MUDDENAHALLI

CAMPUS

IN GHT Insight into Sai through Glance, Heart and Thought

VOL 4, ISSUE 14 |JUNE 2016

Neophytes WELCOMING

PUBLISHED BY MUDDENAHALLI CAMPUS

SRI SATHYA SAI INSTITUTE OF HIGHER LEARNING

SAI SAMBHASHAN DR K SAYEE MANOHAR

SRI V BHASKARAN SRI S SAI MANOHAR SRI B CHANDRASHEKAR SRI B VENKATRAMANA DR S SREENIVAS

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

You feel there is something behind and beyond all this fleeting fantasy, something that persists through all the success and defeats, all the tears and smiles, all this mirth and moan, but you are unable to grasp it and realize that it is the same entity that underlies the entire universe. You are one with the most distant star, and least little blade of the grass; you shine as dew on the petal of the rose, you swing from star to star. You are part and parcel of all this manifestation.

JUNE 2016 VOLUME 04 / ISSUE 14

AN ODD DAY

IN MUDDENAHALLI

SEE ALWAYS INSIDE

EDITORIAL 05

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HOMECOMING

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21 STARS OF LIFE

WE

JUNE 2016 VOLUME 04 / ISSUE 14

10 PEOPLE WE ALL KNOW…

THE WINNING SECRET 24

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL 17

5 - Faculty Desk

A freshness imbues the air drenched in the cool drops of the monsoon rain. There is verdure

greenery everywhere. The sun spreads his wings to embrace us in the warmth of his morning

glow; this enchanting newness beckons our souls into a realm of hope and optimism. The

brand new hostel – the edifice of His compassion, has just been occupied by His children. The

freshers full of talent and aspiration have set new goals for themselves. There is buoyant

elation everywhere as each of us awaits the new academic year and the bounties it will confer

on us in its way. It is an experience of joyful expectation.

But then, it’s also the time to step back and reminisce. It’s the time to be grateful to Swami,

for giving us all that we have been endowed with. God has kept us in His safe embrace and is

nurturing our physical, mental and spiritual well-being, with nature’s bounty, intellectual

stimuli and godly company. At the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, we have an

exotic cocktail of all the three being dished out to us for free with elegance and no

expectations. The only return envelope our Lord expects us to fill in is that of pure love.

Swami refers to ‘His students as His Only Property’. This is because He seeks no other rent but

that of love and gratitude, from ‘His Property’. It is our duty at this hour to reflect on this debt

that we owe unto Him and lead our lives according to His expectations, so that our

expectations merge with His expectations.

HIS Expectation

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The ring of the first bell woke me up. As I sat on my bed and opened my eyes, I saw on the altar the smiling photograph of Swami greeting me Good Morning. With a smile on my face, I rubbed my eyes and got up from the bed and went to brush my teeth. I went to the tap and poured cold water onto my face which woke me up once again. After brushing, I went to the prayer hall for Suprabatham. After few omkaras when I turned around, I saw many drooping heads, sleeping to their full glory. Then I realized that the resistance between Swami and students is 21 ohms(Om’s). After the warm prayers, I marched forward to the ground for jogging. I warmed my body and stretched all my muscles. Then, I went to the basketball court to play. After the game I ran back to the hostel to occupy a bathroom. When I got into the bathroom complex, I saw that many had already arrived before me. After a mad scramble, I finally got a bathroom. Then I went down to break my long fast which I had had from the last night. After eating to my heart’s content, I got ready for the college session. I then ran to the prayer hall as only few seconds were left for the prayer to start. I managed to reach in time. I attended the prayer session with sincerity. At the end of prayer, the classes began. Then after a long session of classes, I was finally free for lunch. I had my grand lunch and again attended the long lectures which ran for hours together.

