September 2014 Region 94 - nebula.wsimg.com

Inspiring Hearts Sept. 2014

September 2014 Region 94


Contents Editorial 3

Music Therapy Seva: An Enjoyable Experience Meghna Sharma 4

Love All, Serve All Vishvesh 4

Challenges in Practicing Human Values Vaishnavi Iyer 5

Power of Belief Vidya Ramesh 6

Bal Vikas and Me Nuvedhasri Rajan 6

What is Love Saipriya 7

The Leopard and the Horse Harshita 7

Prayer: The Hotline to Baba Sanjana Rajgopal 8

How Sai Values Help Me at School and Life Sriram Venkatesh 10

What I Like about Bal Vikas Dhiksha Raj 11

Parthi Yatra 2014 Prassanna Madhavan 12

King Dasaratha Prerna Kartik 13

The Akshardham Temple Gayathri Rajeev 14

Transformation Easwar 14

My Parents Akshara Biju 15

Non-violence Saish Shanbaugh 16

God Ratna Venkatesh 16

Parthi Yatra 2010: A Magical Experience Anusha Kannan 17

Forgiveness Abijith Kesavan 18

The Value of Unconditional Love Given by Parents Nandini Parasuram 18

Let Us Work Together for World Peace Aswathi Chandran 19

Why Baba Is My Best Friend Ratna Venkatesh 19

There is Nothing New To Get Karan 20

Visit to the “Four Temples” Pavithra Rajeev 20

A Little Help From God Akaash Kissen 21

Bal Vikas: My only Transformer Prapthi Pathak 21

My Journey Through Bal Vikas Sukanya V.S. 22

Daiva Preeti - Papa Bheeti - Sangha Neeti Vibhuthi Agarwal 23

Puttaparthi: A Great Inspiration for Humanity Usha Sai Manoj 24

Before Joining Bal Vikas and After Trisha 24

Silence is Golden Meenakshi Venkatesh 25

My Guiding Light S. Umesh 26

Spiritual Diary Satvik 26

Bharata - An Ideal Brother

Vasanthi Hariharan & Namrata Elamaran

27

The Role of Bal Vikas in My Life Subesh M. 27

Festivals Viji Balan 28

Krishna Janmashtami Ashmita V. 29

My Lord Krishna Kaushik 29

Lord Ganesha Mehul Vemareddy 30

Onam 30


Dear children,

Loving pranams at the divine lotus feet of our dear Bhagavan Baba.

Welcome back from your long vacations. By now you must have settled down to your routine of

school, homework and Bal Vikas.

Welcome to the September 2014 issue of Inspiring Hearts. This magazine is your offering to

Swami and it reflects what you've understood of Swami's teachings; it also demonstrates your

ability to organize your thoughts, to write essays and poems and to draw and colour.

The September issue of Inspiring Hearts is somewhat more challenging to publish than the

other issues as your Gurus have to follow up with you during your vacations, collect your ar-

ticles, poems and drawings and forward them to the publishing team. We appreciate the hard

work that your Gurus and Education Conveners have done in making this issue come together.

Dear children, we were inspired by your articles, poems and drawings; please continue to

inspire us for every issue. And what an interesting assortment of articles we have in this issue.

You already know that writing about human values is one thing, but practising them in life is

something else; the first is important and not too difficult, the second is more challenging but

far more important. Doesn't our beloved Swami say "Human Values come out of the heart.

They have to be practised even though the practice is not easy. Out of such struggle comes

strength. We should be conscientious in our application and we should be asking ourselves if we

are practising. It is only when all are good that we will get universal happiness." By being in

the EHV program, with Swami's grace you will all develop into wonderfully good, happy

human beings.

We request you to read every article and poem in Inspiring Hearts; they are truly inspiring.

You will benefit greatly by reading a few pages a day. Happy reading!

Jai Sai Ram.

Kuwait Editorial Team

3

Editorial


As part of the music therapy seva, when I had

visited the Centre for Handicapped Children,

initially I had mixed feelings and was somewhat

confused. When I first saw the mentally-

challenged children I was a bit scared, and very

soon that turned into a feeling of compassion for

the special children.

We sang songs to the children to make them feel

good, and were delighted to see

them enjoy the performance; the children clapped

their hands happily showing that they enjoyed the

songs. We then shared snacks with the children,

and they seemed to love the snacks.

When we came out of the place, I felt really happy

and the confusion I had before going to the place

just disappeared. I thank my Bal Vikas Gurus for

providing such a wonderful opportunity

to experience something really unique.

- Meghana Varma, SSE Group 2, Kuwait

I wish to share my experience in an orphanage

home in Chennai, India. My family celebrated my

birthday along with my sister’s in this orphanage

home, which is near my father’s house. We

served dinner for all the children and teachers

there. I served food and gave bananas to all the

children. I felt really sad when I heard that they

had no parents or relatives to take care of them

and also that they are very poor. They had very

little food to eat, no proper clothing to wear and

no proper school to attend. The meal offered by

donors, a simple one is what they have every day.

Children were really delighted when we went

there to offer them one good meal. The children

adopted there, were as young as 3 years old and

few were 15 years old. Some were naughty and

playful. I served food to all because we must treat

everyone equally. The children thanked our family

for the meal, but actually I think it was the best

day for me! It helped me understand how people

struggle in their life for simple basic needs and

also the importance of treating everyone equally.

I experienced the joy of “Love All, Serve All”

preached by Swami.

- Vishvesh, SSE Group 2, Dubai

Love All, Serve All

4

Music Therapy Seva:

An Enjoyable Experience


Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa are the five

stem values that together make up the tapestry that

we call an individual’s character.

SATHYA

Baba mentioned in a discourse, “If you want to know

the way in which you have to observe Sathya or truth

in speech, look into the Bhagavad Gita. It tells you that

the best form of speech is "anudvegakaram

vaakyam" (speech that does not create pain, anger or

grief to others). Why do we lie sometimes? Sometimes,

we tend to tell a lie in order to prevent the listener

getting hurt. For such cases, Swami says, if speaking

truth will cause grief or pain, then maintain silence.

Sometimes, we lie as a temporary solution to avoid

getting into a big trouble. But Swami says, “Have faith

that truth will save you in the long run. Stick to it re-

gardless of what might befall.”

DHARMA

Bhagavan Baba explains Dharma saying “Every

profession, every stage of life, has duties and obliga-

tions. Earn virtuously; yearn piously; live in the

reverence of God, live for attaining God; that is

Dharma. The challenge is that we tend to become ei-

ther over-attached to our duties or fail to recognize our

duties due to lethargy and ignorance. Hence Swami

says “Perform your work as actors would in a play,

keeping your identity separate and not getting too

attached to your role. Remember that the whole thing

is just a play and the Lord has assigned you a part. Act

well your part; there all your duty ends.”

SHANTI

What exactly is peace? It is the stage in which the sens-

es are mastered and held in balance. Why has attaining

peace become a challenge? Man has become a materi-

alistic animal who ignorantly gallops his whole life try-

ing to meet his material needs. To experience peace,

we must overcome our excessive desires and unrea-

sonable expectations. Faith in God and faith

in oneself is the key to achieving mental peace.

Swami says “Make the mind cling to God, let it do all

things for God and leave the results to him, be it suc-

cess or failure, loss or profit, to God. Then you will

have Shanti and contentment.”

PREMA

The foremost human value and the easiest of all is

becoming a challenge for humans! Why? This is all

that Swami wants from us. We must share love

among fellow beings. We are all His creation; we are

all working towards the same goal, then why are we

letting ego, selfishness, greed and jealousy come our

way? Isn’t it shameful that we let such thoughts

occupy our minds just for materialistic desires that

are temporary and which no body has control over?

Why aren’t we seeing Swami in every being?

Swami says “The earth is a huge enterprise, a busy

factory, where the product is love. By means of

sadhana (spiritual practice), it is possible to produce

love and export it to millions and millions of people in

need of it. The more it is shared, the deeper it grows,

the sweeter its taste, and the greater the joy.”

