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Summer Course in Indian
Culture & Spirituality 2013 |
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Text & photo source - copyrights: Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust - sssbpt.org - Radiosai.org Prasanthi Diary - theprasanthireporter.org | Web layout - Photo graphic design : saibabaofindia.com "SBOI" | - We gratefully acknowledge the publishers Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust & Sri Sathya Sai Media Foundation
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Tuesday, June 11th,
2013
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Summer Course in
Indian Culture & Spirituality came to a close today with a
Valedictory Address delivered by Prof (Ms) Madhu Kapani,
Dept Of Economics & Humanities, SSSIHL, Anantapur Campus.
Earlier the final day’s session began with
customary invocatory Vedam at 0830 hrs. An interactive
Programme, “Situation Analysis Exercise” led by Dr N Siva
Kumar, Associate Professor, Dept Of Commerce, Brindavan
Campus followed, with Directors and Wardens from all the
Campuses participating as expert panel.
Next to come was a short video
presentation, followed by another interactive session Study
Circle on the theme “Summer Course Discourses – Global
Presentation”.
Some of the senior outgoing faculty
members were felicitated next before the Valedictory Address
by Prof (Ms) Madhu Kapani marking the conclusion of the
three-day Summer Course in Indian Culture & Spirituality –
2013.
At the end of the programme a sumptuous
feast was organized for all the participants in the South
Indian Canteen.
II
Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
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Saturday, June 8th, 2013
Two speeches and
a musical offering by the Anantapur Campus were the
highlights of the second and penultimate evening of the
ongoing Summer Course in Indian Culture & Spirituality –
2013 here in Prasanthi Nilayam today.
The proceedings for the evening commenced
with invocatory Vedam by the students. A brief introduction
by one of the faculty members of the Anantapur Campus
followed, introducing the speakers and the programme to be
followed.
V. Sai Pramod, 12th standard student from
Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, Prasanthi Nilayam
had the onus of presenting the report of II Day proceedings
from the Summer Course.
The speakers for the evening were Ms
Jasmine Rai and Sri Shravan Sai from the Anantapur and
Muddenahalli campuses respectively.
Beginning with a mention of the supreme
benediction of being His properties, Ms Rai went on
narrating the beauty and supreme importance of being at His
Lotus Feet as His messengers. She concluded her short but
structured speech saying, it is important to lead the life
of Jesus, life of God, by Loving and Serving All…as preached
and practised by Bhagawan.
The next speaker, Sri Shravan Sai
deliberated on the topic “Gratitude”. Punctuating his speech
with beautiful anecdotes, narrating experiences with
Bhagawan and with tales from epics, the young speaker
highlighted importance of being grateful in one’s life, at
every juncture. Before coming into the crux of his
deliberations, being grateful to Bhagawan, the young speaker
stressed on the importance of being grateful to the Five
Elements, the ‘essential root’ of existence. Shri Shravan
concluded his speech opining that the best way to offer
gratitude to Bhagawan, Who has done, is doing everything to
everyone is to follow at least some of His teachings.
A musical bouquet, entitled ‘Sai Smaranam’
by the Anantapur Campus followed next. Bhajans continued at
the end of the 35 minute concert and ended with ‘Sunday
Special’ in Bhagawan’s enchanting voice, “Hari Bhajana Binaa
Sukha Shanthi Nahi…”.
Mangala Arathi was offered at 1850 hrs.
marking the end of the proceedings.
Earlier, the Summer Course proceedings on
the II Day featured panel discussion, talk, study circle,
quiz etc.
After the invocatory Vedam chanting,
further proceedings began with the Panel Discussion, on the
theme “Ideal Sai Students and Their Role in Society”,
moderated by Miss Rani PL, Associate Professor, Dept Of
English Language & Literature, Anantapur Campus. Four of the
former students of SSSIHL, holding prestigious positions in
various corporate participated in the discussions.
This was followed by a short video
presentation entitled, “The Message I Bring”, on Bhagawan.
