Issue 209 - December 27, 2020 |
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Mind is the cause of bondage and liberation, and if one can master this mind, one can become not just a mastermind but the master Himself, says Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. In this series of talks, ‘Master the Mind’, primarily given to the Ashram residents of Sathya Sai Grama, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai guides us step by step, to take up a 30 day sadhana to understand, analyse, master and finally merge the mind into the divine self.
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In 2016 a Satsang held in the divine presence at California, USA, a devotee asked why were souls created and why is it hard to realise our true divinity.
Here is what Swami said:
Why are children born to parents? It is to give joy to parents that children are born. When parents see their own reflection in their children and when they see them growing up in their own image, they feel so much joy. There is no joy that matches the joy of being a parent or a mentor of another being.
God was all alone in His nirakara swabhava, that is, His true nature, which is formless. Then, in order to love Himself, He separated Himself from Himself. That is how creation was born.
From the river, you can take a bucket of water; from the bucket, you can take a jug of water; from the jug, you can take a mug of water. All the water is the same, but it is being separated from the river into various containers. That is how all these beings with different bodies and lives have come into existence. The containers are different, but the essence or the life principle is the same.
The whole thing has been designed in such a way that, one day, when you go beyond the outer container and look into the inner divine principle, you will know that you and the Father are one.
Children love the game called ‘treasure hunt’. You hide clues, they run and find them; first they find one; from there they get another one; then another, until finally they find the ‘treasure’. Life is a game and God gives you a clue, and then another one, and so on. It is so exciting and exhilarating! (Laughter)
Have you seen children playing? They get so excited! Every time they find a new truth, they run back to their parents to share their findings. Life becomes an exciting journey of exploring and experiencing this truth about oneself. Life is a game, play it; life is a dream, realize it; life is a challenge, meet it; life is love, enjoy it!
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Argentine Youth Activities |
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- During November 2020, the youth of five different parts of Argentina distributed food to 1,993 people.
- The youth from Buenos Aires gathered again to cook and distribute hot meals to the homeless of the city of Buenos Aires.
- The youth of La Plata distributed packages of food to around 1,400 people.
- The youth of Cordoba distributed hot meals for the homeless around their homes. They serve on the weekends and they distributed 200 meals during July 2020.
- Every Saturday, the youth of Iguazú prepared hot meals and distributed them to the people of a poor neighbourhood. They served around 250 people.
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Youth Group Seva Activities
São Paulo
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Between mid-November 2020 and mid-December 2020, the youth from Sao Paulo, Brazil kept doing the weekly Narayan Seva every Thursday. As it has been done since the beginning of the pandemic, one group cooked delicious vegetarian meals and took the parcels to a second group which distributed them in the central area of the city. This way, the vulnerable ones who needed to be more cautious about COVID-19 were safeguarded. With Swami’s Grace, the two groups managed to contribute 225 hot meals between November 19, 2020 and December 14, 2020.
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Canadian Newsletter
December 2020 Edition
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Ongoing Seva Activities in Toronto
in Collaboration With Other NGOs
- NGO 1 - Daily activity in Greater Toronto Area
- NGO 2 - The youths continue to support the organisation via donations.
- NGO 3 - The youth and the elders continue to buy a month’s worth of groceries.
- NGO 4 - INDIA - The Toronto youth are participating in ceiling on desires and sending the saved amount to educate girls in Swami’s institutions.
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Seva Activities in Montreal
With NGOs from India
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The Montreal youth have joined the Annapoorna Breakfast Programme Initiative and are sponsoring one Government School in Hyderabad and a few schools in Jamshedpur. |
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Seva Activities in Alberta
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This month the youth of Edmonton have packed and distributed non-perishable grocery items for 10 needy families.
Items Served:
Basmati Rice, Crackers, Vegetable Soup, Tomato Soup, Vegetable Noodles, Macaroni and Cheese, Fresh Fruit Juice
All service activities have been carried out as per the COVID-19 health guidelines of Alberta.
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Foundation for Development of Human Excellence Chihuahua, México |
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Service activities were carried out in Mexico during the month of November, 2020.
Food Serving Seva
Serving hot meals in the dining hall is still prohibited and delivering Tortas and Sampa has been suspended due to the enormous increase in COVID-19 infections.
Devtional Musical Seva
The month of November saw the conclusion of the editing of video and audio for the International Chorus from Mexico with popular Mexican and Latin American songs.
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Study Circles
Study Circles continue to be held weekly. As of November 29, 2020, Divine Discourses have been studied, including 25 episodes from Master the Mind series.
Education Seva
The first edition of the translation from English to Spanish of “Education in Human Values for Teachers” by Suwanti and Ron Farmer was offered to Swami at His 95th Birthday celebration by Mexican devotees.
November 22, 2020, the 95th Birthday was celebrated by the Latin American Institute EVH where each country presented their Service Offering in different areas, including two of the three segments recorded by the Mexico International Choir.
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On December 20, 2020, the eve of Christmas holidays, the Bay Area youth coordinated a food drive in San Francisco and surrounding areas. Sandwiches, muffins, juice, bananas and snacks were distributed to serve 100 meals. |
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Huntsville, Alabama Seva for
Lower-Income Individuals
December 26, 2020
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In the midst of so many hardships and pressures, Bhagawan and his Young Adult instruments encouraged all of the Sai Youth worldwide to serve others fearlessly and to be the spearhead of charitable efforts.
- Served: Prepared nine bags of groceries for families in need.
- Quantity: Nine cans of Peas, Corn, Green and Kidney beans, nine bags of Rice and nine jars of Peanut Butter.
- Location: County Chapter of NAACP Drive-Thru & Drop-Off Food Drive
- Number of people served: Nine or more
- Time Serving: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
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