Dr. Harvey and Dr. Goldstein Region 5 Visit

Visit to North Central Region by Dr. Harvey and Dr. Goldstein, Chicago, Illinois, 2/20/2000

What an auspicious date, 2/20/2000! Although we had some heavy snow on Friday, the highways were dry and clear by Saturday so our young adults could safely travel to Chicago for their retreat, which was held in conjunction with the visits of Dr. Michael Goldstein, our world zonal coordinator, and Dr. William Harvey, our United States coordinator. Sunday was warm, sunny, and full of Sai-spiration.

We extend special thanks and appreciation from the region to the Metro Chicago Center for hosting these two wonderful Sai Organization leaders and providing a delicious and nutritious lunch, with lovely table settings, for us all. The Young Adults led a rousing and inspirational devotional singing program in the morning with many new bhajans and many bhajans sung half in English and half in Hindi, which is an excellent way to introduce English into center bhajans. The Southeast Chicago Center was so kind to provide sack lunches for out of town travelers to take home with them. The Milwaukee Center spearheaded a child care effort that was very much appreciated by the families with younger children. Most of all, thank you to everyone who took the time from their very busy lives to come to Chicago to hear these two wonderful Sai Organization leaders and to represent their centers.

First hand experience is best and my notes may be lacking in places, so I hope you will be understanding. I know in a region as spread out as ours, many who would have liked to attend could not due to distance or other commitments. I will highlight the main points of these talks from my notes (we were not allowed to audio tape). If anyone would like to add to these points or if I made any errors, please correct or add anything as appropriate. I hope this at least gives a flavor of this fine day.

Dr. William Harvey lives in St. Louis and has been Coordinator of the United States for well over ten years. We are very fortunate to have him close at hand. He is usually the first one I turn to with questions and concerns and as do many others, too, I suspect. He is unfailingly cheerful, upbeat and gives wise counsel.

Dr. Harvey began his talk by discussing how the Sathya Sai Organization is a significant presence in over 150 countries. The purpose for our birth and the reason we are all here is to recognize the Divinity within us. We need to boost our stamina on our spiritual journey and not fall into the trap of being distracted by worldly events like the news, rumors, or squabbles at work, etc. That is all back drop. We should take just a few minutes three times each day to contemplate our good fortune in knowing Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in this lifetime.

The Young Adult Program’s unfoldment is more glorious as we flow along. Embrace the young adults as they are the leaders of tomorrow. Involve them in the planning and implementation of projects. They are part and parcel of the Sai Organization and not separate from it. Each region has a Young Adult Male and Female representative and advisor. Phyllis Crystal, Hal Honig and Dr. Harvey are the United States Coordinators. At the 2nd World Youth Conference, Swami gave several discourses and His main focus was that we need faith and courage. Faith and courage are the two wings that can carry us the rest of the way. Society can shake us up, depress us, and make us nervous, at the very least, but Swami is there personally for each of us.

He has a way of making us aware He is aware of us. We can never get too far from that personal heart to heart contact with the Lord.

We need faith and courage. We should pray to Swami to give us more and more courage to do what we have to do. Our tendency to worry and try to figure things out is dangerous. Too much thinking is not good for us. Worrying doesn’t help. We must contain and curb the Monkey Mind. As we are digging the well deeper and deeper, we are piling up a mound of dirt, that gets higher and higher. Some people focus on the pile of dirt when they should be focusing on the well.

Remember, Faith and Courage are Extremely Important!

Dr. Michael Goldstein was introduced by Dr. Harvey. (Dr. Goldstein was Swami’s Chief Guest on the occasion of the 18th Convocation of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and Swami had many kind things to say about him in His discourse given in Sai Kulwant Hall on 22nd November 1999: “Since he is a familiar figure here, do not take him for granted.

He is not ordinary person….Goldstein does not bother about grandness or greatness, he is concerned only with goodness….Goldstein does everything according to the commands of Bhagavan. He is a good, devoted and disciplined worker. As a loyal member of the Sai Organization, he has the three sacred qualities–duty, discipline, and devotion. Emulate him and follow these three qualities and become ideal models in your lives.”)

The themes of Dr. Goldstein’s talk were the importance of time, the nature of God and man, our purpose and plan, and time, time, time. He urged us to transcend beyond the illusions of Maya (this reality of day to day life) to the realization of our innate Divinity.

Dr. Goldstein shared an incident he experienced at Prashanthi. Swami usually preselects those who speak prior to Him. One day, Swami said, without warning, to Goldstein, “Will you be speaking?” Goldstein replied “If You wish me to speak, I will speak.” Swami then asked, “Are you ready?” and Goldstein replied “If it is Your Will, I will be ready.” All the while, Goldstein was feeling perturbed and disturbed inside and experiencing inner conflict. Once more Swami asked, “Are you ready?” and this time Goldstein replied, “I am ready.” Swami responded, “Ready is a state of inner being.” We cannot speak about love and peace when we are not experiencing love and peace within us. That day Goldstein did not speak. We want spiritual experience not expedience.