With India reeling under the disastrous effect of the Utta-rakhand Tragedy, of natural disaster, it is prudent to listen to what Bhagawan had spo-ken about man, his responsi-bilities towards nature and the cause of natural disas-ters…Extracted from the Divine Discourse delivered on 13 February 1997.

In the vast cosmos, man is like a speck. Essentially, there is no conflict between man and creation. Just as a child is entitled to enjoy the milk from its mother and the bee is entitled to enjoy the honey from flowers, there can be no objection to man enjoying the resources of Nature.

But as a result of uncontrolled desires and reckless exploita-tion of natural resources, Na-ture is exhibiting frightening disorders. Natural calamities like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts and floods are the result of dis-turbances in the balance of

Nature caused by reckless exploitation of natural re-sources. Mankind today ap-pears like a foolish man who is wielding the axe at the branch of a tree on which he is sitting.

Men have to develop a sense of Spiritual Oneness. Out of that sense of Oneness, Love will grow. Love alone can bind the whole of humanity into one unit.

What do you see in this hall today? Here are people gath-ered from Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries. What is it that has brought them together in this small village? It is only love and the sense of oneness with others. The bliss of life is embedded in this love. Pure bliss is de-rived from this love. When this love is shared with others you have the bliss of collec-tive joy. When your life danc-es on the waves of this love it attains the fulfilment of hu-manness.

Man today does not recognise this sense of oneness. Man does not mean the body alone. Man has the mind, the intellect and the Atma. It is the combination of all these that constitutes true human-ness. When the balance among these four constituents is upset, man is plunged in troubles. When man main-tains the balance among these four, the nation will prosper.

Man is considering Nature as entirely a creation of provi-dence for his enjoyment. This is a mistake.

Nature exists for enjoyment by man according to certain limits. Scientists today are exploring the powers of Na-ture with a view to enjoying them without limit. They want to bring all those powers un-der human control for their unrestricted enjoyment. This is responsible for so many of the natural disasters that we witness today.

Message of the Lord –Man’s Misbehaviour & Natural Disasters

I was sitting in a state of denial. Even as I walked to mandir on that fateful day (April 24 2011), I had heard the rumours that it was all over. I walked by with a sneer, for how can it ever be, I thought. Had we also not got used to rumours in the past couple of weeks. ‘What do they think of my Swami’, I would grumble to myself. But that day there was an eeriness about those whis-pers. But my heart chose to look away, strangely though it was nervously palpitating.

I sat through bhajans that day, mostly blank. There were people around, but no one spoke. May be the sing-ers too were careful not to sing bhajans that could make us cry, but who knows what they sang – I was blank. The podium was brought as the bhajans ended, and Prof. Anil Kumar came on the dais. His was a popular voice that we have heard thundering when he translated divine discourses or gave speeches. But that day, he choked, and involuntarily we choked with him. With much difficulty he

said, “Bhagawan is no more physically amidst us.” “Swami..” a scream was heard from the devotees. Loud wails and louder wails followed. My mind finally woke up from its reverie and commanded the eyes to shed tears. But the eyes did not wait, they were already moist. That painful wail still rings in my ears even today and like the Pavlov's experi-ment, when it rings, instantly the eyes well up. continue on page 6….

The Piercing pain of losing the only beloved ... and learning to Love HIM Truly

Echoes from Region1 Sai Newsletter

Savanne Regional Coordinating Committee (Region 1)

March 2014

Volume 2, Issue 1

Message of the Lord - Man’s Misbehaviour & Natural Disaster

1

The Piercing pain of losing the beloved...

1

Sai Tips to Parents 2

Past and Future Events 3

Message from Chairman Prasanthi Council for Mahasamadhi Day

4

Chinna Katha - The Pundit

and the Milkmaid

5

Excerpts from Bhagwan’s Discourses with respect to the Sai Organisation

8

Inside this issue:

OUR VISION

To drive Devotees to live

according to the teachings

of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai

Baba

OUR MISSION

To SURRENDER and to de-

velop FRIENDSHIP with SAI

OUR GOAL

To consolidate the SAI FAM-

ILY by developing a SAI

CULTURE

OUR OBJECTIVE

To create opportunities for

the SPIRITUAL UPLIFTMENT

of devotees

Continue from Volume, 1 Issue 3 ……..

