Issue 269- March 20, 2022 |
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Sairam Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Our scriptures beautifully hail the adage, 'Give with sincerity, do not give with insincerity. Give in abundance; give without fear; give with humility; give with the knowledge of the purpose for which it is given’. This is the ideal way in which sacrifice has to be made. From time immemorial, we have been taught that we must sacrifice for the sake of others. The sun is a shining example. It burns itself out, day in and day out, and sustains the world. No break; no holiday. There are myriad examples in nature that personify abundance mindset that we can learn from as we go about our daily lives.
Sadguru Sir Madhusudan Sai says, “Respect all, love all, hurt nobody, serve everyone as much as possible, remain selfless, think about everybody’s welfare and concern, live with a sense of sacrifice by giving more than what you take from the world, and ultimately realise that there is one principle that permeates everything, there is one divine truth, and this is the ultimate truth of every existence.”
Sairam
Bhuvana Santhanam
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ātmano mokshārtam
(Emancipation of one’s self)
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How can we kick-start our spiritual journey? What should one do to progress on this path?
Answer: Ask the right questions! Sri Ramana Maharishi would prod people to enquire–‘Who am I’? Sri Ādi Śaṅkarācārya says that you can ask the following questions that will help you turn inward –‘Who are you? Who am I? From where do I come?’ Only these burning questions to understand the truth will steer you in the right direction –which is inwards!
Questions directed outwardly using your senses that were created as out-going, towards this material existence will only fetch you scientific knowledge which is external. An intelligent person –a rare one (kaścit dhīra) –with his power of discrimination understands that there is more to life than what is observed and experienced outside, and that there is more to learn from what is inside. Be courageous to question and explore what is within. This will help you get detached from the world and commence your journey spiritually.
An excerpt from the book ‘Spirituality 101’ authored by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Pg no. 67.
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The Change of Perception
By Leonardo Masi
Teacher, Poland
The process of transformation happens day by day, step by step. Progress is sometimes awfully difficult, other times it comes as the most natural thing in the world. Sometimes you feel abandoned on the way, other times you are surrounded by people ready to help you. You never know. There are so many opposite feelings and situations, and yes, indeed, it is a matter of acknowledging and accepting the contradictions and dualisms, being open to any solution that may come. One day the opposites will be resolved into a unity, but at the moment they are part of life at the level we are at.
How many mistakes have I made today? Many, but all of them were important. Every day can bring a new lesson and it is not a matter of reading books and learning theories. Our family, our work, our daily life continuously gives us opportunities to learn, experience and transform. I am not one of the people to whom Swami speaks or appears directly, or maybe that’s just what I guess. But I know that he is here. And this is just one of the few things I can say I know.
I used to give knowledge a great importance. Me and the Polish brothers and sisters, some of the devotees with whom I have shared the spiritual path in recent years, have learned that knowledge without love is not only useless, but can also be very dangerous. The way Swami taught this to us was painful, but the lesson was necessary. To make long story short, for many years we attended meetings and workshops regularly with a man who explained us the laws of the universe in every detail. We are grateful to this man who introduced us to Swami, but was he a guru or just someone who gave information? In the long term there was something distorted in our relationships, we seemed to have forgotten that beyond all knowledge, beyond all teachings there is something bigger, yet more simple than all – Love. The pages and pages of notes we wrote paled before the days we spent in Sathya Sai Grama and the simplicity of Swami’s divine discourses. All we had to know was actually ‘Love All, Serve All’.
We continue to learn every day through our silent sevā. Sometimes we receive rewards, sometimes problems come, but they are also a reward after all, because they give us an opportunity to improve. And that's all I can say. I don't want to give lessons, but through Swami I can always be an inspiration. As simple as that, and as difficult as that.
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To help reach Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s human values-based education to the world, and to resuscitate the humanness of humanity, the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence launched a unique, first-of-its-kind Institute of Human Values, to offer tailor-made courses totally free of any charges, curated by experts from around the world. The Vision of the Institute is to make better humans in their personal and professional spheres, by making them more sensitive towards society’s needs and exploring ways of their contribution to society in a meaningful and selfless manner, thereby creating a sense of global citizenship and responsibility.
The courses will help an individual balance the inside and outside, while progressively being a better human being, that will ultimately help him or her unravel the true meaning and purpose in life.
Learning from the heart is spiritual awakening, Baba would say. The Institute of Human Values is the first step to help lead the world into the beautiful awareness of its heart – a heart that operates from the universal human values of Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa.
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The two important principles of life which one should remember without fail are:
1) Don’t blame anyone (or God) for any reason
2) Don’t credit or praise anyone (or God) for any reason
Neither of these two happens due to someone else or due to God’s interference. It is a matter of perception. One should aim at becoming a mukta jīvī, who is free from all the bondages and doesn’t expect anything from God. In today’s world, most of the individuals are stuck in either of two categories viz., bhukta jīvī (good is due to ones’ actions and bad is out of the rage of God) and bhakta jīvī (bad is due to one’s actions and good happens as a blessing from God. World is nothing but a mere reflection, reaction and resound of one’s thoughts, words and actions.
In episode 49, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai teaches not to blame or praise others (including God) an also explains the essence behind it.
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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK |
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“All problems are illusions of mind.”
– Eckhart Tolle
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jagat hitāya
(Welfare of the World)
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The Sai youth from UK supported the preparation and distribution of around 1,075 meals during the month of February 2022 across a range of locations in the UK.
In spite of the current risks, volunteers in London continue to give fresh pre-packed meals weekly from a public square in the city centre where many homeless and needy people congregate for food. The team currently serves around 150 meals per week in addition to snacks and hot drinks.
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In Portsmouth and Southampton, volunteers work in collaboration with local charities to make cooked meals and other supplies available throughout the week to rough sleepers and anyone else without proper access to food in their local community. They also support women survivors of domestic abuse by providing them and their children with additional food and clothing. |
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