An odd day in Muddenahalli …. - SAIKIRAN VENUGOPAL (II BBA)

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After the college session, I had a cup of refreshing tea with my pals. Then I marched towards the ground to play basketball along with a few brothers. After a game, I returned to the hostel and prepared myself for the bhajan session. The bhajan session was refreshing and amazing. It made me feel at home. Then I had a delicious dinner. Dinner was followed by the longest part of the day and my worst enemy- STUDY HOURS. I somehow managed to study something and as soon as I heard the bell, I ran to the prayer hall for watching the latest news and sports matches on the television. After the first bell at 10 p.m., I ran back to the room and chanted the night prayer and retired for the day. This is the daily routine in everyone’s life here. The lessons we imbibe in this place are numerous. The schedule which was drafted by Swami makes sure that there is always the involvement of students in one or the other activity. Only He can make such a perfect schedule. We should be grateful to Swami for making us come under his folds.

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Bidding adieu to my brothers-in-arm,

The Sun on my back,

I led my way back home.

Home, my humble home awaited me

For all these months that I was away,

It had hidden a lonely spirit,

Which learned solitude the hard way.

Lips moved in prayers seeking unselfish blessings, all night

Whereat I sought the known light,

A splinter of brightening bliss,

Beyond the unknown hills.

As my footsteps grew louder

Her heart pounded harder,

She had lived this moment long enough

In the realm of her expectations to recognise its augury.

Eyes shining like a maniac

Nose quivering like a squirrel

Lips twitched to reveal the play of toothy vibration.

Wearing an expression of exaltation,

My mother welcomed me home.

Homecoming - SAUNAK DEY (II BBA)

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My Home!

Lurking in every corner are memories of celebrated exploits

Upon each stone embossed is my crafty creative

And yet, not mine!

Those moments that I coloured still breathe through its painted

corridors,

Have been relived manifold by those who sought succour in my

absence,

With such individuality that the spirit of this place,

Now, reflects their loneliness, hopes, aspirations layer upon layer

Sprinkled with some fresh fears and decayed despair.

As the rays of this realisation fell upon my innocent soul,

Another, dawned upon my mother, with a jolt

The whispering walls shared their wisdom on footfalls.

The footfalls, which brought me home,

Will, one day, push me miles away, leaving her alone.

Wisdom sparkled in her eyes,

Flooding her face with still-born emotions kept in disguise.

Her face, wilted, in surrender to the inevitable fiend,

Her words and acts of love, affection and bonding she hastened

Fearing a sooner end.

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Like that shepherd I felt,

To find new pastures who was sent.

Deserts he dried his feet with, looking for the gleam

Of the green.

He returned to his sheep, a shepherd’s home,

With news unheard-of.

Loyal he was, to his flock,

Yet at home, he felt like a stranger,

Who wouldn’t enter with a knock.

A total loss of acquaintance was shown,

He was entirely disowned.

Saliently shocked, he stared at his flock,

That had chosen to forget him.

I came back to my home

But in all its freedom it forfeited me.

It had lost its way,

Even remaining stationary!

Treacherous it felt to have trusted,

Worthless it was to treasure.

In all my pride and to answer the prejudice,

This home was forever forgone.

Such was my homecoming!

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The most awaited moment: “The arrival of the bus”.

The most energetic moment: “Finding a space in Bhakti Nivas”.

The most enduring moment: “Getting a chance to offer anything to Bhagawan”.

The most prestigious issue: “The Quiz competition”.

The most relaxed moment: “15 minute breaks”.

The most expensive moment: “Buying a coupon twice a day”.

The most successful moment: “Finishing grand prasadam along with mango”.

The most awkward moment: “When our brothers from other campuses speak [to us] in our regional language in front of warden sir”.

The most emotional moment: “The P&G advt. regarding the love and care of our mothers”.

The moment that made us feel homesick or device-sick: “The WhatsApp presentation”.

The moment of surprise: “Shopping mall”.

The moment we or I missed swami the most: “Panel discussion on Bhaja Govindam”.