AHIMSA

“Ahimsa (non-violence) does not mean merely not

injuring a living being physically. You should not

cause harm even by a word, a look or a gesture.

Tolerance, fortitude, equanimity - these help you to

practice ahimsa steadily. Non-Violence, is a matter of

intention and attitude, directed from the heart.”

Therefore, Swami, in his inimitable style, says “Help

ever, hurt never”.

We should reflect on these values and ask ourselves if

we are truly practicing at least some of these

values. Hurdles and challenges may show up on our

path but with His grace, we shall face the challenges

and overcome the hurdles!

- Vaishnavi Iyer, SSE Group 3, Abu Dhabi

Challenges in Practising

Human Values

5


I am happy to be a Bal Vikas student. There are many reasons for this. I got the blessing to join Bal Vikas by chance when we went to our friend's house for get-together one evening. We came to know about the classes and my mother contacted the Guru concerned. We waited eagerly for a week, to receive a positive reply. That special evening arrived when my mother got a call from our Guru that I was one among the blessed. My joy knew no bounds. Bal Vikas really plays an important role in my life. It has changed my habits. Sometimes I used to tell a few lies, just for fun. After getting the guidance from my Gurus that we should not speak untruth at any cost, I have completely stopped the habit. Our regular class consists of chanting of Shlokas, Vedas, Bhajans and many fun-filled value games. I am especially blessed to get Bal Vikas Gurus who are my guiding light. They teach great values in simple terms so as to make us understand them

easily. I salute them for their dedication. My parents also contribute immensely by sparing their valuable time to keep me in Bal Vikas in spite of their busy schedule. I love Bal Vikas very much and it is my favourite class. Thanks to everyone who is helping me in this journey.

- Nuvedhasri Rajan, SSE Group 1, Year 3, Dubai

A famous saying goes “Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around”. Power of belief enables us to succeed in getting whatever we want, in spite of hurdles and failures. It is proved that one can achieve whatever the mind conceives and believes. Belief creates the ac-tual fact. Without intense belief, there is no out-standing success. Success is the result of intense belief to succeed. Always think success and visual-ize success. When your desire is strong enough, it controls the conditions and circumstances leading you on the way to success. Belief in one’s ability to succeed is an essential characteristic of all successful people. Just like the powerful forces of nature, viz., heat, sound, gravi-

ty, etc, desire and belief are invisible forces. We can only feel their powerful effects, though we cannot see them. When we study the lives of great sages, we find that they have one thing in common; the power of intense belief. This belief is the motivating power in the lives of all great persons. Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the ability to take any experience of their lives. Therefore it is very important that we believe in ourselves; only then can we add meaning to our lives. It is rightly said “Intense belief gives instant relief”. Whatever a man thinks intensely in his heart, he becomes.

- Divya Ramesh, SSE Group 4, Bahrain

6

Bal Vikas and Me

Power of Belief


Is it a bondage or a feeling? Whatever it be, it is everlasting.

It has no language and it can’t speak,

But in silence, it is at its peak.

It has no dimension or shape, To be measured with an inch tape.

It has no caste or creed,

It presents itself in every breed.

Its roots travel far and deep, Never to let the weeds of hatred peep.

If your love is really true,

It can change your enemies too.

Love is something specially Divine, It is ever fine in rain or shine.

It is a precious gift to mankind,

Bringing harmony to inner mind.

We can’t see but only feel, It is always revolving like a wheel.

Love is eternal and everywhere,

Let me not fail to SPREAD AND SHARE.

- B. Saipriya, SSE Group 2, Oman

One day, a horse came across a hungry leopard that was walking in search of some food. The horse was frightened to see the leopard as he knew that he would soon be attacked by the hungry leopard. But the horse was wise. He said to the leopard, “I know that you will kill me soon. However, I’ve a request!” The leopard asked, “Tell me what your request is”. The horse replied, “My wife is alone at home and is waiting for me. If you kill me, she will be left alone in the world. I request you to accompany me to my place and eat both of us, so that neither one of us will remain alive to cry for the other. The leopard happily agreed and accompanied the horse to his stable. When the master of the horse saw the leopard coming with his horse, he prepared himself with a solid stick. As soon as the leopard reached there, the master attacked the leopard and drove him away. Moral of the story: Never lose courage and wisdom in times of trouble. - Harshita, SSE Group 2 Year 1, Dubai

Sahasra, Group 1, Year 3, Dubai

What is Love The Leopard and the Horse

7


I had the good fortune of attending a series of talks during Parthi Yatra 2014. One such talk was by Aravind Balasubramanya on "The Power of Prayer". In his talk, he spoke about prayer being a

way "to be in sync with God, to connect with God. It was a memorable talk with impressive messages on what prayer is, what we should pray for and how. A few days later... The phone rang. I picked it up and heard Baba's soft, sweet, charming voice on the other side. We spoke to each other for a while; after I inquired about some personal questions, He asked me "“Do you believe that I am still here?"“ “Yes, Baba." I answered. “Even though I am not physically present? "“Of course Baba. I know that You are still here.” “Then don't worry...." said Swami. I woke up realizing that I had just had a "Baba Dream"! And that we had chatted like good, old friends. What an amazing way to connect, I thought. That's when it hit me; prayer is like a hotline to Baba! The talk in Parthi and this dream inspired me to try and understand what prayer is all about, what Swami has taught us about prayer, why we should pray and what should we pray for. So, what is prayer? Swami says that "Prayer is the very breath of religion, for it brings man and God to-gether and with every sigh, nearer and nearer." (Sathya Sai Speaks vol. 7). Swami assures us that prayer brings us and God together; doesn't that make prayer a wonderful bridge that brings us nearer and near-er to Him? In Bal Vikas we had learned that a basic common feature of ALL religions is prayer; people of different religions may pray differently, but they do pray. Thus, prayer is a primary element of every reli-gion and it is a hotline, or a communication channel to God. Prayer is described as "a spontaneous out-pouring of the heart". When we connect with God, we are really talking to Him, opening up to Him, pour-ing our heart out to Him...

Why should we pray at all? God is omniscient, isn't He? Does He not know every single need and every single want of every single being in this universe? In his book "Pathways to God", Jonathan Roof says "God knows what we seek, but it is up to us to ask.". And Swami very emphatically states "It is your duty to ask God. Words must be said..." (Conversations with Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba by John Hislop). In oth-er words, not only is it "okay" to ask God, Swami actually says that we "must" ask. Why? "It is true enough that the divinity knows all, but he requires that the true word be said. The mother may know that to maintain life the child requires food, but milk is given when the child asks for it" explains Swami (Conversations with Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba by John Hislop).

Sounds simple, doesn't it? "Ask God" says Swami. But it is not enough to just "ask". For example, it is not enough that I just ask for good grades in my exams, and leave it all up to Baba while I relax and waste my time. This is where the action opposes the words. I must study hard and prepare well, then ask for Ba-ba's grace. "Prayer must be united with practice. You should not pray for one thing and practice anoth-

er. Such prayer is only a means of deception. The words you utter, the deeds you do, the pray-ers you make must all be directed against the same path." (Prasanthi Vahini) The message that Baba is imparting to us is that we must also do our part to fulfill what we ask for. Continued...

8

Prayer: The Hotline to Baba


Our thought, word and deed should be aligned with the prayer. In other words, just as there should be harmony in "thought, word and deed", there should be harmony in

"prayer, word and deed." I now realize that this is so important; if I want to be loved, I cannot just pray for love, I should give love, I should love others.

