose of Celebrating the New Year? Pandit Sathyanarayana Avadhanulu could have spoken for some more time, but he stopped rather suddenly perhaps to give Me more time. You must not grow listless when others speak; for, whoever speaks here, he is giving you the nectar of the Vedas or Shastras (scriptures) and that is sweet and liberating ever. Moreover, he said that this evening, we have met here since it is New Year Day, the first of January 1964! Well. This is a delusion within the larger Delusion! This Day is welcomed as marking some big change, as if yesterday was something quite different for it belonged to 1963 and today is something quite distinct, for it is 1964! This day is celebrated by people, in picnics, in gambling, in drinking and feasting; they attend cinema shows, wear new clothes, give presents, to each other and greet all with joy and hilarity. They exhaust their money and their energy in the pursuit of frivolity, thrill and excitement. All this is due to the custom that views this day as something unique. In fact, the ‘year’ is just a convention. There are as many New Year Days as there are days in the year; many communities and countries have their own distinct calendars. It is not the first of January or the first of Chaitra (first month of Telugu New Year) that is unique. The year is just a name to indicate a number of months, the month a number of days, a day to indicate a number of hours, the hour is a period of time counted in minutes, and the minute is a name for sixty seconds. Each second is new. It is a gift, a chance, an opportunity, a thing to be celebrated, to be used for your uplift. That is to say, each second is a fresh chance given to you for training the mind, refining the intellect, purifying the emotions, strengthening the will, for getting confirmed in the conviction that you are the deathless Atma (Self, the Infinite Consciousness). Be like the lotus with head high above waters Be thankful to the Lord that He gave you Time, as well as action to fill it with. He gave you food, as well as hunger to relish it. But, that does not entitle you to engage yourself in action indiscriminately. When you build a house, you install a door in front. What is the purpose of the door? To admit all whom you welcome and to keep out all whom you do not want. It has a double purpose; you do not keep the doors wide open, for all and sundry to come in as and when they like. So too, select the impulses, the motives, the incentives that enter your mind; keep out the demeaning, the debasing, the deleterious. Admit the highest wisdom of the scriptures, the wisdom culled out of the crucible of experience, called anubhavajnaanam. All water is not potable; the stagnant pool is to be avoided, the flowing river is better. Select and drink. Use the mosquito curtain, but, see that the mosquitoes do not get in when you go to bed. Keep them out; do not imprison them inside the net. Sail in the boat that floats on water but, do not allow the water to enter the boat. Be in worldly life, but, do not allow it to get into you. Use the doors intelligently, to let in those whom you want, and keep out those whom you do not need. The lotus, born in slime and mud, rises up through the water and lifts its head high above the waters; it refuses to get wet though water is the element which gives it life! Be like the lotus. By action, done with all this care, the Vision gets clarified. Man is blinded by the objective world and he believes that world to be real, meaningful and worthy of pursuit. The cataract grows in the eye and robs it of its efficiency. The cataract is the enemy of the eye. Ignorance, the cataract of the inner eye, blinds the intellect and robs it of its efficiency. So, it cannot see the Divinity that is your real nature. It misleads you into the impression that you are a man (Manava), whereas you are really God (Madhava). Tread the path of Liberation The rope is mistaken to be a snake and the perceiver flees in fear. The truth is, it is not the organ eye that sees; there are many whose eyes are good, so far as doctors can discover, but they cannot see! The eye sees because it is illumined by a microscopic spark of the rays of the Sun. The scripture says: “Chaksho Suryo Ajayatha”: From the eye, Surya was born. The soul is the motive force of all the senses; the eye is but a window through which the soul peeps out at the external world. Of what use is the eye, when the vision is not correct? That is to say, when you have no Samadrishti. Samam means Brahman, the Absolute Reality; Samadrishti means, seeing only Brahman, the One, in all things at all times. This Ekatwam (Oneness) is the basic truth. All other experiences are partial, distorted, false. Dwell on that, in your meditation. Fix it in your inner consciousness. That is the path of Liberation, which you must start treading and, today is as good a day as any, for deciding to do so. You have meditated too long on riches, status, salary, children, relatives, fame and the standard of living. They are all of minor interest, momentary value, dubious profit. Meditate, fix your urge on the Nitya, the Satya, the Nirmala, the Nischala – the Eternal, the Real, the Pure and the Immovable. The Eternal Charioteer Pandit Avadhanulu referred to some incidents mentioned in the Mahabharata and so, I too shall mention just one point which will make you appreciate the Mahabharata more. The Lord had Maya (Illusion) as His Consort, so to say, and He had a son, called Manas (Mind). This Manas, to continue the parable, had two wives: Pravritti and Nivritti – Attachment and Detachment. Of course, Attachment was his favourite wife, and she had a hundred children. Detachment was ill-treated and neglected