Summer Course to Me… - GIGME WANGCHEN LEPCHA (I MCA)

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The moment that filled us with pride: “The talk given by our two brothers”.

The most heavenly feeling: ”3rd block inside Kulwant Hall”.

These are some adorable moments I experienced during the summer course; not forgetting our skit, and the innovative talk on self-confidence by Shri. Gopalakrishna and the influential and pragmatic talk by Sri Sri Sri Jayendrapuri Mahaswamiji, etc. But let me put you all a question: does all this mean that the summer course is complete? No, right?! Swami Himself has said that we have to practise the values we learn during summer courses. These values are like the seeds that are planted in us; we have to nurture and water these values time and again, in order to build a strong tree or show up these values in our character. So, how can I share with you an experience which I have not yet implemented? What I am sure of, though, is that the summer course is not just a two and a half day programme; and if we do not implement at least some of the values from the course now, then it is just another festival where all the campuses gather, eat, laugh and BE MERRY.

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ll of us seek one thing in common—that is happiness.

Throughout our lives we are chasing it in our own ways: similar

to the musk deer which runs its entire life chasing the fragrance

that emanates from its own body; and similar to that dog which

relishes its own blood thinking that the blood is oozing from the

bone that it has in its mouth. The limbic system in our body

records all the activities which create happiness, and prompts us

to perform such actions again and again, but we fail to realize

that happiness derived out of such repetitive action is short-lived

and that the real and eternal bliss lies in us realizing our true

identity. So far, we have identified and attached ourselves to

something which we really are not. Time and again, Swami gave

this simple example to help us know our true identity: Swami

would take a kerchief in his hand and ask: “Do we say this is my

kerchief or do we say this kerchief is me?” Similarly he would

ask: “Do we say this is my body or do we say this body is me?”

Though we clearly understand the implications of these

questions we continue making the mistake of attaching

ourselves to something which we are not. As a consequence,

See Always Inside

we are susceptible to emotional fluctuation. The latter point can be explained through a story.

A - SAI SHYAM SUNDAR (III BBM)

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A man who has gone out of his town comes

back and finds that his house is on fire. It was

one of the most beautiful houses in the town, and

the man loved it very much! Many people had

been ready to buy the house at two times its

market value; but he had never agreed for any

price and now it was just burning before his eyes.

And thousands of people gathered, but nothing

could be done because the fire had spread so far

that even if one tried to put it out, nothing would

be saved. So he became very sad. At this point,

his son came running and whispered something

in his ear: "Don't be worried. I sold it yesterday

and at a very good price—three times. The offer

was so good I could not wait for you. Forgive

me." The father then replied: "Thank God, it's not

ours now!" He instantly relaxed and became a

silent watcher, just like a thousand other

watchers. Please think about it! Just a moment

ago, he was not a watcher, he had been attached.

It is the same house....the same fire....

everything is the same...but now he is not

concerned. In fact, he has started enjoying the

fire just as everybody else in the crowd. Then the

second son came running and said to his father:

"What are you doing? You are smiling—and the

house is on fire?" The father said, "Don't you

know, your brother has sold it.“

To this the second son replied: "We have

taken only the advance amount, not settled fully.

I doubt that the man is going to purchase it now.”

Again, everything changed! Tears, which had

disappeared just moments ago, came back to the

father's eyes; his smile had vanished, and his

heart was beating fast. He was again attached [to

the house]; at which point, the third son came

and said: "That man is a man of his word. I have

just come from him. He said, 'It doesn't matter

whether the house is burnt or not, it is mine.

“’And I am going to pay the price that I have

settled for. Neither you knew, nor I knew that the

house would catch on fire.’” Again the joy is back;

the attachment is no more. 14

That factor of attachment is the cause for the

fluctuation of emotions. The house in our real life

can be replaced with things like our body, our

skills and abilities, our relationships etc. The

moment something good happens with regard to

the object(s) to which we are attached, we feel

elated; when something bad happens, we feel

depressed. Swami says man has sought material

pleasures by setting his foot on the moon, which

is millions of miles away; but has failed to put in

any effort to go a few inches within to realize his

true identity. Even the epics emphasized this

Truth: the moment man realizes his Identity, life

would become another game, or just another

drama.