MOTHER'S GLORY

A mother is God's nursemaid and the duty of a mother to her children is God's Grace and this Grace is God's monthly salary to her. For lakhs of students and children who go to school, the mother is the first teacher. The first Guru is the moth-er; her example, her advice, her admonition affects man the deepest and the longest. Women should

realize that, irrespective of their education or position, their fore-most obligation is to protect the home. Women are the mothers of the coming generation; they are the teachers of that generation, during the first five years of life,....The Dehamatha must reveal to the children the glories of all the other four; so her responsibility is the greatest and the most crucial. Establish the status of the mother in the home, as the upholder of spiritual ideals and, therefore, the Guru of the children. Every mother must share in the effort-the expansion and steady manifestation of the God-Consciousness latent in every child. The mother's lap is the school for every man. Only, dedicated mothers can offer to the nation who will strive for a great future for the country. A good mother is a national asset. The mother is the most decisive factor in life. A child's future is moulded by the mother. Mother is given utmost importance in human life. There may be a wicked son, but not a wicked mother. It is because of the noble feelings of the mothers that sons become virtuous, intelligent, attain exalted positions and earn name and fame. It is the mother that holds the child with her hands and it is the mother that feeds the child and teaches, it how to eat. It is again the mother that teaches the child to utter meaningful sounds and to speak. Therefore the mother is the foremost teacher. The feminine is the foundation on which a peaceful world is to be raised. When women are true and brave, kind and compassionate, virtuous and pious, the world can have an era of peace. There is nothing in the world sweeter than the love of a mother for the child. It is said that love has no form. But love has a form. The mother who loves her child, expresses the form of love.

BEHIND THE LEADERS...

Rama's divinity blossomed under Kausalya's loving care; Lava and Kusa could become powerful and famous, due to their noble and virtuous mother Sita the love and care of Jija bai made Shivaji a great warrior, Fostered with the love of his mother Putlibai, Gan-dhi became a Mahatma. Is there anyone in this world who can take care of you the way your mother does? Amma (mother) is the first word that man picks up in life. The first letter of the world 'Amma' also happens to be the first letter of the alphabet.

THREE WISHES OF TWO NOBLE MOTHERS

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a noble soul. He was born in a poor family. He was living with his aged mother. He used to feel very sad seeing his mother wearing old and torn Saris. After he completed his studies, he took up a job and started earning some

money. One day he sat by the side of his mother and said, "Mother, please tell me if you have any desires. Now that I have started earning money, I am in a position to fulfill them." She said, "Son, I don't have any desires. It is enough for me if you lead a noble life." After some time, he got a better job and start-ed earning thousands of rupees. Then again he asked his mother to tell him if she had any desires. She said she had three desires and could not live in peace unless and until they were fulfilled. "Ours is a small village and there are many children who are wasting their time without going to school. So, please construct a small school out of the money you have earned". As per the wish of his mother, Vidyasagar got a school constructed in his village. Then he asked his mother to express her second desire. "Our villagers are suffering for lack of medical facilities. Ther is nobody to take care of them when they are affected with fever, cough or cold. So, I want you to construct a small hospital." Vidyasagar built a hospitall too. Then after some time, he asked his mother, what her third wish was. She said, "The villagers are suffering due to lack of drinking water. They are beign affected with various diseases as they are drinking polluted water." Im-mediately, he got a few wells dug and provided drinking water to the villagers. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar spent all his earn-ings to fulfull the desires of his mother. Easwaramma also had similar desires. Once she told Me, "Swami, our Puttaparthi is a small village. As there is no school in the village, the children are forced to walk long distances to attend schools in the neigh-bouring villages. I know that You are the ocean of compassion. Please construct a small school in the village." I asked, where she wanted the school to be built. She said she had a piece of land behind her house. She want the school to be constructed there. As desired by her, I got the school constructed. Though it was a small school, the inaugural function was a grand affair, attended by many devotees. The next day Easwaramma ex-pressed the happiness over the inaugural function and said that she had one more desire. She wanted a hospital also to be built in the village. She said, "Swami, I don't want to put You to trou-ble. If You are troubled, the whole world will be in trouble and if You are happy, the whole world will be happy. So if it gives You happiness, please construct a small hospital." As per her wish, I got the hospital constructed. Bejawada Gopal Reddy, a highly reputed person in those days, was invited to inaugurate the hospital. The inaugural function was a grand one, attended by thousands of people from the neighbouring villages. Easwa-ramma did not imagine that this would be such a grand affair. Next day, she came up to Me and said, "Swami, it does not mat-ter even if I die now. I have no more worries, you have fulfilled my desires and mitiaged the suffering of the villagers to a great extent." I said, if you have any more desires, ask Me now. She replied hesitantly that she had yet another small desire. "You know that the river Chithravathi is in spate during the rainy season. But, in summer it dries to a trickle and people do not have drinking water. So, please see that some wells are dug in this village." I told her that I would not stop with these small wells and that I would provide drinking water to the entire Ray-alseema region. Easwaramma said, "I don't know what Ray-alseema is. I am satisfied if our village is provided with drinking water."