Next to come was a talk by Sri S Sai Giridhar, Doctoral
Research Scholar, Dept Of Chemistry at the Prasanthi Nilayam
Campus. Sri Sai Giridhar deliberated on the topic “Lessons
From The Bhagavatham For Modern Society”. A Quiz Programme
on the theme “Life Of All Avatars” as narrated by Bhagawan
followed next, ably hosted by Dr Shashank Shah, Post
Doctoral Fellow, Dept Of Management Studies, Prasanthi
Nilayam Campus. Post lunch session featured an interactive
session, Study Circle, on Selected Summer Course Discourses.
II
Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
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The
Unbelievable Prophecy
Saturday, June 8th, 2013
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In the South
Indian State of Andhra Pradesh, there happened the epochal
Divine Advent – Sai Pravesh and the result was Prasanthi
Pradesh (Prasanthi Nilayam). How, almost seven decades ago,
a young Sathya of barely sixteen years granted a fantasy
glimpse of the would be Prasanthi Nilayam to one lucky soul.
Read on as Sri Pujari Lakshmaiah from Chennai narrates his
maiden encounter with The Lord Walks The Earth. The article
dates back to Aug/Sept 1972, Sanathana Sarathi.
Is it true? Can it be true? A boy calling
himself Sai Baba! And consoling the dispirited, curing the
ill, exorcising ghosts and teaching the old! I heard of this
sixteen year old prodigy and entered Puttaparthi, with a
woman, mad since two years, and her husband. That was in
1943.
At Bukkapatnam, people laughed at us;
they thought all of us were mad to believe in the miraculous
powers of that boy. Yet, having come so far, we decided to
complete the journey, instead of turning back. We engaged a
bullock cart for twelve annas and came to the riverbed. I
left them there and moved into the little haggard group of
houses, along narrow tracks.
I peeped into a Brahmin house (Karnam
Subbamma’s house); the verandah was full of groundnut heaps.
Inside I found a charming young boy, with a bright,
intelligent face, talking with the labourers. I accosted him
and asked, “I heard there is a boy in this village who
has become Sai Baba; it seems he cures madness. Which is his
house, can you tell me?”
The boy looked at me very lovingly and
replied. “Poor fellow! The mad woman you brought with
you is giving terrible trouble to her husband in the river!
Go and take bath; and bring them also after their bath is
over. I shall then show you the boy you are after.”
While returning from the river, the woman ran wildly hither
and thither and it was a job to bring her to the Brahmin
house. Sai Baba (for, it was none other than He) told me,
“I’ll call you one by one” and took me in, first.
He created Vibhuti and applied it to my forehead. Then, He
called in the couple. They had bought some bananas at
Bukkapatnam for Sai Baba. He gave the woman to eat one
banana out of the number. He also gave them both the
materialised Vibhuti.
It was six in the evening, by then.
Coming out on the road, the wife told her husband “Well;
what about our meal? Get some rice from the shop; and ask
for vessels. I shall cook food for us, pretty quick.”
The husband was overjoyed; her madness had gone!
But, Baba called us in and we sat with
Him for the night meal. Baba mixed all the items served by
Subbamma into tolerably big balls, and He gave one for each
of us. It was tasty beyond words!
That night, we slept in the verandah of
that house. We were disturbed often, by the howling of packs
of jackals, and the braying of donkeys. At about three, some
woman shrieked, “I am dying”; she was stung by a
scorpion! A few minutes later, some one cried, “Kill;
Kill “ and many ran in that direction. It was a cobra,
this time.
Early morning, we touched Baba’s Feet and
stood before Him. “No sleep? Too many snakes in this
place. This is a very holy place; but, under a curse! Sai
will save it” He said and then added,
“The Sai Pravesh
(Advent) will make it the Prasanthi Pradesh (Region). Upon
that hill, I shall have a grand Bhavan. By that time,
hundreds, (why hundreds?) thousands, (why thousands?) lakhs,
All India will be here; The whole world will come and wait
for Sai Darshan.“ I said, on hearing
this, “What? I cannot believe this will happen.” He
laughed and said, “You will have to believe it when you
will be standing at a great distance, trying to catch a
glimpse of Me!”