Let us for a moment forget Krishna’s Godly

aspect and look at his life: his entire life was

beset by trials, tribulations and turmoil; still

Krishna seemed to have lived in tranquility and

bliss. The secret is that Krishna was aware of his

true identity. Similar is the case with Rama who

stood as an example of equanimity. He was not

elated when he was told about his impending

coronation; nor did he sink into grief when he

was banished by his own father into exile. This

steadiness of temperament followed from the fact

that Rama was aware of his own identity. Even

our beloved Swami on many occasions showed us

that we are beyond body and mind. Once, when

Swami’s hip was fractured, one of the devotees

asked Him how he was feeling. To this, Swami

replied: “There is pain but there is no suffering.”

Pain is inevitable for the body while suffering is

optional. Even at a tender age, when swami was

taken to the exorcist and was cruelly treated,

Swami did not utter a single word of demurral

and underwent all the trouble just to show that

we are beyond body and mind.

Swami says: “Life is a dream, realize it.” We don’t

take dreams seriously because we know they are

nothing but projections of our own mind. We fail

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to realise, however, that the waking state itself is

a prolonged dream state, and we continue to

believe all that we experience, and see to be

true. The moment such a mind is withdrawn from

external objects and made to focus within, it

extinguishes itself—this is called as the end of

mind. It is also called liberation. More to the

point, the Vedas state: mana eva manushyanam

karanam bandha mokshayoho. [What remains

after the mind’s death is Divinity or the eternal

bliss.]

Once, a young boy of eight, while wandering in

the Himalayas, seeking to find his guru,

encountered a sage who asked him: "Who are

you?" The boy answered with the following

stanzas, which have come to be known as

Nirvana Shatakam or Atma Shatakam. Nirvana is

complete equanimity, peace, tranquility, freedom

and joy. Atma is the True Self. The sage the boy

was talking to was Swami Govindapada Acharya,

who was, indeed, the very teacher for whom he

was looking.

Mano Buddhi Ahankara Chitta Ninaham

Nacha Shrotra Jihve Na Cha Ghrana Netre

Nacha Vyoma Bhoomir Na Tejo Na Vayu

Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham.

1) I am not mind, nor intellect, nor ego,

nor the reflections of inner self (chitta).

I am not the five senses. I am beyond that.

I am not the five elements.

I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss,

Shiva, love and pure consciousness. 16

Life is like a feather,

At one time, falling in water,

And the other, falling on land,

Or, just flying away in a distant world.

Life is like a bridge,

Where, on the other side, destiny waits,

In between many broken slabs are,

But be not disoriented; you will lose your goals.

Life is like a path,

Where, on the way many difficulties await,

Which, you can cross without notice,

When you reconnoiter it as challenge.

Life is a hope,

Where you think of opportunities—

Whatever, happens for your own good,

When you become optimistic about it.

Life is a gift for some,

Given by the Lord,

To be a use till the End,

To learn from mistakes.

Life is like a seed

Grown, bearing certain difficulties,

To become a sapling,

And later, be a tree with fruits and fragrance.

“Life is Beautiful” - SHISHIR RANA (II BBA)

PTO

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Life is a maze,

Filled with secret ways,

To achieve your goals,

To reach the Divine Love.

Life is a teacher:

It teaches different aspects of the world,

Teaches even when you are 80 years of age,

As it is a subject which is immortal.

Life is like clay,

Can be moulded in any manner,

Can be restored any time,

Can take different forms again.

Life is like a tear,

Which falls from your eye,

When you are sad or happy,

To safeguard your emotional curiosities.