Regional Operations Strategic Framework in Action - Sai Tips to Parents

Our Commitment and determination are to: Develop a Relationship with SAI; See SAI Everywhere; Bring SAI into the Family; and

Bring SAI into the Community,

Page 2 Echoes f rom Region1 Sai Newsletter

Volume 2, I ssue 1

to be continued/...

Past Events - Akhanda Bhajan and others

National Day Celebration at Sathya Sai Centre of Surinam on 12.th March 2014. Message of the Prime Minister of the Re-public of Mauritius was read and flag hoist-ed by Chacha Appadoo.

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Volume 2, I ssue 1

Our Commitment and determination are to: Develop a Relationship with SAI; See SAI Everywhere; Bring SAI into the Family; and Bring

SAI into the Community,

Regional Mahi-las in action for the 1008 Sai Namavali Pooja at Sathya Sai C e n t r e o f Tyack 19th Jan-uary 2014. We thanks Sister Poonam Mut-teea, National Mahila Coordi-nator for her presence.

Family Day with all Sathya Sai Centres and Groups of Region 1 on 1st February 2014 at Pointes aux Roch-es. Devotees were very satisfy with the day of fun and joy at the seaside.

Forthcoming activities

Free distribution of food to pilgrim on 27th February 2014 on occa-sion of Maha Shivratree Festival. It shows a remarkable “Love in Ac-tion” of the Sathya Sai Organisation of Mauritius in the society.

Ekadashi Rudram will be organized by the Regional Committee on Sunday 27th April 2014 at Beau Climat Ashram, La Flora.

A joint Sport Day by Region 1 and Re-gion 2 is scheduled for Sunday 13th April 2014 at Rose Belle Sport Com-plex.

Meditation Workshop will be organized at Tyack Sai Centre in May 2014.

A “Self Development through Human Values” Course will start soon for Youth of the Region. It will be a kind of Distance Learning with possibility for accredited Certificate.

20th March 2014

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Lord of the universe,

incarnated in human form to remind us that our true nature

is divine. He is the embodiment of pure, selfless, uncondi-

tional Divine Love that transcends all boundaries. He has

shown us how to love and live in love. His Life is His Mes-

sage.

Every year we observe 24th April as the Mahasamadhi Day.

On this sacred occasion, let us pay homage and express our

heartfelt gratitude to Bhagawan and rededicate our lives to

Him. Let us love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and

strength, and practice His universal teachings of Love and

Service to all creation. This year, on this auspicious occa-

sion we will also practice one of His universal teachings

that leads to the realization of the Atma – Jyoti meditation.

Let us therefore organize the following activities in Sathya

Sai centers and groups, at the local, regional, and national

levels all over the world:

Jyoti meditation

Sharing of experiences by devotees on the glory and

mission of Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Devotional singing and bhajans

Cultural programs

Youth and SSE performances

Service projects, and

Audio visual presentations of His darshan, discourses

and humanitarian projects.