Why should we pray? To connect with God, to ask God, to get nearer to God. Gordon Hinckley says "Let us never forget to pray. God lives, He is near. He is accessible to all who will seek Him". Thus, if we want to seek God, we need to pray. We are told that the more we pray, the less we will panic. The more we worship, the less we will worry. Let's face it - life is so full of pressures and challenges that we are often driven to panic, or at least feel worried. Prayer can help us reduce our worries, because we feel confident and relieved that we have prayed to our dear Baba and He's going to take care of us. Oswald Chambers puts it beautifully when he says that "we tend to use prayer as a last resort....we pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all". Isn't this why we invoke Lord Ganesha even before we start anything at all? What should we pray for? Aravind Balasubramanya listed different types of prayers in his talk. He said that most prayers are the "asking" type of prayers; I call them the "give me" type of prayer. God, please give me this, give me that, give me good grades in school, please make sure that I get the new iPhone 6....rarely do we ever pray to just say "Thank you, Swami, thank you for everything You've given me, thank you for everything You're doing for me" Yes, its "okay" to ask and ask, but it would be "great" to thank God. Meister Eckhart says "If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough". In his talk, Aravind explained to us that "gratitude" prayers are rare, and that "praying for everyone" is also ra-re, but very desirable. When we pray for all, aren't we automatically included in "all" ? Praying for others is such a nice, selfless act, isn't it? This is why we chant "Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu" after every bhajan.

Then Aravind made a wonderful point that was so powerful. Swami often says that He will keep giving us what we ask, but that He is waiting for us to ask what He has really come to grant us. How do we know what Baba really wants to give us? Aravind says that prayer helps us be in sync wit h God so that we ask what He wants to give us.

We often ask for simple, trivial things, maybe we should realize that we are not really sure of what we want, or what is really important for us? Swami explains it so beautifully. "You do not seem to know what is good for you and what you really want. Since you do not know what you should want, it is better and easier to surrender yourself completely to God and simply ask for His grace." (Summer Showers, 1973). I thank Swami for that lovely dream. I felt so connected with Him. But I also thank Him for inspiring me to understand more about prayer, why we should pray and what we should pray for. I now understand that I should pray for His grace and that I should pray to say "thank you".

Swami, I thank you for everything; please bless me with your grace. - Sanjana Rajgopal, SSE Graduate, Kuwait

9


In this article, I shall be touching upon how the five human values help me in my daily life.

It is important for us to practice human values for our spiritual growth. If you start implementing these five

values, you will experience a dramatic change in yourself. You will find yourself experiencing joy and being very

relaxed. You will also find tackling your problems much easier if you start using the five values.

At school, I feel it is absolutely essential to carry the five human values with you, because it is an extremely differ-

ent environment compared to home. But why do we need to carry these values? What will happen if we don’t?

The environment around us has changed. We are living in a world where money, fame and success are what we

run after. In today’s world, with all the fuss that happens, with all these problems around us, the best way to

avoid getting into these problems is by implementing the five human values. In my British curriculum school, I am

exposed to an environment where there are kids who carry expensive gadgets around in the open, who live in

astonishing luxury, who have a spoilt attitude, who do not care about education, who do not respect teachers,

and who flaunt their wealth. Without the five human values, you are definitely bound to get drawn into one of

these types of people.

SATHYA will help you to confess your mistakes and help you face your troubles. In this process, you will gain

experience in tackling your problems and solving it. If you do not confess your mistakes, you will only end up

accumulating more and more negativity and then in the end feeling guilty and stressed. Confessing helps you to

remain problem-free and by doing this, you will feel lighter and relaxed, and as a result, happier.

DHARMA will help you in making the right decisions and doing the right things. You will, in this process, find your-

self staying out of trouble and ending up in lesser dilemmas. If you do not carry dharma with you, then the chanc-

es of you getting distracted and ending up in disasters are very high. In this generation, applying dharma in your

actions and thoughts will help you move on in life in smooth progression.

SHANTI will help you to remain calm and relaxed in the most challenging situations. Being relaxed and calm when

you tackle you adversities will help you to think better and faster. There is no point in being tensed when trying to

address your difficulties; it will only make it worse. Shanti helps you immensely to concentrate, as it provides a

wider base for thoughts to flow in and for processing it too. This way, you will find yourself solving problems much

faster, as you are focused and have a clean mind.

PREMA is the base of all the values. “Love in speech is Truth. Love in action is Right Conduct. Love in thought is

Peace. Love in understanding is Non-violence,” says Baba. Without Prema, all of the values I mentioned would not

be applicable. If you love people, you will find yourself living in a world where you are loved by everyone. Kind-

ness, selflessness and forbearance are a few of the sub values that you also need to implement. The fruit of Love

is friendship. In this way, you will be a very happy and a caring person, wanting to share love with everyone.

How Sai Values Help Me at School and in Life

10


Last but not least, AHIMSA. Non-violence will help you have consideration for others. Respect for

others is important because it reflects how you behave with people. You must implement non-violence

also when you are angry. Usually if you are angry, you tend to strike your adversary with your tongue or

hand or do something that will hurt the other person. If you have the value of non-violence implanted in you, you

will be able to control yourself and just ignore. Ignoring unnecessary comments and gossips is the best way to stay

out of trouble.

At home, all these values come in handy, especially when you have a conflict with your sibling, or when you want

to study or when you want to talk to your parents. But there is one important thing you must keep in mind when

you exhibit any of these qualities: humility. If you are egoistic, all the effort that you put into exhibiting these

values will go to waste. The values are all connected together. If you don’t follow one, you cannot follow the rest.

It’s like an ecosystem. All the organisms depend on each other to survive. If a species gets wiped out, then all the

rest dies too, because they cannot live without each other. Remain humble, love everyone, stay calm, speak the

truth, do the right thing, and be helpful; you will emerge like a lotus amidst a dirty pond. You get a feeling of

satisfaction through doing this, and you will be the child swami wants you to be, a true Bal Vikas child.

- Sriram Venkatesh, SSE Group 3B, Bahrain

Bal Vikas is a place where we learn many values. It is a reminder of things we often forget in life. For example to say the golden words- “Thank you and please”. We also learn other good qualities like respect and kindness. We hear many stories and play games that help us to understand different people and values. We also learn to chant Shlokas, Vedam etc. A Bhajan guru comes to our class and teaches us nice bhajans. I enjoy bhajans, games and stories the most. Our Guru is very helpful. He clears our doubts. He is never strict and shares many experiences with us. Every year, Bal Vikas gives us new and enjoyable ex-periences.

- Dhiksha Raj, SSE Group 2, Year 2, Dubai

What I Like About Bal Vikas

11


It all started on the 15th of July this year. Though every Parti Yatra is a special and memorable one, ParthiYatraof 2014 will always stay close to my heart just as the 2010 Yatra did, where we all got an

opportunity to offer a program of gratitude in the Divine presence of Swami. We assembled in the “Shamiana” for our first group darshan. We then set off for darshan as we usually do every year. I sat in the most peaceful place in this universe, the abode of the Divine, ‘Sai Kulwant Hall’. This place is so peaceful becausethe Lord of the Universe has been and is still residing there. The Vedam chanting started as per schedule and we all joined in the Divine chanting. A cool breeze blew over me. I felt so Divine and blissful. After finishing our evening darshan we assembled in the shamiana for our dinner. After dinner we got our first opportunity for Seva that year and it was that of cleaning the vessels. It’s a feeling which one cannot explain but needs to be experienced. Apart from cleaning the vessels, there were other opportunities for Seva like medical camp, prasadam packing and of course, decoration of SaiKulwant Hall. I thought that only Pre-Youth boys would get a chance to decorate hall. But Bhagawan can do anything at any point of time if the motive behind our actions are good. I prayed with all my heart to Swami that I should be a part of the decoration team. Swami granted my wish assuring me that, if our in-tention is good, then He will answer our prayer immediately. Yes, there I was in the hall ready to start the decoration. There is this huge photograph of Swami exactly above the Samadhi. I felt that wherever I went, the beautiful Divine eyes of Bhagawan followed me. I really felt blessed to be a part of this decoration team where only a hand full were chosen. Besides Seva, we also heard many inspiring speeches by eminent speakers in Prashanti Nilayam. It gave us a real-istic insight into their experiences with Swami. I thank Swami with all my heart and pray to Him that this life should be dedicated to do His work and that I should be an exemplary instrument in this Divine mission.