Life is a vibration for me,

Created with diverse blues,

By God Himself,

Full of obscurities,

To spread His message of Love,

Radiating vibrations all around. 18

One Person Who Is Reluctant To Visit The Hospital Again

1) A lunatic who now claims to be in his senses has already had enough experiences at the clinic that he would never even dream of paying a visit to his doctor to thank him for all that he has done. He feels that people will call him ‘mad’ again.

Two Kinds Of People You Meet On A Plane

1) The Talker: This is the one who happens to sit next to you and then talks to you for the entire eight-hour journey. Just because someone is strapped to their seat and is a captive audience, don’t drive them to a point where they try to depressurize the cabin by digging a hole in the window with their Swiss knife while praying for the oxygen mask to drop down, just to mute the sound of your voice!

2) The nit-picker :This is the traveller who is upset about everything. He will rudely demand to meet the captain to check on the delay, will send back his meal as it’s unappetizing, and will complain about the crying baby six rows behind: does he really think that the harassed-looking mother is purposely pinching her child to make him cry?

- ARUN SAI PV (II BBA)

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Three Things You Need To Know About Doctors

1) Doctors are shorter in real life: When you meet your family doctor at a party, he will always look shorter,

till you realise that you normally see him when you are flat on your back and he is bending over you with his

stethoscope on your chest.

2) Doctors deliberately acquire bad handwriting: Can anyone really read a doctor’s prescription properly? I

think it is a well-thought-defined scheme. Dear doctor can prescribe Lamictal (a medicine prescribed for

Epilepsy) in his terrible handwriting and if you collapse with a seizure, he can claim he had actually written

Lamisil, a mere antifungal.

3) Doctors have no sense of humour: The poker-faced doctor walks in and declares that I have to take two

injections, so I will have to bear a total of two pricks; when I crack up, saying that I have seen quite a few

pricks and two more won’t make a difference, he is still as poker-faced.

Four People You Bump Into At Indian Funerals 1) The deceased’s cousin’s daughter’s niece’s cousin: This is the individual who will wail the loudest, have

intermittent fainting spells and will despondently narrate two sentimental incidents about the expired relative whom, incidentally, he had met just once.

2) The kleptomaniac: He comes to the prayer meeting in his Bata slippers, and leaves wearing someone else’s Woodland sandals.

3) The daughter-in-law: This is the poor soul who does all the running around and sees to it that all is in place, while answering umpteen questions about the proceedings.

4) Old uncles: They have lived so long that now they have a wardrobe that consists only of funeral wear, as everyone they know seems to die weekly. They will watch the proceedings stoically, and will discreetly look at each other, wondering whose turn it is next. 20

In the dark sky, stars are twinkling.

It seems they are struggling,

Struggling for their own existence

Without any resistance.

They want to give light,

In the darkest of the sight.

They play their role

By putting their soul,

And break themselves into pieces;

Then disappear as if they were never there.

In life, don’t expect anything,

Give away everything,

You are going to take nothing.

Live for others and glow the lamp of their lives,

So that your soul may become alive.

- RACHIT GUPTA (II BBA) Stars Of Life

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Aren’t we all,

Divided by sleep, and

United in our dreams,

Unique yet the same?

Aren’t we just daughters

Daring to be freer;

Sons, working to be warmer;

Parents holding on but loose;

Friends and siblings

Striving to be better;

And uncles and aunts

Redrawing lines, in

A world chained to change?

WE Aren’t we just teachers, toiling

To dispel smoke with hope,

And clouds with silver rain;

Students travailing to glean

Wisdom, from betwixt

The blunt teeth of knowledge;

Doctors, acknowledging

The limits of science, and healers

Beyond the realms of Thought;

And lawyers, clerks, janitors,

Architects, bankers, labourers,

Politicians, artists and cynics

Who do our thing, sometimes

For love and a farthing?