Swami has taught us eloquently about Jyoti meditation. He

told us to transcend the limits of name and form placed by

our limited minds upon the nameless, formless, attribute-

less, infinite and eternal reality, of which we are a part. The flame

of the Jyoti, Swami has said, “can kindle a million others without

getting extinguished.” It is like His love for us. Let us rededicate

our vision and ourselves in steadfast adherence to His Glory

through Jyoti meditation, along with the above-mentioned pro-

grams and activities.

For inspiration and Divine Blessings for the tasks planned for

this day, I request all devotees to listen to the golden voice of

our loving Lord Sathya Sai on Jyoti meditation from His dis-

course of 25th May 1979, and read the transcription of this dis-

course as well as selected references about Jyoti meditation.

Links to these items are provided below. Please note that the

audio file size is large and may take time to download.

1. Excerpt from Bhagawan’s Divine Discourse on Jyoti

Meditation, 25th May 1979:

http://sathyasai.org/files2014/JyotiMeditationDD.pdf

2. Audio file of the above Divine Discourse:

http://sathyasai.org/files2014/JyotiMeditationDD.mp3

3. References for Jyoti Meditation:

http://sssbpt.info/summershowers/ss1979/ss1979-15.pdf

http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume07/sss07-04.pdf

http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume17/sss17-06.pdf

Please use the occasion of Mahasamadhi Day 2014 to begin, or

to continue, as the case may be, on the path of Jyoti meditation

as instructed by our beloved Bhagawan. I urge every Sathya Sai

center or Study group to practice Swami’s guided Jyoti medita-

tion on this auspicious Mahasamadhi Day, in addition to other

activities.

I request all devotees to partici-

pate with enthusiasm and love in

the center, regional and national

events in observance of His Ma-

hasamadhi day and share their

love, and the Sai Love in which

we abide, with others. May Bha-

gawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba con-

tinue to shower his Grace and

Love on all of us, and may we

continue to serve Him until our

last breath.

Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya! (Lead us

from Darkness to Light!)

Jai Sai Ram!

Message from Dr Reddy, Chairman Prasanthi Council for Mahasamadhi Day

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Chinna Katha - The Pundit and Milkmaid There was a pundit who led a disciplined life, and always stuck to a prearranged timetable. He woke up from sleep in the early hours of the morning, recited Pranava (Om) and later, after ablutions, drank a cup of milk exactly at 7 a.m. every day. This meant, a lot also depended on how punctual his milk maid was. But some-times the milkmaid would arrive late, for she lived on the other side of a river. The river flowed between where she lived and the pundit’s hut. She had to catch a ferry to cross over the river with the milk. The ferryboat would sometimes either start a little early or a little late. So, on those days by the time she reached the Pundit's house it used to be very late. One day, the Pundit admonished her. He said, "You are disrupting my disciplined life. Don't you know that I must have my cup of milk at 7 a.m. everyday? Why do you depend on that boat to take you across? Just repeat the name of Rama. The river will part and you will be able to walk across. Rama will see that you do not get drowned."

The maid being very simple and unsophisticated had faith in the words of the Pundit. Next day, the maid repeated the name of Rama and just walked across the river!

The Pundit questioned her: "So, how did you manage to come on time today?" The milkmaid replied, "Sir, I repeat-ed the name of Rama as you had instructed yesterday, and I could just walk across." The Pundit was now flabbergasted; he did not believe her account. He just drank the milk and said, "Let's now go to the bank of the river. Let me see you walk across the river." The maid stepped into the river re-peating the name of Rama, and she could just walk across! The maid requested the Pun-dit to follow her. But the Pundit knew that he would not be able to do it, because he did not have faith in what he himself had said. In spite of his scholarship, he did not have faith in the power of the Name.

- Baba Dear readers, this is a story narrated by Bhagavan Ba-ba in a divine discourse delivered on April 25th 1998. Swami has always emphasized that the Lord of the Universe always responds to those with faith in Him. One need not have any worldly education and degrees to qualify in His school; it is enough if we have com-plete Faith in Him. For faith, as we know, can do

much more than just move mountains; with faith in God we can develop tremendous confidence and wit-ness the blossoming of talents placed within us by the Lord Himself!