- Prassanna Madhavan, SSE Group 3, Year 2, Dubai

12

Parthi Yatra 2014


Dasaratha was the great king of Ayodhya, the father of

Lord Rama who was the hero and the avatar of Lord

Vishnu. He had three wives, namely Kaushalya, Kaikeyi

and Sumitra.

Three key events in Ramayana depict the entire trage-

dy of King Dasaratha’s life.

The first event involves Dasaratha and Ravana.

Hearing about Dasaratha’s fame, Ravana felt

jealous so he undertook a severe penance to pacify

Lord Brahma. When Brahma appeared, Ravana asked

him not to bless Dasaratha with the gift of a child.

Dasaratha was famous for his miraculous ability to

hunt blind and shoot arrows just by listening to the

sounds of animals. Dasaratha heard a noise resem-

bling an elephant drinking water and shot an arrow in

the direction in quest of his prey. But to his

astonishment he noticed that he had shot a young

boy named Shravana who was collecting water from a

pond for his blind parents. Shravana was an only child

and his parents were totally dependent on this young

boy. Dasaratha rushed to Shravana’s side and as his

dying wish Shravana asked the king to carry water to

his thirsty parents. The old parents were so distressed

at the pathetic news of the death of their son that

Shravana’s father cursed king Dasaratha that one day

he too would suffer from Puthrasoka (grief of separa-

tion from one’s son.)

Dasaratha fought against Asuras and Kaikeyi served as

his charioteer. Kaikeyi saved Dasaratha’s life during

the battle. Dasaratha was so pleased with Kaikeyi that

he granted her two boons. Kaikeyi said that she would

decide when she wanted to avail the two boons.

These three incidents played a significant role in

deciding Dasaratha’s fate.

By Ravana’s wish he had no sons; he was able to over-

come this by performing the Putra Kaameshti Yagam

to obtain children. When the boys were grown up, he

decided to retire and place his eldest son Rama on the

throne of Ayodhya. Before the ceremony took place,

Kaikeyi asked Dasaratha to grant her boons as prom-

ised. She asked for her first son Bharata’s enthrone-

ment instead of Rama and for the second boon she

asked for Rama’s exile to the forest for fourteen years.

Dasaratha was helpless and he had to grant the boons

in order to keep his word. After Rama left Ayodhya,

Dasaratha could not bear the pain of the separation

from his most beloved son. Unable to withstand an-

guish, the dispirited king Dasaratha died in grief and

pain and thus the curse of Shravana’s blind parents

came true.

What take-home messages do we get from this story?

As you sow, so shall you reap. Whatever action one

does, knowingly or unknowingly, the action has a

reaction that will have to be borne.

Negative destiny of man can be overcome with the

grace of the Lord, by doing good actions.

By conducting the Putrakameshti Yagna, King

Dasaratha earned the grace of the Lord and was

blessed with sons.

Even at the cost of losing something or someone

most dearest to you, one must always stick to the

path of Dharma and one must always keep one's

word.

- Prerna Kartik, SSE Group 3, Abu Dhabi

King Dasaratha

13


During this summer vacation, we went on a trip to Del-hi. There we visited the Akshardham Temple. The tem-ple is HUGE! The Akshardham Temple is divided into four themes, temple, NeelakantYatra (film), the life of Swami Narayan and a Boat Trip to explain the great-ness of Indian culture.

First, we saw the English version of the life of Swami Narayan. It was wonderful! The life of Swami Narayan was shown with the help of moving statues in the form of a drama. I loved it.Next, we went on a boat trip which explained the greatness of Indian culture. That too consisted of moving as well as normal statues. After the trip, I felt proud to be an Indian. After the boat trip, we saw some statues and posters in which the messages of Swami Narayan were presented in a simple way that common people can understand. Then, we went to watch the film, Neelakant Yatra. It

was the story of Neelakant’s (Swami Narayan’s) child-hood and the great achievements that He made.Later, we went to the temple. Other than the huge idol of Swami Narayan, the temple had specific places to worship Lakshmi-Vishnu, Radha-Krishna, Sita-Ram, etc. The carvings on the walls and domes of the temple are really amazing.

After this experience, I thought about our Swami as many of the messages are similar.

- Gayathri Rajeev, SSE Group 2, Kuwait

Bhagavan Baba keeps talking about transformation. Devotees also talk about transformation. What is this transformation that all of us talk about? Is giving up some bad habits a transformation? Yes and no. Yes, because it is transformation in one way. No, because Baba did not come just to make human beings leave some bad habits. Then what is transformation ? At a simpler level, giving up bad habits and developing good ones is a kind of transformation, but everything our dear Swami says has deeper levels of meaning. What is that Baba expects from me? HE has come to give the real knowledge of the true self. The essence of the Vedas. Then it dawned on me one day when I was looking at Swami in a photo, His eyes smiling at me and I was baffled by the sheer beauty of the Form. Trans – Form – ation !

HE is the form and beyond the form (Trans-form). It is a continuous process to see beyond the form (ation). It takes many lives to realize the Truth that HE is, and we are, beyond this form. Once this knowledge dawns and when we realize this truth the real Transformation happens. Then there is no limitation of the 5 ft 4” frame. You see HIM every moment wherever one’s self is on earth. It becomes a Constant Integrated Awareness of HIS Existence, Being, the Bliss that results from this Awareness. This is the transformation HE came to give us all. Once each one of us attain this mental status then we can perhaps stake a claim that we are Sai devotees though SWAMI only can say whether we qualify for that tag. So let's strive to achieve this TRANS-FORM-ATION and offer ourselves at HIS lotus feet to qualify for that heavenly tag ... "SAI DEVOTEE".

- Easwar, EHV Convener, Qatar

The Akshardham Temple

Transformation

14


“One's body is derived from the flesh and blood of the mother. The food

you eat, the clothes you wear, the life you lead - are all the gift of your parents.” Generally everyone says that place, that day, that experience was like a feeling in heaven or that house was like a palace, but have anyone visited or reserved tickets to heaven? Don’t waste time thinking about it, come to my house and I will show you a small palace in which a king is ruling, a queen who supports and cherish the king and their own two angel’s life. Among those of the angels, one is myself and the other is my sister. I have never been to a real palace, but to me heaven is where angels, King and Queen reside and it is my home. I spend most of my time having fun at home by cracking Jokes and playing with my family members. I can’t think of a day without the company of my parents. Friends don't last forever. But your parents... they stick with you from the begin-ning until the very end. Even when they leave the world, their memory and their wise lessons guide you throughout life. The love your parents have for you is the strongest love ever felt by humans.

Dear mother, you cry when I'm sick, you stay up at nights and care for me, making sure I have all the medicines I need. When I don’t eat, you willingly lovingly feed me. Mother, I've never told you this, but I love eating from your hands. When I come home from school, you give me the biggest hugs. When I'm upset, you're upset. When I'm happy, you're happy. I know sometimes I fight with you, shout back at you and complain that you want me to be

perfect... but deep down, I know that's not true. Whatever you do, you’re doing it for me. It's because you want to make me a better person. I can't even begin to thank you for everything you've done. And I can't even begin to apologize for the many times I've hurt you deeply. WHAT I CAN DO FOR MY PARENTS IS THIS… Mother, Father... I know I've erred a lot of times... but I know, and you know, that I love you. And I always will. I will have to study harder to earn a good life, to make my parent secure, give them the double of what they gifted me. And be with them in all situations no matter what.

BE A ROLE MODEL TO EVERYONE, SHOW OTHERS THAT WE CAN MAKE EACH DAY AS FRUITFUL BY MAKING OUR PARENTS HAPPY THAT WILL MAKE OUR LORD, SATHYA SAI BABA, HAPPY.

- Akshara Biju, SSE Group 3, Oman

15

My Parents


Swami says Non-violence is not caus-

ing hurt by thought, word or action.