- SRI SRINIVAS S (FACULTY MEMBER)

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Aren’t we just feet

Stumbling for surer holds;

Hands that strain to give

And receive without pride;

Eyes seeking pulchritude

In imperfect things;

Ears perking up

To listen rather than hear;

Noses whose wish it is

To judge but gently;

And tongues, the style of which

Had best be restraint, its substance

The lilt of Love?

Aren’t we just skeletons,

Seeking freedom from cycles;

Soils o’er which

The stardust of yore still resides;

Minds and hearts mingled

To catch a glimpse of the soul;

And spirits Waiting to mix

(Aware seldom of the wait)

With the winds of Eternity?

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The Winning Secret - VIKRAM G. N. (III BBM)

Be it the IPL (Indian Premier League) or EPL (English Premier League) or any other big league for that

matter, there are always teams that battle more in the auction and transfer market than in the game.

They fight to have all the big names in their squad, and even when they do end up with all their sought-

after targets, most of the time they end up losing big time. These teams enter every tournament with a

lot of public support, but fail to live up to their expectations. There exists another category of teams

who focus on getting the right balance in their squad rather than going behind too many big names.

They do a lot of hard work—like tweaking the squad, giving the players different roles, playing them out

of their comfort zone, observing the players who are written off by the wealthy teams and checking if

their skills would come in handy for them, and finally getting the right combination.

Most of the time in the international circuit, the competing teams are on par with each other, with only a

thin line dividing the winning and the losing teams. The thin line that takes a team to glory is their

tactical superiority. A good tactical think-tank sure does know the match winners, but it also pays equal

attention to the match winners who make the match winners.

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There is a concept called ‘money ball’ which was introduced by the Baseball coach Billy Beane of Oakland Aces. He concentrated on players who specialized in specific roles and, without fail, added their 1% to players who can deliver 120%. This strategy got together a team which was written off by all critics, but their performance proved the world wrong. Following such a philosophy in an auction or a transfer window may seem absurd. It would take a lot of mettle from a team management, after all they would have to endure countless criticisms; however, it is the most economical way of creating a perfect winning combination. Saw Leicester City lift the Premier League Cup? What could the other giants like Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea do? Absolutely nothing, they all just watched in awe. Closer to home, in the IPL, nine seasons are over, but Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) with all their royal stars are yet to be crowned champions. Every year during the House divisions of our campus, the teams are keen on having the big names in their sheet. So much of energy is drained focussing on the best in each game. Yes, they are important. They are game changers, but only to the extent of the support they get from the team. Without the assistance of a midfielder, a striker cannot score. Behind every Messi, there is an unsung hero like Iniesta. Let’s take a cricket example: you are a part of the committee given the remit to select the Indian team for their next tour. You see the scorecard of the previous series and you observe that Bhuvaneshwar kumar has been very economical but has not picked up any wickets, whereas the other bowlers have picked up a good number of them. M S Dhoni, the captain of the team, wants an extra batsmen in the squad, which means you have to remove a bowler. Now you decide that in such a difficult tour you need only the best wicket-taking bowlers and you drop Bhuvaneshwar. Now, there is every chance that the chosen bowlers may fail.

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Previously, the opposition batsmen were suffocated by Bhuvaneshwar’s excellent pressure-mounting attack from one end, and while trying to go for runs, hitting the bowler at the other end, they fell prey. In this manner, though Bhuvaneshwar had failed to pick wickets, he had been very instrumental in the success of the team. The two houses at Muddenahalli have to take this aspect seriously into consideration. Already, the stalwarts in each game have the list of potential players on their radars. The tactical battle has long since begun. It is good that during every house division a lot of thinking is invested. Nevertheless, I also hope that the same amount or more goes in for every match and that the winner gets decided by the display of tactical brilliance on the field. You can never buy the cup, you can only win the cup. And for that you need a team, not individuals; a team with a proper game plan. Players, play for the spirit of the game!

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CAPTION CONTEST

Contribute your caption for this picture by 20 July 2016 to DR. S Srinivas