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Volume 2, I ssue 1

Continue from page 1…

Can it be true? Could Swami do this to us? Yes it was, and yes He had done it to us. For weeks, when we heard news reporters speak from outside the hospital or from their plush studios about the 'Sinking-God', there was a silent sense of pride in our hearts. We would think, 'Wait and watch how our Lord disproves you all. We will then stand behind our Swami and laugh at your impudence.' That was-n't to be.

Instead that whole cruel world was now looking at me and my likes with sympathy. That sympathy was choking the life out of me. But these were only fleeting thoughts that came when I managed to take my mind away from the pain. A pain I had never felt ever be-fore and a pain I wish I feel for no other. The pain that you feel when you lose someone that belongs to you is tremendous. But the pain that one feels when one has lost the One to whom he or she belongs is hea r t -wrench ing and ineffable; that was what we felt then.

I would often tell Him in my prayers, “Swami, you might have devotees who love you more than I do. Their devo-tion may be purer than mine and their sacrifices greater. But I have loved no one the way I have loved you. The sacrifices I have done for you I don't think I would've done for anyone else. You may have a million lovers, but I have only one beloved... You.” And the pain of losing such a Beloved... if you were not among those that went through these emotions and you don't see the feeling I am trying to express... close your eyes for a moment and imagine it from the deepest chambers of your heart. Do you sense it now? Yes? Let me tell you it was a million times more intense. We all love Him in our own ways, so we experience pain too in our own ways. There were as many emotions as there were crying hearts. Some said He would rise from the casket, why else would He choose an Easter Sunday they argued. Some said it's a test of faith we needed to conquer, and some were smiling, to convince themselves that they had learnt His message. But what test, what message or miracle could I think of. The only thought that kept com-ing at me was that I will never understand this Lord. I will never be able to grasp the meaning of His words in their entirety. That my faith cannot express itself in authoritative declarations, but only in acceptance and surrender. His body was laid in state, and we all laid in state around Him. In the casket were His mortal remains and outside

were the living remains – us. Sitting there we lost count of the hours that went by, hunger and sleep was long forgot-ten. And in the mind, were running images of our Swami moving amongst us, speaking to us, laughing with us and even scolding us. Never before were the thoughts of Swa-mi so painful and never before was pain so sweet. I want-ed to capture that pain and immolate myself with it, but alas, this too shall pass. And that thought was torturous. Thousands came to see Him for one last time. Many did not want to see Him, but the thought, 'what if I were to be possessed of the guilt of missing the last glimpse' made them come. They stood in lines uncaring for the summer heat. Mothers did not worry about their infants’ hunger, and the elderly did not spare a thought for their aching

limbs. But how can Swami not care about them. He lives in the hearts of H i s d e v o t e e s , doesn't He? He in-spired them from within to become the servitors of His devotees. Marquees were erected, drums filled with water were brought, and refreshments were

shared with love. In the long lines that came, some were stoic or braver than the others, but they too had to break-down when they saw the life-giving form lie lifeless. Sit-ting around Him and seeing Him, we cried; when we turned our gaze away, we saw these people and cried harder.

They were all there, from the prince to the plebeian. But what cruelty, I thought to myself. Those that had loved, worshipped and thought of Him every day of their life had to wait for hours for just a glimpse. But those that had hardly cared for His divine presence, were getting to sit before Him undisturbed for as long as they willed. But when I saw the tears in the eyes of those simple ones, when I felt that devotion that was wrenching their hearts, I knew that that glimpse was a billion times more treas-ured than the long minutes that power and authority could claim. Swami gives and He cares not that the world should know.

For years and years we had sung for Him. We had framed in music words we had poured from our hearts. When we sang them then, they became more alive than ever before. Tere bin sooni lagi zindagi (without you life feels empty)... We had sung this line before, but that day we were living it. It was the morning of April 26 and the songs abruptly stopped. And slowly interlacing the silence was the sing-ing of the Suprabhatham. Even as it came floating by, the words pierced the hearts, deepening every wound in there.