When my Bal Vikas Guru told me this, I was

confused. I thought that if you beat someone,

it is violence. Harsh words also create wounds

that will take time to heal. But thoughts are

within me. Even if I think badly about some-

one, they will not know. Then, how can it be

violent? When I asked my Guru this question,

she lovingly said “Child, thoughts are powerful.

Bad thoughts spread hatred and will destroy

you while good thoughts spread love and will

help you”.

My guru narrated a story to help us understand

this point.

Once, a devotee of Bhagavan Baba was travel-

ling on a plane. Unfortunately the plane was

hijacked. The hijackers tied up all the passen-

gers and used bad words. They were violent

and threatened to blow up the plane if the pi-

lot did not listen to them. The devotee prayed

to Baba to help them. In her prayer, the devo-

tee heard Swami’s voice saying “Give them

love”. The devotee sent thoughts of kindness

and love to the hijackers. Soon, like a miracle,

the hijackers became calm and asked the pilot

to land the plane safely. All the passengers

were saved from sure disaster. This was possi-

ble because the devotee showered them with

love and practiced non-violence.

We were all happy as we listened to this story.

“How can we avoid hurting others by our

thought, word, or action?” I asked my teacher.

“Practice what Swami says” my teacher said.

Swami says, “Start the Day with Love; Spend

the Day with Love; Fill the Day with Love and

End the Day with Love. Then you cannot hurt

anyone, for love in feeling is non-violence”.

I looked at Swami’s photo which adorned the

shrine and said a quiet ‘thank you’ for giving

me so much love as I left the class.

- Saish Shanbaugh, Group 2, Abu Dhabi

God

God is special God is everywhere. God is watching us.

God is eating with us, God is compassionate.

God is helping us. God is listening to us.

God is teaching us lessons.

- Ratna Venkatesh, Group 1B, Bahrain

16

Non-violence


''Tum hi ho mata pita tum hi ho, Tum hi ho bandhu sakha tum hi ho'' is a song that is very close to my heart. Let me explain how it became one of my favourite songs. In the year 2010, dates for Parthi Yatra were announced. My family was eagerly looking forward to this experience. The practice sessions for the choir were going on in full swing. We children were practicing sincerely, but had no clue as to how this experience would turn out to be. All of us geared up for the Yatra with lot of enthusiasm. We reached the Divine abode. Every morning and evening the Divine darshan continued. We were all waiting for that one special announcement from our chairman that we would actually get to sing in front of Swami.

The magical day dawned! There was a lot of excitement in the North-6 Block of the Prashanti Nilayam. We all got dressed up and sat in the Sai Kulwant Hall. Veda chanting started. The Vedanayaka entered the hall. All eyes were fixed on the saffron-robed, lotus

feet of Swami. There was not a whisper in the hall. Swami gave His permission to start the choir. I have to mention the way Swami expressed His motherly love. When one of the narrators requested Swami to be with us and guide us throughout our lives, the most compassionate Sai Mata assured us of His guidance with a beautiful nod. On seeing that gesture, we were all totally touched.

The choir started with ''Sadaa satswaroopam chidanandakantam...''. I run short of words to describe our feelings, when we sang Sadaa Satswaroopam in front of the Sakshat Satswaroopa. Everyone in the hall felt connected with the compassionate Lord. Then we sang from our heart “Tum hi ho Mata Pita tum hi ho”. I understood the true meaning of that wonderful song only after that experience. There wasn’t a dry eye in the group. We felt and experienced each word that was uttered. That day was truly magical. I thank Swami even now for that wonderful ex-perience. I pray that He continues to give more such experiences to His beloved children through His Omnipresent Love.

- Anusha Kannan, SSE Group 3, Dubai

Parthi Yatra 2010: A Magical Experience

17


"Forgiveness is very important. It is Truth, it is Dharma, it is Veda, it is Non-violence, it is happi-ness, it is heaven itself." - Baba

It is said that “To forgive is Divine”. Why must we forgive? We must all have experienced heated conversa-tions with people which might make us angry. Many times, we contain this anger inside us. As time goes by, we realize that this anger turns into hatred and a large part of our mind is always de-bating about what to do to get back at the per-son. This stays in our minds as a burden for us to carry! If these emotions of anger and hatred take their turn on us, we may say things that we may regret later; this can spoil friendships or relation-ships. On the other hand, if we just forgive the per-son, we will feel self-content and a heavy burden will be lifted. So why NOT forgive?

How to forgive? It is easy to just say “Forgive him” but it's not easy for everybody to do. Some steps will get us going on the right path in just a matter of moments. First, we should realize that what we feel about others does not really hurt them, it hurts us! We can make a list of the benefits we get from forgiving. We can also think about how we would react if we were the other person, i.e. we should look at it from the other person's point of view.

So, we should gather up our courage, talk to them and forgive them. “Mistakes are always forgivable; it is only the courageous who admit them” said Bruce Lee. Baba says we should always forget the harm others have done to us. Let’s forgive and for-get and move on with our lives.

- Abijith Kesavan, SSE Group 3, Kuwait

The need to be loved has got to be one of the most crucial needs of the mankind. Regardless of how wealthy or rich we are, if we are de-prived of love, our life is likely to be miserable and unbearable. Unconditional love means to love a person without expecting anything in return. Love for a child starts right in the mother’s womb, even before the child is born. She nurtures and cares for the child and this love continues through-out the life of the child. Mistakes committed by children are corrected and parents instill good values in them. Unconditional love plays an important role in keeping the family together. Children who have been recipients of this form of such love will feel secure as they believe they can look up to their family for support in times of need. Therefore, we can conclude that love is made up of three unconditional properties in equal measure – Acceptance, Understanding and Appreciation, which are all very important in the child’s upbringing.

- Nandini Parasuram, SSE Group 2, Oman

18

Forgiveness The Value of Unconditional Love

Given by Parents


The world has now become so competitive that people are constantly thinking of amassing wealth and power one way or another. Life has become very monotonous and mechanical and there is no room for values like compassion, honesty and integrity. With advances in technology, people have become very busy and have forgotten the basic values which are essential to lead a happy and successful life. As a result, world peace is diminishing day by day. Let us take a look at what is happening around the world. There are unrests in many countries. Many innocent people are being killed for no reason. The minds of people are filled with hatred and ego. They are guided by negative and destructive intentions that are dangerous for the whole of mankind. I believe that one of the main reasons for all this is the mindset of the people. It is the mind that makes people do every-thing, be it good or bad. When people do not pause and think before they act, they indulge in such violent activities. Other reasons include greed for power, wealth and selfish motives.

Furthermore, the greed of human beings has also affected our environment to a great extent. They con-tinue to exploit natural resources in order to fulfill their own selfish needs without thinking about future gener-ations. Deforestation, on a large scale has resulted in the melting of polar ice caps and global warming.

Killing of animals for sale of their parts have endangered many species and also resulted in the extinction of some. All these activities are creating an ecological imbalance which will have dire consequences in the near future. Blinded by the desire to accumulate wealth, human beings are ignoring the harm they are doing to themselves.

Swami’s mission focuses on loving all and serving all. He says, “THERE IS ONLY ONE RELIGION, THE RELIGION OF LOVE; THERE IS ONLY ONE LANGUAGE, THE LAN-GUAGE OF THE HEART; THERE IS ONLY ONE CASTE, THE CASTE OF HUMANITY.” His life is His mes-sage for all of us. In my opinion, if the whole world can absorb His teachings and apply them in their daily life, yes, there we have the solution to all our problems. How can we make this possible? By the grace of Swami, Swami’s teachings are being taught in many countries across the globe. If the present generation act in earnest and spread his message, it would bene-fit the new generation so that they can think positively and contribute towards the welfare of the people around the world. This cannot be done easily. A lot of dedication and hard work is required to restore peace and stability. So, let us join hands and work together to make the world a better place in which to live.

