Issue 50 - December 24, 2017
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‘Atmano mokshartham jagat hitaya cha’
- are the immortal words from the Rig Veda which means, ‘work for the spiritual emancipation of yourself and for the benefit of the world’. Swami reminds us all the time to serve humanity, and through service we will be able to discover the divinity within, and in others as well. Therefore, service to society is an opportunity which God gives us.
Swami’s message to the Sai youth around the world this week:
“I see it often, I have seen it before, and even now at times, that people who engage in a little bit of service to others - be it providing food or clothes or medical services or education - develop this kind of an ego that they are helping someone else. Truly, such an ego that arises out of the feeling of having done something good to someone else is extremely difficult to get rid of, for it sticks to your mind forever. Once it comes, it sticks to you, and doesn't go easily. Therefore, for such a person, even an act of service which is supposed to be liberating becomes a cause of bondage. The mind is responsible for both liberation and bondage of man. The attitude with which you render service is extremely important.”
Yours in His Service
Bhuvana Santhanam
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Red Nose for the Argentine Youth
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In November the activity in “Rivadavia Hospital” continued as usual. Every Saturday the Argentine youth spend time with the children of the hospital by reading books, colouring and playing games. Plus, they distribute clothes, toys, nappies, sweets and special gifts. They try to meet the basic needs of the children and to give them an extra gift in order to make them happier. For such purpose, the youth contacted the nurses who work at the hospital and they informed them the number of children, their ages and needs.
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More than 60 jackets and more than 60 T-shirts were distributed along with Christmas gift packets containing candies, nutritional bars and other goodies. More than 50 health care kits were distributed on the streets of Oakland on December 17, 2017. The homeless people celebrated Christmas a week early with the team with chocolate cakes and bananas.
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Since the team had just distributed blankets, socks and jackets the previous month, they did not carry that this time. But looking at the ever increasing need, the team resolved to do a more rigorous
Seva
for Christmas and New Year and also look for more homeless locations, so
Seva
can be done for far more people. As
Bhagawan
often says "With effort comes grace", but the volunteers realised that when grace comes, it does not come just for the person doing
Seva
, but for all the volunteers, for all the people whom youth serve, for all the people who watch and all the surrounding worlds. Such is the grace and gift of
Bhagawan
.
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Huntsville, Alabama Homeless
Seva
December 15, 2017
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The Downtown Rescue Mission in Huntsville, Alabama provides meals for its homeless residents and immerses them in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Christmas season and stories such as Charles Dickens’ A
Christmas
Carol
remind the needs of others as winter arrives here. A mural depicting the Son of God washing the feet of His disciples echoes the request Gopanna made to
Bhagawan
and demonstrates how to put these principles into practice. Interestingly, one of the Rescue Mission’s elderly residents told a Sai Youth that he was being given the privilege of wiping the tables during the times between which each wave of residents finished eating.
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This
Seva
continues to be a hallmark of collaboration and cooperation between multiple organisations and individuals to bring this city back to Life. A true example of I to WE to HE. It still remains the most expensive disaster in US history and, to add to that, 90 percent of Houstonians do not have flood insurance. This particular day the Youth were collaborating with "Sewa" and "Nechama". The latter is a Jewish disaster relief organisation, however, only one in their group was Jewish in Faith showing their Unity in Diversity. Most of their volunteers were from out of state and were residing in a church for weeks at a stretch to devote their time and love.
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I offer my salutations at the Divine Lotus Feet of
Bhagawan
Sri Sathya Sai Baba. My name is Nicolas and I am from Argentina. During my years together with Swami,
I was conscious that a selfless love
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existed, which even I was able to experience, so I perceived life from a totally different perspective.
This was a turning point which changed my life completely. As a result, I understood that it was possible to live in a world with peace and harmony according to what you are vibrating in it. Now day’s the Argentine youth and I distribute breakfast on Sunday mornings and focus all our love on giving something more to our homeless brothers.
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