The Piercing pain of losing the only beloved ... and learning to Love HIM Truly

Page 6 Echoes f rom Region1 Sai Newsletter

Volume 2, I ssue 1

Utthishta Sathya-Sayeesha Karthavyam Daivamahnikam Utthishthothishta Partheesha

Utthishta Jagateepathe Utthishta Karunapoorna Lokamangala Siddhaye

(Please rise O Lord Sathya Sayeesha

Time to lead us along life’s way Awake, Lord of Parthi

Awake, Lord of all Creation Awake, O Lord of compassion

That the world may find auspiciousness)

Were these words written for this day; did the composer of these verses know that one day we would sit around Him and plead with Him to get up; that we would im-plore Him to open His eyes and see the devotees who had gathered to worship Him. Those three days were spent like a dream you wish you never woke up from. Those three days passed like how dreams, pleasant or otherwise, always melt away. Why was it like a dream that you get attached to, you may ask. Because that pain was all that was left with us and it felt terrible to let it go by. I had once prayed to Him, “You lit the flame of love in my heart. You fed it daily with yearn-ing and craving. The flame has now become a fire that scorches me. Soothe these inner walls of my heart with Your love, if You so wish. Else, flame it further into a conflagration and oversee it consuming me. But please, Swami please do not let it die.” The fear was that of see-ing the flame fade away. But the innocence of our love lies in the naivety of our fears. Is He an exotic blossom that can simply wither away, or is He that morning mist that noise-lessly melts away? In the days that followed, I came to realise why a healing wound some-times hurts more than a fresh one. Many un-fulfilled promises came to mind, desires that can never be realised haunted. Some prayers appeared like arduous paths one endures, only to come face to face with a heartless dead end. The days were spent in tearful reflections One day I asked myself, what’s most im-portant in my relationship with my Swami? And came the prompt reply - Swami’s love for you and your love for Swami. Will this new twist that Swami has brought to the tale affect or change His love for me, I queried and the answer from within was a convincing no. Will it change my love for Him - the rational mind would have liked to say ‘maybe not’, but the heart thundered, it ‘will not’. That reflection brought with it an incredible solace. ‘Swami, as long as you moved before me in that beautiful

form, I sought Your love through that form. Now you have chosen to remove the form away, why should I stop seek-ing Your love or believe You will not give it to me.’ These thoughts did soothe me, but the pain did not cease. But now I was telling Him, if I truly am Yours, You have every right to inflict this or any pain upon me. I would seethe like a snake if it was anyone else doing this to me, but Swami, You own me and You have every right. Tagore once wrote, ‘God says to man, "I heal you therefore I hurt, love you therefore punish."' I don’t know if you did all this to hurt or to punish, but I accept it for You have chosen it for me. The pain we felt was born of the love we bear for Him. But yet there is an incompleteness in that devotion. We cried profusely when that ‘Body’ perished, because we will no more enjoy His presence. But when I think of it, even being a resident of Prasanthi Nilayam would ensure only a couple of hours or so of His physical company in a day. And even when He would be amidst us, there would be a thousand others who were vying for His attention along with us. Yet, it hurt so bitterly when He removed that physical frame from our midst. But Swami lives in my heart too. He spends every moment of every day with me. And what more, He is all for myself. Then how much more should my pain be that I am yet to see Him, feel Him and converse with Him within. May be that was the role of His presence and His intriguing physical withdrawal - to give us a taste of that Divine Love and make us crave and pine for it, and eventually seek and discover Him within. Let us begin this search now, and when we find Him.. we can relive that first magical Darshan, that first instant when His eyes met ours and that fulfilling moment when we felt this life was worth living. A Sai student reflects on the agonising moments of April 24-26, 2011 - Radio Sai Team

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Volume 2, I ssue 1

In a story, Birbal tells Akbar, “Sweet talk is the sweetest thing in the world; nothing else, not milk, honey or jaggery comes close to it. A sweet word is the most valuable thing; through it one we can win a person over, give great joy and even attain a higher status. When crows caw at us, we throw stones at them. Whereas, when cuckoos sing, we respect them. Neither is the cuckoo going to give us a crown, nor will the crow punish us. When one’s speech is good, one earns a good name. Hence, a sweet word is indeed the sweetest thing in the world.” You must always talk to others in a manner which would give them contentment and joy. This is the essence of all scriptures. It is not enough to listen to, learn or chant Vedas, scriptures and Puranas (ancient spiritual texts), you must give joy and satisfaction to others.