- Aswathi Chandran, SSE Group 4, Bahrain

Baba is my best friend, my most loving friend because he will never let me down. He always makes me happy and whenever I have a problem, he makes it disappear. Baba never judges me in a bad way. When I think of Baba and start my work, I never fail. For me, Baba is the most compassionate friend. Whenever I feel sad and alone, I think that I am holding Baba’s hand and then I don’t feel lonely. Baba is my kindest friend because He will never leave me.

- Ratna Venkatesh, SSE Group 1B, Bahrain

Let Us Work Together for World Peace

Why Baba Is My Best Friend

19


There is nothing new to get. You have on the other hand, to get rid of your ignorance,

which makes you think you are other than Bliss. For whom is this ignorance?

It is to the ego. Trace the source of the ego.

Then the ego is lost and Bliss remains over. It is eternal You are That, here and now...

This is the master key for solving all doubts. The doubts arise in the mind. The mind is born of the ego.

The ego rises from the Self. Search the source of the ego

and the Self is revealed. That alone remains.

The universe is only expanded Self. It is not different from the Self…

- Karan, SSE, Qatar

When we visited Kerala this year, it was the holy month of ‘Karkidakam’. As per the tradition, people read the Ramayana daily and finish it within this month. It was fun watching my grandmother and grandfather having a competition of the rhythmic chant of the Ramayana, racing to find out who would read the most pages! Devotees also conduct “Four Temple Journey” in this month. The four temples are of the four broth-ers, Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. Along with my parents, grand-parents and some relatives, we first went to the Sri Rama temple. There was a place to worship Narasimha Swami also. Then, we went to the Lakshmana temple, then the Bharata temple, and finally the Shatrughna temple and back to the Rama temple. The way of giving offerings in the temples were different. In the Sri Rama Temple, we offered oil.

In the Lakshmana temple, we offered ‘Kalabham’ (Sandalwood paste). In the Shatrughna temple, we fed the fishes in the nearby pond. In the Bharata temple, an old man asked us a few questions like, ‘Who is Bharata’s wife?’, ‘Who is Shatrughna’s wife?’ etc. We answered them without any doubt by remembering the stories told by our Bal Vikas Gurus. Swami too blessed us by not letting us be disturbed by rains as it rained only after we completed the temple visit, and were returning home. The Four Temple Journey reminded me of the Easwaramma Day Retreat which had the topic of ‘Ramayana’.

- Pavithra Rajeev, SSE Group 1, Kuwait

20

There is Nothing New To Get

Visit to the “Four Temples”


One rainy morning we drove to Tirupathi. The ground was flooded with water and there was heavy rain with thunders. We got rooms far away from the temple. We were planning to go for the ‘Kalyana Katta’ before going to the temple. On the way, due to heavy rain our car got stuck in a big pot hole. No one was around at that time. The driver tried to step on the accelerator but the car did not come out. We thought that it would be easier if we got out of the car. So we all got down and our clothes got wet because of the rain. My sister, my cousins and I found a shade nearby while my father, my uncle and the driver tried to push the car out of the ditch.

We then saw a young boy watching what was happening. We were surprised to see him walk towards us in the heavy rain. He gave us an umbrella and with the help of that umbrella we were able to go and look for help. The boy too asked neighbours to help. We were all praying to God for help. We then got some more people who with all their strength lifted the car out of the hole.

Then we realized that God has taken the form of a small boy and helped us by giving an umbrella, which allowed us to go and get help. Without the help of people, we would have been stranded that day.

I realized that unity is strength.

- Akaash Kissen, SSE Group 2, Abu Dhabi

Every Friday after going to Bal Vikas I feel calm because of the Shlokas that we learn on a regular basis. I feel happy because I get positive vibrations after chanting Vedas. Bal Vikas plays an important role in our lives as we would never find any school in this part of the world teaching shlokas, Vedas or Ashtothram! Would we? In Bal Vikas, we may not learn Maths or Science but we learn the spiritual aspects which are essential for life. Some feel that school is more important than Bal Vikas. But there is a real difference between school and Bal Vikas. School gives us only education, but Bal Vikas moulds our character for life. I would love to attend Bal Vikas forever!

- Prapti Pathak, SSE Group 2 Year 2, Dubai

A Little Help From God

21

Bal Vikas: My only Transformer


I have been attending the Bal Vikas program for as long as I can remember. My first class was when I was barely three years old, as I accompanied my elder sister and sat next to her throughout the class. Ever since, with Swami’s Grac,e I've passed through Groups I, II and III with the wisest and most loving Gurus I could ever come across. My early years consisted of learning shlokas and being taught the five important human values : Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa. The five values and their sub-values formed the basis of my character. In Group I, we were taught to pray sincerely, be loving and kind to everyone and to always be truthful. As we progressed, we learnt how to work together, in groups. Group II was filled with activities and stories and finding out about our roots. We had various role plays, skits, songs and so much more. But Group 3 helped us grow the most. We searched for the inner meaning of everything, realized the importance of our subconscious mind, became more aware of our desires and how to put a ceiling on them, how to communicate with the world, and learnt what it takes to become a leader. Discussions about varied topics and understanding each one’s point of view was a major part of it. We also dissected all the different top-ics, and found the connotative meanings for Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and that everything hap-pens for a reason and that Karma influences a great deal of the happenings. We were inspired by the biographies of leaders across the world and how they helped make a difference to the world community. Bal Vikas helped mould me into a person with a greater awareness of my conscience, it taught me to differentiate the good from the bad. I owe my growth to all my Gurus, who imparted knowledge to all of us so selflessly. My greatest teacher has been Bhagavan Baba Himself, who has been guiding me every step of the way, and providing me everything I need, despite all the mistakes I commit. He, who is the embodiment of pure love, extends His hand for all those in need. He has given me Gurus to shine a light through the hard paths of life. I am forever indebted to Swami, my parents who were my first Gurus, and every teacher of mine. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who helped to make me the person I am today, and I hope they shall always continue to do so. Bal Vikas has been a part and parcel of my childhood, and an unforgettable memory which will forever be etched in my heart.

- Sukanya V.S., SSE Group III, Kuwait

22

My Journey Through Bal Vikas

- Aradhana S, SSE Group1, Year 1, Dubai


Human birth is a privilege which most of us do not appreciate. Everybody wants progress, prosperity and welfare

of society. Baba says “there are three main principles by which this can be achieved. They are Daiva Preeti, Papa

Bheeti, Sangha Neeti” (Love for God, Fear of sin, and Morality in Society). In fact these are interdependent.

Bhagavan Baba says that without love for God, man would have no fear of sin and consequently there would be

no morality in society.

So, first and foremost, man should love God. In this world people ask “why should we love God?” God is the

divine force that makes everything function. God is the only director. When you forget God, it amounts to

forgetting everything. A devotee always aspires for the love of God. To achieve love of God, morality and fear of

sin are very essential for everyone. Many people achieve success by resorting to untruth, injustice and evil ways.

Remember that the consequences of your sins may come this very moment or the next. Therefore every thought,

word and deed should be sacred. Lack of fear of sin is the root cause of absence of morality in society.

Society is formed by individuals. Society will protect you when you will protect it. When there is morality in

society all will be protected. Morality is the very life-breath of man. The whole Jati (mankind) will be doomed with-

out Neeti (morality). A person who lacks morality is verily an animal. One who lacks Neeti is worse than a

Kothi (monkey).

Money comes and goes. Morality comes and grows. One who has morality will be respected by all. We should con-

sider Daiva Preeti, Papa Bheeti and Sangha Neeti as the three main organs like Head, trunk and feet.

Those who have love for God are endowed with morality. Therefore, always love God. Don’t indulge in sinful

deeds. Strive for the progress of society. There is no place without God. We fail to see him because we do not have

eyes of love.

You will be victorious when you will have Daiva Preeti, Papa Bheeti and Sangha Neeti.