II
Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
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Trayee Brindavan
had always been a home away from ‘Home’ for Beloved
Bhagawan…and the Trayee sessions in Brindavan used to be one
of the most heavenly experiences with Him… The combine of
Bhagawan with His students would always remind one of the
intimacy and closeness gopikas and gopalas enjoyed with Lord
Krishna in the Dwapara and what the ‘vanaras’ enjoyed with
Lord Rama in the Treta… Confined within the four walls of
the Trayee, The Lord often assumed His many varied faces,
throwing glimpses from God’s mysterious Divine Chamber…
helping, raising, elevating many of His chosen devotees, all
in His most inimitable style…Sathya Sai Style…Dr T Ravi
Kumar, Associate Professor, Dept Of Chemistry, Brindavan
Campus of SSSIHL writes about one such interesting, intimate
session in Trayee…Dr Ravi Kumar is also the Warden of the
Brindavan Hostel…
It was one of the Trayee sessions. Each
Trayee session was unique. One never knew what wonderful
thing would happen in each session. Each one of the sessions
were filled with Ananda and Awesome revelations. One never
knew whose life would be transformed forever in each
session. A word here, a smile there, an acceptance of a
letter, a revelation here, a consolation there and so on…
On this day, as we all assembled in the
Divine Presence, Swami was in a mood to read letters. As
Swami had come for darshan, He accepted letters from
devotees. Devotees also felt relieved that they have placed
their burdens, difficulties, insurmountable problems, health
issues in His safe hands.
Swami would pick a letter from the bundle
at random and open it and read. He would then keep it aside.
This went on for some 10 minutes. Suddenly Swami picked up
what looked like a packet and opened it. Inside was a yellow
cloth with a knot. Swami opened the knot and… inside were a
few coins which were black. Swami started distributing this
to the boys in the front. There was one student Venkatraman
whom Swami gave 3-4 coins. He was overjoyed at receiving
this from Swami’s hands.
After this Swami called Maj Gen. Mahadevan
– [Swami would affectionately call him 'Gen Mahadevan'] to
address the students. He had a number of Sai experiences,
having been in the theatre of war any number of time and
having come face to face with life-threatening situations.
In his soldier like fashion he would narrate experiences of
how Swami intervened to save him from sure death. He ended
his speech, urging the students to surrender to the Lord
totally and live a tension-free life.
Swami then looked around and looking at me
said Ai, junior Mahadevan get up. This
brought the house down. I spoke about Swami’s love as
reflected in the pool of my experiences….
It was 6 pm and Swami signalled for Arati.
A student came forward with rose, which Swami accepted and
kept in his pocket and blessed him with Namaskar. Another
brought a glass of water which mischievously Swami dipped
His index finger in and pretended to place on His tongue.
The third student brought a small bowl of fried groundnuts.
Swami took one and quickly threw to the warden who managed
to take the ‘catch’. He then was about to eat it when Swami
stopped him and asked him to examine it . It was a small
idol of Lord Ganesha.
Then Swami lit the Arati and went into the
round hall. All along the path students gave letters to
Swami, talked to Swami or He talked to them. He then went up
the balcony and gave Darshan and blessed us with
Abhayahastam.
As we were returning, i noticed
Venkatraman admiring the coins Swami had given him. He was
brimming with joy and was sharing this with me as we walked
to the hostel. Imagine his surprise when he found his
parents had arrived. They had not communicated any intention
to visit him. They were at a place called Bilaspur in Madhya
Pradesh. He quickly went up to them and excitedly showed the
coins that Swami had so lovingly given him. There were tears
in his mother’s eyes. For a few minutes she was silent. Then
she narrated… Venkatraman’s father was going through a bad
phase in his life. His health was not good. He was not
satisfied with his job and there were many problems
besetting them on all sides. On being consulted, a reputed
astrologer had asked them to perform Ganapathi homam. This
they had performed in her ancestral house in Trichy. Even as
the Poorna huti was going on, she had prayed to Swami to
show her in some way that He had accepted her offering. He
was the Ganapathi she believed in! He had shown that He had
received the offering {some coins are offered in the fire}
and even ‘refunded’ a few!
On their return journey, they heard that
Swami was in Brindavan and came there to see Him and
Venkatraman too… and Swami gave them this Assurance!
II
Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
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