- ‘My Dear Students’, Vol 3, Ch 3, Mar 19, 1998

c/o Ajay Lochun

Kader Street

Bois Cheri

Savanne

http//:www.saibabamauritius.org

Bhagawan has on many occasions elaborated on the concept of seva and the ideals of the Seva Organisation. In a discourse given on 18th November 1984, He said: “The uniqueness of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation consists in the fact that it regards seva (selfless service) as a form of ser-vice to the Divinity that is in each being. The bliss that is de-rived from such service is incomparable. It is a spiritual expe-rience.”

Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. XVI, Chapter - 27. In a revealing discourse that Baba delivered on the 23rd of February, 1968 in Prasanthi Nilayam, Baba made the purpose of the organisation very clear when He said: “The Organisa-tions named after Me are not to be used for publicising My Name, or creating a new cult around My worship. They must try to spread interest in japam (recitation of God's Name), dhyaanam (meditation) and other sadhanas (spiritual practic-es), which lead man Godward; they must demonstrate the joy derivable from bhajan (devotional group singing) and Naamasmarana (remembering God's Name), the Shaanthi (peace) that one can draw from Sathsang (good company). They must render seva (service) to the helpless, the sick, the distressed, the illiterate and the needy. Their seva (selfless service) should not be exhibitionistic; it must seek no reward, not even gratitude or thanks from the recipients. Seva is sad-hana (spiritual exercise), not a pastime of the rich and well placed. Each one must realize this truth.

“Sathya Sai Speaks”, Vol. VIII, Chapter- 6.

“It is the duty of all those who are connected with the Sathya Sai Organisations to promote spiritual discipline and dedicate their lives to social service for leading a purposeful life. To promote the awareness of Divinity in human beings and build a genuine sense of brotherhood among people, should be their primary aim.”

“Sathya Sai Speaks”, Vol. XIV, Chapter-56.

“Members of Sathya Sai Organisations must not cavil at other Names and Forms of God; they should not become fanatics blind to the Glory of other Names and Forms. They should

join those that honour those other manifestations and demon-strate that all Names and Forms are Mine. They should con-tribute to the joy and happiness of all without giving up their faith.”

“Sathya Sai Speaks”, Vol. VIII, Chapter-21

“Ostentation is a demonic quality. It encourages egoism and megalomania. One should seek to acquire a good name through selfless service alone. It should be done with humility and sincerity. One who aspires to become a national leader must first know how to render service. He should not seek office or position. The Sai organizations have been set up for rendering service and not to establish official positions. Seva (service) should be done out of a sense of duty.”

“Sathya Sai Speaks”, Vol. XXIII, Chapter-31

“Sai organisations must endeavour to promote faith in God. If that foundation is absent, worship, bhajan (devotional sing-ing), puja (worship), acts of charity - all become meaningless, mechanical rituals, done under social compulsion. Inner trans-formation can be acquired only when these are done with faith.”

“Sathya Sai Speaks”, Vol. VII, Chapter-18

“Members of the Sai Organisation and those who adhere to the Universal Path to Sai should not be carried away by ideas of inferiority or superiority based on differences of religion, caste or creed. They should honour the virtues of faith, stead-fastness, sincerity, purity, wherever found.”

“Sathya Sai Speaks”, Vol. XI, Chapter – 42.

“Members of the Sai Organisation must carry on their work with the firm faith that all are the children of one God. They must carry on their service activities in a spirit of unselfish dedication to the Divine. The practice of pure, unselfish love is the only way to attain God. They should purify their hearts and minds, regarding their body as the temple of the Divine.”

“Sathya Sai Speaks”, Vol. XVII, Chapter – 11.

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Sai at your Doorstep

Savanne Regional Coordinating Committee (Region 1)

Excerpts from Bhagwan’s discourses with respect to the Sai Organisation