- Vibhuthi Agarwal, SSE Group III, Abu Dhabi

Daiva Preeti - Papa Bheeti - Sangha Neeti

(Love for God- Fear of Sin- Morality in Society)

23


Why do I strive to visit Puttaparthi every year? Because it gives me a lot of happiness, a lot of strength, and I feel I am untouched by obstacles, and so I look forward to my visit year after year. My days in Parthi are days without worries and tensions, days that I keep longing for. Who is the inspiration behind this? SWAMI, of course! The simple thought of Swami’s ever assuring love fills one’s heart with gratitude, com-passion, positive energy and yearning to become a better instrument for humanity.

There is no greater source of inspiration than our Beloved Bhagawan. You may pick up any book of Swami and HE will provide you with an answer to inspire you to do what is required. Talking to Sai devotees in Prasanthi Nilayam con-

stantly reminds me that my problems are nothing when compared to those of many others. Bhajan time in SaiKulwant Hall is the greatest therapy for many a heavy heart. Swami makes sure that all our sorrows melt away during this time. His ways to inspire are countless. It could be through dreams, discourses or a simple Bhajan. He has constantly inspired me to be ever smiling, to take part in service activities, to be quiet when disturbed by events around me, to commit myself to humanity, and to reduce my desires! Swami, You are and will always be my inspiration, for,

S - Swami A – Always I – Inspires - Usha Sai Manoj, SSE Coordinator, Bahrain

Before joining Bal Vikas, I used to fear, as I thought God did not exist. But when I joined Bal Vikas I start-ed developing faith in God. This is because of my Gurus; they told me stories of Sant Meera Bai and dev-otees of Swami. They taught me Bhajans and Shlokas that brought about a change in my attitude to-wards parents and others around me. Before joining Bal Vikas I used to tell lies, speak harshly and never used to pray. But weeks after joining, there was a change in me. I started praying, tried not to speak lies, spoke politely and obeyed my parents. Back in India, I taught my cousins and aunts some Bhajans, Shlo-kas and Swami’s teachings, as my gurus had taught me to share my knowledge with others. I have dreams of serving the poor and the needy. This is all possible because of my interest in Bal Vikas, and respect towards my Gurus and Swami. I would like to thank all my Gurus with all my heart for helping me to overcome my fears and inculcating new spiritual thoughts in me.

- Trisha, SSE Group 2 Year 1, Dubai

Puttaparthi:

A Great Inspiration for Humanity

Before Joining Bal Vikas and After

24


Speech is silver and Silence is golden. I am sure many of us would have heard this proverb. In this age of social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Speech has to be golden. I used to wonder, with so many advances in the current world of communication, how can we be silent and why is it nec-essary? When I was thinking about this, I came across an inspirational story which I wish to share.

The Missing Watch

There once was a farmer who discovered that he had lost his watch in the barn. It was no ordinary watch be-cause it had a lot of sentiment attached to it. After searching for it high and low among the hay for a long while; he gave up and enlisted the help of a group of children playing outside the barn. He promised them that the per-son who found it would be rewarded.

Hearing this, the children hurried inside the barn, went through and around the entire stack of hay but still could not find the watch. Just when the farmer was about to give up looking for his watch, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another chance. The farmer looked at him and thought, “Why not? After all, this kid looks sincere enough.” So the farmer sent the little boy back in the barn. After a while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand! The farmer was both happy and surprised and so he asked the boy how he succeeded where the rest had failed. The boy replied, “I did nothing but sit on the ground and listen. In the silence, I heard the tick-ing of the watch and just looked for it in that direction.”

A peaceful mind can think better than an agitated mind. Allow a few minutes of silence to your mind every day, and see how sharply it helps you to set your life the way you expect it to be! Swami says “It is only in the depths of silence that one can hear the voice of God.” So to feel God and eventually hear his voice, we have to remain silent and meditate.

How can we be silent? Swami says “Before you speak, think

1. Is it necessary? 2. Is it true? 3. Will it hurt anyone? 4. Will it improve upon the silence?”

Speak only when it is passes these tests. Swami also stresses that inner silence is required as much as outer silence. What is this inner silence? Freedom from our thoughts. Once a student was sitting in Sai Kulwant Hall meditating quietly. Swami came out of the interview room and stood right in front of him. He said that he was talking too much. The student was surprised and said to Swami that he was quiet and not talking to anyone. Swami replied that he was talking inside – in his mind. This is why Swami says “W.A.T.C.H. your Words, Action, Thoughts, Character and Heart”. Silent Sitting in SSE classes and at home is therefore very important. It may be difficult at first, but gets a easier with practice. So dear children, please take it as a challenge and experience the benefits of silence in your lives.

- Meenakshi Venkatesh, SSE Guru, Bahrain

Silence is Golden

25


One of the good things that I have learnt from Bal Vikas is keeping a Spiritual Diary. To me the Spiritual Dia-ry is a way of life. It is a constant check to make sure that I am always improving my way of living. The spiritual diary has four aspects and they are Prayers, Manners, Service and Truth. Prayers are my way of thanking God for everything. It constantly reminds me of his omnipresence. And I pray morning, even-ing and before eating food. Good Manners help me to get good habits like sharing, caring, not wasting food, not wasting money and energy. Good manners have helped me to live a good life. I have learnt to speak softly and obey elders. Hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray. Serving others makes me very happy as I get joy by helping others. It is like serving God as God is present in all of us. By telling the Truth I make people trust me. It is simple to remember as I have experienced this and I do not have to remember what lies I have told others. The Spiritual Diary has improved my life in all the above aspects and I have become a better human being.

- Satvik, SSE Group 1 Year 3, Dubai

I always had a fear of competitions and I have always been shy. So I was hesitant to take part in the Spelling Bee Competition held in my school, but my parents motivated me to participate in it. I cleared the preliminary round and was selected for the next level. I couldn’t believe it myself. Now, I was ready for the inter-school level; I was very nervous during my preparations. My teacher’s mo-tivation, essential tips from seniors and self-confidence built by my Bal Vikas Gurus supported me to clear the inter-school level.

The GCC qualifier round coincided with our Akhanda bhajans. Swami made it possible for me to sing in the bhajan as well as attend the compe-tition and qualify for the next round to be held at Abu Dhabi.

At every stage I felt Swami’s loving grace showering on me. My happiness doubled when

the results were announced; I had qualified for the international spelling bee final to be held in Bangalore. I was preparing for my exams and we were leaving for Bangalore. My

parents surprised me and told me that before the exam we would visit Prashanti Nilayam. I was very excited and happy as this was my first visit to Puttaparthi. It was a blissful experience. We attended the morning as well as evening Darshans. During this entire journey my confidence kept building up. It was the final day of the competition. I had no fear or shyness. I got a chance to meet and interact with children from different places I learnt a lesson from every single interaction. Even though I didn’t come within the top 20, I was very happy that I had reached the finals. This was possi-ble with the help of guiding light of other our Be-loved Mother Sai.

- S. Umesh, Group II, Kuwait

26

Spiritual Diary

My Guiding Light


When our Bal Vikas classes focused on Ramayana a few months ago, we had the opportunity to read Swami’s Summer Showers 1977 and to know more about different characters in Ramayana. Our discussions in Bal Vikas helped us change the perceptions we had of the different characters. Little did we know before, that Bharatha was equal to Rama when it came to protecting truth, for following Dharma or for making sacrifices whenever necessary. When Bharatha reached Ayodhya after spending some time with his grandfather he came to know that his father was dead and that Rama was banished to the forest for fourteen years. Bharatha was grief stricken. His grief due to Rama’s separation was much more than the death of his father. He obeyed the orders of Kausalya and Sage Vashista and performed the funeral rites for his father. When arrangements were being made for his coronation, as desired by his mother, he refused to ascend the throne. He said that he would be going against Dharma if he ruled the kingdom when his elder brother was still alive. Along with Sage Vashista and his trusted ministers, he went to the forest and requested Rama to return to Ayodhya and rule the kingdom. When Rama refused, he brought the sandals of Rama to Ayodhya on Vashista’s advice, and placed them on the throne. He went to the village Nandigram and lived a life of an ascetic until Rama returned to Ayodhya.

