Issue 228 - May 09, 2021
Editor's Note
Sairam dear brothers and sisters,

In today’s day and age, words like measurement, ROI etc., are used in abundance. We seem to want to measure everything that is done; to check how maybe something has improved, which includes our habits or personal performance. Of course, it is critical to improve our quality of life. Well, the good news is that there is a measure to our spiritual progress too! Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai reminds us that the measure to our spiritual progress depends on how much the ego has been reduced. At the end, this ego must be completely annihilated and that can only happen when we develop the feeling of servitude.

Sadguru says, “By continuous seva, the jiva prajña (the individual consciousness) slowly expands and becomes daiva prajña (divine consciousness). And ultimately a day comes when there is no difference between you and the divine, as you become one with God because you have been continuously living in that thought of God. So, I create opportunities for you so that you can understand what is God, His love and compassion, what He expects from us, how to become close to God, and ultimately how to become God Himself. You can become God by constantly living in that thought of God!”

Sairam
Bhuvana Santhanam
ātmano mokshārtam
(Emancipation of one’s self)
Excerpt from Divine Discourse
What is real sacrifice or tyāga, and what is yoga?

tyāga is not giving up hearth and home and family and going to a forest. True tyāga is giving up selfishness in one’s life, in one’s feelings, and true yoga is union with God.

Life in this world is full of worries all the time. Understand, here is one ‘chinta’ or contemplation that will release you from all worries – that is the contemplation of God. When we contemplate on God, no worries will haunt us.

What is the root cause of all the worries of man? It is selfishness and self-interest in his heart. All worries start from the feeling of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. But people who have firm faith in God and love for God are not trouble by worries. Those who give up everything and commune with God all the time are in samadhi; everything remains sama - equanimous. Vivekananda had an equanimous state of mind; if he was ridiculed, he did not feel sad and when he was praised also he did not gloat. He accepted both with equanimity of mind. For a person who has faith in God, why should he get worried at all about anything? The reason for worries is that we lack faith. We have to develop faith.

True faith is that faith which makes you believe in God even during your adversities and difficulties. In happy times, everybody is a devotee. As long as God continues to give what the devotee asks for, God will remain God for the devotee. When God does not give the devotee what he asks for, He is no more Sai Baba, He is no more God. This kind of giving and taking is a kind of commerce and business; it is not devotion. Therefore, we should not ask God for anything, worry about anything; we should have the faith that God will give us what is required for us at any point of time.

You have to do your work as instruments; I am the one who does everything.

My Mission will always continue. If you participate in My Mission, your lives will find fulfilment, your lives will be sanctified; if you think that you are helping Me, it is a mistake. I always flow like the river Ganga. I don’t have any sense of difference. I do everything for everybody because everyone belongs to Me. For a man who believes in God and depends on Him, there will be no worries about tomorrow. That person would think – today I am devoting myself to God and praying to Him; that is good enough for me. If you develop that kind of faith, that is true devotion. Where there is light, there is no darkness. Where there is faith, where there is devotion, there is no scope for any worries. You should pray to God, and that is enough. Life will be fulfilled with all nobility and merit.

An excerpt from the Divine discourse delivered by Sri Sathya Sai Baba on November 12, 2015.
My Story
Little Steps Towards Self- Transformation
By Dulya De Silva
Pre-University student
Sri Lanka
 
My understanding of religion was never clear. I grew up reading texts from all religions around the world. But I was always a spiritual person, and some time last year, I started to listen to talks by many spiritual leaders on the internet. During this time, I was introduced to Swami and got to hear incredible stories of His countless miracles, wit and wisdom. At that moment, it was like a bell that went off in my head.
 
The world has gone through a lot, and so have I, but in all this, I knew that Swami’s presence has been there. Yes, I have never seen Him in the physical frame, but deep in my heart I do know that He has always been with me. Everyday I’m trying to follow Swami’s guidance in all that I do. I am consciously trying to put into practise little nuggets of wisdom. I know I am not perfect but I realised that I can be steered by Someone who is, and in my case, the Almighty Himself. I only hope that I can live in a way that keeps me true to myself and be a good, worthy person to the world. Learning about Swami has shown me that goodness can, and does have physical manifestations, it’s just not in statues painted in red.
 
It hasn’t been very long since Swami came into my life, but I already feel that I’ve changed quite a bit. I still have doubts to let go of, I still have my own demons to face, but I am certain that I have the strength to overcome that, with Swami and His Divine Guidance by my side. It is an accumulation of little moments and instances where His guidance, His words, His teachings is making me grow, and making me a little bit better than yesterday. It is in the most subtle ways that He entered and touched my life, and dear brothers and sisters this is truly the beauty of this journey. I am not the same person as I used to be. Everyday, I am progressing a little on this path of transformation.
Self Development
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.

Log on to www.iohv.org today!
upaniṣad
kaṭhopaniṣad is a legendary story of a brave little boy, Nachiketa, son of Sage Vajasravasa, who meets Yama (the Hindu deity of death), and seeks spiritual wisdom from him. Their conversation evolves to a discussion of the nature of man, knowledge, ātman (Soul, Self) and mokṣā (liberation).

The ātman (Self) is the pure consciousness which can be known only through relentless perseverance. One must divert the mind from its obsession with its natural habitat, the objective world, and maintain it in a state of unwavering equanimity. This triumph alone can remove one’s grief, once for all! The feeling that you (the jivi) are separatefrom that ‘One’ (the ātman) is the root cause of the cycle of birth and death.

Initially, Yama tested the sincerity and determination of Nachiketa by refusing and denying answering, by luring him with the riches of the world and distracting him with sensual pleasures. But Nachiketa, being a true aspirant on the spiritual path, discriminated between being a true aspirant on the spiritual path, discriminated between 'sreyas' (the good) and 'preyas' (the pleasant) remained unmoved and pined only to know the truth. Thus, he earned the deservedness to attain the supreme knowledge, Bramhajnana from Yamadeva himself. Anyone who perseveres like Nachiketa is guaranteed to attain and experience Brahman.
 
Under the guidance of our Divine Master, let us learn these profound teachings of Vedanta and follow Him in the path of Self Realisation.
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
“Seek your happiness in the happiness of all.”

– Zoraster

jagat hitāya
(Welfare of the World)
Iftar meals distribution

In continuation of the food distribution seva for the month of Ramadan which started on April 12, 2021 and continued till May 12, 2021, the youth distributed Iftar meals to needy individuals.  
Iftar marks the end of each day's fast and often celebrates and brings together the community. Providing food for others to break their fast is considered an important part of observance.
Distribution of Sai Love Kits in Uganda
 
Every month, the Sai youth have been instrumental in touching the lives of the needy in Uganda. Sai Love Kits wrapped with love and compassion reached the same community once again, but this time to a larger number serving a total of 26 families with close to 60 individuals. The Sai Love Kits which were handed to the beneficiaries included the essentials such as rice, atta (flour), dal (lentils), sugar, salt, tea powder, spices, cooking oil and few hygiene items. Close to 1,200 meals can be cooked out of these kits.