All these actions demonstrate the greatness of Bharatha. He was a noble soul devoted to his brother Rama. He was humble, obedient and respected all his elders. His love towards Rama was much more than the love he had for his father. As Bal Vikas students, we must also be truthful just like Bharatha, and fol-low the path of Dharma and learn to sacrifice for our family members when there is a need.

- Vasanthi Hariharan & Namrata Elamaran,

SSE Group 3, Kuwait

I have been associated with our Sai Samiti right from my childhood and it all started for me when I began attending Bal Vikas classes in Mumbai when I was four years old. We used to have a lot of fun activities like games, veda chanting, story-telling, bhajan singing and acting out skits. I was a very distracted student before I entered Bal Vikas. But after learning about great people and participating in many activities, I understood and started practicing Swami’s messages and values which I learnt in Bal Vikas. The major contributor in my trans-formation was the book “Garlands of 80” as suggested by my Guru. My mother also convinced me to follow the book “Garlands of 80”. When I was in Grade VIII, one of my Gurus advised us that the best way to achieve what we want is by talking to God. I followed these words and since then it has become a routine for me to sit in front of a photo of Bhagavan Baba in our pooja room and to talk to Him. The messages I received during these prayer sessions were eye openers and helped me transform myself. As a Bal Vikas student I got opportunities to act in skits, I felt very happy when I was selected to play the role of Swami Himself during His birthday celebrations in 2013. I also got a chance to hone my public speaking skills under the able guidance of experienced Gurus. I thank all my gurus for teaching me shlokas, moral stories, for making the classes more fun with value-based games, for teaching the concepts of Ceiling on Desires in the best possible way. I thank them for enlightening me with life stories of great spiritual lead-ers and for introducing me to Jyoti Meditation. I en-joyed the time when we were doing various activities based on Ramayana in preparation for Easwaramma Day 2014. After this in-depth learning about Ramayana I feel I should learn more about other Indian Epics. Thank you Swami for showering Your Grace on me and for making me Your Bal Vikas student.

- Subhesh M, SSE Group 3, Kuwait

The Role of Bal Vikas in My Life Bharata - An Ideal Brother

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Sairam Children, The festival season began last month with Krishna Janmashtami followed by Vinayaka Chathurthi. I am sure that you enjoyed the delicacies prepared by your mothers, each being specific to the festival it is associated with. Now, some food for our thoughts too.

On Gokulashtami day, we celebrate the advent of 'Krishna'. The name 'Krishna' means "He who attracts", "and sows, grows and harvests love in barren, broken hearts and confers supreme delight.” Krishna is worshipped as 'GOPALA'. The word 'GO' means JIVI (living beings). So when you serve fellow men and other beings with selfless love and total compassion, you are offering to Krishna the worship he accepts most gladly and with full grace.

As far as Vinayaka Chathurthi is concerned, the image of the lord itself is very significant. Lord Ganesha has been given the head of an elephant because he is known for extraordinary intelligence, discrimination and wisdom. His ears are broad so that he can hear all the prayers of his devotees and distinguish between TRUTH and UNTRUTH. The large stomach signifies that the entire universe is within him. Lord Ganesha's hands are signs of the supernatural powers of God. In one hand he holds the pasha or rope or noose which he uses to attract the minds of the devotees, so as to direct them on the right path to reach God. In another hand, he holds the ankusha, a hook or a spear like weapon which he uses to destroy the ignorance in His devotees and prods them to be on the right path.

In another hand he holds the sweet cake called Modak, this is the sweet for the devotees for their physical and mental health, a reward for those who reach him to obtain the sweetness of Ananda or Bliss. With his fourth hand he blesses all devotees and grants them the wish or boon they deserve. Let us now ponder on the significance of Ganesha worship. Man is confronted with many obstacles in of life. Prayers are offered to Ganesha who is also known as ‘VIGNESHWARA’ - for removing such obstacles and minimizing impediments. He is the deity to whom worship is offered first in any ritual. Lord Ganesha is also known as ‘SIDDHI VINAYAKA AND BUDDHI VINA-YAKA’. Vinayaka means "unexcelled leader".

- Viji Balan, SSE Guru, Oman

-Vaishnav, SSE, Saudi Arabia

Festivals

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Krishna Janmashtami is an annual celebration of the birth of the Hindu deity Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. The festival is celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) - Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) of the month Bhadrapada in the Hindu calendar. Hindus celebrate Janmashtami by fasting and staying

up until midnight, the time when Krishna is believed to have been born. At midnight devotees gather around for devotional songs, dance and exchange sweets. Janmashtami is celebrated as an event which involves making a human pyramid and breaking an earthen pot (handi) filled with curd (dahi) which is tied at a convenient height. The topmost person in the pyramid tries to break the handi by hitting it with a blunt object. This event is based on the legend of the child God Krishna stealing butter.

- Ashmita V, SSE Group 2, Oman

O! my Lord in this dark era me you created bestow me transcendental devotion at Your lotus feet, I know not Vedic knowledge, nor spiritual masters, Nor do I know the Vedic mores and customs, O my lord Krishna show me the light on my path. Deliberately or naively I might have done sins, In my heart they have accumulated like hill, With your sturdy feet crush it into pieces, So I can reach thy lotus feet, O! my Lord Krishna show me the light on my path. In this distressed and wicked materialistic ocean, The ship of Thy name ,to cross this, I have taken, Please O! my Lord Krishna, never disregard me, And please lead my ship to reach the other side, O! my Lord Krishna show me the light on my path. - Kaushik, SSE Qatar

Shruthigna, Group 2,Year 1 Dubai

Krishna Janmashtami

My Lord Krishna

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Ganesha is the formless Divinity - encapsulated in a magnificent form, for the benefit of the Devi. Ganesha is widely known as the remover of obstacles. His weapon is the axe, snare and the elephant hook. His mantra is “OM GANESHAYA NAMAHA.” The word GANA means flock, troop, number, and tribe. The word PATI means ruler or lord in Sanskrit. In any pooja or before we start anything, we pray to Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha wrote the great epic Mahabarata which was dictated by Sage Vyasa.

Ganesh Chathurthi

Every year we celebrate Ganesh Chathurthi festival. During this festival we perform pooja to the Ganesha idol for nine days and immerse the idol in water on the last day. Many big idols of Ganesha are made and wor-shipped all over India.

I like Lord Ganesha because:

His small mouth teaches us to talk less His small eyes teach us to see only good things His big ears teach us to listen attentively.

- Mehul Vemareddy, SSE Group 1, Year 3, Dubai

“This day is the sacred day when the Lord as Vamana Avatar conferred liberation on Emperor Bali. Bali was a great person, but he had one weakness. He suffered from a slight sense of ego. A great man sees the human even in Lord Narayana (God). But a good man is one who sees God even in man. Hence, it is more important for people to be good rather than great. Most parents these days want their children to become great in various ways - in scholarship, wealth, and position. This is totally misconceived. They should really want their children to be good.

Vamana incarnated to eradicate the undesirable quality of ego in Emperor Bali, Bali was known for his love of his subjects. Poverty was unknown in his realm. He looked after the welfare of his people with an equal eye. He felt proud about his kingdom and his people. Vamana wanted to efface even this pride and redeem Bali.

Before leaving for the nether world, Bali gave a promise to his people, whom he loved. He said he would come back to them every year on Onam day and bless them.

Onam is celebrated as the day of advent of Vamana and Bali. It marks the beginning of a new life. That is why it is celebrated by wearing new clothes and re-solving to lead a new life”.

- Divine Discourse: 14th September 1997

Lord Ganesha Onam

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- Sriram Venkatesh, SSE Group 3B, Bahrain

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“Your classes are named Bal Vikas, meaning blooming, the blooming of the flower. The flower pleases us for it is

beautifully fragrant and fresh. Every child is a flower in the Garden of Sai.”

- Bhagavan Baba (Divine Discourse, 1981)

September 2014 Region 94 - nebula.wsimg.com

Documents

Transcript of September 2014 Region 94 - nebula.wsimg.com